Joe is a stranger to this Florence.

He was born in Florence, and in his childhood and adolescence, the Medici family had high honor and great authority in Florence, even at the instigation of Sixtus IV, the Pache family had rebelled in 1478, but at that time he was only a toddler in the arms of a nurse, and only remembered that he was not allowed to leave the room during that time, and knew nothing about the blood and chaos of the outside world, and then, as if to make amends, Lorenzo could have doted on his children with his brother Giuliano as much as possible, otherwise how could Pierrot be so confident that he was the prince of Florence? He probably was, but after Lorenzo's death, he fell from a wonderful fall to the ground, and the malice of the people not only made him insane, but even Joe. The Medici couldn't help but feel fear.

On the way to the former Medici mansion and city hall, crowds were crowded on both sides of the narrow and curvy road, no, they were not here to welcome the Medici and their party, although they remained silent, no one saluted them, their eyes swelled with contempt, they were like a long prepared velvet, with a little friction, it could burn rapidly, which Joe had never experienced, he took a deep breath, and wanted to chant the Medici slogan, to find supporters for them, But a fuchsia woollen glove rested lightly on his arm, and he didn't have to look to know that it was Julio riding with him.

Giulio was three years younger than Jo, but when Joe was obsessed with prostitutes, balls and fine food in Rome, he had become an entourage of Caesar, the son of the Pope, and accompanied him on his mission to Perugia, Joe was not very clear about the whole thing, but he had heard that in this attempted murder, if it were not for Julio, Caesar and others might have died in the conspiracy of Atalanta, Joe did not know if this was a rumor deliberately released by Cardinal Picromini, but since then, it is an indisputable fact that Caesar and Giulio have become closer and closer. This time something unfortunate happened to the Medici, and Jo also wanted to go to Caesar, but Caesar had left Rome a few days earlier.

Although he didn't want to admit it, in the absence of other trusted support, Joe had to admit that Giulio was more of a brother to rely on, and he kept his mouth shut and was silent.

Several members of the crowd sighed slightly, and if Joe really dared to shout the Medici or the family's battle cry "Victory", it would undoubtedly further infuriate the Florentine people, the Medici's patriarch, Pierrot. The Medici was more like a merciless humiliation when they were about to sell all of Florence, and here it was the lowest level of Florence, the hopeless unemployed workers and their families, and the Council of the Seventy had succeeded in transferring all of Florence's decline in recent years onto the Medici, who, at the slightest provocation, would rush up and pull down the horses, beat them, castrate them, drag them around the streets, and hang their stumps on flagpoles or high windows, It's like dealing with the Patch family in 1478 who failed in their rebellion. But their hearts sank at the sight of the procession that had entered the gates, for the two Medici had entered the city in their full bishopric attire, with the bishop's ring on their fingers and the large gold cross hanging from their chests, a dress sufficient in this day and age for the commoners to humbly bend down and even kneel on the ground and kiss their shoes. So, the jealousy and hatred stirred up by the Council of the Seventy may still be burning, but it is not far from extinguishing.

In this way, the Medici and their attendants arrived in ominous silence at the Palazzo Vecchio, which was now completely occupied by the Council of Seventy, and even the Medici's seven-ball coat of arms on the lintel had been removed, leaving an unsightly void. They saw the Council of Seventy waiting for them in the hall of five hundred on the first floor, and behind a long table of polished dark brown walnut, they were waiting for the Medici - although it was said to be the Council of Seventy, there were only about twelve people here, and of these twelve people, only five or six or even two or three people had the most power, Jo laughed in his heart, even if these people were full of freedom and democracy, but the people who really held power were not the Medici, but only these families, Are they really going to make the dirty wool washers or the cracked hands of the dyers the masters of Florence?

But his expression soon dimmed, and in the Hall of the Five Hundred, the ceiling and walls were originally covered with elaborate and splendid paintings, a total of 39 depicting the major historical events of Florence in various periods, and no less than sixteen of them depicted the Medici family crest, the heads of the family, and the figures of the clansmen, who were now covered with velvet draperies, and presumably in the near future the Council of the Seventy would look for painters to erase their faces and symbols, which had also destroyed the traces of the Pache family.

Giulio had little memory of the Palazzo Vecchio compared to Joe, and he only looked at it briefly before paying attention to the people standing behind the long table, all dressed in plain black coats, solemn in their manners, and looking at the Medici with little kindness, "Good evening, sir," Carboni said in a calm tone, "Can you tell us?" Are we welcoming the Medici or the servants of the Holy Spirit? ”

If they had answered the Medici, then, as a resolution had already been made by the Council of the Seventy, anyone of the Medici family would be expelled from Florence, let alone negotiate with them; If they claim to be servants of the Holy Spirit, then according to the Bible, "Render to God what is God's, and Caesar's to Caesar's." As bishops, they did not have direct authority over the internal affairs of Florence.

"It's just two Florentine citizens who come here." Giulio replied.

Carboni is a middle-aged man with a clear face, hearing this answer, he couldn't help but show a slight smile on his lips, this answer is of course very good, whether it is the bishop, or the Medici, they can indeed enter the city as Florentine citizens, but compared to the first two answers, this answer is much more humble, and the person who gave this answer was not Joe, but Giulio, who was still just a teenager, and Carboni had also heard Lorenzo proudly mention his brother's widow, And this young man inherited his father's face, and perhaps a sparse character, if it weren't for the purple and red robes, there would have been countless young girls and even other people's wives chasing after him. But if it were Giuliano standing here, he would not grovel to traitors and enemies even in the face of death—although Carboni did not feel at all that he had betrayed the Medici, who had fallen to this point at his own peril.

"So, two venerable citizens," asked one of the councillors beside Carbony, in a sarcastic tone, "have you come here to give us some great inspiration?" ”

To their surprise, Giulio actually nodded. "We did come for Florence."

This sentence immediately provoked a loud sneer, only Carboni did not have the slightest contempt, he saw in this child Piero, that is, Giulio's grandfather old Medici characteristics, even if Piero was extremely old at that time, and Giulio was like a new sprout on a tree, but their figures seemed to overlap together, he didn't think that such a young Giulio could save Florence, he might not even be able to save the Medici, but he still wanted to hear the Medici's thoughts, but, if Giulio thought, It would be a mistake for him to trade Lucca for Florence, which is also a city that worships freedom, and they respect their bishop, but they don't listen to him. If he insists on going his own way, then the Medici will lose Lucca after losing Florence.

"The most difficult problem right now is Pierrot. The agreement signed by the Medici with King Charles VIII of France," Carbony surprised everyone and said calmly: "We will never accept this agreement, but if we refuse to recognize it and ask for a new negotiation, the French king will definitely be furious, because the last agreement, if you have seen it," he glanced at the young man beside him: "There is no doubt that Florence is a delicious chicken stew on his plate, and now we are going to take it and give him only a little juice, how can he allow it?" ”

"It's the Medici's fault." Giulio said: "It should be borne by the Medici." ”

"What are you going to do?" Carbony asked with interest.

Giulio was silent for a moment, "All the paperwork signed by a madman is useless. ”

"You're going to turn Pierrot into a madman?" Someone asked in surprise. "No, not a madman, but a fool who has been bewitched by the devil." Giulio said: "The judges and priests of the Inquisition have confirmed this and have given written proof that Pierrot. The Medici had been tempted by the devil a year earlier, and he had become insane and incomprehensible, otherwise how could he have gone to the tent of the King of France and signed such an agreement that was not in the least favorable to Florence? ”

"King Charles VIII of France won't believe it."

"It's not a matter for a mortal to decide," said Giulio, "if he insists that the agreement with the messenger of the devil is valid......"

"He is a king, and the Inquisition cannot judge a king."

"We just have to prove Pierrot. The Medici were guilty. ”

Carboni looked at Joe, who described his sorrow as sad, but did not utter a single word of objection, and it was clear that the Medici had made a decision before they had arrived.

"I feel creepy." One lawmaker wrote in his diary, "Others should feel the same way." ”

At dawn on the third day, outside the garrison of Charles VIII, the clergy of the Inquisition, carrying icons and banners, led the condemned people through Florence for a week, including the figure of Pierrot of Medici. And just when Charles VIII was bewildered and angry, Carboni, who had served as the Florentine ambassador to France, brought him rich gifts and letters from Florentine citizens to the King of France, who accepted the entry of the French King and his army into Florence, promising him a triumphal ceremony of glory like Caesar, and of course, in Carbony's Lotus Tongue, Charles VIII mistakenly believed that this was Florence's submission to him, so on November 7, a dawn with a deep chill, When the French entered Florence, they were indeed treated with great pomp and grace - the streets were sprinkled with perfume and paper, the merchants offered them wine and goats, bread and soup were at their disposal, their army was followed by thousands of prostitutes, and the same number of beauties awaited them in the city, and the Florentine people had vacated for them spacious and beautiful houses, with fireplaces blazing and servants running to and fro, and their hands and feet diligent. Serve the proud enemy as diligently as a clergyman and a count. It was a disgraceful but effective practice, and at least the French soldiers, who had clamoured to burn Florence, the only one who dared to resist them, as an example to the Monkeys, began to enjoy the luxury of their first and only time in their lives.