Lepi, as well as Spolette, and the narrow but crucial territory between them, all belonged to the Convent of San Francisco, which was originally owned by a member of the Spolette family, but in order to bring Lucrecia to the Spirette. Borgia's gifts were legally transferred to Giulio. Under the Medici, Pius III played with a small trick that the clergy of the time used - that is, the nominal owner of the two lands, Avery III. Borgia donated his fiefdom to the Monastery of San Francisco, and then Pius III took Giulio. The Medici appointed the abbot of the monastery, so that the small cities of Lepi and Spoleette and the surrounding mountains were naturally owned by the Medici.

As soon as Julius II ascended the throne, one of the seven major decrees proposed by Julius II was one of the seven decrees prohibiting clergy from leading dioceses, churches, and monasteries, and Lepi and Spoleet were no exception, but it should be noted that the new abbot of the Convent of San Francisco was none other than Avery Avery . Borgia.

The sensitivity of the surname Borgia was best known to Avery as the last direct male descendant of Borgia, and he certainly could not have received the monastery in the name of Borgia – he was falsely claimed to be a member of the Baglioni family, and Julius II did not hesitate to reward Cardinal Baglioni for his support in the papal elections and subsequent reforms. It is precisely because of this that Luracia. Borgia & Giulio. The benevolent government that the Medici had exercised in these two small cities and the surrounding areas was able to sustain it, rather than being messed up by the inexperienced and incompetent black-clergy as in other regions—none of them were bad people, but there was no doubt that, as young men of humble origin, their short-sightedness and meager insight could not support the ideological framework of a ruler—after Julius II generously but abruptly gave them great power and glory, They are either lost in people's flattery, bribery and temptation, or they are indulging in the pleasure of power.

Avery. Borgia had been the youngest and most unobtrusive member of the Borgia family, he was a little more cowardly and affectionate than the other Borgias, but he still had a sensitivity that no one else could match, and when he heard that the French were attacking Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, he ordered his monks, assassins, and mercenaries to get ready - of course he understood why he was placed here, first of all, he was once the lord of this place after all, and what his sister Lucrecia had done here, so that the people here are not disgusted with themselves; Secondly, the Medici needed a credible person to hold the place for him, and don't forget that Pope Alexander VI was trying to get Le Pi and Spole precisely because they were at the choke point between Rome and the outside world. The Medici had already made up his mind, and he would not give up any of his chips easily, but Avery could not have imagined that Giulio would be willing to give them to himself; Finally, probably the answer to the previous question, Legpi and Spolette are Luclayia. Borgia left the property of the two people she loved the most, and Giulio did not want to give it to Baglioni or even another Medici.

"When you went to pick you up, were you discovered by the French?" Avery asked, he was a mature young man now, and although he wore monk's clothes and had short haircuts, he was more majestic than when he was dressed in fine clothes, and the Assassins of the Borgia family bowed to him, "No, my lord," he said, "but if the French are not willing to give up—it is only a matter of time before they are found, and you must be prepared to meet or surrender." ”

"They will certainly not give up," said Avery, "and the French have received a great deal of benefit from their Pope Benedictine XIII during the time of the three popes, and now that they can do it again, they will not let go of this opportunity—I know, you mean that we had better choose to surrender, after all, the French have 50,000 troops, and they are in Italy," he sneered, "and our pope personally greeted him, and I don't know if he regrets it now, but there is no need to worry too much." I've already written to Florence before, and their reinforcements will arrive soon. ”

There was a look of distrust on the Assassin's face, if Avery had said that he had asked for help from the Spaniards or the Holy Roman Empire in the name of Pope Julius II, there might have been a glimmer of life, but what the hell was Florence? Everyone knows that they don't even have their own army.

Avery only smiled soothingly, he was inevitably under some surveillance during his time in Florence, but for this reason, he knew more than the average person—let alone after a lonely and peaceful time, Giulio . The Medici took him with him and made him do things for himself—so that Avery could meet his last two blood relatives in the world, his brother Caesar. Borgia's daughter Luise and his sister Lucalesia. Borgia and the Medici's son, Cosimo the Younger.

However, due to his personal concerns, he rarely appeared in front of these two children, and why bother, the Borgia surname was no longer an honor, but a well-known filth and sin, and for these two children, the surname had perished long before their governorship, and there was no need to cast a shadow of embarrassment in their memories as clean and shining as pearls.

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply: "Cardinal Baglioni, Cardinal Boins, Cardinal Medici, I mean, Joe. Has the Medici Cardinal arrived? ”

"It's all here, my lord." The Assassin said.

"Then let's go and see our Pope together."

————————————

Avery and Borgia entered Le Pi Castle, they saw several cardinals with poor faces, at this time, those who could stand with them were undoubtedly credible allies, Borgia's last descendant only skimmed and found that there were already seven people in red standing here, some people may think that this number does not have an advantage in the cardinal body, but as the son of Pope Alexander VI, Avery is no longer taken seriously, and he knows that this number is actually quite amazing, after all, excluding the two cardinals of FranceWith the exception of the four cardinals of the Spaniards (two of whom have unfortunately left this sinful world), there are so many cardinals in the body that they are swaying in the wind, so that in many cases, the victory or defeat of someone is only a matter of one vote.

He saluted them, and then turned his puzzled gaze to Cardinal Baglioni, who had been with Joe. Cardinal Medici, like him, has always been a man of a wide heart and a fat body, and it is not very common to see him so troubled, except for the sad face of Pius III when he returned to the feet of God.

"Is there any command from the Holy Father?" Avery asked.

"No," said Cardinal Baglioni, "actually," he glanced at his colleague beside him, "he won't give any more orders, Avery Avery, he's dying." ”

Avery paused, this was news that even he hadn't expected, after all, Julius II was only thirty-one years old this year, and his health may not be very good, but ...... "Was he injured in the war, or was he poisoned?" He asked in a low voice.

"Neither," said Cardinal Baglioni, "he was just sick. ”

Julius II's health had deteriorated a few weeks earlier, but with the help of medicine and poison he had learned from Pius III, he had managed to delay and hide until now, and even the clergy who served him only knew that he had a sickness that caused physical pain, but they did not know that he was already struggling to survive—he might have lasted a year or longer, as he had hoped, as a glorious saint after regaining the territories that belonged to the Papal States, purifying and reviving the Church, Fly away from the world in people's tears and mourning. But Louis XII's untrustworthiness, Juana I's fickleness, and Maximime I's ruthlessness all added to his already tense bowstring nerves, and the riots of the Roman people and believers dealt him a heavy blow, and his body collapsed with his will with anger—although the loyal and brave Swiss mercenaries did not let him fall into Louis XII's hands, nor did he be wounded in battle, but as soon as he reached Lepuy, he fell unsupportively.

"Then who is listening to his confession," Avery asked, "who is doing the sacrament of the last days for him?" "It stands to reason that as an abbot he has no right to raise this question, but Avery is nominally a disciple of Cardinal Baglioni, Lepi is his precinct, and the deathbed confession of a pope is not something that anyone can hear—how many terrible questions and answers are involved.

This is an extremely important and critical matter.

"No one." Cardinal Baglioni said bitterly: "Dear Avery the trouble is here, he, I mean, the Holy Father, is willing only to let one person come and listen to his confession. ”

"Who?" Avery asked, though he already had a name.

"Julio. Medici. ”

——————————

Julio. The Medici arrived at Lepuy late the next night, and it was raining that night, and in the autumn and winter of Rome, the cold of the rain pierced people's skin like a sharp needle, and in order to save time, Giulio even abandoned the carriage and galloped all the way to this place - as he strode into the hall, Cardinal Baglioni was the first to stand, then Cardinal Bous, their allies, and two cardinals who were too sensitive to smell and found Le Pi, and after looking at each other for a while, He also stood up.

They didn't know that Julius II's current tragic end was a bit of the Master's hand, but it was clear that Pius III's heir had never changed—there had always been only one person they had recognized, and that His Excellency the Pope, who was moaning faintly in the room, might have been just an unaware puppet.

Julio calmed down at this point, and although he was still disturbed by hundreds of memories and thoughts, he spoke briefly with each of them before entering the chambers of Julius II under their gaze.

In the bedchamber, at the Pope's request, no less than twenty candles the thickness of the wrist were lit to illuminate the room as if it were day, and the bed on which Julius II was lying, at his command, turned the end of the bed to the door and lifted the curtain, so that he could see at a glance who had come in through the door—in his hallucination, Giulio. The Medici pushed open the door countless times and walked in.

There are times when Julio. The Medici were still children, and with an innocent smile and a calm gaze, they stretched out their hands to him and grabbed him tightly, just as they had seen when they first met; Sometimes, it was the same person who assassinated Luigi with him. Borgia's boy, with a determined expression and steady steps, armed with a short crossbow, shot a deadly arrow at him without the slightest mercy; More often than not, though, it's Giulio dressed in cardinal. The Medici, beside him stood their teacher, Pius III, and he only said something to Pius III, and Pius III, who was wearing a triple crown, pointed to Joshua, and suddenly a terrible crack opened under Joshua's feet, and below him was a purgatory that burned with raging flames, and he fell, and Julio. The Medici were still with their teacher, watching gently and cruelly as he fell, fell, fell......

No, he pleaded in a nightmare, you can't do this to me, you can't! Teacher, I've done everything you asked me to do! Please take me away! Don't leave me behind!

————————

Julius II struggled to open his eyes again.

The pain that had been like a maggot on the tarsal bone had suddenly disappeared since he came to Lepuy, but he knew under Pius III that this was not to say that he was healing, but quite the other - the devil of disease was further destroying his body, so that he could no longer feel the pain, but the high fever was still there or worsened, so he would wake up from the nightmare of purgatory every time.

His mouth was open, but he was powerless to make a sound, he wanted water, but then he remembered that the priests who served him had been driven out of the door by him—because he remembered what had happened when he had been abandoned in that monastery by Cardinal Picromini—those who had expected and awaited his death...... The same high heat, the same loneliness, the same helplessness...... He was afraid that if someone harmed him while he was asleep or unconscious, he wouldn't even have a chance to scream, so he didn't allow them to stay with him.

But just as he was about to lick his chapped lips, a roll of cotton cloth soaked in clean water fell gently on his lips, and Julius II immediately sucked greedily, and the water moistened his tongue with the smell of cotton cloth and flowed into his throat, but not enough, too little, too little, he desperately tried to raise his head, but the cotton cloth was taken anyway and replaced by a reed stalk.

Julius II took the reed pole in his mouth, and the clear, warm water immediately filled his mouth and stomach, and for a moment he returned from purgatory to earth.

But after he drank the water and breathed slightly, the pain came to him again.

Not physically, but spiritually.

The person who took care of him was none other than Giulio. Medici.

Illuminated by candles, he seemed to have never suffered the ravages of time at the same age as Julius II. Youthful, beautiful, healthy...... Those Joshua. What Lovere never had, or even had, that he had lost, was still lost by Julio. The Medici held firmly.