"I disagree! I strongly disagree! ”

This is the defect of the unorganized, unplanned, undisciplined, unprepared, and unarmed rabble—the young bishop silently spat in his heart—that sixty thousand people not only failed to send him, the venerable teacher of life and faith, to heaven, nor to his hospital bed, but he was able to leap around in the law and angrily scold the punishment against the archbishop.

"Look at my injuries!" Old Joseph angrily lifted his clothes, showing the bruises on his body, in fact, even if he didn't lift his clothes, everyone could read his recent experience from his face: "He doesn't know what this kid said lightly! He didn't mix! Look at my body, look at my face, ah, even the venerable papal envoy, Mistress Petrus, has been thrown a rotten vegetable skin, and he is not responsible? Is this how the Neustrian church administers justice? Your Excellency the Archbishop? ”

"Nobody says he's not responsible! He must prove his innocence through the Divine Judgment! Archbishop Joseph was very concerned about his image of fairness, but his tolerant attitude was very popular with the women of the court, and he did not intend to give up this image: "If he cannot prove his innocence by divine judgment, we will punish him severely!" ”

"But when there is a riot in the city under his rule, can he say that he is not responsible at all?"

"Your Excellency the Archbishop, the whole diocese has been calm since I took over the diocese of Tournest, and the venerable Abbot of St. Martin has been ...... as soon as he came"

"Shut up! You brat! You deserve to speak here, too? Yes, your wings are stiff, you have flown up the high branches, and the Duke of Ulrich has your back, but there is no one behind me, and besides, the bloodline is a more stable force than money, and the noble bloodline of money does not last long and is passed down from generation to generation, boy! ”

"Even if the All-Neustrian Synod had not appointed me as bishop of Turnest, I would have the right to speak here as a defendant, especially since His Majesty the Honorable King had received my complaint and allowed me to speak here."

The two went toe-for-tat and refused to give an inch.

The archbishop did not budge.

"You all have to accept God's judgment!" The archbishop said aloud: "This is not a punishment for you, this is a chance for you, a chance to prove your innocence!" I give both of you a fair chance to prove your innocence—didn't I announce the same decision to you and to him at the same time? Am I declaring him innocent and you are not? No, no, I give you the same opportunity, and whoever dares to escape this opportunity......" he elongated his round face and his tone of voice, revealing a threatening tone, "and then we can discuss who is responsible." ”

The archbishop didn't want his wishful thinking to be wasted in stupid recriminations, and he needed to remind them that he was the one in charge of the meeting, and that the rhythm had to follow him, not theirs.

The young Bishop of Turnest bowed his head, if his predecessor had been like him, the battle would have ended here, and Archbishop Joseph would have received the most benefits.

However, Abbot Joseph of St. Martin, when he was still Bishop of Turnnest, was at odds with his namesake Archbishop Joseph, regardless of his origin, education, or learning...... The archbishop is not qualified to sit in that seat at all!

He's qualified!

However, Archbishop Joseph had the support of the Duke of Ulrich, and the king who supported him was subject to the force of the Duke of Ulrich, which forced him to bow down to the Archbishop Joseph.

This was because the king who supported him was not strong enough, so he was always very good at the king's affairs, and always persuaded the king to be more religious—if only he had noticed in passing some of the recitation mistakes made by the archbishop Joseph because of his humble beginnings.

Unexpectedly, a storm buried the king's navy, sent the king into the empty gate, and drove him from the bishop of Tournest.

He didn't have to guess, he knew that behind this matter, there must be a relationship with Archbishop Joseph.

Inquiries afterwards confirmed his suspicion that the new bishop was appointed through the Duke of Ulrich's door.

Therefore, he had been at odds with Archbishop Joseph before, and now he could not let this matter pass so easily, he was not a hairy boy like the new bishop, and he would be easily carried away by this hypocritical old slippery head.

"Heh-" the former bishop sneered contemptuously, and his tone was longer than that of the archbishop: "What! What do you call fairness? Do you call this fair? Is there such fairness in the world? ”

He exaggeratedly raised his head and glanced around, his face, which had not had much flesh, had been "processed" by the mob of Turnest and became much fatter, giving him the best annotation for his next words: "Fair? Who was beaten and who was responsible? For me, that's the biggest injustice! If I don't get justice here, I think the Eternal City will give me a justice I can't get in Neustria! ”

His wounds were so palpable, and his words so sharp, that there was a buzz among the nobles and clergy present, some of whom were simple-minded, and agreed with him at the sight of his wounds; Others, seeing that he remembered the Duke of Ulrich's usual domineering, also began to change their position.

"You want to go to the Eternal City, you can, but only after you prove your innocence." The archbishop said, then turned to face the new bishop: "You too, do you have any objections?" ”

"Dear archbishop, I have no objection."

"Okay, that's how it ......"

"No objection, ha, of course he has no objection to that!" The former Bishop of Tournest looked at the current Bishop of Tournest with complete contempt: "He, of course he has no objection to this, a butcher's son actually receives the same divine judgment as the son of a nobleman, what objection will he have?" It's an honor for him, and an insult to me! ”

He held out his finger at the new bishop: "He should accept the divine judgment of the commoners—the divine judgment of fire!" ”

Hearing this, an excited buzz immediately sounded around him, it was not a common situation to force a high-ranking priest like this, especially when it was clear that the high-ranking priest was not down.

"Abbot St. Martin, please do it in moderation! You are the plaintiff and the defendant, not the judge! The archbishop almost roared, "You can't make the ruling!" ”

"Ha, your ruling ......" the former bishop and current abbot were about to continue the argument, when another party approached him, and when he turned to deal with the enemy, he heard the latter speak.

"None of us can decide," said the new bishop calmly, "let God decide, and I accept the judgment of the God of Fire." ”

The entire courtroom fell silent for a moment.