Chapter 145 Lord, Please Forgive Me

December 1444, 11 in the Imperial calendar.

Holy See City.

The fishy sea breeze blew the silk curtains, and the air was filled with the scent of pepper and flowers, mixed with the distant sounds of chanting and bells.

Pope John VIII was wearing a snow-white pajamas with wide sleeves, barefoot on a blanket, leaning against the windowsill and gazing at the blue-gray clouds between the sea and the sky.

His limbs were long and thin, but his head and torso were fat, like a cheap snowman with four sticks stuck into a snowball.

The sea breeze blew and he was a little unsteady on his feet. He took a step back and the servants behind him immediately supported his back.

"Thank you, Shirley." Turning around, holding the attendant priest's shoulder, Johnny VIII staggered to the dressing table and sat down.

After just a few steps, Johnny VIII was even panting heavily.

Who would have thought that this seemingly frail old man would be the most powerful person in the entire empire?

A wheat-colored mute girl from New Zealand stepped forward, picked up powder and paint, and began to put makeup on the Pope.

"Actually, you don't have to attend today's imperial meeting." Shirley said softly, standing behind Johnny VIII.

"If that happens, the devil's apostle will say some blasphemous curses. I will not allow him to defile our church again."

Johnny VIII leaned back in his chair and stroked the velvet armrest: "That sharp-tongued villain, my tongue will be blasphemed if I say his name."

"Grandivar relies on these meetings to consume your energy." Shirley soaked a fire-patterned cherry in purple-blue wine and put the small glass of wine in Johnny VIII's hand.

Johnny VIII picked up the glass of wine, drank it all, and spat out the cherry pit. He closed his eyes and waited for a while. His originally pale face regained some redness.

"They are discussing the matter of the 'holy grandson' this time, right?"

"Yes." Shelly picked up a stack of meeting agendas from the table beside him and placed it in front of Johnny VIII.

Johnny VIII held the paper very close and read it slowly.

"Your Majesty, isn't the church's reaction to this Saint's grandson a bit too much?" After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Sheri still said this, "Now there is a craze for catching short-haired people in the Kaimu Province. Many normal armed farmers and even merchants and citizens have been forced into bankruptcy by the lords."

"How could I not know?" Johnny VIII threw the agenda aside. "Holy grandson, humph, how is this different from Grandiva's theory of angel reincarnation? It's just that Grandiva has the cooperation of the French people and the French royal family.

Why did Grandivar make peace with us in the matter of the Thousand River Valley? Wasn't it because he felt guilty after being frightened by that stupid peasant? The more guilty he feels, the bigger the fuss we will make.

He was put on the spot by his previous statement of severe punishment. It is impossible for him to say that he will relax the arrest of short-haired people. He is being roasted on the fire. "

In addition, there was another reason why Johnny VIII fanned the flames. He could feel that the supreme existence seemed to have noticed this "holy grandson".

This made him feel terrified. Even Grandivar, who was known as the reincarnation of an angel, could not attract His attention.

Only successive popes know that He is truly watching the world.

But He doesn't care about anything.

Only when the Pope takes over and puts on the sacred crown can one feel a hint of His presence.

This is also why he was certain that Grandiva was a fraud, since he failed to provoke any reaction from Him.

If Grandivar had attracted the slightest attention of that being, John VIII would not have promoted him to the College of Cardinals.

The thing Johnny VIII regretted most was not being able to withstand the pressure and temptation.

He was facing the aftermath of the Windmill War, and without the support of the French priests, he was afraid that he would become the first pope to bankrupt the Holy See City.

But if he could have foreseen what would happen today, he would have lost all his face and would not have let Grandivar set foot in this sacred city. Johnny VIII stroked his bloated waist and abdomen, and when he pressed down, the pit would hardly return to its original shape.

Grandivar guessed correctly, he didn't have much time left.

"Thousand River Valley is one of the most stable sources of income for our Northern Church. Catching short-sighted people cannot affect the normal operation of Thousand River Valley. Give the order to calm down the grain prices."

Shirley immediately took out his quill and began to write the papal decree on the paper.

After hundreds of years of operation, the power of the native Ruifolanders [the official name of the empire] in the Thousand River Valley gradually retreated to the mountains, while the rich plains were controlled by the church.

Johnny VIII was able to snatch the throne of Pope from the Franks by exchanging a lot of interests with the Thousand River Valley.

Of the four plain counties, Hotham County alone has a population of 120 million, providing the church with dozens of bishops and hundreds of cathedral canons.

The church’s income in Hotham County is 10 pounds every year!
The maid held the powder box and applied the lead-containing makeup powder to Johnny VIII's face covered with age spots.

"This year's summer tax for the Thousand River Valley has not been paid yet, and those damned Riverlanders are clamoring to revolt." Picking up the decree, Johnny VIII coughed, "Although I don't appreciate the way Constance dealt with Juanno, his prompt decision bought us a lot of time... Shelly, give me the clothes."

"What if the people of Thousand River Valley really revolt?" Shirley took the Pope's holy robe from the hanger nearby.

The delicate stitches created a dazzlingly complex secret pattern, and the incense burner under the clothes was infusing the rich incense into every thread of the clothes.

"Juanno is dead, and the only thing to worry about is the little girl."

The Pope stood up and let the maids come forward to tie his clothes. He said calmly: "With our Charles here, she can only take a few mountain counties at most. As long as the four plain counties are not lost, we won't lose much."

"Can we still get the summer tax from Qianhe Valley?"

"I don't think it's possible. We can probably harvest half of it this year. In the next three years, even if we want to harvest it, we probably won't be able to harvest it."

"Just at this time..." Shirley sighed softly.

Johnny VIII remained silent. He knew clearly that the collapse of the Innocent Dam was due to his own transformation.

Those damn nobles and priests colluded with the envoys he sent down, not only failing to renovate the Innocent Dam, but even causing the current unrest in the Thousand River Valley.

In this matter, Grandivar really did nothing.

This would not have affected the overall situation, but the old King of Leia, who supported Johnny VIII, suffered a stroke and fell ill. Before the new king took the throne, the people of Leia focused their attention on a possible civil war.

Until the political situation in the Kingdom of Leia stabilizes, the support he gets from the Leia region will be greatly reduced.

If this continues, the throne of the Pope will really be returned to the Franks, and even the throne of the Emperor, which has been vacant for thirty years, will have to be returned to the Franks.

Johnny VIII has been busy all his life, and now he is about to return to the starting point.

"Could it be that God really blesses the Franks?" Johnny VIII's words even sounded a little sad.

"Your Majesty, please don't think like that." Cherry was horrified and gently patted Johnny VIII's back. "If God blesses the Franks, why would he let you become the Pope to correct their mistakes?"

"Shilly, you have a bright future." Johnny VIII held his shoulders with some emotion, "You will definitely get the position of a cardinal, but the decree may not come from me."

Shirley supported Johnny VIII and said, "You'd better not say such things."

"I only have three years, or two years." Johnny VIII looked through the window, his eyes almost passing through the walls and mountains, and fell on the capital of the Kingdom of Leia - Changge City.

"Lord, please forgive me, I had to gamble."

(End of this chapter)