Vatican City, Castel Sant'Angelo.
It was originally a mausoleum built by Roman emperors for the royal family. However, after centuries of historical changes, the castle has also changed.
First it became a military fortress due to its strong architectural features, then it became a prison and barracks, and finally it was converted into a magnificent papal palace.
Now that the plague is raging, Pope Clement VI has sealed the entire Castel Sant'Angelo, leaving only selected clergy and soldiers who have been washed by the angel's holy fire to garrison around him.
In the hall, Clement VI was sitting on an exquisite and luxurious throne, listening to the bishop reporting real-time information from all regions. Beside him, there were many people wearing armor, with their hands on the inlaid gems that were poured on the ground. Elite guards with long swords in both hands.
Just as he expected, almost all countries were mired in the plague and unable to extricate themselves.
Countless people died from the Black Death.
This disappointed him.
"I thought only a very small number would die in the trial, but I overestimated their devotion to the Lord, and it pains me."
After listening to the bishop's report, Clement VI said this.
After that, he got up tiredly and planned to go to mass, hoping to pray for God's forgiveness.
But at this moment, the bishop continued.
"Your Holiness, please wait a moment. I haven't reported to you the situation in Florence yet."
Clement VI stopped, but did not have any hope for it.
As the first city to be tested, Florence's situation has always been the worst, and he knows this.
What's more, Giovanni opposed his idea of transferring patients from the Vatican. In his opinion, this was a great disrespect to God. They might have lost God's blessing, and maybe the whole city had fallen.
"The Duke of Medici refused my order, which was blasphemy against God."
Clement VI looked at the bishop condescendingly: "Come on, tell me, Bishop Raphael, is this sinful city only a shell?"
"No, Your Majesty the Pope." The bishop's expression was unnatural, and his head hung lower: "In fact, my apostle told me that three nights ago, Florence had been completely freed from the test, and there was no longer anyone Died from the plague"
"What?" Even under the one god on this continent, Clement VI, who was above ten thousand people, rarely showed a surprised look: "How is this possible? That was a test sent by God himself. Could it be said that all Florentines Are they all so pious?"
"That doesn't seem to be the case."
The bishop respectfully presented a stack of paper filled with words: "Look at this. This is what my apostle recorded in Florence."
Clement VI took the paper doubtfully and read it one by one.
The more he looked, the more ferocious his expression became.
"God's Proverbs: Save the Century, God of Salvation, Red Cross, Trinity Saint Ginger Locke. What are these?! Even their teachings are copied from us!!"
The furious Clement VI roared: "Heresies! They are all heretics! Florence has become a paradise for devils!"
"I've also noticed this." The bishop didn't know how to react, and simply said with a blank expression: "It can be said to be a replica, but the worst thing is that he relied on this to get the support of the Florentines. .
Moreover, the unfinished Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was demolished and rebuilt on the order of Duke Medici. I heard that the new Florence Cathedral will be renamed the Cathedral of St. Gingerroc.”
"Sinners! Heretics!" Clement VI was so furious that he even spoke arbitrarily: "All 100,000 people in Florence should be hanged. No, no, they should all be burned to death! Burn all of Florence with them!"
The bishop was shocked by his anger and became even more humble: "Your Holiness, what should we do?"
"When the Lord's test is over, I will naturally summon all the lords and knights to start a holy war against Florence!"
Clement VI slammed the scepter in his hand, symbolizing divine power, on the ground.
"That is to say." The bishop raised his head and asked in fear: "Will the Crusades, which have ended for half a century, start again?"
"No." Clement VI shook his head: "It should be the first purge of the Holy Army!"
"But..." the bishop said with some worry: "I am worried that those who do not understand the Lord and your painstaking efforts, whether they are kings, lords, knights, or ordinary believers, will be deceived by Jiang Luoke and regard the test as a A scourge.
Once Jiang Locke uses his sorcery to make those who are not loyal to the Lord choose to betray, then we will probably be left alone. "
Clement VI remained silent, but the anger in his eyes seemed to be able to burn everything he could see.
"Your Holiness, the latest news is that Jiang Luoke met with Duke Medici and assembled an army to leave the city. However, that was two days ago. It is not clear whether he has set off or not."
Clement VI was stunned: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
The bishop smiled and said as if he was taking credit: "Don't worry. Before I met with you just now, I had already asked the guards of Castel Sant'Angelo to strengthen their defense, and brought in a series of defensive weapons such as trebuchets and crossbows. Among them, There's even a rock cannon given to you as a gift from the British.
They have just recovered from a serious illness, and even if they arrive soon, their combat effectiveness will definitely not be strong and they will not pose much of a threat. The only trouble is that their arrival may affect the attitude of the people in the Vatican towards the Lord. This is the most worrying thing. worried. "
Hearing that the bishop had made relevant arrangements, Clement VI breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with satisfaction: "Well done."
After speaking, he seemed to comfort him: "Your worries are not unnecessary, but they are nothing to me. In order to reward your loyalty, I will take you to see a real angel."
"A real angel?" A hint of fanaticism flashed across the bishop's face.
"follow me."
The bishop gave an order and walked towards the secret church in the Castel Sant'Angelo. The bishop followed behind and respectfully carried the red robe for him.
After passing through numerous guards, the guards opened one iron door after another with heavy shackles on them, and the two of them went deep underground and came to the most taboo area of Castel Sant'Angelo - the mausoleum area.
It's like a huge arena here.
Around the circular venue, there are steps one person high after another, with many dark holes on the steps.
In these caves, the remains of successive Roman emperors and popes sleep.
Believers in every church believe that their heroic spirits still linger here and protect the Vatican.
Compared with the splendid main hall, the mausoleum is primitive and simple, without any fine craftsmanship, but it looks more mysterious and awe-inspiring.
The bishop held up an oil lamp that could only illuminate a small area in front of him, and followed Clement VI timidly.
In such an environment, he did not dare to make a sound.
Clement VI went straight to the cross in the center of the ground floor.
The cross is simple and old, with countless dents and holes on it, and even mottled bloodstains with unknown historical geometry.
The bishop immediately froze in place, with tears of excitement streaming from the corners of his eyes.
He recognized it at a glance as the true cross, their Catholic holy object.
That is the cross where Jesus was crucified.
Noticing the strange behavior of the bishop, Clement VI murmured:
"With it here, the Orthodox Church will never be able to shake our position. We are the chosen ones!"
When the bishop heard this, he knelt down to the True Cross uncontrollably, kowtowing like a pilgrim.
Clement VI, on the other hand, stood in front of the True Cross, opened a yellowed book in his hand, and began to recite the verses in Hebrew.
This is the first Old Testament passed down from generation to generation by successive popes.
As he chanted, the True Cross gradually responded.
As the only remaining sacred object in Catholicism that is equivalent to Jiang Lu's supervisor necklace and savior's bracelet, Clement VI can rely on it to communicate with God.
Not long after, golden light spots began to appear on the top of the dark cross.
The light spots gradually gathered into a cluster of flames, and the flames grew larger and larger, and finally bloomed into a huge red-gold flame.
"Follower, why do you call me?"
The cold and majestic voice echoed in the empty mausoleum, forming a huge echo.
The next moment, an angel with six wings stretched out his feet from the flames and stood on the top of the True Cross.
Her appearance instantly awakened the silent heroic spirit here.
On the huge stone steps appeared countless transparent shadows kneeling towards the cross.
The bishop had never seen such a scene before, and his hair stood on end immediately, and his awe reached an all-time high. He just took one look, and kept his head firmly on the ground, for fear of disturbing the heroic spirits and angels.
Clement VI also felt endless pressure.
He forced down his instinct to kneel down, raised his head, and looked at the angel respectfully.
He felt a little strange when he saw Hasmore, who had three pairs of wings flying arrogantly in the sky last time, but now wrapped his body tightly with his wings for some unknown reason, but he did not dare to ask any more questions and could only answer honestly. Hasmore's question.
"Dear divine envoy, I am completing the will you have entrusted to me with great piety, but I have encountered some problems in the process."
Compared to the peace and pervasive nobility and wealth in Castel Sant'Angelo, the situation on the other side of the Ponte Sant'Angelo, in the town across the bridge, is much worse.
After the Red Cross Army stationed its troops at a place some distance away from the Vatican to ensure that they would not be discovered, Jiang Lu and Giovanni took the lead and went into the city to investigate the situation.
Now, they are pretending to be two street gangsters, wandering seemingly aimlessly on the street.
Along the way, people died of hunger and blackened corpses were everywhere.
Because of the edict of Clement VI, the city hall did not take any measures against the plague. This resulted in no isolation at all in the Vatican, and the living and the dead were all mixed together.
The shops have long been closed. In this holy place famous for religion, its people have almost no ability to survive except for their loyalty to God. Even if they fall on the ground and watch the people around them die one after another, except for praying to God, they Nothing will be done.
As a result, without supplies from food stores, these people could only go to the church’s soup kitchen to receive the most basic food.
This makes it impossible for them to stay at home and avoid contact with patients as much as possible. In order to survive, they have to go to the streets to get food.
Jiang Lu saw with his own eyes that a woman who took her children to collect food from the relief center fell to the ground while walking. Her daughter pushed her mother, then numbly picked up the spilled food on the ground, still stained with dirt and The garbage dry food was eaten on the spot.
There is not a lively bird-beaked doctor running around like Florence, but there are quite a few lifeless bird-beaked doctors lying in the alleys or lying on the street without anyone paying attention.
I originally thought that Florence was already a hell on earth, but I didn’t expect that the Vatican would be even worse.
Seeing such a tragic scene, even Jiang Lu couldn't help but laugh.
So he closed his eyes and said with a smile: "Your governance ability seems to have surpassed that of the Pope, win!"
Giovanni also closed his eyes and smiled: "Pope? What are you talking about?"
Jiang Lu opened his eyes and said nothing.
Giovanni waited for a long time and didn't hear the following, so he opened his eyes and explained awkwardly: "I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about Clement VI."
"Forget it, whatever, there will only be one pope soon anyway."
Jiang Lu shrugged, wondering where to start with his plan.
At this moment, a group of soldiers, using horses to drag many goods covered in linen, drove onto the Ponte Sant'Angelo and headed towards Castel Sant'Angelo.
"What is that?" Jiang Lu was immediately attracted to his attention.
Giovanni narrowed his eyes: "These things covered with linen look a bit like..."
"like what?"
"Kind of like something covered in linen."
"?"
(End of chapter)
