CHAPTER 13 #3
Four hundred years ago, a few noblewomen in Rome, who had become the Pope's mistresses, indirectly came to control the entire papacy. They used their beauty to charm the Pope, and their children went on to become successive Popes, causing the once-unshakable authority of the Church to crumble.
Applying this term to the current lord made it seem somewhat dark and ugly.
He was one of the few lords who had no rumors of illegitimate children and had long been praised for his integrity, authority, and compassion.
As for the young woman who had joined the council, she also appeared to be a devout believer, with no lovers visiting her at all.
Though the rumors seemed absurd and laughable, perhaps it was their absurdity and curiosity that led idle people to entertain such salacious speculations.
But, just as quickly, they disappeared.
Lorenzo, after reviewing the confidential report Cosimo had sent, glanced at Hedy, who was standing by the window, gazing off into the distance, waiting for his response about expanding the military.
“What are you looking at?” he asked indifferently.
Hedy pulled her gaze back and instinctively replied, “I was thinking… that maybe, one day, living on the southern bank of the Arno River, I could take occasional walks at the foot of the Boboli Hills. It might feel quite peaceful.”
She turned to face him, smiling, “Have you made a decision?”
She was completely unaware of the rumors, and no one dared to speak ill of her in her presence.
Lorenzo, without showing any sign, had quietly silenced all of it in the darkness, as if nothing had happened.
He looked away, offering a quiet, indifferent hum.
No need for further words.
——
It is said that after Sforza returned to Milan with his new bride, he held a grand parade. Even months after the event, people are still enthusiastically discussing it.
The lord truly dotes on his wife, sending pearls and jewels in abundance, and has even commissioned artists from all over to create numerous portraits of her.
It was at this point that news of a rebellion in the Kingdom of Naples suddenly arrived from afar. The country was now in complete chaos.
This news was hardly surprising. Over the past few centuries, all of Europe had been embroiled in constant wars, with division and reorganization occurring at such a rapid pace that it was hard to keep track of history.
But the issue this time was that the Pope had intervened in the rebellion.
Moreover, he openly supported the rebels — a decision that was undoubtedly a foolish one.
Hedy had already heard of many infamous events during her first year in Florence.
It was Pope Sixtus II who had once threatened the entire city of Florence, demanding that the citizens hand over Lorenzo de' Medici. Last year, it was said that he died in the middle of the night, but whether it was due to illness or assassination remains unknown.
This pope had accumulated a great deal of wealth in Rome and beyond by selling sacred relics, selling various church offices, and inventing ways to increase taxes under various pretenses.
He was arrogant and reckless, openly threatening the Medici family and even encouraging Venice to wage war on Ferrara. His many foul actions over the past few decades had severely tarnished the reputation of the papacy, causing people's reverence to steadily decline.
After this pope's sudden death, another man, Pope Innocent VIII, ascended to power through bribery, ushering in an even more morally bankrupt path of wealth accumulation — indulgences.
These indulgences first appeared four hundred years ago and have since transformed from being rewards for war to an absurd luxury.
One time, when Hedy went to church for mass, she happened to encounter a priest imitating the tone of those in Rome, tirelessly peddling indulgences to everyone.
"Man is born sinful—you must atone for your sins before you can go to heaven!"
The priest droned on: "As soon as the gold coin hits the collection box, the soul of the dead will be taken from hell by the Archangel!"
At first, Hedy thought she had misheard, so she stepped closer to listen more attentively.
The priest, eager to get the wealthy to part with their money, vividly described the situation in Rome—how someone had ‘accidentally’ killed his wife, and another had killed his brother out of jealousy.
All these sins could be absolved for just eight gold coins, and the person could still enter heaven after death.
"Why?"
The priest looked up and saw a young woman with a delicate appearance frowning at him, and he adopted an even slicker tone. "That’s because the Church controls the 'Treasury of Merit'! It holds Christ's infinite grace—once you buy an indulgence, your sins can be canceled out!"
This spiel didn't have much effect in Florence, where law and morality still held some sway.
But in the papacy, everything was rapidly descending into corruption.
Pope Innocent VIII's son was addicted to gambling. When he lost money, he would simply accuse the other party of fraud.
The papacy relied on selling ecclesiastical offices and taxes from brothels, with corruption spreading throughout the entire institution.
It was unclear whether they had truly lost all sense of shame or if they were simply greedy for even more.
This time, when the Kingdom of Naples experienced a rebellion, Pope Innocent VIII openly supported the rebels, causing a stir among the various city-states.
Hedy and everyone in the consulate council sided with the offended party. The lord quickly approved the deployment of the army, and within three months, a great victory was achieved.
Various firearms and crossbows designed by Da Vinci were thoroughly tested for their strength and power during the battle. Aside from a few instances of misfires and barrel explosions, some of the weapons even performed exceptionally well in rainy conditions.
The Duchy of Naples soon restored order, and the lord sent a letter of gratitude for the assistance.
Florence’s presence in the eyes of the other city-states quietly began to change.
Previously, it had symbolized art and prosperity, but it also seemed weak and vulnerable to attack. Had it not been for the lord's personal intervention in seeking help from the Duke of Naples, the city might have been destroyed by the pope's hands four or five years ago.
Now, however, the situation had turned, with both countries jointly mobilizing their military forces to defend against the pope — and they were quite successful at it.
Da Vinci's position was brought up time and again, and he had now become a member of the consulate council, earning the admiration of an increasing number of people.
With the arrival of Christmas, the peaceful and serene atmosphere grew even stronger.
Considering that in previous years there had been various incidents during Christmas celebrations, Hedy decided for the first time not to attend any festivities or events. She simply wanted to rest quietly in the castle for a while.
She had been running between her business and the consulate meetings lately, and though she had indeed reaped substantial rewards, she had been so busy that she felt like she hadn't had a moment to herself. She desperately needed a good night's sleep.
On the day of the Feast of the Epiphany, a grand banquet was held at the palace. Three automatic pianos began to play in unison, and people twirled in the dance hall.
Da Vinci shared a roasted pheasant with her, and the warm aroma of cheese pudding filled the air.
Just as another dance tune began to play, the doors were suddenly pushed open with force. Ignoring the surprised gazes of the guests, a man rushed directly to the lord's side, looking anxious.
"The Roman papal army is approaching Florence! And it seems there are a number of French soldiers among them!"
Hedy, who had just taken a bite of chicken wing, let out a long sigh upon hearing the news.
Was it even possible to have a peaceful holiday?
Why did something always go wrong at this time of year? Couldn’t the Roman papacy just leave people in peace for once?!
The lord immediately signaled for the servants to help the guests evacuate in an orderly manner, and he donned his cloak, striding out of the room.
"Hedy, stay in the palace and don’t go anywhere. I'll go help organize the defense positions," Da Vinci said, hurriedly getting up. He seemed a bit concerned and added, "There's a small handgun in my bedroom; you should be able to handle it."
"Okay, I'll go get it. Don’t worry," Hedy instinctively replied. "You also be careful of stray arrows and hidden daggers."
They hurriedly parted ways to prepare for the sudden siege.
After retrieving the handgun, Hedy first took Dechio to check the remaining medical supplies, ready to assist in treating the wounded soldiers at the rear.
She wasn't sure how many people she could save, but she had already gone over the basics of first aid, wound cleaning, and stopping bleeding with the nuns. She hoped it would be useful now.
According to the existing military system, Florence should have more than enough to defend itself against the Roman papacy. After all, much of the papal army's salary had been embezzled by officials, and even the smallest of officers were living lavishly.
However, the problem was that after the simultaneous abolition of the three popes, the papacy now relied heavily on France and controlled a large portion of Italy.
The old king was dead, and the young king was still a child. As Lorenzo had said, the country was essentially being governed by the ambitious couple acting as regents.
Three days later, the massive papal army indeed arrived at the city's gates, setting up siege ladders and various trebuchets. Injured soldiers began to arrive at the front.
From what the messengers said, the battle was at a stalemate. The French longbowmen and firearms were incredibly strong, and with their advantage in numbers, Florence's resistance was proving difficult.