To be honest, Lu Baiyan considered himself a person with a firm stance. When Xu Shi tried to recruit him, he said, "I am first and foremost a Templar Knight, and only secondly an ordinary person who is interested in your city-state."
But for some reason, seeing the current situation, he really couldn't control himself and some very dangerous thoughts popped into his head.
Perhaps it's because these outsiders are having a growing influence? The gap between them and the Papacy is widening little by little—Squinty Eyes is actually considering a wide range of factors. At least in the current situation, they really can't rely on the Papacy's deep foundation to continue being arrogant.
He was genuinely disappointed in his colleagues; just listening to their speeches made him feel a bit like he was in Bengbu... Of course, not all eleven Templar Knights were as dim-witted as Ji Bochang and Park Guochang, but it was a pity they didn't attend the meeting; instead, they were carrying out missions throughout the Empire.
As for Qin Yiyan, the nominal leader, in Lu Baiyan's opinion, she was a good person, and her martial arts skills were undeniable; besides the Pope, she was the most powerful in the Holy See... but her shortcomings were also obvious; she was not good at strategizing.
So, in this situation, there's nothing she can do except shout for quiet to calm things down; she can still live in Bengbu as usual.
"Baiyan, your analysis makes sense."
While he was still living in Bengbu, the red-haired older sister asked, "Analysis alone won't work. Do you have any ideas? Or suggestions would be appreciated."
"There are still solutions."
Lu Baiyan glanced at the other two lively characters, thought for a moment and then spoke up, "Now that Xu Shiyi has won the hearts of the people, what we need to do is naturally to win him back first."
"As for how to seize it, that's not difficult... The Vatican has a tradition of giving alms and relief, but it's not on the same level as the Cat Church. So we have to make up for or even exceed the treatment they offer. That's the most basic thing."
Qin Yiyan nodded. Not to mention compared to others, the level of the Vatican's relief stations has been visibly declining in recent years.
She vaguely remembered that when she was a nun as a child, the relief station was open every three days, and the food provided was milk and white bread, and sometimes even meat and vegetables.
Now all that's left is thin porridge and black bread, and the interval has been changed to once a week... As for what changes have occurred inside, it's hard to say.
In the past, people had no choice, and poorer families certainly wouldn't be picky. But now that the Holy Fire Cat Church has emerged, all kinds of supplies are being sent out every day as if they were free. In this case, who would still come to the Church's relief stations?
This is probably the meaning of the saying "it's hard to go from extravagance to frugality." Now it really becomes a case of "why eat bread when you can eat cake..."
And this happens to be the most effective way to win over the people. The Papacy may not need to compensate the people for the loss of those Poseidon Stones like the royal family and Xu Shi did, but this is a time-limited matter. It is impossible to give money every day for ten years, right?
But giving alms is acceptable, as long as both parties maintain the same level of generosity, there can be no mistake.
"Secondly, we need to start by targeting the upper echelons of the royal family."
Lu Baiyan continued, "No matter what, after so many years, it's impossible for everyone to abandon us overnight; most people are still undecided."
"So we can try to work on the nobility, especially those who have been believers in the Papacy for generations... We don't expect them to stand up for us, but at least we can prevent the royal family from becoming united. If we can achieve that, it will be a good result."
It must be said that the squinty-eyed man's insight was quite sharp, pointing out the shortcomings in Xu Shi's plan incisively.
The Holy Fire Cat Cult was able to spread so quickly because it took a grassroots approach, but its effectiveness in upper-level circles may not have been as good.
On the one hand, the upper echelons of the empire were not significantly affected by the Poseidon Stone trade. Apart from a few special cases mentioned earlier, who actually invested their entire fortune in the Poseidon Stone, most people did not lose so much that they had to pawn their pants. And even if these people were to be compensated, it would not be through the Holy Fire Cat Cult; the royal family would naturally have other ways to handle the situation.
Secondly, as he said, these people, or rather many families, have a complex and intertwined relationship with the Vatican.
The best example is his own family, the Lu family, a hereditary marquisate. Although they have a Grand Duke like Cheng Gujian to keep them in check, their family power is not to be underestimated. As for their inclinations, they are definitely biased towards the Papacy, otherwise he would not have become a Templar Knight in this generation.
Deeply ingrained ideas passed down through generations won't disappear so quickly, making these people the best targets for winning over. Even if the royal family takes the lead in declaring the establishment of the Sacred Fire Cat Cult as the state religion, everyone may have to follow suit, but what they truly think in their hearts is not so absolute.
Just as when Dongfang Xiao read out the imperial edict, there were many dissenting voices in the court. Although they are no longer heard now, it does not mean that all the officials have truly changed their minds. The biggest reason is that they do not want to be the first to speak out, or that they are afraid of Cheng Gujian.
Winning them over is also a way of preparing for potential problems in the future.
This is something that the Holy Fire Cat Cult cannot do, for no other reason than that it has only existed for a very short time.
While the Vatican should not continue to be arrogant based on its deep-rooted heritage, it is undeniable that this is indeed one of its advantages.
"That makes sense."
Qin Yiyan wholeheartedly agreed and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, finally hearing some reliable advice.
She had always thought highly of Lu Baiyan. In fact, before Xu Shi appeared, he was the one who gave advice on many things in the Vatican, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a strategist.
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