Chapter 121 Heart of the Storm (Part 9)
◎《Monarchy Law》◎
"… Alexander VI received the news from the border, and he lost his temper in the palace, but this did not stop him from holding grand banquets at night. Since he wore the crown of Calais, the luxury of Dudley has become even greater than before. The courtiers who searched for beautiful men and women for the emperor have spread to the most remote countryside. He was not stingy with his lovers, and everyone hoped that a child who could replicate the glory of Viscount Julia would appear in their family and enter the upper class of the empire…
"Dudlais and the surrounding cities began to be under martial law, and the life trajectory of the Knights was also confined to a certain area. Alexander VI did not trust us, but he still tried to get our help. He began to send people to spread unfavorable remarks in the city to Francis IV, including calling his nephew a 'fake king'. Anyone who showed any doubts about such remarks would be imprisoned by the emperor's minions for treason. This way of handling was obviously not wise, but His Majesty was not someone who was willing to listen to advice. The arbitrary and arrogant blood of the Calais royal family was unprecedentedly revealed in him...
"The Knights Templar are currently stationed in a manor outside Dudley. Upon hearing that Your Majesty has returned to Florence, many knights have requested that they return to Your Majesty's side to perform the glorious mission of protecting Your Majesty. This is more gratifying to us than conquering any city or even becoming the monarch's guest of honor. The Knights Templar were born for this purpose. No matter how magnificent the achievements are, they are just an insignificant pearl that we are eager to inlay on your crown..."
When Raphael received the letter from the Knight Commander, he had been in Florence for nearly half a month. Calculating the time, Alexander VI should have received the news of François' return. For the inevitable civil war, it was only natural for the new emperor to seek help from the Knights Templar in Florence.
The current Papal States are different from the Papal States when Raphael just took over. The young Pope still holds the crown of the Assyrian Empire in his hand. The weight of this crown in the secular world is heavier than the Pope's crown. It is understandable why Alexander VI was wary of the Knights Templar and yet eager to obtain their power.
However, Raphael is not concerned about the internal affairs of Calais now. There is still some time before François fights with his uncle. His instructions to the Knights Templar are to stay where they are, not to help any party, nor to reject any party.
To some extent, this is an obvious speculative move, but so what? Who dares to question the Pope or the Assyrian monarch?
Not to mention, Raphael never thought about any speculation from beginning to end. There is no hypocrisy or reconciliation in his dictionary, only the winner takes all.
He did not forget what disgusting things Alexander VI, then Duke of François, did in Florence when he had just taken over the papal crown. He could only endure it at the time, but that did not mean he had completely forgotten it all.
But these were things to be considered later; the most important thing before him was still related to Assyria.
He needed to separate the Assyrian monarchy and the Florentine theocracy as soon as possible.
If the throne of Assyria became something that was inherited together with the Pope's crown, the entire religious world would be shaken. Although Raphael raised the banner of "Kingdom of God on Earth" in Assyria, it did not mean that he really wanted to make Assyria a vassal of the Papal States, and vice versa. That would be a disaster that would scare all smart people.
But beyond the disaster, more people will only see everything that this huge empire can bring. What a tempting thing it is to become the monarch of Assyria! Just think about it, fertile land, absolute power, the glory of standing at the top of the world - this is much happier than being a pope without real power! Who can refuse such a good thing?
Raphael only vaguely revealed the idea of the independence of the Assyrian kingdom, but he was met with wild opposition from the cardinals. They would be the candidates for the next Pope after Raphael's death, which was equivalent to candidates for the next Assyrian monarch. As vested interests, they certainly did not want to lose this huge piece of the pie. Since it was impossible for Raphael to get married and have children as the Pope, as long as they could wait until Raphael abdicated - if they couldn't wait, they still had their children - gaining an empire was a foregone conclusion!
"I am not negotiating with you, gentlemen." The young Pope looked up from behind the Knight Commander's letter with a smile on his face, but perhaps because this young man already possessed too much power, the cardinals actually felt afraid to look him in the face.
"Assyria is my Assyria. I have never thought of making it part of the Papal States. I know what you think, but please let it be just an idea and don't be foolish enough to say it out loud." Raphael was very
The major general's words were so harsh, but you can forgive him for not being in the mood to deal with these greedy cardinals. He would rather send these idiots away and then think carefully about how to put Assyria back on a healthy track.
The Pope's harsh words obviously made the cardinals look unhappy. This time, the cardinals' meeting ended hastily again. When the whole room was quiet, Raphael unfolded a roll of blank parchment, dipped the quill pen in the ink bottle, thought for a moment, and then placed the pen tip on the paper.
This document was born on a very ordinary afternoon. Scholars of later generations studied it over and over again, calling it the forerunner of the modern political system. Although some of its contents still have the limitations of the times, this cannot conceal its brilliance of thought that transcends the contemporary times. When Raphael wrote it, he was just recording a vague idea, so he did not give it a name. The draft was handed over to Julius, who polished, modified and perfected it by that equally outstanding political genius, and it became the foundation for balancing the Florentine theocracy and the Assyrian monarchy. By then, it will have a glorious name for future generations - "Monarchy Law".
This thin bill, which could be written on a single piece of parchment, determined the powers that the monarch could have in his own country and how to implement them. It restructured the judicial, legislative and executive institutions, making it impossible for the monarch to exercise his power directly. The power belonging to the monarch was stripped away from the individual as never before and became a weight that could be added to balance the situation.
Since the birth of the first country in the world, the monarchs have been desperately trying to strengthen their power, increasing their authority and improving their voice in various ways. The most ideal state is of course that the entire country becomes a one-man show for the monarch. However, the law of history is that everything will turn around when it reaches its extreme, and everything that prospers will decline when it reaches its peak. When the monarchy reaches its peak, there will inevitably be a regime that overthrows the monarch.
Countless facts in later generations have proved this point, so Raphael chose the other extreme - since personal centralization is judged to be a sure failure, why not simply disperse power among a group of people or some institutions to achieve checks and balances?
Rome also tried to establish a republic, a republic ruled by aristocrats with the Senate as the highest authority. This aristocratic republic system was essentially still a system in which the aristocracy held political power, and as everyone knows, it was eventually replaced by a monarchy. The fundamental reason was that power was placed in the hands of the aristocracy - it was just the difference between an aristocratic group and a family.
Raphael did not want the Assyria that he had worked so hard to unify to become the private property of a certain family again, so he made an unprecedented decision.
He decided to draw all Assyrian classes into the institutions that govern the country.
If the nobles are too greedy, let the common people cut off their hands; if the common people have inappropriate ideas, let the nobles restrict them.
No one is above everyone else, not even the monarch. The only thing that can rule the entire country is the supreme law.
This practice of betraying the entire aristocratic class is simply insane. The person who wrote it must be a genius madman, a saint whose mind has been bewitched by the devil.
It completely declared that the monarch is no longer the master of the country, but the servant of the country - this is definitely a heretical connotation that can make everyone feel the shudder of being touched by the devil on their scalp.
And the most terrifying thing is that Raphael really has the possibility of making it happen.
Assyria was a country in the process of rebuilding itself. Years of war had destroyed most of the country's systems and classes. Many wealthy gentry went bankrupt and became poor peasants. In Assyria, which had no farming tradition, these "poor peasants" basically became bandits or fled Assyria to other countries. As for the nobles - when chaos came, they were basically the ones who ran away the fastest.
Amenra thought of many ways to stabilize the situation in Assyria and attract back the lost population, but her orders were difficult to implement effectively across the distant Black Sea. Moreover, facts have proved that the priests who have the same power as the queen also have their own ideas. In short, no matter how they quarrel, the result is that Assyria slides into the abyss day by day.
After Raphael took over this mess completely, he found that instead of patching up the rotten foundation, it would be better to overthrow all the systems and rebuild a complete system. Anyway, most of the people who are still lingering in Assyria are illiterate, so let's all start from scratch. Those who learn well can enter the municipal agencies as staff, and there is no distinction between high and low among people.
As for those nobles who smelled the scent and wanted to come back to get a piece of the pie… since they ran away so quickly at the beginning, there’s no need to come back now.
The implementation of the "Monarchy Law" in Assyria was very smooth. This law, which was full of evil meanings, stunned all the kings who heard of its content. They had only seen kings who wanted to grasp all the power like stingy old hens, but this was the first time they saw a monarch who took the initiative to divide his power - what on earth was he trying to do? !
Although a monarch whose power is restricted by rules and regulations is still attractive, the temptation is obviously not as great. However, it can at least allow those who covet Assyria to maintain basic reason and judgment before doing things.
After Julius had polished all the clauses, he put Raphael's original manuscript into the safe. This time he did not express any opinion on the bill at all, as if he wholeheartedly agreed to it.
Raphael was very confused by this. He was ready to persuade Julius, but the Secretary General of the Papal Palace did not seem to want to listen.
“I’m surprised.” Raphael spread out the full text of the new edition of the Monarchy Law in front of him, his inquiring eyes fixed on Julius, “I thought you would oppose me.”
"This bill is a threat to any king. It gives the people a template, a ready-made way to oppose the monarchy. I have molded Ashur into a habitually obedient person, but when others react, Ashur and I will become the target of public criticism."
Julius adjusted the position of his silver-rimmed glasses and said helplessly, “It sounds like you know what I want to say, but you just want to do it.”
He looked at Raphael with a condemning tolerance in his eyes, as if to say, look, you know this will make me angry, but you're going to do it, so what can I do?
Raphael was suddenly speechless and felt a little strangely guilty.
This feeling is indeed strange. He was unhappy when Julius opposed this and that before, but now that Julius said nothing, why did he feel uncomfortable again?
Could it be that he was born with some disease that makes him like to be treated against his will?
Raphael was a little absent-minded. Julius looked at him as if he saw a cat immersed in its own world, looking down on everyone with self-righteousness, but in fact, its tail had already started to slap the chair impatiently: "Raphael, you are already 28 years old this year. When I was your age, I did not do better than you. So what right do I have to guide your decision?"
"All the great monarchs in the world were not taught by hand. They were born knowing how to rule their own countries. How can I guess them with the wisdom of a mortal? As for the "Monarchy Law" itself, it will indeed bring the harms you mentioned, but I cannot deny that its greatness will surpass all the kings in the world. After hundreds of years, the kings who opposed you will have rotted in the soil, and people will still praise the wisdom of the "Monarchy Law." "
When Julius wanted to praise someone, no one could resist his sweet words.
Raphael narrowed his eyes, like a cat whose fur had been smoothed.
"In that case, I should go deal with the matter in Calais." Raphael changed the subject quickly.
Leshet had already sent him a letter reporting on the latest situation in Calais. In order to resolve the problems of Assyria and the Papal States, Raphael had stayed in Florence.
Since the "Monarchical Law" has been improved by Julius, who is more adept at this, he can also go to Calais without worry. He did not let François stay outside to let him enjoy himself. He will collect all the interest during this extra period of time.
Leshet took the short note with the Pope's personal seal from the Holy Raven in a black cloak, took out the silver letter opener he carried with him and opened the envelope. On the note was written a short line of words in a slender and curved font like a vine. After seeing this line of words, the calm and composed Knight Commander's eyes suddenly lit up.
The author has something to say:
I learned a little bit about the separation of powers and constitutional monarchy. After all, I don’t understand politics. Anyway, Raphael is awesome. [Cat claws]
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