Chapter 130 Heart of the Storm (XVIII)
◎The Death of Caesar◎⑥
Because of the struggle between Alexander VI and Francis IV, more than half of the basic transportation facilities in Calais were destroyed, including the railway from Tudela to Florence. The first thing Raphael did after taking over Tudela was to order the reconstruction of this key road. At the same time, the Papal Palace also sent people to start connecting the communications between the two places.
However, the reconstruction was not a matter of one or two days. At least until Raphael was preparing to hold the Citizens' Assembly and the Tudor Pilgrimage, this key road was not fully opened, and the communication between Raphael and Florence returned to the most primitive stage of human delivery.
Julius was informed of this citizen assembly held to consolidate his rule before it was held. The Secretary General of the Papal States stuffed the letter written by Raphael back into the envelope, sat in the office for an afternoon, then rang the golden bell on the desk and said to the secretary who came over after hearing the noise: "Please ask Cardinal Lombardi to come over."
Cardinals spend most of their time in their own churches, but in recent times, Cardinal Lombardi has been coming to the Cathedral of Thorns more often. This church, the first of the holy cities, belongs to His Majesty and has always opened its doors to all believers. The frequent visits of a cardinal did not attract anyone's attention.
The secretary quickly invited the cardinal to the office of the Secretary General.
They didn't talk to each other much, and Julius was even a little too cold compared to ordinary collaborators.
"There will be a citizens' assembly in Calais, and a Tudor parade in a week."
This was not news that needed to be kept secret in Tudela, but in Florence, it was undoubtedly first-hand information. At least Cardinal Lombardi did not know about it.
Julius told him this suddenly, definitely not to share it with him.
"You mean..." The cardinal hesitated.
Julius said in a cold voice: "Send out your best assassin."
The man sitting behind the oak desk paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and clearly, "He doesn't like servants to serve him. After the pilgrimage, he will definitely stay alone in his bedroom. As long as he hides in the room in advance - I think this shouldn't be a difficult task."
Cardinal Lombardi's eyebrows twitched, and he looked at the Secretary-General obscurely, and smiled politely: "As expected of you, the Secretary-General he trusts the most. Apart from you, no one knows his living habits."
Julius glanced at him and smiled. “As long as you’re quick.”
"After he dies, the Vatican will immediately hold a pope election. I will buy eight votes for you. I won't have to interfere in the rest of the process, right?"
Cardinal Lombardi's face turned red, and he couldn't help trembling all over just imagining the scene.
“You can start thinking about your own title.” Julius stared at him, his deep purple pupils like two deep wells.
That night, the Portia family held another meeting. The lengthy meeting was filled with drowsy words and meaningless nonsense. Everyone was relying on their willpower to resist sleepiness. Those who spoke were those who had no decision-making power. Several people, including Julius, remained silent.
When the moon was at its zenith, Julius, who had remained silent for many meetings, finally shook the golden bell in front of him.
"Everyone, there is one thing I need to tell you. We are about to welcome a new Pope."
His tone was calm, but the content of his words was like a huge rock that completely shattered everyone's sleepiness.
"I have chosen Cardinal Lombardi as the next Pope. Portia Bank will begin to withdraw funds to buy votes. Gentlemen in charge of related businesses had better start adjusting their work and rest schedules now."
He did not come to ask for opinions, but to inform them.
This attitude obviously makes the rest
People were shocked and dissatisfied: "...For such an important matter, we should have discussed it in advance!"
"Haven't we been discussing this all along? From the time Raphael was in Assyria until he was about to conquer Calais. It seems that no conclusion can be reached in the meeting room in Portia, so I will take the initiative - it just so happens that I am good at this."
Saint Sistine I was personally promoted by Julius, so it seems correct to say that he was good at this, but it seems a bit dark when applied to the context.
That's the Pope who is the Lord of Lords! He made it sound like picking up insignificant brooches in a store.
The old men at the table exchanged glances with each other. Their faces looked very grim, as if the news Julius brought was of greater significance to them—or, in other words, it disrupted their long-planned plans.
"…We still need to discuss this matter further. Lombardi can be one of the candidates—"
Julius interrupted the seemingly friendly words of an old man without any courtesy: "No need to discuss, he will soon bring the news of the death of Sistine I. Apart from him, the Bank of Portia will not lend money to anyone else. No matter who you want to support, it is best to give up that plan."
"Julius!"
An old man stood up suddenly, his face turning pale and blue: "You sent out the assassin? When?"
This shouldn't be! Hadn't he always been on Raphael's side? They took great pains to exclude Julius from their plan because they were afraid that he would do something irrational, but unexpectedly, he actually did something irrational - but this was not the result they wanted!
What good would it do them if Raphael died at this time?
All the plans that had been thought out before, all the results that had been achieved naturally... were all ruined by Julius' neurotic stroke of genius!
“You don’t seem happy. Isn’t this what we have always hoped for? Or have you made some new plans behind my back?” Julius crossed his arms and said softly, “I have been curious for a long time. Your time is so precious, why do you still attend such an occasion that has no practical significance? A meeting that took a long time and did not produce any decision…”
His tone was overly calm, and it was this calmness that made the hairs on everyone's back stand up.
Julius Portia was not a very good-tempered man. His reputation for tyranny in his family was wrapped in the guise of a gentleman who was always polite, but a polite gentleman could not control the huge and corrupt ship of Portia.
There are too many people with ulterior motives, and everyone has his own little calculations in mind. Julius no longer has the patience to attack them indirectly. He wants to use the most brutal means to make them remember who this family obeys, and make the countless complicated and derailed lines return to his rhythm.
"These things are irrelevant," Julius said, changing the subject. "Rather than focusing on an insignificant pope, perhaps we should be more concerned about the future of Portia."
"We have reached the pinnacle of a family," he said in an elegant and ethereal tone.
"Untold wealth, power at the top of Syracuse, all we lack is a title."
Julius said slowly: "The incoming Holy Father gave me a promise that he will give me the title of a kingdom. Everyone, we will become a royal family."
This sentence completely made everyone hold their breath.
“Did he really say that?” Even the elder who was most suspicious of Julius couldn’t help but lower his voice for this tempting bait.
This is what they have been pursuing - a complete change of class, to become a royal family, and to exist as an independent country!
Royal family, what a sweet fruit this is!
They will completely become the group of people standing at the top of Syracuse. No one will dare to laugh at their humble origins anymore. Their surnames will be passed down for thousands of years and they will become the ones who control the world!
As the emperor, Raphael could not give them such a promise. If Cardinal Lombardi could do it,
"Then let Lombardi take the throne," someone immediately made the decision, "but as discussed before, we still need to win over the nobles. The area of the family's territory is not enough to establish a country that can support the king. We need to make the Papal States chaotic - leave Florence to the Pope, and the other thirteen cities declare independence."
When he said this, Julius' eyelids slightly lifted.
So, this is what they tried so hard to hide from him.
Noble rebellion.
"Then we need to hurry up. After all, Lombardi is not a fool."
The atmosphere in Florence became strange. It was difficult to describe what that abnormal atmosphere represented, but the people living here were born with a risk-avoidance tendency. There were fewer homeless people on the streets, and the smiles of people walking on the streets had more perfunctory and nervousness. People who were in a hurry were wary of everyone who passed by them, and even the monks in the Papal Palace no longer went out so frequently.
Without anyone knowing, all external communications with Florence were cut off. People were puzzled as to why the post office was closed for the past few days. The answer they got was that the post office was undergoing renovations, and no one except certain people could get news from the outside world.
The cloaked crows completely disappeared into the darkness. They intercepted every letter leaving Florence and sent back a perfectly forged reply at the appropriate time.
Florence became a city floating outside Syracuse, and for a short time no one noticed it.
On the seventh day, a letter announcing the death of Saint Sistine I was delivered to the Papal Palace in Florence and opened by Cardinal Lombardi himself.
Eighteen huge bells rang in Florence to signal the Pope's death. That evening, the cardinals were invited into the chapel to urgently elect a pope.
The door of the Portia Bank opened, and boxes of gold coins were sent to the homes of various cardinals like flowing water. A large number of manor and castle deeds were rolled up in bamboo tubes and stuffed into the cardinals' dry bread. The expensive jewels had completely lost their value at this moment and became fillers like sand, which were simply used to fill the gaps in the boxes.
Julius stood in front of the bank, watching the carriages carrying huge amounts of wealth drive into the night, his expression never changing from beginning to end.
Under the huge financial offensive, the cardinals elected a new Pope at an unprecedented speed.
Cardinal Lombardi chose Tyn as his title to indicate that he would honor the saint's fairness and integrity, and became Tyn VIII.
Pope Tion VIII met with Julius Portia in his reception room. In order to show his trust in the Portia family, he still appointed Monsignor Portia as the Secretary General of his Papal Palace. The first warrant he issued was to excommunicate his predecessor, His Holiness Saint Sistine I, and declared that Rafael Garcia's experience as Pope was illegal because "an illegitimate child born of his parents' adultery is not qualified to become Pope. His deception to the Holy See shows his despicable character. All the power and wealth obtained through the papal crown over the years have been taken over by the Holy See."
Pope Tion VIII didn't care about wealth at all. Everyone knew what the new Pope was interested in.
Assyrian crown.
Raphael promulgated the "Law of Freedom of Religion" declaring freedom and equality of religion in Assyria. In this way, Tyon VIII would declare that all policies issued by Raphael as Pope were illegal and should be invalidated. The Holy See would gain unprecedented advantages in Assyria. As the master of the kingdom of God on earth, Tyon VIII would obtain the right to rule Assyria in another way. At a time when the "Monarchy Law" had not yet completely established a foothold in Assyria, his decision undoubtedly overturned the foundation of Assyria.
Even if Assyria were to split again, or the war resumed - so what? Tion VIII had gotten far more than he should have.
He wanted to discuss the follow-up matters with Julius, but Julius did not come. The monk who went to deliver the message came back to report that the Secretary General was in the theater and would return to Portia's house later.
King Tean VIII showed absolute tolerance and said he could wait a little longer.
When Julius heard the monk's reply, "The Birth of Bacchus" had already been performed to the end on the stage. The rational and fair Apollo god indulged in his love for the rose and degenerated into a Bacchus intoxicated in a crazy dream. His love and pursuit would never be responded to, and he was destined to become a soul that exiled himself in pain and destruction and eventually died.
The water fairy sang sadly:
"Fate,
Why did you tease Him?
Guardian of eternal reason,
All things are born from His light!
You let Him die like this! ”
The corners of the god of wine’s eyes were painted red, symbolizing madness. This touch of red illuminated his pale and righteous face, dragging him into the abyss of intoxication:
“I heard someone talking about death!
What a wonderful thing!
The most primate of all creatures,
The most touching thing is dying for love!
I envy my predecessor so much!
Come, my silent love!
The most wonderful death,
It was the sudden death bird! ”
Julius did not read on, as he still needed to attend an emergency meeting at Portia's house. He had only received news of the meeting two hours ago, and even earlier, he had learned that the nobles of Florence had transferred all the guards in the manor to the villas in the city, and an irreversible rebellion was brewing.
"The most wonderful death is the sudden arrival of a deathbird."
Julius repeated this sentence to himself and smiled silently.
The carriage stopped in front of the Portia Palace. The huge square courtyard was surrounded by lights, which were enough to illuminate the road under his feet. Julius had walked this road countless times, from his childhood to mastering enormous power. The Portia Palace always looked down at him majestically and quietly from the high steps.
The Portia Palace, which imitated ancient Roman architecture, had nearly a hundred steps. He knocked on the marble steps with his cane and slowly climbed up the steps alone. The door at the top had been opened to welcome him, and bright light poured out from it, dimly illuminating the shadows of many people.
As he walked upstairs, the family members who were waiting in the hall came out one after another to greet him. They were all people who had a seat at the conference table. Like Julius, they were wearing dark red cloaks, and their expressions could not be seen clearly under the backlit hoods.
"I don't think I'm old enough to need help."
Julius said softly.
He used his cane to push away a young man who was supporting him. He recognized this young man - if he remembered correctly, this was Kane's half-brother. After Kane completely lost the trust of his family and was secretly executed by him, the young man became much more low-key, but perhaps, his heart was filled with rage for revenge and desire for power.
Julius did not try to avoid his hands. More and more people approached him and surrounded him. More and more hands touched him. They all held sharp daggers in their hands. Under the cover of the cloak, the sound of the blades piercing the body was dull and short.
"You betrayed the family."
An old voice gave him the final verdict.
Warm blood dripped onto the ground and soon formed a stream. A thick smell of blood rose up and spread everywhere. For a moment, Julius could not tell whether it was the smell of his own blood or the bloody smell lingering in his subconscious in the rotten foundation of the Portia Palace. This magnificent and ancient palace had buried too many people, and he would be the latest one.
He accepted and embraced his fate calmly, just as he took little Raphael's hand and kissed him on the forehead.
The silver-rimmed glasses fell down during the jostle and were soon crushed by the chaotic footsteps. Countless tiny crystals refracted colorful glows. Dark red blood fell on the fragments, turning such a brilliant color into a deep red.
In many years
Years ago, Caesar the Great, the founder of the Roman Empire, was assassinated in the Senate by his own cronies. Fate plucked its spindle, and the head of the Potia family, who inherited his great name, returned his eternal glory in almost the same way.
When the crow-like crowd dispersed, the head of the Portia family, who was kneeling on the steps, held down his cane with one hand. His body was soaked in blood, and those terrible wounds were still oozing hot blood. He seemed to smile, but also seemed not to. As the blood slid down the back of his hand, he felt as if he had returned to the long-lost spring. The trees of the Florence Seminary were growing lushly, the sun was jumping on his shoulders, and little Raphael was following his footsteps breathlessly.
How proud he was at that time. No one could make him stop and wait. He was born to gain glory and achievement. He walked ahead of everyone, so he didn't hear the fate's snicker in his ears at all.
If... he thought in the dizziness of excessive blood loss, if fate was willing to give him a chance to start over, he might stop and wait for the child chasing him.
Because the spring scenery was so beautiful and the roses in the garden had just bloomed, they had plenty of time to walk together.
The dark red cloak was spread out under him, and together with the flowing blood, it drew a shocking blood-red on the snow-white steps. His long iron-gray hair fell into a pool of blood, his deep purple eyes were half closed, and the always arrogant and noble Lord Portia stopped breathing.
The rose that grew in the Garden of the Gods had completely withered.
The author has something to say:
I know a lot of people won't be able to stand it... I stopped several times while writing, and thought about whether I could give a happy ending, but I found that it really wasn't possible.
The name Julius was taken from Caesar's name. When this book just appeared and the character took shape, I had already decided his ending. His life was more glorious and great because of such a death. Like Caesar, he would die in a sudden assassination under siege. I chose a staircase that would never end and a magnificent ancient palace as his burial place. I really like this kind of fate with a hint of meaning. Julius is a character I like very much. He is silent, introverted, shrewd, cunning, and it seems that he will never give his heart. How does that saying go? "I give you the loyalty of a man who has never had any faith. I give you the core of myself that I have tried to preserve." An absolute egoist dies from working hard for others; a cunning and power-seeking careerist dies from his only true heart.
In fact, I was really gentle to Julius, otherwise they would stand on opposite sides sooner or later because of family conflicts. Raphael would not tolerate the Portia family, which could influence the economy of Syracuse, getting in his way, and Julius would not destroy his own family with his own hands. When things were about to get out of control, he found a way out for his family - although many people have not discovered that he voluntarily accepted such a death, and his choice made everything stop at the best time.
[Kiss, hug and touch the little babies one by one, sit them in a row, don’t cry]
But don’t forget we have a spin-off! ! ! It must be a sweet extra!
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