Chapter 67 New Year Celebration (Part 1)
◎Modern au◎
The beginning here may be based on a classic line from primary and secondary school essays: With the development of society and technology - With the development of the times and technology, those anecdotes and characters that were once considered secrets have gradually come under the camera. In order to win the support of the people, two years ago, the royal family of Calais took the lead in opening filming permits to TV stations and even sent Duke François as the royal publicity ambassador. The duke became an instant star with a documentary recording daily life and became famous all over the world.
Monarchy, royalty, aristocracy, these ancient terms are inherently secretive and shrouded in a mist of yearning and curiosity. Everyone wants to know what the daily life of the royal family is like, and even more so, they want to know the details of the stories recorded in history. For ordinary people, history is the stories of their ancestors that they have heard since childhood. Even those who don't care about external things can't help but stop in front of these secrets.
So after the documentary "72 Hours with the Duke" was broadcast, the number of clicks reached hundreds of millions in just 4 hours, which shows how great people's interest in royal life is.
The most direct benefit was that opinion polls that year showed that public support for the Calais royal family had risen by nearly ten percentage points.
With this excellent template in hand, the Calais Royal Secretariat has added a new media position, whose daily work is to show people the royal life, popular science,
It introduces the history of the Calais royal family and the cultural relics stored in the palace, etc., trying to move the mysterious royal family to the online world to win the hearts of young people.
You know, older people always have deep feelings for the royal family that has been with them for many years, and their support rate has always been very strong, but young people don't buy it. The decline in support rate in recent years is largely due to the fact that young people have reached the age where they can vote and express their opinions.
Therefore, even the most stubborn conservatives had to start considering the proposal of "royal modernization reform."
It was not only the royal family of Calais that faced these contemporary problems; Romanesque, which bordered Calais, also came to this historical crossroads.
Compared to Calais, the problems faced by the Roman royal family may be a little more serious. Their king died two years ago, leaving behind only an underage princess as his heir. The person currently leading the royal family is the widow of the former king, who comes from Assyria, which just abolished the monarchy ten years ago.
This last Assyrian princess was also the last queen of Assyria. She devoted a lot of energy to guiding Assyria to smoothly transition from a monarchy to a republic, becoming the first modern monarch to abdicate peacefully. The Assyrian people, grateful for her efforts and achievements, presented her with the Assyrian Royal Palace, promised that she could return to her homeland at any time, and even reserved the honorary title of Queen of Assyria for her.
However, the Roman royal family has been in turmoil in recent years, and the queen has remained in Rome. Until this year, the long tug-of-war between the Roman royal family and the Parliament finally came to an end. The Parliament agreed to amend the succession bill, established the little princess as the next monarch of Rome, and invited the Pope of Florence to attend the coronation ceremony, which will also be broadcast live.
This news was published on the official website of the Roman royal family and instantly sparked discussions around the world.
Be it the controversial Roman royal family or the mysterious Pope of Florence, they are things that ordinary people will never be able to touch in their lifetime. Now that they are going to appear in front of the camera together, it is like throwing a huge rock into the water.
On the same day that the news was released, an announcement was also posted on the official website of the Florence Apostolic Palace. In order to welcome the coronation of Queen Roman, some areas of the Florence Apostolic Palace will be open to the public for one day. Visitors can enter by appointment, and the official website will also broadcast the event live - the live broadcast area includes the Pope's living and working areas, and you may also see His Holiness himself.
On the day when the live broadcast from the Florence Apostolic Palace began, the number of people in the live broadcast room reached 60 million in just ten minutes, and the number is still rising crazily. As the world's faith leader, Florence has more than one billion believers distributed all over the world. The information group and engineering group of the Apostolic Palace tried their best to repair the server, and even had a fight with the Florence Municipal Government next door, and snatched several sets of spare machines from them - here we would like to thank Portia Bank for its financial support, which allowed them to wave the banknotes to shut the mouth of the municipal information group.
Finally, when the screen in the live broadcast room lit up, the number of people watching the live broadcast had reached 400 million, and the number was still slowly rising.
Everyone felt the terrifying appeal of Florence. Although they usually kept a low profile, no one could ignore the existence of these devout believers.
"Um... can you hear me? OK? Has it started? Okay, sorry, I've never done this before... Oh my God, so they can see me?" The first thing that occupied the screen was an enlarged face, which was full of panic. It quickly shook and disappeared, and the camera was aimed at the empty front.
"Uh... Brothers and sisters, good day. It's an honor to be your tour guide today and show you around the Papal Palace. Me? It's not important. I'm just a monk studying here. In fact, I'm also very curious why such an important task was given to me. Maybe it's because I talk too much? Uh, sorry, I mean I talk non-stop when I'm nervous, and when a lot of people are looking at me... what? There are already 500 million people?"
The camera spun around, and a foot wearing a monk's black shoe appeared in the corner. Then several people rushed up from behind the camera in panic and began to shake the man's body.
The barrage was suddenly filled with a joyful atmosphere.
[Help, did he faint? Hahahahahahahahaha.] 】
[It seems so. Is the Papal Palace serious?] Find such a person? Or is this an April Fools' joke? 】
[If this is a joke, then I have to say that the person who came up with it is very boring and creative. 】
[Honestly, I don’t care what happens to him. Can you please continue the live broadcast? Find someone who can speak clearly. 】
[Hey guys, relax, this is still a child. 】
[The fastest ending live broadcast in history hahahahahaha]
[No, I took a leave to come back and watch the live broadcast. This is the Florence Papal Palace! My grandparents are both loyal believers. They even changed into their newest clothes to watch this live broadcast. Also, I heard that Your Majesty will appear in the live broadcast. Is that true? 】
[Not necessarily, but I hope it’s true! His Majesty was photographed from the front on the terrace on the day of his coronation. No one was allowed to take photos at other times. My friend saw him from afar and quickly converted to Christianity as an atheist. She said that His Majesty was so handsome that all other men were fleeting after seeing him... I also want to see the legendary Son of God on earth! 】
The barrage was filled with various discussions and topics until the camera was lifted up again, shaking.
The person behind the camera seemed to have changed. As soon as the low, magnetic and gentle voice came out, the barrage of comments that were flowing like water paused for two or three seconds, and a brief blank appeared on the screen.
A barrage of comments floated alone in front of the eyes of people all over the world.
[Mom, I think I’m in love.] 】
"Our host encountered a small accident, but he will overcome this difficulty soon. He is the chief graduate of the Florence Seminary this year, a talented young man." The screen did not reveal any information about the visitor, but everyone could imagine that he must have a smile on his face when he said this.
From his voice and words, they could outline the image of this temporary substitute: polite, wearing a traditional three-piece suit, with a slender figure, and always with a gentle and inclusive smile on his face - a gentleman, without a doubt.
"Then let me introduce this room to you. It was originally a storage room built during the reign of King Ryan I. There are still medieval brass steam pipes around it. Look at the iron box on the wall, that is the switch for the oldest steam heating device. After the gate is opened, the whole house will slowly warm up. In order to maintain the original appearance of the Papal Palace, only some rooms are installed with modern equipment such as air conditioners. Many rooms are still using this primitive heating device - including Your Majesty's bedroom. Of course, we will not go there today."
This man obviously knows how to mobilize emotions. If the camera could record sound, he would be able to hear sighs from all over the world rolling across the Black Sea like a tsunami.
But before the audience could fully feel the disappointment, he said lightly, "However, our route will pass by His Majesty's study. If we are lucky, we may be able to see His Majesty at work through the huge French window in the garden."
All disappointment and loneliness disappeared in an instant. The audience's expectations reached an unprecedented level. If they are lucky, they can see the Pope's actual work. Isn't that more interesting? For a moment, no one noticed that his words were full of ambiguity, but with just two casual words, the audience forgot their desire to pry into the Pope's personal privacy.
"Okay, in front is the Grand Gallery. This magnificent corridor brings together classic works of all the masters of the Vatican over the past thousand years. The vault is supported by eighty-eight slender Roman columns. The stained glass windows are carefully colored. The top stained glass window was burned down due to an accident fifty years ago and was later recreated in its original form. The mural on the dome is a pilgrimage painting by the medieval art master Osor, who worked hard for thirty years. The portraits and coronation portraits of the popes of all dynasties are also hung here, and of course, there is also a portrait of our current His Majesty, Saint Sistine I."
The camera reflected a magnificent corridor. The dark golden corridor had a solemn beauty unparalleled in ancient and modern times. Magnificent story paintings and character paintings were stretched out on both sides. Even if one only followed the camera instead of setting foot on the actual ground, the strong emotion of being gazed at by history and being awe-inspired by art would penetrate the camera and hit the heart of every audience member in an unparalleled way.
Art, works of art whose greatness has been proven by time, each of them has a name that is immortal, many of which people have seen in textbooks, and those authentic works that have gone through countless years are hung here, as if within reach.
[Oh my god, is that The Coronation of Saint Vitalian III? I'm writing a paper about him, but there are so few records about him, his reign coincided with the outbreak of a world war, and I can't even find the exact date of his birth! Anchor! Anchor! Can you come closer! Let me see the birth and death years marked above! 】
[Wait, was the painting just passed by "The Saint Raising the Flag"? The remake of the picture our teacher found for us was terribly blurry! I didn’t expect the real thing to be so beautiful! 】
The camera slowly swept across these priceless and exquisite portraits, and the elegant and deep voice continued.
"…We are almost at the end. According to the rules of the Grand Gallery, the coronation portrait of the current Pope is hung at the end of the gallery. Although the advancement of technology has brought us more high-definition and exquisite photography technology, the Papal Palace, which has always followed tradition, still adopted the most ancient method when Saint Sistine I was coronated, and painted a portrait for him that can be hung at the end of the Grand Gallery. So far, this is the only official portrait of His Majesty announced to the public. Ah, although I can understand your feelings when you see it, please remember not to print it privately or create a second one, otherwise Florence and the Papal Palace lawyers are ready to invite you for tea at any time."
Although he made a joke at the end, not many people were listening to him at this moment.
As the camera slowly pulled back to take in the magnificent portrait at the end of the gallery, everyone fell into a long silence.
The young Pope had an absolutely stunning appearance, with long golden hair as bright as the sun, lavender pupils more transparent and clear than the purest cesium zeolite, a scarlet robe and a snow-white surplice shrouded his shoulders, a scepter more than half a person's height rested on his legs, and his other hand held up the holy orb wrapped in thorns. He sat comfortably in a high-backed chair, like an imaginary angel who folded his wings and descended to the earth. Pearls, gold threads and gems emitted a very faint halo that embraced this saint on earth, making all the monarchs in fantasy and fairy tales come into reality.
No one can deny his handsomeness. He was born to conquer all beauty.
I have never felt so pious. 】
I seemed to have seen God! 】
[The Lord tells us not to dwell on the beauty of others...but I can't do it! 】
[Isn’t that my wife!] [Running around] [Waving hands] [Creating flying monkey] Who secretly drew a portrait of my wife! 】
[Shut up, that’s obviously my wife! 】
The barrage instantly turned into a bizarre battlefield. The man watching these speeches behind the camera raised one eyebrow slightly, and his smiling eyes narrowed slightly.
"Behind the Grand Gallery is the Pope's private library. We need to pass through this fountain, which was built a century ago..."
He calmly turned the camera toward the window and walked out of the room in two or three steps. The camera froze for a moment as it swept across the decorations on the fountain.
What is that? 】
[…A red cartoon rabbit?] 】
Where is the square piece of paper under the rabbit? What do the things drawn on it mean? 】
【I know! That's Chinese! It means good luck! 】
[So why did Your Majesty hang this... Chinese ornament on the fountain? 】
"Those are Chinese New Year decorations," the voiceover paused, as if he had just remembered this, "Today is the Chinese New Year in the East. To celebrate this festival, they decorate their houses with these red decorations. This year is their Year of the Rabbit, so there are many rabbits.
Related ornaments, speaking of this... Your Majesty seemed to have mentioned that all the staff of the Pope's Palace would have a dinner together tonight. ”
With a click, the man behind the camera took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time. His expression became a little serious. "Sorry, I suddenly remembered that I have something very urgent to do. I may not be able to accompany you on the rest of the journey. Then our Florence Seminary Chief will take over this task. I wish you all a happy New Year."
The camera trembled, and the brisk voice rang out again: "Brothers and sisters, I am back! Your Excellency, take care... Uh, what? I didn't say anything. I said I was glad to see you all. Below is the garden of the Papal Palace. Your Excellency often walks here in his spare time. His personal doctor has set a time for him to walk, but unfortunately, it's not now."
The picture moved, showing the carefully trimmed garden in front of the audience. The voice-over suddenly lowered its voice: "Ahem, from here we are facing the French window of His Majesty's study. If we are lucky, we can see His Majesty working. Let's take a sneak peek——"
The camera trembled as it stood up and moved upwards, penetrating the bushes and bright branches of flowers. A wide floor-to-ceiling window appeared, with burgundy velvet curtains with dark gold tassels drawn on both sides. Some books and papers were piled on the large mahogany desk, and there was nothing behind the desk, with no one sitting there.
The barrage was suddenly filled with a depressed atmosphere, and the host began to comfort his viewers in a hurry, but before he could say a few words, the barrage began to output exclamation marks crazily again.
[Who is this person!] ! 】
[I want his information!] immediately! all! 】
Similar words filled the entire picture. The young monk cautiously leaned his head out to look, and his eyes met with a young man behind the glass window.
The other person was also wearing a loose black monk's robe, with curly black hair draped over his shoulders. He was extremely handsome, with a bit of evil aura, deep blue eyes deeper than the ocean, and his facial features were too sharp to give him an inhuman look, like a colorfully patterned venomous snake hidden in the shadows, or a bloodstained dagger.
He was tall, with slender and flexible limbs, and there was a cold smile in his eyes. It seemed that he just glanced over here unintentionally, then nodded politely, picked up something on the table and turned away.
[So scary!] He just suddenly turned his head and looked over here! 】
Like a knife! I thought novels were all lies, but this kind of sight actually exists! 】
[To be honest, I’m hard…]
[Politely ask about sexual orientation. 】
[Don’t be too rigid about gender, please benefit humanity. 】
Seeing these lewd words, the young monk didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't talk nonsense, that guy is the captain of your Majesty's personal guard and the director of the Papal Palace Arbitration Bureau. He has sworn to dedicate his life to his Lord. He spends most of his time with your Majesty. Don't make jokes like this."
He bent over and walked out of the path, muttering: "Your Majesty is not here, he should be in the library, but I haven't obtained permission to enter the library, so I can't take you there today, but we can go to watch the training of the Papal Guard. The predecessor of the Guard is the Knights Templar. Until now, the captain of the Guard still has the title of the head of the Knights Templar. If we go there now, we can just see the Knight Commander leading the Guard in training!"
The disappointment just now suddenly vanished, and the barrage of comments became excited again, waiting to be taken to see the Papal Guards, which were rumored to be full of handsome guys.
The author has something to say:
The classic English composition opening for primary and secondary schools at the beginning is really true hahahaha. I really used this sentence often when writing essays in high school. The familiarity is engraved in my DNA hahaha. When I was memorizing the model essays, I thought this sentence was the simplest. I don’t know if I still use it now.
Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. I wish you all a happy new year in advance! There's another chapter tomorrow!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
