I am Peter III, Emperor of the Hexagon of the Goose Kingdom

Chapter 168 Regardless of whether she Qiuxiang is emotional or not, everything is under my control (er, must read)
Vorontsov nodded and said angrily:
"Your Majesty, I know that the Holy Council is going too far!"

Peter agreed with this statement, and he then said:

"In this case, let's start the trial. I heard that Metzjevic, who was just released, died down for a long time and then started to instigate agitation within the church. Let's start with him."

"In addition, the scale of the trial can be expanded. Apart from Adrian, other archbishops can be involved. After this time, the church must become a religious department under the state's management, instead of being side by side with the state or even surpassing it."

"Don't let the judges come from you. Let the people in the Holy Council execute it. Although there are people who criticize us, there are also people who agree. I believe they will be willing to work for us."

Vorontsov, Bestutev, and Ivanovich had always known about Peter's plan from beginning to end. They were a little worried at first, but things developed beyond their expectations.

If the church is not moved, the church looks like a giant, but after moving it, it seems that it is not the case.

Not only are many people from the outside staring at the church, but they also have their own opinions inside.

Both Vorontsov and Ivanovich were a little excited at the thought that His Majesty was going to achieve his goal.

In the position of the church, the glory of the time of Peter the Great is about to appear again.

"Yes! Your Majesty, follow your instructions completely, without making any mistakes!"

Vorontsov's face glowed, and it was a lifelong pride to be able to deal with the Church while he was Minister of State!
Peter nodded, he is still very satisfied with these people who signed the non-disclosure agreement.

He wasn't even an idiot, and even Vorontsov had some talents, and under the guidance of his open-minded monarch, it was almost impossible to make too many mistakes.

Peter couldn't help but feel excited when he thought that the church's population and property would be nationalized after this time.

This can be regarded as a feat recorded in history!
And when he first planned to do it, he didn't make a random decision, but referred to the original Peter III and Catherine.

The original Peter III believed in Lutheranism when he left Holstein, and he and Frederick had the same idea.

Frederick once talked about all of Europe, including Russia, which is considered an Asian country, saying that everyone except him and Teresa was an idiot, because all monarchs were imprisoned by religious ideas.

Peter, like Frederick II, sneered at the clergy and religious beliefs, and he introduced a new decree to transfer all the estates in the name of the church to a newly formed government department.

As soon as this decree came out, the clergy and dignitaries in the church became public officials receiving state salaries.

The senior clergy, while aggrieved, did not help.

Moreover, compared with him, the original Peter III took a particularly big step. I don't know whether he was ignorant or fearless, or he hit the right thing, but he achieved his goal.

He also ordered that images and statues of all saints, except Jesus Christ, be removed from churches, and then he ordered all clergy to shave their beards and change their clothes.

The clergy can no longer wear floor-length brocade robes, but have to wear the robes of Protestant priests.

Protestantism is a religion widely believed in by the Prussian people. It was suppressed in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austria, and there was no soil for Protestantism in Russia.

But despite this, Peter III successfully implemented this decree. Although he was considered a heretic by the Russians, he did succeed. In his hands, the church became a department under the state.

The puffiness of the church is also reflected once again in the hands of Ekaterina.

After Catherine launched a successful coup, in order to appease the church and the army, she promised the church to abolish the decree issued by Peter III and return the serfs and land to the church.

At first, Ekaterina was taken aback when she learned about the assets owned by the church.

There are a full 100 million male serfs and huge land properties. If the family members of these male serfs are counted, the population will increase to more than 200 million.

Ekaterina didn't want to return it, but she was a cautious person. If Peter III hadn't been too careless and didn't leave a guarding army behind when launching the coup, Ekaterina would never have succeeded .

The timing of her coup was particularly bizarre.

Because Field Marshal Apraksin told Ekaterina, you launch a coup, I support you, Ekaterina did not launch, she said I don't understand what you mean, I keep my own place.

Apraksin was then thrown into prison and subsequently exiled.

The then Minister of General Affairs Bestutev said, you launch a coup, I support you, Ekaterina did not launch, she said what are you talking about?I don't understand.

Bestutev was arrested, interrogated severely, and finally proved Yekaterina's innocence.

Lestock said you should not get so close to me, I was suspected, and Ekaterina immediately distanced herself from everything.

Even Ekaterina's spiritual supporter Vorontsova Jr. said to Ekaterina twice at the beginning, as long as you do anything, I will support you unconditionally, and Ekaterina did not show any emotion at all.

The last time little Vorontsova couldn't bear it anymore, she yelled at Ekaterina and said, "If you don't think of a way out for yourself, you will be finished!"
Ekaterina remained silent, saying that little Vorontsova must be drunk and talking nonsense, and advised her not to say such things in the future.

Even if Ekaterina has the support of the five Orlov brothers in the army, if Peter III listens to Frederick's persuasion and leaves an army to guard St. Was successfully coup d'état.

And before the coup, one of the participants was caught, a captain, but Peter III still didn't care.

It can be said that Peter III deserved to be successful in the coup, and Ekaterina's character of being so cautious to death was able to succeed in the coup.

Therefore, even if Ekaterina did not want to return the church land and serfs, she was a foreigner of Prussian origin and German descent, and she was much more cautious about the Russian state religion than the Russians themselves.

So she returned it at first.

But Ekaterina still felt that Peter III's decree was very reasonable, and the church's land and serfs should be nationalized.

Temporarily returning the land and serfs to the church is really a last resort, which runs counter to her wish.

Just a few months after returning her lands and serfs to the church, Catherine changed.

She ordered an accounting of the vast wealth held by the Church and suggested a new policy to the government.

The parliament proposed a compromise plan, that is, the land would still belong to the church, but the poll tax imposed on the church would be increased.

Some people in the church agreed with this plan, while others opposed it, and the church split.

Then Ekaterina took two steps to secularize the church, which is the typical example of Metzjevic who was arrested because he ran around and opposed it.

Ekaterina said of Metzjevich:
"Metzjevich's accusations against her are vexatious, making trouble out of nothing, deceiving people, and distorting the facts. This liar and hypocrite must be punished and set an example to others!"

Metzjevic was then arrested and tried, in which Ekaterina personally participated, in which Metzjevic questioned the death of Peter III.

Metzjevich said of Ekaterina:
"The current monarch is not Russian and does not have firm beliefs. She should not occupy the throne that originally belonged to Ivan Antonovich (Ivan VI)."

Ekaterina was poked into her weakness, she covered her ears and screamed:

"Tell him to shut up!"

The church was deprived of its land and serfs, but, ironically, Metsjevich was tried by those who were still the church.

Metzjevich was found guilty, stripped of his priesthood, excommunicated, and exiled to a monastery as far away as the White Sea.

He was not allowed to write any articles there, and did hard labor three days a week, carrying water, chopping firewood, and cleaning the monastery rooms.

Later, Ekaterina, who was cautious in this regard, called Metzjevic back again for a public relegation ceremony.

Metzjevic appeared in the palace wearing a flowing robe, and then his robes that symbolized the priesthood were stripped off one by one, but Metzjevic kept condemning Ekaterina and swearing at his colleagues. die.

Metzjevich was then stripped of all religious titles and imprisoned in a cell at the fortress of Revelli on the Baltic coast.

None of the soldiers guarding him spoke Russian.

Metzjevich finally stopped cursing, and until his death, the soldiers guarding him didn't know his real name, and only called him "Andrew the Big Liar".

With Peter III and Catherine in front, Peter saw the attitudes of all parties after sending a letter of condemnation through the Holy Council, and he no longer hesitated.

nationalize!

Moreover, Vorontsov and Bestutev are at the front to fight against the church, and Ivanovic is also at the forefront of the conflict with Metzjevic. What is he worried about?
To paraphrase Master Xing's words, whether she Qiuxiang is emotional or not, everything is under my control.

　At the end of the last chapter, the pictures and conclusions of today's inspection have been attached. I wish everyone good health! ! !

　　
　
(End of this chapter)