I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 719 Charlemagne's Dream
After one hour.

Francis II knelt on one knee before Archbishop Chiaramonti, kissed the ring on his finger, and said the following prayer:

"My soul craves for your forgiveness and guidance, and I dedicate my life, thoughts and deeds to you... All glory to God, now and forever, forever and ever..."

According to Catholic ritual, he was kneeling to worship God.

However, this also clearly shows his attitude.

On the Schönbrunn Palace Square, Giacinto Reale looked at the palace gate in front of him and took a few deep breaths, his hands trembling slightly.

He heard that the papal legate had arrived in Vienna.

He was supposed to meet the Holy Roman Emperor before the special envoy, but his master Muzzarelli encountered heavy snow in Villach, and according to the estimated itinerary, he would not be able to leave Austria until this afternoon.

For the absolute safety of his master, he had to wait until now to come to Schönbrunn Palace.

Yes, a week ago a mysterious person told Muzzarelli that the Pope had sent a special envoy to Vienna - the messenger also encountered snowstorms, otherwise he would have arrived a few days earlier.

Muzzarelli immediately left Austria for the Papal States, leaving Reale behind to complete an important mission.

Reale was soon summoned by Francis II.

The first thing the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire said when he saw him was: "Where is your master?"

"I think he's almost in Rome," Reale leaned forward.

"What?" Franz II was shocked. "Isn't he giving a speech in Borony? Damn it!"

Reale's heart was beating wildly, and he mustered up the courage to ask, "Your Majesty, it seems that you have already negotiated terms with the Pope?"

People who are familiar with his master say that he is a gambler, but he prefers to call his master an adventurer. There is a fundamental difference between the two - a gambler will bet everything without looking at the cards, while an adventurer will only act when he is sure of success.

Therefore, this follower believed that he would not be hanged by the Holy Roman Emperor today.

Francis II nodded and said calmly: "It doesn't matter. As long as he doesn't have my support, the Pope can deal with him himself."

"No, Your Majesty," Reale said firmly, "You must support Archbishop Muzzarelli!"

Francis II smiled and signaled to the guards: "Lock him up."

Reale raised his voice: "If you do this, then the letters you wrote to my master, the ones about asking the Holy See to declare the Crusades a rumor, as well as the content of your foreign minister's negotiations with him and the relevant manuscripts, will be made public!"

Franz II stood up immediately, waved his hands and shouted angrily: "I swear, if he dares to do this, I will throw him into hell!"

Reale recalled his master's instructions and continued, "Moreover, the master will confess to the Holy See and 'confess' that you and he conspired to assassinate the Pope!"

Franz II was stunned immediately.

If the conspiracy between him and Muzzarelli to dispel the rumor about the Crusades was leaked, at most the soldiers fighting in Poland would be a little dissatisfied.

But considering this incident, Muzzarelli slandered him and planned to assassinate the Pope, he couldn't explain himself at all!
From the outside world's perspective, it was obvious that he wanted to support the Austrian forces in the Holy See, so getting rid of the current Pope was a natural thing to do, especially when one of the people involved admitted it himself.

Even Pope Pius VI would have believed it!
By then, I will be despised by the entire Catholic world...

Franz II roared with a livid face: "Is he crazy? If he does this, he will be finished too!"

When Reale saw the fear in the eyes of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his master had won. He grinned, "My master said that he felt very honored to have such a noble emperor accompany him to hell. Even after thousands of years, people will still talk about his story."

"Mad man!" The veins on Francis II's forehead were bulging. "Muzzarelli is completely crazy!"

He turned his head and looked around, like a drowning man looking for a piece of driftwood, but found nothing. He fell back into his chair and shook his head: "No, no! The Pope's side..."

Reale repeated Muzzarelli's words: "Yes, the Pope will certainly be dissatisfied with you, declare support for the Crusades, and even impose 'excommunication' on you."

Franz II immediately raised his head and looked at him.

Reale continued: "But it doesn't matter. Archbishop Muzzarelli will put pressure on the Pope in the Vatican. With your support, he will be able to 'convince' the Pope to give up these ideas."

"But……"

"If you're still worried, you can ask Tuscany and Venice to cooperate." Reale smiled, "Oh, the French way is very useful, what is it called? Oh, 'military exercise', yes, let the two countries conduct a large-scale exercise on the border of the Papal States.

"I believe that the result will satisfy you."

Seeing that Francis II was silent with a gloomy face, he leaned forward and said, "Your Majesty, this is actually a rare opportunity for you.

"You know, the Pope is already very old. And when Archbishop Muzzarelli ascends the throne, you will become the new 'Charlemagne'!
"Of course, this process also requires your selfless support."

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The Charlemagne he was referring to was the creator of the Carolingian Empire.

When people talk about the Papal States, they usually think of "Pepin the Short", the Frankish king who gave Rome to the Vatican. But in fact, it was Pepin's son Charles who made the greatest contribution to the Vatican.

Relying on the absolute support of the Holy See, Charles led his army to conquer vast territories including France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and northwestern Italy at that time.

Later, he divided the kingdom among his three sons, and the Western European countries came into being. The entire Holy Roman Empire was just a "fragment" of Charlemagne's Empire.

At the same time, the Papal States also received huge rewards from Charles, including large amounts of land and dominance over religion.

It can be said that this was the most glorious period of the Holy See in recent hundreds of years.

When Franz II heard this, he was immediately moved.

Muzzarelli's meaning was very clear. If he became Pope, he would help Francis II sweep across Western Europe just as Leo III supported Charlemagne.

Coincidentally, Leo III also became Pope through a coup d'état.

Francis II pondered for a long time. Finally, his eyes became firm. He raised his hand and signaled to the captain of the guard: "Go and bring back Archbishop Chiaramonti."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Joseph did not expect that he just did not want the Pope to cooperate with Austria, but the message he sent had a profound impact on the political situation of the Holy See.

……

United States.

Philadelphia.

"Excuse me, but it is impossible for the parliament to pass this bill." Hamilton, the US Treasury Secretary, showed a regretful expression to Lord Grenville. "Besides, the materials needed to support your expeditionary force will inevitably cost a lot of money. Given our financial situation, we absolutely cannot afford it."

(End of this chapter)