When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1046 The New State Church of France

The Yingjing Hall had long been cleared out; the original tiered benches had been moved to the sides, leaving only a long walnut table in the center.

Two silver teapots were placed on the table, steam rising from their spouts.

After exchanging polite exchanges at the long table, the two most powerful young men in the empire finally sat down.

Horn and Charles sat opposite each other, Armand and Campbell sat on either side, and the scribes sat at either end of the long table holding scrolls.

The nibs of the quill pen and the fountain pen hang on the paper, waiting to be used.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor.

Horn picked up the teapot and poured Charlie a cup of black tea: "Your Highness, the French border legion was extremely careless."

Two thousand five hundred people got lost in Xinghuo Town, and nineteen clockwork cannons were also lost.

Fortunately, our team was nearby and managed to find them all for you.

However, there are still a thousand or so that haven't been found. What should we do?

Charlie picked up his teacup, tracing his fingertips along the warm rim: "What else is there to say? I'll just recruit more soldiers and that'll be fine."

"Isn't that ridiculous? If that's the case, why don't you just send the lost soldiers back to you?"

“You guys are all men, there’s no need for that.” Charlie laughed heartily. “You must have spent a lot of money on this trip, right? I’ve already spoken to Dragonfly Harbor and settled everything with you.”

"Oh dear, this is so embarrassing." Horn picked up the black tea on the table, took a sip, and said, "But I think it's best to avoid this kind of thing from happening too often."

"Lord Horn, do you have any insightful suggestions?"

Horn tapped his fingertips on the table: "Your Highness Charlie, this is the issue I want to discuss: the establishment of embassies in each other's countries."

He gestured to the scribe monks to unfold the scrolls, which were thick stacks of papers with terms written in Elvish.

"The Holy Alliance has an embassy in Flowerhill, and the Franco has an embassy in Jeanne d'Arc. Their envoys are allowed to bring guards and enjoy extraterritorial rights..."

In diplomatic activities between the two sides, credentials are presented in advance through the embassy, ​​and the two countries recognize each other's national sovereignty...

Franco-Merchant nobles can invest in the workshops and guilds of the Holy Alliance, and the caravans of the Holy Alliance can also open spice shops and bookstores within Franco-Merchant territory…

Charles VIII paused, his hand holding the teacup still, and glanced at Campbell out of the corner of his eye.

The old bishop frowned, clearly disapproving of the "Saint-Union caravan entering France".

But the king's voice was calm: "The nobles of Fran do indeed love the sugar and spices of Black Serpent Bay."

However, I wonder if the Holy Alliance's clockwork gun workshop could allow French merchants to invest in it?

“Military workshops won’t work, but civilian ones will,” Horn smiled. “For example, threshing machines for farms and cranes for docks—these workshops welcome French capital.”

Charlie nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

He knew that all countries would be cautious militarily, and opening up the civilian sector was already a concession.

As for open investment, it is also a major growth driver for Frankfurt, whose economic growth is currently slow.

Places like the windmill area still need to be gradually developed, and the Fran people need to be introduced to truly bring them under our rule.

However, after the war and four years of development, the Thousand Rivers Valley has enormous development potential, as can be seen from the consumption tax alone.

Even if they refuse, the nobles won't; they'll secretly invest money.

Rather than doing that, it's better to put it on the table, at least Charlie can see it.

"I agree to this one."

The scribes and the secretaries of Fran immediately began scribbling on the dossier and started exchanging draft treaties to finalize them.

After Horn raised the issue of the embassy, ​​Charles VIII spoke up, "After this conference, I don't know whether to address His Highness Horn as His Highness or His Majesty?"

"Your Highness, Your Majesty, what's the difference?"

"Although a person may not be in a position of authority and therefore not be involved in its affairs, he should still take the well-being of all the believers of the empire as his own responsibility."

If it is the will of the people, and only by coming to power can he truly benefit the country, then he has no choice but to shoulder the responsibility.

At this point, Charles VIII's meaning was quite clear.

Now that things have come to this, the plan to support Pope Grandivadan has completely failed.

Fran could not bring the Pope under control, and the military and political costs of going to war with the Holy Alliance were too high.

If war isn't absolutely necessary, then France would prefer to negotiate. In other words, Charles VIII supports Horn as Pope, and Horn supports Charles VIII as Emperor.

Of course, if Horn disagreed, then Charles VIII would have no choice but to force Grandiva to become pope.

In any case, the Sixth Ecumenical Council only gave Horn an advantage over the French Church, not an absolute advantage.

In terms of legitimacy, Grandiva is definitely superior to Horn.

Horn didn't say much, but simply took a letter out of his pocket and handed it to Charles VIII.

"This is... Pope Priano's will?"

“Yes, you can take a look.” Horn picked up the teapot and poured tea for Charles VIII as he spoke slowly, “I don’t know what you think, but you should already realize that the decline of the Church is inevitable.”

Looking at the entire empire, it is an inevitable trend for royal power to overpower the authority of the church, and it can even be said that it is only a matter of time before the church becomes a mere paper signboard.

Compared to the past century of wars, the interest groups in various countries have long been solidified.

Since the empire was not at war with the outside world, even if someone became emperor, their authority would not be very great.

To be blunt, even if you became emperor, you'd just be wearing a paper crown on your head.

Charlie's face turned grim for a moment as he put down the will.

This Grandiva is truly detestable.

Priyanov preferred to appoint the pope to the heretic Horn, and Sheri traveled thousands of miles in stealth rather than go to Fran, both based on the premise that "no one can be Grandiva."

In this way, with the double guarantee of the Sixth Ecumenical Council and Priano, the papacy will be firmly secured in Horn's head.

Now Charlie only has one problem left to solve.

Emperor or war?
"Your Majesty Horn invited me here for tea; surely that answers this question?"

Horn put down the teapot and sat down again: "Your Highness, I'm afraid you've long been dissatisfied with the church property of the French Church, haven't you?"

These words were like sparks thrown into boiling oil. Campbell looked up sharply: "Your Majesty Horn! Watch your words..."

“Archbishop Campbell,” Charlie interrupted him, his tone flat, “let him speak.”

Without blaming Campbell for his rudeness, Horn leaned forward slightly: "The Church of Fran occupies one-fifth of the arable land and controls the circulation of nearly a million gold pounds."

The bishops lived in palaces while the soldiers fought on empty stomachs.

Don't you want to reclaim these church properties to pay your legions and reduce taxes for the citizens?

Charlie tapped his fingertips lightly on his knees without saying a word.

Although royal power had overridden papal power within France, the clergy remained a privileged class and retained a degree of autonomy.

Especially in the economic landscape of France, clergy, merchants, and the new nobility were practically the three pillars.

What Charlie resented most about the priests was their sense of identity.

For the priests and monks of the French Church, they had a dual identity: first, they were French, and second, they were members of the Church.

When the interests of the church and the French clash, they often become fence-sitters.

Sometimes they side with the king, sometimes with the church.

To give a few simple examples, there are the indulgences of Grandiva, the spice monopoly of the Church of West County, Black Snake Bay, and the clique of high-ranking clergy around the Queen Mother...

Charles VIII, his father, and Lorenzo did not take action against the clergy because they had the support of the powerful Church.

The royal family spends a large sum of money every year bribing various parties to help the French bishops operate a vote-buying scheme, all in order to ensure that the papacy falls within French territory.

In this way, France could follow the same path as before to strengthen royal power, suppress the nobility, and exercise even more thorough control.

However, with the emergence of three opposing popes and the Church of St. Doctrine, the authority of the Church is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Their efforts for the Pope seem to have come to naught, so shouldn't they recoup their costs?
But what would happen to his imperial throne if that were the case?
“Your Excellency Horn, France has its own national conditions. You do not understand France, so do not make rash judgments!” Archbishop Campbell could not hold back any longer.

Horn, however, leisurely pushed yet another document in front of Charles VIII: "Your Majesty, I promise that the Holy Alliance will not take the initiative to proselytize within the territory of France."

But you know the principle that it's better to guide than to suppress. Instead of letting the followers of the Holy Way Sect stand up and form a self-governing body, why can't you be the new leader of that self-governing body?

What is your suggestion?

“My suggestion is…” Horn lowered his voice even further, “wouldn’t a new state religion with Francan influences, like the Messiah, be feasible?”

(End of this chapter)