At that time, something happened, not too big or too small.

It turns out that this winter, a southern province of the empire was suddenly hit by a snowstorm. The climate in the mainland is cold in the north and hot in the south. It rarely snows in the south. This kind of snowy weather in the south in winter is certainly abnormal, but it is not unprecedented.

There was a snowstorm. This matter is not big or small. Naturally, the Imperial Capital’s official Finance Department is responsible for the government affairs of disaster relief.

However, it happened to be the annual time when the eight bishops of the Mainland Diocese of the Temple of Light returned to the Imperial Temple to report their duties. His Majesty the Pope, who had been reclusive for many years, was said to have heard that the southern province suffered from a snowstorm and that the believers in the diocese were living in hardship.

This compassionate Pope immediately issued a decree exempting this diocese from religious taxes and contribution taxes for one year.

This matter is neither big nor small. However, His Majesty the Pope took the initiative to do such a good deed. Many powerful and wealthy families who believed in the divine religion also came to join in the fun, and many nobles donated their property.

.

This matter was aroused in the imperial capital for several days, but in the end an embarrassing situation occurred: in the temple, under the call of the Pope, millions of gold coins were raised in one go. Of course, it was the Pope's

The appeal is powerful, and the contributions of the wealthy believers below... secondly, I'm afraid there are some of them who are behind it to fuel the fire.

At this time, a rumor with ulterior motives suddenly appeared in the imperial capital. It was said that the regent ordered the finance secretary to raise gold coins for disaster relief, which was only more than thirty gold coins. But with the Pope's order, three gold coins were obtained.

Millions. It can be seen that the pope's prestige is much higher than that of His Royal Highness the Regent.

Here, there is a faint meaning of comparing the appeal and prestige between divine power and imperial power.

Such rumors naturally have ulterior motives. But the reality before us is that divine power seems to overwhelm imperial power.

Suddenly, the prestige of the temple naturally increased, and the regent seemed to lose his face.

The overt and covert fights between the imperial royal family and the temple have been going on for a long time. The high-profile behavior of the pope this time is very inconsistent with the low-key style of this mysterious old guy who has lived in seclusion over the years.

After all, everyone who lives in the elite circles of the imperial capital is a veteran, and many people can smell it.

However, in this competition, the regent seemed to be very low-key and did not compete with the temple for anything. There was an uproar outside and the royal family also remained silent.

Originally. According to the normal track, there are such rumors in the market. If those powerful people are smart, they will naturally not continue to dig out their pockets to send money to the temple. Otherwise, the more money the temple raises, wouldn't it?

Are you just slapping the regent in the face?

But it’s weird that things have developed here!

After the rumor spread, the place where materials were collected in the temple could be said to be "lively", but the rumor became serious. Not only did the number of people donating money not decrease, but it increased in number overnight!

This phenomenon is extremely abnormal!

It is said that in those days, outside the temple, people who followed His Majesty the Pope’s call to donate funds were almost lined up for two streets! The crowds were so crowded that even the temple sent out the Holy Knights to maintain order!

The original number of three million gold coins actually doubled in less than two days!

As a result, everyone was amazed by His Majesty the Pope's appeal. On the other hand, it became more and more obvious that the regent of the royal family seemed a little... dim.

"Are all these rich people in the Imperial Capital blind, deaf, and stupid?" Du Wei frowned: "Obviously there are people who are adding fuel to the flames, overtly applauding the Pope, and secretly damaging the Regent's face! This is already obvious. In the Imperial Capital

Are these rich people not afraid of offending the royal family? Do they dare to join in this kind of fun? "

Little Zach shook his head: "My Duke... you are wrong! What is strange is that most of the people who went to the temple to donate money were not rich people in the imperial capital. I sent people to inquire, and among them

Most of them speak with foreign accents and seem to be from the south... I don’t know why so many southerners have come to the imperial capital recently. It seems that these people have brought huge sums of money and came to the imperial capital specifically.

After donating the money, he left... This was very obvious, and he was clearly deliberately trying to lose face for the royal family."

"Southerners?" Du Wei sneered: "How come so many wealthy businessmen from the south suddenly appeared in the imperial capital to donate money? Obviously someone deliberately organized it!"

"Isn't that right?" Little Zach said with a smile: "You came back two days late. If you had come back two days earlier, you would have seen the excitement. There were so many people outside the temple a few days ago!"

Du Wei shook his head and asked: "Where is the royal family? How did the royal family react?"

"There's just no response. That's why it's strange." Little Zach smiled bitterly: "Even an idiot can see that the temple is deliberately provoking the royal family again, and it is so obvious. It is really the same as the Pope's behavior over the years.

His calmness is completely inconsistent! But the strange thing is that our regent has never said a word and has no reaction to this matter. And..."

"And what?"

"Moreover, don't you find it strange? In terms of financial resources, is the regent afraid of the temple? Apart from anything else, only the two people, the Demon Beast of Mount Delan and Count Villa, can be thrown away casually.

It’s nothing to pay for millions of gold coins, right? If the royal family wants to challenge, millions of gold coins can still be paid. The strange thing is that the regent didn’t say anything, and several wealthy men from His Highness’s faction,

They didn’t even speak.”

Du Wei was full of doubts.

This matter is so obvious... If it is a conspiracy against the royal family, then this conspiracy is too clumsy. Temple of Light, okay, why do you suddenly use this matter to attack the royal family? His Majesty the Pope seems to also

There is no need to suddenly challenge the authority of the regent, right?

Hmm... people from the south...

Could it be that the Yeni faction did it?

But why did the Yeni faction do this? To provoke the royal family and deliberately spread such rumors, apart from offending the royal family, what good could it achieve?

Du Wei first put these questions aside and said, "Well, what does this have to do with today's auction?"

"Just two days ago, someone came to us and delivered a lot." Zach's face was very ugly: "Guess who sent this lot?"

"……who?"

"Temple!" Zach said with a bitter look on his face: "The Lord Judge of the Temple came here in person and delivered a decree signed by His Majesty the Pope! This decree is stored here with us. This decree is this

One of the first-ever auctions! For this auction, the Imperial Capital has been in a state of chaos these past two days!

His Majesty the Pope's decree made it very clear that this thing is put up for auction here, and the one with the highest price will get it! All the money from the auction will be used for disaster relief in the south. And this auction decree is written by the Pope himself.

Signed commitment: No matter who gets this commitment, if the person who gets the commitment has a child, His Majesty the Pope promises to personally baptize him into the religion, adopt him as his godson, and personally serve as the child's godfather! Three religions and nine streams

, no matter what the identity of the other party is, this promise is valid!"

When he said this, even Du Wei couldn't sit still.

The Pope personally presides over the baptismal ceremony? What kind of treatment is this?

Each generation of His Majesty the Pope will never baptize any ordinary person into Christianity! The only person who can enjoy the baptism ceremony personally presided over by the Pope can only be the emperor of the empire! The only emperor!

The Roland Empire has been established for more than 960 years, and the Temple of Light has been established for 960 years. This example has never been broken! It will never be allowed to be broken!

Even... from a certain perspective, this has almost become a standard for whether an emperor is legitimate!

Unknowingly, people have even established the concept that if His Majesty the Pope cannot preside over the baptism, then the emperor is not legitimate!

On the other hand, as the supreme master of the Temple of Light, the Pope must not baptize anyone casually!

This is the iron law!!

"Is His Majesty the Pope crazy?!!!" Du Wei suddenly jumped up: "Why is this old bastard so crazy?!"

This is a provocation! A naked provocation! A provocation to the imperial power!!

Du Wei's face turned pale. Suddenly he glared at Zach and said angrily: "Are you stupid too? How dare you accept such a thing!!!"

Zach's face changed color, and he yelled loudly: "God! My Duke! I, Zach, am not a fool! Do you think I don't know the importance of this kind of thing? Do you think I dare to accept it? But the problem is, that day in the temple

The presiding judge personally came over with the Pope's decree. Standing in front of me, facing the Pope's decree, how could I say "no" to my face?? I am not you, you are the Duke. I

But he is just a small steward. Faced with a figure of the Pope’s level and a decree written by himself, how can I refuse? How can I refuse? I have to accept it even if I don’t accept it!!”

Du Wei thought for a while, and indeed...it was really difficult to refuse the Pope's decree. I'm afraid even if it were him, if the Pope personally issued any decree, he wouldn't be able to refuse it in person. At most, he would be obedient and secretly disobeying it, but he could say no to his face.

, but it is impossible.

Who in the entire continent can say "no" to His Majesty the Pope face to face??

"Besides." Zach said with a bitter look on his face: "After I received this thing that day, I immediately sent someone out of the Imperial Capital. By that time, you should have been on the way to the Imperial Capital! I sent someone to look for you halfway...

Haven’t you encountered it?”

Du Wei's heart became more and more gloomy. He counted the days. Two days ago?

Well, that happened to be what happened after I rescued Maximus on the river! Could it be that the Yeni faction was responsible?

"I haven't met the person you sent to deliver the message to me." He quickly asked: "What about Prince Chen? What will the regent say after he knows the news?"

Zach looked strange, then smiled bitterly and said: "Just last night, I planned to see you at midnight... But in the middle of the night, a palace messenger came to the palace, found me in person, and then gave me a copy of the Regent.

personal order, and then..."

"Then what?"

"Then take away the auction item, which is the Pope's personal promise."

After hearing this, Du Wei felt as if he had been punched in the face, and said angrily: "Take it away?!"

He became angry and slapped the table hard, causing people to jump up and said angrily: "Zach! Why didn't you tell me such an important thing until now?! Why didn't you come and tell me last night!

!”

"I think so." Zach shook his head: "Yesterday, someone from the palace detained me here. I was about to go out to see you. A messenger came from the palace, and without announcing it, he came directly to see me.

Then two palace envoys, one of whom was a palace magician, stood beside me, staring at me every step of the way!! They just didn’t allow me to inform you... How could I escape? Don’t say I escaped.

, the whole night, a magician sat next to me, not taking his eyes off me for a while, and was followed even when I went to the toilet! Even if I wanted to send someone out secretly... they wouldn't let me talk to anyone! Even if I wanted to

I can’t even send someone to deliver a message to you!”

Du Wei nodded. He was a little surprised at first, why his master returned to the Imperial Capital. As his top manager in the Imperial Capital, Zach didn't show up all night or go to greet him.

"It wasn't until this morning that people from the palace told me that they could send someone to invite you over. I didn't understand what the regent was doing. I had no choice but to send someone to the Duke's Palace to invite you. Just now, the palace
To be continued...