The Palace of the Parliament of the Republic of Liguria has a majestic open staircase, a huge courtyard, and magnificent columns. It is the ultimate dream place for all wealthy and ambitious citizens of the Republic of Liguria, with luxurious clothes and noble debates.

, which gentleman is not proud to be a glorious parliamentarian, and which family cannot benefit from the title of parliamentarian?

It's just that today, the gentlemen debating among them are no longer as elegant and majestic as they used to be.

In the late autumn of 1521 after the arrival of the first apostle of Cyric, news of the French army's reoccupation of Milan spread throughout the Italian city-states. As de jure princes of the Holy Roman Empire, they generally enjoyed the Ligurian Republic, which had been independent for three hundred years.

The Republic, like all other Apennine regimes, is engaged in careful discussions to choose a response.

In order to support the Holy Roman Empire's liberation of Milan, this important issue obviously requires careful and long discussion.

Of course, the discussion was not only careful and long, but also very, very intense.

After several gentlemen from the emperor faction tried their best to get the speaker to leave the rostrum, a member of the parliament who was well known to be close to France and had delayed his speech for a long time.

Finally decided to use a more convincing way to get back his right to speak. A splash of acid was accurately shot into the mouth of the man who occupied the podium and was talking about "His Majesty King François of France's strong determination to protect the freedom of the Italian people."

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A parliamentarian who bought his illegitimate son a priesthood with subsidies from Madrid and Vienna shouted: "For the sake of the most noble Republic of Liguria, down with the traitors who receive subsidies from Paris."

The traitors, who received the code word "traitor", that is, more than 30 members of parliament, each found their opponent according to the "script" of the past, and used old fists and tricks to express their support for the Holy Roman Emperor.

The flying acid made everyone afraid to open their mouths - this arcane spell can make ladies scream, but gentlemen are not afraid of this level 0 trick that will not even leave scars. Of course, if the acid

When the liquid reaches your mouth, you will not be able to eat it for a few days and the taste will be very unpleasant.

The same level 0 ice laser lowered the room temperature, making the fight between mostly elderly gentlemen closer to a slow-motion silent stage play.

Congressman Ladislaus-Doria relied on his youth, strength, and agility compared to those of the older members of Congress. His acid splashing and stunning skills were very powerful, and he was able to defeat at least a dozen hostile members of Congress.

When the parliament that started at 1 o'clock in the afternoon ended at 12 o'clock in the starry night, Ladislaus, who was satisfied, sighed in his heart: "Finally, another day has been delayed."

He exchanged a smile with the Speaker and boarded his carriage.

On the way back, Ladislaus endured the still strong bumps while stroking the ring with seven-colored gemstones on his hand and thinking about the situation.

It is true that since the speaker who decides the agenda is on his side, the issue in the parliament is "whether to support the liberation of Milan by the Holy Roman Empire"

In fact, most of the parliamentarians are still afraid of the growing power of the Habsburg family in recent years and tend to favor France. Although in fact, since they defeated the army of the Red-bearded Emperor three hundred years ago, Apennines has enjoyed the fact that

**, but legally these city-states are still members of the Holy Roman Empire. The imperial center that has greatly prospered with the exquisite diplomatic marriage of the previous emperor will inevitably trigger a sense of crisis in these city-states. At present, the Ligurian Republic can be guaranteed

Without directly joining the French side, we should be able to satisfy His Majesty the Emperor's requirements and be worthy of his investment.

His current task is to "prevent the Republic of Liguria from openly supporting France". After completing it, he can gain considerable reputation and favorability from the emperor.

Ladislaus believed that this task was not difficult to achieve, as was evident from the intensity of the fights in Parliament.

There are many people among the congressmen who have access to the higher-ups of the Magic Network. Ladislaus himself is now a level 9 sorcerer. Although he is not able to access the fifth level of the Magic Network like a level 9 wizard, a warlock must reach level 10 before he can use it.

Level 5 arcana, but the level 4 arcane ice storm from the bloodline can definitely kill politicians in a river of blood. But in fact, even powerful people use level 0 acid splash and level 0 ice blast.

It’s no longer a level 0 stun technique.

These large gatherings of duck eggs cannot conceal the competition and conflicts among the major families in the Republic of Liguria. Splashing acid as a greeting is certainly not friendly, but when rival families have the right opportunity and the right reason to attack each other, even with

The extremely effective acid mist spell that killed half a city block of innocent residents was just "acceptable collateral damage out of sheer helplessness".

Everyone knows the rules. Parliament is a place for quarrels - or fights like quarrels - not for serious business.

The congressmen are all aware of the value of the small subsidies they receive. No one will use the money from fighting to do hard work, even if the employer only expects to act, and the price of hard work will not be in their pockets.

, as for the sorcerer royal family being too powerful, too powerful, and having too wide a territory, it’s just envy, jealousy, and hatred in my heart. If the sky falls, the French will hold on to it.

What's more, if a high-level arcane spell damages the parliament hall,

The cost of the renovation has not come from the public maintenance fund, so wouldn’t that be a benefit to the consul and his foreman?

This is absolutely impossible.

On the other hand, Ladislaus was feeling the gains and losses and worrying about public maintenance funds.

On the other side, the greatest consul of the most noble Republic of Liguria, His Highness Lao Xibo is not in the mood to consider how to report a small bill of several hundred gold coins for maintenance costs at the moment, and by the way, subcontract a piece of fertilizer to his mistress's brother.

Meat. In his pocket was a money order from Woking for 75,000 thalers from His Majesty King François of France, but this money order was not cashed immediately.

The 200,000 talers that originally belonged to the treasury of the Republic of Liguria and are now on the way will be handed over to the Treasurer of the French Army Camp as "the people of the Republic of Liguria express their gratitude to His Majesty the King of France for his tireless travels thousands of miles to defend the peace of the Apennine Peninsula."

After expressing gratitude to "Stability", the light of Lady Fortune will light up that beautiful number, and the Sibo family can redeem the rebate at the Medici-Woking Bank or the Fugger Textile Association or other major financial institutions.

Yes, the consul of the Republic of Liguria, who was theoretically a member of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire, was already quarreling with the enemy of the empire, His Majesty King Francois of France, while the Parliament of the Republic, which theoretically had the greatest power, was still arguing.

A less than honorable agreement was reached which, in theory, was nothing short of treason.

In fact, this was just an ordinary day for a prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Yes, every independent lord of the Holy Roman Empire had done this to a greater or lesser extent.

If there are indeed some lords who have never done this, it is because there are many abbots or imperial knights in the Holy Roman Empire who rule no more than a few dozen miles and have no more than a few thousand people. They can also be considered independent lords.

Yes, even if your financial resources may not be as good as that of an ordinary merchant in a metropolis, and your weapons are limited to the tattered ancestral armor and 20 peasant soldiers who are not even equipped with iron swords and use wooden pots as shields, you may still be

A noble lord of the Holy Roman Empire.

For such a village lord, even if His Majesty François cares about the freedom and democracy of the German nobility, he has no time for you to collude.

As for Austria, the headquarters of the Habsburgs, it was a highly centralized regime that was not much different from France and England. Most of the nobles lived in the capital, and officials sent from Vienna controlled the operation of the country.

In the Kingdom of Spain, which fell into the hands of the Warlock Royal Family due to marriage, the emperor was also vigorously promoting centralization of power, which was very different from the cautious and difficult steps within the Holy Roman Empire.

At this time, old Sibo was stroking the tenderness of the goddess Wojin while listening to his eldest son Caligula and daughter Anna report on the progress of the parliament during the day, or rather the lack of progress.

"Doria, Gremaldi, and Pregiosi still sent their old men to the stage to talk for half an hour as they did a few days ago. Once our members came on stage, they would talk for a few more minutes. Speaker Pregiosi

That old guy kept asking our people to pay attention to the five-minute time limit, and then they, um, disrupted the order of the venue."

Seeing his son panting because of anger, Lao Xibo felt deeply tired. He is a thirty-year-old city treasurer, how can he still be so happy and angry, which is disappointing?

There is also the even less worrying younger son Cesare.

After suppressing his emotions, Lao Xibo still began to criticize the heirs of the Xibo family about the gains and losses of his political career.

"In essence, parliamentary democracy hopes to show the balance of power through a relatively mild method and find the balance of power through a bloodless method. It means the minority obeys the majority and the weak obeys the strong. Fighting may not be decent, but in essence

Doesn't it coincide with the original intention of the minority obeying the majority, the weak obeying the strong, and showing the balance of power?"

"But we directly control more than 40 members, plus a few outsiders who may be bought with gold coins, it is very easy to reach a simple majority. If it weren't for Ladislaus who could defeat ten in a fight, there would be many here and there.

Balance of power?" Caligula contradicted his father again.

Old Xibo finally lost his patience.

"His name is Ladislaus Doria, but whose interests does he actually represent? Who is standing behind him? Is the current situation such that we can take action with just a simple majority? As city princes, we

, can it compare with the stability of rule of church princes and feudal princes? Even if the Ligurian Republic has all the power in its hands.

Are we qualified to participate in the contest between the two giants, France and the Holy Roman-Spanish Commonwealth? Have you seen the tragic situation of the Principality of Milan that was involved in the collision? Have you seen the fate of the Sforza family?

Do you want the city of Liguria to be besieged again?"

Old Xibo's series of yelled rhetorical questions caused strange echoes in the well-sealed secret room. In fact, Caligula, who had already bowed his head in shame, had already completely said half of Old Xibo's words.

I understood what my father meant.

"Since you decided to remain neutral, why did you send brother Cesare and me to Milan to negotiate with France? Why did you even risk being impeached by the parliament and send 200,000 talers in military expenses before the agreement was made public?" Anna

Because she is a spellcaster, she can also participate in political meetings that are difficult for most women to enter, but it is obvious that she lacks political talent than Caligula.

As she became more involved in a series of diplomatic actions, her attitude toward Ladislaus gradually deteriorated.

It's a pity that Ladislaus is still too immature now to catch this tiny flaw and discover the evil tricks of the Sibo family.

Anna is very popular now. Although spell casters are always very popular, and the prince's daughter is a spell caster, it is even more popular.

Several of the most powerful families in Europe had already formally sent envoys to propose marriage to Lao Xibo. Among them were the Habsburg family. Shortly after the birthday party, the emperor sent envoys to propose to Ladislaus, and even made a proposal to Ladislaus.

Accepting a token dowry of just 10,000 talers. Of course, because of Anna's wishes, Old Sibo delayed his reply.

Now that the war is raging, marrying either party violates the neutrality policy of the Republic of Liguria and may arouse the hostility of the other party, so we can only continue to wait. Although ordinary noble ladies cannot afford to wait after they are eighteen years old, Drew

If you can afford it, everyone is willing to wait.

For such an important and lovely daughter, Old Xibo's face was filled with the kind of love he never gave to Caligula or Cesare. He stroked her beautiful maroon hair and answered softly: "Being neutral does not mean

Doing nothing, repairing the city at home and hoarding food and grass, and betting on the powerful foreign powers in Guangdong and Guangdong, this is neutrality. This is why I recently asked you to carefully consider Ladislaus and the Duke of Bourbon."

"Forget about that person, that disgusting chin, what kind of thing, and what kind of gift was it? He thought of giving me a cooling pendant for a Kashusi believer. Can't he even give me a decent rare thing?

They were useless stones and cold metals. When I brought them to the salon, I embarrassed the Habsburgs and gave them to his courtesans.

He is also secretive about his beliefs.

He refuses to have an open and honest showdown. Since the emperor gave him a thumbs up last time, I heard that recently he has not even been able to attend the dark sun mass on weekends.

Besides, what if the Habsburg family stands behind him? Is his surname Habsburg? Although his birth was blessed by the true God, his father didn't know if he was the descendant of the short-lived ghost back then. Even if he was, it was still

A disgusting illegitimate son. Not to mention how many generations have passed between him and the contemporary emperor, how much friendship he still has.

I think the emperor just happened to be going to Austria and gave him a birthday party on the way.

It’s okay if I haven’t seen him in the past. Now that I have seen the Duke of Bourbon with my own eyes, there is nothing like it.

How can that man compare to the Duke of Bourbon who has a large number of soldiers, a high position, a noble clan, and a close confidant of the King of France. The gift alone is a treasure worth tens of thousands of thalers. Dad, take a look at this fiery shock necklace given by the Duke of Bourbon."

When Anna mentioned the Duke of Bourbon, her face was full of fascination. She washed away the disgusted expression of "that person" who was unwilling to mention the name just now, held the necklace tightly and raised it in front of Old Xibo.
To be continued...