Within a month, the Papal States' security forces dispatched to suppress bandits not only achieved minimal results but also deteriorated further.
Initially, when the security forces were dispatched to suppress bandits, the most common issues were simply not being able to locate the bandits or failing to catch up to them.
However, gradually, after some probing by the bandits, they realized the security forces were nothing special, and they became increasingly audacious. More and more bandits began to rely on terrain advantages to fight against the security forces, and bandits from various regions even showed a tendency to band together.
As a result, the security forces' combat record was horrendous, leaving them disoriented. From time to time, a squad would go out, and only a few would return; some smaller squads simply vanished without a trace, whether they were wiped out by the bandits or deserted out of fear. There were even instances where security force members were kidnapped by bandits, who then demanded ransom from the security forces. For a time, being a security force member became a high-risk profession, with many members crying and clamoring to quit.
Augustus had anticipated the poor effectiveness of the bandit suppression, but the security forces being beaten to such an extent by the bandits truly astonished him.
This gave Augustus a completely new understanding of the strength of the Papal States' bandits and led him to dismiss the possibility of Francesco fostering bandits for his own gain. This was clearly a situation that was genuinely out of control; it was hard to say who was benefiting whom. Now, with the situation as it was, to outsiders, it looked more like he was using others to achieve his own ends.
The security forces' performance was abysmal, and verbal and written attacks impeaching Francesco poured in. Francesco appeared very innocent, stating that he managed internal affairs and was not skilled in leading troops into battle. The current situation clearly indicated a problem with the security forces' combat effectiveness, so how could it be blamed on him?
Those impeaching him didn't care about these excuses; they could always find reasons to accuse someone. Now, with an obvious charge laid out, how could they not fully exploit it? Regardless, the charge of Francesco's ineffective bandit suppression was solidified.
So Francesco wanted to drag Lorenzo into sharing the blame. The main force for the bandit suppression was provided by Lorenzo, and if their combat effectiveness was this poor, how were his soldiers trained?
Lorenzo, however, refused to take responsibility, claiming that these soldiers had no issues under his command. Why did they become ineffective under Francesco's command, suffering so many unnecessary losses? He argued that Francesco's inability to command was to blame, not the soldiers.
...
So the meeting once again devolved into an unproductive argument.
Francesco repeatedly requested the Pope to dispatch the army to suppress the bandits, but Augustus dodged with various excuses, such as 'each to their own duties' or 'training is not yet complete.' Augustus also did not punish him for his ineffective bandit suppression, constantly telling him to atone for his sins through meritorious service, but everyone knew in their hearts that this sin could not be atoned for.
Some nobles had gone to great lengths to place family members in key positions within the security forces, only for their bodies to be unrecoverable just a few days later. This debt would naturally not be attributed to the Pope, so Francesco offended another group of people.
Watching his sphere of influence shrink rapidly and being saddled with a host of baseless accusations, Francesco's heart bled, and a plan he had long harbored was now on the agenda.
After discussion, Augustus finally decided to temporarily halt the security forces' bandit suppression operations. He called it a "respite," as continuing this way would significantly damage his prestige. Currently, no one was using this as a reason to criticize the Pope; His Holiness's intentions were good, and it was all due to the incompetence of subordinates. However, over time, that might not remain the case.
Augustus also did heed Francesco's suggestion and was preparing to dispatch the army to suppress the bandits, but unlike with the security forces previously, he would not just give them a goal and ignore everything else. Instead, he would give Karl and Duke some time to formulate a plan and responses to various contingencies, and only after he reviewed and approved it would they begin.
This was also a lesson learned; the various situations encountered by the security forces undoubtedly provided valuable experience for the upcoming bandit suppression.
This day, Augustus was reading in his bedroom as usual. After several months of intense study, Augustus had gained a much deeper understanding of many necessary things, which made him feel much more at ease.
"Your Holiness, your letter."
Taking the letter, he saw the sender's name boldly written in the bottom left corner of the envelope: Ferdinando I de' Medici.
Ferdinando I de' Medici was currently the head of the Medici Family and also the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In terms of seniority, he was also his uncle.
Through previous letters, Augustus knew that before being elected Pope, his interactions with this uncle were incredibly sparse. After being elected Pope, there had been more correspondence. Perhaps due to too little contact and understanding in the past, Ferdinand I also didn't seem to notice anything unusual.
But it was merely letter exchange; he and his grand-uncle and other relatives still had not met in person. The letters mostly contained greetings or high-sounding words. Perhaps due to his own limited understanding, Augustus couldn't extract anything substantial from them.
However, this letter was an invitation from Ferdinando I to attend a family banquet. It seemed his grand-uncle wanted to meet him. Augustus fell into thought.
For this so-called family of his, familial affection naturally didn't exist, but he still held a certain degree of goodwill.
Having ruled Florence for over two hundred years, the Medici Family had produced several Grand Dukes of Tuscany, three Popes, two Queens of France, and some members of the British Royal Family.
In the Medici Family's struggle to seize and maintain control over Florence, there was no shortage of intrigue, assassination, trickery, and warfare.
Salvestro Medici was the first Medici Family member to be recorded in history. He was the incumbent Standard-Bearer of Justice (the highest judicial official of the Republic of Florence) when the Ciompi Revolt, which shook all of Florence, broke out in 1378. In 1378, he was elected Chairman of the Florentine City Council, and after the collapse of the elected government in 1381, he was expelled from Florence.
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici brought the Medici Family back to prominence. His bank earned enormous profits, making him the wealthiest man in Florence. His eldest son, Cosimo de' Medici, once represented the Medici Bank in managing the Pope's finances.
In 1433, due to the defeat in the war against Lucca, Cosimo was sentenced to 10 years of exile, but he was recalled the following year by the new Council of Elders. He relied on popular support to expel the Albizzi Family.
In 1434, Cosimo established a tyrannical rule in Florence, becoming the uncrowned ruler of Florence.
In 1469, after the death of Piero I (Cosimo's son), Cosimo's grandson Lorenzo de' Medici succeeded him as the tyrant of Florence.
...
Thereafter, the Medici Family's rule in Florence went through several twists and turns, ultimately continuing until 1737.
But this family was also the primary patron of scholars, artists, scientists, and writers in Florence. Each generation of heirs had a strong passion for supporting beauty and art, making Florence the core of the European Renaissance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Behind the resounding names like Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Della Robbia, Michelangelo, Titian, Mantegna, Machiavelli, there is another name that shines behind these Renaissance masters—Medici.
In fact, many works exhibited in later generations were originally part of the Medici Family's collection. Many portraits and sculptures were created for members of this family, and even the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the main source of exhibits, is a legacy of this family.
Currently, the "Crown Prince" of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the next Medici Grand Duke, is Cosimo II de' Medici, and his mentor is Galileo Galilei, who would later be known as the "Father of Observational Astronomy," "Father of Modern Physics," "Father of the Scientific Method," and "Father of Modern Science."
Thereafter, the Medici Family even engaged in fierce opposition with the Holy See to protect Galileo from persecution by the Vatican Inquisition for his support of the Copernican heliocentric theory.
In short, this family has endless interesting stories. And as a tyrant, to still have a good reputation is quite rare.
Compared to a family like the Borgia Family, Augustus was actually quite willing to be a member of the Medici Family.