Hearing that the Pope wished to stay overnight, the Captain looked flattered and immediately barked orders at his soldiers, making them hustle and bustle, bringing out all the best things they could find.
Augustus had no idea where these things came from.
The Captain did this, firstly, because he was afraid the Pope would hold a grudge against him for his previous rudeness, as perhaps just one word from the Pope could keep him in this godforsaken place forever, or even send him to a more remote and arduous region; secondly, because the Pope seemed kind, he hoped that by entertaining the Pope well, the Pope might be pleased and not only forgive him but also speak well of him to the Grand Duke, which would allow him to rise to prominence.
However, neither Augustus, nor Dracula, nor the soldiers of the Swiss Guard were moved by his excessive flattery, merely maintaining a superficial politeness.
The Captain seemed to sense something, but he persisted nonetheless.
Sometimes, if you fail to earn someone's respect at first glance, you will never be able to earn it again.
During their conversation, Augustus learned that this Captain was also a member of the Medici Family, only his collateral branch was much more distant than his own, so distant that hardly anyone considered him a Medici anymore.
Augustus naturally had no interest in such claims of distant relations.
As for their truthfulness, Augustus did not care at all.
There were countless people named Medici, and many more who turned on each other; what did it matter to him what such an insignificant person was named?
Recalling his earlier foolish and cowardly demeanor, Augustus almost blurted out, "Are you even worthy of the Medici name?"
At night, the Captain let the Swiss Guard rest and took over the night watch himself.
But Dracula insisted that the soldiers of the Swiss Guard take turns with them on the night watch.
As a result, in the middle of the night, the Tuscan soldiers on guard were sound asleep, while the soldiers of the Swiss Guard still stood ramrod straight.
This further increased the proud Swiss Guard's disdain for the Tuscan soldiers.
The night was peaceful.
The next day, when Dracula told Augustus about this as a joke, Augustus even wondered if Grand Duke Ferdinand had deliberately arranged for this group to receive him, to make him lower his guard.
But after having someone discreetly inquire, Augustus dismissed this doubt, because they were not temporarily assigned but had been there for two years, and two years ago, he did not even know where he was.
At dawn, after bidding farewell to the Captain, Augustus and his entourage once again set off on their journey to Tuscany.
In the Medici Palace, an old man who appeared to be on his last legs sat steadily on the Grand Duke's throne, reading a letter; this person was the current Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand I.
Ferdinand I was 57 years old this year, an age that might be considered middle-aged in later generations, but was already elderly in this period, and years of tireless work for state affairs made Ferdinand I appear even more haggard.
Standing respectfully in front of Ferdinand I was a young man, his eldest son, Cosimo, who had just turned 16 this year, yet had already shed his childishness.
Ferdinand I placed great hopes on Cosimo, training him entirely to the standard of an heir, attaching extreme importance to his education, not only inviting Galileo as his tutor but also actively involving him in state affairs and personally instructing him, even though Cosimo seemed to have little interest in handling state affairs.
Putting down the letter in his hand, Ferdinand I slowly spoke: "This is a letter from the Captain of the Papal States border, the one you called the most useless Medici; the letter says that our Pope arrived there yesterday and should be in Florence very soon."
"Father, I don't understand why you, knowing he is useless, still let him be the Captain of the Papal States border.
Once our relationship with the Pope breaks down, that will be the frontline.
This time the Pope passed through his area, who knows if he has disgraced our family again." Cosimo asked, puzzled.
His sense of family honor made Cosimo view this disreputable Captain as a thorn in his side; he had suggested to his father more than once to replace this person, but it had always come to nothing.
This made the doubts in Cosimo's mind grow larger and larger.
Ferdinand I looked at him helplessly, thought for a moment, and finally decided to tell him directly: "It has been so long, why do you still not understand?
As long as Spain is in the Italian region, the possibility of a large-scale conflict between the Papal States and Tuscany is almost zero.
Even if the Pope loses his mind, the people in the Papal States are not fools; they will not let him do as he pleases.
Moreover, the current Pope is one of our own.
Even if war truly breaks out between the Papal States and Tuscany, what can you expect from their hundred or so border guards?
To govern a country, one must first know its strengths and weaknesses.
The army is clearly not our strong suit, but we have a powerful navy, excellent diplomatic relations, and ample funds.
We can use these to compensate for the deficiencies of our army, such as hiring mercenaries or seeking help from allies.
Therefore, for a real war, they are inherently insignificant; you should understand this from my troop deployment along the Papal States border.
Such a Captain's position does not require a strong general; sending a capable person there would truly be a waste of talent.
Tuscany's strength is already enough to make the Papal States wary; therefore, an incompetent Captain is even more beneficial to the relationship between Tuscany and the Papal States."
"You mean, to show weakness to Augustus through him?" Cosimo seemed to understand a little.
"Not just Augustus, but everyone he has had contact with.
You know how long he has been the Captain; that was long before Augustus became Pope, so couldn't you have thought a little deeper?" Ferdinand I showed an expression of disappointment.
In fact, his son was already very outstanding compared to his peers, but in his opinion, it was far from enough.
If one day he suddenly passed away, Tuscany would be handed over to him, and enemies would not show mercy just because he was young.
On the contrary, a young ruler was precisely an opportune moment for enemies to launch an attack.
"Speaking of this Augustus, he really is something.
We went to great lengths to help him ascend to the Papal throne, yet he has been Pope for a year and hasn't visited us once.
He even waited until you personally wrote to invite him." Cosimo casually changed the subject, not expecting to step on another landmine.
Ferdinand I slammed the table in anger and stood up: "Do not constantly speak of favors rendered!
From now on, do not say such things to anyone, and it is best not even to think them.
Moreover, was that even a favor?
Don't you know why we supported him?
A Pope from the Medici Family itself has already benefited us greatly.
Anyone can see this; how can you consider yourself a benefactor?
Furthermore, power struggles are never as simple as grudges; if he was too eager to contact us too early, that would not be a good thing.
That would indicate he is not fit for great responsibility, and it is very likely his time as Pope would be short, and our previous accidental investment in him would only yield minimal returns."
After a thorough lecture, Ferdinand I seemed to feel it was not enough and continued to reprimand: "Sometimes I truly feel I should assign you another teacher to teach you more about how to conduct yourself in society.
A Grand Duke of Tuscany cannot be completely ignorant of science, nor can he only understand science.
Go back and reflect on my words."
Cosimo silently lowered his head; his father's words had been deeply etched into his heart.