Jerome Bonaparte and Captain Leti rode a carriage from the northwest corner of the city of Rome across the Tiber River, the "bloodline" of Central Italy, and were about to enter the main city when they were stopped by guards guarding the arched city gates outside Rome.
Come down.
The city gate soldier, who smelled of drunkenness, pointed at the post driveway with a arrogant halberd with a Sicilian Italian accent, "I suspect that there are rebels against the Papal State lurking in your carriage! Let the people inside get off, I want to
check!"
"Sir, we don't have any gangsters here! The carriages are filled with honest foreign travelers!" The carriage driver got out of the car with a smile on his face. He half-bowed and took something out of his blue shirt pocket.
A slightly wrinkled handkerchief, the coachman carefully untied the handkerchief, revealing two copper coins with the head of Gregory XVI and handed them to the two guards guarding the city gate.
[Gregory XVI: Pope from 1831 to 1846. During his tenure, he established the Bank of Rome and the Discount Bank, and minted silver and copper coins with his own image on them. 】
He usually used this method to enter Rome.
"A trifle is no sign of respect! Sirs, please accept it!" the coachman said to the guards in a low voice.
After each of the two guards took a copper coin as a sign of filial piety to the coachman, their arrogant expressions instantly became friendly, and their tone was not up to the arrogance just now. One of the guards shrugged and said helplessly: "We don't want to either.
By doing this, we really can’t shirk the requirements from above!”
"I know!" The coachman bent down and nodded to express his understanding.
Although the coachman hated in his heart how much he hated these gangsters who were trying to break the bones and suck out the marrow, he still had to lower his eyebrows and pretend to understand.
People always have to eat, and there are not so many protagonists in the world.
More often than not, they are workers who are struggling to make a living and have to face people they hate with a smile on their face.
The soldier slowly came around the carriage, pretending to check the overall structure of the carriage, and at the same time knocked on the carriage.
Then, he returned to the city gate, nodded and waved his hand: "Well! Very good! You can go in!"
"Thank you! Thank you sir!" The coachman was overjoyed and sat back on the driver's seat of the carriage.
The two soldiers removed the road railings placed in front of the carriage to make way for them.
Just as the carriage was about to enter the arched city gate, a voice came from the city of Rome: "Wait!"
The coachman and the guard looked in the direction of the sound at the same time.
A young man in his early 20s appeared at the city gate wearing a white priest's robe, holding a Bible, and a golden crucifix hanging on his chest.
The coachman and the soldier immediately paid attention to the guy in front of them and saluted, and the staggering soldier straightened up instantly.
The last thing you should not mess with in Rome is these guys in white robes.
Even though the guy in front of me looks so young.
"Dear Father, what can I do for you?" the coachman asked the young priest in front of him with increasing respect.
The young priest nodded slightly to the coachman. He walked up to the two guards and stared at them expressionlessly.
"Father... please... may I ask you..." The young priest's attention made the two soldiers' voices tremble.
The young priest still didn't speak. After a few seconds, he stretched out his hand and said to the two soldiers: "Money!"
When the two soldiers saw this, they immediately understood what the young priest meant, and handed the two copper coins that had not yet been warmed into the young priest's hands.
The young priest who took the copper coin threatened lightly: "Don't let me see you a second time, otherwise you will go to the church to repent!"
"Yes...yes..." The soldier who did not dare to get into trouble could only express his understanding.
The young priest looked at the soldier again and added: "I will come here from time to time to check!"
After saying that, the young priest turned around, came to the coachman, and handed the two copper coins to the coachman.
"No, I can't accept it!" The coachman was obviously unwilling to accept two hot copper coins, because he knew that if he accepted it, he would most likely be retaliated by the soldiers.
These gatekeepers are not alone. They are colluding with the local gangsters in Rome. This force may not dare to retaliate against the young priest, but they will transfer their hatred to themselves.
If something happens to him, then his whole family will go to drink the northwest wind.
"What? This is the money you deserve!" The young priest obviously didn't understand the twists and turns, and he asked doubtfully.
"Father! This is not my money! No!" The coachman tried his best to distance himself from the hot copper coins.
One party wants the other party to accept it, but the other party would rather die than accept it.
The scene reached a deadlock for a while.
Jérôme Bonaparte, who was staying in the carriage, obviously couldn't bear such a meaningless waste of time. Nine days of life at sea made him eager to find a hotel to wash away the sour smell from his body.
Jérôme Bonaparte stood up, opened the car door and got out of the car. As soon as he got out of the car, Jérôme Bonaparte was stunned for an instant, his black eyes staring straight at the priest in front of him.
"Lucien?" Jérôme Bonaparte asked tentatively.
When he heard someone calling his name, the young priest instantly turned his attention to Jerome. Bonaparte shouted in surprise: "Uncle Jerome?!"
Captain Letty, who was following Jérôme Bonaparte, looked at the young priest and Jérôme Bonaparte dumbfounded. Logically speaking, there was not much difference in youth between the two, so how could they have an extra seniority out of thin air?
[Charles Lucien Louis Bonaparte: 1828-1898, the second son of the second generation Canino and Prince Musignano, who will serve as Cardinal of Rome in the future!]
"Cough...cough..." Realizing that Leti and Lucien Louis had not met, Jérôme Bonaparte hurriedly introduced to Leti: "These are my cousins Canino and Musigne.
Prince No’s son!”
"Hello, Your Highness!" Letty saluted Lucien Louis decisively.
"This is Leti! She was originally your Uncle Louis's attendant, and now is my attendant!" Jérôme Bonaparte introduced to Lucien Louis, who was also confused.
"Hello!" Lucien Louis slightly greeted Letty in front of him.
"Mr. Father, can I leave?" The coachman standing aside said quietly as he watched the uncle and nephew meet in front of him.
Lucien Louis also wanted to hand over the money to the coachman. Jérôme Bonaparte shook his head, and then his eyes hinted at Letty.
After receiving the hint, Letty quickly took out a gold pound that had not yet been exchanged from her pocket and handed it to the coachman.