Fatima, as Chechen''s wife, did not attend the evening party. She stayed on the second floor and looked everywhere for her lost Koran. But she couldn''t find it everywhere. Just when she thought she would never find it back, little Anna and little Bogong trotted to their mother with the lost Koran.
Natalie was naturally very happy when the Koran was recovered. She kissed her daughter''s face and asked where she found it.
"It''s under the statue," said little Anna.
The holy image mentioned by little Anna refers to the portrait of the Virgin Mary, which is also the place where Natalie prays every day. Because Fatima is a * * *, she instinctively won''t touch the statues of pagans. So although she passed the prayer room several times, she never thought that the Koran would be there.
But little Anna had no such scruples. Because she is still young, she has no concept of religion. So, while playing hide and seek with little Bogong, little Anna who got into the prayer room found the Koran.
Although Fatima herself is a * * * believer, she never wanted her daughter to believe in * * * like herself. Not only is Cherchen a Catholic, but she knows that * * * is always discriminated against in a Catholic country.
Perhaps Poland was tolerant before, but not now.
A recent example is the Ripka Tatars. Lipka Tatars are a group of Tatars who believe in * * * religion in lipka area of the Republic of Poland. Their ancestors have settled here since the 14th century. At the beginning, the Polish government recognized their military legitimacy, granted the tartar leaders of lipka aristocratic status, and treated their * * * beliefs with tolerance. Therefore, for centuries, the Ripka Tatars have faithfully performed their military services to the Republic of Poland. Even during the Cossack riots in 1648, the Ripka Tatars rejected the conspiracy of the Tatar Khan and have been trying their best to help Poland against the invasion of foreign enemies. However, after the end of the Polish Swiss war, the government of the Republic of Poland passed several discriminatory laws against lipka Tatars, including abolishing all privileges of lipka Tatars, restricting religious freedom, prohibiting them from building mosques and so on.
The discrimination against Ripka Tatars is only a microcosm of the involution in the Republic of Poland.
The great flood ended the era of religious tolerance in Poland, because most of the invaders were non Catholics, while most of the poles were Catholics. Therefore, the poles blamed the pagans for the war - the Protestant Polish Brotherhood was expelled, and the religious freedom of Jews was reduced.
It is true that Fatima cannot understand the changes of the times, but she can still feel that religious tolerance is decreasing from the experiences of other * * * s. She didn''t want little Anna to suffer hostility from childhood because of her faith, and she also wanted her to have a brighter future in Poland, so Fatima decided to let her daughter be a Catholic.
Even so, Fatima herself insisted on believing in Allah, and Cherchen never stopped it. Then, the only person who will suddenly put the Koran under the statue of the Virgin Mary is Natalie.
Fatima couldn''t understand why Natalie did this, so she decided to go to Natalie and have a theory. But unexpectedly, she happened to meet Cherchen and Natalie arguing in the aisle, and also happened to hear Natalie want to drive away the companions of the mercenary regiment.
Fatima and yelishei have deep feelings. After the disappearance of the Koran, she lost her favor for Natalie, and she didn''t care about Natalie''s mood like Chechen. She decided to go to Pedro and yelishei early tomorrow morning to make Natalie''s evil deeds public.
The next morning, Fatima took little Anna and little Bogong to the manor where they lived in pidro in the name of two children missing pidro.
Unfortunately, yelishei and others went hunting with shotguns. Only aunt Pedro and valvalvalla were in the manor.
Pedro sat in the orchard between the manor and the pond in front of him for the summer. After three months of rest, the biggest change was the deputy head of the mercenary regiment. He became fatter and bigger. When he lowered his head, Pedro couldn''t even see his toes.
If Pedro was just an ordinary mercenary, he would basically bid farewell to the mercenary world.
As soon as little Anna saw Pedro, she rushed over and grabbed Pedro''s belt to climb up.
"Easy, easy. My baby, Grandpa''s pants will be taken off by you." Pedro looked at little Anna with loving eyes and picked her up.
"Grandpa, Grandpa," cried Little Anna.
"Oh, Grandpa misses you too, my baby."
Pedro kissed little Anna again and again, and little Bogong jumped into Pedro''s arms.
Pedro walked to Fatima with his two children in his arms. He looked behind Fatima and frowned.
"Why? Didn''t Chechen come?" asked Pedro strangely.
"Yes, uncle. Chechen didn''t come. I have a very important thing to come today," Fatima said anxiously. She seems to be about to tell Pedro the conversation she overheard yesterday.
Pedro shushed at Fatima, and then he hugged little Anna to his face.
"My two babies, would you like dessert? Aunt valvalvalla happens to have French cake."
The two children clapped their hands and shouted "yes, yes."
After the maid took little Anna and little Bogong to find aunt VARVARA, Pedro motioned Fatima to speak.
So Fatima told Pedro the conversation she overheard last night.
Listening to Fatima''s words, Pedro''s eyebrows locked. He slowly sat back on the cane chair and pulled out a pipe from his boots.
A puff of smoke enveloped Pedro''s face.
Fatima finished, and she looked anxiously at Pedro.
At this time, the smoke gradually dispersed. Pedro raised his left foot and knocked the cigarette holder on the sole of his shoe.
"Uncle, what should I do?" Fatima asked anxiously.
"That''s it, Fatima," said Pedro. "Don''t say anything when elishey and them come back. Only heaven knows, you know and I know. If Natalie wants us to go back to vidava and Bratslav, we''ll go back."
"Uncle!"
Fatima stamped angrily when she saw Pedro''s compromise.
Pedro raised his hand to signal Fatima to be quiet. He said: "Fatima, I can understand why Chechen compromised with Natalie, because Natalie is pregnant, and now nothing is bigger than this."
"But we let Natalie''s people occupy the magpie''s nest?"
"Of course not. We''re just making a temporary concession. It''s like a boxer retracting his fist. He''s not flinching, but accumulating strength to launch the fiercest counterattack. Don''t worry, even Brest, I won''t make Natalie happy. I''ll tell Ingrid to take away all the annual tribute due this year and take it back to vidava. I''ll see, No What do those guys eat in Brest when they lose money? "
Then Pedro smiled unkindly.
Hearing what Pedro said, Fatima was not completely relieved. Because if Natalie does this again and again, she will succeed one day. After all, there is only a thousand days to be a thief. There is no thousand days to prevent thieves.
Pedro seemed to see Fatima''s concerns. He said slowly: "When Natalie gave birth, I went and said to Cherchen: it''s time for us to move our muscles and bones after so long a rest. Then I asked him to apply with the king to go to Ukraine and fight Russians under marshal lubaumatsky. At that time, one is in Ukraine and the other is in Warsaw. My dear nephew and niece''s daughter-in-law are far away, and Natalie will have little influence on him."
After listening to Pedro''s move, Fatima finally laughed. She boasted that ginger was still old and spicy.
Although fatimakwa''s language was poor and he could only say a few words over and over, Pedro was happy. He ordered his servant to bring him some cakes and a pot of honey wine.
When the cream coated, soft and delicious cake was added to his throat, Pedro''s smile was brilliant again.
For the past three months, Natalie was busy trying to influence Chechen, and Pedro was not idle.
He is busy studying and looking for answers.
What does a man want when he has money and soldiers?
Pedro''s answer is power.
This power is not the power of governor blazlav and Lord vidava. What he wants is the position of the patriarch of the Senate of the Republic of Poland.
After that conversation with Viscount Hesse, Pedro felt his lack of understanding of the country again. Therefore, Pedro spent a lot of money to invite several frustrated dukes and scholars to be his guests. Their job is to teach themselves the history of the Republic of Poland.
From this point of view, Pedro''s political vision is sharper than his nephew Chechen. The latter only focuses on being a soldier, while the former has realized that the source of power lies in politics rather than military.
After three months of study, Pedro benefited a lot. He learned that when the kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were united as a republic, the two sides identified an important political theme: "our state is a republic under the presidency of the king."
Our country is a republic ruled by people who have positions as kings
It was also at this time that Pedro really understood why King Jan kachmidge had so much helplessness and why he was always hysterical but helpless. Because the monarch of the Republic was not a real monarch, but the supreme leader of the country crowned with the monarch. Who was the real leader of the country? No one, but a group. One occupied the country 10% - 15% of the country''s groups - aristocrats.
If the Republic is compared to a company, King Jan kazimiz is just a manager, and the nobles are shareholders.
In fact, it was the great nobles who controlled the country, namely, the pototsky, the lantskoronsky and the lubaumatsky. They had seats in the Senate and could veto any decision of the king. They were like directors in the company.
After confirming the view that the power of Parliament is greater than that of the king, Pedro took it for granted that the current struggle between the reformists led by King Jan kachmidge and the Conservatives led by lubomatsky is actually a struggle between two different lines.
The former will bring Poland into an autocratic country like Spain or France, while the latter will maintain the ruling position of the aristocracy in the country.
What if you were Pedro? Of course, I choose to support the Conservatives.
This is not a problem for Pedro.
Because Pedro is now a nobleman first, and then a nobleman who works for the king.
Once the reformers gained power, King Jan kazimiz gained absolute power. At the beginning, he might reward Cherchen and himself for helping him (this is also doubtful, because Pedro has seen the king''s stinginess countless times), but his aristocratic rights have been reduced. Even if the aleval family can retain power in his generation and Cherchen, in little Anna''s generation, once they offend the monarch, Whether they are to be forgiven or punished by the king depends on the mood of the king in office at that time; But if the old-fashioned aristocrats are still in power and the "golden freedom" of the Republic is maintained, the aleval family will be peaceful in the Republic. Because no one can deprive them of their power.
Not even the king.
It''s selfish of Pedro to think so, but it''s not out of human nature.
So in these three months, Pedro became a real spiritual conservative. And what he diligently sought was no longer to obtain rewards by serving for the king and queen, but to plan how to turn to Lubao matsky and win a Senate seat for his family in Poland.
Letting Cherchen go to Ukraine to work for lubaumatsky is an important step in Pedro''s plan. Even without the Koran incident, Pedro would encourage Cherchen to go to Ukraine. In Pedro''s view, the former comrades in the same trench are the most precious. After getting along with the old-fashioned aristocrats led by Marshal lubaomatsky for a long time, and the blood of both sides melted together, Cherchen will have more feelings for them than for the king and the reformers led by his good friend Anjie kemitz, so as to stand on the Marshal''s side.
As long as Chechen stood on the side of the marshal, lubaomatsky almost won.
At that time, a Senate seat will be rewarded on merit.
On the issue of using Cherchen''s emotion, Pedro and Natalie thought of it together.
The cake went into the throat. As he ate too much, Pedro felt that his throat was stuck. His face turned red and he quickly picked up a cup of honey wine and poured it into his mouth. When Fatima saw the abnormality of Pedro, she also came and rubbed Pedro''s back hard.
With the help of honey wine and Fatima, Pedro finally calmed down.
He smiled and said to Fatima, who looked at him anxiously, "don''t worry, Fatima. Everything will be fine. We will be fine."