Chapter 1569 The Treasure of Saint Denis (9)

However prominent the church of Saint-Denis once was, it has now become desolate.

It looks fine from a distance, but when you walk in, you will find that there are weeds everywhere, and the legendary beautiful stained glass has been damaged, the burnt benches have been dumped on the ground, and the ground is full of gravel.

These gravels may come from the sculptures of kings, queens, princesses, and princes, or they may come from the sculptures of the apostles on the 12 columns.

When it was still in good condition, it would have been a beautiful church, especially the cloister-style windows in the back chapel. It is said that the choir used to sing there.

The church is oriented east to west. When the sun rises, light will shine in from the cloister behind the chapel, shrouding the entire altar in a halo of holy light.

At this moment, the sun is setting in the west, and the sunlight shines in through the open door of the church. The place where the grave used to be has been dug up. The dark cemetery is dark, as if it is a bottomless abyss. There is the smell of burning stones in the air.

The smell of gunpowder and thyme and frankincense.

"Those who broke into the church planned to burn the church down to destroy the evidence," Bersier said. "But the fire didn't start."

"They are built of stone, not wood." Denon said, looking at the building materials.

"This place seems to have experienced the end of the world, everything is destroyed." Canova couldn't help but said.

No one answered his words. Napoleon was standing in front of the church altar in casual clothes. A thousand years ago, Pepin might have stood in the same position as him.

The wind blew in through the glassless window, and it sounded like some kind of crying.

"Where do you think those treasures will be hidden?" Bersier asked enthusiastically.

"St. Louis collected many holy relics, including the blood of Christ and the milk of Mary. He also bought a true cross from Baldwin II, and of course the most famous Holy Crown of Thorns. Do you think these things are valuable?"

Denon asked.

Bersier scoffed.

"I heard that there was a Gutenberg Bible among the treasures of Saint Denis," Canova said.

"Do you think the Gutenberg Bible is valuable?" Denon asked Georgiana very secularly.

The Gutenberg Bible is the earliest known Bible printed with movable type and was named after a Venetian printer named Giovanni Gutenberg.

However, in the final analysis it is just a book printed on parchment, not as beautifully bound as the Grimani Prayer stolen from the Library of St. Mark's in Venice.

"I heard another rumor." Georgiana said, "That book is not the Bible."

"What book is that?" Canova asked.

"You know that Louis IX went to Egypt," Georgiana said. "It's just that unlike you, he was delayed for several months after arriving in Alexandria, while you seized the opportunity to attack."

"You want to say that the book comes from Egypt?" Bersier asked.

"I also hope it is, preferably dug out of the Nile." Georgiana said with a smile, "Louis IX had to go to mass twice a day, read the Hail Mary 50 times before going to bed, and get up early to attend morning prayers.

, of course he took it with him when he went to Egypt. Later he led his troops to attack Egypt, which was ruled by the descendants of Saladin. After occupying the port of Damietta, he encountered the plague and came to fight..."

"Okay, we all know that Louis IX was captured by the Sultan's concubine and the slave guards, and then what?" Bersier interrupted Georgiana impatiently.

"Do you think Saladin's descendants will allow Louis IX to continue to insist on Mass and recite the Hail Mary before going to bed?" Georgiana asked, "He has said the Hail Mary so many times, and he still needs to follow the book

Do you want to read it?"

"You mean, the Saint-Denis Monastery collects the Hail Mary?" Denon murmured.

"During the reign of Louis IX, a large number of Gothic buildings appeared in France. Foreign students gathered in Paris. The Saint-Denis Church was also built during this period. Because of its reputation for justice, Louis was chosen as the arbiter on many occasions."

"And he was also the builder of Paris City Hall." Napoleon suddenly said, "Have you been to the City Hall?"

"I've been there," Georgiana said coldly, "I was going to apply for the right to wear pants."

"Then did you see the ship?" asked Bonaparte.

"Boat?"

"That's the earliest symbol of Paris." Bonaparte held his hat and walked over leisurely. "Do you remember the Charles V I told you before?"

Georgiana nodded.

"When John the Good was captured, the mayor of Paris was Étienne Marcel. Louis IX established the Paris municipal institutions so that someone could manage the city on his behalf while he was leading the expedition. 12

At the beginning of the century, water trade in Paris became very developed, and "boatmen" became wealthy businessmen. The first mayor of Paris was elected from these people, and the city's symbol became a boat, where they gave orders.

It is called the 'House of Pillars', which is now the Paris City Hall. However, this Renaissance building was rebuilt two hundred years after the death of Etienne Marcel. The original 'House of Pillars' has been demolished because

, Charles V was coerced by Etienne Marcel when he left Paris."

"I know that history." Georgiana said pitifully.

Prince Charles was only eighteen years old when John the Good was captured. At that time, Prince Charlie was bent on consolidating his power as regent and participating in government affairs, but he ignored that the Valois family had lost credibility among the people due to successive military defeats.

So the Mayor of Paris, Etienne Marcel, and the Bishop of Paris issued a decree declaring that the entire country was governed by all groups, including the nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie.

"If Léoncourt said to Louis XVI, 'No, Your Majesty, this is a revolution,' then what happened to Charles V was 'Your Majesty, this is a riot.' When Marcel

The blue and red hat that symbolizes Paris is placed on the head of Charles V, which represents the city's promise to ensure the safety of the prince. Do you know the difference?"

Napoleon asked like a teacher.

"The church was destroyed?" Bersier looked at the ruins around him and asked with a smile.

"Are the troops involved?" Canova asked.

"What about you?" Bonaparte asked Georgiana.

"Why didn't you ask Denon?" she said dissatisfied.

"Then do you know the answer?" Bonaparte asked.

Georgiana shook her head.

"It was the third level established by Marcel." Denon said, "Do you understand what the third level is?"

Georgiana, like most Englishmen, had no idea of ​​the French third degree.

"The mayor of Paris began to establish a new order after the prince fled. He later met Charles II, who was the grandson of Louis X of the Capetian family, and John II, who was a descendant of Valois and Marseille.

He wanted to establish a country without a king and ruled by all the subjects, so he rejected Charles II. After Charles V fled, he organized an army and planned to retake the capital. Charles II had the support of the British and attacked Paris.

A blockade was carried out and the whole city began to lack food, so when Etienne Marcel inspected the defense situation in the city, some people surrounded him. They shouted the slogan 'montjoie saint denis', and then like

Like decomposing prey, he used an ax and a sword to cut Marcel into pieces. Two days later, Prince Charles entered the city and announced Etienne Marcel's intention to join forces with the evil Charlie to let the British army enter the city. He used the city to

The mayor's power was marked on many houses in Paris. The people who lived in these marked houses were loyal to France and the king. Since then, there has been no mayor in Paris, and the original "pillar houses" have also been replaced.

Take it back until..." Bonaparte left the words unfinished, but everyone knew that "the deputy mayor of Saint-Denis was chased into the street by the mob. He later ran into the church and stood on the church tower.

His head was beheaded, but he is not like Saint Denis, who could still walk from Paris to Montmartre with his head in his hand."

"Oh my God," Georgiana murmured. "Leoncourt, what trouble have you gotten yourself into?"

"Do you know why the tombs of the previous French kings are on the ground and the Bourbon royal family is in the basement?" Bonaparte asked again.

"Because there is no room?" Georgiana looked at the tombs around her.

"We'll find out when we go and take a look." Bonaparte said with a smile, "Are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid of ghosts," said Georgiana, but she was afraid of living people with axes and swords.

"Let's go," Bonaparte said, casually taking apart the legs of a chair, and then began to make a torch.

Georgiana originally wanted to use fluorescent lights, but later followed his lead and started making torches.

Because she is not Grindelwald, she hopes to include in the code the prohibition of lynching for witchcraft accusations. This is part of the new order she hopes for.

Nietzsche once told a story. One day Zarathustra fell asleep under a tree while he was on his way. Suddenly a snake bit him on the neck. Zarathustra woke up because of the pain. The snake saw the person.

He woke up and was about to run away, but Zarathustra said, "You have not yet received my thanks for telling me to get up and go on my way."

The snake said, "My venom will kill you, and you won't have a chance to run away."

But Zarathustra smiled and said, "Has a dragon ever been bitten to death by a snake? Take back your venom, for you are not rich enough to give it to me."

So the snake climbed onto his neck and sucked the venom.

Although this is a story, it tells people a truth: respect people who don't like you.

She thinks it's best not to be so arrogant in other people's territory.

"Let's go." Napoleoni said, holding a lit torch, but Bersier took the lead and walked to the front, along with two other guides.

"I won't go down anymore," Canova said. "I'll take a look from above."

"Me too," Denon said.

Georgiana followed Napoleoni towards the basement.

Different from the tall and light Gothic style on the ground, the underground of Saint Denis is Roman style, with thick walls and no windows, much like the hiding place of the former believers.

Perhaps it was because the corpse of Louis XV was so stinky, and the air was not circulating properly. After so many years, there was still a smell mixed with the smell of gunpowder smoke that made people sick, but the few people in front seemed to be used to it.

"Do you think Louis IX's queen is competent?" Bonaparte asked Georgiana.

"She collected the ransom," Georgiana said dryly, "and she is a woman and needs to rely on the mayor of Paris for many things."

"You idiot." He cursed angrily, then turned to look ahead.

Georgiana ignored him.
To be continued...