Chapter 1455: Gaining a Foundation Among the People

After several rounds of stoking the flames, the chaos in Europe is unimaginable.

Some countries with extreme Catholic faith have already begun to issue warrants and hunt down their own citizens who believe in Protestantism.

The charge is believing in a heretical cult—Protestantism.

Yet in other countries, because of Liu Zheng's words, faith has been shaken, and people have even begun to ponder why they should believe in Catholicism.

Why must they be constrained by the Pope?

Why must a country's king act like a marionette?

The chaos across Europe has caused the war to continue to escalate.

After Catholicism launched a Holy War, the Protestants located within Austrian territory, formerly Prussian land, fell into total resistance.

Austria is an absolute Defender of Catholicism, and Austria's entry into the war is to obtain the orthodox position of the Holy Roman Empire.

However, the Prussian territory occupied by Austria is a place that believes in Protestantism.

The conflict between the two sides, under the rhetoric of that Catholic Pope, can no longer be reconciled.

Meanwhile, the Longyan vanguard in Europe, the great army led by Ling Chen, has already crossed the Alps.

The next destination is a border city of Prussia!

It is impossible for the massive Longyan Army to march completely without a sound; their movements are known to one degree or another.

The Prussian Protestants, knowing the Longyan Army is coming, flock to Protestant churches for mass and prayer!

They pray for the Longyan Army, for in their eyes, the Longyan Army is the divine legion that will save them.

When the Austrian ruler here learned of this news, he burned the Protestant churches and burned the Protestant priests along with them.

Now the land of Prussia belongs to Austria.

How could there still be Protestant believers!

This is absolutely impossible, absolutely not to be allowed.

But the might of the Longyan Army gave these Protestants endless courage; they used the act of praying for the Longyan Army to vent their dissatisfaction with Catholicism and their longing for the arrival of the Longyan Army.

Now, the former Prussian border city has fallen into complete chaos.

The Austrian army stationed there has no Method to suppress it.

The moment Ling Chen led the Longyan Army onto Prussian soil, the Prussian Protestants immediately rebelled.

They coordinated with the Longyan Army to launch an attack on the Austrian garrison.

According to records, the battle began at 3:15 PM and ended at 3:45 PM; the Austrian Army was routed and fled, and the Prussian border city changed hands from then on.

General Weikeduo, far away in Vienna, fell into a long silence after seeing this military report.

He looked at the scenery outside, which had already entered late autumn; the leaves were turning yellow and falling with every gust of wind, just like how Catholicism announced the start of a Holy War and that Chief Councilor of Longyan, Liu Zheng, launched a Bitter Remonstrance against the Pope.

With mere words, the Longyan Army took a city!

Weikeduo sighed: "Europe has long been deeply influenced by the Holy See; the drawback of this kind of theocratic influence on the secular monarchical power of the world has been accumulating for thousands of years."

Weikeduo shook his head; in his view, the loss of the Prussian border city was not because Liu Zheng was too formidable.

It was because the grievances against the three major Holy Sees in Europe are too deep and the influence too profound.

So much so that it allowed people to exploit the loophole!

Looking at the history of all of Europe, behind every war, there is more or less the existence of the Holy See's faith.

Now the power of the Holy See has grown to the point where it can influence the situation of all of Europe.

In fact, this is not a good phenomenon for any country; the masses are often blind and ignorant.

When they believe in something, they might even exhaust everything for this belief.

Many monarchs use this characteristic of the people to strengthen their own rule.

Christianity was originally established as the state religion by the Holy Roman Empire, but even after the Holy Roman Empire collapsed, Christianity still continued.

Although Christianity also split into multiple branches, their most basic core was still preserved.

Having gone through countless dynastic changes, all of Europe remains the same—either believing in Christianity or on the way to believing in Christianity.

After nearly two thousand years of accumulation, the Holy See is no longer subordinate to imperial power; rather, imperial power is subordinate to theocratic power.

The Pope's power is above the state!

Catholicism became the orthodoxy, establishing a supreme divine kingdom, and those kings could only bow and scrape under the majesty of God, which also made those ignorant masses identify in their hearts that the Pope is equivalent to God.

This also caused those kings, those imperial powers, to lose their true authority.

But how could they be willing to have their imperial power replaced by theocratic power?

Thus came the idea of supporting other Christian branches.

One is the Eastern Orthodox Church, and one is Protestantism.

The Eastern Orthodox Church serves the Eastern-represented orthodox Christianity, but they serve imperial power; theocratic power does not override imperial power.

Protestantism is loyal to the divine, loyal to the Lord; they cast aside that whole set of "divine right of kings" from Roman Christianity.

They pursue freedom, believe in equality, and the Lord is supreme.

But they still did not break away from Christianity; with the development and passage of time, it gradually formed the situation of these three Holy Sees standing like a tripod.

However, because the three Holy Sees have different doctrines and conflicting philosophies, they often break out into war.

Just like now, a single word from a Pope can launch a Holy War.

Just like now, Longyan, by utilizing the Protestantism that opposes Catholicism, easily took the city by using the masses!

And Longyan not only gained the city, but also won the hearts of the people.

"From the moment Catholicism entered the game, Longyan is no longer a rootless duckweed in Europe; they have gained the hearts of the people," Weikeduo shook his head.

Longyan gaining the hearts of the people in Europe means that things Longyan could not do before, they can do now.

With a foundation among the people, there is no longer any obstacle to requisitioning grain and conscripting soldiers in the name of Protestantism.

Previously, there was still the claim that the Longyan Army were outsiders.

But now, this constraint has been broken by the hand of the Pope of Catholicism himself.

"I wonder if this Pope is truly stupid!" Victor shouted angrily, and in the Upper House chamber of Vienna, the Senators looked at him nervously.

"General, watch your words; on the surface, we in Austria are the country that upholds Catholicism," a Councilor kindly reminded him.

This is the Upper House chamber of Vienna, and not everyone inside here is one of Victor's own people.

Victor glanced at him and did not say anything more; Victor himself was also a believer in Catholicism.

If this sentence were to spread, Victor could be said to be completely ruined in Austria.

No one may insult the Pope; disrespect toward the Pope is disrespect toward the Lord!

General Victor looked out the window again; the strong wind blew the fallen leaves away, but it could not blow away the desolation in his heart.

The Dragon Flame Army has already entered the former territory of Prussia, and that vast expanse of land is full of Protestants.

Although they have stockpiled a large number of troops there, they no longer have the ability to hold onto those lands now.

And the reason for all of this is attributed to the Pope, who wants to exterminate the Protestants.

"Return the land we occupied in Prussia, and just ensure that our supply lines are not cut off by the enemy army."