Chapter 1549: Pressure

At this moment, in the main city of Prague, Austria.

Within the incomparably sacred Holy See, in the deep darkness where the light cannot reach.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Teresa's expression turned grave as she heard the approaching sound, a tremendous sense of oppression surging from the bottom of her heart.

She was a devout follower of Catholicism, and although she was an Archduchess of Austria, she felt a natural fear when facing clergy members above the rank of priest in Catholicism.

This was a teaching she had listened to since she was a child.

Imperial power is granted by God.

To become the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, one must obey the Pope of Catholicism and follow Catholicism.

Liu Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the figure walking from the darkness toward the light.

He wore a snow-white, highly sacred white robe, a priest's cap on his head, and a red garment draped over his shoulders.

Holding a Scepter in his hand, it symbolized the supremacy of divine power.

After the Cardinal emerged, he looked indifferently at the two Holy Cross Army soldiers who had already lost their lives, made a gesture of prayer, and prayed with the cross hanging on his chest: "Lord, your servants shall return to your embrace."

The moment Teresa saw him, her pupils suddenly constricted; this was a Bishop.

And he was a Cardinal!

The Cardinal, second only to the Pope in Catholicism!

The Cardinal's gaze swept over, and after looking at Teresa, he said indifferently: "Believer of the Lord, are you devout?"

After hearing this, Teresa's head roared; she was absolutely devout to the Lord...

"Since I was a child, the one I have believed in is the Lord."

The Cardinal struck the ground with his Scepter and said in an extremely solemn voice: "Then why do you not worship the Lord?"

Teresa was dazed, her legs actually bending involuntarily; even though she was a noble Archduchess of Austria, she had to lower her noble head before the Lord.

"Do not lower your head, the crown will fall."

Hearing these words, Teresa suddenly raised her head and looked sharply at the Cardinal, the fear in her eyes vanishing completely.

"The one I believe in is the Lord." Teresa stared at the Cardinal.

Making an act of disrespect identical to Liu Zheng's, her dirty shoes stained the incomparably sacred white image with black.

She said word by word: "Not! You!"

The Cardinal was slightly stunned, then revealed a smile, looking at Liu Zheng, who had long since committed an act of blasphemy.

Liu Zheng chuckled at Teresa's defiance just now, unafraid of the Cardinal's gaze, and faced him directly.

The Cardinal said indifferently: "Sir, for what matter have you come to the Lord's Holy See?"

"For nothing else, these two Holy Cross Army soldiers just now said that the land was not created by the Lord."

"And then they suffered the Lord's punishment."

"I also believe in the Lord, so I have come specifically to ask, Bishop, the Lord loves all people, is it equal!"

Liu Zheng asked righteously.

Facing such sharp words, the Cardinal's expression remained calm as he said indifferently: "The Lord loves all people; according to the revelations of the Bible, it is naturally equal."

"Then does the Lord's Holy See love all people just as the Lord does?"

"Naturally, it does."

Liu Zheng said with the utmost respect: "If the Holy See loves all people, then it surely cannot bear to see the Lord's followers suffer."

"I implore the Cardinal to open the granaries and distribute grain!"

Liu Zheng's words could be said to have left all sorts of traps; if the Cardinal said even half a word of refusal, he would definitely be condemned by public opinion.

The image of Catholicism would decline.

The Cardinal chuckled and said indifferently: "The Lord loves all people, and as the Lord's Holy See, we naturally must carry out the Lord's will."

"Everything that exists within my Holy See can be taken by the congregation."

The Cardinal said indifferently.

Hearing this, Liu Zheng's expression immediately sank, and he gave a cold laugh: "So that's how it is."

"Teresa, there is nothing we want inside this Holy See."

Teresa frowned, then immediately questioned: "Bishop, on the road here, we encountered priests collecting grain in the name of the Holy See."

Teresa frowned, then immediately questioned, "Bishop, on our way here, we encountered Priests collecting grain in the name of the Holy See."

"Now refugees are everywhere, yet you are still collecting grain; you are just taking their lives!"

At this time, many refugees had already gathered around the Holy See.

They watched Teresa's impassioned speech, every word striking at their hearts.

Their grain had all been collected by the church to support the Holy War.

To go and eliminate the heretics.

Now, where was there any grain left?

Regarding such questioning, the Cardinal did not refute it in the slightest; he said indifferently: "This young lady, I know everything you have said."

"But have you asked them if they are willing?" The Cardinal pointed at these refugees.

Teresa's expression stiffened as she looked at those refugees, who one after another avoided Teresa's gaze.

Seeing this scene, Teresa's heart felt as if it had been heavily hammered, and a massive sense of powerlessness instantly filled her heart.

The Cardinal's voice rang in her ears at this moment.

"Our priests have never forced them; this was all voluntary."

"They are all people who support the Lord, support the Holy War, and support the elimination of heretics."

"They are all people who support the Lord, support the Holy War, and support the annihilation of the heretics."

"If you don't believe me, I will ask them for you."

"Do you believe in the Lord, and are you willing to sacrifice everything for the Lord's Holy War?"

There was no shortage of fanatical followers of Catholicism among the refugees, and they immediately shouted: "We are willing to sacrifice everything to help the Lord clear away the heretics!"

Teresa felt a tightness in her chest; this was a fact she had long known.

A fact she was powerless to refute.

She looked at those Austria refugees; even though they had become refugees, they still believed in Catholicism.

They had even forgotten that the reason they became refugees was because of Catholicism.

She looked at the high and mighty Cardinal, the invisible pressure making her unable to catch her breath.

Liu Zheng sighed to the side; the influence that Christianity had caused in Europe over thousands of years was already irreplaceable.

Some things are carved into the bones, just like Teresa's actions after seeing the Bishop.

The history of Longyan also once had powerful religious forces that controlled the imperial court.

However, no religious force was ever able to remain in the imperial court for long, let alone become the Emperor.

But that was Longyan, not Europe.

What Teresa was facing was a country steeped in religion for thousands of years; even after experiencing reforms, there was no Method to completely excise religion.

As a monarch who was to inherit the throne of the Holy Roman Empire, she had already done quite well to reach this point.

Liu Zheng stood in front of Teresa and said to her in a soft voice:

"You have already done very well today."

"Leave the rest to me."

Teresa looked at Liu Zheng, and the stubborn woman finally let a tear fall from the corner of her eye.

"Why doesn't our Austria have more people like you?"

Liu Zheng did not speak; he blocked her behind him and faced the Cardinal directly.

"The Holy See has blinded the Lord."

"Bishop, I would like to know, are you afraid of death, and are you afraid of going to Hell?"

The Cardinal was taken aback, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked at this Longyan man before him.

But he still said in a deep voice: "The Lord's servants will return to the Lord's embrace."

As soon as the words fell, a gunshot rang out.

Bang!