Page 134 of DATE
Hedy lowered her head, thinking for a moment, before asking, "And then?"
And then?
The developments of the war were still too uncertain, so why think ahead to "what’s next"?
She looked at him, her tone firm, "Haven’t you considered building military strength and expanding territory?"
Milan and Venice were incredibly strong—Venice, both financially and militarily, was among the best, truly not to be underestimated.
But surrounding Florence, there were various small states scattered like crumbs.
In fact, Italy, or rather the current Holy Roman Empire, was in a state of fragmentation.
Hedy had spent a long time researching one question: why had France, in just over ten years, moved from Milan all the way to Florence?
Trade routes, of course, were one reason—interests were an eternal topic.
But perhaps the more tempting reason was that Italy, now part of the Holy Roman Empire, was simply too fragmented.
In the past few decades, whenever there were diplomatic or military issues, they would always seek foreign assistance, hoping that their allies would solve the problems for them.
Not only that, but internally, there were constant conflicts, with different reasons for fighting cropping up every few years.
To put it in more vivid terms, it was as if France had a wealthy neighbor with a collection of jewels. Not only did the siblings live apart, but they were constantly fighting with each other. They not only fought among themselves but also invited nearby residents to arbitrate and break up the fights—completely chaotic.
It was the perfect target for bullying.
In such a situation, the only way to solve the historical problem was to have a dominant figure—someone who could beat the younger generations into submission and establish clear rules.
"Expand territory?" Lorenzo repeated her words. "I can understand developing military power, but do you think I’m a bloodthirsty tyrant?"
His strength lay in balance and reconciliation.
Because of this, over the past decade, he had married Clarice, the daughter of a family with military power, to strengthen Florence's defenses. He had even gone alone to Naples to negotiate peace talks.
To this day, Lorenzo was seen by the citizens as a compassionate, benevolent, and upright figure.
Perhaps in other city-states there were tyrants who enjoyed torturing prisoners, endless assassinations, and oppression, but Florence was a sanctuary.
Hedy suddenly read a lot between the lines of his words.
She composed herself, then spoke with emphasis.
"You should not be weighed down by your fame."
Lorenzo frowned and once again examined the young woman in front of him, who seemed a little fragile.
She was ten years younger than him, but sometimes the sharpness she displayed felt like that of a seasoned colleague.
"Mr. Medici, you must understand what Florence should become."
"If it remains only a haven for art and science, it will eventually be conquered, sooner or later."
At that moment, Hedy felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins. Even her elbows started to tremble slightly, yet she quickly forced herself to say everything that was on her mind.
She was highly likely to be hanged on the gallows for her audacity today.
But if she didn’t speak up, Florence would fall, and she might face an even more tragic fate.
