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The Duchy of Naples soon restored order, and the lord sent a letter of gratitude for the assistance.
Florence’s presence in the eyes of the other city-states quietly began to change.
Previously, it had symbolized art and prosperity, but it also seemed weak and vulnerable to attack. Had it not been for the lord's personal intervention in seeking help from the Duke of Naples, the city might have been destroyed by the pope's hands four or five years ago.
Now, however, the situation had turned, with both countries jointly mobilizing their military forces to defend against the pope — and they were quite successful at it.
Da Vinci's position was brought up time and again, and he had now become a member of the consulate council, earning the admiration of an increasing number of people.
With the arrival of Christmas, the peaceful and serene atmosphere grew even stronger.
Considering that in previous years there had been various incidents during Christmas celebrations, Hedy decided for the first time not to attend any festivities or events. She simply wanted to rest quietly in the castle for a while.
She had been running between her business and the consulate meetings lately, and though she had indeed reaped substantial rewards, she had been so busy that she felt like she hadn't had a moment to herself. She desperately needed a good night's sleep.
On the day of the Feast of the Epiphany, a grand banquet was held at the palace. Three automatic pianos began to play in unison, and people twirled in the dance hall.
Da Vinci shared a roasted pheasant with her, and the warm aroma of cheese pudding filled the air.
Just as another dance tune began to play, the doors were suddenly pushed open with force. Ignoring the surprised gazes of the guests, a man rushed directly to the lord's side, looking anxious.
"The Roman papal army is approaching Florence! And it seems there are a number of French soldiers among them!"
Hedy, who had just taken a bite of chicken wing, let out a long sigh upon hearing the news.
Was it even possible to have a peaceful holiday?
Why did something always go wrong at this time of year? Couldn’t the Roman papacy just leave people in peace for once?!
The lord immediately signaled for the servants to help the guests evacuate in an orderly manner, and he donned his cloak, striding out of the room.
"Hedy, stay in the palace and don’t go anywhere. I'll go help organize the defense positions," Da Vinci said, hurriedly getting up. He seemed a bit concerned and added, "There's a small handgun in my bedroom; you should be able to handle it."
"Okay, I'll go get it. Don’t worry," Hedy instinctively replied. "You also be careful of stray arrows and hidden daggers."
They hurriedly parted ways to prepare for the sudden siege.
After retrieving the handgun, Hedy first took Dechio to check the remaining medical supplies, ready to assist in treating the wounded soldiers at the rear.
She wasn't sure how many people she could save, but she had already gone over the basics of first aid, wound cleaning, and stopping bleeding with the nuns. She hoped it would be useful now.
According to the existing military system, Florence should have more than enough to defend itself against the Roman papacy. After all, much of the papal army's salary had been embezzled by officials, and even the smallest of officers were living lavishly.
However, the problem was that after the simultaneous abolition of the three popes, the papacy now relied heavily on France and controlled a large portion of Italy.
The old king was dead, and the young king was still a child. As Lorenzo had said, the country was essentially being governed by the ambitious couple acting as regents.
Three days later, the massive papal army indeed arrived at the city's gates, setting up siege ladders and various trebuchets. Injured soldiers began to arrive at the front.
From what the messengers said, the battle was at a stalemate. The French longbowmen and firearms were incredibly strong, and with their advantage in numbers, Florence's resistance was proving difficult.
Hedy, feeling somewhat agitated while listening to the news, had just finished explaining how to dilute and inject medicinal powders when a thought suddenly crossed her mind—if they were to defend against a siege, boiling water and boiling oil would be highly effective weapons.
At that moment, she remembered the boiling room to the west of the city, with its well-maintained boiler.
"Dechio! Bring people with me!"
She immediately led a convoy to the boiling room and instructed the craftsmen to stoke the furnace and boil as much water as possible, even if it was unfiltered river water. Then, using horse-drawn carts, they transported over twenty barrels of water to the city gates.
