Unlike the previous pope, Wen Yan’s daily travels were not extravagant, and his clothing was always low-key. Today, he wore a slightly loose, pure white long robe; from a distance, he looked like a handful of holy and flawless snow.
Two mahogany chairs were placed side by side in the council hall with their seats wrapped in thick, soft fleece covered by golden silk. Once Wen Yan took his seat in one of the chairs, Bai Yi sat down in the other.
Nearly two years had passed since the last meeting between the pope and the king. Although the legitimacy of Bai Yi’s throne had been granted by the previous pope, Wen Yan and he still should not be of equal status. However, everyone in the world knew that the lord pope was humble and gentle and would not bicker over these minor details of etiquette.
Wen Yan indeed did not reprimand Bai Yi’s court for the breach of etiquette. He carefully smoothed the hem of his long robe, sat up straight in the chair, and smiled at everyone present, saying, “You don’t need to mind me; just continue your discussion. I really shouldn’t have participated in this kind of occasion.”
The pope’s sudden visit today made his intentions blindingly obvious, but Bai Yi naturally would not expose it, merely waving his hand to signal Zheng Yunshang to continue.
Zheng Yunshang glanced at Wen Yan, then picked up from where he had left off, “Cases of Omegas being assaulted keep occurring, and the repercussions of this incident are far too severe. If it isn’t handled appropriately, it will undoubtedly fuel dissatisfaction among even more citizens; especially Omegas, and may further inflame rebellious sentiment within the Omega population…”
“So,” Bai Heting interrupted, “an Omega dies from rape, and the proper way to handle it is to confine all Omegas who are in heat to their homes? Is that what the Chief Justice means?”
His choice of words was direct, even somewhat vulgar, and whispers instantly erupted throughout the hall.
“The General’s phrasing is rather out of context,” Zheng Yunshang said solemnly. “Commoner Omegas lack protection to begin with. For those who are in uncomfortable periods, keeping them from entering or leaving public places is a form of protection for them.”
Uncomfortable period.
A refined choice of words indeed.
The corner of Bai Heting’s mouth curved into a mocking smile, turning the topic in another direction, “By the way, I heard that the deceased Omega was actually that Alpha priest’s lover.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of several bishops present instantly changed, and Wen Yan’s handsome brows knit slightly.
“Absurd!” One of the bishops immediately countered loudly. “Please mind your words. That Omega was clearly just an ordinary believer!”
Another bishop also hurriedly explained, “Exactly. No one expected him to go into heat inside the confessional. This matter is a tragedy for both sides, and that priest’s reputation has suffered a major loss as a result.” At this point, his tone finally calmed down a bit. “As an Omega, the General’s viewpoint on this matter is bound to be biased, but please do not kick a man while he is down by using hearsay and rumors.”
Bai Heting gave a nonchalant “oh” in response.
He really hadn’t heard that remark from hearsay just now.
He had just made it up on the spot.
That deceased Omega was indeed an ordinary believer, but he was also the lover of a baron. Nowadays, the church’s land and wealth are expanding day by day, which has long affected the interests of the nobility. With his own person dying violently on the church’s territory, the baron wanted to take this opportunity to make a big deal out of it, demanding that the church give the public an explanation.
However, no sooner had the church punished the priest than Zheng Yunshang put forward a new bill—one that would prohibit civilian Omegas from entering or leaving public places while in heat.
Once this bill is implemented, it amounts to implicitly admitting that the primary blame for the matter still lies with that Omega.
“Since you all feel that I am taking things out of context, relying on hearsay, and holding biased views,” Bai Heting said composedly, “then why not leave everything to the Chief Justice and let him uncover the truth of the matter for us.”
“General,” Zheng Yunshang reminded him in a low voice, “I do not have the authority to judge the Lord’s servants.”
“Who told you to judge that priest?” Bai Heting glanced at him. “As for me, I’ve heard a few other rumors.”
He paused, then continued, “It is said that priests keeping lovers is no secret at all among the common people; some even keep several. Those rumored lovers can surely be judged, right? Let’s see if they have committed the sin of lying, or the sin of committing adultery.”
Zheng Yunshang’s face grew visibly grim, and Bai Heting added, “My people happen to have gathered some witnesses and physical evidence. The Chief Justice might as well come with me to take a look.”
Only after he had finished saying all of this did Bai Yi slowly turn his face, looking at Wen Yan and asking, “Is this matter true?”
This was a deliberate question despite knowing the answer.
The corruption and chaos of the church were not news, but the nobles were no better either; they had always shared a tacit understanding. Wen Yan had not expected this topic to be brought to the table by a scandal. After a moment of silence, he said to Bai Yi, “If this matter is true, then it is a desecration of the Lord. Once I return and investigate this matter thoroughly, I will definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer.”
Having said that, his tone shifted, “However, it is also a fact that Omegas have caused quite a lot of trouble this past year.”
He stood up from his seat, walked elegantly into the center of the hall, and finally stopped in front of Bai Heting.
“I have also heard of a few things.” He looked up at Bai Heting, his tone gentle and slow as he spoke. “Last winter, it was you who led the troops to suppress the Omega riots in the south.”
Bai Heting did not answer.
He was arrogant and completely lacking in manners, yet Wen Yan was not angered, and even smiled slightly, “I also heard that you do not believe in religion.” Then he asked, “Why?”
Bai Heting was nearly half a head taller than him, but he didn’t even lower his head, merely looking back down at him with a flat gaze.
After a moment, he replied, “Your Holiness has probably never been to a battlefield. In the doctrines of the Xili Religion, killing is a sin so profound that it condemns one to hell.”
Having said that, he averted his eyes and returned his gaze straight ahead, acting as if the person before him did not exist. “Fighting in a war inevitably involves bloodshed. I worry that by believing in a religion, I will become hesitant and timid in front of the enemy.”
Wen Yan let out a sigh.
“It seems your understanding of the doctrine is also somewhat biased.” His voice, however, remained gentle. “But it doesn’t matter. The Lord is forgiving. To believe or not to believe is a personal choice, so long as everyone can take responsibility for their own choices.”
With that, he took another step to the side, looking at the man before him and asking, “I heard from the bishop of the garrison that the unrest in Urdan has been going on for a long time. The soldiers on the front lines must have had a very hard time, right?”
Shao Cheng kept his head lowered and said politely, “It is our duty, so it is not a matter of hardship or no hardship. Thank you for your concern, Your Holiness.”
Wen Yan sighed softly. “A matter like war drains both the people and the treasury. If the world could only remain at peace forever, how wonderful that would be.”
This flake of white snow paced back to his seat and bent his knees to sit down once more.
“I almost forgot.” He suddenly turned his head, looking at Bai Yi and saying, “I didn’t come empty-handed this tim either.”
Bai Yi’s expression changed slightly.
“Last year, we raised some donations from the believers, and the church’s expenses don’t require that much.” Wen Yan smiled faintly. “I hope this can fill some of the vacancies in the military budget.”
Bai Yi grew increasingly silent and did not respond.
The term “donations” was actually not quite accurate. Nowadays, the church holds over one-third of the country’s land, and land rent was the main source of their income.
“I also brought some wine and mead brewed by the monastery.” Wen Yan did not wait for a response, calmly continuing at an unhurried pace. “I will handle the church’s internal affairs myself, but as for whether Omegas in heat should be subjected to regulation, I hope you will consider the matter carefully before making a decision.”
He gazed at Bai Yi’s gradually darkening expression; his eyes filled with sincerity. “After all, no regime can withstand endless warfare. Furthermore, if everyone is living poorly, then the donations I can raise here will naturally not amount to much.”
