xymnovel Chapter 183 The Crown Princess's Chess Game
Chapter 183 The Crown Princess's Chess Game
The heavy oak doors of the patriarchal cathedral closed behind Callinicus, shutting out all sounds from inside.
He stood on the steps outside the door, the afternoon sun somewhat dazzling. Two church guards stood on either side of him like wooden stakes, ostensibly for "protection," but in reality for guarding.
The roar of Bishop Yermanos still seemed to echo in my ears.
Inside the meeting hall, the brief exchange ended in a complete victory for the conservatives.
"The bill is to be shelved indefinitely."
"Establish a religious investigation committee."
These two heavy blows almost completely wiped out Callinikos's efforts.
Yermanos gave him no chance to breathe. This old man, who had been immersed in the church for decades, was well-versed in the workings of power. He knew that merely winning in the meeting was not enough; he had to wipe his opponent off the chessboard completely.
The counterattack began the moment the meeting ended.
Three days later, on Sunday.
Across Greece, from the bustling port churches of Patras to the most remote village chapels on the Thessalian plain, a similar scene unfolds.
A priest stood on the pulpit, his voice filled with sorrow and indignation.
"My brothers and sisters, people of the Lord! A terrible shadow is looming over our holy Church!"
The congregation below the stage were mostly farmers and artisans who had just acquired land. Their faces still held hope for the future, but at this moment, they felt confused and uneasy because of the priest's words.
"Some people, under the guise of 'knowledge' and 'light,' are trying to steal God's money! They want to take every lepta (the smallest unit of currency in ancient Greece) that you offer to God out of piety, to build schools that have no God and only impart secular knowledge!"
The priest's voice suddenly rose in pitch and became highly inflammatory.
"They will teach your children that humans evolved from monkeys! They will teach your children that the king's laws are superior to God's teachings! They will replace the Bible in your children's hearts with arithmetic and the alphabet!"
A disturbance began to break out in the crowd.
"A monkey? How is that possible!"
"Not reading the Bible? Isn't that like going to hell?"
Panic, like a plague, spread rapidly among these simple but discerning believers. They couldn't distinguish between "universal education" and "blasphemy," and in their naive world, the priest's words were the truth.
"The king wants to steal God's money!"
It's unclear who first uttered this simple and blunt slogan.
Soon, the entire church was echoing with this cry filled with fear and anger.
Similar scenes played out simultaneously in hundreds of parishes. Yermanos used his decades-long network of parishes to weave a vast web of lies, portraying Constantine and Callinicus as demons attempting to subvert the faith.
The poisonous arrows of public opinion struck precisely at the most vulnerable parts of the royal family and the reformists.
In the luxurious offices of a private bank in Athens.
The cigar smoke swirled around.
Instead of wearing his ornate priestly robes, Yermanos changed into a well-tailored black suit, making him look more like a wealthy businessman than a clergyman.
Sitting opposite him was Mr. Vasily, one of the most famous bankers in Athens.
"Mr. Vasily, I heard that your bank recently provided a considerable loan to the National Development Bank?" Yermanos took a sip of coffee, speaking casually as if he were having a friendly chat.
A fine layer of sweat appeared on the banker Vasily's forehead.
"It's just routine interbank lending, Your Excellency. Supporting national development is also our duty."
"Obligation?" Yermanos put down his coffee cup with a soft sound. "Mr. Vasily, your greatest obligation is to ensure the safety of your depositors' funds. As far as I know, our Patras parish and more than a dozen other parishes have more than 30 million drachmas in assets deposited in your bank."
Vasily's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
"And our believers, those devout merchants and ship owners, probably have even more money deposited with you. They are all devout Orthodox Christians, and their hearts are connected with the Church." Yermanos smiled, but that smile sent a chill down Vasily's spine.
"Your Excellency, do you mean...?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince's education plan is very ambitious, but also very... expensive." Yermanos stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling street outside. "I'm just worried about whether a government that's trying to defy God can still be trusted. What if... I mean, what if the national treasury collapses because of these unrealistic plans? Your bank will probably face enormous risks."
He didn't say anything more.
The threat is clear enough.
The following day, the National Development Bank received notices from several private banks demanding early loan recalls and tightening of future credit lines.
Constantine's already strained financial plan was undermined.
While launching fierce offensives against external threats, it also insidiously undermined internal stability.
On a small island in Ionia, a young enlightened bishop has just finished his evening prayers.
He was one of the few supporters of Callinikos.
A servant delivered an unsigned package.
The bishop opened the package; there was no bomb, nor a dagger. Only a stack of yellowed letters and yesterday's copy of the *Athens Conservative Daily*.
The letter contained a love poem he wrote to an actress when he was young, with passionate and unrestrained words.
In a corner of the newspaper, there was a short article titled "The Amorous Affairs of Clergy and the Purity of Faith." The article didn't name names, but the words all pointed to him.
The bishop's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
He knew this was a warning from Yermanos.
If he continues to support Callinikos, the full text of these letters will be published tomorrow.
In that era, a clergyman's moral failings were a scandal that could ruin his entire career.
Three days later, the young bishop issued a public statement saying that "after deep prayer and reflection, he believes that the 'knowledge tithe' bill is open to discussion," and announced that he was withdrawing his previous support.
This falling domino triggered a chain reaction. Several other bishops, whose stance was already wavering, also found excuses to distance themselves from Callinicus.
Callinicus, in the blink of an eye, became truly alone.
Royal Palace.
King George I's face was etched with worry.
"Connie, do you see this?" He shoved a stack of reports from various places in front of Constantine. "There's unrest everywhere! The people are incited; they think you're going to destroy their faith! Even the Russian ambassador asked me this morning, indirectly, whether the Greek royal family is prepared to change its policy towards the Orthodox Church!"
He stood up and paced back and forth in the study.
"We are Danes, a foreign royal family! The foundation of our rule over this country, besides the support of the great powers, lies in the people's recognition of the monarchy! And the Church is the most important force shaping this recognition! To wage a full-scale war against them would be to undermine our own rule!"
King George I stopped and looked at his son, whom he was increasingly unable to understand.
"Let's find a compromise, Connie. We can start by establishing a few elite royal schools to set an example. There's no need to cut into the church's resources."
Immense pressure came from all directions.
Constantine stood silently before the map in the study.
Just then, Crown Princess Sofia walked in.
She offered no words of comfort, but simply placed a document on Constantine's desk.
"This is the annuity I saved when I was a princess in Prussia."
Constantine turned around, somewhat puzzled.
Sofia's eyes were bright and determined.
"Since the church is unwilling to pay for God's children, then I, the future queen of this country, will take on this responsibility."
She pointed to the document.
"I will personally donate these estates to establish the 'Metis Education Fund.' We won't build a thousand schools; we'll start with one. We won't recruit students nationwide; we'll start with girls from the outskirts of Athens."
She walked over to Constantine and took his hand.
"They smear you with lies, so we'll respond with actions. They control the treasury, so we'll take money from our own pockets. I want all of Greece to see who truly cares about the future of this country."
This action, like a dazzling ray of light, pierced through the dark clouds hanging over Constantine's head.
This is a brilliant move.
It bypassed direct confrontation with the church, occupied the moral high ground, and leveraged maximum public support at minimal cost.
The following day, Crown Princess Sofia's statement was disseminated throughout Athens via the Daily Telegraph.
The public's reaction exceeded everyone's expectations.
A future queen is willing to donate her private wealth to fund education for commoners' children. Meanwhile, the wealthy church is raging over its one-tenth of the revenue.
Comparing the two, a judgment is made.
The people who were shouting "Defend God" in the church just a few days ago are now silent and in deep thought.
Yermanos sensed this reversal in public opinion.
He was utterly enraged.
In his view, Sophia's actions were the most vicious insult to him and to the entire church!
He was like an enraged bull, losing his last shred of reason.
He decided to achieve his goal in one decisive battle.
That afternoon, the bells of the sacred council rang again.
Yermanos stood before all the bishops, his face contorted with a crazed ferocity.
"Everyone! We can no longer back down!"
He raised his arm high, his voice hoarse.
"I propose! Not only should we completely abolish that blasphemous 'tithing of knowledge'! We should also immediately, right now, put Callinicus on trial for 'blasphemy' and 'divisive church'!"
"Pull out this poisonous thorn! Today!"