Francesco did not know where he was, but he was sure that he had left the city, and probably a long way out.
Francesco racked his brain, but he could not think of any motive for Enzo to be against him. His mood calmed down a little; perhaps Enzo really had some top-secret plan he wanted to drag him into. Even if it was to his disadvantage, at most it would only be to blackmail him after finding some leverage.
Having served as officials in the same court for so many years, Enzo had countless opportunities to bring him down, and he was not entirely without leverage against Enzo. But neither side had done so, precisely because they had a mutual understanding to maintain a balance.
Suffering through every minute and second, the carriage finally stopped. As Francesco was about to peek out to see where they were, the guard beside him took out a strip of cloth and blindfolded Francesco.
Just as Francesco was about to speak, a whisper came to his ear: "Francesco, the situation is special, please cooperate. We will lead you in."
No matter what Enzo was up to, he couldn't lose his composure before even seeing him, especially in front of these subordinates. Francesco was in a panic, but he still feigned calmness and remained silent, cooperating fully.
The cloth covering Francesco's eyes was not completely opaque. The further they walked inside, the more Francesco felt the light dimming.
As Francesco was pressed down into a seat, a heavy door closing sound came from behind him. The cloth over Francesco's eyes was removed, and Francesco found himself in a dark, narrow secret room. Opposite him sat a person. By the faint candlelight, Francesco could finally see that it was Enzo.
"Enzo, what is the meaning of this?" Francesco demanded, his voice trembling, whether from fear or anger.
"Sending people to bribe mercenaries to assassinate the Pope, that was your doing, wasn't it?" Enzo asked lightly.
Francesco broke out in a cold sweat but quickly regained his composure and said, "Since you already know, then just say it directly. What do you want?"
Enzo announced solemnly, "Francesco, from now on, you are under arrest."
Francesco's face changed drastically, and he suddenly stood up, a look of disbelief on his face. After confirming that he had not misheard, he roared furiously, "Enzo! Have you lost your mind? I am your equal. Who gave you the authority to arrest me? What evidence do you have to arrest me? Even if I am guilty, when is it your turn to arrest me? Are you trying to rebel?"
Enzo snorted coldly and laughed contemptuously, "Someone who conspired to assassinate the Pope actually accuses others of rebellion, that's truly hilarious. You ask who gave me the authority? Of course, His Holiness the Pope. There are documents authorized by His Holiness the Pope on the table; you can see for yourself. You ask for evidence, there is also Anastasio's deposition against you on the table. And, Fao Si is next door; he naturally heard everything you just confessed. As for other human and material evidence, I will naturally help you collect it all."
Francesco was left speechless. Francesco had never dreamed that Enzo, who had been so arrogant for so many years, would so quickly and completely pledge allegiance to such a young Pope and even gain his trust.
"You have no more questions to ask, so it's my turn to ask you. Who are your accomplices? Confess everything. We have worked together for many years, and I will try my best to secure lenient treatment for your family."
Francesco knew he had lost completely, but he still refused to yield and deliberately said loudly, "Since you were able to trick me directly here and arrest me so quickly, you must have known about the whole matter long ago. I don't know what excuse you used to fob off Augustus, that young punk. Knowing but not reporting, being an accomplice, do you count as one?"
Enzo never expected that Francesco, who was usually muddle-headed and incompetent, would suddenly become shrewd at this moment, immediately finding his Achilles' heel and biting back at him. He quickly defended himself, "How I knew, everything that needed to be said has been made clear to His Holiness the Pope, and His Holiness the Pope will make his own judgment. This is not something you need to worry about, and I have no need to explain it to you again."
He had specifically invited Fao Si here to witness Francesco's confession. The goal was achieved, but he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot. But now that Francesco was biting back, insisting that he had known but not reported, what would happen if Fao Si reported it to the Pope?
Even if the Pope did not fully believe it, even if the Pope needed him now, once the seed of suspicion was planted, it would be difficult to eliminate and would take root and sprout over time. If the Pope were to view him as a greater threat, then all his efforts would be in vain.
Enzo realized that he could no longer continue the interrogation with Francesco in front of Fao Si, otherwise, he would only make things worse for himself. So he immediately terminated the conversation: "If you don't want to speak now, then don't. Why make wild accusations? We have been colleagues for many years, and I don't want to torture you. Just stay here and think slowly. In this isolated, dark secret room, let's see how long you can last. When you've thought it through and are willing to speak, just call someone.
In fact, whether you speak or not is not important at all. You wouldn't really be so naive as to think that as long as you don't speak, I won't be able to find out who is involved in this matter, would you? You don't want to speak, are you still hoping that they will rescue you? Don't dream, you can't even save yourself, let alone them."
With that, Enzo flicked his sleeve and strode away. The fire extinguished, and the secret room became pitch black. In the endless darkness, only Francesco remained.
Outside the door, Fao Si took his leave, saying, "Enzo, I'll go back now. The situation here needs to be reported to His Holiness the Pope as soon as possible. You have done well in the interrogation, and I will report it truthfully."
"Then many thanks, Fao Si."
As soon as Fao Si left, Enrique hurriedly asked, "Sir, who else do we need to arrest next? Should we bring the Captain of the Security Team first?"
"This was an organized and premeditated action by the hostile forces led by Francesco. Anyone who was close to Francesco is highly suspicious, but we cannot arrest so many at once. So, I will immediately draw up a list, and you will arrest people according to the list."
"How will the other suspects be arrested? Will we still use this method?"
"Of course not. Francesco has been arrested. Those rabble are no longer capable of organizing effective resistance. Show your credentials, follow regular procedures for arrest, and if they resist, they can be killed on the spot."
After a moment's thought, Enzo added, "The Captain of the Security Team has a slightly higher status and is also a very key figure. I will personally lead the arrest of him. The rest will be left to you and Ennio."
"Consider it done."
"After arresting the people, their vacant positions should be filled by trustworthy and capable individuals. Although the authority His Holiness the Pope has given me is only temporary, if our people do well enough, I believe His Holiness the Pope will not mind letting them continue."
"This list should also be arranged by you. If we don't have enough capable people of our own, promoting some young talents is also acceptable; we shouldn't lose sight of the bigger picture."