Biagio Bunarcozzi had a busy day.Although exhausted, as a serious and methodical person, he still wrote a note in his diary before going to bed.The content is very succinct: "The city sent a man to Imola to meet the duke." Maybe he didn't think it was important, so he didn't mention the name of the envoy: Machiavelli.The duke is Cesare Borgia. For Piaggio, this day is not only busy, but also long.Because he was out of the house at dawn.With him was his nephew Piero Giacomini, the lad on a stout pony.Machiavelli had promised to take Piero with him on the mission to Imola.Today is October 6, 1502, which happens to be Pierrot's eighteenth birthday.What a perfect day to leave home and venture out into the world for the first time.The lad was a handsome man, tall for his age, and pleasantly good-natured.Since his mother was a widow, he has been taught by his uncle.He was well-educated, handsome in calligraphy, and well-written, whether in Italian or Latin.Due to the persuasion of Machiavelli, who passionately admired the ancient Romans, the young man also had some superficial understanding of the history of ancient Rome.Machiavelli has always believed that people have not changed a bit throughout the ages and have the same likes and dislikes.So if the circumstances are the same, the same cause will lead to the same result.Thus, by remembering how the ancient Romans handled a situation, future generations may be able to act more effectively and carefully.Piaggio is currently working in the government and holds an ordinary position under Machiavelli.Both Piaggio and his sister hope that Pierrot will be able to find a job in the government department in the future.Machiavelli's mission to Imola seemed to be an excellent opportunity for Piero to learn some ways of the world.Piaggio also knew that the boy could not have had a better mentor than Machiavelli.The matter was thus settled in a hurry, just the day before Machiavelli was awarded his credentials and a pass.Machiavelli is friendly and very loyal to his friends, so when Piaggio asked him to take Piero with him, Machiavelli agreed.But the young man's mother, although she knew that the opportunity was rare, was a little worried.The young man has never been far away from her, and it seems too young to go out into the world now.Besides, he was a good boy, and she feared that Machiavelli would lead him badly.Because Machiavelli was famously fond of fun and dissoluteness.Not to mention, he was not at all ashamed, and he would recount his affairs with city girls and roadside inn maids with such explicitness that any virtuous woman would blush. .To make matters worse, he will tell all this with great wit, which is exasperating and laughable at the same time.Piaggio then began to persuade his sister.

"Dear Francesca, Niccolò is married now, and he will change his loose habits. His wife Marietta is a good woman, and she loves him. You think he will spend time outside. Money to buy something that he can get at home for free?" She retorted, "A man who likes women like Niccolo will never be satisfied with just one woman, much less if that woman is still his wife." Piaggio felt that she had something to say, but he did not want to admit it.He shrugged. "Pierrot is eighteen. If he has not lost his innocence, now is the time. Nephew, are you still a virgin?" "Yes," replied Pierrot, with such serene honesty that anyone who believed it should be forgiven.

"I know my son all too well. He won't do anything that I don't approve of." "If that's the case," said Piaggio, "you should feel free to entrust your son to someone who will help him in his career. If the boy has brains, he can learn a lot from Niccolo to help him in the future. Something of great value." Francesca gave her brother a disapproving look. "That guy has fascinated you. He can manipulate you as much as he wants. But what can he do to you? He uses you and mocks you. Why is he a head above you in the yamen? Are you willing to be his subordinate? ?”

Piaggio was the same age as Machiavelli, both thirty-three years old.But Biagio married the daughter of the well-known scholar Marcilio Ficino, who in turn was protected by the Medici, who ruled Florence at the time.In those days, one could get a job in an official position by relying on real talents and learning, and it was also possible to have connections.Piaggio was of medium build, slightly fat, with a round face and a ruddy complexion. The expression on his face made it obvious that he had a good temper.He was honest and industrious, self-aware but not jealous, and quite content with his ordinary position.He likes to live a good life, to have good company, and because he doesn't expect too much from what's beyond his reach, he's basically a happy guy.While he's not terribly smart, he's not stupid either.If this were not the case, Machiavelli would not have been his companion.

"Niccolò is the most intelligent person in the current ruling group." Piaggio said. "Nonsense," Francesca retorted. (The Citta is Florence's municipal council, which has been the city-state's highest executive body since the expulsion of the Medici eight years ago.) "He knows people and things that people twice his age can't match. Believe me, sister, he has a bright future ahead of him, and he won't abandon his friends." "I don't trust him at all. Once you are no longer useful to him, he will throw you like a shoe." Biagio laughed.

"Sister, are you being so mean to him because he never thought of you? Even though you have an eighteen-year-old son, you are still very attractive to men." "Forgive him for not being mean to a decent woman. I know his virtue. It's a disgrace for the ruling group to let a bad woman show off in the city despite the indignation of the people. You like him because he can tease You can tell those nasty stories. You're not much better than him." "You have to remember that no one could tell a dirty story better than him." "Based on this alone, you believe that he is extremely intelligent?"

Biagio laughed again. "No, of course it's more than that. His mission to France has been a great success, and his diplomatic correspondence is a model, even those who don't like him in the ruling group have to admit it." Francesca shrugged obstinately.Meanwhile, Pierrot, like any cautious young man, said nothing.He wasn't too interested in the prospect of a job in the government that his uncle and mother had predestined for him.But traveling abroad was quite to his liking.As he expected, the wisdom acquired by his uncle's experience in the world finally defeated his mother's anxious worries.So Piaggio came to call him early the next morning.Piaggio walked and Piero rode his pony a short distance to Machiavelli's house.