The end of the glorious era of the reign of the world, the death of the Lord of the Holy Spring Dynasty, the Sun King Gaius, was a mental preparation for many people, but it was unexpected.

They know that an old man over eighty years old, no matter how healthy and energetic he usually is, often says that he will be gone.

But they also knew that if the old man who was over eighty years old suddenly left at this time, the already turbulent situation of the court would also be pushed into an unpredictable chaos.

So, when the bells of the Great Sanctuary began to ring, and the colorful flags fluttering in the City of Glory were replaced by inauspicious black flags, it was only then that ordinary citizens realized that the great era that had accompanied them for sixty years had finally come to an end on this day. Many people began to cry, mostly ordinary citizens and new nobles who had actually experienced the favor during the Sun King's time, but also many old-school nobles who were regarded as enemies of the Sun King's new policy. No matter what the political views are, no one can deny that this recently departed king is the greatest king of the Shengquan Dynasty in the past 500 years. Without him, Auckland's status as the "cradle of human civilization" and "the hegemon of the nations" would have been trampled in the mud under the feet of the "barbarians of the north" and the "nerds of the sky", and it would never have been able to turn over again.

However, no matter how much you mourn the death of this emperor, the life of the living will go on. Now that this sun, which cannot be looked at directly and cannot be resisted, has left the sky, and the shadows in the hearts of ordinary people that dare not leak out under the sun have been secretly nourished for so long, and it is time for them to be revealed.

The carriage galloped down the wide road. It was a very ordinary-looking four-wheeled carriage with a brown appearance. The carriages were covered in ash and mud, and there were no coats of arms or anything like that. It looks like it's supposed to be a transportation tool for a business. This kind of horse-drawn carriage that runs every day on the avenue that runs through the City of Radiance, I am afraid that there are not a thousand, but eight hundred. Of course. If you look closely, you will find that although the four big green horses pulling the cart do not look very beautiful, they breathe slowly, have solid muscles, well-proportioned bones, and their steps on the road are also very powerful and steady, and they are clearly valuable healthy horses. And the coachman's actions in driving the car also appear to be very refined and calm, and he is obviously a veteran.

The chubby court governor Varus sat in the car in an inconspicuous gray robe, and he clung to the contents of the robe. Closed his eyes and said nothing. In the past, as long as you smiled, it was a group of kind, round faces, but now it is full of sadness, but more of a kind of determination that cannot be looked at directly. Although he was not a warrior, or even powerless, anyone who saw his expression would not doubt that if anyone dared to touch the contents of his arms, it would inevitably lead to a decisive fight with that person.

The Grand Duke of Wales, who was sitting across from Varus, let out a long sigh.

As the emperor's youngest son, the death of his father made him feel some grief in his heart, but more of an absurd unrealist feeling. Perhaps in his bones, he never imagined what his great father would be like after he left. He was a nobleman who liked to play and live a luxurious life, and to put it mildly, he was a typical "gentleman", but fortunately, the Grand Duke did not oppress the good and the weak. And he is quite a few times of "chivalrous and righteous" decency, and his reputation among nobles and citizens is not bad. But such a person has nothing to do with the throne after all.

He had no intention of intervening in the feud between his niece and second brother. As an uncle. He naturally didn't like his niece who was almost unconditionally spoiled by his father, because in the eyes of the Sun King. It seems that only Karin is his granddaughter, and the other grandchildren are merely courtiers; But as a younger brother. He also couldn't respect his stubborn second brother, who was simply an elm head who had been abducted by the education of the old-school aristocracy, and could hardly imagine that he would be the biological child of his "reformer" parents. With such an elm head on the throne, wouldn't the old man and his mother be busy all their lives?

In addition to the title, the Grand Duke of Wales also has the position of Royal Sea Lord, although everyone knows that it is just a mascot, but after all, it is a public office, but according to the original wishes of the Grand Duke, after the emperor's funeral is completed, he will step down from his official position, leave the imperial capital with a large number of children and return to the fiefdom of Walden Island. It was a picturesque southern island far from the chaos of the mainland, and even if you got to Neosfia, it was only a week's boat ride. As long as you live behind closed doors, you don't have to pay attention to those bullshit worries, and you can live your life comfortably.

Whoever sits on that chair won't be too himself, a mascot who doesn't covet authority, right? Probably......

But the night before his father's temporary stay, he was secretly taken into the palace and sighed all night. When he came out the next day, the Archduke of Wales, who had never been interested in political struggles, finally confirmed his inner thoughts, and even though he received the promise of the envoy sent by his second brother to "seal several rich islands around Walden Island and make him a prince", he only had a cynical smile on his face and a grievance.

Subsequently, the day after the emperor's death, Varus, the head of the inner court of the Yongchen Palace, secretly arrived at the Grand Duke's residence. He knew it was time to fulfill the promise he had made with his father.

"Don't worry. In another hour's drive, Varus, we will leap beyond the Forbidden Army's garrison. In this sensitive period, it is better to have more than one thing for the local lords everywhere, and they will not intercept this carriage, especially if I am also here. The Grand Duke looked at the white but sad face of the chubby steward, and his heart couldn't help but feel sour, and he immediately opened his mouth to comfort.

"Sorry...... His Royal Highness Wells, before the mission given to the villain by His Majesty is not completed, the villain will not dare to relax for a day. ”

The head of the court, whose origins are unknown, was a young eunuch brought back from Sosnes on an expedition between the emperor and his wife. It was a very popular "profession" in the continent of Sothness, where carefully selected boys were castrated into the court to serve as chamberlains and stewards for princes and lords. Of course, the beautiful ones often have to offer chrysanthemums to some princes who are not taboo in meat and vegetables. Become their prostitute boys.

For this question, the Archduke of Wells, who likes beauty, can only say that the southerners on the other side of the sea really know how to play.

Of course. Varus was not that kind of beautiful eunuch, and it was only a good deed that the emperor and his wife were interested in when they were brought back to the palace at first. But. The eunuch's talents in affairs, management, organization, and even intelligence were quickly appreciated by the Sun King, and within thirty years, he became the head of the entire Yongchen Palace. There is gossip that he also commands an intelligence force, an intelligence force that serves only the emperor alone.

All in all, such an emperor's loyal dog, no matter how amiable and full of smiles he usually has, is very unpopular with the great nobles, and the Grand Duke of Wales dislikes him very much anyway. But now. But he had to admit that this chubby old eunuch's loyalty to the emperor was beyond doubt.

"Hey, if you know now, why bother in the first place? If you have established an heir early, you don't have to make trouble to this point. Wells let out a long sigh, somewhat sorry for the arrival of his wise father. He felt that the indecision of the wise monarch in his later years on the question of the heir, and the resulting almost uncontrollable situation, would surely become an indelible stain on his future history books.

"This is actually what His Majesty expected!" Varus glanced at the Grand Duke and thought for a moment. Feeling that what he was going to say below should not be considered a secret that affected the situation, he immediately said: "His Majesty once said to the villain that there are many things that he can't solve, and he can only leave a situation that is most likely to solve the problem for future generations. Even if it is infamous in history. These things must also be done. Your Highness Wells, Your Majesty's far-sightedness is not something that a dull little man of my mind can understand, but the villain also believes it. He must have made the best and most appropriate choice for the country. as his loyal dog. All the villain had to do was follow his decision before he left and put it in the hands of Her Highness Katerina. ”

The Grand Duke of Wales was dumbfounded. I couldn't help but try to ponder the arrangements and conversations of my father's dying father, hoping to find some clues of his plan, but after a long time, he never found anything.

What brought the Grand Duke out of his thoughts was the sudden halt of the carriage.

The Grand Duke of Wales opened the curtains and saw a large number of carriages and goods vehicles in front of him stopped, forming a long queue on the stone-walled pass of the road ahead. Troops dressed in the uniforms of the guards of the city of Serokhia stopped the avenue and questioned the personnel in one car after another, checking the goods, and did very carefully.

"What a quick move...... Well, there will be no shortage of capable people among Iken's subordinates. Wells sighed slightly, and gave Varus a look of alarmism. He carefully identified the city guard banner on the opposite side, and found that there was no heraldic flag of the big man, so he immediately let go of half of his heart. He believed that as long as he secretly revealed his identity to the officer leading the team, the city guards would never dare to inspect or block the car of the dignified Grand Duke Walden.

The Grand Justice was about to order the coachman to overtake the convoy and cut straight into the line, but then the sound of horses' hooves came from behind him.

It was a carriage of more than thirty horsemen. The carriage was also a four-wheeled carriage, but it was decorated with a delicate atmosphere, and it was pulled by four red horses with unusual horses, without a single variegated hair. At full speed, the lion coat of arms on the door seemed to come to life, roaring in the wind, even more majestic. Each rider was a heavily armed knight, and the two knights at the head of the line also carried the high lion flag with a red background and the heraldic flag of the round table, which represented the Duke of Tyrian, the Prime Minister of the Empire of Auckland and Lord of Castle Rock.

"That cunning dwarf! How could it be at this time? The Grand Duke of Wales only felt a numbness around him, and quickly retracted his head, but at that moment, the high-speed convoy had already jumped over him. He vaguely felt a sharp gaze shoot from the carriage carrying the Imperial Prime Minister and stopped in his carriage.

He felt numb all over his body, and looked at the old eunuch opposite him for a long time without saying a word. He knew that even if it was an illusion of sight just now, Tyrion must know his carriage, because although he and the black-bellied dwarf were not very good now, they were a pair of like-minded friends when they were young.

At that time, the two often hung out together in the land of rouge pollen in the Shining City, whether it was a high-end salon or a "small place" with a unique style. Don't look at the duke, a stunted dwarf with a poor appearance. But whether it is flirting or direct hand-to-hand combat, the ability is quite strong, and the style is generous. even deceived a few top red-card girls who would rather not collect money than compensate him, and he is definitely a veteran of the vertical and horizontal flowers. Fame is never inferior to the tall and handsome self. Of course, it is certainly not too glorious for the prince and the duke's concubine to linger in the flowers, and every time the two of them "travel" together, they ride in this carriage without any decoration or markings. With the memory of the "little giant who fell into the sea of stars", it is impossible to forget jì.

Do you really want to tear your face? I don't care, I can't lose my life anyway, no matter how big the trouble is, but...... What about the agreement with the old man?

While the Grand Duke of Wales was engaged in a brutal psychological struggle, the Duke of Thyrion, who was sitting in his car, leaned on the soft and comfortable sofa, closed his eyes and rested. After a long time, Fang let out an eerie laugh.

"You know what? Old friend, this time reminds me of what my dead father said before. Duke Tyrion smiled at the man who was in the car with him, and was also his most important vassal, and the captain of the guard, Count Haron.

"Considering your relationship with Tywin, it's definitely not a good thing, right?" Count Haron replied with a smirk that was far from respectful. He was a middle-aged man with crimson black hair and a messy beard of the same color, his eyes were slightly darker brown, and he was as thin as a wolf from his cheeks to his body. He was born as a mercenary, and he and Tyrion met in Weimo, and when they get along in private, they are more like a pair of friends who have accumulated years of loss. Of course. With such a high title, this earl's dress and temperament are still more like an old mercenary of the "war dogs" than a serious arrogant knight.

"Ha, the old man does seldom have a good face or kind words for me. But at that time, it was a rare earnestness. Tyrion crossed his hands and gave a complicated smile, with a hint of sarcasm and self-deprecation, but also a rare hint of remembrance: "We are Lancaster." Lancaster never does anything stupid. ”

“…… Uh, considering your experience. I guess I haven't listened to it, right? Count Haron replied.

"At that time, my brother and I were planning to jump from the walls of Kaiyan City to the cliff next to it. By the way. The walls were three feet from the cliff and about a hundred feet from the sea. Tyrion shrugged his shoulders and said, "I think the old man actually only said this for the sake of his brother, so naturally he couldn't listen to it." ”

The mercenary-born Earl immediately sneered obviously.

"No way, I was only twelve years old at that time, and I was indeed a stupid and naïve bear child. Although I am a bear child, this does not mean that the old man's statement is wrong. Tyrion couldn't help but say a few words out loud. Immediately, he couldn't help but sigh quietly: "After so many years, the old man is dead, the old brother is also dead, and the descendants of this generation of the family are left with me, a stunted dwarf and that sister who is out of tune." ”

"So how about the next generation? Whether it's your nephew or your son, they're all very good young people! Haron said.

Duke Tyrion sighed, and said in a tone that didn't know whether he was asking or talking to himself: "If our next generation, and even the next generation, will still have to face our situation today, or even more difficult than today. Will they still be able to grasp all the situations? Can they still be on the side of the winners? If the empire is no longer alive again, is it possible for the Lancaster family to wait for his chance? ”

"Your Excellency?"

"Haron, let me ask you, if you have a big trouble, if you solve it by yourself, you will inevitably offend a large group of people in the family and even your loved ones. However, if it is not solved, sooner or later future generations will have to face the same problem. What would you do if it were you? ”

The Earl seemed to think carefully for a moment, and then said, "I'm sure I'll find a way to solve it while I'm still alive, after all, I can't judge the talents of future generations." It will not be good if this big trouble becomes a big disaster for them. But my old man, you don't have to worry too much, Lady Tessa is a good woman, and the sons are good boys, and whatever you choose, they will stand by you. Of course, our old Haron ...... too."

"Come on, you old mole, you can slip faster than anyone else when you encounter danger!" Duke Thyrion cursed with a smile, stroked the lion's head carving on his seat, let out a heavy sigh, and then picked up the "Hand of Auckland" scepter, a token representing the status of the Imperial Chancellor, and threw it to Haron.

"Take it, and order the soldiers who are in the way to get back to their stations. This is the most important trade route hub between the north and the south, how can you just set up a card to block and obstruct traffic? Tyrion commanded in a cold tone.

"But...... This should be an order from His Highness Iken, right? ”

"Before His Majesty dies and the new emperor ascends the throne, the order of I, the prime minister of the empire, is absolute, right?" Tyrion narrowed his eyes.

His voice was still flat, but it suddenly made the Earl of Haron stand up involuntarily, respectfully took the black scepter, and replied in a stern tone: "Yes, your will is absolute. My lord! (To be continued......)