"Whatever your marriage is and what future generations think of your marriage, and whatever people around you and your subjects say about your union after dinner, when asked a similar question by anyone, you must tell him in a firm tone: 'Yes, we are united by love, and love is the strongest bond that binds us together. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info'" - in the 8th century of the mainland Gregorian calendar, a certain queen said to her daughter who married into a neighboring country.

August 15, 349 Gregorian Calendar, France, Farensi, Lanfonte.

Saulgrande spent almost the whole summer on this large seaside construction site, and the affairs of the royal capital, assisted by Rastigne and the old Earl of Ingrid, Marguerite was able to handle it very well. When the Prime Minister offered to personally supervise the first phase of the city of Lavonte, no objection was raised. Everyone took this for granted, and they felt that the prime minister might have placed some personal feelings on this matter, and it would be too impersonal to stop it.

Baron Catherinck, on the other hand, thought that the presence of the Prime Minister himself would have been too much of a help to him. Sogrerd is undoubtedly several times superior to himself in terms of organizational ability, not to mention the fact that the position and power he has are also very beneficial for raising resources in all aspects.

Therefore, when the Zigna and Navi people came to this newly established port, they could not help but express their heartfelt admiration. Berths, wharves, warehouses, all the facilities that the port should have are arranged just right; The lighthouse is also nearing completion; The streets are neatly aligned, and even some of the sculptures used for landscaping are in place and ready to be installed. When they heard that this was only a tiny fraction of the plan, they were even more amazed.

In the antechamber of the newly completed port office, Sogrend met with Gronshar, Duke of Misharu, and Prince Henry of Zigna. The Na'vi paid homage to the Pharisens on behalf of King Romedal, and the two countries discussed plans to form a mercenary army to be financed by a third country to fight in the Iberian civil war. As for the Zignans, according to the previous agreement, they sent 10 large-tonnage transports and 3 high-speed cruisers, and helped the Fallonians train 1,000 sailors in 3 years. The benefit for the Zigners is that for the next 15 years, they have a concession to harvest 300 cubic meters of yew trees per year in Falunsi.

On this day, when the Prime Minister of Farensi was inspecting the site of a new dock, the Dragon Knight brought him an urgent summoning order from Caiunescu. Sogrend didn't ask much about the reason, but after instructing the other officials to keep the progress of the project, he followed the dragon knight back to the royal capital.

On 17 August, Sogre returned to Caiunescu. By the time he entered the chamber of the Aruk Palace, the important ministers had already gathered there.

After greeting everyone, Sogrend asked, "Your Majesty, what is the important matter of summoning Weichen back so urgently?" ”

"Let the Privy Council explain it to you." Margaret replied.

Old Count Ingrid stood up without hesitation, "Here's the thing, Lord Leus, King Koles III of Hitaros has passed away a few days ago. ”

"So who inherited the throne?"

"It's His Highness Canitus."

"So what's the problem?"

"His Majesty Canitez has sent someone to our country to inform His Highness Antaras that he must return to China, ostensibly because his biological mother, the current Queen Mother, misses him and becomes ill."

"So that's not the case, is it?"

"The reality is that Queen Mother Hitaros intended to fight for the throne for His Royal Highness Antaras, and after failing, she has been placed under house arrest by King Canites. Summoning His Highness Antaras back, I'm afraid there are other plans. ”

"In this case, if the overall situation in Hitarus has been decided, then considering the long-standing alliance between the two countries, we should not disobey the will of the new king of Hitaros." Thorgrande replied.

"Hmm...... Does the Prime Minister actually think so? Rastigne was a little surprised.

"What's the problem?" Thorgrande looked back at him.

"However, His Highness Nathaniels has privately conveyed to us that he wishes to reject the demands of the Khaistula." Count Ingrid added.

"I'm afraid that such an informal opinion cannot be relied upon." Sogrend said.

"However, based on what we have known about the situation of the Hitarus royal family for a long time, it is very likely that what His Highness Nathaniels said is what Hitarus really meant." Rastigne's voice couldn't help but rise a little.

"But you don't have proof, do you?" Sogrend asked rhetorically.

"It's true that there is no evidence, but many times a lot of things that are right cannot be proven with evidence." Count Ingrid helped.

"Such arguments cannot convince me, Lord Count, that we cannot always rely on luck and intuition."

"Alright, stop arguing, Lord Luce, and come to my study." The Queen of Pharansy spoke up.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Thorgrande owes a debt and follows.

When the two men entered the study and Saulgrande closed the door, Margaret turned back a little angrily and asked, "Your Excellency, I don't know what is going on with you today, why are you standing against everyone?" Why do you have to oppose almost all the ministers? ”

Sogrend smiled, "Your Majesty seems to want to keep His Highness Antaras." ”

"No," the queen's face flushed, "I don't want him to stay?" ”

Then, the queen suddenly realized, "Thorgrande, you already knew, you have already calculated everything." Yes, it must be so, you are always so cunning and treacherous. ”

"First of all, congratulations to Your Majesty," Saugland said busily when he saw the Queen's still reddened face, "Lord Rastigne and the Privy Council have been able to firmly adhere to their well-thought-out ideas after all these years of tempering and adapting. His Highness Nathaniels, as they say, represents the true intentions of Haistula. His Majesty Canites has summoned His Highness Antaras back to China in a grand manner, in the hope that we will reject him in the same manner. In this way, neither the moderates who advocated tolerance nor the radicals who advocated the eradication of the grass had nothing to say. The best way for our country to refuse is to announce that you have confirmed your marriage to His Highness Antaras, so that His Highness Antaras should be considered to have completely severed the relationship with his mother country on the surface, and the nobles who are worried about your marriage to a foreigner should also be reassured. ”

"Does it really have to be this way?"

"If you are not willing to marry His Highness Antaras, you can send him back, and there is no need for us to fear the resentment of King Hitarus. My Majesty, this matter is based on your sincerity. ”

"Sogland, let me think again."

"Yes, Your Majesty, but not too long." Sogrend took his leave.

"Wait a minute, Thorgrande."

"I'm not gone yet, Your Majesty."

"Go talk to Antaras, you should know that even if I am the king, this kind of thing should not be left to me on my own initiative."

"That's as it should be, that's what is appropriate, Your Majesty." Thorgrande paused, "However, even if Weichen doesn't persuade him, there will still be someone who will do this for His Majesty." ”

As Saugrand had expected, several gentlemen from the Privy Council visited the residence of the Hitaros in the afternoon. The Prince of Antaras looked a little embarrassed in the face of the persuasion of the Fallensi, but he still replied politely to the guest, saying that he would act as soon as possible. The next day, even the old Earl Ingrid and Rastigne visited the prince one after another, hoping that he would take the initiative.

"Brother Wang, what should I do?" Antaras asked for the opinion of his brother, who was the only one with him.

Nathaniels rubbed his brother's hair as he was customary, "When has our Landner man ever flinched on such a matter?" ”

"But the order of Brother Canitus...... He is now King of Hitarus, and I should obey his orders. ”

"Fool, do you want to be the king of Hitaros?"

"No, there's no better person to be king than Brother Canitus, I've always thought so."

"So, don't you already love Her Majesty the Queen of France?"

She ...... Anyway, she might think that our time together was too short, and that I was nowhere near as competent and reliable as Lord Luce, and ......"

"My silly brother, you have a face full of 'I can die for you, Your Majesty Margaret!' If there are still girls in the world who don't have a little heart for you like this, I'd rather trample 10 camels to death. Not to mention someone as smart and clever as Queen Farensi. ”

"Since you don't want to go back to be king, and you still have a crush on her, then formally propose to her, as those people say. Perhaps the Queen will invite Miss Rabelais to be her bridesmaid, and I may be able to take advantage of the opportunity to get close to her. Nathaniels said, scowling a sly. Such an expression undoubtedly gave Antaras a lot of relief.

When the Prince of Antaras made this request to Margaret publicly and formally, everyone watched in amazement as the Prime Minister repeatedly stated his objections in public. However, the royal family agreed to the marriage, and their wedding was scheduled for the first day of October.

When the Phalonsis told Hitarus that the queen had officially decided to recruit His Royal Highness Antaras as her husband. In a tone of regret, the Khaiswa expressed their blessings for the marriage. When the news reached Hitaros, the Queen Mother expressed her willingness to follow the new king's arrangement to recuperate in a temple far away from Haiswa, and not to show her face in public except for major royal sacrifices.

There were many speculations about Sogrande's opposition at the time and later. Of these many opinions, there is clearly one that deserves our special attention: "Saugland Leuss expressed his opposition to the marriage, and in fact he ought to have known that his opposition would be trivial, but he nevertheless held on to it." Many people are confused by this and often try to make a reasonable analysis from the cause and effect of the matter. This can be said to be a superstitious way of thinking about the god of war. In my opinion, this move of his was not directed at the marriage itself, but with the intention of cultivating a courage in the court of Falencia, a courage to doubt him. This was a very important change for the Farencian courtiers, who had become accustomed to having the prime minister analyze the most reasonable situation and its solution to the public in a comprehensive and detailed manner. ”

Regardless of whether the prime minister had such thoughts, but after the matter was finalized, he did not say anything more. The Prime Minister was once again engaged in his busy work, and during this time, it happened that the draft of the Great Code had been completed and officially promulgated on August 20 for trial implementation.

On 25 August, the first units of the Mastar Eastern Army marched into Iberian territory. On the same day, the king's army in the north also entered the territory of Osasuna and officially launched an attack on the southern counties. This time the commander was General Garcia, and the lieutenant was nominally Earl William Grant, but in fact he led the armies of the four counts of Valencia, Almeria, La Seria, and Salia to "wipe out" the so-called "rebellious rogues of the north". The Wyvern Valley and Osasuna nominally provided 5,000 infantry, but in fact only let more than 1,000 militiamen escort grain and grass. Although General Garcia was very annoyed by this, he saw that the supplies they provided were still very abundant, so he gave up for the time being.

Compared to the previous times, the amount of military strength that Debans was able to raise was already very limited. General Garcia dug three feet into the ground, but only 17,000 infantry were recruited, and the population of the counties under the control of the royal family was decreasing, some of them died on the battlefield of Alc, and more of them became outcasts to avoid exorbitant taxes and military service. General Garcia defeated several bands of thieves who had gathered on his march, and after gathering them, he actually added thousands of men to himself. It can be estimated that by the time he reached Osasuna, he had a total of 22,000 infantry, 4,000 Zignar longbowmen, and 2,500 knights.

The Marquis of Sánchez also gathered an army as soon as he returned to Numancia, with a total of 20,000 light infantry of various equipment and 1,200 knights, and perhaps some light cavalry. Originally, with his current strength, he would not have an advantage in the face of General Garcia. Garcia, who knew this, immediately launched a siege on Villarreal.

However, the situation changed with the entry of the Mastar Army, and the first troops were centered on a Phalanx brigade of 4,500 men. During the engagement on 28 August, the King's army was disrupted by the sudden appearance of the Mastar army. Garcia, having suffered certain losses, felt that the situation had made his forces insufficient for an effective offensive. So he gathered his troops steadily and retreated to Osasuna.

On 5 September, after the second group of troops from Mastar joined the battle, the King's army had to continue its defeat to the north. The next day, Osasuna was captured by the Marquis de Sanchez, who surrendered to him without much resistance. Suarez secretly met with the Marquis and told him that Count Grant had no intention of confronting him, and that Wyvern Valley and Osasuna were willing to provide material support to his army.

After that, the king's army received new reinforcements, and more Zignar mercenaries were thrown into the battlefield, and the two sides reached a stalemate in the territory of Leida.

On October 1, Farency held a grand wedding for his queen.

On this day, the Queen Mother was delighted to watch the female officials dress up their daughters, and this was undoubtedly the most striking bride of the year in Falunsi, and probably the most striking on the entire continent.

Just when the room was full of elation, Captain Jayne Beta appeared. To the surprise of the others present, Margaret had apparently ordered it, so Officer Beta went straight to the queen and whispered a few words in her ear.

"What do you say? Is it all true? The queen stood up, startling the female officers.

"True, Your Majesty." Officer Beta stepped back and bowed his head humbly.

"I'm going to ask in person, you come with me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Hey, Your Majesty, I haven't got it for you yet!" The ladies cried out eagerly, and they were not to blame, for Margaret lifted her bulky floor-length dress and ran out. Officer Beta hurriedly followed behind and picked up the skirt that was mopping the floor, so as not to cause trouble to the Queen's actions.

About five minutes later, Sogre saw the angry bride in his office.

"Thorgrande, explain to me, you're actually writing your resignation?!"

"Yes, my majesty." Sogrand was calm.

"Why are you resigning, you, you, have any grievances against me? Do you really not want me to marry Antaras that much? ”

"These are two different things, my majesty."

"Well, what's going on?"

"Alright," Thorgrande paused, "Yu Gong, as a man with the surname Nasibis, Wechen has been in power for too long. It's not that the Farensi people reject people like me, it's that everyone is not fully prepared. One day, the Nasibes and the Pharyns will be indistinguishable from each other. But for now, it's better to follow some rules. Count Ingrid is a steady and wise man, and the country has just experienced a lot of facts, and needs old ministers to stabilize the situation. Moreover, the influence of Weichen in the army is too great, and it is not suitable to hold administrative power for a long time. ”

"You've been doing a great job, Sogrand, and that's for all to see."

"But this doesn't mean that it won't be harmful in the long run, Your Majesty's strength is enough for Weichen to display his talents, but before Ziwu's suspicion comes, Weichen is better to leave temporarily."

"You're doubting my trust in you!"

"It's not that Weichen doesn't believe in His Majesty, but he doesn't believe in himself."

"But I believe you."

"Then, Wechen can only say thank you, please let Wechen finish the reason, okay?"

"Say it."

Yu Zhi, after she left, Weichen also felt very tired. The duty to His Majesty and the people, as well as the promise of the ideals that I share with her, have supported Wechen in continuing his work to the present day. Now, Your Majesty has found a reliable other half of his life, and in terms of the identity of the division commander and the entrustment of the previous king, this part of Weichen's responsibility has been completed. And Weichen's two daughters have gradually grown up, but Weichen can't stay with them for a long time. They have already lost a loved one, and Wechen doesn't want them to lose another love. Wechen's parents are also getting old, Wechen spent the first half of his life working abroad, and he didn't fulfill a day of filial piety, and now it's time for Wechen to repay them for their nurturing grace. Therefore, I hope that His Majesty can understand Weichen's thoughts. ”

The queen clenched her fists and was silent there for a moment, and Jayne, standing outside the door with her skirt in hand, could feel her inner struggle.

"Well, Sogrande, I'll grant your resignation."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"But you have to promise me one thing."

"When Your Majesty and the country need Wechen, Wechen will return to Your Majesty in time."

"Okay, then, Saulgrande Leus, listen to the will of King Pharensi for you."

"This is Wechen's honor." Thorgrande said, kneeling on one knee before the queen.

"Lend me your sword." Margaret ordered.

Sogrend offered the "Tooth Moon" with both hands.

"I hereby dismiss Saugrande in the name of the sovereign of the Kingdom of Farensi, with the right granted to me by the gods and all the people of Fallency. Marshal Leus's position as Prime Minister. The queen drew her sword and tapped it twice on Saugland's shoulders, "and gave him a new mission, Marshal Leus will be the Traveling Chancellor of the Kingdom of Farensi with immediate effect, and he will bring justice and order in the land of Farensi in the name of the king and the law, and spread the majesty of the Great Code to the people under my rule." This sword is a testament to the duties and powers I have bestowed upon him, a symbol of judgment, justice, and order! ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Thorgrande took back his sword.

"Sogland, as the title suggests, you have the right to move freely and the power to try any case. The Code was written by you, and no one is more familiar with it than you, and I believe in you and that you will make the most of the role that the Code is intended to play. ”

"Your Majesty is wise."

"I'm just letting you continue to work for me for free." Margaret smiled, "Alright, I should go, or the groom will have to wait." ”

"Congratulations to Your Majesty."

Before leaving the door, the queen suddenly turned around, "Thorgrande, my teacher, you will come to bless me, will you?" ”

"Of course, Wechen will definitely go to the scene."

"Good, goodbye, Thorgrand."