Regardless of talent and ability, a person's strength sometimes has nothing to do with his or her background and qualifications.

Many aristocrats scoffed at this argument, and their views were not unreasonable in the light of history so far. After all, the children of ordinary people who work hard to get ahead are always extremely concerned about the sight around them, and there are often extreme "geniuses" and "ghost talents" with outstanding abilities but insufficient background and narrow instruments. There are only a handful of people who can overcome this obstacle and truly be called "geniuses". But it would be foolish to take this as an absolute truth and stick to it.

Especially when it comes to a special person like Li Lin, who often creates "exceptions", he blindly denies it, and as a result, while contemptuous of this nouveau riche, he is played by Li Lin between applause - if this is not stupid, what should it be called?

(Typical drawbacks of the hereditary system.) ）

Richelieu, who also sheltered the hereditary system, secretly thought to himself, he was not denying the hereditary system, but compared with the growth rate of Li Lin and the consortium, the mentality of the nobles to rest on their laurels seemed too ridiculous. So much so that the cardinal pondered more than once how to establish a system that excluded the feelings of his parents, but selected the successors of the noble titles based on his performance and performance. But so far, in addition to the almost harsh performance system of the consortium, he has not been able to find a system that can meet his requirements, let alone a talent that can compete with Li Lin.

Judging from the trend so far, Li Lin and the consortium have become so influential in this country that all the political forces have to worry about the consortium's reaction before taking any action. But Li Lin's public statements have always been quite low-key. At least on the surface, V.E didn't seem to be actively causing any trouble. Accept all kinds of situations ruthlessly, and then respond impeccably.

Quite subtle, but it is difficult for Richelieu to think that the shrewd Li Lin did not harbor any ambitions outside of the monopoly economy, and as a successful businessman, it was inevitable that he cared about politics and was involved in it. Especially after knowing the needs of politicians and aristocrats, he was always willing to help those who were willing to join hands with the consortium.

Another regional leader of the Arrow Cross Party left the consortium leader with an expression of awakening and encouragement, and in his place was the political nouveau riche ...... A bishop?

In this day and age, where the clergy spend far more time in politics than they spend praying and guiding the lost lamb, Bishop Richelieu himself is a king-size role model. It stands to reason. He shouldn't be surprised by that.

Look at Bishop Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, dressed in a long black robe. When the dean of the Theological School of Lüdes University and a well-known speculator approached Li Lin with a flattering smile, the prime minister still felt a little unhappy.

This negative feeling is not directed at the matter itself, but is directed explicitly at the dean of the seminary. In the social circles of Lüddes, no one has a worse reputation than Talleyrand. But I'm afraid no one can live a more nourishing life than this playboy priest.

It's really a bit wrong to say that this nobleman is the grass on the wall after that. He's an out-and-out windsock.

This person's political ability is not bad. But the social skills, the judgment of the shape shì and the sense of smell are astonishingly sharp, and at the same time, the character is also surprisingly low. In some ways, he was more of a businessman with shallow morals. And not the priests and nobles.

Generally speaking, the best place for such a person is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and most people believe that in time Talleyrand will become a good diplomat, like the late Metternich.

The two do have a lot in common, Metternich was also a personable playboy in his youth, and he also had a lot in common with Talleyrand in terms of social and political sense. But Richelieu did not believe that Talleyrand could become another Metternich, and the cardinal knew very well that his deceased friend was out and about, and he liked to do things like to do things like to "the red flag does not fall at home, and the colored flags flutter outside", and by the way, he caused a little corruption. But Metternich was essentially a loyal and patriotic son of an aristocratic family, and he knew that there was a bottom line in doing things. And Talleyrand does not have such a bottom line, and even if he does, his bottom line is his personal interests. To let this kind of guy who does not take the moral code of foreign teachers in charge of foreign affairs is simply joking with himself.

Having said that, this is not a time of peace where moral justice can be easily discussed, and figures like Talleyrand are well placed to deal with some of the diplomatic problems that are not on the table. The so-called wicked people have their own wicked people to grind, scoundrels are even more scoundrels, in troubled times, the generation of roosters and dog thieves does not lack the opportunity to show their strength, when the time comes, this kind of person is also a force that cannot be underestimated.

So, what will Li Lin do with this speculator? While pondering this question, Dean Talleyrand had already walked away from Li Lin, and with a little pride and satisfaction, the Dean of the Theological College disappeared into the crowd.

(Looks like there's one more character to keep an eye on.) ）

The Bishop's calm, yet stiff, stubborn face did not rise or fall, and continued to look at the Minister of War who had begun to digress from the podium.

Glancing at the little pretending figure on the podium, Archbishop Li felt a hint of sorrow.

＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃

In a very short time the news of the victory at the front spread throughout Lydes, and the optimism quickly spread through the city, and the people greeted each other happily, and there was a lively discussion about when the war would end, what goods to import quickly, and how delicate the orc slave girls who had been taken from the north were, and then smiled knowingly. Children and women away from the men enjoy their weekend leisure time.

It was supposed to be like this.

At this moment Lüdes was enveloped by an unusual solemnity, the streets were filled with a flow of people, but the crowds were not annoyed by the crowds, and they were constantly coming together with a tenacious and unanimous will towards the Tuileries Palace.

The flow of people came from all over the country except Charlemagne's possessions, and under the leadership of Archbishop Minzenti Joseph of St. István's Crown, nearly 80,000 Crown Orderers living in Charlemagne, including nobles, factory workers, women, children, and the elderly in Lüdes, were dressed in the finest clothes. Holding the icon of the Mother of God, the flag of the Holy Cross and the portrait of Charles IV, he sings hymns softly. Occasionally, a wanderer-by saw the group from a distance and quickly turned around and left.

They are here to make a peace petition. Ask Charles IV, the "loving father", to put an end to the tyranny and illegal occupation of the crown prince in the crown princehood, to tear down the wall on the border separating them from their families, and to restore the promise of the crown crown in the ancient covenant.

The princes' henchmen who remained in Lüdes were sweating profusely, and they could not understand how the news could have leaked out so quickly, let alone how so many people could gather in such a short period of time.

In fact, what they should have thought of was to build an "internal boundary line" that stretched for thousands of kilometers in a few days. And let no one cross that line and spread the news of the Crown Collar - no matter how carefully planned. It's always unrealistic to rush to achieve your goals. Especially when the target of the prevention has enough patience and wisdom, it is not difficult to break through this unfinished net.

A mother and son in the Raik family are such lucky ones.

After careful planning and day and night work by the village chief and the villagers, they actually dug a tunnel through the "wall" from the cowshed, due to the rush of time. The tunnels are very narrow. Only women and small children can get through guò quickly. The exit is also within the reconnaissance range of the guard tower. Even if the border is successfully crossed, it is difficult to get out of the danger zone quickly. But in the end, thanks to the villagers' sacrifice to attract the attention of the border garrison, the mother and son successfully crossed the blockade. Disguised as an entertainer along the way. Begging and earning money to support Lüdes, he knocked on the door of Bishop Minzenti's house, who was recuperating in Lüdes due to illness, and informed the cardinal of everything that had happened to the crown leader.

Bishop Minzenti was a very traditional clergyman, religious, unpolitical, and conservative. The National Socialists of the consortium approached him privately, calling him nothing more than a "stupid royalist old bastard." After receiving the cry of Madame Rayck, the first thought of the orthodox bishop was to appeal to His Majesty Charles IV, the "loving father".

However, although Bishop Minzenti wears a small hat and a red coat like Richelieu, his influence and power are far inferior to that of Archbishop Leine, and it is doubtful that a mere territorial archbishop can impress the king and bring about a change in the tyranny of the crown prince in the "motherland" in the shortest possible time. Bishop Minzenty was also aware of this, so he contacted the nobles of the crown who lived in Lüdes, and finally decided to mobilize the crown of the diaspora to express their demands in the form of a peaceful petition.

The reason for this method is to use enough people to form pressure so that the royal government can face up to the problems that happened in the crown collar; second, as long as the matter can be resolved smoothly, the nobles and priests who initiated the petition can be praised for "asking for the people's life"; His Majesty's image of "listening to the people's suffering" will be strengthened, the resentment of the common people can also be alleviated, and finally everyone can get a little benefit from the stairs and not let the matter develop to the point of no return.

This has also been questioned, pointing out that such an approach could create the impression that the king was under pressure to give in, and that it would have an incalculable impact on the Charlemagne family to maintain its rule, and that the royal government might take a strong line to avoid such an impact. But in the heat of the crowd, minorities who cannot come up with a more workable solution are always automatically ignored. Finally, after some tandem, the Crown Lords from all over the country took to the streets of Lüdes and marched towards the Tuileries Palace, where His Majesty the King worked.

"Mom. ”

Rajk Ida bowed his head, and 10-year-old Rajk Andras looked up at his mother and asked crisply:

"Can we meet His Majesty?"

This is the greatest motivation for them to endure hunger, cold, discrimination, and exhaustion all the way to Lüdes, but when they witness the prosperity of Lüdes and look at the huge buildings boasting of power and wealth, the country children who have never seen the world still instinctively feel timid.

The landlord's family didn't have such a big house, but to the people in the village, he was already a big man who couldn't be disobeyed. With so many big houses, and the whole country having to listen to his majesty, it must be even more amazing, right?

In the little head, crude analogies and uneasy thoughts were mixed together, so that little Andras could not be quiet.

"It's going to be fine. ”

Ida stroked her son, an action that reassured little Andras. The bony body no longer trembled.

"His Majesty is a loving father who listens to the voices of the poor, and he will certainly accept our requests. ”

There was no hesitation in his tone, but the same question flashed in his heart. But for this country woman, there is no way back for her.

Not only her, but the more than 80,000 people gathered here, as well as the entire crown of the Crown, have pinned their last hope for a peaceful settlement on His Majesty.

They pinned great hopes, but they did not know that in order to celebrate the victory of the crown prince at the front, the royal family and important ministers all gathered at the Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of the city. The petitioners were confronted with nothing but an empty palace and-

The sound of neat boots stomping on the ground, a slightly panicked command, and the sound of cannon wheels running over the ground came from the ground, and the royal guards stationed at the Tuileries Palace blocked between the crowd and the palace. Staring at the large stream of unarmed petitioners. The heavily armed soldier had an unconcealed horror on his face.

"Stop, stop!"

The commander of the guards brandished a pistol. Hoarse shouts, the huge crowd did not stop, and the brigadier general gritted his teeth and ordered loudly.

"Raise the gun !!"

-- This is a moment in history.

Li Lin Zhengrong, who stood on the podium, said that he did not change his tone and expression at all. At the same time, he peeked a little into Richelieu's face.

At this moment, the celebration is entering a climax. Richelieu, on the other hand, was both a political ally and an adversary of the consortium. Charlemagne is the de facto number one again. That's why he gave the cardinal this kind of treatment when he officially began his speech.

Of course, this move was not out of respect for Richelieu. It's just that he doesn't want to give people a chance to take advantage of even the smallest parts.

(Watch out guys.) ）

The cardinal muttered to himself, and the gaze on the podium that seemed to be able to peek through people's hearts had shifted to the distant side.

After looking around at everyone, Li Lin spoke:

"It's a long-cherished wish...... No, even beyond these important moments in history, all of you present are the lucky ones who have witnessed the torrent of history. ”

Ping Pong - !!

The guards had fired two warning shots into the sky in succession, ordering the crowd that had flocked to the palace to disperse, but the men at the front of the procession could not stop at all due to the push and shove of the crowd behind, and the brigadier general's hand trembling in the face of the approaching crowd, as if they were about to be overwhelmed.

"No, keep going like this...... These damn guys!!"

With red eyes, the pistol that had been raised to the sky hung down unconsciously.

Syllable!

Streamers and confetti were sprayed with cannons, a march was played by a band, and the lights focused on a 10-year-old child, a small representative of the family of a front-line officer, who walked to the stage to the rhythm of the drums and with the solemn steps of his training, received a medal from His Majesty the King with impeccable etiquette. The applause and cheers immediately surrounded the little knight, and he was infected by the warm atmosphere, and His Majesty the King, who always had a gloomy face, also showed a rare smile.

In the guest seat, a pale, sweaty man was muttering something in Richelieu's ear, and the cardinal's eyes, which had always squinted, widened suddenly. He got up and shouted something, but the clamor of hundreds of people celebrating drowned out all his shouts.

The front of the Tuileries Palace was already full of dead bodies, machine-loaded and fired by soldiers who were clutched in fear by their hearts, most of the bullets were not carefully aimed, and there were about hundreds of corpses lying under the muzzle of the guns. More people screamed and shoved to escape from the guns, and people fell to the ground so that they never had a chance to get up again, and more people died from crushing and stampeding than those who were shot. Crying, cursing, and desperate cries mingled, shaking the skies of Lydes.

Mrs. Raik also fell to the ground, her eyes wide open and her face full of disbelief from the time she had been shot in the chest. Little Andras was shaking his dead mother's body, looking around and seeing only the dead bodies, the fleeing crowd, and Charlemagne's soldiers shooting wildly. An uncontrollable sensation welled up in his throat, and his tear-filled eyes reflected the intense emotions of a wounded beast.

"I hope that people all over the world can live in peace—"

Perceiving the two landscapes at the same time, looking at the humans who finally began to synchronize the chaos, Li Lin raised his wine glass and whispered his wishes.

There was no malice in his words, not the slightest bit. (To be continued......)