I will be crowned king

Although he acted as if he would rather die than surrender, in fact, Brandley had already given up when he was caught by the Whitehall Street police.

As a member of the Empire's royal family, the Hered family, despite his low status, he does not know too many secrets about the dispute between the Old God Sect and the Church. However, what is the crime of being involved with the Old God Sect, and even secretly cooperating with an evil god apostle? , he didn’t completely understand that as long as it was exposed, he would die without a burial, and no one would believe that he was actually innocent.

The assassins were from the imperial royal family, and the spell casters from the Old Gods were recruited by the church. The whole plan was also a collusion between the upper echelons of the Hereid royal family and the Holy See, intending to completely plunge the city of Clovis into civil strife... He, Brandley, had no idea at all. I didn't participate, but if I dared to say even a word, I would end up dead without a burial.

In comparison, being imprisoned by the Whitehall Street police was considered the least bad outcome.

The most important thing is that Ludwig, as one of the few people who knew the truth of the incident, knew very well what a huge impact the facts would have once they were announced, and there would definitely be a lot of doubts and objections mixed in, not necessarily It can achieve his goal of uniting various groups and forces in Clovis and declaring war on the Empire.

Therefore, he first wanted to make Brandley afraid and know that he was grasping his weak spot, and then he would use coercion and inducement to cooperate with him to concoct a truth that was logical but not so unbelievable that no one could believe it.

A hostage who dares not tell the truth at all for fear of being silenced and just wants to survive; a hostage who does not need to tell the truth at all, as long as he can achieve his own goal. Not only do the two not conflict, but they even work well together.

Moreover, Ludwig did not actually need him to express his position, or at least he did not need to tell the "truth" immediately; until that day came, Brandley could continue to enjoy life in an unknown private residence of the Franz family. , taste high-end wine and tobacco, and still get all-round protection, but temporarily lose their freedom.

After spending a full week to arrange this important trump card, Ludwig finally had time to turn his attention to the still bustling city of Clovis: "Representatives from various provinces and foreign envoys, what is the general situation now? ?”

"Currently, representatives from various provinces are arriving in batches in an orderly manner under the arrangement of the Ministry of War." On the other side of the desk, Roman hesitated for a moment and gave a not low reply:

"Using the postal system throughout the country, the War Department distributed leaflets on the National Assembly bill to the provinces in the name of His Majesty, as well as invitations to Clovis; however, the invitations did not include specific names, but only rows. The province distributes it, and the amount varies depending on the amount of tax paid and the population.”

"oh?"

Ludwig raised his eyebrows curiously: "Wouldn't this cause confusion?"

"In fact, not at all, because the bill promotion brochures were distributed directly to all parts of the country, but the invitation letters were directly handed over to the fortresses in each province, that is, in the hands of the local garrisons." Roman said solemnly: "So who specifically got the invitation letter? It’s entirely up to the local garrison to decide.”

"I see. It's really not easy to cause disputes like this."

Ludwig nodded and said thoughtfully: "In other words, Anson Bach made a favor and used invitation letters to bribe and win over garrisons across the country? Haha... It is really in line with his usual style."

"With all due respect, Lord Consul, you'd better think of his intentions as more vicious." Roman frowned slightly, and his tone was vaguely audible with a hint of contempt:

"To whom the garrison sends the invitation letter, in turn, it can be seen whether the local army prefers nobles, wealthy businessmen, or ordinary people - this is a standard test that allows them to quickly identify which ones can be attracted, used, or suppressed. .”

Ludwig Franz: "...You continue."

"Because the Railway Commission is currently within their control, the so-called 'invitation' is actually a ticket for a certain steam train. From departure to arrival at Clovis City, these representatives will be completely under the control of the War Department. Under control.”

"However, according to Anson Bach, even without an invitation letter, you can claim to be representatives to participate in the discussion, but the Ministry of War will place them separately; at the same time, if you fail to report to the Ministry of War, representatives who ascend the throne will lose the qualification to participate in the first round. Then……"

"Wait, first round?"

Ludwig's expression became a little strange, and he quickly raised his hand to stop: "Why, do they plan to discuss it many times?"

"I'm afraid so." Roman nodded, his eyes twinkling slightly: "According to the chief of the Royal Guards, I'm afraid it will take more than six times."

"Six times?"

Ludwig's expression became even more baffling: "Why, what is the need to do this?"

"This... I'm afraid you have to ask me directly." Roman's expression was quite subtle: "But it's best to wait for two more days. Our chief of royal guards probably doesn't have much free time for the time being."

"yes."

Sighing softly, Ludwig showed a very understanding expression. He knew very well that the guy who had taken over all the practical work of the entire Army Department, had to make action plans for the next step, and was monitored around the clock by the inquisitors of the Seeking Order. How busy he is: "Then let's wait for now. The real meeting will take some time anyway. Let him finish the contact and placement first... huh?"

Seeing Roman's increasingly weird eyes, Ludwig was stunned:

"What, I didn't say it right?"

……………………

"No, no, no, you are absolutely right!"

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Hantu, Léon François’s voice of surprise sounded in the side hall of the Loyalty Palace, making Renault Emmanuel, who was forced to follow, have goosebumps all over his body, as if he was struck by something that was about to be forgotten. Old memories struck.

"Actually, I have been vaguely aware since the Holy War in the New World that the order of the old era is almost unworkable - the Holy See controls the spiritual world and faith, and the Empire maintains the balance of power and interests among countries to ensure an orderly world. This cornerstone of prosperity and stability ceased to exist with the independence of the Free Confederation."

"No! Even earlier, the independence of the colonies is just the final result. The essence is the ebb and flow of the strength of the parties, and the church's increasingly unable to restrain their ideas of intervening in secular affairs; the failure of war after war, It also proves that although the empire is still powerful, it has lost the power to dominate everyone and judge the world."

"Today's world of order can no longer return to the state it had in the forty-seventh year of the Saints Calendar; if this is the case, then the form of order should also change accordingly; either the empire will rise strong again and reverse the trend of decline, or there will be a new power and powerful forces to fill the resulting vacancy.”

"And since we want to change the world, we must first complete our own changes, step out of the prison of the old order, and use a new attitude to burst out with power far beyond the past... Well, that's it!"

The impassioned little Leon suddenly lit up his eyes with excitement: "My dear cousin Anson, do you think this is the case?!"

I, what did I just say... The corners of Anson's mouth twitched slightly as he was being stared at.

I just casually talked about the current situation in Clovis City, why the Privy Council was dissolved, and what happened to the Citizens' Assembly and the "National Assembly" that the whole city is currently quarreling about. As a result, little Leon became this excited appearance.

In fact, Anson didn't want to mention the "National Assembly Act" at first. This was something that was obviously completely opposite to the position of Prince Leon of Hantu. After all, it was impossible to gain even a hint of favor from the other party no matter how much he thought about it.

But the result... seems to be completely opposite to what I predicted?

"Give up. No matter what you say, this guy won't have the slightest objection."

Renault on the side seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and said helplessly: "For our Crown Prince, even the sermon of the Archbishop of Hantu Cathedral is not as weighty as yours."

"What you said is too exaggerated." Little Leon immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: "It's just because I understand the reason why cousin Ansen did this, so I expressed my approval a little bit."

"Just imagine, if Clovis can pass this change and prove that the 'National Assembly' really works, wouldn't it be worthy of reference?"

For such a well-founded answer, Lenore Emmanuel's reply was a big eye roll.

"Let's get back to the topic." He turned his attention to Anson: "The reason why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to come in person on behalf of Hantu this time is that the recent news about Clovis City is too confusing and has reached the level that it cannot be understood with just the letterhead. .”

"oh?"

Anson raised his eyebrows. He knew that the truth would spread the news, but it was indeed a bit unexpected to be able to wear it so quickly: "What is the news that Hantu got?"

"It's very chaotic. It can be said that there are all kinds of things." Little Leon said seriously: "The news my father received in Golden Stone City was that a mutiny broke out in Clovis City and Carlos II was assassinated; wait until Eagle Point City , there are rumors in the local area that Clovis’s army rebelled collectively and established a so-called dictatorial military government!”

"The Emmanuel family is similar, and even more exaggerated. The information my father, Duke Emmanuel, received was that the Clovis nobles incited the army to rebel, killed Carlos II, and elected the young Nicholas. Succession in one life.”

Lenore took over the topic and continued: "The news in Carindia Port is even more confusing. It is said that the empire used Queen Mother Anne Herred to assassinate Carlos II and planned to take advantage of the chaos to paralyze Clovis. , which will facilitate a large-scale invasion of Clovis after the beginning of spring.”

"By the way, this news is said to have first appeared among sailors in Carindia Port. In other words, it is most likely a rumor spread from the southern part of the empire, and I am afraid it has already spread locally."

Anson's expression finally turned slightly serious.

At least based on his understanding, if news from Clovis City was to reach the empire, or even the southern part of the empire, in the form of "rumors", it would take at least two months, or even half a year; plus the Holy War had just ended at that time, It also coincides with the severe winter. No matter how keen the grand duchies in the southern part of the empire are on the latest news about the Clovis people, it is impossible for them to know about the mutiny so quickly.

Then there is only one answer: this rumor was deliberately released, and it was probably very early, at least when the Holy War had just ended and he arrived in Clovis City.

So a new question arises: Who did it?

The Herred royal family, or the Southern Grand Duke who dissatisfied with the emperor? Both are possible, but the former would be a huge sacrifice. However, considering that there are a large number of Imperials among the assassins ambushing Clovis City, the probability is not actually small.

Otherwise...it seems that the only option left is the Holy See.

Now Anson also roughly understands that in addition to the conflicts between the diocese and the Holy See, the Holy See is also not monolithic. It can be roughly divided into two factions: the Judgment Knights and the Abbey. The war between the Empire and Clovis should be very popular. The faction headed by the Knights of Judgment welcomes this, because it can use carrots and sticks to significantly enhance the presence and influence of the church; while the latter is more inclined to use a relatively "moderate" approach to gradually erode the internal affairs of each country.

If this rumor is really spread by the Holy See, then there is a high probability that it has something to do with the Judgment Knights.

After pondering for a moment, Anson focused on the two of them again: "In that case, apart from clarifying the rumors, what other plans does Hantu have?"

"The main purpose is of course to understand the current situation of Clovis, especially to find out who is really in power at the moment and affect the alliance relationship between the two parties." As he spoke, Lenore moved his eyes to his side: "As for the second step... …”

"That is to invite Clovis and Hantu to recruit soldiers and prepare for war!" Little Leon's eyes instantly became much more determined: "No matter whether this riot is caused by the empire or not, as long as it can be properly publicized to the outside world, It will definitely arouse the indignation of Clovis against the Empire and start a war before the Empire reacts!"

"Indeed." Anson nodded slightly. According to his estimation, this is probably what the ruling lord planned: "But why exactly? If it's just revenge and dignity, it seems that Clovis would hardly have any interests at all."

"As for fighting for a few towns on the border and carving up a few castles, it seems that it is not worth launching a full-scale war with the empire; but when it comes to ceding territory, I am afraid that the imperial princes and lords who were not very loyal to the emperor will immediately He fought to the death to surround his own territory."

"That's right. As expected of cousin Anson, he understands very thoroughly." Little Leon smiled slightly:

"Therefore, our real goal is not the empire, but propaganda to the empire in the name of revenge, and before the empire reacts, we will strangle the Elf Kingdom of Ysel, which was severely damaged in the last war."

"Here, in the name of the Crown Prince of Hantu, I sincerely invite the Kingdom of Clovis to join hands with Hantu to carve up the territory of the Iser Elf!"

Here, Kongkong sincerely recommends to everyone that you should never suddenly drink a glass of iced pure milk when you are about to get off work or go out.

Well, I finally know why I had diarrhea for no reason yesterday.