I will be crowned king

After a moment of dead silence, thunderous exclamations and roars erupted in the throne room:

"This, how is this possible?!"

"This is too much. This is an unabashed declaration of war... No, this is the empire's declaration of war. The war has already begun!"

"Yes, this kind of immoral behavior must be punished, otherwise Clovis will be seen as a weak person who can be bullied!"

"Declaration of war! Declaration of war! Declaration of war..."

The nobles were impassioned, and each one wanted to make the loudest noise with his voice, so that the people around him would know how angry he was about this matter.

But if you observe carefully, it is not difficult to find that the "surprise" and "anger" on many people's faces appear... particularly exaggerated.

Of course it was exaggerated. After all, they had known for a long time that the mutiny and riots were related to the empire. This was not news at all.

However, when they raided the Imperial Embassy, ​​Clovis did not give any official response, and it was difficult for the chaotic city of Clovis to spread any news - especially when all foreigners were under surveillance. .

But this is at most the superficial reason for the nobles' "anger", or just an excuse. The real reason is that they all realize how much benefit a sudden war can bring at this time.

War, a war based on noble excuses, is always the best weapon to unite the bottom class whose interests have been damaged and transfer conflicts outward.

As long as war breaks out, they can immediately use the reason of "defending the dignity of the Clovis people" to force the National Assembly to stop their current activities and instead donate taxes and soldiers.

And there is another benefit: if the war is won, it goes without saying that the prestige of the young king Nicholas I will reach the top, even surpassing that of his father Carlos II.

After all, although Carlos II has great prestige, is loved by many, and is known as the "Lucky King", he has one flaw, that is, he has never defeated the Empire - of course, the exception is a certain unlucky colonial levy.

On the frontal battlefields of the Old World, Carlos II never captured a single territory from the empire, not even a village or a castle. The victorious wars basically just maintained the status quo, and often suffered huge losses.

Therefore, if Nicholas I could change this situation, one can imagine how much prestige he would gain.

On the contrary, it would not be a pity if he failed. First of all, he was a young king after all, and no one would blame a child for defeat.

Not only that, the nobles could also use this to blame the National Assembly, angrily complaining that their unreasonable demands and various power-grabbing behaviors led to the defeat of the war, and made the representatives suffer a lot of criticism.

In any case, the aristocracy - of course, specifically the wealthy aristocrats of Clovis City and their lackeys - will certainly not suffer any losses, which is very important.

Ludwig looked at the group of nobles cheering for the war coldly, with a flash of contempt in the corner of his eyes.

Although he also disclosed this "secret" for his own ulterior purposes, this did not prevent him from despising other people.

"Ludwig is in power, please be careful in your words and deeds."

The expression of Nicholas I on the throne did not show any joy. On the contrary, he was only nervous: "The Emperor of the Empire is my uncle, the guardian of the ordered world."

"I don't deny that he may also break out a war with Clovis for the benefit of the empire and the Principality of Snapdragon, but such a despicable method that violates chivalry... If it is wrong, this will be regarded as a great humiliation and slander."

The little king's words gradually calmed down the voices of the nobles, and many even showed expressions of doubt and dissatisfaction - Nicholas's attitude was obvious, he didn't really want a war.

People who mature early also have the trouble of premature maturity, that is, they are exposed to too much incomprehensible information and problems in advance.

Nicholas I was so smart that he could clearly realize that Clovis's current national strength and political stability were far from enough to initiate a war.

Will the army be willing to obey his orders if the war starts? Will the provinces be willing to provide taxes? Will they use the National Assembly to extort money from themselves? If the war fails, will the empire continue to invade and even intervene in Clovis? Reasons for internal affairs...

There are too many problems that require rich experience for a king to solve and understand, but what Nicholas lacks most now is experience.

He was still hesitating, but everyone on the opposite side couldn't wait to push him.

"If there is no complete certainty and evidence, how can your ministers dare to present this matter to the emperor in public?" Ludwig bowed:

"The imprisoned imperial ambassador has confessed that he was instructed by the emperor to plunge the city of Clovis into chaos and create an opportunity for the empire to intervene."

"Following the clues he provided, we found the embassy and the royal family - to be precise, the letters exchanged privately by the emperor himself. The evidence in them is enough to prove what I just said."

Of course, it can also be proven that the Church colluded with the Magic Apostles, the Old Gods and the Imperial Royal Assassins to join forces - but all traces of these were eliminated by the Inquisition, Clovis Cathedral and Ludwig himself.

Several forces have a tacit understanding of this: If the conflict between the Empire and Clovis remains the focus of this matter, it can still be resolved. Once it expands to the church level, Clovis may have to consider fighting with the entire Order World. The enemy, even the enemy, is not just the world of order.

At least for now, Clovis must be patient; even if he resists, he must control the intensity of the resistance to a very small range.

"In other words, it can indeed be proven that the Emperor of the Empire was involved in this matter, right?"

Even if he has accepted the reality, the little king still uses the relatively harmless word "intervention": "But even if Clovis comes up with hard facts, the empire will not admit it."

"They will definitely not admit it, but the fact is the fact. For those who are unwilling to accept the reality, it will only cause anger; for those who have long longed for change, it is the reason for change."

Ludwig, who had been a poet and Riddler for a time, took the initiative to explain his words: "The content of the letter can first ensure that your allies and all Clovis people stand behind you. In addition, those who are already dissatisfied with the emperor The imperial lords, states, and free cities are also very likely to declare neutrality or even join us."

"The emperor could interfere with Clovis and the Osterian royal family in the name of 'household affairs,' so why couldn't the king of Clovis use the same reason to explain the war as a family conflict?"

Ludwig showed a ferocious smile:

"This is your right, Your Majesty."

"Yes, Ludwig is in power, you have made it very clear." The little king held his forehead and pretended to be thoughtful:

"But if you want to start a war, you first need to assemble the army, collect taxes and supplies, that is, win the support of the people and soldiers."

"The latter needs the War Department to complete their work, and the former needs the National Assembly to express its position as soon as possible." He looked up at Anson:

"I will leave this difficult task to you, the chief bodyguard of the Wang family. You must give me an answer within three days."

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the little king no longer wants to talk anymore and is eager to end this somewhat sudden meeting as soon as possible.

Everyone present was also very understanding, and soon an elderly noble made a request to "dismiss the meeting". Nicholas was able to use the other party's age as an excuse to grant the request very kindly.

After the meeting, Anson tried to take the initiative to find Sophia, but the Minister of War seemed to still be angry and did not want to talk to the chief of the Royal Guards at all, and left without looking back.

Anson, who had made a comeback, was hesitating whether to go to the War Department or rush back to the National Assembly when Ludwig suddenly stopped him halfway.

"It's really leisurely, Anson Bach." Ludwig approached coldly from behind and said:

"If I were you, I would be racking my brains just thinking about how to maintain my status as a soldier and a representative of the National Assembly at the same time."

"Really? That means you care a lot about your status in this area." Anson chuckled twice and turned around:

"My secret is that it's best not to care about it. Many things happen naturally. If you insist on it, there won't be any good results."

"Good sarcasm, hope you keep it up."

Ludwig snorted coldly: "No further talk, I'm looking for you because of our previous agreement, haven't you forgotten it?"

Didn't you suddenly start gossiping about yourself and complaining about others... Ansen complained in his heart and nodded lightly:

"Of course, you help me pass the parliamentary bill, and I help you start a war."

"Now that the National Assembly has been completed, it is even possible to become the de facto ruler of Clovis in the future. What I promised you has been accomplished." Ludwig's eyes were meaningful:

"Now it's your turn to fulfill your promise."

"Regarding this, I feel like I have already started fulfilling my promise."

Anson was not polite: "You secretly mobilized the Southern Army, and you also planned to let me serve as the commander-in-chief of the Ranger Army to invade the Iser Elf Kingdom. I knew about it and acquiesced."

"Otherwise, you don't think that after leaving the War Department, you can dictate matters in the Loyalty Palace without encountering any obstruction, do you?"

"Of course I know this, but it's not enough, far from enough." Ludwig's eyes were burning:

"I want you to order the National Assembly to pass a war resolution unanimously and provide unconditional full support."

"That's a little difficult, or completely impossible."

"Why, there are still things that you, the 'Perfect Plan' master, can't achieve?"

"Yes, for example, daydreaming." Anson complained unceremoniously:

"There are five thousand people in the National Assembly, representatives from all over the country. He is not five thousand soldiers. Why should he obey orders unconditionally?"

"I have no idea."

Ludwig blinked: "Perhaps it's because they worship their leader so much that they blindly believe every word he says and carry out all his orders?"

"Lord Ludwig, the one you are talking about is called the Ring of Order, not the leader." Anson still smiled: "If a leader wants his followers to do things, they also have to pay a price and reward."

"...Well, anyway, I don't really expect those profit-seeking guys to really give for free."

Ludwig was still arrogant, but he still gave in half a step: "I can accept some conditions, but the premise is that they must support the war. There is no room for negotiation on this matter."

"It's absolutely no problem. We can use this as a basic condition for negotiation." Anson nodded: "I will find a way to bring this matter into discussion as soon as possible and give an absolutely satisfactory answer."

"If you are dissatisfied, let's talk about it as soon as possible."

"Then would you be interested in joining the discussion, Speaker?"

"Forget it, I am just the speaker appointed by His Majesty, and there is still a big gap between me and the 'real speaker' supported by the entire National Assembly." Ludwig continued to sneer:

"I won't do anything to humiliate myself. Farewell!"

After saying that, he left without looking back - obviously the parliament that day had left a big shadow on him.

That afternoon, the National Assembly held a discussion on the war; the representatives seemed very excited, because being able to participate in the discussion of the war meant that the status of the National Assembly was at least seemingly improved, even if this improvement may really only be seen. stand up.

Even so, all the representatives were discussing seriously, and even many representatives who did not know much about the relationship between the Empire and Clovis would take the initiative to seek advice from representatives with better backgrounds and higher education, and the latter basically Answer patiently and seriously - after all, if you answer it yourself, you can also let other representatives support their own opinions.

With such a "quick understanding", the National Assembly's understanding of the war really turned into a "family matter" similar to relatives fighting for property, as Ludwig described: Clovis's side was The mainstay of the family had just been killed, leaving an orphan and a widow, and the emperor was an evil distant uncle who was eyeing his nephew's property.

What's even more annoying is that this uncle is not a poor man. On the contrary, he is very rich, ten times richer than his nephew's family. However, he still greedily focuses on his nephew's family property and racks his brains to steal it, but he can't. Achievements are obtained through robbery, no matter how you hear them, they are hateful.

This simple understanding quickly aroused the anger of the entire National Assembly - there is no way, the representatives have varying levels of education, and it is really impossible to understand those who are not simple.

That afternoon, the National Assembly unanimously voted to support the war; before noon the next day, Anson approached Ludwig with a package of parliamentary statements.

After carefully reading the content passed by the National Assembly for half an hour, the expressionless Ludwig put down the document in his hand and stared into Ansen Bach's eyes:

"I just want to ask one thing. Does your so-called statement support the war, or..."

"...Taking advantage of the situation?!"