Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 413 Prologue

  [January 1, 520 of the imperial calendar][41 years ago]

  [The end of the war against rebellion in the Principality of Bagrum]

   The last petitioner was brought into the palace tent.

   The petitioner this time is a middle-aged man with a pair of rough palms. Because of years of heavy physical labor, his knuckles inevitably become swollen and twisted.

   Although he has washed his old clothes as clean as possible, he still cannot change the inferior texture of the coarse cloth.

  The man who came to petition knelt down on one knee, clutching the hem of his clothes with both hands in a panic. He didn't dare to look up, he only dared to stare at the tip of his shoe, stumbling over the request that he had recited many times.

   In front of the petitioner, the six-year-old Prince Henry sat upright in the chair, trying to straighten his face, trying to imitate his father's majesty.

  Little Henry's chair was just to the right of his father, slightly lower than the emperor's seat.

  His chair is a big chair for adults, little Henry sits on it, and a pair of small boots can only hang in the air;

  His chair was also a very uncomfortable chair, without any padding—since the emperor's chair was not upholstered, neither was the prince's chair.

   Little Henry looked at the petitioner without squinting, but in his mind he was imagining his father's expression and manners.

  The chairs of the emperor and prince are at the end of a luxurious tent, facing the door of the tent, guarded by heavily armed attendants.

   Little Henry's father - Richard Lieyang, "Warrior", Emperor of the Empire, is like a lion overlooking the territory, sitting on his throne calmly and majestically, listening to the petitioner's petition.

  …

  The Emperor is thirty-one years old, with a well-proportioned body and strong lines, with thick dark hair and an enviably beautiful beard, as well as a pair of unforgettable sharp eyes.

   Even in the palace tent and under the sanitation of attendants, the emperor did not take off his armor. The black sheet metal armor on his body is embossed with the coat of arms of the sun, and a helmet with a crown hangs on the armrest of his throne, and a simple long sword is reclining on the side of the throne. On the left hand side of the emperor.

  Before the official anointing and coronation in the Cathedral of the Holy Stone, Richard IV experienced the first war of the era ruled in his name - the War of the [Pretender] Philip Succession. After his official coronation, the wars in the empire and on the frontiers, big and small, have never completely subsided.

   Twenty years have passed since he inherited the throne until today. Twenty years of war and twelve years of pro-government have forged the thin Prince Richard into a strong and mature man, and also sharpened the "little pea" in his mother's mouth into a resolute and heroic emperor.

   After coming to battle again and again and leading his army to victory, Richard IV won the reputation of "Warrior".

   Now is his time, he is at the peak of body and spirit, the balance point of wisdom and courage, twenty years in power has made him accumulate unquestionable authority, twelve years of pro-government have made him know how to control the empire.

   Not a single Imperial subject doubted the fate of the warrior Richard to become the great emperor.

  …

  The candlelight of beeswax makes the interior of the tent as bright as day, and the scented stove makes the interior of the tent as warm as early summer. From time to time there was a rumbling sound of thunder outside the tent, but it was absorbed by the thick camel-hair tapestry, and eventually attenuated to a dull thud.

   The people who were fortunate enough to resist the previous petition were brought into the tent one by one, and knelt down in front of the throne to make a petition.

  The courtiers and lords stood quietly in the tent, witnessing the emperor's justice, wisdom and kindness together.

   Little Henry tried his best to concentrate and try to hear what the adults were saying and understand what the adults were doing, but he was still a child after all, and his mind had long since slipped out of the tent.

   Can't be **** him-because petitions are too boring.

  The first group to be brought into the palace were the vassals of the Duke of Bagrum who surrendered without resistance. Facing the emperor's army, they did not hesitate to give up their loyalty to the old master and obediently asked the emperor to surrender.

   They were led into the palace tent one by one, kneeling before the emperor and swearing allegiance. The emperor accepted their oath, allowing them to keep their lands, titles and possessions.

   Then they kissed the emperor's ring and walked out of the palace tent backwards.

   Although the courtiers present didn’t say it on the surface, they despised these stubborn guys in their hearts. If they can easily break their oath to the old master, then their oath to the emperor is worthless.

   The second group of vassals who were brought into the palace tent were the vassals of the Duke of Bagrum who chose to surrender because of the impossibility. They either tried to resist with the strong castle, or took the initiative to challenge the emperor's soldiers, and they didn't understand who the victor of this war would be until they paid a heavy price.

   So, they chose to surrender.

The    emperor justly decided their fate: deprived of some or most of their fiefs, but mercifully spared their lives; at the same time recruiting their heirs into the court for education, both as hostages and as a chance to revive the family.

   The third group of vassals who entered the tent were the vassals of the Duke of Bagrum who voluntarily fell to the emperor. At the beginning of the war, they stood on the emperor's side with a clear stand, not only joining the emperor's command, but also charging into the front line of the counter-insurgency war, biting the body of the old emperor.

The    emperor generously rewarded them, handing over part of the confiscated territories to them to rule, and accepting them as his direct vassals.

  They will be the nails that the emperor chiseled into the Duchy of Bagrum, because they can no longer be accepted by the nobles of Bagrum, and from now on, they all depend on the protection of the emperor.

After the    allegiance ceremony, the petition entered the stage of “petition” in the literal sense, and people who came to seek justice from the emperor were brought to the imperial front one by one:

  The minor nobles asked the emperor to adjudicate disputes arising from property inheritance;

The monks of the    monastery hoped that the emperor would be able to claim back the estates previously occupied by the dukes;

The representatives of the    boroughs complained that they were subjected to unreasonable taxes, and that they were often blackmailed by rogue knights who raided the outskirts of the city.

Richard Lieyang answered them one by one, and he justly divided the disputed property, allowed the Church to take back what belonged to them, and guaranteed the safety of the autonomous city in the name of the emperor—and henceforth any nobleman who tried to extort the latter would be punished. It is equivalent to challenging the authority of the emperor.

   Everyone was content, and even those who did not achieve their desired goals were willing to obey the emperor's judgment.

   until the last petitioner was brought into the palace tent.

The last petitioner came from a remote domain called Kempson, whom the peasants had elected to seek justice from the emperor, who, according to the emperor's coronation oath, was obliged to "maintain liberty, protect poor subjects".

   His travel expenses were raised by the peasants of Kempsson from a slot to a slot. Even with enough travel expenses, his journey to Yujia was difficult and full of dangers.

With tears in his eyes, he recounted how the abbot of Kempson Abbey raised taxes to force farmers to lose their land, how he took the inheritance of orphans who had lost their parents, how he used church courts to arbitrarily interrogate peasants who resisted, and how to plunder to make Every peasant and tenant farmer in Kempsson eventually became an indentured serf in the monastery, how to interfere with the peasant's marriage so that no free people would be born in Kempsson in the future, and how cruelly killed the previous one in the middle. The representative of the peasants who came to ask the emperor for justice.

The middle-aged farmer from Kempsong said at the end, almost weeping, he knelt on the ground and shouted: "If we are wrong, we are willing to suffer any punishment; if our request is unrighteous, we are willing to sacrifice ourselves head; but if we have done nothing wrong, let your majesty do justice for us."

  Richard Lieyang, who is on the throne, solemnly listened to the petition from the representative of the Kempsong peasants.

   He pondered for a moment, then took off the ring on his left hand, nodding his head to call the attendant, and handing the ring to the attendant. The attendant walked up to the peasant representative and placed the ring in front of the peasant representative.

"This ring is worth 30,000 gul shields." Richard Lieyang's voice was as cold as his facial features, with an unquestionable attitude: "It should be worth the value of Kemp Songtian's property. With It goes back and redeems your land from Kempson Abbey."

The emperor paused, rubbed the hilt of his sword habitually, glanced at the courtiers and lords in the palace tent, and then looked down at the peasant representative with a smile: "If the abbot of Kempson doesn't want to, come back and see me. ."

   The nobles in the palace tent, some laughed, some chuckled, but everyone laughed in cooperation.

  The peasant representative held the ring in both hands and left the palace tent with gratitude.

  Richard Lieyang called the captain of the guard and instructed the latter to select two capable guards to **** the peasant representatives of Kempson home.

After witnessing the emperor's fair, wise and merciful resolution of the last petitioner's demands, the voice of "Long live my emperor" sounded in the palace tent, and the whispers gathered together, and finally they shouted in unison: "Long live my emperor! Long live my emperor!"

  Richard Lieyang waved his hand, and the surroundings became quiet for a moment. He waved his hand again, and the minister on duty consciously led the courtiers and lords to leave in an orderly manner.

  Richard Lieyang looked at the captain of the guard and nodded slightly, so the attendants and priests also withdrew from the palace tent.

   There were only Richard Lieyang and Henry Lieyang left in the huge palace tent.

The emperor suddenly exhaled a long breath, moved his already sore back, and turned to look at Little Henry, his icy expression melted, showing a rare trace of warmth, he smiled and asked Little Henry, "Are you tired? "

   "Not tired!" Little Henry answered loudly.

Richard Lieyang picked up little Henry, put it on his knees, and rubbed the eldest son's fluffy hair: "one day, you will sit here too. At that time, you will take my responsibility, and you have to protect Family, protect the empire, and most importantly - protect your mother and brother."

   Little Henry giggled while avoiding his father's piercing beard, "I will!"

  Richard Lieyang put his son on the ground, knocked on the latter's pocket-sized children's armor, and asked, "What's the harvest today?"

   Little Henry rolled his eyes and replied in a milky voice, "The people who first came to see Dad, they were afraid of you."

   "Afraid of me?" Richard snorted softly: "Not only are they afraid of me, they also hate me because I humiliated them in front of everyone."

The Emperor    smiled and asked, "What else?"

   Little Henry frowned, thought hard for a long time, and replied in a low voice, "The people who came to see Dad later, they came to you to ask for something."

"You remember, all people approach power with a purpose. It is true for me, and it is true for you. It is normal to ask for something, without hope and despair. They ask me for things, and they make I can ask them for something." Richard Lieyang looked into his son's eyes: "Do you understand?"

  Little Henry nodded in understanding.

  Richard squeezed his son's cheek and said with a smile, "You will understand in the future."

   After saying that, he stood up, picked up his sword, and prepared to leave the palace tent with his eldest son.

   "But..." Little Henry's puzzled voice sounded beside the emperor: "The last person who came to see you doesn't seem to have anything for Dad?"

  Richard Lieyang turned around, looked at his son for a while, squatted down to make his eyes level with his son, he smiled and asked, "How do you know he has nothing to give me?"

   "That's right." Little Henry fiddled with his fingers nervously, avoiding his father's direct gaze: "It feels like he has nothing."

   "Yes." Richard Lieyang said calmly: "He still has loyalty."

  The emperor picked up his son, sat back on the throne, and asked little Henry to look in the direction of the tent door. Beyond two layers of felt lies a vast and populous empire.

"Remember, son." The emperor whispered in the prince's ear: "The lower the status, the easier it is to gain their loyalty. Just because they have nothing, just give them a little something, and they can die. Thirty thousand guul-guildren cannot buy an earl's loyalty, but thousands of peasants will be forever grateful to you. They will extol your kindness, and others who have nothing will have hope in you for it."

Little Henry thought for a long time, even though he was smarter than his peers, what he heard was beyond his comprehension, so he could only think with the logic he could understand: "But if they have nothing, their What's the point of being grateful?"

   Hearing Henry's words, Richard Lieyang put away his smile. He turned Little Henry's body around, looked into his son's eyes, and said with a serious expression: "Never underestimate people of low status. Even the most humble people, as long as they keep their eyes open, can find opportunities to take revenge on the most vulnerable people. Powerful people. You can shamelessly humiliate the Duke and Earl of Bagrum, and they will still bow down to you.

   But you don't need to humiliate the poor of Bagrum, whose loyalty is so easy to obtain, then don't push them to the side of the enemy. You should also learn to be kind to the people around you, grooms, servants, palace maids... The more humble people are, the more kind you should be to them. Because it doesn't take much to be kind to them, and they may be there for you when you don't expect them. Do you understand? "

   Little Henry still seemed to understand, but he felt the change in his father's tone. He nodded vigorously: "Yes, Your Majesty."

  Richard Lieyang smiled dotingly, and rubbed his son's fluffy hair again: "Put on your boots—I've prepared a pony for you, you'll like it."

  Little Henry cheered: "Next time you go out of town, I'll come with you!"

  Richard put little Henry on the throne and changed his son's boots with his own hands: "I went out of the city because of the war."

   "I'm going to the war too!"

   "War is a knight's business, you are not even a squire now."

   "Then you canonize me as a knight!"

Richard Lieyang fastened Henry's boots, tapped Henry's breastplate, and smiled a little sadly: "Don't be impatient, there will be endless battles waiting for you to fight in the future. As for now— You have to protect your mother and brother when I go out."

  The curtain of the palace tent was pulled open, and a handsome young nobleman came in.

   "Uncle!" Little Henry waved happily - the young noble is the Queen's younger brother, Louis, Duke of Little Lotaire.

   Another tall, unsmiling old man in uniform entered the tent after the little Duke Lothair - the famous "Butcher" Duke of Arlean.

   The little Duke Lothair and the Duke of Arleans saluted the emperor from a distance, and then walked towards the throne.

   Seeing two close ministers, Richard Lieyang put away the doting smile he had when facing the eldest son, but he did not show the majesty that he couldn't look directly at when he received the petitioner just now.

  The Duke of Arleans stopped in front of the throne, while the little Duke Lotaire walked over to the throne generously, picked up Prince Henry and placed it on his shoulders.

   "Your Majesty, I heard that you gave 30,000 Gul Shields as soon as you raised your hand." The little Duke Lotaire teased with a slight reproach: "It's so generous. When will you be so generous to me?"

   "That ring will come back." Richard Lieyang said lightly.

"Since you said it would come back, then it will definitely come back, so I don't have to worry about it." The little Duke Lothair changed his words and asked the emperor with a casual smile: "Your Majesty, the old man of the Duke of Bagrum's. The two sons have been kneeling for a day and a night, why don't you be kind enough to meet them?"

   "No hurry." Richard Lieyang rubbed the hilt of his sword: "I don't want to accept their surrender yet."

   "Then when did you think?" asked the little Duke Lothair helplessly.

   "When they're scared enough, when they're scared enough, when they don't dare to think of rebellion again."

"I think they're scared enough now. If you really want to wait until the day you are completely satisfied, I'm afraid there will only be rats left in the treasury." Little Duke Lotaire spread his hands, his tone was quite sour: "I can talk to you first. You said yes, I am a poor man now, and I expect you to pay me a salary to get by!"

  Richard Lieyang frowned slightly: "Didn't your father just hand over the real estate around the suburbs to you?"

   "It's all gone," the little Duke Lothair replied lightly.

   "All spent?"

"It's all spent! Women, fine wine, horses, beautiful clothes..." The little Duke Lotaire stroked his beard and said with a little pride: "The Duke was so angry that he swore in front of the icon—unless he dies, he will never die. Won't give me another silver coin."

  Richard Lieyang sighed helplessly and wanted to laugh again. He was always angry with his lovable wife and brother.

   After a moment of contemplation, Li looked at the Duke of Arlean who was standing under the throne, and asked in a deep voice, "Are they scared enough?"

   The Duke Butcher, who seemed to be carved from the root of a horned tree, nodded slightly, and replied indifferently and rigorously: "Within a generation, there will be no more traitors in the Duchy of Bagrum who dare to go against your will."

   "Okay, get ready." Richard leaned his back on the throne and announced calmly, "Then I will meet the two sons of old Bagrum."

   The Duke of Arleans bowed and left the palace tent.

   Little Duke Lotaire pinched little Henry's nose, put the prince back in his seat, and looked at the emperor: "I'm going to prepare too."

   After saying that, he bowed his head slightly and walked out of the palace tent in a graceful manner.

   "Let's go." Richard Lieyang hung up his sword, picked up the helmet with the crown, and patted his son on the shoulder: "First perform the duties of the royal family, and then I will show you the little pony."

  The emperor was just about to call the attendant into the account, and Prince Henry, who had not interrupted at random, finally asked his last question: "Dad, I think... If you only give money to the last person, it should not solve his problem."

  Richard Lieyang turned his head to look at his eldest son, this time his eyes were no longer doting, but surprise and relief: "Why do you say that?"

  Little Henry lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers: "The last person petitioned because the abbot of the monastery was bad. If you just give him money, he will continue to be bullied by the bad abbot..."

   "Then what do you say?" Richard asked encouragingly.

   Little Henry replied tentatively: "Don't let that bad abbot be abbot again?"

   "My son, you are right." Richard picked up the eldest son and put the latter on the throne, while he lowered his body and looked at the eldest son.

   He said word for word: "But I cannot replace the abbot of Kempson Abbey."

   "Why?" Little Henry asked suspiciously, "Aren't you the emperor?"

Richard Lieyang seemed to be talking to another adult, and he explained seriously: "Because all the abbots in the Principality of Bagrum are bad guys, if I deal with the abbot of Kempsson, the other The stewards of the monastery will be in danger; the appointment of the monastery is the power of the church, and if I force the church to obey, the church will be dissatisfied.

The    Church has a lot of money, and I need it; I have just conquered and humiliated the nobles of the Principality of Bagrum, and I am going to reduce their power. If, at such a time, the church is also pushed to the side of the disaffected nobles, Bagrum will cause chaos again sooner or later. "

   "But..." Little Henry became more and more puzzled: "What about the person who made the last petition?"

   "Listen, Henry Lieyang." Richard Lieyang called the eldest son's full name, causing the latter to tremble subconsciously. With no expression on his face, he said coldly: "The important thing is not to save the lowly people, the important thing is the rule of the Lieyang family - my rule, and your rule in the future."

  The emperor looked the eldest son directly in the eyes: "You don't need to help them, save them, help them out of the endless cycle of fate - harvesting their loyalty and gratitude is enough."

  …

[Ten minutes later]

   Little Henry walked out of the palace tent behind the emperor. The sunlight outside the tent was dazzling, so little Henry subconsciously stretched out his hand to block his eyebrows.

  Beyond the palace tent separated by a layer of curtains is an army camp of amazing scale. More than 20,000 soldiers and servants are like ants in a colony of ants. Inside the army camp built around the palace tent, they act according to the rules they only understand.

   Heavily armed cavalry and spearmen came and went, the sound of the axles, the neighing of the horses, and the shouting could be heard incessantly. The whole barracks is like a small town, very lively.

   The "thunder of thunder" previously absorbed by the camel-velvet tapestry hanging inside the palace tent showed its real power. It was no longer a dull echo, but a deafening roar one after another.

Accompanied by the roaring and gushing smoke, the solid stone **** and iron **** flew towards the castle on the distant hills, hitting the parapet and tower like a heavy hammer, smashing the solid city wall into pieces. Smoke is everywhere.

  Bagroom Castle - once thought to be an impregnable castle, once thought to be a castle that would never fall, a castle that once made the Duke of Bagrum's family proud, is now surrounded by the Emperor's great army.

Cannonballs flew from all directions to the castle standing alone on the hill. Under the uninterrupted bombardment of heavy artillery, the castle of Bagrum, which had been staring at all beings, was like a fragile boat, gradually fragmented and on the verge of collapse in the stormy waves of gunpowder smoke. .

   It was only a matter of time before Bagrum Castle fell—no one would have any doubts about it.

   "Your Majesty." The Duke of Arlean walked up to the emperor, nodding and reporting: "Ready."

"Very good." The emperor just nodded, without showing any emotion, he stepped on his horse and looked at the lords of Bagrum who had just sworn allegiance to the palace tent: "Please come with me! Friends! I There is one thing I want to show you—the son of the Duke of Bagrum!"

  Speak, the emperor raised his whip and rode away.

  The newly commissioned lords, court nobles, and the two sons of the Duke of Bagrum followed the emperor's hoofprints all the way to the forefront of the siege.

  The warrior Richard proudly stationed his horse in front of a cannon, less than a hundred meters from the castle on the hill. From where he was, the tragic state of the devastated Bagrum Castle could be clearly seen.

   The cannons were still roaring.

Every time the    deafening cannon sounded, the two sons of Duke Bagrum trembled subconsciously, and their faces became even more bloodless.

   However, Richard looked calm, as if the sound of the cannon had no effect on him.

   "Lords, congratulations." During the interval between the cannon fire, the emperor glanced at all the nobles present and said coldly: "Today, you are on the side of the victors."

  The emperor drew out his sword and pointed at the fort in front of him: "Today, I offer you—"

   In the center of the cannon, two gunners slowly pulled away the black veil, revealing its true face with an unimaginably gigantic cannon.

   "The fury of the scorching sun." The emperor said blankly.

  The air seemed to freeze, and there was silence near the cannon.

  People were struck by the size of the cannon—it was so huge that it could easily fit a full-grown man in its chamber.

   It is also because of its amazing size that it is extremely difficult to carry. In fact, the Emperor did not attempt to carry it at all, but cast the cannon on the spot outside Bagrum Castle after the siege began.

   So in the previous month-long siege, this cannon had never been used - because it had not yet been cast.

   And today, it is its first appearance.

  The emperor coldly ordered: "Fire!"

  The gunner ignited the pill and then quickly walked out of the fort. As the long twirl of gunpowder burned to the end, a roar that made everyone present dizzy exploded at the cannon base.

  The giant stone bullet shot out from the muzzle, and slammed into the waist of the tower at the main entrance of Bagrum Castle under the watchful eyes of everyone around the castle.

   The crumbling tower finally could no longer withstand the destruction, and collapsed with a terrifying sound of cracking and screaming.

   After a moment of silence, a thunderous cheer erupted from the fortifications and military camps around the castle. The Emperor's soldiers threw their fists and pounded their armor and weapons, applauding the devastating blow of the Sun's Wrath.

   Someone spontaneously sang the carol of "Richard the Warrior", the singing became louder and louder, and finally became a chorus of all the soldiers.

  The emperor himself patted the smoke on his armor, looked at the eldest and second sons of Duke Bagrum, and announced easily: "Now, I accept your surrender."

   Duke Bagrum's eldest son and second son fell to their knees with a plop.

The    Emperor looked up at his courtiers and vassals with a tolerant smile: "Come on! Friends! Let's be like before! Drink! Feast! Music! Celebrate victory!"

   In the military camp not far away, musicians played hymns appropriately. Court nobles and fief aristocrats showed smiles and cheered for the emperor's victory.

The    Emperor walked towards the barracks, and when passing by the sons of the Duke of Bagrum, he warned coldly: "This is also the last time I accept your surrender."

   After saying that, he never looked at the two of them again and rode away. The eldest and second sons of Duke Bagrum were crawling on the ground, not daring to look up.

  The nobles who followed the emperor to the fort also left.

   Not far away, the Duke of Arlean, who was preparing all this for the emperor, blinked. Only the very familiar valet understood that the duke was shaking his head.

  According to the Duke's plan, Sun's Wrath should be fully tried before being publicly displayed.

   It shouldn't be used like this, because the gun that has just been cast is likely to have fatal flaws - so it can't be used less than twenty meters from the emperor.

   "However, members of the Lieyang family always like to create a little drama." The sculptural old duke thought silently: "And the madness hidden deep in the bones."

  …

   Little Henry was not taken to the fort, he was handed over to the queen's maid.

   It didn't take long for the emperor to leave and return. Immediately, the music played, and the feast began. People who survived the war, regardless of the commoners and nobles, were celebrating their victory indulgently.

  The grand maid, with little Henry in her arms, happily went to the royal family's seat at the banquet - the end of the war meant that she too could return to the palace.

  Only ten paces away from his father, a messy messenger galloped past little Henry and the maid of honor, almost colliding with them.

   The maid of honor was not allowed to scold him. The messenger, accompanied by the priest, went straight to the emperor's side. He knelt down on one knee and said something, then took out a letter from his arms.

  The emperor took the letter, peeled off the lacquer, and read it.

   Little Henry saw that the satisfaction and joy of victory vanished from his father's face.

  …

   "Gunpowder blew the knights to smithereens" - K.H.M

  …

"Gunpowder did not directly destroy knights and castles. In fact, even an unmodified medieval city wall can cause a lot of trouble for an army equipped with gunpowder weapons - countless battles in history can prove this. Gunpowder is only for The attackers provided more powerful weapons, and when the city defense technology in the new era matured, gunpowder became a weapon for the defenders.

   But gunpowder did blow up the "knightly class" to pieces.

   As gunpowder weapons became widespread, the cost of warfare began to soar. The production, manufacture and storage of gunpowder all require massive technical, human and management resources. At the same time, the militaries of various countries have also begun to reform in a professional and scientific direction. The small and medium aristocracy could no longer afford a war, so they gradually lost their autonomy and completely became the vassals of the big aristocracy. From now on, the strong will become stronger, and the weak will become weaker.

  As the fief knight lost its existence as the smallest unit of military entity, so did the knight class—a by-product of fief chivalry. "—Bonnie Seifer

  ………………

  ………………

  [December 2, 537 of the imperial calendar][23 years ago/18 years from the end of the Bagrum Counterinsurgency War]

  [Cathedral of the Convent of St. Miracle]

   "The old king is dead!"

   After three days and three nights of painful struggle, the Emperor "Mad" Richard IV finally took his last breath on the bed.

  Leaving an empire waiting to be inherited.

   "The new king stands!"

   Until the time of being anointed and consecrated, Henry Lieyang was still recalling the conversation between father and son that morning outside Bagrum Castle eighteen years ago.

  The convent choir sang hymns in unison, and the singing echoed under the soaring dome of the cathedral, becoming more ethereal and sacred.

   Maria, the abbot of the Convent of St. Mira, holding the crown in her hand, slowly approached Henry on the throne.

   St. Mira’s Basilica was not the traditional location for the coronation of imperial emperors. Traditionally, the abbot of the Convent of St. Mira is also not qualified to wear the crown for the enthroned emperor.

   Even the crown placed in the hands of Dean Maria is not the crown of the emperor passed down from generation to generation in the empire, but the crown of King Furlon found in the relic library.

But while "Richard the Usurper" was already in the traditional Holy Stone Basilica, using the traditional St. Clovis oil bottle, kneeling on the traditional coronation stone, wearing the traditional emperor's crown, and being crowned by the traditional coronation pope , tradition is not so important.

There is no longer any possibility of reconciliation in this succession war between the two brothers. Since Richard Lieyang has been crowned as "Richard V", the sooner Henry Lieyang is crowned as "Henry III", the better .

   The coronation process had been rehearsed several times, so everything went smoothly.

Abbot Maria placed the crown on Henry Lieyang's head, and Henry calmly recited the coronation oath recited by the emperors of all dynasties: "I will perform all my duties and safeguard the honor of myself, the church and the princes and the people until the end of my life. ."

   Next, Abbot Maria should answer: "May God have mercy on you, my Lamb, and give you the authority you deserve."

   However, the nun who was over sixty years old did not say the set line. She helped Henry Lieyang, who had just been crowned emperor, hold the latter's hand, and turned to look at the people at the coronation ceremony.

   "I saw it!" Maria said, "The Lord brushed the dust off my eyes and made me see."

   Her voice was not loud, but it was clearly transmitted to everyone's ears, accompanied by an involuntarily convincing power:

"I saw an oak tree grow out of Henry Sun's breast, and grow till the sky. The branches of the oak tree stretched to the end of the continent, and the shade of the oak tree covered the horizon of the whole world. Four rivers stretched from the roots of the tree. Out, four hills support the dome of the oak."

   "The rivers are bustling with boats, the fields are full of golden crops, the hillsides are covered with endless forests, and the springs babble among the cypresses and rose bushes."

   "A thousand church bells are ringing, and a thousand nightingales are singing. Climbing up from the trunk of the oak tree, the souls of mortals will reach heaven."

  Maria looked at Henry Lieyang, her eyes full of white shawls flowing with a strange light.

She proclaimed the prophecy in an almost chanting way: "Henry Sun, you will be a great ruler, and your descendants will accomplish greater things than you. Your blood is destined to rule! From this sea To the sea! From the river to the ends of the earth!"

   After finishing speaking, Dean Maria turned to face the people who witnessed the coronation ceremony, and shouted loudly: "The emperor of the empire is crowned! Long live the emperor!"

   "Long live the emperor!" Everyone in the church cheered in unison: "Long live the emperor."

   Outside the church, a salute was fired. The choir sang the "Thanksgiving Hymn" and a series of celebrations had just begun.

   "May God have mercy on you, Your Majesty." In the sea of ​​revelry, Maria held the hand of the new emperor and whispered her blessing: "Give you the authority you deserve."

  …

   Half an hour later, the library of the Convent of St. Mira.

  Henry Lieyang put the crown on the transcription table and started to take off his heavy clothes. There are six layers of the coronation gown, which is troublesome to put on and even more difficult to take off.

   "Hey!" Accompanied by footsteps, a mocking voice sounded from the door: "Destined to be in power! From this sea to that sea! From the great river to the end of the earth - what an incredible prophecy."

   "If you are very busy, why don't you come and help me get rid of this burden." Henry Lieyang replied angrily, "Uncle!"

   The person who came was Louis, Duke of Lotaire. Time did not deteriorate his appearance, but instead added a touch of charm to him that belongs to a mature man.

   He walked over to his nephew and asked with a smile, "What are you going to do when you take it off? You have a banquet to attend later."

   "I can wear a military uniform to participate." Henry Lieyang ripped off the waistcoat.

   "Okay, you are the emperor, you have the final say." Little Duke Lothair raised the crown and looked at it: "Is this really pure gold?"

   "Put it down!" A stern scolding came from outside the door: "That's not something you can touch!"

   Hearing the scolding, the little Duke Lothair shuddered obviously unconsciously. He hurriedly put the crown back in place and leaned to the side obediently.

  A spirited old man in uniform strode into the library. The old man's hair is completely white, but his steps are still strong and strong, and his speech is full of energy, and it is impossible to tell that he is an old man of nearly seventy years old.

   There is only one person who can make the little Duke Lothair, who doesn’t care about anything, be so terrified—the old Duke of Lothair, Winfred.

   "Your Majesty." The old duke stood in front of the little emperor and saluted respectfully.

   "Grandfather." Henry Lieyang's smile became a bit bitter: "You don't have to do this."

"No! Since His Majesty has been crowned, His Majesty is the supreme emperor of the empire." Winfred glanced at his younger son and said in a loud voice, "Not only other people have to get used to this, His Majesty himself has to get used to this. "

  Henry Lieyang felt from the bottom of his heart that his grandfather was right, but he always felt a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, the little Duke Lothair secretly made a face behind the old Duke, which made him smile.

   "You are destined to be in power, from this sea to that sea, from the great river to the end of the earth." The old duke had no idea what his younger son was doing, and said heavily: "It is indeed a very powerful prophecy."

   "Do you also believe in the so-called prophecy? Grandfather." Henry Lieyang's smile was even more helpless: "It's not all things that Dean Maria made up."

   "I don't believe in any **** prophecy." The old duke said decisively: "But it was a prophecy uttered by Maria herself, so it matters a lot."

  The old duke then explained: "As the abbot of St. Mira, since Maria announced the prophecy, she has the responsibility to help you fulfill the prophecy. Otherwise, her status and that of St. Mira will be lost.

  And Maria was the first of seventeen convents, such as Quillenburg, Elsen, Upper Torn, Lower Torn, Mars River, Gutenzel, and Beynter.

   She is on our side, which means that the seventeen convents are on our side. Each of those convents holds immeasurable wealth, and with their help, our military spending problem can be greatly alleviated. "

   There was a brief silence in the library.

   The young emperor let out a soft breath and asked the old duke earnestly, "Then what does she want?"

   Winfred glanced at his grandson with relief, and replied gruffly, "What more can a priest want? Money! Power! Soul!"

   "Have you negotiated a price with her?" Henry asked.

  The old duke replied without hesitation: "Yes."

  The young emperor continued to unbutton the robe: "I hope it is a good price."

   "Not a good price." The old duke said bluntly: "But we have no room for bargaining."

   "Hmm." The young emperor calmly accepted.

   After a while, the old duke changed the subject and said lightly, "But don't worry, Your Majesty, when you are in power, you will have many opportunities to renegotiate the price."

   A moment of cunning flashed in the eyes of this seemingly rough old man: "After all—political promises are meant to be broken."

  ………………

  ………………

  [April 21, 560 of the imperial calendar][present]

  [Worryless Palace]

Whenever walking down the long corridor in front of the Emperor's Office, Secretary of State Jim Falaire could not help but wonder: the reason why this corridor is so long, so empty, and so smooth is that the Every imperial subject who has walked through here understands the feeling of walking on thin ice and trembling with fear.

   After receiving permission from the royal guard, the Minister of State carefully pushed open the wooden door.

   is still the same simple office: a desk, a chair, two wooden boxes - one for unapproved documents, the other for approved documents.

  The late Emperor Richard IV on the wall is still scrutinizing everything in the room with stern eyes.

   And the current emperor, Henry III, still rules the empire from the only chair in his office, without even looking up at the minister of state.

  The Minister of State went to the Emperor's table.

   "Lord Farrell." When the emperor spoke, the quill in his hand did not stop.

   "Your Majesty, the minister is here." The Minister of State replied respectfully.

   "The new Speaker of the Inter-Provincial Republic gave a speech in Champaign, you should have got the report."

   "Yes, Your Majesty."

  The emperor put down the quill and looked up at the Minister of State: "How do you feel?"

   "What a bunch of nonsense! The defeated dog is barking! The blood is spitting out!" The Minister of State sternly accused: "It shows that the traitorous party not only has no loyalty at all, but also a group of morally corrupt villains!"

  The emperor smiled, but he lowered his head and wrote on the file.

  A strong emperor and a strong chief minister at the same time will often lead to a disaster. Therefore, people say that James Farrell can become Minister of State because of two things: first, he is obedient to His Majesty; second, he is the best at trying to figure out His Majesty's mind.

   But this time, the Minister of State really didn't know whether he was right or wrong, but he didn't dare to ask, so he just stood awkwardly.

  The emperor finally finished writing the approval. He put away the file, closed the lid of the file box, and put away the quill, letter knife, measuring ruler and other tools in the same way, until there was nothing on the table except the two wooden boxes.

  The Emperor crossed his fingers and supported his jaw, looking at Jims Farrell. Behind the emperor, the late old emperor was looking at Jims Farrell with the same eyes.

   It seems that the emperor at the table enters the painting, and it also seems that the emperor in the painting sits at the table.

   "I still remember..." The emperor's tone carried a bit of reminiscence: "When I was a child, people called my father the emperor 'the brave', the 'warrior', and the 'warrior of warriors'."

  Jims Farrell's forehead burst into cold sweat.

   "But you know what people called him when he died?"

   Jims Farrell bowed his head deeply, not daring to answer.

   "Mad." The emperor answered instead of the Minister of State: "People call him a madman."

   There was more cold sweat on Jims Farrell's forehead.

   "Lord Farrell."

   "The minister is here."

   "You said." The emperor asked playfully: "What will people call me after I die?"

   Jims Farrell suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly: "The world will respect you as the emperor! Conqueror of the world! King of a thousand years!"

   "Wrong." The emperor raised his finger, and the Minister of State immediately fell silent: "They will call me a monster who kills relatives, a butcher who destroys civilization, and a devil who betrays sacred oaths."

   "They will call me—" The emperor smiled and gave the answer: "Oath-breaker."

"No! Your Majesty! No! Absolutely not!" Jims Farrell had been tortured incoherently: "Your great achievements far surpassed all the previous kings, and under your governance, the empire has ushered in all unprecedented achievements. Long peace, you..."

   "Lord Farrell."

  The Minister of State reflexively closed the heels of his boots: "This minister is here."

   "I will finish the conquest that my father failed to finish," the emperor said calmly.

   "Please order! Your Majesty!" Jims Farrell swore without hesitation: "Your will will be executed irresistibly."

   "In order to complete the conquest that my father failed to complete." The emperor paused for a moment, and gave an order that would set off a storm: "I want to disband the Southern General Army, and this matter - will be done by you."

  ………………

  ………………

   [Tanilla]

  [Red Iwo Island, III Corps Station]

  When the emperor of the empire issued a direct order to "dissolve the Southern General Army", thousands of miles away, on a small island far away from the ocean, another father was writing a letter to his son.

   "…Maybe as people get older, they will talk a lot. But, my son, I miss you so much. So some nights, I will recall how you looked when you were a child."

   Writing here, Antonio put down his pen and looked out the window.

  Red sulfur island has now been completely transformed into a military port. People recruited from the island's plantations are setting up new docks; and four brand-new forts are in full swing at the narrow passage to and from the bay.

  If there is no accident, this port will become the new home port of the Inland Sea Fleet.

   Compared with the expansion of the port, what is even more spectacular is the brand-new dry dock all over the port area. Shipmakers from Haidong Port are laying the hull on the keel, and a large number of new warships have begun to take shape.

In the barracks next to the wharf, two battalions of newly expanded rookie cavalrymen are practicing riding astride on wooden barrels suspended by ropes under the guidance of officers. The purchased horses have not yet arrived, so this method can only be used for the time being. Train the cavalry's sense of balance.

  Antonio dipped his pen in ink and lowered his head to write:

"When you were young, I had many dreams about your future, some of which were incomparably brilliant and glorious. I dreamed that you walked across the vast land, crossed the turbulent ocean, conquered unfamiliar nations, and discovered enormous wealth. Some are full of swords, lights, swords, blood, deception and betrayal. The flames of war devour your body, kill and torture your soul, and I dream that you are leaning on a sharp blade and can never sleep."

  Antonio stopped writing, sighed, and continued:

"But for Kesha and I, those dreams and prophecies don't matter at all. At that time, we only hoped that you could grow up healthy and safe, because you are so young and fragile... Maybe you are old, becomes sentimental..."

  Antonio stopped writing again, and after a while, the sound of the nib rubbing against the parchment sounded again:

   "I've questioned my decision countless times—is it right to train you as a soldier? Should a safer path be chosen for you? Or should you be left to choose your own path?

   But I finally realized that all this worry is because I refuse to let go, because I still think I can interfere with your destiny. But my son, you are already a man who can decide his own destiny. You are no longer an eagle under my wings, you are already fighting the wind and the waves.

   No matter where fate will lead you, you should take every step by yourself, and you should also build a business of your own. What you are about to experience is an era of great change, with countless crises lurking and the possibility of shaping history. I envy you, my son, that you are so young and so full of hope..."

  Antonio wrote the last sentence, speaking softly, as if Winters were sitting right in front of him:

   "So, go, my son, with my blessings! Go and carve your own future!"

After    signed, Antonio stared at the paper for a long time, took a deep breath, and carefully folded and sealed the letter.

   He called the messenger and handed the triple-wrapped letter to the messenger: "Give this document to Lieutenant Don Juan, he knows who to give it to."

   Outside the window, the wind roared.

   (Roaring Volume Prologue, End)

  …

  …

  [Unknown Lands]

  [corner of the world]

   [forgotten group of people]

   "Captain! Captain!" The pirate in charge of the lookout trembled with excitement: "A ship is coming! A ship is coming!"

"Calling you [vulgar sailor swearing]!" Drake yelled, "Will you light up the beacon? Get me all the people who can still move, and let them all go to the beach for me! Play pity! Who dares to show his weapon and scare the coming ship away, I have skinned him!"

   The watch pirates got the order and ran away in a hurry.

   "A ship is coming?" A weak voice sounded from the humble shack transformed from the deck.

   "Don't move." Drake hurriedly pressed Edward back to the bed board: "You can take care of your injuries. Since a ship is coming, leave the rest to me."

  Edward said with difficulty: "There are boats, which means that we may have reached our destination."

   "It doesn't matter where we are." Drake gritted his teeth and said murderously, "Let's grab a boat first!"

   "Don't embarrass ordinary sailors."

   "I know, I know." Drake took a coconut and split it by three and five: "Come on, drink some more water."

   After entering the storm, and indeed as Edward had expected, the current eventually swept the Intrepid to the southwest.

   Yet the currents send the Intrepid to the southwest, no matter how far.

After    out of the storm zone, the Intrepid was adrift at sea, with no land in sight and no idea where she was.

   After discussing the status quo, Edward chose to continue westward, so the Intrepid sailed into the vast ocean without fear, and continued to sail westward for more than ten days.

   They have experienced countless unimaginable phenomena, such as the weather suddenly became extremely cold, and some crew members were frozen to death;

Another example is the changeable sea breeze that brought them back to the same location for three consecutive days. If it wasn't for Drake's intuition that he had placed a buoy on the water the next day, the Dreadnought would probably have been trapped alive and unmarked. things on the sea.

   Continued sailing for several days, but there was still no sign of land at sea level.

  Edward chose to turn his head north.

   is a desperate, endless, long voyage with no end.

  When the fresh water and food were exhausted, and Drake, who was already mad with hunger, began to seriously study which sailor was more reasonable to eat first, the silhouette of land finally appeared on the sea level.

   Everyone thought they were rescued, and then, this group of unlucky and lucky pirates watched as they were slapped on the reef by the turbulent waves.

   Bad luck—their only ship sank.

  Lucky—their ship sank off a small island with fresh water, and some things in the cabin were rescued.

  Drake led people to build a shack on the island, settled the injured Edward and others, and then spent his days praying for a boat to pass by and fighting wits with the blue sheep on the island.

   Just when Drake despaired that he would only be able to live like a savage for the rest of his life, the lookout finally saw a figure with a mast on the sea level.

Facing the skinny and tattered subordinates, Drake spat and ordered fiercely: "Finally, a big job! Do it for me better! First, control the captain and first mate, and occupy the whole ship. In the past, no one was allowed to go to the kitchen to steal food! The boat! Remember! Get the boat first!"

   "Ow!" Green light radiated from the eyes of the pirates.

  …

  [Three hours later]

   "You...said...what..." Drake shoved biscuits into his mouth, while vaguely interrogating the captain who was **** in front of him: "Where is this...?"

   The same is true for other pirates. Many pirates were choked and rolled on the floor, finally spit it out, and began to slam it hard again.

  The hijacked crew stared at the devoured and skinny pirates in amazement. It’s not that they have never seen a pirate, but they have never seen a pirate reduced to this level—where is a pirate? Isn't this a beggar?

   "Sir." The captain scolded himself for being nosy in his heart, while smiling: "This is Your Majesty's Far West Colony, Lizhu Bay."

   [The end of the fourth volume by mistake is 10,000 words, and this prologue is 14,500+ words, which is considered to be an overfulfillment of the task, and did not make the subscribed book friends lose money ヾ(ω`)o]

   [Geographical records and maps will continue to be updated, tentatively scheduled to be published at the end of Volume 4 and in "Works Related"]

   [The post of the lottery event is also transferred to "Work related", so as not to interfere with the normal reading order]

   [Thank you for your collection, reading, subscription, recommendation ticket, monthly ticket, reward and comment, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)