To Four Thousand Years Later

Enter Pepin III's bedroom. Charles looked up. Look at the interior decoration. Through the stained glass in the pointed narrow window. The afterglow of the setting sun is like blood on the woolen carpet.

In front of the bedroom door is a carved wooden screen. There is a touch of incense on the screen, as well as a faint smell of medicine. Going around from there, there is a large bed seven steps wide and richly decorated. There are four rubies the size of a baby's fist in the four corners of the bed. Between the four gems, there is a transparent force field that is invisible but can feel a touch of warmth. In the bedside room. In the center of the brown stone wall hangs a stuffed lion pedal. It was suspended by steel cables in the middle of the room. The second half of the body is buried in the wall. The muscles in the front half of the body are stretched out, the eagle's head is ferocious and mighty, and the huge wings are spread out, ready to fly. And in the middle of the bed. A small, old man. He was lying on the bed with black lips. He was wearing a thin coat, and his exposed face was a little swollen. The abdomen is also high and low, as if pregnant. On his face, the skin was tight and thin in those swollen areas, especially the eyelids. On his head, is a green name.

Injustice, fifty-four years old. Contrary to the achievements of this king, Pepin III looked very short, not even one-third of Charles's height, with small hands and feet, but his head was as big as an ordinary person. Looks like a dwarf. In Frank, however, men of small stature were not laughed at. After all, **** Augustus was a well-known dwarf emperor back then.

"Charles." Pepin saw Charles, and beckoned to him in a low voice, "Smart Cha. Si... Come closer. Come closer."

His face was a little tired, his breathing was hard and difficult, and his voice was indistinct, as if there was phlegm in his throat. The guards beside Huanping helped him up slightly. He rubbed his back hard, allowing himself to sit higher, so as to stabilize his body.

He tried his best to reach out his hand, which was a little shy, and held Charles' hand. But Buping didn't speak in a hurry, but gargled his stiff tongue as if chewing something, making an indecent saliva sound.

"Listen, Charles," he said, "listen. I'll only say one... only to you. I'm going to divide the country in half, give you half, give your brother half... six and four, you four But you pick first. As long as these lands are connected. Don't separate the lands allocated to Carloman."

"I remembered."

Charles nodded slightly.

Pepin stared at Charles with wide, swollen eyes, but they seemed to be squinting: "Don't you have anything to say? My favorite son. Maybe in your opinion, the whole law" Maybe. But until your will is fulfilled, nothing is certain. Charles bowed his head and replied ambiguously.

Buping smiled wryly: "You don't have to guard against me. I am your father. I know you don't like it...but there is no way."

"Caroman is narrow-minded, but his wife is the only daughter of the Earl of Sason in the South. And Wei Song's father is the younger brother of this generation of Gothic kings. He must get a part of the land...you can separate him from the South. That means Cut off his contact with Earl Sason. You can also let him go to the southern border. This way you don’t have to worry about the entry of the Goths... at least for the time being.” Pepin III said slowly: “Although you are the eldest son, but Carloman is my official eldest son - after all, you are my child born before we married Beltrada. If he can get the Pope's support, the Pope can also claim that you have no real right of inheritance. Because you are not me legitimate son of

"Perhaps you will think that the Pope is on my side...but that's not the case. You are always upright and bright...but the king can't be too upright. You have to be despicable as much as you are fair. The same is true in reverse, old king His tone of voice quickened slightly, and some of his words didn't make sense."

Perhaps it was because he spoke too quickly. Pepin III panted continuously in pain, and stretched out his hand to signal for a rest. At this time, Charles asked slowly: "What was the specific content of your... transaction with the Pope?" Hearing what Charles said, Pepin III suddenly smiled.

"Ah, . . . I like that word. It's nice that you realize it's a deal, not an agreement. Sorry, Mr. Turpin."

He nodded apologetically to Floros. After getting a response, he continued: "But what I want to say is...the Pope and us are not actually friends. They are businessmen and businessmen. It is the businessman who sells animal skins, and the relationship between the businessman who sells ham. Charles interjected." Said. Huanping III stretched out his hand and patted his thigh more happily: "Yes, partner! That's it! "On" Solomonism needs a foothold. The Protestantism of the Egyptians in the south, the Zoroastrianism of the Persians in the east... and the Truth Religion, which is a mess that touches everything. They all have a foothold. High-rise can be placed. Let them be free from toil and travel. But the orthodox Solomonism has never had one or the other. was driven out by the Goths. Pingshi said in a low voice: "And Frank. After all, we are not Roman orthodoxy. Maybe it was okay a generation ago. But at least not now... only the Goths are."

"But fortunately, the Solomon Church is the orthodoxy of the St. Augustus Federation. Although the group of homeless scholars is a bit dangerous, they can bring us what we need. We each take what we need. This is our Opportunities, challenges and dangers. It's like a lion raising a group of hyenas who can hunt for their own prey.

"Tupin is an old friend of mine for decades. He can be trusted...don't trust anyone the Pope sends except him, but be friendly. It's like... between partners."

"If I give you all the land, then Carloman will dare to do anything. Even if it is selling half of the country to the Pope, or colluding with his father-in-law...he can do it. He is A bold and decisive child, except that he is not as intelligent and flexible as you, maybe he is more suitable to be a king. After all, what can he do?"

At this point, Pepin III grinned and pointed to himself with his thumb: "Just like me. Dare to do anything... dare to kill. And leave no trace. Only such a person can be the king of Frank. He looked at Prince Charles who was lying beside him with deep eyes. He patted Charles's hand three times with a trembling and old hand, and whispered pointedly: "Got it? "

"yes."

Charles replied peacefully: "I will do what you wish."

...Okay, you go down first. Leave old Tupin and talk to this old thing like me. The corners of Pepin III's mouth were raised, as if he was about to laugh, but he put on an ugly crying expression, closed his eyes and muttered indistinctly. Charles nodded, got up obediently and left the room.

Meanwhile, Tuping Zhizhi stood at the head of Buping III's bed and asked in a low voice, "How long...how long do you have?"

…Soon. Pepin III's voice was muffled and wet: "Maybe it's today, maybe it's tomorrow. Who knows, neither does King Solomon. Maybe my dad can know when this **** is going to **** and accompany him to bring me some wine. Old Turpin. Have pity on me...give me some flowers. I mean sleep peacefully..."

"OK."

Tupin nodded, and asked again: "Is there anything else?" Pepin III grinned.

His cloudy eyeballs rolled in the swollen eyelids, and he laughed lowly: "If you want, help him...help Charles. Of course, if it doesn't work, forget it. Everything" is. Tu Ping smiled slightly, and again softly agreed: "As you wish." "