Minte was sent abroad on a mission for a month and a half, and finally had the opportunity to rotate back to China for renovation. Before he had time to go back to his home, he returned to the temporary dormitory of the Security Department, washed two hands at random, and lay on the bed without thinking. Moved.
I was really exhausted during this period, sleeping less than four hours a day, and eating only water and dry food. A few of them are young and in good health and can barely hold on, but the older ones have long been unable to bear it and have been rotated back to China half a month ago. Although when I was extremely tired, I would occasionally have the idea of letting go, but looking at those poor people, I couldn't bear to let them be killed by the monsters, so I had no choice but to go and save them.
Minte was extremely glad that she had transformed into a boy's body, and her physical strength was much stronger than before, otherwise she would have been exhausted long ago.
He was drowsily thinking about his next plan. He had eight days of vacation. He would have a good sleep first, then go find the potion ingredients and come back to make an antidote, transform back into a girl, and then go visit Grandpa Marshall. I also need to take care of the house, maybe my mother will come back...
"Bang bang bang!" There was a deafening knock on the door. He frowned and covered his ears with a pillow. Unfortunately, the sound was still very noisy. He had to get out of bed angrily. When he opened the door, it turned out to be Wei. Ronika asked angrily: "What?!"
Veronica put her head aside: "Mallory wants to see Minter, hurry up."
Minte felt strange: "Isn't the handover of affairs completed? What does Mallory want from me?"
"How do I know? Hurry up! The matter is urgent!" Veronica raised her legs and was about to leave, but turned around and confessed, "Remember, it was Minte he wanted to see." Then she left.
Minte slammed the door angrily, thinking about what she said, and felt a little strange, so he had to wash his face again, get dressed and walk out of the room. He was about to go to the office of the Intelligence Division, but met Si from the external liaison office in the corridor. Weenie. Just as he was about to say hello, he saw the other party running up to him in a hurry and pulling him away: "Why are you so slow?! Come with me!"
Min Te quickly stopped him: "Where are you going? The boss is waiting to see me."
"This is to meet him. He has already entered the palace first."
"Enter the palace?" Minte looked surprised. Follow Sweeney out and mount his horse. Gallop away.
Ito Castle is very large. The palace is located right in the center of the city. It is different from the Nuojia royal family and the Shaonan royal family who built the palace complex on the mountain on the edge of the city. The Palace of East is built on a plain. Very neatly planned. If you compare it to the sun. The outermost circle of "sunshine" is the office space of major government agencies. The General Security Service is also located within it. Therefore, it does not take long to get from the headquarters to the palace.
Riding horseback through buildings and small gardens in the middle of the street. Ahead is the Heroes' Square in front of the palace. Except for members of the royal family and some nobles and officials who have obtained the king's charter. Everyone comes here. Everyone must dismount and walk. If you want to enter the palace gate. It also needs to be searched by guards.
After Mint and others dismounted. Sweeney whispered a few words to the soldiers next to him. The latter led the horse down. Minte looked at the majestic buildings ahead. The westernmost one among the heroic sculptures in the center of the Discovery Square looks very familiar. Why does the posture of standing with the knife in his hand look so much like the grandfather in the portrait that hung at home when he was a child
He had not been in Ito long. But I remember when I came here three years ago. I have never seen this statue. Is it a new place built in the past few years
"Minte! Why are you in a daze? Come on!" Sweeney walked dozens of meters away. Only to find that he was still where he was. He urged me hurriedly. He had no choice but to follow suit. Every now and then I look back at the statue.
It's really unlucky. I heard that the statues of heroes here are only put up after the death of the hero himself. Grandpa is obviously still alive, so why put them there
He muttered in a low voice, but Sweeney was in a hurry and didn't hear clearly at all. He just pulled him and ran to the guard in front of the palace gate wearing a red knight's uniform and a black gold helmet. He took out a small bronze medal and waved it before going in.
The old rules of the palace are that except for soldiers and officers on duty in the palace, weapons are not allowed to enter the palace. Minte also symbolically handed over the sword hanging on his waist to the guards for safekeeping. After entering the gate, he only felt a sudden shock in front of him. Bright. The palace gate is full of green lawns, dotted with colorful flower beds, even in late autumn. The colors are still bright and eye-catching. A broad and straight avenue leads directly to the palace complex in front. There are a row of marble buildings on the left and right sides, which are where the noble council and palace officials work.
There were several two-wheeled carriages parked on the roadside. The driver of the car, dressed in a gorgeous gown, glanced arrogantly at Sweeney and Minter, but made no move. Sweeney pulled Minter into the carriage and said, "Go to the palace quickly!" The carriage driver just whipped the horse lightly, started the carriage, and walked forward slowly, only slightly faster than walking. . Seeing that he was taking his time, Sweeney was extremely anxious: "Please speed up! The king is calling urgently!"
The coachman glanced back at him expressionlessly, then whipped the horse gently to speed up the speed, muttering: "Everyone says this when they come in, they really think highly of themselves..."
Sweeney was so choked that he couldn't speak. Minte gave him a funny laugh: "Okay, what's the point of arguing with him? Tell me what's going on first. Why did the king urgently summon us?" Didn’t you say that the boss wants to see me?”
Sweeney was about to answer when he caught a glimpse of the coachman leaning over and closed his mouth: "You'll know later."
Minte had no choice but to stop asking and start enjoying the scenery along the way.
I heard that this palace was built and perfected over hundreds of years under the auspices of more than ten generations of kings and queens. Although it is not as famous as the "Golden Rose Palace" in Shaonan on the mainland, it is also a highly appreciated masterpiece of architectural art. . The palace complex is mainly made of hemp gray marble. After years of wind and rain erosion, it shows a light pink color under the sunlight. Buildings of different eras have different styles, but generally they are dignified with magnificence and refinement. There are always flower beds arranged between buildings with various patterns, occasionally dotted with a few sculptures or fountains, and even the ground is made of bricks of different colors to create gorgeous patterns.
The carriage bypassed a huge fountain and crossed the bridge over the moat before arriving at the main entrance of the palace. Sweeney took out the small bronze medal again, and the attendant guarding the door let them in. They passed through two splendid halls, one large and one small, as well as mirror corridors hung with ancient paintings and crystal lighting on both sides. Arrive outside the king's study.
There were more than a dozen attendants guarding outside the study. Sweeney took out the small bronze medal for the third time and explained that it was the king's urgent call. However, the attendant still walked up and down, looked left and right at him and Mint for a while, and then walked a few steps inside. They stepped forward and reported to the next attendant, who looked at them again for a while. Only then did he actually come in and report.
Minte frowned slightly. He was also someone who had worked for the king of a country. Although East was far wealthier than Noga and was more outstanding in culture and governance, was such complicated etiquette really necessary? If it's really an urgent matter, will procrastination like this cause a delay
Moreover, aren't the clothes on these attendants and female officials too exaggerated? He used to be the potion master of Noga Palace. I once complained that the uniforms of the bodyguards were cumbersome and not as convenient as ordinary swordsman uniforms, but now I looked at the gorgeous gowns on these servants in front of me. Including the large bunch of feathers on the man's hat and the gold, silver and gemstone ornaments on the woman's head and neck, he could only say that the clothes with only a few gold and silver trims were really nothing.
The attendant quickly went out and called them: "The king wants to see you." His face was a bit unpleasant. Maybe he was scolded for procrastinating on work
Minter didn't have time to guess, so she followed Sweeney through the door and was immediately startled.
There were not only the king and Mallory in the room, but also the director, Ms. Lea, and several ministers, the most familiar of whom was Duras, the director of legal affairs. The director of finance, the director of foreign affairs and several military generals are all here. Almost all the most powerful people in East are here. And judging from their faces, it seems that there has just been a dispute. What happened
Sweeney just bowed to the king, then exited, closing the door tightly obediently. Minte suddenly felt a little nervous, swallowed his saliva, and stepped forward tremblingly. He bowed to the king and everyone.
Mallory comforted him in a low voice: "Don't be nervous. Your Majesty has something to ask you, just tell the truth." He nodded, but he still felt a lot of pressure when he noticed the eyes of everyone on him.
King Valfried III smiled very kindly: "Don't be afraid, child, your grandfather and I have been old friends for many years. Don't be too restrained in front of me." Minte opened his eyes wide and looked at Mai quickly. Lori. The latter's face was also full of confusion. Ms. Lea looked at the king with disapproval: "Your Majesty! This child's identity should not have been exposed!"
The king just waved his hand: "I know. But everyone here can be trusted, as long as everyone doesn't reveal it to the outside world." He winked at Minte. "Earl Xiao can have such outstanding grandsons, and there are two of them. How can I not be happy for him?"
Huh? grandson
Minter blinked, a little unsure of Alfred III's intentions. The latter just smiled meaningfully and said to the surprised ministers: "It's hard to say the identity of this child's grandmother, but he is indeed the grandson of Earl Xiao, and he has been working incognito in the Security Agency. . What he says can be trusted, and you don’t have to worry.”
Several ministers reluctantly agreed, but the generals all became interested in Minte. They looked at him with joy and whispered to each other: "Too thin", "Not strong enough", "The chin really looks like his grandfather", "Nonsense, obviously." It's because the eyebrows are more similar."
Minte suddenly felt at a loss and didn't know what to do. Ms. Lea coughed several times, attracting everyone's attention, and then said with a straight face: "Let's go back to the original topic! We don't have much time to waste!" Everyone murmured in a low voice, but finally stopped. People are talking about Min's figure and appearance.
Lea then said to Minter: "We received a report from the mission to Nomonka. As of the day of writing, they have not been able to see Gale II, and Duke Jedda has been under house arrest since he returned. , just waiting for Gael II to issue an order to deal with it. The officials and nobles of Noga did not pay attention to the War Letter of the Demon Realm, and ignored our proposal to form an alliance. They just delayed it. I called you here to ask a question. Ask what the situation is like in Nomenka. You have been there for so long, so you should have some idea of their thoughts, right?"
Minte hesitated: "What aspects do you mean...?"
"Let's talk about Count Luther first." The Director of Foreign Affairs first requested, "The Security Agency also sent people in the mission. According to the information that person found, it was mainly this Count who was up to no good. He seemed to be in No. Prince Jia is very powerful in his palace. Many ministers are on his side.”
A general nearby also said: "He seems to have a hostile relationship with Duke Jedda, which is somewhat disadvantageous to us. Although Duke Jedda once planned to invade our territory, he has truly seen the horrors of Warcraft." I believe they will agree to form an alliance with us."
Minte pondered for a moment and then said: "Duke Jedda is under house arrest. His life should not be in danger. Although he proposed to send troops, there are many people who support him, and even many nobles think his plan is too conservative. For the Noga people Generally speaking, it was not wrong for him to send troops. What was wrong was that the expected goal was not achieved, but this was because of the interference of the Demon Realm, so it was not his responsibility. I believe many Noga people knew this, so Gael II That's why we haven't dealt with him for a long time. As for Luther..." He considered his words: "He is the second son of the former Prince Mario. Regardless of talent, character, and wisdom, he is very mediocre, and his ambition is so big that everyone can see it. , Gale II only paid attention to him and his younger brother because his brother and nephew died one after another. But it is impossible to really give him important responsibilities. There are many rumors in the Noga Palace, but they are not necessarily accurate. Mario The prince was once extremely powerful. Although Gael II and Jada both wanted to weaken his influence as much as possible, in order to maintain the stability of the situation, there must be many officials close to Prince Mario remaining. These people will support Luther, It’s normal, but the key is Gael II’s thoughts.”
"You mean...Gael II will not let Earl Luther become the crown prince?" The Director of Foreign Affairs was skeptical, "But the current situation. Is there no more suitable candidate than him?"
Minte shook his head: "Of course, Jada is. If it weren't for the invasion of the Demon Realm, Gale II would probably let him lie dormant in the territory for two years, and then call him back to the palace when he has achieved results. But now he dare not We released Jada but refused to really deal with him, so it has been delayed until today, and we haven’t made a decision yet.”
"Is this possible? Isn't Earl Luther his nephew? Why would he rather wait for Jada to perform meritorious service than let his nephew become the crown prince? Is there any basis for your judgment?"
"Of course." Minte had completely forgotten his nervousness at this time. He spoke confidently, "I have been with Gale II for two months and know his character quite well. Although he seems gentle and sentimental, he actually does things very rationally. He knows what is right in his heart. The country is good for the country. Under this premise, sometimes one can even put personal feelings aside. In order to prevent Prince Mario's ambition from harming the country, he was ruthless enough to imprison his younger brother; but when Prince Mario and his son both died tragically, When Jada was rumored to be the real murderer, although he had doubts about Jada, considering that there was no more suitable candidate for the crown prince than Jada, he still continued to reuse him. Therefore, even if he dotes on his nephew Luther very much now, it does not mean that He will make him crown prince."
Duras, the director of legal affairs, sighed: "I hope he really thinks so. Unfortunately, Duke Jedda is now under house arrest and cannot communicate with the outside world or participate in political affairs. Otherwise, he is likely to promote this alliance."
Minte frowned and asked: "Even if Jada can't participate, doesn't Gael II have any opinions? He should understand how important this alliance is to their country. In the past month and a half, we have been The southeastern and southern regions of Noga are hunting monsters and rescuing civilians, but no Noga troops have appeared. This is so abnormal. Did something big happen to Nomonka recently? Or is he sick again? "
Mallory said softly: "I haven't heard that he is sick. Our people once went to the palace physician's house to inquire. His health is not good, but it has not deteriorated. It may be better than when you left."
"Then why..."
Mallory glanced at Ms. Leah, and when she saw the other party nodded slightly, he handed a document to Minte: "Although the mission could not see Gale II, when it contacted other ministers to open the door, they heard that Some of their thoughts. Noga seems to have always been hostile to us, East, and believes that their country is densely covered with mountains and far away from the demonic realm, so it is impossible for the demonic beasts to have a real impact on them. But once they agree to the request for alliance, it is equivalent to allowing us The troops enter and leave the Noga territory, fearing that we will occupy their land and plunder their property and resources. I must say. They seem to regard us as the same people as them."
Minte took the file and looked through it, his brows getting tighter and tighter. King Walfred III asked: "Child, do you know who else in Noga country can say something that can have an impact on Gael II? What does this person like? We need a lobbyist with sufficient weight."
Minte fell into deep thought, and everyone around him started talking on his own:
"According to me, their faces are really disgusting. Just ignore them and let them be eaten up by the monsters! They are not good people anyway!"
"You can't say that. If the Demon Realm really takes over Nuojia, we, as neighboring countries, will no longer be able to avoid it."
"But now they act as if we are begging them. You know, we are helping!"
"Maybe when they really suffer, they will know how important it is to form an alliance, right?"
Minter raised his head and looked at Walfred III, but hesitated to speak. The latter smiled and asked: "Child, what do you want to say? It doesn't matter if you say it boldly."
Minte asked hesitantly: "Your Majesty, are you deciding to conclude this alliance temporarily, or do you intend to continue it after the war?"
Alfred III raised his eyebrows: "How do you say that?"
"If it is a temporary decision, then as long as someone convinces Gale II with the painful reality, it will be fine. Now there are heavy casualties in the southeastern area of Noga. Probably no one can successfully pass the news back to Nomonka. He doesn't know yet. But. If you plan to maintain the alliance after the war, then... maybe you can change the way." Minte took a deep breath and expressed his thoughts, "The Noga people have never stopped thinking about invading the south and unifying the continent. , even a rational moderate like Gael II is not opposed to doing this in his heart. This is not only because of his obsession as a descendant of Nicodemus the Great. It is more forced by reality. .”
"Are you making excuses for their aggressive behavior?!" A general interrupted him with a bad expression.
Minte turned to him: "Please let me finish, Your Excellency General. I am not making excuses for them, I just want to analyze why they have such thoughts."
Valfred III said: "You tell me, I'm also very interested."
"The country of Nuojia is mountainous and arable land is sparse. In the northern plateau, food production cannot be guaranteed to be self-sufficient due to climate and geological reasons. In recent decades, businessmen from several southern countries have sold cheap food, clothing, etc. to Nuojia. Necessities. More and more Noga people are relying on foreign countries for survival, and they are converting farmland to other uses, resulting in lower food production. Since Prince Mario ordered the expulsion of foreigners, trade has been blocked, Noga domestic food is in short supply, and the army's The expansion has reduced the labor force and indirectly led to a further decline in food production. Their population is getting larger and larger, but they are getting hungrier. So they have to seek outward development. I hope to obtain enough food and fertile farmland. I Not that what they did was the right thing to do. But if we can help them solve this problem, then there's a chance that an alliance between the two countries can be formed quickly and last long after the war."
Alfred III thoughtfully said: "What you are referring to is..."
"Supply them with grain seeds at low prices, or exchange the seeds for their horses and furs. The northern region of our country, around Macdonedon, has a climate similar to that of eastern Noga. At most, it is because the Ture Mountains block the cold air from the north. In warmer weather, the Macedonian region grows wheat, corn, potatoes and other crops with high yields. If the seeds are sold to Noga at a low price or market price, and experienced farmers are sent to provide guidance, it can help Noga escape from the epidemic. There will be famine. By then, they will no longer have the most important factor for external aggression."
Mallory first expressed his objection: "Minte, this idea is too naive. It is not certain whether the Noga people are willing to accept it. Once they have enough food, they will be more confident to invade us."
Minte said hurriedly: "Gael II once tried planting round rice, but it failed. Before this year's coup, he was preparing to go to Xi'an to buy wheat seeds, so he is likely to agree. I heard that some Food seeds are very special, and the food grown cannot be kept as seeds. We can give these seeds to them. If they really have the intention of invasion, we will immediately cut off the supply, and they will no longer be able to grow food." He turned to King Valfred III and said, "Now because most of the young and strong men from Noga have entered the army, they are short of labor. But if the seeds we provide are really useful, given Gale II's personality, it is very likely that Will choose to reduce the number of troops in order to increase labor force!"
Both Alfred III and Mallory hesitated, and other ministers were also discussing privately. Minte approached Mallory and whispered: "With the relationship between the two countries improved, it will be more convenient to send people there. It is not easy for them to prepare for war without telling us." Mallory glanced at him , turned his head and spoke in a low voice with Ms. Lea.
The big shots whispered among themselves, but could not reach an agreement for a long time. Min Te waited nervously, his heart already in a mess. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing, but if he could really help Nuojia, maybe... people in the two countries would no longer be hostile, and the Nuojia people could live a better life.
After a full two hours, everyone finally discussed an acceptable plan. Except for some changes in some terms, most of them were adapted from Minter's proposal, but the details were tighter and more beneficial to East.
Walfred III finally made a decision: "Just follow this plan! Minte, you will set off tomorrow. I will send an envoy with you to Nomonka to meet the envoy and let them follow this plan. Resubmit the alliance request. You are familiar with the local situation and must help the mission complete its mission."
"But I still have my order in Nuojia..." Before Min Te finished speaking, Mallory reached out and pressed his shoulder, smiling and said: "About this... there will be a way to solve it."
(In the middle of writing last night, my computer suddenly stopped and couldn’t be started, so I had to ask someone to bring a message to the editor to ask for leave. I originally made an appointment with someone to come and fix it this morning, but the person was delayed by something, and it was delayed until 4 p.m. I just came... I missed the update, I'm really sorry for everyone, please forgive me, I will make up for it today...)
(I would like to share with you a very beloved main website book, "The Romance of a Rich Family". It is not easy for a female author to rank first on the main website's monthly vote list. Please support me a lot.)