There is a turmoil in the Imperial Capital - now even ordinary civilians feel that something is not right in the Imperial Capital these days.
Large numbers of soldiers from the Central Cavalry Corps lined up and took to the streets, replacing the soldiers from the former imperial capital security station. They were patrolling the streets in full force.
The Royal Guards responsible for guarding the palace also looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Almost all the 50,000 Royal Guards were mobilized. They patrolled back and forth on the walls of the palace. The guards at the palace gates were much tighter than before. Times!
The entrance and exit inspections at the imperial capital's city gates are much stricter than in the past. People entering and exiting, whether they are civilians or nobles, are subject to strict inspections - these actions have fully demonstrated that something is not right with the current situation.
The high-ranking nobles of the empire learned that His Majesty the Emperor was critically ill, and then the palace officially announced the news that Her Majesty the Queen was pregnant with the prince... Those who were smarter immediately thought of an important issue: the fight for the throne was finally on the table. Got it!
Even some relatively slow-minded guys understood after receiving the news that His Royal Highness Prince Balang suddenly returned to the imperial capital from outside the city - when he comes back at this time, he will naturally compete for the throne!
Nicole almost lived in the palace and stayed by Her Majesty's side every day - deep down, she didn't like this very much. It was never a pleasant thing to face a woman whose emotions were a little out of control. But Nicole could understand the Queen's mood at this moment - she was in an extremely panic, melancholy, and fearful mood!
The only people the queen can rely on at this moment are the Tulip family - in fact, Nicole is almost so worried that she can't eat every day.
Commander Gordon kept passing in messages one after another:
Prince Balan is back in the city!
General Bayi, commander of the Central Cavalry Corps, contacted Prince Balang!
There is unusual movement in the Central Cavalry Corps barracks! The troops are gathering!
The Marquis Caroline comes into contact with Prince Barran!
The Northern Army begins an unusual build-up!
Every time Nicole heard a piece of news, her sadness increased. According to common sense, the Marquis of Caroline and the Lionheart Family were both close confidants of His Majesty the Emperor, and they had always been at odds with Prince Barran. At this moment, the Marquis of Caroline was the most able to win over.
But this road is firmly blocked for two reasons!
The feud between the Lionheart family and the Tulip family is well known! Now that the queen relies on herself, it is almost impossible to win over the Lionheart family! The Lionheart family will never stand on the same front as Tulip.
Of course, there are no permanent enemies in politics, and Nicole certainly understands this truth, but now Marquis Caroline absolutely understands in his heart that at this moment, it is Prince Barran and the child in the Queen's belly fighting for the throne. Whoever succeeds will be the emperor - and now, Marquis Caroline is faced with the problem of positioning. If the new emperor succeeds, then the Lionheart family will become the biggest contributor to the new emperor's succession!
This is a perfect opportunity for Marquis Caroline, who is determined to make the Lionheart family surpass Tulip and become the first family in the empire!
Moreover, judging from the current situation, Prince Balang naturally has a greater chance of winning than an unborn baby!
Although Marquis Caroline has always been loyal to Abbas XI, he is not a foolishly loyal person!
And another reason is: the child in the Queen's belly does not belong to His Majesty the Emperor at all!
What makes Nicole feel a little more at ease is that the Royal Guards are still loyal to the royal family, especially Commander Gordon who has loyal to his side without any hesitation!
The Imperial High Command has also clearly rejected Prince Balang's contact. The veteran generals of the Empire have announced that they will remain neutral and will wait until His Majesty the Emperor's condition improves - God knows if there is any hope for the Emperor to wake up!
Nicole believed in her heart that once things took a drastic turn, due to the appeal of the Tulip family, the Imperial High Command would fall to her side without any hesitation!
But there is a funny problem!
How much strength does the current imperial high command still have
In order to reduce the influence of the Tulip family, His Majesty the Emperor has weakened the strength of the Imperial High Command in many ways - the four major legions of the empire and the Northern Army were handed over to the Lionheart family of the Marquis Caroline! The Central Cavalry Corps is in the hands of the royal aristocrat General Bayi—the Northern Corps was originally loyal to Abbas XI (at least Abbas XI himself thought so), but now in fact, the Northern Corps It has become a bargaining chip in the hands of Marquis Caroline, and there is no doubt that they have now turned to Prince Barran!
And the Central Cavalry Corps-General Bayi currently has a close relationship with Prince Balang, and now he can't count on it anymore!
At present, only General Eliot, the commander of the Northwest Army, comes from a traditional imperial force and belongs to the headquarters. Naturally, we can count on his support - but Northwest Reuenthar is watching the wolves, and the Northwest Army can be mobilized back. What? What's more, after the Northwest War, the Northwest Army was almost crippled! How much strength is left
The Southern Army is also a traditional force belonging to the military headquarters. At this moment, Rody is heading to the south, but there is no news so far...
The northern army has begun to gather. Although there is no next move yet, God knows when, the army will go south and arrive at the imperial capital!
Nicole sighed, trying to clear away these worries from her mind and keeping a calm expression on her face. She knew in her heart that now she was almost the backbone of her side. Her Majesty the Queen relies entirely on herself for support - but deep down in her heart, Nicole is always a little uneasy...
Is it really right to do this? After all, the child in the queen's belly is Seth's! Not of royal blood! Speaking of which, Prince Balang is the legitimate descendant of the royal family, and his side seems to be scheming for imperial power...
"Set, Seth, is this your conspiracy? Although you are gone, you still firmly control things to develop according to your plan... You tied everyone to your chariot... "
Nicole sighed with melancholy in her eyes.
But, will this really be the case
The soldiers responsible for guarding the gates of the imperial capital have all been replaced by members of the Central Cavalry Corps. Groups of soldiers wearing "Thunder's Whip" uniforms blocked the four gates of the imperial capital and prohibited entry and exit. However, at the suggestion of Marquis Caroline, Prince Balan finally gave up the idea.
After all, there has been no coup, let alone rebellion. His Majesty the Emperor is not dead yet... If he really orders the city gate to be closed, he will give his opponent an excuse!
This afternoon, a dozen horses were walking slowly on a road at the south gate of the imperial capital. First there was a fat man with a bloated body, and behind him on a horse was a pale young man with a depressed brow and a dejected look. Then there were a dozen people with indifferent expressions behind him, and everyone was looking at them. The expression of indifference is calm.
The fat man looked at the city wall in the distance, turned back to the young man on the horse behind him and shouted: "Little Bat, is that the imperial capital? We are almost there, why are you still so downcast?"
The young man behind him smiled bitterly and said: "Of course you are relaxed, but after all I am... Sigh... I have done so many things for you, which is tantamount to betraying Lord Simang. If you are caught, hum... you know the punishment of our vampires A traitor's method?"
The fat man raised his eyebrows and shouted: "Let's see who dares! You are my follower now, who dares to touch you?"
Then he looked at the city wall in the distance and said with a smile: "I wonder what that boy Rody is doing now? Is Miss Nicole who is hugging him kissing me? Sigh... This boy looks honest. But she is very romantic. A few days ago, she sent me a girl, but it annoyed me to death... If I hadn't gotten angry and took that woman on the road, I don't know when I would have arrived in the imperial capital!"
Having said this, the fat man turned back to the young man and shouted: "Let me ask you! When will the injuries on that boy Dak be healed?"
The young man rolled his eyes and said, "There are still seventeen or eighteen days left."
The fat man breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. I hope Dak will be sick for a few more days... This way we can drag those two troublesome women on for a while..."
Then he looked at the imperial city wall in front of him and said with a smile: "I wonder if the palace is really that interesting... If that emperor dares to touch the Rody boy, I will really set his palace on fire and set off fireworks! Hahaha... Take It must be very interesting to bring a dozen vampires to the palace!"
The young man behind him couldn't help but stab him: "In the imperial capital, there is the Imperial Scholars Association, as well as the religious center of the Divine Sect, and the Pope is also in the imperial capital. If you dare to make a scene, you are probably seeking death."
The fat man snorted coldly: "What kind of magician association, a bunch of magicians, will I see it? And what kind of pope, at worst, burn down his religious place! It's not a big deal! But you , you have been talking a lot in the past two days, are your bones a little loose again? "
The young man immediately trembled all over and forced out a smile: "How dare I? Master Tianlie, you are the sun in the sky. How can I, a little firefly, dare to compete with the sun and the moon?"
Tian Lie was in a happy mood and was about to laugh twice when he heard a person suddenly jump out from the roadside.
That man was wearing clothes that were stolen from who knows where. His trousers and sleeves seemed to have been pieced together. His face had a crooked nose and eyes, his hands and feet were of different sizes, and his legs looked almost identical. One long and one short.
This man walked to the middle of the road and shouted: "I opened this road and planted this tree. If you want to live from now on... that..."
He rolled his eyes and immediately shouted: "Leave a horse!"
silence…
Then Tian Lie burst out laughing so hard that he almost fell off his horse. The young man on the horse behind him also laughed wildly and looked at the guy standing in the middle of the road with pity in his eyes...
The man in the middle of the road was not angry when he saw Tian Lie laughing wildly. He stood there calmly. When Tian Lie's laughter gradually stopped, he said slowly: "What are you laughing at? I, the old man, and you Isn’t it ridiculous to ask for a horse?”
Tian Lie raised his eyebrows, and the young man behind him immediately flew up, stretched out a claw and grabbed the person...
Just hearing a scream, the young man flew out and hung on a tree on the side of the road!
"Huh?" Tian Lie's eyes lit up with a strange expression on his face. He glared at the guy standing in the middle of the road and couldn't help but said: "You are quite capable as a thief..."
The man curled his lips, smiled, and said, "Then give me a horse and let me go on the road with you."
Tian Lie's eyes widened and he suppressed his laughter and said, "What did you say?"
The man sighed and said loudly: "Now the Imperial City is heavily guarded. I don't have the ability to fly around in broad daylight... I'm probably not allowed to enter the city in this state... So, I have to invite you." Help me with this."
After saying that, the man sat down on the ground carelessly, with a posture that seemed to mean: "I won't give way until you agree."
Tian Lie rubbed his nose vigorously and cursed with a smile: "You guy, you are quite capable. Someone is blocking the city gate, so just break in, or fly in from above. I'm afraid it's not that difficult..."
The man's eyes widened, and he looked at Tian Lie as if he were an idiot, and said in a strange tone: "Don't you know that the security of the Imperial City is much tighter than before? It is said that vampires appeared in the Imperial Capital a few days ago. The institute has sent a large number of warlocks to patrol the city. Are you going to fly in? As soon as you fly into the sky, seven or eight warlocks are surrounding you! It's not difficult to break into the city, but what can I do if everything is turned upside down? ?”
After saying this, he whispered to himself in a voice that only he could hear: "Are all the powerful people in the field so brainless?"
Tian Lie's eyes widened: "What did you say?"
The man smiled and said: "You guy, lend me a horse and let me follow you into the city. It will be good for you and me..."
Tian Lie rolled his eyes and looked at the person in front of him. His curiosity became more and more intense. His hands were itching and he wanted to go up and beat him up. Will the thief who dares to rob Mr. Tian Lie still have his life
But looking at this guy's mysterious and weird appearance, he couldn't help but feel curious again in his heart - Tian Lie's curiosity is the most serious, and this is almost his biggest flaw.
"Okay!" Finally, the fat man gritted his teeth and waved his hand: "I'll give you a horse and you go into the city with us. I want to see what tricks you do. The weirder the thing, the more fun I'll have." interest!"
Hearing these words, the man on the ground laughed, jumped up, and sat down on the horse of the young man just now.
Then Tian Lie shouted to the young man hanging on the bed: "Little Bat, if you are not dead yet, hurry up and catch up. If you are late, be careful that I will punish you!"
After saying this, he galvanized his horse and headed towards the imperial capital.
The strange man sat on the horse behind him. The man seemed to sigh: "Oh, now it's interesting. A fat man with a little weird mind, but he is a strong man in the field. I don't know what he is going to cause in the imperial capital." Trouble is coming... Oh, boy Rody, why don't you show up? I will give you a surprise!"
Mr. Qiu stood outside the main hall, quietly looking at the clouds in the sky. His face was calm, but his heart was turbulent... He almost didn't dare to see the queen again these days. Every time he saw the queen's resentful eyes, he My originally calm heart immediately became confused...
Nicole didn't know when she came behind him. Looking at Mr. Qiu's back, she sighed softly.
Mr. Qiu suddenly turned around and said with a smile: "Miss Nicole, what are you sighing for?"
There was a hint of sadness on Nicole's charming face, and she whispered: "Mr. Qiu, I know you are feeling bitter... You drove Seth away for the good of Her Majesty the Queen... But you have to understand that Her Majesty the Queen does not really hate you. You, it’s just that when a woman falls in love, there is no reason to explain.”
Mr. Qiu shook his head and said calmly: "I know, I know all this. I'm not upset because of her... I'm upset for myself."
"yourself?"
"Yes." Mr. Qiu looked at the sky with a bitter smile on his face: "I am laughing at myself. I have broken the sword and reached the extreme of martial arts. I have reached the realm that others only dream of, and I am the best in the world. Da, is there anything I can't go to? But I'm still staying in the palace for her... Don't you think I'm pathetic? Even if a person has the strength of a peerless warrior, what's the matter? Even though you can control everything in the world, you can’t control your own heart.”
Nicole was silent, looking at the sky with Mr. Qiu's eyes, a helpless expression on her face.
She thought of her current situation again - would things really go according to Seth's plan step by step
At this time, there were rapid footsteps in the distance behind him. Commander Gordon strode over in a suit of armor and armor. When he saw Nicole, he loudly said: "Miss Nicole! The Pope is here! He asked Meet Her Majesty the Queen!"
"His Majesty the Pope?" Nicole frowned, what is he doing here? Is it possible that the divine religion, which has always stayed out of the struggle for imperial power, will also get involved
She glanced at Mr. Qiu, said nothing, and immediately left with Commander Gordon.
Mr. Qiu showed a wry smile...
He suddenly remembered what Seth said before he disappeared: "Mr. Qiu, I remind you that the Pope has known your secret for a long time..."
Sighing, Mr. Qiu smiled bitterly and said: "Already know? Could it be that I have been hiding for so long, hiding my strength, not daring to be noticed, and he finally discovered it?"