Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The Emperor

May 3rd.The scenery of the northern country in Mafar is exactly a spring scene of fragrant flowers and singing birds.The lovely sun shines on the ground like crystal powder, and the flowers of lilac and softie are like constellations in the night sky, making the field scenery dazzling and pleasant.However, the envoy who galloped through this sweet spring and finally arrived at the imperial capital, Onogur, looked half-dead, and the sad news he brought to the palace made this beautiful spring even more difficult. The wind and cloud change color. The Marfar army was defeated, and the whereabouts of Emperor Karman II are unknown.

This bad news is like a bolt from the blue.Emperor Karman II learned that the territory of the old Zrunagra was invaded by the enemy, so he urgently withdrew his army from Kurlandt. On the way back to the court, he encountered a surprise attack by the Yerudi army, and unfortunately suffered a disastrous defeat.A total of 30,000 people died in the battle, and the surviving soldiers were all scattered, and even the emperor had disappeared.Although it was a sneak attack by the enemy, why did the Mafar Army, which boasted the most powerful on the mainland, suffer such a disastrous defeat?The reason is that the strategy adopted by Yerudi is extremely vicious.The Yerudi army threw poison into the well water along both sides of the street. When the Mafar army men and horses drank the water and were suffering from depression, Yerudi launched a general attack and carried out unilateral killings willfully.

"This kind of practice can't be called combat at all. It's simply the ugly behavior of ordinary thieves, and this is the nature of Yerudi people!" The courtiers were indignant for a while, but at this point, no matter how angry they were, it would be useless.All the courtiers fell into a complicated situation for a while, how to deal with this situation? "If His Majesty the Emperor really encounters misfortune..." Queen Yadel Hodo said when she summoned the officials in the hall.Her fair cheeks stiffened, and even flushed with excitement: "Of course, such a thing is absolutely impossible to happen, but if this kind of misfortune does happen, then I, as the queen of a country, should take full responsibility for the state affairs. I know that I have little talent, but This is an obligation that must be borne by the spouse of a generation of overlords."

All the courtiers were silent, but their expressions were obviously full of embarrassment and injustice.Although they had no power to resist when facing the empress, it was difficult for them to accept such a situation calmly, and all the courtiers had to do their best to hide their embarrassment. This is so ironic to the extreme, isn't it?After being annexed by Mafar, the Kingdom of Zrunagra, which had disappeared from the ground, left behind a princess who attempted to monopolize the power of the Mafar Empire as Queen Regent.From the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain, in less than a year, the loser wanted to rule the winner in turn. Of course, this group of courtiers could not accept this result with ease.Is there anyone who can put forward an objection quickly, the courtiers thought in their hearts, but they could only exchange eyes with each other, and they couldn't even chew their tongues.suddenly--

"Please wait a moment. Forgive me, it is difficult for my servant to accept what the queen said at this time." This sharp and provocative sound shocked everyone present.It was the young Bronze Sparrow King Lacusta who passed through the human wall formed by the officials and came to Yadelhodo.Yadelhodo then raised her slender eyebrows. "What's the matter, Duke Lacusta, do you have any objections to what the palace said?" "Have." La Costa said affirmatively with a strong tone and expression.He bravely met the queen's sharp gaze, then turned around to look around at the group of civil and military courtiers who were holding their breath, and then slowly said the truth:

"Whether the emperor has passed away unfortunately has not been confirmed. It is disrespectful to His Majesty to talk about various matters of the regime at this time." So far, it’s all superficial, but what La Costa said next fully showed his intentions: "Please forgive me for being rude. From the words and deeds of Her Majesty the Empress at this time, I can't help but have a thought, as if Her Majesty the Empress regards the misfortune of the Emperor as a golden opportunity. More precisely, I even think that In fact, Her Majesty the Queen has been waiting for this good opportunity. Anyway, it seems impossible for a person who has not stayed in the country for a full year, even a woman, to support the crisis at this time."

Yadelhodo stared at La Costa fiercely and said: "...That's really good, Duke Lacusta. You must be quite enlightened when you dare to insult me, who is the Queen of the Great Marfar Empire, like this!" "Here is a letter." La Costa did not directly answer the queen's question, but just took out a roll of parchment from the arms of the court clothes.He untied the string that bound the parchment, and showed his courtiers the contents of the scroll. "The person who delivered this letter was King Jebram III who was leading an army to attack the old Zrunagra at this time. The designated recipient is Her Majesty Empress Mafar Yadelhodo .”

"what……!" Shouts of astonishment and disbelief burst out from the mouths of the surrounding courtiers.As for Yadel Hodo herself, she was silent, but the flames full of murderous intent seemed to burst out from her dark brown eyes.La Costa ignored the change in the Queen's expression, and just amplified his volume even more: "The main content of this letter is that the King of Urukar confirmed to Her Majesty Queen Yadelhodo his willingness to fulfill his promise. If Urukar can liberate the old Zrunagra from Mafar, and reply In terms of its original independence and autonomy, I hope that Her Majesty Queen Yadelhodo will not violate the original promise and cede the thirty states of Mafar's own country to Ulukal."

"This is an act of treason!" La Costa accuses loudly and irrefutably.And the courtiers who had been oppressed by the young queen and had always been dissatisfied in their hearts, at this time, also aggressively hurled bullets at the queen. "It's terrible. A person who is the queen of a country actually commits such a traitorous behavior." "That's why you want to monopolize power!" "She was born in Zrunagra. After all, she is not from our Mafar Empire. How could she forget the kingdom's hatred? It's just that she put on a smile on the surface, but she is actually carrying out various conspiracies behind the scenes. It is smart to say, but Still pretty stupid."

"Does Her Majesty know what shame is?" "No, no, she is not a queen at all, but a vixen of Zrunagra, a vixen who uses my great emperor's generosity to make trouble. It is conceivable that His Majesty the emperor is sad." Civil and military courtiers may not have intended to slander the queen so much.But the crowd is often agitated by its own words to the point of excitement.The courtiers were all gearing up, stomping on the ground angrily, their emotions were almost boiling, if the other party was not the queen, they would have lynched her long ago. "Is that all you want to say?"

This icy voice, as if melting ice and snow, froze all the people who were almost extremely excited.The courtiers paused their voices of condemnation, and the entire summoning room seemed to be filled with invisible ice water.The nineteen-year-old queen, when she was condemned and slandered by everyone, did not show any timidity: "This palace was officially conferred the title of empress with the approval of Emperor Mafar Karman II. Those of you who are ministers, do you mean that you don't trust me as empress?" "It's not distrust, it's inability to trust." La Costa burst out a sentence that seemed to be a warning to the world. He re-rolled the opened parchment and put it in his court clothes. "Then, Duke Lacusta, as the important guardian of the imperial capital appointed by the emperor, how will you deal with the concubine?" "As a subject, even if you are extremely unwilling to do so, you should still prioritize state affairs. Sincerely, I ask the empress to recuperate in the backyard of your palace until the emperor returns to court." This sentence also means house arrest.If the suspicion Yadelhodo received at this time is indeed a fact, then this can be said to be a lenient treatment.There is neither a single soldier under Yadelhodo's command. If La Costa enforces it by force, Yadelhodo has no way to resist at all.At this time, La Costa obviously wanted to resort to force.The queen also had to realize that she was defeated.But instead of expressing any words of thanks, Queen Yadelhodo raised her chin challengingly and laughed loudly. "It's so interesting. An important minister who guards the capital of a great empire has the task of imprisoning a weak woman. Speaking of which, your Duke of Bronze Sparrow, Lacusta, is indeed a man of great prestige. Last year, he set up a What a great feat, taking a child from a poor widow! His Majesty the Emperor has some trustworthy subjects!" Empress Yadelhuo laughed loudly and recklessly, while the court officials shrank their heads in a strange silence.Under such a strong insult, La Costa just stood still and pale.The incident that forcibly pulled Prince Rushette away from his biological mother last year, although it was based on his personal position, was indeed a wound in his heart.And Yadel Hoduo was using the poisonous blade of words to scratch his wound fiercely. Yadelhodo left surrounded by La Costa's men.La Custa then cheered up his spirit and began to prepare for the possible action of the Yerudi army to besiege the imperial capital in the near future. He asked the opinions of the courtiers, and then began to issue instructions. At this time, the situation surrounding the Marfar Empire is changing rapidly, just like the wind and rain that desperately want to blow off the blooming flowers.The chronicle of the Marfar Empire at this time actually recorded in a slightly eloquent tone: "...Mafar stands as unshakable as a granite rock. It is the seven nations that have joined the Great Alliance that are shaking and turbulent in the wind and rain. The will of the kings of the countries has always been to fear Mafar." In May of the same year, the name of Jebram III of the Kingdom of Uluqal appeared for the first time in Mafar's Chronicle. Jebram III, King of Uruqal, is a young and thirty-three-year-old monarch.He is neither incompetent nor an ignorant person, not only proficient in five languages, but also intensively studied art and music.He is quite a man of self-cultivation, who can even be called a wit.It's just that his personal emotions are often in an unstable state. Sometimes he has excess self-confidence, and sometimes he lacks even a moderate amount of self-confidence. The gap between the two mentalities is quite large.Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow, has fully grasped the shortcomings of his character and made use of them. When he led the army to invade the old Zrunagra territory, Jebram III was in a state of extreme self-inflated.He excitedly imagined that after annexing the old Zrunagra territory, he could expand the territory of Urukar, so that he became the founder of the Great Urukar Kingdom.In this regard, the state of mind of Yebram III is not much different from that of Jigu Morton VII, who is trying to build a great Yerudi kingdom.Although to varying degrees, most of the monarchs of medieval countries had such ambitions.This is probably the case. When faced with the strength of Mafar, all countries are afraid; but for Kalman's reputation, there is some envy in addition to terror.Once emotion surpasses reason, whether it is advancing or retreating, there will be two extreme tendencies in the spirit.During this period, the army used to realize personal ambitions has always been ready to be dispatched at any time.When King Jebram III of Uluqal had "this intention", his army was dispatched to break through the border. However, in just three days after invading the old Zrunagra territory, Jebram III's ambitions and dreams, like a punctured skin, began to slowly lose steam.He has always believed that he is a liberator and should be welcomed by the people of old Zrunagra, but this does not appear to be the case.For the inhabitants of Zrunagra, this is rather impossible.Because as long as the banner of the ruler is changed, it means that they are about to restore the stable life with great difficulty, and they will lose their original peace and prosperity after the pressure of foreign troops.They had no reason to be grateful or thankful for the intruder at this time. And this is something Yebram III can't understand.If the people had admiration for the royal family in the past, they would naturally thank the King of Ulukal at this time, wouldn't they?But this is not the case, and the people even spit on the military flag in Uluqal.People who are ungrateful like this must be taught the truth of life.Because of this, more than 1,000 people who "have no gratitude to report" were arrested and sentenced to death.Only in this way, it is even more impossible for Ulukal's military flag to become the object of thanks.The public's resentment grew stronger and stronger. In addition to being angry, Yebram III fell into a state of extreme lack of self-confidence.He also considered withdrawing the army, but after being opposed by the generals under his command, he has been unable to make a decision.For those generals, there is no need for the residents of Zrunagra to thank them at all, as long as they can plunder as much as they want.At the same time, they also raped beautiful women. After drinking, they burned the village to accompany the sideshow. If there were men who resisted, they would put leather ropes around their necks and let the horses drag them around.The generals of Uluqal did not review their defeat in March at all. They just felt a pity that they failed. Therefore, at this time, the old Zrunagra seems to have fallen into the miserable and desolate state experienced by the Dragon Tooth Principality under the dominance of the evil dragon Dragoonsun.However, this worst situation did not last long.On the 6th of May, all the residents of Old Zrunagra cheered loudly to welcome the "Liberation Army" in their minds. For Jebram III, it must have been quite helpless. After the Ulukar army occupied the western part of the old Zrunagra, although they allowed the soldiers to act violently and satisfy their greed, on the one hand, they also considered the possibility of the enemy's attack, and deployed troops in the northeast. A large number of soldiers, because this is the closest place to Mafar's own country.As for the area from the west to the southwest, because it is close to Urukal's own country, almost no soldiers were placed, or even the slightest security. On the night of May 6th, the generals of the Urukal army were drinking the Zrunagra wine, which is famous all over the continent, molesting the captive women, and greedily devouring the beef and bread they plundered. It is to step on the head of other people's pain and sacrifice, and to sing the spring that belongs to them this season.When the ranks of battle armor and war horses approached them from the west street like a tidal wave, no one even noticed.For them, the imminent tragic end was too sudden. Night Breeze roared loudly.Hundreds of arrow feathers shot down hundreds of Urukal soldiers, but before half of them were completely prostrate on the ground, the sound of horseshoes broke into the forest of wine pool and meat.The Urukal army was turned on their backs for a while, and what was reflected in the drunken eyes of the soldiers was a military flag fluttering in flames.A military flag depicting a golden crow waving in the wind in the dark night. "It's Mafar's army! It's Mafar's Golden Crow Army!" A non-commissioned officer shouted loudly in order to inform other colleagues of the news of the enemy's attack, but at the same time he opened his mouth to shout, his head was chopped off by the enemy, and a bloody head flew through the night sky. Still open.From the neck of the non-commissioned officer cut in half by the enemy, two kinds of red liquids were gushing out, while the headless body fell to the ground with a bang.Munchell, Duke of the Golden Crow, shook the blood and wine-stained knife in his hand, and ordered to General Matthias: "Kill me, don't need tolerance, don't need mercy, just kill them all!" The soldiers carried out the Duke's orders very faithfully.The generals of the Golden Crow Army broke into the group of hungry wolves running around in a panic, some slashed with swords, some stabbed with long spears, and some beat with hammers and spears, causing the dark ground to scatter It was full of human blood reeking of wine.Even people who want to beg for mercy when they are about to die will not survive.Among this group of Urukals who missed the chance to escape and fled around like a group of ants on a hot pot, one of them was about to be cut by the unforgiving knife in the hands of the enemy soldiers, but he suddenly Make a wailing sound. "Wait, wait a minute, I am the king of Uruqal, Jebram III. If you kill me, you can't ask our people to redeem me according to your terms!" Although no one understood Urukal, it was indeed unusual to see this man.The soldiers then drew back their swords and stared at the man carefully.This person was wrapped in extravagant silk clothes, and also decorated with precious stones, gold and silver.Look at the scabbard he is wearing, it is also decorated with ivory from the south, it is obviously an expensive thing.Since he did look like the king of a country, the soldiers gave up the idea of ​​killing him, and only forcibly pulled him in front of the Duke of Munchell.Munchell didn't recognize the face of the Duke of Urukal either, but after asking a few questions and seeking the testimony of several people, he realized that he was indeed the king of Urukal.After his identity was confirmed, Yebram III was immediately greeted by the guests, but he still tremblingly asked Munchell: "You Mafar, are you not satisfied after the destruction of Zrunagra?" "What does this mean?" Munchell asked the other party with his eyes. "I, I know that you still want to annex my country. Your insatiable greed is really chilling." "Your words sound so strange!" There was an almost harsh ironic smile on the corner of Munchell's mouth.His dangerous gaze, like the light of a sword, ruthlessly tore at the face of the king of Uluqal, King Jebram III, who had been reduced to a prisoner in front of him: "Is my Mafar Empire attacking your precious motherland now? That's not the case! The land you are stepping on now is my Mafar territory. Although it used to be called Zrunagra, it is already It's a thing of the past." What Munchell said at this time is tantamount to pointing at the other party's nose and saying that you are the aggressors yourself.So King Urukal could only moan like: "Actually, we didn't take the initiative to attack your country. It was because of the tricks of the Yerudi Kingdom. They specially incited other countries to fight against Mafar, while they secretly preserved their strength!" When Munchell heard this, he deliberately made a deeply moved expression in front of Jebram III. "Oh, according to you, the fault of all this lies with Yarudi, not your country?" "Yes, it is." "Your country is a unilateral victim, but Yerudi is the perpetrator who actively designed to frame you?" "Ok……" Yebram III nodded, but the expression on his face became a little ambiguous.Yebram III felt as if he was being led by the nose, but since the words had been spoken, they could not be taken back.Just now, I put all the responsibility on Yerudi's head, and I said it out of a moment of impatience, but after I said it, I felt that what I said might be true.Munchell went on to say: "So, since your country is a victim, you must hate Yerudi, the perpetrator?" "..." "Our country also hates Yerudi's greed and cunning very much. Speaking of which, Yerudi is the common enemy of your country and our country. If this is the case, shouldn't we put aside the past and fight side by side together?" Munchell showed a sharp smile, and then patted the king who had become a prisoner with his hands.Yebram III seemed to be possessed by a ghost, and his whole face went up and down. He was really completely confused. How could the situation become like this?In such a situation, what role do you play?He really didn't understand at all.But Munchell knows it very well, as long as this is enough.Without the permission of the emperor, he launched an army without authorization, rescued the old Zrunagra from the invaders, and also captured the king of Ulukal. These goals have been achieved.Not only that, but he also seems to have successfully blamed Yerudi for the aggression of the king of Urukal and the house arrest of Queen Yadelhodo.Next, he only needs to defeat the Yerudi army and support Prince Ruschet, and then he can become the real ruler of the Majuer country. Also on the day of May 6th, the Yeludi army surrounded the Mafar army like a wave. Yerudi's Nine-Pillar General Lasalle was standing at the front of the torrent of the wave, playing with all his might. With his vicious wrist.The Mafar army, which has always been known for its strength, has already had more than 50,000 generals trampled under his feet and sank into the mud mixed with blood.Half of them were poisoned to death by drinking the poisonous water in the well, and the other half were killed by the merciless sword of the enemy.So many generals, like this, prostrate on the land of the motherland, and will never be able to stand up again.Among the many opponents that the Mafar Army encountered, there were many people who used despicable means, but Lasalle was the only one who could inflict such a deep blow on the Mafar Army. "Where is Kalman? Find Kalman!" There was an unstable beating factor in Lasalle's voice, and his eyes also shone with unstable light.The only thing La Salle wanted was the life that the young emperors of the Weizhen continent had.If Kalman's head cannot be removed with his own hands, La Salle will never have a day of peace of mind, and his ambition has no hope of being realized.If Kalman is allowed to escape and make a comeback, then Lasalle's neck and head will be lost.Because Lassalle defeated Mafar's emperor's army in a despicable way of poisoning, it was impossible for Karman to spare him. However, no matter how you say it, who can imagine the current situation?The Marfar Empire was at the peak of its power, but it fell to the bottom of the division just like this.A great empire that wiped out Zrunagra not long ago, repulsed the aggression of Kurland and Ulukal, and was so powerful that it made the countries fearful. At this time, it was not only attacked by two sides, but also After the fiasco, even the emperor's whereabouts were unknown.The evolution of all this makes people feel sad, but at the time of the sad, the situation is even more urgent. In such a difficult situation, it was General Iliaxiu, who was deeply trusted by the emperor, who managed to consolidate the defeated army with great difficulty. However, the number of troops barely maintaining the army under his command at this time was actually less than 5,000 people. .Most of these people also suffered from fever and fatigue due to poisoning, which severely damaged their combat effectiveness.On May 6th, at the middle of the day, the unilateral and arbitrary killing by the Yerudi army had lasted for most of the day, but they were still chasing after this army.The army horses ran desperately under the sound of yelling, and the sound of the horseshoes was like a deafening thunder.The Yerudi army raised their spears and pierced the Mafar soldier's body, and the sword slashed from top to bottom smashed the Mafar soldier's skull.The Mafar soldiers also fought back desperately, but after all, it was like a sickly sheep desperately fighting against the sharp teeth of a lion.The blood-stained soldiers staggered and staggered out of the ranks, and the formation of the army became thinner and thinner. "Don't run away! Come back!" Ilya Xiu tried his best to calm down the mount that was about to go berserk under him, while shouting loudly.At this time, he really has nothing to do except scold him.Most of his trusted subordinates have been bitten by the demon in charge of death and pain and cannot move, and even lost the strength to carry out this initial order.They couldn't support their bodies to stand up at all, so they could only fall down and moan on the cold and wet ground under their feet, letting the Yerudi army trample over their bodies and continue to hunt down their colleagues.These soldiers were trampled alive by horseshoes, crushing their bones and tearing their muscles.The Yerudi soldiers were completely fascinated by the bloody massacre. As soon as they heard the short and painful wail, they immediately swung their knives and slashed down fiercely.No matter the horseshoes were covered with human blood and mud, the Yerudi army still rushed forward.Lassalle's ambition is like an invisible spur, driving the whole army to chase the prey he wants. "General, the pursuers are approaching." Ilya Xiu was riding on the horse, and when he heard the panting of his subordinates, he immediately turned around.I saw the momentum of the Yerudi cavalry passing through the sky as quickly as summer clouds, and they were pressing towards their backs.And the face of the knight who ran at the front was the one Ilya Xiu had seen in the imperial capital Onogur. "Lassalle! The wretch!" Ilya Xiu spat with hatred, and then drew his sword from his waist.Thinking that La Salle is Mafar's national enemy, Ilya Xiu completely forgot to run away.His thoughts were entirely based on his own correct cognition, and he was also very angry at the tragic end of his own soldiers who were killed by despicable means.In addition, he also made up his mind to use his sword no matter what to protect the emperor's life. The white blades of the two sides collided fiercely with each other, making a loud noise like thunder.The human body swayed on the saddle, while the horse jumped under the saddle, and both sides missed the second blow.While the two knights readjusted their mounts, they immediately launched a third wave of attacks. Due to the anger and hatred in his heart, Ilya Xiu's offensive at this time became more intense, far more difficult than Lasalle's original imagination.Under the sparks of the battle between the two sides, La Salle couldn't help spitting angrily, because if Ilya Xiu was entangled here, Karman might take the opportunity to escape.However, Lasalle's sword skills and sword power are better than Ilya Xiu.After more than 20 rounds of fighting between the two sides, Lasalle's sword finally pierced Ilya Xiu's jaw, and then slid out horizontally. In an instant, human blood traced a bright red parabola in the air.Ilya Xiu's body fell from the saddle to the ground without even wailing. "Leave the head to you. If you want to make a small contribution, you can cut off the head yourself!" After throwing such a sentence to his subordinates, Lassalle galloped away immediately.Although Ilya Xiu can be regarded as one of the few generals in the Marfar Empire Army, but for La Salle's ambition, his head is not even of much value.After Lassalle dropped these words, several Yerudi soldiers cheered excitedly, and then surrounded Iliaxiu's body, pointing fingers at each other for the head.If it was during Ilya Xiu's lifetime, these soldiers would probably not be able to get close to the range of his sword, but once he became a corpse, they could only let these greedy swords cruelly chop him up. "Hmph, an easy-to-satisfy little character!" Lasalle smiled disdainfully, then turned his horse's head and started chasing Karman again.At this time, La Salle is undoubtedly having the most fulfilling period of his life.But when the flowing water is speeding up, it seems that there will be a waterfall ahead.As the afternoon approached the evening, the Yerudi army finally captured Emperor Karman's army at the end of the field.Yerudi's soldiers scrambled to run fast, and even before the formation was well integrated, they continued to chase each other. At this time, Yerudi's army was attacked by a completely unexpected attack from their flanks. When the cavalry of the Black Sheep Principality appeared on the gray-white ridge in splendid armor, even a bold man like La Salle could not help but feel as if his stomach was hit by ice.After all, Lasalle was not omniscient and omnipotent, and he never expected that the soldiers of the Black Sheep Duke's army would not suffer any losses, and even interacted with the emperor's own army, trailing behind in a pincer attack of the Yerudi army.Although the Black Sheep Army is mostly in a state of fighting alone, it is precisely because of this that they can avoid the treacherous schemes of the Yerudi Army.This is an extremely unfortunate outcome for those involved in the poisoning. Such a rapid and fierce attack was completely unexpected by the Yerudi Army.Even Lasalle, driven by his own arrogance, was only in a hurry for the moment and ignored the movement of the Black Sheep Duke's army.The cause of such a serious miscalculation is not so much negligence as the fact that a man's intelligence has reached the limit of his use.The Mafar people that originally existed in Lasalle's eyes were only Emperor Karman and Duke Munchell of the Golden Crow.Although the name of Lidvan, the heir of the Black Sheep Principality, is also well known to Lassalle, in Lassalle's eyes, he only sees Lidvan as a brave man who can be manipulated by him in the future.Lassalle's arrogance is indeed nothing to worry about. If it is to compare strategies, Lidwan can't even match Lassalle's feet.However, at this time, Ridvan did not need to compete with Lassalle for each other's resourcefulness.Because the Yerudi army was only focused on advancing in pursuit of the emperor, Lidwan only had to use all his strength to attack the Yerudi army's back fiercely.Then Ridvan launched the following attack. The arrow feathers shot by the riders were like a heavy rain falling on the heads of the Yeludi army.The army horse fell to death, the knight fell, and the wailing one after another hit the ground one after another.Up until the last moment, the howling that filled the atmosphere was entirely in Mafar language, but this time it was replaced by Yerudi.Immediately after thousands of arrow feathers, thousands of swords and spears shuttled through the array of the Yeludi army, and everywhere they went was a splash of blood. "In your Yerudi army, there should be General Lassalle. Lidvan of the Black Sheep Principality, here is betting your reputation as a knight to compete with you in sword skills, come out and report your name!" In the center of this storm of human blood came the cry of the Mafarian language. But Lasalle ignored the challenge.Although Lassalle might not be easily defeated if he confronted Lidvan with a sword, but the main purpose of Lassalle's sword was to crush Karman's neck.If you fight against a strong enemy at this time and make a gap in the white blade, it may cause even greater regret.Lassalle then turned his horse without a word, avoiding this useless strife. From the standpoint of the Army of the Black Sheep Principality, no matter whether it is Lidwan or Princess Angelina, they are not obsessed with obtaining La Salle's head at this time.For them, the current top priority is to find the missing emperor Karman and protect the emperor's life.The Black Sheep Army broke up the formation of the Yerudi Army, slashed and killed the blocking enemy soldiers, and galloped forward quickly.If he learned that Ilya Xiu, his comrade in arms who had been fighting side by side with him, had died, Ridwan would definitely feel agitated in his heart.But at this time, he had no way of knowing this sad fact.Under the command of Lidwan and Princess Angelina, the Black Sheep soldiers did not chase after the completely disorganized Yerudi army in front of them, but galloped across the street with the speed and momentum of the north wind sweeping across the field . In the early morning of May 7th, before dawn, Lasalle finally completed the reconstruction of the military appearance.After encountering the fierce attack of the Black Sheep Army, although more than 8,000 soldiers were lost, there were still 28,000 cavalry and infantry at this time, neatly carrying weapons under his command.Although 28,000 generals can't be called a large army, as long as they have such a force, they can also go further into Mafar's country, and it is not impossible to win Karman's head.But the so-called "not impossible" is just Lasalle's personal encouragement to himself.LaSalle believes that if he is timid at this time and returns to Yarudi's home country, he may never have such a good opportunity again.However, this kind of thinking caused unexpected divergences in Lasalle's thoughts, which cast a subtle cloud over his originally cold personality.According to Lasalle's original plan, it may take several years to complete the siege against Kalman, so there is no need to be anxious at this time, but the ambition lurking in Lasalle's heart is constantly baking他的思絮，致使此时的拉萨尔完全像是一只在烧热的铁板上乱跳的猫，内心骚动不安，原有的沉着与冷静已经逐渐在褪去之中。 七日这一天，待全军吃过早餐之后，拉萨尔打算再度发兵追击卡尔曼，正要发布命令的时候，后方突然传来一个紧急报告。耶鲁迪的另一名九柱将军奥布拉希特，以国王特使的身份从本国赶到了前线。拉萨尔的心中顿时掠过一阵不安与疑惑的黑色阴影。怎么奥布拉希特会在这个时候，带来国王的什么敕命呢？ 拉萨尔于是怀着这个疑问，将奥布拉希特迎进营帐之中，然后以对待国王特使的礼节，双膝着地在地上跪拜。耶鲁迪这位人称“独臂将军”的勇将，以左手捧着国王的诏书，对拉萨尔宣告： “国王陛下有旨，拉萨尔听命，即刻整军退阵，归返木国。详情待返回国都普勒逊之后告知。谨此，拉萨尔接旨。” “岂有此理……！” 拉萨尔竟然不自觉地发出这种仿佛叫喊般的怒骂声，而且还是在经过一会儿之后，才发觉自己对国王敕命的失礼，这时他才不由得感到惶恐与战栗，但是奥布拉希特并无意对拉萨尔的放肆加以责难。只见他空荡荡的右边袖子，在早晨的微风中飘动着，奥布拉希特又再度重申： “这是国王敕命，即刻整军，退归本国。” 奥布拉希特的声音和言语，仿佛钢铁一般地又重又强，让人无法漠视。尽管此时正值舒适的初夏清晨，但拉萨尔的额头、脖子、和背后，却沁着一阵阵冰冷又令人不悦的汗水。既然是国王发出的敕命，臣下除了遵从之外，应该没有其他的选择，但是拉萨尔此时的情感却压倒了他的理性。他的脸颊上浮现着那道赤红色的刀疤，两眼正透着令人难以正视的光芒。 “虽说是敕命，但是我不能接受。我军已经用一只手攫住了卡尔曼的袖子。如果就这样让他给逃了，将会造成耶鲁迪王国未来百年的遗憾！” “你的意思是不退兵吗？” “待我取得卡尔曼的首级之后，自会向陛下请罪。大事之前的区区小事，希望你不要插手。” 说完之后，拉萨尔便站起身来，转头向后走。但奥布拉希特将军的叱喝声立刻就传到他的背后： “站住！国王陛下另有特别授命，若有抗拒敕命之行为发生，得当场诛杀拉萨尔将军，以正国家之法制。知道了这一点，你难道还坚持不肯遵照敕命吗？拉萨尔大人！” 拉萨尔像是被鞭子痛打了似地，停下了脚底的步伐，回头看着奥布拉希特。拉萨尔的眼里并没有畏惧，但是心理上的动摇是藏不住的。直到这时为止，拉萨尔一直深信着耶鲁迪国王吉古摩顿七世的盛情，因为深信可以让他更容易发挥自己的野心。 “拉萨尔大人，你的独断独行已经令人无法容忍。而你一切的作为，只令人觉得你是故意将耶鲁迪扯进与马法尔敌对的危险战事当中。” "..." “而这也正是国王陛下所忧心之处。你是否只为了个人一己的利益，而将生你养你的国家当作实现野心的道具呢？” 在奥布拉希特这番露骨的追问之下，拉萨尔终于脸色大变。理性的门闩一下子给冲撞开来，激烈沸腾的言词也脱口而出： “我不过是凑巧生在这个国家，凭什么就要我对这个国家竭尽忠诚呢？对于耶鲁迪，我只有付出，从没有接受过什么恩义！” 这是拉萨尔的真心话。不过，这还是他第一次，将自己内心的真心话给挑明来讲。只是一旦说出了口，拉萨尔在耶鲁迪王国就不再有未来了，除非他能够击倒卡尔曼，以马法尔作为自立之地。拉萨尔本身的野心与焦虑，终于将他自己逼进了无法回头的窘境。这时，拉萨尔的手几乎是无意识地按在剑柄上。 “没错，你所说的话确实也有一番道理。但是你身为朝廷的高官，难道没有支领朝廷的俸禄，坐享独有的特权吗？你说你没有接受过国家的恩义，这完全是你个人自私的说法！” 奥布拉希特谴责的声调极为严厉： “更严重的一个事实，是你个人所已经做的，以及即将要做的，都将成为耶鲁迪的罪孽而流传到后世。纵使身为耶鲁迪人的你，有啃蚀耶鲁迪王国的权利，但是你有什么权利将战乱波及到其他国家，伤害其他国家的百姓呢？你的所作所为根本就是一个错误！” “好，说得好！” 拉萨尔充满恶意地拍手叫好： “听你这么说起来，哼哼哼，像拉萨尔这号人物是怎么也不能让他再活下去了。不过，坏蛋做坏事乃是天经地义的事。我拉萨尔当然也不会例外。怎么样，你打算怎么做呢？” 在拉萨尔如此近乎苛酷的挑衅之下，奥布拉希特双唇紧闭地向前走出一步。动作表现出了心中的决意。拉萨尔丝毫不迟缓地往后跳了一步。紧接着，双方都拔出自己的配剑展开攻击。两把剑几乎在同时发出闪光，激出尖锐刺耳的声音。两个同为九柱将军的人物，于是展开了凄绝的打斗。 在刀剑铿锵作响的时候，拉萨尔的内心同时也响起一阵嘀咕的声音。How did it become like this?耶鲁迪国王吉古摩顿七世怎么会抛弃他原先对拉萨尔的信赖，而以高压姿态发出撤兵的命令呢？是有人在背后唆使他吗？Who is this guy?难道是马法尔的金鸦国公蒙契尔？ 但是，此时的拉萨尔根本无暇来查明他心中的这些疑惑。因为此时正与拉萨尔互动干戈的对手，远比他日前所击毙的伊利亚修还要更勇猛、更难缠，而且眼前这样不幸的场面，完全是拉萨尔抗拒敕命所造成的。拉萨尔应该在拔剑之前，就查觉到这些疑点，然后用理性和他那三寸不烂之舌来说服奥布拉希特的。于是，拉萨尔尝试着修正自己的行为。在手中的剑仍持续激烈地缠绕之际，拉萨尔喘气地大声叫道： “等等，奥布拉希特，先听我说！” “事到如今，你还想说什么。刚才先拔剑的人是你，难道你现在是要承认自己先拔剑的过错吗？” 独臂将军的一句话，狠狠地刨刮着拉萨尔的自私。拉萨尔感到自己的自尊心，仿佛被一把屈辱的冰刃给拂掠过去。奥布拉希特是对的。真正蛮横无理、且逞强好战的人是拉萨尔自己，而不是奥布拉希特。到了这样的境地，拉萨尔既无法停止，也没有后步可退。不过，这样或许行得通，当拉萨尔的内心在瞬间激迸出这个想法时，也就意味着潜藏在拉萨尔内心的怯懦，连拉萨尔自己都难以相信的潜在怯懦开始萌芽了。如果不摘取这嫩嫩的幼苗，自己就完全没有胜利的希望。现在的拉萨尔已经完全觉悟到这一点了。 突然间，拉萨尔又猛烈地发动攻击。他先是往后退一步，以便让手中的剑能够自由挥动，然后以锐利的刀身向前刺出一步。踩进、力砍、深割，双方毫不喘息地挥出一阵阵凌厉的剑气。彼此激烈砍击的刀剑发出铿锵的响声，飞舞的火花像是蓝色的飞沫，灼烧着两人的眼睛。你来我往的激烈斩击，在双方攻防都保持均衡的状态下，似乎就要这样无穷无尽地继续下去了。然而，悲惨的结局却来得非常突然。双方同时都向前踩进一步，在没有顾及到防御的情况下，猛然挥剑一砍，就在接下来的这一瞬间——。 “……！”两方无声的绝响在同一时刻交叉，在天地之中发出巨大的回响。 两人在同一瞬间失去了同样的左手臂。由此可证明这两位九柱将军，在剑术上是不相上下。两只左手臂鲜血淋漓地掉落到地面上，其中一只还紧紧地握着大剑。虽然在剑术方面是不分轩轾，而且被敌手所夺走的部份也是相同的，但是最后所酿成的结果却有如天壤之别。因为奥布拉希特所失去的，不仅仅是他的一只手臂，更是他所有的战力。 拉萨尔放声大笑。如果是一般人的话，在失去一只左手臂之后，只怕早已痛得晕厥，而且当场只想倒下来休息了。但是拉萨尔却挺着剧痛与大量的失血，抑制住生理上渴望歇息的欲求，露出了血淋淋的笑容。拉萨尔接着又出声向对手确认彼此的立场： “我赢了。奥布拉希特将军，你要砍的应该是我的头哪。失掉一只左手对我来说，实在是太便宜了，但是对你来说则是失去了全部哪！” 奥布拉希特将军没有回答。现在的他已经失去了两只手臂，脸部也正因为大量的出血与冲击，而逐渐变成没有生气的铅灰色，但是从他口中丝毫没有痛苦的呻吟声。他仍然直挺挺地站着，两眼动也不动地直视着拉萨尔，这样的视线甚至叫拉萨尔感到恐惧。当喘息与呼吸逐渐恢复平稳之后，拉萨尔用右手的剑顶住奥布拉希特的颚下。眼前的奥布拉希特已经不再是“独臂将军”，而是“无臂将军”了，但是这名失去双臂的武勇骑士，仍然浑身散发着沉着冷静的风采，稳若泰山地矗立着，几乎令人难以相信他会是此时的败者。正当拉萨尔企图要开口的时候，奥布拉希特却比他更早了一步。 “杀吧。” 落败的人反过来命令获胜的一方。拉萨尔几乎是在没有意识的状态下，执行了敌手的这个命令。不久，拉萨尔麾下的一名骑士，由于听见主将的喊声而跑了过来，当他绕过帐幕，出现在斩杀现场的时候，不禁为眼前的景象惊愕地倒抽一口气。一具尸体和两只手臂，正沉陷在一片人血的泥泞当中。骑士拼命忍着这阵迎面袭来的血腥臭气，看清死者的脸部之后，瞬间血色全失，好像他自己也让死神的手给捆住了似地。这位列国间赫赫有名的奥布拉希特将军，竟然被人将他的颈部几乎要砍成两截，而且左右两手臂全失，极其凄惨地横躺在他的脚边。这名骑士好不容易才勉强挤出一点抽绪、僵硬的声音： “这、这是怎么回事呢？拉萨尔将军？” “你还看不懂吗？” 拉萨尔唾弃地说道，一面将充满血光的视线投注在自己已经失去的左手臂上： “奥布拉希特收受马法尔皇帝的贿赂，为了要妨碍我部队的进击，竟然伪造国王陛下的敕命。我看穿他的真正企图之后，不得已被迫用剑来伸张正义，最后就变成了这样的结局。” 为了维护自己的立场，拉萨尔当然要贬谪死者。这正是拉萨尔此时的境遇，也是他始终无法胜过奥布拉希特的理由，即使是奥布拉希特已经被他杀死的现在。 “奥布拉希特收受敌方的贿赂……” 骑士无法再继续说下去，内心的动摇与疑惑，使他的两眼蒙上一片阴影。只要一提到“独臂将军”奥布拉希特，大家都知道他是一个刚直、公正、而且廉洁的骑士，是个声名远播的正直君子，就连敌国马法尔的皇帝也对他有着很高的评价。这样的一个人会为了一己的私欲而出卖祖国，这真是令人难以置信。拉萨尔看穿了骑士心中的疑虑，于是便继续玩弄血腥的诡计： “眼看着我军就快要迫使马法尔皇帝，败倒在我方的军旗之下；但是奥布拉希特却阻挠我再继续进军。如果这不是叛贼所为，那又是什么呢？这是奥布拉希特亲手把他的名声给玷污了。” 骑士于是点点头。虽然有些不以为然，不过他所知道的国王敕命，是允许拉萨尔将军侵攻马法尔境内的，而他不知道的，是国王为中止拉萨尔进军马法尔的许可，而重新颁布的诏书，竟然在布满人血之后，被拉萨尔私藏在他怀中。违背敕命、杀害特使、又私藏诏书的拉萨尔，已然是一个不折不扣的叛国贼，而他所能走的路，也只有唯一的一条。 经由军医作过止血处置之后不久，拉萨尔便再度率军追赶皇帝卡尔曼。看他空荡荡的左袖在马上随风飘动的情景，不禁让人产生一种凄怆的感觉。如果先将这名男子所怀藏的野心，究竟是对、是错的问题抛在一边，任何人大概都不能否定他确实是用他全部的性命，为他自己的野心下了最大的赌注。