Chapter 8 Chapter Eight The Last Three Cards
The news of Zhelixu Titania's sudden death cast huge and deep ripples on "Sky City". Since the founding of the country, Titania's regime has been constantly challenged by force. There have been examples.The father of Duke Idris died of illness due to war injuries, so Zhelixu's sudden death is not an unprecedented calamity, but since the current landless vassal King Arjuman ascended the throne, some people began to feel that he was still standing until last year The Titanian regime has shown signs of loosening.
"The younger brother is followed by the older brother. This family is so destined for misfortune." Someone sighed, but in comparison, there were more people talking about the future political and military development, both inside and outside of Titania.
"It's not that the Titanian army is weak, but that it lost its commander to the Baghsu army."
"No, maybe the strength of the Baghsu army is beyond our imagination. Think about it, Duke Albert also suffered a defeat in the Battle of Kaiberos half a year ago, didn't he?"
"Does this mean that Titania is not invincible?"
"Could it be that we were just deceived by the illusion of Titania? Too many things have happened recently, so people have to think so..."
"It might be a sign of a crack in the mirror. I'm really looking forward to the reaction of the Bhag body..."
People who are disgusted and resentful of Titania are exchanging such whispers enthusiastically. They have all had the experience of shattering their hopes several times. It is not worthwhile to lose their lives to smash the illusion, so they decided Be a bystander from the start.
The Duchess Teresa Titania, who lost her two sons, Jalish and Arthurs, was almost frantic in a short period of time. Her love for Jerish was not as good as Arthurs, but the nature of mother and child will not disappear of.Although this incident won everyone's sympathy, the widow vented her emotions on her retainers and maids, and even a maid was seriously injured in the face by being caught in a vase bowl. Everyone who heard the words frowned.
"It is impossible for the mother not to attend the son's funeral, but if she gets mad on the spot, Titania will lose face. I don't know what His Royal Highness will do..."
The people of Titania turned their attention to the dictator Arjuman. Regardless of good or bad, the king made the highest guiding principle, and everyone had to obey.For twenty-four hours after the news of Zhelixu's accidental death was announced, Arjuman remained silent to the outside world.
The death of Zhelixu was a tragedy. The first reaction of the vassal king Arshuman was anger, but he quickly recovered his calm thinking and rationality. Death strives for the greatest political interests for Titania.
To be honest, Zhelixu's death is not a pity. Although he was an unparalleled hero, he still has someone to fill his position in the leadership of Titania.
As long as there is Alex Albert in the military, and Duke Chu Shilang in politics, the two Dukes will continue to be active, Arjuman will remain unshakable, Titania will still be the strongest regime in the universe, and the death of Jerix is just a small black spot in the sun. .
In the meantime, Viscount Falmy Titania went to the planet Tiron to take up his post. At this momentous moment, he had to stay away from the "City of Heaven", and Farmi must have been filled with resentment, and he was punished by being half-exiled as a result of both defeats with Duke Idris's incompetent younger brother. Tiran, where Falmy works, is one of the four major trading houses of the Interstellar City Alliance. Its economic activities are frequent and it is by no means a remote place. This place does not have a good impression of the Interstellar City Alliance, so it is more inclined to Titania.The Counselor of the Titanic Embassy and the holder of the title must be treated with courtesy. Even so, Falmy still couldn't get rid of the feeling of being exiled to a foreign land. There were only two people who saw Falmy off at the second universe port of "Sky City", Chu Shilang, Duke of Titania and Princess Lydia of the Kingdom of Ebinger. The ten-year-old lively princess is unable to see her usual optimism this day because of guilt. "Fare, I'm sorry, you saved me from that bad guy, but you turned into this Xiu..." "Please don't mind, Your Highness, I have never liked that Radkutz guy before. If possible, I would like to punch him hard." From this polite remark, it is obvious that Falmy is duplicity, but judging from his reluctance to make Princess Lydia feel bad, he is much more mature in personality than before at the age of eighteen. Such a change is beneficial to this clan brother, Chu Shilang thought to himself, and at the same time praised Princess Lydia's unique charisma. "Viscount Falmy, I will try to get you back to Tiancheng as soon as possible. Before that, you just have to be patient." Chu Shilang's own lines are not very creative. In fact, he believes that as long as he cultivates more patience, Falmy will have a chance to make a comeback at any time.Falmi didn't answer what he said as both the officer and the clan brother, but saluted: "Then I'm leaving." Then he turned and walked towards the entrance of the passenger ship, watching his back go away, Princess Lydia was thoughtful Open your mouth. "Did I cause trouble for Duke Chu Shilang? Now that Falmy is gone, it's all my fault." Seeing the depressed figure of the lively princess, Chu Shilang couldn't relax, he put his hand on Princess Lydia's shoulder lightly. "Princess, don't think about it anymore, beauties who love to worry age quickly." This joke is a bit clumsy. "Viscount Falmy will be back soon. He originally clashed with the disrespectful people in order to protect the princess. If the princess always thinks he is wrong, it is tantamount to admitting that Falmy's actions are also wrong." "Really? I understand." The clever Princess Lydia had already understood Chu Shilang's words, and Princess Lydia, who was a little cheered up, also revived her curiosity, and she asked Chu Shilang. "In this way, if the next prince is Duke Idris, Duke Chu Shilang may be in trouble." "This..." Chu Shilang was vague, this is a question that cannot be easily answered.In fact, this is just the impression of Princess Lydia. Although she is talented, even children feel this way. It also proves that the composition of Chu Shilang and Idris' disharmony is already obvious in the eyes of adults. This fact makes Chu Shilang Feeling unhappy, Alex Albert and Idris also did not get along well, but no one said that they were not at odds with each other; "Probably because I am unpopular." Chu Shilang only had a wry smile in his heart . "Princess Lydia, do you hate Duke Idris?" Chu Shilang talked about him from left to right, but Princess Lydia's answer was simple and clear. "I don't like it." After saying it heavily, Princess Lydia thought for a while. "I don't like Duke Idris not because he did something wrong, but because I want to hate him. So, that, I'm partial. In short, I prefer Duke Chu Shilang and Farr." "It's my honor." Chu Shilang replied solemnly. "There is no feast that never ends. It is unexpected that Duke Jalix will be the first to leave his seat." The vassal's tone was accompanied by a heavy tone. There were five chairs lined up beside the table in the highest meeting room, one of which would be absent forever.The feudal lord did not continue talking about the absentees, and then changed the subject. "The Baghsuh government proposed negotiations. Of course they don't want to go to war with Titania, and they just want to ask the opinions of the ministers." "It's too late now." Idris replied without hesitation, this vigorous young man threw out the disdain in his words just like his usual style, just like the time when Radmotz had an accident, he still had the attitude of gnashing his teeth, Chu Shilang thought to himself . Duke Idris must have been overjoyed. The barrier between him and the king's throne has been removed. Idris can get the sweet fruit without getting his hands dirty.Thinking about it, Chu Shilang suddenly loathed himself. His analysis of Idris's psychology should be correct, but this behavior of prying into other people's hearts is really not noble. "Prince Idris, do you wish to go to war immediately?" "yes." Idris stated succinctly that the battle was fought in memory of Duke Jalish, and at the same time the odds of a surprise attack were high when the Baghsiah government was in a hurry to reorganize its war preparations. He pointed out these key points and urged the war to start as soon as possible. After listening to Biedris' proposition, the feudal king Arjuman then asked Alex Albert for his opinion. Alex Albert also agreed to go to war, but he was more cautious than Idris. "In order to prevent unfriendly reactions from spreading to other countries, we must stop using force against Baghdad this time. At the order of His Royal Highness, I, Alex Albert, will immediately draw up a battle plan." "Oh, do you think there is no room for peace talks?" "No, it depends on Baghee's attitude, but at least we must show our determination to use force at all costs." "Beating around the bush...!" Idris's spitting attracted Albert's reflexive sharp gaze, and Chu Shilang took advantage of this delicate moment to speak.His opinion is more cautious than that of Albert, but it does not mean that it is synonymous with unconditional peace talks. "You can first propose to the Baghsiew government and ask them to arrest Fang Xiuli and others and hand them over to us." "Do you think the Baghdhog government will agree to this request?" "If you don't agree, you will wait for an all-out war. Presumably the Baghsiew government will do its best. If you can't do it, use it as a reason to go to war." "I think it's just a waste of time." Idris interjected, and Alex Albert's composed voice responded. "It's enough to set a deadline. In this way, I can also use this time to prepare for the war." Alex Albert sat upright and bowed to the feudal king Arshuman. "This subordinate is not talented, but please hand over the command of the army to your subordinate at that time." Lord, there is still another problem, which is not diplomatic but internal affairs. "Duke Jerish has a successor?" This is a serious question. Legally, Zhelixu is still single, so there is no eldest son. Now that the five families of Titania are missing one member, someone must be found to fill the vacancy.Zhelixu has many mistresses and illegitimate children, only one can get the right to inherit, but he is too young to share the supreme power of Titania.How about setting up another surrogate until the heir grows up?Or leave the seat empty? In an instant, Chu Shilang recalled Falmy's father, the Marquis Estrade. If he was still alive, he would be able to sit on the Titania Summit by now.Both father and son are unlucky, Chu Shilang can't help but think so.The funeral of Marquis Estella was very simple, and Falmy, who was the mourner, was busy cleaning up the court of Virdana, so he couldn't concentrate on holding the funeral.Although the Marquis of Estella was awarded the title of Marshal after his death, it was only in name only. The feudal lord ordered Duke Albert to draw up a comprehensive battle plan against Baghsiew and then declared the meeting adjourned.Walking out of the meeting room and coming to the corridor, Alex Albert whispered to Chu Shilang: "I never thought that the burly figure of Duke Zhelish would never appear in front of us again. People are really blessed." "Things in the world are changeable, and even the universe itself will disappear into nothingness one day, not to mention a person's life, if it is not a sudden death, it is just old age." Albert was taken aback by Chu Shilang's words. "Duke Chu Shilang, according to your opinion, do you think Titania will eventually perish?" "No, you can't say that, Duke Albert, since Titania's achievements today are man-made, so are the plots and actions of anti-Titania forces, but at least as far as Titania's strength is concerned. Naturally, there is no reason to lose to a weaker opponent." Chu Shilang blamed himself for his slip of the tongue. If Idris knew this passage, he would be regarded as an enemy-seeker and corrected.Although Alex Albert is trustworthy, such imprudent words and deeds can be regarded as reckless, so Chu Shilang changed the subject. "Duke Albert, what are your plans for leading troops to face Baghugh this time?" "I will win, the question is how to maintain the victory." After victory, they will form an alliance with the Baghdad government. The focus of this campaign is to obtain diplomatic benefits, not to eliminate Baghdah. "The Titanian soldiers who stayed in Baghee are also restless, and Gulanit is really unlucky." Lieutenant Colonel Gulanit, who was the adjutant of Zhelixu, transported the body of the lord to the Titania branch in Baghsiew, and reported the news of his death to "Sky City"; However, he was unable to protect the safety of Duke Zhelish and was willing to be punished. "Lieutenant Colonel Gulanit's ruling is related to Titania's measurement, and the attribution of responsibility cannot be escaped. However, if the punishment is too severe, it will cause the staff to shrink. It is harmful to Titania to dare not speak out for fear of being punished. Useless." Chu Shilang once expounded his opinion on this point, Alex Albert agreed, and Idris did not object, so the vassal ordered Gulanit to temporarily stay in Baghsiu to lead the remnants of Jalish. Once Titanic If a full-scale war breaks out between Aya and Baghsiu, the position of the Titanian combat troops below Gulanit will become very delicate. Titania naturally wants to use this move to deal with Baghsiu in both politics and combat. Well, Alex Albert and Chu Shilang are quite aware of this, and the reason why they advocate the theory of tolerance is not out of pure good intentions. "Duke Idris, don't you want to use the emperor?" Theodora Titania, the woman who had just recently been dubbed Countess, stayed in Idris's bedroom to pose the question, and she was Idris' guest twice a week.This duo might be the most ambitious couple in the universe, but that doesn't mean they're on good terms.Idris asked mockingly. "How do you say that?" "You can coerce the emperor to openly rebel against Titania, and then use this to depose the emperor. Am I wrong?" Emperor Harusha VI was only thirty-five years old. After he was deposed, the six-year-old crown prince ascended the throne and became a young emperor. Naturally, he would not be able to govern himself. At that time, full power must be handed over to the regent. Of course, those who are capable of acting as regent must be A member of the Titania family, Idris, who is currently the Minister of Defense, will become the most powerful candidate.It is not that Idris does not want to be the regent. They established their status within Titania based on the state institutions and military organizations of the Vldana Empire in order to win the harsh battle for the next vassal king. Perhaps one person will be the commander-in-chief of Titania and the emperor of Vldana, creating a period in which national power and status have been combined into one since Neville's founding eight generations ago. Idris didn't tell his new bedside person his grand vision of the future, but gave a short, cold laugh. "Don't be smart." "Are you angry?" Theodora smiled, and this sweet smile caused Idris inexplicable anxiety and displeasure, feeling as if he had been seen through.Idris never sought out lesbians, and the countess was no more than a mistress.Theodora guessed Idris' expression, changed her position on the bed and said something surprising. "Can you let me inherit the family status of Duke Zhelish?" Idris didn't answer, and the dumb expression he looked back at Theodora clearly showed his psychology. For the first time, Idris realized that there was someone beside him who wanted to be famous more than him. "I really lost to you. Didn't you just get the title of earl? Now you find that the duke is better than the earl, right?" Idris finally spoke, anger gushing from the tip of his tongue. "Don't push yourself too far. The Duke of Titania is different from other nobles. Although they belong to the same family of Titania, the Earl is only a sharer of glory and wealth, but the Duke is not only that." "I understand that the Titania family rules the universe, and the ruler of the Titania family is the head of the five major families, but the five major families are not static, are they?" "Hey……" "If Duke Zhelish is still alive, he will become a stumbling block for you, Duke Idris. If it were me..." Idris waved his hand roughly, breaking the pillow man's tongue. "If you really want to be a duke, you can ask His Royal Highness the prince. No matter how strongly I recommend it, the final decision is still made by the prince." "His Royal Highness?" "Although His Highness looks serious on the outside, he is quite feminine in private. If he wants to, he will welcome you as his mistress. His bedroom is bigger and more luxurious than mine." After deliberately laughing a few times, Idris ordered Theodora to get dressed and leave. After she left, Idris lay on the double bed, looking at the ceiling impetuously. "His Royal Highness should not listen to that woman's words..." Idris's beautiful face cast a little shadow of confusion and suspicion. What he said to Theodora was just angry words rather than sincerity. He just wanted to prove that her ambition was impossible to achieve.However, Idris's words gave Theodora's ambition a direction. If Theodora really followed Idris's instigation, flattered the vassal king Yashuman and succeeded in obtaining the fruit of his ambition, Idris It is equivalent to creating a strong competitor by yourself. "No way……" Although Idris denied it, he still couldn't help blaming himself for speaking out at such a critical moment. On November 5th, Kwain, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Baghsu government, came to the "Sky City" to visit Earl Elman Titania.The half-hundred man with a mediocre appearance began to get scared as soon as he arrived at "Tiancheng", and couldn't hide his pale expression and trembling hands.He took out his handkerchief to wipe off his cold sweat, but it fell off. He bent down to pick up the handkerchief and accidentally dropped it on the ground. Thinking of how embarrassed he looked, the soldiers and employees of the middle and lower classes in Titania couldn't help laughing.At the beginning, Yashuman refused to meet with him. He ran all over the "Tiancheng" to ask several powerful people. When he thought about it, he almost fell ill and fell asleep; Make the tongue even less obedient. "Such a piece of trash is sent here, which shows that the Baghsuh government has no intention of asking for peace." It's no wonder that Idris sneered, while Chu Shilang cared a lot about Earl Elman who came with Kwain. "The earl is not a simple person." It is said that Earl Elman will be in charge of mediating between Titania and the anti-Titania forces. Such a role is indeed necessary, but the earl who was able to recommend himself to the feudal lord and obtain his current status can be said to be quite good at seizing the opportunity people. Moreover, Chu Shilang didn't feel that Foreign Minister Keweisi was as cowardly and incompetent as he appeared on the outside. Although the representative of the Baghee government seemed to be useless, that uneasy ugly appearance might also be a kind of acting, otherwise he would be so useless. The fact that someone can hold an important position as foreign minister means that the Baghsiew government is just an organization gathered by a group of idiots; thinking of this, Chu Shilang had to make the next conclusion. Baghsu is trying to find a way to delay time, only peace can make Baghsh develop and prosper as the capital of the frontier reclamation area.Once a full-scale war with Titania breaks out, Baghugh has almost no chance of winning.Trying to formulate a foreign policy to avoid war also requires taking time to continually map out possible approaches. So in order to prevent Titania from launching an immediate war, Kwain had to act as a funny clown in front of people. On the other hand, Titania is always in a state of preparation for war, and will go to war as soon as the vassal king gives an order, but in France, the emperor Harusha VI must declare war through the Minister of Defense.If the emperor did not issue an edict to declare war, Titania's actions would be tantamount to a private war of private soldiers, and the military and support organizations of the Vldana Empire would not be able to dispatch; however, the Vldana royal family has never rejected the Titania vassal palace The request to issue an edict to declare war, at least on the table, has never happened. The edict to declare war was not written by the emperor, but was drafted by the court secretary, the head of the palace. The emperor's political secretary, Yichang, was in charge of reviewing it, and then signed by the emperor. Both the secretary and the secretary are from Titania, so naturally there will be no side effects .Harusha VI couldn't stand a court full of Titania's eyeliners, but his late father took it lightly.Since I have no intention of dealing with Titania, let them go, as long as this person fulfills his duties in the court, this is the idea of the late emperor.However, no matter what happened, Harusha VI has been unable to follow his father's approach. Whenever Titania asked him to issue an edict to declare war, his dignity as emperor was trampled once, and he always prayed to Titania in his heart However, it was the only way for him to retaliate against the arbitrariness of his power ministers, so he was ecstatic about the defeat of Alex Albert in the Battle of Keberos and the sudden death of Zhelishu this time. Harusha VI hated and feared Duke Idris, Minister of Defense at the same time. These two emotions belonged to two structures, but it was almost impossible to tell whether it was aimed at the whole of Titania or Idris personally.The former Minister of Defense, Marquis Estrade Titania, knew how to deal with advances and retreats as a member of the Titania family, and did not cause unnecessary psychological pressure on Harusha VI; however, Idris is an extreme and rude Such an arrogant young man, every time he saw him, Harusha VI felt his nerves were worn thinner by sandpaper.If it was changed to Alex Albert, Harusha VI would certainly be delighted at his failure, but it would not cause any personal enmity. There is another explanation.Harusha VI kept thinking about ways to defeat Titania. He wanted to defeat the tyrannical Titania family in order to regain the exploited power, and take back Titania's accumulated force, financial resources, and organization. , talents and diplomatic influence are all in the hands of the royal family of Virdana.At that time, he, Harusha VI, will become the wise king who revived the Vldana Empire. His history will last forever, and Vldana will also be immortal. In this intense attempt, Idris is the best pawn. He is the youngest among the four dukes, and he has the strongest sense of competition with the other three dukes. His ambition to covet the throne of the feudal king is even more obvious. Control isn't it?Harusha VI thinks so.Speaking of the other three dukes, Jerry Xu's appearance alone is enough to scare people away, Chu Shilang is too deep in the city and makes people wary, and Alex Albert's behavior is relatively gentle and normal. Take advantage of him, but he has an unknown mind deep in his heart, whether it is a conspiracy or a political strategy, it is difficult to manipulate him based on this alone. Idris was eleven years younger than Harusha VI, which aggravated the emperor's resentment. Thinking that half of his power of life and death was in the hands of a young boy like Idris, he felt a sense of humiliation in his heart. Therefore, Harusha VI came up with the following conspiracy. "What would happen if you told Ashuman that Idris coveted the throne of the feudal king? Ashuman would never doubt that Idris would do such a thing. When Idris was liquidated by Ashuman, it would be tantamount to Let my goal take a big step..." Harusha VI excitedly imagined Idris's expression of yelling injustice when he was dragged to the execution ground once the conspiracy was successful, just thinking about it was enough to make him intoxicated.However, this "conspiracy" is currently only in the mind of the poor emperor, and Harusha VI cannot realize it because he has no reliable subordinates around him. However, the vassal king Yashuman has a precise insight into Harusha VI's mind. "We can't stop the emperor from thinking. No matter what kind of conspiracy is not implemented, it can only be said to be delusional. If we really want to get to the bottom of it, I'm afraid we will have to abolish the emperor every month." The vassal king's tolerance is an insult to Harusha VI, because Ya Shuman understands that no matter how big the conspiracy Harusha VI has, he does not have enough ability and talents to carry it out, so the emperor can let him dream as much as he likes. Even if he burns and kills all of Titania in his own delusions, it's none of Arsman's business. People cannot be resurrected after death, and the fallacy of reincarnation is left to religious scholars or religious entrepreneurs. What Titania can do is to make good use of philosophical power in politics and diplomacy. , even the three surviving dukes have such a consensus. "If you have time to cry, think about it!" This is a sentence that Neville, the founding father of Titania, reprimanded himself when he died young.Regarding the death of Zhelixu, the vassal king Arjuman and the other three dukes did not even shed a drop of tears. Idris always only regarded the other three dukes as opponents. Zhelixu, but they don't have heart with each other.A person's death just means things are a little less fun, and the Titanic five families are not used to expressing sorrow that does not exist in their hearts. Zhelixu's funeral was solemnly held by Titania, and it also solemnly declared Titania's intentions, hoping that the whole universe would treat Baghsu as a public enemy and crusade against it.On the other hand, the Baghsiew government is considering whether to make sacrificial hangings?What kind of high-ranking officials will be sent there?Due to the death of the head of the family and the lack of an eldest son, the funeral master was appointed by the feudal prince Ya Shuman, and the diplomatic ceremony department of the feudal prince's mansion was responsible for the funeral.All of a sudden, "Sky City" was filled with a busy atmosphere, and Baghew's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kevis, was also shuttling back and forth. Obviously, Kwain is called a diplomatic envoy, but he is actually a spy, and the lord Arshuman also acquiesced to his existence.It is better to show Titania's strength generously than to meet a spy, but Titania also handed Kwain the notice of the wartime vigilante. The so-called strict wartime is that according to the law, soldiers or senior government officials of the enemy country are not allowed to board the ships of neutral countries. Taking this as an example, if the soldiers of Baghsiah return home on the ships of neutral countries, Titania has the right to sink that ship. Ships of neutral countries.Even if they are not regular soldiers of Baghsiu, but are supporters of Baghsiu's army, they will be dealt with strictly according to the law.However, in fact, it is impossible to monitor every move of the enemy, but Titania's public attitude has had an effect. Kevis can understand that this is the outpost of Arman's declaration of war. His face is so pale that it almost makes people think that he He was about to faint, but in the end he managed to stand still and staggered away from the sight of the prince. On November 10, Duke Albert Titania drew up his battle plan against Baghugh, the day before Duke Jalish's funeral.The next day, 6,000 armed ships of various sizes were scattered in space around the "Tiancheng" to mourn the dead in space. The team stretched over tens of thousands of kilometers of space, making the people of Baghsiah tremble with fear.
In the meantime, Viscount Falmy Titania went to the planet Tiron to take up his post. At this momentous moment, he had to stay away from the "City of Heaven", and Farmi must have been filled with resentment, and he was punished by being half-exiled as a result of both defeats with Duke Idris's incompetent younger brother. Tiran, where Falmy works, is one of the four major trading houses of the Interstellar City Alliance. Its economic activities are frequent and it is by no means a remote place. This place does not have a good impression of the Interstellar City Alliance, so it is more inclined to Titania.The Counselor of the Titanic Embassy and the holder of the title must be treated with courtesy. Even so, Falmy still couldn't get rid of the feeling of being exiled to a foreign land. There were only two people who saw Falmy off at the second universe port of "Sky City", Chu Shilang, Duke of Titania and Princess Lydia of the Kingdom of Ebinger. The ten-year-old lively princess is unable to see her usual optimism this day because of guilt. "Fare, I'm sorry, you saved me from that bad guy, but you turned into this Xiu..." "Please don't mind, Your Highness, I have never liked that Radkutz guy before. If possible, I would like to punch him hard." From this polite remark, it is obvious that Falmy is duplicity, but judging from his reluctance to make Princess Lydia feel bad, he is much more mature in personality than before at the age of eighteen. Such a change is beneficial to this clan brother, Chu Shilang thought to himself, and at the same time praised Princess Lydia's unique charisma. "Viscount Falmy, I will try to get you back to Tiancheng as soon as possible. Before that, you just have to be patient." Chu Shilang's own lines are not very creative. In fact, he believes that as long as he cultivates more patience, Falmy will have a chance to make a comeback at any time.Falmi didn't answer what he said as both the officer and the clan brother, but saluted: "Then I'm leaving." Then he turned and walked towards the entrance of the passenger ship, watching his back go away, Princess Lydia was thoughtful Open your mouth. "Did I cause trouble for Duke Chu Shilang? Now that Falmy is gone, it's all my fault." Seeing the depressed figure of the lively princess, Chu Shilang couldn't relax, he put his hand on Princess Lydia's shoulder lightly. "Princess, don't think about it anymore, beauties who love to worry age quickly." This joke is a bit clumsy. "Viscount Falmy will be back soon. He originally clashed with the disrespectful people in order to protect the princess. If the princess always thinks he is wrong, it is tantamount to admitting that Falmy's actions are also wrong." "Really? I understand." The clever Princess Lydia had already understood Chu Shilang's words, and Princess Lydia, who was a little cheered up, also revived her curiosity, and she asked Chu Shilang. "In this way, if the next prince is Duke Idris, Duke Chu Shilang may be in trouble." "This..." Chu Shilang was vague, this is a question that cannot be easily answered.In fact, this is just the impression of Princess Lydia. Although she is talented, even children feel this way. It also proves that the composition of Chu Shilang and Idris' disharmony is already obvious in the eyes of adults. This fact makes Chu Shilang Feeling unhappy, Alex Albert and Idris also did not get along well, but no one said that they were not at odds with each other; "Probably because I am unpopular." Chu Shilang only had a wry smile in his heart . "Princess Lydia, do you hate Duke Idris?" Chu Shilang talked about him from left to right, but Princess Lydia's answer was simple and clear. "I don't like it." After saying it heavily, Princess Lydia thought for a while. "I don't like Duke Idris not because he did something wrong, but because I want to hate him. So, that, I'm partial. In short, I prefer Duke Chu Shilang and Farr." "It's my honor." Chu Shilang replied solemnly. "There is no feast that never ends. It is unexpected that Duke Jalix will be the first to leave his seat." The vassal's tone was accompanied by a heavy tone. There were five chairs lined up beside the table in the highest meeting room, one of which would be absent forever.The feudal lord did not continue talking about the absentees, and then changed the subject. "The Baghsuh government proposed negotiations. Of course they don't want to go to war with Titania, and they just want to ask the opinions of the ministers." "It's too late now." Idris replied without hesitation, this vigorous young man threw out the disdain in his words just like his usual style, just like the time when Radmotz had an accident, he still had the attitude of gnashing his teeth, Chu Shilang thought to himself . Duke Idris must have been overjoyed. The barrier between him and the king's throne has been removed. Idris can get the sweet fruit without getting his hands dirty.Thinking about it, Chu Shilang suddenly loathed himself. His analysis of Idris's psychology should be correct, but this behavior of prying into other people's hearts is really not noble. "Prince Idris, do you wish to go to war immediately?" "yes." Idris stated succinctly that the battle was fought in memory of Duke Jalish, and at the same time the odds of a surprise attack were high when the Baghsiah government was in a hurry to reorganize its war preparations. He pointed out these key points and urged the war to start as soon as possible. After listening to Biedris' proposition, the feudal king Arjuman then asked Alex Albert for his opinion. Alex Albert also agreed to go to war, but he was more cautious than Idris. "In order to prevent unfriendly reactions from spreading to other countries, we must stop using force against Baghdad this time. At the order of His Royal Highness, I, Alex Albert, will immediately draw up a battle plan." "Oh, do you think there is no room for peace talks?" "No, it depends on Baghee's attitude, but at least we must show our determination to use force at all costs." "Beating around the bush...!" Idris's spitting attracted Albert's reflexive sharp gaze, and Chu Shilang took advantage of this delicate moment to speak.His opinion is more cautious than that of Albert, but it does not mean that it is synonymous with unconditional peace talks. "You can first propose to the Baghsiew government and ask them to arrest Fang Xiuli and others and hand them over to us." "Do you think the Baghdhog government will agree to this request?" "If you don't agree, you will wait for an all-out war. Presumably the Baghsiew government will do its best. If you can't do it, use it as a reason to go to war." "I think it's just a waste of time." Idris interjected, and Alex Albert's composed voice responded. "It's enough to set a deadline. In this way, I can also use this time to prepare for the war." Alex Albert sat upright and bowed to the feudal king Arshuman. "This subordinate is not talented, but please hand over the command of the army to your subordinate at that time." Lord, there is still another problem, which is not diplomatic but internal affairs. "Duke Jerish has a successor?" This is a serious question. Legally, Zhelixu is still single, so there is no eldest son. Now that the five families of Titania are missing one member, someone must be found to fill the vacancy.Zhelixu has many mistresses and illegitimate children, only one can get the right to inherit, but he is too young to share the supreme power of Titania.How about setting up another surrogate until the heir grows up?Or leave the seat empty? In an instant, Chu Shilang recalled Falmy's father, the Marquis Estrade. If he was still alive, he would be able to sit on the Titania Summit by now.Both father and son are unlucky, Chu Shilang can't help but think so.The funeral of Marquis Estella was very simple, and Falmy, who was the mourner, was busy cleaning up the court of Virdana, so he couldn't concentrate on holding the funeral.Although the Marquis of Estella was awarded the title of Marshal after his death, it was only in name only. The feudal lord ordered Duke Albert to draw up a comprehensive battle plan against Baghsiew and then declared the meeting adjourned.Walking out of the meeting room and coming to the corridor, Alex Albert whispered to Chu Shilang: "I never thought that the burly figure of Duke Zhelish would never appear in front of us again. People are really blessed." "Things in the world are changeable, and even the universe itself will disappear into nothingness one day, not to mention a person's life, if it is not a sudden death, it is just old age." Albert was taken aback by Chu Shilang's words. "Duke Chu Shilang, according to your opinion, do you think Titania will eventually perish?" "No, you can't say that, Duke Albert, since Titania's achievements today are man-made, so are the plots and actions of anti-Titania forces, but at least as far as Titania's strength is concerned. Naturally, there is no reason to lose to a weaker opponent." Chu Shilang blamed himself for his slip of the tongue. If Idris knew this passage, he would be regarded as an enemy-seeker and corrected.Although Alex Albert is trustworthy, such imprudent words and deeds can be regarded as reckless, so Chu Shilang changed the subject. "Duke Albert, what are your plans for leading troops to face Baghugh this time?" "I will win, the question is how to maintain the victory." After victory, they will form an alliance with the Baghdad government. The focus of this campaign is to obtain diplomatic benefits, not to eliminate Baghdah. "The Titanian soldiers who stayed in Baghee are also restless, and Gulanit is really unlucky." Lieutenant Colonel Gulanit, who was the adjutant of Zhelixu, transported the body of the lord to the Titania branch in Baghsiew, and reported the news of his death to "Sky City"; However, he was unable to protect the safety of Duke Zhelish and was willing to be punished. "Lieutenant Colonel Gulanit's ruling is related to Titania's measurement, and the attribution of responsibility cannot be escaped. However, if the punishment is too severe, it will cause the staff to shrink. It is harmful to Titania to dare not speak out for fear of being punished. Useless." Chu Shilang once expounded his opinion on this point, Alex Albert agreed, and Idris did not object, so the vassal ordered Gulanit to temporarily stay in Baghsiu to lead the remnants of Jalish. Once Titanic If a full-scale war breaks out between Aya and Baghsiu, the position of the Titanian combat troops below Gulanit will become very delicate. Titania naturally wants to use this move to deal with Baghsiu in both politics and combat. Well, Alex Albert and Chu Shilang are quite aware of this, and the reason why they advocate the theory of tolerance is not out of pure good intentions. "Duke Idris, don't you want to use the emperor?" Theodora Titania, the woman who had just recently been dubbed Countess, stayed in Idris's bedroom to pose the question, and she was Idris' guest twice a week.This duo might be the most ambitious couple in the universe, but that doesn't mean they're on good terms.Idris asked mockingly. "How do you say that?" "You can coerce the emperor to openly rebel against Titania, and then use this to depose the emperor. Am I wrong?" Emperor Harusha VI was only thirty-five years old. After he was deposed, the six-year-old crown prince ascended the throne and became a young emperor. Naturally, he would not be able to govern himself. At that time, full power must be handed over to the regent. Of course, those who are capable of acting as regent must be A member of the Titania family, Idris, who is currently the Minister of Defense, will become the most powerful candidate.It is not that Idris does not want to be the regent. They established their status within Titania based on the state institutions and military organizations of the Vldana Empire in order to win the harsh battle for the next vassal king. Perhaps one person will be the commander-in-chief of Titania and the emperor of Vldana, creating a period in which national power and status have been combined into one since Neville's founding eight generations ago. Idris didn't tell his new bedside person his grand vision of the future, but gave a short, cold laugh. "Don't be smart." "Are you angry?" Theodora smiled, and this sweet smile caused Idris inexplicable anxiety and displeasure, feeling as if he had been seen through.Idris never sought out lesbians, and the countess was no more than a mistress.Theodora guessed Idris' expression, changed her position on the bed and said something surprising. "Can you let me inherit the family status of Duke Zhelish?" Idris didn't answer, and the dumb expression he looked back at Theodora clearly showed his psychology. For the first time, Idris realized that there was someone beside him who wanted to be famous more than him. "I really lost to you. Didn't you just get the title of earl? Now you find that the duke is better than the earl, right?" Idris finally spoke, anger gushing from the tip of his tongue. "Don't push yourself too far. The Duke of Titania is different from other nobles. Although they belong to the same family of Titania, the Earl is only a sharer of glory and wealth, but the Duke is not only that." "I understand that the Titania family rules the universe, and the ruler of the Titania family is the head of the five major families, but the five major families are not static, are they?" "Hey……" "If Duke Zhelish is still alive, he will become a stumbling block for you, Duke Idris. If it were me..." Idris waved his hand roughly, breaking the pillow man's tongue. "If you really want to be a duke, you can ask His Royal Highness the prince. No matter how strongly I recommend it, the final decision is still made by the prince." "His Royal Highness?" "Although His Highness looks serious on the outside, he is quite feminine in private. If he wants to, he will welcome you as his mistress. His bedroom is bigger and more luxurious than mine." After deliberately laughing a few times, Idris ordered Theodora to get dressed and leave. After she left, Idris lay on the double bed, looking at the ceiling impetuously. "His Royal Highness should not listen to that woman's words..." Idris's beautiful face cast a little shadow of confusion and suspicion. What he said to Theodora was just angry words rather than sincerity. He just wanted to prove that her ambition was impossible to achieve.However, Idris's words gave Theodora's ambition a direction. If Theodora really followed Idris's instigation, flattered the vassal king Yashuman and succeeded in obtaining the fruit of his ambition, Idris It is equivalent to creating a strong competitor by yourself. "No way……" Although Idris denied it, he still couldn't help blaming himself for speaking out at such a critical moment. On November 5th, Kwain, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Baghsu government, came to the "Sky City" to visit Earl Elman Titania.The half-hundred man with a mediocre appearance began to get scared as soon as he arrived at "Tiancheng", and couldn't hide his pale expression and trembling hands.He took out his handkerchief to wipe off his cold sweat, but it fell off. He bent down to pick up the handkerchief and accidentally dropped it on the ground. Thinking of how embarrassed he looked, the soldiers and employees of the middle and lower classes in Titania couldn't help laughing.At the beginning, Yashuman refused to meet with him. He ran all over the "Tiancheng" to ask several powerful people. When he thought about it, he almost fell ill and fell asleep; Make the tongue even less obedient. "Such a piece of trash is sent here, which shows that the Baghsuh government has no intention of asking for peace." It's no wonder that Idris sneered, while Chu Shilang cared a lot about Earl Elman who came with Kwain. "The earl is not a simple person." It is said that Earl Elman will be in charge of mediating between Titania and the anti-Titania forces. Such a role is indeed necessary, but the earl who was able to recommend himself to the feudal lord and obtain his current status can be said to be quite good at seizing the opportunity people. Moreover, Chu Shilang didn't feel that Foreign Minister Keweisi was as cowardly and incompetent as he appeared on the outside. Although the representative of the Baghee government seemed to be useless, that uneasy ugly appearance might also be a kind of acting, otherwise he would be so useless. The fact that someone can hold an important position as foreign minister means that the Baghsiew government is just an organization gathered by a group of idiots; thinking of this, Chu Shilang had to make the next conclusion. Baghsu is trying to find a way to delay time, only peace can make Baghsh develop and prosper as the capital of the frontier reclamation area.Once a full-scale war with Titania breaks out, Baghugh has almost no chance of winning.Trying to formulate a foreign policy to avoid war also requires taking time to continually map out possible approaches. So in order to prevent Titania from launching an immediate war, Kwain had to act as a funny clown in front of people. On the other hand, Titania is always in a state of preparation for war, and will go to war as soon as the vassal king gives an order, but in France, the emperor Harusha VI must declare war through the Minister of Defense.If the emperor did not issue an edict to declare war, Titania's actions would be tantamount to a private war of private soldiers, and the military and support organizations of the Vldana Empire would not be able to dispatch; however, the Vldana royal family has never rejected the Titania vassal palace The request to issue an edict to declare war, at least on the table, has never happened. The edict to declare war was not written by the emperor, but was drafted by the court secretary, the head of the palace. The emperor's political secretary, Yichang, was in charge of reviewing it, and then signed by the emperor. Both the secretary and the secretary are from Titania, so naturally there will be no side effects .Harusha VI couldn't stand a court full of Titania's eyeliners, but his late father took it lightly.Since I have no intention of dealing with Titania, let them go, as long as this person fulfills his duties in the court, this is the idea of the late emperor.However, no matter what happened, Harusha VI has been unable to follow his father's approach. Whenever Titania asked him to issue an edict to declare war, his dignity as emperor was trampled once, and he always prayed to Titania in his heart However, it was the only way for him to retaliate against the arbitrariness of his power ministers, so he was ecstatic about the defeat of Alex Albert in the Battle of Keberos and the sudden death of Zhelishu this time. Harusha VI hated and feared Duke Idris, Minister of Defense at the same time. These two emotions belonged to two structures, but it was almost impossible to tell whether it was aimed at the whole of Titania or Idris personally.The former Minister of Defense, Marquis Estrade Titania, knew how to deal with advances and retreats as a member of the Titania family, and did not cause unnecessary psychological pressure on Harusha VI; however, Idris is an extreme and rude Such an arrogant young man, every time he saw him, Harusha VI felt his nerves were worn thinner by sandpaper.If it was changed to Alex Albert, Harusha VI would certainly be delighted at his failure, but it would not cause any personal enmity. There is another explanation.Harusha VI kept thinking about ways to defeat Titania. He wanted to defeat the tyrannical Titania family in order to regain the exploited power, and take back Titania's accumulated force, financial resources, and organization. , talents and diplomatic influence are all in the hands of the royal family of Virdana.At that time, he, Harusha VI, will become the wise king who revived the Vldana Empire. His history will last forever, and Vldana will also be immortal. In this intense attempt, Idris is the best pawn. He is the youngest among the four dukes, and he has the strongest sense of competition with the other three dukes. His ambition to covet the throne of the feudal king is even more obvious. Control isn't it?Harusha VI thinks so.Speaking of the other three dukes, Jerry Xu's appearance alone is enough to scare people away, Chu Shilang is too deep in the city and makes people wary, and Alex Albert's behavior is relatively gentle and normal. Take advantage of him, but he has an unknown mind deep in his heart, whether it is a conspiracy or a political strategy, it is difficult to manipulate him based on this alone. Idris was eleven years younger than Harusha VI, which aggravated the emperor's resentment. Thinking that half of his power of life and death was in the hands of a young boy like Idris, he felt a sense of humiliation in his heart. Therefore, Harusha VI came up with the following conspiracy. "What would happen if you told Ashuman that Idris coveted the throne of the feudal king? Ashuman would never doubt that Idris would do such a thing. When Idris was liquidated by Ashuman, it would be tantamount to Let my goal take a big step..." Harusha VI excitedly imagined Idris's expression of yelling injustice when he was dragged to the execution ground once the conspiracy was successful, just thinking about it was enough to make him intoxicated.However, this "conspiracy" is currently only in the mind of the poor emperor, and Harusha VI cannot realize it because he has no reliable subordinates around him. However, the vassal king Yashuman has a precise insight into Harusha VI's mind. "We can't stop the emperor from thinking. No matter what kind of conspiracy is not implemented, it can only be said to be delusional. If we really want to get to the bottom of it, I'm afraid we will have to abolish the emperor every month." The vassal king's tolerance is an insult to Harusha VI, because Ya Shuman understands that no matter how big the conspiracy Harusha VI has, he does not have enough ability and talents to carry it out, so the emperor can let him dream as much as he likes. Even if he burns and kills all of Titania in his own delusions, it's none of Arsman's business. People cannot be resurrected after death, and the fallacy of reincarnation is left to religious scholars or religious entrepreneurs. What Titania can do is to make good use of philosophical power in politics and diplomacy. , even the three surviving dukes have such a consensus. "If you have time to cry, think about it!" This is a sentence that Neville, the founding father of Titania, reprimanded himself when he died young.Regarding the death of Zhelixu, the vassal king Arjuman and the other three dukes did not even shed a drop of tears. Idris always only regarded the other three dukes as opponents. Zhelixu, but they don't have heart with each other.A person's death just means things are a little less fun, and the Titanic five families are not used to expressing sorrow that does not exist in their hearts. Zhelixu's funeral was solemnly held by Titania, and it also solemnly declared Titania's intentions, hoping that the whole universe would treat Baghsu as a public enemy and crusade against it.On the other hand, the Baghsiew government is considering whether to make sacrificial hangings?What kind of high-ranking officials will be sent there?Due to the death of the head of the family and the lack of an eldest son, the funeral master was appointed by the feudal prince Ya Shuman, and the diplomatic ceremony department of the feudal prince's mansion was responsible for the funeral.All of a sudden, "Sky City" was filled with a busy atmosphere, and Baghew's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kevis, was also shuttling back and forth. Obviously, Kwain is called a diplomatic envoy, but he is actually a spy, and the lord Arshuman also acquiesced to his existence.It is better to show Titania's strength generously than to meet a spy, but Titania also handed Kwain the notice of the wartime vigilante. The so-called strict wartime is that according to the law, soldiers or senior government officials of the enemy country are not allowed to board the ships of neutral countries. Taking this as an example, if the soldiers of Baghsiah return home on the ships of neutral countries, Titania has the right to sink that ship. Ships of neutral countries.Even if they are not regular soldiers of Baghsiu, but are supporters of Baghsiu's army, they will be dealt with strictly according to the law.However, in fact, it is impossible to monitor every move of the enemy, but Titania's public attitude has had an effect. Kevis can understand that this is the outpost of Arman's declaration of war. His face is so pale that it almost makes people think that he He was about to faint, but in the end he managed to stand still and staggered away from the sight of the prince. On November 10, Duke Albert Titania drew up his battle plan against Baghugh, the day before Duke Jalish's funeral.The next day, 6,000 armed ships of various sizes were scattered in space around the "Tiancheng" to mourn the dead in space. The team stretched over tens of thousands of kilometers of space, making the people of Baghsiah tremble with fear.