The chaos on the streets was quickly stabilized under the control of the guards and soldiers of the city defense battalion, and at the same time, the citizens of the neighborhood who witnessed it were secretly arrested in a very short time.

Major General Jarvis, as the main person in charge of this welcoming ceremony in the outer city, immediately rushed to the Lion Castle after blocking the news from the scene.

At this moment, outside the gates of the Lion Castle, a more solemn welcome awaited the Marquis of Aubreton.

But alas, the Marquis de O'Briton himself was not destined to enjoy this highest honor.

...

Duke Eric, as the highest-ranking nobleman in the Imperial Cabinet, personally led a group of nobles to wait on Victory Square outside the Lion Castle, and in the original plan, he would lead Marquis O'Britton into the Prime Minister's Office on behalf of the Cabinet and the Royal Family.

The atmosphere in the square was very harmonious under Duke Eric's deliberate adjustment, and the nobles of several parties stayed in their own area peacefully, and so far they have not done anything out of the ordinary.

"Smack"

"Smack"

On Patved Street, next to Victory Square, an eager horse's hooves suddenly sounded.

Very monotonous sound.

This is not the sound that carriages and convoys are capable of!

The aristocracy who was familiar with military life had already heard that this was a common horseshoe nail used by the Praetorian Guards, because only the Praetorian would extravagantly use stainless steel to make horseshoe nails.

Duke Eric, who was communicating with the nobles around him, jumped his left eye slightly after hearing this voice, and his eyes immediately looked in the direction of the sound.

On the horizon of the square, a general in a general's dress is galloping on his horse.

It's Major General Yárvis!

A bad premonition suddenly rose in Duke Eric's heart.

"Isn't that our naval commander?"

A nobleman suddenly joked, apparently expressing his dissatisfaction with the latest series of actions of the Empire.

"He is now our welcome ambassador. ”

"He looks like he's been bullied by O'Briton, he won't be here to sue. ”

A succession of ridicule and sarcasm spat out of the mouths of the nobles.

But these aristocrats were only laughing at them.

They had no idea what was going on in the outer city at the moment, they just regarded the arrival of Major General Jarvis as a mere amusement in a boring waiting.

With the ridicule of several nobles, the guards on the periphery had stopped Major General Jarvis.

Duke Eric's assistant ran to Yárvis as fast as he could, and the whispered conversation between the two drew ridicule from some boring nobles, but more people had already turned their attention.

Because of the order of the position, Duke Eric did not hear the news of O'Britton's assassination from his assistant until ten minutes after the arrival of Major General Yalvis.

...

In the Prime Minister's Office, Prince Sinda and his new wife, Penny, are surrounded by nobles as they wait for O'Britton's arrival, while the court courtesy next to them repeats what the nobles need to do.

Suddenly, there was a sound of hollow footsteps outside the hall.

Very anxious footsteps.

This is not what Prince Sinda expected.

While everyone was amazed, Duke Eric's figure appeared at the door of the hall.

"Your Highness, today's meeting will be postponed by an hour. These were the first words that Duke Eric said when he entered the hall, and before Prince Sinda and the nobles could react, he added: "In the hall of Uris, I have arranged for the best food and wine, and the princes and nobles can go there to rest first." ”

"You..."

"Your Highness!" Penny took her husband's hand, "the nobles have been waiting here for more than an hour, and I think they will appreciate Duke Eric's arrangement." As she spoke, she helped the prince to his feet, and said to the nobles around him, "The wine of the Hall of Ulris awaits you, and Archduke Patved said three hundred years ago: 'The duel can be late, but the time to enjoy the wine cannot be delayed!'"

The princess's words made it impossible for the nobles to refuse, and Duke Eric obviously wouldn't allow them to stay here.

Just as everyone was about to leave, Prince Sinda suddenly smiled and said to his new wife, "I think the hall of Yuris is waiting for her mistress. ”

The prince's words made the nobles who were about to leave retract their steps, and then lowered their heads and looked at Princess Penny out of the corner of their eyes.

Penny smiled softly, then let go of the hand holding the prince, nodded slightly at Duke Eric, and walked briskly towards the door.

...

Forty-five minutes after O'Briton's assassination, Prince Sinda learned of the news.

After astonishment and shock, Prince Sinda asked, "Is the news blocked?"

Duke Eric shook his head and said, "Before coming in, I have ordered the city defense battalion to block all exits to the imperial capital, but I think this is useless, we need to prepare for the worst." ”

"What are the plans, do those merchants still dare to rebel against the Empire?" Prince Sinda said subconsciously, he said very casually, but when he finished speaking, his face changed suddenly, obviously, the young prince was startled by his own words, he looked up at his uncle, "They really dare?"

"It's not important, it's important that we prevent them from rebelling. Duke Eric said in his usual cold tone: "Don't underestimate this group of merchants, I still remember the power they burst out thirteen years ago. ”

"I ask what to do now?" roared the prince, looking a little overly agitated, or... Nervous.

"Let Count Stu talk to them first, we need to stabilize them first. Duke Eric was a little disappointed by the prince's reaction, he frowned and said, "In addition, the soldiers who sent the city defense battalion to control the main members of the Chamber of Commerce Alliance in the imperial capital. ”

Prince Sinda's heart sank, "What if we can't talk about it?"

Duke Eric looked at the prince: "Is your sword just an ornament?"

"By killing?" muttered Prince Sinda.

The prince subconsciously wanted to rebel against Duke Eric's proposal, because Emperor Laubert had warned him that the merchants of the empire were the best sword against the local nobles, and if someone suggested that one day he should get rid of the merchants of the empire, then this person would be a more dangerous existence than the merchants of the empire.

Prince Sinda didn't know Duke Eric's intentions, but the other party's words made him subconsciously alert.

It's instinctive vigilance!

The prince wondered why he had been suspicious of the people and things around him lately, and he remembered that he used to secretly laugh at his father's paranoia.

"Do you want to make Suker City bleed?" said Count Stuth, silently appearing in the drawing room.

"Letting it go will make Suker City bleed!" Duke Eric replied coldly, "Your news is quite fast, it seems that in less than half an hour, the entire imperial capital nobles will know the news of Aubritton's assassination." ”

"It's your news that's spreading too slowly!The guards have become almost an ornament after the assassination of Ser Gus El, and the guards of the Lion Castle have become scattered since the start of this war, and the Janissary Knights have even publicly auctioned off the secrets of the Lion Castle!" the resentment in Earl Stu's heart has been building up for a long time.

"We're talking about O'Briton, Count. Prince Sinda was glad that Count Stu had arrived in time, but he was upset by what he said.

"I'm talking about the Marquis of O'Briton!" Count Stu said coldly: "What we should do now is to investigate the truth about the assassination of the Marquis of O'Briton as soon as possible and give an explanation to the Chamber of Commerce Alliance, instead of shirking responsibility and trying to cover up the incompetence of the cabinet with killing!"

"I'm afraid that the merchants don't want the truth. Duke Eric stared at Count Stu, "As the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the Empire, you should think in the interests of the Empire, and you should not let your private emotions control your thoughts. ”

"Do the interests of the Empire need to be won by killing the heroes of the Empire?" said Count Stu with deep sarcasm in his tone, "without the help of the merchants, the soldiers would not have even a spear in this war... For six years, Marquis Fett has emptied the savings of the Central Empire for three hundred years, but he has fattened you vampires. ”

"That's normal business!, I haven't taken an extra copper from the Empire!" Duke Eric's voice echoed through the hall, "We have never lost a single part of the ordnance and weapons we have delivered to the Empire, and the customs duties and transaction taxes we have delivered have never been out of time. ”

Count Stu laughed and said, "What about the weapons and ordnance?"

Duke Eric looked at Count Stu like an idiot, "You should ask Marquis Fett, or the group of merchants standing behind him, they are the moths of the Empire, do you think that the ordnance and equipment used by the merchants to support the Empire were conjured out of thin air?"

"Bang!"

Prince Sinda slammed his fist on the negotiating table, "That's enough! now is not the time to settle these bad accounts!" he took a deep breath and swept his gaze over Count Stu, and finally stopped on Duke Eric and asked again, "Now, what should I do?"

It was clear that the prince was not satisfied with the proposal just now.

"I'll handle this the way I do. Duke Eric took a step back, saluted Prince Sinda, and said, "The empire is not the Danediv family, and the Jean family has the right to make other choices in this matter. ”