The dignitaries are still taking place.

The death of Duke Darnell turned the meeting into a meeting of indictments, in which the delegates, whether sincere or hypocritical, scolded the sheriffs, the mayors, the liberals, the traitors, and some blamed it on the conspiracy of the bloodthirsty.

By far the bloodthirsty are the most suspected.

The death of the duke, and the atmosphere of martial law inside and outside the city, gave the delegates a sense of urgency to reach a consensus as soon as possible, and especially the representatives of the consortium could not help but feel sad that their resistance had become passive due to the loss of their leader.

This is probably something that most people don't think about.

The well-dressed dignitaries sat in their seats and listened to the Duke of Hermann recite a lengthy statement:

All members of the Empire have an equal need for the protection provided by His Majesty, and therefore all subjects have an equal obligation to contribute to the Empire.

State expenditures are a shared responsibility for all, and any special preference for individuals is also an injustice to others. Those who are unwilling to bear the public expenses are not entitled to the protection of public power and have no civil rights......

The fact that this statement of principle has finally been reached can be described as epoch-making progress, although not everyone welcomes it.

The rhetoric of some delegates is even more focused on so-called equality than that of liberals.

The Count of Artois, from the steppes, was not only in favour of the conversion of the road labour tax into a monetary donation, but even that it should be borne by all the landlords, i.e. by making this tax an add-on to the land tax (if a 1/20 tax was generally levied on the church, the nobility or other landowners), and his statement was very egalitarian:

"Privileges bring a new burden to the people every day...... Terrible privileges of all kinds shift the burden of immunity onto the people. The roads are full of carts of the rich and landlords, and the people who build and pay for the roads may never have left the remote villages where they live in their lives, and the roads do little to enhance their family's wealth or external connections, and perhaps one day they will have to pay for the road when they walk to a bridge dozens of kilometers from their homes. ”

But this is only a declaration in theory and in words, and in practice it is another matter.

When concrete measures are discussed, the privileged put obstacles in the way of the implementation of their claimed equality.

For example, the plan to abolish internal tariffs and establish uniform border tariff rates has an inherent need for many people who invest in new industries, but it has been strongly opposed by representatives of some provinces with corresponding privileges in internal tariffs.

It was a very disappointing meeting for Sean, and it seemed far from over.

Their only consensus was a 1/20 tax on ecclesiastical land and a tax increase on the industrial and commercial sectors, since neither class was represented.

In between meetings, Sean, like everyone else, walked outside the venue to breathe or smoke.

From afar, he saw Nelson arguing with the perimeter guards, who belonged to the Guards and were responsible for maintaining order outside the venue.

Sean hurriedly walked over.

"My lord, please come here!" Nelson shouted loudly.

His expression was agitated.

"Clark, is there anything urgent?" asked Sean. Nelson, however, pulled Sean aside to a quiet corner:

"Your Excellency, the situation is urgent. Your Majesty has given the secret police an order to take you into custody!"

Sean was stunned, not long ago he was a guest of the emperor: "Reason?"

"Duke Darnell was killed by the bombing, and it is believed that the murderer used explosives from Poitou Chemical, hence the ......," Nelson said.

"How did you know the secret police were going to arrest me?" Sean quickly calmed down.

"They were already there and took the initiative to find me, saying that it was for your decency and asked you to cooperate with them. ”

Nelson gestured to a few men in nicknamed coats not far away.

Arthur Young walked over with a grim face and said, "My lord, if you are going to ......"

Young's meaning is obvious, if Sean is ready to resist, they will fight to the death for him.

Sean shook his head, now the city and the city are under martial law, full of troops and spies, as long as he dares to resist, he will die an ugly death immediately.

Moreover, the reason for arresting Sean on the grounds that Duke Darnell had been killed by a new explosive is not sufficient. Even if he escaped from the Holy City, unless he rebelled, he would be convicted.

The secret police softened and let Nelson call himself out, apparently trying to show some goodwill. After all, their chief was Colonel Frank, and the colonel also had the promise of the emperor.

Sean can't understand the actual situation, but judging from the information he has obtained so far, he has not yet reached the point where he is dead, and he cannot take the initiative to walk into a dead end.

Thinking of this, Sean said to Nelson and Young:

"You must not act rashly, let alone resist. I'll have a presentation later. You tell the secret police that I'll meet with them after the presentation. ”

"Yes!" Nelson and the others had no objection to Sean's decision.

Some rang the bell for the meeting, but it was not until half an hour later that the delegates arrived in groups and threes in front of their seats, while others regarded the congress as a big gathering, which was at stake for the survival of the country.

Sean has been standing in front of the podium.

Duke Hermann was a little tired, he was old, and even though he was more energetic than his peers, he could not face hundreds of quacking ducks for days on end. The Duke glanced at Sean and said:

"Young man, is there anything wrong with you?"

Sean's detention was only a decision made by the emperor more than half an hour ago, and Herman, who was the first duke, did not know the news yet.

"Dear Duke, as a representative of the Genoese, I ask for the floor. Sean pleaded.

"Young people, you know, the list of speakers was drawn up the day before. If we all come to the stage on an impromptu basis like you, then our meeting will be messed up. The Duke said.

If one takes a closer look at the delegates who have spoken, they will find that northerners make up the vast majority.

Sean turned to the Duke of Franks: "Dear Duke of Franks, I request to speak as a recipient of the Order of the Great Dragon in gold. ”

Theoretically, most nobles were military aristocrats, and their ancestors were hereditary because of their military exploits. Usually farming, managing the territory, ruling on behalf of the king, once the king has an order, immediately put on armor and lead the soldiers of the people to fight.

In modern times, this form has changed significantly, and although the children of the nobility still occupy the position of senior officers in the army, most of them have lost their prowess.

The Frankish family was one of the few nobles who were still committed to military exploits, one of the younger brothers of the Duke of Frank was a marshal, his second son was a general, several nephews were colonel-level officers, not to mention a large number of officers of different ranks who he financed and supported, all over the army.

Sean put on his military exploits, which really moved the Duke of Frank:

"This is the hero of the War of the Red Moon, Viyère, and I think in the current situation we can hear what an imperial hero has to say. ”

The Marquis Friedrich-Torres also chimed in:

"Your Excellency Duke Herman, the ironclad ships built by the shipyard under the name of Count Rocky Hill are riding the waves at sea, and the Navy's battle reports show that we have seen the light of day in defeating the Fish Demon, provided of course that we need to have enough ironclads and sailors who can operate them. ”

"Okay. Seeing that the two important people spoke to help Sean speak, Duke Herman was not willing to vote against such a trivial matter, "Count Rocky Mountain, you have 10 minutes. ”

"Thank you, Lord Duke, Lord Marquis!" Sean bowed in greeting, and then stepped onto the podium.

Sean cleared his throat and looked around:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Sean Connery, a Genoese. His Majesty has summoned you here, and I am one of them. I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to share the sorrows of His Majesty, which is both my duty and my right. ”

"Not long ago, I received a letter from one of my respected superiors in the former army. In his letter, he described to me the fierce and tragic battle in northern Xinjiang, and I was deeply impressed. ”

"Those who know me may know that I used to serve in the army as a civilian, I have experienced the debacle of the Red Moon, and I have seen too much sacrifice and blood. At that time, I had to use one-third of my meager monthly salary to buy suitable lead bullets, but now the average soldier in the army has not received his allowance for three months. ”

"I fight side by side with my robes, for Your Majesty, for the people, for you and me. We lie on top of the snow and ice, suffering from cold and hunger, ready to face the patronage of death. But we don't hesitate. Europa, as large as it was, did not have a single piece of land to give to the invaders. ”

"When we eat dry food that is difficult to swallow and often cannot be delivered, when we are wrapped in military uniforms that cannot protect us from the wind and rain, when we look at the heads of the people we were once most familiar with, we can't help but think:

Who is the most respected person in this empire, and who is the loveliest person in this world?"

"Everyone!"

In this former opera house, there is silence and a pin drop is visible.

Sean said slowly:

"For a marshal, a soldier is just a number! The greatest commander of antiquity only occasionally showed a little mercy, and his great deeds were all built on the bones of countless soldiers.

When those soldiers are exhausted on the battlefield, or they are left to fight a vicious enemy with their bare hands, no general with the highest command art can achieve victory. And your estates and riches will be in ruin. ”

"So stop the talk and the fighting, think more about the crisis on the northern border, think more about the workers on the docks outside the city, think more about the babies waiting to be fed. If we don't find a solution to this crisis as soon as possible before it erupts, we will all end up dead. ”

"It's also a negotiation. Negotiation is both-for-tat and an art of mutual compromise. Let's lower our voices a little and increase our willingness to compromise with each other, for the sake of Your Majesty, for the sake of the Empire, for the sake of the people, and for the sake of the fundamental interests of you and me. ”

"Soldiers with rifles in their hands sacrificed for their country, workers produced weapons and goods, and peasants provided food and wealth for all. So the soldiers, the workers, the peasants are the foundation of the edifice of Europa, and we are the superstructure that assists His Majesty in ruling this country, and the foundation of treating us well is to safeguard our interests!"

Sean's speech was impressive, and he also received a lot of applause.

Politely taking off his hat and saluting the few nobles behind him, Sean bowed to the more than 300 dignitaries present, and then walked out of the venue in full view of everyone.

"Very well! Europa is large, but there is not a single piece of land to give to the invaders!" said the Duke of Franks.

The Marquis of Torres asked puzzledly, "There is still a meeting, where is he going?"