Frank's arrival and public appearance attracted the attention of many.

By this time, Poitou had gathered aristocrats, former imperial officials, wealthy people, and some scholars who refused to cooperate with the Tulip Party.

These people, together with some loyal forces in the south, form a political force that should not be underestimated. They huddled together for warmth and called themselves royalists.

In general, the Genoese were neither for nor against the royalists, but the presence of royalists in Poitou would inevitably affect Genoa itself.

These people brought huge sums of money, and while the economy prospered, they went on a frenzied acquisition of various properties in Genoa, thus intensifying the competition between local and foreign capital.

One of the more obvious examples of this is the daily debate between pro-liberals and pro-royalists, and even repeated physical altercations, which have turned Poitu into a miasma.

The arrival of Frank gave the royalists a banner figure and quickly became the head of the royalists.

His slogan was simple: raise an army and fight back to the Holy City.

This alarmed the upper echelons of Genoa, who feared that if the royalist army was built in Genoa, it would be very likely to be anti-Hakti, so they sent messengers over Mount Ott to ask Sean if he could recall the Nationalist Army—they now knew what a wise decision it had been to agree to the formation of the Nationalist Army, and only their own people could be reassured.

While the Genoese emissaries were heading north, emissaries from the Holy City had already arrived at the Tudela front.

The wounded who left the army and the troops that were ordered to disband by Sean had spread the news of the recent defeat on the Western Front, but at the same time Sean had established himself in the political life of the country with the victory of the Nationalist Army.

Although Carmen Gable is the messenger of the Tulip Party, the real person who speaks is actually a Tulip Party man named Jon Stuart who comes with him.

It is said that this man was the illegitimate son of a nobleman who was close to Salamane and others before the revolution.

Sean's headquarters is located in the town of Tudra, and gunfire can still be heard from time to time outside the town.

The war continued, but the two sides maintained a delicate balance, and the Bilisians had become cautious after being beaten a week earlier.

Sean asked the envoy and his party to visit the sick Marshal Lewis first.

The marshal's movements remained unchanged after the stroke, and he needed someone to help him barely walk a short distance, and he had difficulty speaking, but he refused to evacuate Tudra, and the only thing he did every day was to have people read him the newspaper, which often made him excited for a long time, which was very detrimental to his health.

In order not to irritate the marshal, Carmen Gable and Jon Stuart were only allowed to glance at the marshal through the window.

Sean was visiting the marshal in the room.

Basically, Sean was talking alone, and the marshal could only listen.

On the day of Tudra's reconquest, Sean had come to visit him, and the marshal was very excited, and he could see that he was angry at what had happened in the Holy City.

At least a small part of his anger was directed at Sean, who took advantage of his defeat to take control of the military.

Because of the rout and his current physical condition, the marshal realized that he could no longer recover his power. His men were either killed in battle, fled, or forcibly disbanded or sent to the rear by Sean, and some became Sean's new subordinates and were fighting under Sean's command.

For example, General Grant's troops have penetrated deep into the enemy's rear, and even Sean cannot grasp his exact whereabouts, and his latest news came back 3 days ago.

The vast enemy theater of operations had become the arena for the Ministry, and Grant's operations were increasingly affecting the military movements and logistical supply of the Bilisians.

Political stances aside, Sean gave the battle-hardened marshal great respect. Although the marshal was a confidant of Carlos II, most of his prestige was gained from the battlefield, and his reasons were respected.

As the battle line was stabilized, Sean often came to visit the marshal in person, and reported to him on the battle situation on the front line and his own deployment in every detail.

At this time, the marshal was very quiet, perhaps because of Sean's respectful attitude that made him feel better. It's just that his facial muscles stiffened due to the stroke, and once there was a slight change in his mood, it seemed a little funny.

"My marshal, I still strongly advise you to return to the rear, here, after all, is the front line, the conditions are limited, and it is not very conducive to your recovery. Sean said.

Marshal Lewis made a string of grunting sounds from his mouth, which Sean could not understand, and the marshal's adjutant explained:

"The marshal said that his home was in the Holy City, and he had no home to return to. The best fate for a soldier is to die in the last battle. ”

"You can go to Poitu and you can rest assured that the people of Poitu welcome heroes like you to settle. And the doctors at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Poitou are highly skilled, so you may be able to recover after a few days there. Sean said.

Lewis sat in a chaise longue and looked at the ceiling, silent for a long time.

"I know your loyalty to Your Majesty, and if you want to do something for Your Majesty, you will only have the opportunity to do it if you are healthy. "And I'm here to fight the Bilisians, and I assure you that the Bilisians will pay a hundredfold for their aggression, and victory is the best memorial to the dead." ”

Marshal Lewis suddenly sat up straight, his trembling hand stretched to the side, and the adjutant hurriedly shoved a cane into his hand.

This is the marshal's scepter, which has a beautiful natural pattern and a priceless sapphire.

Every marshal of the empire had a scepter, and Marshal Lewis's scepter was the most honorable.

It was given to him by Carlos II and once symbolized supreme power and honor in the army.

The battle for power is still there, and the emperor has become a prisoner.

Field Marshal Lewis placed the cane in Sean's hand and patted the back of Sean's hand with great effort. He muttered, and Sean knew it was a marshal's trust.

No matter how angry the marshal was, he could not make the Bilisians return of their own accord, nor could he repay the emperor for his kindness by waving the Holy City with his disability.

Even if he was healthy now and still had the army in his hands, he wouldn't be able to do it rashly. The downfall of a royal family cannot be compared with the fall of a country, and it is self-evident which is more important than the other, and the duty of a soldier makes it impossible for him to turn a blind eye to the invaders.

At this moment, Marshal Lewis was extremely remorseful, if he hadn't taken the initiative to invite Ying to come to the battlefield on the Western Front and stay in the Holy City, maybe all this would not have happened.

Giving the scepter to Sean also showed that Marshal Lewis had relinquished his former power, and he looked at Sean silently, all without saying a word.

"Rest assured, marshal, that I will not dust it with my life. Sean said solemnly, "I will immediately arrange for someone to send you to Poitu to recuperate." ”

Leaving Marshal Lewis's residence, Sean had the messenger of the Holy City summoned.

In fact, Sean already knew the purpose of the messenger's coming in advance, and even knew the conditions that the messenger was going to offer.

Carmen Gable sees himself as a transparent person, and Jon Stuart spends a lot of time complimenting Sean's victory and seeing it as a congratulatory gift to the new regime.

Sean did not debunk this kind of falsehood that both parties knew, and said bluntly:

"I need supplies, a lot of supplies, all the military supplies such as munitions, food, bedding, boots, and all the salaries of the soldiers and officers that must be paid on time. ”

"Of course, the Freedom Council supported the war against aggression, a just war that saved tens of millions of subjects from foreign slavery. But you know, it takes time to raise supplies. Stuart said.

"1 month, I'll only give you 1 month. Sean said, "Because so far, my supplies have relied on the previous reserves, and they can only last for another month." ”

"Your Excellency Commander, it's not easy to ...... just transporting"

"But Genoa has a well-established industry, and it can be transported by sea and river, as long as you can afford it. Sean rudely interrupted the messenger, "You don't expect us Genoese to take on the responsibility of defending our country on our own, do you?"

"You're blackmailing. "Are you ready to abandon your line of defense and let the Bilisians go straight in, and thus commit treason?"

"No, Mr. Stuart, I'm just pointing out a feasible piece of advice. After all, our soldiers cannot fight the enemy with their bare hands hungry, and many of the industrial towns in the north are either in the hands of the enemy or are unable to produce at full capacity due to lack of funds. "It is the basic responsibility of a regime to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of the country and protect the people from foreign enslavement." After all, only if we survive can we be qualified to talk about freedom and equality. Now, that responsibility falls to Salamaan and other gentlemen. ”

"You are a royalist, especially since I see that Marshal Lewis is still in your barracks. He is the confidant of the only husband. Stuart questioned.

"No, in fact I am also in favor of and sympathetic to the revolution, as Mr. Gable, sitting next to you, can testify. "As for Marshal Lewis, he has never suppressed the liberals, his position derives entirely from wars against foreign countries, and he is a pure military man, although his only allegiance is to His Majesty himself." But now, he is so sick that he can't move freely, and even needs help to eat, don't you worry about such a poor old man? What are you afraid of?"

Stuart subconsciously dodged Sean's aggressive gaze and said:

"With regard to Marshal Lewis, we can not hold him accountable, and we can agree to the conditions you mentioned earlier, but you must make a statement that you support the revolution and oppose the monarchy. ”

"What if I don't make such a statement?" asked Sean, "knowing that many of my soldiers have sworn allegiance to His Majesty, and if they think that fighting on the front lines is not worth it, it will be a serious blow to the morale of the troops." I don't want that to happen. ”

"No, no, that's our bottom line. Don't go too far, Commander. ”

"In that case, I can only ask Mr. Messenger to return to Al-Quds Al-Sharif and convey my position to Mr. Salman in person. If you want to change your mind, you can come and talk to me again. Sorry, I missed me. ”

In Stuart's stunned eyes, Sean showed himself to be strong.