Since Carlos II's accession to the throne in 1800, very few hereditary nobles have been promoted to titles.

There were quite a few nobles whose titles were stripped by him, especially after 1810, when his throne was secured.

The news from the palace made Sean a well-known figure again, and Count Koval even took the initiative to instruct Sean on the necessary etiquette for meeting the emperor.

On the morning of February 4th, Sean woke up early.

Early spring in the north is still cold, and it snowed last night. On the way to the palace, Sean saw that municipal employees were busy cleaning up the wanderers who had frozen to death in the snow, and more people had frozen to death last night than in any previous year.

Looking at the stove in his carriage and the hot tea in his hand, and the brand-new nickname dress on his body, both for beauty and warmth, his shirt had soft cashmere inside.

Sean couldn't help but lament that he had fallen, that he had taken enjoyment for granted.

But the road has cold bones, and this is none of Sean's business, and it doesn't seem to be the business of the emperor and the prime minister.

The White House stands tall on the central terrace of the Holy City, covered in silver, its golden roof glittering in the sun.

It is like a god that perches in the sky and overlooks the city, representing the supreme authority and sacredness, making every subject who passes by it bow their heads.

After the necessary checks and registrations, the servants of the palace led Sean to a room with a fireplace to await the emperor's summons.

Sean sat patiently and waited, passing the time by admiring the precious paintings hanging on the walls, all of which are masterpieces of ancient artists.

He arrived at eight o'clock in the morning, and until half past ten he had not waited for the emperor's summons, and he did not even have tea and snacks.

A servant passing by the door was given a string of southern pearls, who looked at Sean condescendingly and told him that the Dukes of Vière-Hermann, Otto Franck, Gaida Darnell, and the Marquis of Friedrich Torres had arrived and were discussing state affairs with the Emperor.

These distinguished guests made all the people in the palace revolve around them.

So, for the time being, no one has thought of Sean, a small nobleman from the provinces.

Sean had to return to his seat, closing his eyes. Just as his patience was about to run out, there was a sound of footsteps in the corridor outside the door, and His Royal Highness Philip walked in with a large group of men, his face full of apologies:

"I'm sorry, Sean, my friend, on behalf of the White House, I apologize to you for keeping you waiting. ”

I haven't seen him for a few years, but this highness looks a lot more mature, and he still has a short beard. His apology was very sincere, of course, in an environment like the palace, whether this was true or disguised, only His Highness himself knew.

However, His Royal Highness Philip personally came and apologized, which made the court servants on the side feel a little weak. These so-called servants are servants in the palace, but once they leave the palace, they are the objects of others.

"Your Highness is serious. "His Royal Highness Philip calls himself a friend, and Sean doesn't climb up the pole.

In recent years, Sean has also paid attention to the politics of the Holy City, and this highness has become more and more influential on the emperor, and there is a grapevine that the emperor is very likely to be easy to save.

Unbeknownst to Sean, however, while he was wasting time in the palace, the Emperor tested four of his important vassals for the first time.

This is, of course, an extremely important matter, so important that no one dares to take it lightly. So, it is not a significant matter that Sean is forgotten by the emperor.

Sean was personally taken by His Royal Highness Philip to the famous Golden Hall, where the royal family held major events. The Empress liked to hold concerts in this hall, inviting the ladies of the Holy City to enjoy elegant music with her.

As the name suggests, this hall is resplendent in gold, with walls inlaid with whole pieces of gold, countless pearls and jades, and extremely luxurious.

Carlos II himself was an emperor who liked luxury, and the hall was considered the face of the royal family, and it was renovated every two years, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars each time. And his queen is even more so.

Stepping on the soft cashmere blanket on the floor, Sean saw a throne on a raised platform directly north of the hall.

Carlos II held the armrest, adorned with a golden dragon head, and watched as Sean fell to one knee at his feet.

"The supreme authority, the only co-lord of all peoples, your vassal, Shaun Connery, Viscount of Rocky Hills from Genoa, salutes you!"

"Get up!" said Carlos II, raising his right arm.

If Count Koval had been here, he would have realized that the Emperor seemed to be a lot older, and his hair was all white.

Only then did Sean notice that there were several old nobles standing on either side of the throne, and as for who was who, Sean didn't know any of them, so he could only guess.

Count Torres stepped forward, he was a court count with the duty of Keeper of the Seals, and in fact one of the many courtiers of the Emperor.

Some were in charge of the imperial horses, some were gardeners, some were the emperor's cooks, and some were secretaries and advisers. These positions are not only based on their background, but also on their price.

Count Torres pulled out a book with a golden cover, which recounted the history and major anecdotes of the Connery family (of course, this part is all nonsense, and the Connelly family has no outstanding history except for the first ancestors and later descendants), and focused on the exploits of Sean himself, so His Majesty the Emperor made him hereditary earl.

For this book, Sean had already paid 10,000 louis, which was only for the court clerks, and there were several payments of the same amount waiting for him to pay. As a vassal, he would have to pay the emperor an annual tribute twice as much as he had ever paid to the emperor.

After the lengthy recitation, Carlos II bowed his head and said, "Yes!"

Then the Emperor stepped down from his throne with a sword in his hand and placed a little on Sean's shoulder. Sean then pledged allegiance.

There was a polite applause all around, with His Royal Highness Philip applauding the most enthusiastic, which caught the attention of his grandfather, Duke Hermann:

"Your Highness, you and Viscount Connery, oh no, Count Connely used to know each other?"

The old duke was undoubtedly one of the most powerful dukes in the empire, and he was also the most important supporter of His Royal Highness Philip.

"Dear Duke, Sean is a friend of mine, he was a commoner when I met him, and I dare say that his experience could be written and it would definitely be a bestseller. His Royal Highness Philip said.

"I'm not interested. The old duke said lightly.

"Lord Rocky Hill, can I call you Sean?" said Duke Frank with a smile on his face.

"I was flattered. Sean said hurriedly.

Duke Frank said, "Sean, you are a very good young man, and there are not many capable young people like you now. Among other things, the invention of the ironclad allowed the Imperial Navy to finally be able to make a difference. ”

Duke Frank turned to face the throne: "Your Majesty, I strongly recommend that the Empire order additional ironclad ships, the existing 10 ships will not allow us to have enough strength to fight back." As long as our navy has the size of 100 ships, it is completely possible to defeat or even completely destroy the fish monster. ”

"Money, in the final analysis, is a question of money. Otto, if the Empire's finances are not in trouble, 1,000 ships are fine, but is this possible? Said Count Darnell, a thin old man.

If Duke Vière-Hermann represented the traditional aristocracy and enjoyed great prestige among the executives, Duke Otto Frank represented the military magnates, many members of the family held important positions in the army, including Josef Frank, the head of the secret police, who was his third son.

Duke Gaida-Darnell represented a consortium oligarchy, was the majority shareholder of several important banks, spoke for financiers, and even refused to provide preferential loans to the empire more than once, and his relationship with the emperor was strained.

As for the Marquis Friedrich-Torres, he was extremely close to the emerging bourgeoisie. Kang's shipbuilding's northern business has been strongly supported by the Torres family, which has great benefits, so the Marquis of Torres looks at Sean very pleasantly:

"As long as you use your brain, there will always be a way. This is the purpose of His Majesty's meeting of dignitaries, and as long as we unite and share the worries of the country, we will certainly find a solution to our financial difficulties. ”

This was a continuation of the conversation between the emperor and several important vassals prior to the canonization of Sean, but it was clearly not a good place to discuss financial issues on this occasion.

His Royal Highness Philip duly asked his father, the Emperor, if he could have a feast, joking that it was because everyone was hungry.

A royal luncheon, grand and exquisite.

Although there were only a few old men, a prince, and a new young earl.

Sean had no idea what the food tasted like, and the brisk question-and-answer between several old nobles and the emperor made him a complete outsider.

Sean noticed that Carlos II was a little absent-minded, or that the emperor's energy was a little low, and even left for a while.

But after this luncheon, which can be called the highest level in the empire, Sean officially became a hereditary earl, only one level higher, but the status of an earl is not comparable to that of a viscount.

Of course, the aristocracy of today is not the same as the aristocracy of a hundred years ago, and the aristocracy is increasingly being challenged by the third estate, including power.

Power is the last thing they want to share at the moment.

After lunch in the palace, the court servants led Sean out of the banquet hall.

Walking through the ornate verandah, a young girl came to meet her. The servants let him bend to the side and salute, and Sean did the same.

The girl glanced at Sean, looked back after a long distance, and accidentally bumped into the pillar.

She touched her head and asked in a very unpleasant and uncertain tone:

"Are you...... Sean...... Connery?"

"It's me, Your Highness Princess!" Sean had to bow again.

This lady of the sky is naturally Princess Elizabeth, who has had several encounters with Sean.

She has become a big girl, inheriting her mother's good looks, and as she has grown older, her marriage has become a big problem for the royal family.

The marriage of the aristocracy was not an easy task in the first place, let alone the royal family.

The princess was spoiled, and her noble status and beautiful appearance allowed her suitors to line up from the palace to the docks outside the city, but Princess Elizabeth dismissed these young men, who were considered to be prominent sons of nobles, as contrived and hypocritical.

Obviously, she fell too deeply into the poison of "La Traviata" and fantasized about the so-called pure and sincere love.

"Sean, aren't you writing?" asked Elizabeth.

"Your Royal Highness, beautiful princess, if it brings wealth and titles, then I will definitely write about it. Sean said.

"Cheesy!" the princess labeled Sean.