The night crept through a crevice, and as the dawn passed through the crack, Ivana saw a touch of orange in the east, like the color of the countless torches on the outer walls, carrying the news of imminent death.

Thundercastle had a sleepless night. The wind blew violently, sending the shouts of killing, screams, horses' hooves, and the rumble of battering rams from the outer walls into the inner city. The inner city was surrounded by unrest and chaos: some chose to hide in their homes, some chose to besiege the docks, hoping to escape from the merchant ships and fishing boats on the canals, and some took advantage of the chaos to do evil, and there were many riots and fires in the inner city. The Imperial Council had to order a curfew, and the golden robes spent the night in the inner city.

The Watchtower was brightly lit, and in the Imperial Conference Room, the important ministers sat around the large conference table, accompanying Ivana. Ivana looked around, the Minister of Justice, Fred Mann, was holding the Imperial Code in his arms, muttering words in his mouth, sometimes turning a page and scribbling with a quill, Anthony Bell frowning and looking through a pile of drawings over and over again, Winston, a college scholar, slumped in his chair and stroked the bachelor's necklace, and when Ivana thought he was asleep, the old scholar suddenly straightened up again, looked around with cloudy eyes, and sat back down. Only Bill Newton was in the mood to drink, but the maid overturned her glass, and the intelligence director made a few jokes to comfort the restless maid.

The Chancellor's seat is vacant. Isaac Graf, my dear cousin, disappeared without a trace, leaving no letters, no letters, no farewell. Who did he learn from the oil on the soles of his feet?Why did he leave?He asked Sebastian angrily?Ivana sat in the main seat, her brows furrowed, her lips closed.

"Street fighting lasted a day and a night. Bill said what everyone knew was nonsense, and shook the Doge Gold in his glass.

"I'm not deaf or blind!" said Ivana, a sneer rising from the corners of her mouth, mockingly, "You've been drinking all night." ”

Bill hiccuped and argued, "I don't blame it, it's a habit that Emperor August developed when he was around, and His Majesty the Emperor used to say that wine helps to think." ”

Even now you still tell me about the drunkard. Ivana didn't want to talk to Bill in vain, she turned her head and asked a few other people, "What do you guys think?"

Fred Mann craned his neck and said, "I think we should be prepared for the worst." I've been looking through the Imperial Code, but there is no rule in the entire code on how to treat captives favorably. We can only follow the convention, and perhaps we can exchange the ransom for our own lives. ”

"I thought that drinking would make me confused, but it turns out that I can really become a nerd after reading too many books. The master craftsman Anthony didn't raise his head, pushed a pile of drawings aside, and picked up another drawing, he almost roared, "Those who dare to attack Thunder Castle are aiming for the Thunder Throne! Wouldn't it be easier to kill our people?"

"The great craftsmen are really dedicated. Bill craned his neck and glanced at the drawings, seemingly unmoved by Anthony's sarcasm, "The Imperial Council also studied the drawings. ”

Anthony raised his head, glared at Bill, and raised his voice: "I'm looking for a way for everyone to survive!" Sebastian is right, Thunder Fort has problems from the very beginning, once the outer city is breached, the inner city has no defensive fortifications, and the roads are in all directions, and the enemy can surround the city so that not a fly can fly out. ”

"Holy, is that traitor questioning Emperor Rhodes?" Fred Mann straightened up, dumbfounded, "Scholar, tell this Southern hillbilly about the history of Thundercastle." ”

"The land around Thundercastle is fertile, and the walls of the outer city are very strong, and there are many small turrets and small fortresses in the outer city. The city was built on the mountain, and supplies were sent by the inland river. Maester Winston was still interested in the lesson, and immediately refreshed his spirits and spoke eloquently, "The plains of Selweth are good for farming and cavalry for battle. According to the record of "Research on the History of Imperial Architecture", it was with these things in mind that Emperor Rhodes decided to be here. ”

"The premise is that there are reinforcements to send supplies, and CSKA is stationed to guard the area around Fort Thunder. Who would have thought of a CSKA mutiny. Bill gave General Albert Maher a strange look.

Admiral Mach ignored Bill's taunts, turned his head, and asked, "Scholar, are you sure that all the crows have been sent out?"

"It's ravens, General, I'm sending strong ravens to make sure that the news that Thundercastle is being besieged by CSKA rebels reaches the garrisons of the provinces. Maester Winston coughed a few times, deliberately emphasizing.

Tell the entire realm that the Thunder Throne is threatened, and Caesar's life is in danger. When Ivana heard Winston's words, she felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. Face is gone. Oh, and soon it's almost all gone.

"Well, I hope the raven flies soon. Bill shrugged, and he added another glass of wine to himself, "Our reinforcements are coming early." We're going to have reinforcements, aren't we?" he didn't know who he was asking, and several people looked at each other, and no one knew how to answer.

Ivana had enough of them, Sebastian was right, the Imperial Council should be put in order, a nerd, a drunkard, an old fool, a hillbilly, all should get out! As the sky began to brighten, the shouting and killing of the outer city still did not stop, and she had no time to waste.

"General Mach, you are the supreme military commander here, what is your opinion?" said Ivana, hoping that the general would have some constructive advice.

General Mach stroked his beard and replied: "The empire is divided into six major military regions, five provinces plus the capital military district, and the imperial military salary supports them. In the event of a large-scale war, the emperor would then conscript the provincial lords, who would recruit troops, and the local troops would fight the enemy together with the imperial army. ”

"I memorize the rules of the army structure. Fred Mann interrupted General Mach and said, "Getting to the point. ”

"The main point is that the situation is urgent, the garrison of the Sunset Province in the east is in the coastal area, and the garrison in the north is in the fortress of the Orsnow Mountain, which is too far away, the number of troops in the western province of Gasganik is too small, and the garrisons of the military districts of the two major provinces in the south have rushed over for at least a week. General Mach analyzed them one by one, "Far water can't save the near fire, we have to find a way to hold on until reinforcements come." I implore His Majesty the Emperor to personally march with the royal guards to reinforce the garrison of the capital in the outer city. ”

Ivana's heart tightened, and she screamed: "Bastard, do you want to kill Caesar? He is only 12 years old, and he doesn't know how to lead troops into battle!"

"The capital garrison is fighting against the regular CSKA, and they are guarding the inner city and the king's city. There was a hint of sadness in General Mach's eyes, "Even if His Majesty the Emperor stands on the wall connecting the inner city and the outer city, it is a morale boost for them." ”

"No! absolutely not!" Ivana roared, she was so angry that she slapped the table hard, "The guards brought by my mother's family are the last line of defense to protect the city, as long as the city is not attacked, the royal family will not be destroyed!"

Bill shrugged, scratched his head, and muttered, "Oh my God! Seven, it looks like I'm going to have to stay in the city for a long time, is there enough wine in the city?"

Ivana snorted, pointed at Bill's nose and scolded, "I told you to drink!" Guards, tie up Bill, just like Kaselon Young, and pour him wine until he dies!"

The two guards looked at each other, hesitated for a few seconds, and stepped away.

"Hey, I'm making an analogy, do we have enough food reserves, can we hold the city as well as the outer city?" Bill spread his hands and argued, "Admiral Mach is right, far water can't save near fire." In addition to the royal guards, there are only golden robes in the inner city, but the golden robes to maintain law and order in the city are already understaffed. ”

"I still implore Her Majesty the Queen Mother to think twice, the royal guard ......," General Mach said mid-sentence, interrupted by Ivana's roar.

"My mother's guard in Thunder Castle is only 200 people! The capital garrison can't fight with 2,000 people, do you think 200 people can fight against a rebel army of several thousand?" Ivana asked rhetorically, she suddenly remembered what Sebastian had said, "There are 200,000 people in Thunder Castle, tell them that those who don't want to die should rise up and resist!"

Bill clapped his hands and exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, I have an idea, ask the archbishop to send the Knights Templar and the Templar Order, just to kill two birds with one stone." ”

Ivana was overjoyed.

Recently, Bill secretly told her that since the archbishop completed the trial of Sebastian, Ludwig and others, his popularity in Thundercastle has skyrocketed, and some wandering knights have converted to the Seven Gods and joined the Templar Order, while others have not become knights, and have also taken up arms and joined the Templar Order in order to eat. A few days ago, Ivana was worried about how to suppress the archbishop.

"Maybe you can try. But......" said Admiral Mach, after a moment's hesitation, "His Majesty the Emperor must go in person, otherwise the Archbishop will have enough reason to refuse, and we will have no time to waste." ”

The white cathedral looks solemn in the pre-dawn darkness. Many paupers huddled on the long staircase in front of the cathedral, some shivering, some hugging each other, some fighting for a piece of bread, and the warriors and Templars with the coat of arms of the church looking out of the city.

Bill Newton was surprisingly efficient. Under his arrangement, Ivana and Caesar bypassed the main entrance of the cathedral and entered through the side entrance of the church, accompanied by Admiral Mach, Bill Newton, and five knights of the royal bodyguard.

Ivana knew that the archbishop was not a fuel-efficient lamp, but as she passed by the church door, she noticed the eyes of those people: apathy, restlessness, sadness, fear, anger. In their eyes, she saw hope. As long as they don't want to die, they have to fight.

Caesar won't die, and none of us in the Graff family will die.