Motor vehicles are forbidden in the Forbidden City, and when they enter the Xuanwu Gate, Ruoyuebai and Sherlock are subjected to extremely strict interrogation. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoEven if it is Wakatsuki, he is not qualified to enter the Fengtian Hall with a weapon. The father-in-law of yin and yang, according to Ruoyuebai, is actually a member of the East Factory. The city gate was intimidating at a glance, and the long and suffocating avenue, until the servant helped Wakatsuki Bai to get into the sedan chair, Sherlock was still in a trance, as if he was in another world.

On both sides of the very empty avenue stood rows of soldiers, dressed in majestic armor, but none of them were armed with firearms. The attendants around the sedan chair shouted strange slogans, and several workers carried the slightly bumpy sedan chair and slowly advanced towards the main hall.

"It's rare to see the pomp and circumstance of emperors centuries ago. Sherlock glanced at Wakatsuki Shiro, who was sitting across from him with a cigarette stick in one hand.

"This is the highest level of understanding in the Ming Empire, you should feel honored," Ruoyue Bai chuckled lightly and looked at the scenery outside the curtain, "Or do you prefer to walk over? Let a disabled person like me accompany you for a few kilometers? Of course, you can also go down and walk with the servants if you want." ”

It's obviously impossible, and knowingly asking, this guy's personality is really bad. Sherlock also took out his pipe, touched it in his pocket, and remembered that the cigarette pouch had been placed in Wakatsuki's mansion.

"The people of this country have experienced the wars you imagined," Ruoyuebai said suddenly, she looked at the servant who did not squint outside the sedan chair, and closed her cloudy eyes, "The bones are full of bones, and the blood is flowing like a river." Even people who have nothing to do with the war cannot escape the fate of this country. Among the people you have met, there may be victims of war. ”

"What do you want to say?" Sherlock clenched into fists, she had probably guessed, but still asked.

"Sixteen Nights," Wakatsuki Bai suddenly mentioned the name, "the former member of the Hunter Division you met when you left the airport, and now she has finally gained a piece of peace of her own. But at the cost of losing everything in his past. I guess she's rejected your stupid plan. ”

How did she know? Sherlock had obviously paid considerable attention to the conversation at that time, and her conversation with Sixteen Nights was limited to a few commissions that had nothing to do with her own plans. Even though it was only a temptation, Sherlock knew that Sixteen Nights would not join her team. Sherlock slightly propped up his waist, which was a little sore from the long slumber, and rested his hand on the armrest of the palanquin.

"Only after experiencing war can you want peace, at least that's what the people at the bottom think. But even then, they will not sacrifice themselves to prevent wars that have nothing to do with them. On the contrary, in order to prevent the war from spreading to themselves, they will pay attention to the strength of their own country and whether their country can guarantee their own security. This is what the common people think, and noble ideas are simply powerless in front of them. It is clear that no one can stay out of the war as long as war breaks out now, but everyone only cares about their own lives, how touching it is. ”

“... It's stupid. ”

"This is the human race, you know, but you still chose to come to this empire for your ideas," Wakatsuki Bai's free hand straightened the folds of the gorgeous clothes, "It's a pity that people who have the same ideas as you will never be the leader of the country." A naïve man can never become the leader of the state apparatus - the state is mostly built by idealists, but not maintained by idealists. Do you know "Imaginary Country"?"

"The nations are now not far from the Ideal Republic described by Plato, except for the philosophers. ”

Sherlock said with a mocking sneer.

"Humans are stupid and incorrigible. In the face of desire/desire and power, noble ideas are simply powerless, and flowers and roses cannot stop the shells. ”

"I mean 'the common people,'" Wakatsuki said, waving his cigarette stick, "humans are stupid, hopeless, and self-righteous. There are self-righteous people who think they can govern the country better than the 'meat eaters', there are those who think that their miserable life is all the fault of others, and there are those who go out of their way to get the attention of others and do not feel that they are just clowns. There are also people who hold on to the so-called noble ideas and look down on everyone around them. In contrast, even if you don't understand anything, but don't say a word, don't you seem much wiser?"

After turning around, is he still mocking himself in the end? Sherlock just sighed and said helplessly:

"Are politicians all your virtues?"

"I'm a soldier," Wakazuki closed her eyes, "and all I can do is complain." Unlike your high-ranking military officials, the Governor of the West Factory does not have the right to dispatch members of the West Factory. In other words, I only had the role of accepting the emperor's orders and then directing the Xichang operation. ”

"Obviously live in that kind of mansion?"

"That's my father's inheritance, his family has been noble in the past, and I'm just an adopted daughter, just living there. I'm less than half the salary of a combatant. ”

"It's really hard, aren't you considering changing careers?"

"It's a bad character to ask this even though you know it's impossible. ”

It would have been a pleasure to talk to her, but what Sherlock didn't expect was that the emperor had actually met her in his bedroom. This flattered her a little, and in her impression, it should be like the legendary Marco Polo, in the main hall with the Manchu civil and military officials to meet the current world's first emperor.

"I'll just wait here," Ruoyuebai was still sitting in the sedan chair, pulled the curtain and said to her, "Please don't say anything rude to Your Majesty, of course, he is a generous king, but he represents the face of the entire Ming Empire, please pay attention." ”

Sherlock waved his hand nonchalantly and followed a sword-wielding guard into the dormitory.

And Zhu Yuanfang has been waiting there for a long time. Perhaps a little nervous, Sherlock unconsciously lowered his head slightly when he saw him. Zhu Yuanfang was sitting in front of the desk, and Sherlock thought he was reviewing the documents, but the table was full of drinks and food.

"Come, give me a seat. Zhu Yuanfang saw her come in and immediately said so.

The two subordinates brought a chair and placed it opposite Zhu Yuanfang, and Sherlock sat down in front of him.

"No need to be polite, now I am receiving you in a private capacity, but considering my identity, I must take security measures," Zhu Yuanfang said, "I heard that you don't drink white wine, so I specially prepared red wine from my friend, I hope it will suit your appetite." ”

Is this person in front of her a king? To be honest, Sherlock didn't feel any nervousness when facing the Queen of England, but at this time she felt a little pressure.

"Why don't you say anything, even if you just come to talk to me, the old immortal emperor," Zhu Yuanfang smiled kindly, "The politics, philosophy, astronomy, history, everything about this country and this world is fascinating, isn't it?"

“... Actually, I came here to ask Your Majesty a question," Sherlock took a deep breath and picked up the goblet on the table that held the wine for her, "What does Your Majesty think of the current situation in Europe?"

"It's a difficult problem from the beginning," Zhu Yuanfang sipped his wine, and didn't seem to have any dissatisfaction with this question, "The world is a 'whole'. ”

"Overall?" Sherlock paused.

"Although countries may seem to be independent, they are in fact inextricably linked. Whether it is Europe or Africa, even if it is 108,000 miles away from the Ming Empire, if there is any major change, it will affect the Ming Empire. Moreover, the assets of the Ming Empire were spread all over the world, the railroads of Britain and Africa, and the trading of commodity resources with the United States, all of which were indispensable. So, don't worry about me sitting on the sidelines. ”

Sherlock couldn't ask any of the questions. She was stunned for a moment, then put down her glass.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Zhu Yuanfang raised his eyebrows.

“... There should be none. ”

"Well, in fact, I have a request for you this time. ”

When Zhu Yuanfang said this, the guard who had led Sherlock in before handed over a leaflet, and he unfolded the flyer and handed it to Sherlock.

This is exactly the leaflet she saw when she was in Wakatsuki's mansion before, and she felt a little disobedient for some reason.

"The person on this is called Dio Connor," Zhu Yuanfang said, "the British, the granddaughter of William, the former leader of the Manchester mafia." It was William's daughter and a thug. Only a very small number of people know about it. ”

“... With all due respect, there shouldn't be anything special about this. Sherlock frowned.

"No, it has a huge relationship with you," Zhu Yuanfang stood up, "You should know her, not only do you know her, but you also deal with the incident of Jack the Ripper with her." She is the true leader of the "D-10" Operations Department. ”

“！”

"I have a commission here, Sherlock Holmes. Find out the truth about her disappearance and oblivion. ”