The aristocrats and bureaucrats involved in the construction industry all laughed, and a nobleman with a fat brain said: "Tang Zhaozong is a paper tiger, and it is ridiculous that Tang Zhangwei wants to use this paper tiger to bite us." Tang Zhaozong vowed to change the rules, which is even more ridiculous, both of them are stupid, one of them is more ridiculous than the other, it is really ridiculous. ”

Tang Zhaozong said to the construction merchant Wan Xixi: "In the future, you will follow me, and if I have a bite to eat, you will not be hungry." ”

Wan Xixi, a construction businessman, said: "The grass people are willing to smear the emperor's liver and brain." ”

Empress He said: "Your Majesty, we'd better give him a title." ”

Tang Zhaozong said: "He will be my Jin Wuwei in the future." ”

"How could they?" Philip said, "They pretended to ask for the Earl's fief only for the sake of the cathedral's finances." It is also difficult for Warren to dispute that he cannot use the money for other purposes now. ”

Regan chuckled, and Philip's cunning struck her. "It's a good plan," she said.

"There is an important condition," said Philip, staring into her eyes, "that the king must declare that my share belongs to the abbey. If he doesn't make this clear, I'll ask him to say it. If he says something else—diocese, priesthood, archbishop, whatever—I'll reject the idea entirely. I don't want you to be vague on this point. ”

"I understand," Rigan said, a little unpleasant.

Her annoyance made Philip suspicious, and she was using the idea to propose a slightly different agreement to the king. He's glad he's uncompromising on this.

He stood up and prepared to leave, but he wanted to put a seal on their contract or something. "Well, then, we all agreed," he said, with a clear hint in his voice, "that we have a solemn contract. ”

Rigan nodded slightly, and Percy said, "We have a contract. ”

Philip's heart beat faster. "Okay," he said solemnly, "I'll see you tomorrow morning at the castle." He remained expressionless until he left the room, but as he walked out into the dark street, he relaxed his self-control and allowed himself to grin triumphantly.

After dinner, Philip fell asleep worriedly. In the middle of the night he got up to say morning prayers, then lay down on a straw mat with his eyes open, wondering what would happen the next day.

He felt that King Stephen should approve of this suggestion, which solved the king's dilemma and allowed him to have both an earl and a cathedral. He didn't dare to say whether Wallen would be deliberately making things difficult, though he had a good analysis of Regan. Wallen might find an excuse to object to such an arrangement. If his mind had been spinning fast, he might have argued that the agreement did not provide for the richly decorated cathedral to which he aspired, impressive, and awe-inspiring. The king may be persuaded to reconsider.

As it was about to dawn, Philip suddenly thought of another danger: Rigan might betray him. She can make a deal with Wallen. What if she offered the same compromise to the bishop? Wallen would be given the stone and wood he needed to build the castle. The possibility alarmed Philip, who tossed and turned in bed. He wished he could go to the king in person, but the king probably wouldn't receive him—anyway, Wallen might hear the wind and become suspicious. No, there is nothing he can do to prevent the risk of being betrayed, and the only thing that works now is to pray.

He prayed until dawn.

He had breakfast with the monks, and found that their white bread was not as hungry as coarse bread; But even so, he couldn't eat much today. He arrived at the castle early, even though he knew that the king would not receive anyone at this moment. He walked into the hall and sat on a stone pedestal waiting.

The room slowly filled with courtiers and petitioners. Some were brightly dressed, with yellow, blue, or pink tights underneath and shaggy trimmed cloaks on the outside. Philip remembered where the famous Book of Last Judgment was kept. It may have been in the hall upstairs, where the king had received Philip and the two bishops the day before yesterday, and Philip hadn't paid attention at the time, he was so nervous that he hadn't seen a lot of things. The royal treasure is also here, but that is probably on the top floor, in the vault above the king's bedroom. Philip found himself once again frightened by his surroundings, but he was determined not to be intimidated by them any longer. These well-dressed people, these knights, lords, merchants, and bishops, but they were also human beings, and many of them could only write their own names. Moreover, they had all come here to seek something for themselves, and he, Philip, had come for the good of God. His mission, and his filthy brown robes, put him above the other petitioners, not below.

Thinking of this, he plucked up his courage.

When a priest appeared on the staircase leading upstairs, there was a ripple of tension in the room, and everyone hoped that it meant that the king was about to receive him. The priest whispered a few words to one of the guards, and then went upstairs again. The guard called out a knight from the crowd, and the knight gave him his sword to the guard and went upstairs.

Philip wondered what kind of strange life the king's clerks lived. The king, of course, needed to be clergyman, not only to pray, but also to do a great deal of reading and writing about the administration of the kingdom. Apart from these clergy, no one else was qualified for the job, and the few literate non-clergy could not read and write so quickly. But the clergymen under the king's clerks could not speak of a holy life. Philip's own younger brother, Francis, chose that life, working for Robert of Gloucester. Philip thought, when I see him again, I must ask him what that life is like.

Shortly after the first petitioner went upstairs, the Hamleys arrived.

Philip resisted his impulses, and did not go towards them at once, he did not want to make their alliance known to everyone, and the time was not yet right. He stared at them intently, studying their expressions, trying to guess what they were thinking. He thinks William is hopeful, Percy is a little agitated, and Rigan has a stiff face like a taut bowstring. After a while, Philip tried his best to make a casual appearance, stood up, walked through the room, greeted them politely, and asked Percy, "Have you seen him?" ”

"See."

"How?"

"He said he was going to think about it at night."

"Why?" Philip said. He was disappointed and annoyed, "What is there to think about? ”

Percy shrugged. "Ask him to go."

(End of chapter)