Believe it or not, the fire soon spread, and the Germanic people who were lying in ambush in the woods, whether threatened by the fire or not, all ran out, and suddenly the forest was infested with birds and beasts, and the crowd roared. In the face of such a fire, there is an ambush, and if you are not careful, you will be buried in the fire. Gao Zhong and Yang Zaixing waited patiently, and heard that many Germans began to flee out, so they were no longer polite, the two scattered in formation, and the cavalry was responsible for chasing forward. In the face of the fire, Dolle and Schwein's hard-planned jungle resistance battle became a joke, in the face of the pursuit of the ancient town cavalry, many Germans did not even have the mind to flee for their lives, and directly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, fortunately Dolle and Schwein were smart enough to not personally lead the troops to come, otherwise they would have to vomit blood when they saw the situation in front of them.

In the battle of the Misty Forest, half of the Germans escaped, leaving an army of more than 10,000 people, who either perished in the fire or surrendered on the spot. This matter was like growing wings, and it quickly spread throughout the Holy Empire, not to mention the eastern nobles and the Danube nobles, the most shocking were the grape nobles led by the Royce family. Royce looked at the news in his hand and didn't react for a long time, this is an army of 30,000 people, and it was defeated like this, is this God joking? In Royce's mind, no matter how powerful the Orientals are, they are outsiders after all, and they are not familiar with the Misty Forest, so they will have to fight for a while, and if there is another heavy snowfall, they can only withdraw to Festac City. Royce still knows the strength of the eastern nobles and the nobles in the Danube, and the soldiers and horses gathered by these two great nobles cannot be too bad. However, no one calculated that the Oriental people would not play their cards according to the routine, and in the battle of the Misty Forest, they did not do anything at all, and directly set fire to the forest, a fire, which has not been extinguished so far. Those people in Dorle were also too unlucky to run into such hard stubble as the Orientals. Of course, the battle situation in the Misty Forest also made Royce determined that he must persuade the northern nobles to put pressure on the royal family. The footsteps of the Orientals can no longer be stopped, and the occupation of the Kingdom of Saxony is a reality that cannot be changed, and if you don't make a decision at this time, I'm afraid the daylilies will be cold. After some thought, Royce went to the study on the second floor of the castle.

De Kohler was an elegant knight with a family background and a more intelligent approach to people. De Koller's life was not all smooth sailing, although the family lasted for more than two hundred years, it was not really a wealthy family, compared to those huge vineyard aristocrats, it was still much worse. As a young man, De Colle was forced to flee to the Frankish kingdom due to a great change in his family, and did not return to his family until he was fifteen. In that chaotic era, he started from the bottom and regained the command of the family step by step. As the family became more and more powerful, those who opposed it began to become honest, and today, the Sousa family under the leadership of De Kole has become one of the most powerful factions in the northern part of the Kingdom of Lorraine. Over the years, the most wrong thing he has done is probably to agree to the participation of the Red Top Knights in the battle in the Istrian Heights, which almost killed his only son. Fortunately, God willing, my son returned safely. De Kohler is not the kind of person who is strong and sharp, the experience in the early years made him understand a truth, don't be strong at any time, people who come out blindly often die miserably, a successful person, the first thing to do is not to get something, but to find a good position, put the position right, so that you can know what you want. With self-knowledge, then go and find a backer to make a profit from it. De Kohler relied on this iron law to maneuver between the major forces and bring the not powerful Sosa family to its current position. Now that the Holy Empire has ushered in a big change, it is time to reshuffle the cards, and this time must find a good direction.

During this time, de Koller has not been idle, and in the eyes of others, the ruler of the Sosa family has a kind of hanging on his own business, but in fact, all aspects of the empire have not changed beyond de Koller's control. When Royce returned, he used to talk about the Orientals, but De Kohler did not make a decision right away, because he was more mature than Royce. No matter how strong the Easterners are, if they stay in the Istrian Heights, it will not affect the Holy Empire, and the Sosa family does not have strong military strength, and if there is no strong backing, it will be swallowed by people and there will be no bones left. There are some things that Royce doesn't know, the Sousa family can gain a firm foothold in the multi-party game, and even the royal family of Imatheire concedes three points with courtesy, that is because the Sosa family is secretly inextricably linked with the Franklouis family. One more thing, which Royce was even less clear, suggested that Louis win the little princess of the Weting family, not not the Rankian nobles, but he De Koller.

Of course, these things are impossible to tell Royce, and how dark politics is is beyond ordinary people's imagination. The battle in the Misty Forest exceeded everyone's expectations, and De Kohler was also caught off guard, and when he was hesitating, Royce knocked on the door. The door opened, and Royce walked quickly into the study, and put the news in his hand on the bookcase with some anxiety, "Honorable father, the Orientals have already reached the Elbe, and we must make a decision early." The child has been in contact with the regent of the East, and this highness is resolute and keeps his promises, if we don't make our attitude clear as soon as possible, I am afraid that after the Easterners take the Kingdom of Saxony, the first unlucky will be our Lorraine nobles. ”

The Lorraine nobles were sandwiched between the Franks and the Germanic nobles, the north was against the Saxon Kingdom, and all the circulation of goods was choked to death by others, if the Orientals wanted to deal with the Lorraine Kingdom, they didn't need to do anything at all, as long as they united with the Germanic nobles to cut off the trade routes, they could take the lives of the Lorraine nobles. De Kohler was not surprised, he didn't look at the military newspaper on the table, but smiled and motioned for Royce to sit down, "Royce, you are still too calm, do you know why I didn't let you go to the Weiting family before?" ”

"Why?" Royce was stunned, having previously offered to lobby Holnan to prevent Marina from marrying Louis, but De Coller had refused. Just at this time, what is the matter of Tima Marina? When De Cole saw Royce's expression, he knew that this son hadn't figured it out yet, so he patiently explained, "There are some things you don't understand, but now I can let you know something, Louis, that fat man doesn't care much about the affairs of the Lorraine Kingdom, how can he know about Marina's existence?" The Frankish aristocracy had always been arrogant and rude, and they would not advise Louis to marry Marina, who, despite her noble status, was only a princess of the Weiting family, not a royal princess. ”

De Kohler sat down on the chair next to him and slowly pushed the glass to Royce's hand, but Royce didn't seem to see it, just fell into deep thought. After a long time, Royce came back from his contemplation and looked at De Kallow with a complicated expression, "Father, could it be that you started the Marina matter?" This.... How could this be, and why did the father do it? ”

Seeing Royce react like this, De Kohler finally showed a smile of relief, "Why can't you do this?" Do you think that if the Frankish royal family did not support us, with the strength of the Sosa family, why would we control the voice in the north of the kingdom? There are a lot of white grape nobles who are stronger than us, and they can't take our turn, do you think Mattei is really a good old man who only knows how to laugh? Two years ago, the senators would contact the red grape aristocracy, wasn't it just for us? The suggestion that Luis marry Marina is to tie the Weiting family to us, and only in this way can we ensure that the Sosa family will not fall for fifty years. Royce, you still have a lot to learn, the family game, it's not as simple as you imagined, honor? Loyal? These things will only harm you, and I didn't let you lobby the Weiting family before, because I didn't want to give up the support of the Louis family. Orientals are very powerful, but don't forget, we are Lorraine, and around us are Saxony, Hohenzollern, Franks, far from quenching our thirst. If the Easterners do not extend their tentacles into the territory of the empire, how can they guarantee our interests? The Dongfang people didn't come, so they ran to lobby the Weiting family, didn't they cut themselves off? Louis is a fat man who is very greedy, but at least it is a back road. You have to keep in mind that no matter what happens in the future, you must reserve a way out for the family, and if you die, the fate of the family will also come to an end. This is also the reason why the southern red grapes have not cooperated with the royal family for decades, they would rather find the Frederick family than cooperate with the royal family, and we are the same, even if we cooperate with the Louis family, we will not cooperate with the royal family, because we all know one thing, once we are tied to the royal family and defeat the other party, then the interests of our own people will not be protected. The balance of the kingdom cannot be easily broken, the royal family is not so easy to deal with, Mattei seems to be smiling at everyone, but this royal family will never be polite when he takes the initiative, only balance can ensure our interests, unless one day, one side can be strong enough to ignore the attitude of other forces. If it weren't for the growing power of the royal family, why would I try to tie up with the Wei Ting family. The kingdom seems to be peaceful, but in fact, there is an undercurrent, and the power that the Mattei family has accumulated for more than thirty years will not be able to withstand it once it breaks out. ”

De Kohler spoke softly, telling a lot of the inside story that Royce had never thought of, or even touched. De Kohler did this without help, Royce was a decent knight, and today's words have disrupted his previous concepts. But he had to do it, because he was Royce, the future helmsman of the Sosa family, he was familiar with the Orientals, and in the future the interests of the family would be in charge of him, and if he was still as naïve as before, I am afraid it would not be good for the family. Royce kept his head down, his mind filled with too many things, and he had a feeling that he was going to explode. Everything he heard today had shattered his faith for more than ten years, and if it wasn't for his father's mouth, he wouldn't even believe it. I used to think that my father was a noble and elegant knight, a real knight, but now I know that my father has many dark sides, and when the truth is in front of him, he looks like a fool. Royce couldn't blame De Koller, I don't know how long it took, Royce picked up the wine glass and took a deep sip, "Father, why have you never said these things before, is it because I have disappointed you?" ”

"No, Royce, you are wrong, I don't want you to be exposed to these things too early, your loyalty, faith and honor are also your weapons, life in the world, each has its own way, I tell you this, not to let you follow in everything, but to understand how deep the water of the family game is, no matter what kind of method, it is for the longevity of the family. Perhaps, with you, the future of the family will be better. Sometimes, no matter how advanced the strategy is, it is not as good as the unique vision, at least in the matter of the Orientals, you can see it accurately, if we can fall to the Orientals early, we will get more benefits. No choice is perfect, and nothing in this world has ever been perfect" De Kohler patted Royce on the shoulder, slowly stood up, walked to the place where the bookshelves were listed, and quickly took a box made of pure gold, "Royce, from now on, you can do what you want, and the Sosa family will be your strongest backing." Go to Merlin City tomorrow, you must go with great fanfare, let everyone know that you have gone to Merlin City, give this gift to Miss Marina, and tell Hornan and the people of the Weiting family that only cooperation is the way out, and Godfrey of Thurin City will not say anything. ”

Godfrey, in fact, is the name of Mattheere, also known as Henry VI. De Kole dared to do this, because he saw the weakness of Mattere, as long as the southern nobles and the northern nobles did not tear their faces, Matteire would not dare to make a big move. Royce took the gold box, opened it gently, and after just one glance, he was stunned by the object in front of him. This is a brilliant hairpin, the whole body is like a blooming plum blossom, each petal is inlaid with purple gemstones, this hairpin is not a plopping hairpin, but all the craftsmen of the Duchy spent a lot of money to create the jewelry for Yuta, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Lauraine Friedrich, and later the queens of the Duchy wore this thing, known as the Queen's Flower. It was not until the end of Henry V, when the senate was in turmoil, that the hairpin returned to the nobles of Lower Lorraine in the north, and finally fell into the hands of the Sousa family. Over the years, the family has been strict with the Queen's Flower, but today De Kohler is giving the Queen's Flower to Marina.

The Queen's Flower is not the most expensive treasure, but it is definitely priceless, because the meaning contained in it cannot be replaced by other treasures, and whoever can wear the Queen's Flower will be recognized. De Kole took out the queen's flower to tell everyone that the Sosa family would become the staunchest ally of the Orientals, of course, this was also for the Orientals, and only by doing so could the future interests be guaranteed. It is also to tell the southern red grape aristocracy that with the backing of the Orientals, there is no need to be afraid of the Frederick family and the Louis family, and the Henry family does not have to worry, the Sosa family can kick the Louis family aside, and the Weiting family can also ignore the views of the Louis family.

Royce may have a unique vision and good ability, but in terms of handling things, he is still too far behind De Kohler. Walking out of the study, Royce was still immersed in the shock of the queen's flower, his father's move was really powerful, and the rest was how to convince the Weiting family. For this, Royce didn't have too much to worry about, as long as the Orientals entered the Suplin Castle faster, the faster the Weiting family bowed their heads, it was nothing more than how much benefit they paid. Of course, the woman Marina is also a variable, and if this woman swears to the death, there is really nothing she can do.

Early the next morning, Royce led more than 20 soldiers out of Sousa Castle, along the forest road, all the way south, for three days, Royce did nothing but hurry, this way to do enough momentum, but also deliberately passed through Thurin City, and informed everyone about the trip to Merlin City. Three days later, they finally arrived outside Merlin, and the people of the Weiting family had already received the news, and the two guards led Royce and his party into the castle manor. Merlin, the largest city in the northwest of the Danube, is also the core of the southern red grape aristocracy, which has always been the territory of the Weiting family and the Luke family, and the Weiting family is known as the king of Merlin. Royce was placed in the castle to the west of the manor, and he was not in a hurry, he had already arrived in Merlin City, and he was afraid that he would not be able to see Holnan? If you stay in Meilin City, you won't be afraid that you won't be able to see Huo Ernan, and at this time, it is estimated that the most anxious person is the Wei Ting family.

Merlin City, known as the Red Wine Estate, is definitely not a shout. Trade in the city was very prosperous, and the Boulevard Merlin, located to the west of the city, was home to seventy percent of the wine merchants of the Kingdom of Lorraine, and there was an endless stream of caravans transporting wine through the Danube River and horse caravans. On this Merlin Avenue, the most powerful is the caravan of the Wei Lan family. After a hundred years, the Wei Lan family has been married to the Luke family for generations, and it can be said that it is strong, and now half of the merchants on Merlin Avenue have to look at the face of the Wei Lan family to do things. There was a big incident on the dock today, the caravan belonging to the Malotte family in North Lorraine was detained, and the reason was not complicated, it was because the heir of the Weilan family did not like the Malott family. There is an unwritten rule in Merlin City that all the commercial interests of Merlin Avenue belong to the Luke family and the Weilan family, which even the Weiting family acquiesces to. However, the Malott family made a big mistake and went to the Varro estate to curry favor with Marina, and paid the caravan's taxes to Marina. Who is Marina, that is the princess of the Wei Ting family, the pearl held by the Red Grape nobles, isn't Marina doing this to make it clear that she wants to compete with the Wei Lan family for the interests of Merlin Avenue?

In fact, Moore, as the heir to the family, is still too immature, and he thinks too seriously about things. Although Marina was born from a noble background, she didn't know much about the rules of Merlin City, especially about commerce. When the Malott family came to give gifts, Marina didn't think much about it at all, and it was completely regarded as an inconsequential matter. As the princess of the Wei Ting family, Huo Nan's favorite daughter, it is not a big deal to take care of a northern caravan in Merlin City. Marina was a little arrogant in being pampered by Hornan, which is well known, and this Miss Marina was not interested in court etiquette since she was a child, but liked to ride horses and shoot arrows, and her personality was also a little flying. If Moore had gone to talk to Marina in the first place, maybe things wouldn't have gotten too much.

In the Varro Manor, a young woman danced in the temple with a two-handed sword, she was long, slender at the waist, and her blonde hair was tinged with a hint of red. The beautiful face is even more fascinating, this woman with a hot figure is the princess of the Weiting family, Marina, and she doesn't know what happened on Merlin Avenue now. In fact, it is not an exaggeration for the Malott family to go to Varro Manor to visit Marina, but Royce is here. Royce knew a little about the situation in Merlin City, and as soon as his head turned, he had a bad idea, secretly encouraging the Mallot family to pay the taxes to Marina, and deliberately instructed the leader of the Marlot caravan to have a good relationship with Marina. Marina didn't think so much, so she immediately accepted the money from the caravan of Mallot and bought herself a red horse. This is really a soft mouth, the hands are short, the money is spent, and Marina is really covering the Mallot caravan.