As a result, the prince did not answer a word for a long time, and the officials of the empire wearing hats let out a muffled and dense voice, mixed with doubts and mocking attitudes. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

"How can the chief executive be arbitrary about such a major matter? Please allow us to go back to the palace and consult in detail with the Empress, the Empress Dowager, and the Patriarch, and then we will naturally issue appropriate and appropriate instructions to the various government offices. Finally, the prince's personal slave, Axepocos, stood up and put an end to this senseless and malicious questioning.

After the prince and his guards had left in a hurry, Berriel and a few henchmen gathered in a secluded garden, and "40,000, nay, 50,000 were wiped out in an instant at Philomeron." Beads of sweat oozed from his forehead as Burriel said the number, "and the prince's right and left men, Tetisius and Thessaly's new army, have mostly retreated intact to the city of Prussa, which is almost ...... The despicable betrayed. ”

"What now?"

After listening to his henchman's eager inquiry, Beriel thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "Now there are only a few remnants left in the army of the entire empire, the imperial brother Sebastoclat still has thousands of men in the city of Durazo, and Thessaloniki has gathered a few garrisons to resist the Norman bandits, but these two soldiers and horses cannot be freely deployed, because they are trapped or torn apart by Bohemond. Therefore, there were only two teams that could decide the situation in the imperial capital, one was the outer palace guard that defended the city wall and the outer city camp, and the emperor left 1,500 people to return to the palace guard chief Mikhail. Eustace ruled; In addition, the 3,000 Thracian troops stationed in the city of Nicaea by the emperor were originally prepared to go to Bithynia to coordinate the armies of the two generals, Harold and Brinus...... Therefore, if you want to compete with the new army of Tetisius, you must and can only seize these two armies. ”

When Zaisuke finished speaking, several imperial officials had sarcastic expressions on their faces. Eustace and Mikhail. Eustace, the standard uncle and nephew, but everyone in the court knows that the former is a diehard loyalist of the emperor and the latter has been insulted by the emperor, so the current situation can really be described as delicate.

And it was also reported that Tetisius of Prussa had conscripted an army and seemed to be going to the area of Nicaea to wage war against the "little bird Nicdemia"? The answer is unknown.

Moreover, the Empire's previously dismal fleet was lost and captured in the Gulf of Atalia at the same time as the Battle of Philomeron, and even the commander Assasidus was defeated and fled to Rhodes to join the pirates, that is, neither Tetisius nor Nicodemia had enough ships to cross the sea to the imperial capital to calm the situation.

"Mikhail. Eustace! Several henchmen shouted the name almost at the same time.

Berrill also bowed, "You are right, in such a situation, only this team in the imperial capital can decide the balance of power. ”

"Then we're going to buy Mikhail."

"Hmm...... Mikhail. Beriel turned away and looked at the verdant summer garden in front of him, "No matter what kind of promise, his support must be enlisted, but because Mikhail's current attitude is ambiguous, we cannot say it so explicitly—let's say that Tetisius betrayed His Majesty in the battle, and I hope that Mikhail will show his attitude towards this matter." ”

"If Your Majesty suddenly appears...... the two officials suddenly thought of this question.

"Then it is even more justifiable to ask for the trial of Tetisius for his crimes, and by the way, to bring everyone who should be involved." "But if your majesty is really buried in the plateau," replied, "as soon as Mikhail falls to us, we will immediately arrest Tetisius and put him on public trial, and the judge will naturally be ...... His Highness Brenus of Philadofiam and His Highness Isaac of Durazo, the latter of which had little hope of coming, once His Highness Brenus entered the imperial capital by ship, the throne of the empire would be securely placed in his hands, and we would certainly be the chief contributors to the Order of Decision. ”

After the group of people excitedly finished discussing, they also decided to send a reliable secret envoy to the Brachna Palace, "to win the support of Empress Irene, so that the weight of the prince's party will be more advantageous." ”

At dusk, in front of the gate of the Brachna Palace, the prince and Axepocus hurriedly dismounted in front of the stable at the end of the arrow road, "The queen, the queen mother, and the patriarch are waiting for you in the river hall. Several palace guards immediately leaned over with an anxious tone.

Axepocus stepped forward and said to them: "You must guard the gates of the palace, because there may be all kinds of targeted conspiracies and even rebellions in the imperial capital recently, and the prince and I will go to the river hall." So the guards stood at the palace gate and the wall, and Axepocaus and the guards immediately carried the prince into the palace garden.

"Your Highness, I'll go to the River Hall first to stall for time, and you'll ......" Turning around a cloister with a forest garden, Axepocaus took cover, and then Prince John avoided everyone and slipped alone to the other side of Brachna Palace.

It was the residence of the chief lady of the court, surrounded by several tall groves, and in front of it was a vestibule square surrounded by three side porches with a fountain in the center, which had been converted from a small monastery. The prince hurried through the small square, where several maids met him anxiously, and between the vestibule and the main hall there was a tritribelon arched corridor that led to the inner chamber with Persian curtains.

In the inner room, through the brightly colored curtains, John could hear the uneasy and undulating gasps of the chief lady inside, as if there was some anxiety, as if there was some pain, and even more faintly charming.

The prince paced back and forth on the floor outside, so light that the birds on the eaves of the window were dazed, and it was evident that he was also afraid, even afraid of the projection under his boots, which was black and glued to his clothes, and seemed to soak his heart and spirit.

"My father was defeated and missing." This terrible message, which should have made John feel relieved, now felt that if he had such thoughts, he would have degenerated into a beastly creature even for a moment......

"John, my child......" Just after the prince's face and neck, including his hands and feet, and his breath were frozen, under the candle light on the other side of the curtain, Marlena turned over, raised the shadow of her long arms and hands, and blocked the eyes that filled John's tightly knit brow, like the temptation and call of the devil, "John, my child, come and see your adoptive mother, her chest is full of sorrow and despair, John, my child, please, please." Finally Marlena's cries grew more and more debauched, as if a lustful woman was longing for her man. (To be continued.) )