"Patriarch, please recognize my daughter Anna for the sake of the Empire, this is my most sincere request as a mother. Like me, though I love my son John, I have to say that Anna is more fit than John to succeed his father. The Queen's voice echoed above the dome and floor.

As a result, Maastas raised his head and said openly to the Empress, "Your Royal Highness, Noble Purple-robed Empress, I have just had a fruitless and lengthy argument with the Imperial Chief, and your brother Caesar. So now that you've appeared, can you tell me why you're doing that? Now it is only in the holy cathedral, in front of the altar of the wisdom and justice of the Lord, and there is no time to go outside the church to all the people and soldiers of the Empire, O noble Queen, so now you and Anna, it is still too late! ”

"Mother" Anna faced the patriarch with a serious and dissatisfied face below, and was a little frightened to retreat, this is Maastas who even the emperor doesn't care about!

But Erin took her hand again, and lifted her forward again, "Patriarch, if you need a reason, then I will answer you." His Majesty Alexios was able to own this empire because he married me and obtained the power of the Ducasse family, so for me, these are my dowry. The ancient law provided that if the wife was dissatisfied with her husband, or if the husband was dissatisfied with his wife, and eventually led to separation, the wife had the right to withdraw the original dowry. ”

"You are talking nonsense, Your Highness, before the fait accompli of divorce, you talk about this, it is simply an insult to the imperial code."

Anna suddenly felt that her hand was pinched by her mother. She squeezed her big eyes and looked at her mother in pain, only to find that her mother's face, which was originally beautiful, was distorted with resentment, and looked so terrifying in the reflection of the marble floor. "Is it not an insult to the code that the emperor empathizes with other women and commits incest? Is your Orthodox church turning a blind eye? Men do whatever they want, and women can only swallow their anger. Patriarch Maastas, I ask you how the Imperial Code of Empire is punished for adultery and incest! ”

"Shut up!" Masdas shouted angrily, his scepter slamming to the ground, and the whole scene was noisy. They were all frightened and fell silent again, and the patriarch was dignified and powerful, "Women, whether you are dressed in ordinary clothes or are purple-robed women, you are born with Eve's genes. Jealousy, laziness, selfishness, narrow-mindedness, are all imprints on your body and mind. Erin. Komunen, I was vehemently opposed to Your Majesty's abandonment of you. You may be mistaken, but that doesn't mean I'm on your side. That's right. This is also a word I gave to Anna. Komunen's, this empire should not be handed over to you to take care of all kinds of unspeakable selfish desires, that's all. I am here, in my capacity as the Ecumenical Patriarch, to oppose this nonsensical proposal with all my heart! ”

Then. Maastas's scepter slammed back on the floor, and many people saw the scepter's head burst into flames like thunder.

Hundreds of senators and bureaucrats were involuntarily silenced - within this empire. No one dared to openly confront the Patriarch, not even the Emperor and Empress, who blamed Caesar Myaulinus, had not said beforehand that Maastas would have such a fierce opposition to the matter.

But Queen Irene didn't mean to stop at all, her gaze was slightly sideways to her brother by the stone pillar below, so Myaulinus led several Isurian Guard warriors and surrounded the Patriarch in the center.

"What are you going to do?" Maastas was fearless.

"I hope to have a private debate with the Patriarch on this matter." So said Myculinus, and then the warriors stepped forward, and took the Patriarch's hand and shoulder rudely, and in spite of his vigorous shouts, pulled and shoved him in the direction of the side hall of the cathedral, and everyone present was in a cold sweat, and stayed where they were, neither going nor staying, and at a loss.

"Erin, you'll regret it. Anna, Anna! Maastas kept calling back.

"If you take this step, there is no need and no way to regret it." Erin leaned on the railing and said.

"Mother, mother." Anna cried and grabbed the corner of the queen's robe, and then Erin turned her eyes and saw her daughter's expression and hesitation in her heart, "Are you scared?" Anna? You're still thinking about that hypocrite-like father, aren't you? ”

Then, Erin half-knelt down and held Anna's shoulders, "My daughter, what kind of life do you want?" You are so intelligent, noble, and beautiful, and have read so many books that contain wisdom, that your mother asks you again, do you really want to govern this empire? Or give it to your brother, and the woman. In this palace, there is no retreat for anyone, just as in the battlefield of the infidels, since they are determined to raise their banners and raise their swords, they are doomed to fight the enemy to the end. We have no retreat, we can avoid the fortress Anna! You may think that your father will love you and will love you forever, but unless you die before him, your brother will do it to you at the instigation of that woman when he ascends to the throne, without mercy or mercy. The rest of your life may be spent on an island of exile, or in the claustrophobic convent of that monastery. Lonely lamps are waiting for you, countless boring theological manuscripts are waiting for you, countless repentances and resentments of the past are haunting you, pain and pain, until the eternal sinking of hell comes, your life and ideals are completely ended, but at that time you can't get rid of it, but you just fall into more boundless suffering. ”

Anna shook her little head in the fierce words and movements of her mother, and looked up at the brilliant cloud-like frescoes on the dome of the cathedral, and among those golden clouds, the lines and colors quickly transformed into a flowing thing. That's right, it was the snake that appeared in her dreams, the snake that represented desire and ambition, swallowing flames, carrying a terrifying wind and thunder, winding and hovering over it, and carrying the mysterious laughter of the devilish woman,

"I'm not looking back, Mother." Anna finally replied.

"Very well, Anna," the Empress was satisfied, put down her hands, and re-established herself on the terrace, with an extremely majestic tone, "arrange for the guard of honor to go out at once, and I will announce the great message to all the subjects who are waiting." In addition, my brother's men have taken my command as regent of the palace and gone to the camps, fortresses, armories, and naval forts in and around the city to receive all the Imperial troops—and no one can stop us at this moment. ”

At this moment, there was a small commotion, and at the sound of the trumpet, the door of the aisle in the back courtyard of the cathedral was pushed open, and then a procession carrying shoulders on their shoulders entered under the surprised bowing of the monks and bureaucrats! (To be continued.) )