Sophia looked at the slightly dilapidated Tiamat Palace in the distance, and her dark eyes revealed a deep melancholy.

She closed the curtains of the carriage window to block out the morning sun.

"You look a little uneasy. Atmis, who was sitting across from Sophia, lowered his eyes and looked pleasing to the eye, "Is there something on your mind?"

Sophia's eyelashes blinked, and those beautiful eyes looked at Artmis.

"As for you, Miss Hecate, you don't seem to be very happy either. ”

When Sophia asked this, Artemis himself seemed a little cramped. Her gaze wandered wildly, as if she couldn't find a place to put it.

"I'm sorry, Miss Jerichault, but I just ...... Didn't adapt to these sudden changes for a while, that's all. ”

Sophia couldn't help but sigh as she looked at Artmis's low-browed, cautious look. Once upon a time, she hated this girl very much, but now this girl who used to hate her very much, and at the same time was extremely arrogant, looked so humble in front of her, for fear of making herself angry.

This contrast does not bring Sophia a pleasant feeling, and the one who will find pleasure in this kind of abuse of others is just a group of vulgar guys, and Sophia is not that kind of person.

"I don't think that's a reason. Sophia stared at Artmis's lowered eyes, "Strangeness doesn't lead to uneasiness, at least, I don't think you, Miss Artemis Diana Noe Heckat, are not. ”

Sophia leaned forward slightly, leaned next to Artmis, and said, "Actually, I've always had a question for you. ”

Sophia was so close that Artemis was inexplicably nervous. "Excuse me. ”

Sophia grabbed Attmis' hand, her thumb clasping Attmis's wrist.

"Do you have any special thoughts about my brother?

Artemis blinked, staring blankly at Sophia.

"Eh, eh, eh—" Her face turned strange, amused with a hint of suppressed shame, "I don't know why you have such speculations and suspicions, but between me and your brother...... Even the relationship between friends is a bit inaccurate, and the relationship between me and him is at most just an official relationship between the top and bottom. ”

"Really?" Sophia withdrew her hand and sat back on the carriage seat, "I'm sorry, but I was rude and distracted. ”

"Nothing. Artemis shook his head, then turned his face to observe the Palace of Tiamat through the gap in the curtains.

When Sophia and Artemis arrived at the Tiamat Palace, Prime Minister Pitt and others, who had returned from Goverenburg, had already arrived. They set out earlier than Artmis, and even did not rest for the night, and hurried back to Deweide overnight.

When the carriage of the Jericho family entered the palace of Tiamat, the soldiers guarding the gate did not check it, and they had been strictly ordered to invite them to the Maduk Chamber as soon as the Jericho family arrived.

In the Madok Chamber, the ministers of the Interior have gathered again, but for most of them, this may be the last time they will sit here as cabinet ministers.

Prime Minister Pitt sat in his place, his eyes closed, as if he was recuperating. But what he was thinking, no one could guess.

These empire's highest-ranking magnates waited quietly, waiting for the person they most wanted to see and at the same time the least wanted to see to appear.

The door to the conference hall was opened, and everyone's eyes moved for the first time.

Franz entered, and he looked around at the round table, and saw a look of disappointment in the more or less wrinkled faces.

He walked behind the chair that belonged to the emperor, and stood behind the chair, where the chief of the court should stand.

"Excellencies, as a result of the misfortune that happened last night, His Majesty Alexander has been seriously injured and is currently unable to conduct government affairs normally. Of course, please don't worry too much, the court physicians are doing their best to treat His Majesty the Emperor, and His Majesty will be fine. ”

All the ministers were silent, they stared at Franz, the look in their eyes was already obvious, they didn't want to hear this.

"Because Your Majesty can't govern, and the two Highnesses Alexei and Paul were kidnapped by those rebels last night, so now Her Royal Highness Princess Caterina is temporarily regent, and Her Royal Highness Princess ......"

"Wait a minute, please!" Mencken stood up first, his face unconcealed panic, the opposite of what he had done at the last Cabinet meeting, "How can the matter of the Regency be decided like this before it has been discussed by the Cabinet meeting?"

Prime Minister Pitt looked at Mencken and did not say anything. Although he and the foreign minister were not all the same, at least at this time, the other party said exactly what he and the other cabinet ministers wanted to say.

The old prime minister glanced around at the round table, and the prime minister was very familiar with each of them, except for one man, Baron O'Brien, who sat here in place of Guderian.

The baron sat with a smile on his lips and a completely different expression from the others.

That's right, he is different from others, everyone else is waiting to be eliminated, only he, sitting here as a winner.

"Foreign Minister Otto Leopold Noe Menken. Franz frowned and stared at Menken closely, and then he remembered the situation when Menken had taken refuge in their house before, "Her Royal Highness Princess Caterina is the regent appointed by Her Majesty Alexander, do you have any objections?"

Mencken opened his mouth, but he could not speak, he knew that the so-called appointment of Caterina regent by Alexander was made up by Franz, but even if he knew, he did not refute it.

It's like they now know that they can only sit here and wait to be kicked out of the cabinet, but they are completely powerless to resist.

Franz raised his head, then made a "please" gesture.

Mencken sat down with a pale face.

"On the commission of Her Royal Highness the Princess, I, Franz Noe Metternich, the Governor of the Court, shall preside over the Cabinet on an interim basis. As he spoke, Franz glanced at Prime Minister Pitt on his right, "Because Her Royal Highness the Regent Katerina has asked the Cabinet to review itself at this meeting and prepare to reorganize the affairs of the Cabinet, this meeting will not be presided over by the Prime Minister on his behalf." ”

Many eyes looked at Prime Minister Pete, but the old Prime Minister just bowed his head and said nothing.

"So, first of all, let's talk about it. ”

Franz took out the draft plan that had been prepared, looked at the manuscript and said: "Since the beginning of this year, the Tiamat Palace has been attacked three times, which is an unprecedented serious gaffe in the history of the empire, so the cabinet must take responsibility for it, seriously reflect on and examine the past dereliction of duty, and those responsible must take the blame and resign." ”

After a pause, Franz turned his gaze back to Prime Minister Pitt on his right.

"Her Royal Highness the Regent Katerina has ordered the removal of the Prime Minister, Count William Noe Pitt, from his post. ”

Prime Minister Pitt didn't have any expression on his face.

"And ......" Franz swept his gaze over the rest of the cabinet, and all those he saw bowed their heads and avoided that gaze, as if they could avoid the fate of being dismissed.

"The Minister of War, Reinhard No. Guderian, was dismissed from his post and Baron Issel No. O'Brien assumed the post of Minister of War. ”

Everyone looked at Baron O'Brien, who was sitting here, and then immediately lowered their gaze again.

"Since Admiral Wilhelm No. Dönitz-Rundstedt was currently on an expedition and had nothing to do with the timing of the repeated attacks on the Tiamat Palace, Dönitz retained his post as Admiralty. ”

There was still silence in the chamber, and everyone knew that if Dönitz was relieved of his post at this time, then I was afraid that the navy that was out of the country would immediately oppose Princess Katerina's regency.

Franz continued to name names, and the ministers he named were all bitter, while those who did not hear their names were terrified, fearing that they would be next.

Franz announced the departure and stay of all the cabinet ministers, and it was not until he pronounced the name of the last man that the ministers sitting here felt a sense of relief in their hearts, whether they lost their positions or not, at least they did not continue to suffer the fear of waiting.

Franz flipped through the manuscript in his hand.

"So, the second issue ......"

"Wait a minute!" cried Mencken again, for Franz had just announced his resignation as Foreign Minister in favor of Kellogg No. Metternich, the eldest son of the Marquis de Metternich and the Marquis of Metternich, so that Mencken's face was now extremely ugly, as pale as if he had lost blood.

"Do you have any objections?" Franz narrowed his eyes and looked at Mencken with a bit of disdain.

Mencken glanced at the expressionless Prime Minister Pete, gritted his teeth, and said after making up his mind: "As for the successor of the Prime Minister, you don't seem to have announced it just now? The Cabinet cannot live without the Prime Minister, so we want to know who His Royal Highness the Regent has named as the Prime Minister." ”

He leaned forward, his hands pressed against the table, his deep-set eyes staring straight at Franz.

"It won't be...... Count Jerry Co, huh?"

"Of course not. Franz chuckled, then returned his gaze to the manuscript, "Last night, Her Royal Highness the Regent Caterina had already exchanged views with Marshal Guderian at the front by telegram, and His Excellency the Marshal agreed to return to the imperial capital to take up the post of Prime Minister after the pacification of the south. ”

"What......" The door was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and the others were similar, even Prime Minister Pitt couldn't help but raise his eyes, only Baron O'Brien, who had known about it for a long time, still maintained a calm look.

After Caterina removed Guderian as Minister of War, everyone thought that the new ruler was planning to know the influence of the Guderian family in the War Department over the years, but they did not expect that Katerina actually used the post of prime minister to win over Marshal Guderian, and it was also successful.

At this moment, everyone could not figure out the role played by the Guderian family in this coup, and even those who were still counting on the Guderian family to fight against Caterina couldn't help but wonder if the Guderian family had already been involved in this plan.

"What do you think of this appointment?" Franz looked to his right-hand side for the third time, "Your Excellency Prime Minister Pitt, or rather, Your Excellency the former Prime Minister?"

"Fitting appointment. Prime Minister Pitt just nodded, still with no expression on his face.

Mencken sat down in his chair in despair, and now he saw no hope.

"Well, the second issue. Franz also withdrew his gaze, "Regarding the disposition of Ernest No. Jericho, Earl of Glamorgan, commander of the Imperial Capital Garrison who attacked Tiamat Palace last night......"

Prime Minister Pitt, who had no reaction to his dismissal, clenched his fists sharply.

"Please wait a minute!" he interrupted Franz in a loud voice, and stood up to stare at Franz, the momentum on his body that even forced Franz to dodge his gaze.

"I have a disagreement on this issue. ”

"Please. Franz spread his palms and made a "please" gesture.

"Whether or not it was the Imperial Capital garrison that attacked Tiamat Palace last night is still unclear, and I oppose this direct identification of Ernest as the attacker. ”

"This is what the people in the palace of Tiamat and the Munster army saw with their own eyes, and all those involved can testify to this matter. Franz shrugged his shoulders and acted very relaxed, "Or do you have any evidence to prove Jericho...... Count Ernest wasn't the attacker?"

"I have no proof. Prime Minister Pitt held his head high and looked down at Franz with sharp eyes.

Franz felt a little uncomfortable and a little frightened by such a look, and the momentum was similar to what he had seen in his own grandfather.

"Then why do you object?" said Franz, pursed his lips, his eyes still not daring to look at Prime Minister Pitt.

"I have no evidence, but I can ask that this matter be submitted to the Imperial Court. Prime Minister Pitt turned to the cabinet ministers present.

"I don't understand. Franz frowned, "Why? Count Ernest's attack on Tiamat Palace is a political matter, and it has not yet entered the judicial process." ”

"No, it has nothing to do with politics or not!" Prime Minister Pitt glanced at Franz again, "I ask this matter to be reviewed by the Imperial Court because Ernest is a member of the royal family, and the charges of rebellion against the royal family must be reviewed by the Imperial Court!"

Franz and the others were taken aback, with a look of disbelief on their faces.

"Y-What are you talking about? This can't be! How could Count Ernest be a member of the royal family!"

"Of course he is!" said Prime Minister Pitt, glaring proudly, "for his wife, Madame Jane No. Jericht, was the only daughter of His Highness Alberta, the sister of His Majesty Emperor Nicholas I in the past!"