The Confederate forces were defeated at the town of Lanz.

Prytown's army fell into disadvantage in the face of Munster's charge, although Michel VII quickly sent other troops to support, but the Prytown army's formation has been disrupted, and the center army has been losing and retreating, and Munster's army is like a sledgehammer, beating the middle army of Prytown's army alive. Although the 64th Division on both flanks did not achieve the same results as the Munster Army, due to the decline of the Chinese army, the two flanks of the Prytown Army could not support it, so they could only put up a defensive formation and wait for reinforcements.

Later, after the Cogath army re-entered the battlefield, the Southern Coalition barely halted its decline and repulsed the Munster army and the 64th Division, but the positions previously captured by the Cogath army were recaptured by the Lanz defenders, and the Duke of Edward's efforts all day were in vain.

If it were in an ordinary situation, such losses would not be too much of a problem, and it might hurt morale a little, but in the case that the attacking side has an advantage, such mutual attrition will definitely be beneficial to the Southern Coalition Army.

However, with enemy reinforcements approaching, what Michel VII lacked most was time. The recapture of the positions on the south bank by the 64th Division meant that they would have to spend a great deal of time attacking again, but by that time reinforcements from Mittse and Glamorgan were almost there.

The day's fighting ended in the evening, and both sides chose to withdraw their troops and wait for another battle the next day.

However, that night, the Yanwan army stationed in Kissen arrived first, and the next day's southern bank position was defended by Munster's army and Yanwan's army, and in the face of the combined forces of the western provinces, the main force of the next day, the Pritown army, which was the main force, could not make smooth progress like the Cogas army commanded by Duke Edward the day before, they were blocked in front of the first line of defense for half a day, and when Michel VII finally took this line of defense, the Mitt Cypriot army, which had arrived in Germany in advance, also arrived on the battlefield, and the numerical advantage of the southern coalition army was gone, and after a day of onslaught, they did not achieve any more results。 Moreover, the Alston Army and the Meath Army of Glamorgan also arrived in Lands Town that night, and the Imperial forces in Lands Town were finally assembled, and that night, the reinforcements from Glamorgan did not rest, and directly launched a night attack.

In the night attack, the originally unstable Southern coalition army failed to withstand the attack carefully planned by Marshal Rudolph, and it became a complete rout, and the various southern princes fought separately, the army of Port Biss was the first to break away from the battlefield and began to flee, the Count of Cason followed in the footsteps of the Duke of Roy and died in the chaos, and the rest of the southern army also fled, Michel VII could not control the situation at all, and even Edward, Duke of Corgas, was scattered with Michel VII in the chaotic battle, and his whereabouts are unknown. In the end, after the Pritdun army was forced to leave a part of its army behind, Michel VII fled the battlefield with only 10,000 men and retreated in the direction of Porto León.

However, when he arrived in Puerto León, he saw a family flag that had been silent for a long time, flying again in the sky above Puerto León.

The Philip family, a family founded by the cruel Alain, was forced to become vassals of the Khanoyles after losing the opportunity to compete for the Duke of Pritown during the Revolution. Before Michel VII raised the flag of rebellion, the family could not even fully control the last port of León, and after the prince's rebellion, the Philippe family was directly stripped of the title of Count of Port León, with only a small old castle for them to survive.

And after the defeat of Michel VII, the family saw a chance to rise again. They used their contacts from years of operation in Port León to connect some of the city's big businessmen and release the imprisoned Marquis of Metternich and Baron McCool. The merchants of the South had long been dissatisfied with the prince due to the war tax levied by Michel VII, and their minds were stirring after the defection of the Southern Army led by Vittin. With the help of the Philippe family, the merchants banded together to form an army of gangsters and unemployed people, and quickly took control of Puerto León. Although the defeat of Michel VII was a foregone conclusion at this time, the Badajoz Peninsula and the Kingdom of Silesia still had great troubles, and for the emperor, if he could calm the situation in the south as soon as possible, he would be able to put his troops in these two directions as soon as possible to alleviate the dilemma faced by the empire.

When Michel VII's army arrived in Port León, it was immediately attacked by this rabble army led by the Philip family. Of course, even if the Pritten army suffered a major defeat now, these were systematically trained professional troops after all, and the Philip family was quickly driven out of Port León. However, Michel VII did not dare to stay for a long time, Port Leon was so stirred up by the Philippe family, it was very difficult for the Pridun army to take over the defense, not to mention that the prince no longer dared to believe the navy in the city, with tens of thousands of imperial troops behind him, he had to continue south, fleeing to his old nest of Nanterre.

When Nicholas I received the telegram from Baron Deniz, the battle situation in Lantztown had already settled, and the news of his granddaughter's safety made the emperor have no last worries, and he immediately ordered Marshal Rudolph to continue the pursuit and capture Michel VII alive.

The current situation was the happiest for the Emperor since the beginning of the war. Although he had remained calm in front of his son Alexander, he was still very worried about his granddaughter Karin, and now that he learned that Katerina was escorted to Fort Midnight by Swain in absolute safety, he finally let go of the last stone in his heart.

"Father," said Crown Prince Alexander as he walked into the garden, bowing respectfully to the Emperor before "the news of Karin's safety has been announced, and Lord of the Admirals Dönitz asks if it is necessary to send a warship to Fort Midnight to fetch Karin back?"

"There's no rush for now. The emperor smiled and lifted his little grandson Yolo, now he finally has the leisure to spend time with the lovely children, "The navy in the south is still very complete, at this time Michelle will definitely strengthen the defense of the south, and will not give us such an opportunity." And the Lonnal Strait side is also very critical, tell Dönitz to continue to block the strait, and when the south is pacified, I will let him come back and take charge of transporting the army to the Badajoz Peninsula. ”

"Yes. The crown prince bowed his head and bowed again.

"Is there anything else?" Seeing that his son had not left, the Emperor put down Yolo and looked at Alexander.

"Yes...... To be honest, I'm a little worried, that Earl Jericho's territory was once occupied by the rebels, and Karin is now in Midnight Castle, which always feels unsafe. Moreover, even if Count Jericho can control the territory, the defense of Midnight Fort is too weak, and since the rebels can take it bloodlessly, it is likely to attack Midnight Fort again. Alexander said worriedly.

Hearing Alexander's words, the emperor groaned. "Hmm...... , you have a point, Midnight Fort really doesn't have many troops. The Emperor knew the secret of the Earl of Midnight, but he also did not know if Swain would be able to escape from the army with Karin if Michel VII was desperate to capture Katarina, "So, what do you think is going to be done?" he threw the question back to Alexander, who thought that since Alexander would voice such concerns, he must have had some ideas.

Crown Prince Alexander lowered his eyebrows, and looked a sad face with little certainty. "Beria is in charge of the Ministry of the Interior, and may be able to let his agents secretly go to Fort Midnight to rescue Karin. His men had been able to infiltrate the Southern Legion before, convince Vittin to defect, and this time he would blend into the South and bring Karin back, perhaps...... Maybe it can be successful. ”

The emperor took a deep look at this son, he knew the contradictions between Alexander and Beria, and understood that both brothers had ideas about their throne, but he never made a clear statement, and allowed the two sons to compete with each other. Just now, the emperor felt that Alexander's attitude was a little strange, after the mission was captured by Michelle, it was him as a grandfather and Princess Anna as a mother who were most worried about Caterina's safety, on the contrary, Alexander as a father did not seem so worried. Although he also showed some concern, the emperor knew his son too well, and Alexander acted as if he was completely pandering to him, not wanting to be taken advantage of, rather than really worrying about Karin.

In this respect, Alexander differed from his father, Nicholas I loved his grandson very much, but was quite strict with his son. Alexander is different, he attaches great importance to his two sons, but he has always been lukewarm to his daughter Karin, after all, she is a daughter, and it is impossible to inherit the throne in the future.

The knuckle of his index finger tapped on the arm of the bench and the emperor closed his eyes, pondering Alexander's proposal. Seeing the emperor's appearance, even the naughty Yolo quieted down, careful not to make his grandfather angry.

Alexander and Beria are at odds, but now he proposes that this brother save his daughter, which is worth pondering. What would Belía do if he really received this order? The emperor considered Beria's heart, even if he preferred Beria among his two sons, he had to admit that if this matter was really handed over to Beria, he was afraid that Karin would be more than lucky. Maybe Beria didn't dare to risk angering his father Nicholas I and putting the life of Princess Celestia at risk, but there were still many ways to get Karin to do something and put aside her relationship.

The Emperor had never had a very good sense of Alexander, and he felt that his son's experience of studying abroad in Hadrian had indoctrinated him with too many mixed thoughts, so he became suspicious of Alexander's proposal at this time. Alexander deliberately asked his younger brother to do this, as if he had ulterior motives, and the Emperor knew his son well, and although Alexander was a man of good standing in his youth, he paid great attention to his father's opinion and tried his best to imitate the Emperor's actions. When he saw that Beria was favored by his father, he couldn't help but become jealous of his younger brother, and began to learn from Beria in his intrigues. This time, he wanted to use his daughter as bait to catch Beria's handle.

I was underestimated by my own son, did you want to deceive me with such a scheme? The emperor slapped the armrest and glared at Alexander. "Karin is your daughter, but you let your brother do this, what is your responsibility as a father?"

Being waited for by his father like this, Alexander couldn't help but shudder. "So, what do you mean ......"

"I'll leave this matter to Lesson 13, and you make a plan. ”

"Thirteen lessons?" Alexander was stunned for a moment.

"Why, can't you even remember the administrative organs of the empire?"

Alexander immediately bowed his head, it was like this since childhood, as soon as he behaved a little sluggishly, Nicholas I would have harshly reprimanded him. "However, Lesson 13 is also a subordinate of Beria......"

"It has nothing to do with Beria. The Emperor waved his hand impatiently, "You just need to make a plan and leave it to Max Simian to do." Karin is your daughter, how can you do this if you don't get involved!"

"Yes......" Alexander finally obeyed his father, in front of the emperor, he has always been so obedient, although in his bones, he is not a soft-eared person, but these years in the shadow of his father, he has no room for resistance.

"So be it, Yolo, grandpa is tired, let's go back to the study. The emperor exhaled, after all, he was old, and it was inevitable that he would feel difficult from time to time.

"Good ......" the little prince nodded a little reluctantly, for a child like him naturally preferred to play in the garden rather than a restrained study.

The Emperor did not notice Yolo's reluctance, he was indeed too tired at this time. Nicholas I stood up with his handrails, but his usual easy actions made the old emperor exert great strength.

"Father?" Crown Prince Alexander also saw his father's flushed face, and it seemed that the emperor seemed to be unable to support his body even with all his strength.

The green tendons on his arms bulged out, but this strength still did not make the emperor stand up, Nicholas I was a very tenacious man, he did not want to make a fool of himself in front of his sons and grandsons, so he gritted his teeth and did not call them for help. However, even though the emperor had a heart like a stone, his body still could not support his will, and he did not catch his breath, the emperor only felt that his eyes were dark, and the muscles full of strength quickly relaxed, and Nicholas I fell straight down.

"Father!" Alexander, startled, hurried to help the emperor. Nicholas I, who had always been in good health, fell to the ground as if he was dying.

The little prince Yolo on one side also froze, he stood stupidly in place, not knowing what to do.

"Go and call the court physician!" Alexander shouted to the little prince, who had already fainted, much to the crown prince's displeasure. It was fine just now, but the emperor suddenly fell down and fainted, and he was still at this age, so I was afraid that there would really be some accidents.

The little prince was called out by his uncle, and immediately came to his senses, and he hurried out of the garden to call for someone.

And in the garden, Alexander, who was supporting his father, did not dare to act rashly, for he was afraid that if he did the wrong first aid measures, his father would not be able to wait for the arrival of the court doctor.

"Father, don't you have any trouble!" Alexander's tears flowed down his eyes, although he was usually rebuked by Nicholas I, but at such a time, the relationship between father and son overshadowed all other thoughts. The emperor actually blamed Alexander wrongly, and the idea of letting Beria pick up Karin was not his idea, although he didn't like Karin as much as his two sons, but Alexander was still the same as Nicholas I in nature, a person who valued family, and this idea was actually proposed to him by the people of the Thirteenth Lesson.

Until now, Crown Prince Alexander did not know that the sudden accident of Nicholas I was actually a conspiracy that had been arranged a long time ago.

——————————————

Nicholas I's bedroom was already packed, his sons and grandchildren, as well as all his cabinet ministers, as well as the famous physicians of the imperial capital. Most people were worried that the emperor would really have three longs and two shorts, and although Nicholas I usually beat and scolded his courtiers, in terms of his character, he still made his vassals completely admire.

After being diagnosed by a number of doctors, they gave the same answer, Nicholas I had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, although the treatment was timely and there was no danger to his life for the time being, but with the emperor's age, his physical condition would be greatly affected.

The Emperor's eyelashes blinked slightly, and the people around him immediately came up, they were now very sensitive to every subtle movement of the Emperor.

"Father," Alexander whispered to the Emperor, leaning into the Emperor's ear, "are you awake?"

Probably hearing his son's voice, Nicholas I's thick eyebrows trembled and slowly opened his eyes. Many people were relieved to see that the emperor had finally woken up.

"Your Majesty, how are you feeling now?" Prime Minister Pitt leaned over as well, beckoning to the doctor to come and examine the Emperor.

Several doctors in white coats walked up to the bedside and began to take Nicholas I's temperature and heartbeat. The emperor just turned his face slightly, looking blankly at the people around him, in his eyes, the original majesty had disappeared, and the current emperor was no different from the old man lying on the hospital bed.

"Father, do you feel any uncomfortable?" Alexander held the hand of Nicholas I, and after seeing his father's eyes, he felt that the emperor's problem this time was only very serious.

The Emperor opened his mouth and let out a muffled sound, as if a mouthful of phlegm was in his throat, sticking to his voice. Alexander was shocked, he didn't expect that his father, who originally seemed to be unable to defeat anything, could not even speak clearly.

"Doctor!" he hastened to find the doctor and let them see what was the matter with Nicholas I.

The doctor who measured the emperor's heartbeat put down the instrument in his hand, walked over to look at the emperor's face and mouth, and after some careful examination, he said to Crown Prince Alexander with a solemn face: "Your Highness, Your Majesty may have had a stroke, and the blood overflowed in the brain causing his tongue to be speechless, and he now needs a long time of rest and recovery, and the cerebral hemorrhage may also cause His Majesty's limbs to be numb and even paralyzed." ”

The doctor's words shocked everyone in the room, although they had a faint premonition before, but being diagnosed by the doctor like this, they still couldn't help but worry about the cabinet ministers led by Prime Minister Pitt, and now the empire is still in turmoil, and the emperor who is the pillar of the country has fallen at this time, how will this empire continue to operate.