Royal Palace of Salander.

After being received by the Sultan, his father moved to the royal palace of Salander.

Inside the palace, the traces of a recent rebellion can occasionally be seen: trees charred by fire; stone carvings stained brown with blood; The ruins left behind by the building. Every day, however, craftsmen were called into the palace to clean up the traces of shame, and soon there was nothing different in the whole palace.

The palace was renovated, but the atmosphere was getting more and more tense. My father was able to learn about the war from Zaitsev and some of the Salander civilians. The inevitable split in Salander, with both sides claiming to be orthodox and accusing the other of rebellion, looked like it could not be changed within the year. This situation made my father feel a little more relaxed, because the chaos in Salander could not but be said to be a kind of luck for Swadia, and now the two countries of Karad had to face only the Kujits.

Rhodok's strategic goal when he entered the war was to contain the Salanders and relieve pressure on the Swadians in the north. Now that the goal has been accomplished, it is clear that the Rhodoks have no intention of giving up easily.

Zaitsev smiled and said to his father that now the Rhodoks are in love with the southern kingdom of Salander.

"Do you know what their casus belli is?" Zaitsev said with a smile, "They said they were coming to maintain stability for our country, and they regretted our counterattack, haha, diplomacy is like that." But it's not a big deal, since the Sultan is determined to seek skin with the tiger, he must be prepared to be bitten by the tiger. ”

"Sir," said my father, "I feel quite embarrassed to be honest with my identity. ”

"That's nothing, you should pray that the Rhodoks make the war bigger."

"Why?"

"Hmph, do you know why the Sultan treats you so favorably? Is it really because of your friendship with your father and your excellent performance in the arena? In fact, the reason why you are alive and can live so nourishingly is because of the overwhelming army of Rhodok. If I were you, I would consider making war money here or something, reselling important information on both sides, and then becoming a rich man for the rest of my life, which is simply too cost-effective. ”

"Sir, aren't you from Salander, why are you telling me about this".

"If being a Salander is a burden to me, I will declare in the first place that I am not. I'm just loyal to guys who can bring me benefits, the motherland or something, it has nothing to do with me. It won't hurt me to tell you some advice now, maybe it will do you any good in the future, why should I turn you away coldly? ”

"Don''t you have no feelings for Salander and His Majesty the Sultan? And you told me so many things, aren't you afraid that I will tell the Sultan? ”

"Tell the Sultan? He knows me better than you do, and he knows that my weight is on him, so he doesn't worry about me elbowing out. ”

"You're here today to tell me if my life is safe?"

"Not exactly, I'm here to talk about business."

"What business."

"What do I get if I help the Rhodocs take Sharitz? I'm not asking you this question, I'm asking Garcia. I think it's better for you to bring this letter to Garcia. ”

"You're going to betray Salander?!"

"I'm helping Rhodok. It's good for you, isn't it? ”

"This''", the father suddenly noticed Zaitsev's strange expression, "Did the Sultan send you to spy on me?" ”

"What do you have to spy on, I know almost everything you have done since you left Suno until now, and the Sultan knows it too. People like you, as long as you think more about the causes and consequences of things, you can think through it, so you don't need to pry. You don't have secrets, so to speak, and of course, it fills you with secrets. is also with a sentence, others will arouse suspicion when they are secretive, and no one will ask if you shout everywhere. So you can help me talk to Garcia, and maybe it will work wonders. ”

"What if I refuse?"

"Do you have a reason to reject me?"

"I don't want to get involved in a conspiracy."

For the first time, Zaitsev's eyes wandered a little, and he pondered the stakes of my father's environment. Zaitsev thought about it for a long time and felt that my father, no matter what, would be beneficial and harmless to cooperate with him. It is impossible for Zaitsev to convince that there really is anyone who will not earn the wealth at his fingertips because of the so-called 'disgust conspiracy'.

Is it because of a lack of courage? Zaitsev quickly dismissed the idea, my father had done something Zaitsev knew, he knew that this young man certainly did not lack courage, and sometimes even showed great courage.

Is it because you doubt yourself? Zaitsev felt that what he said was clear enough that his father should not be worried about punishment from the Sultan.

"To be honest, it's the first time I've seen someone like you, so give me an answer tonight. I'll arrange for you to sneak out of Dukuba." Zaitsev said about his arrangement.

"I didn't promise you".

"You have to promise me that it's not something you can choose to participate in or not to participate in. Let me tell you, if you don't leave at night, a squad of soldiers will burst into your bedroom tomorrow morning and chop off your head. ”

"How so?"

"For when I came to consult with you, I sent a message to the Sultan that you had decided to assassinate him, and I have hidden a dagger under your sheets, and now the Sultan's attendants are probably inspecting your bedroom."

"You'', I''m going to see the Sultan", the father cried.

"Go," said Zaitsev, "to see if your neck is strong enough, not only you, but also your good friend Marion, will all die."

“``````”。

"Go and get ready, don't go back to where you live, go get in the carriage, I've arranged for the carriage to be there."

"Sir, we've only been talking for more than ten minutes, and then I'm suddenly the target of the public? I'm going to run again? It's ridiculous, why should I believe you? ”

"Well, if I'm in your shoes, I'll be ready to run away at any time. Go, my carriage is over there, go and get on it." I'll give you an account of the manuscript and I'll take you out of the palace. ”

The father got into the carriage arranged by Zaitsev in a daze, and he felt that he should go to the Sultan anyway, and at least tell the Sultan that he was innocent. But his father was not sure that he would be able to convince the Sultan, and Zaitsev had told him many stories these days, which gave him an intuitive feeling that the emperors were likely to execute a 100% loyal man because of one percent of their doubts. It was easy for emperors to execute a person who might have caused them harm.

The courtiers were most worried about suspicion from the emperor, because this suspicion came without basis, and sometimes it was probably just an idea of the emperor on a whim. This situation is lighter for countries with strong lords, but for well-organized countries such as the Sultanate, the power comes entirely from the high Sultan, and once the Sultan decides to do something, it is a foregone conclusion unless exceptional circumstances arise.

After his father got into the carriage, Zaitsev went to the Sultan's study.

"You told him?"

"Well, he's terrified."

"Oh? Tell me about it? ”

"I said that if he dared not run away, I would accuse him of trying to assassinate you."

"Would someone as upright as him be threatened?"

"All people are threatened."

"Well, that's interesting. How are you going to let him leave? Run to Shariz and swim back? ”

"It doesn't matter, since you've decided to let him go anyway."

"He might die on the road."

"Eight CD will die, but it doesn't matter if he lives or not. We are already walking behind Rhodoc news. ”

"Garcia, that's a tough one." The Sultan said, looking at the clouds in the distance.

Within Roddock, news suddenly came out about the fighting at the front. It was said that Garcia had become disobedient in the presence of his army, and that he had sent his close confidant--- Admiral Arcadio II to Salander for negotiations.

The news spread quickly and was described with a lot of spice. Some said that the crew of Arcadio No. 2 had been seen in the port of Djerkhara, and according to the crew, the captain had been arrested by the Salanders after indiscriminate command during a clashes. This situation was taken for granted as Garcia instructing Arcadio to go to Salander for the second.

Suspicions began to circulate within Rhodoc, and soon news began to spread that Garcia had made a deal with the Salanders. Eventually, the Grand Duke of Rhodok began to hear the news that Garcia had crossed Fort Gamage and left the heart of Rhodok, and now no one knew what General Garcia was doing.

General Enor was silent about this, and as the general in Djerkhara, people wanted to hear what Inor had to say. But Enor was silent about the rumors, and seemed happy to see them continue to spread. For Enor, the fortress of Garmic has been recaptured, and as a general participating in the war, Enor has nothing left to blame. Allowing such rumors to circulate would not be beneficial to Enor.

Finally, General Enor was ordered to go to the fortress of Gamic soon after, and was told to "act cheaply". What is behind this, Enor understands. After Garcia led his army out of the fortress of Gamic, Enor's troops began to enter the fortress of Gamic.

All this is slowly unfolding in Rhodoc.

The father, who was the source, waited anxiously for Zaitsev's signal in a mosque in Dukuba.

In the afternoon, his father told Zaitsev that he would take Aoi with his men.

Zaitsev said that there was nothing wrong with Aoi, but that some of the Rhodok soldiers had been sold into slavery and could not be found.

"No, I need you to go to the prison and investigate. I must at least find the first mate of Cesara, or I will not leave. ”

"Dead or not leaving?"

"Death is not leaving."

Cesar has been interrogated in turns these days, and this first mate only knows some information about naval patrol scheduling and the like, and now it has been squeezed out like oil by the interrogator Adil, and Cesar is of little value.

Zaitsev was glad to do this, so he led my father to a prison in the evening.

It was a damp, dark dungeon, most of the cells were built underground, some of them were soaked with oozing water, and the people inside were already ulcerating their lower limbs. The people in these cells were all like ghosts, staring at the people in the dark. Many of the able-bodied have been sold, and the rest are either unbought and sold criminals or weak slaves who cannot be sold.

The warden only has a roster of a few important criminals, and for the rest, the warden only remembers when they came in and how many are still alive.

"Last week, the group of Rhodocs from Sharitz". Zaitsev seemed to be no stranger to the smell of the place at all, with a kind expression. The father covered his nose and looked at the harsh surroundings.

The warden looked through it, "Oh, seven came, five were bought. There was a fair-skinned boy who bit his arm bloody when he knew he was going to be bought, and the employer who was supposed to buy him didn't want it. ”

"Cesar!"

The warden glanced at his father, "Who does it matter."

"What about the other one?" The father asked, "What about the other one?" is not high, the eyes are gray-green". Father was talking about boatswain.

"Bought off," said the warden with a lewd smile, "that fellow is a good figure, and was taken by a widow for two hundred dinars."

"And who's the one left?"

"It's a craftsman who ran away in Sharitz, and he seems to be a Kugit mongrel, and his complexion is not as dark as that of the Kujits."

"The one with black hair and black eyes?"

"Yes, I'm dead now, well, no, I'm still panting in the morning, I don't know how it's now."

The father turned to Zaitsev and said, "I'm going to take it with me."

As a slave trader, there is nothing sadder than paying for slaves.

Fortunately, the Sultan had a coffer to pay for him, and Zaitsev eventually bought Cesar and the Oriental man from prison for three hundred dinars in the name of buying labor. Cesar was worth two hundred and seventy, and the Oriental was worth thirty. When Zaitsev reported to the Sultan, he said that he had spent 1,000 dinars.

"Black, really black". These are the words of Zaitsev after he was released from prison.

The prison prepared a donkey cart for Zaitsev and loaded the two unconscious slaves into the cart.

At the Zaitsev Mosque, my father saw a carriage parked there. Zaitsev put the two slaves in the carriage, turned around and patted his father on the shoulder, "Follow this road out of the city, and if anyone asks, you will say that you are a hired servant of the Sultan's estate, and I have already said hello, good luck."

The father jumped into the carriage, lifted the curtains, and walked in.

"Arcadio"

In the dark shadow, my father had already seen Xiao Kui sitting in the carriage, hugging his knees, sitting in a ball.

After seeing Aoi at the Sultan's banquet a few days ago, my father had already talked to Aoi a few times. Xiao Aoi also suddenly learned the news that she was leaving. There is no time to say anything more at this time. The father touched Aoi's head, looked at the two unconscious people in the carriage, shook his head, and got out of the carriage.

"Goodbye, sir," the father said to Zaitsev. With a whip of the whip, the carriage drove out.

Moonlight is shining.