The knights gathered in front of the toilet door, and there was a breach in the surveillance.

"Can you say it now?"

Maria looked at Ma Wei, who was calmly drinking tea, and asked calmly, "What is the matter with you coming to me?" ”

Stewart couldn't wait to say, "That's right, Your Excellency the Duke, we intend to leave Paris after the talks, but since the mansion is under close surveillance, we would like to ask for your help, and if you are willing to help, we will not hesitate to repay you!" ”

Picking up the cup, Maria took a sip of hot tea and said, "Treason is a serious crime, and I can't protect myself if I help you." ”

"You can come to the Kingdom of Windsor! Just like the Duke of Crewod back then! Stewart spoke quickly: "Freya is our friend!" The same goes for you! Your Majesty and His Holiness the Pope will surely give you the same status! ”

"I'm in Paris, I'm already a duke and nobleman, what else can I ask for?" Maria said lightly: "When I go to London, the best result is only a duke, and London already has a Duke of Chevali, and there is no need for a second one." ”

"This"

Stuart was dumbfounded for a while, Maria was right, a duke was already the highest title in the kingdom, and then there was a prince at the level of a prince, and it was impossible for Maria to be crowned, and Crude, who led the army to defect, also left angrily because the title was awarded to his younger brother Chrétien.

Even in the Kingdom of Windsor, Maria's status could not surpass Freya's, and in Paris, she was a close minister of Napoleon's side and a member of the Senate, with status, power, and wealth.

Why did she give up all this, and would rather be charged with treason than help the delegation of the Kingdom of Windsor flee from Paris?

"You're trying to roast me over the fire." Mary suddenly said: "If I choose to help you and make it to London, Anatole will most likely ask you to return the traitor, to be honest, in this society, I don't trust anyone, and I shouldn't trust anyone, and it's even more foolish to pin my hopes on others, and I don't know when I will be betrayed." ”

"Once the Church of the Goddess of Fate hands me over, my fate will not be much better than that of a dried corpse hanging in an iron cage on the banks of the Rhine, and what awaits me will be burn at the stake!"

On the banks of the Rhine hung many iron cages, exposed to the wind and sun, all of whom had been sentenced to death, hanging at the end of the river bank in order to make them die of hunger, thirst and hunger, and finally be pecked by seabirds and turned into white bones.

This is a very cruel punishment, burning at the stake is more painful than it, and it is not impossible for Mary to say that neither the second prince nor Archbishop Brandon can guarantee that the church will hand over Mary to calm his anger under the pressure of Anatole.

The human heart is unpredictable.

Stuart wanted to say something, but Mavi put down the teacup and said, "Okay Stuel, let's stop here." ”

"But."

"Duke Maria is right, she has no reason to betray the motherland for us, and we can't give her anything."

A slender finger ran over the rim of the glass, and Maria suddenly changed her words: "I can't help you, but I can introduce you to someone." ”

"Introduction. Who? ”

"Count Armata Stephens."

"Him?!"

Stewart's eyes widened, and he said in the slightly puzzled gazes of the Mavi people, "Isn't he a close confidant of the previous king, Ivan XIV?!" He's still alive?! ”

"He's not just alive, he's alive and well." Maria smiled and said: "His Majesty Napoleon has just ascended the throne, it is not suitable for a big fight, he is cultivating cronies, the current Paris is actually different from what you see, it is already rumored, the arrow is on the bow, I don't know when there will be a rebellion."

"Ivan XIV's former ministers secretly formed a resistance army with the intention of overthrowing the rule of His Majesty Napoleon and supporting the succession of Ivan XIV's youngest son, and His Majesty Napoleon ordered me to investigate the matter, and I did find some useful information."

"Overthrow Napoleon's rule?" Levin was surprised: "Didn't Napoleon come back to life with Anato's own hands?" Will He sit idly by? ”

"What Anatole needed was a powerful king who could help him, and that person didn't have to be Napoleon Bonaparte." Maria said: "To put it simply, the position of the king is occupied by the strong, and in Anatole's eyes, Napoleon's opponent is an ordinary man without magic, and if he can't even solve this kind of enemy, he will die, and he will be of little use." ”

"You guys," the crowd didn't know what to say for a while.

There is nothing wrong with this sentence, this is also Anatole's test, he resurrected Napoleon because he heard that Napoleon is the most powerful monarch in modern times, and if someone kills this powerful monarch, it proves that there is a stronger and more suitable talent.

There may be some problems with the logic, but Anatole probably thinks so.

A monarch who can't even solve civil strife is not a strong monarch.

"Earl Stephens is the leader of the Resistance, and he may be able to help you." "The premise is that he may ask the Kingdom of Windsor for help," Maria said. ”

"Count Stephens is a rebel who wants to overthrow Napoleon's rule, and you are a close vassal of Napoleon's side, why would you recommend him to us?" Stewart wondered.

"It's simple, because I want to get rid of them by Anato's hand." Maria smiled: "His Majesty Napoleon does not have much time to waste on dealing with the rebels, and now the international situation is very tense, he has to concentrate on government affairs, how can he have time to play games with the rebels?" ”

"Moreover, if Nicholas had remained in Paris, His Majesty Napoleon would have been able to use the Manstein Potions Company to cultivate cronies, stabilize the situation, and finally wipe out the rebels; Now Nicholas is leaving, no problem, when he leaves, he should leave some gifts for His Majesty, the last time they met, Nicholas did not say anything about it, it is not appropriate. ”

After listening,

Ma Wei hesitated: "I'm not sure if Earl Stephens is willing to help us, and even if he does, he will put forward very harsh conditions, after all, this is treason." ”

"yes, but it's up to you, and it's none of my business." Maria put on her veil, got up and said, "Thank you for your lunch, Nicholas, and may you all the best." ”

Mary left, and it was simply unrealistic for her to risk being burned at the stake to help herself.

She had already received everything in the world, ordinary conditions could not tempt her at all, and she finally gave pertinent advice.

Count Armata Stephens!

"What to do, Nicholas?" Stewart licked his lips, "Shall we go to the Earl?" ”

"Go back to the mansion first, and discuss with Your Highness before they talk."

"Okay."

The leader of the Holy Silver Cross Knight team covered his stomach and walked out of the toilet step by step, and was relieved to see Ma Wei and the others sitting at the table in a dignified manner.

It's okay, it's okay. Hell, this restaurant definitely uses stale ingredients!

In the evening, at the end of the day's talks, the second prince and Archbishop Brandon hurried back to the mansion as quickly as possible, found Ma Wei and the others, and inquired about the day's affairs.

When they heard that Mary had refused to help, they were disappointed, but they quickly raised hope for the Earl of Stephens, whom Maria had introduced.

"Count Amata Stephens, I have heard of it, is an old aristocrat in Paris, with many fields, estates, and farms under his name, and he is quite wealthy."

The second prince said: "Maybe it's really okay to ask him for help, Paris has not been safe recently, and so many police and knights from the Wisdom God Sect are protecting us in addition to surveillance." ”

There are too many police officers and members of the Holy Silver Cross Knights around the mansion, even if they are monitored, they should not send so many people, except for Ma Wei, other representatives will also be accompanied by members of the Holy Silver Cross Knights when they go shopping, which is enough to explain the situation.

"Let's try to get in touch." Archbishop Brandon said, "There is no better way now, Your Highness, do you have any contact with him?" ”

"What a joke, of course not!"

When the second prince heard this, he was anxious: "As the second prince of the Windsor Kingdom, how can I have a correspondence with the nobles of the empire in private?" No, none, absolutely nothing! ”

"Your Highness, it's all your own people here, what are you nervous about?" Archbishop Brandon said helplessly: "I'm sincere, now if I'm looking for someone to help, I have to find someone who can talk!" There is no one to match, so why should Earl Stephens believe us? ”

"Really not" The second prince scratched his head: "I've only heard of him, but I don't know him, and we haven't met Smith, do you know Earl Stephens?" ”

Smith, the jeweler, shook his head repeatedly, and the second prince looked at Stewart again.

After asking around, no one knew Earl Stephens, and the situation froze all of a sudden.

There was no one to match, and Count Stephens certainly couldn't trust the delegation, but he was a rebel loyal to Ivan XIV, and if he wasn't careful, his head would have fallen to the ground.

"Ahem"

While everyone was relatively silent, Daniel cleared his throat and proposed, "I think we can ask the delegation of Frederick's Kingdom downstairs for help, they may know Count Stephens." ”

There was no other way now, it was still the same as before, and Mavi, Yunia, the second prince, and Archbishop Brandon quietly went down to the second floor and knocked on Bismarck's door.

"Earl Stephens? What are you looking for him? ”

Bismarck, who was smoking a cigar, was wearing a white shirt and sitting in a chair by the window, drinking and smoking while admiring the night in Paris.

"Of course I asked him for help." The second prince sighed, and said the ins and outs again: "He may be able to help us escape from Paris, is there anyone in the delegation of the Kingdom of Frederick who knows him?" ”

"I know him." Bismarck said.

"Sure enough, no. Well? The second prince raised his head violently, and said with fiery eyes: "I heard it right!" Prime Minister Bismarck! You. Meet Earl Stephens? ”

"Yes."

"Count Armata Stephens?"

"That's him." Bismarck was a little impatient: "When I was young, I was the ambassador of the Kingdom of Frederick to the Kingdom of Popan, and I stayed here for 5 whole years, and I know all the nobles of Paris, is there any problem?" ”

"That's right! How did I forget about it! Thanks to Jonas for the reminder! ”

The second prince rekindled his hope: "Could you please write a letter to Earl Stephens and invite him to the mansion?" ”

Bismarck hesitated for a moment and asked, "Who did you just say reminded you to come here to me?" ”

"Jonas, Nicholas's second brother, Jonas von Manstein."

"Oh"

Bismarck stroked his thick mustache, nodded after a while, and said, "Yes, I will write to invite him to come to the mansion tomorrow night to catch up." ”

The next day, a handwritten letter from Prime Minister Bismarck was delivered to the messenger and delivered to the residence of Count Armata Stephens.

"Otto von Bismarck."

Count Stephens, who saw the letter, fell into deep thought, his eyes flickered, and he did not understand why Bismarck wrote to him, and even invited him to the mansion as a guest.

He did know Bismarck, and the two met when Bismarck was ambassador, and the relationship was not bad, barely friends, but after so many years, the two had long since broken off contact, and now they are suddenly in contact.

"I'm afraid there's something to ask me for."

There are only two possibilities for friends who have not been in touch for a long time to suddenly appear:

1. Borrow money.

2. Help.

Bismarck was obviously not short of money, so he could only ask for help.

After thinking about it, Stephens still decided to go to the mansion, Bismarck was already the prime minister of the kingdom, and it was not a bad thing to befriend him.

That same evening.

"Otto! Hahaha, long time no see! ”

At the door of the mansion, Stephens stepped out of the carriage, smiled at Bismarck who was waiting at the door, stretched out his arms, and hugged him like an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.

"Armata, you're still the same, but you have more wrinkles on your face."

"It's been twenty years, Otto, aren't you much older? I've got you with a box of fine blue cigars! Your favorite one! ”

While talking and laughing, the two walked into the mansion in full view of everyone, without the slightest intention of hiding people's eyes.

Let the others disperse, Bismarck pushed open the door and led Stephens into the room, as soon as he entered the door, Stephens saw the Mavi people sitting at the table, stunned for a moment, and looked at Bismarck: "Otto, they are."

"Let me introduce you, this is Shukri, the second crown prince of the Kingdom of Windsor, this is Archbishop Brandon of the Church of the Goddess of Fate, and Nicholas von Manstein, the founder of the Manstein Potions Company, and his daughter Emma."

"I know them." Stephens' tone was slightly cold: "So you invited me to come for them, did you?" ”

"Armata"

"I'm sorry, I'm leaving."

Putting down the gift cigar, Stephens turned around and was about to go out, when a voice came from behind him:

"Your Majesty Napoleon has asked me to greet you, honorable Count Stephens."

After a pause, Stephens stopped in place, although Ma Wei spoke in Windsor, he understood, and slowly turned around, his face was much more solemn: "What do you mean?" ”

"Please sit down first."

Ma Wei pointed to the empty chair opposite:

"The night is still long, Earl Stephens."

(End of chapter)