With a history of more than 400 years, Yanjing Richelieu has always been the largest city in the Asrofik Empire, and it is also the most beautiful city.

The wide Anales River runs through the city. Likened to the 'Blue Pearl Necklace of the Empire', this river and its dozens of tributaries decorate Richelieu with a unique style. Richelieu is a city on the water, the whole city is divided into hundreds of islands, magnificent palaces, thousands of sculptures, and countless bridges with their own characteristics.

A bard once said, "It is better to read the Psalms of Richelieu seven times than to see the city with your own eyes".

Rogge had already spent seven full days visiting Richelieu and could only take in the most famous sights in a hurry. The remote alleys that record the true history of Richelieu have not yet had time to delve into it.

On the eighth day, Feuerbach the Great returned triumphantly.

This time, the ceremony of the emperor's return to the capital was unusually grand. However, those who know the inside story know that the Emperor's record in this expedition to the Dark Forest can be described as miserable. Of the 200,000 troops who went out at the beginning, only 110,000 returned to Yanjing in the end. At such a terrible cost, the Empire has not been able to establish a permanent stronghold in the Dark Forest.

This was the defeat of Feuerbach the Great, and it was the fiasco of the City of Cloud Night. In stark contrast, the Silver Cult and the 'Poseidon' legions, which had been unknown for several years and had been in decline, were a blockbuster, and almost bloodlessly subdued the Holy Alliance. Pompey's glorious achievements with Alexander and Frederick as emperors and gods were once again remembered and talked about.

In contrast, Rogge and Leighton's Kerry betrayed the Holy Alliance, and the martial arts of the Asrofics were despised by the prowess of the Empire, and few were interested in asking more about the two Empire upstarts. Anyone who really knows the inside story will never mention the truth of the war. Except for a handful of people in the entire Empire, no one knew of the crucial role Rog played in the Empire's subjugation of the Holy Alliance.

The reputation of the fat man is really not very good. Even within the Silver Sacred Cult, there are many rumors about Rogge. Most of them are about the fat man's two female guards who are unimaginably beautiful. When talking about these rumors, most men are envious and jealous, while women are hateful and jealous. The rest of the rumors were about Rogge's clown-like performance in the First World War in Montreal.

In the past seven days, Rogge has also heard some rumors, and he naturally knows that the source of these rumors must come from the mouths of the four ice mages. But the fat man didn't care, this was exactly the effect he wanted, anyway, in Yanjing Richelieu, who was in crisis everywhere and unfamiliar with life, it was better to be despised than to be taken seriously. As for Floya and Wind Butterfly, they will now hide their peerless faces on any occasion. No matter what dynasty you are in, having a beautiful woman is often the way to get into trouble. Even though Rogge has already leaned to one side, after all, the foundation is too shallow, so he would rather be careful in everything.

On the evening of the ninth day, Feuerbach the Great secretly summoned Rogge alone. This surprised Rogge a little, and the Emperor didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse for the Emperor's unusual concern for him.

The meeting took place in the Emperor's small dining room. In the Imperial Palace, this is indeed a 'small' restaurant, but the area of 500 square meters is still larger than the banquet halls of many rich and noble families. The six-meter-high vault is illuminated by a huge magic lamp, making it look deep and far-reaching. The ten-metre-long dining table in this 'small' dining room is like an island in a huge lake.

Feuerbach the Great's greatest hobby was conquest, so the dining room was decorated with armor, swords, or specimens of powerful beasts.

The Emperor is fond of roasted food, and tonight's main dish is a veal that has been roasted all day. Except for the spirits that have been hidden for nearly a hundred years and the precious caviar, there are no special dishes. This is in stark contrast to the luxurious life of the royal dignitaries of the south.

The Emperor was tall, a head taller than Rogge. His hair had turned a little gray, and his body had begun to grow. Although the thick beard is majestic, it always makes people feel far from the iron-blooded emperor who has fought for thirty years and is famous all over the continent. And the gift given to Feuerbach the Great by years of conquest was a half-lame right leg.

After beckoning Rogge to take his seat, the emperor waved the waiter away, leaving only the weak and swaying old steward to serve behind him. He swung his knife and cut off a large piece of roast beef, swallowed it in a few bites, and then drank the liquor in his cup before he exhaled contentedly.

"The warriors of the Northland should eat barbecue and drink spirits, so that they can have a fucking good time!"

Feuerbach the Great came up and spat foul language, which immediately startled Rogge, and a piece of beef got stuck in his throat. The fat man was in a hurry, and drank all the liquor in the cup, and finally rushed the beef down his stomach. It's just that the liquor that has been hidden for a hundred years is too fierce, and the fat man's face turned purple in the blink of an eye. Rogge's brain was buzzing, and he had to secretly gather his mental power, and then he slowly regained his clarity.

It's just that when he improved his mental power, it seemed to faintly arouse a subtle resonance from the boss. The fat man's heart froze, but just now when his head was dizzy, the line felt too weak, and he was really not sure if he was too suspicious.

Seeing Rogge's embarrassment, Feuerbach the Great laughed and said, "We northern warriors are fighting for wine, it doesn't matter if you can drink it or not, it doesn't matter if you dare to drink it! Okay, you kid is good!"

The fat man didn't know how to answer, so he had to say yes.

"Boy, you did a beautiful job in Montreal this time, you didn't leave a single mouth, even the administrator was killed by you, ruthless, neat, well, good!

The fat man didn't know how to answer, but he was still submissive.

"You are very similar to me when I was young, you are both bold and daring, and you will do it ruthlessly when you see it! I heard that you have been at odds with the City of Cloud Night for a long time, and this time in Montreal you killed a lot of them, it seems that you are completely on the side of my eldest son?"

Rogge suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Ganging up in the court, excluding dissidents, and framing Zhongliang are not a big deal in the eyes of the emperor, but if you intervene in the emperor's family affairs and try to affect the inheritance of the emperor's throne, it has always been the first taboo in any dynasty. Pompey has accumulated countless military exploits and deep roots, and Rockefeller, as the Grand Magister, has a transcendent status. Feuerbach the Great may have scruples about them, but he would never have any scruples about a newly surrendered figure like the fat man.

Seeing Rogge in a cold sweat, the Emperor laughed and said, "Over the years, the Holy Sect, Pompey and Yunxiao City have become more and more powerful, if you want to mix better in the empire, if you don't stand on the side of the Holy Sect, you have to stand on the side of the druids." You have a lot of people and troops, and if you don't stand on either side, they will get you down first. Boy, you don't need to be afraid, our northern warriors are not as shameless as the southerners! In the empire, the first is loyalty, and the second is real ability. You're good, it's not easy for others to bring you down. As long as you're loyal to the Empire, you'll have to get as much as you deserve!, but if you have anything else on your mind......"

Feuerbach's eyes flashed, and his icy gaze froze Rogge almost instantly.

The Emperor stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth, and said with a slight slurry: "Boy, the Holy Sect and the Druids are fighting more and more, do you know why I let it go?"

Rogge immediately followed the Emperor's meaning and asked.

"The most powerful creature in the Imperial Savannah is the Fenrir Demon Wolf. The she-wolf gives birth to a dozen wolf cubs at a time, and after a few days the cubs are able to open their eyes, they start fighting each other, and in the end only two or three of the strongest wolf cubs survive. Every demon wolf that grows up is the most powerful of the siblings, and because of this, the Fenrir demon wolf is always the most powerful monster on the savannah. In fact, since the founding of the empire, the infighting has never stopped, but the empire is getting stronger day by day, and its territory is becoming more and more vast! Those cowards in the south can only kill meritorious and capable ministers, how can we be the opponents of the northern warriors who have the entire prairie in our chests? Hmph, when the empire opens up the passage to the south, or seizes the outlet to the sea, we will definitely let those southerners who only know how greedy for pleasure know the power of the northern warriors!

For the first time, Rogge felt underestimated by the coarse Emperor. If you don't have the self-confidence to be able to control everything, how dare you let go and let your subordinates fight? Whether inside or outside, the Asrofik Empire has never stopped fighting for hundreds of years since its founding, and there is absolutely no room for mediocrity to survive in the cruel competition of life and death. In fact, any person in the Empire who is not capable of doing anything can become the primary target of a rival faction. For example, the hundreds of druids who died in Montreal were victims of this internal strife.

It follows from this that there were simply no incompetent people among the dozens of emperors of the empire for hundreds of years. This was almost unthinkable in the dynasty of the South.

"Boy, now you understand the rules of the Empire, right? You have no problem supporting my eldest son, as long as he can overpower the other brothers, my throne is his. ”

At this time, the old manager whispered something in the emperor's ear, and the emperor suddenly said: "Ah, I almost forgot about tonight's business. You're a nice kid, I like it very much. The title of this prince is your reward. Come, let me see how lucky you are, boy, and which of my daughters you can get. By the way, Barr, how many daughters do I have?"

The old manager thought for a while, and said slowly: "Your Majesty is very brave, you have a total of forty-six princesses, twenty-two of whom are unmarried, and eleven of them are over fourteen years old. ”

Feuerbach waved his hand impatiently and said, "Baal, you are only ten years older than me, why have you become more and more verbose in recent years?

The old manager slowly withdrew from the small restaurant. Rogge couldn't help but be curious, and he didn't know what this 'thing' had to do with the emperor's marriage to his daughter. Now that the emperor has opened his mouth, then this prince can no longer run. It's a lot easier than you think. It's just that the fat man knows that Yunxiao City will never let go of himself easily, and the smoother it is now, the more aggressive the druid's counterattack will be.

After a while, the old manager walked in with a gold box.

Feuerbach the Great took the golden box and shook it vigorously a few times, and there was a crisp sound inside. The sound sounded similar to the dominoes that Rogge used to gamble in those days.

In Rogge's astonishment, Feuerbach the Great took out a jade tablet from the golden box, looked at it, and asked the old steward, "Malika Barr, I can't remember what happened to this child." ”

The old manager said slowly: "Your Majesty, wait a minute, the old minister will go and have a look." ”

The Emperor turned to Rogge and smiled, "Boy, my daughter can only bring you the title of a prince, and you don't expect to get anything from her. On the contrary, you will get into a lot of trouble. ”

Feuerbach patted Rogge on the shoulder and said, "Marrying a princess does not necessarily mean that you can become a prince." Otherwise, the empire has been inherited for hundreds of years, and the current princes would have been thousands long ago. But the title of the prince follows the blood of the imperial family. Before you arrive at Richelieu, Pompey must have told you about the prince's important surname, you kid must be careful, don't let people kill you and take your prince's place. ”

Rog's mind was in turmoil, and he just nodded.

By this time, the old steward had returned, and he took a large portrait in his hand, handed it to Feuerbach, and said, "Princess Malika was born to Princess Fesley, and her mother was from the Boguna family, a small tribe in the northeastern part of the empire. The princess is seventeen years old and currently lives in the Maple Leaf Palace. ”

Feuerbach glanced at the portrait and laughed: "You kid is not bad luck! But this kid seems to have a good temper, you can do it yourself!"

Rogge took the portrait thrown by the Emperor and just looked at it casually. Anyway, this princess is just a prince's title to him, and no matter how beautiful she is, she can't compare to the few people around him.

The portrait depicts a tall beauty, with long thick black hair draped over her shoulders, smiling wildly and violently. The long skirt on her body was very seductively cut, revealing a large area of skin on her breasts, waist and thighs. Rogge roughly estimated that she might be about the same height as Andronie, that is, half a head taller than him. This princess has a good body, but she does look like a character who is not easy to tame.

The fat man was secretly alarmed, and he decided to find out all the laws and customs of the empire concerning the prince as soon as he returned. Judging from the portrait, Malika is a beautiful woman with a distinct surname and outstanding appearance. But Rogge was convinced that he would not have good luck in Richelieu, and that there would be no god to favor him. The only possible reason why the Supreme God did not throw a light of judgment to him was that the fat man was not yet in the climate and could not enter the eyes of the gods in the sky.

When he came out of the Imperial Palace, the old manager asked Rogge to go to the Maple Leaf Palace tomorrow, and he would arrange for Malika and Rogge to meet. Finally, when he was leaving, the old manager suddenly said meaningfully: "Your Majesty admires you very much, you have to do it yourself." ”

On the way back, Rogge pondered the meaning of the boss's last sentence repeatedly, but he couldn't figure it out. In fact, throughout the night, Rogge opened his mouth to say no more than fifty words, and the emperor was talking endlessly. It was the first time that Rogge had been appreciated for his silence.

Maple Leaf Palace is located on a small island southwest of Yanjing. This palace is not large, and there are more than ten concubines and several princesses of the Great Emperor living in it. There are dozens of palaces for this purpose throughout Richelieu. The palaces of the imperial princes are much better, and those who are as powerful as the Thirteen Princes, or those who have prominent matrilineal families, have their own separate palaces.

All the way to the Maple Leaf Palace, whether it was the guards or the concubines and princesses who lived here, they were very respectful to Rogge and his party. Of course, this respectfulness is not for the fat man, but for the boss. The emperor has been fighting all the year round, and the concubines who live in this remote and deep palace want to serve the emperor for one night before they grow old, and they have to be arranged by the old manager. If they are lucky enough to give birth to a son, they will immediately rise to prominence. If you give birth to a princess, you can also hope that your daughter will marry a powerful person in the future. Although the emperor had nearly 100 children, there were hundreds of concubines in the deep palace, and most of them were still childless and daughterless.

Rogge knew that his reputation in Yanjing was not very good, and to his surprise, there were still a few young girls who frequently signaled to him.

A very clever attendant in the imperial palace followed Rogge and whispered to him to introduce the various characters he met on the road. These girls are princesses who have not yet married. According to the laws of the Empire, only the Marquis and above are eligible to marry the Imperial Princess. However, in the patriarchal and martial Empire, in addition to the noble families, only those who have made enough military achievements are eligible to become marquises. For these people, marrying back a princess is not beneficial, but there are many troubles, and it is not as strong as a political marriage between several large families.

Even if there are nobles with the same title, the difference in power and wealth is often a world apart. A dignitary like Rogge who owns a country and has a heavy army in his hands does not have many people in the entire empire. Although the northern folk customs are simple, in the eyes of most people, the actual interests of the people must also prevail over things such as word of mouth, likes and dislikes. For these unfortunate princesses whose mother's family has little power, being able to marry Rogge is undoubtedly a step to the sky.

In a matter of moments, Rogge and his party came to a quiet courtyard. The courtyard is not large, and although it is elegantly furnished, it is not luxurious.

The waiter whispered, "Princess Malika is beautiful, and she is very fond of poetry, art, and freedom. As you can see, her mother's family was not illustrious, just a small tribe in the Far East of the empire. The princess was in frequent contact with Richelieu's artists and was a frequent visitor to the art salons......"

At this time, the courtyard door opened, a tall, handsome, and elegant man walked out, and a woman full of wild beauty sent him out. The man looked back and smiled, "I had a pleasant afternoon with the beautiful Princess Malika, and I have a new poem to publish at next week's salon, and I hope you will be there then." ”

Malika smiled, "I will definitely go." ”

The obedient waiter whispered, "This is Baron Lei Luo, who has been the most famous poet and composer in Yanjing in the past year. The one next to her is Princess Malika. ”

At this time, Lei Luo also saw Rogge and his party, his gaze swept over everyone, snorted slightly, and walked away.

Rogge looked at Lei Luo's back with his hands in his hands, his brow furrowed slightly. The waiter observed the words and said in a fanning flame...... "These people who sell art have always been so arrogant! There is not even a single count in Lei Luo's family

When Malika saw the old steward, she greeted her and saluted, "Lord Bal, why are you here?"

The old steward said in a slow voice that had not changed for thousands of years: "According to His Majesty's order, today is the meeting between Lord Rogge and His Highness. ”

Malika's thick eyebrows furrowed, and she said, "But I didn't get notice! Why did you see that Lord Rogge?"

At this moment, an exclamation suddenly came from the courtyard, "Isn't this Lord Barr?

A middle-aged lady trotted all the way over. She had a picturesque eyebrow, vaguely similar to Malika, but much more gentle and feminine. Although she is old, her charm is still beautiful, and she must have been even more charming when she was young. She pulled Marika behind her and smiled at the old manager: "Lord Bal, Malika is not polite, don't take it to heart! Why did you come suddenly, does Your Majesty want to summon me?"

"Princess Fesley, Your Majesty has appointed a marriage for Princess Malika. ”

"But......" cried Malika, "you have to ask me what I mean, right?"

The old manager ignored her.

Faisley immediately turned around and shouted, "Malika, shut up, do you even dare to disobey the Emperor's will?" she then lowered her voice and asked nervously, "Lord Bal, can you reveal a little bit about the person the Emperor appointed for Malika?"

The old manager pointed at Rogge with his withered hand and said, "It's this Grand Duke Rogge." ”

Fesley's eyes lit up and she said, "Grand Duke?"

"This is a temporary title, and after marrying Princess Malika, Lord Rogge will be officially crowned Prince. ”

Fesley faltered, her breathing almost stopped, and she looked into Rog's gaze, as gentle as if she had seen an unforgettable lover. "Prince, my God, praise the Emperor! So, he must have a vast territory and his own army, which province is it?"

"Duchy of Arley. ”

Fesley fainted.

A moment later, Rog and Malika sat opposite each other. Despite the awkward atmosphere in the room, the smile on Rogge's face remained the same. Malika's dark blue eyes stared at Rogge deadly, and finally couldn't help but speak first: "Do you really want to be my husband?"

"That's what the Great meant. ”

But there is no love between us, and there can be no love. God, you're not even as tall as me!"

Rogge said: "The value of man lies in wisdom. ”

"If you are a noble man, you should reject the Emperor, but I know that you men will not do that. That's why you married me, Prince, right?"

"If the jade plaque in His Majesty's hand is engraved with another name, I will still be the Prince. ”

"So you are only going to marry the princess, and you can go to other princesses, who will be happy to marry a prince." ”

Rogge smiled and said, "Then who will bear the consequences of going against the will of the Emperor, you?"

Malika choked. She stared at Rogge viciously for a moment before she said, "My mother would be fascinated by your wealth, your territory, and your power, but I won't! If it weren't for betrayal, would you have got everything you have today?

Rogge was unmoved, and said lightly: "Although politics is a game, its complexity is neither beyond history books nor can poetry record. ”

Malika shook her thick black hair vigorously, her eyes were on fire, and she gritted her teeth and said, "I can't tell you." But I can tell you that I already have a beloved, and I will always love him and think of him all the time. If you really marry me, then every time you press me, I will treat you as his!"

Rogge sneered and said, "Your lover, is it the poet Lei Luo just now?"

The maid who had been standing behind Malika suddenly said, "Do you want to be ashamed, our princess has already spoken so clearly......!

"Julie, don't say it!" Malika immediately stopped the maid. She knew that although Rogge couldn't do anything to herself, if Julie offended him, even if the fat man killed Julie on the spot, nothing would happen.

Rogge smiled faintly and ignored Julie. He changed into a comfortable position, and there was no hint of anger.

Malika frowned, and she finally realized that the fat man was a little difficult to deal with.

"Alright, Lord Rogge, let's talk calmly. I am not in the least interested in your own source of superiority: power and status. You have just made a great contribution to the Empire, and if you ask the Emperor well, he will choose another princess for you. But if you have to marry me, then I will make you regret it. According to imperial tradition, you only have one chance to marry a princess. I'll deal openly with Lei Luo, and if you kill me, it's a rebellion. If you can't bear it anymore and you expel me from the house, then your title will be gone. Of course, you can choose to put up with it, and I'll talk to everyone about how wonderful it is to be with Relo. At that time, your prestige in the realm will be even worse, and in the end, you will still expel me from the house for the sake of your honor. ”

Rogge laughed and said, "Malika, you are really smart and know what to threaten people. But your artistic lover may not be so cooperative, will he have the same backbone as he is, far more than the average person?"

Malika sneered and said, "Lord Rogge, don't think that you can do whatever you want in the Empire. Relo was already a famous bard before he arrived in Richelieu, and he had extraordinary friendships with several Druid elders, and now Lord Straw, the Chancellor of the Empire. You haven't surpassed Lord Straw in power, haven't you surpassed the City of Clouds, and if you dare to touch him, then I can guarantee that you will regret it. ”

Rogge was silent for a moment before he said, "Malika, I don't have the guts to bear the wrath of the Emperor, you are very smart, you should know that your proposal is not realistic. So, let's make a deal. Our marriage is only a name, I get the title of Prince, and you are free to associate with Lei Luo. What do you think of this?"

Malika said coldly, "Let me think about it. ”

"There's no room for consideration. If you insist on going your own way, it won't do anyone any good. ”

"Well, but I have one condition, you must not put your dirty hands on me after marriage. ”

"Deal. ”

Rogge left Malika's room with a relaxed face, and Julie's scolding came faintly behind him: "What shameless!"

The Hermitage in the north of Richelieu occupies the entire island and is far more splendid and luxurious than the Maple Leaf Palace. The Hermitage was used to host the dignitaries of the Empire, and Rogge stayed here.

It was almost dusk, and the golden sunset reflected the whole of Richelieu in a picturesque way. From here, you can see the Goddess of Ice and Snow in the west, which radiates blue magic, and the taller Goddess of Nature to the east.

Rogge was admiring the view from the window, and there was a soft and subtle sound of footsteps behind him.

Rogge suddenly took a step to the side, let go of the steel needle stabbed in the back of the waist, and took the murderer in his arms.

"Dead fatty, is your little princess pretty? I heard that she is only seventeen years old. The leprechaun asked with a smile, but her smile always made people feel a little dangerous.

Rogge smiled: "She already has a dead lover, and that person is the most famous poet and composer in Yanjing! She negotiated with me all afternoon, you see, it is not easy for my prince to get it!"

Floya frowned slightly, asked what had happened, and then said, "This is very strange. The poet...... I'm afraid it's someone from the city of Cloudy, right?"

Rogge suddenly lowered his head and kissed the little goblin on the face before laughing, "What a cleverness!"

Floya smiled lightly and said, "Even if you back down, those druids will never let you get the prince." So you have to find a way to clean up the disobedient little princess. ”

Rogge sneered, "It's not easy to clean up that shit, the Emperor has already hinted that he will ignore the internal strife." As long as I bring down the city of Yunxiao, the princess and the prince are not important. ”

The little goblin nodded and said, "Dead fatty, but then you will be in danger." You'll have to find new enemies for the Empire and former allies like Pompey. ”

Rogge smiled slightly and said, "In the south, there are enemies of the empire. ”

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