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Chapter 264 [Wind and Clouds] (2-in-1)

(2-in-1 Chapter~)

Above the dim hall, although there were flames swaying in the braziers on both sides, this faint light could not illuminate the entire hall.

The statue in front of her is the embodiment of the goddess, carved into the description of a woman, dressed in a long robe, her hair turning into cirrus clouds, and the goddess's hands are outstretched, as if to embrace the earth, and her posture is like that of the Virgin. However, on the face of the goddess, the facial features are blurred.

In fact, in all the churches of the empire, all the statues of the goddess, whether they are portraits or sculptures, have always treated the appearance of the goddess as a void and blurred. There is even a rule in the Church that no portrait or sculpture is allowed to concretize the face of the goddess, and anyone who dares to paint the face of the goddess in detail is considered a blasphemy against the gods.

According to the teachings of the church, the goddess is the creator deity, the origin of all things, and the world is the incarnation of the goddess, and the goddess can be ever-changing, so with a simple appearance, no matter how beautiful the painting is, it cannot reflect the greatness of the goddess at all.

At this moment, in front of the statue of the god in the main hall, a figure stood lonely for a long time, and when he slapped the candlestick in front of him, the candle had gradually burned out, and the tears of the candle had solidified, and several of them had been extinguished.

And at this time, the door of the main hall was pushed open. When the heavy door was pushed open, there was a creaking sound, and a person walked in outside the door, dressed in golden armor and wrapped in a bright red cloak, and when he walked in, the nail leaves on his body collided and made a clanging sound. Leather boots clattered on the floor.

The man in armor strode in, took a few steps, and suddenly slowed his pace and turned sideways around the middle aisle—for if he went any further, he would have stepped on the shadow of the man under the idol.

It seems that the armorer who came in had great respect for the people under the statue, and he didn't even dare to step on the shadow of the other party when he walked.

The sound of the owl's footsteps reached behind him, and the man under the statue still did not look back. Instead, he tilted his head and stared at the statue of the goddess silently, as if he was still pondering something.

"Majesty!"

The voice is full of breath, sonorous timbre, faintly with a bit of metallic cold and hard feeling. Behind him, the armor was facing the man under the idol. He knelt down on one knee - I don't know if he was kneeling on the idol or the person under the idol.

This call didn't seem to wake up the people under the statue, he still looked at the goddess in a daze, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time, and the people behind him didn't seem to dare to disturb him anymore. Just kneeling there quietly and waiting silently.

I don't know how long it took, but the person under the statue finally let out a long sigh and slowly turned around.

"You know what?" said the man under the idol. His voice was unexpectedly soft, and his face looked so quiet in the candlelight. The clear and slightly delicate facial features look like they still have a bit of bookish atmosphere. He seems to be a profound scholar, and there seems to be a gentle smile on his lips forever. He looked at the armor soldier kneeling on the ground in front of him, and said in a low voice, "...... You know what. Tacitus, standing in front of the goddess, the longer I stay, the more I feel my insignificance......"

The armor soldier in front of him, Tacitus, quickly lowered his head and said slowly: "In front of the goddess, everyone in the world is small, Your Majesty!"

Seemingly satisfied with this answer, the "Majesty" nodded, and then he seemed to smile bitterly: "Tacitus, you know, until now, I am still very unaccustomed to the title of 'Majesty Xià'. ”

"But you have succeeded to the throne, you are the lord of the suzerain, the leader of the believers in the world, and the spokesman of the gods in the world. My Majesty. ”

"His Majesty Gao Shi sent you?" the man under the statue smiled faintly.

"My Holiness Bishop Coatsner asked me to come. Tacitus's reply was not loud, but the change in words between the words made the person under the idol frown slightly.

His face seemed to be a little complicated, and he looked at Tacitus, and finally nodded: "Okay, he must have something for you to tell me, you can say it." ”

Hearing this, Tacitus slowly stood up, took two steps back, and then he raised his head and looked directly at the person in front of him: "Entrusted by the Bishop of Coatsna, I bring you a few words of his words, without changing a word, if there is any offensive words in the message, please atone for your sins!"

“...... You say. ”

"Good!" Tacitus took a deep breath, his face suddenly changed, and he raised his eyebrows and shouted, "Heynckes!"

"Heynckes is here, listen to the teachings!" said the man under the statue in a deep voice.

Tacitus's face was grim, and he shouted sharply: "The thousand-year-old foundation of the church has been shouldered on your shoulders! The times are difficult, people's hearts have been lost, and the glory of the goddess has gradually moved away from this land! You and I, as believers in the goddess and preaching for the goddess, have long since lost our own bodies!

The so-called Pope bears the hope of thousands of Catholics! Bears the glory of the Goddess! Bears the thousand-year-old inheritance of the Temple! Do you remember the vow you took when you were baptized?"

Heynckes' face was calm, and he said slowly: "The oath says: I will not spare my body, my honor or disgrace, and my soul, to preach for the goddess and spread the glory of the goddess all over the earth." This body can die, honor and disgrace can be defiled, and the soul can be destroyed!"

“...... It's good that you remember. Tacitus nodded: "I know that you have a knot, and there can only be one voice, one leader, one pope, and one leader in the church! From now on, you must remember that the abdicated Coatis is not the Pope, but the successor Heynckes is the Pope! In order to make you no longer have worries, no more gentleness, and in order to calm people's hearts, I will cut off your worries today." ”

After Tacitus finished speaking, he took another half step back, bowed his head, and said, "This is what Bishop Coatsner said. ”

When Heynckes heard this, his face darkened slightly, and his eyes showed a trace of sadness, and he whispered: "He ......"

Tacitus slowly raised his head, looked directly into Heynckes' eyes, and said slowly: "I was about to tell His Majesty the Pope, the former Pope, the current Archbishop Coatsner, died of illness half an hour ago. ”

"......" Heynckes shook his body and stared at Tacitus, but Tacitus bravely raised his head and stared at him.

It was a long time before Heynckes sighed softly. Lowered eyelids: "Tacitus ......"

"What do you command?"

"You...... Do you remember what I said to you in the past?"

Tacitus shook his head slowly: "Your Majesty has said many things to me over the years, I don't know which one you are referring to. ”

Heynckes' gaze looked beyond Tacitus, into the distance, at the door of the Great Hall, and then at the ceiling. It is depicted with reliefs, frescoes, resplendent ...... However, at this moment, they are all shrouded in darkness.

"That year. I entered the Council of Deacons and you entered the Holy Knights, and I said to you that you are my old friend, and I know your character. It's hard to be passionate, so I've said a few words of advice. And now, I have to say these words to you again. ”

Tacitus's face changed slightly, and he bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, please command." ”

Heynckes withdrew his gaze from afar, his eyes fell on Tacitus's face, and said slowly, "You and I were born in this era. In this era when the brilliance of the gods was dim and people's hearts were lost, the world gradually disrespected the gods and abandoned their faith. This is your misfortune for me. with your talent. If he had been born hundreds of years earlier, he was destined to become a great figure in the history of the Church, leaving his name in the history of the church and becoming one of the many sages on the frescoes. But you and I have known each other since we were young. I know who you are and what you are, but you are acting too aggressively. Although you are committed to sacrifice and have a strong and unyielding mind, I am always afraid that when you do things, sometimes you will lose your heart. ”

Speaking of this, Heynckes took a deep breath, and his tone became a little more solemn: "You and I were born in this era, and we, as believers, will naturally spare our lives in order to carry forward the glory of the goddess and the foundation of the church! For the great cause of the church, even if it is for you and me to defile ourselves and do some dark things--if we can make the light of the church reappear, I believe that both you and I are willing to sacrifice for this, even if it is to let ourselves fall into darkness." But after all, I still have to remind you once: Many times, it is unavoidable to do whatever it takes to do things in a hurry, but I hope you will remember that this is a double-edged sword! Throughout the ages, there has never been a way to achieve great things by acting in darkness and selfishness! To achieve great things, some means that cannot see the light must be used, but more importantly, it is a conspiracy! If you are overly addicted to darkness, I am worried that you will gradually lose your heart! Remember this!

At this point, the hall fell silent again.

The towering statue of the goddess, the shadow hangs over Heynckes!

And the shadow of Heynckes hangs over Tacitus!

Something seems to be destined in the dark.

......

"So...... Coatsner is dead?"

The Emperor sat in his study, gently put down a dossier in his hand, and looked up at Pete.

Pete's face still has a sad look on his face, the Home Secretary seems to have been under a lot of pressure lately, even the hair on his temples has turned much whiter, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seem to have deepened.

Hearing the emperor's question, Pete quickly nodded: "Yes...... I have received the news that two hours ago His Majesty Coatsner had died in bed, and that the church was expected to announce the news early tomorrow morning. ”

"Tomorrow morning?" the emperor smiled faintly: "It's okay, one night's time is enough for them to clean up the traces." ”

Pete's expression moved: "Your Majesty, what do you mean...... Could it be that Coats Na Xià is not a death of illness, but a ...... Killed?"

"Killed...... Or suicide. When the emperor said this, he shook his head: "Actually, it doesn't matter. Coats was not easy to deal with that old man, and he fought with my father for many years, and he fought with me for more than ten years. I was forced to abdicate this time, and I knew that day would come soon. ”

“...... I don't understand what I said. ”

"Pretending to be stupid again. The emperor smiled faintly, and suddenly picked up a pen in his hand and threw it at Pete, who turned his head sideways and smiled bitterly.

"Well, how many times have I told you, you don't have to make this foolish trick in front of me in the future. The emperor's face seemed to be a little dissatisfied: "I know that you want to protect yourself, and you have done too many unsightly things for me, but all the courtiers are always afraid of being hidden by the birds." But I'm not a dumb king, and I won't be jealous of you and suspicious of you just because you're too smart, if I do...... You won't live to be today. You old dog, as long as you do things for me faithfully, I will ensure that you will die well!"

Pete was sweating profusely by the emperor's words, and his legs almost weakened, but fortunately he heard the last sentence and barely survived.

"Gausner was a former pope, after his abdication. Picked up Heynckes. If someone else is pushed up, maybe he can just be a puppet, let Coatsner manipulate behind his back, be a emperor, and continue to be in power and control the church. But who was Heynckes? Heynckes was the most outstanding person the Church had painstakingly cultivated in the past 20 years, and he had long been the number one candidate for the Pope's succession. Such a person does not come up as a puppet for Coatsna. When the emperor said this, he said lightly: "Even if Coatsner wants to do this, no one else in the church will allow Coatsner to do this!"

Heynckes' position in the church was anything but simple. He has been a cardinal for many years, and many people in the church see him as a hope for the future, and if you look at his resume, this man has been in the church for decades. From the lowly white clergy to the black clergy, local dioceses have also served as bishops, senators, inquisitors, cardinals...... He went through all the important departments of the church, not a single one, but all of them. One step at a time, one step at a time, the most solid step! The invisible influence in the church is not trivial! If Coatsner really wants Heynckes to be a puppet and continue to be in power. Then there will naturally be a large number of people in the church who will oppose it, and they will never let him succeed. ”

"So...... Your Majesty, do you conclude that Coatsner was murdered by people within the Church itself, in order to remove the last obstacle to Heynckes' coming to power?"

"Murdered. Not really. The emperor shook his head: "These religious people cannot be judged by ordinary people's thinking. These religious lunatics. For their so-called great cause, in order to make the so-called goddess glory return to the earth, everything has been done. Although Coatsner abdicated and did not become the pope, after all, he has been the pope for decades, deep-rooted, how many descendants and henchmen, many times, as a superior, he can't help himself, even if Coatsner wants to give way, but the following teams may not all be high-spirited. Under normal circumstances, even if Heynckes succeeded to the throne as the new pope, it would always take two or three years to erase Coatsna's influence step by step if he wanted to straighten things out. But Coats takes this guy...... From what I know about him, he is a ruthless person, and he is ruthless to others, and he will not be bad to himself. This man is a religious madman, and he is afraid that for the sake of the cause of their church, in order to help Heynckes take power to the throne, he can really do something to make way for suicide. As long as he dies, the stubborn old team under his command will naturally be leaderless, or they will obediently obey the new pope and take refuge in the past, and even if the rest want to resist, they will not be able to make any waves. ”

When the emperor said this, his brows furrowed: "So, the question is not how Gao Shiner died, whether he committed suicide or was murdered." Anyway, he's dead, and this incident surprised me. Originally, I forced him to abdicate because I thought about the change of the pope of the church, and there would always be chaos inside for a while, and I originally calculated that Heynckes would take full control of the church, and it would take more than a year at the earliest, but Coatsner's sudden death, and death so quickly, made me a little surprised. If Heynckes is ruthless and smart enough, then he can take power in the fastest time, at least ...... The power of the Church Center in the Imperial Capital, he can take over the entire power in ten days at most, the Inquisition, the most elite branch of the Holy Knights...... These are under the direct leadership of the Pope. ”

Pete's face changed: "Your Majesty, are you worried...... What will Heynckes do?"

The emperor was silent, seemed to ponder for a moment, and said slowly: "Heynckes, it can be seen from his usual style of acting that this person is steady in doing things and likes to plan and move, which is different from Coatsna. The older Coatsner gets, the more radical and crazy things become, and the church has repeatedly stabbed me, which shows Coatsner's temperament. Heynckes, on the other hand, was a man who liked intrigue rather than intrigue. Such a person, although it is more difficult to deal with, but at least in the short term, there is no need to worry about what extreme and crazy moves he will make. ”

Speaking of this, the emperor sighed: "Let people continue to keep an eye on the church, and if there is any movement, report it in time." ”

After a pause, the emperor's face suddenly turned grim: "Remember, before the New Year's celebration, nothing can happen!"

“...... Yes!" Pete nodded hurriedly.

"Also, there...... You have to keep an eye on it! There must not be the slightest mistake!" The emperor's face suddenly became ugly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "If there is a slight mistake, even if you die a hundred times, it is not enough, understand?"

Pete nodded hurriedly and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, rest assured, there is ...... I'm all staring at it myself. All the people are the most reliable people I have trained by hand. The relationships between the contacts and contacts are all kept confidential, and there will never be a trace of information and clues leaked!"

The emperor closed his eyes and thought for a while, and suddenly said, "My little aunt ......"

"Your Majesty, Miss Messiah has returned to the northwest. My men reported that Miss Messiah had arrived at the Cold Springs Pass yesterday. ”

"Oh?" the emperor was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then smiled.

"陛xià...... This time, Miss Messiah quietly returned to the imperial capital and quietly left. You see......"

"Don't think about it. The emperor shook his head: "Anyone can doubt it, but the Tulip family will never have a problem." My little aunt came and went at this time, in such a hurry. didn't tell others, it seems that she has made up her mind to stay out of the matter. Fortunately, this is the consistent position of the Tulip family, and they have never been willing to participate in such things. When she returned to the imperial capital this time, who did she meet?"

"This ......" Pete was a little embarrassed. With a wry smile: "You also know that Miss Messiah's strength is unfathomable, and although my subordinates have found out that she has returned to the imperial capital, they still want to keep an eye on her every move." But it's not enough. The only thing that is certain is that Miss Messiah stayed for two days in the former residence of the Blue Sea University scholar in the south of the city, and during those two days, she saw only one guest. It's the one from the Liszt family. Besides...... She should have also made a trip to the Academy of Magic, but it seemed ...... I only saw Darling Chen. ”

"Oh?" the emperor suddenly became a little curious: "I am not surprised that she saw the one of the Liszt family. At this time, as the leader of the Tulip family, it is also appropriate to give the Liszt family a proper beating. But...... She actually went to see Darling Chen? It seems that this little Darling has a really unusual place in her heart. ”

Pete smiled and said nothing, he didn't want to intervene in such topics.

"Good. The emperor nodded, and his face became solemn again: "As soon as you are ready, you will wait for the New Year's celebration...... Hopefully, this time will be the last time. ”

The emperor's expression revealed a faint trace of unbearability, but then his heart was ruthless, and he hardened again, and said coldly: "I only hope that this time, it can be done once and for all! The blood of the next few decades will be shed all at once! Even if the world scolds me for being vicious, saying that I am bloody, and that I am cold, I can't care about this!!"

Speaking of this, the emperor's tone gradually calmed down, and said in a light tone: "Those 'Augustin', now you can put some news to them, the time is up, let these fools move......! The gallows has been erected, and the next step is to drive these guys away and go to the execution ground themselves. ”

When Pete heard this, he suddenly felt a chill in his body, and a cool air rushed up from his back, rising to the back of his head, and he couldn't help but shiver......

......

The next day, that is, on the 14th day of December, the Count of Berion, the minister of affairs of the emperor and the patriarch of the Rollin family, wrote a letter to the emperor once again to establish the crown prince for the sake of the empire.

Originally, everyone didn't care, because the builders who advised the emperor to establish a prince, the core bosses of the empire, almost every month or two, had to write a book to express their concern for the country, which was originally the way of the courtiers.

But just when everyone thought that this letter would end with the emperor continuing to pretend to be deaf and dumb and not expressing his position, as in the past...... But the emperor just spoke!!

His Majesty clearly stated: The crown prince is the foundation of the empire, and in order to appease the people's hearts, he will announce the candidate for the crown prince at the time of the New Year's celebration and determine the ownership of the prince!

For the first time in many years, His Majesty the Emperor finally made it clear that he wanted to establish the crown prince, no longer prevaricate, no longer pretending to be stupid, no longer procrastinating, no longer pretending to be deaf and dumb!

But...... Announced that on the day of the New Year's celebration, the crown prince will be established!

For a time, the imperial capital was a sensation!