On a hill overlooking the river, Grand Duke Saloyan Aria III asked to arrange a dining table. The white dining cloth decorated with gold thread was filled with fresh fruits and pastries, and the crystal goblet reflected the morning light, waiting for the arrival of the wine. However, the chairs next to the dining table were empty, and Grand Duke Aria III also chose to stand, so before the wine, the dust that came with the wind would fall first.
The dust was caused by the army on the road, the cavalry and infantry were advancing, and mules and horses were following the side with trucks. On the river, the siege weapons were dismantled into parts and were advancing on a boat with supplies. The ripples caused by the oars were complicated. Saloyang stared at his soldiers quietly, but his fingers hit the counterweight balls in sequence at the hilt of the sword, which showed that his patience was losing a little.
He was fifty-four years old. Although he was about to be crowned king with the conquest of Feinberg, the fact that there was no inheritance of his offspring was upset. Alcohol, tobacco and big belly made him extremely unlikely to give birth to offspring again, and even the Archbishop of the sect said he was powerless. What upset him even more was that even if he quit smoking, alcohol and sweets, he was unlikely to strengthen his physique through exercise: the old injuries he had suffered on the battlefield are now getting more and more painful, and each joint is like too many iron pieces bent, which may break at any time. He knew that he could live for a while, but he had been eliminated by time and could never repeat the bravery of the past.
A secret minister suggested that he adopt a son. The minister is still alive, but he is locked in the deepest part of the dungeon. This kind of thing can only be thought about, but it cannot be done once it is said. Grand Duke Aria III has been strict with himself throughout his life, focusing on cultivating knights, training soldiers, and making it easier to annex Feinberg. He now regrets why he didn't make absurd things while he was young, even if he left his illegitimate son!
Feiqi Hall, that bastard! What medicine did I use for my son? It was completely transformed from his body, but also mentally. It was a huge scandal! Feiqi, you should really be cut into pieces by me and thrown into hell! Grand Duke Saloyang tightened the hilt of the sword with his five fingers, and the long sword even pulled out of the scabbard. Just as his patience was about to disappear, three horses rushed over on the roadbed. The man who took the lead was the father of the man who had just been cursed by himself.
"I'm very sorry, Lord Grandpa, I encountered a donkey cart axle breaking and capsizing on the road. We moved it away to pass." Earl Hall jumped off the horse from a distance, then walked over quickly, and acted to kneel down on one knee. Saloyang quickly let go of the hilt of the sword and held him with both hands.
"I'm not the king yet, you can't do that."
"It's just a matter of time. This mighty army will surely bring victory. Feinberg will be just a history before autumn." Earl Hall still bowed deeply and said: "The news has been blocked so far. At the speed of the army's advance, even if Feinberg knows it, it's too late to take precautions."
"I still can't be taken lightly. I'm still worried about the reaction from the sect. If they decide to close the border, then this army will be alone." said Grand Duke Saloyang.
"If there is such a situation, I will lead the army myself and break through all blockades, whether it is Feinberg's front line or their capital." Earl Hall stood up straight and hit his chest with his fist: "The iron fist of justice is on your side, ready to serve at any time."
"A prosperous and powerful kingdom requires such a loyal and brave minister as you." The Grand Duke pointed behind Earl Hall and said, "Who are these two people you brought? They are all wearing masks, which is a bit strange."
Following the Earl were Feiqi and Shani, who were wearing veils all the time. Feiqi was wearing a cheap inlaid leather armor, a hood covering his mouth and nose, and a pointed cone hat on his head. Feiqi showed some of the devil's abilities, so there was a blood-red light in the hole left for his eyes, which looked like a dangerous appearance that no one could get close to. The cat-hitting stick was too conspicuous, and he disguised it as a cane and handed it to Shani for use, and he placed the pit sword behind him, and wrapped it with cloth strips on the holy emblem. Shani designed the outermost blouse for the two of them, which was extremely exaggerated in the style of the elf, and then referred to some of Feiqi's opinions. No one would doubt the exotic style.
"This is the strange man I recruited not long ago, the Thunder Swordsman Yan, and his sword servant... I am not sure if the translation is right. It is probably a combination of a maid and a sword-holder, called Xia. They come from overseas, on an island further east than the Elf Island. When chasing the pirates, the ship capsized and went to the shore with a wooden board, and happened to be rescued by me."
"Yan Xia? This is a really strange name. Do they have any skills?"
"They attach great importance to oaths and are willing to protect them with their lives. This is a tradition engraved in their souls. I saved his life, so he vowed to protect me. This man's swordsmanship is very good. If he participates in a martial arts competition, he should be a champion." Earl Hall looked at the meal on the table and rubbed his hands: "Hisser Da Gong, have you eaten it?"
"I was so happy to see you that I forgot my basic politeness. Sit down and want something to drink? I have good wine from Milan County, which is suitable for tasting when the army goes to war."
"I am very happy to have a drink for victory." Earl Hall hurried to pour the wine, and then picked up the glass without hesitation and drank it all. "What a good thing, the servants in my vineyard are so poor that they never make such good wine, which leads to losing money every year. It's really a headache."
"It's not the servant's problem, it's the soil and rain. It's always just land and water that matters, and the rest are just serving both. Kanter, I know there are a few good vineyards in Feinberg, are you interested?"
"Yes, how can we not?" Earl Hall smiled, but soon sighed with a sad face, "But who are these vineyards left for? Andrew now has his own territory to operate, and Sheila will always marry."
"How about Landon Hall? I heard he's very smart, but he hasn't started training in a cavaliers yet, why is that?"
"He was weak when he was born and could not start training in advance like his two brothers."
"As long as his surname is Hall, it's good." The Grand Duke didn't mention Feiqi's matter, and he was even unwilling to maintain a harmonious atmosphere for him on the surface, let alone pardoning him.
Earl Hall's mouth trembled and immediately chose to remain silent. He grabbed the red fruit from the fruit plate, penetrated the three layers of ham with a fork, then clamped them together in slices of bread, squeezed them hard, then stuffed them into his mouth, and chewed them loudly. He reached out to flick the food residue on his beard, and the Earl raised his head, as if he wanted to express something, but in fact he just poured himself a glass of wine, poured it down hard, and cleared his throat.
"Everything we do is for the children," Grand Duke Saloyang secretly pinched his fingers and stared at the army, but his words were said to Earl Hall: "As long as the children are good, it is worth doing anything. Children's affairs will naturally be solved by the children's age."
This means that when the crown prince ascends the throne and becomes king, he will naturally forgive him. However, the three words "at that time" are similar to "never". Earl Hall ate another homemade sandwich, then nodded, wiped his mouth, and stood up: "Grand Duke, I have eaten it. Where will the lighthouse leader and my people arrange it next? Are there any tasks?"
"Does Andrew want to bring the army led by the Lighthouse to participate in this battle?" Da Gong asked knowingly: "No, I don't want his enthusiasm to affect my relationship with the Sect Master. Let the army led by the Sect Master stay in the Sect Master. But Andrew can come to the front line to see what the word is called? Yes, observer. If he can report the situation he sees to the Sect Master in a better way, that would be a great help."
"I will let him come." The Count just stood up and had no intention of leaving.
"As for you, Count, your battle position is by my side. I don't need you to charge, I have enough knights to do this." The Grand Duke smiled, but there was not much sincerity in his smile: "In a few days, the nobles of Feinberg will understand that their defeat is decided, and that many will surrender at that time. I hope you, as my important minister, will meet the surrender together."
"This is my honor." The Count responded, and the Grand Duke announced that he would remove the dining table and follow the army.
Feiqi has been watching all this quietly. He has now no hope for Grand Duke Saloyang to restore his surname, but is this what Count Hall wants to see and hear with his own eyes? Feiqi is not sure whether Count Hall wants to express the meaning of "I have done my best, and your brother has also done my best. The obstacle is this Grand Duke, not someone else"? If this is true, does that mean that there is only one possibility of life and death between the Hall family and the Aria family?
He thought for a while, and then became more and more determined to this idea. The situation was basically determined, and both sides just lacked a grand reason. From the surface, Grand Duke Saloyang has stronger troops and a higher position. At the same time, he will soon become the king and take the initiative. Especially once the situation on the battlefield is stable, he can be removed from the grind and killed the donkey at any time.
Feiqi has his own natural position, and he will stand firmly on the side of the Hall family. There is no doubt that he is ready for the battle. However, will the person in front of him, Earl of Hall, let the battle happen? Judging from the previous arrangements, his "father" is definitely not a good-looking lamp. If he is not prepared secretly, Feiqi will definitely not believe it. However, these conspiracies and tricks of the court are not words, nor are Feiqi's strengths. Even if he glares his eyes out, he can't see any clues now.
So, Fitch and Shani followed Earl Hall, Earl Hall followed Grand Duke Aria III, and led the army to head towards Feinberg along the river. In the afternoon, they came to a castle called Laco, which guarded the river from the sect's pivot to Feinberg's gate. From a distance they could see the rising gray smoke columns, and it was obvious that the battle had ended long ago.
Laco is just a small castle where the Zanthal family lives. The best knight in their history is just a viscount. Now it can only maintain the baron's ranks. How can it stop the sudden army? In just less than half an hour, the castle was captured, and the Zanthal family "sacrificed their lives to defend Feinberg."
The army did not stop. They had to attack fifty miles before being discovered to seize the strategic location Gefate, and then they could encircle the army placed on the front line in reverse, and even take out their hands to directly attack Fernberg's capital and take the land in one fell swoop. Along the way, Earl Hall was explaining the war situation to Feich, and those place names that Feich was not familiar with made him dizzy.
"Why, impatient? I see you haven't spoken for a long time, or even talk back, you must be absent-minded." Earl Hall glanced at Feich. Even with his mask, the father could see a lot of information. "I'm thinking now that if you changed your positioning between you and your brother, would it be better?"
"Obviously, even if you change your position, Andrew will not castrate you." Feiqi said: "I really don't want to listen anymore, because the situation on the battlefield is not important at all. Now Salouyan has the advantage, and even if he makes some mistakes, it will only increase casualties and losses, and will not affect victory - unless the sect responds quickly and the army supports Feinberg, and this situation will not happen at all. The battlefield is just a continuation of politics. Politics is the manifestation of the economy, and the economy is the possession of survival resources. So, let's think about how to deal with the Grand Duke first. Are there any preparations? Can you tell me in advance?"
The Count looked at Feichi with some surprise and nodded: "You are right, but it's not the time yet. You must wait until the Grand Duke of Aria III becomes King of Aria. When he is full of ambition, it is time to see everything. Feinberg can no longer stop him, even if this flanking battlefield has not been opened. In order to get pardon and go home, your brother Andrew took the initiative to invite the Grand Duke to pass here. This is a very pedantic act, don't learn from him. Remember: the requests you make will be discounted, and let others propose what you want to truly get it."
"Wait, what you mean is that Andrew's behavior did not communicate with you?"
"No." The count snorted: "Have you discussed with me before you castrated the crown prince? You brothers are exactly the same in this regard. If you think you are right, you dare to do it and cause all kinds of trouble."
“Isn’t this still you, can you see opportunities from trouble?”
"Very good, at least you can understand that trouble is opportunity." The Earl said: "For so many years, the battle between Aria and Feinberg has been fierce, but in fact there is no turmoil. It is as calm as stagnant water. It is too calm, but there is no place to focus or exert force, so our Hall family has not invested energy there. Although your brother's reckless and innocent behavior is an accident, it finally revitalized the stagnant water in front of him. Next, it depends on who has more friends and who has more skillful means. In the years of war, many people have been dissatisfied with Aria's stubbornness and ambitions. If they don't make money once they fight, then as you said: economy triggers politics, politics triggers war. Hey, who taught you this passage, I don't remember that I taught you."
"I've never been a good student." Feiqi shook his head and pointed ahead: "Look, black smoke is rising again."
"The vanguard has begun to attack Gefate, which is expected. After all, a small castle like Laco cannot use the army to do its best, so the main force must go around and attack forward directly, leaving only a portion of the infantry to ensure that the river can be smooth. This time, Saloyan was in charge, but the real command was Marquis Astes Zieg. This man is the confidant of Grand Duke Aria III, and a very powerful guy."
"Am Is it an opponent, a friend or a passerby?"
Chapter completed!