Riding and Slashing

Chapter 113 You Can Be Shameless, But Be Honest
One day later, the fact that Mrs. Bella was a heresy was made public, and the entire Changhe Town was shocked.

Those statues and the corpses of the female soldiers were also placed in the square—someone soon recognized that the statue was the Goddess of Darkness.

At the same time, many citizens and business travelers reported to the administrative office that they had seen a misfortune guide who was followed by the same female soldiers.

Needless to say, Lady Bella's heretical status has been decided.

Perhaps Fawcett himself was unwilling, but in this situation, he could only be forced to make a difficult decision...

He wants to take Lady Bella to Sarleon in a prison van, and accuse Duke Alma of harboring heresy.

Why would he do this?

This matter should be considered in Fawcett's thinking.

First of all, Mrs. Bella's heretical identity has been made public, and there is so much evidence that it is impossible to reverse the case.A heretic has no right of inheritance... The so-called 'posthumous son' is the son of a heretic, and it is impossible for him to inherit Changhe Town.

It was obviously Fawcett's responsibility that the Duke of Alma could not use the Horton family's children to obtain Longhe Town, and he would have lost Alma's trust because of this.

And Leon said that he would hand him over to Godric - Fawcett will definitely not die, but he once slandered Godric as a heretic, so Godric has enough reasons to detain him and imprison him for a year or two Years are normal.

Coupled with the matter between him and his sister, it is not certain whether Fawcett will be expelled from the family, but the best result is to lose the right of inheritance and become an ordinary little nobleman from then on.

In fact, it might not be possible to wait for such a result—with Li Ang's character, once Fawcett is imprisoned in White Hart Castle, it may be difficult to get out alive...

Doing so would of course make Fawcett quite uncomfortable, but if this was done, what good would Li Ang and Amy do?
not doing any good...

This will only bring revenge from the Duke of Alma—even if Fawcett's son is so ineffective, even if he is hanged and beaten after returning home, Alma will still take revenge on Li Ang for this.

After all, it was Li Ang and Amy who exposed the heresy, which caused Alma not to get Changhe Town.Even if the Duke just wanted to vent his anger, Mai Xiangling would immediately face danger.

So Alma must be dragged into the quagmire as well.

So what if Fawcett turned himself in and publicly accused his father, Alma, of harboring heresy?

Probably no one would have thought he would do that, and neither would Alma.

King Ulrik might be ecstatic - he could imagine on his knees that the king would definitely detain Alma in Sarleon immediately.

Fawcett 'captured' Mrs. Bella, the leader of the heresy, and killed his relatives. This is enough to prove that Fawcett himself has nothing to do with the heresy, and he can return to Lion Lake City soon.

However, there is almost no need to doubt the testimony of his own son. Alma will be caught off guard and caught in a lawsuit. Even if he is the first duke of the kingdom, he may not be able to escape for a long time.

Of course, this matter will not have any fatal impact on Alma, after all, it is just harboring.

But Fawcett himself will gain great power for a certain period of time - he is Alma's first heir, and in the case that his father cannot get away, he will become the lord of Lion Lake City and manage affairs on behalf of Alma !
As for Alma's other heirs, they are all minors at present—except for the illegitimate son Forscher who has no right to inherit.

In this case, it only takes a few months or even less time for Fawcett to take the power of the family into his own hands. Even if Grand Duke Alma returns a few months later, it may not be able to shake Fawcett's position !

In doing so, Archduke Alma will only lose some reputation, but Fawcett will gain a lot-if he can seize the opportunity.

So as long as he wants to understand, he will definitely accept it.

And doing so, for Li Ang, can avoid facing Duke Alma's revenge in the short term - Fawcett must seize the time to seize power, and Alma must resolve the accusation as soon as possible, no one has time to find trouble with Li Ang.

And when Alma solves the accusation of harboring heresy, he will inevitably teach this unfilial son a lesson or regain power... It is not uncommon for father and son to fight for power, but before one of them completely suppresses the other, no one will It won't come out to trouble others.

As for the future--it's probably a year and a half later.Li Ang felt that if he was still so weak by then, he would just accept his fate.

Besides, how would the other great nobles and King Ulrik himself react to this situation?

Ulrik is not a fool, he has already fully demonstrated his ability to check and balance—if the situation turns into a father-son struggle for power, the king will definitely find a way to balance the strengths of Alma and Fawcett, and even deliberately control and detain Alma. The time of the Duke of Mary.

Because, after Auden died, there was no one to check and balance Alma—Fawcett could just be the new check and balance weight. If King Ulrik couldn't seize such an opportunity, then he wouldn't be qualified to be king at all.

After all, who would benefit the most from the fact that Mrs. Bella was a heretic?
Undoubtedly, King Ulrik.

All the heirs of Duke Elfwan no longer have the right to inherit, so Changhe Town will be taken over by King Ulrik as a territory directly under his jurisdiction!

King Ulrik probably hoped that Alma and his son would fight the most - Alma had acted as the governor of Changhe Town a few years ago, and his influence must have penetrated deeply by now. Time also had to be governed by the men of Alma.

This is actually the same as not being able to take it back... It is impossible for the king himself to come to live in Changhe Town.

But if Alma gets into a lawsuit and his son is busy fighting for power in Lion Lake City, Ulrik can just take this opportunity to reorganize Longhe Town—for example, first appoint a few consuls who are at odds with Alma, let Changhe The town is jointly controlled by several factions, just like when he appointed Oden to manage the military affairs of Longhe Town.

And the lord also intends to send a gift to King Ulrik at this time.

It is the box of dinars that has been dragging around that has not been given, the box that was "give up money" in the throne room before.

It has been delayed for four months, which is almost the time it takes for a small lord to raise money normally, and it is time to give it now.

The [-] dinars will definitely make Ulrik think of himself—at the same time, the king should also be able to think that the candidate for the consul of Changhe Town needs the participation of a lord like himself who has a bad relationship with Alma...

Political struggle is like this. It is a dirty exchange of interests from beginning to end. Only by taking into account other people's ideas can one keep oneself.

And bribery is actually a very sophisticated technique.

Mrs. Bella has been imprisoned in a prison van, and Fawcett has escorted her to Sarleon City with cavalry.

He even left Changhe Town before Li Ang.

The lord is currently at the ferry, and he has not had time to leave yet.

He is waiting for his team to return.

A day ago, just after he 'convinced' Fawcett, he sent out all his more than 20 cavalrymen as scouts.

And also sent cavalry to Fletcher Village and Ralph's camp to convey instructions, the content is all the same - no matter what method is used, to prevent Baron Leofrick from delivering food to Longhe Town.

Li Ang wasn't sure if Mrs. Bella was talking nonsense, but in any case, it was necessary to check whether the neighborhood was safe.

Not long after, a cavalry corporal reported: "My lord, we found a few small troops about fifty miles to the southwest!"

The lord suddenly became nervous: "Did you see the flag?"

"No flags at all, my lord, I left two brothers to watch... those troops are very strange, there are many women in each of them!"

Li Ang frowned: "...It seems that there is a Legion of Prophets..."

Amy froze for a moment, and obviously remembered: "Could it be the prophet's legion mentioned by Mrs. Bella? Which direction are they moving? Is it Changhe Town?"

"It feels like it's moving to the north, it doesn't seem to be going to Changhe Town... There are many teams of dozens of people, and we dare not get too close."

The lord looked back at the direction, and frowned: "Go north...send someone to Changhe Town to warn them, and make them take precautions! You go to Fletcher Village, tell Charles and Ralph, let them lead the army Come to Mai Xiangling!"

Then he turned his head and said to Amy: "We must rush back to the territory as soon as possible, and let Lord Godric send troops to Changhe Town. This is likely to be an army of heretics. We must organize a strong enough joint army!"

Amy's eyes widened: "Army? Do heretics dare to openly organize troops?"

"When I was in Kewen Village, the Countess told me that Mrs. Bella bought 30 pounds of grain from Fort Yonshield, and it was purchased in advance. The Countess has asked Baron Leofric to send it directly to Long River Town, so I'll let Ralph and Charles stop Lord Leofric from delivering food."

"However, according to the state of Mrs. Bella's blockade in that building, even if the food is delivered, it is impossible for Mrs. Bella to receive it normally... Do you still remember that Mrs. Bella said that she would Dedicate Changhe Town to the Goddess of Darkness!"

"Changhe Town has nearly a thousand garrisons. If they are confident that they can receive food from Changhe Town, it means that the military strength of the 'Prophet Legion' is beyond imagination!"

Amy thought for a while and nodded: "The woman who jumped into the river to escape is probably the messenger of the Prophet Legion! Mrs. Bella said that she used her own blood as a sacrifice, saying that she would welcome the goddess to come! In that case, the so-called Will the Prophet Legion attack Changhe Town?"

"If they directly attack Changhe Town, then don't worry too much, Changhe Town can hold for at least a month!"

Li Ang jumped on the boat at the ferry, and his tone was a little uncertain: "I'm worried that they will besiege Changhe Town, and then send a small team to plunder and look for sacrifices! We must go back to prepare for the war. No matter where they will go, at least we have to There are enough troops!"

Amy frowned, and followed Li Ang onto the boat.

She thought of what the tall and weird woman said: "She can make the goddess descend!"

And Lady Bella's last words...

"Amy...goddess...she's right, only a perfect virgin can be the carrier of the goddess, the hero who brings Pendor..."

Amy shivered involuntarily.

After confirming the existence of the Prophet Legion, the lord took Amy and left Changhe Town quickly.

They went by boat, down the Ayer River, and it only took one day to reach McShamlen.

It's just that the water in many parts of the Aire River is relatively shallow, and only boats and rafts can pass.Fortunately, the cavalry was sent out, and the remaining dozen or so people could be taken away by two small ferries.

On the way back to Maixiangling, Amy finally asked another doubt in her heart.

"Teacher, don't you care about Fawcett? Are you not worried that he will lose control after leaving your control?"

"Fawcett will not lose control - he is a very calm person. After Mrs. Bella's heresy status is revealed, he has only one solution. Unless, he no longer wants any power."

Li Ang shook his head and smiled, "However, a person who has done so many bad things out of fear of losing his inheritance, how could he give up his power..."

Amy is probably still a little uneasy: "But if the Duke is willing to abandon power to fulfill Fawcett, what if their father and son don't fight each other for power?"

Li Ang raised his eyebrows: "Once a person has power, he will not bear to lose it... No one can accept that kind of gap, at least not immediately. Moreover, if the ideas are different, even father and son will not be of the same mind... "

Amy also shook her head and sighed: "Oh, I still don't quite understand people like them, shouldn't father and son be the closest relatives... for power..."

"Sometimes it's not necessarily about power...it's about security and a better life. Just like fish in water, they feel safe in the river... Even if there are boats on the river, they will still swim nearby Come and swim..."

The boat has been going down the river, the gentle river surface is sparkling with the breeze, the water of the Aire River is crystal clear, and occasionally fish can be seen cruising on the side of the boat.

"For people like them, power is like a river... They can only feel safe if they make a river out of that water."

"And you, sir, do you value power?"

Amy also stood at the bow, and the wind blowing her long hair: "I haven't heard you talk about your ideals yet."

However, the lord seemed to be overwhelmed by such a simple question - he was silent for a long time without giving an answer.

At least 3 minutes later, just when Amy thought he didn't want to answer, Li Ang opened his mouth, but his tone was unexpectedly low.

"Originally, I just wanted to live in peace... I have been hunted down all the time."

Li Ang kept looking at the fish in the water: "But now, I really want to have power, otherwise I can't protect myself and the people I want to protect. I want to raise a large army, and even want to unify the continent of Pendor... only That way, I feel safe."

Amy turned her head with a look of surprise: "I thought you would say that you want to save the suffering people of Pendor, overthrow those brutal and corrupt nobles, or eradicate those evil heretics—like those who claim to be the Sons of Prophecy The so-called 'hero' like..."

Li Ang grinned: "Amy, if necessary in the future, I will probably say the same... But the truth is, I became the lord for my own safety... And in the future, I will probably also do it to make myself better." secure and ingest greater power."

Amy also laughed: "It's hard to imagine that such honest words come from a master of deception..."

"I actually seldom lie, Amy, haven't you noticed... I may be shameless and cunning, but I will definitely be honest."

Li Ang shook his head seriously: "Whether it's in business or in the face of enemies, I almost never tell a lie. The only lie is to the delirious Mrs. Bella..."

Amy thought about it seriously for a long time, nodded, and sat in front of the lord: "It's really true when you say that... But, teacher, you didn't tell Fawcett about the Prophet Legion... Another intention of yours , Is it to make him leave Changhe Town immediately? You want to... settle in Changhe Town?"

Li Ang also looked at Amy seriously, expressing his satisfaction with his apprentice's sharpness, he nodded: "Yes, I want him to leave as soon as possible, so that Changhe Town will be left alone for the time being... I will use the horn to summon the Ranger Squad Power, also through the Prophet Legion... to control Changhe Town!"

Amy was very pleased that the lord was able to tell her the truth, but she was also a little puzzled: "Then why don't we stay in Changhe Town and wait for the ranger group to arrive? Why did they let Ralph and the others come to Maixiang to gather?"

"The Prophet Legion is already dozens of miles away, and they will definitely come faster than the ranger group hundreds of miles away... If we stay in Changhe Town, the garrison in Changhe Town will not listen to our arrangements, but will suspect us... We would just be stuck in the city and not be able to do anything."

Li Ang shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly: "Amy, we can only lead a large enough army outside to become the most powerful reinforcement, so that the garrison in Changhe Town will cooperate with us."

……

Returning to Maixiang collar, the territory is as usual.

Only Eric came to report the situation, saying that some cavalry came over two days ago to inquire about the whereabouts of the lord.

At that time, Eric led the patrol team, and only casually said that the lord had gone to Changhe Town, and then they left without any conflict.

Li Ang knew that it was probably someone sent by Fawcett, but fortunately Fawcett just wanted to control himself at the time, and didn't intend to make trouble.

The lord sent Amy back to White Hart Castle to inform Godric of the situation.

Then they took many farmers to Trubrun, intending to bring back the sixty soldiers there—by the way, they also harvested the grain and brought them back.

However, after arriving in Trubrun, two groups of people were confronting each other in the village.

One of them was naturally the sixty soldiers who stayed here.

The other group consisted of about sixty people, led by several knights.

These knights wore black plate armor, black hooded helmets, and black steel leggings—black from head to toe.

Behind them are about twenty followers who are also all in black.

In addition, there are about [-] infantrymen, all dressed in different styles, but well-equipped.

However, Li Ang didn't see any coat of arms from them—is this a group of adventurers or mercenaries?

An archer quickly greeted the lord's banner after seeing the lord's banner: "My lord! These people insist on meeting our lord, and they have been blocked here for a long time...We say you are not here, they will not leave, they don't know what to do what."

(End of this chapter)