Alien world

Chapter 1822, Section 455: The Emperor Disguised as a Guard

When Oulin returned from the palace complex, she saw Annan with his sleeves rolled up, talking incessantly to a guard, and guessed what had happened.

"Why make things difficult for a guard?" She walked over and was slightly taken aback when she saw what the guard looked like.

"What do you mean by being in a difficult position? I didn't beat him up; on the contrary, we had a very good conversation."

O'Lin nodded to the guard: "You mean 'tickle him'?"

Annan sneered, deliberately glancing at her a few times: "Oulin, I can use the Golden Skull Bracelet to punish tyrannical rulers and treacherous officials!"

Oulin swiftly removed the golden skull bracelet before Anan could react: "What did you say?"

"I said you look really good today."

O'Lin led Annan away, and Annan turned back to wave to the guards: "Goodbye, Clark Holmes."

After walking a little further, Olin, who was ahead, spoke up: "He said his name is Clark?"

"Ah."

Annan suddenly noticed the hesitation in Oulin's tone and cleverly realized, "He gave me a pseudonym?!"

"I never imagined that there would be such cunning and despicable people in the Huanshan Palace Garden..."

Noticing they were heading down the road away from the palace gardens surrounding the mountain, Annan asked, "Don't I need to see the Emperor?"

"You've already seen it."

Annan was slightly taken aback, then quickly turned around, but the guard was nowhere to be seen at the palace gate that was about to disappear from sight.

The supreme king of mankind actually disguised himself as a guard to approach me?
I even teased myself for a long time!
"Why?" Annan asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, maybe he wants to see you privately."

Seeing that Annan was still pondering, Oulin explained, "Don't worry, it's not a bad thing. His Majesty's willingness to send guards overtime to see you shows his trust in you."

Annan thought about it and agreed.

What could be more important than the approval and trust of our ancestors and emperors?
Based on this meeting alone, even if Annam suddenly expands its territory tomorrow and annexes all the small forces between Gem Bay and the Empire, the Imperial State Religion and the Ministry of Military Affairs will turn a blind eye.

Annan was dissatisfied with his performance. If he had known it was the emperor, he would have quickly feigned poverty to demand some compensation, or at the very least, taken a photo with the emperor to post in the embassy. "You, the imperial envoy, want to negotiate with me? I haven't mentioned that morning when I had a long talk with the imperial emperor for three minutes."

As Annam recalled whether he had said anything inappropriate during his conversation with the emperor, he suddenly felt as if something was missing.

Noticing that Oulin was empty-handed, he exclaimed in surprise, "You've lost the ancestor?!"

"Our ancestor has already returned."

"Oh."

……

The palace gardens surrounding the mountain, and the central palace.

The young emperor of the empire stretched out his hands, allowing the captain of the Imperial Guard to remove his heavy armor.

The chief minister stood before the palace, puzzled, and asked, "Your Majesty, if you wish to see him, why not summon him directly here?"

"So that Annan would be trembling with fear and dare not utter a word when he sees me?"

Removing his armor, the emperor rubbed the marks on his shoulders and said casually, "Isn't this much better? We can talk to each other like friends and speak our minds."

“Given Annan Reeves’s style of doing things, I imagine he won’t hold back much, even in your presence,” the Grand Steward said.

"Are you teaching me what to do?"

"Uh……"

"You see, if we met in person, would he dare to talk to me like that?"

The chief minister lowered his head and said to the emperor, "You are teaching me how to do things." Then he had to ask: Where do you think it would be most aesthetically pleasing to build your family's mound of bones?
Sitting back in his velvet-cushioned chair, the Emperor asked, "Olin is almost twenty-six, isn't she? Do you think she's a good match for Annan Reeves?" "Absolutely not, Your Majesty!"

The chief minister looked up in a panic: "Princess Oulin is a clansman personally chosen by our ancestor, and she must not be used for marriage!"

"Don't be nervous, I was just asking casually."

The emperor showed a hint of disappointment. He genuinely found Annam interesting. If he could arrange a marriage between his family and Annam, his family would surely be very lively in the future.

As for randomly picking a member of the clan... let's not even talk about whether he's a good match or not. Didn't Annan Reeves just bring back a six-armed snake demon? He's so promiscuous, which young girl in the clan could handle him?
The young emperor sat quietly in an ordinary chair, recalling every detail of his conversation with Annam, occasionally revealing a smile.

“Priss, do you know what he told me?”

"Is it related to the north?"

"Yes, he said that the whole of Middle-earth is looking forward to us fighting, and even we ourselves are ready to fight."

Recalling Annam's "What a pity," the young emperor murmured, "Yes, then what are we waiting for?"

……

"When the people of the empire are united as one, when the provisions and supplies are ready, and when the nobles understand that war is unavoidable."

Annan started counting on his fingers, following O'Lin's lead: "You orchestrated the attack on Montreal Hill by the Chaotic Cult, and now the people of the Empire are focused on revenge; you started opening banks six months ago to plunder the wealth of the nobles and prepared ample supplies; you can use this assassination attempt to your advantage against the nobles..."

With all three fingers pressed down, Annan looked up: "So war is imminent?"

Oulin didn't answer him directly, but simply said, "Go back as soon as you've settled things here."

"Liberty City needs you."

Annam was solemn.

Is it finally about to begin...?

……

The black carriage carrying the judge drove out of the palace gardens and stopped in front of the courthouse. As Annan gazed at the towering obsidian buildings outside the window with a puzzled expression, the Minister of Ceremonies, Oli, walked up to the carriage:
"The Royal Family is hosting a banquet tonight in the name of the Ministry of Protocol. This is your invitation."

Annan looked at the gold-embossed invitation letter handed to him by Minister Eurydice, but did not accept it: "I will not participate."

He plans to stay in Liberty City and not go anywhere else, to make a good impression for a while.

Of course, the main reason was that Annan didn't get along with those nobles, and he left trade and political affairs to Olmedo and the others.

"There were quite a few noble ladies present at the banquet."

Annan reached out and took the invitation: "But then again..."

After accepting the invitation, Annan went to inform Olmedo and explain the situation.

She sent her aide Peterson along, mainly to ensure Annan's timely return.

After thinking it over, Annan confirmed that there was nothing to hide and agreed to bring his staff member Peterson along.

"Lord Annan, I... I've never attended such an important banquet before. What should I be careful about?"

Annan sized up Peterson: "Stay close to me, um... change your clothes again."

He had a servant from the manor take Peterson to Freedom Street to pick out some clothes.

“Young Master Annan, the manor has suitable clothes.”

"That would be troublesome."

The servant took Peterson to change his clothes.
Annan followed O'Lin, subtly probing the Empire's strategic plans. Just as they were getting impatient with the argument, Peterson, who had returned, interrupted them.

(End of this chapter)