When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 895: Peace is within reach?
The water flows rapidly, rolling up the silver edge of the moonlight on the embankment.

The wooden planks on the dock walkway creaked as the porters hurriedly loaded and unloaded goods under torches.

There were oats and sausages from the Mountain County, purple eggs and sweet peas from the Black Snake Bay, and wine cases with wax seals and tax stamps.

Wearing a hooded cloak on a hot day, Halkin stood on stilts, supported himself with a cane, pretending to be an old man, and limped behind Theodora.

Compared to the sickly Theodora a few years ago, Theodora is now in much better spirits because his back sores have healed and he loves horse riding.

She was wearing a long corseted dress and a feather-decorated mask on her face, and she stopped in front of a tall tavern.

Kron Tavern, located on the south side of the Grand Rapids dock area.

This was once the bishop's residence of the church, but was sold to a local merchant during the Thousand Valley War.

Later, in order to make a profit, the businessman re-hired the in-house chef and transformed it into a club-style tavern.

Monks and representatives from different regions and with different political views would chat and exchange ideas here.

However, today someone has reserved the entire place for a masquerade ball, and entry is only by ticket.

"I'm just a businessman. I'm not interested in politics." Theodora stood there motionless, and did not go in. Instead, she said to Halkin, who was squinting at the schedule on the wall.

"I know, that's why I told you not to force it." Halkin pretended to be old.

"No, this is to repay you for curing my back sore, a favor from His Majesty the Holy Grandson."

"It's also to protect the Krabby Patty Publishing House and its business in the Thousand River Valley, right?" Halkin couldn't help but say, "You're a businessman, I understand."

Theodora glanced at him and put the mask that covered his entire face into his hands: "Only look and listen, no questions or words, understand?"

"I still understand this little thing."

They walked into the tavern and came to the stairs. They handed the invitation to two strong men guarding the stairs, and then a waiter led them to the second floor.

The originally spacious second floor was now surrounded by countless black curtains, separating out the dressing rooms.

Halkin and Theodora passed through the mask-changing rooms and entered the bustling hall.

This kind of masquerade was introduced from Black Snake Bay.

In Qianhe Valley, where the atmosphere is gradually opening up, the children of the middle class and wealthy businessmen like this exciting feeling.

After all, Shengsun said that what you love is your life, and you don’t need to care too much about certain rules and regulations.

That is what monks should abide by.

However, now in the hall, this dance has turned into something completely different.

The monks sat at the oak barrel table, drinking wine in big gulps and complaining that their superiors had too many demands on them, were too busy with work, and did not allow them to rest.

The merchants gathered in front of the fireplace, each holding a young former nun in their arms.

Various middle-class citizens, including lawyers, notaries, and craftsmen, also walked between the maids and the barbecue, holding wine glasses.

As long as he puts on a mask, he won't be recognized, as if the austerity campaign initiated by the Holy League never existed.

But wine, meat and women are just embellishments. Their real purpose of coming here has never been wine, meat and women.

Theodora and Halkin each picked up a glass of craft beer and found a corner by the window to sit down.

In the venue composed of all the wine tables, only a circular space and a square table were left.

It is said that on the previous bloodless night, two citizen representatives, Jeanbon and Liporolle, stood on this square table and called on everyone to march.

At this square table, there are still people standing up to express their opinions.

However, unlike the debates in the academy, this is a speech. If you speak too deeply or abstrusely, you will be booed by others.

You have to have a little humor or be easy to understand in order to get everyone's warm applause.

It is essentially a political talk show.

This political club culture has unknowingly spread among the citizens and middle class of Qianhe Valley.

Even so, in the eyes of many senior monks, this kind of dinner table speech is too shallow.

This was also what Halkin thought; these citizens had nothing valuable to say.

"I dare say that Thousand River Valley is the most free and open place in the empire. Do you agree?"

"agree!"

"Let's toast to our Holy Grandson!"

"Tons, tons, tons, tons -"

After saying this and finishing the cup, the speaker jumped off the table. Another person who had been waiting for a long time jumped up:

"...We want bread, not war. Do you know how much a piece of bread costs in the market now? Five dinars..." "Huh..."

"Surrenderists, get out!"

After a speaker who advocated surrender was booed by the crowd, a masked man with a big belly struggled to climb onto the square table.

"I want to make it clear in advance that I have never slandered the great Lord Horn, nor do I intend to question the greatness of His Majesty Horn.

But I have to say, do you know what the situation in Qianhe Valley is like now?"

Theodora suppressed Halkin's hand that was raising its beer and raised her chin toward the speaker in front of her.

Halkin drank his third beer and turned around in confusion, only to hear the spokesman shouting:

“…These examples all illustrate that royal power and religious power should be separated, otherwise the church will be divided and the kingdom will be scattered. What is on earth should belong to the king, and what is in heaven should belong to the church.

At the beginning, Prince Conde, Constance and others committed atrocities, opened the Blue Blood Orphanage, and abused believers.

Our Lord Horn raised the banner of rebellion, gathered the faithful people, broke the imperial decree, and then broke the prince, and his reputation spread throughout the empire..."

Seeing this level of rhetoric and logic, Halkin sat up straight and looked towards the fat man.

He had thick knuckles and traces of frostbite on the backs of his hands.

His accent was almost that of Leia, but Halkin, who had traveled a lot and was well-informed, could still distinguish a few rising, voiced Norn tones.

Is it a Norn spy who sneaked in?
"...After that, the mountain people were greedy for small profits, and Her Highness Meliati became too arrogant.

He actually took the initiative to declare war on the Gravel Plain, forcing King Jinigis to declare war on our Thousand River Valley.

Fortunately, thanks to the persuasion of His Majesty Horn, His Highness Meliati has resigned and given up the position of Autocratic Duke.

In this case, the conflict between us and Leia no longer exists!"

Halkin subconsciously opened his mouth and wanted to refute, but Theodora pinched the flesh on his arm.

Theodora motioned for him to look around. Halkin turned his head and saw that most of the people in the hall were nodding their heads.

How could they believe such talk? Halkin could not understand.

"…Why did His Majesty King Jinigis launch an attack and even call on the Pope to create the "Zha" Army?
It was because His Majesty Horn had to temporarily replace the power of the Autocratic Prince with the position of Patriarch of the Thousand Valleys in order to ensure the defense line during the battle.

Although he is not an autocratic ruler, he is in fact an autocratic ruler from generation to generation.

As Bishop of the Thousand Valleys and Patriarch of the Order of the Holy Cause, he also served as the Absolute Prince and declared himself Pope.

We ourselves know that this is His Majesty's way of ensuring that the disorderly soldiers from Leia's side - we have to admit that there are good and bad people everywhere - do not cause greater damage to the Thousand River Valley.

For this reason, our hero of the Thousand Valleys, His Majesty Horn Garrar, had to endure the slander of heretics and even spies of the Flesh Court.

Such a noble person has to endure such terrible misunderstanding. Today, I am heartbroken! "

His big belly grabbed the collar of his clothes, and he acted as if he was really heartbroken.

But the people present just fell for it. They stopped eating and drinking, stopped touching the women, and all their attention was shifted to that man.

“There is essentially no dispute between Qianhe Valley and Leia, and our army has withdrawn from the Gravel Plain.

The people of the Holy Father and the brothers of believers are tired of fighting.

This is a meaningless war, neither a holy war against the devil nor a counterattack against aggression.

I believe that everyone present here has a heartfelt wish, and that is peace.

For the sake of peace, we need the support of the core members of Qianhe Valley."

I don’t know if this was a pre-arranged arrangement or if someone was really curious: “So how can we support this?”

"It's simple. We are going to launch a petition similar to the Bloodless Night, except that last time it was to remove the tyrant, and this time it's to re-elect the tyrant!"

The big-bellied man raised a parchment scroll in his hand and deliberately raised the volume.

"We will propose to the Council of State to vote on whether to re-elect a despot and send an open letter to the nine counties using the Council of State Bulletin."

At the table next to Theodora, a drunken craftsman asked impatiently, "What open letter?"

“The content of the open letter is two things. The first is to tell the many subjects that we want to elect a new despot, a new monarch of the Thousand Valleys.

The second is to tell the believers what I just said, and tell them that we have petitioned His Majesty and hope to end the war as soon as possible in this way.

This is not about forcing Your Majesty to step down, nor is it about surrendering, but the reason for war no longer exists and war should not exist.

His Highness Horn Garrar can still be the Patriarch of the Holy Word and the Bishop of the Thousand Valleys, but earthly affairs will be managed by earthly people."

As if filled with great enthusiasm, the big-bellied man's eyes were filled with tears, and his words were almost sobbing: "In this way, there will be no more war in Qianhe Valley."

(End of this chapter)