Heart of the Castle

Chapter 670 The Allied Forces counterattacked, news of wars spread frequently
The howling wind, mixed with drizzle, ruthlessly whipped the ancient city walls of Green Castle. After the dirt on the chlorite was peeled off, a wet and cold light shone in the rain.Even the banners flying from the many minarets were bowed down by the wind and rain, and the rain-soaked cloth became extremely heavy.In the griffin nest next to the roof of the main building, several brown-yellow griffins were stretching their wings restlessly, and then folded them up again. The humid air drenched their feathers, and they looked like a group of poor people. The drowned chicken.

Although it has been windy and rainy since yesterday evening, the buildings in Greencastle have not been silent because of this, and they are still full of people and lively.All the more than a dozen blacksmithing furnaces in the blacksmith shop are full of fire, and the sound of the steam bellows improved by the little elves is like the heavy breathing of a dragon, and from time to time a gust of gray-white scalding steam rises into the sky; the big cafeteria is in the process of making Watching the lunches of several troops stationed nearby, the smell of barbecue, black bread and beef stew wafted into the air, and even the heavy rain couldn't cover it up; The boots trampled on the wet and slippery hard muddy ground poured by the rain, the long swords shining with faint fighting spirit were raised and then chopped down neatly, and the wooden target dummies covered with simple armor suddenly shattered in front of them.

Liveston watched all this through the narrow high window of the tower, but his thoughts flew away to things that had nothing to do with it.During this period of time, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of hermits sent to Xifeng County, the labor force in Xifeng County is gradually migrating to the north. This is a very large number. Xifeng County was originally second only to Beijing County The Kingdom's second largest county, plus its products and climate are more suitable for breeding and planting than Northern County, has a population of more than 50 people. Even after the massacre of demons, more than 30 people survived.

If there is spare power to stabilize the situation in Westwind County, it will have immeasurable double benefits for the new King Arthur.One is that it can add a piece of land that is more fertile than the northern border, and the other is that it is the first act of regaining the territory after the disaster, which is enough to make the halo of Arthur I's resurrection linger around him.

But the premise is that it must be able to hold on.

The terrain of Xifeng County is flat and open, and the vast majority of areas are safe to defend, which is very suitable for large armies to launch operations.With the current military strength of the northern border county, it is absolutely difficult to defend the west wind county while firmly defending the northern border. Even with the full assistance of the orc tribe and the elf royal court, I am afraid that they will be dragged into a tragic war of attrition by the demons, and The war of attrition is the favorite method of the demon army.

More than 20 days have passed since the exciting victory at the Moonglade Outpost. Now the demon army in Westwind County has received support from the capital. The orc tribe stationed in the Iron Rock City of the Magic Mountain can find small groups of demons almost every day There are no signs of activity, and the elf silver Pegasus knights who are scouting in the direction of the port city of Arius can often encounter small groups of Winged Demon troops, and chases and confrontations happen from time to time.

This situation has also fallen into the eyes of the people living in Xifeng County. Except for some people who are greedy for profit, disregarding danger, or short-sighted, and cannot leave their homeland, even many nobles and knights feel that the situation is critical and clean up. Pack up and head north to avoid the impending danger.Moreover, this danger is imminent. According to the report of the big crow scouts who returned to Greencastle two days ago, several villages near the county town of Xifeng County have once again fallen into the hands of the demon army. One piece is enough to light up the sky for hundreds of kilometers at night.

The old red-robed scholar Master Sugard coughed dissatisfiedly, waking Li Wei from his thoughts. The Griffin Lord almost dropped the quill and grabbed the pen holder in a hurry. The heavy tome had turned to the last page, and he was looking at himself with a straight face.

"Your Excellency the Regent of Leviston," the old scholar said with a heavy tone, "with all due respect, you shouldn't have been distracted just now. The rain scene outside the window is certainly beautiful, but I'm afraid we don't have so much time to waste. If the weather clears , you’re going to be busy with official duties again, and you don’t have time to study these things.” As he spoke, he picked up the thick tome wrapped in bronze at the four corners, and placed it heavily in front of Li Wei.

Li Wei hastily blocked the smoke rising in front of him with his hands, coughed a few times, and said with an embarrassed wry smile on his face, "Sorry, Master Sugad, I really didn't listen to your explanation just now... because I suddenly thought of it. Is the current situation facing the Kingdom of Arthur somewhat similar to the situation faced by the Zhongxing Emperor Douglas II of the Celestia Empire that you mentioned?"

Li Wei's question made the expression on Master Sujiad's face calm down immediately, "You can think of this, Master Li Wei, it means that you have not read the historical classics in vain during this period." The old scholar nodded gratifiedly, and put the The classics turned to the place where that period of history was recorded, "However, compared with the time of Douglas II, the current enemies facing the Kingdom of Arthur are more cruel and ruthless. Douglas II is facing domestic rebel forces and collusion with foreign races. His uncle The assassination of the Dark Foolish Emperor Daeron III caused the great empire to split into more than a dozen forces that fought against each other. Although these forces have their own tendencies, they are still internal conflicts in general. It won’t be wiped out. But demons are different, whether they are humans, elves, orcs or other races, there is no fundamental difference in the attitude towards these invaders, that is, to fight hard and die.”

Li Wei nodded in agreement, put his hand on the hilt of his sword and stood up abruptly, "The conflict between the warriors who defend the country and the invaders is really irreconcilable, the gods in the sky bear witness, unless all the demons are completely wiped out from our homeland. Drive them out, otherwise I will never put down the sharp sword in my hand."

"You are a real knight, and this sharp sword is also a real demon-slaying soldier... But what I am worried about is, before this sharp sword cuts at demons, it may first cut at our flesh and blood compatriots, right?" Master Sujiade sighed heavily, subconsciously twirling the burnt-yellow and brittle ancient parchment with his fingers, "The disaster has not subsided, and the flames of war have risen again. Once the affairs of the two counties in the east are not handled properly, and the kingdom is in conflict, there will be another How many soldiers' blood stained the dust, how many lives ended under the butcher's knife?"

"Master Sugard, are you talking about internal strife in the kingdom?" Li Wei snorted, "If the Death Knights refuse to accept Her Majesty's will, then the ensuing war should be called rebellion and counter-rebellion."

"Whether it's fighting against rebellion or strife in the kingdom, isn't it all the blood of our brothers?" The red-robed old scholar murmured with a weary and painful expression, his voice was so weak that it was almost indescribable, "Your Excellency the Regent, Emperor Zhongxing Douglas II's reputation in history is not pure and flawless. The damage he caused to the Celestia Empire by his ruthlessness was almost as great as his achievements. , Gradually slipping into the abyss of extinction, so... we must be cautious about this!"

"Master Sugard, I know that your persuasion is based on benevolence rather than self-interest, but on the issue of the two eastern counties, I am afraid we have no choice." Li Wei frowned, "Her Majesty Queen Fleisher is the legitimate heir of the kingdom , even if her father once had ulterior motives and attempted to get his hands on the Golden Throne, this cannot be erased. As for the false king supported by Lord Thomas Jansen, Master Sugard, you are proficient in the history of various countries and the law of succession to the throne. May I ask which one of them points out that while the legitimate heir is still alive, the illegitimate children have the right to inherit the throne?"

Master Sujiade leaned back, with a slightly terrified expression on his face, "No, Your Excellency the Regent, there has never been such a law, and I definitely don't mean to ask you to bow your head to that false king. It's just... It’s just that the subjects of the Kingdom of Arthur have already shed too much blood, if a civil war breaks out, even under the banner of rebellion and rebellion, the national strength of the Kingdom of Arthur will be further weakened..."

"That's why I agreed to the proposal of Lord Chancellor Bamilian, reopening the round table council system, honoring Her Majesty Queen Fleisher as the nominal supreme leader of the kingdom, while the real power is temporarily vested in the twelve members of the round table council The members have mastered it." Li Wei replied calmly and firmly, "This is already the biggest concession that Arthur's court can make, but you saw the situation that Lord Marquis Jellos, who is the special envoy of the kingdom, encountered in Great Serre County. Have you treated him lightly? Although Lord James Serre is nominally the sheriff of Great Serre County, even children know that he is just a puppet manipulated by Thomas Jansen! That guy is probably more interested in barbecue and eel pie than he is. It is much bigger than life and death of the kingdom, benevolent Father God, if I see that fat guy, I will lock him up in the dungeon, and only cook three meals a day for him ** the Eldar chef delicious food!"

The corners of Master Sugard's mouth twitched slightly when he heard this, and then he put away the ancient scrolls and books on the table with a wry smile, "Your Excellency the Regent, I was too inconsiderate just now." He admitted in a low voice, "What you said That's right, the choice of fighting in the same room or not is not in our hands, but in the mind of Lord Thomas Jansen, the head of the Death Knights who holds the power in the two eastern counties."

The voice of the old scholar paused for a while, and he carried a few folded scrolls to the wooden shelf by the wall and put them away, then turned around and continued, "However, I believe that the hearts of the people in the two eastern counties are still for the orthodox king, then A false king will never be supported by the nobles and the people of the kingdom, so... So as long as we unplug that obstacle, we can surely avoid the worst situation from happening."

"Thomad Jansen is very powerful as a knight, at least the Earl of Ansair has told us this with his life." Li Wei tapped his finger on the table, which was what the young griffin lord said when he was thinking hard. a small gesture. "As for his strength as a commander, we don't know, but judging from the fact that he easily made hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the two eastern counties bow their heads, it should be of a considerable level. Such an opponent is difficult to defeat, and it is even more difficult to make him submit. .”

"A sword cut from the front is easy to resist, but a dagger stabbed from behind is not so easy." Master Sujiad's voice was as soft as a whisper, and there seemed to be a shadow on his face, with a mysterious and unspeakable expression, "Your Excellency the Regent, I'm afraid you have forgotten that you still have the sharpest dagger in the shadows?"

"The sharpest dagger in the shadows?" Li Wei's expression looked a little gloomy, and the corners of his mouth were as tight as a gap cut by a sharp blade on his face, "Master Sugard, I must have misunderstood what you mean, right? You just said , send assassins to assassinate Thomas Jansen?"

"Although it does not appear to be aboveboard, this is the best strategy to resolve the current crisis of the civil war in the Kingdom of Arthur, Your Excellency the Regent." Master Sugard replied in a hoarse voice, "I implore you to put the interests of the kingdom first and put your personal likes and dislikes aside. God of Wisdom Merkativo, if Tomad Jansen survives and refuses to let go of the power in his hand, a tragic war between brothers will be inevitable."

Li Wei raised his eyes and stared at Master Sugard. It was not a young student, but the majestic gaze of the guardian of the entire Kingdom of Arthur. The invisible pressure in the gaze made the old scholar's heart tense, and his withered fingers were in his sleeves. Clenched into a fist.

The silence shrouded in the tower didn't last long, Li Wei sighed softly, then looked away, "Let's stop here for today, Master Sugad, your proposal is very reasonable, I will think carefully and make a judgment."

Master Sugard hesitated for a moment, his lips twitched before he could speak, and finally bowed silently, leaning on his crutches and turning to leave. Outside the gate of the tower came the clang of guard knights knocking their chests and saluting, and then fell silent again.

The young griffin lord sat quietly behind the long table, looking out the window with an indifferent expression. Although the rain had slowed down, the sky was still gloomy and depressing, obviously it was still early for the sun to clear.The same is true of Li Wei's mood.Master Sugard's proposal was completely beyond his expectations. Assassins, assassinations, and daggers, these should have been hidden filth in the dark palace, but now they have clearly become choices in front of him.Authority is the king's weapon, etiquette is the nobleman's weapon, the sword is the knight's weapon, and the assassin is the coward's weapon. These words were once believed by Li Wei, but because of Master Sugad's proposal, a huge wave was set off in his heart .

Li Wei has not read many historical books. He didn't have such an opportunity at the beginning, but now he doesn't have enough time.However, from these broken scales of history, there are no less than ten plots, poisoning and despicable assassinations. Whether it is a wise monarch, a wise prime minister or a brave commander-in-chief of the three armies, they all died in the dark and assassinated. The precedent under the coming dagger, history has also undergone tremendous changes.

Whenever he read these places, Li Wei couldn't help sighing in his heart. Although it was hundreds of thousands of years ago, he could still feel the sacrifice of the victims through the words recorded on the parchment scrolls. A kind of sadness and resentment that cannot be rewarded, and expresses deep contempt for those despicable assassins.

And now... don't I have to consider using this despicable and shameless method?

Thinking that in the historical classics of later generations, there might be a record that "the jealous regent Li Weiston sent an assassin to despicably assassinate the commander Thomas De Jansen who was fighting on the front line", the young griffin lord couldn't help but raise his hands. Holding his head, a painful moan escaped from his mouth.

"There is no worse evaluation than this." Li Wei thought with a depressed face.In all fairness, Lord Gnateye is a respectable opponent.On the night of the fall of the capital, he was able to lead half of the death knights to break through the blockade of the demon army; when the two eastern counties were in crisis, he was able to seize power decisively, kill the county guards, eliminate dissidents, and use iron fists to suppress all opposing voices go down.Although this shows a cruel and cruel side, it is also the determination that an iron-blooded general should possess.

It would be great if Beijing County and Dongfang County can truly join hands to fight the enemy. Taking advantage of the great victory of the Moonlight Grove outpost, and attacking the demon army occupying the capital from the north, west, and east, the chances of winning are really not small.Li Wei couldn't help shaking his head and sighing. This idea had been brewing in his heart for a long time, but the news brought back by Babrupa completely shattered it.The act of supporting the illegitimate son he found out from nowhere as King Arthur is undoubtedly a betrayal of the kingdom, and at the same time, it also confirms his vain attempt to claim Arthur's kingship.

The reopening of the round table meeting is already the limit of what Queen Fleischer and the new King Arthur can do. Now that they have been ruthlessly rejected, the positions of the two parties can no longer be reconciled.Li Wei never thought that one day he would face off against the knights who belonged to the Kingdom of Arthur, but this possibility seemed unavoidable.

Sending assassins is undoubtedly a despicable business, but as Master Sugad said, if the crisis of civil strife in the kingdom can be resolved at the least cost, if a dagger pierced in the dark can prevent wars and troubles everywhere. Is the bloody battle of Fenghuo the real benevolent and wise choice?
If it wasn't for the sound of knocking that woke up Li Wei, the Griffin Lord might be immersed in his thoughts, and maybe he would sit in the tower for the whole morning.He walked to the vertical window and opened it forcefully, a gust of cold rain poured in immediately, making him tremble all over unexpectedly.

"Shut up, you're freezing to death! Hurry up, hurry up~!" The drenched and embarrassed big crow jumped out of the window onto Li Wei's shoulder, flapping its wings and yelling loudly, "Damn it! The weather, quack, old lady... quack, no more sending letters in the rain!"

(End of this chapter)