Rose Empire

Upon hearing this, Madachi Tone was stunned at first, and then his face changed drastically.

Emperor Leopold slowly stood up, took his grandson Eddie's hand, and walked out the door.

"His Majesty……"

Madachi Tone wanted to get up and follow, but two strong hands suddenly stretched out from behind and pushed him back.

A team of elite palace guards poured into the reception room.

Leopold stopped in front of the door.

Eddie looked at his grandfather, then at his father, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Duke Panma, you haven't sent knights to serve the empire for many years. Ahem... I have to deprive you of your title." Leopold coughed lightly.

"What kind of crime is this? Your Majesty, it was you who clearly agreed that I could use shield money instead of knight service. You can't go back on your word!" Madachi Tone struggled and roared.

Emperor Leopold did not pay attention to what Madachi Tone said. He continued, "Please stay in the palace for a while. I will give your title and territory to Eddie and his mother."

PS: Thank you all for your monthly tickets and blade recommendation tickets, thank you everyone!

PS2: Thank you asd19634 and Shuke821085392252 for your corrections. The previous errors have been corrected. @q@q@group①榴吧②①7七一榴

Volume 92: Chapter 81 Chapter Wedding (Part )

Amidst the heavy snow, Platinum City welcomed the most important festival of the year - Holy Grace Festival.

For the Oran Empire, this year's Grace Day has another important meaning - Emperor Leopold Holloway's nephew, Henry Holloway, will get married on Grace Day.

Henry Holloway was the crown prince in name only, and all the nobles knew this. On weekdays, Henry Holloway was called the crown prince, and Henry Holloway accepted it with his chin up, and Emperor Leopold had no objection.

If nothing unexpected happens, at Henry Holloway's wedding, Emperor Leopold will personally put the golden crown on his nephew and officially announce Henry as the crown prince.

However, Henry Holloway's wedding was destined not to be peaceful.

Early in the morning, the Duke of Luyuan and his family had just entered Platinum City amidst the traffic of nobles heading into the city for a wedding, when Charlotte learned shocking news.

"What? The Duke of Pham was stripped of his title?" Charlotte said in surprise.

"Yep, it is!"

Andre nodded vigorously. He had just heard this shocking news when he went to say hello to those friends he met yesterday.

"A duke was just taken away like that, and Madachi Tone is still imprisoned in the palace. Emperor Leopold's conspiracy has finally been exposed! Charlotte, will we fall into the emperor's trap if we go to the palace now?"

Andre's face was filled with worry.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "What's the point of telling me about the trap? Go tell father."

The worry on Andre's face disappeared in an instant, and he chuckled: "I'm just worried that if I say something wrong, my father will blame me again."

"Should I praise you for your growth, brother?"

Charlotte felt that her brother seemed to have grown some brains since he appointed himself Duke of Green Plains and was caught and beaten up by Jose Melfield, but not too much.

"On what charge did His Majesty Leopold deprive him of the title of Duke of Penma?" asked Charlotte.

"His Majesty the Emperor said that Madachi Tone has refused to send knights to serve the Empire for many years," said Andre.

Charlotte curled her lips: "This excuse is too..."

"That's too shameless, isn't it?" Andre said, "Everyone knows how much money Duke Panma has given to His Majesty the Emperor over the years."

The Oran Empire has a system called "shield money" - some nobles who need to serve the lord but are unable to fulfill their service obligations for various reasons can pay a sum of money to the lord in lieu of their service obligations. This money is called "shield money".

"Shield money" is a temporary system implemented in difficult times when wars are frequent. For example, years of war have led to a sharp decline in the number of knights. Some small nobles cannot gather enough knights to serve the great lords, so they can pay "shield money".

Logically speaking, the "shield money" system would not be implemented in relatively peaceful times.

But there is room for compromise in everything.

If the lower nobles wanted to pay money in lieu of military service, and the higher lords were willing to accept the money, then "shield money" could be established. This was an unspoken rule in the aristocratic circle.

Duke of Panma, Madachi Tone has given a lot of money to His Majesty the Emperor over the years, and Leopold has never accused Madachi Tone of not serving. In the unspoken rules of the Oran nobles, this is the "shield money" that both parties tacitly agree on.

His Majesty Leopold ignored the unspoken rules and stripped Madazzi Tone of his title on the grounds of non-service, which undoubtedly undermined his own credibility.

Andre's description of His Majesty Leopold as "shameless" seemed to make sense.

However, Charlotte sighed helplessly: "My brother, I have already said it is an excuse, don't you think about the real reason why His Majesty took down Madachi Tone?"

"The real reason?" Andre looked confused.

Charlotte had to explain: "Madachi Tone has been flirting with the Edissa Empire over the years, and his loyalty to Orlan is questionable. If His Majesty Leopold is alive, Madachi Tone may still be a little afraid, but if His Majesty dies, whether Henry Hollowen can still suppress him will be a problem. His Majesty Leopold is helping Henry Hollowen eliminate hidden dangers and pave the way."

The Tone family was a great noble family of the Edisa Empire. Even though Madachi Tone defected from the Edisa Empire to the Orlan Empire, the foundation of the Tone family was not shaken.

Although Emperor Leopold married Princess Cassandra to Duke Panma, Duke Panma did not seem to think that this meant that the noble circles of the Oran Empire had accepted him. In recent years, Madachi Tone had very little contact with the Oran nobles, but on the contrary, he had a close relationship with the Tone family of the Edissa Empire. Not only did he often communicate with them, but he also frequently recruited some talented children from the Tone family to be canonized as low-level nobles in his territory.

The fief of the Duke of Panma was right next to the territory of the Marquis of Blackstone Castle, so Madachi Tone could not hide these things at all. Therefore, many Oran nobles had doubted the loyalty of Madachi Tone, a "surrendered general" with a history of rebellion, and there was no reason for Emperor Leopold not to doubt it.

After listening to his sister's story, Andrei seemed to have suddenly realized something: "So that's how it is. I feel relieved now."

Charlotte really wanted to spit: Don’t you worry about anything?

But she is a lady and it is not right for her to swear like that.

Did Emperor Leopold suddenly strip Panama of his title and place Madazzi Tone under house arrest just to eliminate the potential risk of another rebellion?

Charlotte thinks not.

Madachi Tone may have wanted to rebel over the years, but in fact he never did. The obvious reason was not only that Emperor Leopold made him a duke and married his daughter to him, but also that his neighbor was the Marquis of Blackstone Castle, Brown Lexmond.

Madachi Tone, who had fought alongside Brown Lexman, undoubtedly knew best how capable this first general of the Oran Empire was. With the Marquis of Blackstone Castle around, it would be difficult for Madachi Tone to muster the courage to rebel.

But while the Marquis of Blackstone Castle was firmly suppressing Madachi Tone, Madachi Tone was actually also seriously restraining the Marquis of Blackstone Castle.

Since Madachi Tone was crowned Duke, Brown Lecmont has left his fiefdom only a few times, and he returns as soon as possible every time he leaves. Emperor Leopold has never mobilized the army of the Marquis of Blackstone Castle when he wants to use troops.

The most direct beneficiary of Emperor Leopold's capture of Madachi Tone this time was undoubtedly the Marquis of Blackstone Castle, Brown Lexment. The old shackles on this imperial sword were finally untied and thrown away.

The purpose of taking out a sharp blade is naturally to kill the enemy, or at least to intimidate the enemy.

So who is the enemy that the Emperor of the Orlan Empire is most likely to face in the next few years?

The answer was obvious - Ethel Hollowen, King of the Kingdom of Cato.

On the one hand, it eliminated a potential treason risk, and on the other hand, it freed up the Marquis of Blackstone to deal with the restless Ethel Holloway.

Emperor Leopold's move can be said to have killed two birds with one stone.

However, Charlotte did not intend to explain this second purpose to Andre, since her brother was too lazy to think deeply about these issues anyway.

When Andre learned that Emperor Leopold was dealing with Duke Pamma because Madachi Tone had rebellious intentions, he felt relieved and felt that the Melefeld family must be safe.

The traffic gradually entered the magnificent and newly decorated imperial palace, and then gradually split into several groups under the guidance of the palace guards. Looking at the emblems on the carriages, it can be seen that nobles of different ranks were guided to different palaces for reception.

The top nobles of the empire, such as Melerfield, were led by the guards directly to a magnificent building decorated in gold, red and white, where the wedding of Henry Holloway and Anne Pastor would be held.

This building is called "Gerhard Palace". Gerhard Holloway was the first emperor of the Oran Empire, and Gerhard Palace has always been the place where the royal family held important celebrations. The fact that Henry's wedding was held here shows how much Emperor Leopold valued this wedding.

After entering Gerhard Palace, the families of Jose Mellefield and Count Philip were welcomed by the waiters into a side hall next to the main hall to rest and wait for the wedding to begin.

Although it was just a side hall, it was already very spacious. Not only were there exquisite meals prepared inside, but there were also musicians and dancers performing. When Charlotte and the others entered the side hall, there were already guests in the hall, some of whom were Charlotte's acquaintances.

For example, Fernandez Pastor, Duke of Bonan, and Alphonse Murat, King of the Kingdom of Cochin.

As soon as Jose Melfeld entered the room, he greeted the two of them with a smile. Fernandez stood up and greeted Jose Melfeld enthusiastically. It can be seen that the Duke of Bonan was in a good mood as his daughter was about to get married.

Alphonse Murat also smiled and said a few words to Jose Mehlerfield, but he remained seated and did not stand up. His title was one level higher than Jose Mehlerfield's, and no one could blame him for his attitude.

"Grandpa." Charlotte followed her father and greeted His Majesty Alphonse. Alphonse Murat was Rosie's father, which meant he was Charlotte's grandfather.

Alphonse Murat just nodded without even a smile on his face, and his reaction to Charlotte was even less enthusiastic than that of Fernandez Pastor, who was not related to him in any way.

Charlotte was not unhappy, because Alphonse Murat was not only so cold to her, his granddaughter...

"Father." Rosie pulled José Melfeld to sit next to Alphonse Murat, no doubt wanting to show her important position and role in the alliance between the two families.

However, Alphonse Murat still just nodded, and treated his daughter no more enthusiastically than Charlotte.

Rosie has been at the Melferfields' house for so many years, and Charlotte has more or less figured out what kind of person her "new grandfather" is.

To put it nicely, the old man Alphonse Murat is introverted and self-centered, but to put it bluntly, he is cold and selfish.

Alphonse Murat's indifference and selfishness are almost indiscriminate, whether towards strangers or his relatives.

It is said that when Alphonse Murat was young, he liked to sail on the sea for days. Once, his wife took their child, who was less than one year old, to sail on the sea. The child caught a cold and had a fever when the sea breeze blew. There was a lack of doctors and medicine on the ship, so Alphonse's wife wanted to return to land to find a doctor to treat the child, but Alphonse did not have enough fun and refused to go back.

Alphonse's wife cried loudly while holding her seriously ill child. His Majesty Alphonse thought his wife was noisy, so he had them locked up in the lower cabin where no sound could be heard. When His Majesty Alphonse returned home after having fun, the child was almost dying.

The child who was almost killed by her own father is the current Queen Mary Holloway.

If this is how it is for Mary, how can it be any better for Rosie?

Rosie smiled and talked to her father, but His Majesty Alphonse gave little feedback. Rosie was like performing a stand-up comedy, and the more she spoke, the more embarrassed she became. Rosie's birth as a princess of the Kingdom of Koxin was her biggest reliance. Alphonse did not hide his indifference to his daughter in front of so many outsiders. How could Rosie deal with this?

Seeing the smile on Rosie's face gradually stiffen, Charlotte felt a little sympathetic.

Fortunately, a few more guests entered the side hall at this time, saving Rosie from embarrassment. The leader had a square face, a burly figure, sharp eyes, and was wearing a simple black dress. As soon as he entered the door, Fernandez Pastor, José Melefield, and even Alphonse Murat, who had been silent just now, stood up to greet him.

This man is the Marquis of Blackstone Castle, the empire's first famous general, Brown Lexment.

Brown Lecmont did not put on airs. He took the initiative to salute the kings and dukes who arrived earlier, and the three kings and dukes also saluted him in return.

Brown Lecman sat down next to Fernandez Pastor, Duke of Bonan, so that there were two people on the left and two on the right, facing each other in this side room.

The four big shots might have sat down casually, but Charlotte, who was watching, found it interesting.

The two people sitting on the left, Brown Lecman and Fernandez Pastor, are both close to Emperor Leopold. Fernandez Pastor's daughter is about to marry Crown Prince Henry. The Marquis of Blackstone Castle has always been loyal to Emperor Oran, and Brown Lecman is no exception.

The two people sitting on the right, Alphonse Murat and José Mehlefeld, were not so close to Emperor Leopold. Alphonse Murat and the Emperor seemed to have some unresolved conflicts. Last time, Emperor Leopold's intelligence organization "Claw" had "accidentally" kidnapped him. José Mehlefeld was also hesitant and refused to clearly express his support for the Emperor.

However, despite their different positions, these four "princes" did not feel restrained when chatting. Perhaps it was because they seldom met each other in many years, and the four of them had a lot to talk about.

As the greetings reached their climax, the voices of the four grown men almost completely drowned out the melodious music played by the musicians.

It was not until the last guest appeared that the bustling side hall suddenly became quiet, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

The belated guest was King Cato, Ethel Holloway.

PS: Thank you all for your monthly tickets and blade recommendation tickets.

PS2: The updates have been getting later and later recently, so I will try to update earlier tomorrow!

Volume 93: Chapter 82 Chapter Wedding (Part )

Everyone present knew why His Majesty Leopold asked these "princes" to attend the wedding this time.

Although the four people in the side hall all have their own positions, they have one thing in common, that is - they have no idea of ​​rebellion.

Even Alphonse Murat, King of Kosin, and Jose Mellerfeld, Duke of Greenfield, who had a rift with Emperor Leopold, were unlikely to rebel with Ethel Holloway.

Jose Melfeld simply felt that the civil war in the empire would do more harm than good to the Principality of Greenfield, and he did not want to join either side in any war.

Although the conflict between Alphonse Murat and Emperor Leopold had not been resolved, the Queen was his daughter after all. It didn't matter whether he had a good relationship with his daughter or not. The fact that the Queen was his daughter meant that he and the Emperor had formed a political alliance.

Just like, Alphonse Murat was also cold to Rosie, but Jose Melefeld married Rosie, which represented the alliance between the Green Plains Principality and the Kingdom of Cosin. This is the basic gameplay of aristocratic politics.

Not to mention the Marquis of Blackstone, the Duke of Brown-Lexment and Bonin, and Fernandez Pastor, both of whom lean towards Emperor Leopold and are certainly willing to support the future Emperor Henry Holloway.

In fact, if Emperor Leopold was determined to solve the problem of the Kingdom of Cato once and for all, these two people would probably join the army to attack the Kingdom of Cato without any hesitation.

It seemed that there was no place for His Majesty Ethel in this spacious side hall.

The four seated princes just looked at Ethel who came in silently. They didn't stand up or speak, but their intention of keeping people at a distance was clearly expressed.

However, Ethel couldn't back down at this moment. Today, he had to enter the gate whether he was welcomed or not. This was not only to maintain his usual tough character...

Although Ethel's face didn't show much abnormality, Charlotte could tell from his tightly pursed lips that her grandfather was in a bad mood today.

Only then did Charlotte realize that her grandfather had been tricked by Emperor Leopold twice today.

First, Duke Panma, Madachi Tone, was suddenly captured. Although Madachi Tone should not be an ally of the Kingdom of Cato, his existence can greatly reduce the pressure on the Kingdom of Cato and prevent the Marquis of Blackstone Castle from looking south. Now that Madachi Tone, the troublesome guy, is gone, Brown Lexman has untied the shackles and can finally turn his attention to the Kingdom of Cato in the south.

Second, it is the current situation.

Gerhard Palace is not small, with at least dozens of rooms. It should be enough to arrange a room for each of the five great princes to rest. Moreover, it is more in line with etiquette. Because every king, duke, and marquis here came with their families. Although this side hall is large enough, five families still feel constrained when they get together. Would the etiquette officials of the palace not think of this?

No, they definitely wanted to.

But they arranged it anyway.

So, this must be intentional.