On the last day of March 1033, several inland river cargo ships docked at the docks of Venn City, inconspicuous in the forest of masts.
The ship docked at noon. On the ship, Frederick ate a pack of raisins and half of another pack of dried apples when he saw several carriages bearing the golden edelweiss coat of arms of the Osmaga Empire hurriedly passing by.
Rush this way.
Frederick frowned slightly. Although he promised to visit in a low-key manner, low-key was relative. He had already completed the diplomatic process before and he was also a duke in name only. Is the host trying to be so negligent to give him a prestige?
?
What's more important is that none of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel here came to pick up the ship. Is it because of an accident or something unexpected happened?
Frederick began to observe the topography of the port and the city wall in the distance, and found that although it was flat, it was a bit far away from the city wall. The golden stick cannon needed to be deployed 500 meters forward to accurately hit the city wall.
The carriage soon arrived at the pier, and a middle-aged man who looked like a butler walked up the gangway.
Frederick glanced at the coat of arms on the butler's chest and frowned.
The royal family and nobles have their own rules, and housekeepers and servants are not chosen casually.
The powerful maids in Frederick's family were all the daughters of officials. The ordinary maids and attendants were at least from wealthy families. Only Afu from his family was a bit special, but she was also given the title of baron last month.
The royal family is even more strict. From the housekeeper to the cook, everyone must be a noble, and they are not without inheritance rights. Even the young errand boy must be a landed baron.
Based on Frederick's knowledge of heraldry, the man who boarded the ship was just a knight. He couldn't even be an errand boy in the palace. At most, he was just a gardener.
He felt that the royal family of the Osmaga Empire was not looking down on him, but insulting him. He must move Pea Gatling forward another 500 meters!
The butler came to Frederick, saluted meticulously and said in Puran: "Dear Mr. Charles, my master is waiting for you in the carriage."
Frederick was stunned and turned around in his mind. It seemed that he had used this pseudonym a long time ago, and only two people except Psyche, who went by the pseudonym "Elizabeth", knew about it.
He nodded slightly, got off the boat, and boarded the carriage.
There was a girl with long dark blond hair in the car. When she saw Frederick sitting down, she pouted and said, "Huh, liar!"
Frederick just smiled slightly, handed over half the bag of dried apples in his hand, and asked, "Would you like some apples?"
After saying that, he gestured to the attendant outside the car window to unload the luggage.
The girl took the bag of dried fruits and continued to ask him with a pouted mouth: "Can't you remember my name?"
Frederick looked very distressed and said: "Oh, let me think about it, first of all, exclude Theresia... Ouch!"
Thearesia angrily kicked him in the front of his calf.
Frederick frowned and asked: "Her Royal Highness Princess Theresia, it seems that we are not familiar with each other to this extent, right?"
Theresia's mouth was still pouting: "I'm just angry, angry with you, and I'm even more angry after seeing you!"
After saying that, she picked up the dried apple and ate it.
Frederick was confused and couldn't figure out why he had offended her. He was moved in his heart and asked her solemnly: "Is this what you mean, or is it the meaning of the imperial family?"
Theresia looked even angrier: "Now there is no meaning of the royal family. Who else in the royal family remembers your coming today like me? Everyone went to wait as soon as my father was unconscious."
Frederick was stunned and understood what was going on.
The current emperor of the Osmaga Empire, Ferdinand, has married four wives, all of whom were formally married after one of them died. Currently, he has 10 children over 16 years old with inheritance rights, including Theresia.
The problem is that the emperor's marriage is a political marriage, and the queens, including Theresia's mother, are tools for deepening ties between the royal family and representatives of local aristocratic groups. Now that the emperor is old and sick, and has not appointed a crown prince, so the local aristocratic groups
He began to push the princes and princesses on his side to fight for the throne.
"What about you?" Frederick asked, "Aren't you going?"
Thearesia leaned on her seat, as if she had no strength left in her body, and murmured: "I just want to escape from this place."
"The queen is dead. She fell down the stairs and died. A month before her death, she hunted a bear as high as a room alone while hunting. She was such a powerful warrior, but she accidentally fell down from the stairs.
He fell down the stairs and died."
Frederick was silent for a moment and could only say: "My condolences."
Theresia took a deep breath and said slowly: "Originally, my father prepared a ceremony to welcome you, and he was quite interested in you. But he fell into a coma again in the morning, and the inner city was blocked again.
If Marshal Hicks hadn't remembered you, I wouldn't have been able to come out to pick you up."
Frederick had heard of the name Hicks. During the Battle of the Elbe River, he was leading the army to confront the Piast Kingdom in Bohemia. However, he did not know why the Piast Kingdom later fought on the Elbe River.
After a major defeat, there was no pursuit of victory.
Although he could understand that the emperor's fainting caused chaos to the local government departments, he did not expect that it would actually cause the government departments to be completely paralyzed, with no one coming to deliver the message, and it sounded like this was not the first time.
Thinking of this, Frederick felt that coming here to discuss purchasing supplies was completely out of the question, and he could only find another way.
Thearesia lost interest in talking, and the carriage fell silent.
The carriage quickly crossed the moat and entered the outer city. This area should be a commercial area, and it was very lively with people coming and going.
Frederick found that the artistic atmosphere here was very strong, with many galleries and sculpture galleries, and many people entering and leaving these shops. From time to time, people left carrying boxes.
There are many people hanging their paintings on the roadside, waiting for discerning customers to buy them.
There are also many musicians performing on the roadside. Naturally, there will not be a broken bowl in front of them, but a hat.
The carriage walked for a long time before arriving at the inner city, which was the political core of the Osmaga Empire. The city gate had been closed tightly, and the magic crystal cannon on the city wall had been charged, with a dark red light emitting from the muzzle.
Theresia got out of the car for a moment, and soon the back door opened, and a gray-haired old man appeared in the car.
"This is Marshal Hicks." Theresia introduced.
Hicks smiled bitterly and shook his head and said: "I am no longer a marshal. Now I still have some strength to guard the door."
Frederick greeted him politely: "It is a great honor to meet His Excellency Archduke Hicks."
Hicks asked Frederick: "I am very curious about the Battle of the Elbe. I wonder if you can explain it to me?"
Frederick replied: "Of course."
Hicks smiled and said: "Now is not the time to chat. When you are free in two days, I will visit you again and ask for advice."
Frederick said hurriedly: "My father was still a child when you gained great fame on the battlefield. I dare not accept 'asking for advice'. If you have any questions, just ask. I will tell you the truth if it is not too confidential."
While the two were talking, the carriage arrived in front of the palace. It was very lively here now. A group of people rushed out of it with shouts. Some people shouted: Hurry! Go to the pier to bring Duke Wesson back! Your Majesty wants to see him!