On the street, a little girl holding a piece of cloth passed by and couldn't help but glance at the tall Cohen.
"Move less, the servant should act like a servant," Raphael walked beside Cohen and frowned: "There are people from the North all around - it is inevitable that there are no spies from Lombard."
Cohen snorted in dissatisfaction, but still bowed his head obediently and pressed his northern linen cloak.
He touched his chin and sighed.
The dark oil paint on the face... is not breathable and a bit stuffy.
The security officer looked at the carriage behind him and frowned: "Does this really work?"
Raphael ignored him, just glanced at the carriage behind him, and then continued forward.
Soon, Raphael saw their destination.
He is dreaming.
he knows.
This time, Thales knew clearly: this was a dream.
A familiar dream.
In the dream, he was still sitting leisurely and happily in the classroom, listening to what others were saying:
"Poggi's book mentioned that on the way from feudalism to absolutist rule, the hierarchical state - this is a German word, st?ndest+t, don't use an English-Chinese dictionary to look it up - is a piece that cannot be ignored.
an important springboard.”
"Emerging urban groups require a stable and secure political and economic environment. Obviously, this is incompatible with the traditional lord-vassal model based on personal relationships, so these urban groups began a short-term cooperation with the ruler for the sake of profit.
, began to participate in governance through hierarchical meetings and other methods, and their appearance actually weakened the feudal factors and turned the long-standing dual feudal system of monarch-princes, lord-vassal into a complex triangular relationship."
"But this is far from the centralization of power in our impression, it is just the process of achieving this result: these third forces recognize and support the special status of the rulers, rather than just treating the rulers as peers like the feudal princes; through
With the many taxes implemented by the estate meetings, the rulers strengthened themselves and strengthened their domain rule."
"The rulers also used this to grant privileges to civilians and recruit servants. In this process, a large, professional, prudent, and institutionalized public management agency gradually took shape, laying the foundation for the subsequent absolutist rule.
.”
"Bureaucracy, bureaucracy, or bureaucracy - although I don't like this translation very much, it can easily give you some subjective bad impressions - this is a basic concept that you should have been exposed to from textbooks when you were in college. It is not essential.
Students with professional backgrounds may wish to read Weber's original work. Although it is difficult to read, it is much more interesting than the second-hand summary you read in textbooks..."
Boom!
A slight vibration came, awakening Thales from his deep sleep.
"What's wrong?"
In the Camus carriage, Thales opened his hazy sleepy eyes and hurriedly wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth while looking dazedly at the other people in the car: "I, did I fall asleep?"
Outside the carriage, the residents of the Northland who were coming and going looked worried. The White Blade Guards had already changed their clothes and dressed up as ordinary Northland servants.
The costumes of the Camus people are consistent with the two Camus carriages with the rice dagger logo that Thales and the others are riding in.
"Be patient, Your Highness," Putilai beside him turned his head calmly, politely not looking at the prince's embarrassment, and observing the situation outside the car: "It looks like we are almost at the first city gate.
Already."
Sure enough, at the end of the road outside the car, the outline of the city gate and the Palace of Heroes had already appeared in the field of vision - many curious civilians wanted to get closer, but were driven away by the patrols under the city gate.
When Thales first came to Longxiao City, the first city gate he had ever stepped into arrived.
But it is now in the hands of the enemy.
The Palace of Heroes is right behind it.
Thales breathed a sigh of relief, calmed his pounding heart, and pushed the dream out of his mind.
He cast his eyes on the serious Nicolai opposite.
"It's time," Meteorite raised his head, "Let's part ways here. I'll go to another carriage right away. We have to take Miss Walton away..."
"As for you," Nicolai narrowed his eyes, "I wish you good luck."
Thales exhaled from his nose.
"Thank you and your brothers, thank you for bringing us here," the prince looked out the window, looked at the carriage behind them, and frowned: "take good care of her - become a Walton, in this kind of
It’s not a good situation.”
"The rest is up to us."
Nicolai's face darkened.
But he immediately raised his head and looked at the prisoner beside him, Marquis Slys, and said bitterly: "Be smart, old friend, otherwise... I promise you, you won't want to provoke a white-knife lurking in the dark.
From the former commander of the Guards."
Shless, who was gagged and had his hands tied behind his back, nodded and tried his best to show a calm and polite smile.
Unfortunately, because his mouth was blocked, his smile looked a little awkward.
At this moment.
The carriage stopped.
Everyone in the car looked out the window subconsciously.
Outside the car, a dozen soldiers wearing patrol uniforms waved to the convoy and walked towards them.
Behind them, there were at least several hundred colleagues, walking back and forth in all directions, seeming to have set up a line of defense around the city gate.
"Patrol team?" Thales was horrified: "They are from Lomba?"
"Well, not only have the city gates been closed, but unexpectedly, a warning line has been set up at such a long distance." Putilai narrowed his eyes: "It seems that they have conducted a very strict investigation - even though they knew it was a lie.
Good stuff, but it’s quite real.”
"Get ready, it's time to start."
Thales's heart was shocked. He looked at the first city gate in the distance, imagining the Palace of Heroes behind it and the figures in the palace. He couldn't help but clenched his fists and his eyes became firm.
coming.
My fight.
Opposite him, Nicolai's face tightened.
The Fallen Starman cut the rope around Slash's body, and then pulled out the strip of cloth from his mouth.
Putilai smiled at Shless and said, "It's time for you to show your negotiation skills, Lord Marquis."
"Any idea what to do?"
Shless breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the carriage: "Ms. Harvest, of course, but I want to say..."
The next moment, the Fallen Starman's hand instantly squeezed Marquis Slice's shoulder.
The latter immediately bounced off the carriage as if he was electrocuted.
"Be honest," Nicolai's voice contained a hint of threat: "If I find out that you dare to play tricks..."
Shless was so painful that he broke into a cold sweat.
"Relax, relax, Your Excellency," the Kangmas man sweated and shook his head awkwardly: "If you let me negotiate, you must ensure my safety, right?"
"I can't guarantee your safety," Nicolai said coldly, "but if something happens, I guarantee you will die before us."
In this regard, the considerate Shless could only express "understanding" with a smile on his face.
Thales took a deep breath and showed a reassuring smile to Putilai.
More than a dozen patrol members walked into the two carriages with the Camus logo and looked at the Northlanders and foreigners surrounding the carriages with unkind expressions.
The car window is open.
"Good day, diligent sir."
"I am Shless Bermula from Zenliu City," said Marquis Shless with blond ponytail and elegant demeanor, with a comfortable expression and a relaxed tone, and nodded slightly towards the nobleman who looked like a law officer under the car:
"Sorry, I have very urgent matters and I need to go to the Palace of Heroes. Can you please accommodate me?"
The order officer was slightly startled: "Commas people?"
In the carriage, everyone remained silent, waiting for Shless's negotiation.
If he suddenly regrets it or...
Thales sighed.
Nicolai gently touched the handle of his knife and stared at Slesi's back.
"If you can't make a decision, I think your boss should know me - I mean 'direct boss'." Shless smiled and nodded.
The leader-looking order officer frowned, turned around, patted the shoulder of a soldier next to him, and whispered a few words to him.
The latter seemed to have received the order and turned around to leave.
"Of course, I have heard your name, sir. You are one of His Majesty's distinguished guests." The Order Officer raised his head and nodded respectfully to Slash: "But I am also sorry: every car trying to enter the Palace of Heroes
Carriage, every noble who attempts to enter the Palace of Heroes must undergo verification."
"This is an order from the Prime Minister."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the carriage was shocked!
Thales and Putilai looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.
prime minister?
Not Rumba?
This means...
Shless's expression was extremely shocked.
"Wait, you mean," Shless opened his mouth unconsciously, looked at the patrols around him, and asked nervously: "Is this an order from the Prime Minister?"
The order officer seemed a little surprised by the Marquis's reaction. He first looked at his colleagues and subordinates, and then nodded to Sles.
The Marquis in the car frowned suspiciously: "You mean, the Earl of Lisban, the Prime Minister of Lisban?"
"Yes, the entire city's patrol teams are now directly under the command of the Prime Minister," the order officer replied seriously: "Is there any problem?"
Shless looked at him blankly: "Prime Minister? Where are they? In the palace?"
The order officer shook his head.
"No, he is right here." The order officer pointed to a room guarded by soldiers on the street beside him: "He is working in the temporary stronghold behind us. I have sent someone to invite him.
If you have any questions, you can ask him or directly."
Shless raised his head with a complicated expression.
"City Gate, the First City Gate," the Marquis looked at the First City Gate in the distance and the vague figure above, and asked hesitantly: "It's already past the time - why isn't it still open?"
"Could it be that... something happened to the Palace of Heroes?"
The order officer's expression changed.
"Of course not," the order officer shook his head very quickly, with a solemn expression that seemed to leave no doubt: "You know, the disaster just happened last night. We will be more cautious in extraordinary times, but don't worry, everything is under control."
Shless narrowed his eyes.
He took a deep breath and looked at the house where the Prime Minister was.
The Marquis asked keenly: "Then why doesn't the Prime Minister go into the palace to take charge? Instead, he has to temporarily stay in a house?"
"The patrol on the city gate is too far away from the cordon you have set up, isn't it?"
"Could it be that... you don't dare to approach the city gate?"
The order officer's brow furrowed slightly.
"You misunderstood. We deliberately made the defense line farther away from the city gate. This is for safety," he replied very seriously, as if to cut off all unnecessary associations of the foreign noble: "We want to ensure that
Before it is safe, keep all possible threats out of the Palace of Heroes, and of course, even the city gates cannot be taken lightly."
Slys raised his eyebrows.
As he spoke, the soldier who delivered the order returned to the order officer and whispered a few words to him.
"Please come with us in your carriage," the Order Officer turned his head and nodded respectfully to the Marquis: "The Prime Minister wants to see you."
Shless's expression changed.
"Oh," he nodded gently, hiding the fluctuations in his heart under his smile, "Okay, we'll come right away."
Shless first gestured to the driver, then closed the window with a calm expression and smooth movements.
The carriage started moving again and moved forward slowly following the patrol.
He turned back to look at the people in the carriage.
When Shless turned back, his expression had become tense and solemn.
Everyone in the carriage looked back at him with pale faces.
"These people, these soldiers," although Shles tried his best to control his emotions, Thales still heard a hint of unexpected panic in his tone: "They are not from Lomba, not from the Black Sand Territory!"
Slash's speech became more and more rapid, and he didn't even care about the hilt of Nikolai's knife on his back, and said angrily: "They are the real patrol team of Longxiao City, the army! Directly under the Department of Order and the Defense Officer
, it’s not fake!”
“The real deal!”
Thales was moved in his heart and looked at the serious-looking patrols on both sides.
Genuine?
In other words, these people are loyal to Longxiao City and Walton's forces?
"What's going on?" Putilai asked calmly: "Prime Minister Lisban showed up and took control of the situation?"
"Probably not yet," Shless shook his head, obviously trying hard to think about the current situation: "I asked: the city gate is still in Lombard's hands - obviously, they are confronting or even negotiating."
The two carriages, together with the Northlanders and Starmen, were moving forward, with the city gate to their right and the house where Lisban was to their left.
Putilai clasped his hands and narrowed his eyes: "It seems that the Prime Minister is more powerful than we thought - with this posture, he has already sensed something wrong in the city gate and even the Palace of Heroes, and led his troops here.
"
Thales sighed softly. He looked at Nicolai with firm eyes: "Now is a good opportunity. You can take advantage of the situation and take Walton... take Miss Walton to evacuate and find your Prime Minister in Lisban - seeking
Whether it's aid or leaving, you can do it."
Before his eyes, the frightened little girl on another carriage appeared.
We have to say goodbye here.
Little slippery head.
Nicolai's expression changed.
"Of course it's convenient for the Northlanders, but the question is, what about us?" Shless gritted his teeth and frowned: "When we see Lisban, what should we say? 'We are going to save your country, please.
Let us go'?"
Thales took a deep breath and thought quickly.
The original plan was to rely on Shles to deceive the Black Sand Army soldiers in the city gate, and then Shles would find a way to send them to the Palace of Heroes.
But now, just before the city gate...
Earl of Lisbon.
prime minister?
what to do?
How to face him?
Or, simply don't face him?
Thinking of this, Thales raised his head and thought thoughtfully: "If we suddenly rush to the city gate now and let Shless take us in, will we succeed?"
"Will Risban and his patrol intercept or even attack us?"
The carriage passed another patrol of soldiers: they seemed more nervous than the other soldiers, gathered around a noble, and pointed at the city gate.
Putilai frowned: "But in that case..."
He didn't say any more.
Nicolai's expression changed, and he looked at Thales.
"You know, you can actually go with me to see the Prime Minister. We will explain everything, combine his strength, and act together," Nicolai said calmly: "With his cooperation, it will be more convenient for us."
As he spoke, Fallen Star glanced at Slys with a cold look in his eyes: "Anyway, we have an 'enthusiastic' witness from Camas regarding the plot to assassinate King Nun."
The face of the Marquis of Camas suddenly changed drastically!
Thales's heart moved.
The prince nodded and asked Nicolai solemnly: "If we go to Lisban... can he be trusted?"
Nicolette paused.
"Earl of Lisban, he is the prime minister of the kingdom and has been His Majesty's right-hand man for many years," Falling Star Man lowered his head and said softly: "And he is a direct vassal of Longxiao City..."
Thales frowned, feeling that something was wrong with Nikolai.