Thales followed the palace steward, Baron Quentin, and listened to the echo of his footsteps, feeling the airtight oppression again.
It was a darkness that even an eternal lamp could not illuminate.
Behind the Duke, Marius was as polite and calm as ever. In fact, there were many people escorting Thales out of the Mindis Hall, but Marius was the only one who was allowed to accompany him into the palace.
This is not a good sign.
But what was different from the treatment he received last time was that everyone along the way—no matter the guards, servants, nobles, or vassals—were respectful salutes to him, addressed him as “Your Highness,” and looked serious and meticulous.
Don't know why.
So, how much price will he pay for his choice last night?
Thales was in a confused mood.
The palace steward in front of him coughed lightly, and the prince instinctively straightened his chest and girded his chest, showing perfect posture.
After twists and turns, they did not go to the last meeting hall, but came to a higher level.
The corridors on this floor are lined with portraits of kings in various periods, which is an eye-opener for Thales:
The son of the Restoration King, John I, who forged the nine-star crown, was full of energy. Although he was nicknamed "Black Eyes", he had a pair of clear and moving blue eyes, which looked quite charming and handsome.
Tormund II, the "King of Blades" who had great martial arts skills and defeated the Blades with one word, remains in a seated statue, which covers up his short stature recorded in history books (after repeated attempts to tamper with it).
The orthodoxy is the most controversial. Tormund IV, the "Exterminator" who rose to power through a palace coup, has a cold expression and sinister eyes. The artist successfully used light and shadow to make his face look eerie and strange, making the viewer uncomfortable.
Su Mei III looks modest and steady, and with his well-groomed stubble, he would definitely be a middle-aged handsome uncle sought after by thousands of people in another world. It is hard to believe that he is the "Jackal" of the stars who is famous for his cunning and insidiousness.
On the second day after he came of age to take charge of the throne, and the day before his wedding, the "Regret King" Bancroft II, who unfortunately passed away, looked sad and aggrieved, as if he had not woken up, which perfectly matched his nickname.
.
The "surviving king" Elam IV, who had ambitions of being a playboy since childhood and had no intention of fighting for power, got rich eight times and had no worries about it. The portrait at the coronation ceremony looked frightened and at a loss. This may be because he was only 55 when he was 55 years old.
He was told to change his surname back to Canxing, inherit the throne, and return all the huge property (inherited from seven widowed wives) to the royal family.
The "Northern Conqueror" Queen Alicia is shrouded in a majestic and bloated costume that is deformed. She is majestic and majestic, with no female characteristics at all, let alone the "beautiful beauty overwhelms all the beauties, overwhelms all nations, and is sixty-year-old" in the history of the officialdom.
The eternal special color of "Double Ten Colors".
"Sand King" Kessel IV looked up into the distance, majestic and sunny. Unfortunately, this could not cover up his mediocre and cowardly nature that became a joke along with his nickname: after his expedition into the desert failed miserably, he was so frightened that he abandoned his army.
With lightning speed, he buried himself in the sand to cover his body, and finally escaped death, leaving behind the famous saying "Invisibility equals invincibility".
Obviously, the three giant portraits in the Mindis Hall that are combined with historical backgrounds are more impressive, but the portraits here also have their own characteristics, which vividly reflect the techniques and habits of different painters, including the artistic styles of different periods.
but……
Thales looked at them quietly and suddenly thought of something strange.
Whether these palace portraits or the legendary portraits of the Three Kings in Mindis Hall, all the people in the paintings look...
Not sincere.
Finally, they stopped in front of a tightly guarded stone room, and the chief commander of the royal guard, Lord Adrian, appeared in front of them, gentle but majestic.
"Baron Quentin," Adrian first saluted and greeted the leading palace steward:
"Alright?"
The palace steward waved his hand, looking like he didn't care.
"Well, well, well, please excuse me now. I have to pay Master Damon's tailoring fee."
Baron Quentin's attitude was hasty, and there was a bit of resentment between the lines:
"You also have to keep an eye on the procurement of royal wine glasses. You know - glass, glass, wine, cup! It's such a huge expense, don't be careless!"
Glass wine glass.
Thales stood behind him, his expression dull.
Captain Adrian just narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Thales finally sighed and sincerely apologized:
"Your Excellency, I'm sorry."
Baron Quentin turned around, stared and blew.
"Oh, Your Highness, you'd better be!"
The palace steward was unceremonious, raised his voice, beamed, and spoke righteously:
"For the sake of your ancestors, do you think that the royal family's money falls from the sky? It's all the people's wealth and the people's anointing, so you can't be generous!"
Baron Quentin gave him one last look and stormed away.
Thales was left holding his chest and shrinking his neck, with a frightened look on his face.
"Please understand that Baron Quentin has been managing the palace affairs for thirty years. He is practical and meticulous, but also stubborn and stubborn," Adrian explained with a smile:
"In the past, when he showed his power, even His Majesty Eddie would give him three points."
Thales forced himself to smile with understanding.
"Your Highness, Lord Marius," Adrian then formally greeted the two of them:
"Welcome to the Imperial Conference Room."
The guard captain turned around and raised his hand, showing Thales a stone door that was as tall as two people:
"Alias 'Ballard Room'."
Under the dim light from the narrow stone window in the distance and the illumination of two eternal lamps, there were at least ten royal guards guarding both sides of the gray stone door, all with serious faces and unsmiling faces.
"Ballard?"
Thales narrowed his eyes, looked at this special stone door, and recalled the royal family genealogy that he had been busy with these days:
"You mean the King of the Stars in the third century of the End of the Era, the 'Believer' Balad I?"
Adrian smiled.
"Exactly."
"Four hundred years ago, 'Djinn' Kahn led a large-scale invasion of the 'mad soldiers' who did all kinds of evil. The frenzy swept the kingdom until it reached the gates of Eternal Star City - which coincided with the reign of King Balad."
The captain of the guard looked back at Shimen and sighed with emotion.
Thales pondered for a while:
"I heard this story in the north. Grand Duke Karn Trudida of Exeter and his 'Djinn March', the nobles of the North are still proud of it."
"So, Ballard Room, was he born here, or did he succeed here?"
Captain Adrian snorted and shook his head:
"When the army came to the city and the mountains and rivers were shattered, King Ballard I summoned the courtiers who dared to enter the palace, gathered them together in one room, appointed them to their posts regardless of their origin, and gave them a long table to decide on strategies to defend the country."
Adrian was quite emotional:
"That was the first imperial meeting in the history of the kingdom. It was held regularly thereafter to handle state affairs and gradually became a system that has been passed down for four hundred years."
"So there was the 'Ballard Room' in front of the emperor."
Thales thought deeply and said nothing.
The captain of the guard suddenly realized his gaffe, smiled mockingly to himself, and gave up his position.
"The royal meeting between His Majesty and several adults is going on. Your Highness, please come in."
Thales frowned:
"Imperial Council? Now?"
"Maybe I should wait until..."
But Lord Adrian interrupted him.
"Your Majesty has been summoned, Your Highness, and you are the Duke of Xinghu of the Kingdom," the guard captain's tone was modest and polite, but with a different kind of power:
"The prelude to the court is correct, please be sure to pay attention to your manners."
Adrian said softly:
“It doesn’t have to be too ‘Northland’.”
Thales raised his eyebrows.
After Adrian finished speaking, he walked towards the subordinate guard guarding the door:
"Open the door, Marico, and be gentle."
Thales took this opportunity to adjust his clothes, turned his head, and asked Mallos behind him calmly:
"Any suggestions?"
For some reason, Mallos, who was standing in front of the Ballard Room, was expressionless at the moment:
"have."
His reply was like Wubo Gujing:
"do not ask me."
Thales turned back angrily.
All right.
He is indeed his favorite guard captain.
This advice is honest and to the point, and it is so useful.
Thales thought sarcastically.
But he remembered the portraits of kings he had seen along the way, and found that he had no impression of Ballard I.
Either it has been missed, or it is placed in an inconspicuous corner.
"Eleanor."
Amidst the soft sound of the stone door slowly opening, Thales kept his lips still and spoke quietly.
Mallos behind him frowned and quietly took a step forward:
"What?"
Thales looked at the stone door that was opening wider and wider, looking at the darkness revealed inside, and hummed softly:
"Four hundred years ago, King Balad first inherited the throne from his elder brother. He was only seventeen years old. He faced a crisis. He had difficulty in commanding the princes and was not convinced by the crowd."
The prince narrowed his eyes:
"At that time, the person who really had the power to convene an imperial meeting to make an exception and decide on a plan to resist the 'crazy conquest of giant spirits' was a woman."
Thales turned back and smiled at Mallos:
"right."
"The Iron Thorn Queen, Eleanor."
Mallos frowned.
"And this place should actually be called 'Eleanor Room'."
The next second, Thales turned forward. Under the respectful eyes of the guards on both sides, he passed by the stone door and disappeared into the darkness.
Looks calm.
Walk calmly.
With a soft sound, the stone door closed, completely covering the figure of Duke Xinghu.
Mallos looked at the deep stone door, then pursed his lips and said in an almost imperceptible voice:
"Is it."
Outside the stone gate, Adrian walked towards Mallos and patted him on the shoulder.
The watchman nodded:
"Is there anything I need to worry about last night?"
"For example, how did the assassin sneak into the king's banquet with weapons?"
Adrian smiled:
"No."
Mallos frowned slightly.
But before he could think deeply, the captain of the guard put his arm around his shoulders and half-draged, half-pushed him out of the Ballard Room:
"So, how about Mindis Hall, Tormund?"
The captain of the guard asked the nephew he had grown up with kindly, as if he was having a family conversation:
"Compared to here?"
Mallos became calm again:
"It's very good, very bright."
Adrian nodded.
"Not bad," the guard captain's eyes lit up:
"Only bright?"
"Time is still short," Mallos said in a normal tone:
"Wait a little longer and I'll tell you."
Adrian smiled and let go of Mallos.
“When are you going to give yourself a day off?”
The rather old captain pressed his waist: "You know, my wife has recently met a few good unmarried girls, so she shouldn't mind..."
But Mallos suddenly interrupted him:
"team leader."
He didn't say anything, just looked expressionless.
Adrian stared at him for a long time before nodding.
"Your Highness will not come out so soon," the guard captain said lightly:
"Old rules, go to the duty room and wait."
Marius hesitated.
Lord Adrian smiled at him:
"You know, paperwork."
Mallos was silent for a second.
"Of course," the watchman raised his lips and smiled the same way:
"Paperwork."
————
Thales walked into the Imperial Conference Room and found that it was actually smaller than he thought (after all, there was a comparison between the Hall of Stars and the Council Hall, including the Bright Star Tomb Chamber). The dome was low and the walls were narrow. At a glance, he inherited the Renaissance
The palace halls are uniquely cold and dark.
It's really a little dark room.
The prince complained silently.
Under the illumination of the eternal lamp, as far as the eye could see, there was a long table with many people sitting around it, and faint voices could be heard.
Thales took a deep breath, not thinking about the unhappy future, and moved forward slowly.
As he approached, the voices around the long table gradually faded, and most people turned around to look at the newcomers to the imperial meeting.
Thales noticed that the people sitting at the long table were not ordinary people:
The fat-bellied Prime Minister of the Kingdom, the Guardian Duke of the East China Sea, Bob Cullen, still had a smile on his face, as if everything was fine as before.
His familiar foreign minister and teacher "Cunning Fox" Gilbert was worried and hesitated to speak.
There are also the royal family's military adviser, Thordo Red, nicknamed "Soldier" who has rich experience in his life, and the kingdom's financial controller, "money bag" Juke Mann, who is said to be able to "take money out of his crotch."
The "pointy-faced" Viscount Coney, who had just been promoted to Minister of Commerce and Commerce at the beginning of the year, was also present when he visited Exeter to see the prince. He was smiling kindly at him; the one who was dozing off was the "miserly" Lord Clapham, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry;
Became the ad hoc faith adviser to Thales's theology teacher, the young and promising deputy bishop of the Central Diocese of the Sunset Church, Stylianides.
Thales also noticed that there was another person standing at the bottom of the long table, far away from the nobles. He was a man with a scarred face and a rather ferocious look. A pair of sharp eyes were piercing towards Thales.
It seems like he has bad intentions.
The prince wondered: Who is that? Why is he the only one standing?
And Kessel V - the most unignorable master here - is sitting at the top of the long table. With a casual posture, he enjoys the light from the stone window behind him. His face is unclear under the backlight, leaving one alone, which makes people feel more...
Depressing dark silhouette.
With some anxiety, Thales swallowed his throat and stepped forward respectfully.
"Father."
He saluted appropriately:
"Good day, gentlemen."
Gilbert stood up first and returned the greeting respectfully:
"Good day, Duke of Thales."
The princes at the long table moved one after another and stood up to greet the foreign minister.
But the king's voice immediately sounded, interrupting this perhaps meaningful greeting:
"Find yourself a chair."
The ministers fell silent for a moment.
They looked at Thales first, then at the king, and finally returned to their seats without finishing their greetings.
Gilbert thoughtfully moved to the seat next to him and took the initiative to make room for Thales.
Thales nodded gratefully, stepped forward and sat down, and nodded to Archdeacon Stylianides sitting on the other side, feeling fine.
At least, they saved a seat for themselves.
At least, they didn't directly attack him.
At least they didn't throw a sword over and tell him to "slit your own throat."
At the top of the long table, the man facing the light changed his supporting arm, knocked on the long table, and spoke coldly:
"Continue, Sodor."
These words were like a sudden drop of frost, and the serious atmosphere that had thawed slightly due to the arrival of the prince condensed again.
On the other side, military advisor Thordo Red cleared his throat, stood up, and the royal meeting resumed.
"In any case, the decision of the Freedom Alliance to secretly withdraw the main elite force from Freedom Castle and ambush it in the wild was extremely bold." Thordo, who was dressed in military uniform, knocked on the long table and spread out a huge map on it.
Black and white chess pieces:
"It should be noted that if it is difficult to defend the city due to internal emptiness and Fort Liberty falls, the war will be over."
Thordo looked serious. He reached out to the castle sign marked "Freedom Castle", pulled out a knight from the three or four black chess pieces inside, and dropped it outside the map.
Only then did Thales notice that the subject of this imperial meeting was not him, at least not the assassination last night.
But...
"Lord Sodo has just returned from the Western Wilderness with the standing army," Gilbert whispered in the prince's ear:
"You can get the first-line information about the Exeter war earlier."
The Battle of Exeter.
The prince's heart tightened - this was a feeling he had never felt before when he walked alone into the Ballard Room.
Thales frowned and recognized the contents of the map on the long table: Freedom Castle was on one side, Qiyuan City was on the other side, and there were countless mountains, rivers, villages, towns and castles in between.
At this moment, more than a dozen white chess pieces started from Qiyuan City, so vast that they almost occupied most of the strategic points on the map.
They are powerful and far away from Fort Liberty, which has only two or three black chess pieces left and appears to be isolated and helpless.
Just like a trapped rat in a cage.
And inside that - Thales looked at a dozen white chess pieces - there was his friend.
"But the previous consecutive battles and victories have encouraged the arrogance and arrogance of the people in the North."
"They also thought that their opponents would use the geographical location and fortifications to defend the fortified city with all their strength, just like they did twenty years ago. Therefore, only scattered troops were left to maintain the rear. The main force marched straight in, using superior forces to attack the most critical and difficult to attack Fort Liberty.
.”
Soduo spoke solemnly. He moved his chess pieces and pushed the dozen white chess pieces along the line forward until he surrounded Black's Freedom Castle on three sides, leaving only a suspicious gap.
Like a trap left behind by a mousetrap.
"They didn't even spend more energy to confirm whether there was something fishy in the easily captured area behind them, or whether the real main force was hidden among the scattered enemies along the way."
Compared to Exeter's absolute advantage on the map, the military general was caressing the few scattered chess pieces behind White, looking heavy and serious.
The king said nothing.
Gilbert sighed and interjected:
"After all, the power of the Exters in foot combat and the strength of charging into formations are unparalleled in the world."
"If we don't have the strong cavalry to rely on, who would dare to take the lead in an encounter in the wild?"
Thales thought of the soldiers of the Black Sand Territory who risked their lives and risked their lives under the Broken Dragon Fortress.
Soduo nodded and sneered slightly:
"That was their first mistake."
These words were awe-inspiring and gripped everyone's hearts.
Soduo raised his head:
"News about the secret department?"
Under the gaze of everyone, the scarred-faced man who had been standing silently at the foot of the long table finally stepped forward.
Thales reacted: That was a spy from the kingdom's secret department.
"According to the information confirmed by many front-line parties," facing many noble people, the scar-faced man took out a stack of paper and spoke fluently without any nervousness:
"While the Northerners' siege was in full swing and the fighting was fierce, the Freedom Alliance secretly withdrew, and the troops ambush outside suddenly launched a bold attack on the retreat."
His voice was cold:
"Within a week, the Exter supply point along the Shanliu River was in dire straits, and transportation efficiency dropped significantly."
Following his words, Thordor Red calmly moved the black knight outside the map back to the field, firmly placing it behind the white team's front.
"Maybe it's because I'm too old to remember..."
Prime Minister Cullen adjusted the position of his stomach, looking naive, and said in confusion:
"But this style of play sounds a bit familiar."
As soon as these words came out, all the gentlemen present were moved.
Soduo nodded, but did not answer directly. Instead, he motioned to the people in the secret department to continue.
The scarred man coughed and changed a piece of paper:
"Supplies were not stable. In just one week, the proud heavy sword regiments and heavy-armored sword and axemen that the Northlanders relied on to attack the city were affected. Several times they attacked the city and were about to succeed, but they failed before they saw success."
"Their group cavalry is powerful, but they have not been able to find enough food and supplies in the Free Alliance territory with strong walls and clear fields. They can only stay in place and wait for the result of the siege."
There was silence around the long table for a while, and the king was even more motionless.
It was Gilbert who was the first to speak out and break the silence:
"So Exeter was defeated like this? So simple?"
"impossible?"
Thordo Red snorted softly. He stared at the numerous white chess pieces on the map with a look of fear:
"Of course it's impossible."
The military adviser looked at the man from the Secret Service.
The scar-faced man calmly spoke:
"According to our intelligence, in the first few weeks after the supply attack, the Exeters still maintained more than 90% of their absolute combat power, which was enough to complete several decisive field battles or sieges, which was far beyond what the Free Alliance could withstand."
But his voice changed:
"But at this time, Exeter's commanders had differences on how to proceed next."
"Disagreements..."
Gilbert pondered.
Disagreement.
Thales thought of the battle report Gilbert told him last night, and his heart felt dark.
Thordor Red was still serious and nodded.
"Qiyuan City will force the entire army to press forward and the general attack will be decisive."
"The garrison city wants to reorganize its front line and slowly erode it."
Having said this, Soduo's expression slowly became serious:
"The leader of Longxiao City, the one-armed Kierkegaard, advocated blocking the main road and encircling it without attacking. At the same time, he mobilized a small number of people to form a sparse and elite, but equally mobile and flexible task force.
It's one thing for another. Tracking and annihilating the Freedom Alliance in the wild is the only trump card left."
"Once the success is achieved, as long as the enemy commander's head is thrown into Liberty Castle, the city will be destroyed without attack, and all difficulties will be solved."
Hearing the familiar name, Thales thought of the one-armed Earl who was silent during the political hearings but finally made the final decision.
But others don't think so.
"Ah, Kierkegaard, that one-armed bastard, I remember him."
The Kingdom's Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, nicknamed "The Miser", Lord Clapham, who had been dozing off, seemed to suddenly wake up with lingering fears:
"Eighteen years ago, it was under his command that the Yankees advanced rapidly, encircled the enemy for reinforcements, and finally conquered Cold Castle, resulting in the fall of the Northern Territory."
"Sure enough, his strategy is the most vicious."
Prime Minister Cullen scratched his head:
"So, of the three paths, which one is better?"
Everyone on the table was silent for a while.
"I think it should be a slow stream, and it will flow slowly," Viscount Conney, the Minister of Commerce and Trade, was in his prime, but his choice was different:
"To fight big against small, the most important thing is to avoid quick success, not to mention that the Freedom Alliance is already a trapped beast, so there is no need to take risks."
But the young financial manager, Juke Man, shook his head in disapproval:
"No, no, no, the biggest advantage of the Northlanders is that no one can stop the thunder strike,"
"What's more, Chen Bing is out, and the burden and expense... Believe me, the sooner the war ends, the better. It is most beneficial to end it once and for all."
But compared with them, Thales noticed:
Gilbert frowned and remained silent.
At this moment, the king raised his head and revealed his sharp eyes in the dark outline:
"Sodor, what do you think?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the military adviser.
Soduo did not answer immediately. He was as dignified as before, and he traced his fingers from one end of the map to the other, as if he was playing a game with the people on the battlefield from a distance.
"When it comes to fighting, Northlanders never hesitate."
Suo Duo looked at the white chess pieces all over the picture, his eyes becoming more and more frightened:
"What's more, they have every advantage and the upper hand."
"I think that since the rear was attacked, they have seen through the Free Alliance's calculations and know that the other party is taking risks to disperse their forces. They also know that the enemy has loopholes everywhere at this moment."
Boom!
"Big Soldier" punched hard and hit the table.
With a wave of his hand, he first pushed a large number of white chess pieces to the position of Freedom Castle, and then pushed down all the black chess pieces in the castle:
"Regardless of casualties, attack with all strength, the Freedom Alliance cannot stop it."
Sodor evenly dispersed the white chess pieces, covering every key point on the map, until the black knight who fell behind had nowhere to go and finally fell:
"Consolidate the defense zone and steadily occupy it. The Freedom Alliance cannot bear it any longer."
Finally, the military advisor lightly clenched his fist and slowly restored the situation of the battle. Then he picked out two knights from the white chess piece, placed them together with the black square knight, and then pushed the latter over:
"Calculate the enemy's attack on the heart and use strange tricks. The Freedom Alliance cannot defend it."
Soduo took a deep breath, raised his head and looked at the gentlemen present. His eyes paused when he passed by Thales.
"Whether it's a strong attack, Xu Tu, or a surprise attack, all three are good strategies."
Thales nodded slowly, glanced at Viscount Connie and Juke Man from the corner of his eye, and found that they also nodded with satisfaction.
Well, this is true, but no one can be offended.
But the military adviser's words immediately changed:
"But when three great options are put together..."
Soduo's tone changed and he became angry.
He nodded to the scar-faced man from the secret department:
The latter cleared his throat:
"Our intelligence is limited, and the specific decisions made in Exeter's military tent are unknown."
"But the siege lasted for a long time, and the Northlanders, who couldn't bear the delay, finally chose to divide their troops into three groups and attack from multiple directions."
As soon as this statement came out, most people in the Imperial Council were surprised.
Even Thales couldn't help but frown.
Among everyone, only Gilbert sighed.
"Split the troops? Or three routes?"
Viscount Connie was puzzled and obviously couldn't understand:
"The Free Alliance has a small and weak people, and it's understandable that they would take the risk of dividing their troops. However, the Northlanders clearly have a large army and have the advantage...Are they crazy?"
Amidst all the questions, Thordor Red snorted angrily.
"The explanation given by the commanders is: firstly, it is to relieve the logistical pressure caused by the concentration of the army in one place, and to rationally allocate materials for the general attack; secondly, it is to protect the turbulent rear supply line; thirdly, it is to pursue the enemy that attacks from behind.
The ghost troops must finally expand and consolidate the occupied area to facilitate the collection of grain and grass on the spot."
Thales was stunned.
All right.
Every reason is extremely legitimate, well-founded, even thoughtful and irrefutable.
It covers the strong attack, Xu Tu, and Qi Bing just mentioned.
but……
Soduo snorted and spoke.
"Children all know that you can only choose one for multiple-choice questions," he stared at White's chess pieces on the map, stretched out his hand with difficulty, and divided them into three groups:
"As an adult, you actually want it all?"
At this moment, the military adviser was conflicted. On the one hand, he was contemptuous and disdainful, but on the other hand, his words were full of sorrow for his colleagues:
"It's so stupid."
"It is not a pity to die."
Among the people present who were astonished, Thales looked at one of the three white chess pieces with mixed emotions.
There is no one here like him who has stayed in the north for such a long time and had such close contact with the people of the North.
Disagreement - he vaguely knew the answer behind it.