The meeting hall finally ushered in a real uproar!
Even Russell frowned!
This time, all the nobles in the hall, except for Duke Cullen and Gilbert, looked at the silent Duke of the North in surprise.
what happened?
"Your Majesty? Lord Arend?" Count Zemuto, who was also one of the lords of the North, looked back and forth between the Duke of the North and the king with doubtful eyes.
Next to him, Count Forrest looked at Val in disbelief, motionless.
The commotion and uproar lasted for dozens of seconds.
Until the stoic-faced Lord of Cold Castle and Duke of Guard of the North, Val Arend, raised his head and looked back at the king.
He was no longer silent, but exhaled a long breath.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, including Baron Russell, the resolute warrior-like head of the White Eagle family looked up and smiled:
"You're still as sharp as ever, Kai."
The Duke of the North immediately lowered his head and sighed:
"Just like your damn elder brother."
Thales' eyes widened!
What?
This time, everyone reacted.
Judging from the reaction of the Duke of the North...
God.
But, how is it possible?
Kessel lowered his head and sighed truly.
"Why don't you explain it, Wa?" the king said calmly.
"Is there anything to explain? It has failed, isn't it?" Val showed a calm expression, not caring about the eyes of other lords: "It's you, when did you notice it?"
"The ones who intercepted and killed the mission were obviously the other lords, weren't they? I am obviously so innocent, and the Northern Territory and the royal family are both targets of the conspiracy."
Zhan looked at Val in disbelief.
Yes, it’s impossible. The interception of the mission was obviously a joint effort by the nobles in our “New Star”!
And the Duke of the North is not in our group at all!
Kaiser lowered his eyebrows and said in a low voice:
"Yesterday, when the High Council voted at the national meeting, you voted against it too hastily."
The king's voice was full of complicated emotions: "I had doubts at that time. You know, compared to the bargaining chip of Kuside sending troops to help, I will not sit idly by and ignore the North! You have no reason to oppose the one-eyed dragon for the promise.
My son becomes the heir."
The One-Eyed Dragon Duke, Kuside looked at the Northern Duke in surprise, remembering the voting scene yesterday afternoon.
"Really," Val smiled miserably: "How do you know I have no reason? You know, I hate you, don't you?"
"Because Li Xiya, the person you hate is me," King Kessel said expressionlessly, but the unseen fists under his sleeves were trembling slightly: "But you are a noble person, you will not anger me.
son."
Many people immediately looked at Thales, especially Baron Russell, who looked ugly.
"Unless you have a special reason, you must prevent my son from becoming the heir." The king said in a low voice.
"But this is just a suspicion," Val sighed under the complicated looks in the room: "Maybe it's just a coincidence?"
"So today, I tested Exeter's envoy." The king raised his head, his voice cold.
"Hmph," Val sneered, "Sure enough, you have become more and more suspicious after the Year of Blood."
The king ignored him and just said to himself:
"With just two words, Lyanna could tell that he was a member of the Grand Duke Lumba of the Black Sand Territory. Only people from Lombard would change the subject in such a hurry to avoid exposing the ambitions of the Grand Duke Lumba of the Black Sand Territory."
The Duchess of the Blades looked at the Duke of the North coldly and said nothing.
"When he first arrived, he played a scene with you: it seemed that he was an envoy who didn't know the depth of the northern border, testing the defensive capabilities of the northern border of the stars, and you fought back without showing any weakness - now it seems that it is
He is provoking an atmosphere of tension as planned." King Kessel V said solemnly:
"However, when I deliberately refused to choose between war and compromise, he threatened me very clearly: The North did not even have the troops to defend the Broken Dragon Fortress... At this time, he knew the North's trump card very clearly.
Well."
"Don't you think it's inconsistent?"
"That's when the suspicion started to grow."
Russell's face immediately began to turn pale.
The king bowed his head and said: "Moreover, he is obviously more interested in attacking me, provoking me, and even changing me to a star king than in negotiating well and fighting for the interests of Exeter for King Nun."
"Isn't it enough for Lomba to acquire the land in the north? Why are you so interested in me and replacing the Bright Star royal family? Obviously, he is cooperating with someone from within the star, and my crown is the wish of the collaborator.
"
"The question is, who is qualified to cooperate with the powerful prince of the Exter Kingdom, the Duke of Lombard in the Black Sand Territory? Who can benefit from it together and achieve a win-win situation?"
"I thought about it for a long time, and considered South Trist, Kevin Dill, Cullen, and even Falkenhausz - the most unlikely person was you, Val. Because when the war broke out, the north bore the brunt, and you were more
It's like the poor people like me who were calculated into this are the victims."
"Hey," Falkenhausz's voice sounded sharply: "Unless this is his voluntary sacrifice."
Kessel V’s gaze was as sharp as a blade, piercing Val Arend:
"But when I think about it backwards - what can the Grand Duke of Lombard gain? King Nun's only son died in the north, and the Walton family is destined to withdraw from the next kingselection."
"So, what Lombard can gain is, firstly, the territory in the north, and secondly, the death of his competitors in the north."
"Who among the stars can ensure that these two things happen at the same time to the greatest extent?"
Kessel silently raised his gaze with a sad look on his face:
"It is you, Val Arend, who controls the North - the Guardian Duke of the North."
"But I still don't believe it. I would rather believe that this is just a coincidence."
"No," the Duke of the North said coldly: "Actually, you have believed it for a long time - you just need to do everything you can to confirm your suspicion, right?"
The king sneered slightly and glanced at Exeter's urgent envoy with a thoughtful look.
"I sent people early to intercept Baron Russell. Under the eyes and ears of all the lords, I sent them directly into the Dongcheng District with great fanfare. But until this morning, the secret sentry of the secret department ensured that they would not follow any stars.
They don’t know anything about yesterday’s state meeting, nor the change of successors—let alone their collaborators in Xingchen, who are actually in dire straits.”
"Guess, in this case, how many groups of people were intercepted yesterday by the secret sentry of the Kingdom's secret department, trying to contact Baron Russell?"
Morat's hoarse voice sounded at the right time:
"Three waves, Your Majesty - the skills of an army scout are very tough, and he refuses to reveal the identity of his master." He chuckled: "But what's the use? There are only a few such tough soldiers in the whole kingdom.
There's a place - it'll be easy to track down the person behind it."
Val lowered his head and sighed: "They are my most elite scouts."
The Supreme King said coldly:
"But I haven't figured it out yet, what exactly is the agreement between you and Lombard, and how to implement it?"
"Until this Exeter man said that the Exeter people are more interested in heroes on the battlefield - yes, once the war comes, the hero will be the most dazzling person. Isn't that how Exeter itself was established?
.”
"And in this war that may break out, who has more reason to fight to protect his hometown than the Duke of the North? If the enemy is simply your collaborator, then you have to gain prestige and reputation on the battlefield.
It’s easier.”
"The war broke out - you swore to defend the North to the death, became the hero against Exeter, and the only person who could deal with them. When the royal family is extinct, aren't you the most suitable next king?"
Val sneered.
King Kessel looked at Val sadly: "Did I say something wrong? The one who betrayed the North, the Duke of Guardian of the North?"
"Is being a king that important to you? It's so important that you, who were originally noble and pure, would betray your territory, your people, and your country."
The hall suddenly fell into silence.
Even Russell looked embarrassed and said nothing.
Val Arend stared blankly at the floor for a long time.
Until he closed his eyes tightly.
"Ha ha."
Amidst the sad laughter, he finally opened his eyes and spoke calmly:
"This is not how it should be."
Val, with a complicated expression, spoke slowly:
"All of this should have gone according to my script."
The king narrowed his eyes.
"'New Star', this group of star lords, was originally formed after the Desert War five years ago to counter your increasingly assertive royal power."
"They, both Cullen and Nantry, came to me, but I rejected them."
"But I realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Between them and you, I could achieve my goal."
"That goal is so far away that I don't even believe it myself."
Val walked forward to the center of the hall, looked at the non-existent distance, and sighed.
"I ventured to Exeter, found Lombard - you should have seen the look on his face when I lowered my hood in front of him - and that night we formed an alliance."
"I am responsible for instigating Zemuto and Fores, inciting them to clash with Exeter from time to time on the border - for this reason, I did not hesitate to seal Pinecone County to Zemuto."
The two earls from thirteen prominent families in the north struggled with their brows and turned pale as they looked at the Duke who had fought alongside them for many years.
"Rumba went to Exeter to operate in the country. Through these conflicts, he turned the mission to the stars and rebuilt the national borders of the "Peace Treaty" into a great mission. King Nun decided to secretly send his only son to choose for his future.
Wang has accumulated seniority - he is old, and the old man always wants to arrange everything behind him."
"I revealed the news to 'New Star' - there were many ambitious people like Nan Triest and Kevin Dill. They quickly realized that this would be a good opportunity to weaken the royal power - only
One thing I didn't tell them was that there was an only son secretly sent by King Nun in the mission. Now that I think about it, when they knew this, they were probably very frightened. Unfortunately, as the Far Eastern proverb says: 'Ride on
You won't be able to get off the tiger's neck.'"
Duke Cullen shook his head, Zhan snorted coldly, and only Kuside stared at Val with gritted teeth.
"The lords thought they were taking advantage of Exeter's accusations and anger to weaken the king's prestige and royal power - only Lombard and I knew that they were provoking a war between the two countries."
"Lombard is the source of information on the Exeter side, providing the mission's itinerary and staffing. I have the advantage of the northern border, bribe the receptionists, monitor and guide them to the best assassination location, and the 'New Star' ones
An unsuspecting person will complete the final blow - with the cooperation of the three of us without knowing each other, even the extreme master next to the prince will not be spared."
"Lumba passed the news to the 'Dark Room' and Longxiao City as quickly as possible. At the same time, he recommended Russell Vader to the desperate Nun King. I worked non-stop to bring this news to Yongxing.
Use war mobilization to exaggerate the seriousness of the matter, and ask Kessel to summon the nobles of the stars to discuss the matter and gain support - the more, the better."
Russell looked at Val and then at Kather with a pale face.
But no one paid him any attention.
Val raised his head and looked at the young Duke of Iris.
"Jane Kelvindir, boy, you were supposed to die in the assassination the day before yesterday - not only the nobles of Xinxing know your whereabouts, but also me, who had already planned it."
Zhan En’s expression changed!
"Yes," Duke Val Arend nodded feebly: "The one who assassinated you was not the people in your 'New Star' - it was me."
"But look at your collaborators. They just learned the news of your assassination yesterday and started to doubt each other. This shows the fragility of your alliance."
Several dukes and earls narrowed their eyes slightly.
Zhan En slapped him hard on the armrest.
The young Duke Kevin Deere said bitterly: "That's why yesterday, when that kid... was there, you spoke out to support him and sow discord among the lords! Because this was your plan!"
Val showed a relieved smile, and under Zhan En's livid face, continued:
"In this way, the 'Rising Star', which is already internally unstable, will become scattered amid suspicions, the pressure on the royal family will increase sharply, and I will lose a strong competitor in the future."
"The plan of the 'New Star' was to force his successor when the king needed their war support the most. But in the chaotic and mutually suspicious High Council, this was destined to end in vain. At the same time, Kessel and I fought against Aix
If we propose a special invasion, we will lose the support of almost all other lords - it will look as if we are all being calculated against."
"And in a few hours, Russell Vader will come to Eternal Star City with Exeter's anger - he is destined to be crazy and provocative, and will put forward conditions that are unacceptable to the stars, with only one purpose:
war."
Thales looked at Val in disbelief.
"If Kessel chooses war, my previous plan ensures that he will not have enough troops, and Lombard's rapid invasion in the north will be overwhelming. The tacit understanding between Lombard and I on the battlefield is enough to make Kessel honorable and honorable.
He will die in battle - just like Prince Horace once did. At least he will suffer a few defeats, be disgraced, and lose all his prestige."
"If Kessel chooses to compromise and cede the northern territory, he himself will become a sinner of the kingdom. I will mobilize the voices of the lords and the people to force him to abdicate, but I will still join the war in the north - in Egypt
When Kester, especially the army of Lombard, came to take over the territory, the royal family and the lords could not stand back. Only I gathered my troops and resisted to the death, which made me more noble, like the only ray of light in the darkness."
"Hey! Some people actually say that I am a hypocrite!" After hearing this, the one-eyed dragon gave Thales a sharp look.
Duke Arend crossed his arms and showed a bitter smile:
"Yes, no matter which choice we make, we will suffer a catastrophic defeat in the north - however, I will reverse the situation and 'repel' Lombard on several key battlefields at the darkest moment. After that, Lombard will be defeated because of the war."
My sympathy for each other, after the mutual alliance, with the occupied territory, I retreated with satisfaction. I became a well-deserved hero of the kingdom. Compared with Kessel who suffered huge criticism and had no support from the lord, I will become the most popular next king.
candidate."
"Val Arend!" Count Zemuto was furious: "That's our northern border! The place where your ancestors began to rule and protect for generations!"
"Stop talking nonsense," Earl Forres looked at Val gloomily on the side: "Can't you see - he is no longer the 'Iron Eagle' Duke we know."
Val looked lonely and ignored the two northern earls behind him. He continued in a daze:
"The lords are suspicious of each other. Only I, who is neutral, am the least suspicious, and I am also a close friend of the king - if he is still alive at that time - the brother of the chief priest of the Sunset Temple, and the hero of the Star Kingdom who resists the invasion, as everyone expects. I
Destined to be the High King of the Stars."
"As for Exeter, the Walton family has lost its last heir and is doomed to withdraw from the next king election sadly. At the same time, Lombard will get a large area of territory in the north and a glorious record of conquering the northern border of the stars - the strength will increase dramatically.
Inflated, and with the support of me and the entire star, he is destined to become the next King of Gongju."
"Everything was going smoothly originally," Val Allende looked at Thales with a strange expression, with regret in his eyes: "Until this boy suddenly appeared, all plans were disrupted."
"Zhan did not die, but stood on your side; the effect of forcing an heir was not very good. The lords of 'New Star' did not fight to the death for the throne, but confronted the royal family on the appointment of the new prince - Ek
The envoy of St. Petersburg was locked in a trap by you without knowing the state meeting and the new prince."
"But I can only keep going until..."
Val sighed, smiled mockingly, and shook his head indifferently:
"That's it, I failed."
At this moment, the hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.