Mistakenly thinking that Todd had agreed to his proposal, Rutledge was overjoyed: "Your Majesty, it's great that you can think of it! If possible, I really want to open a bottle of red wine and sit down together.
Come down..."
Todd interrupted: "I want to know, how will you deal with the Silver Ring Kingdom?"
Upon hearing this question, Rutledge, who was originally excited, immediately calmed down.
After all, the issue of the Silver Ring Kingdom is the basis for the current cooperation between the two parties. It is natural for the other party to have questions.
Rutledge nodded and said: "Although the Dolson family is a member of Yinhuan's old ministers, they have lived in Muxi City for many years and have already seen clearly what the people of this city want. Let today's Muxi citizens go
Accepting the rule of a Silver Ring Kingdom is tantamount to wishful thinking."
"What's more, the current ruler of the Silver Ring Kingdom, the six-year-old boy, is just the distant nephew of Guy VI. This makes the restoration of the Silver Ring Kingdom even more like a joke."
"Over the years, through infiltration and bribery, the Dolson family has mastered the entire list of Yinhuan's old ministers and all their assets; on the other hand, they have used marriages and alliances to tie up those who are at the top of Muxi City
consortia and powerful families.”
Rutledge said proudly: "It is no exaggeration to say that the Dolson family now directly or indirectly controls nearly one-third of the economic lifeline of the entire Muxi Kingdom."
"Out of this city, the Dolson family not only signed an offensive and defensive alliance with the pirate king Barbarossa, but also had a secret arms trade with the Southern Empire, and even maintained good cooperation with those well-known mercenary armies.
relation."
"So, as long as the Holy King agrees to abdicate and solve the problem of the remnants of the Silver Ring, it is nothing more than a trivial matter in the eyes of the Dolson family."
Rutledge pointed at the men behind him who were handling the corpses, and said in a deep voice: "Have you seen these people? I have arranged killers for every old Yinhuan minister. They may be guards or cooks.
, gardeners, tailors and even mistresses, as long as I give an order, they can immediately deal with the target person."
Todd nodded and said: "It seems that the Dolson family has made complete preparations to ascend to power."
Rutledge smiled broadly: "So, Holy King, your worries are unnecessary. I can assure you that cooperating with the Dolson family will be the most correct decision you have ever made..."
"Rutledge, tell me, once the Dolson family takes possession of Twilight City, how do you plan to run this kingdom?"
Rutledge was stunned by Todd's unexpected question.
Rutledge frowned and repeated, "Manage the kingdom?"
Todd stood up from the throne, ignored Mary's warning, walked up to Rutledge, looked at this smart and ambitious young man, and said calmly: "If you are the king of Muxi Kingdom, what do you plan to do?
How to run this country?"
Rutledge was puzzled. As an ordinary person, shouldn't he start bargaining at this time? For example, how much wealth can he have after abdicating the throne? How to ensure personal safety? Are some privileges allowed to be retained?
But the Holy King actually asked him how to govern the country?
Rutledge pondered for a while and replied: "If I were the king, I would take advantage of the discord within the southern empire to provoke internal fighting among them. And take advantage of this opportunity to capture the major kingdoms in the diocese in one fell swoop, and through production
, trade and commerce to enhance the kingdom's economic and military strength..."
Todd waved his hand and interrupted Rutledge: "You misunderstood me. I want to ask you whether you plan to continue the prosperity of this kingdom?"
Rutledge looked confused.
Todd made his words more clear: "When you were in power, your wisdom and strategy might have made the Muxi Kingdom prosperous. But you will die one day. How can you ensure that your descendants will survive?"
The empire you have worked so hard to build will not be destroyed in one fell swoop."
Rutledge was stunned and said incomprehensibly: "That may be decades or even hundreds of years later! Is it meaningful to consider this? As the king, I will develop Muxi City into a great empire.
It is enough to let my name remain in the annals of history for future generations to admire! As for those things in the future, they are too far away, who will care?"
Todd's eyes showed endless disappointment: "For you, decades or a hundred years may be a long time. But for humans and races, this period of time is like a long time in the sea.
It is as insignificant as a drop of water.”
Todd turned around, walked slowly back to the throne with heavy steps: "Rutledge, you have always been thinking about yourself, and your vision is limited to the world as big as the mouth of a well... I originally thought you would be a smart person.
People, but the facts disappoint me..."
"Are you crazy?!" Rutledge shouted towards Todd: "Which king would think about things a hundred years from now! In this life, wealth, power, women, fame, isn't it enough to have these?
?Only those idiots care about the world after death!"
Todd sat back on the throne, stared at Rutledge's arrogant face, and said quietly: "There is no difference between you and those people. When you were alive, material and satisfaction blinded your eyes, making you never
There is no way to see the future, see eternity.”
Rutledge lost his patience and yelled at Todd: "Stop stalling with me! Tell me, are you willing to cooperate with the Dolson family, or are you willing to choose to die?!"
Todd looked at Rutledge with a half-smile: "If I reject you, what are you going to do?"
"Todd Fisher! Don't take yourself too seriously! Without you in this kingdom, the sun will still rise and the sea will still flow!" Rutledge pointed to the corpse on the ground with one hand and said: "In the beginning, for
In case you don't cooperate, I have specially designed an alternative plan."
"Do you think I am lying? Tell you! I have prepared some props and witnesses to disguise this riot by the old Yinhuan ministers as an attack by the Church of Heavenly Father!"
Rutledge took out a letter from his arms, raised his hand and waved it: "The cardinals of the Church of Heavenly Father, in order to punish those Protestants who misunderstood God, and those atheists who kept shouting long live justice, launched a special campaign
A holy war against Muxi City."
Looking at the letter in Rutledge's hand, Mary sneered: "You want to forge the Cardinal's signature and seal?"
Rutledge opened the letter, laughed and said, "Forgery? Why should I forge it? This letter is real."
Looking at the handwriting and seal on the letter, Mary, who has the power of super memory, opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Rutledge put the letter back into his arms and said proudly: "In this world, there is nothing that money cannot buy. Even the church in the hands of God has to surrender to the magic of money!"
Todd touched his chin and said softly: "Putting the responsibility for this turmoil on the church will allow you to cover up the traces of the silver ring, and secondly, it will mobilize the public's hatred towards the church and win your victory.
The cabinet paved the way."
"That's right." Rutledge nodded and said, "So, Todd Fisher, let me ask you one last time! Are you willing to cooperate with the Dolson family?"
Todd looked into Rutledge's eyes and shook his head: "You are not suitable to rule this kingdom."
Rutledge's face turned red with anger.
He looked at the superior Todd and said loudly: "I guess there is nothing left to say between us! Holy King of Muxi, you must die here!"
There was no expression of fear or panic on Todd's face. He sat there as if he was listening to something that had nothing to do with him.
Rutledge snapped his fingers, and his men quickly brought kerosene and poured it around the hall.
Smelling the pungent smell in the air, Rutledge showed a cruel smile to Todd: "The rebels of the church entered the palace through a secret passage and died together with the king in the fire... It sounds like a good idea.
Script, isn't it? Thank me, I gave you a decent way to die."
Rutledge turned around and was about to leave, but suddenly stopped, looked back at the cold and arrogant Queen Mary, and said to her: "As for you, I can give you a chance..."
Mary stood next to Todd, her eyes as cold as night exuded a little cold light, and there was no smile on her face as white as snow. Before Rutledge could finish speaking, she softly uttered a word.
"roll!"
Facing Mary's angry rebuke, Rutledge looked at the fire slowly burning in the hall, shrugged helplessly, then ordered his men to close the door, and then completely locked the door with iron hoops, and then left the scene with satisfaction.