In March of spring, all kinds of flowers bloom in the Emerald Forest. The cold north wind in the past has gradually weakened and become warm and gentle.
On the forest road leading to the Emerald Garden, a team of hundreds of knights was slowly moving forward. They were wearing large lion's mane cloaks, and their horses were also covered with white cloth armor. Their straight lances were like classical art.
The triangular flag hangs under the spear point.
These knights carry long swords at their waists, and large lion-faced round shields are hung on the saddles. As the horses step forward, the armor rubs slightly and makes a sound. Even though they are not in combat mode at the moment, it still makes the elves in the forest feel brave.
and strong momentum.
"That's Duke Griffin, the white lion knight of the Salius family, right?"
On the tall redwood tree house, a few elves looked down at the team below and discussed in low voices.
"Yes, it is said that the White Queen Tesslin sent the eldest son of the Griffin family, Geralan, as an envoy to visit the Elf Queen."
"What kind of care is this? Doesn't Duke Gryphon know the connection between my Emerald Forest and the nobles in the East?" an elf archer asked in confusion.
"Who knows, maybe the other party has some new ideas or ideas that can convince the big shots in the Emerald Court."
"Ha~, it's really annoying. Regardless of what these big shots think, I'm going to Platycodon Corolla first. I heard that an envoy of ice elves came there recently and brought many interesting things."
"It has a very beautiful ice flower decoration and a special snow silk dress. My sister said it is very beautiful. Now many aristocratic girls will buy one."
"Is it so beautiful? Our Emerald Forest is a trend setter in the empire, and we are so impressed by it." Another elf woman didn't believe it. She was sitting on a tree, wearing a lace dress with a white background and green edges.
"That's not certain. After all, the ice elves are almost the same as us, so their aesthetics shouldn't be any different."
"Let's go and take a look. I've been a little tired of being at home recently."
"Okay, okay, I'll accompany you this time. By the way, should we also buy a 'flying bird'? This kind of aircraft has been seen more and more in the forest recently. Sometimes I want to try it too."
."
"Well, let me think about it, I know a friend who works at the Chamber of Commerce. She purchases goods from the south, which is much cheaper."
Several elves said, slowly turning their attention away from the team of knights, and then easily shuttled through the high tree canopy.
Giant sequoias more than a hundred meters high are scattered throughout the forest. The road under the shade of the trees winds through the forest, occasionally passing over the roots of trees like hills, and sometimes passing under a giant tree. You can often see that tree on the way.
A hut built among giant branches.
It is like a solitary mushroom, seemingly scattered but gathered. The red and blue roofs distinguish it and are very beautifully decorated. Occasionally, you can see some elves coming and going. Those green glazed windows reflect the array in the sun.
Array of white light.
"What are you thinking about, Master Jie Lann."
Among the knights, a handsome knight wearing dark blue armor rode forward and asked about the blond and majestic man.
"Nothing, I just feel that elves are really different from humans." The eldest son of the griffon raised his head, revealing his carved face. The handsome face in the past now has a little beard, giving people a sense of vicissitudes and vicissitudes.
A sense of maturity.
"Indeed, elves are very different from humans in terms of life span and concepts and customs. Nowadays, most of the elves in the empire return to the forest to live, and those outside are very rare." The knight commander agreed with Jielan's words, but then continued
asked.
"Master Jielan, are you still a little reluctant to let go? The Duke's arrangements this time are too..."
"Okay, don't say any more." Jie Lanen sighed, interrupting his friend.
"Grace, we have been together since we were young, right?"
"Yes, my lord, since I came to the Duke's house at the age of 10, I and other attendants have been accompanying you to practice martial arts and study."
"Well, I understand. This is because my father hopes that I will have a good relationship with the next generation of vassals. When I inherit the title as an adult, you will probably become the powerful lords of various places in the Western Territory." Jie Lan'en mentioned the upper class of the Western Territory for some reason.
These are well known arrangements.
Almost every generation of duke heirs will get a group of partners when they are young. They are all the heirs of the great nobles in the west. Many of them are even the eldest sons. These people have learned and grown up with the future duke since they were young, cultivating mutual trust.
When they reach adulthood, they will each inherit their titles and continue to maintain this connection, thus making the rule in the Western Territory stable.
This is a good thing for both the Griffin family as dukes and the nobles as vassals.
However, the development of things will not be so absolute.
As Jie Lanen comes of age, the companions around him gradually reach the age of inheriting the family business and titles. The power gathered around him becomes stronger and stronger, and his voice and influence in the Western Territory are getting stronger and stronger.
.
If it is based on past plans or expectations, the old Griffin Duke will be in his twilight years at this time, and his energy and ability will have declined significantly. He will gradually transfer power and affairs to Jie Lann, allowing him to experience and grow step by step, and cultivate his prestige.
, until he finally inherited the title and became the new generation of Griffin Grand Duke, taking charge of the entire Western Territory.
But now there is an unexpected change, and that is the resurrection of the witch carved in the holy white stone, imitating Huaslin.
Witches are regarded as disasters or blessings, and variables of fate. Such legends and nicknames are not without reason. Perhaps it is just an unintentional change on their part that will bring many impacts.
In order to quickly make the Western Territory stronger and integrate its forces, Fang Huaslin did not choose Jie Lann, who was still a young man at the time, but supported the more ambitious and obsessive old Duke.
With the blessing of the witch, the lion who was supposed to be aging grew his fangs again, regained his former glory, and began to realize his once suppressed ideas step by step, and continued to compete for the highest throne in the empire.
Nowadays, among the upper echelons of the Western Empire, there are even rumors that the old Duke will marry the current Queen Teslin and become the nominal prince and actual ruler of the Empire.
Although Duke Griffin did not acknowledge this rumor, he did not deny it publicly either, which left many people in the empire swaying and thinking about the direction of their future alignment.
If this matter is achieved, it will also mean that the children of Duke Griffin and Queen Teslin will become the next generation heirs of the empire, possessing both the crown of the empire and the crown of the West. This will put Jielan in a very embarrassing position.
Location.
The best outcome for him is to inherit the Western Territory, but if this means taking away most of the Western Empire's territory, then the next generation of emperors will become a joke and a puppet.
Obviously, for the sake of future continuation and strength, the old Griffin Duke, who holds the most power, is definitely not willing to divide the crown.
At this time, Jielan's existence became an obstacle.
Perhaps the father and son gradually realized this problem. In the past two years, the exchanges between the two parties have become less and less, and they have become more and more indifferent, while Jielan's two younger brothers have become more and more under the influence of Duke Griffon.
Favored, now even began to take over some legions to cultivate their own power.
In the end, I don't know which wise man or staff gave the old Duke a suggestion, that is, let Jie Lann go to the Emerald Forest as an envoy to unite the forest elves.
"This mission is actually a division." Jie Lanen turned around and looked at the mighty and strict white lion knights behind him.
These knights are all his confidants or guards. Now his father has generously sent them all to accompany him in order to reassure him and work hard to achieve the goal of this visit. In fact, this is also the best arrangement between father and son in the future.
.
During this trip, he will carry the will of Queen Teslin and propose to the current Elf Queen Aiqinweila. If feasible, he will live in the Emerald Forest in the future as a link between the Western Empire and the Emerald Forest.
Such a result would be tantamount to him voluntarily giving up the Duke's inheritance rights, and the two parties would be able to maintain a peaceful relationship in the future and avoid further division.
From a profit perspective, it's a pretty good idea, but for individuals, it's hard to call it a good thing.
Although Jie Lanen did not marry Fa Xiner, in fact he had accumulated a lot of affection for this girl and even dreamed of their happy life together after marriage.
But he didn't expect things to change so quickly, with the collapse and fission of the empire, and the relationship between the North and the West moving from alliance to suspicion and then back to hand-in-hand. The relationship changed several times in the middle, causing his position to become awkward and ugly.
In the past, no one dared to ridicule or discuss the eldest son of the Duke, but now the nobles began to whisper suspicion and ridicule.
She laughed at him for not keeping his fiancée, laughed at his clown-like behavior, failed to get married with the Trey family, and ran away to the Emerald Forest.
Stigmatizing rumors and rumors spread from corners, but the culprit could not be caught. After this happened, Jielan quickly understood.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, who in the West would dare to take such a big risk and spread such a thing? Will this do them any good?
It won't be those ordinary nobles, nor the familiar vassals of the great nobles. As for the remaining candidates, Jie Lann no longer wants to guess.
The Griffin family is the largest force in the western territory, and there cannot be anyone more powerful than it.
If you don't want me to inherit this title, then why stay in this sad place.
After receiving the order to go on an envoy, Jielanen counted the knights under his command and asked his former companions. If he was willing to follow, he would set off together. If he was not willing, he would not force him. After all, his future was no longer bright.
"Grace, do you think the Elf Queen will agree to such an outrageous or even offensive request this time?"
Jerran waved the reins, causing the horse to trot forward, keeping a small distance from the knights behind him to facilitate conversation with his companions.
"I don't know, Your Highness." Grace shook her head.
"Although historical records in the empire state that the former founding king, Red Prince Yalin, captured the heart of Her Royal Highness the Elf Queen at that time with his eloquence and handsome appearance, but many years later, people are recalling this marriage again.
, I found that there were too many coincidences and accidents.”
"How did an ordinary prince of a human country overcome the obstruction of many elf guards in the forest, avoid the interference of the elf sages, and privately meet the elf queen who was out."
"And the elf queen was actually so simple and innocent that she agreed to the prince's proposal, and none of the elders and sages objected."
"Even at the wedding, more than a dozen witches came to give blessings. This is simply incredible."
"The history of the rise of the Green Empire, looking back now, is like a legend, full of surprises and miracles."
"Although our trip this time is the order of Her Majesty the Queen, in fact everyone knows that Her Majesty the Queen just stamped the seal and reluctantly signed it, and the Duke is the one who really holds the power."
"My father told me at that time that after arriving in the forest, someone would naturally meet me and tell me how to persuade the queen." Jie Lanen shook his head. He couldn't guess what conditions Duke Griffin had prepared for him to be like this.
confidence.
Although he and his father are currently at odds, if the negotiation fails, not only will he be embarrassed, but the Griffin family will also become the laughing stock of the empire.
‘Who does he think he is when he proposes to the current Elf Queen? The legend of Feng Heyue? It’s really ridiculous.’ Such words will probably spread throughout the empire immediately.
Thinking of this, a feeling of depression accumulated in Jie Lan'en's heart. The eldest griffin son who used to be bold and unrestrained has now become much more decadent and confused, making the followers behind him sigh.
But even so, they didn't know how to persuade the young lion. After all, it was an internal conflict within the griffin family. As vassals, they sometimes had to be cautious in their words and deeds and think more about the family members behind them.
Wearing white armor and cloaks, the ferocious big buckler of the lion beast, and the long mane on the shoulder, these elite white lion knights of the Salius family escorted their master step by step towards the depths of the forest.
Birds flew by, the breeze stirred, some fallen leaves slowly drifted down, and flowers bloomed among the old and new leaves on the branches.
The emerald garden, the three-color feather corolla.
In the courtyard full of flowers, several familiar figures were sitting on the white cloth among the grass. There were several plates of rare fruits in the middle, and several small wine bottles were placed among them. Some of them had been opened, and the mellow and fragrant wine was flowing out.
Wine aroma.
"Would you like some wine, Your Highness Jialan?"
An elf man sat on a white cloth and asked with a wine bottle in one hand. He had short blond hair, and the ruby pendant on his ear shone brightly in the sunlight.
"No. Thank you, Lord Eperion." Lorraine Hill shook her head. She doesn't drink much.
"Your Highness Jia Lan is still unmarried, so don't force her to drink. Why not share it with me more, Eperion." Waldelin was lying on the grass at the moment, biting the newly picked grass stems in his mouth, watching as he gradually walked towards the center.
bright sun.
"Then this bottle will be given to you directly, Waldelin." Eperion picked up the wine bottle at his hand without changing his expression and handed it to the man lying beside him.
"You two, you only know how to drink. How are things going now?" Vestina walked towards the grassland, bent down and sat next to Lorraine Hill, rested her head on the girl's knee, and started eating.
Fruit in front of you.
"I have already sent people to inquire about the purpose of the gryphon's eldest son. In addition, we also have a general understanding of the completion status of the conservative party." Waldelin began to talk about the recent intelligence.
"The first is the first test, 'The Basin of Meteor Fire and the Dress of Lotus Dew'. We will definitely win this one."
"The second test, Xunmu Yuzhi and Oblivion Shell, we already have Xunmu Yuzhi, but the team sent by the other party seems to have gained something after going to sea, and it is very likely that they also obtained the Oblivion Shell, so this preliminary estimate is
draw."
"The third item, the Cloud-Splitting Beast Horn and Wang Mi Zhi Feng, I'm sure that the conservative side failed because they sent several groups of people into Tania, but they couldn't come out. Later, they simply
Gave up."
"The fourth item is the poem of leaves and the painting of stars. Now we have almost completed the poem of leaves. Only a small section has not been found. Unless the other party comes up with a complete scroll of stars and sky, but this is almost impossible."
"So, even if we don't look at the fifth item, we have won this duel." Waldelin said easily.
"It would be nice if it was this easy." Vistena shook her head.
"Before everything is over, it is always easy for some variables to happen. We do have the advantage at the moment, but sometimes we are afraid that some problems will arise."
"Vistena is still very cautious. Don't worry, I will also contribute this time." Eperion raised his glass, toasted to this former senior sister, and then drank it.
"Really? Then I'll look forward to it." Vestina lowered her head and picked up the small wine glass on the white cloth and took a sip.
For a long time, she could not see through this nominal junior fellow student. Although Eperion had never shown any malice toward her, it was difficult for her to get along with other people and be so open to this person.
Heartfelt.
In the eyes of outsiders, Eperion is undoubtedly a painter with a melancholy atmosphere. His usual words and deeds are also so elegant and almost perfect. He is handsome and powerful. It can be said that there are many people who admire him in the forest. Many people regard him as
It would be an honor to imitate his style of painting, words and deeds.
But Vestina knew that although this junior student behaved flawlessly, it was difficult to say that this situation was his true thoughts or state in his heart. She was one of the few people who knew this junior student's past.
When Eperion first met Lorrain Hill, he said that he could not bear to look back on his youth and youth. This sentence was not just so frivolous on the surface. In fact, if it were not for the help of Teacher Vesterna, he would have been dead.
This sage painter may have died in a corner of a dark alley long ago.
Beautiful elves, regardless of gender, are excellent high-grade goods in the empire's underground black market.
The results of the five tests are about to be announced, and the Emerald Forest is slowly becoming lively.
With each flower crown, the elves in the town gradually rushed towards the Emerald Garden, and there were even many airships from the outside world in the sky.
In another month, this test showdown will come to an end, and where will the forest go from now on, everyone is full of curiosity and expectation.