Blasphemy: 9 Richelieu

Richelieu, the imperial capital with a history of more than 400 years, has always been the largest city in the Asrophic Empire and the most beautiful city.

The wide Anales River runs through the city. This river, which has been compared to the ‘blue pearl necklace of the Empire’, and its dozens of branches give Richelieu its unique charm. Richelieu is a city on the water. The entire city is divided into hundreds of small islands by crisscrossing the city. Grand palaces, thousands of sculptures, and countless unique bridges constitute Richelieu. Keep your unique charm.

A bard once said, "It is better to see the city with your own eyes than to read the poems describing Richelieu seven times."

Rogge has spent seven full days visiting Richelieu, and he can only see the most famous scenery in a hurry. I haven’t had time to delve into the remote alleys that record the real history and customs of Richelieu.

On the eighth day, Emperor Feuerbach returned in triumph.

This time the ceremony of the emperor's return to the capital was extremely grand. However, anyone who knows the inside story understands that the Emperor's performance in this expedition to the Dark Forest can be described as horrific. Of the 200,000 troops that initially went on the expedition, only 110,000 returned to the imperial capital. After paying such a heavy price, the empire failed to establish a permanent stronghold in the dark forest.

This was a defeat for Emperor Feuerbach, and even more a disastrous defeat for the City of Yunxiao. In sharp contrast, the Silver Holy Cult and the 'Poseidon' Legion, which had been unknown for several years and had been deteriorating for several years, suddenly made a splash and conquered the Holy Alliance almost without bloodshed. Pompey's glorious achievements when he, Alexander, and Frederick were both emperors and gods were once again remembered and talked about.

In contrast, the betrayal of the Holy Alliance by Rogge and Layton's Kree was looked down upon by the Asrophic people who advocated martial arts, and no one was interested in asking more about the two upstarts of the empire. Those who really know the inside story never mention the truth of the war. Except for a very few people in the entire empire, no one knew about Rogge's key role in the empire's subjugation of the Holy Alliance.

Fatty’s reputation is really not very good. There are many rumors about Rogge even within the Silver Holy Cult. Most of them are about Fatty's two female guards, one magical and one powerful, who are unimaginably beautiful. When talking about these rumors, most men are envious and jealous, while women are filled with hatred and jealousy. The rest of the gossip was about Rogge's clown-like performance in Montreal.

In the past seven days, Rogge also heard some rumors. He naturally knew that the source of these rumors must come from the mouths of the four ice and snow magicians. But the fat man didn't care. This was exactly the effect he wanted. Anyway, in Richelieu, the imperial capital that was full of crises and unfamiliar with people, it was better to be despised than to be taken seriously. As for Froya and Feng Die, they will now cover up their peerless looks on any occasion. No matter which dynasty you are in, having a peerless beauty is always a recipe for disaster. Even though Rogge already has a lot of power, his foundation is too shallow after all, so he would rather be careful in everything.

On the night of the ninth day, Emperor Feuerbach secretly summoned Rogge alone. This surprised Rogge. He didn't know whether the emperor's unusual concern for him was a blessing or a curse.

The summons took place in the Emperor’s small restaurant. In the imperial palace, this can indeed be said to be a 'small' restaurant, but the area of ​​500 square meters is still larger than the banquet halls of many wealthy families. The six-meter-high vault looks deep and profound under the reflection of the huge magic lamp. The ten-meter-long dining table in this 'small' restaurant is like an isolated island in a huge lake.

Emperor Feuerbach's biggest hobby is conquest, so the things used to decorate the restaurant are armors, swords or specimens of powerful monsters.

The emperor loves roasted food, and tonight’s main dish is a calf that has been roasted all day. Except for the spirits and precious caviar that have been hidden for nearly a hundred years, there are no special dishes. This is in sharp contrast to the luxurious life of the southern royal family and dignitaries.

The emperor was tall, a full head taller than Rogge. His hair has turned gray and his body has begun to gain weight. Although the thick beard is majestic, it always makes people feel that he is far from the iron-blooded emperor who has been fighting for thirty years and whose reputation has spread far and wide across the continent. The gift given to Emperor Feuerbach after many years of battle was a half-lame right leg.

After the emperor greeted Rogge to take a seat, he dismissed the waiter, leaving only the feeble and unsteady old steward serving behind him. He cut off a large piece of roast beef with a knife, swallowed it in a few mouthfuls, drank all the strong wine in the glass, and took a long time to exhale with satisfaction.

"The warriors of the Northern Kingdom should eat barbecue and drink strong wine. This is the **** fun! Don't you think so?"

Emperor Feuerbach uttered foul words when he came up, which immediately startled Rogge, and a piece of beef got stuck in his throat. In a hurry, the fat man drank all the strong wine in the glass, and finally washed down the beef. It's just that the strong liquor that had been hidden for a hundred years was too strong, and the fat man's face turned red and purple in the blink of an eye. Rogge's mind was buzzing, and he had to secretly gather his energy, and then he slowly regained his clarity.

Just when he improved his mental strength, a subtle resonance seemed to be faintly aroused from the old manager. The fat man felt a shiver in his heart, but just now he was feeling dizzy, and this feeling was too weak. He was really not sure whether he was being too suspicious.

Seeing Rogge's embarrassment, Emperor Feuerbach laughed loudly and said: "We northern warriors are fighting for wine. It doesn't matter whether we can drink or not. What matters is whether we dare to drink or not! Well, you are a good boy!"

The fat man didn't know how to answer, so he had to say yes.

"Boy, you did a great job in Montreal this time. You didn't leave anyone alive. Even the administrator was killed by you. You were ruthless and quick. Well, not bad! Not bad!"

The fat man didn’t know how to answer, so he remained submissive.

"You and I are very similar when we were young. We were both bold and daring, and we would do it ruthlessly when we saw it right! I heard that you and Yunxiao City were incompatible with each other a long time ago. This time in the You killed a lot of them in Montreal. It seems that you are completely on my eldest son's side?"

Rogg suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Forming gangs in the court, rejecting dissidents, and framing loyal people were not big things in the eyes of the emperor, but intervening in the emperor's family affairs and trying to influence the inheritance of the throne was always the top taboo in any dynasty. Pompey had numerous military exploits and a deep foundation, while Rockefeller, as the Grand Magister, had a transcendent status. Emperor Feuerbach might have scruples about them, but he would never have any scruples about a newly surrendered figure like Fatty.

Seeing Rogge sweating profusely, the emperor laughed and said: "In recent years, the fight between the Holy Cult, Pompeii and Yunxiao City has become more and more fierce. If you want to get along better in the empire, if you don't stand If you go to the side of the Holy Cult, you have to side with the Druids. You have a lot of talents and troops. If you don't side with both sides, they will get you down first. Boy, you don't have to be afraid, we Northern warriors are not as shameless as southerners! In the empire, the first is loyalty, and the second is having real ability. You are good at it, and it will not be easy for others to bring you down. As long as you are always loyal to the empire, you deserve the same You are indispensable! But if you have other thoughts..."

A bright light flashed in Emperor Feuerbach's eyes, and his bone-chilling gaze froze Rogge almost instantly.

The emperor stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth and said slightly vaguely: "Boy, the fight between the Holy Cult and the Druids is getting more and more fierce. Do you know why I let it go?"

Rogg immediately followed the emperor's wishes and asked.

"The most powerful creature on the imperial prairie is the Fenrir demon wolf. The female wolf will give birth to more than a dozen pups every time. After a few days, the pups will start fighting each other when they can open their eyes. In the end, only Only the two or three strongest wolf pups can survive. Every grown-up demon wolf is the most powerful among its siblings. Because of this, Fenrir Demon Wolf is always the most powerful demon beast on the prairie. . In fact, since the day the empire was founded, internal fighting has never stopped, but the empire has become stronger and stronger day by day, and its territory has become more and more vast! Those cowards in the south only kill heroes and capable ministers, how can we have it in our hearts? The rivals of the northern warriors across the entire prairie? Humph, when one day the empire opens the passage to the south, or seizes the outlet to the sea, we will definitely let those southerners who only care about pleasure know about the northern warriors. Awesome!"

For the first time, Rogge felt that he had underestimated this rough emperor. If you don't have the confidence to control everything, how can you dare to let your subordinates fight? Whether internal or external, the Asrofic Empire has never stopped fighting for hundreds of years since its founding. In the cruel competition that is a matter of life and death, there is absolutely no room for mediocrity to survive. In fact, any person in the empire with little ability may become the primary target of hostile factions. For example, the hundreds of druids who died in Montreal were victims of this kind of civil strife.

It can be seen that among the dozens of emperors in the empire for hundreds of years, there is no incompetent person at all. This is almost unimaginable among the southern dynasties.

"Boy! Do you understand the rules of the empire now? It's okay if you want to support my eldest son. As long as he can overpower the other brothers, my throne will be his."

At this time, the old steward whispered something in the emperor's ear, and the emperor suddenly said: "Ah, I almost forgot about tonight's business. You are a very good boy, I like it very much. The title of this prince is right. This is your reward. Come on, let me see how lucky you are, which of my daughters you can get. By the way, Barr, how many daughters do I have?"

The old steward thought for a while and said slowly: "Your Majesty is very brave. You have a total of forty-six princesses, twenty-two of whom are unmarried, and eleven of them are over fourteen years old."

Feuerbach waved his hand impatiently and said: "Barr, you are only ten years older than me. Why have you become more and more wordy in the past few years? Go get the things!"

The old manager slowly exited the small restaurant. Rogge couldn't help but become curious, wondering what this 'thing' had to do with the emperor marrying his daughter. Now that the emperor has spoken, the prince can no longer run away. This is much easier than imagined. It’s just that Fatty knows that Yunxiao City will never let him go easily. The smoother it goes now, the sharper Druid’s counterattack will be in the future.

Not long after, the old manager came in holding a gold box.

Emperor Feuerbach took the golden box and shook it vigorously, and there was a clear and crisp sound inside. This sound sounds somewhat similar to the dominoes that Rogge used to use when gambling.

While Rogge was stunned, Emperor Feuerbach took out a jade tablet from the gold box, took a look at it, and asked the old manager: "Malika? Barr, how is this child? I completely I can’t remember.”

The old manager said slowly: "Your Majesty, wait a moment, I will go take a look right now."

The emperor turned to Rogge and smiled: "Boy, my daughter can only bring you the title of prince. Apart from that, don't expect to get any benefits from her. On the contrary, you will also A lot of trouble."

Feuerbach slapped Rogge heavily on the shoulder, and added: "If you marry a princess, you may not necessarily become a prince. Otherwise, the empire has been passed down for hundreds of years, and there would be thousands of princes now. But the title of the prince follows the blood of the imperial family. Before arriving at Richelieu, Pompey must have told you about the importance of the prince. You kid, you have to be careful and don't let others kill you. The position was taken away."

Roger's mind was in confusion and he just nodded.

At this time, the old steward had come back. He took a large portrait in his hand and gave it to Feuerbach. He said: "Princess Malika was born to Princess Fesili. Her maternal line comes from the Boguna family, which is the imperial family." A small tribe in the northeast. The princess is seventeen years old and currently lives in Maple Leaf Palace."

Feuerbach took one look at the portrait and laughed loudly: "You kid is not bad luck! But this kid seems to have a bad temper, you can figure it out yourself!"

Rogg took the portrait thrown by the emperor and just looked at it casually. Anyway, the meaning of this princess to him is just the title of a prince. No matter how beautiful she is, she can't compare to those around him.

The portrait shows a tall beauty with thick long black hair draped over her shoulders and a wild and aggressive smile. The long skirt she wore was cut very seductively, revealing a large amount of skin on her breasts, waist and thighs. Rogge roughly estimated that she might be about the same height as Androni, that is to say, half a head taller than him. This princess's toned and hot figure is really good, but she does seem to be a character who is not easy to tame.

The fat man was secretly alert, and he decided to immediately understand all the laws and customs regarding the prince in the empire after he returned. Judging from the portrait, Malika is a beauty with a distinctive personality and outstanding appearance. But Rogge firmly believed that he would not have good luck in Richelieu, let alone any **** to favor him. The only possible reason why the Supreme God did not throw a light of judgment at him was that the fat man was still immature and could not stand the eyes of the gods in the sky.

When coming out of the Imperial Palace, the boss asked Rogge to go to Maple Leaf Palace tomorrow and he would arrange for Malika and Rogge to meet. In the final farewell, the old steward suddenly said meaningfully: "Your Majesty appreciates you very much. You should take care of yourself."

On the way back, Roger repeatedly thought about the meaning of the old manager's last words, but he couldn't understand it. In fact, throughout the whole night, Rogge spoke no more than fifty words, and the Emperor was the one talking endlessly. It was the first time for Rogge to be appreciated for his silence.

Maple Leaf Palace is located on a small island southwest of the imperial capital. This palace is not big, and there are more than ten emperor's concubines and several princesses living in it. There are dozens of palaces with this purpose throughout Richelieu. The palaces of the imperial princes are much better. Those who are very powerful, such as the thirteenth prince, or whose matrilineal families are prominent, have their own separate palaces.

All the way to Maple Leaf Palace, both the guards and the concubines and princesses living here were very respectful towards Rogge and his party. Of course, this respect was not directed toward the fat man, but toward the manager. The emperor is away at war all the year round, and any concubine living in this remote palace who wants to serve the emperor for one night before she grows old must be arranged by the boss. If they are lucky enough and give birth to a son, they will rise to great heights immediately. If you give birth to a princess, you can also expect that your daughter will marry a high-ranking person in the future. Although the emperor has nearly a hundred children, there are hundreds of concubines in the palace, and most of them are still childless. Therefore, the old steward is to them as much as the supreme **** is to his children. Same as the people.

Rogg knew that his reputation in the imperial capital was not very good. What surprised him was that there were still several young girls who frequently gestured to him.

A very clever waiter in the imperial palace followed Rogge and introduced to him in a low voice the various characters he met along the way. These girls are all unmarried princesses. According to imperial law, only marquis or above are eligible to marry an imperial princess. However, in the Asrofic Empire, which values ​​boys over girls and favors martial arts, in addition to aristocratic families, only those who have achieved sufficient military exploits are eligible to become marquises. For these people, marrying a princess has no benefits but a lot of trouble. It is not as solid as a political marriage between several big families.

Even among nobles with the same title, the difference in power and wealth is often vast. There are only a few dignitaries like Rogge who own a country and have a large number of troops in the entire empire. Although the folk customs in the North are simple, in the eyes of most people, immediate and practical interests outweigh things like reputation, likes and dislikes. For these unhappy princesses whose mother's family has little influence, being able to marry Rogge is undoubtedly a step to the sky.

In a moment, Rogge and his party arrived in front of a quiet courtyard. The courtyard is not big, and although it is elegantly decorated, it is not luxurious.

The waiter whispered: "Princess Malika is very beautiful. She likes poetry, art and freedom very much. As you can see, her mother's family is not prominent, just a small tribe in the far east of the empire. Princess and Riche The artists who stayed there had frequent exchanges and were frequent visitors to art salons..."

At this time, the courtyard door opened, and a tall, handsome, and elegant man walked out, and a woman full of wild beauty escorted him out. The man turned back and smiled: "I spent a pleasant afternoon with the beautiful Princess Malika. I have new poems to publish at the salon next week. I hope you can be there too."

Malika smiled and said: "I will definitely go."

The obedient waiter whispered: "This is Baron Lei Luo. In the past year, he has been the most famous poet and composer in the imperial capital. The one next to him is Princess Malika."

At this time, Lei Luo also saw Rogge and his group. His eyes swept across everyone, he snorted slightly, and walked away.

Rogg looked at Lei Luo's back with his hands behind his hands, frowning slightly. The waiter observed the words and fanned the flames: "These people who show off their art have always been so arrogant! There is not even a count in Lei Luo's family..."

Malika saw the old manager, came up to him, saluted, and said, "Master Barr, why are you here?"

The old steward said in a slow voice that has not changed for thousands of years: "According to His Majesty's order, today is the day for Mr. Rogge and His Highness to meet."

Malika's thick eyebrows furrowed and she said, "But I wasn't notified! Why do I need to see that Mr. Rogge?"

At this moment, an exclamation suddenly came from the courtyard, "Isn't this Mr. Barr? Oh my God!"

A middle-aged lady trotted over. She has picturesque features, vaguely similar to Malika, but is much gentler and more feminine. Although she is old, her charm is still charming, and she must have been even more charming when she was young. She pulled Malika behind her and smiled at the old steward: "Master Barr, Malika is rude, please don't take it to heart! Why did you come suddenly? Does your Majesty want to summon me?"

"Princess Feisley, Your Majesty has designated a marriage for Princess Malika."

"But..." Malika couldn't help shouting, "You have to ask me what I mean, right?"

The old manager ignored her.

Fesili immediately turned around and shouted: "Malika, shut up! Do you even dare to disobey the emperor's will?" She then lowered her voice and asked nervously: "Master Barr, can you reveal One point, who did the emperor appoint for Malika?"

The boss pointed to Rogge with his withered hand and said: "This is the Grand Duke Rogge."

Feasley's eyes lit up and she said, "Grand Duke?"

"This is a temporary title. After marrying Princess Malika, Mr. Rogge will officially be crowned a prince."

Fesili swayed, her breath almost stopping. She looked at Rogge with a gentle gaze, as if she was seeing an unforgettable lover. "Prince! Oh my god, praise the emperor! So, he must have a vast territory and his own army. Which province is it?"

"The Principality of Are."

Faithley fainted.

A moment later, Rogge and Malika sat opposite each other. Although the atmosphere in the room was very awkward, the smile on Roger's face never changed. Malika stared at Rogge with her dark blue eyes, and finally couldn't help but speak first: "Do you really want to be my husband?"

"This is what the emperor meant."

"But there is no love between us, and it is impossible to have love. God, you are not even taller than me!"

Roger said: "The value of a person lies in his wisdom."

"If you are a noble person, you should reject the emperor! But I know you men will not do this. Prince! Is this the purpose of marrying me?"

"If the jade plaque in your Majesty's hand had another name engraved on it, I would still be the prince."

"So what you want to marry is just the title of princess. You can find other princesses! They will be happy to marry a prince."

Roger smiled and said: "Then who will bear the consequences of violating the emperor's will, you?"

Malika choked. She stared at Rogge fiercely for a while, and then said: "My mother will be fascinated by your wealth, territory and power, but I won't! If it weren't for betrayal, would you have everything you have today? Now you are sitting with me triumphantly The person in front of you is actually a traitor, isn't it?"

Rogge was not moved at all and said calmly: "Although politics is a game, its complexity surpasses history books and cannot be recorded in poetry."

Malika shook her thick black hair hard, her eyes were on fire, and she gritted her teeth and said: "I can't tell you. But I can tell you that I already have someone I love, and I will love him forever, all the time. Thinking about him. If you really marry me, then every time you press me, I will treat you as his!"

Roger sneered and said, "Is your lover the poet Lei Luo just now?"

The maid who had been standing behind Malika suddenly said: "You are so shameless, our princess has already made it so clear! You..."

"Julie, stop talking!" Malika immediately stopped the maid. She knew that although Rogge couldn't do anything to her, if Julie offended him, even if the fat man killed Julie on the spot, nothing would happen.

Roger smiled lightly and ignored Julie. He changed into a comfortable position without any intention of getting angry.

Malika frowned, and she finally realized that this fat man was a bit difficult to deal with.

"Okay, Master Rogge, let's talk calmly. I am not interested in the source of your superiority: power and status. You have just made great contributions to the empire. If you beg the emperor properly, he will I will choose another princess for you. But if you insist on marrying me, then I will definitely make you regret it. According to the tradition of the empire, you only have one chance to marry a princess. I will openly interact with Lei Luo, If you kill me, it is rebellion. If you can't bear it and drive me out of the house, then your title of prince will be gone. Of course, you can choose to endure it, and I will talk to everyone about being with Lei Luo. A wonderful feeling together. At that time, your prestige in the territory will probably be even worse, right? In the end, for your reputation, you will still drive me out of your house."

Roger laughed and said: "Malika, you are really smart and know what to use to threaten people. But your artistic lover may not be so cooperative, right? His integrity will also Is it the same as his talent, far beyond ordinary people?"

Malika sneered and said: "Master Rogge, don't think that you can do whatever you want in the empire. Lei Luo was already a famous bard before he came to Richelieu. He and several Drew Elder Yi has an extraordinary friendship, and now the Prime Minister of the Empire, Lord Straw, is also his good friend. Your power has not surpassed Lord Straw, has it not surpassed the City of Yunxiao? If you dare to touch him, , then I can guarantee that you will regret it."

Roger was silent for a moment and then said: "Malika, I don't have the guts to bear the emperor's wrath. You are very smart and should know that your proposal is not realistic. Let's make a deal. Our marriage It's just a title, I get the prince's title, and you can interact with Lei Luo freely. What do you think of this?"

Malika said coldly: "Let me think about it."

"There is no room for consideration. If you insist on having your own way, it will not benefit anyone."

"Okay! But I have a condition, you will never put your dirty hands on me after marriage."

"Deal."

Roger left Malika's room with a relaxed look on his face, and Julie's curse could be faintly heard behind him: "How shameless!"

The Winter Palace in the north of Richelieu occupies the entire island. It is magnificent and luxurious, far exceeding the Maple Leaf Palace. The Winter Palace is used to receive imperial guests, and Rogge stayed here.

It is almost dusk now, and the golden sunset reflects the entire Richelieu picturesquely. From here, you can see the Ice and Snow Goddess statue more than ten meters to the west, which exudes blue magic light. Opposite it is the taller Nature Goddess statue to the east.

Rogg was admiring the beautiful scenery outside the window when soft and subtle footsteps came from behind.

Roger suddenly took a step to the side, passed the steel needle thrust into his lower back, and took the opportunity to hold the murderer in his arms.

"Damn Fatty, is your little princess beautiful? I heard she is only seventeen years old." The little fairy asked with a smile ~IndoMTL.com~ But her smile always made people feel a little dangerous.

Roger said with a smile: "She already has a devoted lover, who is the most famous poet and composer in the imperial capital! She negotiated with me all afternoon. You see, it's not easy for me, the prince, to win. Ah!"

Froya frowned slightly, asked what happened, and then said: "This is very strange. That poet... I'm afraid he is from the City of Yunxiao, right?"

Rogg suddenly lowered his head and kissed the little goblin **** the face, then smiled and said: "How smart!"

Froya smiled lightly and said: "Even if you give in, those druids will never let you get the prince. So you still have to find a way to deal with the disobedient little princess. ”

Rogge sneered: "Isn't it easy to deal with that bitch? The emperor has already hinted that he will ignore the internal strife. As long as I bring down Yunxiao City, the princess and the prince are not important."

The little goblin nodded and said: "Damn Fatty, but then you will be in danger. You have to find new enemies for the empire and former allies like Pompey."

Rogg smiled slightly and said: "In the south, there are many enemies of the empire."