Several consecutive rains failed to cool down the heat, but instead made the ground in this busy city increasingly muddy and difficult to walk on.
The carriage drove through the mud on the road, creating criss-crossing ruts. Pedestrians walked carefully on the roadside, occasionally avoiding the splashing muddy water that the carriage drove through.
In some places where the water was deep, bricks and wooden boards were placed. When a lady in a beautiful dress passed by, she looked like a jumping elk.
The most numerous people in the city are soldiers wearing imperial uniforms.
Soldiers held spears in hand and patrolled in formation. Civilians drove freight wagons loaded with supplies and trudged through the muddy water. Knights rode their horses slowly. The heraldic emblems on their horse ornaments and armor showed that they came from different parts of the empire.
Legions, different noble territories and different status positions.
Among them, there are both shirtless barbarians with bulging muscles and full beards, as well as traditional aristocratic knights who are neatly dressed, look proud, and behave meticulously.
Coupled with the caravans traveling from north to south and the free knights and mercenaries with different accents, Atlanta looks chaotic but vibrant.
As an important defense town in the Imperial Capital Plain, Atlan's military status was originally extremely important. The arrival of His Majesty Edward made this fortress replace the Imperial Capital and become the center of the Solan Empire during the war.
Imperial affairs and government instructions were spread from here to the major provinces of the empire. Nobles of all sizes arrived one after another. Countless sky magic ships landed every day; the noble carriages entering the city were densely packed, like crucian carp crossing the river.
As the situation in the south became increasingly serious, Prime Minister Donald, who had been staying in the imperial capital, arrived in Atlanta three days ago.
The next day, officials from various departments of the imperial government also arrived one after another. Also arriving at the same time were the commanders of the five major knights of the empire, the heads of the four major families, and the heads of the major wealthy families.
Almost overnight, the indigenous people of Atlan were surprised to find that this city on the edge of the Imperial Capital Plain was filled with stars. If you looked casually while walking on the road, you could see those big figures who usually only existed in legends riding on them.
carriage and knights guarding him.
If His Majesty Edward hadn't abolished the normal system of noble privileges by wartime regulations, I'm afraid everyone could just avoid and salute for a day without doing anything else.
The eyes of the common people always follow the eyes of the nobles.
When the top nobles of the empire gathered in Atlanta, the talk in the streets naturally focused on the war situation in the south.
Atlanta is not far from Lurian.
Before the war, the city's largest trading partner was Lurian. Almost all food, monster furs, bones, magic crystals and seafood came from Lurian. The main business of some businesses in Atlanta was to make Lurian.
Transshipment business between the capital and the imperial capital.
Therefore, the people of Atlan are more concerned about Lulian's safety than other parts of the imperial capital.
Once Lulian is lost, Atlan will not only become the front line facing the Fei Lie Empire's attack, but also food, cloth, medicine and other daily necessities will be in great difficulty.
Everyone hopes that Lulian can create another miracle, just like what they did in Meiding City before, giving the Phillies a hard blow. Even if they can't win, they can at least maintain the current situation and drag on.
A few months to buy some time for His Majesty Edward.
However, all this is just everyone's fantasy.
As the nearly catastrophic bad news came one after another in the early stage, everyone knew that the situation in Lulian was now out of control.
In the northwest of Lulian and the southwest of Atlan, the Feililongmen Front Army led by Duke Benson is attacking the Southwest Noble Alliance Army led by Marquis Ashley day and night.
Although both sides were just arranging their troops and testing each other in the early stage, and the battle actually started in just a few days, none of the news that came back was pleasant.
It is said that before the war began, Ashley's group of nobles made all their lofty words and gathered private soldiers in their respective territories. The children in the family even matched three good horses to each other, and they spent the whole day yelling and screaming on the training ground.
Running around and having dance parties at night, he looked confident.
It seems that as soon as the Feili people come, they can kill all their enemies, tie roses with the enemy's coat of arms, and present them to the most beloved girl.
But once the battle actually started, they lost three territories in one day. Their army collapsed at the first touch. The leading noble officer fled first, and thousands of temporarily armed soldiers collectively laid down their weapons and surrendered.
Most of these soldiers were originally farmers and craftsmen in the nobles' territories and had no combat experience at all. After being called up, the southwest nobles only issued some crude weapons. Many of them were not even trained, let alone trained.
Their food and clothing are not guaranteed.
When such a team goes into battle to face the elite Fei Lie army, the result can be imagined.
However, even if they surrendered, these poor people could not save their lives. According to reliable information, more than 3,000 soldiers were killed under Benson's order!
The ragged Solan soldiers were driven into deep pits in groups. These pits were dug by themselves and filled back by the same Solan prisoners. The cold-blooded Fei Lie soldiers were watching.
Anyone who dared to resist was immediately shot and skinned on the spot.
Countless innocent souls were wandering in the sky over that land. Countless people were crying for the death of their loved ones. The scene was too horrific to watch.
Now, Marquis Ashley's army is still defending with the high walls of the castle.
But no one thought they could survive a week. Many refugees who came over said that the entire army had collapsed. Not only did the nobles blame each other, had their own ideas and issued different orders, but many of them simply broke the pot.
Breaking and falling, living in a state of drunkenness and dreams all day long.
If Donald had not strictly ordered Marquis Ashley to hold on for a while longer, I am afraid that even the leader of the Southwest Alliance would have abandoned his territory and fled north with his family.
As for the Fifth Legion...every time people mention it, they just sneer. It is said that even among the noble circles there are calls to reorganize the legion, replace all officers and arrest the generals for questioning. But everyone knows that this legion is Donald
Yes, although the cry is loud, it can't move.
What makes people even more angry is that as long as the Fifth Legion is not held accountable, everyone has also heard that this time Donald came to Atlanta in person to force Edward to marry him!
The reason is very simple. Although Ashley and the Fifth Army are incompetent, the Southwest Noble Alliance Army has not completely collapsed after all. And facing the attack of Fei Lie's army, Lulian's situation has become uncontrollable.
Now, it is no longer a secret that Minai used Archduke Adolf to scheme against Fano and launch a surprise attack on the fjord.
This news came from an insider arranged by Donald in the royal family.
When the news spread, the whole country was shocked.
The ordinary people were sad and silent, worried about the fate of the empire. But the nobles, while worried, also had their own thoughts.
Although the situation in Lulian was severe before, everyone still had some wait-and-see ideas. After all, the Solan royal family has ruled this land for hundreds of years, and the dynasty is orthodox and powerful. Although Edward I was suppressed by Donald before, but since the war broke out
.The performance of the Royal family is much more beautiful than that of the Donald family.
Some people may say that this is Edward's luck. But sometimes, luck is also a kind of strength.
Why did the Archduke of Prussia, who was loyal to Donald, lose the province of Prussia, while Adolf, who was loyal to Edward, achieved a great victory at Medine?
Luck alone cannot explain the problem.
Although the nobles are fickle, they have not reached the point of Chao Qin Muchu. Since everyone chose to unite with the royal family to resist the invasion of the Feili people before, and invested a lot of manpower and material resources to form three legions, when there is not enough
When given a reason, they will not change.
But no one expected that after Adolf was attacked and trapped, the situation not only did not improve, but worsened further.
Fano did not save Adolf, and was treated like a fool by Minai, who led him step by step into the night canyon.
As for Minai, he marched eastward and made a surprise attack on the fjord.
When the news came out, Minai's vanguard force had already captured the fjord!
The guards are still thousands of miles away, but the swarming bandits have already knocked open the door. You can even imagine what will happen next with your buttocks!
This reason seems to be enough!
The political situation of the empire suddenly became chaotic and people's hearts were filled with confusion.
And such an opportunity, for an old fox like Donald, would obviously never let go.
Almost as soon as the news came out, Donald rushed from the imperial capital to Atlanta. Like a magician who accurately caught the king among the playing cards that were scattered like a goddess, this vertical and horizontal cable
An old fox in Lan politics for decades, he caught Edward at his weakest moment!
As the heads of noble families from all over the country arrived one after another, and as the situation on the Lurian front became more and more serious, everyone could feel the changing situation in the sky above Atlanta.
The dark clouds are getting thicker and thicker, and that thunder may explode next moment!
……………….
……………….
"Your Highness, I insist on my opinion. The empire's finances are on the verge of collapse. Because the situation in Lulian continues to deteriorate, the price of food in the imperial capital this week has increased by 50% compared with last week. The situation in other surrounding cities is even worse.
.We must reduce the military expenditures of the three major armies, purchase food, and balance food prices without delay."
When Susan quietly walked into the palace meeting hall, what she saw was a chaotic scene.
Alessia, who stayed in the imperial capital and temporarily replaced Edward I to preside over the proceedings, was sitting on a chair next to the high throne. Below her, the officials and nobles of the government were sitting in groups of three according to different camps.
There were a bunch of five standing in the hall, talking a lot.
The person speaking to Alessia at this moment was a middle-aged fat man named Du Fu. He was wearing a striped velvet coat and was waving his thick arms. His small eyes, which were squeezed out of shape by his fat cheeks, exuded an aggressive attitude.
The light looked like a barking bulldog.
Susan knew Duf. This guy was Donald's lackey, a count from a remote area. Under Donald's guidance, he entered the aristocratic circle of the imperial capital and is now one of the three deputy ministers of the Ministry of Finance.
This guy is rude and aggressive, greedy and vicious. In this position, he has made countless money for Donald. He is Donald's most valued arm. It is said that among the people under Donald, there are even many legions with heavy soldiers.
When I see this guy, he always smiles.
For these people, Duff is their God of Wealth.
For many years, Donald's legion has far more and better weapons and equipment, war horses, medicines, magic crystals and other military supplies than the troops loyal to the royal family.
Even the treatment and equipment of some second-rate troops stationed in the interior are better than those of the troops on the front line who guard the border for the empire day and night. Dufu played a key role in this.
To describe him as unscrupulous is not an exaggeration at all.
Normally, this guy would obey His Majesty Edward's orders, but when His Majesty Edward went to Atlanta and Princess Alessia was supervising the country, he jumped out immediately.
Although she only listened to a few words, Susan knew better than anyone else that what Du Fu said was a complete lie.
The situation in Lulian has indeed affected food prices. However, the food supply system of the imperial capital does not rely solely on Lulian, but also has support from other provinces.
As early as the early days of Lulian's grain shipment reduction, Edward had already coordinated with the lords of the producing areas in the major provinces to increase the amount of grain provided to the imperial capital. He also used part of the grain reserves to balance prices.
The reason why food prices in the imperial capital soared is entirely because a group of greedy guys like Du Fu secretly joined forces to hoard food.
In just one or two months, they don't know how much money they made.
Susan even heard that Du Fu had also put his hand into a batch of strategic grain reserves controlled by the Ministry of Finance. Currently, more than half of the nine reserve grain warehouses in the imperial capital are empty.
Now that food prices are soaring and the economy is collapsing, it seems that all the money has been spent on the three major armies.
But you must know that the formation of the three major legions was an agreement reached by the imperial nobles. Each family provided a large amount of funds for it. Even Edward himself tightened his belt and allocated a large sum of money from the royal treasury.
It’s enough money to reduce the royal family’s quality of life by more than half.
This money was earmarked for the establishment of three major legions. Even Donald did not dare to risk breaking with all the nobles by spending this money.
Duff didn't dare either.
Therefore, he is now taking advantage of His Majesty Edward's absence to bully Princess Alessia, who has never been involved in political affairs, for her ignorance, trying to open a gap from her.
Once Aleshia fails to see through his insidious intention and agrees to reduce the military expenditures of the three major legions and use the money to balance food prices, this guy will immediately take the opportunity to take advantage of her.
At that time, the nobles did not know how much money had flowed into the pockets of Duff and his master Donald, but Alessia was determined to bear the blame.
In the meeting hall at this moment, there are really all kinds of people in different moods.
Du Fu stood in front of Alessia, aggressively, as if Alessia would give up the fight immediately if she didn't agree. Behind him, several officials from the Ministry of Finance were holding account books and complaining, while trying to persuade Alessia earnestly.
Shia.
The nobles watched indifferently, some were laughing, some were whispering, and most of them looked like it had nothing to do with them.
For the people of Donald's family, the control of the three major legions is in the hands of the royal family. Dufu's move to cut down the salary is naturally in their interests. They were originally reluctant to spend the money to form the three major legions, but now they have
Alexia takes the blame, why not?
Anyway, no matter what Dufu does, they will never be short of their share.
Some neutral nobles also have the same idea.
The current situation is at a critical juncture. The news from Lulian has made everyone understand that this time, not only Adolf is doomed, but the royal family will also suffer a fatal blow.
Donald has already rushed to Atlanta. This time he forces the palace, which may make Edward sadly announce his abdication.
Judging from Du Fu's arrogant appearance, doesn't his confidence come from this?
At this time, who is willing to offend them? To speak frankly? That is just to get burned. Donald has ruled the world in Solan for thirty years, and countless families have been destroyed in his hands. How many people in the slums of the imperial capital once had good food and clothing?
It’s so expensive, what about now?
These people were considered lucky, many of them even became slaves and were sent to the gladiatorial arena.
Thinking about the nobles who fought with beasts and gladiators, and finally died under the thumbs up and boos of the audience, and thinking about those once familiar names, it is enough to give up the idea of standing up.
And the more important point is that no matter what the reason is, the price of food in the imperial capital is indeed in danger of getting out of control.
Duf and others once proposed levying a special war tax to Edward, but Edward rejected it. It is unrealistic to take money from people like Donald. They are the instigators.
Therefore, using the military expenditures of the three major legions to let these guys make a fortune and at least get the food out of their hands is a last resort.
However, some people finally couldn't stand it anymore.
A noble scolded: "Duff, stop thinking about military spending. The empire is in crisis, and the formation of the three major legions is a top priority. No one can touch this money."
"Oh?" Du Fu snorted angrily, glanced at the noble, and said calmly, "The common people can't afford to eat. In your opinion, it's nothing? Or, are you willing to go bankrupt to help us respect
Princess Aleshia solves the problem of food prices?"
"You are being so reckless. None of us know that there is a shortage of food in the imperial capital, and you are to blame for hoarding it!" A nobleman yelled angrily.
"Don't slander me. Hoarding food has nothing to do with me, Du Fu." Du Fu sneered, "What other people do is a business matter and I can't control it. As for responsibility...
…”
Dufu turned around and looked around, and finally turned his attention to Alessia: "The one who should really bear the responsibility is probably Archduke Adolf. If the Lulian war hadn't turned out like this, people wouldn't be in panic and food prices would skyrocket. Your Highness, you
A discerning person should know that if we wait two more days for the news of Lulian’s real fall to come, I’m afraid the situation will be ten times worse than it is now.”
For a moment, there was silence in the meeting hall.
Alessia frowned slightly, looked around, and finally said: "That's it for today. Everyone, your Excellency, Deputy Minister, please allow me to think about it."
As the proud-looking Dufu and the nobles with different expressions left, the spacious meeting hall became empty and silent.
Sophia walked to the window, stared at the carriages speeding down the Imperial Power Mountain, and sighed softly.
"Your Highness," Susan walked to Sophia's side and said softly, "Why didn't you refuse Dufu? Didn't you tell me yesterday that Dufu wanted to put his hand into the military expenses of the three legions? Once you let him
If you succeed, not only will the empire's military force be damaged, your Majesty will also lose the trust of all nobles..."
Alessia lowered her head, her wavy long hair hanging down softly.
"I know," she bit her lip and said, "but if we don't agree, what other options can we have?"
"This..." Susan opened her mouth, but couldn't speak.
"Actually, before today, I have secretly met many people from business groups and chaebols," Aleshia's long eyelashes fluttered, "but the current situation in Lulian makes them very worried. No one is willing to take money.
Come out. They said that unless the war situation in Lulian can be reversed, the rising food prices will be uncontrollable."
"Reversal..." Susan chewed this bitter word in her mouth, feeling gloomy. However, she still comforted her, "It's not completely impossible. Maybe we still have a chance."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up and she said: "Your Highness, don't forget that your guardian knight is in the fjord now. It is said that on the day that Fei Lie's army attacked the fjord, he saw through Minai.
Plan to lead troops to reinforce the fjord."
Speaking of Roy, even Alesia, who was frowning, had a smile on her face.
The news about Roy was brought back by someone sent by his father, Edward.
When she heard that, Alesia felt indescribably proud. Although she originally named Roy her guardian knight, in the eyes of others, it was just a little girl's joke, but in Alessia's mind,
That is a very, very serious matter.
That big-headed boy not only saved his own life, but also performed many times better than those noble knights on the night Borabel was invaded. His bravery, his compassion, and his responsibilities
This responsibility is like a true knight!
Although Alessia has never had the chance to see Roy since then, she will think of him from time to time.
The encounter in the south made this young man unknowingly become an important person in her life.
From the moment he knelt in front of her and swore his allegiance, it was as if there was an invisible bond between the two of them.
And this bond was not only not broken due to the long separation, but also because of the Battle of Medina, the Incident of Munich, the boy's suppression by Scarlett, the attack by the Langlis family, and various difficulties.
The tenacity and unyielding displayed are getting stronger and stronger.
Even Edward I benefited from this several times.
When Edward specially sent someone to tell Alessia about Roy leading the army to the fjord, Alessia could definitely see his pride in her father's letter.
Be proud of the guardian knight you chose.
He is his own guardian knight.
Every time she thought of this, Alessia's tired and helpless soul felt a little comforted. That was her biggest gain from that willful trip.
However, when she thought about Roy's situation in the news from her father, Aleshia was more worried at the moment.
There were not many troops setting out from Medin City to reinforce the fjord. Moreover, Roy's command, who was responsible for reinforcing the Western Front, only had some students who had never been on the battlefield and a small number of cavalry.
Even Edward didn't believe that he could accomplish anything in the fjord with such a small number of people. For this reason, he specially sent Sophia back. The most important task was to bring Roy back.
Although Alessia hopes more than ever that Roy can create another miracle for herself and her father. However, she also understands that this is just her fantasy.
It was a battlefield filled with blood and fire, a place where countless lives disappeared.
Even those famous generals who have been fighting for a lifetime, are cunning and resourceful, are inevitably defeated and die. How can a young boy of 17 or 18 change all this?
Moreover, his opponent is so powerful and terrifying.
In the silence, Aleshia sighed softly, crossed her hands on her chest, lowered her eyelashes, and prayed: "I just hope that he can be safe. He has done enough. But until now,
But I didn’t give him anything in return.”
Susan looked at the girl's silhouette in the sun and asked, "If he really created a miracle, what would you do?"
"I will spend his knight's night with him and pray with him." Alessia imagined that scene, with a smile on her lips.
Susan was startled.
Knight's Night is the night before the apprentice knight is awarded the title of official knight.
As a knight, you must kneel in the knight's hall all night, pray with all your heart, and swear to uphold the responsibilities of a knight. As a princess, if Alessia accompanies Roy to spend the night of knights, it will cause a sensation in the entire continent. Countless knights
, everyone will be jealous of it and go crazy for it!
"But before that..." Alessia's smile turned a little cold, "I will personally throw a chair at that guy Duff's head!"
"Holy Holy Land, that's not what a lady should do," Susan shouted, "I'll do it."
"No, I'll do it. I'm a magician now. I can bind him with the binding technique first..."
In the meeting hall, the sound of girls arguing was heard.
.Seven thousand words, two chapters in one. Please vote for me!
.Thanks to the leader, Brother Wang, for the reward. Although you are hidden, you were still discovered.