Succubus' Manor

Of the 200 soldiers, only less than 9000 were brought into the holy city by Chi Yan, and the other [-] or so soldiers all found places to hide.

"It seemed to be a boast of force." Chi Yan sighed, but it wouldn't make him too regretful if he couldn't. The army is a weapon of murder, and it is most useful only on the battlefield.

And he didn't want to force the holy city and the royal family to join hands to deal with him once he entered the city.

For him, the soldiers who stayed outside the city were an important guarantee. Only when the Holy Court and the royal family didn't know how many bargaining chips he had, could he become the target of being wooed.

Although it failed to achieve the goal at the beginning, it was not bad, but it was wrong.

The holy city has a city wall. The city wall has stood for hundreds of years without falling down. The city wall does not use adhesives. In order to prevent it from collapsing, it uses huge stone bricks, which are built layer by layer. Building such a city wall will kill many people.

If one place fails, a large number of people will be crushed to death. Chi Yan heard from Just that the city wall will be repaired every five years in the holy city, and thousands of people will die every time it is repaired.

Just is a very knowledgeable person - Chi Yan doesn't know if he is smart or not, but he has knowledge.

He himself said that he was the illegitimate son of a noble lady. After marriage, the noble lady had an affair with a groom. After being discovered by her husband, the groom was killed. The noble lady gave birth to a child within a few months.

Since her husband had not slept with her until then, he must have been the groom's son.

But the lady loved her son very much, her husband didn't love her, and would rather go to a brothel than have sex with her, her lover died again, and Just became her only sustenance.

She tried every means to save Juster's life, but as Juster grew older and looked more and more like a groom, she found that her husband had murderous intentions again.

So she did a "daring" thing.

She found some beautiful women, gave them a lot of money, and promised them more afterwards.

So her husband was strangled to death on the bed by these beautiful women after a ridiculous night.

An even more miraculous thing happened. The noble lady probably suddenly discovered that everything became better after her husband died, and she was not going to let Juster pretend to be a legitimate child to inherit the title.

So she used her natal family's relationship to give gifts to several grand dukes, and she gave them whatever the dukes wanted.

Ever since, the widow became the countess.

But she still has love for Juster, but she doesn't want Juster to appear in front of her all the time, so she entrusts Juster to a bard and gives him a lot of money. As long as she changed her place of residence, after asking someone to send her a letter, she would ask someone to send money there.

So Juster didn't feel bitter, and he even said to Chi Yan, "If my mother isn't cruel enough, I won't be able to survive."

He felt that his mother just abandoned him instead of killing him, which is already very conscientious and motherly love.

It was precisely because his mother had the determination to abandon him and was cruel enough to save his life from her dead husband.

As long as she is a little weaker, there will be no him.

Just: "And the bard has taken me to many places."

He has lived in no fixed place since he was a child. He has been to rich holy cities and poor small towns. At first, the bard just regarded him as a burden that could not be thrown away. Yes, the bard has some real feelings for him.

So if you really say you suffer, you don’t suffer much.

His mother was generous with money, and the bard had some genuine affection for him.

He felt that if he hadn't been sent out by his mother but stayed with her, maybe he wouldn't be able to live so well.

After all, mother spends so much money every year, more than half of it is because she feels guilty after abandoning him.

If he hadn't been abandoned, after a long time, his mother would only think he was a trouble, and there was absolutely no way to feel guilty.

Just said sincerely: "Without my mother, there would be no me."

Then Juster introduced the holy city to Chi Yan.

The streets of the holy city are in the shape of "Hui", one ring is surrounded by another, and there are many small alleys in the middle like cobwebs. Because the holy city has been built for hundreds of years, there are many places that have not been recorded. in the map.

"If you want the Holy Court, you need to hide soldiers." Just said, "The Holy Court can hide [-] soldiers."

Chi Yan asked strangely: "Isn't the total population of the Holy Academy only over 5?"

Just shook his head and said, "More than 5 is the population of 40 years ago, and slaves are not counted."

Chi Yan: "..." 40 years ago?So many years without a census?

Just thought for a while: "If slaves are included in the population, there should be more than 40 people in the Holy City. If slaves are not counted, there should be [-] to [-] people."

Chi Yan's eyes lit up, more than 40!It's a big town!With a little effort, you can become a county town!

He thought that he would never see a city the size of a county town here, but he didn't expect that the Holy Court could still do it, and he didn't embarrass the capital of a country.

Just relied on his own memory to silently write down a map. Although the map was not very good, the directions of several important buildings were marked.

"This is the Holy Court." Just pointed to the black dot, and then drew a circle with his hand, drawing more than half of it in. "This is the Holy Court's sphere of influence, and the people here are all saints." , They will be baptized when they are born, and they will go to pray every three days. When I was in the Holy Court, I have seen young children who died because of failed baptism."

The baptism in the holy courtyard is not the modern one, just use some water to mean it. Its baptism is to soak the whole body in holy water regardless of adults or children.

If the child is baptized in autumn and winter, and the physical fitness is not particularly strong, then few of them will be baptized successfully. However, their parents will not think that the cold water hurt the child, they will only think that the Holy Spirit does not allow the child to live —even if the child lived, he would surely grow up to be a heretic.

Therefore, once the parents find that the child has signs of illness, they will directly terminate the child's life.

"If it wasn't for this, the population of the holy city would be higher," Just said.

Chi Yan frowned slightly: "But the local holy courtyard doesn't do this."

Just: "There is no headmaster in the local holy house, so they are not worthy to baptize children."

Chi Yan pursed his lips: "Continue."

The Holy Court and the royal family have been fighting for more than 100 years, which at least proves that there are still some people who do not believe in the Holy Spirit, otherwise the royal family would not have the confidence to fight the Holy Court.

The royal family also has its own method - when women in their sphere of influence become pregnant, they let the women go to the same place, eat and live together, and let the parents of the children pay for the children after they are born, and send them to "school", Instill in them the idea of ​​being loyal to the royal family, and by the way, slander the Holy Court.

Not only did they use this method of "kidnapping" to cultivate loyal dogs for themselves, but they also made a lot of money by this method.

After all, the common people in the holy city are richer than the nobles in many small cities, and those who have no money have long been reduced to slaves.

And what surprised and delighted Chi Yan the most was that a large part of the saints were literate - this did not mean that they had studied systematically, but that as devout believers, the holy scriptures had to be memorized.

Not only do you have to memorize it, but you also need to spend a lot of money to buy it. You have to watch it when you buy it. Because you can memorize it, you can match the words with the pronunciation. After a long time, ten or ten years, you will naturally recognize it. word.

Even if there are not many words in the holy scriptures, as long as you know the letters, you can read the rest of the words several times and remember them.

Chi Yan asked Juster: "The Holy Academy doesn't use these people?"

In Chi Yan's view, these people who can read are very useful!When he was in Stettin before, his biggest worry was that there were too many illiterate people and too few literate people.

Even if he built a school in Stettin, it would take a long time for the children to become literate.

But the Holy Academy doesn't have to do this. They only rely on their faith to cultivate "scholars", and they are loyal to them one by one.

Just shook his head. He said sincerely, "My lord, not everyone thinks the same as you. The Holy Court treats them like people treat pigs and dogs."

Useful, but not very useful, only useful when needed - such as when fighting the royal family.

When they don't need it, they have a little money in their pockets.

Those silly saints and believers, even if they can be appointed by the Holy Court, they will only be like the envoys sent to Stettin before, they will not play a big role, and they will not be able to sit in high positions.

How can I sit in a high position?

Just said: "Every year, the Holy House will select the holy sons from the children of the saints. These children will grow up in the holy court, and they will become the adopted children of the Holy Spirit. They will no longer have parents and relatives. When they grow up to thirteen At the age of four, they will be sent to the local Holy Court, and whoever develops the most believers will be able to return to the Holy Court."

Chi Yan: "..."

It has to be said that the hand of the Holy Court is more beautiful than that of the royal family.

In order to climb up, the Holy Children have to do everything possible. They need a good reputation anyway to contribute to the image of the Holy Court.

After they become the important deans in that area, they will have to face a group of people who are more famous and capable than them when they return to the Holy Court. For this reason, they will have to fight all their lives.

Otherwise, it may be replaced at any time.

Unlike the royal family, the royal family is a pool of stagnant water. This is the shortcoming of the hereditary system. Laozi is the lord, so is the son. The only way for other sons to rise is to be a knight.

But what is the knight climbing up again?The most, the most, is to enter the Royal Guard. If you are lucky enough to be the captain of the guard before you grow old, it will be considered a great deal.

Among the knights who were rewarded with titles and became nobles, there were very few of them.

This carrot has been hung so much, and the knights are not stupid, so they naturally know that this carrot can't be eaten, and they all start to eat it and wait to die.

Chi Yan enviously said: "There is a reason why the Holy Court is where it is today."

Regardless of whether the interior of the holy courtyard will be full of smog, at least it is alive, just like pyramid schemes, as long as it does not encounter a devastating blow, it will continue to grow and develop.

Until everyone becomes a cadre or offline.

On the other hand, the royal family, if the royal family can't get rid of the Holy Court within ten years, the royal family will lose.

Maybe at that time the royal family can only become the puppet of the Holy Court.

Isn't that how the divine right of kings came about?

The pope has bigger fists and more power, so the monarchy is bestowed by God—the pope.

China, on the other hand, is more slick. In order not to be coerced by religion, the emperor himself is a god, the true son of the dragon, the son of the dragon is also a dragon, the dragon is a god, and the son is also a god.

China is not without emperors fearing religion. In history, there are still "three martial arts and one sect" law difficulties, and the very famous four incidents of exterminating Buddhism.

It's just that the Chinese emperors are more ruthless in their methods, and the kingship and divine power are all concentrated in their own hands.

And the royal family here is not so good-there is no divine right, it's none of their business, and the royal power is almost gone.

How can a king in the world compare with a god in heaven?

Common people may not be able to see the king, but they all believe that they will see God after death.

In this comparison, the king is not important. If you are a good saint while you are alive, you will be treated favorably by the Holy Spirit after death. You will suffer while you are alive and enjoy blessings after death.

Chi Yan felt that Juster was indeed a talent. Compared with Juster, he had gone to too few places and had too few sources of information.

So he said to Juster: "After entering the holy city, don't follow me."

"I'll give you a sum of money, and I won't ask how or where you use the money."

Just recalled immediately: "My lord, I understand."

Chi Yan smiled and said, "Don't come to me until the moment of crisis, if you betray me..."

He looked around Just.

Just lowered his head, his whole body was shaking, he didn't know whether it was from fear or excitement.

Soon, they will enter the holy city.

The guards at the city gate stopped Chi Yan's carriage and did not let him in until after confirming the documents.

Although the guards are members of the royal family, most of them have faith, so they are very respectful to Chi Yan, a "person" of the Holy Court, and they don't even ask for money.

Chi Yan just entered the holy city.

As soon as he entered the holy city, Chi Yan opened the curtain of the car and looked out - there were not many people on the street, and even if there were, most of them were women and children, and there were hardly any men.

There are no vendors on the roadside, and even some shops are closed.

But this does not mean that the holy city is a bad city. The holy city has advantages accumulated over the years. Its ground is not known to be paved with clay, nor cement, nor is it stone slabs, but it is very smooth and has no unevenness. uneven.

Even if there is feces on the street, I don't look much. It seems that someone has cleaned it.

Occasionally, a carriage passed by, but the speed was not fast.

Chi Yan looked at the castle located in the center of the holy city. Compared with the holy courtyard, this castle is more magnificent - it is built of stone, but it is by no means primitive. It has round vaults and narrow and small windows. Every inch of the wall has intricate and gorgeous patterns, and even has metal embellishments. It is like a giant beast, crouching there quietly, just waiting for one day to wake up and shock the world.

The carriage drove for a while and stopped suddenly.

Chi Yan asked outside, "What's wrong?"

The coachman hurriedly said, "My lord, there is a little doll!"

When there is no food at home, they will come out to touch porcelain - most adults who are able to ride in a carriage will not be stingy with a little money.

But this is not a business without money. Once something happens, a life will be wasted.

It's just because the speed of the carriage in the city is slow, so the possibility of being kicked to death by the horse is relatively small.

So the benefits still outweigh the risks.

Chi Yan: "Let them go."

If he gave money, he probably would have been stopped all the way.

And the most important thing for him now is to go to the Holy Court.

I just don't know if I can see the Holy Dean.

The entourage who followed the carriage—the more than 200 soldiers he brought were all entourages, and their weapons changed from long knives to small knives that were easier to carry and hide. A lord of a big city brought hundreds of soldiers Retinues and slaves are not out of line.

The entourage took the child away, but someone quietly stuffed the child with a small piece of black bread, which was originally a snack that he carried with him and ate two bites when he was hungry.

Soon, Chi Yan came to the gate of the holy courtyard.

The holy courtyard is not as spectacular as the castle, but it is not bad. It is also made of stone, but the architectural style is completely different. Chi Yan thinks that the building of the holy courtyard of the holy city already has the prototype of Gothic architecture. It is not a dome, but is the steeple.

It's just that the prototype is still a bit rough, and it doesn't have the beauty of real Gothic architecture.

Chi Yan got out of the carriage, and Kleist followed behind him.

Ryan went to knock on the gate of the Holy Court - Kadi stayed in Stettin, and now Ryan became Chi Yan's personal servant.

Although Ryan is not smart, he is very loyal. He doesn't know how to lie, but if he is caught and tortured, Chi Yan is sure that he will not confide a word.

For people like Ryan, Chi Yan trusts and has some pity.

They risked their body and mind to Chi Yan, and what Chi Yan could give back to them was not equal to what they had paid.

So how could Chi Yan not feel sorry for him?

In times of crisis, these people cannot even defend themselves with their heads and mouths.

After Ryan knocked on the door a few times, the door was four or five meters high, and the door opened on both sides slowly opened.

A man with a very good face came out of it. He was about 40 years old, but he did not look old. He was wearing a pure white robe with dark blue patterns on it. This kind of clothes were not worn for a long time, because the color was easy to fade. Clothes are stained once, so they can only get new ones, not wash them.

His expression was solemn, but he didn't look fierce. His eyes were filled with the common compassion of clergymen. When he looked at Ryan, it was as if Ryan was a lost lamb.

When Ryan saw him come out, he handed him the paperwork.

After the man read the documents at a glance, his eyes fell on Chi Yan who was on the steps.

Chi Yan hadn't looked up at people for a long time, and he even felt that looking at people from this angle was a bit novel.

Then, the man walked down the steps. His face was so pale just now, but now it was as bright as a flower. He even grabbed Chi Yan's arm intimately, and said with a smile, "Master Shengyuan has been waiting for you for a long time." Now, what you have done in Stettin has really brought glory to the Holy House."

His mouth was full of compliments, but Chi Yan didn't take it seriously - after all, he had been here for so long, and this was the only person who came to greet him.

Is it because the Holy Academy doesn't take him seriously, or is it going to give him a blow?

Chi Yan felt that the latter was more likely, and he wanted to laugh a little.

The Holy Court may have regarded him as a bumpkin. No matter how powerful a bumpkin is in the countryside, when he comes to the city, he will of course be dazzled by everything in the city.

Then he found a powerful authority who didn't take him seriously, what would he do?

I'm afraid most of them are bowing their heads and obediently being obedient ministers for a while, and then make other plans after understanding this.

But what the Holy Court wants is probably only the period of time when he was an obedient minister.

The other party pulled Chi Yan up the steps, but Chi Yan remained as still as a mountain.

The man turned his head to look at Chi Yan, with the same smile on his face: "Aren't you going in with me?"

Chi Yan snorted coldly: "I came all the way from Stettin, and you are the only one who came to pick me up?! You look down on me too much!"

The man pursed his lips, but soon laughed again: "Now is the time to pray."

Chi Yan continued to snort: "You asked me to come over, I came here, and you just treated me like this?"

He played a pompous fool very well.

The man was still not angry: "Then do you want to wait here all the time? If you decide so, I will ask someone to bring food and water."

Chi Yan: "Then I'll wait here!"

The man didn't say much, just bent over slightly, then quickly walked up the steps and returned to the door.

Kleist frowned slightly, and whispered in Chi Yan's ear, "You looked so stupid just now."

Chi Yan: "...It's not easy for me too!"

He has never been a playboy, so he can only act according to what he has seen on TV. In order to act more like it, he also brought Lamir with him this time.

Lamir is shorter than Kleist, and his beauty is still astonishing after being thin. He can play the role of "traitorous concubine" next to Chi Yan.

In fact, it was mainly because the elves were unwilling to do this, and Lamir owed Chi Yan a lot of favors, so she obediently became Chi Yan's "traitorous concubine".

Although Kleist is also very good-looking, his temperament seems to be thousands of miles away, so Lamir is more suitable for this job.

Lamir came out from behind, straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and silently encouraged himself in his heart.

Isn't it just pretending to be Chi Yan's arrogant and greedy lover? !He can!

The man who entered the holy courtyard snorted heavily after closing the door, and then said to the people standing not far away: "The lord of Stettin, did his army really defeat Rose? He looks Like a well-dressed stupid pig!"

A person not far away said, "Maybe he is pretending."

Man: "What's the advantage of him pretending to be a stupid pig? He doesn't even fear the holy city and the holy courtyard!"

A person not far away: "If he is really stupid, wouldn't that be great? A stupid person is easier to control than a smart person."

Man: "No, a smart person knows that he should be on the stronger side, but as long as a fool is encouraged, he doesn't care about the stronger side."

People not far away: "... makes sense."

The man sighed: "What should I do now? Is it true that someone invites him in?"

The holy attendant not far away said, "Go and ask the consul first."

Man: "That's the only way."