Lord Duke

Chapter 9 Fire

Payne was led outside the king's study by the waiter.The waiter explained in a low voice: "Your Majesty, His Majesty the King has an order. If you come, I will take you directly to the study." Payne nodded lightly, and the waiter retreated knowingly.Before Payne knocked on the door, a voice came from inside: "Come in."

Payne pushed the door open as he said, and King Phil was putting down the documents in his hand. He raised his head to see Payne, smiled and said, "You came at the right time, and you can help me a lot." But there was nothing in this smile. With much sincerity, the king reached out and handed over a document.The files are thin and seem to weigh little."Look at it," said the king.

Payne took the document, and saw that the document still had a dark brown cover, with four bold characters on it: Kingdom Law.He didn't make a sound, but quickly flipped to the section about taxes. He stared at the regulations marked in red ink on a certain page, and sneered in his heart.

Payne didn't understand, where did the bishop get the confidence that the people would agree to this regulation? !

King Phil seemed to see his doubts, he smiled wryly, and said: "This is what I want to talk about too. There are more and more people who believe in religion. I don't know how these missionaries headed by bishops preach. Fooled! They think the tax increase is helping them and showing their respect to God. But if that's the case, the blame will only be pointed at us when things go wrong."

Payne nodded and said, "Has there been a small-scale riot in the royal city recently?" Although the tone was questioning, he almost certainly had a riot.He still answered the words silently in his heart, this is probably just the beginning.As early as when he first read the laws of the kingdom, he felt keenly that some of the regulations might arouse conflicts between the nobles, the royal family and the common people, such as the high degree of lord autonomy and... serfdom, and now it also involves the matter of religious belief.

Payne lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes drooped down, covering up the flash of emotion in his eyes.

King Phil's answer was not what Payne expected. He smiled wryly and said, "Yes." A look of sadness appeared on his face, as if he was troubled by this matter.He sighed, and continued: "I have invited all the dukes, marquises, and earls in the kingdom in the name of hunting activities. They are on their way now. They all received the news later than you, and I summoned you so early You must know the reason why you came to Wangcheng." He paused, with a sincere expression, "For the people of the Kingdom of Eton."

After a short negotiation and conversation, the two of them talked about things, and Payne saluted and left.Just waiting to see what happens tomorrow.

The moment the door closed, King Phil suddenly remembered something, called Payne, walked up to him and handed him a small box, and smiled helplessly, "Isa told me to give it to you. He rubbed his nose, "Don't look at me, I don't know what's inside. She just said, you'll know when you open it." He complained softly as he spoke, and the sadness on his face dissipated a little. , bringing out some smiles.

Payne straightened his black top hat, the brim of which was half pressed, and a blue eye hidden in the darkness seemed to be shining with an unknown light. He leaned slightly, reached out to take the box, and weighed it lightly , Said: "Almost forgot, king, then, say hello to Queen Isa for me." After finishing speaking, ignore the king who was immersed in his own world, turned and left.Only the scent of tulips in the remaining room poured into the nose of King Phil who was standing stupidly.

King Phil stood for a while, regained his composure, walked forward around the closet, and took out a yellow tulip from a vase in the corner. Meet Isa.

He remembered that Isa said: "Phil, you are too suspicious, and you always like to find trouble for yourself. My brother, you really don't have to be too wary of him. You should trust him." King Phil smiled Laughing, he put down the tulip, inserted it carefully, and no longer cared about the documents scattered on the table to be reviewed, and went downstairs to find his queen.He thought: by the way, send her greetings from Duke Payne.

Payne wandered alone in the gardens of the palace.The moonlight was just right tonight, he waved away the waiter who came to pick him up, and only said he wanted to take a walk.He froze for a moment when he opened the box, but only for a moment.A small family crest and a small gold crown.He closed the box silently, he already knew what Isha wanted to express.Across the cobbled path, the moonlight elongated his shadow.His sister is no longer Isa Sosa, but Queen Isa.

She used these things to tell him that she had made a choice and she would stand firmly on the side of the royal family.Although the two had disagreements in the past and gradually separated, she married King Isa again. After all, Payne still missed a little affection from his childhood, so he tacitly maintained a balance with the king.

Walking and walking, he felt that the time was almost up, so Payne set off to rest at one of his residences in the main city.

The evening wind blows gently, and the night is as cool as water.The streets are quiet, everything is quiet, as if everything is asleep.

The peaceful night was suddenly broken by a loud noise.Countless sleeping civilians were awakened, rubbing their sleepy eyes, pulling their slippers and leaning towards the window, trying to figure out what happened, and then they saw——

The flames soaring into the sky were so dazzling that they almost pierced the dark sky.

They heard—the sound of chaotic footsteps, crying, and desperate cries seemed to converge into one, getting bigger, bigger!

Finally, someone covered his mouth and screamed. The fire started in the main city where the palace is located!

Not long ago

There is a pointed tower behind the church, which has existed for a long time and was built on a high ground, but it has been abandoned for a long time, and now someone appears here.The view from the top of the tower is very good, and the whole kingdom can be seen at a glance, although the night is dark and nothing can be seen.

The leader of the black-robed man watched quietly, and suddenly asked: "Can you see nothing now?" The few black-robed men behind were almost hidden in the night, and they heard what the leader said, and they didn't make a sound.The leader was not annoyed, he smiled lightly, with a hint of joy in his voice, he clenched his hands and opened them to the darkness, sighed with a smile: "Ah, now I can see."

In front of him, flames pierced the sky.