monarch

The "Administrative Modernization Act" was passed in the House of Commons on March 330th with a clear gap of 240 votes to [-] votes. His Majesty had already used a series of incidents as an opportunity to install a large number of members of his own side in the House of Commons. Coupled with Sir Walsingham's effective "canvassing" activities, it is not surprising that the House of Commons passed this bill, but such a wide gap is beyond most people's expectations.

Now that the bill has passed the House of Commons, the only remaining obstacle, and the key, is the vote of the House of Lords.The result of the vote in the House of Commons is undoubtedly a huge bad news for the members of the House of Lords—the energy they hold together is not as strong as they imagined, and it is this illusion that supports many of them to stand On the opposite side of the king, now that this fantasy has come to naught, it is very doubtful how long these people's courage to resist can last.

The House of Lords is different from the House of Commons, and there is no fixed number of people. Therefore, in the week before the opening of the parliament, the king canonized 86 nobles at the same time in one day, and stuffed them all into the House of Lords. In the eyes of the opposition, this is undoubtedly It was a far-fetched move, and no one doubted that the king was now determined to pass this bill.

Bishop Tarbert had a few weeks of nightmares. Since that terrible night, he has lost a full fifty pounds. The bishop's robes that used to be like tights now look like Loose like the toga robe worn by the ancient Romans.The bishop's face was blue and black, and the thick dark circles around his eyes and the bloodshot eyes under his eyes made him look like a zombie who had just crawled out of the tomb. In the past two weeks, the bishop's average sleep time per day was no more than three hours.The confidante of the bishop were disappointed to find that the bishop, who used to be a frequent visitor to the party, now lives in seclusion and never visits the house again.However, the facts are not that complicated. The bishop was just scared out of his wits. Another unspeakable thing is that the fright that night also caused the bishop to completely lose his "ability to listen to confession." to his devout congregation.

For Bishop Tarbert, the current situation is indeed a dilemma.On the one hand, he has come all the way to today, except for the support of Princess Mary, it is largely because he is a member of the aristocratic class. If he votes for the bill, it will undoubtedly mean that he will be swept out of his social circle from now on, and he will even be a member of the aristocracy. Considered a traitor by the entire aristocracy.

However, casting a negative vote is not an option: now the king has his throat, and if his scandal is made public, the poor bishop will be ruined, and the bishop's absurdity will be reduced to a laughingstock. How Princess Mary would react, the bishop could fully imagine, after all, Princess Mary was never known for her tolerance.His Majesty only needs to quietly appreciate the ugliness of the bishop's demise, and there is no need to do anything by himself.Don't even think about abstaining. Voting will offend one party at most, and if you sit on the fence, you will become the enemy of everyone. The winner will not thank him, and the loser will hate him for not taking his side.

In the past few years, the voting rights in the parliament have been regarded as a golden hen for Bishop Tarbert, but now the ticket in his hand has become a kind of hot potato.The March calendar was getting thinner, and as the [-]th approached, the Bishop looked more and more restless, like a rat reacting abnormally before an earthquake, as if to herald the imminent disaster.

On the morning of March [-]th, the bishop got up very early, but until the sun was high, he was lying on the bed like a corpse, staring straight at the ceiling of the room, and seemed to have completely lost the ability to get up and courage.

When he finally got up with the help of his servants, the bishop immediately ordered a hearty breakfast.As if resigned to fate, Bishop Tarbert swept away his recent loss of appetite and finished the meal for three people like a storm, causing his personal servants to look at each other in dismay.

After breakfast, he went to the stables to see a new Arabian horse.Like many of his contemporaries, the bishop's favorite collectibles were horses and beauties, and the gold coins used to raise these noble animals were already comparable to the maintenance fees he paid for the dozens of illegitimate children.This Arabian stallion has a chestnut coat with a white spot on the forehead that stands out like the bright North Star in the night sky.The bishop gently stroked the horse's forehead, and whispered in its ear, as if he was flirting with his lover.

The House of Lords sits at one o'clock in the afternoon, yet it was not until 01:30 in the afternoon that the bishop ordered his servants to harness the horse to his carriage, along with another bay-red Arabian horse - which the bishop had not had in more than ten years Having ridden a horse, the spines of these poor animals cannot support such a huge weight.The meeting had been going on for nearly two hours when the bailiff opened for the bishop a small door leading to the chamber of the House of Lords.

Bishop Tarbert tried his best to appear as nonchalant as he quietly walked through the crowd listening attentively to the debate, walked to his seat and sat down.He raised his head and glanced in the direction of the throne. His Majesty the King was sitting there, looking at the opposing sides indifferently. Sir Walsingham, who was standing not far from the king, noticed Bishop Tarbert's arrival. The king's chief hawk turned his head and gave the bishop a cruel smile.Poor Bishop Talbert immediately stood up like a sparrow seeing a goshawk rushing towards him. He swallowed and turned his head to the direction of the speaker.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellency the Speaker, my lords," said the Earl of Nottingham, the host of the previous reception, "our country is built on ancient traditions, and the parliament, kings and nobles play their roles according to these traditions. Role. For hundreds of years, monarchs have changed and dynasties have rotated. The people sitting in this hall are like weeds, and this tradition is like a luxuriant oak tree, deeply rooted in the country. In the soil!"

He waved his hands, waiting for the cheers caused by his words to calm down, "The country is not a plaything in the hands of individuals," he glanced at the king lightly, the expression on the other's face did not change, "Our ancestors Signed those ancient charters, those ancient covenants, and the bonds that hold this country together. This so-called Administrative Modernization Act brings not so-called modernization, but the destruction of these precious traditions! I call on all Members of conscience, join hands with me and vote against this bill!"

"Silent, keep order!" The speaker vigorously tapped the table with the hammer in his hand to silence the clamoring parties. "The last speaker, Lord Baron Burleigh, please."

The king's secretary, William Cecil, stood up in front of everyone's attention, and countless eyes focused on him, some of them were jealous, resentful, or contemptuous, but he seemed deeply intoxicated by it, obviously Very intoxicated by this feeling of being in the spotlight.

The king smiled softly, this is the first time he has smiled since he entered this hall today.

William Cecil took the podium, the newly minted Baron Burleigh, one of the eighty-six nobles who had just been conferred by the king and stuffed into the House of Lords.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellency the Speaker, and my lords, I have listened carefully to the speech of His Excellency the Earl of Nottingham." Cecil said in the cadenced tone that he deliberately imitated Cicero, "I am impressed by his fanatical pursuit of tradition. profound."

"However, contrary to what His Excellency the Earl of Nottingham said, the tradition he loves is not the foundation of this country, but the shackles that hold it back! Their privileges are part of this tradition, are they oppressed by their privileges? Aren't the common people and the nations blood-sucked by their greed part of this tradition?"

"This parliament has always been filled with figures like the Earl of Nottingham. They use their privileges and wealth to turn this place into their club, and use the state's authority to add bricks and tiles to their industries. They manipulate this parliament and formulate With a policy that serves them, both oppressing innocent people and defying His Majesty's authority!"

There was enthusiastic cheers from the side supporting him, mixed with boos from the opposite side, which almost knocked the roof off.

"I don't need to dwell on the significant impact that the Administrative Modernization Act will bring, which will transform the kingdom's multi-layered administrative machinery into an efficient machine that will bring out the full power of this wealthy kingdom. We There will be the most efficient financial system, a well-armed navy and army, and a peaceful and tranquil domestic order. We who support this bill rejoice at the prospect with loyalty to your Majesty and love of the country in our hearts. And those who oppose this bill, such as the Earl of Nottingham and his like," he pointed his finger at the darkened colleague opposite, "they are only concerned with their own self-interest, in order to maintain their own privileges, in order to consolidate Their own status, they would rather let the country suffer."

"Fortunately, the people have already made their voice heard, and the result of the vote in the House of Commons clearly stated the will of this country!"

"Don't you know what happened to the vote in the House of Commons?" cried the opposing party.

Cecil ignored the questioning, "As I said, the result of the vote in the House of Commons is not only a clarion call, but more like a wake-up call to the House of Lords! You group of noisy sparrows, it's up to you to make a decision now It's time, now you are facing an incomparably powerful force, whether you want to obey it, or whether you want to be like a chariot and be smashed to pieces, please weigh carefully, my lords!"

This is already a blatant threat. Many opposition members were irritated by his arrogant tone and roared at him through the aisle like a group of lions in a cage. Back on his chair, even the booing was much quieter than before.

"He got carried away with acting." The king shook his head with a smile, and whispered to Robert beside him.

"However, the effect is very good." Robert also laughed, "If you don't mind, I'm going to go down and vote with the members."

Sure enough, the Speaker issued an instruction to vote.

"Go, go," Edward said. "I think you'll vote for it, right?" he said half-jokingly.

Robert didn't speak, just squeezed the other's shoulder lightly.

Edward watched the opponent's back disappear into the entrance of the hall, with an expression of victory on his face.

According to tradition, MPs are led out of the hall, and they need to choose to return to the hall through the left entrance representing approval, or take the right entrance symbolizing opposition.At each entrance, four bailiffs and a secretary stood guard, counting every councilor who walked back into the hall.

Bishop Tarbert followed the crowd out of the hall as if he was sleepwalking. He looked at the two entrances. The familiar small door seemed to him like the entrance to hell, which made him feel a surge of excitement. The urge to turn around and run away, but those two legs firmly nailed him in place as if they had taken root.

Robert Dudley was also standing in the crowd. He looked at his father not far away, and his tall figure was as obvious as a lighthouse in the darkness.The chief minister looked gloomy, making it difficult to approach, and there was an open space a few feet wide around him like a moat.

As if noticing his son's gaze, the chief minister turned his head in Robert's direction, and the two looked at each other.

After half a minute, as if they had a tacit understanding, the two looked away at the same time.

Two small doors were opened, and the Chief Minister was the first to go through the right one, and opposite him, his son was also the first to go through the left one that symbolized approval, leaving behind them a Whispering.

Members of Parliament filed in behind them. At first it seemed that the lines on the left and right were roughly equal in length, but soon the flow of people walking towards the right began to become sparse, and more people stood still and hesitated like Bishop Tarbert. The person finally chose to submit to His Majesty and walked into the door on the left.

When there were not many people left who hadn't made up their minds outside the door, Bishop Tarbert finally took a step forward. The sweat beads on his face flowed from his forehead all the way into his neck like rain. He saw A glance at the door on the right, and the thought of Sir Walsingham's smiling face again, made him tremble as if he had the malaria.

Bishop Talbot was heartbroken, and rushed towards the door on the left. The expression on his face looked as if he had just signed a contract with the devil to sell his soul.

The clerk made a random stroke with a quill in the column of approval.

Bishop Tarbert looked like a drowning man who had just climbed onto the shore, breathing heavily, found his seat instinctively, and collapsed on it like a plate of melted panna cotta.

When the last senator entered the hall, the two small doors were closed from the outside.There was a moment of silence in the hall, which was really new since the hall was built.

Under the eyes of everyone, the clerk finally returned to the hall. He walked to the throne, bowed deeply to the king, and began to announce the results with a loud voice like a theater announcer.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellency the Speaker, and my lords. There are 720 members of the House of Lords, 717 people present, 367 votes in favor and 350 votes against."

Everyone remained silent, and the clerk walked up to the speaker and handed the voting results to the speaker.

The speaker closed his eyes, reviewed it, and then tapped the table three times with the hammer in his hand, "I declare that the Administrative Modernization Act has been passed."

The crowd seemed to have finally reacted. Those who supported the bill began to applaud and cheer, while most of the opponents were downcast. Some people stood up angrily and denounced the unfairness of the vote. However, in front of the king and the guards around the parliament, they still did not Dare to make mistakes.

The king stood up, nodded towards the speaker, and walked towards the exit. At this time, Robert had returned to the king and followed the king two steps behind his majesty.

When the king was not far from the exit, suddenly there was a sharp shout from the opposition side: "Down with the tyrant!"

A black figure appeared out of nowhere, and his movements were so fast that the guards with heavy halberds in their hands had no time to react.The black figure drew a dagger from the tunic, and it fell in front of the king. He raised the gleaming blade and stabbed the king's blue velvet tunic inlaid with pearls.

Amid the exclamation of everyone, Robert Dudley jumped forward, and it was too late to draw his sword now.When the sharp blade was about to pierce the king's chest, he just used his body to block the blade in front of it.

With a dull hum, Robert fell heavily to the ground, blood sprayed all over Edward's face, and the blade pierced deeply into Robert's left arm.

The assassin was also shocked by this sudden change, he pulled out the dagger abruptly, and stabbed at the king again, but it was too late, the guards who reacted stabbed his body right with their halberds Wearing clothes, he was first thrown up like an old rag doll, and then thrown on the ground.

Robert clutched his bloody left arm, stood up pale, and covered the startled king with his body.

"Imperial Guards, escort Your Majesty away!" He ordered hoarsely.

Amid the exclamation of the crowd, the guards outside the door poured into the hall like a tide. They formed a circle with their bodies, wrapping the king and Robert in the center.The swords in their hands were like a forest shining with cold light, and the tip of the sword was pointing at the terrified congressmen, like a wounded beast showing its fangs.

"All members are not allowed to leave the hall!" Robert ordered, and then ignored the protests of the members, and led the guards to surround the king and left the parliament hall.As the party walked through the marble corridors of the Palace of Westminster, the expressions on the faces of the soldiers looked as if they were in the middle of a battlefield.

His Majesty's carriage was already waiting at the entrance of the royal house. Robert picked up the king and stuffed him into the carriage, as if his wound did not exist.Then he also jumped into the carriage and slammed the door shut.The coachman flicked his whip, and the carriage rushed out like an arrow from the string, surrounded by groups of cavalry, their sabers had been unsheathed one after another, shining dazzlingly in the sun.

Not far behind them, Westminster Abbey struck four in the afternoon, startling a flock of crows resting on the bell tower.They flapped their wings in a panic and fluttered in the air, leaving the ominous cry behind them.