Chapter 111 You can be shameless, but you must be honest
A day later, the fact that Madam Bella was a heretic was made public, and the entire Changhe Town was shocked.
The statues and the bodies of the female soldiers were also placed in the square - someone soon recognized that the statue was the Dark Goddess.
At the same time, many citizens and business travelers went to the Administrative Office to report that they had seen a doom-bringer who was followed by the same female soldiers.
There is no doubt that Mrs. Bella's status as a heretic has been established.
Perhaps Fotherg himself was unwilling, but in this situation , he was forced to make a difficult decision...
He would take Lady Bella to Sarleon in a prison cart and accuse Duke Alma of harboring heretics.
Why would he do that?
This matter needs to be considered from Fawcett's perspective.
First of all, Madam Bella's heretic identity has been made public, and with so much evidence, it is impossible to overturn the case. Heretics have no right of inheritance... The so-called "posthumous child" is the son of a heretic, and it is impossible for him to inherit Changhe Town.
It was obviously Fawcett's responsibility that the Duke of Alma could not use the children of the Houghton family to obtain Changhe Town, and he would have lost Alma's trust because of this.
Leon also expressed his intention to hand him over to Godric - Fawcett would definitely not die, but he had slandered Godric as a heretic, so Godric had enough reason to detain him, and it would be normal to imprison him for a year or two.
Considering what happened between him and his sister, it was not certain whether Fothergill would be kicked out of the family, but the best outcome would be that he would lose his inheritance rights and become an ordinary minor nobleman from then on.
In fact, he might not even be able to wait for such a result - given Leon's personality, once Fothert was imprisoned in White Hart Castle, it would be difficult for him to get out alive...
Doing this would certainly make Fothergill very uncomfortable, but what would be the benefits for Leon and Amy if they did so?
There is no benefit...
This would only bring about revenge from the Duke of Alma - no matter how useless Fothert's son was, even if he was hung up and beaten when he got home, Alma would still take revenge on Leon anyway.
After all, it was Leon and Amy who exposed the heresy, which led to Alma not being able to obtain Changhe Town. Even if the Duke was just venting his anger, Mai Xiangling would immediately face danger.
So Alma had to be dragged into the quagmire as well.
So what if Fawcett turned himself in and publicly testified against his father Alma for harboring heresy?
Probably no one would have thought that he would do this, not even Alma.
King Ulric would probably be ecstatic - it's easy to imagine that the king would have Alma detained in Sarleon at the first opportunity.
Fothert "captured" the heretic leader, Madam Bella, and even killed her own relatives for the sake of justice. This was enough to prove that Fothert himself had nothing to do with the heresy, and he could return to Lion Lake City soon.
There is almost no doubt that Alma will be caught off guard and embroiled in a lawsuit based on his own son's testimony. Even if he is the first duke of the kingdom, he will probably be unable to escape for a long time.
Of course, this incident would not have any fatal impact on Alma, after all, it was just a hiding.
But Fothert himself will gain enormous power within a certain period of time - he is Alma's first heir. When his father is unable to get away, he will become the lord of Lion Lake City and temporarily manage affairs on behalf of Alma!
Alma's other heirs are all minors - except for the illegitimate son Foucher who has no inheritance rights.
In this case, it would only take a few months or even less time for Foussett to take the family power into his own hands. Even if Grand Duke Alma came back a few months later, Foussett's position might not be shaken!
By doing so, Archduke Alma would only lose some reputation, but Fothergill would gain great benefits - as long as he could seize the opportunity.
So as long as he figures it out, he will definitely accept it.
By doing so, Leon can avoid facing the revenge of the Duke of Alma in the short term - Fothergill wants to seize power as soon as possible, and Alma wants to resolve the accusations as soon as possible, and no one has time to cause trouble for Leon.
And when Alma resolves the accusation of harboring heresy, he will certainly teach this unfilial son a lesson or take back power... It is not uncommon for fathers and sons to fight for power, but until one of them completely suppresses the other, neither of them will come out to cause trouble .
As for the future - that would probably be a year or so later. Li Ang thought that if he was still so weak by then, he would just have to accept his fate.
Furthermore, how would the other great nobles and King Ulrich himself react to this situation?
Ulrich is no fool, he has fully demonstrated his ability to strike a balance - if the situation turns into a power struggle between father and son, the king will certainly find a way to balance the power of Alma and Fothert, and may even deliberately control the time of detaining Duke Alma.
Because, with Oden dead, there is no one to check Alma - Fothergill can be the new check and balance. If King Ulrich fails to seize this opportunity, then he has no right to be king at all.
After all, once the fact that Mrs. Bella is a heretic becomes public, who will benefit the most?
Without a doubt, it was King Ulric.
All the heirs of Duke Elfwan no longer have the right of inheritance, so Changhe Town will be taken over by King Ulric as a direct territory!
King Ulric was probably the one who most wanted Alma and his son to fight - Alma had temporarily taken over as the governor of Changhe Town a few years ago, and his influence must have penetrated very deeply by now. Even if the king took back Changhe Town, he would have to rely on Alma's people to govern it for a while.
This is actually equivalent to not being able to take it back...and it is impossible for the king himself to live in Changhe Town.
But if Alma was involved in a lawsuit and his son was busy fighting for power in Lion Lake City, Ulrich could take this opportunity to reorganize Changhe Town - for example, he could first appoint a few governors who were at odds with Alma and let Changhe Town be jointly controlled by several factions, just like when he appointed Oden to manage the military affairs of Changhe Town.
The lord also planned to send a gift to King Ulrich at this time.
It was the box of dinars that had been dragging around, the one that he had “returned” to the throne room.
It has been delayed for four months, which is about the time it takes for a small lord to raise money. Now it's time to pay.
This ten thousand dinars would surely remind Ulrich of himself. At the same time, the king should also be able to think that the selection of the governor of Changhe Town requires the participation of a lord like himself who has a bad relationship with Alma...
Political struggle is like this, it is a dirty exchange of interests from beginning to end. Only by considering other people's thoughts can you protect yourself.
Bribery is actually a very sophisticated skill.
Madam Bella has been put into a prison cart, and Fothert has sent her to Sarleon with a cavalry escort.
He even left Changhe Town earlier than Li Ang.
The lord is currently at the ferry and has no time to leave yet.
He was waiting for his team to return.
A day ago, right after he "persuaded" Fothert, he sent out all his twenty-odd cavalrymen as scouts.
Cavalry were also sent to Fletcher Village and Ralph's camp to convey instructions. The content of the instructions was the same - to stop Baron Leofric from transporting food to Changhe Town by any means.
Leon wasn't sure if Mrs. Bella was talking nonsense, but in any case, it was necessary to check whether the area was safe first.
Not long after, a cavalry sergeant reported: "Sir, we found several small troops about fifty miles southwest!"
The Lord suddenly became nervous: "Did you see the flag?"
"No flags at all, sir. I left two brothers to watch over them... Those troops are very strange. There are many women in each unit!"
Li Ang frowned: "...It seems that there really is a Prophet Legion..."
Amy was stunned for a moment, and apparently she remembered: "Could it be the prophet's army that Madam Bella mentioned? Which direction are they moving towards? Changhe Town?"
"It feels like they are moving northward, not towards Changhe Town... There are many teams of dozens of people, and we dare not get too close."
The Lord looked back at the direction and frowned: "To the north... send people to Changhe Town to warn them and let them be prepared! You go to Fletcher Village and tell Charles and Ralph to bring their troops to Maixiang Territory!"
Then he turned to Amy and said, "We must rush back to the territory as soon as possible and ask Lord Godric to send troops to Changhe Town. This is likely to be a large army of heretics. We must organize a strong enough joint army!"
Amy's eyes widened. "A large army? Do heretics dare to openly organize an army?"
"When I was in Kwen Village, the Countess told me that Lady Bella had bought 300,000 pounds of grain from Brave Shield Castle, and she had purchased it in advance. The Countess had asked Baron Leofric to deliver it directly to Changhe Town, so I will ask Ralph and Charles to stop Baron Leofric from transporting the grain."
"However, considering that Madam Bella is locked in that building, even if the food is delivered, it is impossible for Madam Bella to receive it normally... Do you remember that Madam Bella said that she wanted to dedicate Changhe Town to the Dark Goddess?"
"There are nearly a thousand troops stationed in Changhe Town. If they are confident that they can receive food from Changhe Town, it means that the military strength of the 'Prophet Legion' is beyond imagination!"
Amy thought for a moment and nodded: "The woman who jumped into the river and escaped is most likely the messenger of the Prophet's Legion! Madam Bella said that she sacrificed her own blood to welcome the coming of the goddess! So, will the so-called Prophet's Legion attack Changhe Town?"
"If they attack Changhe Town directly, then there is no need to worry too much. Changhe Town can be defended for at least a month!"
Li Ang jumped onto the ferry, his tone somewhat uncertain: "I'm worried that they will besiege Changhe Town, and then send out small teams to plunder and search for sacrifices! We must go back and prepare for war. No matter where they go, at least we must have enough troops!"
Amy frowned and followed Leon onto the boat.
She thought of what the tall and strange woman had said: "She can make the goddess come!"
And Lady Bella’s last words…
"Amy... Goddess... She is right. Only a perfect virgin can be the carrier of the goddess and bring the heroes of Pendor..."
Amy shuddered involuntarily.
After confirming that the Prophet's Legion was real, the lord took Amy and quickly left Changhe Town.
They traveled by boat, sailing down the River Aire, and it only took one day to reach the Wheat Ridge.
However, the water in the Aire River was relatively shallow in many places, and only small boats and rafts could pass through. Fortunately, the cavalry had been sent out, and the remaining dozen people could be carried away by two small ferries.
On the way back to Maixiangling, Amy finally asked another question in her mind.
"Teacher, do we not need to worry about Fothert? Aren't you worried that he will get out of control after he leaves your control?"
"Fothert won't lose control - he's a very calm man. After Lady Bella's heresy was exposed, this is the only solution he has. Unless he no longer wants any power."
Li Ang shook his head and smiled: "However, how could a person who caused so much trouble because he was afraid of losing his inheritance rights give up power..."
Amy was probably still a little uneasy: "But if the Duke is willing to give up his power to help Fawcett, what if there is no power struggle between father and son?"
Li Ang raised his eyebrows: "Once people have power, they will not tolerate losing it... No one can accept that kind of gap, at least not immediately. Moreover, if the philosophies are different, even father and son will not be of the same mind..."
Amy also shook her head and sighed: "Alas, I still don't quite understand people like them. Shouldn't father and son be the closest relatives... For power..."
"Sometimes it's not necessarily for power... but for security and a better life. Just like fish in the water, they feel safe in the river... Even if there are boats on the river, they will still swim around..."
The boat went downstream, the calm river surface was sparkling with waves due to the breeze, the water of the River Aire was so clear that you could occasionally see fish swimming around the side of the boat.
"For people like them, power is like a river... They will only feel safe if they build this water into a big river."
"And what about you, teacher? Do you value power?"
Amy also stood at the bow, the wind blowing her long hair: "I haven't heard you talk about your ideal yet."
However, the lord seemed to be stumped by such a simple question - he was silent for a long time and could not give an answer.
At least three minutes later, just when Amy thought he didn't want to answer, Leon finally spoke, but his tone was unexpectedly low.
"Originally, I just wanted to live in peace... I have always been hunted down."
Li Ang has been looking at the fish in the water: "But now, I really want to have power, otherwise I can't protect myself and the people I want to protect. I want to raise a large army, and even want to unify the continent of Pendor... Only in this way will I feel safe."
Amy turned her head, looking a little surprised: "I thought you would say that you want to save the suffering people of Pendor, overthrow those cruel and corrupt nobles, or eradicate those evil heretics - just like those so-called 'heroes' who call themselves the Son of Prophecy..."
Li Ang grinned and said, "Amy, if necessary in the future, I will probably say the same thing... But the fact is, I became a lord for my own safety... And in the future, I will probably take on more power to make myself safer."
Amy also laughed: "It's hard to imagine that such honest words came from the mouth of a master of deception..."
"I rarely lie, Amy. Haven't you noticed? I may be shameless and cunning, but I will always be honest."
Li Ang shook his head seriously: "Whether doing business or facing enemies, I have almost never told lies. The only lie was to the unconscious Madam Bella..."
Amy thought about it seriously for a long time, nodded, and sat down in front of the Lord: "Now that you put it that way, it's true... But, teacher, you didn't tell Fothert about the Prophet's Legion... Is your other intention to make him leave Changhe Town immediately? Do you want to... move into Changhe Town?"
Li Ang also looked at Amy seriously, expressing his satisfaction with his apprentice's sharpness. He nodded and said, "Yes, I want him to leave as soon as possible, so that Changhe Town will be temporarily without anyone in charge... I will use the power of the Horn to summon the Rangers, and also use the Prophet Corps... to control Changhe Town!"
Amy was very pleased that the Lord could tell her the truth, but she was also a little confused: "Then why don't we stay in Changhe Town and wait for the Rangers to arrive? Why do we let Ralph and the others lead the troops to gather in Maixiang Territory?"
"The Prophet Corps is already dozens of miles away. They will definitely come faster than the Ranger Corps which is hundreds of miles away... If we stay in Changhe Town, the garrison there will not listen to our arrangements. Instead, they will be suspicious of us... We will just be stuck in the city and won't be able to do anything."
Li Ang shook his head and laughed self-deprecatingly: "Amy, we can only lead a large enough force outside and become the most powerful reinforcements, so that the garrison in Changhe Town will cooperate with us."
…
Back to Maixiangling, everything in the territory was the same as usual.
Only Eric came to report the situation, saying that some cavalry had come two days ago to inquire about the whereabouts of the lord.
At that time, Eric led the patrol team and just casually said that the lord had gone to Changhe Town, and then they left without any conflict.
Leon knew that it was probably someone sent by Fawcett. Fortunately, Fawcett just wanted to control himself at the time and didn't intend to make a big fuss.
The lord asked Amy to return to White Hart Castle to inform Godric of the situation.
He then took a number of farmers to Trubrun, intending to bring back the sixty soldiers there - and by the way, harvest the grain and bring it back.
However, when they arrived in Trubrun, they saw two groups of people confronting each other in the village.
One of the groups was naturally the sixty soldiers who stayed here.
The other group consisted of about sixty people, led by several knights.
These knights wore black plate mail, black hooded helmets, black steel greaves—everything was black.
Behind them were about twenty followers also dressed in black.
In addition, there were about thirty infantrymen, dressed differently but well-equipped.
However, Leon did not see any emblems on them - were they a group of adventurers or mercenaries?
An archer came over quickly after seeing the Lord's flag: "Sir! These people insist on seeing our Lord and have been blocking us here for a long time... They won't leave even when we tell them you're not here. I don't know what they are doing."
