Malbert was sent back to Changhe Town by the Owl Knights. The actor portrayed the stomachache with great skill and spirit.
However, the lord did not choose to run away after all.
Although it was indeed very risky to travel with the Lion Knights, at least Leon knew that the Lion Knights would definitely not kill him on the road.
The reason is simple - it would not benefit anyone if you kill yourself secretly.
If someone wants to kill me, no matter who it is, it must be to get my wealth, unless there is some blood feud.
But the lord thought about it carefully and felt that he should have no hatred with King Ulrich and the Lion Knights at present.
What people would covet in his hands was not direct assets such as land or cash, but Maixiang Group, a company.
A company is made up of people.
If I die in an unclear manner, the people who make up the company are not fools. They will either surrender to the major shareholder Godric or run away directly, and the people who killed me will get nothing.
Moreover, even if the king wanted to kill himself, he would definitely go through the process.
Even if he really wanted to tamper with himself and find a way to frame himself as a traitor and sentence himself to death, he should at least be publicly executed in the House of Lords Square.
So there is no need to worry for the time being, we will talk about it after arriving at Sarleon City - the lord is still confident in the abilities of his company's employees. It is difficult to say the combat effectiveness of Changhe Express, but in terms of moving speed, this professional transportation team will definitely be higher than the Lion Knights.
Leon has already instructed Amy to have Leslie gather the elite members of the convoy to Sarleon City. Leslie will definitely lead the team herself. With Leslie's execution efficiency, she will probably arrive much earlier than the Lion Knights.
Although Leon didn't know how Ulrik was going to treat him, as long as there were enough men there, the lord had the confidence to turn the tables.
After all, he is no longer alone. His courage is different with or without subordinates.
But the price of not running away is being put in handcuffs.
Of course, the Lion Knights only tied his hands in front of him, probably to prevent him from using weapons to hurt others, and did not restrict any of his movements.
Perhaps out of respect, they did not gag Li Ang, and still let him ride the horse by himself, and did not even search his body.
The suspect had not yet been convicted, so the Lion Knights remained relatively polite. However, since treason was involved and the king had ordered his arrest, it was justified to use shackles.
But all the Lion Knights did not have any conversation with Leon.
This was probably the aftereffect of bringing the Lion Knights to rescue Amy - these Lion Knights probably didn't want to give the Lord any chance to cheat or cause trouble.
No matter what Leon said, these Lion Knights just listened and did not respond at all.
So the lord didn't spend too much time on words, and instead thought about what to do next.
The lord was thinking about something the whole time. He didn't say much and didn't try to escape. He looked very honest.
Without receiving any instructions, Lisadilan did not act rashly, but just followed behind the Lion Knights.
This Noldor elf's ability to utilize the environment is superb. The trees, hills and fog along the way are all tools for him to conceal his figure.
Apart from Li Ang, who had known he was behind him, he managed not to let anyone else notice him.
Three days later, Li Ang was taken to Qicha Fortress.
Speaking of which, the Lord actually had a very easy time during these three days.
The journey of the Lion Knights was not too fast, and although Leon was an arrested person, he was a noble after all. There were lion attendants to take care of Leon along the way, so he didn't have to worry about food, clothing, housing and transportation.
Li Ang also gained a new understanding of the quality of life of these Lion Knights.
When the lord was in his own territory, he did many things by himself. When he was in White Hart Castle, he had no servants to serve him. Amy's family didn't even have a housekeeper - Amy herself didn't even have a maid.
The lords of the eastern border counties were indeed simpler than the nobles in the heart of the kingdom, and even Godric had only a few servants.
The Lord felt a little sad. He had been in Pendor for more than a year and had become a noble, but he had never enjoyed the corruption that a noble should have. It was really a bit unreasonable...
On the contrary, after being arrested, I didn’t have to do anything myself and someone even fed me when I ate.
It felt more like a vacation, except no one was talking to him.
But this wonderful life soon came to an end. After the Lion Knights brought Leon into the Qicha Fortress, they politely removed his shackles and invited him into the cell.
This was not a dark and damp prison in the basement, but a small stone house next to the city wall, probably an independent prison used to detain nobles.
The prison has good lighting, complete living facilities, and is quite clean.
It seems that preparations have been made here.
Although this kind of detention was normal, the Lord still expressed his dissatisfaction: "Hey, are you just going to leave me here? Aren't you going to Sarleon City right away?"
None of the Lion Knights answered, but simply closed the iron door.
Li Ang curled his lips. It looked like the trouble he was about to face might be a bit tricky!
But in line with the principle of facing any situation in the best condition, Li Ang closed his eyes and thought for a while, then began to eat and drink, and forced himself to go to sleep.
He slept until about midnight, and was then awakened by the sound of a key unlocking the door.
He turned over and sat up, then saw the iron door was opened, and Sir Rayman walked in with a food box in one hand and a torch in the other.
There seemed to be a few people standing outside the door.
After lighting the light in the cell with a torch, Leiman inserted the torch into the iron ring on the wall at the door, and then placed the food on the table one by one with his back to Leon, his movements extremely slowly.
There was wine and meat, and the dishes were quite rich.
But the lord just stood up and did nothing.
Leiman sighed, turned around, frowned, took off the sword at his waist, put it on the table, and then sat down.
"Lord Leon... Do you know that if you enter Sarleon City, you may not be able to get out..."
Leiman's voice was very soft, and he pointed at the sword on the table with his eyes.
Li Ang shook his head and looked at the people at the door.
"They can't stop you... With your skills, it's normal for you to escape from those guys."
Rayman's voice became quieter.
"No, I can't run away. I didn't commit treason..." Li Ang still shook his head: "What's going on?"
"It doesn't matter whether you are guilty or not... His Majesty the King originally asked me to capture you and bring you to Sarleon City, and said that if you resist, you will be killed without mercy. I didn't dare to agree, so I found an excuse to shirk..."
Leiman lowered his voice, poured a glass of wine and held it himself, but did not give the glass to Li Ang.
"Kill without mercy? It seems that you are ready to kill me? But if you want to kill me directly, why did you take me to Sarleon City?"
Such an order does mean that the situation is serious. It seems that Lehman also feels, like Malbert, that Leon may not escape death.
But Li Ang didn't understand why the king had such a plan?
"Many people already know about the letter that the emperor of the Bacchus Empire wrote to you. You should have seen it too..."
Leiman took a sip of wine, with a hint of regret in his eyes.
"I might be the last one to see it... But the king can't convict me based on the imperial letter alone, right?"
Li Ang spread his hands: "It's not that obvious a plot to sow discord!"
"Lord Leon, the main problem is not the letter, but the three prophets. You know, I brought the three prophets back to Sarleon. The king did not punish the three prophets, but released them, which you should be able to imagine. But since then, His Majesty has been paying attention to your news, and as soon as the letter appeared, he immediately issued an order to arrest you. It seems that he has been looking for something to hold against you."
At this point, Leiman shook his head, seeming to be puzzled: "I don't know why, but the three prophets must have said something to King Ulric. You defeated them, they must hate you to the core, so..."
Leiman looked at the sword again, then turned to look at the still open door: "You can escape now, I will bring people to hunt you down, but I know you can definitely get away..."
"Are the Three Prophets still in Sarleon?"
Leon was indeed a little nervous. Logically speaking, Ulrich should not let the three prophets stay in the city.
"No, they are in a swamp near Cliff Bay. I led the team there myself. Although the king did not kill them, he did not allow them to have an army. They are being watched closely and they will not be able to get out for a while."
Rayman replied, shaking his head.
It seems that Ulric is not stupid enough, but this also means that he did make a deal with the Three Prophets.
"So, it's the Three Prophets who are harming me... But Lehman, why are you telling me this? If I run away, you will be held responsible..."
Li Ang was indeed a little curious. Leiman was actually helping him: "Why?"
"A person like you shouldn't die for such a reason... I once failed at your hands. That was the only time I failed in the arena, and I haven't been able to win it back myself!"
Leiman frowned tightly: "Besides, I know the relationship between Godric and you, and I don't want to see civil unrest in the kingdom."
Li Ang nodded: "Thank you, but I can't run away... I'm not a traitor, and I can't be charged with treason."
Leiman sighed again, said nothing more, picked up his sword and left.
The next day, Leon was brought to Sarleon City.
He was taken away by the Royal City Guards.
The lord did not encounter any public trial - because no one publicly accused Leon.
That letter was just a unilateral letter from a hostile country. Although it was written by the emperor, it was not valid evidence.
In this case, the king can suspect Li Ang and it is okay for him to ask Li Ang to defend himself, but there will be no trial process.
In any country in Pendor, it is illegal to try nobles based on simple suspicion.
A trial may only be conducted if statements that can be used as testimony are made during the self-defense process, or if someone has valid evidence to accuse the person.
But King Ulric didn't even have time to defend himself, and Leon was taken directly into the secret room of the palace.
Leon was brought in blindfolded. This was a common practice. Since the establishment of the Kingdom of Sarleon, foreign officials had to wear blindfolds when entering any place in the palace except the throne room.
Perhaps all the Fierce Lion Kings of all generations have no sense of security.
After the blindfold was removed, Leon turned his head and looked.
He was in a basically completely enclosed room. There was no door, only a window with iron bars, but the window did not face the outside, but faced another room.
But in the room opposite was not King Ulrich, but Igor, who was wearing a bachelor's uniform.
Your Lordship is in a luxurious prison.
This was probably the secret room where King Ulric had imprisoned Lord Andrew, and probably where he had spoken to others in private.
"Baron Leon, long time no see... You should know why His Majesty invited you..."
Igor spoke through the iron window. He did not look well and his voice was a little weak.
"Grandmaster, if using the Lion Knights to handcuff me is considered an invitation, then I really don't understand the reason..."
The lord did not look at him in a good mood. After all, this was the king doubting the loyalty and character of a lord. In this situation, not being angry was tantamount to licking the boots, which would not end well.
"The false emperor Marius has given you the title of 'General of Changhe Town'! Don't you want to explain this?"
Igor smiled lightly and dipped the pen in ink to prepare for recording.
It seems that this is also a chance for Ulrich to give Leon to defend himself. The conversation record made by the court scholar is legal, but this one-on-one communication in the secret room is not fair to Leon.
"How can I explain this... The Bacchus Empire said that I have three heads and six arms and can eat five children in one meal... This is to harm me."
Li Ang spread his hands and said, "Grand Secretary Igor, how about I also confer the title of 'Knight of the Magnolia Territory' on Emperor Marius? What do you think?"
Yes, this kind of unilateral reward is useless. Even Malbert can see that it is a strategy to sow discord.
Igor shook his head and laughed. "Leon, he is the emperor of a country after all. Why didn't he harm Godric or Brunus? Why did he harm you? You have to give me a reason... Someone told me that you went to Bacchus a few days ago. What were you doing there?"
"Go buy food. I'm sure the Lion Knights have told you that I grow a lot of food in my territory..."
This was indeed the truth, and Li Ang answered without any hesitation.
"That means you are admitting that you are negotiating a deal with the Bacchus Empire..."
Igor, who was taking notes, said something and then started writing quickly.
"Grand Secretary Igor, I am buying food, not selling it! Buying food from other countries shouldn't be a crime, right?"
Li Ang shook his head helplessly.
"Who knows what you bought it with..." Igor smiled meaningfully.
"Okay, this is my fault. I shouldn't have farmed, I shouldn't have fed the people, I shouldn't have stored military rations... and I shouldn't have contributed to the country..."
The lord started to act badly. Anyway, there was no one else around, the charges he imposed on him were not convincing, and this was a minor crime that would not result in death.
"Alright, alright, I won't record it anymore..."
Igor sighed, put the pen in his hand aside and stood up.
"Leon , I might as well tell you straight, your majesty doesn't care why Marius wants to target you. In fact, no one cares whether you will commit treason or not, but your majesty needs your Maixiang Company."
The lord's eyes widened in surprise. He could imagine that the king wanted to blackmail him, but he never expected that the king would directly ask for his company.
"That's a company, Grand Maester Igor! It's not cash. I can't give it to anyone I want!"
Leon suddenly realized that King Ulrich and Grand Secretary Igor probably did not understand the nature of a joint-stock company.
They probably thought that it was property, just like the workshop-style industries owned by ordinary nobles...
However, Maixiang Company is a joint property of shareholders. Although Li Ang is the largest shareholder with absolute control, he cannot transfer his shares at will.
Moreover, all the businesses of the company are interrelated, and Li Ang has already invested a large amount of money in Changhe Express, which has not yet made a profit. At present, each branch and subsidiary is constantly conducting internal capital turnover, and no one except Li Ang can handle this.
Those investors and businessmen who became agents would only trust Leon and Godric who always kept their word. If the company changed owners, they would probably face withdrawal of investment and margin runs in a matter of minutes. It would be normal for it to collapse within a few days...
"It seems that you are unwilling? Leon, a dinar is not as important as your life..."
Igor looked unhappy, he thought Leon was unhappy.
"It's not a question of willingness. I can give some shares to His Majesty the King and you - if His Majesty the King is willing to protect the company. But I really can't give the company to anyone. You probably don't know that the actual assets of Maixiang Company are now negative..."
Li Ang smiled bitterly.
Maixiang International’s actual assets are indeed negative at present, because of the recent large expenses, Changhe Express has been operating at a loss, and territory construction has also been consuming funds.
Although he had a lot of silver coins in his hands, he could not move them for the time being. These were the deposits paid by the merchants who opened chain stores everywhere, and were also the principal of the first batch of investors.
Of course, at the rate those 'entertainment venues' were making money, they would turn a profit in a matter of months.
But Igor didn't believe it...
Judging from the business foundation of the Kingdom of Fierce Lions, this university scholar obviously did not understand how Leon's Maixiang Group actually operated.
"Hmph... since you don't want to, then just stay here..."
The university scholar who had failed in his blackmail attempt left immediately after saying this, with a very bad look on his face.
When the door on the other side was closed, the whole room fell into silence and darkness.
The company really couldn't be given away. If it was given away, people would think that he was just giving away an empty shell to deceive people. Moreover, if he really handed over the property, he would probably lose his life - the king would not leave himself a powerful enemy.
The lord took out a flint from his body, scraped it on the iron window a few times, looked at the environment with the sparks, and then went to rest with peace of mind.
There is food and drink here, and the railings of the iron windows are just ordinary cast iron as thick as a little finger, not some modern high-tech product.
If he really wanted to escape, this secret room would not be able to stop Li Ang who was carrying gunpowder.
Besides, there will definitely be more people coming. Since we know that Ulrich is after money, he will not kill anyone before achieving his goal.
But the Lord was very unhappy - he had always been the one kidnapping and blackmailing others, and now he was being kidnapped and blackmailed, which was really retribution...