Chapter 209: The Swindler's Trick
Originally, the purpose of capturing Igor was to find out why he was able to be resurrected.
The second was to get Igor to testify against Alanrik.
As long as Igor can testify against the prince, everything can be solved.
Grandlon and Fotherg could not do this because they were rebels and could not file such a lawsuit because no one would believe what they said.
But if Leon and Godric made the accusation, and Igor testified, it would be easy to handle.
Granlon and Fother could also return to the Kingdom of Sarleon through formal means - they only needed to put the blame on Alanric, and prove that everything was instructed by the prince, and that they did everything just to follow orders, so of course they were not guilty.
In fact, this is the truth. Most of the trouble was caused by Alanric.
The kingdom has just experienced so much loss and its strength has been greatly damaged. King Ulric will definitely make the right decision at this time - Godric also saw that the king is now very sober.
For Leon, he took back Changhe Town alone and helped King Ulric deal with Alanric's conspiracy. This wholehearted consideration for the kingdom would make sure that the king would no longer have any reason to trip him up.
As a result, Leon can truly become the master of Changhe Town and even the entire eastern region, and he does not have to worry about forming a private alliance with the Noldor.
The lord is taking the initiative to solve the most troublesome problem for the king, and the hidden dangers in the country can be swept away. If Ulric still deals with Leon under such circumstances, it would be the behavior of a complete tyrant, and then Leon and Godric can completely call for a rebellion.
You know, even if you don't consider Leon's own Pendor royal identity, just Amy's mother, including Amy herself, are of the direct royal bloodline of the Sarleon Kingdom, and can be helped to become the queen - this is probably the reason why King Ulric has always been so wary of Godric.
In order to get Igor to testify, he must at least be convinced so that he can speak eloquently in front of the king.
There were originally many ways to persuade Igor, such as the simplest physical means, or relatively complex exchange of interests - as long as he was caught, everything would be easy.
But now Igor was in this condition and it was impossible to communicate with him, so the plan was aborted.
Leon originally thought that the Knights of Dusk wanted to kill Igor to silence him because it was Prince Alanric's request.
If nothing unexpected happens, the prince should be deprived of all military power, so he will seek to cooperate with the Knights of Dusk to obtain enough manpower.
Alanric probably also wanted to prevent Igor, who knew all his plans, from falling into the hands of others.
But if Alanrik knew that Igor had the ability to become a fool after being caught, why would he have someone silence him?
In other words, Alanric didn't know that Igor would become like this.
It was probably not this prince who resurrected Igor. Alanric was not the leader of the heresy, and most likely not the mastermind of this incident.
So who did this?
If it wasn't Alanric who resurrected Igor, then is this Igor really serving Alanric?
Or, is this really Igor?
Li Ang suddenly remembered the unlucky drunkard and the human skin he had encountered in Sarleon City...
It's not just women who can have plastic surgery, right?
When the lord thought of this, he suddenly took action and began to tear Igor's face like he had torn the face of the doom-bringer.
Granlong and Fother stared at Leon's actions in amazement, and then their mouths gradually opened into an O shape.
Igor's face was torn into a distorted shape - not only was it torn into a distorted shape, but the skin on his entire head was almost pulled off.
The noble collar around his neck was not meant to cover the arrow wound.
But it is to cover the entire area where the skin on the head connects to the body!
This so-called Igor is just a layer of skin on his head.
This is a body with a new skin. This skin is indeed Igor's, but this person is not Igor himself - this so-called resurrection from the dead is actually fake!
"Sure enough...it's still the Three Prophets!"
This skin-replacing surgery, which is so lifelike that it looks fake, was of course done by the three prophets.
It was the Three Prophets who were working with the Order of Dusk, not Alanric.
The order to silence the witnesses did not come from Alanric, but from the three prophets.
Their main reason was that they didn't want people to see that this Igor was a fake - if they chopped this fake Igor to death, no one would go out of their way to look at the skin on a dead person's face.
"Isn't this Igor? Have we been deceived?"
Granlon's face fell.
"He did have a letter from Prince Alanric on him, with the prince's private seal on it... But the letter only told us to go to Sarleon City and hand the golden seal to Prince Alanric, and didn't mention anything else - it seems that the immunity agreement is probably also a lie..."
Fothert had searched Igor's body thoroughly, and read through a small parchment scroll with a somewhat frustrated expression.
"There was no such thing as a pardon in the first place... He came here to get you to give him the King's Seal first - otherwise, he wouldn't be able to publicly issue a pardon in Sarleon City without the King's Seal! After all, a pardon granted in private would be meaningless to you, because you could have forged it... He just wanted to steal the King's Seal! He was cheating both sides! He was cheating the prince, and he was cheating you!"
Li Ang stood up with sudden realization.
This fake Igor is using the identity of Prince Alanric to work for the Three Prophets!
Granlong had the king's seal in his hand, but even if he got a blank document of exoneration, he could not stamp it himself - the crime he committed was the usurpation of the king's seal, so how could he get exoneration by repeating the crime?
No noble would approve of this kind of operation.
The correct approach is to hand over the King's Golden Seal to the prince first. If Granlon and his men can capture the king, they can let their men keep the king in Changhe Town while they go to Sarlion City themselves.
Prince Alanric needs to sign a letter of exoneration with the king's seal in front of many people in the House of Lords, saying that everything is a misunderstanding, so that the two can be completely exonerated.
For example, Granlong's deception of Changhe Town can be said to be that he led troops to protect Changhe Town on the king's order. The prince can say that the king's golden seal was given to Granlong by King Ulric himself before he fell ill for temporary safekeeping, but King Ulric had been ill for too long and forgot about it, so he misunderstood Granlong.
In this case, Granlon is of course innocent.
And Fawcett could also say that his loyalty to Ursula was actually ordered by the king to protect the northern territory of the kingdom - in fact, Fawcett did lead his troops to fight a war with the Kingdom of Raven Stern, which is convincing.
Then he put all the blame on Milgan for the murder of his relatives and swore allegiance to Prince Alanric again in public.
Anyway, his Lion Lake City has been taken back by the kingdom. If Ulrik is caught by them, all the blame can be put on the king, and Prince Alanric will be happy to do so.
Because these blames would not cause King Ulrich to lose his reputation or life, they would only make King Ulrich appear a little confused after he became ill - which would allow Alanric to succeed to the throne in a natural way.
In this way, no matter whether others believe it or not, their charges can be completely cleared and they will not lose their noble status.
But the prerequisite is that the seal must be handed over to Alanric first, and the two of them must appear in Sarleon City and act aggrieved and aggrieved - only in this way can it be convincing, otherwise it will be a kidnapping case.
Prince Alanric's letter should be authentic, but Alanric probably doesn't want to overturn the verdict on these two people - this guy who pretended to be Igor must have deceived Alanric using Granlong and Fothert as bargaining chips, and also got some benefits from Alanric.
Therefore, Alanrique's letter did not mention the matter of exoneration at all - this was a double-edged trick, and Alanrique probably paid a lot to get the golden seal back...
"In other words, this fake Igor actually used your story to deceive the prince first, then used the prince's letter to gain your trust, and then tricked you into giving him the king's seal."
The Lord stood up and smiled: "This is indeed in line with the Three Prophets' method of operation. When they let those doom bringers deceive men, they probably do it this way..."
"Then...what should we do now? Since he is fake...then there is no hope for us!"
Granlong had already started pulling his hair, looking anxious and angry.
"It doesn't really make any difference. Since we have captured this heretic alive... I think this matter is much easier to handle than Alanric. It's a pity that we can't bring down that prince."
Li Ang relaxed a little instead. As long as he knew the cause of the matter, it could be solved.
"No, what I mean is...what if the king is also controlled by the heretics..."
Granlong looked nervously at the fake one pretending to be Igor.
"That's impossible. If they could impersonate King Ulrich, why would they go to such great lengths to deceive you? They used real human skin, and King Ulrich is not that easy to deal with... I think you can really overturn the case and get away with it this time, and in the most formal and reasonable way."
Leon didn't think that Ulrik would be completely controlled or counterfeited by the heretics. After all, the three prophets couldn't even impersonate the prince, they just impersonated a dead Igor to cheat both sides - obviously, they were not as terrible as imagined.
"But this Igor is a heretic and a fake, he can't testify..."
Fawcett said halfway, then suddenly realized: "That's right, since everything was done by the Three Prophets, there is no need to find any witnesses. This fake Igor himself is the evidence!"
"That's right. It is said that the lair of the Three Prophets is near the Misty Swamp Castle. You go and destroy their lair, and then 'find the king's seal' from the lair of the Three Prophets. Fothert, you can also say that everything is a deception of heretics, and say that all the dead people in your family are heretics... You can just put the blame on the Three Prophets, and I can testify for you."
Li Ang adhered to the principle of uniting all forces that could be united and pointed them out a way that was easier to overturn the verdict.
"Lord Li Ang, you have actually already taken over Changhe Town, and we are already your captives, but you are still willing to help us like this, why?"
Granlong sensed Leon's kindness, but was a little puzzled.
"Because at least you haven't done anything evil, and you have actually resisted the enemy for the kingdom - whether actively or passively. But you did stop the Stern Crow army in Eagle Claw Castle, preventing the war from spreading further..."
The Lord spoke in a very noble way, as if he was doing it for the country and the people.
"Huh... Lord Leon, from what I know about you, this doesn't sound like the main reason..."
Fawcett shook his head. He seemed relieved now that he had gotten a solution that got him out of the crime.
But he had had many dealings with Leon and knew very well that he would most likely be blackmailed by Leon - he and Granlong were both Leon's captives and needed Leon to testify for them. If he was not blackmailed, he would feel it was unacceptable.
However, based on Fothergill's understanding of Leon, he felt that Leon probably wouldn't make any excessive demands.
"Of course... the main reason is that you have all lost your territory now, and I think you can be loyal to me temporarily. For the sake of our mutual trust, I hope you can write a confession according to the truth. I will keep your confession, and I will always believe in you, and I will definitely testify for you wholeheartedly. Not only will I keep you safe, but I will also give you a place to live..."
Li Ang turned and walked to the table, spread out two pieces of parchment from the table, and made a "please" gesture.
Fother and Granlong looked at each other, sighed, sat down at the table together and picked up their pens.
When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head , and Leon is really helping them, so there is no reason for them to struggle.
They also knew that Li Ang only kept the leverage over them in his hand to force them to do things for him, which was already considered very tolerant towards them.
The next day, Fothert and Granlong led their respective teams to the northwest, bringing with them a letter from the lord to Baron Hereward.
The lair of the Three Prophets is no longer a secret; it is located in the largest swamp near the Misty Swamp Castle.
Because of the relationship with Earl Oden, Baron Hereward and Leon could barely be considered friends. The old man's fiefdom was Mystery Marsh Castle.
Leon's letter was in the hope that Baron Hereward would cooperate with the two men's troops to wipe out the three prophets, and serve as a witness to prove that the two men "found the king's seal from the three prophets' lair."
After sending the two away, Leon and Godric sent official documents to Sarleon City respectively, stating that Changhe Town had been taken back.
But Leon did not stay here. He took his troops directly back to White Deer Castle, while Godric took his guards to guard Changhe Town.
Because before the king's decree came down, Changhe Town still did not belong to Leon. Godric was the chief of the eastern military affairs, and this place should still be managed by him temporarily.
If Leon just stayed here after conquering Changhe Town, it would be like seeking reward for his achievements, or demanding payment for his achievements, which would easily arouse King Ulrich's rebellious mood.
The lord would never make such a mistake in principle, and he must adopt the right attitude.
…
East of White Hart Castle, in the forest.
This is a woodland about eighty miles away from Bailu Fort, which is almost symmetrical with Maixiangling.
Nearly a hundred acres of open space have been cleared here, and the surrounding timber has been piled up into mountains.
Leslie was directing a large group of people to build various buildings in the open space, while near White Hart Castle, there were still many people cutting wood.
In the past, anyone who dared to cut wood in such a place would only be shot by the deadly arrows of the Noldor.
But now, the Noldor elves are actively cutting down the trees that are in the way, intending to clear a passage through the woods.
Men and the Noldor are building together.
Because this place will be built into a trading market agreed upon by the Lord and the Noldor.
Moreover, a road had to be built leading to White Deer Castle to allow carriages to enter and exit.
The reason for choosing this location for the market was not for symmetry, but because it is about eighty miles away from the Nordofenwe family's horse farm, making it convenient for both sides.
Here, Vendatil is talking to Twilight Knight Noir .
"His Highness Islandil is currently negotiating with Aldarian... but to no avail. Aldarian seems to be blinded by hatred. I am very worried that he will do something irrational."
Neuer looked a little anxious: "Aldarian insists that all this is a human trick..."
"Doesn't he have the patience to observe for a month or two? The market built in this forest is completely under the control of the Noldor tribes. Lord Leon won't even send human troops in. What kind of trick could this be? That bastard Aldarian always brings enemies to the forest..."
Wendatil was also dissatisfied, but she seemed to have forgotten that she also felt that she couldn't trust humans at first...
"We have to protect those humans who are building the road. And according to Miss Leslie, the first caravan will be here soon... Now the road is not built yet, and it must be very difficult for them to cross the forest with the goods. This actually reflects the sincerity of Lord Leon, but I am worried that Aldarian will cause trouble..."
Neuer sighed at this point: "After being defeated by Juda, Ardarian became very manic and refused to listen to anyone. His Highness Islandil could not convince him."
"Now, His Majesty Felghathan has asked Sederen to form a patrol team to protect the trade routes along the way. Even His Majesty Kellervon Ir has sent out a patrol team to maintain security nearby. His Majesty Kellervon Ir has not used force for hundreds of years. Even he is so supportive of the establishment of the market, why is Aldarian still like this..."
The word "unhappy" was written all over Wendatil's face.
"Perhaps I can guess the reason..."
Lisadiran jumped down from the tree house next to him. "Aldarian suffered his first defeat at the hands of Juda, but Juda's tribe was beaten to pieces by Lord Leon and us... He always thought he was the strongest warrior, and he was unwilling to accept that."
"Is that why?"
Wendatil didn't understand this mentality very well. She was just a martial arts master and had no desire to achieve great things. She became the teacher of the Noldor Rangers simply because she didn't want to see the Noldor girls being captured.
Neuer nodded: "Maybe there is indeed a reason for this..."
"Then...what should we do if he really attacks the human merchants who come in here?"
Wendatil frowned deeply: "Are they going to kill each other? We must find a way to convince Aldarian."
"But now Aldarian has become very irritable and almost impossible to communicate with. And he seems to have left the territory with his troops. We don't know where he is now, so His Highness Islandil asked me to come and inform you."
Neuer also frowned and sighed.
"It seems that this matter is not easy to handle... I will report to Lord Li Ang now."
Lisadilan put on his hood quickly and prepared to return to White Deer Castle.
"Lisadiran, His Highness Islandil has restored your noble status in the Aino family. You can return to the family at any time... Will you still serve as a guard beside Lord Leon?"
Neuer asked from behind Lisa Diran.
"I promised to be loyal to him... As long as he keeps his word, I will keep my word. Besides, a favor must always be repaid."
After saying this, Lisa Dilan disappeared into the woods without looking back.
