Volume 6: Helping the World Chapter 175 The Lovely Ayun
Thirteenth Avenue is the most . Half an hour after the conflict between the grassland visiting group and the slave-catching team claiming to be Prince Hillbottom, the city defense team, which is the first violent agency of the royal city's order, arrived at the scene.
The chief officer of the city defense team was Carlisle's confidant. After struggling to control the scene, isolate the personnel from both sides, and comfort the damaged merchants, he quickly collected statements from both sides, testimonies from bystanders, registered the damage, and reported it to the palace.
Two hours later, His Royal Highness Carlisle in the palace learned the news - the members of the grassland delegation demolished several shops owned by aristocrats during the resistance, destroyed a road section as long as 30 meters, damaged a number of houses, and affected a number of passers-by; and... the wreckage of the carriage of the "slave-catching team" that was captured by the members of the delegation and the palace guards did have the coat of arms of Prince Hilbott on it.
Carlisle's face changed immediately. Thugs can be hired and butlers can be bribed - every noble family has several butlers and deacons of varying sizes - but not everyone can drive a carriage with a family crest, not even the chief butler, without the owner's permission.
The family coat of arms of Prince Hilbourt is the family coat of arms of Ferdinand's family, that is, the symbol of the royal family!
His Royal Highness quickly turned around to look at his teacher...
The teacher was looking at me with a smile.
His eyes were curved into crescent shapes, his smile was extremely kind, and his big white teeth sparkled.
"..." Carlisle's heart trembled slightly. He was sitting on the main seat with three Saint Bridge Palace mages, but His Royal Highness had a feeling that if he didn't sit firmly, his knees would fall off...
"I have reminded them that verbal offenses, minor physical contact, or the loss of a small amount of property are not to be taken seriously. A small loss is not a big deal, and they should not easily get into disputes with others." Xiao Yun apologized, "I didn't expect to be mistaken for a runaway slave. This is really unexpected... I never thought I would have to remind them of this. I'm really sorry. I will be responsible for the losses caused to my people."
Carlisle got goosebumps all over his back and said quickly, "Teacher, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and will definitely give you... Da He an explanation."
"Don't say that. If my people had suffered a great loss, I would of course seek justice. But they are fine, so there's no need to make a fuss about it." Xiao Yun smiled and waved his hand generously.
Carlisle knew what kind of personality his teacher had. If he really accepted this, the relationship between master and apprentice would be in danger. He immediately said seriously, "No, teacher, the Snow Wolf Tribe is our guest specially invited by St. Bridge. If the guest encounters something unpleasant, the host must take responsibility. Regardless of whether this matter is related to Hillport, the Ferdinand family will definitely investigate it to the end."
The three court mages present were drinking tea calmly and had no intention of getting involved. After hearing what Carlisle said, the three spellcasters showed subtle expressions and exchanged glances... Separating Prince Silbot from the Ferdinand family, is His Royal Highness going to deal with the prince? The Snow Wolf Clan sage retreated to advance, and achieved the goal they had never achieved?
Xiao Yun believed that the prince system was an obstacle to the centralization of the royal family, and he was not the only one to have such a perception. Local wise men, especially spellcasters who valued the inheritance of knowledge and the pursuit of the way of knowledge, had long been extremely disgusted with this meaningless system.
Bazel, the chief wizard of the St. Bridge Palace and the enchanter of the Wall of Sighs, put down his teacup, clasped his hands in front of his stomach, and said calmly: "Sage Ayun, Your Highness, this matter may be a little strange... Prince Silbot has always been domineering. If the prince is so dissatisfied with the guests invited by Your Highness, there are plenty of opportunities to openly express his disgust and embarrass Your Highness and your guests. And if it is said that Your Excellency the Prince made this stupid move to target the guests, then judging from the report of the city defense team, it is a bit "comprehensive"... The family crest carriage, forty-two mercenaries, and the second-class deacon of the prince's mansion personally went out, it seems that he is determined to capture the target."
Xiao Yun almost couldn't hold back his laughter, and his favorability towards this white-bearded old man instantly increased by at least ten percentage points...
Xiao Yun has come into contact with quite a few human spellcasters. He doesn't know if they were influenced by the tragic Lich King, but whether it's Tim Humphrey, a junior alchemist who grew up under the protection of the nobility, or Revenge Moon, an acquaintance in the Ice and Snow City, or the most familiar End of Illusion Sean, as well as these court mages of St. Bridge, every one of them hates the outdated rules of the current secular world, and is a reformer who either practices them or is preparing to do so.
Although restricted by the limitations of this world's history, these spellcasters often cannot use their strength in the right place, but at least the spirit of changing the world is very sufficient... For example, this Wall of Sighs seems to be making excuses for Hilbot, but in fact it is severely slandering the prince and vaguely showing an attitude of "forcing Carlisle to abdicate" - even if Hilbot did not do this, are you still planning to keep it for the New Year?
Carlisle smiled helplessly. As the leader of the reform faction, he easily gained the support of the court wizards, but this support also became a kind of pressure. Although these spellcasters were old, they were more impatient than the young teacher. The teacher was willing to understand his difficulties and silently support his gradual reform, but the spellcasters were eager to see St. Bridget's brand new tomorrow.
But Carlisle had to admit that no matter who was so short-sighted as to covet the grassland visiting group that was most important to St. Bridges, it was an excellent opportunity for him - the extremely unfair way of judging "fifty lashes each" to the parties involved was actually the best way to demonstrate the authority of the judge.
Carlisle took a deep breath and said firmly, "The appearance of the carriage with the family crest of the Prince's Palace at the scene has something to do with Hillbottom. Of course, I will give Hillbottom a chance to explain if his answer can satisfy everyone."
Such a statement was already a big concession, but it seemed that it was not enough to satisfy Basel. The old man with white beard showed a look of disapproval and wanted to put pressure on Carlisle again.
Xiao Yun just didn't want to use his relationship with Carlisle to force Carlisle to make a decision. The affection between people must be carefully managed and must not be wasted at will. Compared to forcing others to do things for you, it is of course safer to let others spontaneously consider you and do things for you. The palace intrigues between men are actually not low at all.
Since Carlisle has made up his mind, Xiao Yun must, as always, stand on the position of a good teacher who considers his disciples and eliminates the possible estrangement between his disciples and the court mage. He immediately said with a smile: "I also think that it is unlikely that His Excellency the Prince is making things difficult for my people. If Prince Hillbottom is dissatisfied with our Snow Wolf Clan to an unbearable degree, then it is undoubtedly a better choice to make trouble on the spot at the court banquet the day after tomorrow. After all, my people do not have the etiquette and upbringing that are in line with the occasions of the royal palace. Picking on some random faults and then questioning His Excellency the Prince's inability to judge people, and even questioning His Excellency the Prince's considerations for employing people and the direction of reform, is the proper way to truly undermine His Excellency's prestige and humiliate the Snow Wolf Clan~"
The looks of several court mages all changed. Even Bazel of the Wall of Sighs looked at Xiao Yun in a strange way... Damn, this is a precise strike! We all lost!
Carlisle smiled bitterly... and compared to the court wizard who rolled up his sleeves and forced the palace directly, the teacher always had more irresistible and less disgusted approach.
His Royal Highness is not unaware that his conciliatory policies will displease his supporters, but he really does not dare to destabilize the country before the war. The pressure on him is already very great, so great that he is unable to take any step forward.
Of course, Carlisle still trusted his teacher. After all, his teacher had always taught him to maintain the overall stability as much as possible; occasionally taking an unconventional approach was also to create a better situation that was easier to control.
After calming down, Carlisle humbly asked for advice: "Teacher, what do you think I should do?"
The three court mages were all a little surprised by the attitude of His Royal Highness the Prince. After drinking tea for half a day, this was the first time that Carlisle openly expressed his unreserved trust in Xiao Yun - Carlisle had respected Xiao Yun enough before, but Xiao Yun respected Carlisle even more.
"I just think that we don't need to complicate a simple issue." Xiao Yun said with a smile, "This time it looks like Hillport suddenly became unhappy... but it also looks like someone framed him. If we really want to investigate and investigate in depth, it will be too troublesome. It will take at least ten days or half a month to figure out the clues. Who has so much time to engage in such an exhausting war of words?"
After a pause, Xiao Yun said slowly, "In this case, it is better to do as Your Highness wishes and let Prince Hilbott defend himself. The prince naturally knows who is most likely to frame him, or who he hates. Your Highness does not need to waste energy to distinguish right from wrong. Anyone involved... will not be stripped of his title, will not be punished, and will move his family to the coastal border to join the front line to defend against the enemy. He can prove his innocence by actually taking actions to defend St. Bridget."
The identity of someone who can be hated by the prince must be not low. To deal with a great noble is equivalent to dealing with a large number of nobles, big and small. In the adult world, who cares about right or wrong? If the "real murderer" is caught, we make money. If not, then it's not a loss.
Carlisle: “…”
Court mages: "..."
You're not just giving them all fifty lashes, you're dragging a bunch of people into this and crippling them all!
Bazel's eyes sparkled as he looked at Carlisle with a sharp gaze, and he said hurriedly, "Your Highness, I think what the sage Ayun said is feasible."
The other two followed up actively, one of them said: "That does make sense."
Another was even more ruthless: "A great war is imminent, and at this time we really need a group of prestigious families to stay at the border to stabilize people's hearts."
A bunch of nobles in the royal city are making trouble and hindering the reform. If they couldn't get over that hurdle, the court mages would have rolled up their sleeves and carried out assassinations. Now is such a good opportunity to kick out the guys they don't like. It's so cool, my friend!
Moreover, there is no need to worry about "accidentally hurting loyal people". The interrogation of the prince must be conducted behind closed doors, and it is just a matter of Carlyle's words to kick someone into the water!
Carlisle...Carlisle was also moved.
He is not a masochist. He can't be in a good mood when he sees a bunch of people who use all kinds of seemingly upright excuses to hinder him and are actually thieves, prostitutes and all kinds of evil people in private...
Nodding in obedience to his heart, Carlisle suppressed his surging emotions and calmly called the chief guard: "Notify the city defense team to bring the attacked delegation and the attackers into the main hall of the palace, and summon Prince Hilbott to the palace to defend himself."
When Claudy heard this, he knew something big was going to happen, and he hurried out to arrange for people.
Carlisle stood up with his fist clenched, and bowed slightly to Xiao Yun: "Teacher, are you coming too?"
"As a foreigner, I shouldn't interfere in the royal family's affairs, but since it has something to do with my people, I have no choice but to step in." Xiao Yun smiled and stood up. "To ensure fairness, Your Highness, do you think I can invite a few court mages to come along?"
The identity of a spellcaster is very valuable, and he can go to any occasion wearing that robe... With them around, Xiao Yun, an outsider, won't be so awkward.
Bazel was able to remain calm, while the other two were already beaming with joy. It was a rare opportunity to see Hilbott fall into misfortune and enjoy the wonderful drama. "It's our honor."
Carlisle was speechless: "..." I know that spellcasters are not particular about details, but you guys shouldn't be so obviously gloating...
In the main hall, the largest meeting room was occupied by the guards after His Royal Highness the Prince, the court mage, and the sage Ayun entered, closing the main door and leaving only a small door on the side for those who came later to enter and exit. Prince Hilbott came in response to the summons, and his face turned dark when he heard that he was asked to go through the small door.
Before the prince could get angry, he saw several people being escorted in from the corridor on the other side, one of whom looked familiar...
"You...Butler Ron?!" Hillport was stunned at first, then he became furious and shouted at the guards lined up beside him, "Where is Claude? Tell him to come see me! Who gave you the right to touch my butler without permission?!"
Butler Ron, with a bruised face and a gagged mouth, tried to say something but was forcibly pushed through the door by the escorting guards.
The chief guard smiled and made a gesture of invitation: "Please come in, Prince. Your Highness has been waiting for a long time."
Hillbot took a deep breath and winked at his guards, who immediately stepped forward and slapped the captain of the guards.
The chief guard would not suffer this loss, so he stepped back two steps to avoid the situation, sneering and saying, "Prince, please go in first."
He actually dared to hide, Hillbot couldn't tolerate it... He looked at the captain of the guards coldly and walked into the door without saying a word.
When the captain of the guards saw the man finally go in, he made a "Puh" sound - these guards were the most well-informed in the palace. His Royal Highness the Prince was not going to tolerate this uncle, so why should they tolerate him?
Hilbert angrily walked around the screen wall, thinking in his heart that he would teach that villain Claude a lesson this time no matter what... No matter how much Carlisle couldn't tolerate him, the most he could do was to demote him to an earl after he succeeded to the throne (an abdicated prince could be granted a title of nobility at most). As long as he was not dead, Carlisle had to give his cousin some face. How could he not be able to deal with a villain who was a favorite of his?
It was not until he stepped into the hall and saw the situation clearly that Hillbottom realized something was wrong.
His Royal Highness the Prince sat at the top, and below him, in the seats that should have been reserved for ministers, sat three court mages, a white-haired young man from a foreign race, and a green-haired young man.
On the east side of the hall sat a dozen aliens, with the chief of the city defense team standing in the front in full armor. On the west side, the prince's housekeeper Ron and a few unfamiliar strong men were forced to kneel on the ground by the guards. There were also a few fine oak boards on the ground, and the patterns on the boards looked extremely familiar...
There were no ministers, only two members of the royal family confronting each other, and this situation made Hilbott instinctively feel that something was wrong.
While Hillbot's eyes were darting around, Carlisle spoke calmly, "Prince, you know this butler, right?"
He used an affirmative tone, which meant that he could not deny it. Hillbot swallowed his saliva and nodded, saying, "He is the second-class deacon in my mansion."
Carlisle looked at the chief officer of the city defense team. This chief officer, who was selected by him from the knights of the kingdom, immediately stood up, bowed to Hillbottom, straightened his back, and told him about the actions of Butler Ron, who used the carriage with the Ferdinand family emblem from the Prince's Palace, and the 42 mercenaries who slandered the grassland visiting group as fugitives in the street and carried out violent arrests.
Hillbot went berserk halfway through the conversation, strode towards Butler Ron who was pinned to the ground, and kicked him hard in the head: "You idiot, who gave you the right to do whatever you want?!"
The one who was holding down the butler happened to be the captain of the guard who was with Chief Li and Dahe. Seeing this, he grabbed the unfortunate butler's neck in an obscene manner, allowing the prince to kick more steadily and firmly.
After kicking the butler unconscious, Hilbert panted and said loudly, "Your Highness, this is not a clever accusation. I am not the kind of person who would do such a stupid thing!"
Carlisle remained noncommittal and said calmly: "Prince, who do you think would do such a shameless thing and frame you with such a clear purpose?"
Hillbot's expression changed. After all, he was a descendant of Ferdinand's family. Although he was not smart, he was not a fool. Carlisle did not let the ministers be present, it seemed that he did not want to escalate the matter... Then he must send someone with enough status to let Carlisle vent his anger.
There is no doubt that this is a good opportunity to strike at political enemies. Several names immediately popped up in Prince Hilbott's mind... Pretending to ponder for a while, the prince said in a sonorous and powerful voice: "Harris, Fred, yes, and Widow Vidette, that vicious widow!"
Count Harris is Hillbot's old enemy. Fred's hatred for him is average, so it's a good thing that they can be dealt with together. Archduchess Vidette, the woman who used her dead husband's identity to cheat people, is a thorn in Hillbot's heart. The existence of that woman seems to be reminding Carlisle that he can make the princess an archduchess to share his authority as a prince!
Xiao Yun calmly glanced at the prince whom he met for the first time... It is the nature of politicians that when there is an opportunity to strike the enemy, they will even ignore their own crisis. Tsk tsk~
Carlisle's eyes were a little gloomy. On the one hand, he was very happy with Hillbottom's cooperation, but on the other hand, he was indeed a little disappointed - Hillbottom did not even interrogate Butler Ron to confirm who bribed him, but instead worked hard to plot against his political enemies... Such a person turned out to be one of the most powerful people in St. Bridges!
"In recent years, the Snow Wolf Tribe has played a great role in the development of our country's maritime trade. For such a guest who should be entertained with the highest standards, someone would actually do such a heinous thing that brings shame to the entire St. Bridge. I really can't believe that such behavior would come from the hands of a prince of a country." Carlisle lowered his eyes, hiding the boredom in his eyes, and said calmly, "But the carriage with the family crest of the prince's mansion did appear at the scene, which makes people have to be cautious... Prince, are you willing to confront the three families you pointed out?"
"Of course! I have a clear conscience!" Prince Hilbott patted his chest without hesitation, and became more convinced that Carlisle wanted to use this incident to make an example of someone.
Carlisle nodded: "In that case, please take a seat first, Your Majesty." He then looked at Claude who was hiding behind the guests and said, "Call Earl Harris, Earl , and Grand Duchess Dewitt."
"Yes, Your Highness." Claude took the order and left.
Hillbot sat down with a smug look on his face, happily calculating how to pin the blame on Harris and the widow of the DeWitt family. He didn't notice the occasional gloating looks from the spellcasters in the front row...
Xiao Yun couldn't bear it anymore, so he coughed lightly and gave a warning look to Bazel, the chief court wizard.
Basel was a little embarrassed. He turned his head and glared at his colleagues. What's wrong with you? Do you still want to continue watching the fun?
The two court mages then began to pay attention to their expressions...
Carlisle, who was at the head of the group, saw everything and felt even more embarrassed than Bazel. He had no choice but to look to the other side and talk to the angry Snow Wolves: "Dahe, you were the one who was attacked, right? Are you feeling unwell?"
Da He said unhappily, "One of my clothes is ruined!"
"...Find out the mastermind behind this and make him compensate you with ten better sets." Carlisle said.
Chief Ali said seriously: "We broke a lot of things, but we didn't break them on purpose. You won't ask us to pay for it, right?"
"Of course not." Carlisle said quickly.
Chief Li and Da He both breathed a sigh of relief. Da He even relaxed his posture and stopped looking tense...
Carlisle didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so Taiga, are you pretending to be angry on purpose...
Xiao Yun felt something was wrong, and he suddenly became alert after seeing Da He's reaction. He quickly said to Carlisle, "Although my people are the victims, we only know that someone is suspected of framing the prince. So we don't need to participate in the confrontation, right?"
Carlisle blinked and understood what the teacher meant in seconds... The Snow Wolves had no sense of being victims, and were not capable of pretending to be pitiful. Keeping them present would be very detrimental to the operation!
A drop of sweat slid down the prince's temples. He quickly called the captain of the guards in and found an excuse to send the "accuser" to the princess's side hall. This arrangement seemed to make Hillbot think that Carlisle just wanted to take advantage of the situation and would not harm him at all. He called on the guards to prepare tea for him...
About forty minutes later, the three "suspects" identified by the prince were brought into the main hall one after another by the guards.
Count Fred, who arrived first, was very surprised at the arrangement of people in the meeting room. After paying respects to the prince and the duke, they sat down openly. Without the hints from the court mages who could use the mental field to identify whether someone was lying, Xiao Yun could see that the real murderer was definitely not this thin middle-aged man.
Earl Harris, the second person to arrive, found that the aliens were openly sitting in the council hall. He seemed to have remembered that he was forced to retire and his qualifications for participating in the council hall were revoked. He looked lazy and extremely disrespectful to Carlisle and the prince. His dissatisfaction was written directly on his face. After sitting down, he rudely turned sideways to face the empty space.
The three court mages stared at the old noble for a long time, and each of them shook their heads slightly at Xiao Yun.
The eldest daughter of Earl Harris, Grand Duchess Dewitt, was the last to arrive. She brought back a large dowry and her deceased husband's property, and no longer needed to rely on the protection of the Harris family. She had established her own faction. After entering the hall, she lifted her skirt and saluted like a prince, then sat down beside her father leisurely. Occasionally, she glanced at Butler Ron, who was kneeling on the ground motionless. She showed no strange look, nor was she interested in asking why such a lowly person was here.
The three court mages looked at Xiao Yun in unison.
Xiao Yun showed an expression of understanding and nodded slightly to express his gratitude.
His Royal Highness the Prince sitting at the top: "..."
No, Master, I know you are always popular... but don't seduce all my court mages in such a short time!
