Chapter 109: Earth-shaking

In early November, the snow season arrived and the city was suddenly covered in silver.

The offices of the nine departments were located just outside the back door of the fortress. The directors of each department brought their documents, put on their cloaks, and walked across the drawbridge into the fortress to prepare to report on their work.

The knights and officers came from the barracks on horseback.

Olivia met them in the side room and asked about the affairs of the quarter as usual.

Among them, what concerned her most were the soldiers' winter clothes and the first batch of crops from the plantation returning north on the ship in late December.

The winter clothing allocation for more than 2,000 soldiers in the military settlements and direct administrations was also 4,000 gold coins, with an average cost of two gold coins per person for winter clothing.

In addition to a pair of cowhide boots and a belt for hanging weapons for each person, there is also a piece of leather soft armor and knee pads.

In addition, there were three sets of wool tweed robes newly made in the weaving workshop, as well as half-felt cloaks to wear outside, leather helmets lined with thick felt, and a cowhide water bag for each person.

These soldiers usually undergo very intense training, and most of them are from the south.

It is a bit difficult for them to adapt to the climate of Eindhoven, so their equipment cannot be simple.

Even the Knights cannot achieve this equipment standard.

The specifications of ordinary soldiers are so complete, and the equipment of non-commissioned officers and knights will only be more complete.

The equipment standards of knights and officers were higher, with two sets of daily uniforms and training uniforms, and their weapons and equipment were more sophisticated. They were all equipped with horses and heavy armor.

It costs tens of thousands of dollars every year to support these more than 2,000 soldiers, but it is just as easy as sending a ship of goods out to sea.

After the knights and officers finished reporting on the distribution of winter supplies, it was the turn of the Nine Officials.

The security department within the Nine Departments, the City Defense Department, and several branches have a total of 400 people.

Although these officers are only responsible for the security of the city and the port, they are also half soldiers.

The standard of material equipment is similar to that of ordinary soldiers, except that the style and color of the short cloak, as well as the hat they wear are different from those of ordinary soldiers.

Olivia referred to many uniform styles that she thought looked good and finalized the draft while adhering to the etiquette of the era.

All raw materials are produced from local workshops, and the finished garments are also processed by local garment workshops.

George said, "This year's new uniforms from the City Defense Department are not only popular with the staff, but also with the general public. Many people, after seeing them, have come to ask if we are still hiring."

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

This year, the uniforms of the officers in the City Defense Department who are responsible for city security are the best looking, indigo blue.

Even the most ordinary clerks wore leather boots and breeches, a half-cloak on the outside, a military cap similar to a non-commissioned officer's cap on their heads, and the badge of each branch to identify their identity.

The soldiers wore dark green cloaks, with no hats but only helmets covering their faces.

Although the staff of the Urban Construction Bureau do not belong to the army, they also have uniforms. Their clothes are dark brown and resistant to dirt, and are all portable and work-related styles.

The nine department staff members sitting in the office, both men and women, were issued black uniforms, which were robes suitable for clerical staff. In those days, the color black had not been given much meaning.

Each department has already prepared its own plan for next year and the specific implementation steps.

After reading it, Olivia began to inquire about the progress of the ship's return voyage.

When the ship set out, it brought a flock of carrier pigeons with it. Every time it arrived at a place, it would release the carrier pigeons back. Most of these carrier pigeons were able to accurately return from the south to the pigeon tower in Einweiden and bring back the fleet's code notes.

By cracking the code, people in the Maritime Trade Office can find out where the ship is and what its basic situation is.

These carrier pigeons have been trained since the founding of Einwidden and have only now been put into use. This was also a common means of communication used by the nobles of this era.

In fact, Olivia could get more accurate information from the system: the ship had already departed.

At this moment, Caesar and his group should have returned from Anko.

In early November, the feast in Anko City ended and the nobles set out to return home.

The nobles whose territories were in the north walked in groups at a relatively slow pace. It was not until a week later that Caesar and his men returned to Einweiden.

Meanwhile, Olivia discovers the Count's conspiracy against the King.

She showed no mercy and chose to use condemnation without hesitation to help the earl successfully take action against the king.

Now, the situation of the royal family is very complicated. The king and queen have no children. The first heir is the king's uncle, but the marquis is in poor health and has been lame for a long time.

The king's other uncles and cousins ​​were all watching with eager eyes, and the queen's relatives also formed a considerable force.

If this king dies, the world will be in chaos.

The huge Alta Kingdom might be reduced to ashes. What Olivia wants is for this balance to be broken.

…

People who had been away from home returned home and packed up their things. Old Renault and Theresa took Christina away to cherish her first.

The two elders always felt that their children had grown up a lot just after being away for a while.

Sansa and Lainie asked the maid to go to the kitchen to get a lot of delicious food and drinks, and then they locked the door in their rooms and took a nap.

From the time they set out to the end of the banquet, and even on the way back, they were always required to maintain their manners and not to eat and drink too much of the delicious food.

But it made both of them feel very depressed.

Not to mention Caesar, when he returned home and saw that he couldn't compete with his daughter, he focused all his attention on Olivia.

He told her what happened on this trip and also about the assassination that took place on Anko that night. The two of them talked for a while under the covers.

Olivia was bored of hearing these things she already knew, so she had to tease him.

This really made Caesar feel wronged.

He thought that Olivia's body had not recovered yet, so he didn't dare to act rashly. Apart from nibbling at her like a hungry tiger, he didn't dare to bother her.

…

At the end of November, when everyone in the fortress was preparing for Christmas, they received secret news that had spread in the north.

The king was attacked and his life or death is unknown.

When Olivia received the news, she was eating hot pot with her family and enjoying the winter atmosphere. The person who came to deliver the message was the Earl's servant.

This news has spread all the way from the capital to the north, and is probably known to everyone now.

Caesar and old Renault had not been home for long before they were summoned by the count to the city of Anko.

Without packing any luggage, the two men received the news and that night, each of them rode a horse, forming a cavalry team and marched day and night in the cold snowstorm.

…

At this moment, a small-scale conflict has already occurred in the capital of Alta.

The king was assassinated in mid-November, and according to custom, the queen was also attending a prayer ceremony in the palace.

She was about to return to the monastery when she heard from the servants that the king had been assassinated in the garden.

The queen immediately brought people over, took the king back to the bedroom for treatment, captured the assassin, and blocked the news.

She only told the outside world that the king was injured in horse riding, and summoned many doctors to spread the news that the king was only slightly injured. Then she immediately announced that she was pregnant.

Upon hearing the news, all the nobles in the royal capital were confused as to how the queen could suddenly become pregnant.

They wrote a letter to the king to congratulate him, but they could not find any news about the king. Even the king's favorite ministers and mistresses had completely disappeared.

When they realized the seriousness of the problem, the queen's relatives and nobles had already begun to mobilize troops into the royal capital.

The nobles around immediately realized that something serious had happened. The king was probably not simply injured, and it was hard to say whether he was still alive.

The queen may have wanted to pretend to be pregnant, then mobilize troops to seize power and take over the throne.

At this time, the nearby earls and marquises became well-informed and became restless. They began to test the situation and exchanged letters in secret.

At this time, it is easy to distinguish between friend and foe.

Caesar and old Renault arrived in Anko City and were immediately brought before the old earl. The barons were also present.

Everyone rushed here day and night after receiving the news.

Everyone knows the current situation in the royal capital. The queen must have no heir, but tens of thousands of people from her uncle and aunt's family have extended from the southern border and controlled the royal capital.

The only good news now is that the archbishop of the royal capital has disappeared and has not fallen into the hands of the queen.

If this archbishop fell into the hands of the queen, and she succeeded to the throne as the queen mother, and the archbishop declared the legitimacy of the queen, then everyone would be in trouble.

The most anxious people now are the king’s uncles.

As a cousin from the next family, Earl Everk knew that he had no legal right to the throne, so he had to discuss with the barons whether to win over the northern counties and take advantage of the chaos to declare independence together.

Or should he seek refuge with a party that might win the throne in this chaotic situation?

The two earl's sons, as well as the barons and attendants, had different opinions and offered all kinds of advice.

The old earl felt that this was a rare opportunity, so he slammed the table and asked someone to bring him paper and pen. He used his brain and wrote out a document, which he had copied and sent to all parts of the country.

This document also quickly reached Olivia's hands.

She stood calmly behind the window, watching the heavy snow outside, drinking steaming cocoa and checking official documents.

The content of the official document was rather wordy and written in a rather pedantic style, but Olivia's translation made it more straightforward. The gist of it was:

"The Holy Alta throne was fought over by traitors, but I have emerged untainted. I, the Earl of Roslingay, and the Lord of Constant County have jointly declared independence and proclaimed myself the Grand Duke of Roslingay. From now on, this is my duchy, and I will never be a vassal to those who steal the throne. If you don't accept it, come and fight."

Olivia laughed at this. She shook her head and put the document away.

Once the old earl does this, earls and marquises from all over will follow suit. By then, the throne will be in name only, and whoever gains the reputation of legitimacy will not have any substantial power.

Olivia turned around and calmly asked Fanxi beside her:

"Is the fleet back? Have Gosley, Letilan, and the dockmaster come to see me."

She had finally waited for this moment.

…