Chapter 290: Conferring a Title, the Princess's Decision

It was already dusk when we returned to London.

King Richard the Lionheart ordered Yeats to return to the manor temporarily and attend the dinner party tomorrow when night falls.

It was autumn, and the fallen leaves of the maple trees on the street formed a fiery red carpet. Wine barrels were piled in front of the tavern, golden bread was displayed in glass cabinets, and hot aroma wafted from the bakery.

Citizens dressed in linen shirts or dresses looked up and saw Yeats wearing silver armor on horseback, and they retreated to the sides of the road with fear or awe in their eyes.

"Lundu seems to be more lively these days."

Yeats looked at Gray, who was riding a white horse beside him.

"Because autumn is here. People are always more active during this harvest season."

Gray said as a matter of course.

"Come to think of it, in the old era, there were Dionysus and Lupercalia in autumn," Ye Zhi said, "but these two gods have disappeared. Now in autumn, people usually worship the goddess of abundance and grain... She is also a goddess with great power."

Gray complained: "Why are there so many female Lord Gods?"

Ye Zhi was silent, thinking that it might be because "Phantom Wings" is a two-dimensional game, and female characters are more popular.

Silver Birch Manor.

The maid smeared olive oil and ointment on Yeats, applied hot cloths to him, and then gave him a hot bath and changed him into new clothes.

The aroma of lavender rose in the air, Yeats closed his eyes and let the barber trim his hair.

In the past in Morning Frost Ridge, the job of cutting the lord's hair was done by the vampire barber Lisa.

Now, it has been two months since I left the territory.

Ye Zhi guessed that when he officially returned to Morning Frost Ridge, he might bring some surprising good news.

Conferred the title of Duke.

The title of duke meant a strong claim that Yeats could expand territory and establish a duchy in the northern provinces.

Due to the special geographical location, once Yeats becomes a duke, he will have the same privileges as frontier princes. He can use the reason of "strengthening border defense" to apply to the royal family for tax reduction, thereby accumulating more resources and wealth.

In just one year, he went from being an unknown little baron to becoming a duke defending the border. This is an incredible feat.

However, Ye Zhi knew that he stood on the side of the royal family and made great contributions in the blood clan incident. With this achievement, it was more than enough to be awarded the title of Duke! Of course, the Lionheart King was only qualified to grant the title. If he wanted the territory, Ye Zhi had to take it himself.

Yeats inferred that with the monarch's checks and balances, he would probably include White Night City in the territory of the "Principality of Morning Frost Ridge", which would then cause a dispute between Thomas and himself and they would restrain each other.

However, Yeats had longed for the White Night City.

If we can take White Night City, it will be equivalent to having the geographical advantage of a Great Wall guarding the border.

In the entire northern province, there are no more nobles who can compete with Morning Frost Ridge!

The Duke is at the pinnacle of power in the secular world, and above that is the King.

To be honest, Yeats had no idea about becoming king.

After all, the power of the king under the medieval feudal system cannot be compared with the power of the emperor under the highly centralized system in the East.

In history, there were several kings who were so poor that they could only maintain their dignity by touring and begging for money from their vassals. This was because their responsibilities were too great and their direct territories were too small. Compared with the dukes who had large territories, they were in an awkward situation of "weak masters and strong servants".

As long as we can occupy the two great natural advantages of the Great Wall and the Jueling Mountains in the northern province, the future "Principality of Morning Frost Ridge" will be like a country within a country.

Being a frontier duke is much easier than being a king.

Of course, any insightful monarch would not sit idly by and watch the power of the frontier dukes grow, and would find ways to "reduce the power of the dukes."

In this regard, Ye Zhi can only have a strong say if he becomes a six-ring master.

Secondly, a new world pattern is about to come. As Candela breaks through the sanctuary, strong sanctuary warriors will emerge from humans, elves, orcs... all races, and the monarchs and princes will temporarily put aside their conflicts and unite against the outside world.

In this "world of great contention", only by keeping up with the latest versions and impacting the Holy Land can you avoid becoming a stepping stone for others.

"According to the plot, King Lionheart is dying... He has used the water from Lake Avalon many times to heal his injuries, which is already a forced way to prolong his life. Even his master-level attainments in potions are powerless to save him..."

Ye Zhi frowned and fell into deep thought.

"After the princess ascends the throne, the Duke of Wick and the Duke of Lannister will raise an army again. On the pretext of supporting the nephew of the Lionheart King, they will come to London to call for punishment and start a battle on the banks of the Thames... This is exactly the War of the Roses in the plot."

"If the Golden Lion falls into civil war, it will leave the Holy See with an opportunity to infiltrate, which is really disadvantageous to me. Supporting the princess and ending the civil war is the best solution for me."

"But...how can we make Duke Wick and Duke Lannister give up?"

In the study, the candlelight flickered. Ye Zhi tapped the desk with his fingers and slowly wrote the words "borrowing momentum" on the parchment scroll. He thought to himself, "If Teacher Candela becomes a Saint, as a student of the world's number one Saint, the two families will have to give me some face!"

*Leo Palace.

King Richard the Lionheart sat on his bed in his chambers, with a blood-stained bandage wrapped around his abdomen.

The graceful lady gently unwrapped the bandage and revealed the bloody wound.

The Lionheart King hissed and gritted his teeth and said, "Apply the medicine."

The noble lady looked distressed and said softly, "I'll be gentler..."

The noblewoman was about 40 years old, a court musician of the Lion Palace, and also the lover of the Lionheart. After the Lionheart's ex-wife was sentenced for adultery, he did not remarry, but just let this musician follow him.

In the Middle Ages, marriage advocated monogamy, but the culture of mistresses became popular, and a position called "royal mistress" was derived. Royal mistresses were publicly recognized by the king and had noble titles. Sometimes they would handle trivial matters in the name of the king.

The wound felt a burning pain. The Lionheart groaned, closed his eyes tightly, and said hoarsely:

"Is the celebration dinner ready?"

"It's ready, and several dukes will be there." The musician paused and said hesitantly, "But your Majesty, your injury is so serious, why don't you postpone the dinner for a few days?"

"Postpone?" The Lionheart smiled tiredly, "You step aside and let Colin come to see me."

The musician hesitated, picked up the medicine box, nodded and left.

Soon, Colin came in, knelt on one knee, and saluted, "Your Majesty."

"Colin, although you have gone astray, you have made amends this time." The Lionheart King said slowly, "I will forgive you for the past, and I hope you will stay in the Lion Palace and serve the royal family..."

Colin's eyes flickered, he was touched and a little ashamed, he bowed his head and said: "I will obey your majesty's order!"

"You must spread the word about the eradication of the Scarlet Society. Not only should the nobles know, but you should also let the world know that any evildoer who causes trouble in the Golden Lion Kingdom will not escape the fate of destruction." King Lionheart said.

"yes."

Colin understood that destroying the vampire conspiracy would greatly increase the prestige of the Lionheart King, thus making his voice more secure.

"There is one more thing that I can't make up my mind about..."

The Lionheart leaned against the bed, rubbing his brow with his fingers, showing a rare sign of fatigue as an old man, and said slowly: "Colin, what do you think of my idea of ​​marrying Renee to Yeats?"

Colin couldn't help but reveal astonishment on his face, and he couldn't believe what he heard.

He carefully observed the Lionheart's expression and found that he did not seem to be joking, and he became more and more alarmed.

Having accompanied King Lionheart for many years, Colin knew that the king loved his daughter deeply and would help the princess ascend the throne at all costs.

And now, the Lionheart King actually plans to marry the princess to Ye Zhi...

This move involves a huge matter, as it is actually about selecting a royal husband.

This not only concerns the princess herself, but also the future of the entire Golden Lion Kingdom!

Colin took a sip with great effort, pondered it carefully, and said, "May I ask, Your Majesty, why did you suddenly think of this?"

The Lionheart sighed: "We have both seen Ye Zhi's performance and potential, and I am very fond of his looks, but I don't know if this marriage is feasible..."

Colin was silent, feeling a little heavy in his heart.

It is a foregone conclusion that His Majesty wishes to confer upon Yeats the title of Duke.

And now, His Majesty even intends to choose Yeats as his royal consort.

Once this is confirmed, Ye Zhi's power will reach such an astonishing level that Colin cannot even imagine it... You know, in the history of the Divine Court Empire, there was a real case where the husband of the Queen attempted to usurp the throne!

Colin also knew that King Lionheart was beginning to feel overwhelmed and was afraid that he would be unable to take care of the princess, so he wanted to find a suitable husband for his daughter.

Please...collect 6...9...books...!

but.

The princess is destined to become the queen of the Golden Lion Kingdom, so how can she ignore the will of a king?

"Your Majesty, I suggest that you discuss this matter with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in person."

Ke Lin said seriously: "Although the marriage is a family destiny, Her Highness is the future king after all. I believe she has the ability to decide her own destiny."

The Lionheart's eyes moved slightly, and then he nodded gently, saying: "Go and call Leni... No, I'll go myself."

"Your Majesty..." Colin reached out his hand hastily, but was blocked by the Lionheart King.

The Lionheart signaled to him that he didn't need help, and with slow but powerful steps, he slowly pushed the door open and walked away.

The royal study.

Theresa, blonde and blue-eyed, wearing a white dress, sat by the window where the sun shone, concentrating on reading a book.

Theresa is the princess's real name, but King Lionheart still insists on calling her by her nickname "Renee".

Dongdong——

There was a knock on the door.

Theresa closed the book and said softly, "Come in."

King Richard, wearing a royal robe with a golden lion pattern, walked slowly into the study, causing Theresa to slightly widen her eyes. She stood up and said, "Father, why are you here?"

"Come and see you." Richard smiled. "What book are you reading?"

Theresa seemed a little embarrassed, closed the book, and said softly:

"Titus Livy's History of Rome from its Founding."

Richard was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "Reading history is a good thing. Both men and women should read history, so that they can gain wisdom."

In the social circle, a noble daughter who talked about history and business would be laughed at by her peers, so Theresa felt a little uneasy when asked what books she was reading.

Seeing that her father was not angry but praised her instead, Theresa couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and smiled, "History is like a magic mirror that can tell us the rise and fall of human civilization... I have benefited a lot from it."

The Lionheart King was slightly surprised and asked, "So what did you learn from this? Tell me about it."

After the king's repeated questioning, Theresa finally spoke:

"History is a cyclical, ever-improving process... The future should be an era of shipping trade and commercial prosperity, just like the former commercial nation of Carthage..."

"In order to complete primitive accumulation... maritime plunder and trade should also be brought under the control of the royal family..."

"The emerging business class will have a huge impact on the nobility, and grasping this torrent is the key to governing the kingdom!"

After finishing her argument, Theresa finally mustered up her courage, looked up at her father, and said with a blushing face:

"If there are any mistakes, please don't blame me, father..."

The Lionheart King stood there in a daze.

He came from a military background and had little knowledge of management and business, but he could certainly understand what Theresa called "the tide of the times."

The pattern in which the old aristocracy monopolizes everything will be completely rewritten, and those who cannot keep up with the times, whether they are poor, nobles or kings, will be left behind by the times.

In the face of the times, heroes are so insignificant. What surprised King Lionheart was that his daughter actually understood this "trend" earlier than he did.

The Lionheart shook his head: "I am afraid I am really old..."

"Father, you came to me not just to ask what book your daughter is reading recently?" said Theresa.

The Lionheart King smiled and said, "I actually want to ask you...if I decide to marry you to Ye Zhi, what do you think?"

Theresa was stunned for a moment, the image of the elegant young count emerged in her mind, and she couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Soon, her rational side took over, and Theresa calmly analyzed: "This is not feasible."

"Why is it not feasible? Tell me," King Lionheart said seriously.

"If Yeats becomes my husband, his power will become difficult to control. He will be more... unpredictable than Lannister and Wick."

Theresa paused and said, "But Yeats is an outstanding and powerful ally... Father can confer him the title of Duke and work with him to promote the development of the Protestant Church [Anglican Church], thereby restraining the Vatican and concentrating power in the royal family."

"Hahaha." King Lionheart suddenly laughed.

Theresa asked in confusion: "Father?"

"You and Ye Zhi are both my anchors."

The Lionheart King smiled and said, "Let's put aside the status and background for now. Just from an emotional point of view, what do you think of Yeats?"

Theresa was startled, her neck slightly red, she lowered her head and whispered, "Only from an emotional level... Count Yeats is an excellent partner, but..."

"But what?"

"But I have vowed to marry myself to this country and its people."

Theresa raised her eyes with a firm determination: "This is the path I have chosen for myself, father."

The Lionheart King remained silent. He gently stroked Theresa's hair and whispered, "Under your leadership... the Golden Lion Kingdom... may be able to usher in a new glory..."

The Lionheart paused and said, "You will attend the dinner with me tonight."

The fatigue on the Lionheart King's face disappeared, and he radiated the demeanor of a king. He said in a deep voice:

"I will confer the title of Duke on Yeats at the dinner... Anyone who dares to question him, huh, I will remember it!"

(End of this chapter)