Chapter 292: The Duke of Honeysuckle, Yeats!
In the banquet hall, singing and dancing continued.
The nobles at the table were all absent-minded, and from time to time they glanced at Yeats, who was sitting upright and drinking alone.
Yeats was conferred the title of Duke by His Majesty, and defeated the Duke of Alba, who also had five rings, in one round. All these events caused a strong shock in everyone's hearts, and they could hardly calm down.
Even if some people opposed the king's decision in their hearts, they could only temporarily suppress their dissatisfaction and praise the king's wisdom and the duke's bravery on the surface because of the previous example of the Duke of Alba being expelled from the banquet venue and losing face.
Of course, there were also people who were sincerely happy for Yeats.
In the corner of the hall, Phocas was gazing at Yeats from afar under the illumination of the crystal chandelier. His cloudy eyes flickered slightly, his white beard trembled, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Vaguely, the glorious years of fighting for the Grand Duke of Brown seemed to appear before his eyes. Today, Yeats has become the focus of everyone's attention. Phocas, who was watching Yeats from afar, felt that everything seemed like yesterday.
"Young Master... has grown into a great knight." Phocas muttered to himself.
"Ye Zhi has actually reached the fifth ring. This speed of advancement is too amazing!"
What surprised Calvin more than Yeats's being made a duke was Yeats's current strength.
Two months ago, both sides were four-ringed knights standing at the same starting line, but now the gap is so huge! Calvin couldn't help but look to his father for help, hoping to get some advice from Thomas.
Thomas scooped up a spoonful of beef stew and placed it on Calvin's bread on the plate. He said calmly, "Don't ask any more questions. Just eat."
The Duke of Vick had an old acquaintance with Yeats, and he knew that his daughter had always admired him. He noticed Elsa Vick, who was dressed up beautifully today, and found that his daughter was staring at the seat next to the king, and her eyes could no longer see anyone other than Yeats.
'Should we use Elsa's engagement to win over Yeats, a rising star?'
Duke Vic quickly dismissed the idea.
"The old king must have had similar ideas. In terms of intelligence and beauty, Elsa is still inferior to your Highness... Besides, she is my own daughter, and I really don't want her to get married early."
So the Duke of Vic also drank silently to show his approval of the king's decision.
"Congratulations, Duke Yeats."
Next to Yeats, Theresa, who was wearing a diamond necklace and looked as white as pearls, smiled faintly and congratulated him:
"Father has high expectations for you, and you have never let him down. The Dukedom belongs to you, and everyone is happy."
Yeats looked at the future queen who was both beautiful and intelligent, and found that her eyes were extremely gentle, and obviously had the purpose of winning her over and making friends with her.
Beauty is a weapon that can be used effectively in diplomacy, but beauty is not attractive to Ye Zhi... After all, he himself has the physique of a succubus.
Ye Zhi shared the same stance as the princess, so there was no need to reject her overtures. He smiled and said:
"Thank you, Your Highness. It is my honor to serve the royal family."
Theresa's anxious heart calmed down, a smile appeared on her face, and she personally poured a glass of wine for Yeats.
Ye Zhi took it calmly and chatted casually:
"I wonder which god your Highness believes in, and which career path he follows?"
"I only know some low-level spells, and I haven't officially decided on my future path, but I think..." Theresa paused and said softly, "Compared to the glory of heaven, I believe in the sun that never sets more."
Ye Zhi was stunned, thinking of the subsequent plot in which the Golden Lion Kingdom, under the leadership of the princess, vigorously developed the navy, issued privateering licenses to pirates, promoted trade development, and eventually became the overlord of the seven seas under a series of policies.
What she calls the “sun that never sets” is really worth pondering.
"The era when the Sanctuary was born can't be compared to the Age of Discovery..." Ye Zhi secretly complained.
Noticing Ye Zhi's deep thoughts, Theresa knew she had said something wrong and quickly changed the subject, saying softly, "My father told me to ask you to go to the Lion Forest after the banquet... He has something to discuss with you alone."
Yeats nodded.
The celebratory dinner lasted all night and ended at dawn. Many nobles were drunk and were either carried back to the carriage by servants or spent the night in the side hall.
After this dinner, Yeats's fame in London became known to everyone.
From a family idiot with no talent for cultivation, he became a sensation at the competition, and now he has broken through the five rings, following His Majesty to exterminate the vampires, and was thus conferred the title of Duke.
This series of deeds of Yeats, like a legend, was passed on by word of mouth among the aristocratic circles, and the bards were proud of the achievements of this God-chosen poet. Many bards had already begun to write ballads and poems related to Yeats.
At dawn.
A thin mist shrouds the Lion Grove, the dew in late autumn brings a chill, and the colchicum in the garden has a hazy beauty.
When Yeats arrived, the king, who was like an old lion, was actually admiring the flowers.
He asked the maids to hold candles high, and the candlelight illuminated the garden in the mist. The wild roses, carnations, and spireas were colorful. In this late autumn season, the honeysuckle was also in full bloom, and the gold and silver flowers stood tall, reminding Yeats of the beautiful sea of honeysuckle on Morning Frost Ridge.
“Here I come.”
The Lionheart King did not turn around, with his back to Yeats, but he had already recognized Yeats's footsteps. He spoke calmly as if he were treating an old friend:
"Come and see these flowers of mine."
Ye Zhi looked at it for a long time and nodded, "It's a nice flower."
"So perfunctory?" The Lionheart laughed.
"Autumn is not the season for viewing flowers," said Yeats.
Lionheart sighed softly, "You're right... It's late autumn now, and I can't see my favorite flowers."
Yeats asked, "What flower does your Majesty like most?"
The Lionheart asked back, "What do you think?"
"It must be the gorse," said Yeats calmly, "for this flower is the emblem of your Majesty's family."
The Lionheart smiled and said, "I also know your favorite flower."
Ye Zhi was surprised and asked, "Really?"
"You ordered people to plant a large field of honeysuckle in the territory, and you often compare yourself to honeysuckle, saying that this flower has the ability to withstand cold waves... Am I wrong?" King Lionheart glanced at Yeats.
Yeats sighed, "Your Majesty can't be hidden from him."
"I've heard about you brewing wine, setting up factories, and establishing a wizard guild in your territory."
The Lionheart King said calmly, "Including the fact that you recruited the former court mage of Duke Hudson to manage the territory for you, and the blood clan warlock you recruited from Jianhe University... I also know these."
Ye Zhi's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't know what the king meant by suddenly talking about this.
"Don't worry, I don't mean to blame you."
The Lionheart paused for a moment and said, "However, there are many people of unknown origin among your vassals. It is possible that someone will use this to make a fuss at your coronation ceremony."
The Lionheart King said calmly: "So, you'd better find a respected and extraordinary person who is willing to endorse these vassals of yours."
Ye Zhi suddenly realized that he already had a suitable candidate in mind, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty!"
The Lionheart nodded slightly, his deep eyes surveying the blossoming garden, and he said slowly, "Most dukes have their own symbolic flowers... Lannister is represented by the red rose, King Roland used the iris as his symbol before he ascended the throne, and when I was young, I was also called Richard of the Plantagenet family."
"The gorse is the symbol of my family."
As he spoke, the Lionheart King slowly turned around, looked at Ye Zhi, and said solemnly:
"I have a request."
Ye Zhi sensed the importance of this request, and with a solemn expression, he nodded and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
"I beg you... after I die, you must help Theresa at all costs and ascend the throne--"
At this moment, the Lionheart's eyes were slightly red from his hangover, like an old lion, and his tone was serious as if he was entrusting his last wishes.
"If you can do this, I swear to the gods that you and your descendants will always be dukes, and at the coronation ceremony..."
The sky was turning pale, and the dawn light shone on the tall young knight. The old king was reflected in Yezhi's eyes. King Lionheart spoke word by word, "I will make you the Duke of Honeysuckle. Yezhi, your family will be as prosperous and evergreen as the honeysuckle!"
Yeats took a deep breath.
Flowers, family crests and a nobleman's nickname are inseparable, just as Richard was known as the Lionheart, while he was known as the Duke of Plantagenet before his coronation.
Honeysuckle, the symbol of Morningfrost Ridge, will also become part of his family crest in the future!
Restraining his surging emotions and the passion that was rising in his blood, Ye Zhi nodded solemnly and swore, "In the name of the gods, I will do everything I can to help His Highness ascend the throne!"
*One week later.
Please...collect 6...9...books...!
Yeats's coronation as Duke was held at the Blessed Sacramentary in Lundu Tower.
Before the coronation ceremony, a bishop gave a speech in front of the statue of Tyr, the god of justice, in King's Square, listing seven charges against Yeats, including harboring vampires, keeping a necromancer, and disrespecting the gods, in order to oppose Yeats' coronation as Duke.
Yeats had already learned that the mastermind behind the bishop was the Duke of Lannister through the intelligence network established by the three witchers, Jero, Roger and Eva.
The source of the information was that Jello secretly kidnapped the bishop, and the words he pried out of his mouth were highly credible.
These three demon hunters were the intelligence personnel that Yeats had trained for himself, for which he had paid real gold coins.
The resource output of Morningfrost Ridge could hardly meet the needs of establishing a duchy, but King Lionheart rewarded Yeats with the exclusive sales rights of [Whiskey], [Morningfrost Cheese] and [Auditorium Glass] as part of the duke's power.
In the Kingdom of Golden Lion, only Morning Frost Ridge is qualified to brew and sell whiskey. The profits are enough to maintain the dignity of a duke, which naturally includes the training of a spy chief.
Jello was both independent and capable, and had received favors from Yeats. Although he was not Yeats's vassal, he was equally capable of performing the task of spymaster.
Upon learning that it was the Duke of Lannister who was attacking him behind his back, Yeats silently wrote down the name of June's father in the Book of Vengeance, thinking that he was sorry, brother June, but it was really his father who was not kind enough.
To Yeats's surprise, a large number of bards spontaneously came to Yeats's defense a few days after the bishop's denunciation.
Since Yeats was chosen by the goddess of youth, these bards regarded Yeats as a spiritual idol. They would not tolerate Yeats being slandered and engaged in fierce debates with his opponents.
The bard was known for his eloquence, and the president of Cam River University publicly admitted that the vampires in Yeats's territory were her students, who were unfortunately infected with scarlet fever and were also victims of the vampires.
Hudson, who was deprived of his duke title by Thomas, out of jealousy towards Thomas and the intention of making Yeats the duke to avenge himself, not only forgave Rich's defection to Yeats, but also showed up in person and said that Rich had been his court wizard and had given up his research on the school of necromancy, so it was reasonable for Yeats to recruit Rich!
With these powerful arguments, the bard was greatly encouraged and overwhelmed his opponents in the verbal battle.
Upon seeing this, the Duke of Lannister secretly sent someone to contact Yeats's brother, hoping to work with Wilson Brontë to suppress Yeats, but was rejected by Wilson.
"No matter what kind of gap we have, he is my brother. Even if he establishes a family branch in the future, I am very happy that he can achieve what he has today," Wilson said.
As the coronation day approached, his successor was always turning his back on Yeats's estate for afternoon tea.
The Duke of Lannister had no choice but to give up his conspiracy against the coronation and accept the fact that Yeats became the Duke.
October.
The maple leaves are bright red, the sun makes the Thames shine golden, and flags are flying on the London Tower.
Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
The air was filled with the scent of burning incense, and chants echoed between the soaring vaults, adding an ancient and sacred atmosphere to the ceremony.
As the bell rang, Yeats, wearing a gorgeous red duke's robe with a honeysuckle pattern woven with gold and silver threads, walked slowly towards the altar with a calm gaze and steady steps under the focus of everyone.
On the altar stand King Richard Plantagenet, the Golden Lion, and the Anglican Archbishop of Canderbury, symbolizing the secular and ecclesiastical recognition of Yeats's coronation as Duke.
The blind priestess from the Youth Sect also attended the coronation ceremony and will crown the Chosen One Yeats with her own hands.
Behind Yeats, Phocas had a determined look in his eyes, holding a wooden box covered with red velvet in his hands, which contained a jewel-inlaid crown.
The blind priestess held high the jewel-studded duke's crown and slowly placed it on Yeats's head.
In an instant, it seemed as if a divine blessing surrounded Yeats.
King Lionheart looked at Yeats, who was full of vigor and vitality, and his eyes were full of his own youth. He revealed a gentle smile.
Immediately, King Lionheart picked up the Sword in the Stone, which symbolized the king's authority, and gently placed the exquisite scabbard on Yeats's shoulder. His powerful voice echoed in the solemn chapel.
"In the name of the king and the gods, I appoint Ye Zhi as the Lord of the Northern Province, the Dukedom of Morning Frost, and give him the name—"
"The Duke of Honeysuckle!"
Outside the auditorium, the cold autumn wind blew on the ancient stone steps of the London Bridge.
clang--
Suddenly, the bell of the London Tower rang, and all the citizens passing by looked up.
With the tower as the center, a warm and sacred magical atmosphere emanates, symbolizing the coronation of a duke of the kingdom!
October, 1459 of the Holy Calendar.
Yeats was crowned Duke of Morningside at Lunduta.
His nickname, "Duke of Honeysuckle", quickly spread throughout the Golden Lion Kingdom!
The Kingdom of Roland and the Divine Empire sent special envoys to visit the Morning Frost Territory to express their friendship to Ye Zhi.
Celine, the daughter of the Elector of the Grand Duchy of Lucia and Saint of the Moonlight Cult, also sent envoys to express her greetings.
In the same month, Thomas' alliance with Yeats ended.
White Night City and Wick Port suppressed the Starlight Chamber of Commerce, and the sales of whiskey were in a slump. Richie sent three consecutive letters to Yeats to discuss countermeasures.
If they don't take over White Night City, they will always be strangled by others. Now that Ye Zhi has claimed White Night City, he has begun to formally consider military action against White Night City.
"Thomas is good at forbearance, and I don't know what his specific strength is now. I still have to improve my professional skills first, so that I can have a good chance of winning against him." Ye Zhi said secretly.
A day later, Yeats received a letter from King Lionheart.
"According to the news from the southern province, footprints suspected to be those of the Moon Pig were found on the Sol Plain. Can you send someone to investigate?"
Yeats put down the letter, thought for a moment, and shouted to Grey, who was racking her brains to compile the laws of the Principality:
"Gray, stop studying for now, let's go hunting!"
Gray was holding a large book, her mind was wandering and her eyes were dull.
Gray was immediately cheered up when she heard Yeats' call.
Bang! Gray: "Yeah! ヾ(^^)"
(End of this chapter)