Chapter 400: The Norman Emperor is gone...
The Norman Palace in the city of St. Lawrence.
The majestic Norman Palace is still extremely luxurious. The cold wind of early winter blows across the gray and white marble columns, and the lavender curtains that symbolize the royal authority flutter in the wind.
On both sides of the Avenue of Kings, there are statues of several generations of heroes and ancestors of the Norman Empire. Those statues, which are based on the founding generals, all show unparalleled perseverance and pride.
As winter approaches, the green plants in the courtyard have turned a little yellow, but under the meticulous pruning of the gardeners, they still appear uniquely dignified. Some are square, some are curvy, and the various shapes make the palace garden unique.
Whether inside or outside the palace, the ground beneath one's feet was spotless, and the fountain in the pool was still gushing out, but...
Amid the sound of rushing water, the palace ladies and attendants could not help but reveal their melancholy and confusion about the future.
At this moment, although this luxurious palace in front of us is still majestic, beneath this majestic appearance, it faintly reveals a hint of desolation.
Although Pitzman ordered the news to be blocked immediately, the news that the Imperial Guards had suffered a defeat in the central plains and St. Lawrence was besieged had already spread throughout the streets and alleys, and the Norman Palace in the city of St. Lawrence was naturally no exception.
First the city gates were blocked, then the entire city was placed under martial law.
Under such circumstances, even a fool can see the serious situation Pittsburgh is facing now.
so……
These palace servants who live in the Norman Palace and serve His Majesty the Pittsman are all extremely anxious about their future.
Moreover, as the army outside the city began to attack the city, the stone bullets falling from the sky destroyed more and more houses. Everyone was worried that they would become another soul to die in this war.
And can their family members outside the palace escape this disaster?
You know, forcibly attacking a city means extremely tragic losses, which means that the soldiers attacking the city face a life-or-death test. Once the city gate is broken...
So in order to allow the soldiers to vent their emotions, even though this is the imperial capital, the capital of the entire Norman Empire, looting and massacre is still inevitable!
The soldiers might not dare to harass the nobles, but the unarmed civilians would inevitably suffer.
It is precisely for this reason that even though Pitzman has repeatedly suppressed the rebellion, people in the palace are still uneasy, and panic continues to spread among the palace servants and attendants.
…
The main hall of the imperial palace.
The nobles and ministers who used to surround Pitsman were nowhere to be seen, and the magnificent main hall seemed particularly empty.
The pure gold candlestick on the side of the stone pillar emitted a bright light. Under the swaying candlelight, the emblem of the Alexander family of the Norman royal family hanging in the center of the hall flickered.
Pitzman sat on the large throne. He was originally arrogant, but now he looked quite lonely.
There was a servant on each side of the throne, but in such a depressing atmosphere, the servants could only lower their heads and dared not make the slightest sound.
When the news of the breach of the South Gate reached the palace, even His Majesty Pitzman, who had always been arrogant, was a little breathless for a moment.
Originally... according to Pitzman's expectation, he could at least hold on for several months. As long as he waited until the cold winter approached and it became inconvenient for the army to be supplied, he would have the opportunity to counterattack again.
But what he didn't expect was...
Rez actually made up his mind and attacked the city with all his might regardless of casualties.
This undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the civilian soldiers who had never been to the battlefield or received training. It also brought an unprecedented sense of crisis to Pittsman himself.
"Where's the Chancellor of the Exchequer? Where's the Minister of War? Where's the Lord Chancellor? Where did they all go?!"
Looking at the empty hall in front of him, Pitzman tightly grasped the armrests of the throne, feeling incredibly angry.
"Your Majesty, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said he was unwell, and then... then the Chancellor of the Keeper of the Seal said that he... he..."
As he was speaking, the servant beside him suddenly knelt down on the ground, stammering and crying.
"Where is the Duke of Dorne? I haven't seen Yersin Paris for several days..."
Pitsman paused, then suppressed his anger and asked in a cold voice.
"The Duke of Dorne..."
The squire obviously knew where the Duke of Dorne was going.
He hesitated for a long time before he said cautiously, "Duke Dorne is probably going to... to meet Prince Reiz..."
"Damn it! They are all damn traitors!"
"They have always been the ones who urged me to seek the throne, but now at this critical moment, they are running away faster than anyone else!"
Pitsman stood up suddenly and overturned the heavy table in front of him, his anger almost uncontrollable.
At this moment,
Those noble officials who had previously worshipped him as the emperor and flattered him had disappeared when Rez surrounded him.
Only these few servants followed him and served him carefully at all times.
"His Majesty……"
The servant beside him tugged at the corner of Pitzman's clothes, tears in his eyes.
"At this time... the palace is probably in chaos, right?"
Pitzman was a little dazed and sat back on the throne beneath him.
As the Emperor and the architect of the entire defense plan, he knew better than anyone what the fall of the South Gate meant.
Most of the elite Royal Guards were stationed there, and the Royal Guards commander, Yann Padilla, was in charge personally. Once the South Gate fell... the entire St. Lawrence would be in danger, and his short-lived rule would soon vanish.
finally,
The attendant beside him couldn't help but remind him:
“Your Majesty! We can’t delay any longer. There are still nearly a thousand absolutely loyal elites in the palace. They can still delay for a while. We should leave here quickly…”
"Leaving? Where to?"
Hearing this, Pitzman couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Who among the nobles is still willing to stand with us? They all stand behind Rez and oppose us!"
The imperial capital was under siege, and the city gates had been breached.
The elite soldiers had long been lost.
Besides a few attendants, he had long lost the support of any nobles around him. What else could he use to fight against Rez? !
"No!"
At this moment,
A vicissitudes of life voice came.
In the light of candles, Bishop Fleming walked slowly out from the shadow of the marble columns.
In the slightly surprised eyes of Pittsman, Bishop Fleming said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty Pittsman, no matter where you go, the church will always be your most steadfast supporter."
Looking at the bishop who suddenly appeared in the main hall, Pitzman couldn't help but say in a cold voice: "Have all the soldiers outside the hall escaped?!"
“That’s not the point!”
Facing Pittsman's gaze, Bishop Fleming said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty Pizman, in the eyes of the church, Rez, who killed his father and his king, is not worthy of being the emperor of the Norman Empire! The church is willing to provide you with asylum, and the gate of the holy city of Bethlehem is open to you! If you are willing, one day, the Crusaders will help you return to St. Lawrence!"
"Bishop Fleming..."
Gradually, a gleam began to appear in Pitsman's eyes.
There is no point in worrying about how Bishop Fleming got in at this moment.
As the emperor of the Norman Empire, Pitzman was naturally deeply impressed by the bishop in front of him.
Bishop Fleming was appointed by Cardinal Camus Blanchard himself, and was the archbishop in charge of all matters concerning the newly established Church of Light in the imperial capital of St. Lawrence.
Bishop Fleming's words undoubtedly clearly explained the church's position on this war.
church……
He actually supports me?! Thinking of this, Pittsman couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
If what Bishop Fleming said is true...
The holy city of Bethlehem is located among the mountains in the southern part of the empire. Its terrain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. There are countless believers and followers across the entire continent.
As long as he could leave St. Lawrence alive, with the support of the church, he could completely revive himself in the southern part of the empire. The Crusaders controlled by the Holy See and the surging public opinion would also make Rez cautious!
Pitzman had naturally also heard the rumors coming from the eastern part of the empire about the collusion between the church and the Odin Empire, and he had also heard the rumors about the Church of Light.
But……
At this moment, the olive branch thrown to him by the church was almost impossible for Pitsman to refuse! Although Pitsman was arrogant, he also had a normal way of thinking. He clearly realized that if he fell into the hands of his younger brother Rez, then he would definitely lose his head.
after all……
This is not the first time that a struggle for the throne has occurred within the empire. There are precedents.
Therefore, Pittsman stared at Bishop Fleming in front of him and asked in a hoarse voice:
"Will the Church...really support my rule over the Empire?"
Hearing this, Bishop Fleming nodded affirmatively: "Of course. In the eyes of the Church of Light, you are the only legitimate heir to this land."
…
The fighting in the city is still going on.
But the originally deafening shouts and cries of killing had become increasingly faint.
It is not difficult to see that...
The defenders' resistance is coming to an end.
The loss of the South Gate of St. Lawrence was like a fuse that destroyed the fighting will of the defenders in the city like a prairie fire.
Most of them were originally civilian soldiers who were forcibly recruited. Now that they saw that the situation was hopeless and they were facing a siege army that was as fierce as wolves and tigers, how could they remember any military rules and discipline? Naturally, they dropped their weapons and fled in all directions.
But St. Lawrence was the largest city in the central part of the empire after all. Even though the southern gate was captured on the afternoon of the fourth day, it was already the morning of the fifth day by the time Rez's army had basically taken control of the situation and killed the defenders guarding the other gates.
Except for a very small number of soldiers loyal to Pitzman, who were still fighting around the palace, the entire city of St. Lawrence, except for the palace, was completely controlled by Rez.
When Rez finally stepped into the city again under the protection of soldiers at noon on the fifth day, many nobles living in the imperial capital of St. Lawrence had already knelt in a row at the city gate under the leadership of Yersin Paris, Duke of Dorne.
Looking around,
There were as many as thirty or forty nobles kneeling at the door, and even the lowest-ranking one among them was an earl.
As for the Viscounts and Barons below the Earl...
Pah! Are those lowly nobles worthy of welcoming His Majesty Rez? ! To welcome His Majesty Rez into the city at the city gate, one must at least be an earl, right? "Respected His Majesty Rez, the true emperor of the great Norman Empire, the Paris family is willing to swear allegiance to you."
Duke Dorne knelt at the front of the noble queue and spoke first.
Before this, Duke Yersin Paris of Dorne had always been Pitsman's most staunch supporter, for the simple reason that Rez "gave" his family's fiefdom to the barbarians of the Odin Empire.
But now...
Who cares about the fiefdom? Being able to keep one's life and title is already a special blessing!
Looking at the nobles of all sizes kneeling on the ground in front of him, Rez felt a lot of emotion in his heart.
Although at least half of them were forcibly retained by Pittsman after the defeat in the Central Great Plains.
But Rez knew very well...
Most of the nobles who were able to stay in St. Lawrence at that time were more inclined towards Pittsman.
But now…
When they saw that the situation was hopeless, the nobles before them abandoned Pitzman without hesitation, hoping to submit to him.
Seeing that Rez had not spoken, the old Duke of Dorne trembled all over and continued, "The reason why I failed to pledge allegiance to Your Majesty in advance was because of that rebellious and closed-minded man in Pittsman. Not only did he humiliate us at every turn, but he also imposed heavy taxes, causing the wrath of the entire empire."
"And today, His Majesty Rez finally reconquered the Imperial Capital. Everyone present was sincerely happy and encouraged!"
At this moment, Rez didn't have the leisure to pay attention to the nobles in front of him, but he still said in a deep voice: "Everyone, get up!"
After saying that, he walked towards the city under the protection of the soldiers.
Returning to the city where he had lived for a long time, Rez felt a lot of emotions in his heart.
He was grateful for the victory, but he did not let it go to his head.
If he was not the final winner, today's situation would be completely reversed. By then, the nobles standing behind him would probably bow down before Pitsman like the Duke of Dorne.
but……
Time cannot be reversed, and I am the ultimate winner! With a long sigh, Rez passed through the city gate and rode his horse towards the city.
The streets in the city were very deserted, with a lot of bloodstains and corpses on the streets.
As the attacking army used catapults on a large scale, many houses on the roadside had been reduced to ruins, with a large number of broken walls and bloodstains.
There is no doubt that
After the army entered the city, they still experienced extremely brutal fighting before they finally captured the huge city before them.
The gates of the Norman Palace have been damaged in many places. Under the leadership of Marshal Teodoro, the soldiers under Rez are searching for surviving enemy troops among the ruins.
However……
The moment Marshal Teodoro saw Rez, he hurried towards him, revealing a hint of anxiety in his expression.
"Your Majesty Rez..."
Teodoro Lawton seemed a little hesitant.
Seeing Marshal Teodoro's expression, Rez, who originally felt that he had won the game, couldn't help but feel nervous and asked quickly:
"What's wrong?!"
Seeing this, Teodoro replied with difficulty: "It's Pitzman..."
"Your Majesty, we didn't find any trace of Pitzman in the palace. It seems that he... escaped..."
(End of this chapter)
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