October in Esnia is typically a cool and pleasant month, perfect for its residents to enjoy outings. However, this year's Esnia has given its lovely citizens quite a surprise.
As dawn broke and the earth was still shrouded in a gray haze, a fierce wind suddenly howled above Esnia, quickly gathering thick clouds. In a moment, white snowflakes filled the entire sky above the capital.
On an October morning, the imperial capital of Esnia was unexpectedly blanketed in a heavy snowfall, a phenomenon that had only occurred twice in the city's history. The first time was when Parry's 100,000 formidable cavalry stormed the heart of Fast, only to be forced to retreat due to the heavy snow. The second time was during a large-scale civil war within the empire, when the armies of six states besieged Esnia. The day of the offensive, the heavy snowfall led the besieging soldiers to believe it was divine wrath, causing a significant drop in morale and resulting in the rapid cessation of the civil war.
But all of that happened a long time ago, almost legendary. Now, such a situation has arisen again in Esnia. What does this mean for those who know history? Is it a good thing? Or a bad thing? Their hearts are filled with confusion and unease.
The vast capital city of Fast was quickly transformed into a beautiful, snow-covered wonderland. The crowded houses, bustling streets, magnificent palaces, and once vibrant brothels and restaurants all seemed to have lost much of their liveliness due to the heavy snowfall, and the land was shrouded in tranquility.
That morning, Esnia seemed to be in hibernation after a night of turmoil, not a sound could be heard. But on the gloomy faces of the passersby hurrying through the streets of Esnia, one could see a hint of unease lurking in their hearts.
It's no wonder that the citizens of Esnia felt this way. The unusual heavy snowfall reminded them of the strange phenomenon that occurred not long ago not far from the capital. This was enough to make them wonder if this was a divine instruction or a sign that a major change was about to happen in the Fast Empire.
Meanwhile, some well-informed individuals quietly spread the inside story of the urgent report from 800 li away last night: a large-scale rebellion had broken out in Qingzhou, and the situation was quite serious!
Such news undoubtedly deepened people's concerns. The once solid and powerful Fast Empire had actually developed such a crack. Sensitive people couldn't help but wonder if the Fast Empire, which had been expanding outwards for many years, had reached a turning point.
Inside the magnificent council hall of Sanssouci Palace in Esnia, the faces of the people present were as somber as the sky outside. The ministers, summoned by the emperor's urgent decree, had been discussing matters here for quite some time.
The snow was falling heavily outside, and when the hall quieted down, the soft rustling of snowflakes hitting the ground could be heard. All the palace guards and eunuchs on duty stood there, not daring to breathe, letting the strong wind howl and whistle, chilling them to the bone.
"How could Lord Antotney of Qingzhou City allow a small banditry to escalate to this extent? What is he doing?"
Andre III's voice broke the silence of the council hall. Although it wasn't very loud or particularly sharp, the underlying authority and anger sent a chill down the spines of all the high-ranking officials. They had rarely seen Andre III speak in such a tone during the emperor's reign; it seemed His Majesty was about to lose his temper.
It's no wonder that Andre III was furious; signs of a rebellion in Qingzhou had already appeared three months prior. At that time, the Southern Army received reports that some people in Qingzhou were secretly forming factions and associations, threatening the city's security. When this routine report reached the military headquarters, it immediately attracted attention.
The reason is quite simple: Qingzhou's jurisdiction encompassed most of the former Tianhe Kingdom's territory. When the Fast Empire annexed Tianhe Kingdom, it divided the newly acquired land into three parts for easier governance, each belonging to one of the three provinces. Qingzhou received two-thirds of this land, including the former capital, Tianhe City. Therefore, any upheaval in Qingzhou could potentially lead to instability in the new territory.
While reporting the matter to His Majesty the Emperor, Prince Elnario also immediately sent a messenger to Antothene, the lord of Qingzhou, requesting a detailed report from there.
Before Andre III could issue his decree, news arrived from Qingzhou. Antoine's report downplayed the matter, saying it was just a few peddlers causing trouble and harassing the local people, and that he had already dispatched the local police to arrest them, and they would all be apprehended soon.
Upon receiving this report, Prince Elnario had no doubts and reported it to Andre III. Since Antoinette, the lord of Qingzhou, was also a close confidant and important minister, he naturally had to speak well of him. Thus, the matter was dropped.
However, they never expected that the incident in Qingzhou was not as simple as they had imagined.
Originally, Qingzhou was a barren land with a fierce and unruly populace. Therefore, when the beautiful and prosperous Tianhe Kingdom merged with Fast, the fertile land of Tianhe immediately attracted wave after wave of Qingzhou people to pan for gold. The arrival of these people greatly changed the population and land structure of Tianhe.
The people of Qingzhou arrived as conquerors, and naturally, various conflicts arose with the original inhabitants of Tianhe Kingdom. The most prominent of these conflicts were the constant disputes over the possession and ownership of land, which in some places even led to frequent brawls.
On the former lands of Tianhe Kingdom, fights among the people increased and intensified. Furthermore, the Fast government, as the administrator, often adopted a biased approach rather than mediating with impartiality. With increasing corruption among officials and the deterioration of governance, more and more officials used the guise of impeachment to extort money.
Such a climate caused widespread discontent among the people of Qingzhou. As a result, some people who longed for their homeland began to secretly gather followers and form a secret group called the "Brotherhood," waiting for the moment when the volcano would erupt.
All of this never attracted the attention of the Fast court due to the carelessness of Antoine, the lord of Qingzhou City. However, as the power of the "Brotherhood" expanded malignantly, there were many people and a lot of gossip. Moreover, with so many people, all sorts of people appeared.
Three months ago, in Xin'ao area of Qingzhou, two families got into a quarrel over water. One of the families had joined a "brotherhood". Confident in their gang's support, they threw punches at the other family, beating them black and blue and leaving them dizzy and defeated.
This family had smugly monopolized the water source, but little did they know that their neighbors were no pushovers either. After suffering a loss, they actually brought some helpers, who stormed into their house on the third day and severely injured them. Upon hearing the news and hearing the family's tearful account, the local fraternity leader immediately led a group of men to surround the family. The fraternity's motto was "When one is in trouble, everyone helps," so naturally they would help their brother.
In a short time, these rather powerful "brotherhood" members destroyed everything that could be destroyed in the house where the helpers had been called, and forced them to apologize to their brothers and compensate for all the losses.
Having suffered a great loss, the family was unwilling to let it go. After much deliberation and in a fit of rage, they finally reported the matter to the local officials, and the situation of the "Brotherhood" began to surface. After arresting some members of the "Brotherhood," the lord of Qingzhou City, Antoine, realized that things were serious.
But he had to suppress the situation for now, secretly preparing an arrest list, hoping to eliminate it before it escalated. Because if the incident became too big, and an investigation was launched, Antoine might lose his position as city lord. He knew that his abuse of power and money, his neglect of governing Qingzhou, and the resulting upheaval in Tianhe were enough to warrant an imperial decree from Andre III to dismiss him and investigate him.
The commander of the Southern Legion, who had long coveted the position of lord of Qingzhou, received this intelligence from his spies and immediately sent it to the military headquarters. However, the envoy sent by Prince Elnario, after accepting a large bribe from Antoine, reported it as a minor matter.
However, the development of events was beyond their control and prediction. After several branches were destroyed, the "Brotherhood" members became alert and could no longer wait.
Following Antoinette's orders, the city's urban guard was dispatched to various locations to investigate. When Centurion Yolev captured Fabro, a branch leader of the Brotherhood, in Fico town, he encountered fierce resistance. The prepared Brotherhood members, armed with weapons, clashed with the guards.
After a fierce battle, the outnumbered garrison began to retreat. In the chaos, centurion Yolev was struck in the throat by a stray arrow and fell from his horse, dying instantly. Seeing their commander dead, the other soldiers of the garrison scattered and fled.
Enraged, Antoine personally led two thousand soldiers to Fico in Tianhe the next morning. In one battle, he captured all the members of the Brotherhood, took them to the city center and beheaded them in public that same day, and set fire to their homes as a warning to those who harbored rebellious intentions.
Little did they know that their brutality would immediately ignite the anger of the people of Tianhe. Remembering the past, how every official in Fast had abused their power to oppress the people, forcibly buying and selling goods, burning houses, and extorting money, they felt it was better to raise the banner of rebellion, eliminate these corrupt officials, and save the people than to continue living such a miserable existence. At this time, some veteran officials of Tianhe who were originally loyal to their homeland further incited the rebellion, and "brotherhoods" throughout Tianhe responded enthusiastically. They raised the Tianhe banner, spreading the word far and wide, and within a little over a month, their numbers had grown to tens of thousands.
The Fast army stationed throughout Tianhe was caught off guard and had no time to react properly, retreating to several major cities to adopt a defensive posture. Antoine initially underestimated these bandits; even the regular army of Tianhe had been defeated by the Fast army back then, so what great trouble could a few lowly people possibly cause?
Unexpectedly, a month later, even Tianhe City was captured by the rebels. Zhang Lie, the leader of the "Brotherhood," held a rally of various forces in Tianhe City, declaring himself the commander-in-chief of the Tianhe New Army. Twenty-five years after the fall of the Tianhe Kingdom's Water Pattern Flag, it once again flew over the land of Tianhe.
Such a victory greatly encouraged the people of Tianhe, who flocked to join the Tianhe New Army, making Zhang Lie's Tianhe New Army stronger and stronger, and the territory under their control expanded. Fast's army was gradually compressed into a few cities, and even their communication with each other was cut off.
It was only at this point that Antoine realized the gravity of the situation. He defended Qingzhou City while sending an urgent message to Esnia, which was 800 li away, and ordered him to hold out for reinforcements.
While secretly cursing Antoinette, Prince Elnario was at a loss for words. Regardless, this guy was one of his sources of income, sending him a large amount of money every year. Giving him up would be a difficult decision.
"Your Majesty, Lord Antoine has made great efforts for the Empire's finances, and Qingzhou's tax revenue has exceeded its targets every year."
Andre III's face remained expressionless. He glanced at Prince Elnario, then turned to the other ministers, his expression gradually becoming serious. Prince Elnario looked at Gilemans with some confusion. What was wrong with this guy today? Had he taken the wrong medicine, actually speaking up for his subordinates?
The other ministers in the hall were also puzzled. Why had the Left Chancellor, who was known for kicking someone when they were down, changed his tune today? Could it be that he was going to put aside his grudges with Prince Elnario in the face of the sudden rebellion in the empire?
Only Gilmans was secretly delighted. He recalled the precious gift Antoinette had secretly given him, especially the unparalleled luminous pearl, which thrilled him immensely. Gilmans clearly remembered that he had examined all the jewels in the palace, and none could surpass it. For the past two days, he had gotten up every night in the middle of the night , taken out the box containing the pearl, and quietly opened it a crack. The pearl inside would then radiate a dazzling light, incredibly beautiful. Moreover, it seemed as if flowing crystals were moving back and forth inside the pearl, causing the light to alternate between dim and bright, as if dazzling light was shining out from within.
"If more rebellions like this break out, my gains will be even greater! I can do a good deed, win over more people, and reap huge profits."
Girimans was lost in thought, seemingly oblivious to what Prince Elnario was saying. He only snapped out of his reverie when Andre III began asking about the candidates to be sent to Qingzhou.
※ ※ ※
The ministers in the hall spoke one after another, proposing the most suitable candidates in their minds and commenting on the merits and demerits of each person. The scene was very lively. However, there was an exception in this scene. One person looked listless and stood behind the ministers without saying a word.
"Aurelian, tell me!"
King Andre III couldn't stand it any longer and secretly criticized this irresponsible man.
Having been kept awake all night by the disturbance, Aurelian Dragon was extremely annoyed. He had just settled down this morning when he was summoned to the council chamber by Andre III. Aurelian Dragon felt very uncomfortable. Standing there watching Prince Elnario and Gilemans' performance only made him feel more bored, and it was only natural that he felt drowsy.
"Ah, this..."
The man, awakened by the emperor, looked completely dazed and offered no constructive suggestions. Prince Elnario and Gilemans secretly scoffed at this. How could the emperor have allowed such a fellow to the council chamber? Was he perhaps a little confused? Andrei III shook his head inwardly. Had his daughter truly misjudged him? Had he made the wrong choice?
Although Aurelian Dragon's current position is very important, he is still not allowed to participate in the Royal Council meetings in the Great Hall. Such meetings require the attendance of the heads of each department. Therefore, Aurelian Dragon's attendance can be considered a special permission granted by Andre III.
When the Royal Council ended, Aurelian Dragon was summoned back by Andre III for a private audience. To others, this seemed like a stroke of good fortune for the man, a sign of divine favor, as he was so deeply loved by Andre III.
"Aurelian, you must not let down the hearts of me and Feng'er. You must work hard!"
As Aurelian Dragon looked at Andre III, hesitating about how to address his father-in-law, Andre III spoke very seriously. Aurelian Dragon naturally nodded and assured the emperor.
Andre III waved his hand wearily, interrupting Aurelian Dragon's pleasantries, and said softly, "I don't know why either. Since Feng'er has chosen you, I can't say anything more. But if you don't live up to expectations, it won't just be you who loses face. Feng'er, and I will all be disgraced!"
Aurelian Dragon adopted a respectful expression, nodding vigorously, but inwardly thought, "So you only did this because of Phoenix; you don't have any faith in me at all!"
Before he could even settle his thoughts, Andre III's next words took him by surprise.
"Feng'er has decided to resign from all her positions and retire from the military!"
"What?" Aurelian Dragon exclaimed, jerking her head up. Phoenix Vane was actually going to do this? What was she thinking?
King Andre III shook his head with a wry smile and sighed, "I don't know why either. She actually wants to give up all her power and glory for your sake. This was something she agreed to with me as soon as she returned to Esnia. As soon as she married you, she would give up all her military posts. Alas!"
Aurelian Dragon stood there, her heart pounding with emotion. Phoenix Vane's decision truly surprised her. After the Battle of Skywind, her reputation had reached unprecedented heights. It was unbelievable that she would give up all her honors and status at the height of her fame!
Upon returning home, Aurelian Dragon immediately grabbed Phoenix Vane, demanding to know the truth. Phoenix Vane's response was simply one sentence.
"I want to live an easy life now, so you can support me!"
Looking at his wife's smiling face, Aurelian Dragon suddenly understood her profound intention. Phoenix Vane didn't want her status and reputation to affect him, because a wife whose status far surpassed his was often seen as formidable and respectable but not lovable in her husband's eyes.
"Actually, you don't need to do that. I'm not that kind of person!"
Aurelian Dragon's mutterings did not escape Phoenix Vane's ears. She laughed and said, "Aurelian, you'll have to work even harder to earn money in the future, because supporting us women is a very expensive thing."
Aurelian Dragon sensed a deeper meaning in Phoenix Vane's joke. He gently embraced his understanding and beautiful wife, whispering tenderly in her ear, "Thank you! I will work hard and never let you down! Believe me!"
"Fool, of course I'll believe you! How could the husband I, Phoenix Vane, have chosen disappoint me?"
Phoenix Vane leaned her head on Aurelian Dragon's shoulder and spoke with a smile, her beautiful eyes sparkling like diamonds.