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(Sorry, today's update is a bit late. It's just that I stayed up all night watching the Italy vs France match until 5 am in the morning. As a result, I didn't wake up until this evening …. Damn the European Cup. My body just got a bit better, but I really can't resist the temptation of football.)
Chapter 293 "In your dreams!"
The farce at the auction house has finally come to an end. Du Wei tried to figure out Prince Son's intentions, but he couldn't find a clue.
The most important thing is that it's already been two days since he returned to the capital, but he still hasn't seen Prince Son.
According to the rules of the Roland Empire, Du Wei, a "foreign minister", can't just see the Emperor when he returns to the capital. He has to go through the official procedures, hand in official documents, and then wait for Prince Son to summon him. It's not like you can just knock on the door of the palace and see the Emperor whenever you want to. Although Prince Son hasn't officially ascended the throne yet, there's no difference between him and the Emperor.
Of course, a popular figure like Du Wei often doesn't have to go through such complicated procedures. As long as he sends a message to the palace, he'll immediately be summoned. But this time, Du Wei has already sent someone to the palace, but there's no summon from the palace.
The meaning behind this is worth pondering … … Prince Son seems to be dragging it out and doesn't want to see me right away?
Thinking back to today's auction, Du Wei couldn't help but feel a little upset. He can't wait to see this Highness face to face and interrogate him. Presumably, the reason this Highness didn't summon him before was to catch him off guard during the auction.
After the auction ended, the guests dispersed. Du Wei didn't have time to feel the pinch of the 16 million gold coins. The first thing he did was to send someone to the palace to find out when His Highness the Regent would summon him.
I've already spent the money and done what you asked me to do. If you still don't want to see me, then that's too much! After all, I was called back to the capital by you! It's a bit too unkind of you to keep me hanging like this.
Before he could finish his thoughts, Zach already ran over to report: Shrines sent someone over.
Du Wei frowned. "Why would the Shrines send someone here? Wasn't this enough of a headache? What tricks are they up to this time? "
Zach then explained. It turned out that the Temple had sent people here for no other reason than to ask for money.
After all, it was Du Wei who "bought" the Pope's decree. The sum of sixteen million gold coins should be paid to the Shrines.
Du Wei's expression became even more unpleasant. "The auction just ended at noon, and you're asking for money in the afternoon? How can it be so fast! " After that, he pondered for a moment and said, "Go and tell the Shrines that no matter who it is, no matter how rich they are, they won't just pile up ten million gold coins in the treasury. I need a few days to collect them before I can send them to the Shrines! Tell them to give me a few days to gather the cash, and then I'll personally send someone to deliver it. "
Zach went to reply to the Shrines. After a while, he ran back to tell Du Wei that the Shrines had agreed to leave. Before they left, they said that they would give Du Wei three days to raise the money. They also asked the Duke of the Tulip Family to remember the people in the south who were affected by the disaster and raise the money as soon as possible. After all, the money was to be used by the Pope for disaster relief.
Hearing this, Du Wei felt even more vexed.
Yesterday, when he came back, he only received a flashy triumphant return ceremony. Although that ceremony was very impressive, this kind of face project couldn't be exchanged for a single copper coin of real benefits. And the return of Rollin's house was only returning the property that was originally confiscated. Although the carrot seemed very big, in fact, he did not receive any benefits. Today, however, more than ten million gold coins were taken away … … That's almost half of Du Wei's wealth. In and out of this situation, how could Du Wei not be annoyed?
After waiting in the shop for a while, Du Wei sneered in his heart. If this Prince Son doesn't summon me and give me an explanation, then I won't be easy to bully when I get angry!
Just as he was thinking this, the person he sent to the palace finally came back with good news: His Royal Highness the Regent has summoned the Duke of the Tulip Family.
Along with the person came a messenger from the palace. This messenger was very polite when he saw Du Wei. After all, outsiders didn't know about today's auction. They only knew that this young Duke was the number one figure in the capital. Therefore, this messenger was especially respectful towards Du Wei.
As soon as Du Wei heard that he was summoned by Prince Son, his eyebrows immediately jumped up. Not being polite with this messenger, he immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage to go to the palace.
The messenger was taken aback. He's an old man in the palace, so he's familiar with the rules. Logically speaking, even if a subject like Du Wei is favored by the emperor, he would still need to go back to bathe and change his clothes before entering the palace. This is also part of the etiquette.
But this Duke of the Tulip Family, on the other hand, was wearing a casual robe and had a look of displeasure on his face.
When the messenger heard that Du Wei was about to leave, he quickly stopped him and stammered: "Duke of the Tulip Family … … This, there is no need to be in such a hurry … …"
As soon as these words were said, Du Wei's eyes suddenly widened. Not in a hurry? This daddy here lost 16 million gold coins, how can I not be in a hurry?!
"This … … According to the rules, shouldn't you first … … put on your clothes?" The messenger sighed.
Du Wei's eyes widened: "Do you think I don't have any clothes on?"
Startled, the messenger quickly said: "Of course not, it's just that … …" Seeing Du Wei's impatience, he was just about to find words to remind Du Wei of the etiquette when Du Wei angrily said: "Then go. I am a magician. What rules and whatnot, they have nothing to do with me."
After saying that, he walked out of the door without consulting anyone. Seeing that Du Wei's temper wasn't small, the messenger thought to himself that since it's none of his business, there's no need to offend this important person. Lowering his head, he followed the messenger out.
Riding the carriage all the way to the palace, Du Wei received the Regent's order to enter the palace. With the messenger accompanying him, the palace guards recognized that it was the carriage of the Duke of the Tulip Family. They only casually checked it and put on a show before letting Du Wei enter.
After entering the palace, Du Wei got out of the carriage. Only then did someone come up to pass on the message that the Regent was in the palace garden and invited the Duke of the Tulip Family to meet him.
The palace garden of the Roland Empire could be regarded as a strange sight in the entire continent. As long as it was a wealthy family, their garden would naturally be decorated with all kinds of precious flowers and trees. However, as the Emperor of the Roland Empire, the garden in the Imperial Palace is extremely shabby.
Not because of anything else, but because in this dignified palace garden, there was only one kind of plant:
The Thorned Flower.
This Thorned Flower was the totem of the Roland Empire's Royal Family. But in fact, this flower was not very beautiful. As the name suggests, it naturally had thorns. Thorned Flower was a kind of plant that grew in arid areas. The thorny branches were dotted with small white flowers. It really couldn't be said to be beautiful. The only thing worth praising was its tenacious vitality.
Pitifully, in order to conform to the tradition of the 'Thorned Flower Family', according to tradition, the palace garden only had one kind of plant. It was really a bit depressing: What's so beautiful about a large patch of thorny branches?
When Du Wei arrived at the garden, he could hear a string of crisp and pleasant laughter from a distance. From afar, Du Wei could see a group of golden-armored palace guards guarding the perimeter of the garden. After notifying the guards, Du Wei went in alone.
At the moment, it was winter, so there really wasn't much to see in the garden. Only the withered thorns were left in a state of decay. However, in the garden, she saw two children dressed in luxurious clothes playing with each other. A few palace maids looked on nervously from the side, afraid that the children would accidentally run into the flowers and be stabbed by the thorns.
Du Wei finally saw Prince Son. The young Prince Regent of the Roland Empire, who cost him more than 10 million today, was wearing a simple but elegant white robe as he watched the two children play with a smile on his face.
Du Wei sized up Prince Son's appearance … …
After not seeing him for a year and a half, this Prince Son looked a lot more mature and steady. The two met a few days before the coup. At that time, although Prince Son was still unfathomable, he still had the youthful vigor of a young man. But Du Wei didn't expect that in less than two years, this young Prince Regent would have such a restrained temperament and majesty. He didn't look like a young man under the age of 30.
That pair of eyes was still as bright as before, but the sharpness in them had completely turned into a kind of calmness after settling down. The only thing that hadn't changed was the trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth. It was still as warm as before, making people feel close to him.
Seeing Du Wei coming from afar, Prince Son smiled and took the initiative to say: "Du Wei, you're here. Come and let me see. Hmm, I haven't seen you in the Northwest for two years, but you seem to have grown a lot taller. "
The tone of these words was extremely affectionate, as if they were good brothers who hadn't seen each other for two years. With such an affectionate greeting, Du Wei's stomach full of anger couldn't be vented.
Helpless, Du Wei could only suppress his anger and strode over. Then he coughed and said: "Your Highness."
Prince Son took a closer look at Du Wei and suddenly sighed: "Du Wei ….. My friend, after two years of wind and frost in the Northwest, you look darker than when you were in the capital."
Du Wei faintly smiled and said with a double meaning: "The Northwest is cold all year round. The environment is harsh, so of course I have to work harder."
Prince Son patted Du Wei on the shoulder and then cast a slightly apologetic look. With Du Wei's current status, I'm afraid in the whole continent, aside from the elders of his own family, the only one qualified to pat Du Wei on the shoulder is this Prince Regent.
"It's been hard on you … … I will remember your sacrifice in my heart." Prince Son gently smiled. Then without waiting for Du Wei to speak, he pointed to the two children playing with each other and said: "Come, look, these are my son and daughter."
Most of the nobles in the royal family marry young. This Prince Son is said to have married at the age of 16 and became a father at the age of 18. This is something Du Wei also knows. Prince Son is 26 years old this year and already has a son and daughter. The son is 8 years old and the daughter is 6 years old. It's just that Du Wei has never seen them before until today.
The pair of children saw Du Wei standing beside their father. They have lived in the palace for a long time and rarely saw outsiders. Prince Son also rarely brought them to meet the nobles and ministers. Moreover, seeing such a handsome young man like Du Wei standing beside their father, the two children curiously stared at Du Wei with their pair of big eyes.
On the other hand, the boy on the left is a bit older. At the age of 8, he has already begun receiving court etiquette education. Slightly startled, he suddenly remembered the teachings of the court etiquette teacher. Taking two steps forward, he slightly bowed to Prince Son. Although there was still some innocence on his face, it was replaced with a serious look. After greeting Prince Son as his father, he then turned to look at Du Wei.
"This is the Grand Duke of the Tulip Family." With Prince Son's reminder, the eight year old prince immediately showed a typical smile trained by the court etiquette teacher. Bowing to Du Wei, he tried his best to sound serious: "Hello Grand Duke of the Tulip Family, I am Charlie Augustine."
Du Wei looked at the eight year old child acting like an adult. Sighing in his heart, he also slightly bowed: "Hello, Your Highness."
On the other hand, the six year old little princess next to him seemed to be a bit timid. Hiding behind the little prince, she peeked out half of her body and sized up Du Wei. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and said in a sweet voice: "You … … Are you that amazing Grand Duke who built a city in 3 months?"
The child's words were a bit stuttering, and her tone was soft and sweet. This reminded Du Wei of his little wife back home. Looking at this beautiful doll-like little girl, he couldn't help but show a gentle smile: "Yes, I am that Grand Duke, not some amazing Grand Duke."
Prince Charlie frowned and pulled his sister out from behind him. Then he coughed and said: "Karina, have you forgotten the etiquette?"
The little girl stuck out her tongue, but she obediently stood up and gave Du Wei a palace salute. Although Du Wei doesn't like these cumbersome etiquette, but in front of the Regent, he had no choice but to return half of the salute.
Prince Son's son and daughter were both very beautiful. Prince Charlie inherited 70% to 80% of Prince Son's looks. Especially his eyes, they were the essence of Prince Son. He didn't notice it when he was playing just now, but now that he's quiet, he's already showing some of the royal bearing that was strictly trained.
On the other hand, little Karina's face still had some baby fat on it. Pink and cute, with a head of light blonde curly hair, she looked like a little fairy angel. Her pair of big blue eyes were so pure that it would make people want to dote on her.
"Grand Duke Tulip … …" Karina timidly looked at Du Wei. Finally, under Du Wei's gentle smile, she dropped the timidity in her heart and tentatively whispered: "I, I heard the Northwest is very fun. Can you tell me the story of the Northwest? You … … You built a city in 3 months, is that true? "
Du Wei smiled and nodded. Squatting down, he couldn't help but reach out and gently scratch Karina's nose: "It's true. If Your Highness is interested, you can go see it for yourself when you grow up in the future."
Little Karina's pink face turned a little red after being scratched by Du Wei. Taking a step back, she looked at Du Wei with a pair of big eyes and said with some disappointment: "Wait until I grow up again … …"
Prince Son laughed and then looked at the attendant next to him: "Take them down. It's getting late and today's class should start soon. I still have some time to talk with the Grand Duke Tulip."
Soon after, the attendants on both sides walked up and were about to lead the prince and princess away. Little Prince Charlie still performed the necessary etiquette and bowed slightly to the two of them before leaving. Little Karina looked at Du Wei with curiosity. With a look of reluctance, she was carried away by the palace maid.
After the child left, only Du Wei and Prince Son were left in the garden. The guards also stood far away. Prince Son smiled and turned to look at Du Wei: "What do you think of my son and daughter?"
Du Wei nodded: "Smart and beautiful. Your Highness, you are very blessed."
Prince Son narrowed his eyes and suddenly sighed: "Being born in the royal family … … may not be a blessing."
With that, he shook his head and laughed at himself: "Looking at them being so close now, it reminds me of when I was young … … Hmm, at that time, big brother once took me to ride a horse … … Hehe."
Speaking of the death of the crown prince on the day of the coup, Du Wei closed his mouth and didn't say a word.
Prince Son's tone suddenly changed. Staring at Du Wei, he said in a very serious tone: "Du Wei … … Can you promise me one thing? In the future … … You have to help me teach my son and daughter, okay? "
Du Wei was surprised: "Your Highness, you mean … …"
Prince Son's eyes flashed with a trace of complexity, but he quickly covered it up with a relaxed smile: "My son Charlie is already eight years old and has already begun to hire a court teacher to teach him. However, Du Wei, you are still a court scholar after all. And I know you are very knowledgeable. Plus, you are only seven or eight years older than him. If you are willing to teach this child, it will be much better than those white bearded old scholars. After all, children will always have some resistance towards those old guys. "
Du Wei's heart moved as he carefully pondered the meaning of this prince's words. Prince Son continued: "My son is smart and I have great expectations for him … … Hmm, I would like to ask you to be his teacher in the future."
In this sentence, there are several layers of meaning.
Great expectations … … Could it be that Prince Son wants to make little Charlie the heir to the throne?
If he can become the teacher of a prince, then he will be the teacher of the emperor in the future. This position is very lofty.
Du Wei smiled: "If Your Highness trusts me, then of course I won't refuse … … It's just that I'm in the Northwest all year round. I'm afraid I won't have the time to teach Your Highness in the capital … …"
Prince Son shook his head and looked at Du Wei with a smile that isn't a smile: "Heh, my Duke Tulip … … Have you decided to live in the Northwest for the rest of your life? The Northwest is a bitter cold place. If it were any other lord, they would've already chosen a governor to manage it and use that as an excuse to return to the capital. But you, on the other hand, seem to be very happy in the Northwest. You haven't even come back once in the past two years. "
Du Wei looked at Prince Son and faintly smiled: "Your Highness must be joking … … With the current situation in the Northwest, even if I wanted to come back, would you allow it? Of course, there are some people who can't wait for me to come back. "
The two looked at each other with a smile and didn't speak.
Afterward, Prince Son and Du Wei walked side by side in the garden. Prince Son was silent for a moment before slowly saying: "In the future, when the situation stabilizes, you will have to come back. Du Wei, I have high expectations for you. In my heart, you are far more than just a provincial talent. "
High expectations? Du Wei bitterly smiled in his heart: I can't wait for your expectations to be lower! When I was in the Northwest, the mountains were high and the emperor was far away. How free and unfettered was that? But now that I've returned to the capital, I've already suffered a big loss.
Looking at Du Wei's face, Prince Son guessed his thoughts. Stopping his steps, he whispered: "Hmm … … Well, in fact, you don't need to say it. I already know what you want to say. I didn't tell you in advance about today's matter and sent someone to do it. You must be very dissatisfied with me right now. "
Even if Du Wei is dissatisfied in his heart, how can he say it out loud? Curling the corner of his mouth, he lightly said: "I don't dare. You are the Regent and as a subject, it's only right for me to share your burdens. "
Prince Son laughed and then looked at Du Wei: "Well, that 16 million gold coins, I won't let you pay it out of your own pocket, so you can rest assured. So, don't make such a bitter face now. Since it was me who ordered you to do this, I'll pay for it. "
Oh? Public funds? Only then did Du Wei's expression look a little better, but his heart was still vigilant. With his understanding of Prince Son, if the other party took the initiative to give him benefits, then it's not a good sign!
Sure enough, after taking a few more steps, Prince Son changed the topic to the situation in the Northwest.
"During the last conflict with the prairie people, I heard you defeated the cavalry of the prairie people in front of Anglia City. That Gold Wolf Head led 20,000 elites and a great shaman, yet they were still defeated by you. It really surprised me that you were able to achieve such a great victory … … Du Wei, I found another advantage of yours. You people from the Rollin family really do have a talent for military affairs. Although I've seen the battle report, it's still not detailed enough. Tell me about the battle in front of Anglia City. "
At the mention of the "Rowling family", Du Wei couldn't help but feel a little awkward. After all, he has now changed his name to the Tulip Family.
Fortunately, he knew Prince Son wasn't using this matter to mock him. After pondering for a moment, Du Wei recounted the events of the prairie people's infiltration and the battle in front of Anglia City.
He talked about how the Northwest Army colluded with the prairie people and how they first surrounded the capital of the Desa Province. Then how the prairie people took the opportunity to sneak in, how he forced the Northwest Army to retreat ten miles, how he disguised himself and led his troops out of the city, how he defeated a small group of prairie cavalry halfway, how he learned that Anglia City was under siege, and how he fought a decisive battle … …
Du Wei's eloquence wasn't bad, so his narration was very interesting. Prince Son was so engrossed in the story that he didn't interrupt.
After that, Du Wei added: "Your Highness, this victory actually had a lot to do with luck. If I didn't happen to defeat a small group of prairie cavalry on the way here, I'm afraid Anglia City would've been breached by now. Moreover … … Governor Bohan of the Nuling Province also sent reinforcements in time. In that battle, the reinforcements sent by Governor Bohan were also loyal to the Empire and sacrificed their lives … … "
"I know all of this." Prince Son waved his hand to interrupt Du Wei and suddenly asked: "But I've always had some doubts … … Why would the prairie people sneak in? Why would their target be Anglia City? "
Du Wei froze for a moment. He's well aware that the prairie people were ordered by the Witch King of the Great Snow Mountain to find the demonic beast. But he didn't intend to tell Prince Son the truth about this matter. Thinking about it, he casually found an excuse to fool the prince: "I don't know about this, but it must have something to do with the Northwest Army. They wanted to take advantage of the Northwest Army besieging Loulan City to ambush us and rob us. "
"If it's just a robbery, then they wouldn't have sent their main force, Gold Wolf Head, and 20,000 elite cavalry." Prince Son shook his head and thought for a moment before saying: "This matter is a bit strange, we will have to look into it."
Du Wei didn't answer and just stood quietly on the side.
After a moment of silence, Prince Son suddenly smiled and looked at Du Wei: "Also, I heard that when you defeated the prairie cavalry in Anglia City, you used a powerful new weapon. Hmm … … It's a can that can explode, right? I heard that when it explodes, the fire will shake the sky. And it can be used by ordinary people. Such a weapon is also an important reason for the prairie people's defeat, right? "
With that, Prince Son squinted his eyes and looked at Du Wei with a smile.
Du Wei's heart sank as he knew this wasn't good. However, during the battle of Anglia City, tens of thousands of people from both sides had seen it. Therefore, he could only smile bitterly and say: "Yes … … That is indeed a new toy. However, its power is not as great as the legends say. It was only used once, and the fire and movement were a little frightening, causing the horses of the prairie soldiers to be frightened."
"I'm afraid … … It's not that simple." Prince Son faintly smiled as he looked at Du Wei.
Du Wei's heart skipped a beat, but Prince Son continued: "I heard that the thing you made, when thrown into a crowd, the power of the explosion is enough to kill a large number of enemies. The prairie people suffered a big loss that day! And … … Also, you got a team of mages riding broomsticks to throw this weapon from the sky. The effect is surprisingly good, right? "
The more Du Wei listened, the more he frowned. Faintly understanding the meaning behind Prince Son's words, he felt somewhat dissatisfied and simply shut his mouth.
"Sigh … …"
Prince Son suddenly let out a faint sigh. Looking into Du Wei's eyes, he spoke in a sincere voice: "Du Wei, I know it's a bit too much for me to ask you for this new weapon, but I don't want it. But you are a smart person, you should understand the current situation … … The situation in the Northwest is on the verge of breaking out. Within three to five years, there will inevitably be a war! When that time comes, the Tulip Family won't be able to withstand the combined might of the Northwest Army and the prairie people! I've been secretly reorganizing the military since last year. If this new weapon of yours can be equipped with the empire's army, it will certainly play a big role in the future war! Moreover, with such a powerful weapon, it will also reduce the casualties of our soldiers. "
How could Du Wei not understand these principles?
It's not that he doesn't want to give the gunpowder to Prince Son to equip the army. After all, he already gave a batch of gunpowder to Governor Bohan in the Northwest. Since he can give it to Bohan, it's not that he can't give it to Prince Son … … It's just that he's a bit angry!
(Dear viewers, it's been hard on you to write, please reward me with some monthly votes ~ ~)
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