Chapter 189

In the stable of the temporary Duchess house, the guys Longbottom recruited lined up.

This slightly shabby (of course, only relatively speaking) Duke's mansion covers a small area. In the imperial capital full of mansion, such a mansion can only be regarded as lower middle, which obviously does not match duvet's status as a duke.

But there was no shortage of horses in the palace.

When the original Rowling family withdrew from the imperial capital, the house was sold and all the people were demobilized. However, there were a lot of horses in count Rowling's house, which was the family of Wu Xun. All these horses were asked by Du Wei.

"You can choose your own mount at will." At Longbottom's command, each face of these despondent warriors showed a surprise expression.

When you come to the tulip palace, you will know the identity of the owner. He is the most famous young Duke in the world! Think about the day before I was pitifully looking for food in the slave market, and now I'm in the most powerful family in the Empire!

Can you still have a horse of your own?!

However, Longbottom looked at these guys' hard riding, secretly shook his head, looked at Dewey beside him, and said in a low voice: "Alas, these guys are only warriors, but they are not knights. How can we not ride horses in the northwest in the future! In the northwest, even children can ride horses. "

Basically, the mainland warriors, as long as they have a genuine warrior level, have passed the assessment of the Knights Association. But for most people, they are just "Warriors", but they can't be called "knights".

The so-called knight, the simplest truth: you must at least be able to ride a horse, right?

But for these low-level warriors. They can't even support themselves. Where can they have money to support a horse of their own? It costs more to feed a horse than to feed a man!

The decline of the Warriors is the current situation in the mainland. The "Knights Association", once a powerful organization juxtaposed with the magic trade union in the mainland, has now fallen to the top. The Knights' Association is responsible for assessing and issuing Knights' rank badges.

But most martial arts practitioners can't even afford to raise horses... They only know martial arts skills. I can't ride a horse.

Therefore, on the mainland, it has become a habit to separate the "samurai" and "Knight" groups.

These guys in front of us are obviously warriors, not Knights

"Well?" All of a sudden, Longbottom's eyes brightened, and he saw the last old smoker to turn over. This is the strongest guy who has been recruited here today. He can ride a horse! And it seems that riding is pretty good. He has a clean and neat posture. At first glance, they are strictly trained. And the way he rode on the horse... His upper body stopped straight, and his legs didn't hold the horse's belly like those other rookies. He looked very relaxed.

"This guy is a knight." Longbutton was more and more curious about the old smoke: "he's good at martial arts and riding skills. People who have such strength and such riding skills. How could it be reduced to the slave market for food? "

That's the same question Dewey wanted to ask.

Although the temporary Duchess house is small, as a typical noble mansion, some basic facilities are also available. For example, although it is small in scale. But there are plenty of racetracks for now.

After leaving the rookies to practice riding happily, Longbottom called Lao Yan to the room alone. He was also waiting in the room, as well as Dewey.

Lao Yan's look was a little complicated. He probably thought about what the Duke was doing when he called himself in.

Sure enough

"Name your service, Knight!" Longbutton didn't wait for Laoyan to stand up, but suddenly stood up, and then cried out.

It's almost like conditioning. As a result of years of training, Lao Yan could not help but stand up straight, his legs and hands together, stamped his boots, then raised his chest and cried out: "captain of the sixth unit of the fourth cavalry of the royal guards of the royal guards of the royal guards of the royal city guards..."

Speaking of the end, Lao Yan suddenly responded that he was not in the imperial army now.

However, Longbottom and Dewey are satisfied with the result.

Looking at the unnatural expression on the guy's face, Dewey said with a smile: "you used to be an officer of the imperial guards?"

"... yes."

Lombaton said with a relieved smile: "no wonder I see that you like to tuck your trousers into your boots... Only those who like to be beautiful will do it."

Lao Yan blushed a little. you bet. The Imperial Army, which is extremely concerned with royal prestige. It is different from the ordinary army in many details, especially in personal appearance. The imperial army is a model.

Their uniforms are always very hot, and there is no wrinkle on their trousers. They also like to tuck their trouser legs into their long riding boots to make them look very tall and straight.

However, the saying of "like beautiful" still deeply hurt Lao Yan. He seemed to think of the 3000 most elite imperial guards on the day of the coup d'etat, but they were still "beautiful" equipment. They were chased by a thousand rebels like rabbits and could escape.

Soldiers should pay attention to appearance, but if they pursue appearance too much... It can only be regarded as a guard of honor.

"All right, my general." Du Wei waved to Longbottom with a smile, and then looked at Lao Yan. Wen Yan said, "I don't think I need to ask. Do you understand what I want to ask?"

Lao Yan nodded, he sighed: "my Lord, are you going to arrest me for deserting?"

Indeed, this is what Lao Yan is most worried about. The Imperial Army's punishment for deserters was extremely severe. There is no room for maneuver... Desertion, killing!

"Tell me about your experience, Lao Yan." Dewey smiles.

"I used to be a Ranger." Lao Yan gritted his teeth: "just before the summer festival, I had been serving in the imperial army for 12 years..."

Later, Lao Yan told the story of the 3000 imperial guards who were preparing to be reviewed on the day of the coup.

"... I was shot, right here." Lao Yan pointed to his chest wound: "I fainted, but I didn't die. Later, when we cleaned up the battlefield. I was moved out of town as a corpse. In the middle of the night, I woke up and found myself lying among the dead. It's quiet around. The burning point in the distance is burning bodies in batches. There are rebels and our people. I didn't know whether the rebels won or we won, so I didn't dare to go out. I quietly left there... They were short handed, and there were too many bodies. There were thousands of bodies, but there were only less than 100 guards. So I quietly left there, and no one found them. "

"And then?" Dewey nodded.

"Then I slipped into a nearby town and slept all night in a farmer's hay hut until I woke up at noon the next day. I stole a piece of clothing and then went to the river to clean the wound. Finally, when I was on the road, I was rescued by a group of businessmen. I told them that there was a coup in the imperial capital, I was a civilian... Those days were chaotic. Many civilians in the imperial capital were injured, and my statement did not arouse people's suspicion. Those businessmen gave me some medicine and food, and then left. A few days later. I'm back in the imperial capital. "

"You're back." Dewey nodded: "well, at that time, you should have known which side won the coup, right? Now that the royal family has won, why don't you go back to the Royal Army? People like you who bravely killed the enemy on the day of the coup d'etat and were wounded, and finally survived, will be rewarded. Why don't you go back? "

Lao Yan was silent, but Dewey could see that the man was in his thirties. There seems to be a flame burning in his eyes!

"My Lord, there are 3000 of us, most of whom are dead. In particular, all my brothers in my local squadron have died, and my Squadron, our commander, has died. I'm afraid I'm the only one who survived in our squadron! " Lao Yan's voice was a little excited. More dry: "I worked there for 12 years. I'm loyal to the royal family. There's my brother there. A couple of people on duty with me. After every shift, we would go to drink, gamble and find women together. I still remember that I broke my leg when I was riding a horse, and my governor himself carried me back from the racecourse! But... They're all dead. " At the end, Lao Yan's voice was dry: "they are all dead."

Dewey didn't speak. Longbottom hesitated, bit his lip, and didn't speak.

"I remember their names. They are all my brothers. My officer, Captain hank, is a good officer. He's strict with us, and he invited us to his house to drink when we were off duty. And Luza, I still owe him sixteen copper horns when I gambled. Then there's luner, a guy in our team. Before the coup day, we had a fight because we robbed a girl. After that, I want to apologize to him... But... "Lao Yan's voice suddenly trembled, as if he were so clumsy, repeating a fact dryly:

"But they're all dead."

"But their death is not your fault." Dewey looked into the old smoke's eyes: "they were killed by the rebels. You're lucky you didn't die. Why don't you go back? "

Instead of answering Du Wei, Lao Yan asked him a question:

"Your Highness, the coup happened in the imperial capital. Everyone knows what happened." There was a trace of gray in Lao Yandi's eyes. His eyes were originally light gray. At the moment, he wanted to be a dying man: "Your Highness, Prince Chen, he has become the Regent. On the day of the coup d'etat, he had been prepared for a long time. He knew that the Grand Prince would rebel! He knew it. He knew everything! So he laid out so many backhand, and finally he won easily. Now, he is regent, and in the future, he will be emperor. Am I right? "

Dewey suddenly felt that he understood the heart of the middle-aged man in front of him!

"Prince Chen, since he already knew, why didn't he stop?"

"Prince Chen, since he has known for a long time, why do we three thousand people want to die?"

"Prince Chen, why didn't he do something before the coup

"Prince Chen, since he has known for a long time..." Du Wei can't answer these questions, or he knows the answer, but he can't say it“ Your highness, do you think you can't answer? " Old smoke wry smile: "I myself, actually know." He took a deep breath: "because Prince Chen didn't want to stop the coup in advance. He needs to use the coup to get rid of the big prince. He needs the coup! So, our 3000 people are the chess pieces abandoned by him and the bait abandoned by him. The death of our 3000 people can make the prince mistakenly think that the coup is going smoothly... Our 3000 people must die, because we were abandoned in the beginning of Prince Chen's plan. " Finally, Lao Yan concluded, "I understand all this." Du Wei sighed, while longbutton beside him suddenly hit the table with a hard blow“ I'm a Ranger. " Lao Yan's voice was very heavy: "once I was extremely loyal to the royal family. As long as the bramble flower flag pointed to the place, I was willing to fight with blood and my life! To defend the royal family! But that day, I survived, and then I suddenly found that the person I was loyal to was not worthy of my loyalty at all“ I am a soldier, I am willing to die in the war! But... I absolutely don't want to be betrayed and give up to die! So I refuse to play for the royal family again, and I will not go back! "