Chapter 422： blackmail

On the outskirts of Gabela's capital, the manor of the Macdonald family.

A carriage slowly drove into this vast forest garden. It was raining at this time, and a lot of rainwater had accumulated on the ground. The wheels drove on the path paved with bluestone slabs, splashing waves of water.

The carriage went straight through the courtyard and came to the gate of the main building of this manor. The successive generations of family owners who served in the imperial army have imprinted a deep military style on this building. It looks more like a military fortress than a military fortress. A mansion for people to live in.

As soon as the carriage stopped, a servant rushed out in the rain, holding a wool cloak in his hand, then the door opened, and Marshal Macdonald, dressed in knight armor, stepped out of the carriage, and the servant immediately put the wool cloak on him.

The marshal walked into the mansion without saying a word. After entering, there was the main hall. Different from the exterior style, the interior decoration was still magnificent, just like the homes of other great nobles.

As soon as he entered the door, a woman came up to meet him, took off his cloak with her own hands, and handed it to the maid beside him.

"Oh, dear." Marshal MacDonald hugged his wife and said with a smile: "It's too unfortunate that you have a cold, otherwise you would have welcomed me at the palace banquet. Let me tell you, at today's banquet There's a lot of great, handsome lads."

Marshal's wife gave her husband a blank look, "I just came back and it's not serious."

Today is the day Marshal Macdonald returns to the imperial capital, and Emperor Bartley Griffin held a grand banquet in the palace to welcome him.

Since his wife was in poor health, he waited for him to come back at home, but if it had been decades ago when the two were newlyweds, no matter how unwell the wife would have run to the gate of the city to wait for her husband's return.

The lady leaned close to her husband's ear and whispered, "The prime minister sent someone to the house, and he is still waiting for you."

Hearing these words, MacDonald frowned tightly.

"It's really lingering."

He sighed, "Okay, I'll go meet the messenger."

The marshal's study, where the envoys of the Dias family were led by servants.

This is a very shrewd looking middle-aged man, and he salutes MacDonald respectfully as soon as he enters the door.

"Congratulations, my lord, for returning from victory. Now His Majesty the Emperor and the entire empire rely on you even more."

The Marshal waved his hand up and signaled him to sit down, obviously not interested in the envoy's compliment, "I'm not a person who likes to be around, so just say what the Prime Minister has to say."

The visitor smiled slightly, "Okay, Lord Macdonald deserves to be in the army for so many years, it's really refreshing, then I'll just say it straight."

He cleared his throat slightly, and continued to say in a gentle tone: "Master Prime Minister sent me here to ask you for one thing."

The messenger's posture is very low.

"After a while, Duke Dias will make a proposal to His Majesty the Emperor—to formally establish the heir to the throne."

MacDonald's pupils shrank, it turned out to be this matter.

He deliberately said in an indifferent tone: "Duke Dias is the prime minister of the empire, and it is only natural to propose such a thing to His Majesty. You don't need to inform me."

The messenger leaned forward, "Of course it's not that simple. What the Duke means is that the next emperor of the empire should and must be His Royal Highness Felix Griffin. I hope that at that time, you can stand up and support him clearly. "

There was a thunderclap outside the window, and the light of lightning illuminated the room.

Macdonald narrowed his eyes: "The Duke's grandson?"

The messenger responded with a smile: "It is the eldest son of the royal family born to His Majesty the Emperor and his real wife, the Empress."

Macdonald said: "Which son His Majesty wishes to pass the throne to is His Majesty's own business, and we, as ministers, have no right to interfere."

The envoy restrained his smile and retorted: "Marshal's words are wrong. The affairs of the heir to the throne interfere with the fate of the entire empire, and the futures of countless subjects depend on it. How can it be said that it is His Majesty's own business?"

Although the envoy's words were somewhat disrespectful to the emperor, MacDonald could not refute them.

"Even so, why should I support His Royal Highness Felix? Those old guys of mine praised His Royal Highness Antonio's performance in this war."

The Gabela Empire did not have a clearly stipulated eldest son inheritance system, especially for the royal family. Emperors of all dynasties often chose the son they thought was the most talented as the heir.

The messenger replied unhurriedly: "First of all, the talents of His Highness Felix are well known. Although the second prince is good at military strategy, comprehensive ability is the key to governing a country, especially for a big country like Gabela. It is very important. And with His Royal Highness Felix's mother's family background, all the nobles in the empire headed by the Dias family will stand by his side, you don't want the Macdonald family to be isolated, do you?"

The old marshal snorted and asked back: "All the nobles headed by the Dias family will stand by him. Is the Prime Minister so confident? If this is the case, then what is the position of the royal family-the Griffin family?"

"This..." The envoy was speechless for a moment.

Knowing that he had made a slip of the tongue, he immediately smoothed things over: "As the royal family, the Griffin family is naturally in a detached position. Well, Mr. MacDonald, it's meaningless to pick words. Let's talk about business."

The envoy breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The second reason comes from the prince's mother clan—the future of the empire cannot be entrusted to a child born of a witch!"

Marshal Macdonald's eyes widened in an instant, and he scolded: "Be careful! She is a woman recognized by His Majesty."

"Yes, my lord." The messenger nodded, "I apologize for my slip of the tongue."

Having said that, there was no panic on his face like the one just now.

"Let me put it another way, the future of the empire should not be in the hands of a son born to a woman of unknown origin."

MacDonald closed his eyes and didn't respond.

"My lord Macdonald, I have explained the Prime Minister's request to you. So, what is your condition? I will convey it to him as it is. I come here with sincerity. As long as your condition is not particularly excessive, Lord Dias will definitely satisfy you."

MacDonald still had his eyes closed, recalling in his mind the several conversations that Bachelor Alves had with him on the way back to the imperial capital, as well as the prophecy that Alves repeatedly mentioned.

Hehe, the illusory prophecy, he hates these nagging things the most on weekdays. Although on the side of the second prince, he has received the kindness of the previous generation, it is not enough to shake the principles he has always followed.

As for the eldest prince, he didn't intend to support it either.

He opened his eyes and stood up slowly, "I am a soldier of the empire. I fight for the empire. I will serve whoever sits in that position—as long as he is legal. So, please tell the prime minister..."

Clap clap! Before the marshal finished speaking, the envoy applauded lightly, but the expression on his face seemed to be that he had heard something funny.

The marshal who was interrupted was a little angry, and was about to scold the other party, but heard the messenger say:

"Well, Lord MacDonald, in fact, Lord Dias did not expect to be able to convince you with my mouth alone."

Then he slowly took out something from his arms.

"Look at what is this?"

It was a simple dagger carved with beautiful patterns.

However, this dagger made Macdonald's heart explode.

"You... where did you get it?"

The envoy's eyes shone with a faint cold light, "There is nothing in this country that can be hidden from the Dias family."

"Where is he now?"

The old marshal seemed to have turned into an enraged lion that was about to explode at any moment.

The messenger restored his smile, "Don't worry, Lord MacDonald, he is safe and comfortable now, and those people you sent to him are also safe. It's just that you should reconsider your decision Woolen cloth?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, how dare I threaten a veteran in the army like you? Even if I represent the Dias family. We just want to put some correct options in front of you that may be overlooked by you. Of course, the specific How you choose is up to you.”

MacDonald sat down a little slumped, and the messenger quietly waited for his response.

After a moment of silence, the old marshal's voice sounded in the room.

"Okay, please reply to the Prime Minister, I will carefully consider his request."