British hegemon

Chapter 119 Lofty Talk

Ten days later, heavy snow began to fall, and the snow-covered Arun Island became a white pearl floating on the sea.

In a world of ice and snow, the funeral of John III, Baron of Arron, was held at Brodick Church.

At that time, the Kingdom of Scotland was a mix of tribal and feudal systems, and there were not many barons who were officially granted titles by the royal family. Although the Baron of Arran's territory consisted of only one isolated island, his status was still very high and his influence was great.

When Roger's grandfather passed away, almost all the nobles and lords from the entire west coast of Scotland came to attend.

Although Aran Island had begun to decline by Roger's generation, it was still a place where people flocked to attend John III's funeral.

Hundreds of people, including the Earl of Lennox, the Bishop of Glasgow, the Bishop of Argyll, barons and lords from the surrounding area of ​​Arron Island, and several leaders of the Glasgow Merchant Guild, came to pay their respects. Basically, all the lords and nobles who participated in the Arron Island tournament last autumn had arrived at Arron Island.

Even Roger's aunt, Gina Campbell, upon learning of her elder brother's death, disregarded the perilous journey and set off from Skellies, Ireland. She first traveled by carriage to Belfast, and then risked a voyage north to arrive on the Isle of Aran before the very last day to attend the funeral of her last brother.

John the White and his shrewd and calculating mother devoted considerable manpower, resources, and money to Baron John's funeral, ensuring that John III was buried in a grand and lavish manner.

But the old baroness would not actually spend a lot of money and resources on the dead. The day after the old baron's funeral, John the White took the opportunity to hold a succession and pledge of allegiance ceremony.

The high-ranking nobles, lords, gentry, clergy, merchants, and relatives and friends who had just attended the funeral then witnessed a grand ceremony.

Scotland currently has no de facto king, so there's no need to go through the formalities of court politics.

Bishop Robert Vishat of Glasgow, a close friend of John III, was invited to preside over the ceremony, with the Earl of Lennox as witness. The lords and gentry of Arron Island, represented by Roger, swore allegiance, and all the guests paid their respects.

The ceremony was held in the Brodick Church, which is adorned with tapestries of family crests, and there was no need to go through the usual formalities.

Then came a grand banquet, with hundreds of lords and gentry crowding the banquet hall of Baron Brodick's mansion. Dozens of maids and servants carried wine jugs and trays, serving the guests wine and food.

The lean and capable steward arranged the funeral and banquet very meticulously.

The flames rising from the braziers on both sides of the hall caused the temperature to rise sharply.

The servants of the various lords and nobles leaned against the pillars outside the hall, eating heartily with their plates and wooden cups. The servants of lower status had no chance to enter the banquet hall and could only enjoy the leftovers served in the hall from under the eaves of the corridor outside the mansion gate, their necks hunched and their faces full of excitement.

Since the celebration was for the accession of John the White-faced, the main characters of the event were naturally John the White-faced and the newly appointed, beautiful Baroness.

The Earl of Lennox, the Bishop of Glasgow, the five barons from the outskirts, the head of the main branch of the Campbell family, the head of the old Baroness's family, the head of the new Baroness's family, and a host of lords with knighthoods sat at the head of the long table in the banquet hall, occasionally clinking glasses.

The old Baroness was too "grieved" to attend the banquet, so Roger, as one of the fourth Campbells of Arron Island, naturally had to support his "brother".

At this moment, Roger has been transformed. It seems that all his conflicts with John the White-faced have been resolved, and he is both respectful and warm towards this "newly appointed" baron "brother".

He would occasionally shield the white-faced man from a few drinks, or when others asked about the rumors of the bandit suppression in the north of the island last summer, he would embellish the white-faced man's achievements and praise him to the point of turning him into a red-faced man.

Upon hearing Roger's vivid description of "Young Master John's clever capture of the bandit leader," a bearded knight from outside the island, his eyes reddened from drinking wine, exclaimed, "Sir Roger, you praise your new baron so highly, then why didn't Baron John take this genius general with him when he led his army into battle last year?"

"If this genius had been there at the time, the Campbell family wouldn't have lost most of its members."

"I've heard that the new Baron has never been to the battlefield, and doesn't even have the title of knight. I'm afraid the Campbell family will be stuck on a deserted island this summer, whining." He finished speaking, holding up a half-full glass of wine, making a funny face as he looked around at everyone, causing a burst of laughter.

The originally harmonious and warm atmosphere of the banquet suddenly turned sour. John, whose face had just been flushed from the praise, turned pale in an instant and was speechless.

The crowd gradually stopped laughing and watched intently as the newly appointed baron gave his answer.

They were indeed eager to hear the new baron's future plans, after all, the Campbell family of Arron was one of the few Scottish families that dared to "go head-to-head" with the English.

But the pale-faced man was so ashamed and indignant that he couldn't utter a word.

Seeing that the taste was getting increasingly off, Roger turned to a baron from outside the island whom he had just become acquainted with and asked him a few questions in a low voice. Then he stepped out from next to the pale-faced John, raised his wine glass, pointed at the drunken knight, and said loudly, "Sir Winnow, I don't know if today's banquet has been neglected for you, which is why you have said such unpleasant things."

"Although the island of Arran is remote, we have never bowed down to the English, neither in the past nor now, and certainly not in the future."

"I ask you, how many of you here have knelt before the English butcher's knife and been slaughtered over the years? How many of you have risen up in resistance against the enslavement of the English? How many of you have greeted the exploitation of your English masters with a forced smile?"

"Sir Winnower, you laugh at the fact that my father, brothers, and uncles all died by the swords of the English. Then I ask you, sir, where were you and your valiant family hiding and eking out a living when Wallace fought to the death at Falkirk? Where were you making your mark when my uncles, brothers, and nephews fought against an English army many times larger than yours at Galloway?"

The lord who had just made the sarcastic remark was getting restless, shifting his position in his chair and his face slightly flushed.

Roger rose and raised his voice, "Since my uncle took over, the Campbell family has lost three giant warriors on the road to restoring freedom and honor to the Scottish people."

"The Isle of Arran has already claimed fifty-seven lives in this sacred war fought by the Scottish people. In the entire Isle of Arran, among the six major families and more than four hundred and fifty households, which family did not have a father, brother, or relative who died on the battlefield against the English?"

Roger swept his gaze over the knights, officials, and gentry of Arran Island who were already filled with righteous indignation. "Sir, you should ask the six great families and more than four hundred and fifty heroic households of Arran Island whether they agree with your argument?"

The entire banquet hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone was still reeling from Roger's resounding question.

"Absolutely not!" The portly squire from Mahri village, Kader, was the first to stand up. His brother had died in battle six years earlier when he accompanied John III on his first campaign, and he seemed to empathize with Roger's words.

"We cannot agree to this!" Sir Gildonian's aged voice, trembling with tears, rang out.

"No."

Then came a burst of angry shouts, and several members of the Campbell main branch who had come from Argyle echoed them, since Roger's words were made on behalf of the Campbell family, and at this moment, their fates were intertwined.

The guests sat in the center of the hall, listening to the angry shouts from all around, unsure how to react, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Count Lennox, being a kind man, waited until the shouts subsided before rising, nodding slightly to Roger, and then turning to speak, "We admire the bravery and fearlessness of the Campbell family, and that is why we have gathered here to commemorate the fall of a giant."

These words were perfectly worded, giving the Campbell family ample face.

"I believe Sir Winnow shares my deep respect for Baron John, and that he spoke those words out of sorrow for the successive misfortunes of the Campbell family. Please, Baron John and Sir Roger, do not misunderstand." This was a way to save face for the drunkard Sir Winnow and the guests.

"The deeds of the Campbell family and the warriors of the Isle of Arun have been witnessed by all the people of Scotland. We admire what you have done, but everyone here is upholding the honor and interests of their families in their own way, and loving every inch of the land beneath our feet in their own way." This statement offends neither side, and both the host and the guest maintain their dignity. Everyone likes to hear this.

Earl Lennox glanced at Roger seemingly casually, bent down, picked up the wine glass on the table, raised it high, and looked around. "I suggest we toast Baron John with a glass of fine wine, to all those who gave their lives for the family and the Kingdom of Scotland, and to the traditional friendship between our families."

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast.

The verbal conflict was resolved smoothly, and the hall returned to its initial harmonious and warm atmosphere.