It seems that the villain is targeting me.

"Don't be fooled by the thriving state of the empire right now. This expedition has already drained the treasury completely. The most important thing now is to restore production and relax corvée labor, so that the people under our rule can recover."

The Imperial Prime Minister said this and slowly laughed.

"As for whether or not to continue fighting northward, that is not a question for me to consider, but a matter for the successor prime minister and your generation of young people."

Gwyneth was stunned. She subconsciously asked, "Why?"

The real reason is of course that I have to go home sooner or later, Xiao Niao thought, but he couldn't tell Gwen this reason.

She had no intention of hiding anything, and she raised her left shoulder very casually, allowing the girl to see her slowly spreading wings.

"You forgot," Xiao Niao said calmly, "I am half human."

Gwyneth felt as if something in her chest was being tightly grasped by someone, causing her to suddenly feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, and helplessness. The indescribable feeling of panic almost made her unable to breathe.

She subconsciously shook her head, as if to shake off the uncomfortable feeling from her body.

"Will not."

Gwyneth seemed to be deliberately avoiding the topic, and her tone of forced calmness was trembling a little.

"No, how could it be so fast?" She seemed to be trying to convince herself, "As long as you take good care of yourself, even a half-human can live for a long time... The oldest person in Highgarden can live to be over a hundred years old."

But as soon as Gwen finished speaking, he was choked by himself: the heavy workload of the Prime Minister of the Empire can crush even the most energetic young people. How can Butcher have the time to rest well and live a long life?

She stopped talking, as if she was angry, and then just walked on the road in silence, never talking to the bird again.

This change in attitude left Xiao Niao a little confused: It's really hard to figure out what this kid is thinking.

Afterwards, as planned, the army set out on its return journey, escorting the prisoners back.

It was a boring ride on horseback for several days in a row, there was nothing much to say.

Finally, after several days of marching, the group saw the towering city walls of the capital from afar.

Chapter 56: This child has been smart since he was young!

The imperial army fought for nearly half a year on this expedition.

It was just the beginning of autumn when the army set out, and when they returned to the capital, the first light snow of the year had fallen.

The heavy hooves of the war horses broke through the thin ice crust formed by the early winter fog. Most of the soldiers were wrapped in thick clothes. Xiao Niao had calculated the expenses of the expedition more generously, and each soldier was given military uniforms for both winter and summer.

As usual, the Imperial Chancellor herself was wrapped in a thick woolen cloak with a large piece of soft black wool on the collar, which made her cheeks look even whiter, like a pale and delicate marble statue.

Gwyneth rode beside her brother, staring at the road signs on both sides, looking a little absent-minded.

The army did not enter the city immediately, but rested outside the city for a while, allowing the soldiers to change their damaged and dirty armor and enjoy a delicious soup made from vegetables and fresh pork produced by local farms.

After they had eaten and rested enough and were in high spirits, they were led by the newly renovated heavy-armored knights, waving the bright flags just sent from the court, and with the spirit unique to a triumphant army, they marched into the capital in a heroic and proud manner.

Two days in advance, the King's Avenue was specially cleared, vendors were prohibited from setting up stalls, and private vehicles were not allowed to drive on it. It was reserved for military passage.

However, whether in the lower town or the upper town, a large number of citizens spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road, eagerly craning their necks to watch the excitement.

What the people wanted to see most was Gwyneth Tudor - her deeds had already reached the capital before she did, and everyone was very eager to see the true appearance of this legendary eldest daughter of the Duke.

However, this time they were destined to be disappointed: after entering the city, the Duke of Tudor gathered the two children around him and placed them under the protection of the general's guards.

This was to block the public's prying eyes and to guard against assassins who might appear in the queue.

The attention of the people on both sides then turned to the Jialan captives who were being escorted by the soldiers.

——Wow, these savage northerners, each of them is a head taller than the imperial citizens on average. Even if they were exhausted and left with only skin and bones during the escort, their thick skeletons still looked extremely terrifying.

There are also those captured monster-like grassland horses: with such long legs and such tall bodies, you can understand what a huge role they will play on the battlefield just by looking at them. This special breed of warhorse is extremely precious, and everything from breeding to raising is the country's highest level of military secrets.

The reason why the Jialan Cavalry is so famous and dominates the grassland is largely due to these mounts that are as brave as lions and tigers.

Of course, now all of these belong to the knights of the empire.

This is a very important war treasure. The horse owners in the capital will spend a fortune to get these horses, and the emperor's horse officials will surely integrate the grassland horse bloodline into the empire's war horse breeding system as soon as possible.

The people returned home satisfied and told the people around them about the terrifying size of the Galan people and their beast-like horses, exaggerating the stories.

It is unbelievable that the Knights could defeat such a monster. After all, the Jialan Cavalry is recognized as the strongest on horseback.

But they were eventually defeated by the light cavalry led by Gwyneth.

The name of the Rose of Highgarden suddenly became extremely famous among the people. People had not paid much attention to the future queen before, but now they are eager to dig up her childhood embarrassing incident of throwing pancakes on the dining table when she was three years old and savor it carefully.

Many rich and poor men would go to pubs or high-end salons in their spare time. They would chat and make sharp analyses of the battle from various angles, and even argue fiercely with each other, firmly believing that everyone except themselves was an idiot.

Some of them praised Gwen's military achievements and believed that she was the next Banuer Tudor of the Empire.

Others were dismissive, believing it was just a political show by the Tudor family: the girl might have some ability, but it was more because the Duke of Tudor took the initiative to give the honor of victory to his own children.

——Although it is a bit confusing why it was given to the eldest daughter instead of the eldest son who was the heir.

Years later, they will lie and claim

I have witnessed with my own eyes the moment when seventeen-year-old Gwyneth Tudor returned triumphantly and stepped into the capital.

They would say: From that moment on, they knew she was going to be something special.

--------

-

After the general led the army into the city, he was not in a hurry to deal with military affairs. The issue of placing the soldiers was naturally negotiated with his generals and local officials in the capital.

As for the general himself, the most important thing is to go to the palace first to report the results of the battle to the emperor.

Although General Banur had already described in great detail what had happened in the battle report sent back to the rear, as a tradition, the emperor would personally summon the imperial general who had returned from the battle and reward him after he finished his report.

Banur knew that this matter could not be delayed, and he had made relevant preparations when he was resting outside the city.

At this moment, he led his two children and the eldest prince Charles into the palace to meet the emperor.

The group passed by the royal back garden. The abundant flowers in the flower beds in summer had withered and disappeared, and the roses would not bloom in this season.

What is surprising is that no one knows how the royal gardeners managed to grow such a large area of gorgeous oleander in this season - these flowers originally only bloomed in summer and autumn.

Those bright red flowers bloomed in the early winter frost, swaying slowly in the breeze, exuding a bewitching scent.

The black carved iron gate was silently pushed open by the steward waiting in the dark. The knight with a red cover on the metal armor saluted them. The majestic and magnificent pure white building was already in sight.

What surprised Banur a little was that as soon as they walked to the main hall under the guidance of the inner court minister, they saw Lawrence I who had been waiting outside.

His Majesty the Emperor was obviously anxious to see the general who had been away on the expedition for several months, and could not even bear to wait in the palace.

He ignored the fact that the cold wind outside would aggravate the pain in his knees and ordered his servant to help him go outside.

The emperor himself ran to wait outside the palace, so the princes and ministers naturally did not dare to make trouble. A group of people expressed that they would wait with His Majesty.

The steward of the inner court had several braziers moved to the yard, and the princes and nobles gathered around the fire to warm themselves and took the strong liquor brought by the servants to keep warm.

Only Emperor Lawrence himself stood there as stubbornly as a stone, waiting for Banuer Tudor's arrival.

When General Banur reached out to hold the emperor's trembling arm, he was really worried that the man he had known since childhood would faint due to excessive emotional fluctuations.

Lawrence's eyes scanned the four people. The general and his two children looked safe and sound, with blood on their faces, and no bluish color from injuries.

As for Prince Charles - the emperor's gaze lingered on Charles the longest, and he quickly discovered that apart from being listless, he had no missing limbs and no particularly obvious scars.

Lawrence then calmly withdrew his gaze and did not say anything more to Charles.

General Banur handed the emperor to the attendants on both sides, and after confirming that they were standing properly, he took two steps back and knelt down towards Lawrence with the etiquette of a knight bowing to the monarch.

"Your Majesty, I am grateful for your kindness," Banur bowed his head, "and I am honored to have fulfilled your mission."

Gwyneth and Eric, who followed behind, also knelt down and saluted with their father. Only the eldest prince, who was standing on the right, looked hesitant.

Prince Charles seemed to want to step forward and say something to the emperor, but when he saw the general standing in the front already saluted respectfully, he had no choice but to kneel down as well.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

The emperor said several good words in a row and reached out to help General Banur up from the ground.

Lawrence's heart had finally settled down, and he seemed much calmer when he asked, "How is Sir Butcher? Was he injured on the battlefield?"

General Banur answered truthfully, "The Prime Minister is also safe and sound, but he has important matters to attend to at home, so he has to leave us for the time being."

His Majesty Lawrence was not surprised, but laughed heartily. "Don't be offended, Banu. This Northern Expedition is extremely expensive, and Lord Butcher is a shrewd man. Even if he paid the money at the time, who knows how much he would feel afterwards. He must have gone back to check the accounts."

General Banur's expression straightened. "How could I blame you? Your Majesty, if it weren't for the Prime Minister's meticulous planning behind the scenes, I wouldn't have dared to fight this war with all my might."

"Of course," His Majesty Lawrence said with a hint of boasting in his voice, "I have always been very confident in Lord Butcher's work."

Gwyneth listened quietly from behind with her ears perked up, and from Lao Yezhu's words she sensed a sense of superiority, like a European emperor showing off his cards.

Prince Charles didn't react much. He knelt with his head drooped, looking as if he was paying homage to a grave.

Lawrence I's eyes were filled with intense joy, and even the low and sad voice of his unfortunate son who spoiled the fun did not diminish his joy.

His two most precious SSRs were both intact, and one of them seemed to have a sign of a new card coming out soon, which made Lao Yezhu very happy.

He is ready to go with his

The general had a long conversation, and as for the younger generation below...

Lawrence waved his hand magnanimously towards Gwen and the others. "Alright, get up, everyone. You've been so tired from the march, so don't be too reserved. Go down and rest first."

He even said to the Tudor siblings with extra affection, "I've brought your little brother to the side hall and he's waiting there. It's been ages since you last saw your brother, so why not catch up first? I need to speak to the general alone."

Gwyneth didn't expect the emperor to be so considerate as to bring Lucas to the palace.

She and her elder brother had not seen their younger brother for a long time and indeed missed each other, so naturally they had no objection.

The two siblings bowed to the emperor to express their gratitude.

At this moment, the eldest prince Charles, who had been unnaturally quiet all this time, suddenly stepped forward and said in a trembling voice, "Father, I know I am wrong..."

His Majesty the Emperor simply extended his hand and pressed down, signaling Charles not to continue speaking.

"Well," Lawrence I said calmly, "you're lucky to be back alive. Your mother was extremely worried about your safety. Now that you're back, go tell her you're safe."

Charles opened his mouth awkwardly, as if he wanted to say something, but it was as if his throat was stuck with hot rubber, and he couldn't swallow or spit it out. He hesitated for a long time but couldn't say anything.

However, Lawrence no longer wanted to see him being so indecisive, so he casually waved his hand, asking him to leave.

When the eldest prince Charles saw the emperor's impatient look, his heart felt as cold as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

Charles knew his father's temper too well: Lao Yezhu was a super rough man who believed in "beating is love, scolding is care, and when love is deep, kicking is the best."

If he thinks you have some good points, he will scold you harshly for your mistakes, or even roll up his sleeves and slap you in the face.

If he thinks you are hopeless, he will send you away in a nonchalant manner like this.

It's like everyone knows that a particularly annoying XXX is going to die, so based on the principle of respecting the dead, everyone will be polite to him in his final moments.

It was already cold in this shabby yard, and after the eldest prince Charles saw through the meaning behind the emperor's attitude, he felt as if his bones were frozen.

Charles subconsciously looked up at the ministers behind the emperor, trying to find one or two familiar ones to speak for him.

But then the eldest prince discovered that these noble gentlemen suddenly became very busy, and everyone seemed to have his own things to do.

They gathered around the brazier, concentrating on examining the lines on the palms of their hands, just like the life of a modern office worker: very busy, but not knowing what they are busy with.

Prince Charles's face turned blue and purple.

He wanted to kneel down, cry bitterly, swear, and even if it meant losing all his dignity, he must find a way to get his father's forgiveness.

But at this moment, Charles suddenly thought of something a man had said to him not long ago.

He said: "A man will only like the son who is most like him - the less you behave like him, the more he will hate you."

He said, "Crying and weeping will be of no use. The emperor has very limited patience. If you make a mistake once, it will be difficult to recover."

"--Your Majesty has more than one son." The man named Umuda looked at him meaningfully.

Prince Charles suddenly shuddered violently.

He lowered his head in fear and trepidation, and without staying any longer, turned around and left.

Chapter 6000: Spy Playing House! (+)

In the capital, in Prime Minister Butcher's residence.

When this mansion was built, it absorbed and borrowed from the manor-style layout preferred by the upper class. In addition to the main house, lawns, gardens and other open spaces were reserved within the walls so that the owner could freely decorate and renovate the house.

A garden is an important way of displaying one's taste and family origins, just like the Tudor family would plant pink roses unique to High Garden on both sides of the road, and the royal family's back garden would transplant a large number of violets that symbolize nobility and elegance.

In addition, many aristocratic families would place stone sculptures or artworks by famous artists in their courtyards to demonstrate their unique taste.

When Xiao Niao first moved into this house, she didn't want to be too unconventional and planned to just plant some flowers - she didn't put too much thought into it, and the flower garden was taken care of by the servants in turns.

But I don’t know what’s going on, it’s like something has cursed it, everything I plant in this broken flower garden dies, not even the wild flowers can survive.