It seems that the villain is targeting me.

Because the nobles had to spend a lot of money to repair their mansions, hire servants, and try their best to maintain their daily expenses as high-ranking nobles - the result was that many guys looked okay on the outside, but became increasingly poor on the inside.

If this continues, the nobles will have nothing left to show off except their noble bloodline and past glory.

But the young Lord Fontaine could not fully grasp the key to this. His attitude was actually the same as that of many of the most stubborn feudal nobles - clinging to honor and bloodline.

The lord was proud of his family and bloodline, and looked down on Umuda, who was of humble origin, and also looked down on the Yorkshire family with shallower roots.

Lord Fontaine thought: Damn it, things are under control. When the eldest prince ascends the throne, we will be able to regain power. By then, will that Umuda be able to cause any trouble?

The Earl on the other side was also very unhappy: This brat is just like his scoundrel father, both of them are cowards who can only bully others at home. If you had the guts, you should have fought the Shrike head-on.

After cursing each other in their hearts, they smiled sweetly at each other and walked towards the castle together in a warm and affectionate manner.

Behind them, countless knights in the court and loyal to His Majesty Lawrence were brutally massacred.

The bodies of those people were placed randomly in the yard. Several servants were comparing the names on the list and crossing out the dead people with black charcoal.

When the two men were halfway there, the Earl suddenly remembered something and asked the lord beside him, "By the way, where is Umuda now? Didn't he just go into the palace?"

Lord Fontaine thought for a moment and replied, "He did come back once, but left again soon. That Umuda kept his plan a secret, and no one knew what he was doing..."

As Lord Fontaine said this, a man dragged a corpse past the two men.

It was the body of a knight. From the griffin pattern on the armor, it could be seen that this man was a guardian knight appointed by the emperor.

Tony, the guardian knight beside the little prince, had his throat slit. He was dragged into the yard and placed together with the dead knights.

Chapter 80 Undercurrent

Now let us turn our attention back to Xiaoniao for a moment.

At this time, they had already quickly left the imperial city along a little-known path and headed towards the Prime Minister's Office.

Xiao Niao was prepared to see countless soldiers outside the Prime Minister's residence, staring at him eagerly.

But the strange thing was that the outside of her mansion was very deserted, just as peaceful as before she left, and it didn't look like there were any enemies lying in ambush.

She immediately suspected that the Prime Minister's Office had been attacked, so she spent some causal points to let the system scan the entire mansion, but the result was still that everything was normal and there was nothing unusual.

Xiao Niao frowned, she subconsciously realized that something was wrong: those people obviously did not launch a coup to occupy the imperial city on a whim, and the people who were ready to arrest her and Gwen were also prepared long ago.

So why is Downing Street safe and sound? Where did all their staff go?

Xiao Niao thought in confusion and uncertainty, his fingers gripping Huahua's reins even tighter.

Her mount is a very smart horse

The child had received targeted and systematic training, and could run fast and steadily even with two people on board, so Xiao Niao didn't actually feel much bumpiness when he was on the road.

However, Xiao Bird was first hit by a poisoned arrow, and then its wings were broken due to falling from a high altitude. In this situation, even a slight shake would make the bird break out in cold sweats in pain.

The painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs have been swallowed in advance, but it will take some time for them to take effect.

Besides, Xiao Niao couldn't use too large a dose of painkillers - such a large dose would inevitably make her consciousness become drowsy, and now was the time when she needed to stay conscious.

A few people were approaching the gate of the Prime Minister's residence. The doorman had recognized the mount ridden by Xiao Niao from afar and came out to greet him in surprise, wondering why his master suddenly returned to the residence.

Then the doorman saw the large amount of blood on the Red Moon Knight's body and the injured and twisted wings of the bird. The puzzled expression on his face was gradually replaced by panic.

Xiao Niao could hardly feel her limbs below her left shoulder. She felt extremely cold all over, and the only right hand that could still move was extremely soft. It took a lot of effort to prevent herself from falling down the moment her mount stopped.

"...Send someone to inform Bi'er that I'm back," Xiao Niao instructed the doorman with a pale face, "The mansion is under martial law, and all the guards still inside should shout."

The doorman took her order and turned away. The Red Moon Knight, who was riding another horse, also jumped down anxiously and rushed over to support the already shaky bird.

Xiao Niao clung to the Red Moon Knight's arm to steady herself on the ground - only now did she get a chance to catch her breath. With a faint look in her eyes, she reorganized her confused thoughts, trying to figure out the current situation.

Why didn't anyone come to siege Downing Street?

Is it because of lack of manpower, or am I not their main target at the moment?

If they weren't targeting me, then who would those nobles be targeting...

As Xiao Niao thought about it, his face became paler.

It was at this moment that Qiya suddenly cried out "Ah" - she remembered that she had not yet told Xiaoniao the key information.

The little cat, still sitting on the horse, anxiously shouted to Xiao Niao, "My Lord, I, my sister Luna and I just saw Wu Muda in the imperial city!"

"Those knights who suddenly broke in were protecting him," Qiya said with intense hatred, "I can't be wrong! That man is Umuda!"

"Even if he were crushed to dust, I would still recognize him!"

------

-

"Go immediately... notify the people in the downtown area... the faster the better..."

"She... asked someone who knows medicine... She might have a mild concussion..."

"Sir... take care of yours first... there's distilled alcohol in the storage room... for disinfection..."

In a trance, Gwyneth seemed to feel someone wrapped her in a soft blanket, and there was a warm touch on her forehead. It should be a doctor helping her treat her wound.

After a while, the familiar voice sounded in his ears again: "Gwen, Gwen."

The other person gently pressed something against her lips, and Gwyneth couldn't help but tremble her lips slightly.

"Eat it," the voice gently coaxed him, "It's okay, no need to chew, just swallow it."

The voice was too familiar and too irresistible.

Gwyneth did as she was told subconsciously, swallowing the food handed to her obediently without any suspicion.

A spicy and slightly warm current flowed down her throat. It felt like swallowing a mouthful of hot ginger juice, making Gwyneth want to sneeze. Her throat suddenly became hot and itchy. The sudden stimulation made the girl couldn't help but squeeze out a few tears from the corners of her eyes.

Two minutes later, Gwyneth slowly recovered from the urge to sneeze.

Gwyneth rubbed her eyes and suddenly found that her vision became clear again and her mind seemed to have returned to normal.

Gwen subconsciously looked beside her: Xiao Niao was standing next to her now, and there was no one else. She thought that the person who had just fed her the medicine could only be her.

[…I was stupid too. I should have thought of this earlier.] The system said somewhat sheepishly.

[A mild concussion can be alleviated with tranquilizing pills... It's a shame we even had to run around with this unconscious girl for so long.]

Xiao Niao couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that he was really stupid.

But this cannot be entirely blamed on Kotori and Tongzi. The situation was urgent at the time and they were both in a highly nervous state, so they didn't think of this at all.

Gwyneth had just regained consciousness and unconsciously covered her eyes with her hands. She seemed still confused and didn't know where she was.

Xiao Niao slowly squatted down in front of her, firmly pulled Gwen's arm away with his right hand, raised his head and looked at her patiently.

Gwyneth noticed that the bird's wings were roughly wrapped with several rolls of bandages, and the injured area had been simply treated to stop the bleeding and bandage.

She smelled strongly of distilled alcohol, mixed with a faint hint of blood.

"Gwen," Xiaoniao said, "listen, I want you to stay here for the rest of the time.

Hide it well."

"I will prepare weapons for you, so you can use them to protect yourself when necessary."

"You must not let them catch you," she said. "Remember, no matter what happens next, don't leave here."

Chapter 81: Bird in a Cage

As night fell, a strong wind suddenly blew on the streets of the capital. It was cold and wet, making people feel cold to the bone.

It was long past the usual bedtime, but no one in the Prime Minister's Office was asleep.

All the people who remained in the mansion were called up, and armored knights and hired stewards were trotting in the corridor. The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard everywhere.

During the nearly ten years that he served as Prime Minister, Xiao Niao, with his innate advantage of being born in an East Asian monster house, shocked every medieval native with his terrifying curls.

Then, he used the same cruel governance method that originated from his ancestors in the East to firmly engrave the idea that "Butcher is a cold-blooded devil" in the minds of every subordinate like a mental stamp.

In fact, many ordinary employees in the Prime Minister's Office, and even some officials who follow Xiaoniao, feel that Prime Minister Butcher's way of handling things is sometimes too inhumane.

However, what was strange was that at this critical moment, not a single ordinary employee or individual official escaped from the Prime Minister's Office.

One reason these people didn't run away was that it might not be safe even if they fled back home.

Another reason is that when a crisis strikes, a tough and cold-blooded devil is always better able to calm the situation than a kind and benevolent leader.

Decades of work experience have given them an almost blind trust in Xiao Niao: they believe that as long as Prime Minister Butcher is still alive and can think clearly, all problems will eventually be solved.

Orders were issued one after another in an orderly manner, telling everyone clearly that the Prime Minister's Office was still operating normally. The knights and officials who were originally in panic also calmed down.

Beau went to each window and drew down the curtains to prevent anyone from seeing what was happening inside the main house through the windows.

As she untied the last curtain, a white carrier pigeon flew in through the crack in the window and fell to the floor.

Beer picked up the pigeon from the ground and took a small piece of paper out of the cylinder tied to its leg.

The adjutant's daughter unfolded the scroll and read a few paragraphs briefly. Then she folded the paper, put it in her pocket, and ran quickly to the study.

------

In the study of the Prime Minister's Office.

There are now quite a few people crammed into the room, including officials from the Prime Minister's Office and knights responsible for protecting the mansion's safety.

Xiao Niao was sitting in the place where he usually worked. The Red Moon Knight was half-kneeling on the ground, checking Xiao Niao's injuries.

Time is now extremely tight and they don't have time to ask a professional doctor to treat the injuries. They can only stop the bleeding and bandage them.

Xiao Niao must complete the necessary arrangements before the Prime Minister's Residence is surrounded.

"...Ride your fastest horse and take the news to the lower city. Have our people prepare as soon as possible," she said to a knight. "The rest of you should close your doors and windows and stay at home as much as possible. The city will soon be in chaos."

The knight who received the order asked some questions in a low voice, and Xiao Niao answered him quickly.

Because the two people deliberately lowered their voices, Bi'er only heard part of the bird's answer:

"...I understand what you mean, but it's probably too late now... Since they... didn't come to capture the Prime Minister's Office, they must have gone..."

Bier noticed that while Xiao Niao was talking, his right hand fingers were tightly clasped on the armrest of the chair, as if trying to distract himself.

"Get the message out as quickly as possible and head toward the path in the back mountains," Xiao Niao said. "If you see any soldiers nearby when you come back, don't come in. Turn around and go back to the lower city."

A few minutes later, the knight, having received precise instructions, hurried toward the aisle and left through the back door.

Beau came into the room.

The fireplace in the study was still burning, and the room was very warm. The flickering flames reflected on Gwyneth's pale face.

She was wrapped in a blanket, her hands clutching the edge of the blanket, looking towards Xiao Niao with a melancholy look.

Just by looking at Gwyneth's expression, Beau could feel how nervous she was. The girl looked very quiet, but her nerves were like taut strings that could snap at any time.

Xiao Niao raised her head and unconsciously glanced at the approaching adjutant, then turned her face away. Her left shoulder was twitching slightly, and the skin exposed at the collar was an unhealthy blue color.

Bi'er subconsciously looked at the Red Moon Knight who was checking his injuries.

The two exchanged glances for a moment, and the Red Moon Knight shook his head slightly at her.

"The arrow wound isn't a big deal," Hongyue whispered, "but the fracture... I don't know how to treat it..."

In fact, when Hongyue was checking the bird's wound just now, she also found that it seemed to have signs of poisoning - but for some reason, the trend of the poison spreading seemed to have stopped.

Without a professional doctor, they are unable to treat Xiao Niao's fracture.

Xiao bird 'left hand'

The physiological structure of the human body is different from that of ordinary people, and the Red Moon Knight has only roughly learned some methods of bandaging and treating injuries in the military camp, and cannot cope with such a complicated situation.

"Then let's ignore it for now," Xiao Niao's voice was hoarse. "It doesn't hurt that much, actually. A broken bone won't kill you. Bi'er, is there any new information?"

Gwyneth also looked up. She was exhausted and not in a good condition, but she was eager to know more about the situation outside.

Bi'er quickly glanced at Gwen who was sitting not far away, and took out a folded note from her pocket - that was the news from Xiao Niao's intelligence personnel among the people in the capital.

The Prime Minister of the Empire's control over the streets of the capital city indeed far exceeds that of the nobles, and even slightly overshadows Lawrence, the emperor.

Most of the residents in the lower city are supporters of the Imperial Prime Minister, and ordinary citizens also maintain a friendly attitude towards the Prime Minister's Office due to the improvement of their living standards. Therefore, Xiaoniao has a considerable number of eyes and ears among the urban class.

These people cannot use their power to directly pave the way like the Yuyi Guards, but they also have unique advantages.

Because they live in the streets and alleys of the capital, these people are familiar with the surrounding streets to a degree that others cannot match, and even the most trivial things are difficult to escape their eyes.

"It was passed to me by the spy from the east of the city." Bier unfolded the note in front of Xiao Niao and gently handed it to her.

The word "East City" made Gwyneth subconsciously clutch her arms.

She knew what was in the east of the city, as her home was in the east direction.