It seems that the villain is targeting me.

-

Ever since Xiao Niao had a conversation with the system, he had developed a sense of guilt and a desire to compensate Gwyneth.

Xiao Niao's attitude towards her became softer. While cultivating Gwyneth's political acumen, he also cared more about her health. He tried his best to satisfy Gwyneth's wishes, even to the point of giving her everything she wanted.

Gwyneth herself is very happy about this change.

After all, the two were newlyweds, and even if it was just a short break after lunch, Gwen always wanted to stick with the bird.

After a few days, the matter they had discussed before began to come to light.

The two vassals who disliked each other finally caused trouble.

This contradiction had been suppressed for a long time and finally became distorted and perverted. It was no longer clear who started it. In short, the result was that the son of one of them was beheaded, and the other lost two or three decorated knights under his command.

The day after the incident, Gwyneth summoned all the vassals under her rule to a meeting. This meeting was more solemn than the previous ones, and all members of the Tudor family's branches were invited to Pembroke Castle.

They held this meeting in the largest hall in the castle. Gwyneth Tudor, dressed in a dignified and solemn manner, sat at the head seat in the middle. On her right was the famous Shrike Butcher. The others sat in order on both sides of the long table.

Since many vassals came overnight, according to custom, the head of the family would treat them to a simple meal.

The long table was covered with white cotton cloth, and the hunter's goose cooked with shallots and brandy was served in a deep plate, covered with a layer of crispy brown skin. A long plate on the edge of the table was filled with roasted goose bones seasoned with sweet pepper powder and tarragon sauce, and a small pile of hot bread was piled next to it, emitting the aroma of hot wheat and walnuts.

But most of the people present were in no mood to eat. They put down their knives and forks after taking a few bites.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Niao had an unexpectedly good appetite today. She sat in the seat closest to the head of the family and slowly ate the hot bread with goose fat sauce - this thing was quite to Xiao Niao's Chinese taste, and she had gnawed off several pieces without realizing it.

The two vassals who had caused the trouble were the last to arrive. After they arrived, they sat on the left and right sides of the long table respectively.

If divided according to the size of the territory and military strength, these two vassals are one strong and one weak: the strong one is Old John and the weak one is Renly.

Ser Renly and Ser John had been glaring at each other since they saw each other, their eyes blazing with hatred. If there hadn't been a table between them, they would have been entangled and beating each other's brains out in the next second.

Gwyneth hardly moved her knife and fork, just tasting a little wine in the glass from time to time, and her eyes swept over the vassal sitting below without expression. No emotion could be seen in her eyes, only when her eyes fell on Xiao Niao did they become slightly softer.

On the other side, Xiaoniao eats slowly

After finishing the last bit of food on the plate, he picked up the glass of orange juice and drank half of it. Then he began to wipe his hands with his napkin, as if he was full.

Gwyneth withdrew her gaze and placed the wine glass back on the long table.

The head of the family put down his glass to indicate that he was going to talk business. The others also put down their knives and forks and focused their attention on Gwyneth who was sitting at the main seat.

Gwyneth glanced at Old John and Renly and spoke calmly, "Everyone knows why we're here this time. Sir John and Sir Renly, do you owe me, the head of the family, an explanation for what happened yesterday?"

Old John was almost sixty years old this year, older than Duke Banur. He had no respect for this girl who was only in her teens. He stood up and pointed at Renly and started yelling.

"Master, that bastard Renly is completely lawless and a bully," Old John cursed confidently. "He brought his men into my territory without permission and beat my youngest son's head open right before my eyes. He doesn't even take me seriously!"

But Ser Renly was no match for Old John.

He crossed his arms and said coldly, "Who was the first to be so shameless as to trespass onto someone else's territory? Why don't you tell me what your good son did? He was beaten to death in the street by a knight's squire who accidentally touched him. If I don't deal with him, who will work for me in the future?"

Old John was so angry that he blew his beard and glared. The two of them started arguing and insulting each other, and they became more and more involved in the argument. Soon, the grudges of their father's generation were involved, and they unknowingly left Gwyneth, the head of the family, aside.

No one spoke up to stop the fight, and a few guys were secretly rejoicing, their eyes glancing at Gwyneth sitting in the main seat, waiting to see her, the new head of the family, make a fool of herself.

But Gwyneth just watched the two quarreling silently until they started banging the table and were about to fight, then she raised her hand and waved.

Dozens of knights in armor suddenly ran out from all directions of the hall, surrounding all the visiting guests and blocking them.

These knights held sharp swords in their hands, and all of them had expressionless faces, which made the two people who were cursing at each other fiercely shut up and boo.

They did not dare to act violently or quarrel in front of these well-armed knights: they had not brought many guards with them when they left home, and the few men they had were now all waiting outside the castle. If a fight really broke out, the outcome would be no surprise.

Gwyneth glanced at the two people who had already stood up and said, "Move the middle table."

The servants waiting at the edge looked at each other, not understanding what Gwen wanted to do. They just thought this order was extremely strange.

But they quickly put away the fragile porcelain, and then several knights worked together to move the long table from the middle.

Because the table was being moved, everyone was forced to stand up, except for Gwyneth who remained sitting calmly in her chair.

She glanced at the bird beside her and asked casually, "Levi, I heard that there seems to be a big conflict between the two adults. I'm afraid that mediation will not satisfy them. How do you think this should be handled better?"

When Xiao Niao stood up, he leaned next to Gwen's chair and bent down slightly when he heard the words.

"Since they're unwilling to mediate, why not just handle it privately?" Xiao Niao said calmly. "Let's have a fair and impartial one-on-one knight duel and let the two gentlemen decide the winner."

As he spoke, Xiao Niao pointed to the space vacated by the table being moved away and said, "Let's do it right here. Let all the adults present be witnesses. The two of you can settle the grudges that have lasted for so many years. Even if you're beaten to death, I won't hold you accountable."

Everyone around was stunned, but Gwyneth, who was sitting in the main seat, just nodded and said, "Okay, let's get started."

Old John was still confused until he was pushed to the center of the field by the knight behind him, and someone stuffed a dagger into his hand.

He looked at the sword in his hand, and his expression became even more incredible: Why did old John, a dignified knight, have to rely on personally fighting with others to settle grudges?

I have money and soldiers in my hands, and I have finally spent two days living a comfortable life like a local tyrant. How can I risk my life in a fight with others?

Old John seemed to have forgotten that when his people got into trouble, his response was to use violence to solve the problem.

He didn't dare to confront his lord openly, because the previous incident of him openly confronting his lord and embezzling the mine's income was still hanging on the city wall. Old John just planned to use some tricks to exploit loopholes in the law.

He deliberately had his knights challenge the enemy to a duel, using the established tradition of 'knights dueling for life and death' to circumvent the lord's accountability - with such an excuse, even if the lord blamed him later, he would only give a few mild reprimands.

Now that he has fallen to this point, he can be said to have gotten what he wanted.

On the other side, Renly didn't say much about this arrangement, but simply grabbed the dagger handed to him by others and walked towards Old John with a menacing look.

Old John's face changed, and he subconsciously wanted to run away, but the knights in iron armor formed a thick wall, and the weapons in their hands were extremely sharp.

Even more difficult to deal with than Renly.

But he didn't dare fight Renly. Old John might have had some martial arts skills when he was young, but after so many years, his body had long been hollowed out by alcohol and sex, and he was no match for the young Ser Renly.

Old John was absolutely right. After just a few moves, he was chopped to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Chapter 100 The Gradually Passing Time

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Old John screamed miserably. He was covered in blood and had a sword wound on his calf. After running two steps, he fell to the ground without a doubt. He was in so much pain that he wanted to roll on the spot.

At first he held the sword and wanted to fight back, but after a few moves, Renly chopped the weapon out of his hand. Old John fell to the ground, looking at his mortal enemy who was walking towards him without saying a word and with a gloomy face, and he shuddered.

"I give up! I give up!"

Old John finally remembered that this was a knight's duel. He no longer cared about the dignity of a knight and felt that his life was more important. While shouting "surrender", he put three fingers of his right hand together and raised them high to show that he gave up the duel and prayed for forgiveness from the winner.

Logically speaking, as long as the weapon is out of hand and the opponent voluntarily admits defeat, then the fight should not continue, even if it is a life-or-death duel.

After all, according to the rules followed by the knights, killing an unarmed person is an extremely shameful thing.

But Sir Renly seemed to have lost his temper. He didn't care that Old John had already raised his hands in surrender. He raised the sword high in his hand, not hiding the murderous intent in his eyes!

Xiao Niao, who was standing nearby, frowned and called out in a low voice, "Hong Yue."

On the other side, Ser Renly, who was standing in the duel circle, was about to chop old John with his sword, but suddenly there was a sharp sound, and then his wrist felt numb, as if he was hit by something, and the sword fell to the ground in an instant.

The sword was tilted when it slipped out of his hand, and the blow that was originally intended to hit the neck narrowly hit the porcelain floor less than five centimeters away from Old John's head, leaving a white mark.

At the same time, a shiny silver metal object fell to the ground with a clang.

Ser Renly subconsciously covered his wrist with his hand and cried out in pain. Looking again, he saw a very obvious bruise on his trembling wrist.

Ser Renly looked at the ground in confusion. Apart from his sword, there was only a slightly deformed silver coin - it was obvious that this was the thing that knocked his weapon down.

His hot-blooded brain suddenly cooled down. Renly looked at the Tudor master with an indifferent expression on the throne. His mind raced, and he thought of how many skilled knights were hiding around him, so he didn't dare to continue making trouble.

He didn't dare to pick up the sword, so he took a few steps back, glanced at old John who was lying on the ground half-dead and bleeding, and stood still.

Gwyneth finally lowered her arm, which had been supporting her chin, and said slowly, "Oh? The winner is decided."

Ser Renly didn't know how to respond to this. He broke out in a cold sweat and felt a chill wind on the back of his neck.

"Well, now that the winner has been decided, this matter can be easily resolved," Gwyneth clapped her hands. "Ser Renly defeated Lord John. From now on, all of Lord John's knights will be assigned to you, and you will manage the mines in his domain. How do you do that?"

Ser Renly was stunned. He was considered the weakest among the vassal states, with the number of knights under his command never exceeding thirty. However, Old John belonged to a vassal family with a total of over a hundred members, and had at least sixty knights under his command.

This huge pie actually went into his mouth!

After finally understanding the meaning of Gwen's words, Ser Renly's face showed an ecstatic expression. He quickly knelt on one knee and thanked the lord for his generosity.

When Renly knelt down excitedly, Gwyneth, who was sitting on the main seat, looked at the other people around her: the expressions on these people's faces were different, some looked at Sir Renly with envy and jealousy in their eyes, while others stared at old John, who was breathing in more than out, on the ground with a look of fear.

Gwyneth also looked at old John lying on the ground, her eyes showing neither resentment nor pity. "Sir John is old, and it is not suitable for him to continue working hard. He should stay at home and enjoy his retirement. Let his eldest son take over his position."

After saying that, Gwyneth waved her hand and asked the knights below to help him up and take him away for help.

Old John was carried away, but the hideous bloodstains remained on the floor, making the hall as cold and eerie as a slaughterhouse. Everyone kept their mouths shut and said nothing.

Soon several servants came over to clean the floor, pouring water and wiping away all the water marks. Within a few minutes, the floor became spotless again, as if nothing had happened.

Gwyneth clearly felt the change in the attitude of the people below her. The original contemptuous look had disappeared.

These noble lords, who were used to being arrogant, suddenly realized that the eldest lady, who had always been respectful and humble to them, was not an easy person to deal with.

Gwen thought back to what Xiao Niao had said to her before, and thought: This is what power is.

The impact brought by one's thoughts can determine the fate of others. A single word can make a person fall from heaven to hell. It is easy to decide the fate of another person.

This is the most fascinating thing in the world. Countless people would risk everything for it, even risk their entire clan and address book to get a chance. Countless people have also become suspicious, twisted and violent because of it, turning into demons in human skin.

The feeling of holding power was like a spark that ignited Gwyneth's hidden ambitions and desires, and they burned wildly in her limbs like a raging fire.

If only she had power, she could make everyone she cared about live happily, and anyone who dared to hurt them would die in pain and misery.

The burning flames eventually cooled down slowly. Gwyneth looked at Xiao Niao beside her. Her light brown eyes were still as calm as ever. Gwyneth even felt that just by looking at her like this, the impulse boiling in her heart due to the desire for power slowly calmed down.

She stood up from her chair, looked at the vassal ministers around her, and spoke loudly, "Thanks to your support and kindness, I am able to speak here. I know that you are all angry about the murders of my father and brother, and you are also worried about the future of our family."

"The royal family treacherously murdered the master of Highgarden and stabbed my father to death, one knife at a time. We must make our enemies pay for this blood debt with their own blood. Only in this way can we wash away the humiliation of the Tudor family and once again raise the banner of the thorn rose!"

"I will lead our family out of this difficult situation. Our wealth will increase, our strength will grow, and I promise you a brilliant and glorious future for our family."

Gwyneth's expression grew serious as she spoke word by word: "Hamilton's reign over the empire is a thing of the past. We, with our swords in hand, will become the masters of the world!"

There was silence for a few seconds, and then someone shouted Gwyneth's name first, and then more people began to respond.

In such an era and such years, being able to make great achievements was what all vassals longed for. Countless people with titles and property would even risk their lives to follow their lords to the battlefield, just to gain merit through war.

Highgarden is located on the border, and because it is often invaded by foreign enemies, small-scale battles often occur. All the vassals here are no strangers to war. It can be said that only war can make their blood boil.

Gwyneth looked at the vassal officials around her who were excited and thrilled, but she felt a strange calmness in her heart. Her words were earnest and sincere, but she was not as excited as she appeared.

She was calmly planning how to complete her revenge plan, how to gain more allies, how to win the support of her vassal states, and how to use emotions of justice and hatred to tie as many people as possible to her ship.

Gwyneth herself raised the banner of rebellion, and she was a calm suicide.

Gwen thought about what the bird had said to her before: You can make people submit to you, but you can't make people choose to follow you.

A powerful army and a brave order of knights cannot make people choose to follow you. Following is a very complicated thing. You must not only make people fear you, but also admire you, and preferably love you.

Xiao Niao taught her step by step how to establish prestige among the vassals: to fight the strong and help the weak, to use both kindness and force, to weaken the military and economic strength of the vassals, but not to force them to death.

It would be great if you could resolve a conflict publicly; everyone will remember the day in their minds: it will be their first impression of you.

Then, while this first impression is still fresh, you can use some very classic political tactics - use external hatred to divert internal conflicts, establish a clear goal to unite people, and make everyone work for you.

This is not a despicable and weak means of avoiding problems, but a kind of strategy and a manifestation of wisdom.

Xiao Niao is cultivating Gwyneth's political way of thinking. What Gwen lacks now is only experience, but experience can only be accumulated through repeated events.

Fortunately, Gwyneth is strong enough. Xiao Niao believes that with time, she can even grow into a better politician than himself. This girl has the ambition and stubbornness that he lacks.

She just needs time.

Xiao Niao will soon leave Highgarden to go elsewhere to gain allies for Gwen, and the two of them will inevitably be separated for a while.

In addition, Xiaoniao also hopes that Gwen can grow up as soon as possible, because she has not much time left to accompany her.

Chapter 101: Unfulfilled Promise (Refresh within the chapter)

From the moment she heard the news of the wedding, Bier knew that this day would come sooner or later.

She just didn't expect this day to come so soon.

She was the most capable adjutant under the Prime Minister of the Empire, and was once the person closest to the bird except for the Red Moon Knight.

Bier was very familiar with this person, and even knew some of Xiaoniao's very personal habits in life.

So when all this happened, the adjutant lady was very clear

Clearly felt the bird's change.

The change happened inadvertently, and it was difficult for her to express in words what kind of transformation had taken place in Xiao Niao.

Was it the change in her demeanor? The smile that flashed upon her face upon seeing Miss Gwen? Or the new accessory bearing the Highgarden Rose's personal emblem on her clothing?