It seems that the villain is targeting me.

Everything that I taught her in the past will eventually be used on myself.

Gwyneth sat on the throne in the council hall, looked up at the many ministers at the bottom of the stairs, then turned her head and glanced silently to the side, her eyelids drooping a little.

The seat next to her was empty.

Usually, the emperor is accompanied by either the chancellor or his spouse.

However, Her Majesty the Queen did not promote a new Prime Minister, and the Emperor did not choose to attend such a political occasion, so that position remained vacant.

Xiao Niao basically voluntarily gave up the power of regent. The reason why she refused the position of prime minister before, besides knowing that she would leave sooner or later, was that she did not want to leave any hidden dangers for Gwen.

Of course, Gwyneth still listens to her advice and will seriously consider Xiaoniao's proposals. Many government affairs are also discussed and handled by the two of them at the same desk.

Just from the legal perspective, in addition to still enjoying the Queen

Apart from the treatment of his spouse, Xiao Niao really has no other rights.

Because of this, for a long time officials were unsure of the Queen's attitude towards Butcher.

If it was a favor, then why was Xiao Niao's power completely stripped away, leaving him with almost nothing except the status of a member of the royal family?

You know, there is a world of difference between the emperor's husband and the prime minister with real power. The latter controls the fate of countless people and even the country, while all the power of the former comes from Her Majesty the Queen.

Not only is the emperor unable to interfere in politics, he is also subject to various rules and regulations, and will have to swear to give up his right to inherit the territory - even though Xiaoniao has no territory to inherit.

But it is unlikely that the Queen was disgusted with Butcher.

Gwyneth lowered her eyes and listened to the ministers below arguing about the issue of military deployment, whether to disband the legion and what to do with these soldiers after the disbandment. Every issue needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

The army must be downsized, otherwise the national treasury will not be able to maintain a standing army of this size. Land is needed to resettle retired veterans - this is the welfare benefit agreed upon when they were first recruited. The main point of contention among the ministers was the requisition of land.

Gwen listened to the discussion below, but her eyes unconsciously glanced out the window.

It's raining today and the weather is very cold. There's a fireplace in the hall, but as soon as there's a slight breeze, you can feel the coldness seeping into your bones.

Why is the rain so heavy? Gwyneth drooped her eyelids. Levi's previous arrow wound was about to feel uncomfortable again... When she got up in the morning, her face was not very good.

The ministers debated for a while before they remembered that the matter of disarmament should be decided by the Queen.

They looked up to ask His Majesty's opinion, and then found that Gwyneth had been silent for a long time.

The discussion gradually died down, and Gwen's gaze slowly fell on the ministers below.

She pondered for a moment. "Everyone, your Excellencies, has their reasons. However, the legion must be disbanded. The soldiers have fought bravely on the battlefield, and I do not wish to treat them unfairly."

The ministers looked at each other, realizing that the queen was determined to implement the resettlement policy.

The purpose of holding the imperial meeting in the conference hall was just to inform the ministers of the predetermined result, and to let them draw up a preliminary plan and finalize the specific details.

Gwyneth thought that someone should light up the fireplace in the house. The bedroom was still too big and could never warm up.

Gwen waited a moment before continuing, "This matter cannot be delayed, but it requires careful consideration. We can discuss the details slowly, but the proposal must be drafted today. I want to see the specific scale of disarmament."

There was a little noise below, and most people began to change the subject and agree with the Queen's opinion. They began to propose suggestions for the resettlement of retired soldiers. The ministers stood on different positions in this regard, so they all had their own ideas.

Gwyneth raised her hand slightly, motioning the ministers to look at her.

"This matter is temporarily handled by the Minister of Finance and the two Secretaries of State," Gwen said. "The meeting room is for expressing opinions. Please feel free to speak your mind."

The rain was still falling outside the window, and the discussion in the parliament hall was still going on, but Gwyneth did not participate deeply in it, but just kept listening.

Gwen took Xiaoniao's advice into consideration and selected the assistant ministers for this session of the Imperial Council. All of them were carefully selected experts in a certain field and had rich practical experience.

Therefore, Gwyneth did not interfere in the work of the ministers, but relaxed the restrictions and allowed them to discuss freely and exchange opinions with each other, and did not directly issue orders requiring them to be implemented.

After a few words, the assistant ministers felt that the new empress was quite humble and diligent in her government affairs. When she occasionally asked questions, they were all very practical issues, and she did not put on any airs of royal dignity.

Among the assistant ministers were several officials who had remained in the capital during the war, and they almost instinctively compared themselves:

Charles I and subsequent emperors always put on an air of majesty and inviolability, but even when they were arrogant, they did not appear noble.

The Queen was gentle and approachable, so the ministers who assisted her did not dare to be negligent at all. Instead, they became more cautious and careful in doing things.

This is exactly the effect Gwen wanted. She has already won everyone's fear with her military prowess. Next, it is a process of building up their respect little by little over time.

The imperial meeting lasted for a long time. After several hours of discussion and calculation, things finally began to make some sense.

The sky outside the window darkened and the rain became much lighter.

It was already very late after the meeting, but Gwyneth did not leave the meeting room immediately. She looked at the drizzling rain outside and stood quietly in front of the window for a while.

After a while, Gwyneth raised her eyes and glanced at the guard standing beside her.

This was obviously not the first time, as the latter quickly understood and replied, "The emperor has been staying in the bedroom and has never left the palace."

The Queen had ordered her personal guards that if Xiao Niao intended to leave the city, they must report to her immediately and send the Knights of the Rose to follow and protect him.

"Has Levi had dinner?" Gwyneth continued to ask.

"Not yet, Your Majesty," the officer of the guard added with great sophistication, "perhaps Mr. Butcher is waiting for you to return."

Gwyneth had a faint smile on her face, not a strong one, but it came from the heart.

She always wanted to see the bird, and even though she saw it every day, she was still afraid that it would stay away from her. Gwyneth had tasted enough of fear and she couldn't bear it a second time.

Even if Xiao Niao only revealed a little idea of wanting to leave the capital, Gwyneth felt at a loss. She arranged people to protect Xiao Niao, but secretly kept an eye on his whereabouts.

The last bit of her conscience prevented Gwen from taking the matter to the stage of surveillance, but Her Majesty the Queen needed to know where her bird was and that she was safe.

Only in this way can the anxious heart be settled.

Gwyneth thought that as long as she didn't leave her and stayed in the palace, everything would be fine.

Her Majesty the Queen walked through the dignified and graceful corridor and slowly walked towards her bedroom. Outside the corridor was the green royal courtyard. The lush flowers and plants were watered by the continuous drizzle, making their bright colors even more vivid.

Gwyneth thought that if she walked a little further, she would be able to see her.

Xiao Niao was lying on the sofa chair in the front hall, with her coat draped over her body. Her eyes were gently closed, and her long, curled eyelashes cast shadows at the bottom of her eyes. She was sleeping soundly.

The seat was very close to the fireplace, and as long as you sat there for a while, your whole body would become warm. Even if you were doing something, you could easily fall asleep without realizing it.

Gwyneth also likes to take a nap there during her lunch break, half lying on the sofa and taking a short nap, which is really very comfortable.

Xiao Niao was supposed to be sitting there waiting for Gwen to come back, but whether it was because of fatigue or something else, she fell asleep without realizing it.

She was sleeping soundly, and seemed to be completely at ease with her surroundings, falling into a deep sleep without any precautions.

Apart from the sleeping bird, there was only one other person in the room.

Perhaps because of the blazing fire, the Red Moon Knight was not wearing armor or a helmet today, only a very ordinary linen lining.

In the light of the fire, the facial features of the Red Moon Knight seemed to appear more profound and three-dimensional, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.

The burning flames gave the young knight a golden-red edge of light. Her calm expression was as handsome as a shepherd, and her eyes were pure and without any impurities.

Hongyue stood quietly behind the sleeping bird, her eyes calm and composed, as if she was very sure that as long as she stayed here, no one could hurt her.

Gwyneth paused for a moment, and then she walked into the room as usual.

------

-

Xiao Niao slept until eight o'clock in the evening before waking up.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Gwyneth looking down at her with a smile in her eyes.

"Are you awake, Levi?" Gwen used her warm fingers to play with her earlobes, which tickled her a little. "You've been sleeping for a long time."

Xiao Niao had not yet fully woken up from his sleep. His light brown eyes moved slightly. The flame in the fireplace became much smaller, and the Red Moon Knight was no longer in the room.

The bird murmured in response, its voice carrying the dazed feeling of someone just waking from sleep.

The smile on Gwyneth's face deepened. "Want to eat something? I'll have someone prepare some midnight snacks."

Xiao Niao shook her head and whispered that she was not hungry. She climbed up from the sofa quite slowly, as if she still didn't know where she was.

Gwyneth seemed particularly easy to talk to today: "If you're not hungry, let's talk later."

He handed over a glass of warm water and gently reminded her, "Drink some water first, it will make you feel better."

Xiao Niao also did as he was told.

The atmosphere seemed quite good. Gwen observed the bird's expression and casually said, "Levi, there's something I'd like to ask for your opinion on... It's about Lady Luna."

Xiao Niao put down the cup, his expression slightly serious: "You say."

Gwyneth then said, "I want Luna to be a knight of honor, and give her a full set of snow steel armor, weapons, and a matching territory."

Although he had already decided to request a territory for the Red Moon Knight, Xiao Niao was still a little surprised when Gwen took the initiative to bring up the matter.

"Are you going to award Hongyue—Luna—a medal?" Xiao Niao couldn't help but murmur, "Isn't it a bit too fast to directly promote her from a knight of the title to a knight of the medal..."

The title of Knight is the highest rank of knights in the empire. Only those who have made special contributions or have outstanding talents can reach this level, and the title can only be appointed or granted by the royal family.

Compared with Hongyue's original rank of knight, this is equivalent to jumping three levels directly.

"Sir Luna once saved my life, and she has saved yours countless times," Gwen lowered her voice. "I have never met anyone more worthy of the title of 'Knight' than she is. This is a reward she deserves."

Gwyneth looked at the bird with anticipation in her eyes, "...I plan to hold the awarding ceremony at the beginning of next month. In addition to Sir Luna,

There are other meritorious officials who also need to be rewarded.”

In addition to Hongyue, Gwyneth also plans to promote Beau to an official of the Imperial Finance Department.

Xiao Niao only asked about the position that Bi'er was assigned to, and he understood that Gwyneth wanted to continue training her and take the orthodox promotion route to accumulate qualifications and experience first. In a few years, she would be quickly promoted from the local level.

However, the location of this job is quite far away from the capital. If Bier really intends to take this position, she may not be able to return to the capital for several years.

But considering the future, this cannot even be called a sacrifice.

Xiao Niao thought about it for a while, but couldn't find any mistakes.

Chapter 115: The Red Moon Knight Became Alert

This matter is a bit funny when you think about it carefully. The capital has never lacked smart people, and those who can be promoted all the way into the palace are the smartest of the smart.

But among so many smart people, the first one to notice the abnormality was Hongyue, who has always been simple-minded.

Of course, the Red Moon Knight is not someone who is easily deceived. On the contrary, her intuition is extremely sharp and she rarely makes mistakes. No matter how clever the liar is, as long as he has bad intentions, the Red Moon Knight can quickly detect it.

Perhaps it is precisely because her way of thinking is very direct that she is able to see through the truth hidden by layers of disguise.

However, Red Moon Knight herself couldn't quite explain when she realized something was wrong.

Was it the servants' casual glances while working? Or was it the sudden increase in the number of guards? The Red Moon Knight was certain that there were surveillance eyes around her.

Although those gazes did not contain much malice, to the Red Moon Knight with keen perception, such gazes were like a knife stabbing from behind and could not be ignored.

Because the feeling of being monitored would disappear once one left the palace, Hongyue quickly confirmed that the person these people were monitoring was actually Butcher - the little bird she had sworn to protect.

The Red Moon Knight became extremely alert. She tried to find out where the surveillance came from, but she soon fell into confusion.

Every time it was her turn to be Xiao Niao's guard, the feeling of being secretly watched by the people around her would become stronger.

Some of those vague gazes came from the stewards and servants who were powerless, but more of them came from colleagues who worked with him.

There was no direct malice in the looks of these people, but they were obviously paying attention to the movements of the bird.

Ever since the coup d'état by the eldest prince, the palace's security has become extremely tight. Anyone selected to work must undergo strict scrutiny, and anyone with a criminal history or potential threat will be screened out at the very beginning.

Gwyneth did not inherit much of the previous emperor's governing philosophy, but she was even better in terms of security.

What's more, the person under surveillance is Butcher, whose identity is extremely sensitive.

If you work in the palace for a while, you will understand how much Gwyneth Tudor cares about her little bird - this is the reverse scale that the young emperor does not allow anyone to touch.

Who dares to do such a thing under the Queen's nose?

The Red Moon Knight noticed many things were wrong, but he couldn't figure out why.

So, the next time it was her turn to be on duty, she told Xiao Niao about this matter.

There was no one else around the Red Moon Knight at that time. Xiao Niao was working in the study, while Her Majesty the Queen went to the conference room to hold a meeting with the ministers.

Since Gwyneth came to power, she has rarely worked in the main hall. She would ask her subordinates to deliver all official documents to the study in the bedroom. Usually, Her Majesty the Queen handles government affairs here with Xiaoniao, which is no different from when the two of them were in Highgarden before.

"...So, you're saying that I feel like someone in the palace is watching me?"

Xiao Niao stopped correcting the documents with the quill pen in his hand and turned to look at the Red Moon Knight behind him.

"Yes," Hongyue answered truthfully, "Even in the bedroom, I can feel such gazes... The number is already abnormal."

Xiao Niao's gaze became a little wandering, his brows furrowed, and his eyes unconsciously glanced at the documents spread out on the table.

People were also deployed to the heavily guarded bedroom... The answer is actually very obvious.

It can only be Her Majesty the Queen herself.