Chapter 24 The Precarious Empire

In Wanglong Port, Lorraine Hill and Artisi rode a carriage together towards the mansion of Earl Hongyuan, the manager of the city.

The carriage ruts rolled on the white and bluish stone slabs, making a slight sound, and the pedestrians and scenery on the street appeared from the vaguely fluttering curtains.

Through the light blue curtains, the sunlight shone brokenly on a blond girl in the car. She was wearing a red exquisite dress and looked about 17 years old. The soft face was covered with gauze shadows by the curtains, giving it a broken and hazy beauty.

"What kind of person is that Earl of Red Kite?" Lorraine Hill's light blue eyes turned from the scenery outside the window to look at the solemnly dressed elf princess in front of her.

"Probably a model of classical nobility." Today, Etesi was wearing a white princess dress with gold rims, and a pearl hairnet on her golden hair. She looked like a princess that was rarely seen in the past.

"His ancestors were scholars from the East. They were invited to be the tutors of the emperor at that time. Later, when the emperor came of age, he was given a title. In this way, the Hongyuan family slowly passed it down."

"Before I left the Western Continent and went to the East, I had dealt with him. I felt that he was a pretty good person and had a good reputation locally. His family tradition has always been very good. The tranquility, wisdom, and poetic temperament are almost the same as those of his family. A portrayal of him. Occasionally he does some outrageous behavior because of his pursuit of romance, but overall, he is a pretty good person."

"I've been away from the Western Continent for too long, and now I don't understand many things. Instead of asking about all kinds of gossip in the tavern that are difficult to tell whether it's true or not, it's better to go directly to him and ask."

"And this place is also under the rule of the Unicorn Duke. It's good to keep in contact with us elves, so you don't have to worry about safety issues."

"That's it." Lorraine Hill nodded. After arriving at Wanglong Port, she had kept her blond hair to avoid her true identity being discovered.

Silver hair is still too rare in Ivar's world, and she is not sure whether her image will be recognized by people in the empire and associate it with the sages of Crancia, which will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Lessie, please accompany me to meet the earl. Just say that you are a friend I met in the East, and he won't mind too much."

Etesi explained briefly, and soon after, the carriage slowly stopped.

"Miss, we've arrived." The coachman's voice came from the front.

"Yes." Then, Etesi took Lorraine Hill's hand and stepped out of this beautiful metal and wooden carriage.

"Welcome to the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Etesi." The butler who greeted him at the door recognized the familiar elf girl at a glance.

"Please follow me." He bowed and saluted, and then led the way.

"Long time no see, Federer, you are still so healthy." Etesi nodded briefly, then followed slowly, and then the four maids from the mansion also accompanied her.

"Your Highness the Princess is so complimentary." The butler, who was in his 50s, said modestly, and then welcomed the two of them into an elegant hall.

Sunlight shines through the colored glass on the sofa and coffee table. The enamel-rimmed porcelain tea sets have already been placed. A young man in his 30s is sitting on the sofa. After seeing the two girls come in, he stood up to greet them.

"Long time no see, Your Highness Etesi, I think the Emerald Forest will be a lot happier this time to see you back safely."

"Long time no see, Li Lin." Aitexi blinked and looked at the Earl of Red Kite.

"You are much more mature than before."

"Can you understand that I am a few years older?" Li Lin replied jokingly, and then stopped in time.

"Haha, you two sit down first and have some tea." He asked them to sit down and then started talking slowly.

.....

"It seems that Your Highness Attesi's journey has been bumpy. Is this beautiful lady a companion you met during the journey?"

"Yes, her name is Lacey. She is the eldest lady of a chamber of commerce. She encountered a similar situation to me this time and was stranded in the East for a long time."

"I see. Hello Miss Lacey, I am Li Lin, the acting manager of this city, and the person who will inherit the title of Hongyuan for this generation."

"Hello, Lord Li Lin." Lorraine Hill bowed his head and saluted slightly, then raised his head to look at the man.

The Earl of Red Kite wore a black fitted dress with a white shirt and silk scarf underneath. On one side of the collar was a phoenix embroidered with gold and red silk thread, giving it a strange beauty that combined the East and West.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Etesi began to ask about the current situation.

"Although Wanglong Port seems to be peaceful, the empire is actually in turmoil at present, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is only one step away from disintegration." Picking up the tea cup, Earl Hongyuan slowly blew the cup noodles, and then introduced .

"His Majesty holds most of the power when he is in power. Under such circumstances, the empire revolves around one voice, so it is naturally efficient and powerful."

"But after His Majesty the Emperor suddenly left, this left a huge power hole for the upper echelons of the empire."

"Who should you listen to now? Is it the petite and innocent queen of ordinary origin, the emperor's twin brother, or the descendants of the previous emperor?"

"In terms of blood relationship and stability, His Highness Edron is the best choice to take over the throne."

"But the Queen has given birth to a boy. At this time, can His Highness Edlen be willing to hold back his desires and become a regent? Even if he has no selfish motives, the people below will not think so."

"Regents have always had bad endings. Moreover, His Highness Edron should have ascended the throne together with his brothers. This is a long-standing trend in the empire.

Come tradition. "

Li Lin slowly told about the source of the chaos in the empire, which was the golden and red emperor's throne.

"On the eve of the end of the war, His Highness Edron, as the prime minister and ambassador of the empire, signed a surrender and truce agreement with Crancia. Such behavior would not be a big mistake if it were just the prime minister and ministers. It was just a result of current events. But if he wants to ascend the throne, This has become a huge stain and obstacle, and many nobles in the palace have used this to suppress His Highness Edlon."

"When His Majesty was in power, he deprived many nobles of their rights and interests. All of this caused these suppressed voices to rebound strongly after his death. Many people even put all the blame on His Majesty and threatened to destroy the late emperor's direct line. The descendants will take over the throne again, thus putting the empire on the right track.”

"Moreover, don't think that they are just talking. With the royal family's majesty now weakening, they have begun to recruit troops on a large scale in the territory and are preparing to select the descendants of the late emperor for support."

"Then who is presiding over the court now?" Atesi asked this key question.

"The Red Queen, Lili Esther."