Tang Qi Tan

During the waiting time for the audience, Rodrigo also received extraordinary courtesy and preferential treatment.Not only was it arranged to stay in the Shengxiyong Garden of the Tau Palace to entertain members of the royal family and nobles who came to pilgrimage; it also sent the best doctors and medicines to recuperate the body.

Immediately afterwards, the former old friend, Friar Teresa, who is now the captain of the armed warrior of the Pious Company of the Freedom Army, also came to visit him with his subordinates; at the same time, he brought another unexpected news.That is, the Holy Kingdom has voluntarily given up the proposal to redeem most of the remaining captured soldiers.

Therefore, after the vast majority of officers and members of the Knights were exchanged for ransom and returned to the country; the remaining thousands of captured soldiers waited hopelessly, and finally after vowing not to take the initiative to be an enemy of the motherland, they were compiled into more than a dozen soldiers. The redemption company, use the performance on the battlefield to redeem freedom.

Arranged and driven by the Free Army, the Redemption Company composed of captives and surrendered soldiers can be said to be the most mixed existence.There are local militias, aristocratic private soldiers, and urban self-defense forces; there are also mercenaries from different regions, and even the church's exclusive church knights.

Therefore, the upper limit is high enough and the lower limit is low enough in nearly hundreds of companies; the large company has five or six hundred people, and nearly half of the regiment, but the small company has only one hundred and eighty people.And these sergeants and soldiers of the Holy Kingdom quickly stood out in the subsequent battles;

They rely on the advantage of being relatively well-trained and experienced, and some people have been freed in advance because of this.However, some people chose to join the Free Army on the spot, and became the existence known as the Iberia Company.However, some people chose to receive a sum of travel expenses and return to their home countries together.

Therefore, Brother Teresa specially brought several representatives here to seek news about the soldiers and sergeants who had already returned home.However, after hearing this narration, Rodrigo suddenly fell silent; the joy of reuniting his old friend and having a good life was also suddenly extinguished.

Because when he had not lost his freedom in the Holy Kingdom and became a wanted traitor, he never heard any news about returning soldiers; instead, he met some soldiers who came to seek news outside the Knights' garrison dependents.Among them are the names of sergeants who have returned to China long ago.

Not to mention, Brother Teresa swore to him that he personally sent these soldiers who wanted to return to the country outside the border fortress between the Kingdom of Sealand and the Kingdom of Holy Land; and then watched them enter in groups, distant towns.What happened in this?
You must know that these returned soldiers are not unarmed civilians; at least hundreds to hundreds of people traveled together, and they also bought mules and horses with the travel expenses, brought dry food and drinking water, and other soldiers who stayed behind. A personal letter to inform your family that you are safe.

However, Rodrigo, who was once running around in the country, has never received any corresponding news or rumors.The whereabouts of these returned soldiers were like drops of water sprinkled in the sand; they disappeared completely without a sound, and they didn't even attract much attention.

Until many clerks, attendants, and secretaries were ordered to withdraw and close the door one after another. "Thank you for your majesty's hospitality and hospitality. It's frightening." Rodrigo saluted solemnly, and said neither humble nor overbearing: "Just, dare to ask what your majesty wants from me?"

Maybe it was because some people claimed that they were treated humanely among the Sealand rebels; maybe they unintentionally praised the practices of these Sealand rebels in eliminating aliens and protecting the people; however, they were met without hesitation. Liquidation and severe punishment, just like what happened to Rodrigo.

"Simona, you don't need it at all, really don't need it..." However, Rodrigo tightly held the woman's hands on his chest, because of the ups and downs and exhaustion of the journey, the slender hands were covered with scars: "No matter what, I will make sure..."

"But I would like to swear in front of the Holy See that I never took the initiative to betray the Holy Nation during this process, nor did I do anything that harmed the interests of the Holy Nation; I want to go back to the Holy Kingdom, because there are things I care about.”

"Of course it's your allegiance," Jiang Tian laughed when he heard the words. Obviously, this knight model is upright, but he is not dull at all: "From the very beginning when I saw you, I felt that I was very close to you, and I was very optimistic about you. .”

"Simone!" Rodrigo couldn't help being shocked when he heard the words, but he heard the woman behind him continue: "I mustered great courage to come before you and say these shameless words. I pray for your forgiveness and peace." Asylum, because I have nothing to rely on in this foreign country."

"Of course, loyalty and trust can't be built casually." Jiang Tian interrupted him, who was hesitant to speak, and said: "So I have a proposal, I ask you to serve the kingdom for ten years, just like You did the same thing at the pagan court of Zaragoza."

"So, you don't need your influence and relationship background in the Holy Kingdom, and you don't care about the benefits of power and status. I think it's the integrity and justice you always uphold regardless of class or crowd, and the courage to persist Faith, indomitable courage and perseverance..."

And it seems understandable for him to take the lead in propagating heresy ideas abroad and subverting the virtues and traditions of the holy country.Perhaps the Galician archbishop, who had never been masked in his life, was the one who sentenced not only him, but also the soldiers who had been released and returned home.

However, Rodrigo is, after all, a prestigious grand knight in the kingdom, and a member of the noble class and generations of knights; he has served the prince of the principality as a trusted courtier; therefore, he can get a relatively decent public trial, as for Not necessarily others.

For a moment, he was a little confused; because of this terrible result that people didn't want to think about, the last bit of hope he had left and insisted on for the future of the Holy Kingdom was also shaken.Therefore, Simone didn't even realize that she opened the door and walked in and stood beside her.

"Then you are completely wrong. Those people in the Holy Kingdom are just blind-eyed, clinging to tradition and missing a talent who can lead the country to prosperity." Jiang Tian interrupted him with a smile: "But I am different from them, I've always valued only you as a person."

"Rodrigo!" The woman suddenly called his name and said, "I know you are hesitating, but even if I am a despicable woman who is greedy for vanity, I know that it is impossible in the Holy Kingdom. And the kindness of a new king And patience, but it should not be underestimated or hesitated for too long."

But after reluctantly maintaining as if nothing had happened and seeing off these visitors, Rodrigo instead fell into deep trouble and depression.Because he suddenly remembered that there were hundreds of people exiled in the Benas Desert in the Galician archbishop's verdict.

Rodrigo is more willing to believe that they actually hid their whereabouts and scattered, and have secretly returned to their hometown; instead of encountering some kind of accident for no reason in the land where they were born.Although Brother Teresa observed the situation, he quickly bypassed this topic with interest.

That night, Ridrigo, who asked for a meeting, was ushered into the Palace of St. Anthony's Cross.Jiang Tian, ​​on the other hand, was dressed in a relaxed and lazy long robe, reclining on his seat, reviewing official documents and giving orders.And Rodrigo was arranged to sit down and wait quietly for a while.

"..." The next moment, Rodrigo suddenly felt the warmth and moisture dripping from his head; and Simona seemed to hold him tighter: "Then please don't abandon me? I'm just a A vulgar woman who once longed for comfort and luxury."

Then, he was embraced from behind by a warm chest and breath. "Simone?" Rodrigo couldn't help but exclaimed.However, I heard the trembling voice of the woman behind me: "Don't move, don't turn your head, otherwise, I won't have the courage to face you."

In addition to those led by Brother Teresa, the comrades in a foreign country, and their relatives who are waiting for news at home.At this moment, Rodrigo suddenly shuddered, but he didn't know how to explain it to the people in front of him; could it be that they all disappeared after returning home?

"None of what you said..." Rodrigo smiled helplessly when he heard the words: "I was even the enemy of that Knight King at one time, but the unpredictable fate bestowed by God made me a His captives, and warmly solicited."

"I... just want to ask you a question," Simone paused, and then continued to speak: "Could it be that you are actually an illegitimate child from a foreign royal family? Or are you the blood of the kingdom's nobles? The knight king of Zealand, who has made great achievements?"

"I already know that everything you have encountered along the way is true; it's just that those adults in the dynasty are unwilling to accept and face it. I also fully understand your thoughts all the time, I realized what I had lost and missed.”

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Obviously you are wrong. I have lost everything and am just a criminal and traitor who was forced into exile." Rodrigo said calmly, "It is no longer worthy of your solemnity." The courtesies and preferential treatment of the matter..."

"That's why I missed you again and again in the end... But now, because of you, I have lost everything in the past and become a ruined and despised runaway woman; this may be my unavoidable catastrophe , is also God’s punishment for breaking my oath.”

"Of course, during this period, unless you make a request, you will not be allowed to participate in any military operations related to the Holy Kingdom; nor will it violate the knight traditions and principles you uphold. Of course, wait until the ten-year period expires After that, you can also choose to stay for yourself."

"..." Hearing this, Rodrigo was completely speechless; after being silent for a while, he asked again: "I don't know, what does Your Majesty need me to do?"

"I will appoint you as the head of the first regiment of my security guards. Of course, this is just a title and qualification. In fact, I will lead a company." Jiang Tian then threw out the plan he had prepared in advance: "You will be my special guard. As an inspection representative, he is responsible for picketing cases of heterogeneous disposal in various places."

"For a long time, the Freedom Army has been fighting all kinds of aliens hidden in the dark, and the handling of abnormal events; it is inevitable and likely to cause some unjust, false and wrong cases; even man-made framing and persecution incidents, I need you to find out the hidden problems, and make appropriate corrections."

"It's also because you are a foreigner with a relatively clean background; you have nothing to do with the vast majority of forces and interest groups in the kingdom, and you are difficult to be bribed and moved by threats, and you have a sufficiently fair and flexible position. A pointless sacrifice in search of the truth."