Chapter 426.
Chapter 426 – Blackmail
On the outskirts of the Gabella Imperial Capital, the MacDonald family’s manor.
A carriage slowly drove into this extremely extensive forest garden, at this time it was raining, the ground had accumulated quite a lot of rainwater, the wheels drove on the green stone paved path, splashing a burst of water.
The carriage drove straight through the courtyard and came to the main building of the manor, the successive generations of family heads who served in the imperial army had branded this building with a deep military style, it looked more like a military fortress than a mansion for people to live in.
Just as the carriage stopped, a servant rushed out in the rain, clutching a woolen cloak in his hand, then the door opened and Marshal MacDonald, dressed in a knight’s armor, stepped out of the carriage, and the servant immediately draped the woolen cloak over him.
Marshal without a word, sprinting into the mansion, after entering is the main hall, with the external style is different, inside the decoration is still opulent, and other great nobles of the home in general.
As soon as he entered, a woman greeted him and personally removed his cloak for him, handing it over to the maid at the side.
“Oh, dear.” Marshal MacDonald embraced his wife and said with a smile, “This cold of yours has come at a bad time, otherwise you would have been able to greet me at the palace banquet, which, I tell you, is full of wonderful, handsome young men today.”
The marshal’s wife gave her husband a blank look, “Just got back and you’re not being proper.”
Today was the day that Marshal MacDonald returned to the Imperial Capital, and Emperor Bartlett Griffin held a grand banquet at the Palace to welcome him.
Due to his wife’s health ailments, she waited for him to return at home, but if it was a few decades ago when the two were newlyweds, the wife would have run to the city gates to wait for her husband’s return even if she was not feeling well.
The lady came close to her husband’s ear and whispered, “The Chancellor sent someone to the house and is still waiting for you.”
Hearing this, MacDonald’s brows tightened.
“What a gloomy soul.”
He sighed, “Alright, I’ll go meet this messenger.”
In the marshal’s study, the messenger from the Diaz family was led here by a servant.
It was a shrewd-looking middle-aged man who bowed respectfully to MacDonald as soon as he entered.
“Congratulations to Your Excellency on your return from the victory, now His Majesty the Emperor and even the entire empire is relying on you even more.”
The marshal waved his hand raised and gestured for him to sit down, clearly not interested in the emissary’s compliments, “I’m not a person who likes to beat around the bush, just tell me what your lordship chancellor has to say.”
The visitor smiled slightly, “Good, Lord MacDonald deserves the honor of being in the military for so many years, it’s so refreshing, I’ll get right to it then.”
He cleared his throat slightly and continued in a gentle tone, “Lord Chancellor sent me here to request something from you.”
The messenger’s posture was lowered.
“In a little while, the Duke of Diaz will make a proposal to His Majesty the Emperor – to formalize the heir to the throne.”
MacDonald’s pupils shrank, unexpectedly this was the case.
He purposely said in a tone of disinterest, “As the Imperial Chancellor, it is only right that Duke Diaz proposes such a thing to His Majesty, there is no need to inform me.”
The messenger leaned his body forward, “Of course it is not that simple, what the Duke means is that the next Emperor of the Empire deserves and must be His Highness Felix Griffin. It is hoped that at that time, you will stand up in unequivocal support of him.”
A thunderclap rang out of the window, and the light of lightning illuminated the room.
MacDonald narrowed his eyes, “His Grace the Duke’s grandson?”
The messenger responded with a grin, “The firstborn son of the royal family born to His Majesty the Emperor and his rightful wife, the Empress.”
MacDonald said, “Which son His Majesty wishes to pass the throne to is His Majesty’s own affair, and we as subjects have no right to interfere by usurping our authority.”
The emissary tightened his smile and retorted, “This statement of the marshal’s is wrong, the matter of the heir to the throne interferes with the destiny of the entire empire, and the futures of countless subjects rest on it, so how can it be said that it is His Majesty’s own business?”
Although the messenger’s words were somewhat disrespectful to the emperor, MacDonald was nevertheless unable to refute them.
“Even so, why should I support His Highness Felix? Those old fellows of mine are praising His Highness Antonio’s performance in this war.”
The Gabella Empire did not have an explicit system of primogeniture, especially for the royal family, and successive emperors tended to choose what they considered to be the most talented son as their heir.
The messenger replied nonchalantly, “First of all, His Highness Felix’s talent is well known, and even though the second prince is good at military strategy, it’s the overall ability to govern a country, especially for a large country such as our Gabella, that’s crucial. And with His Highness Felix’s mother’s family lineage, the major nobles of the empire led by the Diaz family will be on his side, you don’t want the MacDonald family to be isolated, do you?” The old marshal grunted and asked rhetorically, “The major nobles led by the Diaz family will be on his side, is Lord Chancellor so confident? How so, then what position is the royal family – the Griffins – in?”
“This ……” the messenger was momentarily speechless.
He knew that he had lost his words, and immediately rounded off the conversation, “The Griffin family, who is the royal family, is naturally in a transcendent position. Well, Lord MacDonald, it’s meaningless to pick at words, let’s talk about business.”
The emissary took a breath and said, “The second reason is drawn from the imperial son’s mother’s family – the future of the empire can’t be handed over to a child born of a magical child!”
Marshal MacDonald’s eyes widened instantly and he chided, “Be careful what you say! She is a woman recognized by His Majesty.”
“Yes, my lord.” The messenger nodded, “I apologize for my slip of the tongue.”
That said, his face was not as alarmed as it had been that time earlier.
“Let me put it another way, the future of the empire should not be placed in the hands of a son born to a woman of unknown origin.”
MacDonald closed his eyes and did not respond.
“Lord MacDonald, I have explained the Chancellor’s request to you. What, then, are your conditions? I will relay it to him as is, I have come with sincerity, and as long as your conditions are not particularly excessive, Lord Diaz will surely fulfill them.”
MacDonald still had his eyes closed, his mind recalling the several conversations Maester Aarvis had had with him on the way back to the Imperial Capital, as well as the prophecy that Aarvis had repeatedly mentioned.
Oh, nebulous prophecy, he usually hated these godly things, although on the side of the Second Prince, he had endured the favor of the previous generation, but it was not enough to shake the code he had always followed.
As for the Grand Prince’s side, he did not intend to support it either.
He opened his eyes and slowly stood up, ”I am a soldier of the Empire, I fight for the Empire, and I will pledge my allegiance to whoever sits in that position – as long as he is legitimate. So tell that to the Chancellor ……”
Snap! Before the marshal could finish, the messenger clapped softly, but the expression on his face seemed to be that he had heard something funny.
The marshal, who had been interrupted, was a little angry, and was about to scold the other, when he heard the messenger say:
“Well, Lord MacDonald, in fact, Lord Diaz had not expected to convince you with my mouth alone.”
Then he slowly pulled out an object from his bosom.
“You see, what is this?”
It was a dagger with an ancient shape and a beautiful pattern engraved on it.
Yet this dagger made MacDonald’s heart ring with thunder.
“Where did you …… you guys get it from?”
The emissary’s eyes shone with a ghostly cold light, “Nothing in this country is hidden from the Diaz family.”
“Where is he now?”
It was as if the old marshal had turned into an enraged lion, ready to rage at any moment.
The messenger resumed his smile, “Don’t worry, Lord MacDonald, he is safe and living comfortably, as well as those you sent to him. It is just that should you reconsider your decision?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. How dare I threaten a veteran of the military like you? Even if I represent the Diaz family. We just want to put some …… but correct options that may be ignored by you in front of you, of course, the exact choice is still up to you.”
MacDonald sat down somewhat disheveled as the messenger waited quietly for a response.
After a moment of silence, the old marshal’s voice rang through the room.
“Well, please reply to the Chancellor that I will consider his request carefully.”
(End of chapter)