The sun never sets rose

The title of Duke of Norfolk is owned by the Howard family. During the period of Henry VIII, this family had two beheaded queens, one was Anne Boleyn and the other was Catherine Howard.

The current Duke is the fourth generation of the hereditary, only 21 years old.

According to historical records, the Duke commanded the British army to fight against the Soviet Union in 1560. He was a hero who made great contributions. However, he was later arrested and imprisoned because of his involvement in the conspiracy of the Queen of Scotland to seize the throne. He was then released and participated in the Spanish invasion of England. , was eventually executed.

It is said that when Elizabeth signed the execution document, she hesitated for a long time.

Take all precautions, and the people around you are the most difficult to guard against. Jiang Xinyan doesn't know how to remind Elizabeth that if that woman is still kept in the dark, this war will undoubtedly be dangerous, and even, there will be no return.

When she found Mrs. Ashley, she and Hannah were coming this way. Jiang Xinyan ran too fast and couldn't stop, so she fell into her arms, panting heavily: "Ma'am, hurry up, take me out of the palace...to chase His Majesty…"

"What's the matter, miss?" He was confused.

"I...I know...who the traitor might be..." The corset was too tight, and he was out of breath, "His Majesty is in danger now... Please, take me there..."

Ashley frowned, his face pale, "Who is it?"

"The Duke of Norfolk..."

As soon as the words fell, Ashley and Hannah took a breath at the same time, looked around hurriedly, and said in a low voice: "Miss Jiang, you can't talk like this!"

"Trust me, there is definitely something wrong with him." There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and his cheeks were flushed. "Or we can go to Lord Worthingham. In any case, let him send someone to deliver a letter to His Majesty."

There was the sound of trotting footsteps behind her, and Olo followed her panting, grabbed her arm and dragged her back, "Don't listen to the wind and rain, maybe your Majesty knows it well?"

Due to the presence of outsiders, Olo used the honorific name.

However, Jiang Xinyan's mind is full of pictures of Elizabeth riding a horse and walking with the Duke of Norfolk. The man's normal smile has become hypocritical and sinister in her eyes, and she is afraid that history will be changed...

She was dragged away like a stiff puppet, with only mechanical movements of her hands and feet, a pair of black watery eyes were covered with a thin mist, and goose bumps appeared all over her body.

"Wait, Miss Jiang." Ashley stopped them, and quickly followed, with a solemn expression, "If your guess is based, I can take you to see Lord Worthingham."

The numb pupils regained focus, and soon lost their minds, seeming to mutter: "There is no basis, it's just my intuition, I'm sorry..."

After regaining her composure, Jiang Xinyan realized that she was too reckless, not to mention that no one would believe her, even if the evidence was sufficient, Elizabeth might not do anything to him. She didn't understand what that woman was thinking at all, except for worrying. Still worrying.

It's frustrating, she's always an outsider.

Ashley and Hannah looked at her strangely, but said nothing, letting Olo drag her back.

"Don't tell anyone what happened today." Turning his head, he instructed the bewildered Hannah.

"Oh... madam, what is this young lady's background?"

"No matter what her background is, I hope she won't bring disaster to His Majesty." Looking at the figure that disappeared at the end of the corridor, with a touch of worry on his brows, Ashley faintly felt that Jiang Xinyan was different from other girls of the same age, maybe , is caused by cultural differences.

Scotland, Stirling.

After the failure of the last battle, Leesburg was not captured, and the Scottish "Congregationalist" sect rebels retreated here.The city was once the political and commercial center of the ancient Kingdom of Scotland until the capital was moved to Edinburgh in the fifteenth century, and now it has become the stronghold of Protestant power.

After five days and four nights of marching, the English army arrived in Stirling and joined the "Congregationalist" rebels. Elizabeth met with the leader, the Earl of Arlen.

The queen didn't mention the battle plan, but asked the Duke of Norfolk to arrange for the soldiers to rest in the city for three days. Even the rebels were puzzled by her actions.

On the morning of the fourth day, Elizabeth received a secret letter from a Scottish spy. That night, she ordered the Duke of Norfolk to take a small team to attack the French army stationed in Leesburg.

"It won't work at all, Your Majesty!" The Duke yelled a little irritably, his burly shadow was projected in the dim candlelight, walking back and forth with his hands behind his back, "You don't know how many Frenchmen are there, there are ambushes everywhere, I will bring ten What can a few people do? Steal their brazier??"

The last sentence is purely out of breath and funny. As a general commanding the battle, he brought the army all the way from London, but did nothing. He ate and drank well in the city. He didn’t think it was a war. Basically on vacation.

On the contrary, Elizabeth was extremely calm from the beginning to the end. The day before yesterday, she visited the city of Stirling with great interest. Accompanied by Earl Allen, she wandered around and tasted the customs.

It's like waiting for an opportunity.

"Thomas, don't be impatient." The slender figure disappeared into the hidden darkness, and Elizabeth looked up at him, with golden flames jumping in her deep and piercing pupils, "No one could have expected that the British army would set foot on Scotland again. Territory, unless... someone tipped off, who would this person be?"

There was a hint of weirdness in the smile, beckoning him to guess.

Those gray-blue eyes that were hidden in the shadows suddenly became unfathomable, like a bottomless pit growing in the darkness, devouring people's hearts and souls, and the young Duke felt goosebumps all over his body when he saw her, feeling inexplicably guilty.

Shaking his head, he couldn't guess.

"So, the reaction of the French army is very important."

Suddenly, Elizabeth chuckled, restrained her ghostly smile, walked to him, and patted him on the shoulder, "I can only rest assured if you come to carry out this task, Thomas."

Faintly, he always felt that something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, if I can't get out of here..."

"Don't worry, I'll let Earl Allen bring his people and stand by east of Leesburg to support you at any time." He walked around the wooden table with his back to the Duke of Norfolk, his dark eyes flicked A ray of bloody light passed, just for an instant.

Then he turned around and looked at him firmly, "This battle won't last long, and we will win."

"..."

The Duke of Norfolk didn't know why he agreed to take people to sneak attack. For a nobleman like him with traditional chivalry spirit, sneak attack is shameful.

Helpless, his queen likes to play yin.

woman...

Stirling was not far from Leesburg, and it took less than an hour to drive away. As soon as the Duke of Norfolk left with a dozen people, Elizabeth personally went to inform Earl Allen.

She was so confident because of that secret letter.

The mission of the Catholic spy lurking beside the Queen Mother of Guise has almost been completed. The slow poison given to the old woman in the past few days should be regarded as the onset of time. Before departure from London, Walsingham told her to stay in Stirling for a few days. Today, waiting for accurate news, and the secret letter received today stated that the Queen Mother Guise had died suddenly in the early morning.

The cause of death was illness from overwork and excessive depression.

However, Elizabeth did not immediately launch an attack on the French army stationed in Leesburg, partly due to her cautious and suspicious character, and the other part came from these days of continuous thinking.

In fact, she has always had a grudge against the Duke of Norfolk. A few years ago, when her sister Mary Tudor was in power, she was accidentally involved in a rebellion. , directly supporting her as the king of England.

At that time, the Duke of Norfolk was her sister's adviser and a devout Catholic. What she hoped most was that she, a Protestant princess, would be executed so that there would be no possibility of succession.This conspiracy led directly to her being imprisoned in the Tower of London, and it was Norfolk who arrested her and presided over the trial.

However, Feng Shui took turns. After Elizabeth ascended the throne, Norfolk surrendered his allegiance at the right time. Considering that his ancestors had made great contributions to the founding of the country and were powerful nobles, she did not pursue it.

This is a hidden danger, but there is no evidence.

"You take half of your troops to ambush east of Leithburg. The English army will divide into three groups. The first group will be stationed outside Leithburg, the second group will be on standby west of the castle, and the third group will stay in Stirling." The tip slid across the map, causing a slight heat from the friction.

There was a false and strange gleam in Elizabeth's eyes, but it could be well concealed. This trip was not so much about fighting the war herself as about monitoring the battle situation.Winning or losing this battle is too important to her, taking advantage of the right time, place and people, there must be no mistakes.

"Then what about the remaining half of me?" Earl Allen stuck close to her, inadvertently smelling a delicate fragrance in his hair, and gently sucked his nose.

"Let the Protestant aristocrats of the 'Congregational Church' take the rest of you to the capital Edinburgh and wait outside the city. No matter what news comes from here, you have a way to advance or retreat." Looking up, he retreated halfway without any trace Take a step and distance yourself from him.

The Earl of Allen is also one of her suitors and has the right to inherit the Scottish throne. If she marries this man, there is a certain chance that England and Scotland can be unified.

Realizing his gaffe, the earl coughed lightly and scratched his hair in embarrassment, "I understand, Your Majesty, but why did you send the Duke of Norfolk to attack?"

"Listen well, if he is caught in an ambush and cannot get out of his body, it means that this battle can be fought with confidence. You must support him as quickly as possible, but if he is safe and sound, you must remember not to act rashly."

Although the earl didn't have much leadership ability, he was also a smart person. After receiving a hint from his eyes, he immediately understood. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, straightened his back, and nodded.

"Then let's go."

There was a trace of worry hidden in the evil and strange smile.

Leesburg is a military fortress, similar in nature to the Tower of London, with high walls and thick bricks, surrounded by a low plain, with a wide view and poor concealment.The castle was sleeping in the dark, only the continuous burning torches on the top outlined its general shape and boundaries, and there were several braziers in front of the high-hanging iron gate.

The Duke of Norfolk led a small group of men and horses, slowly circled around the perimeter of the fortress, turned to a small forest on the north slope, and stayed where they were.

"My lord duke, aren't we... going to steal the brazier?" There was a handsome blond guy in the team who couldn't help asking.

"Yes, steal the brazier." The corners of his lips curled up slightly, his pupils that were hidden in the night suddenly dimmed, "I see that there are no two braziers at the door, steal them here, and the task is completed, go quickly."

With a simple finger, after his eyes adapted to the darkness, they were extremely sensitive to light. The bright yellow color of a raging fire not far away instantly sank into his eyes, and he suddenly smiled sinisterly.

The queen used him as an envoy to find the way, he is not stupid.

The people under him were very obedient, and without the slightest hesitation, they rushed out of the woods with their spears in hand.

There was an ear-piercing sound as the metal collided, the brazier fell to the ground with a clang, and there was only a drowsy exclamation, and the originally quiet castle suddenly boiled...

Then there were several gunshots and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground.

Not long after, the French troops stationed in Leesburg came out in full force, and the movement and battle were obviously much smaller than last time. Norfolk hid in the woods to listen to the movement, and none of the men he sent to steal the brazier came back. .

"grown ups…"

"Go, go back the same way." With a wave of his hand, he turned the horse's head.

If the queen really asked Earl Allen to bring people nearby to wait for reinforcements, then it should be dispatched now, and let their "congregationalists" fight the French army...

However, when he returned to his station in Stirling City, there was no one there.

"His Majesty?"

No one answered.