【Fazhen】Empty Heaven

France in 1428 may no longer be called France.

The war with England has been going on for nearly a hundred years. In 1328, Charles IV, the last king of the French Capet dynasty, died, and Philip of the Vallois family, a branch of the extinct Capet family, succeeded to the throne.At the same time, Edward III of the Plantagenet Dynasty of England, as the nephew of King Charles IV of France, made a claim to the French throne and launched a war in 1337.

This long war was like a contest between the British and French nobles, with several armistices but never real peace.The fertile land of France was barren in the war, and as time went by, the French army lost steadily on the battlefield, especially after the King of England formed an alliance with the Duke of Burgundy in 1415, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. In 1420, King Henry V of England forced King Charles VI of France to sign the Treaty of Troyes. Henry V married Charles VI's daughter, and the treaty recognized that their future heirs would become the common kings of France and England.

In 1422, Charles VI and Henry V died successively. England declared that Henry VI, who was under one year old at the time, was the co-lord of Britain and France. It is naturally impossible for Charles VI's unsuccessful son Charles to admit this result.The crown prince, having lost Paris, had to move his court to Chinon, south of the Loire.By 1428, the English had captured most of the area north of the Loire, and parts of Bordeaux to the south.

And in this year, Francis Bonnofova bid farewell to the crown prince and left Chinon, wandering around the land where the war spread.

His body was already very weak, and the long years of war had exhausted France. The war devoured his flesh and blood like an insatiable glutton, but what really made him so weak was the betrayal of people's hearts.

The Golden Lily is no longer able to rule France. The lords from all over the country are doing their own thing. For their own interests, they either seek refuge in England or sit on the sidelines. Who else will fight for France?The uncrowned king thinks of living, the nobles think of their fortunes, the poorest live, and France—where is France?Were they Burgundians, or Bretons, or Champagne, what did that have to do with France?

Francis smiled wryly—yes, what does this have to do with France?France is dying now, and perhaps in a few years there will be only Arthur Kirkland in the world, and the golden lily will decay and decay, sinking into the dust without leaving a trace.

It's really sad, but he can only wait for this day in desperation.

He walked on his land, but he couldn't feel any strength to support him to go on.He was dejected like a down and out deserter, his shoulder-length hair hadn't been washed for a long time, and it was dirty and curled.He wears the most shabby clothes, no longer grooms himself, and at first glance looks dirtier than the poorest bum.He walked around aimlessly like this, until one day, in a wilderness in Lorraine, he met the girl.

After nightfall, the bonfire can be seen more clearly from a distance.He left the main road and walked towards the direction of the fire, and saw only a thin girl sitting there alone by the fire, curled up with her knees in her arms, singing the nursery rhymes circulating in this area in a low voice, and didn't seem to notice that someone was going on close here.It wasn't until Francis appeared by the campfire, the light from his bearded face, that she finally spotted him.

"Oh—hello, my sir." The girl jumped up, and she didn't seem to show any disgust at his sudden appearance and slovenly appearance, "Are you a traveler traveling alone too? Please sit down, here I am And some food, if you need..."

She began rummaging in a small package she carried with her, and finally produced a scone and handed it to him.

Francis was taken aback for a moment, hesitated for a moment, took the scones and sat down opposite her unceremoniously.

"Thank you, kind girl." He crossed himself like a bum appreciating a handout, and began to eat.Although he doesn't feel hungry, he intends to act like a real deserter-after all, it's a fun experience to play a character you're not familiar with.

The girl then also sat down and watched him eat with her chin propped up.

No one spoke for a while, Francis ate scones, the bonfire crackled from time to time among them, and there seemed to be the sound of night birds in the distance.This night was as quiet as every night in the past, but it was different for Francis.Dirty and hungry as a fugitive he sat by the fire eating a dry scone, and for the only time in many nights he was not alone in the cold and weary.

He quickly ate it up, thanked the girl again for her kindness, and then everything fell silent again.

He leaned closer to the fire to warm his hands. The fire seemed to warm his body, but his heart was still cold.It was so cold that he even felt disgusted.

"Why did you go on the road alone, kind girl?" He couldn't help breaking the unbearable silence.

The girl straightened up: "I ran away from home... I was going to Chinon to meet the crown prince, but my father didn't allow me to go, so I ran out by myself."

Francis raised his eyebrows and seemed to be interested: "Crown Prince? Are you talking about Charles VII?"

"No, he hasn't accepted the coronation yet," the girl said seriously. "Every king of France should be crowned in Reims Cathedral. It has always been like this."

"But Lance is in England's hands now."

"Yes. That's why I'm going to see the Crown Prince. I'll drive out the English, first Orleans, then Reims. I'll crown the Crown Prince at Reims Cathedral, and then there won't be another England on the land of France Soldier!" The girl's voice rose slightly with excitement, and her expression was sincere and eager.

"Crown?" Francis laughed dumbfounded. How whimsical is it for a country girl to drive away the powerful British army and crown the King of France!Even the nobles around the crown prince can't imagine... I'm afraid even the Archbishop of Lance himself doesn't believe that Lance can recover!

But the girl jumped up and looked at him sternly: "Please do not doubt what I say, sir! My master has entrusted me with this mission, by my hand to crown the crown prince, and by my strength let me free France from the evil of England." Rescue from the dead—this is the mission my lord entrusted to me, and I will definitely complete it.”

"Your master?"

"Yes, my lord, lord of heaven, lord of this world. I pray to him every day, to Our Lady, like the Archangel St. Michael, to St. Catherine and St. Marguerite who came to me ’” She clasped her hands on her breast, and bowed her head as if the saints were before her, “I will defeat the English, I will drive the English away. The French banner will not fall. My lord has given me great strength , with which I will save the splendor of the golden lily."

Then she opened her eyes and looked up at Francis calmly and seriously: "If you don't believe me, sir, you are doubting the holy name of God."

Francis looked into her pious eyes, which seemed somewhat mysterious and noble against the firelight.Having read countless people, he was not surprised to see unusual strength in her—perhaps it was the blessing of God she said, but Francis was never a believer in any sect.He only knew that the girl's innocence and devotion might be her greatest strength.

But she stood in front of him and said word by word that she would save the glory of Golden Lily.

He suddenly laughed, stood up, and brushed the grass off his body.

"If you want to keep this promise, come to Chinon, Jean. You will see the Crown Prince."

The girl's eyes widened suddenly: "You...why do you know my name?"

"Of course I know. I know the names of each of you." Francis put his right hand on his chest and smiled.

France remembered the names of every member of his family.And her name is destined to shine among all living beings.

Jeanned 'Arc.

"I'll be waiting for you at Chinon, Jean."

Francis turned to leave, but the girl stopped him loudly—

"Wait a minute, please! Who are you? St. Catherine told me that I would meet someone who could help me—"

"I'm not the same as your God." Francis interrupted her. "I never believe. I only believe in what is worth believing."

The girl seemed taken aback by him: she had never seen anyone claim to have no faith.This man was unquestionably a heathen, a heathen who blasphemed God.

But Francis read her mind: "Oh no, my dear Jean, I'm not a heathen, because faith means nothing to me. My body belongs to this land, and my soul belongs to everyone here .”

Then he stopped explaining, turned and left, and sang a ballad casually, generous and desolate.

"Mate Roland, sound the horn,

Charlie hears, he'll hurry back to the pass;

I assure you, the French will come back. "

The girl recognized the song: "This is..."Song of Roland"!"

Francis looked back at her, and seemed to be still smiling, but the singing was more passionate.

"Roland replied, that's not okay,

My ancestors cannot be blamed,

Do not let lovely France suffer infamy;

I can only fight with Durenda,

The sword that I wear by my side,

You'll see it stained with blood. "

He used this song to answer the girl's inquiry.

—France, this is my name, my life, and my only honor.