【Fazhen】Empty Heaven

Francis returned to Chinon.When he reappeared in front of the uncrowned Charles VII, the latter was really taken aback.

"I thought you...wouldn't come back." He hesitated.

For a crown prince, he looked too shabby.He wears old clothes, and his figure is not tall and straight, or rather thin, with obviously underdeveloped knees bent inwards, and he always looks sad and weak.The nobles around him were all better looking than he looked, and they were - he owed them a lot of money and had no power at all.

Francis has long been used to the crown prince, and he has been on the side of the crown prince from the beginning and has never fallen to the Burgundian faction, but he has not yet recognized this Charles as his king.

"Of course I will come back. Where else can I go? Paris? Or Burgundy?" Francis shook his head and laughed at himself. "France is no longer France, but at least I don't want to go to England or Burgundy." Man, they've wanted this land for a long time. I'm not on your side, my lord, I'm on France's side."

He looked at Charlie with presumptuous contempt in his eyes.He never recognized him, either as king, or the French spirit inherited by the Golden Lily.

Charlie responded with silence.

Yes, I can't speak for France.

From the beginning to the end, you are the only one who can represent France, Francis Bonofau.

Francis saw the girl again in January of the following year.

The people in the castle were eagerly discussing the girl from the Lorraine countryside, so that when the news reached the ears of the Crown Prince, the whole of Chinon knew of her existence.

"You said, should I see her?" Charlie asked Francis for help hesitantly.

"Why not? The girl said she was sent by God to crown you." Francis pretended to be casual, but secretly admired in his heart that the girl did not break her promise.She came to Chinon as she said, and she will meet the crown prince as she wished, so will she also save France as she wished?Francis didn't know.

"You mean, I should go?" Charlie was still undecided.

Francis sneered: "Your Highness, the reason why you have repeatedly asked for my opinion is that if this meeting is not satisfactory, if that girl does not shoulder the mission of God as she claims, you want me to take responsibility for this wrong decision --right?"

Charlie didn't refute, but his face was a little ugly.

"In this case, let me give you an idea." Francis patted the crown prince on the shoulder and smiled slyly, "We can find someone to pretend to be you to meet her, if she can find out that it is a fake, she can get out of the crowd." found you in..."

Charlie suddenly said: "Just do it like this! If she can recognize the blood of the royal family... I will recognize her!"

"And this will also take the opportunity to dispel everyone's doubts about your bloodline, won't it?" Francis glanced at him with ulterior motives. One of the important reasons why Prince Charles failed to take over the throne decently from his father was that His biological mother publicly identified him as an illegitimate child.His mother, who almost destroyed France, married her daughter Catherine to the King of England, and recognized that their heirs would have the right to inherit the two crowns of France and England, thus depriving her own son of the right to inherit.Therefore, Charlie never knew whether he really had the blood of Golden Lily, although he declared it to the world.

"I found you to be a good adviser, Francis." Charlie praised.

Francis smiled and shook his head: "I just lived too long...but I still hope to continue living."

The girl wrapped in a cloak walked into the hall of the castle, followed a guard through the crowd and walked to the simple throne under the unceremonious scrutiny of the people.

"This is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" the guard said loudly.

The girl stood in front of the throne with some hesitation, and took off her hat, revealing her long golden hair.There was an exclamation of reproach, for it was evident that the "girl" was dressed in men's clothing, and that her hair was bared without a bonnet.

But the girl didn't care about the reactions of the people around her.She slowly raised her head and looked at the people on the throne, from boots to knee-length pants, from cape to collar.Then she saw a young and handsome face, tilting his head and resting his chin on his hand, looking at her with an unpredictable smile, his blond hair was tied back, and he looked noble and charming.

If he is the crown prince, she should kneel.But she didn't.She was startled when she saw this face, and then tested the other person with her eyes a little helplessly, but the person on the throne always had an unpredictable smile on her face, just like a few months ago, she was in Lorraine. The suburbs met him.

She bowed to him and said, "Nice to see you again, my lord. But tell me, where is the Crown Prince of France?"

The crowd was in an uproar.No doubt those present were familiar with Charlie's appearance and knew that the man on the throne was an imposter, but why would a country girl find out?You must know that the substitute is far more like the royal family of Golden Lily than the real crown prince.

Francis on the throne smiled undisguisedly: "This is not an appropriate joke, girl."

The girl stood up straight without fear: "Please call me Jeanne, sir."

"Oh well, Joan." Francis laughed. "If I'm not the crown prince—where is the crown prince? And who am I?"

The girl turned her eyes to the crowd, looked over slowly and carefully, then suddenly strode up to a table with food, and saluted a man standing there with ordinary clothes and an unremarkable appearance: "You are the king of France." Banner, my lord. I have come to see you. I have come by the will of God to give back to you the kingdom of France that God has given you. I will liberate Orleans, I will lead you to be crowned at Reims, and I will drive England out People—France will triumph."

Charlie stared stiffly at the girl kneeling in front of him, trembling slightly with excitement.Everyone present fell silent.They witnessed with their own eyes a country girl finding the crown prince whom she had never met in the crowd. Could it be that God confirmed the successor of Golden Lily through the girl's hand?

"Your Highness?" The girl couldn't help raising her head when she didn't get a response after a long time.

"Oh..." Charlie stammered, "Oh... of course! You recognize the noble blood! You may indeed be an apostle of God. Get up now, maiden Joan of Arc. There are too many people here, I think we should talk alone... Oh! Francis! You can come down from my throne."

Francis?

Joan stood up and looked in the direction of the throne curiously.The overly beautiful man calmly left the seat that did not belong to him, and was also looking at him.The moment the eyes met, she froze for a moment. She wasn't afraid of the suspicious gazes of countless people present, but was surprised by that man's eyes as blue as the blue sea—as if he could see through everything, but he was powerless about everything.

In an instant, amidst the noisy voices of the audience, she suddenly realized.

"France!"

The girl's voice penetrated the discussion of the crowd, and Francis was stunned, seeing Joan's firm and excited face through everyone who was either surprised or puzzled.

With a move in his heart, he pushed aside the crowd and strode towards her.

"You just asked me if I knew who you were," exclaimed the teenage girl, excited by her discovery of the best secret in the world! "Now I know, you are—"

However, Francis had already rushed to her first, covered the girl's mouth with his hand without grace or even disrespect, and dragged her to a corner of the hall.Only then did Charlie, who was left on the spot, react, signaling that everyone should ignore this little confusion.Francis' identity was as simple as the crown prince's staff member to most people present, and neither Charlie nor he himself had any intention of explaining this complex and strange existence to everyone.

"Pay attention to your words and deeds, girl!" Seeing that everyone quickly turned their attention away, Francis finally let go of her hand and lowered his voice, "I don't know where you heard about this Yes, but I hope you keep quiet."

"So you really are France?" Joan of Arc was still so excited that she looked at him with almost scorching eyes, "Saint Catherine told me that I would get help from France! But I really didn't expect—"

"Okay, okay..." Francis tried to calm her down, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie's face becoming ugly, "Give me a moment, and I will explain this to you. But before that , girl—I mean, Joan of Arc, shouldn't you go and have a private talk with the Crown Prince first?"

Joan looked at Charlie not far away with a gloomy face, and then at Francis in front of her. As if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath and knelt at his feet.

Francis was taken aback, and the girl kissed the hem of his robe with a more pious expression than all the believers he had seen.

"I have come for France, for the glory of France. God has entrusted me with this mission, and I will carry out his will."

Then she looked up and looked into Francis' eyes.

"If you were France..."

"I am." Francis nodded, "I am this land, this language, and everyone who lives on this land."

Jeanne smiled.It was the first time Francis saw her smile. She was not a particularly beautiful woman, but her smile was as beautiful as the winter sun.This smile even warmed his heart that was gradually freezing due to the betrayal of people's hearts.

She took out a rusty dagger from her bosom, then gathered her long hair and cut it off easily.The golden hair fell in front of Francis, light and soft.Joan raised her face, her rough-cut hair was stunned, but she didn't care.

"I lay my life at your feet, France. I will give my life for you."