monarch

In the blink of an eye, a week has passed since Princess Mary entered the capital.

As early as a few hours before Princess Mary entered the city, the surviving members of parliament eagerly convened the parliament, declared Princess Mary as "the legitimate queen of Britain, Ireland and France", and denounced Jane, whom they had pledged their allegiance to not long ago. Gray for usurper and rebel.So when Princess Mary arrived at the Whitehall Palace, this resolution, together with more than a hundred letters of loyalty from the MPs, was already on her desk.

For the MPs, such an impatient approach is naturally out of the need to remove suspicion. After all, each of them has signed the letter of allegiance declaring Jane Gray as the Queen, and Princess Mary is currently Externally, he showed a magnanimous gesture of letting go of the past, but judging from historical experience, monarchs have an amazing memory for such things, and they don't know when thunder will fall.For members of parliament, the more actively they show their loyalty now, the more effectively they can clear the future queen's prejudice against them.Furthermore, since they have already signed such a letter of allegiance once, the psychological burden will naturally be much less when they sign the second time. Just get used to it.

Princess Mary quickly restored the tranquility of the capital. Unlike Jane Gray, she did not choose the queen's suite that once belonged to her mother in the Whitehall Palace, but chose the king's bedroom.

Bishop Gardiner, who returned with Princess Mary, finally got his wish and was appointed Prime Minister of the Cabinet, while other positions were also awarded to Princess Mary's followers in return for their loyalty.However, some people have noticed that some important positions in the cabinet are still vacant, including the two important positions of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister of the Interior. Obviously, Princess Mary intends to keep them in her hands temporarily as a bargaining chip for future negotiations with other factions.

After a four-day rest, Princess Mary ordered the main body of her army to Kent to destroy Princess Elizabeth's power.After several bloody battles, the army under Princess Mary still has an advantage over Princess Elizabeth, but this advantage has been greatly reduced compared to before.In addition, the money in the hands of Princess Mary has also tended to dry up, and taking the capital without bloodshed also means that Princess Mary has lost the possibility of looting the city to supplement military expenses.And her father-in-law, Emperor Charles V, is now heavily in debt and it is difficult to give her effective assistance.Therefore, both economically and militarily, Princess Mary must quickly end this civil war.

The City of London has left about a thousand troops, guarding various key places in the city, including Whitehall Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey - the family of the Chief Minister has been taken from the crypt of the church Come out and be imprisoned in the Tower of London, including Jane Gray, who has only been queen for nine days.Obviously, for Princess Mary, who believes in Catholicism, there is no psychological obstacle to undermining the so-called sacred right of asylum at Westminster Abbey, which is occupied by Anglicans.

Three days later, the long-awaited news came from the direction of Kent: After a bloody eight-hour battle, Princess Mary's army won another Pyrrhic battle at a heavy cost. victory.Now Princess Elizabeth's remnants are retreating slowly and systematically towards their base camp, while Princess Mary's army is advancing cautiously.If this situation continues, then Princess Mary's side will win the final victory.

For Princess Mary, although this ending is not so perfect because it failed to achieve the goal of quick victory, victory is victory after all.On the day when the good news came, she ordered Bishop Gardiner to inform the local counties of the victory. Naturally, the purpose was to imply that the local officials at both ends of the head rat would openly pledge their allegiance as soon as possible.

On the morning of July 28th, Princess Mary got up very early as usual. After the morning prayer, she went to the restaurant for breakfast accompanied by her maid, accompanied by several obstetricians—Princess Mary’s expected date of delivery coming soon.

To everyone's surprise, surprising news came during breakfast: an army appeared on the outskirts of London, and has now occupied Hampton Court Palace not far from the city. Look, it is the Guards who have been in Wales for more than half a month since His Majesty was poisoned.

The news of the arrival of the Imperial Guards immediately caused panic in the Whitehall Palace. Now the strength of all parties in the civil war can hardly be compared with the Imperial Guards. This powerful force has become the winner of the civil war.Is this army an enemy or a friend?What is it and its commander, Robert Dudley, going to do next?Which heir to the throne will they support?These few questions will directly determine the outcome of the largest battle for the throne since the Wars of the Roses.

As soon as Princess Mary got the news, she immediately ordered the new prime minister, Bishop Gardner, who was resting in her private residence, to enter the palace immediately to have an audience.Bishop Gardner also understood the importance of the matter very well. Like lightning, his carriage rushed into the courtyard of Whitehall Palace half an hour later, foaming at the mouth of the two white horses pulling the carriage.

The bishop didn't wait for the carriage to come to a stop, he opened the door and jumped out, as agile as a hare, the fear of losing the power he dreamed of made him climb the stairs faster than a 20-year-old young man.

Princess Mary received the breathless bishop in the king's office.This magnificent office has served every king since Edward III.Its fifteen-foot ceilings, its dark oak paneling adorning its four walls, and its rustic furniture with gilded corners exude a sense of power.

Princess Mary is seated in an armchair behind her desk, behind her is a huge portrait of King Henry VIII by Hans Holbein, and when the Bishop enters the room, he sees father and daughter The scene where the eagle-like eyes of the two men cast their eyes on him at the same time.The blow was so effective that cold sweat immediately broke out on the bishop's forehead: after decades of serving under the moody King Henry VIII, this instinctive fear had been seared deep into his soul like a rabbit The instinctive fear of the goshawk can be aroused with just the right signal.

"Your Majesty." The bishop's face was red to the ears, and he bowed deeply to Princess Mary.

Princess Mary pointed to an armchair opposite, signaling the bishop to sit down.

"You already know the news?" The way Princess Mary looked at the Bishop made him feel like he was being evaluated like an animal in a slaughterhouse.He pressed the armrest hard to calm himself down.This action really worked, Henry VIII's shadow returned to the portrait on the wall, and the figure sitting in front of him became Mary Tudor again.

"The messenger you sent to summon me brought the news to my house, and I came as soon as I got the news."

Princess Mary nodded, "So what do you think about this matter?"

"I think we must seek a peaceful solution." The bishop hesitated for a moment and said in a gentle tone.

"You're saying that if we choose to use force, we'll hit a stone with a pebble." Princess Mary had a half-smile on her face.

Bishop Gardiner felt his heart beating violently in his chest, and his breathing became a little short.He coughed slightly in embarrassment, and said coyly: "I didn't mean that, Your Majesty, I just want to say... We should first understand the purpose of the other party, and judge whether the army that came is friendly or not." enemy……"

His voice became softer and softer, and the last few words were as faint as ripples on the surface of the water.

"That's a really good question." Princess Mary smiled self-deprecatingly, "Then you say, Robert Dudley led the Guards and drove to a place less than ten miles away from us, and now this kingdom is for him. Yan is like a ripe apple hanging on a branch, you can pick it off with a little tiptoe. If you were him, what would you do with this apple?"

"If it were me," the bishop frowned slightly, "I would use the Imperial Guards as a bargaining chip... up for grabs."

He quietly glanced at the expression on Princess Mary's face, and saw that the other party did not show any displeasure, and then continued: "Now he is in a detached position. If there is no accident, he will play an important role in this dispute." The role of the kingmaker, I think what we need to do now is to win him over to your side...you just need to bid higher than Princess Elizabeth to win."

Princess Mary lowered her head and gently touched her bulging belly. Suddenly, she laughed uncontrollably.

Bishop Gardner looked blankly at his mistress, "Does Your Majesty think there is anything wrong with what I said?"

Princess Mary picked up the handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"On the contrary, you are quite right. In fact, I expected you to say so."

"Then why did you..."

"Why are you laughing?" Princess Mary said, "I don't know either, but I suddenly thought of a story, and I laughed for some reason... It's the story of the golden apple, you must remember it."

Bishop Gardner nodded.

"Legend, at a banquet held by Zeus, Eris, the goddess of strife, threw a golden apple 'for the most beautiful goddess' on the banquet table for life, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite They all wanted this apple, so they found Prince Paris of Troy as a judge." Princess Mary lowered her head, as if speaking to the child in her belly, "The three goddesses all gave him generous promises: Hera promised him to rule the richest country in the world; Athena promised to make him the wisest person in the world...and Aphrodite, she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. "

"I think, if you were Paris, you would definitely put the golden apple in Hera's hand without hesitation." Princess Mary raised her head again, "However, Paris gave the apple to Hera in the end." Aphrodite, and Aphrodite made the beautiful Helen his wife... Then came the ten-year Trojan War, the city fell, the heroes died, and the victors were buried in the storm of returning home. And there are no bones left."

"I don't quite understand. What exactly are you trying to say?" Bishop Gardner's voice was filled with a hint of bewilderment.

"I mean, you are not the same person as Robert Dudley. You and him are completely two extremes. You can't understand him, and he can never understand you." Princess Mary turned the armchair she was sitting on to After a push, he stood up, "He didn't come to make demands, he came here for my brother."

"His Majesty King Edward?"

"Yes, he is here to avenge my brother." Princess Mary's face became serious, "He is a young man of blood, different from a pale priest like you, what drives him is passion not reason."

"However, if he wants revenge, he should go to his father."

"Ah, no." Princess Mary shook her head, "It's not fair for you to say this, don't you know nothing about this conspiracy? This is not the honesty that a priest should have. We every Everyone has Edward's blood on their hands, maybe actively, maybe passively, even if you don't want to admit it, it's a fact."

"I think he is not satisfied with just punishing the culprit. He wants to avenge everyone, or rather, he wants to avenge fate." Princess Mary walked around the writing desk slowly and walked to the bishop, "All you have to do is tell Him, it's unrealistic."

"Me, Your Majesty?" The bishop's voice suddenly became much thinner, and he began to tremble all over.

"Yes, it's you." Princess Mary shrugged her shoulders, "You also said just now that we should seek a peaceful solution...and in my opinion, you are the most suitable person to carry out this mission." She lightly He patted the other person's shoulder lightly, "Don't worry, you are an envoy, he won't do anything to you."

"Then what should I tell him?" The bishop wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, some of which were about to flow to his nose.

"You have to tell him that everything he wants to do is impossible. He is not Edward, and he cannot deal with so many enemies at the same time." Princess Mary said softly, "He holds power that he cannot master. If he doesn't want to Let that force explode in his hands, and if he is blown to pieces, then he will immediately look for a partner. Now his father and Elizabeth have colluded together, if he chooses Elizabeth, then it is equivalent to choosing Elizabeth at the same time. Killed his father, the murderer of his lover, if he wants to do that, then let him do it; but if he doesn't, then he has only me as the only choice."

"You mean... he can't hold the Praetorian for long?"

"He is only the commander of the army, not their master. He has not yet qualified for that. This army is a terrible beast. My brother himself raised it from its cubs and carefully strengthened it. Its cage has thus gained the loyalty of this beast." Princess Mary put on a worried look on her face, "Now its owner is dead, and the gate of the cage has been opened, and it is wandering outside without bounds. looking for the role it should play in this world... and when it realizes the power in its hands, it will bar its fangs, because everyone in this country is its prey."

"In ancient Rome and today's Turkey, the monarch is just a plaything of the Praetorian Guards. They can make any puppet they want to be emperor or sultan, and the chosen one must reward the army with money and power. "Princess Mary's voice became colder and colder, "Once they realize that they can do the same in England, then the monarch, nobles, and parliament will all become playthings in their hands... If Robert Dudley If you don't want this to happen, then the Praetorian Guard will choose a commander who will act as their mouthpiece. Our only hope now is to put this beast back in the cage before it understands this truth. "

"I understand..." Bishop Gardner said tremblingly, "I will pass on all these words to the Earl of Leicester."

"You also have to tell him that I understand his feelings for Edward. Although the dead cannot be resurrected, I am willing to give him the greatest honor." Princess Mary continued, "I will build an Edward VI palace in Piccadilly Circus. Monument to the King; I will donate to open a King Edward VI college in Cambridge or Oxford; the new flagship of the fleet will be named 'King Edward VI'; and my son will be named Edward von Habsburg." She looked at her belly again with infinite love and compassion, "He will become King Edward VII in the future."

"Parliament will pass a bill to grant Edward a title." Princess Mary thought for a moment, "Let's call it 'Edward the Just', if he is not satisfied, we can also discuss...all the honors he wants It can be discussed, even if he wants to change the name of London to Edward Polis, I would not be unacceptable."

Bishop Gardner opened his mouth stupidly, and he stared at Princess Mary dumbfounded, unable to utter a word.

"Although he doesn't care about power and money that much, we still have to give what we should give." Princess Mary added, "Each soldier in the Imperial Guard can get a reward of twenty gold coins, and officers without titles can A knighthood, and every officer with a knighthood will be promoted to a peerage. As for Robert Dudley himself, I will make him the Duke of Westminster, and he will choose one of the two positions of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary."

The poor bishop was already dizzy, and he nodded mechanically like a chicken pecking rice.

"As for his desire for revenge, I fully understand... What his father wants to do is up to him to decide, and I will never interfere... Besides, he can execute [-] people, and the list is drawn up by him , subject to my approval."

"I've written it all down, Your Majesty."

"Okay." A smile appeared on Princess Mary's face, "I don't think anyone can give him a more sincere condition than this. Your carriage is parked outside, and I will provide you with 25 cavalry. Now you Start, and you will be at Hampton Court Palace in two hours, and I hope you will be back before supper."

"I hope to bring good news to His Majesty."

"I hope so, not only for me, but also for you." Princess Mary has already walked back behind the desk, "I don't need to remind you, once the Imperial Guards take power, there will be no one like you in the new regime." For those who wear a sword at their waist, the sword is always better than the point of the pen."

She lifted the hem of her skirt and sat back in the armchair.

Bishop Gardiner bowed to the ground and left the room backwards.Contrary to when he came, his legs seemed to be filled with lead at this moment.

He staggered along the corridors of the palace, and when he came, the carriage that carried him stopped at the gate.The bishop waved his hand to reject the help of the footman in front of the door, opened the car door by himself, and then fell down on the velvet carriage cushion.

He lowered the curtains and slumped on the seat. If someone opened the car door at this time, they would definitely think that the Bishop had a heart attack.

There was a sound of horseshoes outside the car window, and someone knocked on the car window.

"I am the deputy captain of His Majesty's guard, escorting you to Hampton Court Palace." He heard a somewhat hoarse voice from outside.

The bishop gave a muffled "hmm," and a moment later the wheels began to turn.