monarch

"What a terrible woman!" Edward exclaimed with a long breath when the guards in the room exited the hall and only the king and two courtiers were left in the room.

"Does Your Majesty really want to marry her to Portugal?" Cecil hadn't interjected just now, but at this moment he couldn't bear it anymore, "The Portuguese royal family is weak, the old king is exhausted, and his son is deformed and weak...De· The Avis family is a big tree with dead roots, they cannot withstand Princess Elizabeth's stirring up, she will swallow them as an appetizer, and don't even need to spit out the bones."

"Things are not that simple." Edward shook his head, "The nobles of Portugal have been domineering for a long time, and the ambitious Duke of Braganza has long been disobedient. In the east, their in-laws, Spain, are eyeing them. This neighboring country should be included in the big jigsaw puzzle of the Habsburg Empire at any time... Even if she can give birth to the future King of Portugal, it may not be so easy to control that country."

"Portugal's population is only a little over 100 million. Most of the country's land is barren and mountainous. Food is difficult to support itself, and it has to be imported from abroad. However, they have a huge and rich colonial empire, Brazil, Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, and India And the commercial ports in the Far East, and the oriental islands that produce expensive spices... Such a huge wealth is not worthy of a country of this size. It is just a coincidence that they have achieved their current status, just like It was a child who picked up a few gold coins in the street, and they were going to be snatched up in no time."

"The foundation of the Portuguese Empire was built on sand dunes, which was not very strong. They have been going downhill for decades. Now the collapse of this empire has entered the countdown. We and the Spaniards are like two rich old men The relatives who are waiting for her to die at the widow's hospital bed, as soon as she dies, they will tear themselves apart and compete for this huge property."

"Philip's first wife was a Portuguese princess, as was his mother, which gave him a reason to inherit Portugal. And Elizabeth married to Lisbon alone, her husband was an imbecile, surrounded by courtiers who were mostly pro-Spanish, Hostile to her, she can only rely on her mother country, which makes her a proxy for our interests."

"King Joao III is already in his fifties, and his son has no ability to rule the country. This huge empire of spices and ivory will fall apart when he dies. At that time, I need Elizabeth in Lisbon...Spain as much as possible Take Portugal and the 100 million people, and I want the most valuable parts of its overseas empire, which are the high-quality assets of this bankrupt company."

"I hope everything goes as your Majesty expects." Cecil said worriedly, "However, I still feel that you are being too merciful... Please allow me to give an example, when Medea took the life of her brother, Without the slightest hesitation, in order to buy herself time to leave with her lover, she even cut her brother's body into pieces and threw them all over the mountain for their father to collect."

"Perhaps." The king sighed. "I suppose she would not hesitate for a moment when she decided to tear me to pieces for power. But now she is the Portuguese's trouble, don't forget, Ms. Diya later killed her own son in order to avenge her husband. Now I just want to wish our Portuguese friends good luck. If there is such a day, they can do whatever they want with her. Anyway, I don't want my sister's blood on my hands."

"Mr. Cecil is right." Edward heard Robert's dull voice behind him. There was no ups and downs in the voice, like a pool of stagnant water, covered with moss.

For some reason, Edward felt his heart skip a beat.

He turned around with some unease, looked at Robert, and motioned for an explanation with his eyes.

"You executed the nobles who participated in the rebellion and confiscated their properties, but you spared the lives of those who were really behind the scenes. You spared Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth, If my father is still alive, I am afraid you will forgive him, which is not fair." Robert's voice was very low, but it was quite firm, "You have sent a bad signal to everyone, Your Majesty, and those who were executed by you Compared with others, those you forgive have committed more serious crimes... Many people will feel unfair about this, even for those nobles who deserved their crimes. They will feel that you executed these people not to punish their betrayal, but Coveting their fortunes. Kings should not be so stained, and you should be seen as the embodiment of justice, not a freewheeling tyrant."

"If I execute my sister, I'll be considered a tyrant too, and if I want everyone to be happy, then I have to forgive everyone as if nothing happened...and that's impossible."

"That's not my suggestion, Your Majesty... In addition to your sister, you can also achieve the same effect by dealing with other people."

"Who are you talking about?" Edward trembled violently, and took a step back. Some ominous thoughts arose in his heart, and those thoughts made him terrified, "I'm not sure what I want to hear Your Answer."

"I." Robert spit out the syllable softly, and he looked directly at the king with awe-inspiring eyes.

Edward's eyelids twitched nervously.

"You must be tired," said the king, loudly, as if on purpose, "poor man, the succession of events these days must have confused your head. You Go to rest, I grant you a vacation, go to sleep, go horseback riding, breathe some fresh air, I will come to see you at night."

As he spoke, he reached out to Robert, trying to hold the other's hand, but Robert took a step back and avoided it calmly.

"I have not lost my mind, Your Majesty. I am a son of rebellion, and though I would swear to God on all that I hold dear that I had nothing to do with this shameful plot, I also know that to others my name is Like a brand on a criminal. I am the son of my father who murdered one king, tried to poison another, and instigated the greatest rebellion in half a century from behind the scenes. , has the same surname as him, if I still stay with His Majesty, it will be inappropriate for outsiders."

"I therefore submit my letter of resignation to Your Majesty."

He took an envelope from his bosom, held it in both hands, and handed it to the king.

The king looked as if someone had hit him hard on the temple with a hammer, and he swayed involuntarily as if drunk.

Edward took half a step back, holding onto the armrest of the throne with his hand, his nails scratched a few bloody marks on the gold paint on the armrest.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be frozen, and no sound could come out.

"What are your plans after resigning?" Cecil stepped forward quickly, reached out to support the king, and asked Edward the question he wanted to ask with his own mouth.

"The Knights Hospitaller in Malta is facing the invasion of Turkish pagans. I might go there." Robert's voice was hoarse. The land is rich, and the rivers flow with golden sand."

"No matter what, I have a sword in my hand, and a sword can be used anywhere."

Robert lowered his head melancholy, the resignation letter in his hand was imprinted by his fingers.

The king pushed Cecil off his arm.

"Get out." His voice was dark, and Cecil felt a cool wind blowing on the back of his neck, like the draft of an ax when he was lying on the guillotine.

Cecil noticed that the expression on the king's face was almost ferocious, and he felt his hair stand on end with fear - standing in front of him was an angry lion.

He bowed quickly to the king, and rushed out of the hall as if fleeing for his life.

Robert lowered his head, not daring to meet the king's eyes.He saw Edward walking towards him, and heard the heavy snorting of the king.

Robert closed his eyes, waiting to meet His Majesty's wrath.

"Are you going to leave me...alone?" He heard Edward's voice ringing in his ears, but to his surprise, there was no anger in that voice, but bewilderment and helplessness.The syllables trembled in the air, like a flat boat drifting in a storm on a dark sea.

Robert shuddered nervously, and the trembling voice of the king pierced into the softest part of his heart like a red-hot iron bar.

"I know I look like a perfidy, and I know I shouldn't say that." Robert hung his head like a child facing his angry governess, "but I'm doing it for your own good."

"You are the greatest monarch in the history of this country. You will create a legacy greater than William the Conqueror and Henry V. When you were born this island was just the edge of Europe. When you die, she will be Master of the world. Thousands of years from now, people will tell your story as the legend of King Arthur is told today, and your era will be regarded as the new Camelot."

"And my existence is like a stain smeared on a pure white pearl. Compared with the surrounding pure white, it will only be more eye-catching. When people see this pearl for the first time, they will not Noticing its elegant halo and silky finish, their eyes will first rest on this stain. If I stay with you, when future generations talk about you, they will think of me first and they will Said that you don't distinguish between right and wrong, and kept the traitor's son by your side for your own desire."

Edward took a step back, his face was flushed red at first, and then the blood flowed back into his heart, leaving a lifeless paleness.

"I love you, Your Majesty, and yet it is for this reason that I must do this... I have been intoxicated with my selfish feelings for too long, and now I must answer the call of my reason. I love you, and I am loyal For you, so I have to think for you."

Robert twisted his arm violently, as if trying to stimulate his nerves and give himself courage.

"You are called 'Edward the Just,' then I beg you, put me, together with our feelings, on the altar of justice, and immortal fame awaits you! Future generations will no longer regard you as Lord, I will regard you as a saint. I know this clearly in my heart, so I am sure that my sacrifice is worthwhile, so that when I die, I can safely close my eyes."

He knelt on one knee, "Can I have your blessing, Your Majesty?"

The king wrung his hands fiercely.

"I can't be a saint," Edward murmured, "and I don't want to be a saint either."

He shook his head fiercely, "I don't care about the reputation behind me. Those historians can say what they want to say and write what they want to write; Curse me with memory, paint me as Nero or Caligula in the sixteenth century, whatever they want, I'm sleeping seven feet down, I can't hear, I can't see!"

"I don't allow it, do you understand?" The king tore the resignation letter into pieces of paper, and threw it vigorously, and countless scraps of paper floated in the air like snowflakes. "I am the king, do you understand? You saved the letter." My life, then you are a hero; I love you, so you are the most honorable person in this country. If anyone dares to make irresponsible remarks behind their backs, please keep their voices down, and don't let me hear you!"

He made a threatening gesture with his hand.

Robert shook his head sadly.

The king breathed out a deep breath, and he sat back stiffly on the throne, resting his lowered forehead with his hands.

When Edward raised his head again, his eye circles had already started to turn red.

"I understand, you are scared, you are going to retreat." His tone instantly became as cold as the sea breeze in autumn, "You started all this, and now you have to choose to end... well, I agree, It's very fair."

Robert stared blankly at the king, his voice higher than usual with excitement.

"I'm really scared, Your Majesty." Red began to appear in the corners of Robert's eyes, as if someone had dropped a drop of red ink into clear water, "Do you remember? When you were poisoned in Pembroke Castle, My father used me to blackmail you and force you to sign that will... I will never forgive him, let alone myself, I became a tool he used against you, whether I was used or not , this is a fait accompli.”

"But it's not your fault," the king interrupted anxiously, "you shouldn't..."

"Please listen to me, Your Majesty." There was a hint of sadness in Robert's voice, but it was very firm, and the king nodded involuntarily.

"When you lie in bed, life and death are uncertain, I feel like hell, not only because of the fear of losing you, but also guilt, Your Majesty. I know what you are going to say, I am not responsible for it, But the truth is, I was an integral piece of the puzzle in the plot to take your life. Without me, my father would have no leverage to get you to sign that will, and he wouldn't have been able to. Move Jane Gray to the first place in the line of succession, so that he will think twice when he chooses to raise the flag of rebellion. It is an irrefutable fact that my existence has created a golden opportunity for him. "

"It doesn't make sense at all." The king clenched his fists tightly, his nails dug deep into the flesh of his palm, and blood flowed from his fingers, "In any case, your father will rebel, it has nothing to do with you Anything!"

Robert gently held the king's clenched fist, and gently but firmly separated his fingers one by one.He took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped the wound on Edward's hand that he had dug out.

"A king should have no weakness, my lord. Achilles' body was soaked in the Styx and made invulnerable. The only thing left was his heel, but it was a poisoned arrow shot by Paris that killed him. life."

"I am your weakness, Your Majesty, I love you, and I know you love me...Love is like a raging torrent, but reason is but a dam made of sand, which cannot hold back the tide. For you People of high status, you are surrounded by wolves, and losing your mind in this situation is like a lion exposing its soft underbelly to the claws of its enemies."

"My father knew that you would give in for me. He guessed right. You almost gave him the country. Now that everyone knows about it, every rebel with evil intentions will use his full heart Interested eyes looked at us, how the thinkers can use our relationship to achieve their goals... I cannot allow myself to be a tool for others to deal with you, Your Majesty, and I clearly know that this kind of thing will definitely happen! "

"So you are going to be like Oedipus, shoulder the burden of fate, and exile yourself for the sins you didn't commit?" The king gently put his hand on Robert's cheek, "You Do you want to leave me in this damn den of poisonous snakes, and let me face those servile clowns and hypocrites who hide their knives in their smiles alone? All this is just to calm public opinion and avoid some illusory things that may happen in the future trouble?"

"We have cleared all the obstacles in front of us, isn't it just for this day?" Big tears flowed from Edward's eyes, "Isn't all our previous plans for us to be able to do what we want? Now there is no People dare to talk nonsense, at least when we are still alive, when we still hold the scepter in our hands... But now, you say you are leaving, you are leaving me, leaving us to build together of all this?"

He stretched out his hand and pointed to the high golden ceiling in the hall.

"This palace is a declaration of mine, do you understand? It is not located in the city, but it was built on the plain for no reason because of my will. Because of my one thought, the hills were piled up, Lakes are dug, gardens are built. My rule does not need cities, nobles, citizens, and the masses as pillars. I stretch out my hand, open my mouth, and give orders, and that is enough! My will determines how the mountains and rivers are arranged, and my The will has chosen this place, and this forest will become the center of the kingdom! The priests will think our relationship is sinful, but they dare not say it; the townspeople may whisper and laugh at us, as they like Well! They'll all beg for forgiveness when they're dragged to the gallows at Tyburn."

"We are Alexander and Hephaestion, and Alexander said 'Hephaestion is Alexander', and in the same way I say, you are me, I am you, I am the king, and you are the king... All the glory is not only mine, but also yours, and if there are endless slanders in future generations, we will bear it together!"

"Kings can't do whatever they want, Your Majesty, and they will pay the price for doing what they want."

"So what? I'm willing to pay, and I can afford it!"

"But you don't have to pay," said Robert sadly. "I don't deserve it either."

"It's not up to you to decide!" the king roared.

As if all his strength had been exhausted by this roar, he leaned weakly on the back of the chair, unable to speak a word.

Robert kissed the king's hand lightly. After hesitating for a moment, he leaned over and kissed the king's cheek lightly.

There was no warmth in the king's face, and he felt as if he had kissed a marble statue.

"I will first send my mother and sisters back to my family's manor. Thanks to your grace, that manor was left to them. After that, I will leave England."

The king raised his head, his forehead was covered with cold sweat, his face was gloomy and pale, without brilliance, and the fire of hope in those blue eyes like sea water was gradually extinguishing.

"Goodbye, Your Majesty." Robert's heart was twisted, he stared wide open, trying not to let the tears that had filled his eyes overflow, "I said this on purpose, because I sincerely hope that we will still To be able to see each other again, I will pray that when I see you next time, you will have a smile on your face and tell me that you have found peace and found happiness."

The king did not speak, but twitched on the throne as if struck by lightning.

Edward covered his face with his hands, sobbing silently.

Trembling, Robert touched the king's hand for the last time, turned around, and rushed out of the hall. He suppressed his urge to look back, as if he was afraid that, like Eurydice, just looking back would cause Turn him into a stone statue, and he will never be able to walk out of this hall again.

The oak door of the hall was slammed shut, and there was a dull bang, which echoed in the grave-like dead hall.