Chapter 556 [Northwest Road] (I)

But as soon as he walked into the gate of the imperial capital, Lan Lan seemed to be able to smell the strong smell of war in the air.

The guards of the royal city were several times more severe than before, and the inspections of entering and leaving the city gates were particularly strict. Especially for those who looked a little different from the race of the Roland Empire, they would be even more suspicious.

Lan Lan saw with her own eyes that several people with brown hair and obviously mixed-race characteristics were stopped by the defenders at the city gate to investigate, and then the soldiers were forced to take them to the barracks next to the city gate for careful interrogation.

The Roland Empire has been peaceful for a hundred years, and there have naturally been many mixed races of marriages among all races. In the past hundred years, the mixed races caused by intermarriage between the people and the South China Sea and the Northwest Grassland have already reached a certain scale.

There are also many wealthy and powerful families, and some nobles, who often raise beauties from other races as their personal favors. Naturally, they will give birth to some descendants who are not pure blood. Most of them have no inheritance rights, and they don’t even have the title of official members of the family. Most of them are illegitimate children. Such people are definitely not a minority in the imperial capital.

The Roland Empire had clear laws that mixed-race offspring have no right to inherit.

There is also an unwritten unwritten rule in the army: Roland people who are not purely blood are not allowed to join the army. As for being known as the shortcut in the army: the Imperial Capital Military Academy has clearly stipulated in the school rules that Roland people who are not purely blood are not allowed to join the school.

Therefore, almost all mixed-race groups have fallen into the middle and lower classes of society. Even some chambers of commerce that pay great attention to reputation will not hire these people.

Especially during this period, with the invasion of the grassland people from the east, the imperial capital has strengthened supervision of mixed-race people, especially those who are obviously of grassland blood. This supervision is full of hostility.

Lan Lan heard all kinds of news along the way back from the north.

Due to the limitations of this era, the circulation of news is not very smooth, and there will be many rumors mixed in during this period.

Just before she passed the Lancang Canal, she heard a rumor that the 100,000 cavalry of the grassland people had already captured Mulan City, the capital of the Nulin Province, and General Panin, the Duke of Karonin, had died in battle and died in his country.

The night before arriving in the imperial capital, the news I heard from the passing caravan turned into the Tulip family that had fallen, and Panin was leading the Thunder Whip to defeat the cavalry legion of the grassland people and was organizing a counterattack...

After Lan Lan really entered the imperial capital, she heard the news that because of the war situation in the northwest region, His Majesty Hilo had approved the petition of the Temple of Light and authorized it to the Temple of Light, willing to restore the military power of the Temple of Light and allow the Temple of Light to reorganize the army of the Holy Knights to go to the front line to assist in the war...

All kinds of news are flooding the market, and no one knows which one is true and which one is false.

However, Lan Lan at least judged from various rumors: the Nulin Province must have been invaded by the grassland people.

So...what is Tulip's family doing?

There were obviously more patrols on the streets of the imperial capital.

I heard that the city guards had been mobilized, and even the reserve officers had received a conscript order. His Majesty the Emperor had ordered the expansion of the army.

However, the royal city guards will expand two divisions. The local garrison troops have already received the decline of the military headquarters. Local troops with more than 100,000 people are gathering. The other two divisions of Thunder Whip are also coming from the garrison.

The entire imperial capital has almost become a hub for mobilizing military supplies.

The city wharf of the Lancang Canal has been filled with various transport ships filled with military supplies.

The military has taken over the river transportation, recruited all possible ships, and controlled the transportation of the river. Normal civilian commercial transportation has been stopped by at least 70% to 80%.

The direct consequence of such a move is that the market in the originally most prosperous imperial capital has become depressed.

Lan Lan did not return to the Temple of Light, in fact, she had no intention of going back to that place at all.

She was just careful to inquire about the news in several places in the imperial capital.

She needs to go to the northwest!

The fact that the grassland people invaded a large amount of invasion shocked Lan Lan extremely shocked her that she could not believe that the grassland people who were raised by the Tulips family as shepherds suddenly turned into a group of hungry wolves? She couldn't understand why the Tulips family's huge strength did not show any of them after the grassland people invaded. The grassland people directly attacked Nulin Province.

What exactly is Tulips doing? She couldn't understand the fact that there were also all kinds of bad news circulating in the market of the imperial capital.

This invasion of the grassland people also shocked the people of the imperial capital.

The Tulip Family, known as the pillar of the empire, had no news during this invasion of the grassland people. It really made people unable to understand the truth even if they were confused.

Those who know the news will follow the orders to keep the secrets and dare not disclose them at all.

In fact, the upper class of the imperial capital, including the emperor, prime minister, military chief, and other people, naturally knew very well that the actions of the Duchess of the Tulips family made His Majesty embarrassed.

The Tulip Duchess allowed the grassland people to invade and even suspected of attracting wolves into the house. However, this practice was based on the revenge of the Tulips family by His Majesty Hilo trying to instigate the Tulips family's Northwest Division.

This situation was caused by Hilo.

Therefore, the above classes remained silent and no one dared to talk too much about His Majesty’s mistakes.

There are many rumors below.

The most common rumors are that the Tulips family has been destroyed by the fierce grassland people. The powerful Tulips family has become a passing cloud. After all, the patriarch of the contemporary Tulips family is a girl, and I think it will no longer be as powerful as the ancestors.

There are even some slogans of "revenge for the Tulips" circulating on the market.

Of course, another reason why the above keeps the secret is: no one dares to announce the truth!

Because, if you say it is the first loyal family of the empire, the Tulip family betrayed the empire and seduced the grassland people to invade. Or if you sit in the mountains and watch the tiger fight after the grassland people invade...

If you say this, I'm afraid no one will be willing to believe it.

Once the people are really told to believe such facts, the situation will only get worse! At that time, the people and the military will be in chaos!

The powerful tulip family became the enemy of the empire? How can this be accepted?

Moreover, everyone will naturally ask: Why does this happen?

Then, I'm afraid the answer is obvious: His Majesty Hilo's rule is dissatisfied...

The final result will only be directed at the emperor. Who dares to talk too much about such a thing?

...

Lan Lan, who knew nothing about all of this, quietly walked in the imperial capital for three days.

During these three days, she thought of many ways to try to go to the northwest.

It is difficult to go by land. The army has blocked the roads and set up many levels.

And it's too slow to take the land.

Then the best choice is to go on the water.

However, the Lancang Canal has been placed in the northwest direction, and all the civilian merchant ships have been stopped. Only cargo ships that transport military supplies for the army can go to the northwest.

It is not easy to get involved in a military cargo ship.

Lan Lan cannot announce her church identity. She knows very well that once she reveals her identity in the imperial capital, she will be forcibly taken back by the Holy Knights of the Temple of Light as soon as possible!

The Pope was eager to know what happened in the sea of ​​the first expedition he sent.

On the third day, Lanlan's efforts finally made some progress.

She found a martial arts hall owner who practiced martial arts together when she was in the imperial capital.

The owner was not a devout believer in the church, but in a martial arts competition, he became famous for defeating his opponents because of his martial arts skills. He was hated by a great nobleman who lost money for participating in the competition betting, and almost ruined his family.

Lan Lan, who had a high status in the church at that time, happened to watch his competition and admired his swordsmanship very much. So out of sympathy, Lan Lan learned about this and helped the martial arts master.

With Lan Lan's status in the church in the past and her intimate and personal relationship with the Duchess of the Tulips, she easily protected the martial arts master and his property. The martial arts master became a good friend of Lan Lan in the imperial capital.

On the fourth day, Lan Lan quietly came to the door and secretly visited the old friend. The owner of the martial arts museum was very loyal and made a promise to Lan Lan's request for help. At the same time, he was very clever and did not ask Lan Lan any questions: Why did a saint in the church hide his identity and hide from the church, but he asked for help from the owner of a small folk martial arts museum like himself? The owner did not ask about this question.

Lan Lan stayed in the martial arts hall for two days and finally received good news.

The owner of the martial arts hall had a disciple who happened to serve in the army. He was a small officer from the lower middle class who was transferred from the local garrison army to the imperial capital. The army where he was located was ordered by the military headquarters to transport military supplies to the northwest.

The disciple of the martial arts hall master happened to serve on a transport ship and served as a small leader. The martial arts hall master asked the other party with the affection of teachers and students, and asked the other party to help bring someone on the boat to the northwest.

This is not easy!

If it was peacetime, the military ships would quietly carry people with them.

But now it is wartime! Military supplies are the top priority of the army, especially ships transporting supplies, which are even more strict in the investigation. It is not easy to bring strangers onto the ship.

If you are caught, you will be charged with collusion with enemies or even spies!

With the relationship between master and apprentice, plus the bribe of hundreds of gold coins, and the guarantee of the martial arts master, Lan Lan is definitely not a spy from the grassland man, but a pure-blooded Roland man.

Then he made up a story: a brave girl in the imperial capital, who was trapped in love, went to the northwest to find her fiancé who had lost in the war zone... (To be continued...)
Chapter completed!