flstandardbreds Chapter 337 Uninvited Guest
Chapter 337 Uninvited Guest
In the meeting hall of the Rana Palace, through the gorgeous windows, the sun shines on the magnificent walls, reflecting a warm glow. Hoss, dressed in solemn ceremonial clothes, felt the tense atmosphere in the air when he walked into the hall. He slightly restrained his mind and saluted King Rana who was sitting in the main seat, and the ministers' whispers rang in his ears.
King Rana's eyes showed a trace of worry. He cleared his throat and said heavily:
"Emissary Hoss, I am deeply sorry for the Rana army's attack on the Mitlan garrison in the border mountains. I did this entirely because I was instigated by foreign forces. Although the tragedy has already happened, I hope to gain the understanding of the King of Mitlan and am willing to pay a certain price."
Hoss looked at the king seriously, feeling the helplessness and bitterness of the king in the face of this situation. He slowly raised his head and responded sincerely:
"King Lana, I appreciate your desire for peace. For Mitraland, peace is the only path that can ensure our shared prosperity. If we can quickly reach a peace agreement, relations between our two countries can be quickly restored."
The atmosphere in the conference hall eased slightly. King Rana looked relieved and glanced at the ministers present to listen. Hoss continued:
"I believe that as long as both sides can put aside past grievances and unite as one, they can create a peaceful and stable future for both countries."
King Rana nodded, hope glittering in his eyes. The tension in the meeting hall gradually disappeared, as if at that moment, the dawn of peace began to illuminate this land that had been darkened by conflict.
However, just as the atmosphere was gradually easing, a guard hurriedly walked into the meeting room from outside, looking a little nervous. He reported to King Lana in a low voice:
"General Vivox and General Valenzuela wish to see His Majesty the King."
"Didn't these two go to Yoda? Why are they back?"
"It's exciting now."
After hearing the news, the ministers began to whisper to each other, and although the king did not know why they came to him at this critical moment, as his generals, King Rana felt it necessary to listen to their opinions.
"Let them in."
After getting the king's permission, two middle-aged men in armor walked in. Hoss's eyes immediately fell on them, noticing that their armor was completely different from the traditional standard armor of Lana. It was more like a design from Yoda, which looked thick and practical, and shone with a cold metallic luster.
General Vivox had a stern face and a resolute look in his eyes. He immediately saluted the king and then turned to the crowd and said:
"Your Majesty, I don't think it's wise to negotiate with the Mitrans. Emperor Yoda has agreed to provide us with military support. Currently, 10,000 Yoda troops are ready outside the city, ready to follow your orders and launch an attack on the army stationed in Logronia in the north."
Hearing this, the tense atmosphere in the conference hall returned. Hoss was shocked, and keenly realized that the situation had become complicated again. Regardless of how the 10,000 troops arrived near Leon, just from his words, it was clear that he was deliberately looking for trouble to disrupt the peace talks.
At this time, General Valenzuela followed closely and echoed:
"Yes, Your Majesty, we should not show weakness in front of the Mitlan people. Only by taking advantage of the opportunity to attack can we demonstrate the majesty of Rana and consolidate our position."
King Rana frowned slightly, obviously hesitating between Vivox and Valenjula's dissuasion and Hoss's expectation. Hoss stood aside, trying to stay calm, thinking secretly how to persuade the king to avoid the outbreak of war. In this game, time is like a double-edged sword, hanging in the balance, quietly testing the wisdom and courage of every decision maker.
In the tense situation, Gonzalo stepped forward firmly, his voice as loud as a bell.
"General Vivox, General Valenjula! How could you bring foreign troops into our territory without permission? Did the Yoda people promise you something good? That's why you allowed the Lana people to continue to suffer even more for your own selfish interests!"
When Vivox heard this, the lines of anger on his brows were clearly visible, and he immediately retorted:
"Gonzalo, as a general of Lana, you actually advocate surrendering to the invading Midlan people? This is a betrayal to the king! Have you forgotten what our duties as soldiers are?"
Gonzalo did not flinch, looked Vivox in the eye, and responded angrily:
"Peace talks have long been the consensus of the king and all the ministers. Our responsibility is to protect our people, not to become a tool for foreign countries to manipulate our country. How dare you ignore the king's wishes? Do you really want to become Emperor Yoda's lackey?"
This heated debate caused a stir in the conference hall, and the ministers around looked at each other and talked in low voices.
Just as the sharp-tongued debate intensified, King Rana finally stood up, and his majestic voice shocked the entire audience like thunder.
"enough!"
He spoke loudly, interrupting the heated debate between the two sides.
"I don't want to see such quarrels in the palace, especially at such a critical moment. It's just a waste of time."
The king's eyes swept between Vivox and Valenjula, his expression serious and determined.
"I want to end this war. The Yoda people did not help me as they promised. Now half of my country has been lost. The army of Mitlan is about to arrive at the royal city. At this moment, I don't want to see my country experience the bloodshed and suffering of innocent people again."
His voice softened slightly, yet was still full of determination.
"So, you must take those Yoda troops and return to the Yoda Empire immediately."
Vivox and Valenjula looked shocked, obviously not expecting the king to make such a decision. Vivox tried to refute:
"Your Majesty, doing this will only make the Midlan people more unscrupulous. They will not be satisfied with peace talks, and even if they do, they will definitely make more excessive demands!"
The king looked past them and said gently but firmly:
"I have made my choice. Rana needs peace, not war. Instead of resolving the conflict through force, it is better to seek negotiation with more respect and tolerance. I hope you can understand that the safety of the people is the most important thing."
With the king's firmness, the atmosphere in the meeting hall gradually stabilized. Gonzalo looked at the king with relief, feeling a glimmer of hope for the king's decision; while other ministers began to whisper, discussing whether the king's decision was wise, and Hoss in the center breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that the peace talks could still go on.
King Rana felt that this was not the time to discuss peace with the Mitlan ambassador, so he announced the end of the meeting due to physical fatigue, and the ministers left the conference hall one after another. After the backs of the crowd disappeared, Vivox and Valenjula did not return to the camp of the Yoda army, but chose to get on the carriage and drive to a hidden residential area.
The carriage slowly drove to an unremarkable house. Vivox reached out and knocked on the door. The door was gently pushed open, revealing a familiar face. The two quickly walked into the house and then went down the narrow stairs to the basement.
The light in the basement was dim, with a faint candlelight floating in the cold air. In a dim corner, a man dressed in Yoda's clothes had been waiting there. The two recognized him at a glance as Yoda's ambassador to Lana. Apart from the two of them, no other Lana knew that the Yoda ambassador who had left long ago was still in Leon.
At this moment, Ambassador Yoda smiled slightly, with a cunning light flashing in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Generals."
He said slowly.
Vivox asked with a little uneasiness: "The king has agreed to negotiate with the Mitlan people, and also asked us to return to Yoda with the army. What should we do next?"
Ambassador Yoda had a mysterious look on his face and spoke in a crisp and firm tone.
"Tomorrow morning, you will lead the Yoda army to take action and control the king in the palace. This way, the king will be forced to continue his attack on the Mitlan army."
Valenzuela frowned:
"Isn't this treason? That's not what we discussed before. If the plan fails, what awaits us is either the guillotine or the gallows."
"Plans cannot keep up with changes. If you succeed, you will gain immeasurable wealth and power."
Ambassador Yoda said slowly.
"I promise that when this is done, you will be awarded a title and even more privileges when you return to Yoda. This will definitely be several times better than being a general in the Lana Kingdom."
The two generals exchanged a tacit glance and weighed the options in their hearts. For them, this was undoubtedly a road full of risks, but the temptation brought by success was also extremely huge.
Finally, after some thought and hesitation, Vivoxlu agreed to the plan. He turned to Valenjula and said, "In this case, why don't we give it a try? At worst, we can just leave Lana."
While Valenzuela verbally agreed, he was still wavering in his heart. Yoda's verbal promise did not move him at all. He still felt that this coup would not go as smoothly as they had expected.