According to the detailed information in the world introduction, the palace in this world is more like a castle in structure, or more precisely, a magnificent castle with a huge courtyard. The palace mainly plays two roles. First, it is the residence of the king and many queens. The king handles daily affairs here, and the queens live in the palace on the side. Second, many important ministers also work in the palace, which is the core of the kingdom's decision-making and the fate of the country. Given that this involves too many secrets of the kingdom and is also the residence of the king, the guards are extremely strict. Before arriving at the courtyard of the palace, you can see that the courtyard is not surrounded by a traditional wall, but by a circle of exquisite iron fences. The decoration of the iron fence is a peculiar creature with a dog body and a lion head. The dog body represents officials at all levels of the kingdom and symbolizes loyalty. Like loyal dogs, the officials work hard for the stability and prosperity of the kingdom. The lion head represents the royal family, showing the majesty of the royal family and implying their sacred duty to protect the territory.
Thousands of royal guards stood around the courtyard. They were wearing golden armor, holding neat long weapons, standing straight, and looking meticulous. Lin Yi walked on a granite slab road with exquisite patterns. It was about 6 o'clock in the morning, the sky was slightly bright, and there was a hint of fresh air in the air. From time to time, officials dressed in noble clothes passed by. They were dressed in gorgeous clothes, showing the elegance and dignity of the nobility. Some of these officials were in a hurry, while others were leisurely. They were all important figures in the kingdom and shouldered the heavy responsibility of the country. In this kingdom, high-ranking ministers can freely enter and leave the palace between 6 and 9 o'clock every day to handle state affairs. And some people in special positions can enter and leave the palace 24 hours a day and serve the king and the country at any time. Now is the time for the ministers to start work, so Lin Yi can also see many ministers yawning and slowly walking into the courtyard. Perhaps they had gotten up too early and had not yet fully woken up from their sleep, but as soon as they entered the palace, they immediately adjusted their state and prepared to devote themselves to busy work. The identity that Lin Yi replaced was obviously very popular. Along the way, almost all the officials, big and small, who met greeted Lin Yi very enthusiastically. Some of them smiled and nodded, while others greeted him kindly. Many officials also secretly approached Lin Yi and whispered to ask if the aphrodisiacs they had sold before were still available. There was no way, these ministers were not young anymore. In this era, it was really difficult to support dozens of beautiful concubines at home without relying on alchemy secret drugs. You know, this is not a modern society. In this world, it is very normal for rich people to marry more than a dozen wives. Of course, the premise is that you have to have enough wealth and status to enjoy such a life. As soon as he entered the castle, Lin Yi smelled a faint fragrance. He looked for the source of the fragrance and saw several large pots of tulips at the entrance of the castle. After entering the castle, Lin Yi didn't even have to bother to find the way himself. The attendant in front of him had already respectfully motioned Lin Yi to follow him. Although Lin Yi's original owner could be said to be a frequent visitor in the castle, his identity was only the vice president of an academy after all, so the attendant naturally didn't dare to let Lin Yi run around.
This was the royal palace castle, and there might be secrets hidden everywhere that could not be seen by outsiders. If Lin Yi saw something he shouldn't see, it would be troublesome. The previous attendant was executed on the spot by the queen because he was unlucky enough to run into the queen's tryst. The family behind the queen was very powerful, providing a quarter of the military expenditure for the entire kingdom, and played an important role in the kingdom's economy and military. Even though the old king knew about this matter in his heart, he did not severely punish the queen, but only gave her a light admonition. After all, the power of the queen's family should not be underestimated, and the old king had to be cautious. Later, the old king secretly dealt with the queen and announced that she fell into the water while watching flowers. This explanation gave everyone a barely justifiable reason. After all, as a great hero, the old king would not allow himself to be cuckolded. The family of the queen also knew that they were in the wrong, so they quickly found a sixteen-year-old woman and sent her to the palace to continue the marriage, which was also a submission to the old king. They understood that in this game of power, appropriate compromise is necessary, only in this way can the family's glory and status continue to be maintained. Just as Lin Yi was about to arrive at the Kingdom's Council Chamber, a white-bearded old man slowly walked out of the door of the council chamber and appeared in front of Lin Yi without any warning. The moment he saw the white-bearded old man, the power of the abyss in Lin Yi's body moved slightly. This slight movement made Lin Yi's eyes narrow instantly. However, the power of the abyss was only active for a while, and then it returned to normal. "Lord Rowan Harvey." The attendant respectfully performed a signature gesture to the old man after seeing him. Lin Yi followed suit and saluted. "Your Majesty, thank you for your trouble, Dean Lin." Rowan Harvey's face was filled with sorrow after seeing Lin Yi. Recently, all the crown princes in the kingdom have rushed to the royal capital one after another, and the entire royal capital can be described as an undercurrent. As the treasurer of the kingdom, Rowan Harvey was in charge of the financial power and was one of the old king's confidants. One might think that the old king's confidants would be united, but in fact this was not the case. The old king's confidants must not be united. They must have some "small conflicts". Only in this way is a healthy power system. There are four confidants of the old king, including the kingdom's treasurer Rowan Harvey, the hyena Huslett (the commander of the kingdom's army in charge of military power), the consul Joe Valentine (responsible for managing most of the officials), and finally the Iron Hand. . Even so, Rowan Harvey had to feel anxious in his heart. You know, the old king is not a simple character. At that time, the old king could be said to have killed his father to win the throne. Not to mention his subordinates, when he gets ruthless, his own son will also be killed. Especially Rowan Harvey heard that the Iron Hand had begun to move recently, which was not good news for Rowan Harvey.
"It should." Lin Yi raised his eyebrows. Unexpectedly, this old guy also knew the old king's physical condition. Also, to be able to sit in the position of financial officer, Rowan Harvey must not be a stupid person. Although the old king's recent physical condition was not unusual, he could keenly feel the old king's anxiety. From the fact that the old king's methods have become more and more radical recently, it can be vaguely seen that the old king's time should be running out. After Rowan Harvey left, Lin Yi vaguely heard the guards outside the door slamming their weapons on the ground, making a sonorous sound. Hearing this voice, the expression of the attendant who led Lin Yi immediately changed, and he quickly led Lin Yi into the Kingdom Council Hall. The attendant slowly opened the door of the kingdom's meeting hall, and the meeting hall was quiet. There is a circle of seats around it, with a tall metal throne at the top. This throne was forged from a huge meteorite that fell from the sky, and was completely black. A figure sat quietly on the throne. He was wearing loose gold and red clothes and an iron crown on his head. This crown has been passed down for more than a thousand years and was passed down by the first king, Adelaide Herbert, the Iron Crown. Sitting on the throne is the old king, Bayherbert. Now 65 years old, his beard and hair are all white. Although nourished by various precious secret medicines, his skin has no wrinkles and his complexion is rosy, he gives people the impression of being old. It is a kind of vicissitudes that comes from the bones, as if it has experienced countless winds and rains and years of tempering. The old king waved his hand, and the attendant bowed quickly, and then respectfully withdrew. In the meeting hall, only Lin Yi and the old king were left. After the attendant gently closed the door, the atmosphere in the meeting hall became even more gloomy. The old king suddenly coughed violently. He quickly took out a white handkerchief and put it near his mouth. Lin Yi clearly saw a trace of blood dyeing the originally white handkerchief red. "Where's today's medicine?" After the old king finished coughing, he wiped the blood on his mouth with a handkerchief, and then put the handkerchief into his pocket. Now the old king cannot let others know the true condition of his body for the time being. He must handle this handkerchief carefully to prevent it from falling into the hands of people with ulterior motives. There are curse spells in this world, so the old king cannot handle items with his own blood casually. "Here, there are not many materials for medicine. To make this medicine, you must use the blood purified by the Necromancer. A Necromancer can only use the essence and blood from the heart. The one that was captured before has been used That's almost it." Lin Yi sighed, took out the powder from his pocket and handed it to the old king. The old king took the powder and inhaled it directly into his nose. As the effect of the medicinal powder gradually took effect, the old king could feel that his originally weak body was filled with vitality again. "If there is no Necron Lord, let that old guy Heslett go and kill two people outside the Wall of God. Now that the Necrons are becoming more and more unstable, it's just a good opportunity to let them understand who is the real person in this world." The ruler of the country." When the old king said these words, his body was full of murderous aura, like a sharp sword unsheathed, its edge clearly visible. A surge of domineering power rushed towards him, and the powerful aura was suffocating. If a contractor who had just been promoted to the second level stood in front of the old king, he would probably be frightened by the old king's aura and collapse to the ground.
"The antidote is here. Whether you need it or not, you still have to take it." Lin Yi put the bottle in his pocket on the table. Looking at the medicine bottle filled with scarlet liquid, the old king closed his eyes, and the aura that had just emerged from his body was withdrawn again. "How many years have you been at the Alchemy Academy?" The old king suddenly asked, ignoring the antidote on the table. His voice echoed in the silent meeting hall, carrying a hint of subtle vicissitudes. "Count the time, in two days it will be almost 22 years." Lin Yi replied calmly. "It's been 22 years, do you hate me?" The old king looked at Lin Yi, with a hint of complicated emotions in his eyes. That emotion contained guilt, helplessness, and perhaps a hint of hope. Lin Yi's status in this world is the son of the old king's eldest brother, and Lin Yi is equivalent to the old king's nephew, which is why the old king treats Lin Yi so specially. Originally, the old king was just going to let Lin Yi hang out in the Alchemy Academy for his whole life. After all, the old king knew how chaotic the royal family was. In this palace full of power struggles and conspiracies, a little carelessness would lead to an irretrievable situation. He didn't want Lin Yi to get involved, and just wanted to give him a relatively stable life. But he didn't expect that Lin Yi was so talented in alchemy. In just twenty years, he successfully conquered the group of stubborn people in the Alchemy Academy with alchemy and became one of the vice presidents of the Alchemy Academy. "It's okay. I hated it at first, but I let it go later. Alchemy is still very interesting." Lin Yi smiled, and his tone was very casual. As a smart old king, he could naturally tell whether Lin Yi was telling the truth or a lie. His eyes were fixed on Lin Yi, trying to find a flaw in his expression and tone. Originally, he asked Lin Yi to come here just to see what Lin Yi was thinking now. If Lin Yi still couldn't figure it out, the old king was going to get rid of Lin Yi in advance. After all, an alchemist who hated the royal family was too scary. If Lin Yi really participated in this battle for the throne, at least two-thirds of the people would die silently based on Lin Yi's methods. This is the horror of the alchemist. They can use various potions and magic items to take people's lives without knowing it. The old king could not allow such a potential threat to exist. He must ensure that the inheritance of the throne proceeds smoothly and ensure the stability and prosperity of the kingdom. Seeing that Lin Yi had already revealed his cards, the old king stopped pretending and leaned back in his chair lazily. At this time, the old king was like a sleepy old lion, looking harmless. If anyone dared to provoke the old king, then that person would be struck by thunder. The Undead had been deceived by the old king more than once, so even if the Undead received the news that the old king was going to choose a crown prince, they did not dare to attack the Wall of God rashly, because they were afraid that the old king was playing a trick again. "The thing I regret most is to fight for the king's power. When I was young, I always wanted power, but I didn't know what power represented at that time." The old king seemed to be talking, with a trace of vicissitudes and helplessness in his voice. In front of his subjects, he was a majestic and wise king, and he must always maintain the demeanor and decisiveness of a king. But Lin Yi is neither his subject nor his junior now, so the old king is also ready to tell Lin Yi some of his inner thoughts. "Power is like a chronic poison. If you don't use it, you're afraid that others will use it to harm you. If you use it, it's almost like chronic death. It's really a bullshit." Hearing Lin Yi's description, the old king smiled.
There was a bit of emotion in that smile, and he seemed to agree with Lin Yi's statement. It's also very good to have a junior to talk to before dying. Although his eldest son, third son, fourth son and others are coming back soon, these sons are coming back for the throne under his buttocks. The old king hasn't spoken his heart to anyone for a long time. In the eyes of these sons, he only sees the desire and struggle for power, without a trace of warmth of family affection. "Honestly, who on your side has come to win you over?" The old king looked at Lin Yi. Although he was old, he was not stupid. Although Lin Yi did not have any power, his position put him in a very special position. Once Lin Yi joined the camp of a prince, other competitors would have to be careful about their food. No one knew whether someone would put some kind of alchemical poison in a certain food. The old king had a total of 49 legitimate descendants, and as for illegitimate children, there were countless. After all, the old king had many women. As long as his body could bear it, it was just a matter of probability to get an heir. Illegitimate children are naturally not eligible to inherit the throne. Only the children born by the queens are the legitimate children of the old king. Of course, there is not only one queen. These queens all have their own backgrounds, either the daughter of a powerful minister or the daughter of some wealthy businessmen. The 36 queens together represent a huge network of power. The center of the power network is the old king, surrounded by powerful ministers and wealthy businessmen, and it is these queens who connect the two. They are an important part of the power structure. Although they do not have real power, or they cannot have real power, they only need to be a link. Once they have power, things will be bad. Queens without real power are basically in a state of playing soy sauce in the struggle for power. The new king's accession to the throne actually has little impact on them. The new king also needs to rely on them to maintain the powerful ministers and wealthy businessmen around him. The royal power is like a spider web, and the structure becomes more complicated as it moves to the periphery. The old king is the spider in the center of the web. He often shakes the web to check where it is damaged and whether there is prey on the web. Of course, not all of the old king's 49 children will participate in the fight for power. Among them, 18 people have given up the fight for rights. It is not that they lack ambition, but that they have been squeezed out early and lost the capital to compete. But they will also rush to the royal capital. After all, at this critical moment, they don't want to be completely ignored. Among the remaining 31 people, 16 people have an attitude, that is, don't mess with me casually. They will not give up voluntarily, nor will they compete for rights. If a prince or princess has an absolute advantage in seizing power, they will support that party and strive to obtain an idle position with a high official position but no real power after the other party succeeds to the throne, which is commonly known as a prince. These 16 soybean princes or princesses are all relatively young. They know that they cannot compete with their elder brothers, so they choose to give up temporarily.
But don't think these people are completely harmless; they just are, for the most part. If a God-given opportunity arises, they will become the next king. Of course, this possibility is very low. After layers of elimination, there were only 15 competitors left before the struggle for rights began. These people learn from their teenage years that all their older brothers, younger brothers, and younger sisters are enemies. If these people are not killed or stripped of their rights, they themselves will be the last to die. "Eldest brother, second sister, third brother, sixth sister and seventh brother have all contacted me privately." Lin Yi only mentioned these five people. The reason is very simple. Among the remaining 15 competitors, these five people are the most promising. If nothing happens, the new king will emerge from these five people. They have strong power and support and occupy an advantageous position in this fierce competition for power. "Hmph, I knew it. I'm not dead yet, and everyone is already staring at the area below my butt." There was a hint of anger on the old king's face, anger mixed with helplessness. As the king of a country, he has struggled in the whirlpool of power all his life, and he is all too familiar with this kind of struggle for power. When this happened to his children, he still felt deeply disappointed and sad. But he also knew that royal feelings were the most ridiculous. Family ties often become fragile in the face of the temptation of power. Until now, even though the old king has nearly 50 children, he can only express his innermost thoughts to his eldest nephew. "Forget it, your boy is nothing like your father. Your father was bad back then, but your boy was good and didn't inherit any of it. Just stand behind me later." "Ah? What are you doing? I'm going back to do experiments later. I'm busy." Lin Yi looked reluctant. "Hey! You brat, if you don't obey me, believe it or not, I'll beat you up." Seeing Lin Yi's disappointed look, the old king suddenly felt that this guy was itchy. He picked up the golden scepter next to him with his right hand, preparing to let Lin Yi understand what the care of the elders meant. (End of chapter)