Chapter 87: The Northern Plan
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Inside the City Lord's mansion, Ge Lan sat in a chair, waiting for Cubero's arrival.
He frowned, a hint of nervousness in his expression.
"Earl Rhodes, I heard reports that you've been looking for me several times. Is there something important?" Cubero walked into the council hall, speaking in a stiff tone.
Seeing Cubero, Ge Lan's pupils constricted. He finally confirmed his guess and said softly:
"My wife's cousin, Platinum Bishop Salas, once came to Beidi City."
His martial soul was the "Ghost Worm," making him very sensitive to the aura of life. He could sense that the Cubero before him had no vitality of a living person!
Cubero fell silent, looking at Ge Lan with cold eyes.
He suddenly smiled. "It seems you've discovered it."
"Then come in and let's talk."
The second voice didn't come from Cubero, but from the room further back. This voice was calm but old, unlike Cubero's, who was in his prime.
Cubero's entire body suddenly disintegrated, turning into countless threads that retreated backward.
Ge Lan walked in through a side door and saw an old man in a black robe.
Walter! One of the Spirit Hall's Four Platinum Bishops!
He was sitting in the chair that should have belonged to the Beidi City Lord, holding a teacup in his hand.
"How did you find out?" Walter asked.
Ge Lan bowed slightly and replied:
"I spend more time in Beidi City, making it easier to notice some hidden things than others.
"Like Mr. Walter being in Beidi City, I already knew about it a year and a half ago… and then I paid more attention to the City Lord's mansion and the Spirit Hall.
"The City Lord is a Soul Master who is enthusiastic about cultivation, rarely showing his face… and doesn't participate much in social activities, which is understandable in itself, but with Mr. Walter also here, it seems a bit unusual.
"In later observations, I found that the time periods when the City Lord was in seclusion coincided with the time periods when Mr. Walter left Beidi City…
"Your carriage has obvious features, and a little attention from the guards at the city gate would reveal it.
"Also, Salas gave me some hints when he left, suggesting I visit the City Lord when I had time."
Walter smiled. "That last reason was the key to your certainty, right?"
"Yes." Ge Lan nodded in agreement. "I wonder when Mr. Walter started…"
"Two years ago, there hasn't been a City Lord for two years. I've been handling government affairs all along."
Although he had already guessed, Walter's answer still shocked Ge Lan.
An important official of the empire had disappeared silently, and his power had been secretly taken over by another person for two years. How terrifying!
Ge Lan suppressed the shock in his heart and asked:
"What exactly is Mr. Walter's purpose? The misfortune of both Lord Cubero and Marquis Fickless will inevitably arouse the vigilance of the royal family."
Because of Salas's relationship, he wasn't worried that Walter would attack him, and directly placed his position on the side of the Spirit Hall.
Walter smiled. "This is His Highness the Crown Prince's intention."
"His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Ge Lan was slightly stunned. He thought the relationship between the Spirit Hall and the empire had reached the point of being irreconcilable. He didn't expect Walter to mention the Crown Prince.
Walter explained:
"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince. He has a close attitude towards the Spirit Hall and believes that the relationship between the empire and us shouldn't be so tense.
"And in the Spirit Hall, there are many who support the Crown Prince. But that fellow Fickless has always only recognized Emperor Xue Ye, turning a blind eye to the Crown Prince's overtures and overtures.
"We need a Beidi Province loyal to the Crown Prince… My plan was also a coincidence. Some little guys showed me the opportunity."
"Little guys…" Ge Lan suddenly thought of the team representing Beidi Academy in the Soul Master Competition. "Ilya?"
"Ilya is someone you arranged? I see. With Marquis Fickless's death, she also has the right to inherit in the absence of a designated heir…
"If she can perform well in the Soul Master Competition and gain the favor of Emperor Xue Ye, then she will receive support from the royal family.
"And Earl Ironheart… Bi Da'er is the heir to Earl Ironheart, and he is her teammate. Earl Ironheart will also become her ally.
"Moreover, if she inherits the title of Marquis, she should continue the previous trade agreement between Ironheart Territory and Fickless Territory, which Earl Ironheart is happy to see.
"In addition, Brady also took second place in the individual competition and will join the team as a substitute. In the following time, as long as Ilya reaches some agreements with him, it will not be difficult to obtain the support of his father, Earl Lionsheart."
Ge Lan revealed a look of realization. He understood Walter's plan. Once successful, an alliance consisting of Marquis Fickless, Earl Ironheart, and Earl Lionsheart would be formed.
Under this alliance, the remaining nobles in Beidi City could only rely on it. By then, the entire Beidi would become part of the Crown Prince's forces.
"What do you need me to do?" Ge Lan couldn't remain indifferent. Now that he knew about this upcoming alliance, he naturally had to participate in it early so as not to be excluded.
"Support her at the appropriate time. Whether she can inherit the title of Marquis is still a problem, and Bi Da'er's inheritance right is not so stable.
"Whether they can succeed depends on whether they can achieve results in the Soul Master Competition and show amazing talent." Walter smiled faintly, appearing confident.
Soul Master Competition… Ge Lan couldn't help but think of that terrifying giant with a strong sense of oppression.
He suddenly realized that interfering with the participating team by tough means and failing to do his intelligence work in advance was the stupidest thing he had done during this time.
"Amon… the captain of that team, is he also someone of Mr. Walter's?" Ge Lan asked somewhat nervously.
"Heh… you did do a stupid thing, but don't worry, I've already paid the price for you. That little guy is not a simple character."
The reason why Walter was so frank with Ge Lan was because this was already in his plan. Even if Ge Lan hadn't come to him, he would have contacted Ge Lan at the appropriate time.
Close to the Spirit Hall, with a wife who was also Salas's cousin, Earl Rhodes himself was one of Walter's chosen allies for her.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have paid for Ge Lan's mistakes before.
They discussed some more details, and it wasn't until the afternoon that Earl Rhodes got up to say goodbye.
After he walked out, Walter looked up, his gaze seeming to penetrate the bricks and tiles, seeing the figure standing above.
He said lightly, "Since you've already revealed your presence, why hide your head and tail?"
"I just didn't want to disturb your conversation with Earl Rhodes."
A person wearing a classical robe, a pointed soft hat, and a monocle on his right eye jumped down from the roof and came in through a side window.
He rested his right hand on the lens of his right eye, with a faint smile on his face.
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