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However, some of the generals were politically astute and quickly realized that they shouldn't have been consulted, but the fact that they had been asked to do so was problematic.
“Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate,” said William, the commander of the army supporting Belgium and Erica’s father, a young and promising general who was in charge of the army for the Crown Prince.
Ambrina seemed not to hear him, turning her gaze to Count Alan. "General, what do you think?"
When Alan heard Ambrina address him as General instead of Earl, he knew that this ruthless Empress was going to get him.
“Your Majesty, I have no interest in the title of Duke; I want to be a Marshal,” said Earl Alan.
"Insolence!" Ambrina suddenly slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "Your mismanagement has put the army in danger, resulting in the deaths of many soldiers. You have also embezzled military funds and extorted money from the local people. And now you dare to be so arrogant in front of me! Guards, mage regiment! Come here and strip him of his uniform."
Ambrina stood up. "From this moment forward, you are stripped of all your military posts."
Count Alain sighed, said nothing, and let them strip him of his military uniform.
“Considering the many contributions you have made to the country, your crimes will not be pursued.” With that, Ambrina tore off her fur coat and draped it over Count Alan. “Don’t get cold.”
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," Earl Alan said, and left.
The staff officers and generals were all stunned. The person who should have benefited the most from this war had been stripped of everything in the blink of an eye and received nothing.
Outside the tent, Count Alan, draped in the king's coat, walked alone. He knew that if he had been willing to accept the title of duke, Ambrina would have given it to him. But what was the point of a duke's title? In any case, Ambrina would definitely strip him of his military rank, because he was an old-school general who had risen to prominence during Ambrina's reign and had been entrusted by the late king. The crown prince had no room to reward him, and besides, he would have to make way for the crown prince's men.
He doesn't want anything; instead, Ambrina will offer him some compensation, such as shares in a state-owned enterprise. His outburst just now was merely for show.
Immediately afterwards, in the camp, Crown Prince Lucien requested credit for his generals, and Ambrina immediately approved, bestowing rewards and promotions upon them.
Such rewards and promotions are obviously unreasonable. Lucien's group had no merit whatsoever. They had only maintained a defensive posture during the attack on the Netherlands, but the king said they had merit, so they had merit, even if they didn't.
This is why military power in the Kingdom of Fass was in the hands of the king, because the authority to reward, promote, punish, and dismiss soldiers rested with the king.
After the matter was over, Ambrina called her son, Lucien Jr., over.
"Why is there only a request for commendation and no request for punishment?" Ambrina questioned her son.
"They are all very nice, respect me a lot, and are all very well-mannered young generals, unlike the old-fashioned ones," said Xiao Lü Xixian.
*Slap!* Ambrina slapped Lucien across the face. “Respect you? Who do you think you are? Besides being a prince, what makes you worthy of respect? You’re really trying to piss me off. Did you waste your time in history and politics classes? It doesn’t matter if the people following you haven’t violated military discipline. What matters is that you need to find a few people to punish, to make them understand that both rewards and punishments depend on you.”
"Don't go back to the capital yet. Let's switch. I'll take your men to quell the unrest in Belgium, and you take my men to the Empire to help clean up the remaining forces and get the Protestant and Catholic lords to overthrow the emperor."
A hint of hesitation appeared on Xiao Lüxian's face. "I..." He knew very well that his mother's side was a group of proud and fierce soldiers who had just won a great victory, and that Count Alan, a highly prestigious general, had been dismissed. Everyone was in a bad mood and would definitely not give him a good look.
“What do you mean, ‘what do you mean, ‘what do you mean, ‘what do you mean’? I’m still the king. It’s not your place to give an opinion. I tell you to go, so go.” Ambrina stated firmly.
"Yes," Xiao Lüxian replied.
“You can’t expect your mother to work until she’s fifty and then let you take over, can you? I know you’re doing a good job, but it’s not enough. You need to practice more,” Ambrina said earnestly to her son.
At this moment, thousands of miles away in Catalonia, Ronan is giving a speech to a crowd in the center of the Cathedral Square in Barcelona.
"I'm here for three things: freedom, freedom, and damn it, freedom." What constitutes freedom is up to me to decide. If I say you're not free, then you're not free.
"The Kingdom of Fas has no intention of ruling this region, but rather to help the people of Catalonia establish their own democratic republic and resist the tyranny of the Villa royal family." Supported electors can be changed at will, but replacing puppets is far too troublesome.
"We are not those shameless people from hundreds of years ago who took advantage of the expulsion of infidels to establish some kind of unification. I hereby promise that we will never interfere with the autonomy of Catalonia in any form." Economic interference is not interference; it is aid.
"Now, prepare yourselves, take up your weapons, and fight against evil!" The lives of the Phasians have gone up in price, and you locals are the cannon fodder.
Chapter 617 The War Ends, A Bizarre Move, The Empress's Coronation
In early December 1605, the Kingdom of Fas and the Kingdom of Villa reached an agreement. The Kingdom of Fas promised to cease all military support for Catalonia from that day forward, with its troops completely withdrawing from Villa. Catalonia was established as an autonomous dominion, nominally still subordinate to the Kingdom of Villa. In return, Villa unilaterally paid the Kingdom of Fas a "peacekeeping fee" of 20 million taels to compensate for the expenses incurred by Fas in helping Villa maintain peace.
The Kingdom of Phos has really struck gold this time.
Almost simultaneously, Villa and Weyland negotiated peace, ending the war, signing a new trade agreement, and redrawing spheres of influence at sea.
On the surface, Willand didn't gain much advantage; in fact, due to the similar losses and casualties on both sides, he failed to secure war reparations, making him appear to have lost out. However, in reality, he profited. Willand further solidified his control over the northern colonies of the New World, ensuring a stable supply of shipbuilding raw materials, and his shipbuilding capacity continued to grow. Meanwhile, Villa suffered another round of losses, and coupled with its economic problems, its shipbuilding capacity shrank further. Even if the exchange ratio wasn't close to one-to-one, but even two-to-one, Willand would still feel he had gained, because at this rate, Villa would eventually be forced to withdraw from the competition for naval power.
In mid-December, the Kingdom of Fass and the Netherlands ceased hostilities and jointly discussed the Belgian issue. According to international practice, the chessboard has no say.
In fact, neither side formally declared war; they both launched the war under the pretext of supporting the legitimate king of Belgium.
The Kingdom of Phas did not ask the Netherlands for money. Instead, just as it had done after the war with Bilia, it wanted to jointly establish a maritime university with the Netherlands and demanded that the Netherlands compensate the Kingdom of Phas with a shipyard to cover the expenses incurred in maintaining peace.
Shipbuilding is not something that can be accomplished out of thin air. Ronan can only draw inspiration from the older and new generations of shipbuilding masters to quickly cultivate talent in this field in China and accelerate the catch-up process.
In late December, Villa, who had already been thoroughly defeated, turned around and dealt a heavy blow to Suleiman, who was trying to gain momentum in the Mediterranean.
It can only be said that Suleiman was born at the wrong time, encountering a Western continent that was rapidly advancing amidst fierce competition. In just ten years, Suleiman and the major powers of the Western continent were no longer in the same era. His infantry was still using long spears and muskets in phalanx formations, his navy was still thinking about closing the distance, and he did not even have an air force.
This wave of criticism significantly boosted Villa's confidence. "If I can't deal with heretics, can't I at least deal with you, you infidel? If I can't be the King of the Seven Seas, can't I at least be the King of the Bathtub in the Mediterranean?"
Suleiman was stunned by the defeat and wanted to implement reforms, but unfortunately, Suleiman's country was a true feudal state. How could he reform it? He couldn't; he didn't have the ability, you know?
In February 1606, Prince Lucien II of Fazbah led his army eastward, advancing deep into the empire. No one dared to challenge him along the way; he was called a commander, but in reality, he was just sightseeing, and the locals paid for his trip.
After touring the empire, the Kingdom of Phos returned. Subsequently, several electors and lords of various large and small states united to demand that the current emperor, Antoro, relinquish the throne.
Antoro had no choice but to agree.
Subsequently, the Empire recognized the Duchy of the Rhine, which was tantamount to recognizing the Kingdom of Fass's control over the entire Rhine region.
Next, the really sassy stuff started.
Count Hessen, one of the lords of the imperial states, transferred his title to Ambrina, who shared the same surname as him. As a result, Ambrina, as the Queen of France, became a member of the princes of the Will Empire. However, she was not yet an Elector.
In March, the various electors and lords of large and small states decided that the Count of Hesse would henceforth also be an elector.
In April, the Empire of Will held an imperial election, and Ambrina was elected as the emperor of the Empire of Will.
However, all of this is conditional: Ambrina promises not to leave the crown to the Freigo family and that the emperor will be re-elected in ten years.
The last person to be the king of a powerful nation and even an emperor was the maternal grandfather of the former emperor Antoro, the king of Villa before him, who led Villa to its peak, once stopped the anti-French encirclement, and forced the Kingdom of Fas to collude with Suleiman just to catch his breath.
It's estimated that the coffin lid of the old man's coffin can no longer hold him down.
In May, the Pope agreed to crown Ambrina, and the coronation ceremony would be held in June in Paristo, the capital of the Kingdom of Fas, instead of having Ambrina be crowned at the Papacy in Vena.
It's really off the mark.
The eyes of many countries were practically popping out of their sockets. They made sarcastic remarks, both openly and secretly, and even spread rumors that Ronan, that scoundrel, had some shady dealings with that old bald Pope.
Ronan quickly refuted the claim, stating that it was not a rumor.
The Kingdom of Fas promised to protect the rights of all Catholic believers within its borders and, one year later, to establish a Citizens' Representative Oversight Committee as a pilot program in New Sea City. This committee, established with the assistance of the church, will be composed entirely of ordinary citizens and will have the authority to supervise, evaluate, report on, and question public officials, but will not possess any substantive law enforcement power.
The actions of the People's Assembly are based not on law, but on public order and good morals. In the Western Continent, public order and good morals are actually inseparable from the contents of the canon. Because they are inseparable from the canon, the church can naturally exert influence.
Of course, this was just a pilot project, and Ronan didn't think much of it at all; he just did as he had promised the Pope.
In Ronan's view, if this thing doesn't develop well, it will be swept into the dustbin of history in twenty years at most; if it develops well, it will degenerate into a battleground for public opinion representing various forces. In short, it cannot fulfill the function of public oversight of bureaucrats, but it has the potential to become a tool for improving democracy.
In mid-May, the Pope arrived in the capital of the Kingdom of Fass.
His arrival officially heralded a new chapter in the global landscape of the Western Continent. The Kingdom of Fas became the undisputed overlord of the Western Continent, and the forty-one-year-old Ambrina became the most powerful woman on the Western Continent—the word "woman" could be dropped.
The coronation ceremony was held on June 6.
Although the ceremony was held at the Paristo Cathedral, only envoys from various countries, the nobles and dignitaries of the Kingdom of Fas, the highest-ranking mages, and high-ranking members of the Kingdom's church could attend. Those of lower status had no chance to witness it, and ordinary people couldn't even get close. But this did not dampen the excitement and enthusiasm of others. The entire capital was in a frenzy of celebration. It wasn't just the children and teenagers who were simply having fun, but also the young men and women celebrating with everyone, as well as some middle-aged officials, officers, and merchants who had participated in the war. There were also many elderly people who had experienced the kingdom's decline, some of whom had even lost everything in a defeated war decades ago. On this day, they could finally sweep away the gloom of those decades.
Compared to the sea of revelry outside, the atmosphere inside the palace was solemn and serious. The grand ceremony, which had been in preparation for a month and rehearsed for almost half a month, was proceeding step by step according to the procedure.
Chapter 618 Standing coronation is too much of a hassle, it's time to make an empress!
Ambrina once had a sudden idea and told Ronan that she wanted to receive the crown from the Pope herself during the coronation ceremony and then put it on herself.
Ronan was astonished. Wasn't this the same operation he had used in his previous timeline to become emperor?
Ironically, Ambrina's military skills were probably ten times worse than Napoleon's, but she still won at Waterloo.
Getting back to the main point, Ambrina's idea of asserting authority is only superficial. The deeper reason is that France in this time and space is different from the other France. Its northern political and economic center and western economic and maritime trade center are both Protestant territories. Catholicism only holds power in the west and southwest. The whole country can be said to be a Protestant country.
The Pope represents the Old Church, so it's not natural for him to disrespect the Old Church.
However, Ronan eventually persuaded Ambrina to give face to the Pope and to the Catholics both at home and abroad, for his sake.
Although Ronan advised Ambrina to give up the idea, he then suggested that she accept the crown standing up, and that bowing, bending over, or even kneeling on one knee was absolutely out of the question.
Times have changed. The church is a thing of the past, and you could even say that the emperor is a thing of the past.
However, Ronan did not agree with Antoine's arrogance; he was by no means the last person to dream of unifying Germany.
People's dreams never cease.
Returning to the ceremony, after a solemn and somber religious piece had finished playing, under the watchful eyes of envoys from various countries, high-ranking church officials, and the most powerful people in the Kingdom of Fass, the ceremony finally reached its most crucial step. Dressed in a sacred and magnificent robe, with wide sleeves of golden silk on the outside and white on the inside adorned with cross embroidery, and wearing a magnificent crown, the Pope personally took the crown and walked towards Ambrina.
Ambrina wore a purple velvet cloak with buttons made of pure gold eagles, representing the Freigo family, and underneath was an extremely gorgeous long dress embroidered with gold thread.
Fortunately, Ambrina is not very tall, only 162 cm, while the Pope, although not tall, is still over 170 cm. Even though Ambrina stood straight, without even bowing her head, and was wearing high heels, the Pope's action of putting the crown on her head did not seem awkward.
Once this step is complete, the rest is just a formality.
They simply sat in their seats until the ceremony was completely over. The Pope and all the members of the Old Church left without a moment's hesitation. In any case, crowning Ambrina, the Queen of the Kingdom of Fas, a Protestant, was a disgraceful and even somewhat shameful thing for the Old Church.
Although the Vatican's people have left, Ambrina cannot leave yet.
She also had to wear a crown and hold a scepter, maintaining a fixed seated posture to receive blessings from all the spectators and guests until everyone had finished congratulating her. After that, she had to go out for a procession to show herself to those who were unable to attend the ceremony and to the people of the capital, receiving cheers and blessings from everyone.
Finally, back at the palace, there was a welcome banquet.
It was fortunate that Ambrina was a magician and always had excellent stamina; otherwise, this ordeal would have exhausted her.
That evening, after the banquet ended, Ambrina returned to her bedroom in the palace, a chicken leg in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, and began to cook.
From morning to night, she neither ate nor drank anything because the etiquette was too complicated. She had to be in front of everyone most of the time and only had a few chances to go to the toilet. She also had to be in a hurry, so she couldn't drink water. In addition, she had to maintain her makeup and couldn't eat anything. When the banquet came, she had to move around and didn't have a chance to eat anything.
The fried chicken legs were crunchy, tender, and juicy—that was her favorite. At this moment, she had no interest in any of the exquisite delicacies on the large plate. She chugled up the expensive red wine directly. What expensive red wine? To Ambrina, it was just fermented grape juice, something to quench her thirst.
“Finally, I’m alive again.” Ambrina let out a long sigh of extreme relief, looking at Ronan. “Seriously, this was even more torturous than when we got married. This damn crown was so heavy it could kill someone.”
Despite her complaints, Ambrina's face now only shows happiness and joy, just like when she got married.
Who doesn't love a crown?
"How are you feeling?" Ronan asked.
“That’s fine,” Ambrina replied. The happiness and joy she had just felt had faded considerably. “I don’t feel much different, and I even feel a little empty and lost.”
That's how some things are. When you don't have them and want them, your whole heart is captivated. But once you get them, you suddenly realize they're nothing special.
Years ago, Ronan said he would win a crown for Ambrina, and Ambrina was incredibly excited at the time. Now that she has received it, that happiness and joy have gradually worn away and faded in the tedious rituals. The little bit that remained lasted only for a very short time before it was almost gone, replaced by a sense of emptiness and bewilderment.
Ronan took it in stride. From beginning to end, he treated it all as a real game, and the crown was proof of his success. "Actually, just treat it as a souvenir. It's the result of our many years of marriage, and it's also our 'child'."
"I'm going to take a shower, I'll be right back."
"Okay, I'll go too."
The two said they didn't go into the same bathroom. The couple had a tacit understanding. For the past two weeks, Ronan had been spending time with other people, and for the past week, Ronan had been abstaining from sex, while Ambrina hadn't had sex for a month. If the two of them went into the bathroom together, they would start having sex in no time. That wouldn't do. The first celebratory shot couldn't be fired in the bathroom.
Soon, the two finished their showers.
Ronan wore the same military-style men's formal attire he had worn during the day, while Ambrina changed back into her coronation outfit and put the crown on her head.
Ronan pulled down his trousers, revealing his hard, erect member. "Your Majesty, you should express your sincere gratitude to your husband."
Ambrina crouched down, her long dress falling to the ground like a magnificent, open umbrella. Wearing silk lace gloves, Ambrina grasped the massive member with both hands, opened her mouth and took the head into her mouth, her tongue beginning to scrape around the glans. Ronan, on the other hand, held the crown, which swayed with Ambrina's movements of swallowing and spitting.
Looking down at Ambrina's slightly chubby, sweet face, which was showing an engrossed expression, and the crown on her loose hair, Ronan's excitement made his manhood tremble and swell several times.
From fucking the princess, to fucking the queen, and then to fucking the empress.
Ronan has worked hard, cultivated his talents, and leveraged his resources to get where he is today.
"Anli, open your mouth." Ronan pulled out at the last moment and ejaculated into Ambrina, spraying more than a dozen streams of semen everywhere, including her mouth, face, forehead, hair, and even the crown on her head.
So what if it's a crown? It can still be defiled, its magnificent appearance shrouded in its own filth.
Chapter 619 New Experience, Squirt, Even God Can't Save You
After defiling nobility, Ronan reversed course and began to appreciate nobility, serving Her Majesty the Empress.
Ronan lifted Ambrina's feet, removed her silver-gray pearl-white square-heeled round-toe high heels, and held her plump, rounded soles, gently stroking them. He felt the exceptionally smooth and delicate touch of the milky-white stockings woven from the silk of the Seris monster ice silkworm. Then, Ambrina lifted her skirt, and Ronan poured the crystal-clear amber-brown honey liquid down her stockinged calves. Due to the barrier of the magic membrane, the honey liquid did not seep in, but instead flowed down her calves to the instep and toes.
Ronan lowered his head and kissed her, then became completely absorbed, licking and sucking vigorously, while simultaneously grasping and kneading Ambrina's soft, fleshy calves with both hands.
Ambrina looked at Ronan with the same joy and pleasure of a conqueror that she didn't usually feel.
Her husband, the man who had helped her ascend the throne and presented her with the crown, was now standing before her, at her feet, licking himself with abandon.
After licking the honey clean, Ronan parted Ambrina's legs, lifted her skirt, and plunged his head between her fleshy thighs. While licking her vulva through her white stockings, he kept shaking his head, feeling the soft touch of the white stockings covering her fleshy thighs on his cheeks.
Ambrina pressed her hands against Ronan's head, tilting her head back as she enjoyed Ronan's oral service.
After a while, her body, which had been empty for a month and was extremely thirsty, began to secrete fluids.
Ronan raised his head, his left hand with three fingers together, inserted into the hole through the crotch of the white stockings. The Holy Son's hand had the ability to absorb magic power from a distance. Ronan activated it, and instantly, Ambrina felt a suction force inside her hole, and large gushes of vaginal fluid flowed out, wetting Ronan's hand.