Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The Uninvited Guest

No matter how great a man's intellect may be, Can't weave seamlessly, I have seen the brave dodge the sheepdogs, Wise men demean themselves with idle nonsense. The cunning and shrewd have counted all the traps, But they often kill their own lives. "Old Drama" During the first half of the night march Quentin had to suppress the pangs of soul that the young man might have felt at parting from his lover.Short of time, they hurried across the fertile low-lying plains of Hainault at the count's impatient urging.A round of plump and bright autumn moon softly sprinkles light to illuminate their future.Her yellow hazy light covered the meadows, forests, and fields.Farmers are taking advantage of her radiance to harvest their crops, and even in the dead of night, the Flemish people are hard at work.She shines on the wide and comfortable river with fruit trees along its banks.The white sails on the river are not afraid of rocks and rapids, and they are fully loaded with goods, floating beside the peaceful and lively villages.The cleanliness of the outside of the village shows that the residents inside live a happy life.She reflects the feudal castles of many heroic nobles and knights, as well as the moats, courtyards surrounded by walls and high bell towers, which show that the knight class of Arnault is indeed well-known among the European nobles.Her infinitely broad radiance also illuminates the tall towers of many churches in the distance.

However, although this varied and beautiful scenery is very different from the deserted and rough scenery of his hometown, it still cannot stop Quentin's lingering hatred.When he left Charleroi, he had left his heart there.And going on could only make him sadly think that with each step he took a step further away from Isabel.He was immersed in memory and imagination, searching for every word she said, every expression she looked at him.And in such cases it is often found that the recollection of the details makes even stronger impressions on the mind than the actual events. After the cold midnight passed, the extreme fatigue of the previous two days finally began to have a strong effect on Quentin. A strong effect that has never been felt by him.Due to extreme fatigue, the senses have been weakened and dulled, and the effects of the senses cannot correct the conscious activities of the mind, so that the illusions produced by the mind replace or distort the information transmitted by the dull visual and auditory organs.Dawilt only occasionally stretched his body to avoid the possible danger of sleeping soundly on the horse, and it was through this struggle that he realized that he was awake.The strong consciousness of being afraid of falling off the horse or rolling off the horse forced him to move around on the horse frequently, but soon he was sleepy again, with colorful and fuzzy visions appearing in his mind, and the moonlight in front of him floated faintly .He was really tired.Earl Krevig noticed his condition, and had to order two of his attendants to walk on either side of Darwelltra's reins, in case he fell from his horse.

At last they came to the city of Landresi.The count, out of sympathy for the young man who had not closed his eyes for almost three nights, decided to rest for four hours, so that he and his entourage might also have an opportunity to rest and eat. Quentin was fast asleep, if it had not been for the bugle blowing at the earl's order, and the messengers and heralds!Gentlemen, get ready to go!He will still fall asleep soundly.Although the sounds woke him up prematurely, he still felt refreshed, energetic, and a different person than he had been before bed.The sun is rising now, and as energy returns, so does confidence in oneself and one's future.He did not think of love as a fantastic dream with no hope of realization, but as a lofty goal that should be cherished in his heart and inspired, despite his difficult circumstances, which might never be realized.The helmsman steers his boat according to the North Star, but he can never hope to possess the North Star.I may never see Chloe again.Isabel, but thinking of her will make me a great warrior.When one day she heard of a man named Quentin.When Darwilt's Scotch knight wins fame in battle, or hears him die a glorious death in the scramble for a fort, she will recall, perhaps with a tear, the companions who tried to save her from the dangers and misfortunes of the journey. In his memory, or lay a wreath at his coffin.

Once Quentin had switched to this attitude of courageously bearing misfortune, he felt he was better able to accept and answer Earl Krevig's jokes, several of which were sarcasm about his so-called effeminateness The test of fatigue.The young Scot met the earl's jests with gaiety, and answered them both pleasantly and courteously.This change in tone and attitude obviously made a good impression on the earl.Quentin was annoyed by his situation the night before, sometimes sullen and silent, sometimes aggressive and aggressive, and the Earl naturally had a bad impression of his performance.

The weather-beaten warrior at last took notice of his young traveling companion, and thought him a promising fellow.He insinuated quite visibly that, if he would resign his post as archer in the French King's Guard, he would be responsible for finding him a respectable post in the Burgundian royal family, and personally looking after his promotion.Quentin gave him his due thanks.He said he needed to find out to what extent King Louis, his former master, had failed him, and before that he had to decline his favor for the time being.Nevertheless, he continued to maintain a good relationship with Earl Krevig.The earnest manner of the young man's thoughts, and the foreign tongue in which he expressed them, often brought a smile to the count's serious countenance, but this smile was no longer ironic, nor more than humorous and polite.

The little party continued its march in a more harmonious atmosphere than the previous day, and at last came two miles from the fortified city of Peron.The army of the duke of Burgundy had encamped near Peron, preparing to attack France as planned.Louis XI also assembled a large army near St. Maxens as a countermeasure, hoping that his over-powerful vassals would wake up. The city of Peron is located on the banks of a river, surrounded by flat terrain, full of fortresses, and winding moats. Lying in a war-prone and vulnerable frontier, Long remained unoccupied until 1815, when the Duke of Wellington, a great general known for destroying his fame, marched on Paris and captured it. Retains the virginal name of Peron.).Earl Krevig and his entourage, with their captives, came to the outskirts of the city around three o'clock in the afternoon.The eastern outskirts of the city are a large forest.As they were passing through the pleasant glade, they came upon (judging by the size of their entourage) two noblemen of high rank, dressed in peacetime garb.They have eagles on their wrists, and their entourage is led by hounds and greyhounds, indicating that they are hunting for recreation.On seeing Krevig, whose face and costume he knew so well, they stopped their game of chasing the heron down a long canal, and rode up.

News, news, Count Krevig!They both shouted at the same time, do you want to tell the news or listen to the news?Or are you going to have a fair deal? Gentlemen, I'd like to make a fair deal, said Krevig, after a polite salute, if I think you have something important to exchange with me. The two hunters smiled knowingly at each other.The older one had a handsome figure like a baron's, and a look of melancholy cast over his dark face.Some physiognomists attribute it to a melancholy disposition, others, like an Italian when he gave Charlie his first look, see it as a sign of a dead end. Ambercourt) was executed by the citizens of Ghent in 1477 along with the Burgundian chancellor.).At this time, he turned around and said to his companion: Krevig has been in the commercial state of Brabant for a long time, and has learned the way of doing business. We are not his opponents in terms of doing business.

Gentlemen, said Krevig, since the lord's market has begun to stock up before it even opened, my first shipment should be sold to the duke.But tell me, is yours bad news or good news? The object of his question was a lively person with bright eyes, but a serious and deep expression at the corner of his mouth.His whole face showed that he was quick in observation and judgment, but slow and deliberate in his decisions and expressions.This is the son of Corat, the Baron of Haynaud (or Nicholas Delelit).Known in history and among historians as Philip.De Gongming, currently the favorite of the bold Duke Charles, is also one of his most respected advisers.Hearing Krevig inquire about the nature of the news he and Lord Danberg had, he replied that it was like the colors of the rainbow, with different hues depending on the angle of observation and whether the background was dark clouds or clear sky.Since the time of Noah's Ark, no matter in France or Flanders, people have seen such a rainbow for the first time.

My news is quite like a comet, Krevig replied, dark and sinister as it is, but it also portends greater and more terrible disasters to come. We have to start business, Gongming said to his companion, or newcomers will take our business.You know, ours is nothing more than public information.In a word, Krevig, you must be astonished to hear that King Louis has come to Peron! What!The count said in surprise, could the Duke retreat without fighting?The French army has besieged the city, why are you still wearing civilian clothes?I say siege, because I cannot imagine that Peron has been captured.

Of course not, said Dan Bogou, the Burgundian flag did not retreat a step.King Louis, however, has indeed come to us. Then it must have been Edward of England who led his archers across the sea, said Krevig, and, like his ancestors, made Poictier a battleground again. That was not the case, said Commint. Not a single French flag was taken from them, nor was a single galleon brought from England.You know, Edward was very happy among the wives and concubines of the citizens of London, and he didn't want to play the role of the Black Prince anymore.You hear how strange the facts are!Presumably you knew when you left that the talks between the French and Burgundian envoys had broken down, and it seemed that there was no possibility of reconciliation?

Yes, we only thought of war. What happened later was indeed like a dream, Gong Ming said, I was ready to wake up anytime and found that it was indeed a dream.Only the day before, the duke had vehemently protested against any delay at a meeting, saying that he had resolved to issue a challenge to King Louis and march into France immediately.Twasson.Dole was ordered to deliver the battle form.He had already put on the coat of arms of the heraldry officer, and his feet were in the stirrups, ready to mount, but the French heraldry officer Mont.Riva suddenly came to our camp on horseback.We thought it was King Louis who declared war on us before us, and feared how the duke would complain that our advice prevented him from declaring war first.The Duke quickly summoned the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty.However, the herald told us that King Louis of France would follow in an hour, intending to visit Burgundy with ease.Prince Charles, wants to resolve their differences by meeting in person. Gentlemen, your news really surprises me, said Krevig, but not as much as you might expect.Because I was in Plessy last time.Le.At Tours, the very credible Bishop of Ballou, who had a grudge against his master and sympathized with Burgundy, suggested to me that he could use Louis' special weakness to get him into trouble with Burgundy. , had to accept the peace terms proposed by the duke.But it never occurred to me that an old fox like Louis could be lured into his own trap.What is the opinion of the Burgundian counselors? As you may guess, D'Ambercourt replied, they talked more about the duty of faith than about the advantages that might be gained by the visit.However, it was evident that they had only the latter question in mind, and were anxious to find some way of gaining the benefits while saving face. What did the duke say?Earl Krevig continued to ask. As always, keep it short and to the point.Commin replied, "Has any of you ever seen my cousin Louis and I meet after the Battle of Montléry?"I was so negligent, said the duke, that I accompanied King Louis within the defenses of Paris with only a dozen attendants, thus leaving my personal safety entirely at his disposal.I replied that most of us were there at the time.No one will ever forget the horror it caused us at that time.You accuse me of stupidity, said the duke, and I admit that I behaved like a rash boy.However, I also realized that since my late father was alive then, Cousin Louie would not have as much advantage in detaining me as I am detaining him now.Nevertheless, if the king comes here now with as simple a purpose as I did then, he will be treated with the king's courtesy.If he wishes to deceive and hoodwink me with feigned trust, in order to carry out some of his stratagems, well, St. George of Burgundy, tell him to be careful!After finishing speaking, he twirled his beard, stamped his feet, and ordered us to mount our horses immediately to meet this unusual visitor. So you've all seen King Louis?Krevig said that miracles are endless!Does he have many followers? As little as possible, Dan Bergcourt replied, only twenty-one Scotch guards and a few knights and nobles of the royal family.Of these, his astrologer Galioti was the most interesting. "The guy is a little bit in the shoes of Cardinal Ballou," said Krevig, and I have no doubt that he had a hand in getting the king into this dubious tactic.Are there other high-ranking nobles? And Orleans and Dunois.Gong Ming said. Now I'm going to have a drink with Dunois no matter what happens, said Krevig, but we've heard he and the Duke of Orleans have fallen out of favor and been in prison. Both of them had been at Chateau Roche, the pleasant retreat of the French nobles, and Damberg said that Louis had released them so that they could come here with him, perhaps because he did not want Orléans to remain alone.Among the other entourage, the most important people were his good partner, the Advocate General and his two or three entourages, plus Oliver, the barber before the king.These people are all dressed poorly.To tell the truth, King Louis is like an old loan shark, followed by a gang of henchmen, to collect a long-overdue debt. where does he liveasked Krevig. Hey, this is the best part!Commin replied that the duke offered to let King Louis' guards guard a city gate and a pontoon bridge across the Somme, and that Louis himself belonged to the wealthy merchant Giles.A neighboring residence in Olsund.But King Louis went to have a look and found Delo and Ponce who had been expelled from France by him.Riviere's Battle Standard.Perhaps terrified at the thought of the refugees and rebels he had created living next to him, he asked to be allowed to lodge in the castle of Peron.So for now he is staying in the castle. Hey my god!Krevig exclaimed, this is not only going into the tiger's den, but sticking his head into the tiger's mouth!Only the bottom of the mousetrap can catch the wily old politician! Wait a minute, said Conmin, D'Ambercourt hasn't told you what Leglorier said. In my opinion, that is the most shrewd opinion ever expressed. What's the opinion of that man?asked the Count.Gong Ming gave the following answer: The Duke hurriedly ordered his subordinates to prepare some gold and silver ornaments and decorations as gifts for the King and his entourage to welcome the King's arrival.In this regard, Leglorier said: Charles, my good friend, don't bother your little head.I will give your cousin Louis a nobler and more fitting present than you can give.Here's my jester's hat and bell, plus my bauble, because, to tell the truth, he's a bigger fool than I am to throw himself into your trap.The Duke said: What if I don't give him reasons to regret it?"Then, Charles," said the Fool, you must accept the hat and the bell, for you are the greatest fool of us three.I can assure you that this mischievous one-liner touched the Duke deeply, and I saw him change his face and bite his lip.Our message is over.Noble Krevig, what do you think this message looks like? Like a detonating mine, Krevig replied, and I fear I'm destined to bring the fuse to it.Your news and my news are like flax and flame, which cannot be mixed together without igniting, just as certain chemicals cannot be mixed together without exploding.Friends and gentlemen, come closer and listen to me!When I tell you what happened in the diocese of Liege, I think you will think that King Louis's visit to Peron is really inopportune, and that perhaps it would be safer to go to hell to worship. Both nobles moved closer to the earl.They listened carefully to his introduction of the events in Liege and Thornwald, while exclaiming half-suppressedly, and making gestures of surprise and concern; they called Quentin over again, and repeatedly asked about the details of the bishop's murder.Since Quentin knew neither why they asked nor the usefulness of his answers, he finally refused to answer their inquiries. Then at last they beheld the rich and flat Somme, with its banks, and the virgin Peron, with its ancient walls and green meadows adjoining it.The grass was dotted with the white tents of the Duke of Burgundy's army of fifteen thousand men.