There are many restrictions on waterways. Apart from seasonal reasons, it also depends on the goods. Waterway goods are prone to moisture, so some goods like tea are not conducive to being transported by water. Therefore, if there was a fast trade route between the north and the south, it would undoubtedly be a great blessing for the merchant groups of the two places. However, what Edward thought of, the official hats of the empire did not just eat and do nothing, so they naturally thought of it as well.
Therefore, the empire opened up national highways to speed up traffic within its borders.
Edward seemed to have guessed what Allen wanted to say and nodded, "That\'s right, the empire has national highways." But look, these national highways have been in use for a long time, and we don\'t know how the road conditions are now. What we know is that it will take them a long time to travel between the north and the south. After all, for safety reasons, all the national highways bypass the vicious valleys within the borders. More importantly, I\'m sure that every section of the national highway is now controlled by someone. After walking a national highway, the taxes paid may be heavier than those paid by water. And how much of these tariffs will eventually enter the treasury is intriguing. "
"This route I\'ve drawn is the shortest in a moment. As long as the road is clear, we can reach the Northern Capital in about 30 days and pass through many important trading cities along the way. For merchants, one more day of goods on the road means one less cent of money. This north-south trade route saves a third of the time compared to the waterway. Just this alone is enough to make merchants go crazy. However, there are benefits and risks. Not only do we have to open up many dangerous places along the way, we also have to have enough strength to maintain the smooth flow of the trade route. "But these are not the most difficult things. The most difficult thing is that we will affect the interests of many people. Even if this trade route is taken down, it will be very difficult for us to maintain it alone." Edward raised his head and asked, "Then let\'s see what kind of people Rhine can bring out."
Allen said "Oh" and pointed at Edward with a smile, "You\'re sure that Rhine is pulling strings. It\'s a prince? Otherwise, why would he draw up such a trade route and even plan to cooperate with the members of the royal family and split the profits? "
Edward shrugged, "I\'m not a god. How do I know who Rhine will introduce to you?" If it\'s just a vassal, then this road can be paved when you become the Grand Duke of the empire. Now, it\'s just pushing the time forward. Prince … Does this mean that the Emperor is going to appoint a successor? "
Allen narrowed his eyes and said, "Can you be a bit more stupid? That way, I'll look a bit smarter. At least wait for me to finish. It looks like I don't need to say anything now. "
Nairi, who was at the side, could not help but chuckle.
Edward didn't take it to heart and said, "This is just a simple deduction. If the Emperor didn't want to appoint a crown prince, would he need to befriend a noble from the Northern Capital, a mere viscount from the Southern Region? "
"That's because I killed a powerful outsider in Mountain City."
"Oh, the spies of the empire are indeed everywhere. That's good too. You've finally caught the attention of the upper echelons of the empire. Tell me, which prince is it? "
Allen chuckled and said, "Why don't you guess?"
"Forget it. I don't want to hurt you again."
"Bastard." Allen cursed and then told him everything about his conversation with Rhine.
Edward listened quietly. When Allen finished, he exhaled and said, "So that's how it is. I roughly know. The First Prince has the support of the army, and the Fourth Prince has an uncle of the Sword Lord. Heh, he's also one of our potential opponents. Mason, if you want to enter the imperial capital, you still can't bypass this national tree. As for our Second Prince, if Rhine didn't hide something from us, then our Highness Julian wouldn't be in a good situation. "
"Why?"
"Guess." Obviously, Edward was counterattacking Allen just now.
Allen said without changing his expression, "Anyway, you're here. It doesn't matter if I'm stupid. Tell me."
'"It's very simple. Rhine said that he has countless capable people under him, but he still has to rope them in to you, Sir of the Southern Region. It could be imagined that there were people under him, but they were just mediocre people. Rhine also said that he was interested in your battle prowess, so at least in terms of battle prowess, Julian could not bring out someone who could compete with the other princes. Therefore, you, who had killed a foreign race expert with a single slash, became a hot person in his eyes. When princes fight for power, it's not just about financial resources and schemes, but also about combat strength. At the very least, you have to have an expert guard to prevent assassination, right? "
'"It can be imagined that in the Northern Lands, the experts that can be roped in are probably divided up by the First Prince and the Fourth Prince. If the Second Prince wants to break the situation, he has to look outside. In the Southern Region, the one who is in the limelight right now is none other than you. Also, you're just a viscount, and you come from the border. You don't have much to do with the royal family. Besides, our Prince Julian probably thinks that a count is enough to fill your appetite. "
Allen laughed dryly and shook his head, but he didn't say anything.
Nairi, who was beside him, couldn't hide her surprise when she saw this. Whether it was Edward's tone or Allen's expression, it was clear that this young Sir was definitely not after a mere count.
"Alright." Edward suddenly said, "The First Prince is too powerful, and the Fourth Prince is not someone we can rely on because of Mason." As for the other princes, they are in a worse situation than Julian, so the Second Prince is a good stepping stone for you. And if Julian is weak, you can help him fight for the crown prince. Then, if you want to, it will be much easier to control the new emperor than the other princes. "
Allen rolled his eyes at him. "You're not afraid that there are also imperial spies here. You can say such rebellious words. If Julian hears this, I don't have to go to the imperial capital. I'm afraid I'll be able to see the imperial army as soon as I leave Ark Harbor. "
"Think about it with your head and you know it's impossible. The empire's spies in the territory are naturally concerned about major events. If it weren't for the outsiders in Mountain City, do you think the empire's gaze would have fallen on you? In the end, you borrowed the convenience of the Shadow Duchy to enter the eyes of the upper echelons of the empire. As for now, even if I scold the emperor, the emperor won't hear a single word. "
Allen pulled Nairi and said, "Let's go. It's the most boring to talk to such people. You'll never take advantage of them."
Edward laughed it off.
The next day, in the last moments of winter, it actually snowed.
It was snowing heavily.
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