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GOR Chapter 625 "Gabriel"
On the sixth day after the news of the victory reached the Imperial Capital, the decision regarding the reward was finally passed down from the Imperial Palace.
The soldiers of the eastern battlefront and the officers who performed outstandingly in the battle will be rewarded according to the Duke's personal handwritten list and according to the Imperial Military Law. As for the rest of the soldiers, they will be rewarded according to their military merits – this was not a surprise.
The only thing that caught everyone's attention was the reward for Du Wei himself.
Given that Du Wei's rank and title had reached its peak, everyone was guessing what the Royal Regent was going to reward him with.
Could it be … … a Prince? Or a Marshal?
Neither of these seemed likely. A Prince was a direct representative of the Imperial Family. As for a Marshal … … a 20 year old Marshal? Besides, Du Wei's qualifications were far from enough.
However, when the details of the reward were announced, everything became clear.
It would appear that the one who would benefit the most was Du Wei's younger brother, Count Gabriel of the Rowling family. Due to his outstanding performance in the battle, Gabriel was directly awarded the rank of Major General – this can be considered as skipping a rank. Previously, Gabriel had only been a Knight Captain. If he had followed the normal path of promotion, he would have been promoted to a Commander (this was already a speed that only nobles could enjoy). But this time, he had skipped the Commander rank and was directly promoted to General rank.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was a disguised reward for Du Wei. Since I cannot promote you, Du Wei, I will promote your younger brother. At any rate, the two of you are family. It does not matter who the reward is.
However, with such a large military merit, it was not enough to just promote Gabriel. As for Du Wei's reward, it became …
Fief.
Calderón Province. This was a province located in the Southern part of the Empire. It was not too far away from the continent's famous Southern Swamp and was famous for its fruits.
The reward for Du Wei was to divide three cities and the surrounding 16 villages and towns in Calderón Province with a population of 250,000. This would be Du Wei's new territory!
According to the income, the three cities plus the population of 250,000 people in the surrounding 16 villages and towns could bring Du Wei about 80,000 gold coins in tax every year (including the tax on the fruit trade).
In terms of area, this fief was located in the southernmost part of Calderón Province, occupying about a quarter of the province.
…
This was an enclave.
This was the first thought that came to the minds of the big shots in the imperial capital after learning about the contents of the reward.
Everyone knew that the Duke of the Tulip Family's headquarters was located in the Desa Province in the Northwest. Du Wei had managed the Desa Province for several years and it had become the sphere of influence of the Tulip Family. Relying on the control of the prairie's border, the large amount of taxes collected by the Chamber of Commerce caravans, as well as various kinds of material trade between the prairie, cattle, sheep, horses, and so on, the Tulip Family was able to earn a considerable amount of income every year.
In the Northwest, Du Wei's prestige was extremely high. He had money and soldiers in his hands.
However, this new enclave was thousands of kilometers away from Du Wei's headquarters. How would Du Wei manage this fief after obtaining it? It was too far away from the Northwest. His original forces were too far away to reach. Even if he wanted to manage it well, it was impossible for him to give up his headquarters in the Northwest. His main forces would have to take care of his headquarters in the Northwest. Therefore, he would not be able to invest too much energy into the management of this new fief.
"A brilliant move."
This was the consensus of every big shot in the imperial capital. The Regent's means were very brilliant!
Such a reward satisfied the need for rewards. If there were outstanding military merits and not rewards, it would chill the hearts of the frontline soldiers. Such a reward, to a large extent, limited Du Wei's forces from further expansion.
As for Du Wei himself, when he received the reward from the capital, he only smiled after reading it. Not showing any dissatisfaction, he very happily accepted the reward and even invited the messenger from the capital to eat a big meal. While he was at it, he also casually presented a valuable gift to the messenger.
The Duke was very satisfied. This was the news brought back by the messenger. However, everyone knew that this was mostly just Du Wei's face.
Now, everyone knew that the Regent had set out to limit the power of the Duke of the Tulip Family.
… …
"I am very satisfied. Who says I am not happy?"
At night, Du Wei was in his own tent. He looked at his young brother: "Do you think I should be dissatisfied? This is three cities and sixteen villages. It is a very big piece of land. It is already a lot. This fief is close to the Southern Swamp. In the future, the empire will no longer be able to hunt demonic beasts from the Frozen Forest. The Southern Swamp will be the only place to hunt demonic beasts. With this fief, we can develop a lot of businesses. "
"But … …" Gabriel looked at his brother's nonchalant expression and frowned: "Brother!"
"What do you want to say?" Du Wei raised his eyelids and looked at his younger brother.
"I … …" Gabriel took a deep breath. The young man mustered up his courage and looked at his brother. He hesitated for a moment before slowly gritting his teeth: "Brother, I am not a child anymore."
"Of course you are not." Du Wei's tone remained relaxed: "You are already an adult. Look, you are now a major general of the empire. I am having a headache about what to promote you to. Since you are a major general, you should be qualified to command a division. However, I think you are still too young. You need to sharpen yourself. Thus, I do not intend to give you a division. Instead, I will give you an infantry regiment to command. With the rank of major general, you will have the authority of a commander. "
"I don't care about that." Gabriel shook his head. His eyes shone and he suddenly walked to the entrance of the tent. Looking outside, he pulled down the tent's curtain and moved to stand before Du Wei. He leaned closer and whispered: "Brother, I am not a child anymore. There are some things that we can talk about directly! You don't have to shoulder it alone! "
"What do you want to talk about?" Du Wei gave a faint smile.
Gabriel hesitated for a moment and a look of determination flashed across his eyes. Finally, he lowered his voice. Although his voice was very low, there was no doubt that his tone was resolute:
"Brother, I have never had a good impression of the imperial family!"
Du Wei's heart skipped a beat and his brows involuntarily twitched. He stared at his younger brother's eyes and saw that there was no hesitation in his eyes. Instead, there was the unswerving determination of a young man: "You … … what do you mean?"
Gabriel's face darkened and he said: "I will never forget how father died!"
When these words came out, Du Wei looked at his younger brother's young face. After a few months of military service, that trace of childishness has gradually faded away. His younger brother is now a resolute young man!
Seeing that Du Wei didn't speak, Gabriel's heart made a decision!
"Brother! Father's illness was because of a knot in his heart! He died of depression, I know this very well! Yes, our family participated in the coup … … But what was the coup itself? It was an internal struggle for power within the imperial family! Our family only stood on the wrong side. The Crown Prince and Prince Son fought for the throne, but no matter how you look at it, they are still part of the imperial family. Father is only working for them. "
Gabriel said as he clenched his fists: "I know, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit! I understand this logic. Father's side lost and our family fell. There's nothing to say about this … … "
Speaking up to here, his voice slightly raised as he stared into Du Wei's eyes: "But I also know that father died because of this!!"
Du Wei went silent.
He has always ignored his little brother's thoughts. Sure enough, when mentioning the imperial family, Gabriel's eyes showed a deep disgust.
"You … …"
"I don't have any thoughts." Gabriel shook his head: "If it was a few months ago, I wouldn't have said this. I would've hidden these thoughts deep in my heart. After all, it's already very fortunate that our family can recover. I will work hard to revive the Rowling family. Even if I don't like the royal family, at the very least, I will try my best to play my role well. On the surface, I will not reveal my feelings. "
"You said 'if'." Du Wei gently smiled: "Then what do you mean now?"
"I'm not blind, deaf, or an idiot." Gabriel stared into Du Wei's eyes. Opening his hands, he said: "Brother, in these past few months, there has been a subtle change in your relationship with the imperial family. I can see it! When the imperial city's Royal Guards went to the Northwest to confront your private army, I was in the academy. During those few days, I could feel the way the people around me looked at me was different! "Even earlier than that … … you handed over the Northwest Independent Division, handed over your position as the Northwest Military Minister and became the Dean of the Military Academy … … from that moment on, I began to understand! "The imperial family seems to be interested in making a move against you! Even if it's not now, they have already begun to test you! "
Looking into his little brother's eyes, Gabriel's voice was somewhat hoarse. His eyes were filled with determination and determination. As for his tone, it was even more so … …
Du Wei sighed. He closed his eyes and thought about it for a moment: "What do you want me to do?"
"I don't have much hope." Gabriel shook his head. However, what he said next shocked Du Wei!
Gabriel said: "Brother, if you want to do something … … no matter what it is, any choice you make! I will definitely support you! "
Looking at the excited expression on his little brother's face, Du Wei smiled. He walked to the side of the tent and reached out with his finger. He gently stroked the flame of the candle. His fingertip seemed to be brushing against the flame, feeling the scalding sensation … …
"You mean to say, rebellion?"
Du Wei smiled gently. His expression appeared relaxed, but he was able to casually say the words' rebellion 'in such a relaxed manner.
Although his eyes were calm, Gabriel felt a sense of heaviness. However, the young man did not avoid it. Instead, he gritted his teeth: "If that day really comes, I will stand by your side!"
After saying that, Gabriel picked up his helmet from the table and put it on. After adjusting it, he nodded at Du Wei and turned to leave.
"Wait."
When Gabriel reached the entrance of the tent, Du Wei called out to his little brother.
"Let me ask you a question. You must answer me honestly." Du Wei looked into his little brother's eyes and said, "That day, during the banquet in the imperial palace … … you invited Muse to dance. Was that intentional?"
Gabriel stopped and considered it. Then, he looked at Du Wei and said, "I really do like Muse … … however, I admit, I do not like the imperial family. That includes the little Emperor. Thus, back then, I did have some intentional thoughts. "
"If so, do you want me to rebel?" Du Wei asked calmly. There was a calm look in his eyes as he looked at his little brother.
"That is your choice." Gabriel shook his head. "Brother, I will listen to you for the rest of my life! However, what I want to say is this: If the imperial family has made up their mind to deal with you, then … … you cannot continue to hesitate! "
Gabriel strode out of the tent. After the curtain fell, Du Wei let out a long sigh and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
Sixteen years old! His sixteen-year-old little brother!
'What is this little fellow thinking about now …'
Chen Xiaolian had forgotten. According to this world's age, he was only twenty years old.
"I only know how father died!"
Recalling what Gabriel had said earlier, Du Wei suddenly felt a headache coming on.
This child … … he is thinking too much. That may not be a good thing.
Chen Xiaolian had been painstakingly scheming in the hopes that Gabriel's life would be simpler and simpler. He did not want him to fall into the complicated struggle for power. He had hoped that he could play the role of a protective umbrella for his little brother.
However, it would appear that despite his young age, his little brother had his own thoughts … …
That dance with Muse … … he had done it on purpose!
What was he thinking? Was it the impulse of his youth? Or … …
Having reached that line of thought, Du Wei refused to continue thinking about it. He did not want to think of his little brother as someone with deep thoughts.
(There will be an update later)
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