On the tenth day of the expedition, on the Redwater River.
Roland stood on the bow of the shallow water gunboat and looked at the sparkling river in front of him, feeling quite heroic.
Behind him was a huge fleet. Although a part of it had turned around and sailed to the Eastern Region three days ago, the remaining ten paddle steamers were still a rare sight on the river. Behind him was a huge fleet. Although a part of it had turned around and sailed to the Eastern Region three days ago, the remaining ten paddle steamers were still a rare sight on the river.
After entering the central area of Graycastle, there were obviously fewer ships, which meant that the trade center of the kingdom was moving to the Western Region. However, the influence of the major cities in the central region was still there. Compared with the many single-masted boats in the Western Region, most of the sailboats running here were much more exquisite and beautiful.
Along the way, all the merchant ships they encountered along the way moved aside to avoid them. The bold sailors would lie on the side of the ship and point at the flagships made of steel in amazement. And the captains and merchants who recognized the meaning of the flag of the High Tower and Long Spear would put their hands on their chests and bow their heads to salute this fleet.
Roland was very satisfied with the wealth he had accumulated in three years, but he was even more gratified by the young officials trained by the City hall.
They did not have a century-old lineage, nor did they have a rich family background. They just received a short-term universal education and learned to read and write. In the past, they would at most do some clerical chores for the nobles, but in Neverwinter, they gradually became the backbone of various departments.
Because of the lack of a backer, the new generation of officials wholeheartedly supported Roland. Except for him, no one else would use civilians without regard for their status.
Because they had never held a management position, they would carefully act according to the rules, tirelessly ask for instructions from their superiors if they encountered any problems, and did not suffer from the arrogance and conceit of the nobles.
Because they were selected from ordinary subjects, they were completely hands-on. The officials of the Ministry of Agriculture led the farmers to plant wheat, and the officials of the Ministry of Construction demonstrated the characteristics of cement to the new workers. This was a common sight in Neverwinter. A strong centralized government must have a strong control over the people at the grassroots level in order to give full play to its fast and efficient potential. This just happened to meet this requirement.
Of course, the leap from the civilian class to the manager was not without drawbacks.
Just like a poor man who had never owned any property but suddenly received a windfall, it was easy for him to fall into the trap of greed and shortsightedness. According to the education level of Neverwinter, there was no need to mention personal qualities and professional ethics. Fortunately, Roland had Nightingale by his side. The internal investigation of the Security Bureau could effectively curb such tendencies. After several rounds of screening and severe punishment, the people who remained in the City Hall basically understood the king's bottom line.
The ever-growing number of young officials had become Roland's insurance to expand his influence. It could even be said that his plan to reclaim the kingdom was based on the number of available officials.
Now, he finally had the foundation to unify the entire country.
"Inform the General Staff to come to the upper observation room for a meeting," Roland turned around and said to Nightingale. "They should come up with a plan on how to take over Redwater City."
…
In fact, it was not the first time for the Neverwinter fleet to go to Redwater City. As early as half a year ago, during the tooth extraction operation, the First Army had visited this central city.
Therefore, the General Staff's plan was reasonable. "Your Majesty, Redwater City is a city second only to the old king's city in the central region. It not only has a vast territory, but also has many nobles. I'm afraid we can't force the lord to give up his power like Willow Town did a week ago."
Sir Schilt, the father of The Light Of Dawn, further explained, "The governor of Redwater City, Earl Delta, is not an ambitious man, which can be seen from the city's tax revenue. He sits at the intersection of the inland rivers, so he can ask for more. The Delta family has been operating here for generations. Even if he gives up his fief, he won't be in dire straits. Compared with rebellion and losing his life, the earl should make a wise choice. "
"But it doesn't mean that other nobles will follow suit. It's not easy to unite their opinions, especially the Tririver family and the Rock Ridge family. It's said that they don't get along well with Earl Delta." He pointed to the location on the map. "And once your request is officially announced, it's likely that the opponents will gather together, just like what happened in the Western Region. So we speculate that the First Army may go into battle and force them to give up their power. "
"Of course, it's not a bad thing. Eliminating the rebels can reduce the trouble of subsequent management, and your powerful strength will certainly deter the rest of the people with bad intentions. So we suggest that you summon Earl Delta alone and persuade him before announcing the decree. Although those nobles should more or less know your intention. If there's anyone who disobeys, you can directly send troops to wipe them out. "
Roland nodded and looked at the map in silence.
He didn't mind using the truth to persuade the opponents. The First Army was originally used for this. But Sir Schilt's words "just like what happened in the Western Region" made him a little worried. At that time, it took longer to wipe out the five big families than to conquer Longsong Stronghold and King's City. The reason was that the area of these fiefs was much larger than a city, and it would take several days just to circle around them. But there were more fiefs around Redwater City. If they really wanted to wipe them out one by one, plus the follow-up pacification measures, it would probably take at least two or three weeks.
"Isn't there a faster way?"
"Uh, Your Majesty, faster means..."
"I don't want to spend too much time on this. There are still several cities to go. If we do this to all of them, when we arrive at Coldwind Ridge, half of the summer will have passed."
"This..." Sir and the others were speechless for a while.
"There is a way, but it may damage your reputation," Edith suddenly said. "Call them together and announce it on the spot."
"Oh?" Roland looked at her. "Go on."
"I've encountered the same problem as you, but it was even worse." The Pearl of the Northern Region briefly described her scheme against the Howes Family and the Lista Family. "If we followed the tradition of the nobles and expressed our intentions before acting, I'm afraid the Northern Region would still be in their hands."
After listening to her plan, everyone in the Adviser Department could not help but gasp.
"Your Majesty, this..."
"It's hard to convince people without evidence and without a trial!"
"If this gets out, I'm afraid other nobles will be suspicious."
"Have you forgotten that besides His Majesty, there shouldn't be any other nobles in Graycastle?" Edith spread out her hands. "In the past, when the nobles dealt with civilians, they didn't need a trial." Speaking of this, she looked at Roland. "But whether to do this or not depends on you. After all, things like reputation..."
"Only the winner has the right to write history," Roland interrupted her. "For example, if you don't say it, no one will know you've done such a thing. I have to thank you for your trust in me. In addition, this matter will not be spread. As for the takeover plan of Redwater City, we'll do as you think. "
Then he saw a strange light in Edith's eyes. At that moment, the Pearl of the Northern Region's breathing seemed to quicken.
However, she quickly concealed her expression and lowered her head.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
