"I'm sorry, Your Highness. Although the Norton Family is under the direct control of the Chrison Royal Family, and Your Highness also has the blood of the Chrison Royal Family, Your Highness is still representing the Andinac Royal Family. Besides, His Highness ordered us to lead the convoy to the Norton Family's territory, not to help the Andinac Royal Family quell the rebellion. "Fatty Shi shook his head and rejected Ogesero's request.
The purpose of the second prince and his guards coming here was to mediate between the Norton Family's convoy and the nobles' allied forces. He wanted the convoy to pay a small price to reach a peace agreement with the bandit lords and avoid war. Firstly, it was a request from his lover, his closest and most loyal subordinate, Christie. Secondly, he wanted to see if he could buy or sell some rations through the fleet. The Andinac Kingdom had been intentionally or unintentionally sealed off by the Ford Commercial Alliance, so there was a shortage of supplies.
The second prince was confident that the noble allied forces would give him face. During the empire's civil war, it was he who led the White Lion Legion and Gale Legion on expeditions to resist the elder prince and the second prince's greed for the capital. Many lords in the noble allied forces had been rescued by him, so he believed that he would at least give them some face.
Unexpectedly, while they were still on the road, they received news that the noble allied forces had been utterly defeated in the battle of Greenfield Plains. The Norton Family's convoy heading north had won a complete victory. The news surprised and shocked the second prince. He didn't expect the Norton Family's convoy to have such a strong escort force. Seeing Christie, who was very happy to hear the news, the second prince began to have an idea.
Although the second prince had many military achievements, he wasn't liked by the nobles of the Andinac Kingdom. Another meaning of military achievements was that the third prince had relied on the second prince to lead two legions to resist the invasion of the elder prince and the second prince. However, the five or six years of civil war had exhausted all the resources of the kingdom, and the kingdom had been reduced to ruins. Moreover, the second prince had a strong personality. No one liked a strong king, so the nobles of the territories supported the first prince to become the king. The second prince had no choice but to return to his own fief, an island in the far west of the kingdom.
The Andinac Kingdom had suffered great losses during the civil war, and could no longer maintain the existence of three legions. As a result, the White Lion Legion was disbanded, and the Gale Legion was sent to the Meline Duchy to assist Duke Meline in defending against the second prince's invasion. As for the Royal Guards, due to the drastic decrease in the kingdom's revenue, they were constantly reduced in size until they were only left with one company.
After losing the military power to suppress the kingdom, the nobles of the kingdom began to look down on the Andinac royal family. Then, the third prince fell ill and was bedridden. The Crown Prince, who had always been weak, became submissive to the nobles who pushed him to the throne after he took charge of the kingdom. This further encouraged the arrogance and presumptuousness of the nobles. They began to ignore the kingdom's laws, oppress the people, form private armies, divide up the royal territory, and establish the Alliance of Lords to fight against the Andinac royal family.
The second prince looked at the state of the kingdom and was anxious. He had a dream of reuniting the former Crimson Empire and restoring the glory and inheritance of the royal family. Unfortunately, he did not have reliable armed forces at hand. Even the guards around him and the garrison of the territory added up to less than 300 people. His elder brother, the eldest prince, was an amateur in foreign wars, but he was an expert in internal conflicts. He had always been on guard against his younger brother, who threatened his position as the second prince. He even cut off the second prince's allowance on the grounds of insufficient income.
The second prince was ambitious, but he had no soldiers, no power, and no money, so he could only be depressed. Now that he heard that the Norton family's northbound convoy had defeated the allied forces of the nobles, he had a plan. He only had one purpose in coming to the convoy: to borrow soldiers and food to pacify the Andinac Kingdom, destroy the Alliance of Lords, and force the eldest prince to abdicate so that he could take over the kingdom's military and political power. However, Shredder rejected his request after understanding his purpose.
"Is Abel the one in charge now?" Kristya walked up and asked.
"Abel Reid? Who is he? "Shredder looked at the beautiful black-haired knight in front of him in confusion.
Kristya's expression changed, and she asked sternly, "Who are you? Why are you pretending to be the Norton family? "
Her hand was already on the hilt of her sword.
"We are indeed knights of the Norton family. We are under the orders of Baron Norton. Right, the current Baron Norton is Norton Lollister. " Shredder took out the family's knight badge and infused it with impetus. A roaring bear appeared on the silver badge.
Kristya was stunned. She hesitated for a long time before asking, "Lollister? Are you talking about little Locke? That crybaby? The little guy with a runny nose? Wasn't he exiled to Moronte City? "
"Pfft …" Everyone in the tent laughed. It turned out that their lord had these two nicknames when he was young.
Shredder suppressed his laughter and replied, "Yes, Miss. Locke was exiled to Moronte City by his family. However, he received a message from his family last year that he was the only direct descendant of the Norton family left. He could only return home to inherit his territory and title. Many of us here are his good friends from Moronte City. He took them in as knights and was ordered to escort the convoy northward. May I know who you are, Miss? Are you related to the Norton family? "
"What did you say? Locke is the only one left in the Norton family now? What happened to Abelid and Novesk? " Kristya asked anxiously. However, she immediately realized that she was being rude. "Sorry, I'm Norton Kristya. I'm Lollister's cousin. My father is Locke's second uncle. He used to be the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards. "
"We salute you …" Shredder and all the people in the tent saluted Christie with a knight salute.
"You were talking about the eldest and third young masters, right?" Shredder said, "It's like this …"
Shredder told her everything he knew about the Norton family. Kristya cried bitterly. The second prince went up to her and comforted her.
"I thought it was painful enough that we lost our father. I didn't expect our family to be in a worse situation …" Kristya choked.
"Miss Kristya, my condolences. Please believe that the Norton family will continue to prosper under Locke's leadership. Our convoy is the foundation of the Norton family's revival. That's why I can't agree to His Highness's request. I have to ensure that the supplies and people reach the north safely, "Shredder said.
"All the more reason for you to agree to His Second Highness's request. With the strength of your caravan, you can easily destroy those lords who oppose him. Destroy their manors and castles, and take their supplies. Only then will you be able to transport more supplies back to the Northern Lands. I've been to the family's territory. It's very remote and lacks everything. That's why the more supplies you bring back, the more help you'll be to the family, "Kristya said.
"If you're willing to help me, I'll immediately promote the Norton family to an earl after I enter the imperial capital." The second prince made a timely promise. "And I won't take your supplies for nothing. I can trade with you. I want to use the weapons and equipment of the disbanded White Lion Legion to repay you for your help. If the Norton family gets their hands on these weapons and equipment, I believe they'll be able to do great things."
Shredder hesitated. He couldn't bring himself to reject the offer. If it was just a promotion, it wouldn't matter. But with the White Lion Legion's standard equipment, things would be different. The White Lion Legion was the famous main force of the former Crisen Empire. Its weapons, armor, and other equipment were all meticulously crafted by the empire's skilled craftsmen. Whether it was the offensive power of the weapons or the defensive power of the armor, they were of a higher quality than similar products. Compared to the White Lion Legion's standard equipment, the iron armor he was wearing was simply trash. More importantly, the White Lion Legion had 89,000 soldiers, divided into four divisions. All of them were fully equipped, and with the addition of reserves, that was a hundred thousand sets of weapons and equipment.
If the Norton family could obtain the 100,000 sets of equipment from the White Lion Legion, then they wouldn't have to worry about weapons and equipment for the next ten years. As long as they could form an army, they would be able to sweep across the northern lands. While the flames of war raged in the outside world, the Norton family would be able to peacefully develop their production in the north. They would be able to rest and recuperate.
The second prince was also helpless. Back then, the Andinac Kingdom was unable to maintain the White Lion Legion and was forced to disband. The soldiers left, but the weapons and equipment were left behind. However, the years of civil war had caused a lot of losses. Instead of the hundred thousand sets that Shredder had imagined, there were still more than seventy thousand of them. Originally, Andinac I, or the third prince, wanted to sell this batch of equipment at a high price in exchange for urgently needed funds and supplies to stabilize the situation of the kingdom. But he didn't expect the Ford Commercial Alliance to maliciously lower the price. The equipment couldn't even be sold at a tenth of the cost. The third prince refused to sell it at a low price. In a fit of anger, he cut off all dealings with the Ford Commercial Alliance.
The Ford Commercial Alliance was also furious. For more than a hundred years, the Crisen Empire had repeatedly attacked the Mana Hill Plains, and every time, the White Lion Legion had a part in it. They had also made great contributions to the Ford Commercial Alliance! We're already very generous to be willing to buy the White Lion Legion's weapons and equipment at a low price. Our original plan was to melt them down and cast a commemorative statue to celebrate the division of the Crisen Empire. We'll then cast the White Lion Legion's logo at the bottom to signify our final victory. You think the price is too low? You don't want to sell? Fine, then you don't have to sell anything, and you don't have to buy anything.
Without the flow of commerce, the prosperous Imperial City became more and more desolate, and the people had no way to make a living. The Ford Commercial Union's trade control over the Andinac Kingdom also caused the lords of the kingdom to complain. Now, many nobles also had their eyes on the sealed military resources.
Now, the second prince had no other choice. The Andinac Kingdom's financial resources were exhausted. If he wanted the Norton family's northbound convoy to help him, he had to pay a sufficient price and offer attractive conditions. After thinking about it, there were only two ways. The first was to grant the Norton family a hereditary title, and the second was to promote the Norton family's title. This was something that the second prince was very unwilling to do. The Andinac Kingdom only had three provinces of the former empire. It had less land and more lords. There were already more than a hundred nobles, and even the royal family's territory had been divided. The second prince's plan was to eliminate those who took the lead in causing trouble, and keep those who were honest and loyal. Then, he would consolidate the kingdom and focus on development. He would embark on the road to prosperity, and lay the foundation for the revival of the Crimson Empire.
If he gave the Norton family a hereditary title, it would be like chasing away a pack of wolves and a tiger. Based on the behavior of the northbound convoy, the second prince found it hard to believe that the Norton family would obey him. So, it was better not to find trouble with them. The second was to use the weapons and equipment of the White Lion Legion. From the escorts of the Norton family's convoy, it could be seen that they attached great importance to the protection of the family's armed forces. Even these ordinary soldiers were wearing iron armor. He believed that the standard equipment of the White Lion Legion would be very tempting to them.
The second prince's gamble was right. Even if Shredder could control himself and not have any thoughts about the White Lion Legion's standard equipment, there were three important figures in the tent who had been staring at Shredder. They were Bofinger, Wales, and Mons Malek. All three of them were from the White Lion Legion and were civilian officers. Although the second prince had seen them before, he could not remember them. Hearing that the second prince was willing to take out the White Lion Legion's standard equipment in exchange for the convoy's help, the three of them were overjoyed, but they could not show it. They kept looking at Shredder with hopeful eyes, hoping that he would agree to the second prince's request.
Shredder finally nodded.
The result of the negotiation was that the convoy would use 100,000 Gold Fords in cash and help the second prince build an army of 20,000 soldiers. They would also provide all the provisions and equipment, and the Norton family's armed forces would be mobilized to help wipe out all the rebellious nobles. All the seized goods would be divided equally between the two sides. Until the second prince ascended the throne. The second prince promised to promote the Norton family's title of Earl when he ascended the throne, and the territory would still be the family's original territory in the north. Then, all the standard equipment of the White Lion Legion would be handed over to the convoy. The second prince guaranteed that there would be no less than 70,000 sets of equipment, and the rest would be given to the convoy for free.
This agreement seemed to be a loss for the convoy. It was equivalent to the second prince's empty promise, but the convoy would have to fight desperately. However, Shredder signed the agreement because he was concerned about Christie's reputation, and also because he had his own plans to not harm the convoy. Third, he thought that he could befriend the second prince, so that the Norton family's influence could extend to the Andinac Kingdom. This way, the Norton family's caravans could travel unimpeded from the Andinac Kingdom to Viscount Tim's territory in the Redelis Kingdom.
Shredder's idea was very simple. The field scout battle would be handed over to the family's armed forces. The Norton family's armored cavalry could crush all the enemies who resisted, and it could also be used as training. The siege battle with the heaviest casualties would be the daredevil battalion formed by the captives, assisted by the family's long-range troops. This way, the family's northbound convoy would suffer minimal casualties, and the seized goods could replenish the convoy's consumption. So why not?
After more than two months of battle, the convoy swept through the Andinac Kingdom's Hengstmos Province and Central Province. Shredder hanged forty-eight territorial nobles, and forced thirty-five territorial nobles to kneel in front of the second prince to swear loyalty, earning himself the title of Demon Shredder. He also used the captives and the young and strong refugees to form an army of 20,000 for the second prince. They successfully besieged the former imperial capital, forcing the first prince to step down and hand over the power of state affairs to the second prince.
The second prince was very trustworthy. He handed over all 73,645 sets of White Lion Legion equipment to the convoy, and also gave Shredder the certificate of promotion from Baron Norton to Earl, stamped with the royal seal of the Chrison Royal Family. At the same time, he expressed that he was looking forward to the few members of the convoy working together with him to fight for the revival of the Chrison Empire.
Shredder and the others did not hesitate to reject the second prince's invitation, but the second prince just smiled and didn't care. However, when Shredder told them that the convoy was about to embark on their journey to the north, His Royal Highness requested a favor from the convoy. The convoy was heading to the last province of the Andinac Continent, Vilbas Province. The nobles of this province were the backbone of the Feudal Alliance, and it was also a place where His Royal Highness couldn't interfere. The second prince hoped that when the convoy passed through the province, they would clean up the rebellious lords like they did in the previous two provinces.
Shredder shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. Our convoy has been delayed for a long time, and we must go to the north immediately. As long as the lords do not hinder the convoy, the convoy will not do anything to them."
The second prince smiled and said, "There is a lot of food in that province …"
The two sides parted amicably, and Christie wrote a few letters of trust to Shredder and gave them to Lollister.
The convoy continued north, and soon Shredder and the others felt that something was wrong. When the convoy arrived at the Vilbas Province, there were actually nearly 100,000 refugees following behind them …
When they asked around, Shredder realized that he had been fooled. The Andinac Kingdom had a small land and a large population, so it lacked food and was full of refugees. No one knew when, but the rumor that they could live and work in peace and contentment in the north spread throughout the kingdom. All the refugees who heard the rumor followed the convoy.
Shredder was exasperated and wrote a letter to question the second prince. The second prince's reply was simple, "There are about 300,000 to 400,000 refugees in the Andinac Kingdom. Thanks to the convoy's clearing of the first two provinces, a lot of land has been freed up. But the second prince tried his best and could only settle a little more than 100,000 of them. The rest are willing to follow the convoy, but he can't do anything about it. But if the convoy can clean up the Vilbas Province, he may be able to settle a little more than 100,000 refugees … "
Everyone's scalp went numb. What were they going to do when they thought of the hundreds of thousands of refugees still rushing over? If they ignored them, the scene of the hundreds of thousands of refugees attacking the convoy and snatching food due to the famine was terrifying. If they ignored them, the food supply for the fifty to sixty thousand people in the convoy for three months might not even last for a month. The only way was to attack the manors and castles of the lords, rob them of food and other supplies to feed the refugees, and assist the second prince in settling the refugees.
This was why Shredder felt that he had fallen into a trap and had to follow the arrangements of others. He was very unhappy.
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