After receiving the news that Kebo City had been attacked, it only took Fatty Shi 29 days to move the caravan and 100,000 refugees from Vanades City to Kebo City. This efficiency amazed Laurist. It took him less than a month to cover a distance of 780 kilometers. That was more than 100,000 people and horses.
Fatty Shi's method was very simple. In addition to transporting supplies and the old, weak, and widows all the way, he divided the seven hundred and eighty miles of road from Vannades City to Kebo City into seven temporary camps. Each camp had nearly a thousand transport carriages dedicated to transporting people to the next camp. That was how the task of transferring people was completed so quickly.
The second prince led the 10,000 soldiers of the Royal Guards to Vanades City and immediately rushed to Kebo City. His purpose was to borrow food.
Laurist didn't care. Kebo City had a lot of food anyway. After occupying the city, the count of the granary was more than 300 million kilograms. Everyone couldn't help but sigh. Delimuk Province was the largest granary of the former empire. With food, everyone was relieved. The caravan and the refugees could spend the winter in Kebo City with peace of mind.
However, the second prince's plan to borrow food was stopped by Fatty Shi. Fatty Shi's words were very reasonable. It was okay to borrow food, but there had to be collateral. Even if he was the crown prince of the Andinac Kingdom and held the regent power of the kingdom, he still had to act according to the traditions and customs of the nobles. He couldn't just say how much he wanted to borrow, right?
In fact, the second prince was even poorer than the caravan. Fatty Shi was obviously making things difficult for him. However, the second prince was not discouraged. He smiled and returned to Vanades City. Ten days later, the second prince shipped a large amount of collateral. Fatty Shi wanted to cry when he saw these supplies.
These collateral supplies were the goods that Fatty Shi had wanted to collect from the merchants in Vanades City at one-third of the price. However, the second prince was even more ruthless. He used the excuse of confiscating the enemy's property to turn these goods into collateral for the food loan. In the end, the second prince shipped 100 million kilograms of food from Kebo City. Even when winter came, he didn't care about the transportation personnel and the horses' frostbite and continued to transport food.
Fatty Shi wondered why the second prince was racing against time and couldn't wait. He went to ask Laurist in private.
Lollister's explanation was simple: to recruit soldiers and prepare for war.
Taking a map of the Andinac Kingdom, Laurist said that next spring, the second prince would be facing two wars. Needless to say, the Madras Grand Duke's counterattack was the most crucial. Laurist pointed at the border between the Andinac Kingdom and the Redelis Kingdom. He heard that the eldest prince had already signed a ceasefire agreement with the four central duchies. Most of his troops were still there, and with his wolfish nature, the Andinac Kingdom would be the next to suffer.
Thanks to you. Laurist looked at Fatty Shi and smiled. The second prince had already unified the nobles in the kingdom, stabilized the situation, and started production. As long as the Andinac Kingdom could survive for another two to three years, it would become a powerful country in the region. If it was given another ten years to develop, the Second Prince's dream of unifying the former empire would become a reality.
What the second prince lacked the most right now was time. His current strategy was to advance step by step, attacking from the north and defending from the south. As for the eldest prince's Redelis Kingdom, he put the Gale Legion in charge of defending the border between the two kingdoms. However, the Gale Legion had been fighting for many years, and they had also helped the Melaine Duchy defend against the second prince's invasion. The second prince needed food and weapons to replenish the Gale Legion's soldiers and prepare for war and long-term defense.
As for the Madras Duchy, the second prince wanted to occupy it, but he didn't have the strength to do so. His plan was to first annex the Yungesandra province, establish communication with the four central duchies, and get support. He would defend here and exhaust the strength of the Madras Grand Duke. After two years of preparation, he could annex the Madras Duchy in one fell swoop.
Fatty Shi looked at the map in silence for a while, then made a suggestion. "Sir, why don't we stay here and let the second prince represent the Andinac Royal Family to bestow the Dreimuk province to the Norton family. We can then help the second prince achieve his goal of annexing the Madras Duchy as soon as possible. This is the best of both worlds. I think the second prince would be very happy to do so."
Laurist was stunned. He stared at Fatty Shi for a long time before asking, "Did you think of this yourself? Or do many people think so? "
Fatty Shi thought for a while and said, "Two days ago, I went up to the city wall to check the defense equipment in the tower. When I came down, I saw a group of refugees gathered near the moat. I thought something had happened, so I went to take a look. I heard a refugee talking about the folktales and legends of the Kebo city and the Dreimuk province. I heard that the Dreimuk province has thousands of miles of fertile land, and is the largest granary of the Crisen Empire. I was tempted. If we can occupy this province, it will be a great help to our family! "
Laurist smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Don't let your imagination run wild in the future. Such a good thing will never happen."
"Why? Even if the second prince is not willing to bestow the entire Dreimuk province to us, we were the ones who conquered Kebo city. The surrounding hundred miles should be rewarded to us as well. Then we can settle a hundred thousand refugees here to farm. It will also allow our family to lay a nail in the Dreimuk province. "Fatty Shi was not convinced.
"Sigh …" Laurist sighed. "Brother Shi, you think too highly of everything. The second prince will never bestow the Dreimuk province to us. Even if we conquer the entire province for him, he will not bestow Kebo city to us. Even if we conquer the entire Dreimuk province with our strength, it will be a private occupation. It will be considered theft, and the second prince will not acknowledge it in name.
If the second prince is content with the status quo and does not want to move forward, then your idea might be realized. Unfortunately, the second prince has great ambitions. He wants to unify the former empire, so he can give the entire north to the Norton family. However, he will not allow us to touch the Dreimuk province.
If you look at the map carefully, you will understand the second prince's strategic intentions. Why did he protect so many nobles in the first two provinces of the Andinac Kingdom? It's simple. Those two provinces were prepared to defend against the eldest prince's attack, so it was not a pity to destroy them. In the end, you swept through the entire province of Vilbas Ya and hung all the nobles on the gallows, but the second prince didn't say a word. That's because he wants to bring Vilbas Ya under the direct jurisdiction of the Royal Family, making it the foundation of the Royal Family's revival, so he won't confer any nobles in this province.
Next, look at the map of the Madras Principality. Yungesandra province is already under the control of the second prince. Although this province is barren, it is a strategic location. The second prince has already killed more than twenty nobles for treason, aiding the rebellion, and other crimes. Only six or seven nobles are willing to obey the second prince's orders and instructions.
Why did the second prince suddenly go on a killing spree in Yungesandra province? It is because he also wants to bring this province under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family. Next, he wants to deal with the Madras Grand Duke and the Seamount Legion in Sidergrad province. Sidergrad province is directly under the Madras Grand Duke's jurisdiction, so there are no other nobles. As long as he takes this province, the second prince will start to deal with the nobles in Delemsk.
Food is the most important strategic resource of a kingdom. Without food, the kingdom cannot be stable. The second prince has suffered from the lack of food before. As the largest grain producing province in the former empire, the second prince will never put Delemsk province under the control of the nobles. He will also purge the nobles in this province, and those who submit to him will be transferred to Sidergrad province. Now, look at the situation. What will happen if these provinces are directly under the jurisdiction of the royal family? "
Laurist took out a map of the former Crisen Empire that was divided into three kingdoms and seven duchies. He drew a line on the Andinac Kingdom's Vilbas Province, the Madras Duchy's Yungesandra Province, and the Delemke Province. He then drew a circle on the northern plains.
Fatty Shi was stunned. He pointed at the circle in the north and asked, "What does that mean?"
"Did you forget the second prince's words? When he destroys the Madras Principality and borders the north, if the Norton family takes over the entire north, he will represent the Andinac royal family to confer me the title of Duke of the North. This circle represents the Norton family, "Laurist replied.
"Under such circumstances, where do you think the second prince will point his troops?" Laurist asked Fatty Shi.
Fatty Shi pointed at the Iberian Kingdom. "The second prince."
Laurist nodded. "This is another reason why the second prince won't hand over Delemsk province to us or other nobles. Only a province directly under the jurisdiction of the royal family can better mobilize troops and resources to support the front line. Delemsk province and the Iberian Kingdom are separated by the Henderson Mountains. As long as the second prince sends troops, he can easily break into the Iberian Kingdom's hinterland. The second prince doesn't have the ability to hold out for long.
We all know that the second prince relied on the strength of his father-in-law, Duke Fisabulun, and the former imperial border guards under his command to establish the country. If the second prince sends troops to the Iberian Kingdom, then Duke Fisabulun will definitely send his border guards as well. At that time, the second prince will need our Norton family. If we send troops from the north, and Grand Duke Meirin also sends troops, then Grand Duke Fisablon can only retreat to his lair in order to avoid a pincer attack from three sides, and watch the second prince sweep through the Iberian Kingdom. "
"If the second prince takes over the Iberian Kingdom, then the situation of the entire empire will be clear. He will order our Norton family to confront Duke Fisabulun, force the four grand duchies to return to the empire, and then gather our forces to destroy the eldest prince's Redelis Kingdom. This is the general trend, and no one can stop it. The second prince will soon fulfill his wish of unifying the empire and ascend the throne of the new Crimson Empire. He will become a legend in the history books as a wise ruler who revives the empire … "Fatty Shi had already understood what Laurist meant, and he finished explaining the following strategy in one breath.
"The second prince is really playing a big game of chess. He has a good idea. When the time comes, he will use us to tie down Duke Fisabulun's border guards, making it impossible for us to make more contributions in the process of reviving the empire. This will save us the trouble of paying the Norton family after the empire is unified. He really calculated it well …" Fatty Shi sighed.
Laurist smiled. "This is an overt plot. Everything is so open and aboveboard that no one can say anything about it."
"Then there's no way for us to get some benefits?" Fatty Shi was still a little unwilling.
Laurist shook his head. "You should have realized this when His Second Highness asked us to borrow food. His Second Highness could have given us a hundred million kilograms of food in a radius of a hundred kilometers around Kebo City in exchange for food, but he would rather confiscate the merchants' goods as collateral. Even if we take over the entire Delimuk province, after the second prince destroys the Madras Duchy and reorganizes his troops, he will order us to hand over the Delimuk province. What do you want the Norton family to do?
Refuse to obey? Raise an army to rebel? Is that realistic? Don't forget that the hundred thousand refugees we brought were originally citizens of the Andinac Kingdom. If you arrange for them to work here, as long as the second prince gives the order, they will be overjoyed to become citizens of the kingdom again. No one will care about us, a lord without a title. Only when we bring them to our family territory will they become citizens of the Norton family.
The Norton family does not lack territory. Don't forget that the island territory that the second prince gave me has no one to manage. The most important thing now is to bring these refugees back. Don't think that our convoy is very strong. In fact, we are far from elite. The reason they followed us to the north is to give their families a peaceful living environment. If we lead them to fight for these nameless territories, will they be willing to do so? When they are exhausted, where will we get these brave warriors from?
No one is a fool. The second prince would love for our convoy to stay in the Delimuk province and wipe out all the nobles like you did in the Wilbassia province. That way, he can get a good reputation without dirtying his sword, and he can use the excuse of the wrath of the people to force us to leave. He can even order us to participate in the war with the Madras Duchy in the spring and provide us with support.
I do not wish for the Norton Family's armed forces to become cannon fodder for His Highness' ambitions. In fact, many people can see through his strategic deployment. If he wants to succeed, it will depend on whether those people are willing to give him this opportunity. Next summer, the Madras Duchy will become a big battlefield. If we don't leave in the spring, we won't be able to leave anymore. "
Laurist stretched out his finger and pointed at the location of the Iberian Kingdom on the map.
"Are you saying that the second prince will send troops to attack Delimuk?" Fatty Shi asked.
"Not attack, but annex," Laurist said. "I said that no one is a fool, and the second prince is not one. How can he not see the second prince's obvious strategic intentions? Even if he can't see it, the Delimuk province is like a big piece of meat. With the second prince's greedy character, how can he not bite it? Even if he doesn't bite it, there will be people who will encourage him to bite it.
In the past, the Madras Duchy stood in front of the Andinac Kingdom. Now that the Madras Duchy has taken a hit and can't protect itself, there will definitely be people who will encourage the second prince to join in the fun. Think about it, the second prince had to borrow food from the Madras Duchy in the past. Now that the Madras Duchy can't protect itself, there will definitely be people who will encourage the second prince to join in the fun.
"Locke, who are the people you are talking about?"
"Those who don't want to see the revival of the Crimson Empire, and those who don't want the second prince to reunite the empire."
"Didn't the second prince just lose a battle? Where will he get the troops to attack the Delimuk province? "
"Borrow troops. Don't forget that his father-in-law, Duke Fisablun's border guards are always at full strength. There are 78,000 soldiers. The second prince only needs to borrow 30,000 and gather the private soldiers of the nobles. It'll be easy for him to get 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers. It'll be enough to conquer the Delimuk province."
"Then why are you so sure it's summer? And not the beginning of spring? "
"The second prince won't be able to gather enough food in the beginning of spring. He'll send his troops immediately after the wheat is harvested in the summer."
"It's a pity to give up this place, such a good grain producing province …" Fatty Shi sighed.
"What's so good about this place? Other than the fact that there are no iron mines or horses, the biggest disadvantage is that it's closed." Laurist shook his head.
"Closed? No way? Look, it connects the North, the Iberian Kingdom, and the city of Vanades. From there, it connects the Sigler province, the Andinac Kingdom, and even the Four Grand Duchies from the Yungesandra province. The transportation is very convenient, "Fatty Shi said curiously.
"When I said it's closed, I meant that it can only go in circles within the empire. Look at our family's territory." Laurist pulled out a map of the North. "Look, if we can find a port here in the Blade Peak Mountain, we can develop a fleet and connect it to my island territory. From there, we can reach Tim's port. From there, we can reach Morent City, and from there, we can reach the Ruins Islands. The Romon Empire is a vast place for us to soar. Now do you understand why I insist on bringing the fleet and the refugees back to the family territory? It's waiting for us to develop and build the best home! "
"Loke, you're thinking further than us …"
"Of course, haha. This is why I'm the lord and you're my knights."
"Loke, you're too arrogant. I was just flattering you, you took it seriously …"
…
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