As it turned out, it was a brilliant idea to have Earl Kenneth deal with His Royal Highness.
To Laurist, the second prince was the lord of the Norton Family, and he had to show respect. However, in the face of the second prince's suspicion and apprehension of the Norton Family's strength, he would not do anything to curry favor or explain. This was a form of confidence and arrogance. Regardless of whether the second prince was the king of the Andinac Kingdom with 300,000 troops or the lord of Luobo who only had three or four kittens by his side, he maintained the same attitude. Since you're not being sincere, then I can't be bothered with you. I'll just maintain superficial politeness.
In Laurist's opinion, the second prince wasn't without talent. He was hailed as the new God of War of Galinthea, and it wasn't an undeserved reputation. He was the first to use the Norton Family's escort force to seize power in the Andinac Kingdom. Then, he tried to drive a wedge between the Duke of Madras and the second prince who came to help, causing the two to fight. In the end, he forced the Madras Duchy to cede the Yungesandra Province.
On the other side, facing the attack of the eldest prince, the second prince used the strategy of luring the enemy in. He strengthened the walls and cleared the field. He resisted step by step to exhaust the enemy's strength, and after paying a heavy price, he trapped the enemy in a trap. Finally, he counterattacked the Redelis Kingdom and forced the eldest prince to cede the two provinces in the southwest. A few years later, the flames of war rose again. Faced with the impenetrable wall set up by the Redelis Kingdom, the Second Prince led his troops over the Broken Cloud Mountain Range and launched a surprise attack on Felicia King City. This battle shocked the entire continent …
The second prince might be an excellent commander, but in Laurist's opinion, he was not a good king. This was not to say that the second prince was lacking in governing the country, but that he was not a wise king. At least in Laurist's eyes, the second prince did not have the temperament and breadth of mind of a wise king. He was narrow-minded, vengeful, had his own words, did not listen to others' opinions, was self-righteous and stubborn, and liked to take advantage of others. Laurist could name a lot of things on his fingers.
The biggest problem was that he thought too highly of himself. This was the source of Laurist's indifferent attitude towards the second prince. Why do you always have to do what I ask you to do … Sometimes, Laurist was glad that he was a noble so he could refuse the second prince's unreasonable requests. Unlike the knights under him who could only fight with their lives on the line.
Laurist's mentality was very simple. Everything was done slowly, and building a good foundation was the most important thing. Second Prince Mammoth Elephant had gathered an army of three hundred thousand, and had unleashed his One Wave Rush to its limits. However, the moment he lost, he was like a drowning dog that everyone wanted to beat up. Apart from the Northern Lands, there was nowhere else he could go. Thus, he could only come to help Laurist.
When the second prince accepted the White Lion Legion's standard equipment and 100,000 gold fords, it meant that the relationship between the Norton Family and the second prince had been reduced to that of a superior lord and a inferior lord. Back then, His Highness had used the White Lion Legion's standard equipment to entice the Norton Family's guards to clear the way for him. Now that Laurist had returned the equipment to His Highness, it basically meant that the Norton Family's relationship with the Andinac Royal Family was over. His Highness was also well aware of this.
Earl Kenneth was different from Laurist. His family was powerful enough that Laurist could directly refuse the second prince's unreasonable requests. He could even ignore them, and the second prince would still have to smile at Laurist. On the other hand, Earl Kenneth was a merchant, and he always had a way to make the second prince willingly step into the trap that Earl Kenneth had dug for him. Sometimes, even if he was very vigilant, Earl Kenneth would still achieve his goal in a roundabout or indirect way.
For the next ten days or so, Earl Kenneth had been lobbying for the second prince. Oh, he was helping the second prince build connections. He tried his best to persuade Baron Filim and Baron Shahin to submit to the second prince. At the same time, he also persuaded the second prince to accept or agree to their requests.
For example, Earl Kenneth made a request to the second prince, hoping to obtain the province of Sidgler as his family's territory after the Madras Duchy was destroyed. The second prince had agreed. In the second prince's view, Sidgler was also a remote province. Apart from the Silver Beach, which was famous for its leisure and vacation scenery, it was not a good place. Moreover, it was now in the hands of the Madras Duchy. Being generous at the expense of others was his favorite thing to do. He could make the Kenneth Family and the Madras Duchy fight to the death without paying any price. This debt was easy to settle.
"Then, Your Majesty, how do you plan to let Baron Shahin follow us to attack the Madras Duchy?" Earl Kenneth asked.
The second prince pondered for a moment. "How about I also make him an earl?"
Earl Kenneth shook his head. "Your Majesty, you can't always use false titles to tempt others. You have to pay a price that will move them."
"Then what does Baron Shahin want?"
"He wants this." Earl Kenneth pointed to the map of the Madras Duchy. "He wants the territory of the Henderson Mountains in the province of Delemsk."
"Here? Why does he want this territory? "The second prince was a little puzzled. This was the border area, adjacent to the province of Winston. It was not the fertile area of the province of Delemsk, which was known as the granary. It was a little strange for Baron Shahin to want this territory.
"Your Majesty, you know that Baron Shahin is purely a soldier and doesn't know how to run a territory. That is to say. Baron Shahin has always been very short of money. He is the most financially difficult of the four families in the north and needs our support from time to time. There are two small silver mines and one copper mine in the Henderson Mountains. For him, this is money. It's much better than farming and selling food. That's why he wants this place. "Earl Kenneth explained.
"But I still want to take these mines for the national treasury …" The second prince was a little hesitant.
"Your Majesty, the Henderson Mountains are now in the hands of the Madras Duchy. He has built seven castles here and arranged a garrison of forty thousand men. If you want to take these mines for the national treasury, no one will be willing to attack. If you agree to Baron Shahin's request, he will attack even if he has to pay a heavy price. Your Majesty will be able to get 10% of the profits from these mines as taxes after he has occupied this area. This is better than leaving them in the hands of the Grand Duke of Madras without a single cent, or you personally leading your elite troops to fight against these seven fortresses … "
The second prince suddenly saw the light. "You are right, my lord. Tell Baron Shahin that I agree to his request. In addition to giving him this area as his family's territory, I will also promote him to the rank of earl."
"Your Majesty, you are too wise. It is our honor to have you as our king. I firmly believe that under your command, we will create a great empire." Laurist would never say such words even if he was beaten to death, but Earl Kenneth spoke very naturally and fluently, as if he was speaking from the bottom of his heart.
"Then, Your Majesty, let us discuss Baron Filim's request again."
"Huh?" The smile on the second prince's face had not disappeared when he heard this. "Baron Filim's request? Didn't I promise to promote him to the rank of earl and give him the southern province as his family's territory? How can he not agree to such a request? "
Earl Kenneth sighed deeply and said helplessly, "Your Majesty, you have forgotten that the southern province is not under your jurisdiction. It now belongs to the Kingdom of Iberia …"
The second prince's face was a little red. "Although it is now the territory of the Kingdom of Iberia, as long as I return to the Andenac Kingdom and ascend the throne again, I can reorganize the army and unify the empire's territory. When the Kingdom of Iberia is destroyed, the southern province will be my kingdom's territory …"
"Time, Your Majesty, what you need is time." Earl Kenneth said very frankly. "Your Majesty, you can't promise the apple that will grow in the future before you have planted it. No one knows if the apple that has not yet grown is sour or sweet. You are a king. If you do this, you will be seen as a quibbling merchant. This will have a very damaging effect on your reputation … "
"Uh …" The second prince had to admit that what Earl Kenneth said was very reasonable, but he also spread out his hands helplessly. "My Lord Earl, you are right, but look at me now. Apart from promising the apple in the future, what else can I do? Now that I am in such dire straits, it is already very incompetent and shameful to be a king … "
"Your Majesty, please don't say that. Even a lion needs to take a nap. Your experience itself is a legend, and there will be countless people in the future who will praise your story." Earl Kenneth said respectfully, "Your Majesty, in fact, Baron Filim's request is also very simple. He is willing to serve you and attack the Kingdom of Madras for you. He only hopes that when he attacks the Kingdom of Iberia and seizes the southern province, Your Majesty can give him support and protect his escape route. At the same time, you can also send a legion to the southern province to stop Duke Fisablon's attack … "
"This …" The second prince pondered.
"Your Majesty, is there a problem?"
The second prince smiled bitterly. "My Lord Earl, it's not that I don't want to agree to Baron Filim's request, but I simply can't do it. As you said, as a king, I can't easily make promises. Even if the Duchy of Madras is destroyed with your help, then I can only form a White Lion Legion, and I still have to rely on it to attack the imperial capital. Even if I recapture the Andinac Kingdom and rebuild the Royal Guards, I still have to guard against the attacks of the Trade Alliance and the four central duchies. In the next few years, I simply can't send a legion to help Baron Filim recapture the southern province … "
After the second prince understood the military situation of the Duchy of Madras, he estimated that with the strength of Earl Kenneth, Baron Shahin, and Baron Filim, the destruction of the Duchy of Madras should be a lose-lose situation. So he prepared to form the White Lion Legion in the rear to attack the Andinac Kingdom, and did not want to help Earl Kenneth and the others.
The second prince believed that with his prestige and reputation, the garrisons of the Andinac Kingdom would definitely surrender. When he re-ascended the throne, he would reorganize his armaments to find trouble with the Trade Alliance and the four central duchies. How would he have the leisure to send a legion to help Baron Filim? Besides, Duke Fisablon was not someone to be trifled with. The Rangers on the border were not something that the infantry under his command could deal with. Sending them would be equivalent to sending them to their deaths.
"If Baron Filim is willing to wait a few years and let me destroy the Trade Alliance and the four central duchies, I can send troops to help him recapture the southern province. I hope Earl Kenneth can persuade him to follow the bigger picture and endure for another two years … "The second prince's words made him blush. If the Trade Alliance and the four central duchies were so easy to destroy, he would not be in such dire straits.
Earl Kenneth shook his head. He knew very well what the second prince was thinking. He mainly wanted to use the force of the Filim Family's Light Cavalry to destroy the Duchy of Madras. As long as he achieved his goal, the matter of the Filim Family's territory could be delayed.
"Your Majesty, I don't understand. There are many simple ways to help you. Why don't you use the armed forces of the Norton Family?"
"The Norton Family?" The second prince let out a long sigh. "Earl Kenneth, you don't know. It's not that I don't want the Norton Family to help me, it's that they are unwilling."
"Unwilling? Why? "
"I have already made Loriste the Duke of the North, hoping that they will send troops to help me recapture the throne. But he only gave me a sum of money and some armor, and refused to send troops." The second prince appeared to be a little angry.
That's a hundred thousand gold coins and the standard equipment of the entire White Lion Legion. It's not a sum of money and some armor. It's enough to buy the titles of three Grand Dukes of the North. Earl Kenneth smiled as he complained in his heart. "Your Majesty, I think the Norton Family is unwilling to send troops because you haven't given them what they need. As far as I know. The Norton Family has been troubled by one thing. "
"Oh, what is it?" The second prince was very curious.
"When the Norton Family won the war with the second prince, their armed forces swept through the entire North, capturing all the nobles in the North except for our three allies. After screening, there were still seventeen nobles in Monolith Castle. These were all old lords of the former Crimson Empire, and they had some relationship with the Norton Family. But the North was occupied by the four of us, and Loriste had always wanted to get a new territory for them … "
"What did you say? The Norton Family dared to attack and imprison these nobles? "The second prince suddenly became excited.
Earl Kenneth sighed. "Your Majesty, don't forget that although the ancestors of these nobles were nobles of the Empire, when the Norton family attacked and captured them, they were already nobles of the Iberian Kingdom. They had all pledged their allegiance to the second prince, so it was perfectly justifiable for the Norton family to attack them. It was only because their ancestors were old nobles of the Empire that they were allowed to stay. This was the kindness of the Norton family."
"Uh … I see." The second prince apologized bitterly. "Sorry, I forgot. Do you mean … "
Earl Kenneth pointed at the Delemke Province on the map. "Your Majesty, if you agree to transfer these nobles here, then I believe the Norton Family will be willing to send troops to help us attack the Madras Duchy. If you give Kebo City and the rest of the territory to Loriste, I believe he will agree to help Your Majesty fight all the way to the imperial capital."
The second prince shook his head. "No, Loriste is already the Duke of the North. The Norton Family already has the entire North, and they still want to extend their hands into the Delemke Province. No, we can't give it to them."
"Your Majesty, please think about your current situation. Also, this is the Delemke Province of the Madras Duchy, not the territory of the Andinac Kingdom. If the Norton Family wants this area, they will have to pay a price. There is no free lunch in this world. Your Majesty! You can only gain by sacrificing the territory of the Madras Duchy. It can be said that you don't have to pay anything, and you can even ask the Norton Family to fight all the way to the imperial capital to help you restore your position. Are you going to give up such a good opportunity? Your Majesty! Don't let me down! "
The second prince suddenly stared at Earl Kenneth. "Earl Kenneth, why did you come up with this idea? Did Loriste ask you to lobby for it? "
Earl Kenneth laughed. "Your Majesty, you are really paranoid. In fact, I only have two reasons for doing this. First, the Norton Family's military strength surpasses that of the three of us. With their participation, it can reduce the damage to our family's army. Second, I hope that when the nobles supported by the Norton Family are transferred here, we will also transfer the five nobles supported by our family. "
"I see …" The second prince was relieved. Earl Kenneth's explanation showed his selfishness. If he had selfishness, he would not have colluded with Loriste.
"But I still feel that this is too easy for the Norton Family …" The second prince was still a little unwilling.
I helped you fight all the way to the imperial capital, and you are still not satisfied? Earl Kenneth smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you can now hand over Baron Filim's conquest of the southern province to the Norton family. I believe that the Norton family and the Fisablen family will have a fierce competition for control of the southern province. “
"This is a good idea!" The second prince was very happy. The thought of letting the Norton Family fight to the death with Duke Fisablen excited him. The more intense the battle, the better. It would be best if both sides suffered heavy losses. When he was done with the Commerce Alliance and the four central duchies, he could come over to clean up the mess. Maybe he could get rid of these two big problems without much effort.
"But Loriste might not agree. This guy will not bow down if he does not see benefits." The second prince was a little worried about the gains and losses.
"We can appoint him as the governor of the Winston Province and give him the control of Windbri Kingdom," Earl Kenneth said.
The second prince suddenly raised his head and glared at Earl Kenneth. "No, that way the Norton Family will have two provinces!"
Earl Kenneth smiled calmly and said, "Impossible, Your Majesty. When we attack the Madras Duchy, there will definitely be nobles who will submit to you. Similarly, there will be lords in the Iberian Kingdom who are on good terms with our family. When the time comes, we can transfer these nobles to the Winston Province and let the Norton Family control Windbri Kingdom. They will also have to provide support to their ally, the Filim Family. I believe this will add a lot of trouble for the Norton Family …"
"Wonderful!" The second prince clapped and laughed. "Good idea, let's do that."
…
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