Laurist looked at the map of the former Crimson Empire hanging on the wall again. He pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "No, we must wage war against the usurping Queen Kerry of the Andinac Kingdom. It cannot be delayed. We can only buy time if His Highness returns to the throne … "
"Time?" Fatty Shi blinked in confusion. "Your Highness, what time do we need to buy? Everything is under our control. There is no need to release the tiger back to the mountain and let His Highness return to the throne. In fact, having His Highness under our control is more beneficial to our family. We can even threaten Queen Kerry to open up the Andinac Kingdom's trade routes and force her to hand over the Port of Qilin to our family …
If His Highness returns to the throne, he will still be wary of us. Not only will we not get any benefits, he might even shamelessly send messengers to ask for our support. Most importantly, Your Highness, the Madras Duchy is about to fall. Soon, the North will be connected to the Andinac Kingdom and will no longer be an enclave. I am worried that once His Highness returns to the throne, he will send his tax officials to collect tithes.
This means that our family will have to pay a hundred thousand gold fords to His Highness every year. We will even have to disclose the number of our family's fields to the Kingdom. With His Highness's temperament and understanding of our family's territory, he knows that our family's main business is not in the fields, but in the mines. He will definitely have ideas in this area. He might even increase taxes.
To our three allies, it is not a good idea to let His Highness return to the throne too early. They will also have to pay tithes and avoid His Highness mobilizing their family armies to fight. His Highness has no soldiers or power in the North. No matter how capable he is, he will not be able to do anything. That is why I strongly oppose attacking the usurping Queen Kerry. I think she is better than His Highness on the throne of the Andinac Kingdom. At least, she will not be a threat to our family. "
Laurist smiled bitterly as he poured himself another glass of fruit wine and downed it in one gulp.
"You are right, but we have to choose the lesser of two evils." Laurist's finger tapped on the map. "This year, we have destroyed the Madras Duchy. The remaining time is only enough for us to exchange territories and relocate the residents. But next year, we will attack the Iberian Kingdom, and Duke Fisablon is the biggest mountain in front of us! This old man is not only an old fox, but also a lion. The title of the Empire's God of War is genuine to him. We must not be careless. "
Buckingham sighed, "I've been paying attention to all the information about the Fisablen Family. In the end, I realized that I've still underestimated that old fellow. Do you know how many people there are under Grand Duke Fisablun's command? Almost 240,000 soldiers, almost every citizen is a soldier. As expected of the Empire's God of War, his reputation is well-deserved … "
"What did you say? Two hundred and forty thousand armed families … That's impossible. The Fisablon Family can't afford to support so many people. They can't gather that much rations with just the Muye and Eastern Wasteland Provinces … "Fatty Shi suspected that Laurist was just trying to scare them.
"I'm not lying, it's true." Laurist returned to his desk, pulled open a drawer, and took out a thick folder. He placed it in front of Fatty Shi. "They don't need to gather rations at all, because they can just rob the grassland barbarian tribes in the northeast plains. And when those grassland barbarian tribes submit, they can use trade to obtain an endless supply of cattle and sheep from the plains. "
"Do you still remember the first arms deal with the Fisablon Family? Princess Sylvia asked for 100,000 standard model 103 cavalry equipment in one go. In addition to the 15,000 border ranger soldiers that were redeemed, the total value was two million cattle and sheep. The term was five years. I was very happy at the time. I thought that I could shift the Fisablon Family's attention to the northeast plains and fight to the death with those grassland barbarian tribes. In order to plunder cattle and sheep, there would definitely be casualties. This would also reduce the threat to the north.
I was wrong. In reality, the Fisablon Family's border ranger army had long since killed the grassland barbarian tribes in the northeast plains. This was a report that Tagger had handed over. In the end, he had bribed a few informants in the Fisablon Family. According to the informants, before the arms deal with our family, there were already twenty to thirty grassland barbarian tribes that had become the Fisablon Family's vassals. Not only did they have to offer cattle and sheep every year, they also had to send their elites to serve the Fisablon Family as soldiers.
There was a report in the folder. It was a list and analysis of the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce's transactions with the Fisablon Family over the years. After reading this report, I understood that Count Kenneth was complacent. Every year, the transactions with the Fisablon Family would bring the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce a profit of a hundred thousand gold fords. Even our family, who only owned 10% of the shares, would receive a dividend of ten to twenty thousand. It was only now that I knew that the Fisablon Family was reselling their goods to the grassland barbarian tribes.
Looking at the large amount of snow salt and daily necessities on the list, none of us realized this. How many people did the Fisablon Family have in the two provinces? At most, it would be five hundred thousand. However, the amount of snow salt and daily necessities consumed every year had already exceeded three times that of our family's territory. At that time, our family's territory had a population of nearly a million … When I thought that the Fisablon Family was gathering cattle and sheep to plunder the grassland barbarian tribes, they had actually only organized a caravan to carry out the transaction. The real purpose of sending troops was to make the grassland barbarian tribes surrender, not to plunder and massacre.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Fisablon Family was playing a huge game of chess. We were worried that the Fisablon Family was befriending the four central duchies in order to open up a new trade route. In reality, the Fisablon Family was adding an additional layer of insurance for themselves. Currently, the goods sold to the grassland were all provided by the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce. In other words, they were produced in the north. However, once we cut off this trade route, the Fisablon Family would no longer be able to carry out transactions with the grassland barbarian tribes. Then, what would happen to the grassland barbarian tribes that lacked resources? They would pick up their swords and spears to plunder again. Once the flames of war started, the Fisablon Family's territory would be the first to bear the brunt.
That was why the Fisablon Family united with the four central duchies to destroy the Merlein Duchy. Firstly, it was to get rid of the hidden dangers behind them. Secondly, it was to open up a new trade route. That way, even if we refused to trade with him, the Fisablon Family would still be able to obtain sufficient supplies from the four central duchies. As long as the grassland wasn't in chaos, the Fisablon Family would be able to shift their attention to the areas that they were concerned about, such as the Jinchuan region … "
Looking at Fatty Shi, who was listening attentively to his long-winded speech, Lollister poured himself another cup of fruit wine.
"Perhaps in your heart, you might think that the Fisablon Family is just a Grand Duke who is about to pass his prime. He is someone who swings left and right, betting on both sides, and is someone who plays it safe. However, after I met and interacted with him, my intuition kept reminding me that he would be our family's most dangerous enemy. It wasn't his rejection of my marriage with Sylvia that made me hate him. Instead, I realized that he was truly an ambitious and ruthless person, brimming with ambition. Anyone who underestimates him will suffer a great loss. "
"Your Highness, it's not that I don't believe your assertions, but if the Grand Duke Fisablon was really like what you've said, then after we captured the second prince and left, the Royal City of Windbury would be in chaos, and no one would be able to make a decision. It was such a good opportunity, but the Grand Duke left the Royal City and returned to his family's territory only a few months after taking over. This shows that he had no ambition at all, and only wanted to protect himself. If he was truly an ambitious and ruthless person, he would have relied on his family's military force to cleanse the nobles in the Royal City, consolidate the kingdom's power, and assume the regency of the Iberian Kingdom, "Fatty Shi retorted.
"This is where he is cunning. Think about it, if the Grand Duke Fisablon did as you said, what would the consequences be? First, he would have to transfer his family's armed forces to the Winston Province to suppress the resistance and rebellions of the nobles. This would be a long-term fire pit that would consume a large amount of the family's resources and armed forces. Even if he obtained the final victory, what he would gain would only be a devastated Winston Province. What use would it be if the gains did not make up for the losses?
Think about it again, the Duchy of Merlein was still around at that time, and could stab him in the back at any time. As an old rival, the Grand Duke Merlein would definitely not let go of this opportunity to beat him up when he was down. Also, would the four northern families give the Grand Duke Fisablon the chance to rebuild the kingdom? At that time, Viscount Christopher had just suffered a defeat at our hands, and he and 15,000 soldiers had become captives. In the face of our aggressive northern military force, retreat and patience were the best choices.
After the Grand Duke Fisablon returned to his family's territory, he immediately sent Princess Sylvia to our Norton family's territory. On one hand, she ransomed the captive soldiers, and on the other hand, she signed a five-year armaments agreement with our family. We all thought that the Grand Duke Fisablon was expressing goodwill towards us, and that he clearly had no hostility towards us. Thus, we did not pay too much attention to the Fisablon family. Just as you thought, we treated him as a harmless old noble who only wanted to protect himself and continue the family's legacy.
Only now do I understand that the old fox, the Grand Duke Fisablon, retreating from the Royal City of Windbri was a brilliant move! As long as he did not make a move, the Grand Duke Merlein would not dare to invade the Iberian Kingdom, and the crisis behind him was easily resolved. The Royal City of Windbri was handed over to his daughter, and after the Queen came to power, the nobles from the southern province and the feudal lord of Winston fought to the death, and the kingdom was in chaos. Even we thought that the Iberian Kingdom would fall into our hands like a fruit that would ripen at any time, so we watched the kingdom on the verge of collapse until now …
Wrong, we were all wrong. All of this was the old fox's plan. He knew very well that as long as he hid behind the scenes, we would not easily touch the fruit of the Iberian Kingdom. And the Fisablon family would have time to slowly complete their arrangements. When we went on an expedition to the Haneabada Archipelago, the Fisablon family also got what they wanted, and the Jinchuan region was included in their pocket. With the Jinchuan region rich in gold, the Grand Duke Fisablon finally let go of his hands and feet, and set his sights on the Iberian Kingdom. "
Picking up a black folder on the desk and shaking it, Laurist sighed, "This is the report on the Fisablon family that Tagger submitted. It's a pity that the few spies he bought and developed have too low a status in the Fisablon family, and are unable to touch some secrets. For example, how much gold can the Jinchuan region produce every month? They don't even know what the Grand Duke Fisablon's next step will be … But seeing some of the information they confessed is enough to make us vigilant. The Fisablon family's strength is extraordinary! "
He handed the black folder to Fatty Shi and said, "Take a look at this too. You didn't believe me when I said that the Fisabulon Family has 240,000 men and horses. Our informant revealed that Grand Duke Fisabulon has established four regular border patrol legions. Each legion has 42,000 men. That's why Princess Silvia bought 70,000 Type 103 standard cavalry equipment the second time she came. At the same time, she bought 50,000 sets of embedded warrior equipment to form two garrison legions, each legion with 24,000 men. One of the legions was deployed in the Jinchuan region, and the other was in their old nest in the Eastern Wasteland Province, Crouching Tiger Castle.
In addition, there is also a reserve ranger legion in the Jinchuan region, which has about 28,000 men. What's worth noting is that this legion is made up of the strong grass-barbarian tribes that have submitted to the Fisablon family. They also frequently launch attacks on the grass-barbarian tribes that refuse to submit in the northeast prairie. Only those who perform well in battle will be promoted into the regular border patrol legions, and will be given the standard equipment made for them by our family. Let me remind you that the four border patrol legions formed by the Grand Duke Fisablon have recruited more than half of the soldiers from the grass-barbarian tribes. "
"You mean to say that the Grand Duke Fisablon's recruitment of soldiers from the grass-barbarian tribes has instead reduced the population pressure in his family's territory?" Fatty Shi asked.
Buckingham nodded, "I used to think that the total population of the Eastern Wasteland Province and the Muye Province under Grand Duke Fisablon's rule was no more than 500,000-600,000. Allowing the Fisablon family to maintain three border patrol legions was already the limit of what they could do. That's why I didn't put Grand Duke Fisablon in my eyes. I thought that they weren't aggressive enough, and were more than capable of protecting themselves. When our family's armed forces attacked the Iberian Kingdom, Grand Duke Fisablon would definitely retreat, not daring to shed all pretense of cordiality with our family. He would sit and watch the Iberian Kingdom perish.
But I didn't think that Grand Duke Fisablon still had this trick up his sleeve. Conscripting soldiers from the grass-barbarian tribes doubled their family's strength. I always thought that the Fisablon family's three border patrol legions would be placed in each province, leaving only one legion that could be mobile and be in charge of reinforcements. But now I discovered that the four border patrol legions under Grand Duke Fisablon's command and the reserve ranger legion could be pulled out to take the initiative to launch an attack. Nearly 200,000 light cavalry troops would be a powerful force!
In the past, the Fisablon family had no money, so they could only sit and watch us recruit large numbers of refugees from the southern province and Winston province. This also made us ignore the threat of Grand Duke Fisablon. Now that the Greater and Lesser Gold Rivers have fallen into his hands, he has filled the Fisablon family's biggest shortfall. So after the Duchy of Mellin was destroyed, the Fisablon family migrated 100,000 strong men and women to the Eastern Wasteland province.
Last year, when we received news that Grand Duke Fisablon was going to hold a Knights Tournament in the capital city of Windbri, we always thought that his goal was for Princess Sylvia's marriage. But after I went over to contact him, I felt that something was wrong. It wasn't until we heard the news of the Duchy of Mellin's destruction that we realized that the old fox was also thinking about the Iberian Kingdom.
After the Duchy of Mellin is destroyed, Grand Duke Fisablon will once again take control of the Iberian Kingdom and be able to form an alliance with the four central duchies. Moreover, the only transportation from the north to the Winston and Makino provinces are only two iron chain bridges. It will be very easy for us to be trapped in the north. The other reason why Grand Duke Fisablon held a Knights Tournament in the capital city of Windbri was to test the remaining strength of the nobles and feudal lords in the capital city. He wanted to see if they could still cause trouble for him to enter the capital city.
Time is very tight for us and Grand Duke Fisablon. The reason why I insisted on making a move against the Duchy of Madras first is to open up another path and expand the strategic depth of the north. At the same time, I also want to be able to pose a threat to the Winston province at the border of the Hindesen Mountain Range. This year might be the last peaceful time. After we complete the last arms deal with the Fisablon family, there is a high possibility that both of us will fight in the Winston province next year …
I also want to stop the arms deal with them, but I can't. It isn't a problem of integrity, but I am worried that once I stop the arms deal, Grand Duke Fisablon will immediately enter the capital city of Windbri, sweep through the Winston province, and attack the north. As for us, because of the replacement of our family's territory, we are unable to prepare for an attack. Once the two iron chain bridges are sealed, we can only take a big detour and attack from the border of the Hindesen Mountain Range. This will put us in an extremely disadvantageous position.
We must strike first to gain the initiative in the war with the Fisablon family. We must first attack the Winston province and occupy the capital city of Windbri before advancing into the southern province. This way, we will be able to grasp the initiative in our hands. If we start a war with the Fisablon family in the Winston province, then Grand Duke Fisablon will most likely receive an endless supply of support from the four central duchies. We don't know how long this war will drag on, and it will be a huge disaster for our family. "
After pausing for a moment, Laurist muttered, "It is because of this consideration that I have decided to let the Ferocious Tiger Ross lead the Flying Tiger Army to conquer the Andinac Kingdom first. When His Second Highness ascends to the throne once more, he will be most worried about the four central duchies and the Trade Alliance. They will pay close attention to every move of His Second Highness and reduce or even give up on providing support to the Fisablon family. This will make it easier for us to occupy the southern province. As long as we cut off the communications between the four central duchies and the Fisablon family, then Grand Duke Fisablon won't be able to escape our grasp no matter how much he jumps … "
Fatty Shi was silent for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, what you said makes sense. However, I am dizzy from listening to you and can't tell what is the best choice. However, I still think that letting His Second Highness return to the throne is like what pharmacists often say, fighting poison with poison. Who knows, he might cause us even more trouble than Grand Duke Fisablon. "
Laurist smiled bitterly. "I just want to send him out of the northern lands as soon as possible so that he doesn't always cause trouble for us in the north. Since he still has value, let him use it after he returns to the throne. With his personality, being defeated by the four central duchies and the Trade Alliance is the greatest humiliation. Before he completes his revenge against the four central duchies and the Trade Alliance, he probably won't cause us any trouble. As for the tithe issue you mentioned, I will let Earl Kenneth see him. In exchange for us sending troops to help him return to the throne, he will reduce the taxes of the four northern families for three years as compensation. I think he will agree. As for what will happen after three years, we will see when the time comes. "
…
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.
