CHAPTER 344 AN AUDIENCE
In the southern part of the Northern Region, in the territory of the Şahin family, in the city of Gildusk, the former Grand Duke's mansion.
The second prince felt that every day felt like a year. After winter came the rainy season. Fortunately, it only rained for twenty days in the north before the sun rose. After waiting patiently for three or four days, the roads should have dried up by now, but the second prince still did not receive any news that the four northern nobles had invited him to the Madras Principality to watch the battle. When he sent his subordinates to inquire, the second prince almost twisted his nose in anger. What did you say? The four feudal lords were currently busy harvesting the winter wheat in their territories and had no time to supervise the battle at the frontlines?
The second prince could not understand what the four northern nobles were thinking. The front line of the Madras Principality had more than a hundred thousand men and horses confronting the enemy. It was not easy for the enemy to survive the winter and rainy season. Now that the morale of the enemy was low, they did not take the opportunity to advance and force the enemy to fight a decisive battle. Instead, they stayed in the family territory and busied themselves with harvesting winter wheat. Was there something wrong with their heads? It was too late to regret missing this opportunity. The enemy could use this opportunity to recover their morale!
It's not that the Second Prince doesn't think that the harvest of winter wheat isn't important, and it's also a big deal to miss the farming season. But no matter how big it is, can it be more important than the war at the front? So the second prince wrote a few letters in succession, reminding the four northern nobles not to be careless and not to take the war in the Madras Principality lightly. He also described some of his views and suggestions on the war with the experience of a commander who had experienced many battles …
Soon, the second prince received a reply.
Lollister's reply was the most concise. He only had three words: Understood.
Baron Şahin Henned's reply was a little impatient. He also wrote: I am at the front. I know more about this than you do.
Baron Phelim's reply was to discuss tactical issues with the second prince. He pointed out that the second prince's two suggestions were inappropriate, and then listed the reasons why he thought they were inappropriate.
Earl Gammus's reply was the longest. He wrote five full pages, but the first three pages were about whether His Majesty was sleeping well, whether the food was to his liking, and if there was no suitable chef, then Earl Gammus was willing to give his personal chef to His Majesty, etc. The fourth page was about Earl Gammus's feelings and nostalgia when he visited the capital, expressing his sympathy for His Majesty's homesickness. The last piece of paper stated that he was extremely busy and that there were many things that he could not leave his family territory. As for the matters at the frontlines, he had ordered the family knights to follow the orders of the Norton Family. He believed that the Madras Duchy would soon be pacified and that victory was just around the corner.
The second prince was so angry that he wanted to tear up all the replies. These four replies clearly showed that they did not take him seriously. Not a single one of them invited him to the front line to watch the battle. The second prince did not give up. He sent his Golden Knight, Lippred, to the Madras Duchy to investigate the military situation and see how the war was going there.
However, Lippred returned after three or four days. He reported to the second prince that he was stopped at the pontoon ferry and was not allowed to go to the Madras Duchy on the other side. He stayed at the ferry for a day and found nothing except that the Norton Family was preparing to build a castle fortress at the ferry on both sides of the river, so he had to return.
The second prince was very frustrated. It was obvious that the four families of the North had reached a private agreement not to let him intervene in the war of the Madras Duchy. At the same time, it also showed that although the four families of the North recognized him as a superior lord, they were still very wary of him. They were also well aware of his plan to use the war in the Madras Duchy to form the White Lion Legion, so they simply did not let him set foot in the Madras Duchy and put an end to his recruitment.
How depressing! The second prince was looking forward to the war between the four families of the North and the Madras Duchy. The longer and fiercer the war, the better. It would be best if both sides suffered heavy losses. Perhaps only then would they remember His Majesty, who was known as the new God of War, and ask him to come forward and save the situation …
The only good news was that after the second prince arrived at Gildusk City, he had made great progress in recruiting soldiers under the banner of restoring his throne. In the territory of the Norton family, the second prince had only recruited about six hundred people, but in the city of Gildusk, he had recruited more than three thousand people in less than a month. There were also three or four wild free knights and a dozen or so wandering knights who had come to his command. So the second prince ordered Christie to escort all the standard equipment of the White Lion Legion, and he stayed in the barracks every day to train the soldiers.
Seeing that May was coming, the second prince looked at the four or five thousand men under his command and wondered if he should use the name of support to test the reaction of the four families of the North. If the war in the Madras Duchy went well, then they would refuse his request. But if the losses were huge and the war was entangled, then they would be very happy that he volunteered and could not wait to invite him to the front line of the Madras Duchy. But in this way, the people he had recruited with great difficulty might suffer a lot of casualties …
Just as the second prince was considering the pros and cons, he heard a soldier outside the tent reporting, "Your Majesty, Earl Kenneth is here. He wants to see you. He is waiting outside the barracks for you to summon him. "
Earl Cummins is here? The second prince was overjoyed and wanted to summon him immediately, but then he thought that it would seem that he was too impatient. He should put on airs and leave Earl Kenneth hanging for a while, so he ordered, "Tell Earl Kenneth that I am very busy and do not have time now. Ask him to wait for a while."
The second prince felt that Earl Kenneth must have come because of the war in the Madras Duchy. How could a battle between two or three hundred thousand men be so easily decided? The army of the Madras Duchy had always been known for its perseverance. Thinking back, why did he attack the Redelis Kingdom with three hundred thousand troops instead of wiping out the Madras Duchy? Wasn't it because he was afraid of being dragged down by that old tortoise Duke Madras?
Therefore, the second prince looked for his trusted subordinate, Lippred, to practice his swordsmanship. No matter what, the second prince was still a 3-star Gold Knight. After spending half an hour, he finally defeated the 2-star Gold Knight Lippred, sweating profusely. After ordering the guards to prepare water to bathe and change his clothes, he felt that it was about time. Only then did he order the guards to bring in Earl Kenneth, who was waiting outside the barracks.
The guards went to the barracks gate, and soon one of them came back and reported, "Your Majesty, the guards at the barracks gate said that Earl Kenneth heard that Your Majesty was very busy and did not have time. He said that since Your Majesty was not free, he would come back in two days. Then he got on the carriage and left …"
The second prince was dumbfounded. What did this mean? Did Earl Kenneth come this time just for an audience and not to ask for his opinion on the war in the Madras Duchy? Could it be that he had guessed wrong and the war between the four northern families and the Madras Duchy was going smoothly?
Impossible. That old tortoise Duke Madras was inept at offense, but defense was his strong suit. Even if he lost the decisive battle, he could drag the war into a protracted war. That year, he and the second prince fought in Kebo City like this. He lost eleven times in a row, but in the end, the second prince's army was exhausted. He turned the tables in one fell swoop, using eleven small defeats in exchange for a big victory, forcing the second prince to retreat from the Delemark province with his remaining army.
Could it be that Earl Gammus was deliberately mystifying things? The second prince thought nervously. The oath from last time was his doing. Only after he signed and stamped his fingerprint did he realize that all the advantages had been taken by the four families of the Northern Region. Other than being a superior lord in name, he did not get any benefits. He even gave the initiative to Laurist …
He had to be more careful when dealing with Earl Kenneth, lest he be sold out again. The second prince decided to learn from his lesson. After thinking about it, he called a few guards and ordered them to keep an eye on Earl Kenneth for the next few days. Perhaps they could find some clues from Earl Kenneth's next journey.
"Reporting, Your Majesty, Earl Cummings is hosting a ball at his mansion tonight. He has invited many ladies and gentlemen."
He was still in the mood to dance. It seemed that the war at the frontline was not bad … The second prince asked himself to be calm and not be fooled by Earl Kenneth's tricks.
"Reporting, Your Majesty, Earl Kenneth went to the south of the city for a walk with several noble ladies in the afternoon. He even brought a few rattan balls to play with. In the evening, he held a banquet for those noble ladies at his mansion …"
The second prince impatiently drank the fruit wine in his cup. Could it be that he had guessed wrong? Did Earl Kenneth come to see him out of etiquette and nothing else?
"Reporting, Your Majesty, this afternoon Earl Kenneth met with several traveling merchants. In the evening, he went to the largest brothel in the city with those merchants to have fun …"
The second prince was so angry that he flipped the table. Bastard! How could this be! Didn't he say that he would come again in two days? Today was the third day. He had the time to go to the brothel with the merchants but no time to come again? As a noble, how could he go back on his word?
"Reporting, Your Majesty, Earl Kenneth came to see you."
"Oh, quick, invite him in …"
On the afternoon of the fourth day, Earl Kenneth finally appeared in front of the second prince with two dark circles under his eyes.
"Ah! Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? You don't seem to be in good spirits. What happened? "Earl Kenneth asked with concern after he finished his greeting.
It's all because of you, bastard. The second prince tossed and turned all night. It's not surprising that he has dark circles under his eyes.
"Alas …" The second prince sighed, "I've been a little anxious these days. Every time I think of the situation of the kingdom, I can't sleep well. The throne has been usurped, and I'm stranded in the north. I've watched the once powerful empire separate and collapse. The power of the trade union is pressing on. The four central duchies have forgotten the glory of the empire and are celebrating with the enemy. These things make my heart feel like it's being cut by a knife every time I think about it. How can I sleep well? "
Earl Kenneth sincerely advised, "Your Majesty, your life is related to the safety and future of the kingdom. You must take care of yourself. Don't be too busy, and don't be too sad. The past is the past. As long as Your Majesty pulls himself together, you will be able to ascend the throne again and revitalize the kingdom. With Your Majesty here, everyone is confident that the Crimson Empire will be strong and prosperous again. Since Your Majesty is not feeling well, I'll come again next time. "
What do you mean? You run away after a greeting and some nonsense. You haven't told me the information I want to know. The second prince quickly urged him to stay.
"No, no, Your Majesty is busy every day. I can't disturb Your Majesty's rest if you are not feeling well. Well, till next time, "said the Earl of Gomez, declining.
What the hell do I have to do every day! The second prince wanted to curse. He wasn't the king now. How could there be so many things for him to deal with? He stayed in the barracks every day, either to enjoy the wind or to train with the big heads. He was so bored that he wanted to count ants to pass the day.
"Wait …" The second prince grabbed Earl Kenneth's hand and pressed him into a chair. "It's rare for the earl to come. Let's have a good chat. I'm in good health. There's nothing wrong with me. Just a little insomnia these days. It's not a big deal. "
"Then Your Majesty should have a good rest. I won't disturb you."
"There's no need for that. By the way, Sir Count, how is the war in the Madras Duchy going? Are there many casualties? Do you need my five thousand men to help? "
Earl Kenneth was stunned. "War? The war is going well. There are few casualties. Your Majesty's men are not needed. Your Majesty should rest well. "
"Few casualties? How is the final battle between you and the Madras Principality going? "The second prince was very anxious.
Earl Kenneth laughed. "So that's what Your Majesty was referring to. The decisive battle hasn't been fought yet!"
"It hasn't been fought … Why? Didn't you say you defeated the army of Madras in one battle? Why isn't there a decisive battle? "
"Oh, this. It's like this, Your Majesty. It's not that we don't want to fight, but the army of Madras surrendered to us."
"What did you say? Surrendered? More than a hundred thousand Madras troops have surrendered to the four northern families … "The second prince's face was full of disbelief.
"It's true, Your Majesty. Not only did the army surrender, but even the Grand Duke of Madras was captured by us. The Duchy of Madras is no more, "Earl Kenneth said with a smile.
The second prince sat on the chair in a daze. He had the guts to take off his pants. What happened to the striptease? Oh, no, what happened to the decisive battle? He had imagined that the four northern families and the Grand Duke of Madras would fight each other to the death, and both sides would suffer great losses. That was all just his imagination …
"How did you do it?" The second prince smiled bitterly. His plans were all for naught, but he was still curious how the four northern families did it. He did not suspect that Earl Kenneth was lying to him, because Earl Kenneth had said that they had captured the Grand Duke of Madras. This was not a lie.
"At sea," Earl Kenneth said. Earl Kenneth said, "Loriste landed on Silver Beach with his family's armed forces and launched a surprise attack on Adelice City. Then they captured Sith Castle, Vanades City, and Kebo City. As soon as these three points were captured, the army of Madras, who was confronting us, was cut off from their food supplies. They had no choice but to surrender. "
The second prince clapped his hands. He understood now. Last year, when he took a boat from Sirovas Island to the north, he passed by Silver Beach in Sidrgrad Province, but he did not think he could use this. When the Grand Duke of Madras mobilized all his troops to the frontlines, his base was left empty. This was a fatal weakness, and Laurist took advantage of it. With a gentle push, the Madras Duchy fell just like that …
"You came to see me just to tell me this good news? Congratulations, my lord, you have been promoted to a grand duke. "The second prince said with slight sarcasm.
How ironic. The fall of the Madras Duchy did not give him any benefits as a nominal king. As stipulated in the oath, as long as the Madras Duchy was destroyed, Earl Kenneth would automatically be promoted to a grand duke, and Sidrgrad Province would become the hereditary territory of the Kenneth family. And all this did not need the second prince's approval at all …
Really not reconciled, the second prince felt his heart begin to ache again. If it was another noble who was promoted, they would need to offer a gift of money to the superior lord. The bastard sitting next to him didn't even bother to give him a gift … He knew that he was in dire need of funds for the military.
"Your Majesty, it's all thanks to your wise leadership that we were able to achieve such glorious results." Earl Kenneth habitually complimented, not caring that the compliment sounded sarcastic. The second prince's face immediately turned red.
"After occupying the Madras Duchy, we had a little dispute, so I wanted to ask Your Majesty's opinion. Because the family army suffered minor losses, some people thought that we should strike while the iron was hot and immediately conquer the usurper Queen Kerry and restore Your Majesty to the throne. However, many people opposed this. They thought that we should first help Baron Filim attack the southern province and send troops to the Kingdom of Iberia. Of course, Your Majesty, I insist on conquering Queen Kerry first. "Earl Kenneth said.
You bastard, you must be advocating returning to the Kingdom of Iberia! The second prince took two deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. "Why not conquer the usurper first? I remember the oath that the four families of the North have the obligation to help me regain the throne. Do you want to break your promise? "
"Your Majesty, we will definitely help you regain the throne. But we have a little difficulty at the moment. We lack the funds to send troops. So, most people decided to raise the funds slowly. When we have enough funds, we will immediately conquer the usurper. "
The second prince stood up. "Say it, what do you want? Don't play games."
Earl Kenneth also stood up and said sternly, "We need Your Majesty's guarantee and signature, just like the oath. After we help Your Majesty regain the throne this year, exempt our four families from paying tithes for five years, and guarantee that no other taxes will be levied. We'll use these five years' taxes to pay for our troops. "
The second prince frowned. "Three years at most."
Earl Kenneth turned to leave. "Your Majesty, let's raise the funds slowly."
"Wait, you win. I agree to this proposal, but I must promise to return to the capital within this year." The second prince said.
…
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