After sending off Princess Sylvia and her entourage, Laurist prepared to leave for the Hunting Cavalry encampment in the eastern region of the Northern Lands. However, he did not expect to receive an urgent letter from Duke Gammus. After more than a month of negotiations, Duke Gammus and the envoy sent by Duke Fisabulon had finally come to an agreement regarding the Snow Salt Merchant Guild's importation of goods into the Fisabulon Family's territory. Therefore, Duke Gammus, Count Philim, and Count Shahin would come to Rock Castle together to meet with Laurist in order for the agreement to take effect.
Laurist could only postpone his trip and wait for Duke Gammus and his entourage at Rock Castle. During the day, he would go to the training grounds at the back of the mountain to teach Shi Huard the Dan Sea Energy Gathering Technique. He would also give pointers to Redi and Genolio's swordsmanship. At night, he would stay in his study and quietly look through some documents. Without a woman by his side, Laurist felt that the world had become much more peaceful …
Five days later, Duke Gammus and Count Shahin arrived at Rock Castle. Count Philim arrived a day later. Other than Duke Gammus, who was a little disappointed that Princess Sylvia was not in Rock Castle, everyone was more concerned about the contents of the agreement between Duke Gammus and the Fisabulon Family.
"There are a total of 47 goods. I've increased the price by three to five times. It's a pity that the quantity is a little low. But don't worry, after this year's batch, your family will get at least three to four hundred thousand gold coins. "Even after becoming a duke, Gammus was still so cocky.
Of course, these words were not directed at Laurist. The Norton Family only received ten percent of the Snow Salt Merchant Guild's dividends. This was not much. In previous years, a dividend of a few hundred thousand gold coins was already considered good. Just like what Gammus said, it was mainly due to the large quantity of goods. The Norton Family's profits came from the various daily necessities produced by the family's mines, which made up about eighty percent of the Snow Salt Merchant Guild's purchases. Here, the Lollister family had already earned a large sum of money from the wholesale to the Snow Salt Merchant Guild, and the thirty percent dividend from the production side was another large sum of money. This did not even include the taxes that had to be paid.
However, the eyes of Count Filim and Count Shahin lit up. To them, maintaining a regular family army was a huge expense. Even if the family army was not as well treated as the Norton Family's army corps, it was still an unavoidable expense of 400,000 gold coins a year. With this bonus, the pressure on the military budget for this year would be almost gone. Two years ago, the two clans had to rely on Lorist and Kenz's subsidies to complete the territory swap. This year, however, it was gone.
Count Phelim picked up the agreement and looked at it, a little disappointed. "There's no armistice clause?"
Although they had returned to the old territory of the Phelim Family in the Southern Province, the Southern Province was close to the Eastern Barren Province, which was the territory of the Phelim Family. The border between the two provinces was still in full swing, and the Monolith Army was still guarding against the attacks of the Phelim Family's armed forces and the grassland barbarian cavalry. The flames of war had not been extinguished yet. To Count Phelim, the armistice clause was more reassuring than the Monolith Army at the front. Otherwise, he would not be able to develop and develop his family's territory with peace of mind. If there were any disturbances at the frontlines, his family's armed Pegasus Army would also have to be dragged along for a stroll.
"Erm …" Duke Kenz was stunned for a long time before replying embarrassedly, "Sorry, I forgot …"
He had really forgotten that Kenz only cared about the price of goods during negotiations. For example, the snow salt was originally a hundred pounds of gold coins, but now he had increased it by five times, making it five hundred pounds of gold coins. So what if he was bullying you? Because the alliance of the four families in the Northern Region was the winner, Kenz pointed at the negotiators sent by Duke Phelim and said proudly, "If you have the ability, then don't buy it. Anyway, there are many saline soil lumps in the Northeastern Great Plains. You can hug them and eat them …"
This was power. Duke Kenz had forgotten how long it had been since he had such a smooth negotiation. Everyone knew that even animals would get sick if they drank saltwater from the alkaline soil, not to mention humans. It wasn't strange for people to die. Now that the Phelim Family was trapped in the Great Plains with their trade routes cut off, they could only buy salt from the alliance of the four families in the Northern Region. Since they could not afford to buy it, they could only eat boiled meat. There was no rice to eat and water to fill their stomachs, but there was no salt to eat. Hehe, in less than three months, the Phelim Family's territory would be in chaos.
Watching the envoys agree to the exorbitant prices with ugly, angry, yet helpless expressions, Duke Gammus felt as though a flower had bloomed in his heart. Occupying the Jinchuan region was very impressive. Owning a gold mine was very impressive. The gold that you excavated would soon be in our hands … Thus, Duke Kenz had forgotten the most important point. The alliance of the four families in the Northern Region had yet to sign a truce with the Phelim Family. Both sides were still in a state of war. Even though there had been no conflict for several months, they were still in a state of war …
"Where are the negotiators?" Loriste asked.
"They followed me to the Rock Castle," Duke Kenz replied quickly. He had to make up for such a big mistake immediately. "First, this agreement still needs your consent before it can be implemented. Second, the location of the transaction and the delivery of the goods have not been decided yet. Finally, the two negotiators said that they wanted to meet Princess Sylvia. "
"Let them go to the guest room. I want to have a chat with them." Laurist looked at Count Filim and Count Shahin and said, "You two should come as well. If Duke Fisabulon is willing to admit defeat, then the armistice agreement will be signed. For us, it will be a relief. We don't need to prepare our troops and prepare for war."
The envoys sent by Grand Duke Fisabulon to negotiate were led by two old men. The first one was very tall and had a grizzled goatee. He introduced himself as the chief steward of the Fisabulon Family, and his name was Fisabulon Aldok. Loriste had heard from Princess Sylvia's two maids that this old man was considered a member of the Phelim Family. Although he had the surname Phelim, they were distant relatives. However, this old man was a loyal follower of the Duke. Duke Phelim trusted him greatly and always entrusted his trusted aides' confidential matters to him.
The old man beside him was short and plump. He was always smiling and easily made people feel close to him. He introduced himself as Napolle and did not mention his surname. Loriste immediately remembered the intelligence reports on the important members of the Phelim Family that Tagger had submitted. This Napolle was not only famous on the list, but also someone worthy of special attention.
According to the intelligence reports, this Napolle's father was the chief of a small Grass Barbarian tribe. His mother was a noble lady who had been kidnapped back to the grasslands and became his father's female slave, giving birth to Napolle. Later, his father's Grass Barbarian tribe was annexed by another large Grass Barbarian tribe. His father died in battle, his mother was humiliated to death, and Napolle became a slave. When he grew up, he secretly contacted Duke Phelim at the age of 16 and destroyed that large Grass Barbarian tribe in one fell swoop. That battle was the most crucial victory for Duke Phelim to expand the territory of the former Christen Empire and establish the Eastern Wasteland Province.
This Napolle did not have any official position in the Phelim Family and had always been somewhat mysterious. However, many of Duke Phelim's strategies to deal with the Grass Barbarian tribes should have been planned by him. For example, he had sold the goods of the Snow Salt Merchant Guild to the Grass Barbarian tribes, won over the Grass Barbarian tribes that had submitted to him, and selected elite Grass Barbarian cavalry to form a reserve army to deal with the Grass Barbarian tribes that were unwilling to submit to the Phelim Family.
While Loriste was sizing up these two old men, the two emissaries were also observing Loriste. The four nobles seated here were the heads of the four great families of the Northern Four Families Alliance, but the two emissaries quickly focused their attention on Loriste. From his appearance, this head of the Norton Family, the new Duke of the Northern Lands, was very ordinary. He was neither tall nor short, and his appearance was very ordinary. He was very inconspicuous, just like a passerby.
Indeed, compared to Duke Kempis, Loriste did not have the elegant and carefree bearing of Duke Kempis. He was also not as handsome as Count Shahin, and he did not have the mighty and majestic aura of a general like Count Phelim. However, since these two emissaries were entrusted by Duke Phelim to come and negotiate as his trusted aides, they were all shrewd people, and naturally would not judge someone based on appearance. Furthermore, they had all heard the Grand Duke's comments on the Northern Four Family Alliance. The Grand Duke had clearly pointed out that the so-called Northern Four Family Alliance was the Norton Family, or rather, the Laurist Family, which was the real threat to the Fisablon Family.
To put it bluntly, what were those three families in the Northern Lands? Back then, they did not even have the chance to line up to flatter the Phelim Family. The Kempis Family was a merchant family, and they had spent a large sum of money to buy the title of nobility from the second prince. In the eyes of Duke Phelim, they were just sheep and a rich man, and he would not even look at them.
The Phelim Family was famous a hundred years ago, but now it was just a broken family. Count Phelim had risked his life for the second prince, and he had to spend money to become a baron in the end. Even when the second prince sent people to dig up his family's tomb to look for the so-called buried wealth, he did not dare to say anything. He was just a good-for-nothing.
As for Count Shahin, his background was even less worth mentioning. He was originally a family Gold Knight under the command of the former Duke of the Northern Lands, Duke Lujins. He was ordered by the Duke to attack the Norton Family, but he was captured. Then, Duke Lujins made a huge mistake, and actually pushed the responsibility of the defeat to him, wanting to punish him. He forced his father to pass his own baron title to him, and made him the head of a vassal family of the Lujins Family. Only then could he be absolved of the crime of rebellion. In the end, when Duke Lujins gathered the Northern Lands Alliance Army to attack the Norton Family, not only did Baron Shahin stand by and watch Duke Lujins' defeat, he also took the opportunity to attack, and together with the Norton Alliance Army, they looted the southern part of the Northern Lands under Duke Lujins' rule. Not only did they get their first pot of gold, they also inherited most of the Lujins Family's military power, and formed their own force.
If not for Laurist, these three families would have been a pile of loose sand, and it would have been very easy for Duke Phelim to deal with them. It was not much more difficult than the nobles of the southern province who occupied the capital of Wenderbri. However, with the Norton Family's support, the Northern Four Families Alliance became a powerful alliance of nobles, and no one could underestimate them. Their power was second to none in the northeast of the former Christen Empire, and they became a force that could influence the Andinac Kingdom. This could be proved by the destruction of the Madras Duchy and the Iberian Kingdom.
The key to the Northern Four Families Alliance was the Norton Family, and the person who could really make the decision was Laurist. This was the Duke's advice before they left, and they had always kept it in mind.
"Please take a seat." Laurist went straight to the point. "We don't need to talk nonsense. What I want to know is, what is Duke Phelim's mind? Is he willing to stop the war, or does he intend to make a deal first before continuing to fight with us, the Northern Four Families Alliance, and is unwilling to admit defeat? "
The tall Adoc stood up and placed his hand on his chest. "Your Highness, the Duke of the Northern Four Families Alliance, whether or not to stop the war does not depend on our Duke, but when you will stop your invasion of the Phelim Family. As everyone knows, it was your Northern Four Families Alliance who first started this war. You launched a surprise attack on our family's first Ranger Legion, and the Duke had no choice but to resist. Although we are currently at a disadvantage, we, the Phelim Family, will never succumb to the threat of force. Just like how we defeated your Hunter Legion in Makinohara Province, we are confident that we can persevere until the moment of final victory. "
Laurist laughed. "Dead ducks are the hardest. Alright, since you are unwilling to admit defeat, then that's for the best. I have always wanted to lead my family's armed forces to the Phelim Family's grassland territory for a stroll. Don't worry, we, the Northern Four Families Alliance, will still carry out the agreement we reached this time. War is war, and business is business. As long as you are willing to pay, we will not stop these daily necessities from flowing into your family. "
"I object, Grand Duke of the North. What you are doing is immoral and unreasonable. You are attacking a noble who has defended the borders of the Empire and made countless contributions. This is an action that all the nobles despise. Not only will you fail to achieve your goal of invasion, even the Norton Family will be condemned by all the peace-loving nobles …"
"Hehe, is that so?" Laurist laughed coldly. "The former Empire has already been destroyed, and it was destroyed in the hands of the three princes. Manager Adoc, I have to remind you that the Northern Four Families Alliance belongs to the Andinac Kingdom, and His Majesty Ogseiro is the legitimate heir of the former Crisen Empire's royal family. However, your Phelim Family is the remnant of the rebellious second prince. Attacking your family has nothing to do with morality. To us, it is a righteous war to quell the rebellion. No one will object to us for your family's sake. On the contrary, Duke Phelim's actions towards the nobles in the capital city of Windbridge are worth publicizing and discussing … "
"Ugh …" Manager Adoc was speechless.
However, Napur, who was beside him, immediately stood up. "Your Highness, our Duke does not wish to start a war with you. He has always believed that his mission is to deal with the Grassland Barbarian tribes who pillage as their second nature. In fact, the Duke is most distressed by the war between our family and the Northern Four Families Alliance … What I would like to ask is, if our Duke is willing to stop the war, how will you treat the Phelim Family? "
Laurist shrugged. "Due to the relationship between us and the Phelim Family, any military terms that we come up with cannot be trusted. If your Phelim Family is willing to stop the war, it is very simple. Your family's armed forces are not allowed to enter within a hundred miles of the border. If there is a situation, you must inform our border guards in advance. Any goods and materials must be sold through the Snow Salt Merchant Association. At the same time, your family's armed forces must be transparent, and we must be informed before any military operations. In addition, Makinohara Province is related to the safety of the Northern Region. We have the right to station troops there to ensure the safety of the Northern Region … "
"That's impossible. Why can't you retreat a hundred miles from the border? Why can't we station our troops in the North? "Steward Alidok jumped to his feet.
"It's very simple, because we are the victorious side." Laurist straightforwardly told them the truth of the victor. "Now, I want to know if Duke Fisablun wants to fight or …"
Steward Adoc was still unconvinced and wanted to say something, but Naples pulled him back, and he shut up and lowered his head.
"Your Highness, the Grand Duke of the North, our Grand Duke has already expressed his opinion by sending Princess Sylvia here," Napier replied humbly.
Loriste stood up. "Since Duke Fisablon has already made up his mind, you can discuss the specific terms of the armistice with Duke Kenneth. However, I would like to express that I am very dissatisfied with the way Duke Fisablen sent Princess Silvia. “
"Your Highness the Grand Duke of the Northern Region, we would like to pay a visit to Her Highness the Princess. “
"My apologies, Princess Silvia has gone to the Northern Capital, Roaring Bear City. You should know where it is. She is going there to check out her new residence. By the way, in November this year, I will hold my wedding there and marry Silvia. She will become the matriarch of the Norton Family. At the same time, please extend my invitation to Duke Fisablen. He is welcome to come to the Northern Region and participate in his granddaughter's wedding. I await his arrival with all my heart. “
Loriste said coldly and turned to leave.
…
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.
