"It is the emperor who is offended!"
Adrick savored the sentence carefully.
Immediately, before Adrick could speak again, Xi Ya slowly threw a sentence, making Adrick completely discolored!
"Sir... Have you forgotten how the last Duke of Tulip died? No one else knows this secret. How can a core general in the Imperial Army like you not know it?"
This sentence stabbed straight into Adric's heart like lightning!
Duke of Tulip... The last Duke of Tulip!
…
The death of the last Duke of Tulip is naturally a big secret of the empire! It's a big scandal for the royal family!
It has always been said that the last Duke of Yujin died of disease. But in fact, a few people know that the real giants of the empire, the Duke of Tulip had offended the royal family. Offending the royal family, the emperor had to kill for the stability of the throne!
If the emperor really hates you and regards you as a thorn in his side, then...
It seems that this is an unsolvable problem.
After a long silence, Adrick sighed: "So, you want to be a general with troops, stationed outside, hiding in the northern border to protect yourself? But how long can you protect yourself with troops? Ten years? Twenty years The emperor is still young, and he will be on the throne for a long time, you can't go on like this forever."
Xia Ya smiled: "Then I can't do anything about it, I'm not too old, it's a big deal, I will live longer than that guy Garcia, if he lives for a day, I will lead the army in the north, if I don't return to the imperial capital, I will not go back to the capital. Just give him a chance to fix me."
This is a bit sleazy. Whether it is Char or Adrick, they all know that the problem is not so easy to solve.
Now the empire is in a dilemma, the central government is powerless, the imperial power is weak, and Xia Ya is leading troops, the emperor has no way to force it, but as time goes by, the situation in the empire will gradually stabilize. After waiting for the empire to be stable, the imperial power to be stable, and the strength in the emperor's hands to be strong, he will never tolerate a guy who is not in line with himself leading so many soldiers and horses outside, and being unfaithful to himself...
But at the moment, it seems that there is no other way.
Adrick had a headache, and when he thought of this, he felt powerless for a while.
Fortunately, there is still a trace of comfort in my heart: after all, Xiaya doesn't have that kind of big ambition.
This point, Adric can still be sure, this kid just came out of the mountain and followed him. He was a guy brought out by himself. His temperament is lazy, and he really doesn't look like he wants to be an emperor.
As long as Char has no intention of rebelling, even if it doesn't touch the bottom line in Adric's heart!
"... Well, I'll ask you a few questions, you've thought it through, and answer me carefully."
Adrick squinted his eyes, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his voice was calm and low: "Xia Ya, if you lead troops in the north, what should you do?"
When Xia Ya heard this, he was instantly refreshed. He had already prepared an answer in his heart. After listening to it, he immediately said without hesitation: "Jingzhi place, protect the safety of one side! Respect the empire, all legal systems are in accordance with The imperial system will never change."
"Hmph, just this, but it's not enough." Adrick looked at Xiaya with a half-smile.
Xia Ya took a deep breath: "Is there anything else... In order to help those in danger, those rebel military regions around the north, as long as the imperial army is willing to fight, I will immediately send troops to help, no words!"
"It's still not enough." Adrick shook his head.
Xia Ya thought about it and continued: "More County and Syltan County are grain-producing areas. Historically, the central and northern parts of the empire have relied on the grain production of these two counties. If I govern one side... Following the old rule of the empire, every year The taxed grain of the government will naturally support the central government.”
Adrick's face softened a little, but he still shook his head: "...It's still not enough!"
Xia Ya sighed: "Sir, what else do you need, just say it directly."
Adrick stared at Xi Ya closely, and then looked at the young man in front of him word by word.
"I want you to be the northern barrier of the empire! If there is an invasion from outside, you must do your best to deal with it! If the empire is in trouble, you must do your best to pacify it!! In addition, I want you to say something from Xia's thunder! You must swear that in the end, In your whole life, you, Xia Ya, are in the north, only serving as a minister of Byzantium, and have no objection! Never peeping at the throne!"
Xia Ya listened with a solemn expression, immediately raised her hand without hesitation, and said solemnly: "Yes, I swear! I will never go against your words!"
Adrick listened, let out a long breath, and took a deep look at Xia Ya: "Please remember what you said today. If people have been in high positions for a long time, they will inevitably have other thoughts. Come, I just hope that when you get older, you will become a high-ranking person, if you have any other ideas, just think about today's words."
Adrick's tone was bitter.
In fact, in his mind, this is by no means a good solution. Although he trusts Xia Ya at this moment to have no intention of rebelling, the people's hearts are unpredictable!
The hardest thing in the world to guess is the human heart! Even though Xia Ya's mind is still very simple now, he only has the mind to protect himself, and this kid is very fond of old feelings. With himself, he can still hold him firmly. But what about ten years or twenty years from now? After the death of these old men in the empire, he and the young emperor are incompatible. At that time, he can really guarantee that he will never rebel... I'm afraid no one can tell.
It's just right now... I can only take care of my eyes first!
At least Adrick is very clear: at this time, the empire needs the presence of Char in the north!
The empire needs the tens of thousands of soldiers from the northern Chara to subdue the place! We need Char to be the barrier of the empire in the north! Char's army is needed to help the Empire put down the rebellion!
Even Adric himself needs Char's army to help him stabilize the situation! Although the rebels were defeated, don't forget that the Landis and tens of thousands of troops have already entered!
Allies at this moment, it is difficult to guarantee that they will turn into powerful enemies!
It is because of this that Adrick had to choose to support Xiaya at this moment!
The future... Let's talk about the future.
Adrick's heart was heavy and bitter, he sighed, and then took out something from his arms and slowly placed it on the table.
"This is your order of appointment. Your Majesty and I have signed it below."
Xia Ya was overjoyed, went up to pick it up and took a look, but was instantly stunned.
"Eh? Blank?"
In this hand, there is a blank appointment order issued by the Imperial Military Department, and the appointed official position is empty!
Adrick snorted and glanced at Xi Ya: "You can fill in the empty space yourself."
Hearing this, Xi Ya was shocked, and immediately became Yixi!
God... myself... fill in? !
This is an official appointment order! Both the emperor and the military minister have signed it!
In other words, in the military position of the empire, what kind of official do you want to be? !
(If Lao Tzu made himself a marshal, it would be no problem to think about it, right?)
But Xiaya immediately saw Adric's half-smiling eyes, and his heart suddenly froze, then he put the thing back on the table, and smiled bitterly: "General, you are still worried about me, and finally took out this Something to try and test me..."
"Hmph, you are clever." Adrick sneered: "If you really dare to give yourself some ridiculous official position, I will tear this thing up when you go back, and someone will send you to the imperial capital tomorrow. The imperial decree, then I will personally come to receive your troops!"
Xia Ya was agitated and giggled: "Since you have said so, it seems that this will not happen. Well, what official position should I be, sir, just say it directly."
Adrick raised his finger: "First, don't give up the name of the Northern Theater Command that you have given yourself. This battle will be fought one day. You are now called the 'War Theater', and you will leave a pretext for peace in the future. Excuse, after the war, what 'war zone' do you want? When the war zone is cancelled, you won't be able to speak."
Xiaya nodded immediately, knowing that Adrick was thinking of himself, and felt a sense of gratitude in his heart.
"Since it's not called a war zone, let's call it the 'Northern Garrison'. The name of garrison can be used in times of war or peace." Adrick said lightly: "Your identity, even if you are the leader of this garrison. General is fine."
garrison general...
Xia Ya couldn't help grinning.
I'm doing fine in the north, but I'm still a "marshal", so I'll be downgraded to a general...
"Hey, don't grin, the marshal you named yourself before is just a nonsense! The imperial military rank, the marshal is the highest position, not the unparalleled meritorious deeds, not the military veterans, not the royal family's cronies! You! How old are you? To be called a marshal is absurd! Even a military veteran like Duke Minas has never really been named a marshal!"
Well, it's just a name, the general is still the marshal, and he still manages some people anyway. Xia Ya doesn't necessarily have to fight for a title.
Besides... Lao Tzu closed the door, even if he claimed to be the emperor, no one else could control Lao Tzu, right? Humph…
"...Second!" Adrick said slowly: "General of the garrison, naturally you have the right to control the garrison. You are a general under your command, and you have the power to appoint them. The garrison is a separate military region of the empire. , for all appointments, after you are appointed, you can send someone to the Imperial Military Department for reporting. The Imperial Military Department will not interfere."
This is a benefit. Shaya nodded.
"Third." Adrick said: "The empire has always been the separation of power between the military and the government! In the areas under your control now, in several counties, the empire will re-send officials to serve as county governors to manage local government affairs..."
"What?!" Xi Ya stopped immediately: "Let the emperor send someone to manage the place, I..."
"Stupid." Adrick frowned and looked at Xi Ya: "If the emperor doesn't send someone to serve as a local official, wouldn't it mean that he would give you all the land in these counties as an independent kingdom! Even if the emperor himself is willing to endure it? , so many powerful ministers in the empire can't bear it!! The empire has just finished the civil war, and the most taboo thing is the warlords of the military region! The next step is to conquer the local military regions and sweep the warlords of the separatist regions! How could it be possible to seal another warlord at this time? Wouldn't that mean that the emperor slapped himself in the face? The emperor absolutely cannot tolerate it! If you make it clear that you want to be a warlord, the empire will not hesitate to turn its face!"
Xia Ya frowned: "But if the emperor sends someone to decentralize power and local government affairs, let him hold it, the financial taxes are not in my hands, and the supplies and salaries of my tens of thousands of soldiers and horses are all pinched, how can it be done? "
"That's why I say you're stupid." Adrick said lightly: "The army is in your hands, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and a few civilians come here, how can you turn the sky over? In your territory, your army is there, isn't it? A few civil servants can really hold you down? If you are so useless, give me away the thought of supporting myself as soon as possible, and just come to the imperial capital. "
Char immediately understood what Adric meant.
It seems that dispatching local officials is just a helpless move of the emperor. The emperor himself may not be really naive to think that sending a few local officials can really take back the territory from Xia Ya.
It was nothing more than an act of concealment, a layer of fig leaf. It shows that the empire did not "send" a large piece of territory directly to Char. It's just a signal that the central government still has control over the localities.
What are some civil servants afraid of? As long as the army is in his own hands, do you still want to rub the magistrate as much as you want? If you want him to be round, you will be round, if you want him to be flat, then you will be flat...
"fourth… "
Adrick just said the beginning, and Xiaya's face collapsed: "There is a fourth?"
Adrick's expression remained unchanged, and he said solemnly: "The division of the garrison's jurisdiction, the Mohr County Syltan County is naturally in it, the Corsica Military Region was taken down by you, and the Empire has no spare energy to take over, nor It's counted in the garrison. But Besta Military District and Esria County are not included."
Char frowned: "Besta..."
"Besta Military Region surrenders, the Empire naturally welcomes it, but their arrangements are different from yours. Esria County was occupied by Besta Military Region, and the Empire is unable to take it back now, and can only tolerate it temporarily. This is also impossible. But the bottom line of the emperor is that you cannot tolerate too much unity between you and the Besta people. Besta Military Region and Esria County, the empire means to merge into one big county, which is called Besta County. The position and the position of the military and political chief are all left to the Besta people themselves."
Xia Ya thought for a moment, then smiled: "The emperor's meaning is to use Bestar's power to check and balance me. Hehe, this is normal. He is afraid of me in his heart, and put the Besta people in front of me. It's a means."
After a little calculation, Mohr County, Syltan County, Corsica County... The territory of the three counties in his hands can be regarded as the place that he really controls now, and he has not suffered any loss.
As for the Besta Military Region, Xia Ya didn't plan to annex it. That Governor's wife is very shrewd and her strength is not weaker than her. She will be an enemy or a friend in the future. It's hard to say...
But he holds a secret from the governor's mansion in his hand... Hmph, it can be regarded as a hole card of his own.
"Fifth..." Adrick continued calmly.
Shaya quit!
He jumped up: "I don't do it anymore, I don't do it anymore! One condition is to wrap a rope around my neck! With so many conditions, how can I do things?!"
Adrick looked strange: "Article 5 is a reward for you personally, are you really not listening?"
Xia Ya was stunned: "My personal reward?"
Adric smiled: "When the late emperor was there, didn't he once made a promise to you, that day's hunting meeting in the imperial capital, what the late emperor promised in public, did you forget it yourself?"
As soon as Xiaya heard it, he immediately became happy: "Yes, I remember that incident... If you kill 30,000 enemies, you will be made an earl, and if you kill Hastings, you will be made a duke... "
"You can't kill Hastings, but that guy Manninger died in your hands, it's a great achievement, so... boy, congratulations, even when the empire was founded, there was no such thing as you. Young Duke!"
duke, duke...
Xia suddenly grinned and smirked.
Duke... From the point of view of the title, he is already a very personable minister!
A 20-year-old duke, apart from those hereditary nobles, may have never been sealed by their own abilities! Not even when the country was founded!
"Fifth, His Majesty Garcia has followed the oath of the first emperor to upgrade your title from baron to duke, hereditary system! Real title! Your title is not yet determined, and it will be discussed by the noble council. Congratulations. Boy, you can also create a family. Besides, as a duke, you can have your own territory, establish your own private army, and the system of the empire. The duke can have a private army of a flag regiment, two thousand people. It can be regarded as an expansion of strength. Moreover, in the territory of the nobles, you have the real absolute power. Whether it is military power or government affairs, you are in control of it, and you are not restricted by anyone! This title is also One of your talismans! Once you become a great noble, even the emperor can't do anything to you easily, otherwise, the other nobles will have the idea of instability and self-threatening. Well, this is what I won for you. One of the capital that will secure a life in the future..."
When Xia heard this, she was immediately grateful, looked at Adric, and said, "Sir, I..."
"Don't thank me first." Adrick's expression suddenly became weird: "I originally had good intentions about this matter. After a few arguments, the emperor finally agreed, but he didn't expect that at the last joint. Up, the emperor thought of a way to get hold of you... Well, from this point of view, let's not say whether your position as a duke will be secure, I'm afraid that the duke's award may not be a big deal to you. It's a good thing... Alas, it can be considered that I didn't think about things carefully, but I put you in an embarrassing situation."
As soon as Xia Ya heard this, her heart moved: "Could it be my fief..." He pondered for a while, and then said, "Could it be that the emperor refuses to give me the fief?"
"No, as I said just now, you are a hereditary system, a real seal! There are fiefs."
Xia Ya nodded and said again: "Is that the fief too small? Too barren and barren?"
Adrick looked embarrassed: "Your fief is not small... Speaking of which, if you only calculate it in terms of territory, your fief can be regarded as the largest among the imperial nobles at present! Your fief is a county! An entire county is Assigned to you!"
a county? !
Xia was stunned.
In the aristocratic system of the empire, it is true that the nobles have fiefs, and their previous title was a baron, which was just a small town. And the higher aristocratic titles are nothing more than some towns. The title of duke is not without the empire now, and most of the fiefs range from a few cities to a dozen cities.
But if you want to say that an entire county is conferred to a noble, the Byzantine Empire really can't find one now!
"A county..." Xia frowned: "I see... Could it be that the emperor put my fief in the south of the empire on purpose? The south of the empire is an area controlled by the central government. My old nest is in the northern border. The emperor deliberately placed me in the south of the empire. My fief is in the south, so I can't care about it, I'm afraid I can't really control that fief, after all, I can't go to the south alone... Hey, it's also a means!"
"That... not really." Adrick smiled bitterly: "Your fief is in the north, and... right next to your old nest... That... um... It's just a step away from your Moor County... "
When Xia Ya heard this, she suddenly came to her senses. She was stunned and opened her mouth: "One step away... Damn! The emperor, shouldn't it be... put... "
Adrick sighed and patted Xi Ya's shoulder lightly: "Since you guessed it, I won't hide it... Yes, your fief is... North County. The entire North County is sealed. I gave it to you!"
damn it! !
Xi Ya suddenly became hot!
North County! A whole county? !
What a big fief!
This shows that it is the Yin Laozi! !
Notsshire... Hell, Notsshire!
You know, it is true that the County of Notts is right next to the County of More! Knowles County itself is also a fertile grain-producing region. The territory of Knowles County is not small, and it is not fake!
But the most critical problem is that Nods County is not in the hands of the Empire now! !
Now in Nods County, the one who occupied his "fief" is the Odin Black Banner Army!
Black Flags, Hastings! !
…
Xia Ya was annoyed in her heart, and after taking a few deep breaths, she gritted her teeth: "This Garcia, such a sinister mind!"
Xia was insulting the emperor with the backbone of the royalist faction like Adric, and Adric could only pretend he didn't hear it. After all, what the emperor did was indeed a bit insidious...
A problem placed in front of Char is obvious.
Noz County, nominally the fief of Xi Ya, is the private property of the royal family of the Byzantine Empire that was awarded to Xi Ya!
But this property was occupied by Hastings!
You, Char, want North County, that's fine... You go and fight with the famous Odin Valkyrie, Hasting! If you win, you're welcome, North County is yours!
Of course, if you, Duke Xia, are no match for the Odin Valkyrie, your strength is greatly damaged, or you accidentally die under Hasting's three-edged gun, His Majesty the Emperor doesn't mind chasing you as a warrior. Give you a medal or something...
Some people may say: Since it is clear that it is a complete set, I don't want to be fooled! In Knotts County, if I don't go to fight with Hasting, I will throw it to him. If I don't go to fight with Hastings recklessly, the emperor can't do anything about me, right
But the problem is not so simple.
If the emperor simply used such a method to disgust and disgust Xia Ya, it would not give Xia Ya a real headache.
The key to this problem lies in a "fame"!
Xia Ya gradually emerged, and officially became a hero on the stage of the Byzantine Empire!
But the higher the status, the more attention paid to a prestige issue! !
The story of Xia Ya's victory over the Chixue Army and the recapture of several counties will soon spread to the mainland and become an emerging force rising like a comet! Especially at a time like this, the empire is weak, and a young hero like him is born, and it must attract the attention of countless people, and thousands of people look up!
It is conceivable that Xiaya's prestige will definitely rise to an astonishing level!
And this method of the emperor, speaking of it, is very clear!
Suppress Char's prestige!
Just imagine, Sir Xia Leiming, the hero of the empire, the honor of the duke, and the figure of the god of war who annihilated the Chixue Army and made great achievements... The dignified duke can't even keep his own fief, and is occupied by others Come on, you don't have the guts to take it back...
Over time, Xia Ya's prestige will definitely be damaged!
A hero who can't even protect his own fiefs, a hero who can't even guard his hometown, a coward who has no courage to snatch his fiefs back... How many people's sincere loyalty can he get
"… what a ruthless means."
After thinking about it carefully for a while, Xia Ya had already figured out all the joints, and he sighed: "This Garcia is really sinister, hum... I just didn't expect him to be so smart, such a cunning and cunning method. If you can use it, speaking of it, I underestimate this rabbit."
Adric had no choice but to publicly insult the emperor to Char.
Only he knew it.
This kind of old-fashioned method, with a light weight and a gentle reward, squeezed Xia Ya into the corner, unable to advance or retreat, and the uncomfortable feeling seemed to be stuck in the neck... Such political maneuvering, such a scheming, but not the young Emperor Garcia It can be performed.
When he got this reward order, after Adric understood the meaning, he once marveled at Emperor Garcia's amazing skill.
But soon, the fat man Luer directly broke it!
At that time, the fat man decided without hesitation: "This kind of skill is definitely not something that our young emperor can do! I think the idea of this reward is mostly from the hands of the prime minister! Hehe! He can be with Kawi. Demons like Hill have been fighting for more than ten years, and their methods are naturally brilliant, and they are really extraordinary!!"