"Damn the weather," said Baron Jean Bette, standing by the window, looking at the cloudy sky, "it's going to rain again."
Shenchi Bay, which is close to the sea, is not short of rainwater, especially in summer and autumn, when the sky is blue one moment, and the storm is very common the next moment, so the city has made a lot of preparations, from stone pavement to underground drainage facilities. It's not like Brokenfang or Greystone, where a single rain can turn the lowlands into puddles and mud everywhere. One or two heavy rains would at most delay the unloading of merchant ships, and the impact on the city would be minimal.
It's not so much the weather as it is his mood.
It's a pity that after the shower, the clouds will dissipate, but the mood will not.
"My lord, have you thought about how to answer them?" Clerk Zum asked cautiously.
"Answer?" The baron sneered twice. "Be hanged or burned, let you choose one, how would you answer?"
"Uh..." The secretary was dumbfounded for a moment.
"I can't choose, right? Keep dragging it."
"But..." He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he couldn't speak.
In fact, even if he didn't say it, Jean Bette knew that it would be difficult to drag this matter on forever. Just like a **** born in the sky, no matter how reluctant the businessman was to see it, it would always fall.
The reason for everything comes from that war with the church.
After the Wolf Heart King City was destroyed, it seemed that a large number of illegitimate sons of the Wolf King appeared overnight. After some competition, three major forces gradually formed the Token family occupying the northwest, the Hongshimen family occupying the south, and the Fang family in the eastern mountainous area.
The former did not bother Shenchiwan because of the distance, but the latter two families were different. Both dukes wanted to bring Shenchiwan into their own faction and further expand their strength.
In the early stage of the dispute, the baron always insisted on the neutrality of the harbor and did not offend any party, which not only allowed the city to quickly recover its prosperity, but also made him a lot of income. In order to ensure that the goods can be exchanged for food or golden dragons in time, and the surrounding area is uncertain, the two dukes did not force him too much.
But with the new round of annexation and expansion, Fang Fang and Red Stone Gate gradually stood out and became the most powerful contenders for the new wolf king. In addition, the Token family suddenly closed the main road of Cage Mountain, which made the two big families invariably set their sights on Shenchiwan again.
The Baron could know with his knees what they were fighting.
Swallowing Shenchiwan and banning the enemy's material trade by the way will definitely gain a great advantage in this competition. So this time they not only sent messengers, but also dozens of knights and hundreds of mercenaries. Their attitude is self-evident.
There are only patrols to maintain order in the harbor, as well as a personal guard group to protect the lord's safety. Jean Bette did not intend to resist. If the three major forces have already decided the winner and the wolf king, he will not hesitate to swear allegiance. As for whether the new wolf king came from the blood of the old wolf king, he didn't care.
However, Red Stone Gate and Fang Fang were evenly matched.
Taking refuge is a dead end.
No matter which side he chooses to stand on, the other side can never sit back and watch the loss of seaborne trade, which means that food, iron and other materials can only be produced by themselves, while the other side is constantly getting supplies, which is undoubtedly equivalent to handing over victory.
Therefore, once they take refuge, they will definitely be attacked by the other side.
Shenchiwan has neither an indestructible city wall nor a deep moat. If you want to resist it, you can only rely on the support of the refugee party.
But will the two families really support him
The baron did not dare to gamble.
If he is the Red Stone Gate or the Duke of Fang, he can naturally think of it. First, use the people of Shenchi Bay to consume the strength of the attackers, and then take advantage of the situation to attack, which can effectively reduce the casualties of the elite knights. Even let the enemy enter the city, then block the retreat, and slowly consume it... After all, the other party wants Shenchiwan, not the people here.
In other words, it would be better without the Shenchi Bay under the jurisdiction of him.
As said before, it's a matter of choosing to be hanged or burned.
Putting two messenger groups in one camp is to use their mutual hostility to delay time, and it would be better if they could fight. He also offered spirits and women over and over again, and deliberately asked them to choose together, but unfortunately, even though these people were red-faced, they never drew their swords to face each other.
"tick, tick..."
The rain finally fell, and the gardens of the Governor's Palace became hazy, as if covered with a veil.
Staring at the petals swaying gently in the rain, the baron was silent. Waiting like this was not the solution, but he couldn't think of a way to remain neutral. Grandfather used to say that nobles often vacillated between gain and loss of power, and as long as they made good use of this, they could have both sides. Maybe he should calm down, give up those little tricks, and think about how to get out of the predicament from a strategic level.
At this moment, the sound of rapid footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
"Sir, it's not good!"
"Don't panic, talk about it if you have something to say!" Jean Bette glared at the person unhappy, "What's wrong?" Could it be that the knights finally fought? If so, that's great news! He stared at the guard's mouth, hoping to see the word "camp" or "knight" in his mouth.
"Greycastle, the fleet of the King of Greycastle has occupied the harbor!" However, the guard's words were completely beyond his imagination, making him unable to react for a while, "Not only that, they also blocked the dock area and prohibited anyone from approaching. !"
"What did you say? Ash… Fort?" the Baron repeated subconsciously, "Do they want to buy or sell anything? Wait… You said blockade?"
"Indeed!" the guard said eagerly, "they drove away the ships that were originally parked by the trestle, and only allowed their own ships to dock. They also said that this was a temporary requisition and order would be restored soon. The patrol wanted to stop They, but were disarmed in the blink of an eye! There are reports of hundreds of Greycastle ships outside the harbour!"
Let Bethe feel a little unbelievable, "Are you sure it is the fleet of the King of Greycastle? Not the family crest of a certain lord?"
"Yes, I have seen it with my own eyes," the guard nodded with difficulty, "It is indeed the tall spear flag of the Royal Family of Greycastle."
God is above, could it be that Greycastle is planning to invade Wolfheart
Why would Wimbledon leave his fertile neighbors alone and detour to trouble him
Even if the King of Greycastle wanted to expand his territory, there was no need to launch an attack from the sea, right? Can the Token family really withstand the Greycastle army that defeated the church
No, it doesn't make sense at all...
For a moment, the baron only felt that his mind was cluttered, and he couldn't make a clue at all.
Until Secretary Zum came to him and lowered his head and whispered a few words.
The baron's eyes suddenly lit up!
Yes, this may be the opportunity he has been waiting for!
There is no doubt that the strength of Graycastle is enough to break the deadlock between the two powers. Assuming that this fleet really came to expand the territory of the King of Greycastle, and when he first came to this unfamiliar land, no matter how powerful he was, he still needed the help of the local nobles. . Anyway, whoever is loyal is not loyal. If you show your favor to the King of Greycastle, maybe you can hold more power and become a side of the guard!
Even if Wimbledon fails, he has nothing to lose.
At this moment, another guard ran in, "Sir, the Greycastle fleet sent an envoy, saying that they came with the will of His Majesty Roland Wimbledon. I hope to discuss with you in detail."
Jean Bette and the secretary looked at each other, then nodded and said, "As far as the guests are, tell the messenger that I can see them at any time."