"Your Highness, aren't you being too hypocritical for doing this? You obviously want to exclude him from the family center, but you still say it so nicely, his name will last forever, and it is related to the long-term stability of the family in the next hundred years..." Looking at Director Hanske Going out in a hurry, after Genorio closed the study door, Fatty Shi stretched his waist and said: "In fact, we have coordinated all the departments and set up an independent construction department in charge of this project. Yes, it doesn’t matter if there is Supervisor Hansk or not, even your Highness, you can use your name, I think that Supervisor Hansk must have a pretty face when he understands.”
"So what if you don't, have a big fight with him? Didn't you see the way he was about to fight when he came in? If you really had a big fight with him, people in the family would panic, after all, he is a veteran of the family You have to give him some face." Lorist shrugged: "Old officials like Hansk think that the family has reached its heyday, and they have already achieved fame, so now they want to keep the family business. So yes Some of our new measures are strongly opposed. We think that everything is stable, but we don’t know that this is a troubled world. If you don’t advance, you will retreat. Although the family occupies the entire northern land and has power throughout the five provinces, the outside world is not without coveted enemies. They can't see the situation clearly, do they really think the world is peaceful
Director Hanske is the head of the family's remaining civil service, which has become a conservative banner. Don’t think I don’t know, the family’s civilian management officials he promoted are basically from Fenglin Villa. He thinks that these are the old people of the family who are reliable. aliens from the land. As a result, some problems in family official documents and policy implementation have been passed on to each other in various administrative departments. You should have read the report submitted by Tager. Last year, the three mayors of Fengleyuan were arrested for corruption. They were all from his faction people.
Like the marriage between Sylvia and me this time, most of the middle-level civil officials of the family who opposed it were from the Fenglin Villa faction. I didn't care about all of this at first, thinking that it's normal for a family to have factions, as long as it doesn't delay business. If it weren't for Director Kedan's reminder, I really didn't expect that when Director Hanske called out, two-thirds of the middle-level civilian officials in the family would respond. So if he doesn’t go to the wilderness to blow the wind and eat dirt, whoever will go, even if he understands it, it’s okay. I didn’t lie to him. Completing the road transportation facilities plan in the Northland will indeed make his name in the history books. The carriage track is a new thing. "
"Your Highness, don't forget that we have already made comprehensive preparations for the planned transportation and road facilities in the Northland. In addition to the 70,000 to 80,000 barbarian labor, I estimate that it will be completed in two or three years at most. When Director Hansk comes back with great prestige, how are you going to arrange him?" Fatty Shi reminded.
Lorist smiled: "It's okay, Winston Province and Dremke Province have been included in the family's sphere of influence, and these two provinces also need to re-plan the road transportation facilities, at least the carriage tracks must be laid to speed up the delivery of supplies. Allocation, this is also the key to the family's control of the territory of these two provinces. When these two provinces are completed, as well as our allies' Southern Province and West Degrad Province, Director Hanske will stay on the construction site for the next ten years. Be forgotten, but still want to go back to the family center? Hehe... "
Fatty Shi was tongue-tied, and it took him a long time to hold back a sentence: "Lock, you are becoming more and more like a grand duke..."
"Can I take your words as a compliment?" Lorist leaned back on the big chair, "It has been almost fourteen years since I returned to the family territory in a blink of an eye, and people change. If I appeared in front of me, then I would definitely not recognize myself. I remember that when I just returned to the family territory, the residents of Beiye Town rebelled. I couldn't do anything, which led to the failure of the siege. But now, without hesitation, I can order the soldiers to cut off the heads of hundreds of thousands of captives without changing their expressions and indifferent!
What is nobility? After being a lord for more than ten years, I realized that your enthusiasm cannot change the world, on the contrary, the world changes you. Just like me, at the beginning I just wanted to protect the family territory, and then I was forced to fight back every time, leading you to fight everywhere, and finally brought the whole northern land under the family's jurisdiction. It was only when I became the Grand Duke of the Northland that I realized that this person is like sitting on a volcano. If I don’t expand and make progress, what awaits me is the ashes and annihilation of my family... "
The knock on the door sounded again, interrupting Lorist's thoughtful speech. Genorio pushed the door open and came in: "Your Highness, Lord Tagle wants to see you."
This time, Tagle brought a lot of new information about the war between the Ford Business Alliance and the Central South Kingdom coalition forces.
"Hmm... the coalition forces of the Central South Kingdom went to war first, and the Commercial Alliance was forced to fight back?" Lorist always thought that the Commercial Alliance started the war in order to break the commercial blockade imposed by the Central South Kingdoms.
"Yes, Your Highness." Tagle took out a newspaper and put it in front of Lorist: "This was a large-scale conflict between the two parties last November. A barracks where the legion was stationed, killed more than 300 people and occupied the camp. The business alliance immediately dispatched the legion to retaliate. The two parties fought fiercely for the camp for more than 20 days, and they did not return to camp until winter came."
"Did their negotiation fail?" Fatty Shi asked from the side.
"There is no result. Three months ago, a Faliqiu Times published a secret story about the negotiations between the two parties. Here." Tager found the Faliqiu Times from a large pile of newspapers: " It said that the central and southern countries requested to increase the taxation of the business alliance from 10% to 20% of the total trade volume when it conducts business activities in various countries, but the business alliance rejected it. The request was also denied...”
"What is the current situation of the business alliance?" Lorist asked.
"Your Highness, this is a report written to you by Knight Rummard on the front line. As you expected, he was forced to enlist because of the lack of pharmacy healers on the front line. Although he is on the front line, his safety is not a problem. .And we have already sent two silver-level masters to guard him." Tagle took out a few pieces of letter paper and handed them to Lorist.
Lorist browsed through it hastily. In the letter, Lummard complained loudly about his unlucky being forced to enlist in the army. In addition to the seven wives in his family who were too prodigal, he was worried about his sixteen children, and asked Lorist to look after him. For the sake of the market, if there is something good or bad for him, he will let Lorist adopt his sixteen children, and at the same time give each of his seven wives a pension so that they can live comfortably. finish this life.
Just when Lorist was furious at all kinds of nonsense and incongruity in the letter from Rummard, Rummard finally got down to business before Lorist tore up the letter. After a brief report on the situation after the start of the war, Lummard discovered a very strange phenomenon, that is, the two warring parties seemed to be fighting in tacit understanding, and both sides had spare power. It didn't reach the front line, and the coalition forces of the Central South Kingdom seemed to be satisfied with the small fights on the front line, and didn't have a large army to overwhelm them. And every time they went to the front line to attack, they were armed by several kingdoms and duchies who were the main battlers. They were beaten to death in front of the complete defense facilities of the business alliance.
"The commander of the coalition forces of the Central South Kingdom is Duke Luo Fei Fusta of the Kingdom of Chigda, a first-class swordsman." Lorist looked at the letter and muttered: "This name is a bit familiar, as if I have heard it somewhere. Tag Er, do you have any personal information about the Great Swordsman Duke?"
Tager shook his head: "Your Highness, no, the Central South countries are too far away from our family territory, and our intelligence personnel have not been able to arrange to go so far away."
But Fatty Shi on the side replied leisurely: "I know this person. He went to Morente City fifteen or sixteen years ago, but he was still a marquis at that time, with a gold one-star battle qi rank. I remember his reason It's because he married the most beautiful flower in Chenxi Academy, a girl whose surname is Windsor... "
Lorist only felt a "coax" in his head, and the memories buried deep in his heart surged up. He remembered that night when the moonlight was alluring, when the girl he first loved snuggled up to the middle-aged gentleman, holding his arm and whispering intimately... At that time, his heart ached like a knife, and he struggled back to his residence, but the second That middle-aged gentleman appeared at his bedside one day, and politely asked him to leave the girl's house. I don't remember that person's appearance, but I only remember that there is a golden firebird badge pinned to his chest...
The only first love in two lifetimes, that girl who looks like an elf under the silver moonlight is doing well now, she is married to this duke named Luo Fei Fausta. For fifteen or sixteen years, there was no news from each side of the world. The passage of time not only healed the wounds in my heart, but even my memory was almost blurred and disappeared.
Lorist looked at Fatty Shi gratefully, because Tager was present, so he used such a tactful excuse to remind himself. However, as his memory recovered, Lorist recalled the past, and he also thought that Duke Luo Fei Fusta was not a simple nobleman. The Duke was completely broken, and in the end he succeeded in embracing the beautiful woman.
Looking at the confrontation and petty fights between the Commercial Alliance and the Central South Kingdom coalition forces on the front line, Lorist frowned: "This is very abnormal, the Duke of Fausta's level can't be so low, as a How could the commander of the 200,000 Central South Kingdom coalition forces be baffled by such a simple line of defense of the Commercial Alliance? If such a line of defense is against us, any legion of our family can sweep the enemy within three days... "
"Your Highness, it's a bit weird." Fatty Shi said thoughtfully at the side: "I remember that one of the seven giants of the business alliance, the Qikede Chamber of Commerce at the bottom of the ranking took the Duchy of Ulu Baha as their chamber of commerce territory. The Principality of Rubaha is located on the other side of the golden coastline, separated from the commercial alliance by the Titanini Mountains, that is to say, it is sandwiched between the twenty-four countries in Central and South China, and it is only one principality away from the Kingdom of Chigda. Since the coalition forces of the Central South Kingdom sent troops to the Commercial Alliance, why not destroy the territory of the Chicod Chamber of Commerce among them first? Logically speaking, this is indeed too abnormal."
Lorist rang the bell rope to invite people, and Genorio knocked on the door and came in: "Your Highness, what are your orders?"
"You go to the accounting department and get the transaction records of our family on Hilovas Island, the Peterson Chamber of Commerce, and the Chickard Chamber of Commerce in the past six months." Lorist got up and took a roll of the map of the Galintia continent. commanded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The transaction records were brought over quickly, and Fatty Shi and Tagle checked them briefly: "Your Highness, the commodity transaction records between the Peterson Chamber of Commerce and our family have not changed in the past six months, and they are all fixed lists of supplies. Special requests for additional military supplies. The good news is that the Peterson Chamber of Commerce has been gradually repaying our family's debts in the past six months. Currently, it only owes our family more than 300,000 gold dollars. It is estimated that all debts will be paid off in another year. .”
Lorist was a little unwilling: "Didn't they ask our family to sell them food?"
"No, Your Highness." Fatty Shi shook his head: "In the past two years, the imperial capital and the two southwestern provinces had good weather, and the grain harvests were bumper. The business alliance occupied several provinces of the former empire, and was adjacent to the two southwestern provinces. I believe they also With a bumper harvest, the problem of lack of food in the business alliance should have been resolved long ago."
Tagle said: "Your Highness, the Chicod Chamber of Commerce trades more and more materials with us every time. Except for two-thirds of the spices, the materials they increase are basically all kinds of daily necessities produced by our family. and luxury goods. Our intelligence personnel once tested the sailors and crew members of their fleet. It is said that these daily goods and luxury goods are shipped to the Roman Empire and the Havistan Khanate for sale, and they also praised our products there. Sides are selling out so quickly that demand exceeds supply.”
"Didn't they ask to buy our armaments and weapons?"
"No." Tagle shook his head.
"I smell a conspiracy." Fatty Shi said shaking his head.
Lorist stroked his chin and said in thought: "Look at the map of the mainland. The southernmost Romon Empire and the Havistan Khanate are at war after 20 to 30 years of peace. This time they cooperated very well." First destroy the Kylia Kingdom in the middle, and then have a good fight. And the Central South is a business alliance and the twenty-four countries in the Central South are at war. The mainland is full of wars. Instead, it is our mainland that has been fighting for more than ten years It's been a strange feeling that the Northlands have calmed down...”
Fatty Shi thought about another question: "Kelia Kingdom has all the sword masters and towns destroyed, and the whereabouts of the storm sword master is unknown. This is really interesting. I don't know if it is the two of the Romon Empire and the Havistan Khanate. Only two sword masters can work together to drive away the Storm Sword Master."
Tager asked: "Master Shreed, there are four famous sword masters in the mainland, all of them are in the southern part of the mainland. Except for the Romon Empire and the Havistan Khan, there are one sword master each, and the rest are missing. Storm Sword Master and Flying Fire Sword Master from Qigeda Kingdom?"
Fatty Shi nodded: "Yes, but it is said that the Flying Fire Sword Master of the Qigeda Kingdom has lived in seclusion for more than 20 years and has never appeared in front of people. I don't know if he is still alive. In addition, there were two former Crimson Empires. The Juggernaut, but they all fell during the century-old conquest with the Commercial Alliance. The Commercial Alliance also had a Juggernaut, but he died with a Juggernaut of the Empire. Then the Commercial Alliance designed to frame another Juggernaut of the Empire On the battlefield, of course they paid an extremely tragic price, and also created a history of killing a sword master with a great sword master."
Fatty Shi is very familiar with these miscellaneous histories.
Lorist said: "Okay, the Juggernaut is too far away from us. The mainland's hegemony depends on the armed forces of various countries. Tager, I hope you can dispatch a group of reliable and smart intelligence personnel to go to the central and southern countries of the mainland. Let's see what the situation is like, especially the information about those outstanding figures in the Central and South countries, such as the personal and family situation of the commander of the coalition forces, Duke Luo Fei Foster. Time can be longer, I believe that the flames of war over there will not It may subside so quickly. Although the two wars over there are far away from our family territory, I hope to know some details."
"Yes, Your Highness."
…