Chapter 234: Conversation

Lorist did not live in Shiratori, and in the development plan of Shilovas Island by Fat Man, Shiratori would move more than 1,000 meters to the east, and the vacated area would be expanded into a dock area, and a city wall would be built. The current town of Shiratori is too close to the docks, and in the positioning of the Norton family, Hiloas Island will become the most important fulcrum and transit point of the sea passage. Therefore, not only the dock area was expanded, but the wooden pier was also converted into a permanent stone pier.

Shi Fatzi's plan is to first build the residential and commercial areas of the new White Bird Town, and then replace the old houses with the residents of White Bird Town after completion, and then demolish the old houses to expand the dock area, and build city walls and defense facilities. So Lorist built a temporary wooden barracks on the outskirts of Shiratori Town, and lived in a large house made of logs.

"Ah, it hurts....... let it go, Chrisia, I'm the Earl of Norton, the head of the family, I order you to let go quickly......" As soon as he returned to his big house, Lorist was grabbed by Chrisia's ear.

"I'm teaching my dear cousin as a cousin now, and I have nothing to do with the earl being a family member or anything. Chrisia said.

Lorist was stunned for a moment, and then lost his temper: "You guys get out of here for me, see what's the fun, haven't you seen my sister teach my brother a lesson?" Schward, don't run, cook a pot of Macks for my dear cousin." ”

So El, Joske and the others laughed and scattered, and it was rare to see Lorist eating turtles. This will be a very interesting conversation point in the boring barracks life.

"Alright, cousin, it's time to let go, you won't save me any face in front of my knights. Now that we're all adults, you're no longer the yellow-haired little girl with a runny nose when you were a kid. Lorist said.

"You only had a runny nose when you were a child, and you were still a crybaby, and you cried as soon as I caught you......" Chrisia let go of the hand that was twisting Lorlist's ear, and fell into a long memory: "At that time, although the family territory was in the remote northland, the manor was very lively and fun, and I urged my father and mother to go to the family territory every summer. My mother was always not very happy, the distance was too long, and it took two months to go back and forth......"

"Well, if only it were now, the family territory has found an outlet to the sea, and it will only take ten days to make a boat from the island of Hilois to the family territory. Lorist said.

"Tell me, Locke, what have you done to become the head of the family, and what has changed in the family territory now?" asked Creswanya.

Lorist began to tell Chrisia about the changes in the family in the past few years, such as the White Deer Gang family cemetery, resisting the tide of demonic beasts, building a rock castle, developing Fengle Yuan and Xing'an Yuan, defeating the second prince, and the alliance of the three major families in the Northland.

Chrisya was stunned, and muttered: "I really want to go back to the family territory to see, in a blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed......"

"Welcome to your arrival in the family domain at any time, Chrisya, I almost forgot about business after talking for so long, let's talk about it, is it that the Second Highness is going to dispose of the Norton family?"

Chrisia squinted at Lorist: "You are very good, I just returned to the imperial capital and heard about your heroic deeds, and at the welcome banquet held for you by His Highness, he killed Viscount Aslan in public, and defeated the great sword master of Clemondo, so that His Highness could not get off the stage." If it weren't for the fact that you caught the second prince and sent it to His Royal Highness, and made a great contribution to the royal country, His Royal Highness would have wanted to turn his face with you......

The aftermath has not subsided, and news has come from the other side that you have beaten the 7,500 elite of the Royal Guard Regiment to the ground with 500 family arms, and killed the Earl of Aslan, who led the team, and planted his head on the beach to demonstrate to us. You're amazing, I don't even know what to say about you cousin. You've changed so much compared to when you were a kid......"

Lorist laughed dryly a few times, and said modestly: "People will always change, and besides, I am not as wise and martial as you praised......"

Chrisya was so angry that she reached out and pinched him again: "It's true that you heard me say something that praised you, and became more and more arrogant. Locke, you are acting too high-profile and arrogant, so it is easy to put the family in the limelight, and the nobles of other kingdoms will see the family as a threat to them......"

"Chrisya, it's okay, you don't have to worry, the family has this strength now, we don't need to be afraid of anyone. Lorist interrupted Chrisya's nagging.

Chrysya let out a long sigh: "Locke, it's good that you have this confidence, I won't say anything more." Your Highness didn't ask me to blame you this time, but he asked me to inform you of his disposition of the Aslan family, and hoped that you would help him and advise him in the war for the unification of the Empire......"

After listening to what Cresya said about the Second Highness's disposition of the Yaslan family, Lorist gasped: "This is too ruthless, the Aslan family has no hope of recovery." No, Chrisya, how do I feel that the real purpose of the Second Highness in disposing of the Aslan family is to confiscate their family property and use it for their own use. ”

Chrisia nodded helplessly.

"No, is the kingdom's finances really so tight? Why is the Second Highness still bent on unifying the empire? Can't he govern the Kingdom of Antinac first, let the people live and work in peace and contentment, and then try to unify the great cause when the kingdom is strong?" Lorist expressed his surprise and puzzlement.

"Chrisya, I don't understand, why did His Second Highness decide to unify the empire so hastily? With an army of 300,000 troops, maintaining such a large number of troops is a big mistake in itself, and the six provinces of the kingdom simply cannot afford to support so many soldiers. I believe that His Royal Highness has already spent all the savings of the royal family on this army, and once the war starts, the funds will be even greater, how is the Second Highness going to solve the problems of logistics baggage, soldiers' pensions and material supplies?"

Chrisya made a gesture, and Lorlist's eyes widened: "No, just rely on robbery to supply on the spot?"

Chrisya nodded helplessly again, and said, "Locke, I know you'll think this is ridiculous, but for the kingdom, this is really no way. What would you think if I told you that in reality the kingdom could not even support a single legion?"

Lorist shook his head: "This is impossible, the kingdom has six provinces, how can it not even be able to raise a legion?"

Chrisya's expression was very serious: "This is true, from the establishment of the Kingdom of Antinac to the present nearly ten years, there is almost no commercial circulation to the outside world. As the orthodox inheritance of the Clison royal family, the kingdom has been subject to commercial blockades and trade boycotts by the Fort Business Alliance. Even through smuggling channels, the value of our goods has been kept very low and very low, and the prices of smuggled goods have almost increased several times or even more than ten times.

There is no monetary gain without commercial transactions, and the kingdom's taxes are very small, most of which are offset in kind. The kingdom was located in the Great Plain of Ontario, which was once the commercial center of the empire, but after the civil war, there were many displaced people, and basic food and clothing became a problem. Five years ago, the family convoy swept through the three provinces of the kingdom and took away a large number of displaced people, and His Royal Highness made great efforts to basically stabilize the situation in the kingdom.

Next, His Royal Highness defeated the invasion of the Great Prince, forcing the Great Prince to cede two provinces, plus the province of Yungeshandra that he had taken from the Grand Duke of Madras, and although the kingdom had six provinces, it was very scarce in resources. In the past few years, it has been quite peaceful, and the taxes that can be collected are all grain. The kingdom's most scarce resources are iron ore and war horses.

In the past, none of the seven iron mines in the imperial era were distributed in the territory of the kingdom, two each in the Kingdom of Redlis and the Kingdom of Iberia, two iron mines in the Principality of Falkel of the Four Duchies, and one in the Principality of Handla. But without commercial transactions and commercial blockades, we can't buy what we need from our own production. The development of agriculture requires the consumption of a large number of iron tools, and the kingdom is now replaced by wood, which is extremely inefficient.

It's not that His Second Highness doesn't want to govern the kingdom first, but there is no way. In the past few years, the eldest prince of the Kingdom of Redlis has driven nearly 400,000 homeless people into the kingdom, coupled with the large and small deserter gangs and displaced people who were previously displaced in the country, the second highness is helpless, and in order to maintain the peace of the kingdom, they are all contained and reorganized into a reserve army.

Just like the Tempest Legion, although it is known as one of the three major legions of the Empire, it has been outside the direct jurisdiction of the Second Highness, and is developing more and more towards an independent force. His Royal Highness also disbanded it in order to avoid accidents and merged it into the Royal Guards, but it has always been misunderstood.

In this way, the reorganization and reorganization of the army are getting bigger and bigger, and the number of people is getting bigger and bigger, and if they are disbanded, the kingdom will fall into chaos again, and it is necessary to find a target for the 300,000 army, and the second highness has put forward the strategy of unifying the empire, and using the dividends after the unification of the empire to maintain the morale and morale of the army, which is also no way.

The real goal of the Second Highness is actually the Kingdom of Ridleys, as long as the Kingdom of Raidlis is annexed, the predicament it faces can be alleviated. The Kingdom of Andinac will be able to obtain the resources most needed, and His Royal Highness will be able to establish a predominantly self-sufficient business circle, which will no longer be affected by the blockade of the outside world. As for the other principalities, His Royal Highness does not want to meet each other, the general trend is inevitable, and I believe that those great guilds will return to the embrace of the empire, and the revival of the empire will be just around the corner. ”

"Locke, the eldest prince is the enemy of our Norton family, if it weren't for his rebellion, then my father, third uncle and eldest young master would not have died, the death of our relatives is directly or indirectly related to the eldest prince. If His Royal Highness wants to crusade against the eldest prince, you should go and help him. Your Second Highness admires you very much, and he says that your military strategy and planned surprise attacks will always lead to victory. It was like that five years ago, and it still is......" Chrysia looked at Lorist beggingly.

Lorist shook his head: "Chrisya, since His Royal Highness has reorganized an army of 300,000, why didn't he launch an attack as soon as possible, but instead delayed it for almost a year now, so that the Duchy of Madras and the Kingdom of Redlis are fully prepared for defense on the border, what is this for?"

"Alas......" Chrisya sighed again, "Isn't it because the third prince didn't die...... lingered on the sickbed several times, but he was critically ill, but he still came back to life. If His Royal Highness goes on an expedition, it will be easy for the ruling center of the imperial capital to lose control and influence because of the long distance. In case the third prince suddenly comes to his senses and makes a will that is unfavorable to the second highness, it will be too late for the second highness to cry......"

"Hehe," Lorist laughed, "the authorities are obsessed with bystanders, Chrisya, you are in the game and don't know it." You believe in His Royal Highness too much, so you believe his excuses. The 300,000 army can be raised at least 5 or 600,000 gold fords a year, how can there be so much money that cannot support a standing army? With the equipment supply of the 300,000 army, His Royal Highness will invest at least 1 million gold fords. It's a pity that such a large investment is spent on the army, and what can't be done with the hard work of developing and building the territory?"

"But I've checked the list of taxes in the kingdom, and the annual commercial tax is less than 40,000 gold fords, and it costs more than 100,000 a year to raise an elite regular army......," Krisya argued unconvinced.

"Chrisya, if the Great Plains of Antario could only be farmed, then the empire would not have arranged the imperial capital there. If you read more books, you will understand that the Great Plains of Antario is rich in gold and jade, known as the hometown of gold and jade, and hundreds of thousands of gold and fortune can be obtained from a year. The commercial blockade is just a joke, the businessmen are profitable, and they dare to even do the business of killing their heads under the heavy profits, are you afraid that they will not be able to get the resources you need? Think about it yourself, if there is really a shortage of iron ore, how did His Royal Highness equip the 300,000 troops with weapons......

I think that the Second Highness is just sailing with the current and taking advantage of the situation, what he is thinking about is hegemony and the ambition of unifying the former empire. Compare your family realm with your kingdom and see who is in a more difficult situation. But our family still insists on opening up and building, and in the past five years, the family territory has been completely renewed, and its strength has increased greatly, and even the 100,000 troops of the second prince have been swept away by our family's armed forces. Therefore, carrying out development and construction is the real way to enhance strength, and blindly increasing the armed forces is just to seek the ultimate in the basics. Lorist said.

"Forget it, Locke, I don't want to argue with you. The Second Highness doesn't want to force you, if you don't want to help him, then the Northland family forces are targeting the Grand Duke of Fisabrun in the war to unify the Empire, don't let him cause trouble for the Second Highness, okay?"

Lorist touched his chin and walked around the room for a long time before reluctantly agreeing.

"One more thing, give me the Royal Guards soldiers you have captured, and don't attack them. Chrisia said.

"Well, you can take them. Lorist reluctantly said, "I need your compensation, and if I really want to pay them a ransom, it will be at least 100,000 gold merit." ”

Chrisia knocked Lorist: "Don't dream, there is not a copper plate for you." ”

"Then I can't explain it to my knights. In fact, I took them back to Hiloas because they needed to do their labor. Lorist spread his hands.

Chrysya was furious: "They are all elite soldiers who have been trained for a long time, you treat them as coolies? No way, I will take them away, if you need labor, you can recruit them yourself, those homeless people are in the two southwestern provinces." ”

"Second Highness allows us to recruit outcasts?"

"Of course, he still wants you to take the outcasts away. ”

"In that case, Chrisya, I agree with you to take those captives, but you must ensure that we will not be hindered in recruiting the exiles, and get His Royal Highness to agree that we will recruit some civilian officials in the imperial capital. The family territory needs to bring in talent...... "Lorist said.

"Deal!" said Chrisya, cheerfully.

After only one night, Chrisia was anxious to go back, and the trouble was that there were three sea ships on the island, which were still small, and it took several trips to transport more than 2,000 captives.

After seeing Chrisya off, Lorist said to Fat Man, "I have to go to the city of Moriente." ”

"Why?"

"To buy a ship, you have to order a large quantity of grain. Lorist replied.

...... (To be continued.) )