The hall slowly filled with people within two hours

Interestingly, this was the Earl's first official appearance to meet the main families of the city, and there was no pomp and circumstance, and people walked up and down the hall, asking each other what the Count was, and as if he had known these people for a long time, the Count walked through the crowd, and from time to time joined in a small circle of three or four people to talk about it, and even in the cold weather, some of the big men left their chests open, revealing their solid chests, as if they were tolerable to the heat

Most of the Valankovs wore leather coats and fluffy coats on the outside, and when they entered the door, the servants took their coats, and although they looked a little vulgar, they were all sturdy men with thin waists and broad shoulders, which was a prerequisite for getting ahead in Valankov

The Valans learned to fight as soon as they learned to speak, and the Valans encouraged their little ones to fight for things: two babies fighting over a plump raft, fighting for Blackberries at the age of three or four, then the first pony, the first dagger, the first bow

The Valans have learned from an early age to defend their interests with their fists, but in fact it is not a good word to defend, it should be to grab their own interests with their fists: the strong baby will enjoy most of the milk until it is no longer drinkable, and the weak one will have a chance to suck the milk, but the Valans have connived at this, and if any mother really can't bear it, she will be blamed for secretly feeding the weak child' Mothers have many defeated children', and the Valans feel that if they can't fight for their own interests in an upright manner, then there is no difference between dying as a child and dying for decades

The bell of Valan rang, it was the lord's call to his subordinates

For a long time, the nobles of Valan were accustomed to deciding everything on their own, and it had been a centuries-old practice to inform the lord when the matter was settled, and the assembled bell would only ring when the nobles were on the march, but today, Count Kalinin was going to exercise his rights

Vladimir found me at the archery range and said that he wanted me to go with me to the meeting I was a little curious why he asked me to go, but Vladimir had no doubt, he took my longbow and threw it to a servant, and asked him to help me send it back, and then led me towards the big house When I walked into the house, the man of the Lucasino family looked at me, the expression was very complicated, Konstantin didn't have the same laughing expression as before, his face was gloomy and dark shadows, he looked at me as if he didn't care, I don't know what that means, but Konstantin didn't pay much attention to me, and a man from the Mel family came up to him and said something in his ear, and Konstantin left the man next to him and went to Count Kalinin

I was the last person in the house to walk in

I have been shooting arrows intermittently for so long, most of the arrows are off target, but I still feel very happy, my body is sweaty, my fingers are shaking, my right arm is sore and swollen, and I will wash it with hot water, and the sweat flows down from the top of my head and into my eyes, and the sour feeling comes from my eyes

The gate was closed, and several servants walked around, pulled up the thick cloth over the window, and tied the door

All that was left of the room was the whispering of coughs and the glow of the two braziers

A young man from the Mel family was talking to Richard, and he spoke first as if he were joking: "I say, Count Kalinin, you sent someone to ring the bell to gather us, will it not be to make up for the last banquet?" ”

A few of the visitors looked at me, didn't say much, and then turned their eyes to Kalinin, and some of the people who had not been here last time also talked in a low voice

"Last time I was on official business," said the Earl, politely, but apologetically, "I really can't come back in time, and I've heard that there is some unpleasantness, and it's really inadequate."

I wonder how the Count could say this so indifferently Konstantin shook his huge head, "Count, we are not here to listen to this, you summoned us here, saying that there is something important to discuss, please quickly explain it"

"That's right," echoed him

Vladimir looked at the people who came and frowned slightly, "If I'm not mistaken, we rang the assembly bell, and the patriarchs of all the families should have come but I only saw some of the patriarchs coming," the patriarchs of several small families in Valan City nodded and expressed their obedience to the earl, "And the three largest families, like the last banquet, did not heed the call"

A low roar of dissatisfaction spread through the venue, "Hey, let's stop worrying about this, okay?" A man from the Mel family said, "We let our children play with your young master everywhere, hold some shameful banquets, go to the play like a girl, and dress like a pheasant to shine on the dead, we are already very harmonious, and we always use these useless things to create unpleasantness, isn't it interesting?" ”

I could hardly resist blurting out that I was about to refute him, the Count and Vladimir even glanced at me, intentionally or unintentionally, and I had a feeling that they were expecting me to come and choke the man back I didn't know what to think, my lips moved, and I didn't speak

Vladimir frowned, and then said to the man of the Mel family: "Your lord values his identity very much, so he is reluctant to attend the meeting, and we invite them to attend the meeting, and it is also with this mood that we just want you to understand that this meeting is very important, if the patriarchs of the three families come, many problems can be solved on the spot, without having to wait for the next time"

"Oh?" One of Corwin said, "Is it important to invite the patriarch to us?" He smiled, "Didn't you have to let the patriarch come to the last banquet?" It turns out that this meeting is as important as a banquet!"

Laughter spread

No one directly scolded the people of the three families to pay attention to the rules, and they became more and more casual

Richard and Gregory said something about the need for everyone to work together and win, and their friends in the three families nodded their heads and supported them, but I felt that a mainstay like Constantine didn't take them to heart at all, and Constantin just stared at the Count, maybe I thought this because I had a natural antipathy for Richard and Gregory

I still did not speak, and I felt that if I had spoken something kind, it would have seemed that the Earl's house was completely equal to the three families, and that if they were summoned later, the majesty would be challenged; And if I say it coldly, I feel like I'm being taken advantage of

I decided to keep it silent

Konstantin turned his head and glanced at the noisy family members, and the Lucasino family shut up at once, while the Mel family glared back dissatisfied, and then also shut up, and after everyone in the Corwin family did not speak, they also quieted down

Konstantin said: "Count Kalinin, my father has already warned me about some things before going out, you as a lord, you only need to inform us a few words, we as juniors and subordinates, we will definitely do our best to support you, and after we have discussed the matter, the patriarchs of the three families will come forward to sign a contract with you, so that the cooperation will officially take effect, Lord Count, if there is anything, just tell us."

Although Constantine said it beautifully, respecting the majesty of the count or something, it was already implied in his words: the count can only command the members of the three families, not the patriarch of the three families, and in this regard, the count is not their superior, but only a lord with the same status as them

Of course, Count Kalinin will not be happy, he knows that his statement in today's meeting is very important, and it is likely to affect the relationship with the three families in the future, if they accept this arrangement of the three families, then it will be difficult for him to reaffirm his dignity as a count in the future

The Count was a little dissatisfied, he shook his head, and then finally spoke

"Well, I won't pursue this matter for the time being, but that doesn't mean I won't ask about it again, I have never heard of a lord who refused to come to see him after his arrival in Saland, such a person will be stoned; In Rhodoc, such a person is disqualified; In Nord, this kind of person will be fined half of his property, which is all because of the law, and then look at Svadia, a country that does not pay attention to the dignity of status, and now it is a miasma, what has become of it"

The Earl looked at the people below, tried his best to suppress his unhappiness, and then changed his worried expression, "Everyone, today I received a message from Xiaodonghu City."

When the Earl had spoken to them privately, he had only told them that something interesting had happened on the shores of the East Lake, and now the Count was going to tell them some real news

"In Little East Lake City, the craftsmen have climbed to the roof and knocked out the double-headed eagle statue of the council, if you have a little imagination, you can guess that when the spring comes, the statue of the Burke people will be erected in that place, and the council of Little East Lake City has held three consecutive meetings, guess what the nobles are planning?"

The Earl smiled, "All of them asked to join the Burke League, and luckily, I got a copy of the Burke pamphlet, and in this pamphlet, the Berke Council already has the Riverside District Council."

One of the Mel family frowned and said, "You don't need to say this, we all know that the Berks have already set out to take over the Riverlands, and it is not surprising that the council will be extended to that place."

"Oh? So it's not surprising that Hejian District includes Xiaodonghu City? ”

"What?" "What about those dogs" "Impossible"

"That's right, the nobles of Little East Lake City have decided to break away from the Ivangorod Council and join the River Council of the Berke Kingdom instead," the Count said in an affirmative tone, "and their final showdown with the Ivangorod Council was around the spring."

"Why?" Konstantin said, "What good is it to put yourself in a situation surrounded on all sides? Xiaodonghu City is a commercial city, if it is surrounded by enemies, where does it receive goods? How did its merchants run a trading post? Where does its van go? ”

"Surrounded on all sides?" The Earl shook his head, "At least it has a face of water, you can't encircle Xiaodonghu City, there are more than forty warships now, and there are countless large and medium-sized merchant ships that can be converted into warships at any time, and the population of Xiaodonghu is more than 10,000, this is only the registered population of the town, their weapons and equipment are the best in the entire Donghu area, they are also the best businessmen and craftsmen In the war, if their soldiers die of a horse, the merchants will buy them two and send them to the front line, their soldiers cut a knife, Their craftsmen will make two and send them to the munitions storehouse, what about you? I think you should know better than I do about Varankov's income, your agriculture is a mess, there is almost no commerce, and the craftsmen are good, but you don't know how to use a good pair of Valan armor to sell it for a hundred and sixty dinars in the West, but the merchants give you fifty dinars and buy it, if you don't sell it, you can't find a buyer, am I right? ”

The Corwyns and the Mel family pursed their lips

"Varankov's annual income is only a few thousand dinars, and I wonder why a large town with a population of thousands has such a small income, and then I realized that Varankov is a shack, and it just so happens that there are a group of citizens and three big families in the shack."

The Count's words caused a commotion

"Haven't you been poor enough?" The Earl suddenly asked, "I don't know how far the people of Little East Lake City have thrown you away?" ”

Konstantin frowned

"The people of Little East Lake City have always been looked down upon by you in the past, and they are just buried in business, familiar with trade routes, and have figured out every force in the East Lake area, and some strength that is difficult to threaten it has been bought by it; The forces that can threaten it, such as Vrankov, are intoxicated with their own world, and still remember the glorious Chanda Guards hundreds of years ago; And now? Their financial resources are second to none in the East Lake area, and they have just found themselves a qualified backer: the Burkes have no better backers than the Burkes for the people of Little East Lake: Burke is far away from them, so that they will not lose their independent status; Burke will also envelop them in every possible way, because the Burkes need a springboard to cross the East Lake."

"It's a contradiction," said a shrewd Colwin, "if the Burkes really crossed the East Lake, the status of Little East Lake City would decline sooner or later, and after the Burkes had their own base, they would no longer rely on Little East Lake City, and at that time, what independence would Little East Lake City talk about?" ”

"That's right, this situation is indeed possible, but that is more than ten years or even decades later, the people of Little East Lake City are enough to integrate the forces of the East Lake region during this time, and then, Little East Lake City will entangle several city-states, and then ask for a decent fight with King Burke."

"Do not take it upon yourself," said one Lucasino, "to provoke the king of a few city-states?" Is there such an ignorant person in the world? ”

"Since several family alliances dare to challenge the lord, why don't several city-states dare to challenge the king?" The Earl immediately retorted, "These are very likely to be born, if you don't deny me for the sake of contradiction, think about it carefully, you will know how likely this situation is, the Ivangelodes Council has long lost control of Little East Lake City, I heard that in the Battle of Riverlands, when you were bleeding and fighting, Little East Lake City stood by and watched you fight exhausted, and the hundreds of soldiers and the same number of mercenaries in Little East Lake City are recuperating."

Konstantin wrinkled his nose, "Well, what do you want to do?" My father had asked your opinion earlier," Konstantin looked at me, "but we haven't received a reply from you, do you want to punish Little East Lake City?" ”

"Do I need to say this again?"

"What do we get?"

"Once you get Xiaodonghu City, you will go to the city first, and I will stay outside the city for three days."

After the Count finished speaking, I felt a chill in my back

"Three days?" A man from the Mel family, who was slow to react, said, "What are you doing? ”

The Lucasino family was thinking about it, and the Corwin businessmen's eyes were already flashing

Konstantin said: "You don't care what we do in the city for three days? ”

"Take the city first"

"This can't be," said an old man from the Colwin family, "you can't attack Little East Lake City for no reason, even if you have a reason, without the authorization of the council, you will incur punishment You yourself were elected by the council, they can't move us, but removing you is as simple as changing a dish Secondly, even if you take the city and let us go into the city to maintain law and order, then you will be held accountable afterwards, you can't bear it, and you will definitely push us out"

Step by step, the Earl walked to the middle of the three families, "I can't take responsibility for you now, because I don't have the right to command everything about you, so why should I take this risk?" Of course, if the three families agree to let me command your soldiers, dispatch your supplies, and mobilize the inhabitants of the city, then you can push everything that happens afterwards to me, and I can sign a contract with you in the name of the Romanovs."

The Count is playing with fire

"Even then, it's us who fight, and you don't give anything," Konstantin said, "you don't have many soldiers"

"But I have an heir, and my sons and grandsons may be with you," replied the count, "and I will deliver my dear relatives into your hands as a witness of our alliance, and he will go with you into battle, and he will share with you in trouble, and he will wear the coat of arms of the Romanovs, and he will fight side by side with you, 'conquer or die,' which is the fate of the Romanovs."

Konstantin frowned, "Who?" ”

The Count and Vladimir glanced at me gently

No, no, I'm better than Richard, Gregory is more qualified than me, I don't want to go to war

"Mr. Constantine," said the Count, "I suppose Victor should be sufficient to represent me?" ”.

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