As soon as the news of the opening of the smuggling trade was released, the Northland aristocratic circle was boiling.

The largest dealer engaged in the smuggling trade in the Alpha Kingdom was none other than the Northland aristocratic group led by the five major families.

Smugglers, slave traders, all depended on this group.

Since the outbreak of the Continental War, the smuggling trade has been completely cut off. In order to restore the trade routes, the nobles of the Northland did not lack the number of people running around the kingdom.

It's a pity that the popularity of the five major families is not good, and the harder they lobbied, the tighter the blockade on the border.

In the past, the materials of the nobles of Northern Xinjiang had to pass through the Northland, and they were congenitally controlled by others, so they could only choose to compromise.

However, the current border is the Near East, and with the convenience of ports and shipping, Hudson does not need to look at the eyes of the Northland aristocracy.

Under Hudson's leadership, the Kingdom's standing army often attacked the smuggling trade. The smugglers who dared to take the lead were basically almost dead.

No matter what the origin is, if you die, you will die in vain. "Charges of collusion with aliens", no one dares to come forward to claim it.

Seven or eight of the ten smuggling accidents occurred, so much so that in recent months, the children of the nobles of the Northland have been killed in accidents.

No matter how lucrative the business is, it can't withstand such a disaster. The Northland aristocracy, which had suffered heavy losses, gritted his teeth with hatred, but could not do anything about it.

After all, it is a business that cannot be put on the table, and there is no problem in doing it secretly, but it cannot be said on the table.

The loss of money-making business is secondary, and the political embarrassment makes the situation even worse for the nobles in the north.

Don't say it's looking for Hudson's bad luck, and their political power in the court is now difficult to protect itself. A number of officials from the Northland were imprisoned by Caesar IV for an opportunity, and their lives are now uncertain.

At one time, these five families all wanted to develop a navy and open up trade routes to the orc empire from the sea.

It's a pity that the idea is beautiful, but the reality is very skinny. It's true that the Northland has a port, but they don't have a shipyard!

The port was opened in the era of Caesar III, and it has only been in operation for a few years, and it has not yet had time to accumulate naval heritage.

They were worse than Hudson in this respect, and at least Hudson was able to buy a shipyard from the royal family through political deals.

The current situation of the five major families in the Northland is that even if they have money, they can't spend it. What's more, they don't have much money in their hands, so they can't use money to stun the seller.

No one would risk falling out with the royal family to help someone who has had a holiday with their own family.

was forced to embark on a vicious circle of reckless military force and self-consumption, and the five dukes saw it in their eyes and were anxious in their hearts.

No one is sure whether the king wants to attack them or whether he is deliberately playing psychological tactics.

Now Caesar IV's actions against them are all naked conspiracy.

If the soldiers and horses are cut now, it is not certain that one day the king will take the evidence of their incrimination and mobilize a standing army to sweep away the rebellion.

As long as the procedures are legal and the interests are in place, the big nobles in the kingdom will not mind removing their group of eye-catching guys from the chessboard.

"It has been confirmed that Hudson does intend to liberalize the smuggling trade, but with heavy taxes and restrictions on traded goods.

It can be preliminarily judged that there is a problem with Xueyueling's finances.

Although Hudson swept in all directions during the Continental War, he actually did not harvest much loot because of the inconvenience of carrying.

It is already difficult to maintain a huge armament with the income of the Mountain Territory and magic potions alone, let alone the development of the Snow Moon Territory.

However, Hudson also liked to sell his reputation and reputation, and he did not even collect the transit tax sent to his door, and opened the smuggling channel as a last resort.

It can't be a conspiracy against us!"

Duke Rodriguez analyzed rationally.

Life is not good, people are panicking, and they now look at everyone like a threat.

No matter what happens, first analyze whether a wave is a conspiracy against you.

This overly cautious nature has allowed them to avoid many risks, at the cost of starting to lose their hair at a young age.

"Just because it's not a conspiracy against us doesn't mean we're going to be able to profit from it.

Hudson is now in power, and it is too simple to want to target us."

As he spoke, Duke Angel glanced at Duke Torsten.

I don't know if there will be an accident in other people's business, and the Lockonard family's business will definitely not be able to do in the Near East.

[In view of the general environment,

If it weren't for the political influence and the fear of triggering a chain reaction, they would have wanted Duke Tolsten to return the ancestral land of the Coslow family to others.

It's all a grievance from a hundred years ago, the original lineage of the Coslow family is dead, and Hudson is only a side branch of the rise, so it is nonsense to say how unforgettable the hatred is.

The two sides have been carrying each other to the death, and it is more of the face of the nobility.

The more new nobles are, the more they pay attention to the face of the family. The loss of the ancestral inheritance is a disgrace to all members of the Coslow family.

It's a pity that this step can't be reversed. The worse the situation, the stronger it becomes.

If they show cowardice to the outside world, so that the outside world mistakenly thinks that they are in decline, it is easy to trigger a group of attacks.

"It's not that bad, as a new nobleman, Hudson is very fond of feathers, and he won't take his reputation for it.

Hudson was able to rise all the way to a high position, not only because he could fight, but also because of his reputation for distinguishing between public and private and being principled.

After so many years of fighting in the south and the north, have you ever heard of him deliberately trapping people and announcing personal vendettas?

The whole kingdom believes that he can deal with problems objectively and fairly, which is the reason why all parties ignore his background and promote him to the throne.

So business can still be done, but within the rules he delineated, the profit may not be as high as it used to be.

Another detail is that Hudson liked orc slaves. It can be seen from the decree he made that everyone is encouraging everyone to trade slaves from the orc empire.

If there were enough slaves, they could even offset their taxes and buy the most advanced weapons.

There is such a clause in it, and it is estimated that all smugglers will work part-time as slave traders.

We still have an advantage in this regard, and it is not a problem to find those big tribes to cooperate and get tens of thousands of slaves a year.

If the interests are right, we may even be the best partner for Hudson."

Duke Rodriguez said with a smile.

As a core member of the Northland aristocracy, who has not been involved in the slave trade in the process of smuggling?

These are all old deals. With the connections accumulated from long-term engagement in the smuggling trade, they are inherently superior to those who come after them.

"Why does Hudson want so many orc slaves, is it really as he said to the outside world, to weaken the orc empire as much as possible?"

Duke Hiro said with a slight suspicion.

To weaken the orc empire, just purchase slaves from races with strong combat power. Not to mention the low combat effectiveness of ordinary orcs, they also reproduce very quickly.

"Maybe it's a simple lack of people!

The area of the Snow Moon Collar is so large, there is not enough population to fill the dissatisfaction.

Especially in the early stage of the construction of the defense line, more labor is needed. If you don't have enough manpower, then make up the numbers with the orcs.

With mere coolies, these orcs can still make do. What's more, in the early days of his career, he used a large number of orc slaves, and he estimated that he had accumulated a lot of experience.

It's just that he ignores the difference between the Near East and the mountain territories. The wanton use of orc slaves under the noses of orcs is an irritation that few orc tribes may not be able to withstand.

Wait to see a good show, maybe we can see an orc***, a big drama that should be combined inside and outside.

Of course, it is also possible that our Field Marshal Hudson was prepared and deliberately set a trap for the orcs to drill.

In the area of fighting with soldiers, our Marshal Hudson is still very reassuring."

Duke Rodriguez was smiling

replied.

It doesn't matter how the other ones choose, anyway, this deal, he is decided.

No matter how risky it is, it is better than going bankrupt in the same place.

In order to raise funds, their exploitation of the territory is close to the limit.

Not only did the serfs have a hard time, but the passing caravans were also squeezed out of a layer of oil, and they were already miserable.

Today, the simple grassroots businessmen have all but disappeared from the Northlands. is still insisting, and there are basically aristocratic backgrounds in the back.

If you offend the people outside, don't say it, and the little brother below is also bitter. was forced to follow the expansion of the army, and it was impossible to stop and take a breath and rest.

As a knowledgeable aristocrat, Rodriguez knew very well that this situation could not be sustained, otherwise it would surely collapse.

However, the cruel reality made him have to grit his teeth and insist.

Time is what they need most. It is impossible for the king to keep his eyes on them all the time, just wait for the situation to change and everything will be different.

The counterattack has begun, and the royal family's new large territories are the source of trouble.

It's just that in order to hide themselves, they can only wait for the incident to slowly ferment, and they don't dare to jump out directly and the royal hard top.

……

The arrival of a large number of smugglers has made the Snow Moon Collar a prosperous scene.

The most direct beneficiaries are the hotels and taverns in the city, many of which are fully booked for the first time.

Affected by this, some far-sighted businessmen have taken the lead in taking root to develop the characteristic tertiary industry.

As long as you pay enough money, all shops can be subletted.

Mr. Hudson engaged in a bunch of buying and selling, mainly for the purpose of drainage, but he was not prepared to engage in all the industries.

It is more convenient to directly collect rent and taxes than to take risks and do business.

What the Crescent Port needs is economic vitality with a high population flow, and the planned economy obviously cannot meet the demand.

Just rely on the clerks who drive ducks to the shelves, they can only mechanically listen to orders to sell goods, what can they use to compete with merchants?

lost money in a short period of time, and Hudson also admitted that he was not prepared to insist on long-term loss-making transactions.

With fewer businesses operating at a loss and rental yields increasing, it was only a matter of time before they turned a profit.

Especially with the advent of commodity procurement, Hudson finally received the first "smuggling tax", which changed the embarrassing situation of only being unable to enter and exit the territory.

Everything is going in a good direction, and trouble is coming to the door.

Catching slaves from the Orc Empire is just that, although it does not meet the mainstream moral standards, there is no law in the kingdom that prohibits it.

Even if there is a virgin, at most she will secretly spew a few words, and no one will sympathize with the orcs on the surface.

The trouble is the smuggling trade, and in the past, the kingdom of all kingdoms also tacitly allowed its existence, but in the end, it will not see the light of day.

On the surface, smuggling materials to the orc empire is a felony of raiding the house. Once the evidence is caught and put on the table, it is going to kill people.

The trade line had just opened, and Hudson was feeling the pressure. The important ministers who opposed the smuggling trade within the kingdom directly attacked the court.

Some aristocrats who did not like Hudson also added fuel to the fire.

Hudson didn't know how the Northland nobles dealt with these things back then, but he knew that this matter was very difficult to deal with.

"Baron José, reply to His Majesty the King on my behalf.

Tell Your Majesty that we are conducting a training camp to allow the smugglers to take advantage of the loopholes.

After the training of the army is completed, the smugglers will be arrested as soon as possible, and these kingdom moths will definitely not be spared!"

It is impossible to admit it. As the supreme military commander in the Near East, how could he be involved with smugglers?

Everything is that the smugglers are too cunning and take advantage of the loopholes of the army's training.

Anyway, in order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the front-line army, it is impossible to stop training. The issue of cracking down on smuggling can only be dealt with after the work is done.

Perfunctory didn't solve the problem, but Hudson had no choice.

Under the guidance of political correctness, it is impossible for him to defend the smugglers.

Even if it is to detect the intelligence of the Orc Empire, it is impossible to say: all smugglers and dealers go with a mission.

"Lord Duke, I'm afraid this explanation can't be solved by the lake. Under pressure from all sides, it is very likely that the kingdom will send an investigation team, or even directly form an anti-smuggling team.

There are precedents for these. When the nobles of the Northland were most rampant, they dared to sell anything to the orc empire, and in order to crack down on the smuggling trade, the kingdom set up an anti-smuggling team, which once interrupted the smuggling trade.

Later, due to financial pressure, under the operation of the nobles of the Northland, the kingdom acquiesced to the existence of the smuggling trade, but its behavior was restricted.

The smuggling trade in the Near East has only just begun, and there are no weapons or equipment among the goods we sell, which in principle is within the limits of the kingdom's tolerance.

However, in the smuggling trade of that year, many powerful people in the kingdom took advantage of it. Our side has only just begun, and we have not yet had time to build a community of interests.

So ......."

After listening to Jose's analysis, Hudson instantly understood what was going on. No wonder it will be targeted, this is cheese that moves people!

All at once, it came up. Under normal circumstances, with his popularity in the kingdom, even if he is hated, it will not cause such a big storm.

In addition to the Northland aristocratic group, among the other major power groups in the kingdom, there are few descendants promoted by his lord Hudson.

Maybe these people can't control the right to speak, but there is always a little bit of incense. If there were no conflict of interest, it would never have been possible for so many people to complain.

Thinking about it carefully, everyone is still merciful. All the impeachments were only for the smuggling trade, not for Hudson himself.

It's easy to figure out the problem, but it's hard to solve it. The cake wasn't something Hudson could share if he wanted to.

Every time a large distribution of interests takes a long time to reach a new balance, a community of interests can be formed.

"Send the letter in first, and delay it for a while. Even if the kingdom wants to form an anti-smuggling team, it is not possible to make a decision in a day or two.

Secretly leak some rumors to them, if you want to participate, come on! Anyway, in the area bordering the orcs, it's not just us Snow Moon Territory, they want to join, and it's not convenient to stop them.

In the future, let them fight, who takes more and who takes less, in the end, it still depends on strength!"

Hudson said impatiently.

The distribution of benefits is always the most troublesome. He couldn't even hide from this kind of thing, let alone take the initiative to participate.

In the past, trade routes were blocked because of war, and everyone was hungry together, and no one had a problem. Now when I see someone eating meat, I instantly feel unbalanced.

Do not suffer from few, but suffer from unevenness.

The current orc empire definitely doesn't have the fat of the past. Even if the smuggling trade is liberalized, the benefits are not as good as they were at the beginning.

The Alpha Kingdom is able to import tea, cloth, salt, pots and pans, spices, and ...... to the Orc Empire and a series of daily necessities.

The only commodities that the Orc Empire can come up with are: slaves and furs.

Cattle are not easy to sell. A large number of cattle were transported, and the movement was too great. What everyone is doing is smuggling, and there is no way to cross the road.

Any aristocratic officer, caught this matter and investigated, can kill the smuggler.

It's useless to have a backstage, once it's on the table, the king's face can't cover the lid.

Something like this has happened from time to time in the past few years. Even if an agreement is reached from above, acquiescing to the existence of the smuggling trade, the laws of the kingdom cannot be ignored.

Once you meet a noble officer who has a personal vendetta, this kind of thing happens all too often.

Even if the elders retaliate afterwards, the parties concerned will not be able to see it. On the charge of colluding with other races, it is difficult not to die.

Smart smugglers are as low-key as possible. In particular, it is necessary to be careful not to alarm nearby stations when shipping goods whose origin cannot be explained

Army.

If there are few goods that can be sold, then you can only make up for it with hard currency. There are not many magic crystal mines, gold and silver mines in the orc empire, and the rich mines are monopolized by several major royal families, and most of the orc tribes are very poor.

In addition to raising livestock, there are only some wild beasts to hunt, or to go deep into the Ula Mountains to hunt magical beasts and collect magical materials.

These trades are certainly not equal. No matter how valuable it is in the Terran world, it just can't be sold for a price in the orc savannah.

Many small and medium-sized tribes can't meet a caravan once a year, and they have no bargaining capital at all.

If you are squeezed hard, you will find an opportunity to do a wave of business. However, this is also risky. Merchants who can open up trade routes are not soft persimmons.

Within the Orc Empire, there is also an umbrella for these guys. Compared with the restraint of the magnates of the Alpha Kingdom, the interior of the Orc Empire is more naked.

Who sheltered which caravan was open to the public. If something goes wrong, I dare to come out of the platform as soon as possible.

……

The little wind and clouds in the Near East did not cause the slightest wave in the world, and everyone sighed at most: The Alpha Kingdom has come out!

Now everyone's eyes are focused on the Frankish kingdom. Just five days ago, under the auspices of the Frankish Church, representatives of the churches of various countries launched a frenzied complaint against the Holy See.

directly charged the Holy See with ten major crimes:

1. Forgery of oracles;

2. Impure faith;

3. Blasphemy;

4. Collusion with heresy;

5. Killing the king;

Sixth, corruption is rampant;

7. Excessive greed;

8. The Holy Mountain;

9. Hereditary clergy;

10. Persecution of the aristocracy.

Any one of them can pull the Holy See down from the altar, and ten of them have been collected at once, but they can all find evidence, and everyone knows that the Franks are playing real this time.

As the sacrosanct Holy See, it should be an immaculate existence in itself. Everyone's requirements for them are very high, and there is no stain allowed at all.

The behavior of the clergy, too, is under a magnifying glass.

The thing that originally covered the lid was suddenly exposed to the sun, and the impact can be imagined.

However, governments continued to contribute to the spread of evidence across the continent, and almost overnight everyone became aware of the papal crimes.

The mentality of countless fanatical believers has collapsed, and it is really difficult to accept that the Holy See in their minds is so good.

Pius VII was very embarrassed, and as soon as he clamed for the excommunication of Charles III, the Frankish Church gave Charles III the title of saint.

And this act has also been recognized by representatives of churches in many countries. The reason: Charles III exposed the dark inside story of the Holy See and laid the foundation for its purge.

suddenly made himself a villain, and the countries that originally supported the Holy See actually played pretending to be deaf and dumb, as if they were waiting to see the joke.

It is clear to everyone that this is an attempt by all parties to weaken the influence of the Holy See in the country. Since the Frankish kingdom is in the lead, it is better for them to go.

What left the believers speechless the most was that such a big thing had happened, and the great Lord of the Dawn did not show up.

The "divine punishment" and the purging of heresy in the Holy See have become a beautiful dream in the minds of countless believers.

The Holy See side was equally disappointed, the storm had affected the faith, and the gods had not yet come out to stand on the platform, which made them very passive.

The gods did not sign, and in the eyes of many, it was acquiescence. There are even some arcanists who openly shout: the gods are dead!

The two camps were busy with infighting, and their blatant blasphemous remarks were ignored for a while, which made Hudson very big.

There was no way, the blasphemous remarks were made from the Arcane Academy, where he was the honorary headmaster. If you want to say that there is no connection, no one believes it!