Section 165 dilemma

In the city of Fornoros, in Byron's conference room, the atmosphere was solemn.

There was an oppressive atmosphere in the air, and all the people were like clay sculptures and puppets, not daring to make even the slightest sound.

Byron sat at the head of the conference room, his face pale. It's not because there was something he didn't like at the meeting, but because his face hasn't been better at all for a while. As for the reason, the fool also knows. Essien and Clio betrayed Byron and defected to the Queen's side. In order to express their position to the queen, the two traitors burned down the city's most critical grain warehouse, and then took the Duke of Byron's eldest son, Barheim.

The little queen is really unambiguous. The day after he was captured, he was put to death on a stake, and his body was displayed for two days. This move also clearly expressed the queen's attitude: the whole Byron family must die, and there is no room for compromise.

Having said that, from the queen's point of view, this is also very normal. After every king succeeded in suppressing rebellions (especially those that had nothing to do with the royal family itself), the rebels were killed by the entire clan.

"About the arrest of the mole......" Seeing that his subordinates were silent, Byron had no choice but to open his mouth. "How's it going?"

"Your Excellency, it's all ...... Arrested and executed. An officer in armor replied.

This was Byron's order. Because of Essin, he considered the group brought from Eagle Falcon to be extremely unreliable and could cause unrest at any time in this time of crisis, so he ordered all of them to be arrested. Because there was no time to carefully select and interrogate, all such people were simply executed.

In fact, everyone here knew in their stomachs that these people had nothing to do with Essien at all, and it was entirely the result of Byron's anger. But who would dare to jump out at this time to give advice to Byron? The fierce light that flashed in Byron's eyes these days was obvious enough, as if he was going to eat someone alive.

It's pitiful, but it can only let those unlucky people be wronged souls.

Byron had only two legitimate sons, both of whom are dead. Of course, he also has a grandson as an heir...... But for a person, losing a child in middle age can be described as a great blow.

Byron nodded, his face looking a little better. Those dead ghosts were all defected to him when he was the regent, but they could not share the hardships of wealth and wealth, and they became hidden dangers in this time of crisis. He thought so. But the thought turned in another direction - almost all of his former vassals had betrayed. These people did not speculate on his command halfway, but the courtiers inherited from generation to generation of their families.

Damn it! Didn't all these people lie at his feet and wag their tails for favor! But he was only defeated, and immediately everyone turned their backs on him!

Byron thought to himself, and his face, which had just recovered a little, became difficult to look at again. His gaze swept over the men present. To the subordinates, this gaze was like a sharp blade turning, making everyone tremble and chill all over.

Everyone knew that Byron had already killed the red eye at this time, otherwise he would not have given the same order as before.

But Byron, after all, he can still be sensible, so he just looked around like this, but he didn't do anything special.

"Food in the city...... How's it going?" he asked.

"Your Excellency. One of his men replied, but did not dare to face Byron's face. "According to the current survey calculations, there are still three months of food in the city. However, most of this grain is in private warehouses...... Mainly grain merchants......"

"In times of war, I have the right to levy temporarily. Byron replied immediately. "When the war is over, I will compensate them. What about the others?"

"I'm sorry, but the grain warehouse burned down completely. The subordinate replied. "That traitor to Essien must have piled up a lot of asphalt in the warehouse...... All the food has been completely destroyed and is inedible. In addition to this, our meat reserves ...... It's basically gone...... And ......"

Byron waved his hand, interrupting his men. "Anyway, there are three months left. He said gloomily. "According to the usual logic, if you eat sparingly, you should be able to have four months. I can put it off for four months, but that little girl can't put it off for four months!"

Usually such a news will trigger a lot of discussion among the subordinates, or at least a burst of ear-to-ear exchange. But this time the situation was special, although Byron revealed this important news, none of his subordinates dared to talk more.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Byron. I don't know when he didn't mention the word "queen", and he used "little girl" to refer to him every time. "Finances have collapsed. An alliance has been formed for the commercial blockade of Falcon City, and now it is now ostensibly her surrounding my city, but in reality she is surrounded by others. And it's an encirclement she can't break. ”

He said confidently. Some time ago, through the contact of the Guò Chamber of Commerce, he already knew about the debt to the queen. Although those businessmen do things in secret, leaving three points of leeway. But as long as the little queen turns her face and refuses to admit it, then the alliance will inevitably be formed. This is something that he has been planning and promoting. In fact, from the very beginning, Byron hoped that the whole thing would not be solved on the battlefield.

Although the situation has now become the worst, and because of the war, magic communication has been largely cut off. But Byron believed that at this time in Eagle City, things were going their way to what he had planned.

Now, the Prime Minister of Eagle Falcon City that the little queen left behind, the dead old man named Elyne, certainly couldn't handle that situation. Elenn is the kind of person who attaches great importance to fame, values aristocratic traditions, and thinks very highly of himself. Once he found out that he couldn't pay the debt (the debt was five or six million, and the little girl's treasury would never be able to get it), and the Chamber of Commerce was pestering, the old man would definitely be ashamed and angry. He will directly arrest the head of the Chamber of Commerce and put him in a prison cell.

Then he is tantamount to poking a hornet's nest! The businessmen are usually not united, but when it comes to the real critical moment, they will not be ambiguous. Especially this kind of thing. Once a businessman feels that his safety and interests are at stake, then ......

Fornoros City can last for four months, but how long can Eagle Falcon City last? At least until the war began, the little girl didn't do anything like adding to reserves.

He was sure of it. Because he knew that Elynne well. That's bound to happen. The little girl's choice of Irene to be the prime minister was her big mistake.

Thinking of this, he felt a lot more relieved, and his face was slightly better.

He looked at his subordinates again. At this moment, his subordinates still looked at each other, which made him suddenly angry, because they didn't seem to believe what he said.

But as a monarch, Byron could not ignore his status, so he could only declare the meeting over.

When all his men had left, and he was the only one left in the huge conference room, Byron came to the window of the conference room. This is the highest point in the city of Fornoros, and you can see the residential area at your feet when you look out of the window. At this moment, because of the war, the whole city is under martial law, and you can see groups of armed soldiers patrolling the streets.

For some reason, he sensed an instinctive danger. It's not because I saw some bad omen, but because of an unprovoked, panic from within. Because he suddenly remembered what the consequences of losing the war would be.

If you raise an army and commit a traitor, if you win, you can say that you will change the dynasty at best, and you can also divide one side at worst. But if it fails, at best, it is a wandering world, incognito, and at worst, it is the annihilation of the whole clan, leaving no traces. This is the ruthless rule of the human world, so in the case of treason, risks and interests coexist.

No, I'm not going to lose!" he quickly threw the terrible thought out of his mind. I'm going to win, I've got that big of an advantage......

“...... Do you think you can win at the table with a good hand?" Now Byron already knew that Ashruphat was not dead. Although the cannonball tore the armor off his body, it didn't hurt him. This can only be said to be super lucky.

"You think I'm a gambler like you? Unfortunately, I'm not on the same level as you. I don't have any good cards in my hand, but I can change my cards from the mountain at any time, I can sneak out of my seat at any time to look at your hole cards, and I can even change the rules of gambling at any time if I want. If you want to win me, the only chance is to deny me the table. But as soon as I'm at the table, you're just a clown in front of me......"

When he first heard Ashrufat's words, he only sensed the arrogance of the other party, and he was very angry because of it. But looking back now, I find myself with a visceral shudder. That Ashrufat......

"Your Excellency. A voice rang out, pulling Byron's rationality back to reality. It was one of his maids who was coming in to clean the meeting room, which needed to be cleaned after each meeting, with furniture and tables and chairs to be organized.

The maid was just an ordinary servant. She had been watching Byron from the window, so she greeted her. But Byron turned around, looking pale and sweating.

"Lord Duke......" she cried out again in surprise.

Byron didn't answer, he just walked towards the door. But his steps were stiff, not so much that he was walking, but that he was moving his legs and feet a little.

......

"Dear friend, you must understand one thing! This is not what the queen meant, but what I personally meant. Clio said with a smile. "The queen I sent me here to exterminate the rebel forces! You know? Exterminate! I am not here to negotiate! I am sitting here to negotiate, and this matter itself is a distortion of the queen's order...... If the queen had known, I'm afraid she would have ordered me to be hanged. In this case, you're still bargaining with me?" he was laughing, but not just laughing. "Lord Marquis Marduk, you probably don't know what happened to the former Earl of Rebas. ”