King

The orc army left, and the kingdom's army also began to evacuate in batches after successfully regaining the lost territory.

As for the Near East region that is targeted by the kingdom, there is no one present, and there is nothing to defend.

The main reason why the army was so eager to evacuate was that the kingdom's finances could not bear the cost of money and food.

For the feudal dynasty, war is always the heaviest burden. No matter how advanced the Alpha Kingdom's mobilization mechanism is, it cannot change the fact that productivity is backward.

Unlike the last time the orcs invaded, all parties were vying for the spoils right after the war. This time, everyone's interest was obviously much lower.

There have been many nobles seeking activities in Hudson these days, but their targets are all unclaimed lands in the country.

Everyone looks disgusted with the land in the seven provinces of northern Xinjiang, let alone the more remote "Near East".

It doesn't matter at all whether the land is fertile or not. The shortcoming of being so close to the Orc Empire made many nobles hesitate.

No matter how much you like the fiefdom, you can't risk your life to fill it!

Judging from the relationship between the kingdom and the orcs, peace will last only three to five years at most. After the orcs calm down, the border area will definitely be in trouble again.

Facing the threat of orcs all the time, we still develop a shitty production. Just the daily harassment of the orcs can collapse the territory's economy.

Referring to the past practices of the Northland nobles, the land in the border areas was directly abandoned, and the territory's main financial revenue was only three items: kingdom subsidies, smuggling trade, and slave trading.

The income from the territory seems to be high, but the money is just passed on from the lord and will be invested in armaments immediately.

In peacetime, we can still balance our expenditures. Once a war breaks out, there will immediately be a fiscal deficit, and bankruptcy is common.

The five major families in the North are the largest. In addition to their own dark skills, the financial problems plaguing the small and medium-sized nobles are also an important driving force.

Small and medium-sized nobles who lack the ability to resist risks simply cannot survive the rounds of orc invasions, and their decline is only a matter of time.

There are countless lessons learned from the past. It was not easy to get a chance to take the fiefdom. No one wants to jump into the huge pit of the Near East.

Not only the small and medium-sized nobles are loveless, but even the great nobles of the kingdom now lack interest in the lands in the Near East.

Including the previous purchase of the kingdom's land bonds, it was also forced to do nothing. During the war, we cannot watch the government's finances go bankrupt!

Relying on "land bonds", the Ministry of Finance divested most of the kingdom's debt, but the "shareholders" became the debt collectors.

If it weren't for Hudson, the proposer, who took the initiative to set an example, and the share of bonds he subscribed was second only to the king, he would have been slapped whenever he went out.

Hudson believed that there were definitely many noble lords who wanted to beat him. There is no practice, mainly because everyone knows that they cannot win.

The nobles in the country avoided the Near East, but Hudson knew very well that no matter how big the pit in the Near East was, the kingdom must bring this land into its rule.

The inside story of the armistice only needs to be known to the higher-ups. When promoting to the outside world, the kingdom must be a victorious country.

This war did not end after gaining an absolute advantage on the battlefield. An armistice treaty that could not be publicized could not prove that the Alpha Kingdom was the victor.

Based on political needs, the kingdom must also expand its territory. Even if the newly added land is really poisonous, the kingdom can only swallow it.

Externally, this is proof to the Human Alliance that the Alpha Kingdom is determined to fight against the aliens, and there will never be any rumored "begging" for peace from the alien alliance.

Internally, this is an explanation to countless soldiers and civilians, proving that their blood has not been shed in vain.

Only by defeating the Orc Empire independently can this mountain that has been weighing on everyone's hearts for a long time be lifted.

Promote it a few more times to make the victory deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. When the next war breaks out, everyone will no longer be afraid of the orcs.

"Marshal, Count Oran is here to visit."

The guard's voice pulled Hudson out of his thoughts. The current situation of the Hollister family is not generally bad.

The fiefdom was recovered, but the losses caused by the war could not be undone.

The number of territorial residents dropped sharply, all farmland was abandoned, and a large amount of infrastructure was destroyed. What they have to do now is to rebuild their territory on the ruins.

The wealth of the established nobles is not unlimited. The early development of their territories has consumed a lot of their manpower, material resources, and financial resources.

In this process, a large amount of human resources were also consumed. The value of these intangible losses is greater than direct economic losses.

Rebuilding the territory is easy to say. If it is really implemented, it will definitely cost a lot.

From a short-term perspective, the Hollister family's northward strategy is currently considered a failure.

After consuming the wealth accumulated by the family for countless years, they were left with ruins, a complete loss of blood.

"please!"

Hudson said calmly.

He could basically guess the purpose of Earl Oran's visit, which was simply to seek support.

The current Holliser family, if no one helps, is likely to sink and fall down again.

…

After the brief greetings, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. In the aristocratic circle, interests always come first. Those who do not realize this will be eliminated by the world sooner or later.

As in-laws and political allies, the Koslow family and the Holliser family have become very close in recent years, and they have helped each other a lot.

If there had not been this war, two families with no conflict of core interests would have become a good story in the circle, supporting each other and moving forward together.

Unfortunately, the situation changed too quickly. Even though Hudson had reached out to help the nobles from the seven northern provinces, the Holliser family was still severely damaged in the war.

The heavy losses did not affect the existence of the alliance, but the balance of power between the two sides was broken, and the original mutual support became a unilateral output.

In the short term, it will not affect the relationship between the two families, but the favor will eventually be used up.

A generation later, if the Hollister family has not improved, the two sides will only be related by relatives.

Smart people will use favors at critical moments instead of consuming them at any time.

During these days on the front line, apart from normal emotional exchanges and information exchanges, Earl Oran made no requests from him. The care was all given by Hudson on his own initiative.

"Your Excellency, the military focus of the kingdom will definitely shift in the future. Orcs are the biggest enemy of the kingdom, but they are not the only enemy.

Those border provinces will definitely jump out to compete for defense resources, and the nobles in neighboring provinces will most likely support it.

The Kingdom will definitely approve the Near East Defense Line plan you are promoting, but it is difficult to say how much investment it will make.

After the lessons learned from this war, many people in the kingdom have doubts about the kingdom's "Northern Strategy."

In recent days, none of the nobles who have approached me for activities have gone to the Near East.

The prerequisite for focusing on building the Near East defense line is that there are people first. Only by enfeoffing a large number of nobles and filling the local area with enough people can the plan be implemented.

The four provinces of Northern Xinjiang and the five Dukes of Northland jointly proposed the proposal and mobilized personal connections to build momentum. It seems to be huge, but in fact there is no possibility of passing it.

If you can get the full support of the royal family, there may be a chance of passing. But the resources that can be obtained in the end will most likely be lower than what you expected.

The kingdom is short of financial resources, and the noble lords everywhere are also poor. Everyone needs time to recuperate. "

Hudson said without reservation.

It was he who proposed the idea of ​​building a "Near East Defense Line". The failure to promote implementation was mainly due to the indifference of the nobles.

If no one wants to go to the Near East, we can't leave the job of building a defense line to the kingdom's bureaucrats, right?

The long-term investment involved tens of millions of money and food, and Hudson did not dare to gamble on the integrity of the bureaucrats.

A thousand-mile embankment collapses in an ant nest.

The strength of the defense line depends on the weak areas of the defense line. Any negligence in any place will cause irreparable consequences.

The moral integrity of noble lords cannot be guaranteed either. But the lives of the whole family are tied to the defense line. If there is a problem with the defense line, they will also be buried with them.

The fate of the county guards and governors above and the whole clan are also linked to the defense line, so there is no need to worry about their lack of supervision.

Without solving people's problems, everything is empty talk. But in this regard, the nobles in the northern Xinjiang region are powerless.

There is a shortage of people in our own fiefdom, so how can we continue to develop the Near East!

The so-called building of a defense line in the Near East is actually just one mouthful. The money, food and population required for the specific implementation process must be paid by the nobles of the central and southern provinces.

"Hudson, I understand what you mean. The Near East is a big hole right now, and it's normal for everyone to have emotional resistance.

If I could choose again, I would rather take my people to Fengyun Province to participate in the competition than to establish myself in this ghost place in Northern Xinjiang!

The situation has developed to this point, and the price paid by the Hollister family is too great, and I am no longer allowed to retreat.

The emerging nobles in the northern Xinjiang region are all in similar situations. Everyone is a gambler who loses his heart and puts his last net worth on the line.

If you're interested in taking the Koslow family to the next level, now's your chance. As long as you can stabilize the situation in northern Xinjiang, everyone will push you forward.

Only by integrating the power of the provinces in northern Xinjiang can you be the real chess player in the kingdom. No matter how high you are praised now, it is just a false reputation after all!

Don't refuse in a hurry, there are too many nobles in the kingdom who want you to come to the Near East. When you canonize meritorious officials after the war, you will definitely have an enclave in the Near East. "

Count Oran tried to persuade him.

Sometimes being too capable is also a mistake. Having achieved great fame on the battlefield, Hudson was inevitably feared by others, especially the king.

Even if he continued to show weakness politically, it could only slightly alleviate Caesar IV's anxiety. The promotion of so many generals in the army is not just for show.

As a meritorious official, he certainly could not suppress Hudson directly, so he could only use obscure means to weaken his influence from the side.

"Your Excellency, please stop now! I don't have that big ambition, and the Koslow family's current situation is already very good.

To create a Near Eastern military group in the name of defending against the orcs, what is the difference between that and the alliance of the five major families in the North?

Although the five major families in the North are still powerful, their good days are coming to an end. Having offended so many people, it was only a matter of time before the backlash broke out. "

Hudson decisively refused.

The reason for his current transcendent status is that except for the five major families in the North, there are people promoted by him from all the other major forces.

To a certain extent, these people can influence the decisions of major forces. As long as there is no conflict of core interests, a good relationship can be maintained.

Without realizing it, Hudson had built his own political niche.

If Hudson jumped out to fight for political power, these military aristocrats with the Kazakh label would be the backbone of the faction.

A pan-political alliance is enough. If we go to the Near East to form a military alliance, Caesar IV will be driven crazy.

Confrontation between the great nobles and the king is nothing new in the Aslant continent. The five major families in the North had severely damaged the vitality of the royal family, but they are still alive and well now.

"Being able to do it" does not mean that you have to do it.

The Koslow family does not have enough background. Even if they form a political alliance, other families will benefit more from it.

"When one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" seems to be a good thing, but once the balance is not grasped properly, it will turn into a negative case.

Forcibly pushing tribesmen with insufficient abilities into important positions will inevitably lead to trouble if they cannot withstand the erosion of interests.

Rather than being dragged into a dilemma in the end, it would be better not to let them set foot in the court in the first place.

If you are ambitious, then go out and start your own business. No matter how high you climb in the end, he will not be jealous. If you die in the middle, you can only blame yourself for your bad luck. Anyway, Hudson will not push them to enter the political arena.

Based on his understanding of the family, no one in the family is qualified to participate in the court game.

"Understood, I didn't say anything about what happened today. Next, the Holliser family will distance themselves from the five Northland Dukes, and they won't embarrass you."

Earl Oran said slightly disappointed.

Without a leader of sufficient weight, the group plan has just begun and will die prematurely.

As for the five major families in the North, their relationship is not familiar to them. They were able to come together because of the need for territorial development.

If you want to obtain supplies from the kingdom, you must pass through the territories of the five major families in the North. In order to pay less tolls, we can only build good relationships.

The relationship between those who pay tolls and those who collect tolls is naturally not very deep. The friendship between a familiar face is not worth worrying about for Count Oran.

…

As they approached the royal capital, the joy of victory rushed towards everyone.

Outside Canglan City, Caesar IV, accompanied by hundreds of civil and military officials, greeted the triumphal procession at the city gate early.

Frankly speaking, in terms of face-saving projects, Caesar IV did a really good job. No matter how sincere he is, this high standard of treatment alone makes many military generals very satisfied.

As the leader of the generals, Hudson did not let Maxim perform this time. Instead, he rode a war horse and walked at the front of the team.

Approaching the city gate, Hudson waved his hand and ordered: "All soldiers dismount and enter the city on foot!"

Face is given to each other, and the king came to greet him personally, so naturally he could not continue to sit on the horse.

If it was only the ministers of the DPRK who came to greet them, then they would most likely say hello and lead the team over.

After completing a tedious triumphal ceremony and having to constantly test politely with Caesar IV, Hudson only felt tired.

Fortunately, everyone has practiced, and even if they are wearing armor, they can walk more than ten miles to the palace.

"Marshal, you have demonstrated the kingdom's prestige in this battle. Looking at the entire continent, no one dares to look down upon our Alpha Kingdom again!"

The kingdom has been established for hundreds of years, and this is the most beautiful victory.

Not only did they cripple the ancient alliance and frighten the elves, they also defeated the orc army without any external support.

…”

Caesar IV's high-spirited praise made Hudson very embarrassed. Accept it, it's a bit too arrogant; if you give in, the generals behind you will still be watching!

With his status, he cannot be treated as a flatterer. If you insist that this is the result of the king's leadership, the nobles will laugh out loud.

"Your Majesty, these are the contributions of all the soldiers, as well as all the citizens of the kingdom, and all the ministers..."

Hudson still wanted to be ashamed. Even though Caesar IV's hint was very obvious, he still didn't follow up on his words.

Everyone deserves credit, and it would not be out of the ordinary to include the king. But in this way, it's more like a humble courtesy.

Unable to achieve his goal, Caesar IV laughed it off, but his facial expression was very reluctant.

Fortunately, the two of them were walking at the front of the team, and people behind them couldn't see their expressions, otherwise it would be awkward.

The brief interlude did not affect the smooth progress of the triumphal ceremony, and everyone was immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

The material rationing system that had been implemented for nearly two years has now been abolished. The banquet, which is far away from everyone's life, will return to everyone's sight again.

This chapter makes up for yesterday’s