King

"Duke, Marquis Landry is visiting!"

After hearing Tom's words, Hudson was filled with doubts. Among the many princes and counts in the kingdom, there is no such one.

Perhaps seeing this, Tom hurriedly added: "The Marquis Landry is the former Frankish minister to the kingdom."

Upon hearing this explanation, Hudson returned to normal instantly. It seems that he is not ignorant. Who in the right mind would care about a former minister?

It is normal in diplomacy for people to take tea to cool off. Regardless of Marquis Landry's background, as long as he steps down as minister, he will be nothing in the Alpha Kingdom.

"Take him to the living room and wait for him. I'll be there later."

Hudson said expressionlessly.

Regardless of whether he or she holds any weight in the kingdom, the visitor is still a marquis, and the proper etiquette is indispensable.

His intuition told him that if a former minister came all the way from the Southern Continent, something big would definitely happen.

…

"Your Majesty the Marquis, as far as I know, the Kingdom does not reject the formation of a Five-Nation Alliance, and negotiations have officially started among the five countries.

What everyone is struggling with now is: the obligations they need to assume and the rights and interests they obtain.

As long as the effort and benefit are equal, I think it is only a matter of time before we form an alliance. There is no need for us to do anything extra at all! "

Hudson said with a smile.

Politicians with farsightedness all know that the current situation on the mainland makes it imperative to form a five-nation alliance. But this process is not destined to be smooth sailing.

An alliance is not just a word of alliance, but requires each other to assume military obligations and perform the duties of an alliance.

At this point, everyone will inevitably have to weigh the pros and cons. Bargaining is essential. Who pays more and who pays less, who gets more and who gets less are all the focus of conflicts.

There are too many things to weigh and calculate, and even if the dispute lasts for two or three years, Hudson will not be surprised.

The Franks were concerned about this issue, which really surprised Hudson. Under normal circumstances, the countries in the Southern Continent should break up this alliance.

Once the Five-Nation Alliance is formed, it will become a behemoth and will inevitably impact the situation on the mainland.

On the bright side, the official population statistics of each country, when the five countries are added together, have nearly 200 million people. The real number is not just that.

Hudson didn't know the situation in the three countries in the mid-continent, but the nobles of the Principality of Moxi and the Kingdom of Alpha were hiding their populations.

Looking at its performance during the war, we can see that the Principality of Moxi, which had a population of eight million at that time, was able to raise an army of 600,000 after losing hundreds of thousands of troops, but it was not something that such a small population could do.

Not to mention the Alpha Kingdom, every time the orcs invaded, they were able to pull out millions of troops to fight the enemy for several years.

If it had only a population of more than 30 million on paper, and millions of young people died every few decades, it would probably have been wiped out by the subjugation of the country.

Of course, because of the population in the land that accepted the refugees + the queen's dowry, the apparent population of the Alpha Kingdom increased to 40 million.

Among the many lords and nobles, it is estimated that the population reported by Hudson is the most honest. The registered population of the fiefdom is more than 1.8 million. Except for the fact that newborns are not counted, the reported population is basically true.

It has nothing to do with moral integrity. The main thing is that these immigrants have passed the clear path. Things that are known to the outside world, there is no chance to hide them even if you want to.

At most, the mortality rate should be reported more, but not too much. Otherwise, if the news spreads, no one will dare to immigrate.

Not only the territory of Hudson, but also the population of almost all the new lords' fiefdoms were not well hidden.

The nobles hid the population, mainly after it stabilized, and concealed the birth rate. If you hide a little bit a year, the number of people you hide after a few generations is astonishing.

As long as this part of the population does not move around in their own fiefdom, it is difficult for the outside world to discover it. It involves the entire aristocratic group. As long as it is not too excessive, no one will be serious about this kind of issue.

The union of hundreds of millions of people will have an impact on politics, culture and economy. If done well, every country in the alliance will have an opportunity to leap forward.

“Marshal, you know that the negotiations of the Five-Nation Alliance are not going well.

The three countries in the Central Continent need your help to complete the military reform, but now the three countries simply cannot provide equivalent exchanges.

At this critical moment, if you want to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations, your country must make concessions.

I am not asking your country to pay for nothing, but the current situation in the three countries of China and mainland China is indeed bad, and it is difficult to provide substantial compensation.

It is better to postpone the compensation and pay the old debt when they are able to pay. "

Marquis Landry spoke to persuade.

In order to promote the alliance of the five countries, the Frankish Kingdom also tried its best to lobby the important ministers of the Alpha Kingdom to support the alliance, which was the most important step.

As the most powerful country on the mainland, the Frankish Kingdom was also able to provide military assistance to the three countries, but they followed the route of elite troops.

The combat effectiveness is indeed great, but the investment is also high if you can't stand it! The Franks were able to play this way because they had a sufficient economic base to support them.

Whether it is financial or material resources, none of the three countries in China and the mainland have the ability to follow suit. Forcibly following along will only make the situation worse.

In contrast, the Alpha Kingdom's military line is the civilian line. Maximize military strength at the minimum cost.

Although in the eyes of the Franks, most of the Alpha Kingdom's troops are at the cannon fodder level and cannot be put on the stage at all, they can't stand up to large numbers and are easy to replenish.

For the three countries of the Central Continent that are not wealthy, being able to spend a small amount of money to build an army with decent combat effectiveness is the best choice at the moment.

As for the dispute between "quality" and "quantity", it is just a topic for people to talk about after dinner. The key is to see what is best for you.

The Kingdom of Alpha is unique in the entire continent for its aggressive militarism. There is no other country in the world. Even the Principality of Moxi gradually completed its military reform after getting help.

If you want to learn other people's skills to make a living, it's impossible without paying tuition.

"Your Majesty the Marquis, everyone understands the truth. However, the previous performance of the three countries in the Central Continent makes it difficult for us to believe that they will still fulfill their debts after they have the ability to pay.

Maybe people think that help is a given and ask for more.

There are only zero and countless compromises. When it comes to national interests, it is impossible for the kingdom to give in! "

Hudson refused righteously.

It seems that the three countries of the Central Continent cannot provide equal compensation, but if the quality is not enough, they can use quantity to make up for it!

Money and goods, magical research results, taking the initiative to assume more alliance obligations, etc. are all good ways to compensate.

A multi-pronged approach, taken together, will surely fill this hole. Since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still arguing with them, Hudson will naturally not go over and join in the fun.

"Marshal, time waits for no one. The Orc Empire is undergoing a transformation. Once the two camps reach an agreement, the military pressure on your country will be great.

If the five countries could form an alliance before this, the situation would be very different.

At present, the elves have no intention of provoking a war. Without the support of their allies, the orcs would not have the courage to declare war on the five countries! "

After hearing Marquis Landry's words, Hudson understood instantly. No wonder they came to lobby him. The feeling was that the Franks also knew about the changes on the prairie.

Once the two camps of the Orc Empire compromise, the Near East will be a common thorn in their side. As a frontline lord and commander, one can imagine the pressure that Hudson was under.

From the perspective of the Near Eastern nobles, the Five Nations Alliance must be established as soon as possible.

It is inevitable to gain a voice in the alliance with the strength of the Alpha Kingdom. If the orcs dare to invade, it will be a challenge to the Five Nations Alliance.

The Orc Empire at its peak might have dared to challenge it, but if it did so now, it would simply be seeking death.

As long as there is no water in the brain, it is impossible for the orcs to act alone before obtaining the support of the alien alliance.

"Your Excellency, you are right, the kingdom really needs an environment for peaceful development.

But isn’t the civil war in the Orc Empire still going on? Who knows when the two factions will be able to reach an agreement?

Maybe while talking, the two parties continued to do it. The battle has progressed to this point, and the two camps have formed a bloody feud.

Even if the top brass can compromise for the overall situation, can the bunch of naive orcs below understand?

I'm afraid that even if the two camps reach a compromise, the tribes under each tribe will still have to fight frequently. Even in the eyes of many orcs, killing the enemy is much more important than invading the kingdom.

Invading the kingdom under this background, I am afraid they will have to spend 80% of their energy on defending their allies, and at most 20% of their attention on the kingdom.

In this case, why should we be afraid?

If a fight breaks out, it will certainly be uncomfortable for the kingdom, but the situation for the orcs will only be worse.

Ninety-nine percent of the orc tribes are extremely poor. Raising strategic materials to invade the kingdom is not an easy task.

I think the rulers of the Orc Empire are not crazy enough to risk everything for a mere Near East.

If the vassal races below are severely exploited, a second anti-royal war may break out! "

Hudson said seriously.

Regardless of the probability of the collapse of the Orc Empire, the possibility of such a thing definitely exists.

From a human perspective, it is a miracle that the Orc Empire has been able to sustain itself until now.

Since it is a "miracle", it is an accidental event. If it can be copied continuously, it is no longer a miracle.

Knowing that this reason could not convince Hudson, Marquis Landry stopped talking nonsense, gave a few symbolic words of persuasion, and left directly, leaving Hudson alone to worry.

As tough as he was on his lips, Hudson felt bitter in his heart. He was not an orc, how could he know what an orc was thinking?

Different races, different educations, and different social environments definitely have different ways of looking at problems.

Conflicts that may seem irreconcilable to humans may become commonplace among orcs.

It is definitely a very stupid thing to analyze the situation of the Orc Empire based on the moral concepts of the human race.

When doing things on the prairie, Hudson was always only responsible for igniting the fire and did not consider how to control the subsequent development.

"Tom sent an order to have all the county guards in the Near East come over for a meeting in half a month to discuss the next defense in the Near East."

Originally, Hudson was planning to call the lords of Northern Xinjiang together, but considering the political influence, he had no choice but to cancel it.

The gathering of nobles from the seven major provinces in the Near East is already very eye-catching. If the nobles from the seven provinces in Northern Xinjiang are added, it will be one-third of the kingdom.

Hudson is not a king or a crown prince. As the leader of so many nobles, it is easy for him to fall into the spotlight.

"Yes, Duke!"

After saying that, Tom immediately went down to deliver the order. The Near East region is not small, and half a month seems like a lot of time, but it is not an easy task to notify all the county guards to come over.

The main reason is that the communication magic circles in various places have not yet been completed. Otherwise, just give the order directly and it will be delivered to all the county guards immediately.

The cost of subpoenas is high, and that is something that the Chancellor of the Exchequer needs to consider, not a frontline military officer.

War requires efficiency. The faster the transmission, the more time the rear will have to prepare.

…

All the major forces were busy with their own affairs, and no one noticed that the number of "geniuses" under their control suddenly increased.

Especially the number of masters from small and medium-sized noble families exploded overnight.

Under normal circumstances, limited by the inheritance of knowledge, if a small noble can break through to a big knight, he is considered to be very talented.

Anyone who can explore on his own, break through to the Silver Knight, and then go all the way up is the "proud one of heaven".

In some countries with serious class consolidation, it is very difficult for small nobles to obtain the training methods of great knights.

As for the money-burning magician, let alone that. It has never been suitable for small aristocratic players. Forcing them to join will only contribute to "beating workers".

Only a few individuals with outstanding talents and extremely good luck can get the attention of the old antiques in the academy and receive key training from the academy, and then they can break through class restrictions and become strong.

This situation of determining the future based on identity has gradually changed. More and more minor nobles have made breakthroughs in their cultivation.

At the beginning, the great nobles didn't care. There will be lucky people in every era, not to mention that even the strong men in the holy realm are appearing one after another now, which is obviously the beginning of a new golden age.

It was only gradually that everyone discovered that something was wrong. In recent years, the cultivation of the little nobles under their rule had grown too fast.

If this happens to two families, everyone can understand it, but if this happens to many families, then there is a problem.

"Steward, are you sure you haven't counted the number of people in the Southeast Province who have suddenly gained so many experts?"

Governor Pierce asked solemnly.

Under normal circumstances, the overall strength of the small nobles under their rule should be generally stable.

Five years ago, the powerful people above the Silver Knight level in the southeastern province were basically concentrated in the Dalton family and a number of middle-class noble families in the province.

There are only a handful of strong men born from small noble families. Generally speaking, if you can become a great knight, you can make a big name in an area.

The situation is obviously different now. Compared with five years ago, the number of silver knights in the southeastern province has increased by 30%, and the number of great knights has doubled.

Except for some of these newly added experts from the Koslow family, most of the rest are scattered among the small noble groups.

Obviously, this is by no means an improvement in strength brought about by the golden age. Under normal circumstances, if you want to improve, everyone should improve together. There is no reason to treat them differently.

"Master, how could I not verify the truth of such a life-and-death matter!

Everyone on the list has a profile created. Everything is well-documented and I personally checked and verified that there is no problem with the information.

Especially among the guys who participated in the expeditionary regiment and followed Marshal Hudson into the Principality of Moxi, almost everyone improved.

There are various signs that they should have obtained a more complete cultivation method in the Principality of Moxi, which led to their current growth in strength.

The strength of other small nobles in the province has increased. It is very likely that these guys have acquired the cultivation method and spread it privately. "

The old housekeeper explained helplessly.

The increase in the number of powerful people means that the kingdom's strength increases, which seems to be a good thing, but for vested interest groups, it is a disaster.

The Alpha Kingdom needs to become stronger, but not in a way that would tip the balance.

Cultivation requires resources. The stronger the strength, the greater the demand for resources. The increase in the number of strong players also means that competition is becoming more intense.

At first, the Dalton family didn't notice. That was because the Koslow family attracted attention.

In the past few years, the strength of the members of the Koslow family has experienced a surge.

The top powerhouse is still Hudson alone, but with the accumulation of resources, the number of knights is endless.

No matter how distant the blood relationship is, as long as you have the qualifications to practice and are willing to work with Master Hudson, you can become a knight.

If one serving of life essence is not enough, you can get another one. Anyway, he will be working to pay off his debts in the future, and Mr. Hudson doesn’t mind borrowing more.

Ordinary people have this kind of treatment, and the original knights of various branches naturally also benefit from the family's development dividends.

Not only is there systematic cultivation knowledge, but also various resources to assist cultivation, which can also be freely exchanged.

Thinking about the reputation that Ha's Magic Potion has gained on the mainland, you can see how quickly the Koslow family's strength has improved.

Like all the great nobles, the great knights in the Koslow family are just ordinary people and have nothing to do with the powerful. Even the Silver Knight, three people appeared.

There is naturally a blank space further up. After all, the time is too short, and the foundation cannot be accumulated overnight.

Against this background, the Dalton family has always focused on the Koslow family.

Seeing that the other party was able to form a knighthood by relying on family members, Governor Pierce lost his temper.

If Hudson hadn't suddenly jumped out of the Southeast Province and gone to the Near East to develop, he didn't know what the Dalton family would have done.

I thought the trouble would be over and I could live a comfortable life for a few days, but I didn't expect that a new problem would arise.

"Damn Hudson, he is still a famous general, how can he spread the knowledge of cultivation!

Few of the minor nobles are successful. Many idiots only need a few glasses of wine to talk about anything.

If a family receives an inheritance, it is equivalent to all his relatives and friends receiving an inheritance. If it were passed down all the way, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Now that he has patted his butt and left for the Near East, he feels quite happy and relaxed, leaving me to clean up the mess..."

Governor Pierce immediately cursed.

It was obvious that this account was placed on Hudson's head. Under normal circumstances, cultivation knowledge is a secret that is not passed down by major forces.

There is only one situation where people will be exiled, and that is - during war!

It has happened countless times in history that the great nobles who were destroyed were unable to maintain their inheritance and let these secrets spread.

It's just that everyone's inherited knowledge contains deceptive code words. Ordinary little nobles can only use these things for reference and are unable to decipher them at all.

The only exception was Hudson. With his status at the time, he could obtain the inherited knowledge by privately trading with the declining nobles.

It is not strange for the Moxi people to give him a complete cultivation inheritance in order to show their sincerity.

In Governor Pierce's view, the source of the leak lay with Hudson. Even if he didn't do it himself, it was spread through the mouths of members of the Koslow family.

When there are too many people, there are too many things to do. With so many members of the Koslow family, there are always some who are lax in their speech. If the family didn't take measures in advance, the secret would be leaked.

It just so happened that the Koslow family had many relatives and friends, so their family was able to complete the export to the southeastern provinces, and even had the energy to spread to the entire kingdom.

Thinking of this, Governor Pierce's scalp went numb. Now that so many people are involved, how should he end it?

Unfortunately, this is one of the responsibilities of the Governor. He can neither shirk responsibility nor dare to shirk responsibility.

If the situation continues to deteriorate, the Dalton family's dominance in the Southeast Province will inevitably collapse in the near future.

Kill and silence?

Just think about it. Most of the nobles in the province are involved. If they take action, it is unknown who will kill whom.

"Master, you might as well send a message to ask Marshal Hudson. When such a big thing happens, all parties must be given an explanation.

If it really doesn't work, then these unstable elements must be sent away, and the situation cannot continue to deteriorate.

The situation in the Near East is becoming increasingly tense, and it is estimated that the kingdom will send reinforcements soon. We might as well join forces with Hudson to push forward and send these guys to serve in the Near East. "

…