King

The celebration banquet will be held ten days later, so there is no need to go there early to attract the attention of the outside world. From the time he went on the expedition last winter to now, he has been away for more than half a year, and Hudson also feels physically and mentally exhausted.

After returning home, I just met my wife and children, and before I had time to communicate in depth, I immediately immersed myself in territorial affairs.

This is the fate of the nobles of Aslant continent!

While enjoying glory and wealth, you must also bear corresponding responsibilities and obligations. A leisurely life is a luxury, and at least the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom are not qualified to enjoy it.

The stronger the ability, the more times he leads troops on expeditions, and the longer he spends time away from his family.

Delegation is impossible!

The Koslow family, a new aristocracy, has been formed around Hudson since the beginning, and is essentially a grassroots team.

Almost all the top managers in the territory are hired from outside, and there are very few of them who are qualified for the job.

In this context, Hudson must be dictatorial in order to ensure the family's local dominance.

Decentralization can only happen after the system is perfected and the development model that is most suitable for one's own family is explored.

Human nature cannot stand the test.

It never occurred to Hudson to test the loyalty of his men.

People change, and even if you are loyal now, there is no guarantee that you will continue to be loyal in the future. In different periods, people's mentality is different.

What's more, from the early days of its establishment, the territory has been filled with spies from many forces.

In line with the principle of not wasting value, although these people have been gradually transferred from core positions, they are still contributing to the construction of the territory.

Whether there is something deeper hidden, no one can tell. As long as it does not endanger his own interests, Hudson does not mind pretending to be confused and using these fine cattle and horses to work for himself.

After looking through the list of accounts, Hudson frowned. The thing I was most worried about finally happened.

The territory's daily administrative expenses have increased significantly, and the efficiency of several major projects has declined instead of increasing. This is obviously a management problem.

For a force, it is normal for management efficiency to decline as its scale expands.

Deep down, Hudson was already prepared. The Xueyue Territory and the Mountain Territory combined are already a huge entity, and it is impossible to carry out refined management as before.

However, the decline in efficiency should also have a cyclical process, rather than a cliff-like decline.

After only being out for more than half a year, so many problems have arisen. If it had been longer, wouldn't the consequences be more serious?

Fortunately, the level of the bureaucrats below is still at the level of the first-generation version, and their ability to make false accounts is limited. Otherwise, Hudson would not be able to find the problem just from the accounting statements.

"During my absence, nothing major happened in the territory, right?"

Hudson asked pretending not to know.

The bureaucracy becomes corrupt, which is an inevitable cyclical pattern. Any power can remain relatively clean in the early stages of its business, but will inevitably become corrupt in its later stages.

As a new noble family, Hudson was a man of his word in the family and had a relatively strong power to intimidate the bureaucrats. He had almost no problems in this regard during the early development of the territory.

"Duke, everything is running normally in the territory..."

Perhaps because he saw something wrong in Hudson's eyes, Jacob was slightly uneasy when he replied.

He is naturally aware of the problems that arise in the territory, but now is the era of family affairs, and most of the time, favors outweigh rules.

As a retainer with a foreign surname, he clearly saw some problems, but he could only pretend not to know.

"Is that really the case?"

"If I go out for a few more years, this mansion will have a different owner!"

Although Hudson's tone was calm, everyone was frightened to death when he heard it.

"Change the master" is a perfectly heart-wrenching statement.

Not to mention a strong family head like Hudson, even a weak family head would not be able to have his power seized while he was out leading troops to fight.

The following rebellion is an absolute taboo in the Aslant continent. Even if they succeed in seizing power, they will still be liquidated by the kingdom.

Everyone has selfish motives, but making trouble is an exaggeration. No matter who you rebel against, you cannot rebel against Mr. Hudson.

No matter how much they collude, if Hudson steps forward, the team will fall apart.

"Duke, we..."

Before anyone could explain, Hudson waved his hand and interrupted: "I don't want to hear so much nonsense!

In the past six months, some people have been so distracted that they have almost forgotten who is the owner of this place.

No matter what the origin is, as long as loyalty is lost, you are not qualified to live in this world.

I will give you one last chance to immediately dig out the borers in the territory and get rid of them all.

If it can't be done well, I don't mind letting someone who can do it do it! "

The problems that exist in the territory are not just a matter of one day or two. It is just that the rapid development has covered up the contradictions.

In order not to affect the development speed of the territory, Hudson chose to postpone the issue until now.

Once people's greed is aroused, it can no longer be contained.

Hudson's tolerance in front of them made these guys more and more emboldened. Eventually, their desires amplified and they began to tamper with the accounts.

If it was an ordinary noble, he might have been fooled.

It's a pity that these are all leftovers from Hudson's play. Even Bear Stearns can read the books, let alone his master.

When things get big, it's time to clean up.

You don't need to think about it to know that those who dare to act so wantonly are probably from related households.

There is a high probability that his cronies will be traced, and most of them will include members of the Koslow family.

It can be said that pulling one hair affects the whole body.

With such a wide range of implications, it was natural that no one would want to do something like this that was destined to offend a lot of people.

Including Hudson himself!

If it turns out that his direct descendants are all those who have made meritorious service and shed blood for him on the battlefield, how should he deal with it?

Killing him would be inhumane and inconsistent with the mainstream of the times.

Not killing is another violation of the system.

As the lord, he takes the lead in not following the rules, and the people below will not take the rules seriously.

Both approaches are not good choices. In this context, someone needs to come out and be the villain.

The Ministry of Government Affairs did not deal with the problem at the early stage, and if it has been delayed until now, they deserve to take the blame.

…

Affected by the Five Nations Alliance's defeat of the Earth-centered races, the countries in the Southern Continent were greatly stimulated.

Everyone wants to save face when hanging out.

The countries in the Northern Continent and the Central Continent have all defeated the invaders. They, the pillars of the human race, have not yet defeated the enemy, so where can everyone save their face!

With a stomp and a fierce attack, all countries stepped up their offensive.

The effect was overwhelming, and the countries in the Southern Continent that had taken real action proved their strength to the outside world with practical actions.

Especially the leading Frankish Empire and the Iliban Kingdom performed particularly eye-catchingly during the war.

The other three established kingdoms also performed well in the final counterattack.

The war ended and the era of peace began again, but the smell of gunpowder between the two camps became increasingly intense.

Fortunately, neither side wanted to start a war at this moment, and high-level officials from various countries took action to suppress it, thus preventing the conflict from escalating.

Kingdom of Avarat.

As the leader of the last wave of reform, it is now being pushed to the forefront again.

Although the previous reforms were not thorough, they still played a positive role in improving military capabilities.

The national reserve system introduced from the Kingdom of Alpha did not make the Kingdom of Avarat stronger, but it solved their numerical problem.

When facing the invasion of the inner earth race, the local nobles who completed the reserve training were the first to reap the dividends in the war.

The nobles are a group that is both stubborn and good at learning.

After seeing the benefits of the new system, everyone's resistance became less strong.

After the war, the surviving noble lords spontaneously joined the reform team.

Of course, these people cannot be considered true reformers. Their reforms are only to improve the combat effectiveness of their own private armies.

Even if it is a small change, it is worth celebrating for Elton VIII.

Since he succeeded to the throne, he has launched a massive reform movement, which is one of the few achievements.

No matter what you say, we are all in the same boat. The increase in the strength of the nobles' private armies also increased the kingdom's military power.

“Your Majesty, it’s time to move forward with the next step of reform.

Judging from the intelligence collected from all over the continent, both the countries in the alliance and the foreign races have the intention to reform.

A few days ago, Charles III issued a reform consultation draft at the Parliament of Nobles.

These include promoting the national reserve force, reforming the business environment, and promoting the development of the magic industry...

Over in the Kingdom of Alpha, Caesar IV summoned the great nobles from all over the country to the royal capital on the pretext of holding a celebration banquet, most likely for the purpose of reform.

These top powers are all seeking change, and we cannot rest on our laurels! "

Duke Glenarvan said confidently.

From the time when reforms were initiated to the present, the situation at this time is most favorable to the reformists.

Outside the world, the entire continent has sounded the clarion call for reform.

This is not a question of whether we think about it or not. In order for the race to be passed down better, all races must get together.

Internally, after a lesson of blood and tears, the noble lords realized that they must have sufficient strength, otherwise it would be easy to stage the tragedy of "no people, no money".

Even the most die-hard conservatives have softened their stance when opposing reforms.

"Duke, we are taking the plunge in this reform. It is best to have successful cases to learn from!"

Elton VIII said with a solemn expression.

After the reformists came to power, they launched dozens of reforms, and the few successful ones were all copied from the experiences of powerful countries.

On the contrary, the reform measures devised based on its own reality all ended in failure.

If you suffer a loss, you must learn from your experience.

After in-depth research, King Elton VIII discovered that the nobles in the country had serious foreign ideas.

Generally speaking, as long as a major country takes the lead in implementing reform measures and achieves good results, everyone's resistance will be much lighter.

Regarding the reform measures proposed by the reformists alone, everyone's position was completely opposite. Many nobles did not think they could succeed at all.

It is definitely a tragedy for a country that the ruling class has this kind of thinking.

But for reformists, this is a shortcut.

At least when copying the measures of a powerful country, we can win the support of this part of the nobility with serious philandering tendencies.

As long as the reform can be successful, the process is not that important.

“Your Majesty, in addition to the Frankish, Iliban and Alpha Kingdoms, we can also learn from the Principality of Mossi and the Falcon Kingdom.

Although their comprehensive national strength is not as good as that of the three major countries, their internal affairs reforms still have merit.

Looking at this invasion of the earth's inner race, we can see that the weak Principality of Moxi actually defeated the enemy before the three kingdoms of the Central Continent.

The Falcon Kingdom is isolated overseas and has not been invaded by the earth's inner races, but their reforms are still eye-catching.

The results are mainly reflected in finance. Since the release of the "Reform Charter", their fiscal revenue has increased sharply.

Last year's fiscal revenue has exceeded the peak before the war, and is still growing rapidly.

On the one hand, there is the development of maritime trade, and on the other hand, there is the advancement of magic technology.

During the war, the Falcon Kingdom exported large amounts of cloth and ordnance to various countries on the mainland, which proved their strong production capabilities. "

Duke Glenarvan explained patiently.

It's not that he doesn't want to learn from the three major countries, it's actually that these three are not easy to learn from.

For example, the Alpha Kingdom they studied before, after capturing a large amount of pasture, has now begun to focus on the development of cavalry.

There is definitely nothing wrong with playing like that in the Northern Continent, but it is different in the Southern Continent.

In addition to the plain land, there are also dense water networks and various mountains and hills.

The complex terrain restricted the performance of ordinary cavalry. Even if we want to develop cavalry, we must develop Warcraft cavalry.

All countries in the Southern Continent are doing it, but the material consumption of this gold-swallowing giant beast is not a small amount.

The annual expenditure of a Warcraft legion is enough to support twenty or thirty infantry legions.

And this cost is still an imaginary number, the real cost depends on the kind of monsters raised.

Unless productivity is further improved, the Warcraft legions in various countries have basically reached their upper limit.

After all, Warcraft eats meat.

In order to develop the Warcraft Legion, all countries are passively developing the breeding industry, which in turn increases the annual food consumption.

In a sense, these warcraft also had a share of the credit for the sudden outbreak of the last continental war.

The Franks and Ilibans, who were determined to vigorously develop the Warcraft Legion, both needed large areas of land to grow food and raise livestock.

The fact that the Franks and Ilibans can do this does not mean that the Kingdom of Avalat can also do this.

There is not enough military strength to seize land from the aliens, which directly cuts off their path to a powerful country with the Warcraft Legion.

If the strongest countries can't learn from it, then they can only settle for the next best thing and choose students to learn from among the remaining countries.

The effect is definitely not as convincing as that of the three major countries, but their successful experience is before everyone's eyes.

"Send an inspection team to the two countries to investigate and see if we can learn something useful!"

Elton VIII thought for a while and said.

In the past, neither the Principality of Moxi nor the Falcon Kingdom could catch their eye, as they were not players of the same level.

If you look at the original ranking of the top ten kingdoms in the mainland, you will know that the Falcon Kingdom is nowhere to be found from beginning to end.

Even after the Warhammer Kingdom was destroyed and a vacant position appeared, they were still not given a chance to fill it.

Even though their military strength is not weak and their economic strength is also strong, everyone still selectively ignores them.

There are many similar foils, such as: the previously destroyed "Mercenary Kingdom", "Kerel Kingdom"...

Unlike the Falcon Kingdom, these countries have long fallen behind in terms of their own strength, except in the name of the kingdom.

The name simply means that they have been glorious in the past, or that the royal family has a prominent ancestor, or that they inherited a crown from a relative.

…

Kingdom of Iberia.

“Countries are taking action, and we cannot remain idle.

There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the Aslant continent. Judging from the situation of this war, the kingdom is lacking in many aspects.

If these problems are not resolved, not to mention competing with the Franks for the position of the most powerful nation in the human race, I am afraid that even the current international status will be snatched away.

Various signs indicate that the military strength of the Alpha Kingdom is very close to ours and may surpass the past at any time.

You all know how bellicose those lunatics in the Alpha Kingdom are.

It took hundreds of years for a Hudson to be born. If they didn't cause trouble, they wouldn't be Alphas.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Orc Empire will have a hard time in the future.

It wouldn’t be surprising if they were unlucky and became the nourishment for the growth of the Alpha Kingdom! "

King Bordeaux VIII said with a serious face.

In the past 100 years or so, the Iliban Kingdom has always been fighting for the top spot, and occasionally it can make counterattacks.

Although this kind of transcendence was short-lived, it was soon overtaken by the Franks, who were also the most powerful nation in the human race.

It's understandable that it can't compete with its old rival, the Frank Empire; but if it is overtaken by the Alpha Kingdom, it will be a huge loss.

Once this happens, it will be a dream for them to summon their younger brothers and the Franks to fight against each other in the future.

“Your Majesty, since everyone is reforming, let’s follow suit!

The kingdom as a whole is improving. There is no need to change the general framework, but changes need to be made in the details.

For example: Alpha's reserve system is worth learning from.

A group of farmers cannot make a big difference, but they can make do when the troops are insufficient.

Another example: the new economy of the Franks..."

Prime Minister Olmos said accordingly.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this was discussed in advance and deliberately brought out at this time.

The reasons for reform are very good. It is not about reforming a powerful country, but about competitors reforming.

In this era of great strife, the Iliban Kingdom does not want to fall behind, so it can only choose to follow up.

If you want to complete the counterattack against the Franks, you can't just follow up, you must also stay ahead of your competitors.

The temporary raid caught the conservatives off guard.

I want to speak out to object, but I am worried that the interference at this time will cause the kingdom to fall behind in the new round of competition.

…