King

"We are all old friends, we will share half of it when we meet!"

As soon as Hudson finished speaking, Baron Catley wanted to die. But he didn't want to commit suicide, but he wanted to kill the vampire in front of him.

It was just the unfamiliar surroundings that made him let go of this tempting idea. Falling out on someone else's territory is definitely looking for a beating.

"This is impossible!

Baron Hudson, your appetite is too much. I just need a batch of emergency food, you are trying to dig up my roots! "

As soon as he stood up to leave, Baron Kettle regretted it. Half of the population is not negotiable. As long as enough food is exchanged, everything will not be a problem.

After all, losses can be passed on. Now that all the northern nobles are short of food, it is not impossible to exchange people for food.

To go or not to go?

After hesitating for a moment, Baron Kettle sat back again. Although face is important, survival is more important.

Going south from the north, he had already put all his chips on the line. If we cannot gain a firm foothold in the Maple Leafs, all our efforts will be in vain.

Family resources are limited and it is impossible to continue investing in losers. If he fails once, he will have to work for the family for the rest of his life to pay off his debts, just like the Holman knights who follow him.

"Don't refuse in a hurry, please listen to my offer first. 150,000 pounds of rye + 200,000 pounds of grains. For the sake of old friends, I can also give you ten additional iron pots.

If there is a similar business, you can also introduce it to me, and you can get 10% of the benefits. "

Hudson kept referring to him as "old friend", which made Baron Catley's scalp numb when he heard these three words. He wrote the book specifically to catch old friends.

The so-called friendship is worth ten iron pots.

But thinking about the relationship between the two, it seems that it can be converted into ten iron pots.

As for the business introduction, Baron Kettle simply ignored it. This kind of blood pit business, no matter who you introduce it to, is a business that offends people.

Just a 10% profit was not enough to make him let go of his prejudices and recruit customers for the vampire in front of him.

"Dear Baron Hudson, this price is simply a steal!"

Kaitley said while suppressing his anger.

On average, each labor force can only exchange for more than one hundred pounds of grain, most of which is miscellaneous grains. In normal times, the price would never exceed 3 silver coins.

"Your Excellency, don't be too quick to get angry. The most valuable thing about a person is contentment. Only when you learn to be content can you have a good mood.

Looking at it from another perspective, this is a business without capital. Now that half of the population can be left behind and so much extra food can be exchanged, what's not to be satisfied with?

Don't forget the current situation. Governor Pierce is about to come to mediate. What you did before was not impeccable.

As long as you dig deeper, you will definitely find omissions. Apart from anything else, you can’t give a reasonable explanation just for this population size!

Not to mention more than 6,000 people, even if it is cut down to half, you are lucky to be able to cope with it.

The explanation is unclear. When the time comes to investigate, can you really keep such a large population?

Rather than being forced to take it away by the Governor's Mansion, it is better to trade it in advance and at least get a batch of food. "

Hudson said with a smile.

Killing people is also a technical job. Although his words are alarmist, the intervention of the Governor's Office is indeed very detrimental to the nobles of Northern Xinjiang.

When the younger brother is bullied, it is obvious which side the boss will take. It doesn't matter if you can't find any clues. Once a problem is discovered, Count Pierce will most likely be severely punished.

After looking at each other and knowing that this was the final offer and not a negotiation with him, Ketelley sighed helplessly.

"That's all, just do as His Excellency the Baron says. But I don't want anything to happen next!"

As he spoke, Baron Kettle's heart was bleeding.

After working for more than a month and offending all the neighbors, Hudson only paid "150,000 pounds of rye + 200,000 pounds of miscellaneous grains" and took away half of the spoils.

But he didn't even have the confidence to refuse. The food supply in the territory was about to run out. The serfs were croaking with hunger, and some people were escaping every day.

If food is no longer available, even the soldiers will starve.

You can't really go out and grab it, right?

The transaction can also save half of the population, and they can quickly replant some crops with short growth cycles. The food obtained in exchange can be used sparingly, and it can still last until the harvest.

If he leads his troops out to rob, the suffocation in his chest will be released. Once the rebel label is taken off, there will be no closure later.

"Don't worry, Baron Kettle. My reputation is well-known throughout the southeastern provinces, and I will definitely not do anything that damages the honor of the nobles."

Hudson assured calmly.

In terms of credibility, he is indeed impeccable. Just ask any nobles who have worked with him, and they won't say anything bad about it.

Now is the time to reap the rewards. If he didn't have a good reputation, Baron Kettle wouldn't come to him.

The deal was reached, and Hudson was still a little disappointed when he saw Baron Kettle leave.

Originally, he wanted to take the opportunity to sell some by-products, but Baron Kettle was too eager and left immediately after talking about the matter, unwilling to stay for a moment longer.

However, there is no rush for this kind of thing. In an exclusive monopoly business, there is no need to hurry up and do the business.

In the two counties of Wright and Wyton, his family was the only one capable of large-scale production of ironware. Looking at the entire southeastern province, Hudson is also the largest supplier of ironware.

The era of lords everywhere was not suitable for the development of commercial logistics. The endless tolls along the way can keep foreign goods at bay.

It is normal for the price of the same product to vary several times in different regions.

No wonder the aristocrats were so ruthless in their exploitation, it was all stimulated by the tax farming system. The governor is responsible for the taxation of the entire province, the county governor is responsible for the taxation of the entire county, and the noble lords below are responsible for the taxation of their own territories.

Regardless of whether you entrust it to others or collect it yourself, after you collect the number stipulated by the kingdom, the proceeds will be yours. If you cannot complete the collection task, you can only fill the hole from your own pocket.

The main reason why nobles in remote areas are poor is because there are no commercial taxes to collect in the territory, and there are no free people to exploit. All the industries are their own, and they can only pay for the pit themselves.

Of course, losing money is a small probability event. Although a tax package system is implemented, tax standards in each region are formulated based on local actual conditions.

For example: Wright and Wyton counties encountered the Skull and Bones Rebellion, leaving ten houses empty. The kingdom exempted them from taxes for the past three years, and will also receive tax cuts of varying amounts in the next ten years.

These were gradually perfected after long-term games between the kingdom and local nobles. Maybe there are some areas where people are taking advantage of the situation, but overall the interests of all parties are taken care of.

Everyone is a shareholder and enjoys the dividends of the kingdom's development together. As for the other classes in the kingdom, they are all workers who depend on the nobles for survival.

…

Canglan City, Jade Palace.

"What did you say? Count Frodo was attacked outside the city of Rokodia, and no one in the entire mission survived?"

Caesar III asked almost roaring.

As the king's envoy, Count Frodo represented the royal power outside. To be killed in the kingdom was clearly a provocation to the royal power.

This kind of thing cannot be tolerated by any monarch, let alone a promising master like Caesar III.

"Yes, Your Majesty.

The place where Count Frodo was attacked was twenty miles outside the city of Rocdia. By the time nearby nobles rushed to the rescue, the battle was already over.

Although the enemy destroyed the corpses and traces of the scene, we still found some flying dragon feces during the investigation around the battlefield.

There are only a few forces with dragon cavalry establishments on the mainland, and the only one that has recently entered the kingdom is the Second Dragon Cavalry Regiment under the Holy See Judgment Knights.

According to the news from inside the Holy See, their mission this time is to take away the Blood Moon Horn at all costs.

It is very possible that after Count Frodo obtained the Blood Moon Horn, he accidentally leaked the news, causing them to choose to take the risk. "

The Grand Duke of Newfoundland analyzed with a solemn expression.

As the prime minister of the kingdom, he is already old. Now I just want to spend the rest of my term in peace, but trouble comes unexpectedly.

The Holy See intercepted and killed the king's envoy. If the Alpha Kingdom didn't respond, how could it survive in Aslant?

Once the kingdom takes retaliatory actions, the already tense relationship with the Holy See may be completely destroyed, and it may even lead to a war.

Of course, the Alpha Kingdom is not afraid of war with the Holy See.

As the patron saint of the human race, the Alpha Kingdom, which has been on the front line against the orcs for many years, is not a weakling. Even if the strength is not as good as the Holy See, the gap between the two sides is not so huge that it is one-sided.

As a major force, everyone has their own concerns, and no one wants to be taken advantage of by someone else.

What's more, there are several countries separated in the middle. Even if the Holy See wants to fight, they have to be willing to borrow a way.

There is no doubt that this cannot happen. The countries on the mainland still need the Alpha Kingdom to block the orcs' front, and they will not let the Holy See attack at all.

There are many people to rely on, so the Alpha Kingdom has always been known for its toughness when it comes to dealing with the Holy See. To be exact, the Alpha Kingdom has never been soft on any force.

"Sent people to intercept the Holy See's flying dragon cavalry. Before the matter is investigated clearly, the kingdom prohibits any member of the Holy See from entering or exiting. Anyone who resists will be shot to death!

Send an order to freeze all the Holy See's properties in the kingdom until the matter is investigated and dealt with. "

Caesar III ordered coldly.

Apparently, he was really pissed off. The matter of the Blood Moon Horn has not yet been settled with the Holy See, and now there is another incident of intercepting and killing the special envoy, which shows that it does not take the Alpha Kingdom seriously.

If the matter is found out, no one knows what will happen next.

"Your Majesty, it is reasonable to detain the Dragon Cavalry, but is freezing the Holy See's property a bit of an overreaction?"

The Grand Duke of Newfoundland hurriedly persuaded.

The dispute between royal power and divine power has lasted for more than a day or two, but everyone has always maintained the principle of fighting without breaking up.

Even though various countries have separated their domestic churches from the Holy See, they have nominally retained their affiliation with the Holy See.

"Is it too extreme?"

"I don't think so!"

"Those guys in Northern Xinjiang have become restless again recently. They are jumping up and down and reaching out everywhere, not afraid that the next time the orcs invade, nobles from all over the country will stab them.

Compared with the internal conflicts of the kingdom, the Holy See is not a threat. It's just a temporary freeze on their property, and it's not just confiscating it directly. At worst, it's just a verbal spat.

Just because they supported the cult in launching the rebellion, Pius VII did not have the confidence to bring it to the table. If the plan to intercept and kill the nobles of my Alpha Kingdom comes true, do you think the Holy See would really dare to let go and make trouble with us? "

The quickest way to deflect internal conflicts is always to provoke external disputes. The Alpha Kingdom is a professional in this area, and Caesar III is even more of a master.

"Your Majesty, there have been frequent changes on the orc side recently. It may be related to the fact that Emperor Behemoth is approaching the end of his life. After all, that old guy is about to reach 300 years old.

Although the Behemoths live longer than our human race, there are still very few Behemoths who can live to this age in history.

According to past practice, after successive emperors of Behemoth succeeded to the throne, they would launch southern invasions to eliminate dissidents and consolidate imperial power through war.

Those guys in Northern Xinjiang were jumping up and down, presumably sensing something, and wanted to divert some of their strength before the war broke out. "

Archduke Efiero, Minister of Military Affairs reminded.

"I understand. That old immortal in the Orc Empire had rumors that he was about to expire before I took the throne. In the past few decades, this has happened every few years.

I really don’t know what kind of magic the Orc Empire has. Every time I thought he was going to die, but after a while, he came out alive and kicking.

After going back and forth so many times, he killed three of his heirs. Now the crown prince is also getting old, and there is a high probability that he will go ahead of him again.

The remaining younger son is in a similar situation, he is both 150 or 60 years old. I heard that I was injured when I was young, and I might as well be gone one day.

I think this immortal son has no intention of succeeding to the throne. The throne will most likely fall to one of his grandsons or great-grandsons.

Let them make trouble, the orc empire is so powerful that we can't control it anyway.

As for those guys in Northern Xinjiang, send someone to warn them. The kingdom has raised them for so many years, so how can they just back down? "

Caesar III was indignant.

All human monarchs are only envious of the long-lived Emperor Behemoth. Three hundred years are really too long for the human race.

Even the strongest saints in the human race would find it difficult to live over three hundred years old. But among some longevity groups, being three hundred years old is just like playing.

Although Behemoth's lifespan is longer than that of humans, it is also limited. If it were the elves, they would still be in their prime at three hundred years old.

Not to mention the Dragon Clan. Whether one can reach adulthood at three hundred years old depends on the species.

As a well-educated king, just envy and jealousy would not make Caesar III lose his temper and issue the most vicious curse.

What really made him intolerable was that the royal family's foundation was taken away by the immortal Emperor Behemoth.

When he was young, Caesar III still wanted revenge and was preparing to regain his ancestral land and avenge his past shame.

It's just that as he grew older and suffered more severe beatings from society, Caesar III's mind also became mature.

After all, ideals only exist in theory. If they can be easily realized, they are no longer ideals.

It's not a matter of hard work or not, but a matter of great disparity in strength between the two sides. In a duel, the Alpha Kingdom really can't defeat the orcs.

If you want to form a group to fight, other human countries are not active. There is still a lot of land available for development in the Aslant continent. The bad land of the Orc Empire is not suitable for human survival and cannot mobilize everyone's enthusiasm.

This is also the core reason why Caesar III, or the entire Alpha royal family, has always been unhappy with the five Dukes of Northern Xinjiang.

Before the royal family's foundation was lost, there was still hope that the northern nobles could hold on to it if they had timely reinforcements. Unfortunately, under the leadership of the five major families, the reinforcements were delayed for two full days before setting off, which directly led to the complete collapse of the battle line.

After the war, the power of the royal family was greatly damaged. It was a fluke that they could retain the royal power. It was really impossible to liquidate these guys, but the feud between the two sides was settled.

Things have changed, and the guy who used to cheat his teammates has now become the one who was cheated by his teammates.

Now the five major families in the North are being set up by a group of teammates, and they are not given the opportunity to transfer their foundation at all. If they want to retreat, they have no place to retreat.

Not only the Alpha Kingdom does not allow them to retreat, but the entire human race does not allow them to retreat.

Everyone is very principled in this regard. If you dare to desert when the aliens invade, you will face the pursuit of the entire human race.

Of course, this principle is not only a restriction on the nobles of the North, but also a restriction on all the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom.

The main reason is that the neighbors are afraid that the Alpha Kingdom will collapse again. After all, in the last continental war, two unlucky guys were dragged into the water, and no one wants to be the third one.

Therefore, all countries worked together privately and directly added such an article to the "Continental Convention", which completely put the sacred obligation of the feudal nobles to protect their land on the table.

"Your Majesty, the matter is not that serious yet. Those guys in Northern Xinjiang are only a little active, far from this level."

The Prime Minister, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland, hurriedly persuaded.

You can think some things, but you must never say them. The northern Xinjiang nobles want to transfer their foundation, which is just everyone's inference.

To say that they are going to escape is pure nonsense. The foundation is all in northern Xinjiang, how can we abandon the inheritance of our ancestors and give up our current identity and run away?

Not to mention that the orcs didn't come back, even if they did come, they could only hold on with gritted teeth.

Since its establishment, the Alpha Kingdom has been entangled with the Orc Empire until now. Although he always loses in single duels, he has a great summoning spell!

"In the early duel, you were responsible for getting beaten; in the mid-term, reinforcements came, and the two sides began to fight back and forth; in the later stage, when there were more reinforcements, they launched a full-scale counterattack."

This sequence has been going on for hundreds of years, and everyone has become accustomed to it.

If not for the last continental war, when the human race was besieged by more than a dozen races at the same time and faced multi-front battles, and the support from various countries was not as strong as before, King Alpha would not have lost his city and territory.

There are also some big nobles who deliberately hold back, wanting to drag the other two countries into the water and share the pressure together.

Under the influence of many common factors, we suffered a big loss. Now that there are two more unlucky guys sharing the pressure, it is strategically more beneficial to the Alpha Kingdom, so there is no need to be timid.

Even though soldiers and generals were lost in previous wars, most of those killed were middle- and lower-class nobles. As a real high-level official in the kingdom, although he occasionally goes into battle, the probability of survival is very high.