Why did the lord rebel

Chapter 286 Dialogue Between Gamblers

Xia Houyan stood up, bent over and carefully stared at the dusty mountains on the map, lost in thought.

Chief of Staff Quentin carefully observed the expression of the young lord, and said slowly:

"After the 'July Offensive' ended, our Eastern Army had retreated across the board, while the orc army of the Glorious Federation, taking advantage of the 'Ice Demon Mammoth', pushed all the way to the eastern foot of the Yongri Mountains. In the end we relied on The continuous bombardment of the Imperial Griffin Air Cavalry, and the hastily organized defense line of Yongsun City based on the terrain, barely stopped the offensive of the orc army; after that, the spies reported that the orc logistics force was Sneaking food and grass to the south..."

Xia Houyan stared at the map without answering.

Quentin's Chief of Staff looked worriedly at Lord Shuangfengling, gritted his teeth and said:
"Eliott, the strategic balance between the empire and the federation, humans and orcs is extremely fragile - we can't accept that there is an army of orcs breaking into the country from the land of soul cracking and going straight to the heart of the empire!"

"Set up defenses around the Lion Heart River." Xia Houyan was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "If the orcs really have the ability to cross the dusty mountain range, then there is no danger in the Land of Soul Breaking. If you really want to stop the invasion of the orcs, you must Deploy defenses along the north bank of the Lion Heart River, taking advantage of the weakness of the orcs who are not good at water warfare, and block them to the south of the Lion Heart River - the land of cracked souls is barren, as long as their food and grass are exhausted, the orcs will naturally retreat. It's just that In this case……"

Suddenly, Xia Houyan's heart trembled, and a mocking sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth:
"...In this case, our Frost Maple Ridge seems to be a victim of this war...My Chief of General Staff Quentin, you are such a smart person, you will not fail to think of this defense plan, and fail to realize it. The ending of our Frost Maple Ridge?"

Chief of Staff Quentin trembled and sighed:
"Grimm and I have long been vigilant about the possibility of the orcs intruding from the Soul Breaking Land. When we arranged you to the Soul Breaking Land, we didn't expect you to resist the orcs' attack. Reliable early warning outpost..."

Xia Houyan snorted uneasily, and squinted at Chief of Staff Quentin and His Majesty Basil.

The so-called "outpost" in Quentin's mouth, in other words, is "the first unlucky guy who was crushed to death by an orc but could issue an early warning before he died."

——Obviously, although Elliott Igor was not hacked to death with the unlucky old man, it can be regarded as an extrajudicial favor from the empire, but after all, it is impossible for these high-level human beings to entrust the son of a rebel with a heavy responsibility.

By now, Xia Houyan also knew what was going on behind the curtain of the "moving drama" of the Igor family, and he also knew that the empire regarded itself and the countless leaders of the Igor family as What a cheap chess piece that can be discarded at any time!

Fortunately, he still made great efforts to rectify the order in the wasteland, but it turned out that he was just a refusal horse before the orc wolf cavalry!

"Don't make a sour face, let's have a drink." His Majesty Basil III picked up his wine glass and handed it to the official Xiahou.

Although he knew that His Majesty was buying people's hearts, Xia Houyan still took the wine glass and took a shallow sip.

But his eyes remained sharp as before.

For some reason, Chief of Staff Quentin was a little guilty when he was stared at by the black-haired boy, and he turned his cheeks and said embarrassingly:

"Eliot, you have to understand..."

"I can understand." Xia Houyan held the wine glass in his right hand, sat back in his armchair, stretched out his left hand lazily, "You continue to talk."

Quentin's chief of staff's Adam's apple twitched, gritted his teeth, and continued:
"Eliott, the original defense plan that Grimm and I made was to completely abandon the Land of Soul Breaker and deploy defenses north of the Lionheart River as you said... But this plan has two flaws. First, if The orcs gave up their plan to go north, and went south to attack the defense line of the Arcane Spire..."

"Then the elite orc soldiers passing through the Dusty Mountains will be like a wedge, cutting off the connection between the Arcane Spire's line of defense and the interior of the empire." Xia Houyan said coldly, "The front is the Demon Realm, and the back is the beast army, so we can only rely on sea transportation for supplies The southern army on the arcane spire defense line, I'm afraid it will have a hard time. That's why..."

"...Why did Grand Duke Graham Rosario ask you to help clean up the spies in the Southern Army, so as to avoid any mistakes during the war." Quentin's chief of staff smiled bitterly, "Eliott, you are involved in this matter Commander Paulus has already reported the credit to His Majesty the Emperor, and the Empire will definitely not treat you badly..."

"I don't need to talk too much about the polite words. I know how the empire 'doesn't treat us badly' at Shuangfengling." Xia Houyan sneered, "Go ahead, Quentin's chief of staff, the plan of 'retiring to the Lion Heart River', What's the second flaw?"

"The second flaw is..." Quentin's chief of staff blushed and said in a low voice, "...we lack enough troops to deploy defenses on the north bank of the Lionheart River. The Southern Army has to garrison the Arcane Spire line of defense, and cannot draw too much There are many people, and the Central Army and the Western Army that could support the deployment in the original plan are now filling the holes exposed by the "Ice Demon Mammoth" on the front line of the Eastern Front... After all, only a part of the Western Army can rush to the Lion Heart River. Sailors can arrive in time to keep a fleet on the water..."

The chief of staff was silent for a moment, then continued to grit his teeth and said:

"And the most critical issue is that in our original defense plan, the defense line layout on the entire North Bank of the Lionheart River must rely on the local troops of Rock Creek City, and the Duke of Houston as the only local nobleman with sufficient status, Mediate and coordinate from it..."

Xia Houyan didn't speak, but the expression on his face became more and more mocking.

His Majesty Basil sighed faintly beside him, as if he had aged a lot.

Chief of Staff Quentin licked his lips and stared sincerely at Lord Frost Maple Ridge:
"Eliott, you must be aware of the recent chaos in Rock Creek City. The entire Grand Duchy of Houston has fallen into chaos due to the heir's internal strife-under such circumstances, we can no longer rely on Rock Creek City to deploy defense lines! Ai Liete, apart from the other useless lords on the north bank of the Lionheart River who have no troops under their command, the only ones we can rely on in the entire Soul Breaking Land are you and your Frost Maple Ridge..."

Xia Houyan clapped his hands slowly with a sarcastic expression on his face.

"The old thing in Houston is dead, and there is no usable army in the entire southern border of the empire. That's why you think of me and the Igor family who are regarded as abandoned pawns... Wonderful, wonderful, your strategic deployment is really good ~"

Quentin's chief of staff, and His Majesty Basil, both looked a little ugly.

"Eliot..." Quentin's chief of staff wanted to say something, but Xia Houyan stopped him with a raised hand.

The Lord of Frost Maple Ridge did not look at Quentin, but pointed directly at His Majesty Basil who was sitting beside him.

"Your Majesty, let me tell you the truth, what happened to the Igor family in the past has nothing to do with me." When Xia Houyan opened his mouth, His Majesty the Emperor and Chief of Staff Quentin looked sideways, "I was conferred on Shuangfengling by the Empire. Lord, all I want is to be responsible to the people who followed me through suffering. Frost Maple Ridge will not be anyone's victim."

"You will not be a victim." His Majesty Basil resolutely said, "My child, the empire has been sorry to you and your family in the past...I assure you on the honor of the emperor of the empire, if you can really resist the attack of the orc elite soldiers, I will I can restore the duke title of the Igor family, I..."

His Majesty Basil hesitated for a moment, and finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth and said:

"...I know that Frost Maple Ridge needs to be completely abandoned to set up a defense line at the Lionheart River...but if you want, after this battle, I can hand over Rock Creek City to your family, and help the empire as the Igor family The reward for resisting the orcs. Child, I know the effectiveness of your Frost Maple Ridge in suppressing the bandits in the Soul Breaker, and I believe in your strength..."

Quentin's Chief of Staff involuntarily squinted at His Majesty Basil.

He suddenly realized that maybe the Grand Duke of Houston was not as comfortable in the political arena as he appeared on the surface;
It was just a civil strife in Rock Creek City, just an attack by the orcs, and His Majesty Basil regarded the Grand Duchy of Houston as an abandoned son who could be used as a bargaining chip...

Quentin's chief of staff, who had been in the army for a long time and didn't care about politics, suddenly felt a bit sad.

Rock Creek City... Xia Houyan leaned back on the armchair, squinted his eyes, and stroked the ring on his hand.

The current situation and the demands of both parties were quickly woven into his mind, and he began to calculate rapidly:
Today, the empire is in crisis.

The "Ice Demon Mammoth" that suddenly appeared in the eastern region, ignited the empire's dream of winning the championship during the sixth war, and completely shattered Duke Rosario's strategic plan on the defense line of the Dust Mountain Range:

The Eastern Army, which suffered heavy losses during the retreat, urgently needed the support of other imperial troops, and no longer had the leeway to take into account the possible defensive loophole of the Land of Broken Soul;

Rock Creek City, which was originally planned to be the core of the southern defense, fell into chaos due to the incompetence of the Duke of Houston, and the local army of the entire Duke of Houston lost its fighting ability due to internal fighting;

At this moment, the empire desperately needs a person, a territory, to stand up and take on the heavy responsibility of defending the land of broken souls and even the lower reaches of the Lionheart River—and only those who have experienced banditry in the wilderness and know everything about the land of broken souls, and Only Shuangfengling, who has a close relationship with the Southern Army, can nearly quench his thirst and take on the important task of temporarily blocking the gunhole!

In other words, today's empire has to rely on the Igor family!

But the extremely embarrassing fact for His Majesty Basil is that the lord of Frost Maple Ridge's father was the one who ordered his head to be beheaded—how can the current empire ask Frost Maple Ridge to guard the southern border for them?
Thus, the "Golden Sword of Majesty" that His Majesty stuffed in, and the meaning of wooing each word, were instantly explained.

For Frost Maple Ridge, this is a complete seller's market!

According to Xiahou's usual temperament, if he doesn't take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune, it is not in line with his style at all;
—so that's what he did.

Xia Houyan leaned back on the armchair, picked up the glass of wine that His Majesty had drunk and handed it to him, squinted his eyes and took a sip.

Seeing that he was silent, Quentin's chief of staff seemed a little anxious, and said quickly:
"Eliott, we need a local lord to preside over the defense in the Lionheart River area, and you are the best candidate! Please rest assured, we understand that Shuangfengling has just gained a firm foothold and is definitely not strong enough. The empire will try to provide you with Needed help—According to intelligence, the main force of the Federation is still in the eastern region, and there is at most only one division of orcs passing through the Dust Mountain Range. With the troops drawn from the Southern Army and the temporary conscription in the South, you can definitely—”

Xia Houyan sat up slightly, and Quentin's chief of staff immediately stopped talking.

And Lord Shuangfengling, as always, just stared at His Majesty the Emperor who said nothing.

"Honorable Your Majesty Basil." Xia Houyan lowered his head slightly, "Since you and Chief of General Staff Quentin have explained the matter so clearly, then I will not hide it: I will say it directly, as the lord of the empire , It is my duty and obligation to guard the country for the empire."

Chief of Staff Quentin and His Majesty Basil both knew clearly, and there must be a "but" below.

"However, please understand that our citizens of Shuangfengling have experienced the southward relocation, the battle against bandits, and even suffered the shameful attack from the Duke of Houston in Rock Creek City." Xia Houyan said calmly, "Yi The people of the Gore family have endured too much suffering, if I cannot give them a better future, then I have no right to drag them into another cruel war."

Quentin's chief of staff hastily said:
"Eliot, don't worry, we just need a local lord to take charge of the overall defense, and you don't even need to invest all your property and troops in Frost Maple Ridge—"

His Majesty Basil suddenly raised his hand, interrupting the defense of his chief of staff.

Contrary to his previous gentle and benevolent attitude, the supreme emperor of the empire stared at the lord of Shuangfengling with serious eyes, and said word by word:
"Son, what do you want? If you want to vindicate your father—"

"Father? He's none of my business!" The lord's violent remarks stunned the two high-level empire officials, "Let's be honest, Your Majesty, I want soldiers, I want equipment, I want supplies, I want to Help Frost Maple Ridge guard the country's gates! Frost Maple Ridge will serve the Empire, provided that the Empire provides us with a corresponding price—this is the reciprocity of rights and obligations, which is fair."

His Majesty Basil looked at Xia Houyan silently.

After a long time, the emperor said slowly:

"Son, do you know how stupid it is to hand over the long sword to that person's child after you kill a person? Child, do you know that as long as I give an order now , the four royal guards next to you can smash your head on the spot? Is it really a wise thing to ask me for a price under such circumstances, my dear child?"

Chief of General Staff Quentin turned his head to look at His Majesty the Emperor anxiously.

Unexpectedly, the official Xiahou showed an innocent smile:
"Yes, I know, and you know I know. And I believe you know another thing."

"What's the matter?" His Majesty Basil raised his eyebrows calmly.

Xia Houyan laughed and said:
"Those who dare to ask for payment in front of you will have enough courage to claim the head of the orc on the battlefield. Moreover, I also hope that you will think carefully: In this close war, do you need another Houston, Netwan, or do you need another Rosario?"

His Majesty Basil fell into a long silence.

After an unknown amount of time, the candles in the living room were crackling as they were about to burn out.

His Majesty Basil twisted his aging waist, let out a mouthful of stale air, and under the stunned gaze of Quentin's chief of staff, he said slowly:
"This time, the empire will recruit soldiers from the imperial citizens of the entire Southern Governor's District. After the war is over, a quarter of them will belong to your Frost Maple Ridge—whether you let them continue to fight, or disarm and return to the fields to become farmers in your territory. Craftsman, it’s up to you. The gold coins and equipment needed to resist the orcs, including siege weapons, will be provided to you as best as possible by the empire, and no matter how much is left after the war, you don’t have to return Frost Maple Ridge to the treasury.”

After a while, His Majesty the Emperor gritted his teeth and added:
"The matter of Rock Creek City will be yours to deal with after the war."

Quentin's chief of staff blinked and didn't speak.

His Majesty the Emperor retreated back into his chair wearily, as if all his energy had been exhausted:
"Son, for the future of the empire, I seem to be making a big gamble with a low probability of winning... I hope that you and your territory, as well as the guarantee made by Grim Rosario for your ability, can be worthy of my trust. "

"They will." Xia Houyan stood up, smiled and bowed to His Majesty the Emperor to express his gratitude.

"Also." His Majesty Basil said suddenly, causing Xia Houyan to stare at the Supreme Emperor with puzzled eyes.

"'Do you need another Houston, Netwan, or another Rosario'?" His Majesty the old emperor seemed to suddenly remember something, and grinned softly, "This is really not a very Good metaphor, my boy..."

After saying this confusing sentence, His Majesty the Emperor stood up with the support of his attendants, left Lord Shuangfengling where he was, and staggered out of the living room.

(End of this chapter)