Imperial Crown.

Chapter 565 A Reasonable Pig Butchering Scam
"Next, I'll show you two little brats what the hypocrisy of politics is."

"And "the superb acting skills of a qualified politician".

Jude stood with his arms crossed at the back, speaking arrogantly to Tang San and Holmes beside him.

Tang San and Holmes both covered their faces where they had just been slapped, exchanged a glance, and looked at each other with some confusion.

However, they soon understood the meaning behind Judla's words.

Because coming from ahead came Marquis Raven's heart-wrenching wails, so loud and so tragic… even from a distance, Tang San and Holmes could hear them clearly. Holmes raised his binoculars, and through them, he clearly saw Marquis Raven kneeling on the ground, his hands pounding the earth, overwhelmed with grief. It was as if the dead in the private room weren't nobles from Snow Maple County, but Marquis Raven's own parents. If he hadn't known the outcome beforehand and paid the heavy price of 1500 gold coins, Holmes would have absolutely believed that Marquis Raven's grief at this moment was genuine! And from the bottom of his heart! He might even have been moved to tears himself. But now, he was speechless with grief, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

"I still don't believe it was Marquis Raven who killed them." "Could it be some other bad guys?" Tang San said, covering his cheeks with his hands, afraid that Judela would slap him unexpectedly again.

Holmes chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! It's very likely the Razor Gang! After all, they even dared to rob the Marquis's gold coins." "What other heinous things wouldn't they dare to do?!"

Jude's lips curled into a smile. He found the two young people to be naive to the point of being endearing, but that was to be expected. Tang San and Holmes weren't of noble birth. Although they were free citizens, they had grown up in poverty and hardship. What child raised in poverty wouldn't be kind and simple-minded? "Who can say for sure? Maybe you two are right."

"Hmm?" Tang San lowered his hand and looked at Judera with some surprise. This was the first time Judera had agreed with the two brothers. "Lord Judera, you seem to be in a very good mood? Why is that?"

Judla chuckled. "Because from the moment those idiots lost their minds and tried to rob Raven of his gold coins, I knew I was going back to Ironforge." "Why do you think I'm happy?" "These guys really don't understand Raven at all. They have no idea about that bastard Raven's vengeful nature!"

Tang San nodded, seemingly understanding, and sighed softly. Mr. Judela was right; politics was too complicated, and he never wanted to get involved in it.

Soon, the wails of many people in the private room filled the room again, completely drowning out Marquis Raven's voice. Howell, clutching Broca's corpse, kept wailing, "Father! Father!"... He was relatively lucky; Beta and the others couldn't even find a decent body. Their fathers had all been reduced to scattered fragments. Some people cried for a long time before realizing something was wrong—the fragments in their hands didn't seem to belong to their own fathers. They hurriedly tossed them aside and began searching again.

"Investigate!" "Investigate thoroughly!" "Avenge my beloved brothers!"

The scene was in complete chaos, and it was only after Raven shouted loudly that the situation quieted down.

Thor and the others were then left behind to investigate the scene and inquire about the situation, while Raven returned to Eagle City under the escort of Eric and the others.

Back in his study, Raven took the hot towel Lux offered and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. He let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the sofa, utterly exhausted.

"This matter will likely reach Minegall City soon. What are your plans?" Lux asked with some worry. Her voice was as gentle and considerate as ever, yet it carried an undeniable unwavering resolve. Not only did her stunningly beautiful oval face possess a blend of Eastern and Western features, but she also embodied the essence of an Eastern woman. It was the kind of loyalty that would allow her to care for you for life even if you were paralyzed, rather than choosing to abscond with your money. This was the reason Raven deeply loved this woman.

"When you reach the end of the watercourse, sit and watch the clouds rise."

Raven held her in his arms and comforted her with a faint smile.

Things have developed to this point, and the conflict between Raven and Emperor Habsburg has become so acute that it's inevitable. If, at this point, he still fantasizes about playing dumb and being subservient, hoping that the Emperor will turn a blind eye and let him continue to develop in a lowly manner, he's just treating everyone like fools.

As the saying goes—when Raven was an ant, the Emperor couldn't even see him. But now that he's become an elephant, the Emperor will absolutely not let him go.

Therefore, only one of him and the Emperor could survive.

The only real challenge is that the entire empire remains under the control of the Keynes family, and Raven is undoubtedly taking on the entire empire single-handedly. It's no exaggeration to say he's throwing an egg against a rock.

But sitting idly by and waiting for death has never been in Raven's nature. Rather than doing so, he would rather take the initiative and attack. Wiping out all the nobles of Snow Maple County was only the first step, and also the starting point for Raven's chosen "momentum building."

Fortunately, while the Keynes family is terrifyingly powerful, the eight noble families of the capital are not to be underestimated, and not all of them will be of one mind with Habs. At the very least, the Rosenville family, which has sided with the Church of Light, is completely at odds with Habs's Keynes family! In the past, it was only because no one dared to stand up and challenge them, and these people were all beneficiaries of the entire empire, that they managed to maintain a peaceful coexistence. But now, with Raven as a variable, it will definitely cause a split within them first.

Why didn't Raven just eliminate Talon? He was waiting. He was waiting to see if the old guard would jump out and oppose him first, or if the new guard would choose to side with Habsburg. While remaining neutral would allow Raven to protect himself and avoid revealing his intentions too early, it also had significant drawbacks. He couldn't ascertain the true thoughts and trump cards of either faction.

Now, as long as one faction chooses to stand up, Raven will know who to beat up and who to win over!

If Raven were to act rashly and wipe out Talon without a legitimate reason, it would be tantamount to offending the entire nobility of the empire, pushing himself into the abyss of destruction.

The Keynesian Empire, including the capital, comprises 22 provinces, most of which are opportunistic, siding with whoever wins. What's most pressing now is that Raven needs a reason, a legitimate excuse. Otherwise, he'll lose this battle before it even begins.

Making conflicts public has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you no longer have to worry about the other side subtly sabotaging you while you have no choice but to swallow your pride and accept it. For example—orders like capturing Titan cubs from the Orc Empire. Or the exploitative practice of constantly demanding higher taxes and rations. The disadvantage… is, of course, the immense pressure and the constant threat of collapse. Because the "conflict" is out in the open, no one will take Talon's accusation that "Raven failed to complete the Emperor's orders" seriously. This is also why, even when he issued orders in his capacity as governor, he could only muster a mere tens of thousands of people.

In such a feudal, backward, ignorant, and hypocritical era, which nobleman would be foolish enough to easily jump to either side? Who wouldn't want to play both sides and reap huge profits? What good would offend Raven do? Would the Emperor really elevate his title? Promotions come at a price: more taxes and more grain! Under the current system, with no way to expand territory, what good is a promotion? Does the Emperor really think he's so stupid as to kindly grant Raven a title? It's just a convenient excuse to exploit Raven for money and provisions.

Leaving aside his marquisate bestowed upon him by the Orcish Empire, just considering his time as an earl, in just seven short years, excluding the tithes paid to the Papacy and the vassal taxes paid to Habsburg, the tribute of Angel's Tears alone amounted to over 300,000 gold coins! Wouldn't it be better to use that money to arm himself? Even so, Habsburg was still unsatisfied, wanting him to bow his head low enough, insisting he bury his head in a cesspool. Not only was Habsburg getting angry, but Raven had long since reached his breaking point!

Now that the conflict has become public and things have come to this point, he won't give Habs a single penny.

Not only will he stop paying taxes to Habsburg, he'll actually levy taxes on them! The deaths of these nobles won't allow Raven to directly annex their territories. After all, they all have offspring, and those without offspring have relatives. Instead, Raven will decree that anyone wishing to inherit a title must pay taxes to him, Raven, instead of to Habsburg.

If verbal oaths of loyalty were enough, Raven would be willing. He'd verbally swear allegiance to anyone willing to pay him! Calling them "Dad" would be fine too.

If there are still people who are too stubborn to understand or agree, Raven wouldn't mind repeating his "Little Raven's" methods once again. Just because he's not showing his teeth doesn't mean people will take him for a pushover.
"Who did you send to handle this? I haven't heard a thing about it," Lux asked curiously.

"Would you believe me if I said this had absolutely nothing to do with me?" Raven said earnestly, looking into Lux's sapphire blue eyes.

Lux: ...

Lux rolled her eyes, speechless.

"Go ahead, I still need to write a letter." The events just now were so sudden that Raven had only finished writing half of his letter.

"Hmm." "Don't worry too much. No matter the outcome, I'll be by your side." "At worst, we'll just become a homeless couple." As Raven's closest bedmate, Lux naturally felt Raven's pressure most deeply. Although Raven mostly chose to remain silent.

Raven nodded.

...More than half a month later, in the royal capital - Menegall City.

Royal High Court.

"That Raven! He's absolutely lawless!"

Inside the hall, Habs's furious roar echoed. Despite his repeated attempts to give Raven chances and suppress his temper, what had Raven done? First, he killed the court nobleman Anthony, whom he had sent; then he wiped out the imperial nobleman Ramsay Bolton… and now, even worse! He had actually murdered the nameless man J, whom he had sent! He was utterly a beast! No! Even less than a beast! He didn't respect him, the Emperor, at all! He really wanted to ask Raven face to face if he would ever dare to lay a hand on him, the Emperor.
Pierre, who had just reached the door, trembled and hurriedly whispered, "Your Majesty, Vesdon has arrived."

"Let him in," Habs said in a deep voice, having composed himself.

"Visdon Targaryen greets Your Majesty."

Vesdon strode into the main hall and shouted.

“Have a seat,” Habs said after sitting down at the table.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Vesdon carefully walked to the side and sat down.

"I heard... you went out recently?" Habs asked meaningfully.

“Uh…” Viston was taken aback, his expression stiffening, and he said evasively, “It’s nothing, I just went out for a trip.”

"You were the one who did the things in Xuefeng County, weren't you?" Habs frowned and asked directly.

"This..." Vesdon was speechless.

"What are you afraid of?" "They're all just dogs who depend on Raven. Let them die." Habs sneered. "I heard that Tyrone is going to attack Raven. A governor of his stature gave the order, and these people didn't even send a single soldier. They deserve to die! They brought it on themselves!" Then Habs said arrogantly, "Don't think you've done this so secretly. The entire empire is under my control. No matter what happens, it won't escape my notice."

"Your Majesty is wise." Vesdon hurriedly stood up, knelt on one knee, and said with heartfelt admiration.

Habs looked down at Veston, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I'm just a little curious, since you went back, why didn't you kill Raven?"

“I tried,” Vesdon said, somewhat annoyed. “But Eric is already at the fourth rank and isn’t even an inch away from Raven.” “Besides, there are indeed dragons in Eagle City; I saw them with my own eyes.”

"Oh?" This news is quite important to Habs. "Hasn't you seen your mother?" Habs asked casually.

“I have already severed ties with them,” Vesdon said firmly.

“It seems…” Habs picked up his teacup and blew on the hot tea. Although Minergar City didn’t have the same months of heavy snow as Nord Province, the temperature was much lower. “You really did have a falling out with Raven.”

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty." Vesdon's head slammed heavily against the ground with a thud.

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Vesdon stood up and sat down again.

“This is a letter from Raven, ordering me to send you back and behead you in public. Take a look,” Habs said, tossing a letter over. “It just arrived today.”

Vesdon took the letter and scanned it; it was indeed written in Raven's own handwriting. The letter consisted of three pages—the first page was entirely Raven's flattery of Habsburg; the second page showed Raven's willingness to apologize for his past actions; the third page contained only one sentence: that Habsburg should send him back for a public trial to quell the anger of the nobles of Snow Maple County. But clearly, these words could no longer sway Habsburg's heart; he was determined to eliminate Raven. Raven's actions had crossed Habsburg's bottom line. Furthermore, the relationship between the Empire and the nobility could be summed up in one sentence—a massive and rationalized butchering scheme. No matter which noble family, unless they reached the point of being "too big to fail," like the eight great noble families of the capital, the others were naturally fattened up and then slaughtered. The Rosenville family had always refused to take sides; if it hadn't allied with the Holy See, they would have been wiped out and divided up long ago. To put it bluntly, all political calculations and military wars ultimately have only one purpose—to seize and obtain greater benefits. His elder brother had explained this to him long ago. Therefore, if they didn't take action against Raven, he would soon have grown too big to fail. This was a situation that neither Habs nor the eight noble families of the capital wanted to see. Therefore, this battle was unavoidable! And it was certainly not something that Raven and Habs could reverse with their individual wills alone. Vesdon put down the letter, his voice as usual, and said, "It is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide."

He had long been mentally prepared that if, after this incident, the Emperor still didn't trust him and wanted to send him back for trial to reconcile with Raven, then Vesdon would have no choice but to accept it. This was also why he was so sad in the old castle in Eagletown last time.

"That bastard Raven has grown incredibly ambitious over the years, but he's overestimating himself. After all, he's a petty thug; it's normal for him to lack a strategic vision. His foundation is still shallow; he's not qualified to challenge my rule, Keynes!" "Don't worry." "As long as you remain steadfastly loyal to me, I will never hand you over." Habs's tone was chilling. "There's something I'd like to hear your opinion on: which faction do you think I should send to eliminate Raven?"

"Um……"

After a moment's thought, Vesdon said, "In my humble opinion, it's the old school."

"Oh?" "Tell me more." "You didn't marry Melissa, so you've sided with the old school, did you?" "You want them to do more good deeds?!" Habs showed interest.

"No"

Vesdon confided, "The old guard has always been at odds with Your Majesty." "Why doesn't Your Majesty seize this opportunity to let them fight Raven to a standstill? Regardless of who wins or loses, Your Majesty will benefit the most!"

"It makes sense."

Habs nodded and said with slight appreciation, "But what if the old school wins, gains merit, and then surpasses the new school?" "You know, these people are already extremely difficult to deal with, living on the merits of their ancestors."

Vesdon blinked a few times, then suddenly said, "Your Majesty, don't you think there are far too many dukes and nobles in the Empire?"

"Huh?" Habs was taken aback at first, then seemed to understand something, and burst into laughter. "You little rascal!" "You're pretty sly!" "So, have you thought about coming along on this expedition?"

Vesdon, of course, understood that this was just a test, and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty, I am of low status and a traitor. To avoid suspicion, I will not participate. Otherwise, if the war goes poorly, someone might say that I secretly tipped them off. In that case, I would be unable to clear my name even if I jumped into the moat!"

Habs's eyes showed a noticeable increase in admiration. "Very good, you may leave."

"Yes."

……

(End of this chapter)