Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 452 Mirror Lake State Transaction
In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through Chen Mo's mind.

It's common knowledge that he has a grudge against zircon and a grudge against turquoise, but a bad relationship doesn't mean he'll send troops.

In recent years, everyone has been speculating about when zircon will be found in the vast ocean.

For the past two years, everyone has been speculating about when Hanhai will take down Green Pine.

The dwarfs' casinos opened round after round of betting, and bards concocted dozens of different versions of war prophecies, ranging from the start of the war next month to decades later. No matter when the war started, someone would instantly become a "prophecy master".

Regardless of what outsiders might speculate, Han Hai never sent a single soldier westward from beginning to end.

Now, this envoy from Mirror Lake, who has absolutely no connection to us, comes and says he wants to "lead the way for the lord"?
To be honest, Chen Mo struggled for a long time with the decision of whether or not to attack the human nation, whether to attack only Zircon or also Turquoise, whether to wage a local war or a full-scale war, whether to wage a punitive war or a war of annihilation. He was unable to make up his mind for a long time.

Even before this trip, he had been wavering between heading north to the Orcish Wastes and west to the Emerald Lands.

Deep down, he wanted to resolve the orc problem completely rather than go to war with the human forces.

It wasn't until some weighing of interests during this visit that he basically made up his mind, but it wasn't even finalized yet, and even Liu Shuang only had a vague understanding of it.

How did these people from Jinghu find out?
Lucien, on the other side, was clearly unaware of what was happening. Stung by the lord's gaze, he instinctively thought he had said something wrong, so he lowered his back even further and stammered, "This...this is what Green Pine said. Their plea for help was sent to the king, and my king said they are not good people..."

Chen Mo leaned back in his high-backed chair and fell silent.

What Green Pine said...

Is this what they mean by the perpetrator being extremely sensitive because they are constantly worried about the victim's retaliation?
This is absolutely absurd!
Seeing Chen Mo's uncertain expression, Lucien thought Chen Mo didn't believe him, so he quickly added and explained, stating his position in a righteous and stern manner.

"The lord's reputation for benevolence is widely acknowledged by mercenaries inside and outside Mirror Lake. No matter what conditions Green Pine offers, we would never attack the lord and his wife for such benefits!"

"Besides, our Mirror Lake Kingdom has been ravaged by these greedy fellows countless times over the years. How can we fall for their tricks?"

This has once again entered Chen Mo's area of ​​ignorance.

The history of the Starry Continent is a jumbled mess due to a lack of reliable records, with everyone telling their own version of events. Even though the Vast Ocean Territory conducted extensive data collection, the results were inconsistent and lacked corroboration...

The vast majority of these cannot be verified.

To put it bluntly, they don't match up at all. For the same historical event, the three countries can give more than twelve versions, including one official version from each country, one version from private conversations among nobles, one version from bards, and several versions from folk tales...

The history of the stars is like a sauna that has been doused with water and is filled with steam.

"Um, please stand up and sit down to talk!" Chen Mo waved his hand, his tone softening, and then asked, "Aren't you allies with Green Pine?"

Lucien thumped his chest without hesitation: "Allies my ass, they're just trying to survive."

"Back then, we also had a share of the three major plains in the central region. If those guys hadn't taken them over, our king wouldn't be suffering like this!"

As Lucien narrates, a history based on the perspective of the Kingdom of Mirror Lake slowly unfolds to Chen Mo from another angle.

After the Sky Empire's defeat, the Stream Moon Dynasty and the Mist Moon Divine Court joined forces to severely damage the elves, firmly establishing themselves as the two strongest powers in the Eastern Continent. The next chapter will inevitably follow the path of a power struggle between the two.

Initially, the Moonlit faction, composed of the Mirror Lake Kingdom and the Emerald Duchy, fought against the Mist Moon faction, composed of the Green Pine Kingdom and the Stream Moon Federation, with each side experiencing victories and defeats.

Although there are frequent casualties, with the support of major powers behind them, they can still make a living even if they risk their lives for money.

At that time, Mirror Lake not only occupied a part of the land on Crystal Plain, but also controlled the upper reaches of the North Foothills River in the south beyond Silvermoon Forest. It had resources and population, and its strength was second only to Green Pine. It fought back and forth with its rival.

The problem lies with the Qiyue Dynasty itself.

Over the course of a century, the corruption of the dynasty became an almost unstoppable trend. Nobles indulged in pleasure, and infighting raged in the court. Under these circumstances, the Qiyue Dynasty began to feel a deep weariness and pain at this seemingly endless and continuous "blood transfusion" to its subordinates.

Taking on underlings doesn't make money; in fact, it results in daily losses. Not only can they not help the country with its troubles, but Qi Yue has to take care of them all day long. It's outrageous!

Although the higher-ups of the opposite Misty Moon Divine Court also fell into corruption very quickly, they always had a driving force for external expansion, and a supreme god above them.

This is the biggest difference between religious and secular countries.

Simply put, although countries like Qiyue and Tianqiong offer sacrifices to the gods and receive rewards from them, the rulers of these countries are ultimately secular leaders.

But in the Brumaire, the spokesperson of the gods is the ruler of the country.

This fundamental distinction often makes religious states appear more radical and fanatical.

One side persevered tirelessly, while the other lost interest; gradually, the combined forces of Mirror Lake and Emerald fell behind.

However, once a disadvantage is imposed, many previously concealed problems and conflicts will quickly surface.

"Those cowardly jade wastes, those idiots whose testicles were cut off from their family lineage, those spineless cowards who can only tremble under women's skirts, those trash who shiver at the smell of snake urine..."

Upon hearing the mention of the Emerald Duchy, Lucien's emotions surged, and the veins on his neck bulged. His resentment towards Emerald clearly far exceeded his resentment towards his former enemies, Green Pine and Stream Moon.

After listening to this guy's complaints, Chen Mo finally understood that the Emerald Kingdom had a tradition of betraying its teammates.

Back when Green Pine attacked Jade, Mirror Lake always stood united against the enemy and sent troops to its aid. But when Mirror Lake was attacked, Jade's reinforcements either arrived late or were few and far between.

When the Qiyue Dynasty provided strong support, Jinghu could hold on on its own. But once its backing weakened, Jinghu was caught in a pincer attack.

The land south of Silvermoon Forest has been conquered by Stream Moon, but the Emerald Duchy remains unmoved.

Olive Valley was captured by Green Pine, with the Emerald Duchy offering only verbal support.

"Later, the Green Isle Plain was also lost. We really had no choice but to... we had no choice but to..."

At this point, Lucien's voice choked up, and old Luke next to him clenched his fists so tightly that the backs of his hands were bleeding.

"His Majesty... has no choice but to submit to the Misty Moon Divine Court!"

So far, the lord's [Micro-expression Analyzer] has given positive feedback, which means that the other party is either telling the truth or has been deceived by their own people but believes it without a doubt.

Chen Mo felt that the former possibility seemed more likely.

In the past, Chen Mo didn't think much of Mirror Lake, not purely because of the mess at Black Crow Castle, but because he had a lot of disdain for this traitorous country. Now, hearing this, he couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for it.

Liu Shuang, standing nearby, felt the same way.

She was a member of the Emerald Duchy. When the Duchy's southern territory was lost, her father tried to send reinforcements, but the Duchy did not respond.

When her homeland, Cloud Mist Territory, was attacked, the entire Duchy did not send a single soldier, simply watching as "Crystal Wall" perished and the Earl's territory fell.

Even when this young princess was forced to take up the banner and lead the remnants of her army out of the pass to resist, those guys from the duchy were still embezzling her money.

Having had such a deeply unforgettable experience, Liu Shuang immediately believed Lucien when he told her.

For the first time ever, she acted as the lady of the house, instructing the guards to serve the two men two cups of tea made with elven spring water.

The two, having regained their senses, thanked him profusely. Lucien gulped down the tea and then revealed the true predicament of Mirror Lake.

"We lost these plains, but the kingdom's population didn't decrease much. There's simply not enough food to eat. The dwarf merchants are selling us grain at ridiculously high prices, squeezing every last copper coin out of everyone in the country!"

"My lord, you might not believe it, but the dwarves have been running casinos all over the continent, lending money at exorbitant interest rates. Mirror Lake agreed to everything, but after they went to take a look, they shook their heads and left..."

Even dwarfs, known for their greed, expressed their disdain, which is indeed...quite insulting.

"But what can we do? Green Pine and Creek Moon are allies now. We can't get back the land they swallowed up. We still have to work for them, risk our lives to earn money, and buy food for our families to survive."

He leaned forward slightly, his face showing piety: "Before I came, the king repeatedly instructed me to make sure I saw the lord and his wife. The reward that Han Hai gave to the Mirror Lake mercenaries has kept the king from going hungry for a long time. This is an immense favor that I cannot fail to repay!"

"Even if Green Pine is an ally, as long as the lord commands, the entire Kingdom of Mirror Lake is willing to be at the lord's beck and call."

For a moment, Chen Mo was stunned.

"Your king? Is he starving?"

"Yes, my lord. When King Goos of Mirror Lake surrendered to the Misty Moon Divine Court, he inscribed two rules on his sword in the kingdom's main hall, instructing his descendants that everyone must abide by them, and anyone who dares to disobey them shall not be a lord!"

Chen Mo suddenly remembered that he had indeed heard this story before.

Of course, everyone took it as a joke. The mercenaries who came from Mirror Lake were indeed much more loyal and efficient than mercenaries from other countries. This was partly because they were poor and had a strong desire for money, and partly because everyone generally believed that they had been heavily "brainwashed".

These two rules were mentioned repeatedly by them.

Firstly, before Mirror Lake recovers its homeland, even if the descendants inherit the throne, they can only be called the ruler of the country, not the king.

If the first rule is merely symbolic and a simple matter of title, with no real difficulty in implementation, then the second rule is far too bizarre—if the people are not well-fed, the ruler is not allowed to be well-fed.

Let alone in this feudal old system, even in modern times on Earth, in an era teeming with wise men, at most only a small group of idealists could achieve this.

For a hereditary royal family, this is like a fairy tale!
The story was so compelling that Chen Mo didn't take it seriously at all.

"Is what you're saying true?"

"It is absolutely true. I saw the inscriptions on the palace with my own eyes, and everyone in the court knows about the king's diet!"

Chen Mo adjusted his glasses again and checked the feedback from the micro-expression analyzer once more.

He still couldn't quite believe it. If they could really do that without any compromise, then the Mirror Lake royal family's genes must be "red" to the core.

Lucien was getting a little anxious and quickly began to explain, gesturing wildly.

Chen Mo suddenly realized.

It must be said that the King of Mirror Lake, Guos Qingpo, was a man of great talent. Not only did he choose to rebel at a critical moment, saving his crumbling country, but he also seemed to have foreseen that the country would face great difficulties in the future and that his descendants might not be able to hold onto their positions. Therefore, he carried out a severe self-punishment.

It's similar to the ancient Chinese emperors issuing edicts of self-reproach.

What made this king truly remarkable was that, in addition to issuing edicts of self-reproach, he also established a stable and operational safeguard mechanism.

The idea that if the people are not full, the ruler should not be allowed to be full is actually quite abstract. The scope can be broad or narrow. After all, even if people are not full, at least they should be able to eat until they are not hungry.

But despite being such a theoretical rule, successive rulers of Jinghu have carried it out quite seriously.

The vast majority of domestically procured grain is distributed through rationing, prioritizing professionals before commoners. The portion remaining in the royal palace is enough to sustain basic survival needs, but it is far from sufficient, let alone abundant.

Moreover, every now and then, the king would actually go hungry for a meal or two to show that he remembered the late king's dying wish.

The question is, why were these rulers able to consistently abide by such "inhumane" rules?
The key point is that the standard for implementation given by the ancient sage who set the rules back then was: "Whoever dares to disobey shall not be the master!"
Goos had more than one child, and these children also multiplied, resulting in numerous offspring and many heirs to the throne.

If anyone fails to comply with the rules, then the other heirs can use this dying wish of the late king to overthrow this "unfit king" and take the throne themselves.

Chen Mo pondered this move over and over in his mind several times and found it to be truly ingenious.

If the heir can always abide by this rule, then the whole country will be watching. Even the ruler can't get enough to eat, so who would have the heart to rebel?

If the heir does not comply, the other heir can kill him, and the descendants of Goos will still hold power. In the process, they can vent the anger of the people and win over the hearts of the people.

There's even another possibility...

Even if some ambitious person wanted to seize the throne, the thought of not being able to even have enough to eat after becoming king might instantly kill their interest in rebellion.

As long as Goos's faction can hold on and survive, who's to say there won't be a day when the clouds part and the fog clears?

Having figured this out, Chen Mo suddenly felt a deep respect for that ruthless person.

This also increased my positive feelings towards the Mirror Lake Kingdom.

"You must be tired from your long journey. Let's have lunch together."

"I'll make sure you're well-fed here!"

That noon, Chen Mo warmly received the delegation from Jinghu and arranged for the accompanying political delegation and secretariat to conduct a comprehensive cooperation negotiation with them.

The people from Mirror Lake were overjoyed and immediately summoned everyone who knew the situation. After some discussion, Chen Mo suddenly realized that Mirror Lake was quite a good fit for him.

Mountainous areas, while having poor planting conditions, often have abundant other types of resources.

For example, Jinghu has coal, including high-quality anthracite.

Before the industrial age, coal had very limited value, and the same was true on the Starry Continent. In an environment like Mirror Lake, where transportation was extremely inconvenient and surrounded by mountains, almost no one would invest huge sums of money to mine and build roads for transportation in the deep mountains.

But Chen Mo was all too aware of the value of this thing.

Petroleum is the "lifeblood of industry," while coal is the "food of industry."

Chen Mo immediately began to examine the topographic map. If conditions permitted, he would establish a transportation line from Xiyue to Jinghu, sending the "biological food" produced in Xiyue to Jinghu in exchange for "industrial food," and then transporting it back from Jinghu to Xiyue to supply the primary industrial chain he had set up in Xiyue.

Perfect.

For example, although there are no physical samples, based on the other party's description, it is almost certain that there is bauxite in the mountainous area of ​​Jinghu, and there may also be a variety of other non-ferrous metals.

Chen Mo decided to immediately mobilize an exploration team to Jinghu to thoroughly search that "remote and impoverished area," hoping to discover some surprises.

However, no matter how many resources Jinghu has, it will still go through a long process of exploration, mining, transportation, and secondary processing before it can be monetized.

Before that, Mirror Lake's most direct resource was its mercenaries who risked their lives for food, and the martial prowess they had honed through the harsh living conditions.

Of course, Chen Mo would not reveal his battle plan to Jinghu, nor would he allow a force outside his control to enter the battlefield.

After careful consideration, Chen Mo slowly spoke and made his request.

"I'm the kind of person who goes wherever my mind takes me. Maybe I'll go fight Green Pine, maybe I'll fight Orcs, maybe I'll fight Elves, or maybe I'll suddenly get a bad mood and want to fight Mirror Lake. Who knows?"

Lucien was covered in sweat: "My lord, you flatter me. This rocky ravine of Mirror Lake is not worth your troops!"

"Okay, then let's hold off on fighting for now!"

"However, whether we fight Green Pine or Orcs in the future, if Mirror Lake is willing to help, they must be fully incorporated into my forces, completely under the jurisdiction of Han Hai, and completely obey my command!"

"If this cannot be done, then if Mirror Lake wants to hunt green pines, it can do so as it pleases. It has nothing to do with me, and I will not accept this favor."

Do you understand?

Lucien paused for a moment, then immediately understood: "Understood, I will obey your orders, Lord!"

"besides!"

Chen Mo stood up and drew a circle on the map with his hand, which was the area south of the Crystal River, which was once the old site of Mirror Lake and is now occupied by the Green Pine Kingdom.

"If, I mean if."

With his back to Lucien, Chen Mo spoke in a steady voice: "If I really go to war with Green Pine and am lucky enough to win, and take this land..."

"This place was once the homeland of the elves, and it was once under the control of the Sky Empire. The former king of Mirror Lake hunted here, and now it has become the territory of Green Pine."

"If I were to shoot it down again, who... should it belong to?"

Lucien was perfectly clear-headed; this lord had seen right through Mirror Lake's little scheme.

The court in Jinghu had discussed this countless times. If they could seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of Han Hai's campaign against Green Pine, they could launch a pincer attack, not only winning Han Hai's favor, but also perhaps taking back their homeland and regaining control of the plains.

Even just one or two towns would be a much-needed respite for Mirror Lake.

But this was clearly not what the lord wanted.

He licked his lips, exhaled, and spoke with unwavering conviction, each word seeming to emanate from his chest.

"Whoever the lord decrees, that is whoever it belongs to. Mirror Lake has no objection!"

"I will follow your orders, Lord!"

(End of this chapter)