Rose Empire

"Do you think there are only hungry people outside the city?" Lester glared at the elder angrily, pointing at the houses in the city, and said angrily, "Go and see for yourself how many people are starving in this city! When there is no war, they can go out to fish and dig wild vegetables to eat. Now that the war has started, they can't even eat fish and wild vegetables! Do you believe that they will start to rebel when they are starving? By then, the rioters in the city and the rioters outside the city will work together, and we will have no choice but to abandon the city and flee, idiot!"

The elder shrank his neck after being yelled at by Lester, but he still argued: "The citizens don't have much food, how can we feed so many mouths!"

Lester had no choice but to say, "Feed them for as many days as possible! We should send messengers to Carmela and Fidi for help as soon as possible. As long as we can hold out until the reinforcements arrive, there will be nothing to worry about these chaotic soldiers!"

The other elders had no objections. It was not that they thought what Lester said made sense - Carmela was also short of food and troops and was probably unable to take care of itself. Feidi was too far away and even if reinforcements could be sent, they would have to wait for several days - but they could not come up with any better ideas.

The elders split up and each implemented the response strategy proposed by Lester to strengthen the city's defenses.

"Elder Giovanni!"

Just as Giovanni Draghi was about to leave, Leicester suddenly stopped him.

"What's the matter, Elder Lester?"

Giovanni stopped and turned to ask.

Lester took a few quick steps and came to Giovanni's side, walking side by side with him. As he walked, he said casually, "Elder Giovanni, are you Viscount Lanwan's accomplice?"

Giovanni's heart skipped a beat, but his expression didn't change much: "Elder Lester, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"I've heard that your Draghi guards set the grain cart on fire when they retreated."

"Isn't it normal to set the grain carts on fire? On the battlefield, even if you can't win, you shouldn't leave the grain for the enemy!"

"Oh, the enemy..." Lester laughed sarcastically, "Before your people set fire to the grain carts, those rioters outside were at best robbers. After your people set fire to the grain carts, they truly became rebels!"

Giovanni wanted to argue, but Lester didn't want to listen to Giovanni's sophistry. He raised his hand to interrupt Giovanni and continued, "I don't understand why you, as an elder of the city-state, would want to instigate such a rebellion. What good will it do you? After thinking about it, there is only one possibility, that is, Giovanni, you no longer regard yourself as an elder of Badan, but are working for others. Who in Sokya is more worthy of your service than your motherland? Who else needs you to disrupt the order of Badan? The only thing I can think of is Viscount Lanwan!"

"I don't know what price Viscount Lanwan offered to make you choose to betray the city-state. But have you ever thought that if those rioters outside rushed into the city, it would be a disaster like the day of destruction for Badan. Countless people would die in this disaster, and your relatives and friends would not be an exception. I can understand that you betrayed the city-state for your own interests, but you should not gamble your future with the lives of the Badan people!"

Giovanni didn't say anything, but his left hand couldn't help but press the sword at his waist.

However, Leicester did not attack Giovanni, and just walked away after saying this.

Giovanni's reaction caught Lester's attention, and Lester was certain that this veteran general who had once led the Bataan army had now defected to Charlotte. Lester didn't want to capture and kill this traitor on the spot, but firstly, Giovanni was young and strong, had rich combat experience, and was also a warlock. Lester felt that he probably couldn't beat Giovanni. Secondly, Giovanni had his own guards and his own political power. If he rashly fought with Giovanni now, chaos would break out in Bataan.

Therefore, Leicester did not choose to act rashly, but chose to use words to persuade Giovanni to help stop the starving people.

In Lester's opinion, Giovanni Draghi still had some feelings for Badano, otherwise he would not have repeatedly fought for the city-state in the past 20 to 30 years. Even if he became a traitor now, this feeling would not disappear immediately. Therefore, it should be useful to use words to stimulate Giovanni to help resist the siege of the city by the hungry people.

As for how useful it is, Lester can't say for sure. Even if it is useless, Lester can't do anything. Now, all the fighting forces in Bataan are being transported to the city walls, and there is no manpower to clear out traitors like Giovanni.

Lester answered his family tiredly, and the first thing he said was: "David, take all the guards in your family to the east wall to participate in the city defense."

Hearing this, the sons and daughters looked at Lester in confusion. Finally, the eldest son David asked, "Go to the city wall? Did something happen on the city wall?"

"What else could happen if I asked you to participate in the city defense? Of course it would be a war!" Lester replied unhappily.

Sam's blood immediately boiled when he heard this, and a pair of wings appeared behind him: "Is it Viscount Lanwan who is attacking? Great! I also want to go to the city wall and cut off the heads of a few Lanwan knights with my own hands!"

"It's not Viscount Lanwan, but it's almost the same..." Lester paused for a moment, and then said, "It's the hungry people who are rebelling, you can go with them..."

After listening to his father's explanation, Sam immediately lost interest and sat down again in disappointment: "It turns out that it's just some unruly people who want to make trouble. It's boring. I'd better not go and let my eldest brother go."

"You said you can go if you want to, and not go if you don't want to?" Lester was so angry that he kicked Sam several times. "Follow your brother immediately, and you can be an ordinary citizen soldier. If you don't get any military merit, I will cut off your head when you come back."

Sam and David were kicked out of the door by Lester. Lester turned around and sat down on the sofa dejectedly, rubbing his temple, his face full of fatigue.

Seeing Lester's appearance, the youngest daughter, Julian, asked, "Doesn't father have any confidence in defending the city?"

Lester looked up at his little daughter, and after a moment's silence, he sighed and said, "Yes, internal and external troubles are simply not something that can be reversed by human power..."

Lester simply spoke a few words to Julian about the problems of rebellion, hunger, internal spies, and disunity. Before Julian could react much, Lester himself had already made her feel chilled.

After hearing what his father said, Julian thought for a long time before he said, "Father, are you saying that Elder Giovanni has joined Viscount Lanwan?"

"Well, I suspect that Giovanni is not the only one in the Elders' Council who has joined Viscount Lanwan!" Lester frowned even more tightly. This was what he thought of on his way home. Giovanni has been too active in the Elders' Council recently, socializing with people everywhere. Thinking back, Lester found that he had no idea what Giovanni was busy with. He didn't care before, but now it seems very suspicious.

"Alas..." Lester couldn't help but sigh again, "Bataan, how can we survive this crisis..."

Julian blinked and said, "Father, there is actually a way to save Bataan very easily."

"What do you have in mind?" Lester asked casually, not actually expecting his daughter to come up with any good ideas.

"Surrender to Viscount Lanwan." Julian said.

"What did you say?" Lester thought he had misheard.

"Father, let's surrender to Viscount Lanwan as well!" Julian repeated seriously.

PS: Thank you all for your monthly tickets and blade recommendation tickets! Thank you very much!

PS2: Thank you for your corrections. The previous errors have been corrected!

Volume 164: Chapter 151 Chapter Two Letters of Surrender

"Surrender to Viscount Lanwan?" Lester blurted out, "That's impossible!"

"Why not?" Julian asked, "Do you have any other way to solve the current crisis?"

"I..." Lester wanted to say that he had a way, but he couldn't say it out loud, so he said angrily, "Viscount Lanwan is plotting against us in Bataan. I absolutely cannot let her get her way. How can I surrender to her?"

Julian said, "It is precisely because Viscount Lanwan is plotting against us at Bataan that father should surrender to her."

Julian put emphasis on the word "deliberately".

"Huh?" Lester didn't follow his little daughter's weird train of thought.

"Father, how long do you think it will take Viscount Lanwan to attack Bataan?" Julian asked.

"About... about ten days."

Lester's statement of "ten days" was definitely an exaggeration for the city-state of Bataan. Given Bataan's current empty state, the time required for Charlotte to capture Bataan would depend entirely on the speed at which the Lanwan Knights could travel. If all the Lanwan Knights could fly here on giant eagles, Bataan might not be able to hold out for even three days.

"Let's say it's ten days," Julian did not correct her father, "but if the crisis we are facing right now is really caused by Viscount Lanwan, then she must have started planning at least three months, or even four months ago, and it would have required a lot of extra manpower and financial resources. Why would Viscount Lanwan do so many unnecessary things?"

Lester was just angry and confused for a moment. He was not a stupid person. If he was stupid, he would not have led the Badan Elders Council for more than ten years. When his daughter reminded him of this, he thought about it and quickly came to his senses: "Viscount Lanwan wants to take down Badan in a gentler way."

"I think this is the only explanation." Julian nodded. "Viscount Lanwan does not want to go to war with Bataan directly, or she does not want to take Bataan as an invader. She wants to plot against Bataan, but she also wants the people of Bataan to recognize her as the ruler of Bataan, just like when she occupied Ambratu."

How did Charlotte capture Ambratu? There are many rumors about the answer to this question, and there is no clear statement from Bataan, but everyone knows the final result of the matter - Charlotte was "forced" to take over Ambratu as a victim and savior.

Although the former citizens of Ambratu had various criticisms of Charlotte, they were already weak and could not shake the mainstream public opinion, which believed that Charlotte was passive.

Even when former citizens of Ambratu blamed Charlotte, they would consciously avoid the topic of Harvey Sherwin's death. The more they avoided this topic, the more it proved that even many former citizens had tacitly accepted Charlotte's occupation of Ambratu, and they, the citizens of Ambratu, also needed to bear some responsibility, even the main responsibility.

"Viscount Lanwan is really greedy, wanting both reality and fame." Lester said with a dark face.

"It's really greedy," Julian said with a smile, "but this is also an opportunity for our family. Viscount Lanwan is unwilling to take the initiative to attack Bataan and bear the bad reputation of an invader. There are only two reasons. First, Viscount Lanwan probably doesn't want a Bataan that has been destroyed by war. She wants to take over a relatively complete and prosperous Bataan. In this way, Viscount Lanwan must not want to see the hungry people attacking the city and wreaking havoc. As long as we surrender, Viscount Lanwan will definitely accept our surrender at the first time and send reinforcements and relief food in time."

"The second reason is that Viscount Lanwan wants to reduce the resistance she will encounter when she takes control of Bataan in the future. Therefore, you have more reason to surrender. Viscount Lanwan wants to control Bataan as smoothly as possible, so she must need more people who are familiar with the situation in Bataan to help her govern Bataan. Therefore, if you can take the initiative to surrender to Viscount Lanwan, you will most likely be reused."

After listening to Julian, Lester couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Perhaps, as Julian said, as long as he surrendered, the crisis facing Bataan would be resolved immediately, and he could even be reused. But Lester was different from Giovanni Draghi. Since the defeat of Dorucocha, Giovanni Draghi's reputation and influence in Bataan had been declining. Surrendering to Viscount Lanwan was a way out for himself, while Lester had been in charge of the Council of Elders for more than ten years and was at the peak of his career. Choosing to surrender was like finding a boss for himself.

Just as Lester was hesitating, Julian suddenly spoke up: "Almost no elders from Ambratu and Dorukocha who did not surrender survived, and even their families were almost all killed."

Julian spoke calmly, but Lester was shocked.

Perhaps the years of armed conflict in Bataan and Carmela gave Lester an illusion, making him think that surrendering after defeat meant giving up interests and paying a ransom. He forgot that some invaders would not play such a tacit game. In their rules of the game, the losers often only have two outcomes: obedience and death.

Lester finally stood up: "You are right..."

While Lester was talking to his little daughter, Giovanni Draghi was holding a small meeting in his own house.

"You all should already know the situation we are facing now," Giovanni Draghi said solemnly, "We have run out of food, and the rebels are attacking the city. Bataan is in danger. The Council of Elders must find a way out for the citizens in the city, but Lester and his followers have been slow to come up with a solution to the crisis."

"Elder Giovanni is right!"

"Lester and the others are so incompetent!"

"The starving people outside are all caused by grain merchants. The Lester family is a grain merchant, so they have an unshirkable responsibility!"

"..."

The guests at the scene echoed this.

Lester has been in charge of the Bataan Council of Elders for more than a decade. He has many supporters in Bataan and is in power. However, as the saying goes, "the more you do, the more mistakes you make." Although Lester's administrative skills are very good, and the city-state has developed smoothly in all aspects under his governance except for the inability to win the war, there are still many people who are dissatisfied with him. The guests who appeared in Giovanni's house were the elders and other Bataan dignitaries who had many conflicts with Lester.

Giovanni pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Leicester claims that he has sent envoys to other city-states for help, but we all know that the only country in the entire Aye Alliance that can send reinforcements to us is Fidelia. By the time Fidelia sends reinforcements, our city walls will probably have been breached! Even if the city walls have not been breached, the city would have been out of food. Once the food is cut off, even our citizen soldiers will probably become a group of terrible chaotic soldiers! Our wives, children, and parents are all in the city. Do you want to watch our relatives and friends fall into danger because of Leicester's incompetence?"

The scene fell silent. Apparently no one wanted to face such a terrible outcome.

After keeping the silence for a while, Giovanni said again: "I called you all here today to discuss a way out for the city-state."

The guests began to offer suggestions.

Some people suggested driving out all the slaves and free people in the city to reduce food consumption, but this idea was quickly rejected because it was obvious that the refugees driven out of the city would soon join the starving people and become enemies attacking the city.

Then someone suggested that most of the slaves and free people in the city be killed in batches. This was quickly rejected again, not because the people present felt it was too cruel, but because it was too risky to do so. If it was not handled properly, it might cause a mutiny in the whole city.

Some people also suggested abandoning the city and retreating to the docks, because the naval fleet was still docked at the docks. As long as they regained control of the fleet, they could continue fishing and alleviate the citizens' food shortage. However, the docks had no walls or fortresses, so after leaving the city, how to defend the docks with inferior forces became a big problem.

Someone else suggested taking the initiative to attack and defeat the rioters outside head-on...

The guests made many suggestions, but they were quickly rejected one by one.

Until someone raised his hand and said, "Why don't we ask Dorukocha for help."

The person who spoke was another Badan elder, Giovanni's good friend, Reuben Sloan. Reuben Sloan was Giovanni Draghi's biggest partner in the private minting of dire. Sloan's family had a mine and a workshop, which provided great convenience for the private minting of dire.

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene suddenly became quiet again.

Ask for help from Dorukocha? Everyone in Bataan knew that Dorukocha had already fallen into the hands of Viscount Lanwan? What was the difference between asking for help from Dorukocha and asking for help directly from Viscount Lanwan?

After an unknown amount of time, someone finally slammed the table and pointed at Reuben Sloan and angrily said, "Elder Reuben, are you going to betray the city-state?"

"What do you mean by betraying the city-state? I have served the city-state for decades, how could I possibly betray it?" Reuben Sloan retorted.

"Then why did you suggest asking Viscount Lanwan for help!" the man asked angrily again.

"Why? Is this hard to understand? We need food and reinforcements, and Dorukocha has all of these!" Reuben Sloan pointed to the south and said confidently, "Dorukocha is right next to us. As long as Viscount Lanwan is willing to lend us a helping hand, our crisis can be resolved immediately. That's why I proposed to ask Viscount Lanwan for help!"

"You just want to surrender to Viscount Lanwan!" the man pointed at Reuben Sloan's nose and said.

Reuben Sloan did not refute, but asked directly: "How many days can your family's food last?"

"I..." The man was suddenly speechless.

Apparently this person secretly hid some food without following Leicester's grain control policy, but the amount was not too large.

"And you," Reuben Sloane asked, sweeping his eyes over the guests who were glaring at him, "How long can the food in your house last? Maybe you still have food, but I don't. Lester has confiscated all of it to feed those lowly freemen and slaves. I need Viscount Lanwan's help. If you think this is surrender and betrayal, then consider it my surrender and betrayal!"

Some people couldn't help but look away when they saw Reuben Sloan, but some people still didn't buy it...

"You shameless ..." Someone else stood up and wanted to scold Reuben Sloan.

"Hey, hey," Giovanni Draghi finally stood up again, interrupted the spell, and advised, "Everyone calm down a little. Today we are here to find a solution, and Elder Reuben is also putting forward his own suggestions. Let's not quarrel about this. Quarreling is meaningless. How about this, let's take a vote and see if everyone thinks Elder Reuben's suggestion can be implemented? Raise your hand if you think it is feasible."

"Why do we need to vote? Proposing such a suggestion is just asking for trouble..." the man said indignantly, but as hands were raised one after another, his words stopped abruptly. He stared in amazement at the fact that more than half of the people voted in favor. After a long while, he said blankly, "You, how could you support surrendering to Viscount Lanwan?"

"This..." someone said awkwardly, "It doesn't count as surrender, does it? Badan and Viscount Lanwan are not at war right now."

"Yes, yes," someone else immediately echoed, "We are also fighting for the survival of the Bataan city-state, so it can't be considered as betrayal."

About two days later.

Viscount Charlotte of Lanwan, who was gathering troops in Dorukocha and waiting for the Grey Knights to report back the news that the walls of Bataan had been breached, suddenly received a message as he was about to lead his army to save the people of Bataan from the dire straits.

"Two messengers have been sent from the Bataan Elders Council." Renee reported to Charlotte.

"Two messengers?" Charlotte held up two fingers and asked curiously, "Why do you emphasize two?"

"You'll know after you take a look." Renee handed Charlotte two envelopes with a strange smile, "These are the letters they brought."

Charlotte opened the envelopes and read the two letters at a glance, a smile appearing on her face.

It turned out that two different forces in the Bataan Elders' Council, one led by Lester and the other led by Reuben Sloan - actually Giovanni - respectively sent envoys to Charlotte and presented letters of request for assistance expressing their intention to submit.

"It seems that Bataan's defenses are even weaker than I expected." Charlotte handed the two letters to Cecilia beside her and said, "It's only been a few days and they can't hold on."

After reading the letter, Cecilia also found it interesting, so she asked, "Which side do you plan to accept the surrender of?"

Cecilia knew that Bataan being forced to surrender was also part of Charlotte's original plan.

"Why would I only accept the surrender of one side?" Charlotte chuckled, "I can totally accept the surrender of both sides."

PS: Thank you all for your monthly tickets and blade recommendation tickets!

PS2: I was on a business trip the past two days and drove on the highway for ten hours a day, so I can't update. I'm very sorry.