Chapter 1465 422: Contradictions Won't Disappear, but They Can Be Shifted (Part 4)
Chapter 1465 422: Contradictions Won't Disappear, but They Can Be Shifted (Part 4)
If it's not chaotic, it belongs to others; only with a little appropriate chaos, does the place become one's own.
Regarding Elaric's sob story, Edward read it with the detached perspective of an observer, expressionless.
However, just as he was wondering if the other party was going to start begging for money, the words before his eyes made him involuntarily stunned, nearly doubting if he had misread them.
[...Honorable Your Majesty, Your Majesty of Campbell Duchy, please allow me to address you as such, for in my view, you are a king truly concerned for your subjects. You have perfectly inherited Duke Aaron's legacy, governing Campbell Duchy in an orderly manner.
Not only that, your subjects have not failed you. They are laborious, brave, loyal, and kind, creating enviable wealth and achievements under your governance.
In contrast, the nobles of Twilight Province are disheartening. Facing crises, those vassals who swore allegiance to the King and vowed to defend the realm have abandoned their sacred duties like their oaths never existed. They fled their territories to the Royal Capital or to you, leaving their subjects in dire straits to indulgently enjoy the scoured wealth.
And the few who stayed are not upright; they didn't flee merely because they had too many belongings to carry away. So they plundered whatever was plunderable and hid in their castles with their soldiers, letting the flood outside the castle rage while people fend for themselves.
I have reported this dire situation to the Royal Capital multiple times, urgently requesting Your Majesty to dispatch the Knight Order for support, yet our Your Majesty is blinded by treachery, and all letters have sunk into oblivion, with no response.
I fear the distant water cannot quench the near thirst; the subjects of Twilight Province cannot wait for the Royal Capital's mercy any longer. So I dare to propose an unreasonable request to you, beseeching you to deploy your mighty army with lightning force to help us vanquish the rebel army and restore order!
And as repayment to you, I am willing to entrust the lands abandoned by the nobles to you with the authority of Governor granted by the Kingdom!
Those opportunists have already renounced their feudal duties and are undeserving of the territories bestowed by Your Majesty.
And you and I are both vassals of Your Majesty; we shall share the burden and resolve crises for Your Majesty during dire times.
]
For a moment, Edward forgot to breathe, and his fingertips holding the letter trembled slightly.
Entrust...
The word sounded so wonderful that the clouds pressed in his chest were all swept away.
Those nobles who fled from the rebel army with tails between their legs are like widows who inherited a fortune but are powerless to seize it.
They better not come back asking for ownership of the land!
By then, he wouldn't need to hint; those Campbell people who are ravenous for land will naturally find ten thousand ways to make them disappear on the road because they are simply unworthy to return!
Over time, the laborious and brave Campbell people will naturally possess the legal right to those lands!
King Theo?
A king who can't even manage a peasant uprising, worthy of calling himself a king?
Just as Elaric worried, Duke Campbell's regard for Ryan's Royal Family plummeted to freezing point in an instant.
He already completely disregarded the King!
Indeed, he is not worthy of regard.
"Saint Sis above!"
Edward murmured a phrase, excitedly rising from the oak desk, pacing back and forth in the room.
What a heaven-sent opportunity!
On one hand, he could use the righteousness of helping neighbors to lawfully extend Campbell Duchy's influence into the direct domain of the Royal Family.
On the other hand, he could divert internal conflicts in the Duchy, allowing new nobles eager for more land, along with farmers who lost land due to enclosure movements, to pursuit merits in Twilight Province in the name of quelling rebellion, expanding the Duchy's territory!
Although having more farmers is not a bad thing, the current issue is their number is so large that their growth rate far exceeds job creation, causing the massive unemployed population to affect the security of Thunder City, where even the smallest issue angers them.
In Edward's lifetime, it's the first time he heard losing an arm caused people to gather and make a scene.
Previously, Adventurers frequently lost their heads, yet they never caused much trouble.
Bill No. 6 must not pass, but this matter must be resolved!
Apart from these visible benefits, he found a perfect place to send Erin, this "trouble"!
He could justifiably send her to the neighboring province, away from Thunder City, away from merchants creating wealth for the Duchy, letting her vent her uncontained energy in the war!
Thinking of this, Edward hesitated no more. He immediately went to the desk and rang the bell calling for the servant.
A moment later, a servant quickly entered the study, respectfully addressing the Duke.
"Your Majesty, what orders do you have?"
"Pass my order down, Twilight Province is in grave peril. In the name of the Royal Family, I authorize my sister Erin Campbell to mobilize fifty thousand militiamen from Thunder County to Twilight Province to quell the rebellion!"
Pausing, Edward continued spiritedly.
"Also, notify the major newspapers of Thunder City, tell our citizens! Twilight Province has vast lands unattended, anyone who merits in quelling the rebellion, whether noble or commoner, has a chance to gain a piece of land of their own!"
"In the name of entrustment!"
Though he hadn't seen tomorrow's newspapers yet, he could already imagine how frenzied Thunder City would be tomorrow!
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