Open Stratagem

Similar scenes were also occurring in many noble families in the Northern Frontier. However, they weren't as extravagant as Grand Duke Cavadia, who could arrange for illegitimate children to be born.

As individuals dependent on the Five Great Families for a living, they didn't have abundant resources at their disposal. Most of the family's resources were reserved for the direct descendants or collateral descendants.

Unless it's a small family, an unacknowledged illegitimate child will have a hard time getting a share of the pie.

Ultimately, it comes down to too many monks and too little porridge. There wasn't much land left for them to begin with; the local families had to take a share, and the knights who came from other places to make their way in the world also had to leave a share for others.

These are lessons learned through bloodshed. When the high-ranking nobles dare to monopolize resources, the lower-ranking nobles dare to slack off.

The family's foundation is not in the Northern Frontier. For these people, war is merely a stepping stone to advancement. If you block their path to progress, then don't blame them for slacking off on the battlefield.

After paying a heavy price, the nobles of the Northern Frontier learned their lesson. They were now generally fair and just in distributing war merits.

Only after establishing a system for everyone to share the spoils of war was the Northern Frontier border defense line stabilized, forming the current political landscape.

Originally, even if everyone wanted to move south, they weren't in such a hurry. But in recent years, the Orc Empire has undergone a period of upheaval. The mild-mannered old emperor passed away, and the new ruler who succeeded him was a strong advocate of war.

Although there was no immediate invasion, there were many probing maneuvers. Like ducks sensing the warmth of spring waters, the old aristocrats immediately realized they couldn't put all their eggs in one basket.

A reshuffling occurred in the Southeast Province, and everyone immediately recognized the opportunity. The nobles of the Northern Frontier joined forces to exert pressure, forcefully snatching spoils from the Dalton Family's grasp.

As for the risks involved, it's not just their boasting. Both are martial nobles, but the Northern Aristocrats, who engage in friendly matches with Beastfolk daily, possess a fighting strength far superior to that of the Southern nobles.

Leading Veteran Elite Soldiers south, everyone was very confident in establishing a foothold.

At the Governor's Mansion in Beda City, a group of officials from the Southeast Province were gathered in the council hall, waiting cautiously.

When the boss is in a bad mood, the underlings are naturally in a bad mood too. For the Dalton Family, having their livelihood snatched from the jaws of death is also a disgrace to them.

Although most of those present were not Count Pierce's retainers, as members of the Southeast Province's nobility, they shared a similar dislike for the Northern Aristocrats had migrated south.

It all stemmed from self-interest. Originally, the meat was in the pot and to be divided among family members. Although there were disagreements, everyone generally discussed and agreed on how to proceed.

Count Pierce did go too far before, but that was just an isolated incident. He compensated the victims afterward and appeased the nobles in the province with benefits. Overall, he was still mindful of his behavior.

Outsiders who snatch food from the tiger's mouth are different; they take the most delicious meat from the pot right away, how can people not be angry?

If you look closely at the map, you will find that the territories of a group of Northern Aristocrats are connected together, and the key transportation hubs and cities in the counties of Huaidun and Laite have all fallen into their control.

If they get along harmoniously, that's fine, but if the two sides turn against each other, the local nobles will be at the mercy of others.

As Count Pierce entered with a gloomy expression, the atmosphere in the hall became even more tense, and for a moment only the sound of breathing could be heard.

"Everyone, please take your seats!"

"You should know why I invited you here today."

I originally thought they just wanted to get a share of the pie. Although it was a bit hard to accept, it was worth making some sacrifices for the sake of the kingdom.

But some people are never satisfied and always want more than they can have. Fortunately, His Majesty the King is wise and rejected their unreasonable demands.

Unfortunately, these guys are still not satisfied. Unable to gain King Majesty the King's support, they attempted to seize power by force.

Do you think we can agree to something like this?

After listening to Count Pierce's inspiring words, everyone immediately realized that things had changed. Recalling the Governor's Mansion's hasty decision regarding the fiefdoms, they instantly understood.

Those guys in the Northern Frontier must have done something to provoke the Earl. He was forced to act swiftly and decisively, creating a fait accompli.

Knowing this is one thing, but in the recent distribution of fiefdoms, everyone present was a beneficiary. Even if their own families didn't receive any meat, their relatives did. And once the meat was in their mouths, they naturally couldn't spit it out.

"No way!"

"No way!"

Everyone answered in turn.

The crowd's anger was so intense it seemed they were ready to devour someone. Seeing this, Count Pierce waved his hand with satisfaction, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Since everyone thinks this way, then I'm relieved. If they can break the rules, then we don't need to be polite."

The maps of the two counties are here. I was originally planning to finalize the boundaries of each family's fiefdom after all the nobles arrived.

It seems our good intentions were wasted; they didn't appreciate it at all. Without even a word, they led a large private army south, making us act like we were afraid of them.

Let's not wait any longer. Everyone should work harder these days and go to Wright and Hutton Prefectures to finalize the boundaries of each family's fiefdom in advance.

There is only one principle: the laws of the kingdom must be followed, and no one can find fault with the procedures or the territory.

Avoid creating a bunch of enclaves unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, managing everyone's fiefdoms will be difficult and could easily lead to conflict.

The blatant implication made everyone instantly realize that the arrival of the Northern Aristocrats was aggressive and that the Dalton Family felt threatened.

In fact, Count Pierce was also helpless. Unlike the southern nobles who were content to farm, the Northern Nobles mainly relied on smuggling for income, with territorial output, kingdom subsidies, and slave-trading revenues as supplements.

They were engaged in high-risk business, and militarism was inevitable. Although their economic situation was not as good as that of the southern nobles, their military strength was superior.

Judging from the configuration of the nobles who came south, they had private armies ranging from one or two hundred to three or five hundred, and there was even a duke's illegitimate son who brought an army of more than eight hundred people.

A single nobleman's private army may seem insignificant, but when all the Northern Nobles have migrated south are combined, their numbers are astonishing. According to intelligence gathered by spies, their total strength is no less than four thousand men.

Those who could survive on the battlefield fighting Beastfolk were clearly not ordinary serf soldiers. Even if they couldn't compare to top-tier units like the Crimson Knights, they could still be classified as elite troops.

The fact that nobles were granted titles but did not bring large sums of money to carry out construction, yet brought large armies, raises serious questions about their motives.

Once these guys establish themselves, they won't be easy to remove. And if the situation changes in the future, it's not impossible for them to turn the tables and take control.

If they don't want a direct confrontation with the Northern Frontier faction but still want to remove this thorn in their side, then they can only incite their underlings to take action.

As a political savvy man, Count Pierce knew very well that empty words of sowing discord would hardly get people to fight for him.

Even if everyone dislikes these outsiders, that's not a reason for the two sides to clash. In this context, digging pits and planting mines becomes absolutely necessary.

"Your Excellency, the law does not concern itself with human sentiment. In order to reduce unnecessary conflict and for the long-term peace and stability of Wright and Hutton Prefectures..."

In my opinion, the specific division of fiefdoms should fully respect the wishes of each lord. Any demands that can be met within the rules should be met to the greatest extent possible.

If we cannot satisfy everyone's demands, then we should try our best to satisfy the demands of the majority. This also aligns with the kingdom's principle of fairness.

Sensing that there was profit to be made, Viscount Daolunard standing nearby, echoed this sentiment.

It's self-evident who constitutes the majority and who is the minority. If even the Dalton Family is wary of the powerful dragon from the Northern Frontier, the local nobles are even more so.

Among the noble families in the Southeast Province, apart from the Dalton Family, which could muster several thousand elite troops, the remaining families, one by one, could only muster a handful of elite infantry regiments.

It can be said that the southward migration of the Northern Nobles is forcing everyone to rush down the path of military expansion. If they don't want to be eliminated in future competition, they have no choice but to join the race.