Blessed by Abundance, Scourge of Terra

So, a brilliant political game is far more than just seizing a position. Huang Cao didn't want to waste time on meaningless power struggles.

My controlling Victoria doesn't mean I'll be managing it.

Victoria has now become his tool, but he absolutely cannot spend too much time and energy maintaining a tool.

It's not right to put the cart before the horse.

Therefore, King Aslan cannot die, at least not now.

If he dies, other dukes will surely take advantage of the situation, inevitably leading to a civil war.

And other countries certainly wouldn't let this fertile land of Victoria go.

By then, the Four Emperors' War would be fought over Victoria, not Gaul.

The key is that Victoria is already within his grasp; it would only take a few years to completely digest this country. There's no need to go out of his way to cause more trouble.

This has nothing to do with mercy; leaving this defeated Mighty Lion is simply to save some trouble.

After all, he came here to enjoy himself, not to increase the difficulty of clearing the game.

So, it's better to let go. Let someone else be the emperor; he'll just take the benefits.

He believes these new nobles will proactively help him manage everything. Although these guys are easily swayed by emotions, becoming new nobles also indicates they possess a certain level of knowledge and culture.

"Your lives are worthless to me, but for the time being, you will remain the king of this country."

"So, to repay my mercy of not killing you, what do you think you should give me?"

"Oh, right, my councilors have already dealt with all the treacherous officials who planned to rebel tonight. It's truly disheartening that these treacherous officials were your own kin..."

My own kin...

The Lion King was stunned for a moment, slumping onto the throne, his body devoid of strength.

The fact that this man could say such a thing in front of him essentially meant that the Londinium Aslan bloodline had been completely eradicated by him.

The only surviving bloodline currently was the Duke stationed at the border, his own uncle...

No! I absolutely cannot let my uncle know my current predicament!

As a successor to the Aslan bloodline himself, the current King of Victoria understood the people around him all too well.

If he were to completely fail and ask for his uncle's help, even if they won later, the throne of Victoria would definitely not be his.

He might even be discarded like worn-out shoes, and his own children could be in danger.

Royal struggles have always been brutal; complete eradication is considered a good outcome.

In fact, the young monarch couldn't even tell if his uncle truly wanted to help him.

This was also why he hadn't immediately sought outside help.

Perhaps, in the depths of his heart, he sensed that his life wouldn't be in danger tonight.

Moreover, in the Lion King's memory, his own uncle was not someone he could trust. At least, that's what the previous Lion King had warned him before passing on the throne.

Huang Cao was also very helpless, only able to lament how quickly the new nobles had acted, wiping out the entire Londinium Aslan lineage in the blink of an eye.

Before he could even react, the old nobles' gathering place had already been swept clean.

The once magnificent villas, bustling with people just a few days ago, would likely not have a single living creature left after tonight.

This land's reverence for bloodlines exceeded his imagination, and so did its hatred.

"I understand your meaning, Your Excellency."

King Aslan, being young, didn't understand human nature well, but he was somewhat capable of managing the country.

In reality, he wasn't that foolish. Wasn't this just a case of holding the emperor hostage to command the lords?

If I have to do it, can't I?

As long as this country remained the ultimate inheritance of Aslan, and his bloodline was the heir, the sky wouldn't fall!

With things having come to this point, it was best to yield first. There's a good saying in Yan Country:

"As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn."

This territory borders Kazdel and is sparsely populated.

Although there are far fewer natural disasters than in Kazdel, there are basically no resources, making it a place no one covets.

Furthermore, it is garrisoned by the Windermere family, and has little economic value.

"Take as much as you want. What choice do I have now?"

The young King Aslan said without hesitation.

Today, let alone taking this land, he would have to agree even if he asked for Londinium.

Huang Cao nodded with satisfaction, this guy seemed more sensible than he had imagined.

If divided by territory, this land alone would be fifteen percent of Victoria, making him the one with the most land among all the dukes, but it wouldn't arouse suspicion from others.

Because this land bordered Kazdel, and his other territories were far from his Eden, and his talents were not yet cultivated, even if he took more, he might not be able to manage it all.

It was better to use these unmanageable lands to win people's hearts, as the new nobles would still have to pay everything in the future, not a single cent would be missed.

Of course, Huang Cao chose this land for a reason. Although the enclosed area appeared barren on the surface, it was rich in rare mineral deposits and Pre-Civilization machinery buried underground.

However, it had not been developed yet, and even in the future main storyline, Victoria had not developed it.

It also bordered his Eden, allowing for more direct paths to control Victoria's situation in the future, eliminating the need for stealth.

This achieved two goals at once, while also allowing him to further cultivate his persona of not seeking power, thereby gaining the moral high ground.

And through the new nobles, he could spread his Power of Abundance to a wider area of Victoria.

"Of course, that's not all. From today onwards, the King's powers will be fully distributed to the Lower House. Any laws and decrees must be approved by the Speaker of the Lower House before they can be promulgated and implemented."

What's the difference between this and you becoming king? It would be more straightforward to push me onto the executioner's block.

Hypocritical, this guy is utterly shameless!

King Aslan thought fiercely, but he was powerless to change the situation. For the sake of his life, he could only nod silently.

"Agreed, but you must guarantee my safety."

"How could we dare to lay a hand on His Majesty the King? The members of parliament are all the most loyal subjects in Victoria."

"Therefore, the members of parliament also need some tangible rewards."

Huang Cao drew a large area on the map again, directly dividing up all the land owned by King Aslan, leaving only a very small portion.

He didn't intend to keep these lands, but instead distributed them all to the members of parliament who participated in the operation tonight.

You can't expect a horse to run without feeding it grass. Huang Cao was much better at winning people's hearts than King Aslan.

This would also allow his "soil" to spread faster, and he estimated that the country would be completely occupied by next year.

"Come, I will help you draft a royal decree. Just read it as is when the meeting is held tomorrow morning. Don't worry, the members of the Lower House are all staunch loyalists."

I think they're staunch rebels!

When do loyal subjects constantly call themselves loyal subjects? When do good people constantly call themselves good people?

No one knew how terrified King Aslan had been all night.

Especially since the land was clearly given away by him, but the royal decree stated that Huang Cao had persuaded him to give it away.

He had instantly taken all the credit. Although King Aslan would not have given up all his territories without Huang Cao's coercion and temptation, he would not have given them all up willingly.

After finishing the royal decree, Huang Cao also stuffed a seed into the mouth of this Mighty Lion for monitoring purposes.

Man is the knife, I am the fish.

As the first ray of sunlight shone into the silent royal palace, the country of Victoria would no longer belong to its master.

"Esteemed Speaker, it has only been five years since your name began to circulate in Victoria. By what means have you managed to seize the foundation of Victoria so quickly..."

King Aslan was very confused. He had heard the title "Speaker of the Lower House" three years ago.

After all, this guy had caused a lot of trouble for his blood relatives and the country, so he had also tried to have people search and apprehend him.

At that time, he hadn't found him and thought he had escaped, so he didn't take him seriously.

He never expected that his momentary carelessness would lead to the downfall of Victoria's destiny.

"You've been talking to me all night, you must be hungry. So I've prepared a breakfast. After you finish, it's time to meet your subjects."

Huang Cao clapped his hands, and after the sound, a pair of chefs ran out from outside the door.

The chefs held up a large fried egg on a tray, bowed respectfully to the Speaker, not the King, and then quickly ran out.

"Please, after His Majesty the King finishes his breakfast, proceed to the assembly hall. The loyal subjects are all waiting for your instructions."

Huang Cao made an elegant gentleman's bow, and then walked out of the royal hall with a nonchalant stride.

It seemed as if he had just met a very ordinary person.

King Aslan said nothing, but after a night of struggle, he was indeed hungry.

However, when he brought the beautifully presented fried egg to his mouth, he was choked by the intense pepper flavor.

"Who made this fried egg! Why is there so much pepper?"

This morning was undoubtedly a celebration for the new nobles.

Huang Cao never played both sides, so he intended to crush all the old nobles except for King Aslan.

However, even if he didn't act now, the new nobles would spontaneously help him deal with the other threats.

After all, the moment the new nobles stormed the palace with their blades, these people's stances would be irrevocably tied to his own.

Even if Duke Windermere of the border didn't want to get involved, the fact that Huang Cao was allowed in and his family's direct heir participated in this coup meant that the Windermere name was destined to leave a significant mark in future history books.

But this brought not only negative consequences but also unimaginable tangible benefits.

The Dukes of Victoria were divided into two factions in the current era.

One faction was the blood relatives of King Aslan, specifically the uncle stationed at the border mentioned earlier.

The other faction consisted of Windermere and other border dukes who had unclear relationships with the new nobles.

The power distribution between the two sides was roughly six to four, with the King's side holding four. This proportion was quite considerable and reasonable.

After all, without Huang Cao's maneuvering, the new nobles would have been completely unable to unite without reservations.

But because Huang Cao distributed all the lands owned by King Aslan to the new nobles, it became impossible for the vast majority of border nobles to remain uninvolved after this event.

Since things had come to this, these people could only accept the lands gifted by Huang Cao with smiles, in full.

Having eaten, the dukes had to do something substantial!

Therefore, when the news of the coup in Londinium reached the border, all the border dukes, except for those of King Aslan's lineage, unanimously supported the Lower House's management of Victoria.

They also organized a joint army to forcibly blockade Duke Aslan's territory, preventing the king's uncle from leading troops into the city.

After all, how could they let go of the fat prize that was already in their mouths?