vstars Chapter 241 Lure the snake out of its hole
Chapter 241 Lure the snake out of its hole
John put the letter back into the envelope, slowly closed the envelope and threw it into the stove beside him. Watching the letter in the stove being gradually swallowed by the flames, John's good impression of the king also disappeared.
"Sir, do you need to notify the soldiers to prepare for battle?" Hank, the current military minister and front-line commander, asked John.
"No, it's not the right time to turn against the king, and it will not benefit us. But we should still order the field armies stationed in various territories to make preparations. The king probably doesn't summon me this time to murder or imprison me." John said as he sat back at his desk.
If he had just become governor a few years ago and suddenly encountered this incident, he might still be quite panicked. But now, although he cannot be said to be a veteran in the workplace, he probably has some idea of what the king is thinking.
"The king has transferred me now with the purpose of weakening my influence on the Forest Territory and taking over this territory which is no longer on the border. If he kills or imprisoned me and the Yodas launch a surprise attack, isn't he afraid that my wife will rebel with the territory?" John explained to everyone. At the same time, he was glad that his wife was a Yoda, so that even in the most dangerous moment, he would have a way to survive.
"Then you'd better bring more guards with you when you go to Windham this time, and it's best to choose a relatively spacious room to talk to the king. It's also best to wear a breastplate under your coat." After John finished speaking, Wesker on the side immediately suggested.
"Thank you, I will consider your advice." After John thanked him, he began to silently think about how to deal with it next.
At present, the most valuable thing in the Forest Territory, besides the place where he made his fortune, is his various factories. I am afraid that even the king has heard of these things. I think the first thing the new governor will do when he arrives here is to control the factories.
Of course, John didn't want his years of hard work to be taken away by others, but if these things were moved away, it would take too long, affect production, and he might even have to spend money to build a new factory.
"Simon, regarding the various industries in the Forest Territory, can they be protected from the takeover by the new governor by incorporating them into my family business?" John thought about it and could only think of one way, which was to incorporate the factory into the family business, so he asked Simon.
"I'm afraid this statement is far-fetched. The previous kings also considered the transfer of power when the governor left office, and had already issued laws regarding the transfer of governors. After a normal transfer or leaving office, the governor can take his belongings and property with him, but the army, real estate, and even serfs in the territory he previously governed must stay to assist the next governor in management."
"It's difficult." John said, lifting his hair after Simon introduced the national laws to him. At the same time, he decided to read more about the national laws in the future, otherwise he would dig a hole for himself sooner or later.
At this moment, the guard outside the door gently pushed the door open and said:
"The merchant representative from Ys wants to see you."
"Let them in."
With John's permission, the Issu representative wearing a fur coat and a gentleman's hat walked into the room. After seeing that all the ministers were there, the merchant representative saluted John and said:
"Good day, Earl John."
"Good day, my friend," John said after the politeness:
"Excuse me, what are you doing here?"
"My Lord Earl, my merchant friends and I have a request for you. We hope that you can establish a city council in North Port and allow us to participate in the daily management of the port city."
"Oh, so that's how it is." John sighed, but secretly he had already guessed what the other person was thinking.
"Because you know I'm leaving, are you afraid that the benefits you gave me before will be in vain in the end?" John thought to himself, and his enthusiasm for the business representatives also decreased a bit. He also learned a lot about the city council.
The city council is essentially the administrative body of an autonomous city, most of which are located in territories directly under the royal family. The power it possesses depends on the size of the city, and the mayor, the leader of the city council, is mostly loyal only to the king. Only those cities within the lord's territory are loyal only to the lord. The city councils of some large cities even have to negotiate with officials appointed by the king.
"Wait a minute..." Thinking of this, John suddenly grasped the key. Since he could not avoid his transfer and the arrival of the new governor, why not establish a legal organization to compete with the new governor? By then, the new governor would not be able to implement various policies in the forest territory, and the king would most likely send him back to continue serving as governor.
Thinking of this, John smiled and said to the Yisu merchant:
"I'm afraid we need to discuss this matter carefully..."
Half a month later, John returned to Wendam and was soon received by the king.
In the palace, John knelt down on one knee before the king and then said to him:
"Your Majesty, I am ready to accept your transfer. I will now give you a document summarizing the various situations in the Forest Governor's territory."
"Well... I believe that with Count John's ability, the territory under his rule will definitely be prosperous and strong." The king couldn't help but be overjoyed after hearing this. After sending the transfer documents to Franche-Comté, he had already prepared for a civil war. Unexpectedly, John actually agreed, which made him feel relieved.
However, when he took the document and glanced at it, his originally expressionless face revealed a bit of surprise. Regardless of whether this place was rich or not, it was indeed very strong. According to John's introduction, the originally poor and deserted Forest Territory not only had a population of about 100,000, but also had a standing army of more than 10,000 people, including artillery and cavalry.
What surprised the king even more was that even with so many standing armies, the finances of the territory could still have a surplus every year. This was almost a miracle. Even though he owned so many directly-affiliated territories, he did not dare to say that he could support 10,000 professional soldiers with just the normal taxes from an earldom.
"You have achieved such success under such difficult conditions. You are truly an elite of the younger generation." After giving the documents to the ministers to review, the king praised John with satisfaction.
After seeing this, all the ministers showed surprised looks, but some of them showed different looks after being surprised.
These abnormalities were also noticed by John who was standing in the center of the palace. His face couldn't help but curl up slightly, because this was part of his return to the Forest Governor's territory.
John did fill out the documents submitted to the king truthfully in terms of the good aspects, with the purpose of luring some ill-intentioned people to become the governor. At that time, John's subsequent series of plans could go ahead.
"Cough cough..."
The king coughed a few times to signal everyone to be quiet, then stood up, took the document from a court minister next to him, and said to everyone present in a solemn voice:
"During his term as the Forest Governor, Earl John cleared out the remaining enemies in the territory. He later made many military achievements and defeated the Yoda people's attack on the Forest Territory. Internally, he built the originally uninhabited territory into a home for tens of thousands of people. Now that Earl John's term has expired, he has been appointed to a new position by the royal family..."
After saying this, the king glanced at John in the audience, and seeing that John was still saluting, he continued:
"Earl John is now appointed as the Governor of the Southwest, in charge of the military and political affairs of the territory. He can handle any incidents in the territory first and then report. I hope Earl John can continue to contribute his own strength to the royal family and the country."