Chapter 203: How can it be so easy to fight against rebellion?
"Ahem... Amy didn't come back with you?"
Godric rolled up the book in his hand and stuffed it into his arms, then put his arm around Leon's shoulder and walked out the door.
The Lord looked at Godric's chest with some pain in his heart - the book had gone into Godric's noble robes, and it looked like he couldn't get it back...
"Amy is in the North Bay... It just happens, Lord Godric, I plan to let Amy become a knight, just like Countess Valera..."
The two chatted all the way to the lord's office. Both Godric and Leon used to handle official business here.
But Godric did not sit in the lord's chair in front of the table. Instead, he pulled out a chair opposite the table and sat down - this was a guest chair for visiting guests.
Leon looked at Godric's actions, feeling a little overwhelmed.
In any case, Godric is the real lord of White Hart Castle. He sat in the guest seat. If Leon sat in the host seat, it would be very ignorant.
"Leon, that's your position now... I know Amy wants to be a female knight, but I'm afraid her skills are not good enough to go to the battlefield. Please don't let anything happen to her. I only have this one daughter..."
Godric pointed to the main seat and motioned Leon to sit down. He didn't seem to care about the seat at all, but talked about his daughter directly.
Li Ang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not sit down. Instead, he opened the drawer and took out a blank document.
"Amy now has two hundred elite female warriors protecting her... Her troops are all very skilled and stronger than most lords, so you don't have to worry. I plan to let her serve as the lord of Eagle Claw Castle. As for what kind of knight she wants to be, it's up to her."
Leon directly stamped three seals on the blank document, one representing the Governor of Ayrshire, one was his own griffin seal, and the other was the three-lion seal of Godric, Lord of White Hart Castle.
Apparently, the intention was for Amy to write her own content.
"Lord of Eagle Claw Castle? Aren't you going to support Leofric?"
Godric was a little surprised: "What on earth did you do..."
"Oh, I got two counties..."
Li Ang spread out the map and took half an hour to tell the story of what had happened before.
"So, you got Eagle Claw Castle and Dark Falcon Castle... but those are enclaves. Your troops are too few, and you have to divide them up to garrison them..."
Godric clicked on the map a few times, then shook his head and looked at Leon with some concern.
"In fact, I don't need to send out any more troops to garrison. The Jatu people in the southern part of the grassland have been defeated, and Eagle Claw Castle has no external enemies now. And Dark Falcon Castle... now all the forces around Dark Falcon Castle will try to win me over, and it's safer there."
Li Ang shook his head, not looking worried at all.
"But the king also gave you a mission. He asked you to take over Changhe Town. You must either help him find his seal or quickly pay him the money he owes... How many dinars did he extort from you?"
Godric hesitated for a moment, but still told Leon the king's instructions, but he obviously thought that it would be better for Leon to pay the money now.
"Oh? There is such a good thing? Can I use his seal to pay off the debt?"
When Li Ang heard this, he was not worried at all. Instead, he became excited: "This is good news! I was planning to capture Changhe Town. This is really the best of both worlds..."
"Wait a minute...how come it's good news? You only have 200 men now! King Ulric obviously wants you to fight Granlon to a mutual destruction! I came back this time to discuss countermeasures with you...we can't waste the troops of White Hart Castle in a civil war!"
Godric stared at Leon with wide eyes. He wondered if this guy had become completely arrogant after winning a few battles? He dared to fight anywhere? White Hart Castle was related to the safety of the border, and the garrison could not be deployed in large numbers.
"Lord Godric, I don't plan to bring the troops from White Hart Castle... My strategy is to take Changhe Town with my own troops. In this way, the king will have to give Changhe Town to me..."
Li Ang tapped on the map a few times. "You should know that Changhe Town has my Changhe Express, and I need to connect Eagle Claw Castle and Dark Falcon Castle. As long as I can control Changhe Town and fully unleash the potential of Changhe Express, these enclaves will no longer be enclaves. Each place will become a real territory."
Godric frowned as he looked at the map. After hearing about Changhe Express, he could now understand Leon's intention.
If enclaves thousands of miles apart want to connect with each other, they definitely need a core hub. But as a rule of thumb, no city in Sarleon Realm can connect to a place as far away as Dark Falcon Castle.
But Changhe Town is an exception.
Because Li Ang had arranged Changhe Express in Changhe Town early in the morning - if the safety of the convoy passing through the Jatu Grassland could be guaranteed, then Changhe Express could connect and cover anywhere for him.
For Li Ang, as long as he can control Changhe Town, there will be no enclaves on this continent.
Godric had been rescued by Eric before, and he already had a full understanding of the nature of Changhe Express. It was actually a rapid response force with extremely strong mobility. However, the ruling power of Changhe Town had always been in the hands of other people, so the development of Changhe Express would be somewhat restricted.
If Changhe Town becomes Li Ang's territory, then Changhe Express will probably soon cover half of the continent as quickly as Maixiang International.
"You annihilated the Jatu people in the southern part of the Jatu Grassland and made King Stern Crow admit his mistake and stop the war. This achievement is no less than that of Earl Oden back then. You will gain great reputation because of this, and it will not be a problem for you to become the lord of Changhe Town..."
Godric understood that Leon was no longer lacking in reputation. This kid had won several great victories in recent times and had become a true general of the kingdom.
"So you came back to recruit soldiers? Do you need to transfer some people from my guards..."
Godric knew that Leon had made up his mind, so he did not try to persuade him. After all, his daughter should be safe in Eagle Claw Castle. He planned to allocate some people from his own guards to Leon.
"No, sir. I didn't come back just to recruit soldiers. I came back to wait for the news of the battle in Eagle Claw Castle to spread to the entire Fierce Lion Territory... In fact, it doesn't take too many people to capture Changhe Town."
Li Ang smiled. He was indeed waiting for his fame to spread throughout the Fierce Lion Territory, that is, waiting for the Lion Knights and the Royal City Guards to return to their respective territories for rest.
"When your reputation spreads throughout the Fierce Lion Territory, the king will be wary of you... Even if you conquer Changhe Town, he may not give it to you."
Godric sighed: "He is different now than when he was young..."
Li Ang shook his head. "Since the king has given me such a task, it means he has long been afraid of me. In fact, he is also afraid of you, otherwise he would have just issued a warrant and would not have asked you to pass the message to me. But if nothing unexpected happens, he will give Changhe Town to me. In other words, he will give it to both of us."
Godric was stunned: "What do you mean? The two of us?"
"As long as there is a conflict between us, he will definitely do this..." Li Ang raised his eyebrows: "Doesn't he like checks and balances?"
Godric nodded slowly: "You are indeed more suitable to consider these things than me... After taking Changhe Town, I plan to find a manor by the lake to retire and live a leisurely life. The future will be left to you and Amy..."
Then he stood up and took out a flag from the cabinet: "Give this to Amy, she is a member of the royal family and should use this."
It was the fleur-de-lis flag he once used, golden in color, representing the Royal Knights.
…
A few days later, Changhe Town.
Li Ang led his team to the outskirts of Changhe Town. He only brought 300 people, 100 of whom were newly recruited soldiers.
Godric actually came with his guards, but he did not approach Changhe Town. Instead, he prepared to provide support from a few miles away.
Since the escorts of Changhe Express were still inside, and Duke Brunus had already withdrawn his troops, Leon was confident that he could capture Changhe Town even with just his own limited manpower.
But Godric is a cautious person after all. Although Leon said it was okay, Godric still planned to cooperate at close range just in case.
Surprisingly, Changhe Town did not close the city gates.
Not only that, there didn't seem to be any tense atmosphere in Changhe Town. Caravans and pedestrians were still coming in and out as usual, and everything seemed normal.
But this kind of normal now seems very abnormal.
Granlong usurped the king's seal and illegally occupied the king's direct territory, which are all unforgivable crimes of treason, but Granlong did not seal off the city and prepare for war?
Moreover, when Li Ang's flag appeared outside Changhe Town, several cavalrymen actually came out from the city to greet him.
"Is it Baron Leon? Lord Granlon is waiting for you. He is at the city gate."
The leading heavy cavalryman was very polite.
Leon didn't quite understand Granlong's intentions, but since he didn't have to fight, he was of course willing to resolve the issue peacefully.
Granlong was waiting at the gate of Changhe Town at this moment, and he was not wearing armor. It seemed that he was not only unprepared for war, but also had no intention of starting any conflict.
"Baron Leon, nice to meet you... I heard about your achievements in Eagle Claw Castle. You are really young and promising!"
Seeing Leon coming, Granlong actually took the initiative to greet him, as if he was not the rebel leader at all, but just an ordinary noble lord.
"Sir Granlong, have you been waiting for me? But I think I need to remind you that you are now a rebel of the kingdom..."
Li Ang felt that this guy probably didn't quite understand his own identity.
"I am a rebel? Who said that? Lord Godric said that? It was just a misunderstanding..."
Granlong shook his head and smiled, pointing to the city gate: "If you don't believe me, ask him and see who is the rebel..."
Inside the city, several heavy cavalrymen from Lion Lake City escorted out a young man with his mouth tied up with a cloth and his face covered in blood.
"Fother?"
Of course Leon knew this person, it was indeed Fawcett.
Granlong took out a handkerchief and wiped Fothert's bloody face. "Lord Leon... You don't think that a noble like me who captured the rebel leader and took back the golden seal for the king is a traitor, do you? I have been waiting for His Majesty the King to send someone to take over Changhe Town. I am only stationed here temporarily for the safety of Changhe Town."
"I'm afraid it will be hard for His Majesty the King to believe your words ..."
Leon frowned. He understood what Granlong meant. He wanted to use Fothergill to exchange for his own legal identity and explain all the previous events as misunderstandings.
"This is not an excuse, but a fact, Baron Leon. I have never done anything treasonous. In fact, I led my troops to fight against the Ravenstern... I just have a personal grudge against Fothert - he killed my wife and all the children of my father-in-law!"
Granlon looked sincere, like he really was a loyal subject.
"It seems that you are planning to attack Lion Lake City... How about this, have your troops disarm and leave Changhe Town, and then hand over the king's golden seal, and I will trust you."
Li Ang curled his lips. He felt that Granlong was just trying to fool him.
"Baron Leon, I just don't want to have a conflict with you. You do have an outstanding record, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you... I said, I'm waiting for His Majesty the King to send someone to take over Changhe Town, but I don't think it's likely to be you. I can only give the King's seal to the King himself."
Granlong raised his hand and pointed at the flag hanging in Changhe Town - it was still the red flag with a golden lion.
"I'm sorry, I really was sent by the king... Didn't you notice the color of my coat of arms, Granlon?"
Li Ang shook his head and smiled. He understood what Granlong meant. Granlong was planning to hold Changhe Town hostage to negotiate with the king.
As long as the king is willing to publicly admit that he is not a rebel, he can hand over Changhe Town intact and return to Shihu City.
If Granlon was still a legitimate noble, he would most likely be able to inherit Lion Lake City from his deceased ex-wife Nelda, because Fothert committed treason, and Alma's other children were all dead, and the Horton family were also traitors.
As long as Granlon was not rebellious, he could become the legal heir - after all, he did not admit his divorce from Nelda, and even held a funeral for his father-in-law. In addition, he controlled the Lion Lake City Flag Guard, and the people of Lion Lake City would support him.
Therefore, he had to show that he did not admit to treason at all, and he had never harmed Changhe Town.
It seems that Fothert was unlucky. After he abandoned most of the infantry and ran out of Eagle Claw Castle, he was blocked by the Lion Lake City Flag Guard...
Come to think of it, Fothert and Granlong were both very familiar with the environment around Lion Lake City. They probably went to the same "safe" place at the same time after leaving the battlefield, and then met each other.
But Granlong's plan would certainly fail. The lord knew that since King Ulric had arranged for him to destroy Granlong, he would definitely not intend to let Granlong go, and he was also digging a trap for himself - if he negotiated with Granlong, then the authority of the rebel would inevitably be taken back.
The rebels cannot compromise with the rebels.
"Then there's nothing more to say, Baron Leon... I know you want to get the seal back for the king, and you have a lot of business in Changhe Town. If you don't want this place to become a sea of fire, and you don't want the king's seal to disappear forever, then it's best to go back to where you came from. I don't want to fight with you, but if I have to die here, then Changhe Town will no longer exist!"
Granlon frowned, grabbed Fotherg's hair and retreated into the city.
But he didn't seem as calm as he said, and the cloth strip that was originally tied around Fotherg's mouth from behind his head was loosened by his grab.
"Spit... cough cough... He doesn't dare! The Lion Lake City Flag Guard will not be buried with him... Leon, charge! Catch him..."
Fawcett was finally able to speak at this time, and immediately ordered Leon to charge.
Granlong's face changed drastically. He covered Fother's mouth with his hand and began to retreat quickly.
"Blow the horn! Charge the whole army!"
In fact, Leon also felt that Granlong would not dare to set fire, and Eric was in the city with 500 bodyguards.
As long as his horn sounds, Eric will definitely join forces inside and outside. Even if Granlong wants to burn the city, he may not be able to do it. Even if he sets the fire, it can be put out in a short time - there is a big lake behind Changhe Town, and there are rivers in the city, so there is plenty of water.
Moreover, Granlong seemed to be completely unprepared now, so there was a good chance that he could catch him... Even if he couldn't catch him, he could still shoot him to death!
But Leon did not intend to shoot Granlong directly. After all, the king's seal had not been found yet, and it was probably only Granlong who knew where the seal was hidden.
So, Li Ang planned to catch him.
But at the moment when Li Ang led his troops into Changhe Town, the city gate fell.
The army was cut off, and only Leon and his personal guards - the one hundred hooded Noldor rangers - entered the city.
The mixed force behind him did not move as quickly and was blocked outside the city gate.
At this moment, Leon saw the smiles on Fother and Granlong's faces at the same time!
…
Today, only the palace guards and the security forces are left in Sarleon City, and Qicha Fortress is even more empty , with only a hundred old, weak and sick people left to guard it.
King Ulrich had previously sent out all of his powerful troops. The Lion Knights, the Royal City Guards, and the main garrison that originally guarded the capital area were all gone.
However, neither Fierdsvain nor the Bacchus Empire took the opportunity to attack the Sarleon Kingdom.
In fact, it is not called "no", but "cannot".
King Vidis of the Firdsvain originally deployed a large number of troops in Highcliff Castle, obviously intending to take advantage of the situation, but a heretic army mysteriously appeared near the Mist Castle, and as a result, the Firdsvain had to return to solve internal problems first.
That heretical army was the team of the three prophets.
They were released from the swamps near Mirsfen Castle, and in just a few days they raised an army of over two thousand men in the Firdsvain.
By the time Firdsvain had finally dispersed the army of the Three Prophets, the news of Eagle Claw Hold in the north of the Sarleon Kingdom had already spread.
Duke Brennus and Baron Leon joined forces to annihilate the 5,000-strong Jatu army. The Kingdom of Ravenstern admitted that it had "accidentally crossed the border" and signed a ceasefire agreement. The Kingdom of Sarleon seemed to have resolved the crisis in the fastest way, so Firdsvain continued to be the "ally" of the Kingdom of Sarleon.
The Bacchus Empire was unable to take care of itself.
The rebels in the empire are wreaking havoc, and a large-scale slave uprising has occurred within the empire. In addition, the Snake Cult is also attacking towns everywhere...
The entire heartland of the Bacchus Empire was engulfed in war, with fighting taking place almost everywhere. Even General Titus of the Sava River Fort and General Cleon of the Karen Deer Fort were transferred to quell the rebellion. Even the border guards were withdrawn to quell the rebellion. The situation was indeed extremely tense.
The source of all this is that King Ulric supplied a large amount of dinars to the rebel leader 'Shira Yuzas' of the Bacchus Empire.
