Kingdom’s Bloodline Chapter 19: The limits of rule (on)

In the grand duke’s study, Selma's eyes widened: "What?"

Thyls also stared blankly at the new teacher who spoke amazing words.

This...

This, this...

Are you really here to be a teacher?

"I..." In the embarrassing atmosphere, the bewildered grandfather gaped her mouth and couldn't say a word for a long time, so she could only habitually cast Thales' eyes for help.

"Mr. Hexer," Finally, Thales, who still couldn't stand it, bit his scalp and spoke: "This joke is a bit... Me and Selma, we..."

However, the culprit of this atmosphere, the skinny Meri Hexer, still held his cane and looked at Selma with a smile.

The next second, the girl took a deep breath, as if she had made up some determination, and then - she lowered her head decisively, bent down, and went to pick up the book "Cahill Ye Luo Shi" that fell below her feet. selected".

It seems that that is very important.

Leaving the embarrassment to Thales alone.

But he soon stopped embarrassing.

"Yes!" The old crow with glasses turned his head and interrupted Thales unceremoniously.

The eyes of the old man behind his monocles blinked lightly, passing by Thales who was talking, and staring at Selma closely:

"You must like him very much."

Selma, who just straightened up with the book in his arms, froze again, and had to say: "Um, we are just good friends..."

Thyls nodded appreciatively.

"Otherwise, there is no deliberate protection of the Grand Duke, a hostage prince from the stars." Unexpectedly, the banter on the face of Old Crow Hexer slowly disappeared. He ignored Selma and Thales. To clarify, just shook his head and continued his own words:

"It is impossible to stay safe and sound for six years in the northern city of Longxiao City, surrounded by wolves."

The two students were stunned.

I saw that Hexer's expression has faded from the initial ease and comfort.

Despite the same smile, the cloudiness in his eyes has slowly disappeared.

He drew the crutch in his hand closer.

"What do you think, Thales?"

The prince recovered.

He suddenly realized that what the old man said just now was definitely not a boring joke about their relationship.

It seems...

He thinks too much.

Faced with Hexer's inquiry, Thales let go of his embarrassment and slowly sighed.

"I can't deny it." The boy glanced at the red-faced girl, and nodded worriedly: "Without Selma's protection, the people in the North would not be so polite to me-I am very grateful for it. ."

Selma did not speak.

Hickser sighed slightly.

"Well, can I ask, Selma," the old crow called the grand duke's name directly and unscrupulously as he called the prince: "Your people, your vassals, Why are your subordinates so rude to Thales?"

"Did the prince do anything unforgivable to them?"

Selma stared at Thales.

"No, Thales did nothing wrong," the female university shook her head vigorously: "But he is a prince of stars, so the people in the North have reasons to hate him-this is the hatred between nations. "

The new teacher squinted his eyes: "Why? Why should people in the North hate the prince of stars?"

"Eighteen years ago, in the "Blood Years" of the stars," Selma paused for a few seconds. She looked at Thales worriedly and took a deep breath when she saw the latter's face as usual. He sighed and replied: "We-Exter fought a fierce war with the Star Kingdom."

Thyls looked seriously at the old crow, who was still smiling, but was inexplicably serious: He suddenly understood what Hexer wanted to talk about.

"The **** year, of course, this is the name of the stars," Hexer said with a deep gaze, silently said: "The **** year..."

The new teacher's eyes are sharp:

"So, what did the star people do during the war?"

"Have Exter, who took the initiative to invade, hate the Star Kingdom so much?"

Thyls frowned.

Selma hesitated for a second, but under Hexer's smile, she still recalled the contents of the book and past lessons, and replied as she was: "Because of the Fortress Peace Treaty."

"At the end of the war, the people of the North were forced to negotiate with the stars and even signed a peace treaty under pressure from many parties."

"Except for a disputed woodland in the northwest of the fortress before the war and some financial compensation, Exeter didn't get much land and profit."

"Many people—from the princes to the vassals, from the nobles to the soldiers, are dissatisfied with the fact that they have already breached the northern border and won the victory on the battlefield, but have to return to the north in a desperate manner. So," the female grandfather looked at Thales carefully again: "So they feel that this is the shame that the stars have brought to them by using despicable means."

Listening to the question and answer of an old and a young, Thales remembered everything that Gilbert had told him in the carriage on the eve of the meeting.

[This is not so much a treaty, but rather a record of humiliation. 】

"Very good, so this is the answer-the "Fortress Peace Treaty" disproportionate to the results of the battle. This is the source of the Northlanders' hatred of the stars." At this point, Hexer gave a dubious expression in a timely manner:" However, this answer has to bring more questions."

"Although you were not born at that time," Hexer clicked on his crutches and exhaled: "But, according to what I just said, why?"

"Why did the "Fortress Peace Treaty" be signed in that way when Exter had already gained such a huge advantage that the entire northern border and half of the cliff was defeated by them? Why did Exter only Asking for compensation, but giving up every piece of the land that I’ve worked so hard to lay down and has occupied the stars for nearly half a year?"

Tyles and Selma both frowned and began to think about what the old man said.

Hickser turned his head and looked at the star prince kindly.

"Tyles, what's your answer? Would you like to guess?"

Thyls raised his eyebrows slightly.

A memory of a long time ago flashed in his mind.

It's still in that bright classroom, it's still the sound of one after another, crackling keystrokes and notes.

[Minren, what answer do you have to this question? 】

In the past six years, there have not been many flashbacks of such unfamiliar and familiar memories, at least not as often as he did in those thrilling adventures six years ago.

But they are by no means silent.

For example now.

[Social relations, or how does the position of an individual in the circle of social relations affect individual behavior? 】

[According to the assumption of a "rational person"... Then, when knowing that actions will bring corresponding losses, or at least unpredictable risks, why many individuals still habitually follow the distance and follow And repeat the actions of surrounding individuals? 】

Just...

In my memory, the owner of the gentle female voice who was vague and vague, who always made Thales emotionally uncomfortable, but could not be named, never appeared again.

"Thyls?"

In the faint urging sound of Hexer, Thales came back to his senses and quickly said: "I think..."

"Because of the joint intervention of many countries? I think that whether it is Humbler and Suye on the other side of the sea, or Kangmas in Westland and other small countries, they are not willing to see an overly powerful dragon kingdom..."

But Thales, who kept talking, looked at the eyes behind the lens, looked at the inexplicable meaning and smile in his eyes, moved slightly in his heart, and slowly stopped his words unconsciously.

Hickser, sitting in the leather chair, smiled.

His shoulders trembled and his hands on the cane trembled slightly.

His laughter was weak but cheerful, like a happy old man teasing a child, without any gloomy feeling.

Like a...happy crow?

Selma looked at the old man for unknown reasons.

Finally, Hexer stopped the laughter and nodded: "Sorry...I remembered a book I once read."

Thyls looked suspicious.

"According to the "History of the War in the North", when the two countries began negotiations, although countries such as Conmars and Humber expressed their concerns, however, regarding the conditions for the withdrawal of troops from Exeter, There has been a long-standing ambiguity within Camus. Humbler expressed respect for King Nunn’s wishes, while Suye’s envoy was on the way, but symbolically sent a letter crow to show his attitude."

"Looking at it this way, either the author of "War History in the North" is boasting and perjurying the'inside information' he has obtained, or...what do you think?" Hexer looked up, playfully Looking at Thales.

The prince frowned again.

So, what does this mean is that the so-called multinational intervention is actually quite weak and not worth mentioning to Exter?

Exter gave up the profit, and even the peace talks between the two countries have other reasons?

"Ah, I thought about it again, one of my students told me," the old man laughed: "King Nunn once generously entrusted the eight counties in the northern border of the stars he occupied to six earls. As a reward for them. Similarly, the Grand Duke of the Guarding City, the Grand Duke of Willan, and the Grand Duke of Heisha also tried to take the land they laid down for themselves."

Hickser's eyes turned lightly: "Exter even succeeded in making many families in the land of the original stars turn allegiance to the new lord of the northerners."

Thyls and Selma, who became more confused, looked at each other, both showing puzzled expressions to the old man.

"But in the end, the Exeters evacuated and gave up?" Thales asked suspiciously.

"It seems so," the old crow nodded lightly. "First, the Earl Mend of the black sand collar, then the Grey family under the guard of the city, and finally the Earls of Longxiao City. After the army withdrew, the stars and lands that belonged to them in name changed their flags one after another, refused to pay taxes and went into service, drove away the Exter nobles who remained behind, and returned to the rule of the old master, even forced to surrender to the northerners. Many of his families have turned their backs again and returned to the territories of stars."

Thyls's mind sank.

"Why?"

Selma asked curiously: "Could it be that the rule of the King of Changzhi has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people for so long that the loyalty of the people and the nobles is unshakable?"

Hickser rubbed his wrists and tweeted: "In that case, why would the loyal nobles surrender to Exeter in the first place? The people of the North are strictly speaking Northlanders. They do not lack the courage to fight to death."

Selma was speechless.

But Thales was lost in thought.

Wait...

Refusal to pay taxes and enter the military...

Get rid of the noble officials of Exter who stay behind...

The prince moved in his heart.

He suddenly remembered the tense and thrilling negotiation in the Hall of Heroes six years ago, remembered the expression of Chaman Rumba, remembered...what he truly feared.

"I understand."

The Star Prince suddenly raised his head and looked at Hexer, who was still smiling.

He solemnly said: "Exter did not have the ability to rule the north."

Selma looked at him curiously.

Hickser's eyes changed.

The next second, the old man smiled and raised his right hand, making a "please" gesture to him.

With the gazes of the other two, Thales took a deep breath and recalled what he had thought about six years ago.

"Whether it is tax payment, refereeing, military service, or daily life affairs, from high to low, from noble to cheap, the stars are gradually accustomed to the way of ruling their country: starting from the virtuous king, the mature system and Rules."

"And Exeter, they cannot follow the system of stars, nor can they rule this land by the way of stars—not only the aristocrats of the northern people are not used to it, but the dragon kingdom can send to rule the north. Qualified bureaucrats are far from enough. They can only use Exter’s old methods to rule the stars."

The prince frowned. He remembered what Joseph's chef father had told him not long ago about the things in their village:

The confidants of the Northern Lords come to collect taxes from the farmers. This month’s tax may be a chicken or a bag of wheat, but after a few months, if your land is harvested, or you change a tax collector , You may have to collect a cow and two bags of wheat, depending on the mood and greed of the tax collector, depending on whether the lord is kind or harsh.

If you are a craftsman and use a good idea to do a small business in the market to make money. When you want to expand your business, you may have to face the coveting of the lord or the noble-because you can even be in the market Trading in the market is their favor.

Thyls continued the conjectures in his mind, and said to Hexer and the stunned Selma, who smiled even more, "So, if King Nunn is like before in the country, he will freely divide the land in the north of the stars. For the subjects and nobles, let them manage their new territories in accordance with the old tradition in the co-governance oath, and various problems will arise..."

Hickser coughed and smiled.

The old crow said indifferently: "As far as I know, during the occupation of the north, Exeter was responsible for managing the rear of the Grand Duke of Lombard, which is now King Chaman. He tried to perform the lord’s Responsibilities and rights, on the condition of ensuring a safe life, collect taxes from residents in the north to subsidize expenditure."

"But obviously it's quite inefficient-people don't want to deal with his tax collectors."

Thyls, who guessed the proof, shines:

"Of course, because the land of the stars is different."

"People in the North have gradually become accustomed to another way of living and ruling. They are not blindly and obediently loyal to a lord who comes from the north and has a rugged style of a dragon-this is only the North. The central consulate and even the southern part may be even worse, because their cities are bigger and the villages are more complicated. I heard that craftsmen and merchants even formed a trade association and have the right to negotiate with the lords~IndoMTL.com~Tels remembered the rumba back then The look in his eyes filled his heart with emotion and comprehension: "To put it simply, the Kingdom of Exter at the time, after winning the victory, did not have the ability to rule the northern border steadily. "

"Correspondingly, once the invaders do not have this ability, the people in the north of the stars will of course not submit to Exeter's rule," the prince remembered the man who had cast from the star kingdom to the black sand collar and served under Lombard Little tax collector: "Because the latter not only can't give them the life they want, but also rudely harm their interests."

Thyls sighed: "So, even if King Nunn's army actually occupied the northern territory, he would not be able to effectively govern it, and could only suppress it with violence."

Selma blinked and, as usual, gave Thales a surprised look.

Old Crow Hexer shrugged, the furrows on his face seemed to deepen.

"From what we just discussed: Exter did not turn the land and people affected by the invasion into beneficiaries," the skinny old man said quietly: "Instead, it became an enemy?"

Tyles nodded with a solemn expression: "So, if Exter wants to continue to occupy the northern border, it means that he must station troops for a long time, and use the violence of the princes to suppress the continuous rebellion and dissatisfaction. Come to quell the popular anger that is boiling because of life changes."

Or-Thales remembered Rumba's promise to the princes in "Dragon Blood" six years ago.

Or the Duke or even the king himself will station in the northern border to extinguish all possible sources of trouble, and then gradually...synchronize and move closer to the existing system of the Star Kingdom.

Turn it into truly... own land.

The prince clenched his fists unconsciously.

So, is this what you learned in the **** year eighteen years ago?

Charman Rumba?

(End of this chapter)