Heart of Empire Chapter 343: Desolate Pass (2 in 1)

Schindler University is a project for the benefit of the future. In the near future, it is difficult to see what effect it can directly play. Even the most urgent gap in the number of administrative personnel is difficult to fill in the short term. The first batch of students in the administration department, even if they graduate urgently, will not be until three months later.

But Dane's expansion will not stop.

After the Tianshuizhou area was recovered, Dane turned his attention to the west of Shawan Harbor.

To the west of Shawan Harbor is a desert with a length of more than 200 kilometers.

It's a real wasteland.

It is true that Schindler is on the edge of the eastern moors; it is also true that it is a barren land. But even so, Schindler's land is not really that barren. At least, in some places where water sources can be tapped and wells can be drilled, people can still live for a long time. What's more, some oases, some exposed areas of underground rivers, and other places where water can be obtained are also places where life can be preserved.

However, at a distance of more than 100 kilometers to the west from Shawan Port, all this is a luxury. It is a real desert, without water, no life can survive there for a long time.

After walking through this area, the land will gradually become more vibrant, and you can even see patches of green grass and even forests.

It's just that it is no longer Schindler's land, but has entered the country on the edge of the western human world - the Duchy of Florence.

Dain has no intention of going to the Duchy of Florence for the time being. The Grand Duke of Florence has a direct army of more than 20,000 people. These 20,000 people are professional soldiers. The famous Duke's Guard is a knight order with a size of a thousand people. That is the country that can stand on its own. fundamental.

In addition to the power directly under the Grand Duke Florosa, his vassals, earls, viscounts, barons...these nobles, large and small, totaled more than fifty people. They may not be much in person, but they represent more than fifty aristocratic dominions.

These are vassals who swore allegiance to the Grand Duke of Florence. When the Grand Duke of Florence blows the horn of war, they will be armed, bring their own troops, and gather under the banner of the Duke.

At that time, it will be another army with a total strength of more than 30,000.

Not to mention, the land of Florence is many times richer than that of Schindler. With the guarantee of sufficient wealth, their army is superior in terms of equipment and training. Schindler's Warlords are tough to fight.

Of course, Dane is an exception. Not to mention his main army, even if it is the governor's guard army, it will not hesitate to fight with Florence's central army.

However, there is still a relatively large gap between the two sides in terms of overall national strength and size. Dane didn't have such a big appetite for the time being, and if he wanted to swallow the Florentines, that might be a more difficult task than defeating Conley.

However, although Dane didn't really have the idea of ​​fighting a big battle with the Duchy of Florence, he must now prepare for a fight with the Grand Duke.

The reason why I say this is because of a place called 'Desolate Pass'.

It is said to be a pass, but in fact it is a fortress-shaped town, located on the barren land more than 200 kilometers west of Shawan Port, in the very center. The water resources, food resources, and various other resources there cannot be produced by themselves, and can only be mobilized from various other places.

The reason why the owner of this 'Bad Land Pass' has to expend so much effort to maintain the existence of this city is of course his reasons. The guy known as 'Daddy Im' is reaping huge benefits by relying on the wasteland pass: this pass is the only passage for Schindler to reach the western human society from land.

In the absolute wasteland more than two hundred kilometers away, there are no roads, and you can go anywhere on the flat land. However, there are too few places where supplies can be obtained on the absolute wasteland.

With a distance of more than two hundred kilometers, any caravan carrying bulk commodities must carry at least half a month's worth of supplies before they can finish the journey. And heat, wind and sand, these are fatal killers for caravans, in order to prevent various accidents, this supply needs to be brought even more.

In fact, usually a caravan will go this way, and if they do not plan to replenish supplies in the middle, they must at least prepare supplies for the members and livestock of the caravan for more than a month.

However, the capacity of the caravan is limited. When more supplies need to be carried, the goods that can be carried will be less, and the profit will naturally be reduced.

So, what if there is such a town in the middle of this road that can provide them with supplies?

Obviously, it's going to be a popular place for businessmen, travelers, and more.

However, the supplies at the barren land pass did not come out of thin air, and the price of selling them to business travelers would naturally be very expensive. This kind of expensive has essentially become a means of exploitation.

But relatively speaking, being able to be in one place allows the caravan to rest for a while without worrying about being attacked by bandits or being washed by wind and sand. Most merchants are still willing to stay there for a while.

Not to mention, that area can also pay the customs duties for entering the Principality of Florence by the way. With the tax certificate issued by the wasteland pass, the caravan can travel unimpeded in the Principality of Florence.

Of course, even if this is the case, there will still be some merchants who are unwilling to go through the wasteland pass in order to save money. But such a person, in this no man's land, is easily attacked by bandits who don't know where they come from, and throws their lives and money in the sand.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see what these inexplicable sand robbers are all about. If they say that they have nothing to do with 'Daddy Im', no one will believe it.

But no one can do anything about him.

Businessmen can only endure such exploitation, after all, everyone still wants to make money.

Because of this, Papa Im's life is quite prosperous. According to legend, there are never less than ten beautiful maids around people when they go out. The carpet at home is made of the softest belly fur of a precious mammoth from the Argus Plateau; the night pearl hanging in the living room comes from The most precious treasure of the Naga family under the sea; even, according to legend, Papa Im has a pair of dragon eyes—the eyes of a real dragon—as decorations.

All in all, it is recognized by everyone that Papa Im is very rich.

While he is rich, Papa Im is also a character that no one can afford to mess with. Even Governor Kangli, at the height of his power, never made a decision on Im's head.

Imm's wasteland pass, of course, is on the land of Hindler. In the era of the Second Caesar Empire, this area belonged to the province of Schindler. Even after the disintegration of the empire and the era when the princes came together, no lord had ever claimed sovereignty over the area where the barren land pass was located. Then there is no doubt that it should still be Schindler's land.

Em, who built the city on this land, should also be a warlord of Schindler.

But despite what he said, no one would really treat Yim as a warlord.

The reason is simple, his barren land pass can even handle customs duties for entering the Duchy of Florence! If you think about it casually, you can know what kind of relationship he has with the Duchy of Florence.

So, even Kang Li didn't dare to provoke him back then. When the Schindler All-out War was in full swing last year, this old guy was still able to earn his own money safely and live a comfortable life.

He didn't even express his attitude towards which side he supported, and he didn't even bother to express it verbally, as if the war that swept Schindler had nothing to do with him.

It really doesn't matter too much.

It's just that now Dane doesn't want him to continue living so well.

The existence of the barren land pass has fattened Father Im and the Florentine nobles behind him, but it is of no benefit to Schindler.

The high price of supplies made the barren land pass a veritable black shop. Yim condoned the bandits, and sometimes even his army would go into battle in person, which caused a great blow to business activities.

In addition to affecting commercial activities, the barren land pass also served as a means for the Duchy of Florence to exploit the merchants from Schindler to a certain extent.

The tariffs collected at the barren land pass are not based on normal commercial taxes. The Florentines controlled the export of Schindler to the land of western human society through the pass of the wasteland, and seized huge wealth.

In the past, Dane was incapable of managing this matter, but now, he has decided that he can no longer let that guy Yim continue to be so arrogant. The wealth that was intercepted by him and the benefits that flowed from the wasteland pass to the Duchy of Florence, in Dane's view, should have belonged to Schindler.

As Governor of Schindler, he is obliged to keep these wealth and stop the exploitation of the Florentines. He is also obliged to ensure the integrity of the territorial sovereignty of the entire territory of Schindler.

Of course, these high-sounding things, just talk about them. The reason why Dane really wanted to take Yim's barren land pass was purely because of profit factors.

Em, and even the Duchy of Florence, can earn at least 50,000 gold coins a month from the barren pass. If none of this money falls into Dane's hands, he will naturally not be so happy.

As for whether it will anger the Florentines behind Im...

To be honest, Dane is not cowardly at all.

Dain will not take the initiative to attack Florence, but it does not mean that he is afraid that the Florentines will attack him.

The barren land of Schindler is Dane's home field, and here, he no longer fears any enemies.

There is enough strength to have enough diplomatic capital. The Badland Pass, a parasite controlled by the Florentines and growing on the Schindlers, must be dealt with.

…

In 218, on September 1st, Dane sent an order to the owner of the city in the western wasteland, the warlord Im. The content of this order is roughly similar to the content of the "Tian Shuizhou Local Government Reform Trial Notice", requiring him to hand over the army and the administrative power of the barren land pass as scheduled.

Of course Im won't do it, but with the example of 'The Executioner' Moloto, Im dare not be too **** Dane in terms of words.

In public, he did not react at all to the orders issued by Dane in the name of the governor, but in private, there were many activities.

So, next, Dane welcomed the arrival of two groups of people.

The first wave came from the merchants who came from the barren land pass. They come with the kindness and gifts of Papa Im.

This rich gentleman has spent a lot of money this time. The gifts brought by the caravan are numerous, and there are many rare treasures. According to the estimates of Dane's business accountants, the total value of these gifts from Imra is no less than 50,000 gold coins, which is already half of the money Dane borrowed from the Sequoia Chamber of Commerce!

Along with these gifts came a letter from Im.

In the letter, Im's tone and wording are quite sincere and respectful, and at the same time, he places his status in a particularly low position.

The name of Dane in the letter is "the great Governor of Schindler all over the country"; and he calls himself "the subordinate who guards one side for the Governor"; The barren land pass was established for the development of Schindler'; and he expressed his willingness to continue to spend the remaining half of his life to continue guarding one side for the governor~IndoMTL.com~I will never hesitate to die'.

The words are quite beautiful, and the substantive things are also vaguely mentioned. For example, Im stated in the letter that if Dane can continue to let him stay in the wasteland pass, then he will give a gift of no less than 50,000 gold coins every year as a 'tribute to the governor' from his subordinates. .

Dane has accepted the gift; the condition, he is absolutely impossible to agree to.

Dane asked someone to write a reply letter, and the wording was still very severe, demanding that Im must follow the content of the "Notice on Trial Implementation of the Local Government System" and hand over power within a time limit without any tolerance.

The 50,000 gold coins were lost for nothing, and Im was very distressed and very angry. According to the follow-up news from the barren land pass, this guy even broke his favorite luminous cup, and strangled his favorite beauty girl in the past.

Dane didn't eat the soft one, so Im planned to get the hard one.

Of course, this so-called hard action is certainly not a military action. He has an elite sand bandit group in his hands, as well as an elite guard army stationed at the barren land pass. But he wouldn't be as stupid as Moloteau, and he wouldn't be so naive as to think that he could use such a force to wrestle with Dane.

His strength is based on the Florentines.

——

Recently, I have become obsessed with 4,000-word chapters, and the content is written more smoothly.

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