"Now that we have soldiers in our hands, we finally have the right to participate in this game."

The moment Su Xiao successfully seized military power from Bloomer, it meant that their power-grabbing team officially stepped into this turbulent political vortex.

"How many legion commanders are in charge of these 26 soldiers?"

Su Xiao looked at the old charlatan. He first had to stabilize the military power he had obtained, but he was not prepared to get involved in in-depth management. That would be a waste of time. He just needed to stabilize it.

"To be exact, there are 56 soldiers in total, 26 of which are just the regular army of the empire. Nowadays, there are frequent wars on the border of the empire, and the barbarians in the west have repeatedly invaded the border, resulting in the actual strength of each legion being seriously overstaffed."

"Among the 56 troops, 24 elite soldiers are stationed at the western border. These soldiers are responsible for resisting the barbarians and must not be moved lightly. Of the remaining 32, 10 are stationed at the southern coastal border to guard against invasion by the sea tribe. The last 22 recruits are stationed at the Tieyang Camp outside the Holy City. These are newly recruited reserve forces and will need at least three months of training before they can be sent to fight at the northern and southern borders."

The old charlatan knew the distribution of the empire's military power like the back of his hand. Every garrison fortress on the map was carefully marked with cinnabar, and even the communication roads between the camps were clearly visible.

"These...are all the border garrisons? Then, who is in charge of the Holy City's garrison now?"

Su Xiao slowed down his pace and looked at the map in his hand.

"The command of the Holy City Guard is in the hands of Princess Sayetto, a woman who is... more manly than any man."

Hearing this name, an extremely oppressive figure immediately emerged in Lin Yi's mind - tall and burly, with muscular body, perhaps holding a giant axe or hammer in his hand that is heavier than the city gate. Just standing there is enough to scare people away.

Pedela on the side subconsciously shrank her neck like a frightened little animal, with a hint of fear in her eyes.

For her, Sayetto was simply an unforgettable nightmare of her childhood. Because she was born with a weak character, like a timid little rabbit, Sayetto thought she was "insulting the dignity of the royal family" and forced her to be thrown into the military camp for training for a full seven days.

During that time, Pedela was almost tortured to death. It was this experience that made her become more cautious and developed her current soft and gullible character.

"Shayeto..." Su Xiao's finger gently tapped the location of the Holy City on the map, a cold light flashed in his eyes, "So, of the 56 frontier troops we nominally control, the only ones we can immediately mobilize are the 22 reserve troops in the Tieyang Barracks?"

"That's the theory," the old charlatan stroked his beard, "but those reserve soldiers have only been trained for less than two months. If they are rushed into the battlefield, I'm afraid they won't be able to exert even 40% of the combat effectiveness of the regular army."

Lin Yi sneered: "Insufficient training? Ha, that's exactly what I want. Anyway, what we need is never an army that is good at fighting."

Su Xiao understood what Lin Yi meant. They were not seizing power to fight a war, but to take the initiative in this political game.

Even if those 22 reservists are just new recruits who have not been tempered by the flames of war, as long as this number exists, it is enough to create a storm in the power center of the holy city.

"The question is, will Sayato watch us take control of the Tieyang Camp?" Su Xiao narrowed his eyes. "How many Holy City Guards does she have?"

"Fifty thousand," the old charlatan replied, "but they are all elite troops, well-equipped, and... they are absolutely loyal to Sayato."

"Fifty thousand versus two hundred and twenty thousand. We have the advantage in numbers." Lin Yi touched his chin, "But if we really fight, it's hard to say whether we will win."

"No need to fight." Su Xiao put away the map and said calmly, "We just need to let Sayato know that the price she has to pay for attacking us is far beyond what she can bear."

"You mean...deterrence?"

Su Xiao nodded: "Although the soldiers of the Tieyang military camp are not well trained, if we suddenly conduct an 'exercise' and pull 220,000 troops to the plains 30 miles away from the Holy City for training, what do you think Sayato will think?"

Lin Yi smiled: "She will think we are going to rebel."

"That's right." Su Xiao's mouth corners slightly raised, "And suspicion is like a plague. Once it is planted in her heart, it can never be eradicated. By then, the initiative at the negotiation table will be in our hands."

The old charlatan frowned: "This is too risky. What if Sayato directly sends troops to suppress it..."

"She doesn't dare." Su Xiao interrupted him, "The Holy City is the core of the empire. Any large-scale military conflict will allow other forces to take advantage of the situation. In this regard, Sayato knows the pros and cons better than us."

Lin Yi patted the old charlatan on the shoulder and said in a relaxed tone: "Old man, the key to the political game is to make your opponents think that you are a reckless lunatic, but they can't guess how crazy you are."

The old charlatan was silent for a moment, and finally sighed: "Compared with you, Bloomer is just like a harmless sheep."

In addition to the power-grabbing team, there are four other parties vying for the throne, including two dukes who have never met each other, Princess Sayato, and elder Bloomer.

Although Bloomer has handed over his military power, this old fox will not quit the game easily.

He was now like a dormant poisonous snake, waiting for Su Xiao and the others to reveal their weakness.

"In other words, now nearly one-fifth of the empire's border guards are under our control, at least in name?"

"That's right. Although most of the troops cannot be mobilized due to the situation in the empire, military power is also something we cannot do without."

"Gather the commanders of these legions. They should all be in the Holy City, right?"

"Four of them are in the Holy City. Blue Lion Strachey has spent his entire life in the West Frontier. It is unlikely that he will return."

"Then call all four of them together."

What Su Xiao had to do next was simple. He would solve the problem of military loyalty directly at the source and look for violators among the forces involved in the fight.

……

At seven o'clock that evening, in a manor in the south of the holy city, this was the property of the old charlatan, which was rewarded to him by the Black King. The old charlatan had no children in his life and had no attachment to wealth and power. When he was young, he was obsessed with pursuing power, but after the death of the Black King, he suddenly gave up his obsession and lived in seclusion in a remote chapel. No one knew the reason.

At this moment, the group was sitting in a dome building deep in the manor.

The courtyard covers a very large area with winding paths and corridors, and first-time visitors may even get lost.

In the meeting room on the second floor, a long table stretched across the center with five figures sitting around it. Behind each of them stood two or three fully armed guards. The atmosphere was heavy and solemn.

The four legion commanders had different expressions, but none of them could hide their uneasiness.

They had just received news that the Senate had assigned them to Princess Pedela.

Thinking of the ruthless tactics of Senator Bloomer, and then thinking of Her Royal Highness the Princess who was able to seize military power from this iron-fisted man, several people in their minds equated this young female lord with a "female devil".

When they first received the news, several legion commanders were briefly stunned.

Of course, they had heard of the name Princess Pedela, but when they heard that this young royal member was going to take over the legion, everyone's first reaction was - this must be a rumor.

It was not until their commander, Wulf, personally confirmed the news that everyone was forced to accept this shocking fact.

Just as the legion commanders were waiting anxiously, the carved wooden door of the meeting room was slowly pushed open.

Unexpectedly, the person who appeared before them was not Princess Pedela as expected, but two strange men they had never met before.

One of them was sipping juice leisurely, looking nonchalant, as if he was not here to discuss the survival of the empire, but to enjoy his leisure time in the afternoon.

"Everyone, please take a seat. The conference room is big enough for everyone to sit down."

Several battle-hardened legion commanders exchanged glances hesitantly, and no one took a seat rashly.

At this delicate moment, any subtle movement could be interpreted as a statement of a certain stance.

They carefully observed the two mysterious figures in front of them, trying to judge from clues whether this was a sincere invitation or some tentative courtesy.

Su Xiao looked around and found that all these people had strong auras. Although the empire was in civil strife, there were basically no "connected people" in the military. After all, the Black King had just passed away less than 20 years ago, and the big tree of the empire would not rot to the trunk so quickly.

"Lord Kukulin, I am Wu Fu." The speaker was a thin man in a scarlet cloak. Although he was not tall, he exuded the fierce aura of a veteran in the battlefield.

Judging from the position where he was standing and the respectful attitude unconsciously displayed by the officers around him, this person was obviously the leader of the legion.

"Yeah, I've heard of you."

"It's my pleasure."

"Okay, everyone, sit down."

As Su Xiao spoke again, several legion commanders finally sat down in an orderly manner.

She might have been able to pretend not to understand Lin Yi's invitation before, but after this obviously more authoritative figure spoke, it would be too tactless to continue standing there.

"Tell me, how do you and the Senate divide the military funds allocated by the Empire?"

As soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, Altria's emerald eyes widened instantly.

This upright Knight King obviously did not expect that such a sensitive topic would be discussed openly.

In the country she governs, important matters such as military expenditure allocation have always been discussed in secret.

"Military expenditure allocation." His voice was as dry as if he had been marching in the desert for three days. "According to convention, the Senate will take 80% as a reward."

"I don't want to hear the convention." Su Xiao tapped the table lightly with his index finger, and each tap was like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of the officers present, "I want the specific numbers."

Although Wu Fu appeared calm on the surface, his heart was actually pounding against his ribs.

The so-called 20:80 split does not mean that the military takes 80%, but that the Senate takes 80%, leaving only 20% for the military.

What's even more ironic is that in order to maintain the border garrison, he had to lie about this already cruel ratio - in fact, the Senate took away 90%, and of the remaining 10%, 70% went to the border defense line.

"Is the Senate 80%?"

Having been baptized by the Black Abyss, Dai Mao Wang seemed very calm when she heard about this.

In the Black Abyss, let alone 80%, even 100% is possible. In the Black Abyss, being able to survive is already a great blessing.

As for how you live, no one cares.

"Yes."

Wu Fu was somewhat helpless. In this empire, military power was vulnerable to the royal power and the Senate.

They can replace generals at any time like changing chess pieces, and the rebels will be replaced in an instant.

With a clang, Su Xiao threw a dagger onto the table in front of Wu Fu.

"Tell a lie, one finger."

Su Xiao crossed his fingers and looked at Wu Fu with a smile. Wu Fu hesitated for a moment and picked up the dagger on the table.

puff!

Warm blood splashed on Altria's face, and her dull expression froze at the moment the blood splashed - Su Xiao's methods were obviously beyond the cognition of the Knight King.

Next to the dagger deeply inserted into the table, Wu Fu, with a pale face, picked up his little finger that was still dripping with blood.

The dagger sank into the wooden table. Wu Fu, with a pale face, let go of the dagger and picked up the little finger that was still dripping with blood on the table.

"Yes, sir. Except for the frontier troops, we can't hold on any longer. Our weapons and armor are seriously worn out, and our horses and war beasts also need to be replaced. Give us 20%, and if you want, I can give you my head."

Wu Fu didn't care about his bleeding left hand, and the four legion commanders all lowered their heads.

"Tomorrow morning, go to the Ministry of Finance to advance one year's military expenditure."

Lidya Su tapped the tabletop with his fingers, not caring about the smell of blood in the room.

"Then our share is 20%..."

There was a cautious tentativeness in Wu Fu's hoarse voice. He roughly pushed away the guard who wanted to bandage him, letting the blood from the severed finger form a small pool on the floor.

"All."

Su Xiao's words made Wu Fu feel like he was struck by lightning.

"At least, give me 10%."

Lin Yi couldn't help but roll his eyes and put the juice cup in his hand heavily on the table: "Did this guy lose too much blood and become stupid?"

Wu Fu was still in shock and stammered, "What does your Excellency mean?"

"Tomorrow, all military funds will be distributed in equal amounts. If anyone dares to take a hand, don't blame me for chopping off his hand. Do you understand?"

Lin Yi did not hide the murderous intent when he said this, but in the ears of Wu Fu and several other legion commanders, these words were no different from the sound of nature.

Wu Fu was stunned for a moment, then burst into ecstasy.

He suddenly knelt on one knee, ignoring the severed fingers on his left hand that were still dripping with blood, and pounded his chest in salute.

"Sir, the frontier troops... swear allegiance until death!"

"Also, I have recently invested 10% of the military budget in the Tieyang Military Camp. I need this group of troops to have a certain combat effectiveness in a short period of time. Can you do it?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Wu Fu almost shouted this sentence. He subconsciously wanted to slam the table and stand up, but he staggered due to excessive blood loss and was hurriedly supported by the guards behind him.

Even so, his eyes were still frighteningly bright. "I wonder if you need any proof to withdraw military funds tomorrow?"

"The approval document has been sent to the Ministry of Finance. The Senate will hold its nose and guarantee that if there are no problems, the military funds will arrive in three to five days."

When Wu Fu heard this, his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously.

He considered it again and again, and spoke carefully: "Sir, is there any conflict between you and Elder Bloomer?"

When asking this question, the iron-blooded commander's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

At this moment, Wu Fu finally deeply understood what it meant to use both kindness and severity.

Although Su Xiao's words caused him to lose a finger, now he would rather die than let this adult make any mistake - at least not before the military funds arrived, and even less after that.

If he could get full military funds for three consecutive years, he vowed to beat the barbarians on the border and make them cry for their parents, and make those arrogant sea tribes crawl forever under the empire's iron cavalry.

"how?"

"I want to station 500 elite soldiers near this manor. No, 800! You see..."

"It's up to you. I'm in urgent need of people recently. Help me find some capable people. Their character doesn't matter, but they have to come from a clean background."

"Leave it to me. The garrison and the people you need will be here by tomorrow morning at the latest."

As the meeting was coming to an end, Lin Yi suddenly hooked his finger at Wu Fu and said, "Put your hand over here."

Wu Fu didn't understand what Lin Yi was going to do, but the issue of military expenditure caused Wu Fu's favorability towards the power-grabbing team to soar.

At this moment, even if Lin Yi wanted to kick his head like a ball, as long as he could ensure that the military funds were paid in full, he would hand over the sword without hesitation.

Lin Yi opened his palm, and a faint light enveloped Wu Fu's broken finger. When Lin Yi removed his palm, Wu Fu's broken finger had recovered as before.

Wu Fu widened his eyes and stared at his intact fingers.

He moved his joints in disbelief and even pinched his fingertips hard.

The real pain told him that this was not an illusion - the skin at the severed finger was as smooth as new, without even a scar left.

"Thank you, sir!"

"If you have nothing else to do, go ahead and do your work. Remember, don't forget about the Tieyang military camp."

"Don't worry, sir! Within a week, I will transform the Tieyang Army! If I fail to do so, I am willing to be punished by military law!"

After the meeting, Su Xiao played the good cop and Lin Yi played the bad cop, and they made several legion commanders obey them completely.

With the departure of several legion commanders, the entire conference room became empty again.

“Is this politics?”

The Silenced King on the side was finding it very difficult to understand at this moment. She once ruled the country with the way of chivalry and was more diligent and caring for the people than the two people in front of her. But why was the betrayal of her subjects what was waiting for her?
Su Xiao and his men simply performed a double act of kindness and severity to make these iron-blooded generals submit to their will.

"When do you think the people sent by Bloomer will arrive?"

Lin Yi gently placed the empty juice cup on the oak table, and the bottom of the cup made a crisp sound when it hit the table.

He leaned lazily back in his chair, and the leather seat made a slight creaking sound.

"It's probably going to be soon."

Su Xiao answered without even looking up. At this moment, Bubuwang had been sent by him to monitor other contenders for the throne.

He was watching a live broadcast of a love ethics action blockbuster on his tablet computer - Duke Silver Feather, one of the four power grabbers.

Su Xiao felt that this Duke of Silver Feather was somewhat suspicious. He had slept with eight women between 6pm and 10pm. He should not be called the Duke of Silver Feather, but the Duke of Iron Kidney.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

There was a knock on the door, and a girl in a black and white maid outfit walked in pushing a food cart.

Su Xiao stretched, a glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes—the person he was waiting for finally came.

The dining cart stopped beside Su Xiao, and the maid in a black round skirt placed the meal on the dining table and opened a bottle of wine.

"My lord, please use it."

The maid bowed and retreated out of the meeting room.

Su Xiao was stunned for a moment. Could it be that he guessed wrong?

"and many more."

"Let's dance."

"what?"

The maid looked at Su Xiao in surprise, quietly took a small step back, hesitated for a moment, and then she really started dancing, and she danced quite well.

"Okay, you don't have to jump anymore, get out."

Lin Yi had already secretly investigated the attributes of this maid - she simply did not possess the qualities of an assassin.

The maid left the room disappointedly, her skirt swaying slightly with her steps.

She had originally dreamed of being noticed by a certain master and becoming a phoenix from then on, but now it seemed like nothing more than wishful thinking.

"Strange, could it be that Bloomer really gave up?"

Just as the two were about to leave, there was another knock on the door.

This time, the two exchanged a knowing look - the real boss had finally arrived.

After Lin Yi said "come in", another maid came in pushing a dining cart.

"Come in."

After the door opened, another maid came in pushing a dining cart. This maid wore silver earrings, had a plain appearance, but a slimmer figure.

When she saw the table full of food and the food cart she was pushing, she froze in place.

Obviously, she didn't expect that the real maid had already come before her.

"Lord Kukulin, your extra meal has arrived."

The new maid seemed a little embarrassed and stood at the door pushing the dining car.

Lin Yi looked at the helpless maid and couldn't help but hold his forehead - the assassin hired by Bloomer didn't even do the most basic site scouting. (End of this chapter)

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