Imperial Crown.

Chapter 342 A strange combination of circumstances
Many thanks to Qidian Dad [Li Yichang 1990] for the 100 reward!

Many thanks to Qidian Dad [Lingmu, Qidian Reading iOS] for the 100 reward!

……

As long as you give up your bottom line, you can live comfortably.

There is some truth in this statement, at least Lord Faraday now deeply understands it.

During the first few days after being captured, he was in a state of constant fear. Although he was nominally under house arrest, the magic-sealing steel shackles on his hands were never opened.

I don't know how many people have been locked up with these shackles. They have an oily and smelly smell, and it's quite pungent if you smell it up close.

God have mercy on him, although Faraday is also a level 2 transcendent, he has basically not missed any combat skills, and the only combat experience he has is the club fight before inheriting the title.

With your hands locked, no delicious food, no beautiful women, lying in the house all day, it can be so boring.

He was really fed up with this situation.

However, Raven, who was expected to come and entertain him with a banquet and treat him as a VIP, never showed up.

"The Nord nobles are so rude!"

Raven is only a baron, but he is a marquis! Even if he loses the battle, he should be treated with enough courtesy!
However, the situation is stronger than people.

Over the past few days, he gradually figured it out. Since he had surrendered, Eivor was destined not to be able to go back.

His Highness the Grand Duke had disliked him in the first place, and once the news of his surrender came, it would be hard to say whether he would still have the status of Marquis.

Why did I surrender in the first place?
Wouldn't it be much better to go up and fight Raven, then defeat him and be captured after a few moves?
But at that time, the thousands of riders broke through the formation with the help of the Hymn of Courage, and Raven's unparalleled power left Faraday no time to think, and he could only make decisions based on instinct.

Time cannot be reversed, the mistake has already been made.

It would be better to sell it for a good price while I am still a marquis!

"Now Raven should receive my gift, right?"

Faraday changed his posture and imagined his bright future.

Anyway, the title will no longer be his, so he should sell everything he can, including the territory, castle, population...

I heard that Raven also has the nickname of Little Bee, so it is not impossible to dedicate my 11-year-old daughter to him.

Although he may never become a noble again, compared to Palmer who was shattered into pieces, his future is quite promising!
Fine wine, beautiful women, it seems like it would be nice to spend the rest of your life like this, right?

Faraday couldn't help but hum.

Bang! The door opened and in walked the hyena.

"Did Baron Raven ask you to invite me?" Faraday immediately jumped up from the bed. Although he was a head lower than the hyena, he still raised his chin and said arrogantly:

"Do you regret it now? You beat and scolded me before!"

"But as a noble, I won't argue with a lowly fellow like you. Now, kneel on the ground and give me..."

"Ouch~~!!!"

Before he could finish his words, the hyena raised his hand and slapped Faraday in the face.

A palm print appeared on the plump face and it quickly swelled up, just like a monkey's butt.

Faraday covered his face, blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth, and he was already stunned:

"What are you doing? I'm the Marquis!!!"

The hyena's fist answered him:

"Marquis! Marquis! Damn Marquis!"

The hyena was very angry.

I thought I could take this opportunity to please the Baron, but I didn't expect to make the Baron so angry.

It’s a pity that Hyena used to think that the fat guy Faraday was quite honest!

A left hook, a right hook, and finally a downward punch.

Faraday was like a sandbag. He was hit by the last punch and flew up on the spot. He fell on his back with a thud and opened his mouth to spit out a mouthful of broken teeth.

Fortunately, he had the foundation of a second-level extraordinary person, otherwise, he would have been half dead after these three punches.

But it’s not that good now. His face has swollen like a pig’s head, and there are two sausages hanging from his mouth. He can’t even stick out his tongue.

“Why, why…”

Faraday wanted to ask why, but he couldn't find the words to speak.

With a disgusted look, the hyena kicked him in the stomach: "Take him away!"

Looking at Faraday being carried away by the soldiers, the hyena was also a little confused.

What exactly did Faraday give to make the Baron so angry?
At the same time, Raven was still angry.

He just couldn't understand how Faraday could be so bold as to make fun of him like this!

At the same time, I couldn't help but feel that one should not judge a person by his appearance.

Don’t think that Faraday is morally corrupt and looks like a pig, but he still has his own bottom line and righteousness!
Knock, knock, knock on the door. Raven said casually:
"Enter!"

Lancha walked in with his iconic high brow ridges and saluted:
"Thank you, Baron, for treating my soldiers equally."

Although he still disagreed with Lei Wen's way of commanding the army, Lan Cha had always been a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment and dealt with things based on facts.

After this victory, when distributing the spoils, Lancha's 1st Independent Corps not only received rewards, but was also fully equipped with plate armor, greatly improving its combat effectiveness.

In addition, the care the wounded received was basically the same as that of the Eagle Army, and many soldiers who would have died survived.

"They are not only your soldiers, but also my soldiers. Isn't that the way it should be?" Raven said with a smile.
"I called you here this time because I want to tell you that since the independent army has almost recovered, we should set out first and move north to gain a foothold in Bolan County for me."

Lancha saluted and said, "Yes, Lord Baron."

Just as he was about to leave, he glanced at the wooden box on the table - it was not of high quality, and looked like an ordinary cheap dressing box. How did it appear on Raven's desk?
Lancha was not a nosy person, so he looked away and was about to turn around.

But Raven was still furious: "Lancha, is Faraday really that stubborn?"

"What?" Lancha stopped and looked confused.

Lancha had met the Marquis of Faraday several times and had heard many rumors about him.

He is mean, shameless, obscene, and filthy. He has done many things to bully men and women. He is a disgrace to the aristocracy.

But it has nothing to do with the word "moral integrity".

Influenced by the teachings, Lancha could not say anything bad about others behind their backs, so he carefully considered his words:
"From what I have heard, the character of Marquis Faraday is, uh... as reliable as his appearance."

"Haha, you've made a mistake this time." Raven pushed the box in front of Lancha:
"Although he is not as good as your father, he is still a figure."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have sent this to me."

When mentioning his father at this time, Lancha always felt something was strange, but since he was a surrendered man, he could only endure any dissatisfaction.

At the same time, I was a little curious. Did I really misunderstand Lord Faraday?

After opening the box, Lancha's expression became a little strange: "... Lord Raven, I don't think this conflicts with my conclusion."

"What?" Raven felt his mind was a little confused. "You mean, he humiliated me so much, but that still can't prove his bottom line?"

Is Lancha trying to flatter me and show that he is completely my man? Does he really not consider himself an Eivor at all?

Kelancha shouldn't have this kind of personality.

"Ah, humiliation?" Lancha was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Oh, so that's how it is."

"Lord Raven, you have completely misunderstood."

"This is the Marquis Faraday, expressing his absolute loyalty to you!"

Raven: “……???”

He picked up a wooden ruler from the corner of the table, reached into the box, and picked up the things inside.

A pair of underwear.

It was made of silk and was as thick as a tablecloth, with a striking yellow stain in the center that looked at first glance like a rising sun flag.

Raven's mouth twitched:

"You Eivor people, this is all you need to pledge your allegiance?!"

Lancha looked a little embarrassed: "This is a long story. There are more than a dozen legends related to it."

"However, offering one's underwear is like a beast showing its soft belly to a human. In Eivor, it is an expression of absolute submission."

This time it was Raven's turn to be stunned.

He put down the ruler, scratched his head, looked at the underwear in the box, and scratched his head again.

He has lived for two lifetimes and has seen a lot of things, but this is the first time he has heard of such a custom!
No, if you want to express your loyalty, can’t you just write a letter?

Do you have to give me underwear?
Even if you want to give it to me, can't you just wash it?
With a sigh, Raven's expression tensed.

broken!

"Lancha, go find Hyena and ask him to bring Faraday to me, quickly!"

boom--

The door opened.

The hyena rushed in and said, "My lord, it's done!"

Raven asked with a glimmer of hope: "...Where's Faraday?"

The hyena pulled out a wooden box from behind his back like a treasure: "It's right here!"

"I..." Raven's eyes widened.

How come you're so fast? Are you addicted to being a cavalryman?

But after all, this was an order given by Raven himself. It was too late to regret now. He could only sigh and wave his hand:
"Got it. Leave your things here and you all can get out."

The hyena was a little confused, but since the Baron had calmed down, that was a good thing.

He placed the box on Raven's desk and turned to leave.

After the door closed, Raven opened the wooden box, and Faraday's pig head with its eyes open appeared before him.

"Alas..." Raven smiled bitterly, feeling like crying but without the tears.

If Faraday was really willing to be loyal, he could just send an army to force Faraday back to his territory and perhaps take all of his family's property.

The Marquis family!
Even if it is a marquis in a principality, his family background is not comparable to that of ordinary nobles. I'm afraid he can at least make hundreds of thousands of gold coins, right?

And if Faraday is willing to cooperate, Raven can make use of his Eivor bloodline and become a "kingmaker" himself, supporting him as a puppet and gaining certain political advantages.

Now, there is only one head left.

Although corpses can be exchanged for some money, it is nothing compared to living people!

"You are really hurting others and yourself!" Raven pointed at Faraday's head and cursed, then closed the box with a bang.

But the brain has its uses.

It's time to recycle waste.

Raven thought for a moment, took out a blank piece of letter paper, and began to write.

After finishing the letter, Raven called Hu Xia and He Yaz.

Lei Wen stared at Hu Xia, put his hands on the table, and asked seriously:

"Hu Xia, can I trust your ability?"

A premonition came into Hu Xia's mind - the Baron must have seen through my hidden wisdom and is going to entrust me with an important task!

What will it be? Will he let me lead the army into battle, or promote me to be his military adviser?

Hoyaz is here, maybe the Baron wants him to formulate the next tactics for the Wind King's troops.

If this is accomplished, maybe he can become a knight!

Hu Xia straightened his back, and the four gold rings on his hands sparkled:

"Yes, my Lord, you can trust me!"

"Even if the next test may endanger your life?" Raven asked again.

Hu Xia nodded vigorously.

"Very good!" Raven nodded approvingly and pushed the wooden box containing Faraday's head and the letter he had just written in front of Hu Xia.

"Next, I will appoint you as my diplomatic ambassador, and you will represent me in dealing with the Principality of Aivor."

"The first task is to deliver this wooden box containing Faraday's head and this letter to Grand Duke Eivor VIII."

Hu Xia's head buzzed.

Now is the battle stage!

On his side, he had already killed three earls and the Marquis Faraday. If he went there now, it would be tantamount to committing suicide.

He finally understood why Hoyaz was coming too - it was too far from the Blue Castle, and Hoyaz was the guard responsible for escorting him!
"Of course, you can refuse." Raven spread his hands and said, "I can choose someone else to represent me."

Lei Wen's tolerant attitude made Hu Xia feel a little more relaxed.

Do you really want to say no?

This journey is destined to be very dangerous, but precisely because of this, it is the time to demonstrate his personal value!
How much credit can you get if you are just a clerk?
Not everyone is Old Gordon.

On the contrary, this time, if I can complete the mission and come back by myself, I will definitely be able to gain the trust of the Baron and join his core circle.

Moreover, the Baron has always been clear about rewards and punishments. If I can complete this mission, then maybe I can be awarded the title of knight - that would be a leap in the entire family's class!
Even if he died unfortunately, the Baron would not treat his family unfairly.

If you need to give it a try, you must give it a try!
Thinking of this, Hu Xia said seriously and solemnly:
"My Lord, I am willing to take this job!"

Raven nodded with satisfaction: "I was not wrong about you."

As he spoke, his eyes swept across the faces of Hu Xia and He Yazi: "You two must remember what I am going to say next."

This conversation lasted nearly two hours.

"That's enough." Raven cleared his throat: "Remember, you represent me and the entire Eagle Army."

"Once you have made this clear, you will know what to say, what not to say, and with what attitude you should say it."

"Do you have any other questions?"

Hu Xia and He Yazi looked at each other and replied in unison with a serious expression: "No more!"

"Then go ahead. Once you're ready, set off immediately!"

The two said goodbye and left.

Raven leaned back in her chair, her fingers twirling the quill Lux had given her.

Sending out envoys is itself part of Raven's next strategy.

The reason why an envoy was not sent before was because Raven was not famous enough and was not qualified to communicate with the other party.

Now with three consecutive big wins, this concern no longer exists.

And Faraday's head also accelerated this process.

If you just keep attacking hard, it will only provoke the other party to resist more.

Having a communication channel gives the other party an additional option to resolve the issue through negotiation rather than war.

Having a way out often makes people lose the courage to go all out.

This is true for an individual and for a country.

However, what cannot be obtained on the battlefield cannot be obtained at the negotiating table.

The war will not stop.

The next day, Lancha led the 1st Independent Corps to set off first.

On the same day, Raven issued an order for the entire army to prepare and set off seven days later.

And just two days before Raven was about to leave the Wall of Sighs.

Archbishop Thomas and Earl Tyrone came together.

……

(End of this chapter)