Throne of the North.

Chapter 49 Provincial Conference
Three days later, at the Governor's Mansion in Beifeng City, the nobles of the entire Beifeng Province finally gathered together.

It's this number that seems a bit pitiful.

In the past, the nobles in the Northern Province were very lively, but after the orc invasion, everything changed.

The death of those who died is regrettable, but the living are still chatting and laughing.

Ryan sat in the area of ​​Lingdu County, watching the earls and viscounts talking and laughing with each other. He even had memories of the one sitting in the middle.

To be precise, it was the two emblems on the scepter in the other's hand that were intertwined like vines.

Count Laxu of the Empire, lord of flying snakes and forests.

This is an earl with real power in the empire whose family is powerful. He occupies the warm forests in the south. It is said that the fertile land he has reclaimed is enough for millions of people to squander at will.

For the Northern Province, this is simply an unimaginable paradise.

After exchanging pleasantries with the three earls around him for a long time, the earl who came on behalf of the empire finally coughed twice and stood up.

The huge parliament hall suddenly became extremely quiet. Everyone looked at Earl Laxul and watched him take out a piece of snow-white silk from the scepter in his hand, which had many words written on it.

"Since we are all here, let's gather early and disperse early. It's really cold in the Northern Province."

Count Laxul spoke in a somewhat disdainful tone, but no one objected. If they had a choice, they would rather stay in the warm south.

But the other party's words still made people feel a little uncomfortable.

"Starting this year, the Empire will cancel all preferential treatment for the Northern Wind Province."

Laxu said concisely that there were actually a lot of words on the silk, mostly describing the empire's expectations and support for the Northern Wind Province over the years, but this person summed it up directly.

"Every year, the support of one million gold coins will be cancelled. At the same time, the Northern Wind Province will pay the Empire taxes of one and a half million gold coins every year."

"One million and a half?!!!"

As soon as Count Laxul finished speaking, a noble stood up angrily. He was from Hanshan County and was one of the few nobles who had survived by chance. He was shocked when he heard this.

"Where can the Northern Wind Province come up with 1.5 million gold coins?"

Laxu snorted coldly and ignored the baron. He looked at Viscount Landa, one of the seven county governors of North Wind Province. He was sure that this man must have stood up at the request of the viscount.

One million and a half gold coins, when divided among each noble, was a considerable sum. Hanshan County was the place worst hit by orcs, so it was difficult to come up with the money, but they were smart enough to involve everyone in the North Wind Province.

Indeed, soon people began to speak out one after another, saying that Beifeng Province was in a difficult situation and that they could not even come up with 500,000, let alone 1.5 million.

Laxu doesn't indulge these people either.

"I am only informing you that from now on, taxes from the Northern Wind Province must be paid every year."

"As for how you get it out, that's not a problem for the Empire to worry about."

"And this time when the orcs marched south, your Northern Wind Province was the only province in the entire empire that failed to stop them. In the entire south, many people are now wondering if the empire has grown old."

"The reputation of the empire has been offended. You have committed a serious mistake this time and you still dare to bargain?"

What Laxu said was true. Perhaps it was because the Empire had already half-abandoned the Northern Province, so it did not impose too severe punishment on the Northern Province for failing to resist the invasion of orcs. Even Earl Winter was still the Governor of the Northern Province.

But these things cannot be brought up. Every noble knows that face is very important to them.

"All right."

Finally, it was Count Winter who stood up and said:

"The Northern Wind Province will definitely not let down the empire's trust."

"this is the best."

Count Laxul nodded and said that telling these nobles the news they already knew was just a task for him and there was no benefit in it.

On the contrary, what happens next will affect the interests of the earl.

"Now that you know this, sit down and let's discuss the second matter."

"In the south, the Empire and many great nobles held an exchange on the Holy Mountain of the Church, intending to implement the Lordship system in all territories on the continent." "This matter has not been completely finalized, and the Empire also wants to know what the nobles in each province think."

"As for the Lordship system..."

After a brief introduction, Count Laxul fell silent, and the entire conference hall became eerily quiet.

After a while, the sound appeared.

"Of course it would be great if we could expand the northern border."

A baron smiled and said that he had several children, and although he was not worried about the inheritance issue, he was still very worried before.

"It is an honor for those peasants to be able to expand territory for the empire. In my opinion, it would be enough to give them the title of pioneer knights. There is no need to make them nobles."

"After all, we conquered the territory. It's not good to say that. Otherwise, what would have become of our ancestors?"

"Yes, my Lord, it sounds very nice."

The nobles naturally smiled like old foxes, and some even addressed each other and praised each other's family emblems to the skies.

But some are happy and some are sad.

A nobleman stood up. He had been sitting on the edge, without his family emblem, and was a little nervous and angry at the moment.

"Lord Laxul, I wonder what the Empire plans to do with us pioneer nobles and knights?"

Count Laxul also said calmly:
"The pioneering nobles before this year will be officially observed in their territories. If they are qualified, they will become barons of the empire. If their territories are not qualified, they will become lords."

"For pioneer knights, as long as they have a territory, they can become lords."

"The Empire promised us that as long as our territory was large enough, we would be granted nobility status!"

A pioneer knight stood up. Many people could see that he was still wearing leather armor under his loose clothes, and they couldn't help but look at him unkindly.

This is a meeting of nobles, what's the point of dressing like this? Is it lowering their status?

"Knight Qiulin, are you questioning the Empire's decision?"

Count Winter snorted coldly and looked at the pioneer knight. The powerful knight's pressure forced him to sit down.

"The Empire did say that back then, but a lord is also a member of the nobility. As long as you become a lord, no one will deny that you are not a noble when you go out. Otherwise, you will be condemned by the entire human race."

"So, strictly speaking, the Empire did not break its promise."

"As for whether you can become a baron, that also depends on the size of your territory. You can't say that you will definitely become a baron if you get a development order. There is no such thing."

"If it were in the past, many of you would have become wandering knights and lost your own territories, not to mention becoming lords and nobles."

"This time, the Empire directly granted noble seats to all of you."

"Can a lord be the same as a baron?"

After hearing Gao Laxsu's words, some people in the crowd couldn't help but speak.

Some of the more cautious ones continued to ask questions.

"If we become a lord, but the lordship needs to be attached to the fifth rank, what noble lordship do we belong to?"

"Well..."

Laxu's eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone was a little high.

"In theory, you should become the lord of the noble you received the development order from, but the Northern Wind Province is too far away. In order to help each other and develop the vast northern land, the empire suggests that you choose the fifth-class nobles near your own territory."

"And the Empire can decide that this year's first batch of lords have the right to actively choose the fifth-class nobles."

Obviously, the empire is also aware that there are basically conflicts between the development of territory and the neighboring nobles. In order to ease such conflicts, the lord can be prevented from relying on the fifth-class nobles closest to him.

(End of this chapter)