Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 336 Robbing the Prince of the Southern Region?

Melantha looked at Windsordler with a puzzled expression:

"Why does it feel like Cohen and this Greg have some deep-seated grudge?"

Windsordler explained to Melantha the history between the two, including the grudges between the ancient pirate king and the Alvis royal family, and the story of how Greg was humiliated when he tried to propose marriage to the Eastern Empire.

Cohen coughed lightly and looked at Melantha:
"Where is Xia Zuo's car?"

Melanie quickly gave a location.

Cohen put away the intelligence, signaled the carriage to stop, and said to the two men:
"You all walk slowly ahead, I need to go and discuss something with His Highness the Prince!"

Xia Zuo looked at Cohen, who had stopped the carriage, and said calmly:

"Does Mr. Yan have something else to tell you?"

Cohen smiled slightly:
"I just received a new emergency and wanted to come and discuss it with His Highness the Prince."

Xia Zuo raised an eyebrow and said:
"You're my cousin's fiancé, so don't be so polite. Just call me Xia Zuo."

please. "

Cohen boarded Xia Zuo's carriage, exchanged a few polite words, and then produced information about Greg, the eldest prince of the Southern Empire.

Xia Zuo stared at the documents in Cohen's hand and asked:

"What is this?"

Cohen handed the intelligence to Shazo:

"The latest developments of Greg Arvis, the eldest prince of the Southern Empire."

Xia Zuo's eyes suddenly lit up, and his expression abruptly became intriguing.

He took the intelligence, but didn't look at it immediately. Instead, he said with a touch of emotion:
"It seems that Commander Ya'en's greatest strength is his intelligence capabilities. He can even plant spies around the Crown Prince of the Southern Empire, which is far away in the Endless Sea. It's truly frightening."

"Commander Ya'en, we're already partners, and you're my future brother-in-law. You don't need to resort to such underhanded tactics while I'm around."

Cohen said with a smile:

"Your Highness misunderstands. As the first in line to the throne of the Eastern Empire, I would never dare to plant a spy by your side."

"We were able to track your movements entirely thanks to Gaius's idiotic third son."

Xia Zuo smiled, unsure whether he believed Cohen's words. He opened the intelligence report and began reading, quickly becoming engrossed in its contents.

After a while, Xia Zuo raised his eyes, looked at Cohen, and said:
"I never expected that the eldest prince of the Southern Empire would also be going to Guimian City. This is really going to be interesting."

However, I hadn't noticed that the Southern Empire had such a deep connection with the Lor'thermar family of Ceylon.

Cohen smiled faintly and slowly began to speak:
"Does Your Highness think Greg could become our ally?"

A deeper meaning flashed in Xia Zuo's eyes, and his voice was neither hurried nor slow:
"What does the commander think?"

Cohen made no attempt to hide his thoughts, stating them bluntly:

"Why does Your Highness pretend to know what you don't? Putting aside the fact that Grace once kicked Greg's marriage proposal delegation out the door, the enmity between the Southern Empire and the ancient pirate king alone determines that we are destined to be enemies."

Xia Zuo's face showed a look of understanding; the other party's reaction was exactly what he had expected.

Cohen continued:

"Furthermore, Gregor's ultimate goal is to support the Lorthermar family, defeat the Gaius lineage, and take control of Ceylon."

This is different from our position.

Xia Zuo did not deny this point. His main purpose in coming here was to use the Saxon name to quell the rebellion in Ceylon. Sooner or later, he would be at odds with Gregor.

Xia Zuo was silent for a moment, then said:
"Did the captain say all that in the hopes that we'll join forces to deal with Greg?"

Cohen said with a smile:

"To be precise, it was Young Master Qiao Lun and the three of us who joined forces to kick the people from the Southern Empire out of the game before dealing with Arnold of Effie."

Xia Zuo did not show any particular emotion on his face, as if he was indifferent to Cohen's suggestion.

Cohen knew the other person was deliberately provoking him, and wasn't surprised. He chuckled and said what Xia Zuo cared about most:
"Your Highness, I don't know if you've heard this rumor, but the Southern Empire, on the surface, has always been developing in the Endless Sea and has never interfered in the affairs of the three continents of humanity."

But in reality, the Alvis royal family secretly maintains agents on various continents to help them invest and operate in various industries. Over the years, the Southern Empire's wealth accumulation across the continents has reached a terrifying level.

At this point, Cohen clearly saw Shazo's eyes light up.

If there's one thing that's giving Prince Xia Zuo the biggest headache right now, it's definitely the issue of funding.

His elaborate schemes to control the Kingdom of Ceylon and Efein were aimed at leveraging control of the grain trade routes in the Northwest Continent to coerce the wealthiest family on the continent, and at easing his financial straits through a marriage alliance with the daughter of the Golden Wing.

The plan has now completely failed, and has even exposed the relationship between Prince Quentin and himself, resulting in Prince Quentin, who was originally entitled to a share of "Flaming Lips," being expelled from the board of directors.

This trip to Ceylon was, in a sense, Xia Zuo's last gamble. If successful, he could use the resources of the strongest kingdom on the continent to fuel his succession-contending group.

Therefore, when he heard words like profit and wealth, even though he knew the other party was deliberately trying to lure him in, Xia Zuo couldn't help but be tempted.

Seeing that the other party was clearly interested, Cohen added fuel to the fire:

"According to some of my intelligence sources, the Southern Empire controls more than a hundred magic crystal mines in the Northwest Continent alone. As for land, farms, banks, and factories, the number is even more terrifying."

Prince Xia Zuo's pupils constricted, and his heart pounded uncontrollably.

It was no secret among the upper echelons of the Southern Empire that it had investments in various continents. Given that the Southern Empire occupied the Endless Sea, it was impossible for it not to send a large number of marine treasures and specialties to the human continent.

He had heard of the wealth that Cohen listed before, but the Alvis royal family was well hidden on the three continents and had not been discovered until now.

Xia Zuo's eyes flickered slightly, he composed himself, and asked in a deep voice:

"There have always been people who coveted the Southern Empire, but none of them have ever succeeded."

Xia Zuo's words showed that he was already interested. Cohen's lips curled into a slight smile, and he continued:

That's because they didn't find the right method.

Your Highness, do you think that Gregor, as the eldest prince of the Southern Empire, would use the wealth that an unknown viscount family had placed in the Northwest Continent if he wanted to support them in Ceylon?

If we could secretly control all the men he brought into Ceylon, could we follow the clues to find the wealth hidden by the Alvis family in the northwest continent?
Even if none of these work, can't we just go after Greg and force him to reveal where those shares and wealth are hidden?

Or you could simply take Gregor to the Southern Empire to ransom him!

Shazo's breathing quickened noticeably. Cohen's suggestion was indeed highly feasible. Since the other party was able to obtain such top-secret information, it meant that there must be a high-ranking spy planted around Greg.

This plan might actually have a chance of succeeding.

The option of redeeming people, in particular, greatly interested Xia Zuo.

Others might not dare to touch the Crown Prince of the Southern Region Empire, but the Eastern Region Empire and the Central Empire, united in action, had no such concerns.

After a brief moment of thought, Xia Zuo quickly made a decision.

He no longer concealed his attitude and asked directly:
"How do you plan to do it? How do you need my cooperation? And most importantly, how will the profits be distributed after it's done?"

Cohen smiled and said:
"We'll figure out the specifics once we get to Guimian City and meet up with Young Master Qiao Lun."

As for profit sharing, I'll take half, and you and Young Master Qiao Lun will split the other half equally.

Xia Zuo frowned deeply and said:

"You take half, isn't that too much?"

Cohen smiled faintly:
"I proposed the plan, and I obtained the intelligence. Without my involvement, this whole thing would not have existed at all."

It's perfectly reasonable for me to want half.

Xia Zuoshen looked at Cohen and said in a deep voice:
"Without the protection of the Central Empire and our Eastern Empire, even if you acquire the wealth of the Southern Empire in the future, you may not be able to keep it."

Cohen slowly began to speak:
"Your Highness, have you forgotten that I am also a citizen of the Eastern Empire? These things are intended as betrothal gifts for the Eastern Empire. No matter how powerful the Southern Empire is, it wouldn't dare to ask the Emperor of the Eastern Empire for anything, would it?"

Xia Zuo was stunned for a moment. He had overlooked Cohen even though he hadn't mentioned him. The other party was his cousin-in-law.

He remained silent for a long time, still not quite in favor of this profit distribution.

The eldest prince of the Southern Empire—it's easy to imagine the immense pressure and the level of enemies one would face if one were to take action against such a figure. If things go wrong, even a Saint might have to be mobilized.

Xia Zuo was truly unwilling to accept that such a large investment would not yield a sufficient return.

Seeing that Xia Zuo still wouldn't budge, Cohen said calmly:

"Your Highness, is this alright? If not, I'll ask Young Master Joren for his opinion. I think Chief Heisenberg would be very interested in the wealth of the Southern Empire."

"Perhaps after hearing my plan, he'll come in person."

Xia Zuo's expression turned cold, and he said:
"Let's not involve the older generation in the affairs between the young people. Let's just do it your way for now. I'll go and inform Qiao Lun and tell that kid to speed things up."

Cohen smiled slightly:
“Alright, then the three of us will meet in Guimian City. It’s been a pleasure working with Your Highness.”

Haha, plotting against the Crown Prince of the Southern Empire, how exciting!

After Cohen left the carriage, Xia Zuo fell into deep thought.

Not long after, footsteps sounded from outside, and Andrei walked in slowly. Xia Zuo told Andrei about what had happened.

After listening, Andrei frowned, considered for a moment, and then slowly nodded:
"The plan is good, but Commander Yaen doesn't have any good ideas either."

He wanted to use His Highness and Young Master Qiao Lun of the Central Empire to deal with the people of the Southern Empire.

Whether it's the personal grudge of Prince Gregor being humiliated by the Princess, or the feud between the ancient pirate king and the Southern Empire, the two sides are destined to be locked in a life-or-death struggle in Ceylon this time.

He certainly couldn't possibly defeat an imperial prince by himself, so he came up with this plan to have us deal with Gregor for him."

Xia Zuo said in a deep voice:

"That's right, that should be his main purpose."

Regardless of his motives, the Southern Empire's wealth on the human continent was undeniably substantial.

Andrei asked somewhat cautiously:

"Wouldn't it be too risky to attack a prince of an empire?"

Prince Xia Zuo's lips curled into a sneer:
"A mere prince will inevitably clash with these imperial heirs sooner or later in the future turmoil. It's better to deal with one of them in advance to avoid trouble later."

Andrei's eyes trembled violently; he could faintly detect a hint of murderous intent in Prince Xiazuo's tone.

Is it possible...

Xia Zuo's disdain turned into a sinister smile:
"Andrei, don't you think it would be interesting if the heir to the Southern Empire died at the hands of the nephew of the chief noble of the Central Empire's House of Nobles?"

Andrei's pupils contracted slightly, but Xia Zuo had already changed his tone:
"Go and inform our young master Qiao Lun to hurry up, there's a big deal waiting for him in Guimian City!"

……

Gregor Jarvis couldn't believe that anyone in this world would dare to covet the crown prince of the Southern Empire.

He never imagined that he would be less than a month away from becoming the first imperial prince to be captured on the Demon Tide Continent.

His ambitious plans for the Northwest Continent will soon become a laughing stock for everyone on the continent.

He had already arrived in the City of Crowns and even caught a glimpse of Freya from afar. He was immediately struck by her stunning beauty and aura. Soon after, he issued an order to Malfoy Lorthermar, the heir of the Lorthermar family!
Gavin's territory, returned to the capital.

As the political center of the Ceylon Restoration Movement, Guimiancheng has established a complete governance system after a period of operation, becoming the political core of the Ceylon Restoration movement.

Its administrative structure is centered on the "Ceylon Restoration Council," with three main branches: the Legislative Council, the Military Command, and the Financial Council.

The feudal lords who had pledged allegiance to the princess sent representatives to reside permanently in Guimian City, surrounding her and dividing up the power of Guimian City by placing personnel in the Legislative Council, the Military Command, and the Finance Council.

Of course, the greatest center of power is still the princess's palace at the very center of Guimian City.

Princess Freya personally serves as the Speaker of the Legislative Council and concurrently as the Chairman of the Military Command, wielding both political and military power.

The Finance Council is composed of representatives from the Gavin, Eisenheir, and Veritas families, who each elect one representative to form the Standing Council. This council is responsible for management and holds the financial power of the restored nation.

In the princess's palace council chamber, the heads of the three major organizations were reporting recent developments to Freya.

On the Finance Council side, the person in charge of reporting was Iphiel Gavin, the first in line to the Gavin family.

"...Your Highness, the matter we discussed last week regarding the establishment of 'Restoration Bonds' to raise funds from overseas Chinese has received very positive feedback. According to our preliminary investigation, compatriots at home and abroad are very willing to contribute to Your Highness's cause of restoring the nation."

We expect it to be officially launched within a month. With this investment, our financial situation will be greatly alleviated.

Freya nodded slightly, her stunning face radiating an aura of majesty that made it impossible for anyone to look directly at her. The demeanor she exuded in every gesture already bore a resemblance to the Queen of Ceylon.

After Ifilo finished his report, Elio Eisenheir, the heir of the Eisenheir family who had been waiting impatiently, stood up and said:
"Your Highness, I also have some good news to report."

Freya smiled just the right amount of time:

"Has the issue of weapons supply been resolved?"

Elio bowed slightly and reported in a calm tone:
"Under the coordination of our Eisenheir family, an anvil fortress will be built near the City of Crowns."

The fortress contains 12 emergency production lines, primarily producing standard-issue weapons and anti-magic-coated shields.

Freya expressed high approval of Elio's report, offered a few words of encouragement, and then continued:

"The biggest threat we face now is still the Border Legion on the northwest border. Based on my discussion with Marshal Arnold Efein, we have decided to complete the elimination of the Border Legion within three months."

Of course, we cannot rely solely on the strength of Effie. In this siege of Guimian City, we must play a leading role and cannot always depend on foreign assistance. This is also an explanation to our own people.

To put it bluntly, it's still a matter of manpower. Do any of you have any good suggestions?

Malfoy Rothemar, who had been silent all along, stood up and spoke:
"I do have a rough idea."

Freya saw Malfoy stand up, a meaningful glint in her eyes, and said softly:

"please say."

Malfoy steadied himself and addressed the crowd:

"Most of the people here are local nobles from Ceylon. It shouldn't be a problem for each of us to contribute a number of family guards with extraordinary abilities."

Now is the time to wage war. We can first form a national defense army using the guards of our respective families, and then gradually recruit more troops after we have recovered more land.”

Malfoy's suggestion immediately silenced everyone. To be fair, the suggestion was feasible to some extent, but getting these nobles to contribute their family's elite guards for no reason was a big problem.

Freya's eyes lit up, and she gave Malfoy an approving look, saying, "That's a good idea. What do you all think?"

The crowd remained silent for a while, no one willing to be the first to speak out.

Freya sneered inwardly, her voice dropping a few degrees in temperature:

"Don't worry, everyone. No matter how many guards each person provides, these guards will ultimately belong to your own families. Once our own army has developed, these guards will be returned to their respective families."

Freya's words did not shake the nobles. Although her words sounded nice, once the person was handed over, who knew when they would be returned?
Soldiers have always only cared about their pay. Once they've fought a few battles with the princess and received a few rewards, who would still recognize their original master?

The atmosphere in the meeting room remained strange.

Malfoy was prepared for this scene, and with a faint smile, he said:
"Your Highness, although our Lorthermar family is of average strength and cannot compare with those dukes and marquises, we are still willing to contribute our strength to the princess's cause of restoring her kingdom."

Our family is willing to contribute five thousand elite family guards as the first brigade of the National Protection Army!

Malfoy's words immediately caused many people in the meeting room to show surprise.

Five thousand family guards?
The Lor'themar family is really going all out to please the princess.

As soon as Malfoy said this, everyone realized that Malfoy was clearly putting on a show with the princess.

What puzzled them was, when did the Lorthermar family become so close to the princess?
As soon as Malfoy finished speaking, Freya quickly added:
“Very well, I will not let the Lorthermar family suffer any losses.”

I hereby bestow upon Viscount Lorthermar the title of Earl Lorthermar. From this day forward, Pearl Harbor will be entirely managed by the Lorthermar family. Aside from fixed taxes and a share of the profits, the Ceylon royal family will no longer interfere or exercise jurisdiction in any way.

These words immediately caused a huge uproar in the conference room.

They just promoted the Lorthermar family to a higher rank like that?
Did they even hand over Pearl Harbor to the other side?
Is this the deal between Freya and Malfoy?

Although Pearl Harbor is still in the hands of Gaius's faction, the so-called handover to the Lorthermar family for independent operation is just an empty promise.

But this check will eventually be cashed. Aren't these feudal lords and nobles choosing the princess who restores the country precisely to gamble on this opportunity to cash it in in the future?
Seeing that such a generous promise could be obtained in exchange for just five thousand guards, the other nobles also became restless.

Elio spoke first, saying:

“Our Eisenhail family is willing to contribute a Griffin Knights Order and a Mage Team, as well as a 1,000 ‘regular’ guards.”

Freya's generous promises were given away as if they were free:

"The mining rights for the Ash Plains in southeastern Ceylon will be entirely entrusted to the Eisenhall family for the next ten years."

It was yet another empty promise, but it was dazzling enough that even the composed Iphiero couldn't help but glance at Freya in astonishment.

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became lively, with various nobles expressing their loyalty to Freya.

Iphiel quickly realized something, and when he looked at the nobles again, his eyes were filled with sorrow and pity.

Once you find out who Freya's backers are, you'll understand that these checks will probably never be cashed.

After the meeting, Malfoy, the eldest son of the Lor'themar family, entered the princess's study, his eyes gleaming with excitement:

"Your Highness, I think I did a pretty good job today."

Freya gently stroked Koss in her arms, and the smile on her lips made Malfoy's heart flutter:
"Thank you so much for your generous help. I really don't know what I would have done without your support."

Malfoy straightened up even more, but he still retained the most basic qualities of a noble heir and did not forget the important matter, tentatively saying:

“Your Highness, I have a distant relative who is very influential abroad and has a powerful background. He has recently heard about our Ceylon and is very interested in it, and is very willing to provide financial assistance.”

However, he hoped to meet with His Highness and speak with him in person.

Freya remained calm and smiled faintly:
"Of course, once I've set a time, I'll have Lucia let you know."

Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief and replied:

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Freya watched Malfoy's departing figure, a cold glint in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)