I'm not a lord

Chapter 202 Diplomatic Situation and New Expansion Goals

For Lynn, marriage was a very important bargaining chip.

Marriages between nobles often involved the exchange of benefits.

Lynn now possesses the title of Earl bestowed by the royal family, and also owns a vast territory and a powerful army.

If he can negotiate a marriage that is "well-matched" with the woman, he will most likely receive a generous dowry from her.

This dowry could be a legitimate claim to a title, an astonishing fortune, or a vast tract of fertile land and the people who depend on it.

Lynn wouldn't mind selling herself for a 'good price' as long as the dowry could accelerate the development of the territory.

Of course, marriage is by no means a necessity for him.

If the woman is not proactive enough or the dowry is not attractive enough, Lynn would not mind going to collect it herself.

For example, he might personally lead two or three thousand elite soldiers to "welcome the bride".

Moreover, marriage alliances are not just for superficial benefits; Lynn can also form alliances with other nobles through marriage to facilitate future expansion.

After taking control of Three Rivers, he not only geographically occupied the crossroads of the Northern Kingdom, but also faced a similar crossroads decision regarding the development direction of his territory.

Three Rivers is located at the intersection of three large territories: the Marshland Duchy, the Valley Duchy, and the Crown Territory.

Once outside the city, Lynn had roughly three directions in which he could expand.

To the south lies Jingtieling, renowned for its high-quality iron ore.

Its lord, Earl of Mirror Iron, possessed a formidable army. Although nominally a vassal of the Duke of the Valley, he relied on his wealth and army to completely disregard the orders of White Eagle Castle.

During the great war in the North over the past year, this count, who commanded a powerful army, did nothing major except take in a group of refugees, and did not send any envoys to White River Territory.

Occupying this land is very difficult, but if it can be taken, it will definitely greatly enhance Lynn's overall strength.

Heading east from Sanhe City, through a narrow river valley, lies the still chaotic Crown Territory.

Due to the war, the Crown Territory is currently in chaos and rife with bandits.

Although the Duke of the Swamp had already appointed a group of court knights as lords on the spot in an attempt to maintain order and production in the newly occupied territory.

However, it would be impossible for the region to return to its pre-war prosperity in less than ten years.

West of the city of Three Rivers lies the direct territory of the Duke of the Swamp – Turbulent County.

The land is roughly rectangular in shape, with several spurs of the mountain range to the north and a wide, quiet river flowing gently to the south.

The area is named 'Tuanliu' (meaning turbulent) because several rapid rivers rush down from the mountains and flow into the Jinghe River.

More than a decade ago, this area was the territory of the Earl of Turbulent Stream, but it was taken over by the Duke after the lord died out.

The Duke of the Marsh established the County of Turbulent Streams here and appointed the Earl of the Court as its governor, responsible for the county's administration, justice and military affairs.

However, centralization in the region is not thorough.

The count's line has died out, but the barons and knights below him have not.

The Duke of the Marshland confiscated the land within the rules and did not directly oppose all the nobles.

Therefore, Turbulent County was in a semi-centralized and semi-feudal state, with officials such as the county governor dispatched by the Duke of the Marsh, as well as hereditary barons and knights, making the regional situation quite complex.

Because the region was located on the edge of the duchy and was constantly threatened by war, the duke also built a large number of small and medium-sized castles along the Tranquil River and appointed 'castle lords' to be in charge of defense.

Last June, the Duke of the Marsh launched a major offensive against the Crown Territory, drawing troops from Turbulentshire and leaving the region vulnerable.

By autumn, Turbulent County was repeatedly attacked and plundered by refugee rebels and the Duke of the Valley.

However, the population of this place was not large to begin with, and the local farmers had a lot of experience in dealing with war, so most of them fled to the mountains and forests in the north to avoid disaster.

It simply means that the grain in the fields will be taken away by the enemy, and we will no longer be able to export grain.

This is one of the reasons why Sanhe City has encountered a food crisis this year.

Incidentally, after passing Turbulent County, heading north along the Mountain Range leads to Blackwood Territory, the family territory of Earl Blackwood.

This territory is also relatively barren, and having lost its lord and most of the noble knights, it may fall into chaos for a period of time.

Heading west from Turbulent County, the terrain suddenly opens up, and at the same time, one enters the heart of the Marsh Duchy.

For Lynn, neither going east nor south was a good option.

To the south lies the Mirror Iron Earl's Territory, a land of abundant mines, which is very difficult to conquer and would create new and formidable enemies.

Heading east would mean plunging into the chaotic Crown Territory. Whether one could gain any advantage was another matter, but suppressing the bandits alone would require considerable effort.

It seems that the optimal choice is still to expand westward.

The Duke of the Swamp's main force is currently all in the Crown Territory, leaving his stronghold vulnerable, and he has also lost three hundred valuable cavalrymen in Three Rivers City.

Turbulent County now looks like a dilapidated house on the verge of collapse, as if it would crumble at the slightest kick from Lynn.

Once we take Turbulent County, we can follow the Still River and its many tributaries deep into the heart of the Marsh Duchy, and a single poke anywhere can cause the duke excruciating pain.

The only problem is that there are quite a few castles heading west.

The core area of ​​the Marsh Duchy is flat and has almost no natural barriers except for a quiet river.

To protect their territories, successive dukes paid great attention to building castles, basically one small castle every ten kilometers and one large castle every fifty kilometers.

Castle after castle, almost endless.

It was thanks to the dense, forest-like castles that the Duke of the Marsh's garrison was able to withstand the combined attack of the two dukes last autumn.

Of course, this is also inseparable from the fact that the two dukes were too incompetent.

After careful consideration, Lynn discovered that each of the three expansion directions had its own advantages and disadvantages.

Leaving aside the most difficult territory, the Count of Mirror Iron, the east and west directions are not too difficult to conquer.

Although the bandits and thieves came and went like the wind, Lynn was familiar with their habits, so they were not difficult to wipe out.

Small and medium-sized castles are very vulnerable to prolonged sieges; they will fall on their own after being besieged for two or three months.

As for which direction to focus the attack on, it depends on the development of the situation in the Northern Kingdom.

Lynn's short-term plan is naturally to continue consolidating the territory.

Four months ago, he only occupied the poor and sparsely populated White Bear Territory and Shallow Beach Territory, with a population of no more than 10,000 and an army of no more than 1,000.

Four months later, the area and population of his territory had expanded several times over, like a snake that had devoured prey several times its own size and now needed to burrow in and digest it.

It is now late June, and the upcoming rainy season in July will also be unfavorable for deploying troops.

To solidify his foundation, Lynn needed some time to integrate the newly occupied territories and population, prepare for war, and observe changes in the external situation.

The next day, Lynn still didn't rush into Three Rivers City.

He first dispatched troops to take over four manors in the southern part of the western suburbs, confiscating all the wealth of the monasteries within them. The monks and students were temporarily placed under custody pending further action. These monasteries in the western suburbs of Sanhe City were veritable centers of wealth and knowledge.

The monastery managed a large estate and serfs for the church of Three Rivers, and was also close to the city's large market.

In addition, religions always require the embellishment of various exquisite objects.

Therefore, a large number of expensive gold and silver artifacts can be found in every monastery.

In addition to managing their territories, the monks also run schools and enroll students, which provides them with another source of income.

According to the statistics submitted, there are more than 30 teachers in these four monasteries, but fewer students, with only about 20.

The main problem is that education is too expensive these days, and most students come from wealthy families in the city, so the number of students is really limited.

Schools are a good thing. Lynn doesn't intend to close these schools in the western suburbs, but they must be consolidated into one or two and placed under his direct control.

However, this is quite complicated to do.

The schools under the church are systematic and have clear career advancement paths.

Graduation certificates issued by these monastery schools in Three Rivers are valid throughout the entire Northern Kingdom, and even have some effect in the Southern Kingdom.

Bishop Rothgi of Three Rivers went to the South to study at university with his diploma and recommendation letter.

Separating religion from its educational attributes is quite difficult at this point.

We can't possibly ban all students from going to university, can we?

Lynn's plan was to manage religion and its associated education together.

He neither encourages nor completely denies religion.

As far as he knew, the Three Saints Cult did indeed possess some things that resembled supernatural powers.

However, very few people knew the inside story, and even the former bishop Rothgier knew very little about it.

According to Rotegi, certain high priests in the royal capital Amber Harbor and the Southern Territory can communicate with the gods, the so-called 'Three Saints,' through magic stones and use their power to trigger miracles.

As for the specific effects of the miracle, even Rotegi, who was tortured and covered in wounds, couldn't quite explain it.

Perhaps it's for curing illnesses, perhaps for prolonging life, or perhaps for giving warriors strength.

According to the scriptures of the Three Saints Church, gods did indeed descend upon the continent of Dievas and even launched a so-called 'war of gods'.

But that history is too distant, and is only recorded on blurry ancient stone carvings.

Out of respect for the church's boasting and the more than a thousand believers in Three Rivers, Lynn was willing to give the Trinity a little face.

He will establish a special religious administration agency in Sanhe City to bring the Three Saints Religion under his control.

In short, it's okay to believe in religion, and it's also fine to preach within the church premises, but don't cause trouble, don't try to amass wealth, and don't even think about owning large tracts of land or an army!

Lynn would strip away most of the religious elements in the western suburbs, abolishing monasteries and churches alike, and all farmers would become his subjects, not church serfs.

His authority as lord is not to be interfered with by any other force or individual.

Only two churches and their associated church schools were preserved within the city to house priests and students.

In one day, Lao Sanyang led his troops to complete the initial clearing of the four manors.

Apart from the monastery, the soldiers did not commit any offenses, which somewhat reassured the anxious local serfs.

They had never seen such disciplined military officers before.
Even the army that the church had paid a lot of money to raise would occasionally take a few chickens, ducks, geese and sheep from the villagers.

As for the three hundred professional soldiers under the church's command, Lynn naturally accepted them all.

This included fifty cavalry units totaling one hundred and fifty men, plus one hundred and fifty infantry crossbowmen.

Although these soldiers are not particularly elite, they are fed and cared for year-round, and their main job is to maintain order. Even the strongest soldiers would become useless after a few years of this kind of care.

But at least there are 300 people, so they can always be of some use.

"Second brother, go and pick. If there are any useful ones, assign them to you and train them all into elite cavalry. As for the rest, give them to Kunno to fill the gaps in the city's militia."

Lynn directly handed over the three hundred men and their horses to the second brother.

It's like buying a junk computer blind box from a scrap yard; you can always find something by opening it up and blowing off the dust.

After capturing a large number of warhorses, Lynn planned to expand the cavalry force under his second brother into a large battalion, totaling five hundred riders, and the number of professional soldiers in the entire force would exceed one thousand.

Each heavy cavalryman is a treasure that Lynn has invested heavily in, so he must be paired with a cavalry apprentice.

This apprentice was responsible for taking care of the warhorses, assisting the cavalrymen in putting on their armor, and learning cavalry tactics. If any of the regular cavalrymen were injured or killed, they would remain as cavalry reserves, able to mount their horses and fight.

In this way, the cavalry force can always maintain a number of about five hundred riders.

In yesterday's cavalry duel and the subsequent pursuit, the second-in-command's cavalry lost twenty men, and he was worried about how to replenish his troops.

Upon hearing his elder brother's instructions, he immediately led a group of subordinates to select men.

Lynn sat in the military tent, watching his second brother's receding figure, and shook his head with a light laugh.

Fighting is fun for a while, but logistics are exhausting.

Replenishing soldiers may seem like just adding or subtracting numbers, but it involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work.

Looking down at the stacks of official documents on the table, Lynn pondered whether he should establish a professional secretarial department plus a logistics management department.

As the military's operational distances increase and the amount of miscellaneous tasks in the military grows, the establishment of these two departments becomes necessary, as it is impossible for him to handle everything himself.

Lynn's army consists of professional troops, all of whom require him to provide logistical support and equipment maintenance.

If it were a feudal knightly army, the knight himself would be responsible for these matters, and in most cases, the problem would be solved by raiding the area.

But professional armies can't do that, especially since Lynn had almost obsessive requirements for military discipline.

An army with excellent discipline can ensure that the population of newly occupied territories does not flee to the greatest extent possible, and can also transform newly occupied territories into war potential as quickly as possible.

This is an ironclad rule proven by history.

If Lynn's army were a corrupt and outdated feudal army, there would probably be hardly anyone alive left in the city of Three Rivers, let alone the western suburbs.

Fortunately, he doesn't lack talent now.

After capturing Sanhe City, he could make use of the city's abundant talent resources.

Lynn's first order to the Three Rivers City Hall was to announce to the entire North that Three Rivers City had changed hands.

Following his instructions, Leon, who had just taken office as mayor today, had prepared dozens of exquisite letters.

These letters will be sent by merchant ships to the major powers of the Northern Kingdom, adding fuel to the already simmering fire.

(End of this chapter)