I'm not a lord

Chapter 227 Lynn personally poached his girlfriend

Subsequent negotiations took place at the castle between Lynn and the special envoy Damian.

Both parties exchanged views fully and formally signed the contract.

On the basis of an agreement not to interfere with each other, they also signed several additional trade contracts.

The city of Three Rivers, under Lynn's rule, provides Earl Mirror Iron with a large quantity of necessities, such as grain, sheepskin, and ale, at relatively reasonable prices.

In exchange, Damian promised on behalf of his brother that he would continue to export various metal minerals and metal products to Three Rivers City at prices that remained largely unchanged from before the war.

Damian's status and position allowed him to make reasonable promises on behalf of Count Mirror Iron.

At Lynn's additional request, these trade contracts included the tin mines of Tin Rock Territory in advance.

In other words, even if Count Mirror Iron successfully occupies Tin Rock Territory, he must export tin ore at the pre-war price and cannot arbitrarily raise the price.

In exchange, Lynn will not interfere with Earl Mirror Iron's invasion of Slate Rock Territory.

Diplomatic intervention is pointless in the North right now, and his main forces are deployed in Turbulent County, so he doesn't have the extra troops to engage in military intervention.

Besides, he had no need to interfere at all.

As long as Earl Mirror Iron doesn't cross the River of Stillness, the more commotion there is in the south, the more advantageous it will be for Lynn, who lives north of the River of Stillness.

The North needs more ambitious and capable individuals so that Lynn won't stand out too much.

After both parties signed and sealed the agreement, Damian could no longer contain his smile: "The Earl's fairness and generosity are truly astonishing."

Is it fair?
Lynn smiled and raised his glass: "For the new order in the North."

"For a new order in the North!" Damian immediately raised his glass in agreement.

Count Mirror Iron's delegation achieved the desired negotiation results in River Marsh County, leaving the envoys from Tin Rock with only scraps.

The following day, at the palace on the western outskirts of Sanhe City, the scribe Victor issued an order to the envoy from Xiyan Territory to leave: "I'm sorry, the autumn harvest is imminent in the territory, and the Earl is very busy with official duties, so he really can't find the time to see you."

What else could the envoy from Xiyan Territory say? He could only leave the palace with endless disappointment and worry.

He learned from the city that Count Jingtie's delegation had traveled north against the current to the Baihe River and had most likely been received by Count Baihe in person.

It is clear that the two sides have reached some kind of tacit understanding or even agreement, and Xiyanling has become a victim of this agreement.

This is the current situation in the North.

The weak can only become food for the strong, and don't even have the right to be on the table.

The envoys from the two countships arrived at the same time and left at the same time, but their feelings upon leaving were worlds apart.

After finishing his diplomatic work, Lynn stayed in River Marsh County.

This year's autumn harvest is his first since he took full control of the Baihe territory.

The results of the autumn harvest are directly related to the territory's war potential for the entire following year.

Therefore, he naturally had to sit in his territory and take command.

In addition, with Leah about to give birth, Lynn also needs to make time to be with his family.

But before he could enjoy the warmth of home for even a few days, Mira, the castle secretary, suddenly came to report that the Duke of the Valley's delegation had arrived in Three Rivers and requested to travel north to meet with him.

It is said that the delegation was quite large, with more than fifty people, and was led by the Duke of the Valley's cousin.

Just by looking at the lineup and scale of the delegation, one can see that the Duke of the Valley has come with great sincerity and is determined to make Lynn his son-in-law.

On a cool afternoon, Lynn was enjoying the autumn sun on the top floor of the castle, while the two wild sisters from the High Cliff tribe massaged his aching muscles. Their soft little hands roamed over his body, making him feel very comfortable.

Lynn squinted as he lay on the recliner, saying impatiently, "Annoying fellow. Tell them to wait in Sanhe City for a few days, and say I've gone north on an inspection tour."

"Yes, sir." Mira, holding the official documents, turned to go downstairs.

At this point, Lynn changed his mind and said, "Never mind, let them come."

Lynn naturally knew the purpose of this delegation's visit, and that's precisely why he didn't want to meet them.

Previously, the package of contracts he signed with Count Mirror Iron had in fact infringed upon the authority of the Duke of the Valley.

The moment Lynn signed the contract, she rejected the idea of ​​marrying the Duke of the Valley from the bottom of her heart.

This marriage was of no benefit to him whatsoever, and it would only cause him to offend Count Mirror Iron for no reason.

Lynn has no shortage of money right now, nor does he lack the means to expand his business.

The title of executive officer bestowed by the royal family came with the claim to a vast territory known as the Marsh Duchy.

Lynn's attack on Turbulent County was perfectly justified, and no one could criticize it.

To be more precise, he even gained claims to parts of the Crown Territory.

The Duke of the Marshland appointed a large number of nobles in the Crown Territory, and these nobles also belonged to the rebels.

Lynn could have easily used the pretext of suppressing the rebels to seize these territories and legally take them over for himself.

As for the Duke of the Valley's beautiful daughter, would Lynn lack women?

He owns the city of Sanhe in the White River Territory, and the girls who throw themselves at him can line up from the castle gate in the River Marsh County all the way to the river dock.

He has no shortage of wealth, claims, or women like Lynn, so this marriage will not only bring him no benefit but will also worsen his diplomatic situation.

But not seeing it isn't quite right either.

Throughout the entire process, the Duke of the Valley maintained respect and sincerity.

Lynn and Caleb also had some personal acquaintance, so it was neither reasonable nor ethical to turn him away.

The following day at noon, Lynn received the delegation from the Valley Duchy at his castle in River Marsh County.

Although the banquet was very lavish, most of the delegation members were not very interested.

Previously, Damian, the illegitimate brother of Count Mirror Iron, had sent people to spread rumors in Three Rivers City, claiming that Count White River and Count Mirror Iron had reached a comprehensive agreement.

The news then went through several rounds of development, and now the entire city believes that the two earls have formed an alliance.

When Kalebo's delegation arrived in Three Rivers City, he didn't even need to send anyone out to gather information; the relevant intelligence would come to him on its own.

Even the hotel staff were discussing the alliance between the two counts.

If it were just a rumor, that would be fine, but after making further inquiries, Kalebo realized that it was almost certainly true.

Several major merchant guilds in Sanhe City have recently received large orders to transport large quantities of grain and barley wine to Mirror Iron Territory.

At this critical juncture, without Lynn's approval, how could the merchants dare to transport these strategic materials to Mirror Iron Territory?
As expected, in the formal negotiations after the luncheon, Lynn didn't hold back and decisively rejected the marriage alliance with the Duke of the Valley right from the start.

The Duke of the Valley's cousin immediately became anxious and said bluntly, "Your Excellency, I hope you can reconsider the Duke of Herman's eldest daughter. If you are willing to marry her, the Duke may grant you all your requests."

Before setting off, the Duke of the Valley made it clear to his cousin that he could only meet Lynn's first two conditions at most, and absolutely could not give up the right to inherit the duchy.

But his cousin doesn't care about that now.

Lynn rejected the marriage proposal from the start, and the negotiations immediately reached a dead end.

To turn the situation around, my cousin had no choice but to lower his standards even further.

In response, Lynn joked, "I don't plan to add a mistress to the castle anytime soon. As you can see, the castle is a bit too small and may not be able to accommodate a daughter from a ducal family."

The castle in Kawanuma Prefecture is sturdy, but its interior space is not particularly spacious.

Kalebo, who was serving as the deputy envoy, couldn't help but reply, "It's alright, Miss Hela can accept it."

Miss Hela was naturally the Duke of the Valley's darling daughter, and Lynn had even seen her portrait before.

She's a pretty girl.

Even though the Duke of the Valley had already conceded so much, Lynn's attitude remained as firm as steel: "This matter need not be mentioned again."

The negotiations were immediately suspended, and the delegation members moved into the guest rooms prepared for them.

Lynn then summoned Kalebo privately in the castle's drawing room and asked with a smile, "Surprised?"

Kalebo shook his head: "Not surprising. We had already guessed your general attitude before the negotiations even began."

Lynn nodded slightly: "You should also know that I am currently conquering Turbulent County and do not have spare troops to interfere in matters south of the Tranquil River."

"On our way here, we learned that fierce fighting had broken out in Turbulent County. As you and I were speaking, your loyal and brave army may have captured another castle. The Marsh Duke's territory is suffering an unprecedented blow." Kalebo's tone was full of emotion.

Comparing people with others will lead to death, and comparing goods with goods will lead to throwing away.

Both attacks targeted the Turbulent County, which lacked external support. Last year, the Duke of the Valley returned empty-handed, while this year, the Earl of White River swept through the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum.

The difference in their noble titles and nominal territories did not reflect the vast gap in their true strength.

Judging solely from their respective strengths, the Duke of the Valley was the one who was climbing the social ladder in this ill-fated marriage.

No matter how tempting the conditions proposed by the weak may seem, they are worthless to the strong.

In fact, even now, Kalebo still can't figure out how Lynn was able to conjure up a loyal, brave, and powerful army in just one or two years.

In terms of population, the Baihe River basin only has tens of thousands of people.

In terms of resources, the Baihe River basin has never been a traditional mining area, and for the past two hundred years it has only been able to export some agricultural products.

Traditionally, the White River basin has been fragmented for two hundred years, divided into six baronies, with frequent internal conflicts.

From any perspective, the Baihe River basin could not have nurtured a powerful army.

But reality is completely unreasonable.

"It is regrettable that the Duke of the Valley must face the threat from the Mirror Iron Territory alone. However, the Duke can rest assured of one thing: I will never send any soldiers to aid the Earl of the Mirror Iron Territory, and our dealings with the Mirror Iron Territory will be limited to trade."

After saying that, Lynn filled a glass of mead for Caleb. "Alright, stop looking so sad. Have a few drinks and all your worries will go away with the wind."

"Thank you." Callebo instinctively picked up his glass.

But the moment his tongue touched the sweet wine, he suddenly realized that the words sounded familiar. Had he heard them before?

After a couple of drinks, Lynn and Caleb naturally started talking about their personal matters.

"I have brought all the talents I promised to introduce to you last time. They are now living in Sanhe City, awaiting your summons."

Kalebo is reliable; he will do his best to fulfill his promises.

This time, he brought half a boatload of people to Lynn, including more than twenty outstanding talents with monastery school diplomas, excluding their accompanying family members.

All the wise men in the Valley knew that there was little future in working for Duke Hermann.

The seats in the Duke's palace were all full, and no matter how learned you were, you could only slowly build up your seniority once you got in.

Emerging powers like the Earl of Shirakawa are different; they have plenty of positions available, and anyone with real talent and ability will likely be given important responsibilities.

Even if you don't have much talent, you can probably still make a living.

What these people were worried about was that Earl Shirakawa might not be able to hold out for long.

Judging from the current situation, Earl Shirakawa's true strength is astonishing, and he should not be defeated in a short time.

With these worries gone, the talents of the Valley Duchy were willing to follow Kalebo to Lynn.

"If I could, the person I want most is you, Kalebo. Why don't you come work for me? You can name your salary, and I'll make sure you're satisfied."

After chatting for a while, Lynn suddenly changed the subject and started poaching people from the other side of the table.

If we're talking about what he lacks in terms of talent, what he really lacks most is an experienced and seasoned diplomat like Kalebo.

"This...this might not be appropriate." Kalebo was a little confused.

He was clearly the deputy envoy representing the Duke of the Valley on a visit to the White River Territory, but not only did he fail to complete his mission, he was also poached by the other side.

Lynn swung his hoe fiercely: "How is this inappropriate? Anyway, you're not married and don't have any children, so you have no worries and can leave anytime. I can provide you with a broader stage and a higher salary."

"This..." Kalebo hesitated, but his heart was suddenly moved.

What Earl Baihe said makes a lot of sense. Under the Duke of the Valley, one could only ever be a court advisor until death.

The position is not bad, but the treatment is just so-so.

Moreover, the Duke of the Valley was rather impatient, had a bad temper, and was very arrogant, making him completely difficult to get along with.

In contrast, Earl Baihe, of humble origins, was kind and approachable, and even invited him, a foreign envoy, to drink with him on several occasions, demonstrating his exceptional affability.

More importantly, working for Count Shirakawa is a promising career path!

“Think it over. If you’re willing, I can ask Herman to let you stay. This could be a test for him. If he values ​​you, he won’t allow you to stay in White River Territory.” Lynn didn’t use force; he preferred to take the initiative.

Moreover, as he said, if the Duke of the Vale allows Kalebo to stay, it means that he doesn't hold much weight in the Duke's heart.

If that's the case, why not switch sides?
"Then, shall we give it a try?" Kalebo was completely tempted.

That evening, at the castle's dinner party, Lynn mentioned the matter to the Duke of the Valley's cousin.

"I must once again express my regret to your brother that I cannot marry his beautiful daughter. However, I hope to strengthen ties with your territory. For this purpose, we need you to station some envoys in the White River Territory for an extended period. I get along well with Deputy Envoy Kalebo, and I believe he is the most suitable candidate."

The Duke's cousin's face lit up with joy: "If you'd like, of course you can!"

(End of this chapter)