I'm not a lord

Chapter 285 Otto's Family Conflicts

Lynn toured the western suburbs and finalized renovation plans for several riverside estates.

In ancient times, the so-called defense system was nothing more than relying on the terrain and fortifications for construction.

The Baihe River and the Jinghe River, along with the continuous mountain ranges to the east and west of the territory, form the natural defense line of the Baihe Territory.

Based on this, a second line of defense was formed along the river using buildings such as cities, castles, watchtowers, and iron chains.

Behind the second line of defense, there are also a large number of mobile troops ready to fill any gaps at any time.

With three lines of defense, it could be described as impregnable.

Even if Otto attacked with 30,000 troops, he probably wouldn't have the desire to take a bite of this rock-hard black bread.

When it comes to infrastructure development, Lynn is definitely a professional.

Moreover, most of the buildings in the defense line are already in place and can be put into use with only minor repairs before spring planting this year, and the cost is not high.

However, against a formidable opponent like Otto, simply defending is definitely not the way to go.

If we only defend and don't attack, the enemy will wreak havoc around the outskirts of Lynn's territory, which will inevitably severely affect the territory's daily production.

In particular, Sanhe City, which serves as the central hub of the defense line, is extremely dependent on commercial exchanges. If it were to remain closed off for a long period of time, the merchant class within the city would inevitably complain bitterly.

This was also what Clerk Victor was most worried about. He had been a notary at the city hall for many years and knew the nature of these businessmen very well.

Last year, Lynn imposed a trade embargo on Three Rivers, forcing the merchant class to "abandon the darkness and embrace the light," and subsequently occupy the city.

If Otto imposes an embargo on Three Rivers after occupying the Crown Territory, and mobilizes his navy to blockade shipping routes, it's hard to guarantee that these merchants won't repeat their old tricks.

Of course, times have changed. Lynn's control over Three Rivers City is far greater than that of the Duke of the Swamp.

Under his deliberate control and suppression, the Merchant Guild's voice and influence in Sanhe City have significantly decreased.

Without the support of the craft guilds, these merchants would be left all alone.

But for Lynn, the lower the risk, the better.

Besides, he can't stay a slut forever, can he?

Two days later, Kalebo presented Lynn with a list of nobles from the Crown Territory.

"My lord, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent people to visit the twelve nobles east of Baihe Territory. None of them are clearly willing to offer you their territory. Half of the nobles are rather ambiguous in their attitude, while the other half are determined not to hand over their territory."

Kalebo looked very embarrassed. This matter concerned the future expansion of the territory, but he failed to handle it well, or rather, he completely botched it.

"This is not your fault, there is no need to feel guilty."

Lynn offered a word of comfort, took the list and glanced at it, then said, "No nobleman would be willing to hand over their territory and people for nothing unless they were forced into a desperate situation. For them, territory and titles are everything."

In traditional agricultural societies, land was often the core indicator for measuring a person's wealth.

In ancient Eastern countries, most scholars, after becoming officials, would try every means to allocate more land to themselves or their families.

They knew very well that wealth was hard to pass down through generations, and only land could ensure the family's continued prosperity.

As for the continent of Dievas right now, so many mercenaries and impoverished nobles from the North and South have volunteered to fight in the war, their brains practically flying out of their heads on the battlefield, all for the sake of winning a territory that can be passed down to their descendants.

Most of the hatred, betrayal and fighting originate from that damned land.

It was still winter, and the nobles in the western part of the royal territory had not yet felt the pressure from Otto, so they were naturally unwilling to surrender to Lynn.

Moreover, Lynn treated them rather poorly; even if they surrendered voluntarily, they would only retain some wealth and an empty title, plus a certain amount of economic compensation.

Compared to territories with stable output, this compensation is negligible.

Kalebo sighed deeply: "If we can take these territories and castles through diplomatic means in winter, we will have plenty of time to deploy troops and reorganize the territories. If we drag it out until next spring, we will have to race against Otto for time."

Given the current administrative system of Baihe Territory, after occupying a new territory, the first step would be to send troops to ensure security, followed by dispatching officials to conduct a census and land survey, and then effectively govern the territory.

This whole process will take at least a month or two.

The formidable enemies facing Shirakawa Territory right now include not only Otto, but also time.

Lynn has been thinking about the future development of the territory these days.

He found himself in a situation somewhat like Liu Bei after the Battle of Guandu.

The Duke of the Swamp corresponds to Yuan Shao, who died of illness, while Otto represents Cao Cao, who rose to power.

Of course, Lynn was stronger than Liu Bei at that time, and Otto was far less powerful than Cao Cao.

What he needed to do was to expand his power as quickly as possible before Otto cleared out the royal territory (Hebei).

Lynn looked back at the map of the North hanging behind him, pointed to the vast area east of Three Rivers, and analyzed: "Leave Three Rivers, cross the White River to the east, and follow the foothills of the Conqueror Mountains for fifty kilometers to reach the boundless Crown Plain."

If we want to block Otto's southern army in this region, we can only rely on the noble castles in our respective territories. These castles are generally small, usually only able to house a couple hundred men, yet they would face a siege by tens of thousands of troops. For us, this region has little strategic value.

The Conqueror Mountains are the large north-south mountain range located east of White River Territory.

More than two hundred years ago, the first King of the North, after defeating the Wildlings, pursued them all the way to the eastern foothills of this mountain range.

Seeing that the mountain range stretched for hundreds of kilometers, he abandoned his personal pursuit, returned to Amber Harbor to be crowned king, and appointed a group of nobles, ordering them to continue the pursuit of the barbarians across the mountains.

The best among these nobles would later become the three great dukes.

The first King of the North called himself the Great Conqueror, hence the mountain range was named the Conqueror Mountains in honor of his great achievements.

The mountain range runs parallel to the White River, completely separating the White River Territory from the Crown Territory. Its complex terrain and sparse population make it the most reliable eastern barrier for the White River Territory. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the White River Territory can truly be described as a place of impregnable natural defenses.

However, if Lynn wants to venture eastward and compete with Otto, he will inevitably have to give up these terrain advantages and confront the army from the south head-on on the plains.

Traditional aristocratic castles built in plains areas can play a significant role in small-scale wars involving fewer than a thousand people.

However, when the number of participants rises to five thousand or even ten thousand, such small castles lose much of their strategic value.

The wars of the Marsh Duke's invasion of Crownlands and Lynn's capture of Turbulentshire demonstrate that small castles are simply no match for the advance of large armies.

As long as the attacking side is willing to suffer some troop losses, it can quickly take down small castles, and it is not difficult to capture several in a day.

Only heavily fortified large autonomous cities, or large fortresses built in strategic locations, can play a role in wars of this scale.

Upon hearing this, Kalebo also looked up at the map. Following the direction Lynn was pointing, his gaze quickly focused on the location of River Bend Castle, and he tentatively asked, "Does Your Excellency mean to directly attack and capture River Bend Castle?"

Lynn held the baton and pointed to Riverbend Fortress: "That's right. If we want to expand eastward, taking over a few small noble territories is of no strategic value. To gain a foothold in the Crown Territory, we must take over Riverbend Fortress. Only by taking over Riverbend Fortress can we effectively govern the territory sandwiched between Three Rivers City and Riverbend Fortress."

River Bend Castle is where Duke Lothair of the Marsh met his end.

In the summer before last, he personally led four thousand court cavalry into the Crown Territory. After advancing two hundred kilometers at breakneck speed, they were blocked by this fortified city.

River Bend Fort was built on the orders of the first King of the North. With its high walls and thick foundation, it could easily accommodate thousands of troops. Moreover, it was built on an island in the middle of the river, guarding both land and water routes, making it an impregnable stronghold.

With only a few thousand troops, the Duke of the Marsh could hardly take Riverbend Castle by force, so he could only poison the Earl of Riverbend and take advantage of the chaos to storm the castle.

After capturing Riverbend, Lothair gained strategic depth in the Crown Territory, which was both offensive and defensive. He also appointed a number of nobles in the royal domain between Riverbend and Three Rivers.

If Lynn wants to conquer the Crown Territory, the best strategy is to replicate Lothair's plan: first take River Bend, consolidate the newly occupied territory, and then plan to advance eastward.

There's nothing shameful about expanding by imitating others.

And due to the limitations of the terrain, this is the only optimal solution; anyone would have to fight this way.

Kalebo stared at the map for a long time, then said with some concern, “My lord, the situation you are facing is far worse than that of Lothair. He has local nobles like Earl of Coldwind as his inside men, and he is facing a bastard king like Morris who lacks prestige. But you are facing the Southern Army, which is more hungry than sharks and more ferocious than wolves.”

Lynn put down his baton and smiled easily, "Don't worry, I'll be more thirsty and more ruthless than them, and I still have your help, don't I?"

Continue to contact these royal nobles, using harsher language. If necessary, I can deploy troops to put pressure on them, making them understand that I am much closer to them than Otto, who is far away in Amber Harbor.”

Meanwhile, a grand coronation ceremony is being held in Amber Harbor under clear skies.

Because of the rare sunny weather in winter, Otto was crowned two days early.

A luxurious carriage and a guard of hundreds of men set off from the royal palace at the eastern end of Amber Harbour, carrying the king and queen through the city, all the way to the cathedral located in the center of the city.

Hearing the thunderous cheers outside the carriage, Otto, leaning back in the carriage, was in high spirits.

He held his wife Sophia's hand tightly and said proudly, "I always keep my word. If I say I will wear the crown of the North, I will get the crown. If I say I will retrace the path of the King of Conquerors, I will conquer the entire North!"

At this moment, Otto doesn't seem like a king about to wear two crowns, but rather an arrogant child showing off his newly acquired cards to his companions.

He has been arrogant since childhood, and he certainly has the right to be arrogant.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he worked hard from a young age. After ascending the throne, he successfully balanced the power of various noble factions in the Kingdom of Rui, stabilized his throne, and seized the opportunity of the internal strife in the north to take over the capital, Amber Harbor.

He then defeated the renowned Duke of the Swamp north of Coron, becoming the sole contender for the throne of the North.

Otto had originally planned to deal with Lothair next spring, but unexpectedly, he died in the rebellion for no apparent reason.

Lothair's head has now been sent to Amber Harbor and is hanging on the city wall at the West Gate, where it is scorned by thousands of citizens every day.

With the crown in hand and a powerful enemy dead, Otto was truly blessed with double happiness. How could he not be proud and arrogant?

Queen Sofia gently stroked her husband's large hand, her face full of love and affection: "My Majesty, I was wrong. I shouldn't have questioned you or advised you to send troops in the spring. Your wisdom and talent far surpass mine."

Sophia was now truly convinced of her husband's superiority. As a former princess of the Northern Kingdom, she was quite familiar with all aspects of the Northern Kingdom. She never expected that the Northern nobles, known for their martial spirit and warlike nature, would lose so thoroughly.

Otto stared intently in the direction the carriage was heading, and murmured, "Sophia, this is far from over. My coronation as king is only the beginning of my conquest of the North. There are still several powerful forces in the West waiting for me to conquer."

Sophia replied, “My Majesty, your territory has reached the Conqueror Mountains. You can follow the example of the King of Conquerors and entrust the task of conquering the west to your nobles. You should focus your energy more on the southern border.”

Ruling two kingdoms, especially two kingdoms located in the south and north, is definitely a painstaking and demanding task.

If Otto stays in the North for too long, his control over the Kingdom of Rui will inevitably weaken.

His powerful enemies in the south will also be eager to seize his territory.

In Sophia's view, the most difficult Crown Territory had been taken, and the leader of the resistance, the Duke of the Swamp, had been beheaded. Otto should return to the South after being crowned King of the North to consolidate his base there.

Anyway, the remaining forces in the North are just a bunch of weaklings; sending Earl Maison and other nobles should be enough to handle them easily.

“I have handed over the Kingdom of Rui to Ludwig, who will take over the kingdom from me. I will transfer Maison back to the South to assist him.”

After a moment's thought, Otto rejected Sophia's suggestion.

Ludwig is his eldest son with Sophia, and he is acting as the crown prince, overseeing the Kingdom of Rui on his behalf.

Count Meissen was Ludwig's father-in-law, and Otto transferred him back to the south to assist his young eldest son in governing the kingdom.

Sophia insisted, "I think it would be a better choice for you to return to the South and let Ludwig take charge of Amber Harbor. He has Northern blood in his veins and is more likely to gain the approval of the Northerners."

Otto frowned and released his wife's hand: "Sophia, today is my lucky day of coronation. I don't think we should have any disagreements today. We can discuss this next week."

He then opened the car window and waved to the cheering citizens outside.

(End of this chapter)