I'm not a lord

Chapter 311 The Valley Will Bury All Enemies

"You cunning brat, you want me to send troops to help Vasa? Go back and tell Lynn that he's dreaming!"

After reading the diplomatic letter brought by the envoy, Duke Samuel of the Meadows resolutely rejected Lynn's request.

Ask him to send troops to help the Vasa fight the Southerners? Are you kidding me!
His grassland territory is inland, so even if invaders from the south attack, Earl Lynn of the White River and Earl Vasa of the Mirror Iron will hold them off first.

Leif, who was once again on a mission to Canglang Castle, wore a professional smile, but his words were unwavering: "I suggest you reconsider Earl Baihe's proposal. You probably don't want those Southerners to occupy the Northern Kingdom, do you?"

Samuel took a sip of wine, laughed heartily, his eyes full of contempt and disdain: "What a joke! Your earl is still conquering cities and plundering land in the swampy territory. He's clearly closer to the Southerners, so why should I send troops first?"

Leif retorted sarcastically, "The Earl of White River has already been at war with the Southerners. More than 30,000 Southern troops have gathered around Three Rivers City alone. If it weren't for the Earl's valiant fighting, how could you have the leisure to sit here in Wolf Fortress and drink so peacefully?"

The southern army outside Three Rivers City numbered only about 15,000 to 16,000, but in Leif's account, that number doubled to 30,000.

Samuel, of course, did not believe Ralph's nonsense.

If 30,000 troops from the Southern Territory were to gather in Three Rivers, would Lynn still dare to fight a major battle with Lasslo in the Swamp Territory? He would probably have already slunk back to Three Rivers with his tail between his legs.

Although Samuel did not have concrete intelligence, he believed that the two southern invading armies should have relatively limited forces, and with Lynn and Vasa's strength, holding them off for the time being should not be too difficult.

However, Samuel was too lazy to expose Leif's lie. He tilted his head back and downed the drink in one gulp, then abruptly changed the subject:
"You want me to send troops? That's simple. Just give me Birchshire. That shouldn't be difficult for Earl White River. I only want this one county in the entire Swamp Territory. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Birch County is one of the four most prosperous counties in the Marshlands, with a total population of around 100,000, and is located in the northwest of Golden Deer County.

The southern part of the county is a traditional grain-producing area, while the northern part is home to a large amount of high-quality woodland and pasture. It was the place where the Marsh Dukes held their autumn hunts and is also the largest breeding ground for warhorses in the Marshland.

Samuel had long coveted this place, but his limited strength meant he could only look on without daring to make a move.

Now that Lynn has defeated the army of Golden Deer and even killed the new Duke of the Marshland, Laszlo, Samuel must also want a piece of the spoils.

“If you want Birchshire, you’ll have to go get it yourself, but I don’t recommend crossing the River Quiet.” Leif’s reply was quite clever, and it carried a subtle hint of threat.

According to the verbal agreement Lynn had previously reached with Samuel, neither side could interfere with the other's military operations in the Marshlands.

In other words, Samuel could also send troops to the Marshlands.

Lynn has only just entered the territory of Golden Deer County and is still some distance from Golden Deer Fortress, so he naturally cannot control Birch County further north.

If Samuel were willing to send troops, he might actually be able to take advantage of the chaos to seize the county.

But Lynn would never sit idly by and watch the tentacles of the Grasslands extend into the Swamplands. He had painstakingly defeated the tens of thousands of troops at Golden Deer Castle in order to take over the entire Swamplands for himself, not to do the work for Samuel.

Once the Grassland Territory's army crosses the Tranquil River and seizes Birchshire, the two sides will inevitably become enemies over the ownership of Birchshire.

Samuel stared at Leif standing below the stage and questioned, "Can I take your words as a threat from Lynn?"

Faced with the Duke's questioning, Leif's attitude became even more forceful: "This is just my personal opinion, but if you interpret it as a threat, then I have no objection."

Previously, when Leif was engaged in diplomatic work in the Valley Territory, he frequently traveled to the Grasslands Territory.

He was not entirely ignorant of the situation here, but he was certainly fully aware of it.

There's a famous saying in the North: If you've run out of options, go to the meadows and try your luck.

Grassland states possess a unique folk culture and customs among the three duchies.

This territory is barren and sparsely populated, with a significant portion of its population consisting of runaway slaves and convicts from other territories.

A high-EQ perspective: Grasslanders have an untamed spirit flowing in their veins.

A low-EQ way of putting it: They're all lawless thieves and bandits.

This trend was prevalent in the grasslands, with not only the lower-class people being unruly, but also the nobles in various regions exhibiting a bandit-like nature.

Most merchants dared not do business in the grasslands for fear of being exploited by the local nobles.

In the Grasslands, even Duke Samuel was merely the leader of a bandit alliance; he could only muster his army when there was profit to be made.

These nobles might even find it interesting to plunder Birchshire amidst the chaos.

However, if Samuel wanted to occupy Birchshire for the long term, these nobles certainly wouldn't accept his offer.

They're not stupid; how could they not know that Birchshire is Earl White River's prey?

Who is Count Shirakawa? He is the ultimate ruthless man who defeated Duke László of the Marsh in a head-on confrontation.

These grassland nobles would never dare to provoke the Earl of White River.

This is also the source of Leif's confidence in threatening the Duke; he was certain that Samuel wouldn't dare to turn against him.

And indeed, seeing Leif's tough stance, Samuel immediately backed down.

However, he still managed to save face by saying, "I promised László that I would not interfere in his war with Lynn, and although he has passed away, I will still keep my promise."

László's grave is practically overgrown with weeds, so there's really no way to disprove Samuel's statement.

Seeing that he had given in, Leif changed the subject back to supporting the Valley Territory:
"Currently, the Southern Invading Army has surrounded Three Rivers City and Iron Fortress. Earl of White River is capable of defending Three Rivers City, but Iron Fortress is said to be unable to withstand the enemy's offensive. If Iron Fortress falls, the entire Valley Territory will be in danger."

Iron Castle is the stronghold of Count Vasa of Mirror Iron, and also the key to entering the heart of the Valley Territory from the Crown Territory.

Leif's words were not an exaggeration.

Samuel pondered for a moment and changed his tune: "Before you arrived, Vasa had already sent messengers to me for help, and I am considering it."

Is he unwilling to help Vasa? He simply cannot command the army in his territory!
Supporting the Valley Territory is a losing proposition; the nobles of the Grasslands have no habit of losing money.
If Samuel could truly command these nobles as easily as his own arms, he wouldn't be in such a pathetic state today.

However, if the situation in the Valley Territory worsens, such as if Iron Castle were to fall, Samuel is still confident that he can persuade some nobles to join him in supporting Vasa.

The southern invaders are the mortal enemies of all the northern nobles. If the Valley Territory falls, the Grasslands Territory will certainly suffer as well. Everyone understands the principle of mutual dependence. Samuelton paused, then tentatively asked, "The journey from the Grasslands Territory to Iron Castle is long. The Earl of White River is about to occupy the wealthy Marshlands Territory. Shouldn't he give me some compensation?"

This Duke of the Grasslands really has the style of a bandit, never missing an opportunity to take advantage. Leif chuckled inwardly, but replied with a straight face:
"If Your Excellency is willing to send troops, then Earl Baihe will not let Your Excellency make a wasted trip. In the next two years, Earl Baihe is willing to purchase all warhorses, draft horses, goats and other livestock produced in the Grassland Territory at a 10% premium, while the grain and ale sold to the Grassland Territory will remain at the original price during peacetime."

This amount of money was just a drop in the ocean for Lynn. Since he was about to take over the Swamp Territory, he could share some scraps with Samuel while he was feasting.

If he could use this paltry sum to mobilize the nobles of the grasslands to restrain the invading army from the south, then it would be an absolutely worthwhile deal for him.

What Lynn lacks most right now is time. Give him another quarter, and he will be able to occupy and begin to digest the swamp territory.

Samuel's expression changed drastically upon hearing this: "Ten percent? That's a bit too little! Thirty percent would be more like it!"

Leif said firmly, “My lord, the price of livestock is secondary. How can you pretend not to see the affordable grain and ale? This is a chaotic time of war. If it weren’t for the generosity of the Earl of White River, how could you buy grain at peacetime prices?”

Samuel was speechless.

The grasslands have scarce arable land, and while they can barely be self-sufficient in grain, they need to import large quantities of grain products such as ale, mead, and wine.

Previously, the ale of Grassland Territory was supplied by several municipalities in Marshland Territory. Now, Lynn has become the master of these municipalities and can raise prices or cut off the supply at any time.

Thinking of this, Samuel cursed inwardly: Damn Lynn, he actually used the price of alcohol to threaten me! He owns the entire Marshlands, and he's still so stingy and miserly! And that idiot Vasa, the enemy is at his doorstep and he's still clinging to White Eagle Keep!
Samuel was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment towards his two "good" allies.

It's not that he lacked ambition for external expansion; he simply lacked the ability to achieve it.

Meanwhile, Count Vasa of Mirror Iron was also receiving an envoy sent by Lynn.

"My lord, you should have received the news that both southern invading armies have entered Mirror Iron Territory. If you need anything, Earl Baihe is willing to provide you with some support."

The envoy was none other than Foreign Minister Kalebo.

Compared to the aggressive Lef in the grasslands, Kalebo's attitude was much more moderate.

This is not his nature, but rather a result of diplomatic strategy.

For a bandit duke like Samuel, a tough stance is necessary.

Earl Mirror Iron was someone Lynn was trying hard to win over, since Vasa had become the main force in containing the invaders from the South.

The longer those two southern armies stay in Mirror Iron Territory, the more advantageous it will be for Lynn.

Vasa sat on a large, open blue stone, scratched his messy hair, and frowned, saying, "Support? I don't think Earl Shirakawa can spare any troops right now, can he?"

What Vasa lacks most right now is an army.

On one hand, he had to continue the siege of White Eagle Fortress, and on the other hand, he also had to free up troops to fight the Southerners.

Even though he had gained the support of most of the nobles in the Valley Territory, his military strength was still severely limited.

“The Earl of White River has already dispatched a large number of troops to resist the invading army from the South.” Caleb’s implication was that Lynn couldn’t spare any troops at the moment.

Vasa's eyes lit up at the question, and he hurriedly asked, "What about the bronze cannon? I heard that he has mastered a powerful siege weapon. Can I try it out? As you can see, White Eagle Fortress is really difficult to conquer. Once we take White Eagle Fortress, I can focus all my efforts on dealing with the Southerners."

The sound of those twenty-odd mortars was truly astonishing; it even reached the valley.

Vasa had long heard of the bronze mortar's remarkable effectiveness in siege warfare and had always wanted to buy a few from Lynn.

After saying that, he looked up at the white castle not far to the west, his eyes filled with frustration and longing.

The White Eagle Castle, perched atop the cliff, had become Vasa's inner demon; in his eyes, the castle was harder than the large blue stone beneath his buttocks.

He tried every possible method and suffered thousands of casualties, but still couldn't do anything about White Eagle Fortress.

Duke Herman of the Valley held out for more than half a year, and the hundreds of soldiers inside the city were also united in their determination. Neither a direct assault nor an attempt to persuade them to surrender was effective.

Vasa is now pinning his hopes on Lynn's bronze mortars, hoping to use external forces to conquer the castle.

“My lord, bronze cannons are quite heavy and difficult to transport to these deep mountains. If you need food or weapons and armor, Earl Baihe may be able to meet your needs.”

Kalebo didn't lie intentionally; the biggest drawback of the bronze mortar was its poor mobility.

Even in plains areas, several draft horses are needed to keep up with the army's marching speed.

White Eagle Fortress is located deep in the Central Mountains, making it difficult for even people to enter, let alone mortars.

With current transportation capabilities, it would probably take two or three months to transport the mortars from the Marshland Territory to White Eagle Fortress.

As for food and weapons and armor, these are the two things Lynn has no shortage of.

The Marshland Territory was the granary of the northern inland region, and it exported grain to the other two major duchies year after year.

Lynn's army has not committed any offenses along the way, and with favorable weather in the North this year, the Swamp Territory is sure to have a bumper harvest this autumn.

The weapons and armor were mostly captured on the battlefield. The more than 10,000 troops at Golden Deer alone brought Lynn tons of spoils of war, which he couldn't consume in a short time. Selling some to Vasa at a low price was a win-win situation.

Vasa stared at Kalebo for a long time, then finally sighed: "Forget it, I only need a batch of food. I don't need armor."

Vasa had already prepared contingency plans for the invading forces from the south.

Most of the population of Mirror Iron Territory retreated westward to Tin Rock Territory, while the local castles remained closed and held their ground, which was enough to hold off the Southern Territory people for a while.

Vasa was determined to take White Eagle Castle. How could he rightfully command the entire Valley Territory if he didn't capture this hard and smelly stone castle?
Once he takes the castle, he will naturally send troops to meet those Southerners.

The crisscrossing mountains within the Valley Territory are not a paradise that those Southerners can come and go as they please.

The valley will bury all invading enemies.

(End of this chapter)