I'm not a lord

Chapter 338 urging the emperor to ascend the throne
“There have been quite a few bandits on my territory recently, so I’m afraid I won’t have time to attend Earl Baihe’s wedding. However, I will send my eldest son with valuable gifts. Please convey my sincere blessings to Earl Baihe.”

Duke Samuel of the Meadows dared not be negligent in the face of the envoy sent by Lynn.

He first personally received the envoy in the hall of Canglang Castle, and then expressed his willingness to let his eldest son attend the wedding in his place, which was enough to show his sincerity.

Compared to Otto III of Amber Harbor, Lynn is now the person the Duke of Meadows fears most.

Samuel couldn’t sleep at night just thinking about the thousands of powerful troops under Lynn’s command, fearing that these troops would invade the grasslands.

Especially after he learned that Lynn had taken Golden Deer Castle without bloodshed, he repeatedly instructed his nobles to behave themselves and not to go to the Swamp Territory to plunder, lest they anger this terrifying monster.

“We absolutely cannot afford to offend Lynn now. This kid’s expansion speed is terrifying. He only suddenly rose to power in the White River Basin two years ago, and in less than three years, he has occupied the entire Swamp Territory! Three years!”

Samuel knew that Lynn was by no means a traditional aristocrat, much less bound by the so-called aristocratic rules.

Wherever Lynn went, the traditional feudal nobles either submitted or were destroyed, and their fiefs were transformed into counties, all under Lynn's direct jurisdiction.

If Lynn were to take over the grasslands, Samuel couldn't even imagine what would happen to him.

Although Otto of Amber Harbor is also intimidating, he does not directly border the Grassland Territory.

Lynn's Marshland Territory, however, is different; it is separated from the Grassland Territory by only the Still River.

In the upper reaches of the Tranquil River, the water is shallow and the current is slow. During the dry season, even infantry can swim across it, and Lynn's troops can attack the grasslands at any time.

Some grassland nobles scoffed at Samuel's 'Lynn Threat' theory.

"My lord, the grassland territory is vast, and apart from the Wolf Fortress, there are not many permanent settlements. If Lynn really dares to attack, we can simply burn all the grasslands and farmlands, and then run west to the grasslands and deserts. He won't be able to catch up for long before he has to retreat."

Samuel, furious, glared and said, "People and horses can run away, but Wolf Fortress can't! If he occupies Wolf Fortress for a long time, the Grassland Territory will eventually cease to exist. Or do you all want to eat sand in the western desert for the rest of your lives?"

Wolf Castle is not far from the Marshland in terms of geographical location, which is also due to the climate.

The further west you go in the Grasslands, the less rainfall there is. The area around Wolfsbane Castle has the best hydrological conditions in the entire territory, with large tracts of fertile soil suitable for cultivation and grazing.

If Lynn were to occupy Wolf Fortress, he could use it as a base to support his army and then gradually encroach on other habitable areas within the grassland territory.

Ultimately, under Samuel's repeated strict orders, the nobles in the territory swore not to plunder the swamp territory, and to exercise restraint at least this autumn.

Despite suffering from Lynn phobia, Samuel still criticized Lynn quite a bit in private.

"The reason this kid was able to rise so quickly must be due to the support and help of others. That illegitimate son, Maurice, must have played a significant role, not only giving him titles and official positions, but also even sending him a princess. He really went all out!"

Samuel shared a similar view with Lord Vasa of the Mirror Iron, believing that Lynn must have the support of other powerful forces behind him, either Morris or a great nobleman from the South.

Besides guessing out of curiosity, this is actually a kind of self-psychological protection mechanism.

If Lynn truly relied on his own abilities to rise rapidly in less than three years, completing a magnificent transformation from bandit leader to earl, duke, and even king.

Then what about these nobles who already possess abundant resources and prestigious titles?

Therefore, there must be a conspiracy behind Lynn's back, and there must be a benefactor helping them, so that they can maintain their balance.

Moreover, these speculations have some merit, since Morris did indeed bestow a title upon Lynn.

Golden Deer City, an autonomous city located in the heart of the Swamp Territory, has recently undergone a great deal of 'change'.

Residents of the city can experience the impact of the changes almost every week.

The first thing is definitely the change of the city's owner, from the former Duke of the Marshland to the current Earl of White River.

With the change of masters, the 'dogs' below also changed, and the seats in the city council were replaced. It is said that several merchants obtained valuable council seats by bribing Earl Shirakawa.

There were even rumors circulating that these merchants had sent their daughters and large political donations to the court in exchange for the Earl's favor.

Now the whole of Golden Deer City knows that the new master of the Swamp Territory is a lecher.

But that's normal. How many nobles aren't cunning and treacherous? The citizens are used to it.

The next major change was the appearance of a three-story building in Jinlu City with the sign "Jinlu County Magistrate's Office," followed by the "Jinlu County Court" and the "Jinlu County Tax Office," among other buildings.

Along with these buildings came a large group of unfamiliar outsiders.

In public spaces such as taverns, markets, and guild halls, citizens have frequently expressed their concerns about this issue.

They feared that the officials sent by the count would interfere with the city's traditional autonomy.

Meanwhile, informed citizens reassured them, "This has no impact on our Golden Deer City. It's because Earl Baihe placed the newly established county-level government offices within the city. These officials can only manage the area outside the city, not the area inside."

However, concerns continued to spread among the citizens until the city council posted notices clarifying that these officials were only responsible for county affairs and would not interfere with the city's self-governance, which slightly alleviated the citizens' concerns.

Some astute citizens have already sensed that "a storm is brewing."

Bottom lines are often crossed step by step.

The Earl dares to allow court officials to reside in Golden Deer City now; will his army be able to enter next? Once the army enters, the city's autonomy will be rendered meaningless.

But neither the city council nor the citizens dared to speak loudly.

Golden Deer City is too close to Golden Deer Fortress; the castle's army can march down to the city at any time.

Moreover, the atmosphere of autonomy in Golden Deer City is not that strong; the city has always been influenced by Golden Deer Castle.

In the past, dukes also had a tradition of placing their trusted members in the city council, which simply meant that they would not send tax collectors to interfere with the city's tax collection, but would instead collect a self-government tax from the council on a regular basis each year.

However, another explosive piece of news recently emerged and quickly dominated the city's public discourse, completely overshadowing the previous concerns.

That was a 'marriage notice' posted outside the city hall.

According to mainland tradition, from nobles to serfs, everyone should publicly announce their marriage before getting married, which means posting a marriage notice in a crowded place.

The notice should include the names and identities of both parties to the marriage, as well as the date and location of the wedding.

Upon seeing the details of the notice, some citizens exclaimed in public, "The Earl of White River's bride is a princess? How many years has it been since we in the Marsh Territory have seen a real princess?"

A city hall official with some historical knowledge remarked, "It's probably been over a hundred years. Most of the royal princesses have married into the Southern Territory, and very few have married nobles from the Northern Territory. This is truly rare!"

Immediately, a citizen scoffed, "The Urenis dynasty is gone. This Chloris can't be considered a princess; at best, she's just a princess from a previous dynasty."

An elderly citizen with white hair, leaning on a cane, angrily retorted:
"What do you know? The princesses of the previous dynasty were still princesses! Moreover, the princesses of the previous dynasty were even more noble. Don't forget, Veles had no sons. The current Otto III only inherited the Northern Crown as Veles's son-in-law. And the Earl of White River will also marry Veles's daughter. He will definitely claim the Northern Crown in the future!"

Veles was Chloris's biological father and the penultimate king of the Urenis dynasty. It was because he did not have a legitimate heir that the nobles of the royal domain nominated his illegitimate son, Maurice, to succeed to the throne.

It was precisely because of Maurice's succession that a series of changes occurred in the North, including the rebellion of Lord Lothair, Duke of the Marshlands, and the entry of Otto III into Amber Harbor in the South.

It can be said that Veles is the true 'root of all evil,' and everything stems from his lack of sexual prowess.

He is still able to contribute his remaining energy, as his daughter will marry Earl Lynn of White River in three weeks, and will provide Lynn with an invaluable claim to power.

Don't underestimate this so-called right of claim; throughout history and across cultures, there has always been a strong emphasis on legitimacy.

If Lynn had this claim, the resistance he would encounter in conquering the North would be greatly reduced, at least the local municipalities and large estates would recognize his claim.

Upon hearing the old man's words, the onlookers suddenly understood.

Some even boldly asked, "So you mean the Earl of White River will soon declare himself king?"

The old man stroked his beard and said with a serious expression:

“Velles only has two daughters. The Northerners can’t possibly recognize Otto as their king, can they? You all know that the Southerners he brought recently ravaged the Vale, but the Earl of White River led the warriors of the Marshland to defeat them. At least the Earl of White River won’t let the Southerners plunder the North! If the Earl of White River doesn’t declare himself king, I will be the first to write to Golden Deer Castle, urging him to put on the crown as soon as possible!”

At this moment, a citizen exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, if Earl White River is really crowned king in Golden Deer Fortress, won't our Golden Deer City become the capital of the Northern Kingdom?"

For many citizens of the North, their city to become the capital is a dream come true.

The benefits of becoming the capital are self-evident; the influx of merchants and laborers from all over the country alone can propel the city's prosperity to new heights.

This statement immediately sparked another enthusiastic response from the onlookers, with one shouting, "It seems that's really the case! Sir, could you let me sign my name when you write the letter? Who here doesn't want Jinlu City to become the capital?"

The city hall official who posted the notice was also very enthusiastic: "Yes, count me in too! Go to the city hall now and write a letter! I'll prepare paper and pen for you!"

The population of Jinlu City was similar to that of Sanhe City, around seven or eight thousand people. Officials and citizens lived very close to each other, with little sense of distance between them.

The city hall and city council are not closed premises; they are fully open to the public during off-peak hours.

Soon, a large number of citizens flooded into the city hall and jointly petitioned the Earl of White River to ascend the throne of the North as soon as possible.

Citizens even launched a fundraising campaign on the spot, intending to crowdfund a crown to give to Lynn.

News of what was happening in Golden Deer City quickly reached the nearby castle.

Chief Secretary Victor said with a smile, "My lord, now the whole North knows your true thoughts. The citizens have even written a joint letter urging you to become king."

Lynn stood by the window, gazing at Golden Deer City in the northwest, a smile also appearing on his face: "It doesn't matter if they know. I posted the notice to inform the entire territory, to let them know that I can realize the dream that the previous Dukes of the Swamp could not."

There has always been a regional conflict between the Swamp Territory and the Crown Territory. The citizens of the Crown Territory, especially those of Amber Harbor, have always looked down on the inlanders, considering them to be a bunch of stinking beggars from the north.

The long-standing confrontation between the three dukes and the Northern royal family has further exacerbated this antagonistic sentiment.

The reason why the Northern royal family married off their princess to the Southern Kingdom and only allowed the royal collateral branches to marry the Northern dukes was to prevent the right of claim from falling into the hands of the dukes.

Furthermore, every king of the North throughout history has sought to conquer the three duchies, but has failed due to insufficient strength.

Now that the direct descendant of the Urenis family is about to marry the lord of the Swamp Territory, and this lord seems poised to claim the throne, the people of the territory have finally gotten their revenge.

(End of this chapter)