Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 150 The Landscape of Xuefeng County
Bradley, the butler, gently pushed open the door, holding a stack of documents and a map, his face showing a hint of caution.

He walked to Louis's desk, bowed respectfully, and said, "Sir, this is the information on all the nobles in Snowpeak County."

He carefully unfolded the document and placed it in front of Louis.

Louis reached for the document, glanced at it, and then looked at the map, his fingertips lightly gliding over it.

On that map, the territories of Xuefeng County were meticulously marked, with different colors and symbols representing the division of territories among various nobles.

Louis's gaze was calm. He glanced around and nodded: "It seems that the nobles have almost all gathered here."

Butler Bradley chimed in softly, "Yes, sir. The noble class of Snowpeak County today."

This includes newly inherited nobles from the North and pioneering nobles from the South. Most of these nobles have already arrived in Snowpeak County.

Louis frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the names of the nobles listed in the documents, pondering the political landscape.

If I want to hold a meeting of prefects, I must have a complete understanding of the information about these nobles.

As Louis flipped through the documents, he asked, "Then tell me, which ones are worth paying attention to?"

Bradley paused for a moment, then continued, "Well, first of all, Baron Jon Harvey."

Baron Jon comes from the Harvey family of the South. Although the family's foundation is not very deep, his father is an important new favorite in the emperor's court and has considerable power and wealth.

With his father's support, Baron Jon was able to become a pioneering noble in the North and survive there.

Yorn’s territory is located in the southwest of Snowpeak County, near Glacier Valley.

Despite the barren land and extreme climate, Jon gradually stabilized the local economy by leveraging the advanced water management techniques he brought from his family and his small-scale sheep farming.

Although he did not initially demonstrate strong governance capabilities, he gradually gained a foothold within a year by relying on his family resources and connections.

He had already begun to distinguish himself among the nobles of the North.

"Although his territory is developing rather slowly, his cooperative relationship with you remains solid," Bradley summarized briefly.

Louis listened to the butler's words and nodded silently.

Although Jon was somewhat lacking in ability and often appeared clumsy and impatient for quick success, he never doubted the man's loyalty.

Whether during training in the capital or now in the North, Yorn is always the one who will stand by his side in times of crisis.

“He is a trustworthy friend,” Louis murmured to himself.

Bradley nodded slightly, then introduced another nobleman whom Louis was familiar with.

A hint of admiration crept into his tone, “Next is your brother, Baron Veris.”

Although he is not a prominent figure in the Calvin family, he has established himself in the North through his own efforts and with your support, sir.

His territory is near the edge of Xuefeng County, close to Qingyan Rift Valley. This area has a treacherous terrain and serves as a natural defense.

Although resources are relatively scarce, there are water sources near the glacier and abundant forest resources in the surrounding area.

It can be said that his entire camp construction was almost entirely based on the experience of the Red Tide Territory. And he learned very quickly, knowing how to maximize the use of these valuable resources, thereby stabilizing the hearts of the people.

Moreover, Lord Veris is more farsighted than we imagined; he has already begun to upgrade the territory's defenses, ensuring that it will become an important part of your future strategic plan.

And it can be said that they are completely on your side.

Whatever happens in the future, Master Veris will always be a valuable ally for you in Snowpeak County and throughout the North.

Louis nodded, clearly agreeing with Bradley's assessment.

If Willis can establish himself in the North and continue to grow, he will undoubtedly become an important force in his own camp, and may even have the potential to become the top general.

Aside from the two mentioned above who are definitely in Louis's camp, it's uncertain about the others.

"There are two more Southern nobles coming up, both of considerable importance."

Bradley continued, "The first one is Joseph Carradi, the sixth son of the Carradi family."

He had always been on the fringes of the family, and although he possessed considerable ambition, he felt immense pressure due to his lack of real power.

He paused briefly, seemingly considering his words.

"Therefore, Joseph was not able to sit back and enjoy the family's wealth and power as comfortably as his father or brother; he was always looking for a way to gain more power."

In recent years, he has tried to solidify his position in the family through marriage and political alliances, but has not been able to do so.

He came to the North voluntarily this time, probably because he valued the North's potential more, especially its strategic location near Qingyu Ridge.

If we can control that area, it will be crucial for the Empire's future efforts to eradicate the Snowsworn.

Louis frowned slightly, and Bradley continued, "He's a typical ambitious man, eloquent, and sociable."

However, it cannot be ignored that his decision to establish himself there was not solely for personal power, but rather because he saw this desolate land as a strategic springboard to gain longer-term benefits.

Bradley added, "Joseph's territory is close to Qingyu Ridge, which is of great strategic importance in terms of geographical location."

We need to be wary of his underlying motives; he may be seeking further resources and military support through cooperation with us. This is a double-edged sword, and we must handle it with caution.

Louis nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "His ambition is obvious, but if we can use it effectively, he might become an important part of our northern defense line."

We only need to ensure we dominate at the intersection of interests and prevent him from becoming excessively powerful.

Bradley nodded and continued to introduce the next person: "The second is Edward Nott, the second son of the Nott family, whose family has close ties with the Royal Knights."

Although young, his strength has already reached the level of a transcendent knight, but he doesn't have many military achievements.

Bradley paused slightly, his tone becoming more cautious: "It is said that Edward is actually quite cowardly by nature. Although he appears brave, he often lacks decisiveness and decision-making ability when faced with real challenges."

To temper his will, the Nott family head sent him to the North, hoping to force him to grow stronger through war. After the 20-year pioneering period, he will likely return to inherit the family business.

After listening to Bradley's explanation, Louis remained silent for a moment, pondering how to exploit Edward's weakness for his own use.

Moreover, his background and his father's intentions provided him with considerable potential value.

Bradley continued, "There are also some minor nobles from the south, whose backgrounds are not prominent and whose power is relatively weak."

He succinctly summarized: "First and foremost, Thomas Calvin..."

Next, Bradley briefly read out a list of names, all of them minor nobles from the south. He concluded, "The addition of these minor nobles poses no threat to us, and their resources are limited, so they won't be of much help at present."

It might be of some use in certain situations, but we shouldn't have too high expectations.

Louis nodded and pondered for a moment: "These minor nobles may not have much influence, but they can serve as vassal supporters."

If used properly, it can also play a supporting role in some situations.

Bradley continued, "Next up are the heirs of some former Northern nobles."

The status of these families has declined significantly due to the Battle of Snow Peak County and political purges.

Many families had almost all their direct descendants killed in battle or purged, so they mostly did not pose much of a threat.

He gathered his thoughts and continued, "For example, the Baron Villa family, the original patriarch and his eldest, second, and third sons all died on the battlefield, and their bodies were never found."

This large-scale generational gap forced the transfer of inheritance rights to collateral branches, pushing members of the collateral branches, who were originally of lower status, to the position of family succession.

In the Grant family, for example, the new heir was a daughter who had married out of the family. She inherited the title but had no ability to rule.

She relied on the support of other families, and even seemed somewhat weak and powerless…

Bradley’s voice was steady: “The heirs of these families, although nominally noble, do not actually have any real power.”

Their rule relied more on family bloodlines than on individual ability.

Lord Louis, you must be wary of their potential threat. They could very well become an obstacle to stability in the North, or, with the support of external powers, pose a challenge to you.

Louis paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the distance, seemingly pondering the situation of the new and old nobles that Bradley had mentioned.

“Although these old nobles have weakened to this extent,” he said softly, a hint of calm contemplation in his eyes, “we cannot completely ignore their existence.”

After all, apart from Snowpeak County, most of the land in the entire northern region is still occupied by these families.

They still control traditional territories and resources, and some families have complex and intertwined relationships.

Even though they may seem to have little real power now, the influence of their bloodline and the resources of their family are still a powerful asset.

If we underestimate these families, we may pay the price in future power struggles.

He pondered for a moment, then smiled calmly: "In this complex situation, we must not only look at their current strength, but also at the potential hidden forces behind them."

To maintain stability in Snowpeak County, the first step is to ensure the loyalty of these families, or at least convert them into our allies.

After Bradley gave a brief overview of Snowpeak County, Louis sat down quietly, picked up a pen from the table, and began sketching on a piece of paper.

He originally thought that the situation in Xuefeng County was simple enough, and that as the county governor, he should be able to easily control everything.

After all, he is the only one who is powerful in Xuefeng County, and he has considerable strength behind him.

However, as Bradley explained in detail, he couldn't help but frown.

What was originally a simple situation suddenly became complicated.

The arrival of two pioneering nobles from the south, Joseph Carradi and Edward Nott, brought him considerable pressure.

Although their current strength is not comparable to his own, their families are not to be underestimated. Although they are not among the eight great families, they are the emperor's new favorites in recent years.

"It seems things are much more complicated than I expected. I'll have to use some tricks," he muttered to himself, continuing to sketch out his plan on the paper.

Their arrival will bring tremendous changes to the landscape of the North.

Louis turned to Bradley: “I’m going to throw a party about my position as sheriff and the future plans for Snowpeak County.”

Bradley didn't frown upon hearing this; instead, he showed a hint of agreement.

Louis's decisions were usually not simple, and holding such a banquet in advance was clearly intended to establish his ruling position as governor, ensure that everyone's position was clear, and that power could be effectively distributed.

“I understand, Your Grace,” Bradley replied. “I will begin preparing the banquet arrangements and invitations immediately. As for the invitations to the nobles, I will send them out one by one to ensure that each one receives one.”

After Bradley left, Louis leaned back in his chair, gazing intently at the map before him.

In his mind, the situation in the North resembled a complex chessboard, and his plan gradually took shape.

The situation in Xuefeng County was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Although most of those old aristocratic families perished after the war, their influence remains profound.

Especially those heirs on the periphery, although they appear to be compliant on the surface, there are undercurrents behind the scenes, and some families are even accumulating power, waiting for an opportunity to rebel.

The ambitions and power of the pioneering nobles from the south, such as Joseph Carradine and Edward Nott, should not be underestimated.

Louis pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the map on the table, his eyes revealing a calm determination: "If the entire Snow Peak County can stand together, there is only a glimmer of hope for this winter."

He knew that the northern defenses needed to be rebuilt from the inside out, and that one person alone could not cope with the impending threat.

This banquet was not merely to let the nobles know his status as prefect.

More importantly, it's about uniting everyone's strength to prepare for the impending crisis.

He had decided that the primary purpose of the banquet was to establish his authority.

Louis did not expect any contribution from the lesser nobles.

If he can make them feel the power he represents and the hope for the future during the banquet, that is enough.

For nobles with powerful backgrounds, such as the Carradine and Nott families, he needed more sophisticated methods.

The upcoming banquet will be a stage to test his wisdom and strategy.

“In any case, everyone must feel my power,” he muttered, a hint of a cold laugh in his voice.

He picked up the pen on the table and began marking on the map.

The situation in the North is dire, but he is prepared.

After the banquet, there will surely be a new beginning.

(End of this chapter)