Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 292 Tuogu
"The Emperor of the Empire has disappeared?" Louis stared intently at the few lines of intelligence, his eyelids twitching slightly.

Then, due to the weakness brought on by the long sleep, he almost lost his balance, his shoulder tilted, and he nearly bumped into the bronze mirror.

"Bah."

A soft noise rang out in the washroom; the sound was not loud.

But Lambert, who was outside the door, immediately heard the noise and became alert: "Lord? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Louis replied with a strained effort.

He leaned against the sink, took a deep breath, and swung the intelligence panel away.

The blue, semi-transparent screen faded away like ripples on water, and the bathroom returned to silence.

"I can't make any judgments based on a few pieces of information before I know the truth," he murmured to himself. "Just keep it in mind for now."

A moment later, Louis straightened his disheveled collar, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Lambert, who was waiting outside the door, immediately came forward to greet him as soon as he came out: "You... don't look well."

“Isn’t that obvious?” Louis rolled his eyes, but his tone was familiarly relaxed. “I’ve been unconscious for five days, of course I look terrible.”

“The doctor said it was just exhaustion, not some hidden injury. But being unconscious for so long… is still a bit strange,” Lambert said worriedly.

“I know you’re worried,” Louis patted Lambert’s arm guard, his voice weary. “But the fact that I’m awake means I’m not dead, and I won’t die.”

"I haven't eaten for days; I feel like my soul is empty."

Before long, the food delivered from the kitchen was placed on the temporary long table.

After all, even though this is a special time following the war in the North, who would dare to neglect Louis?
Golden plates, silver-inlaid beef bone spoons, half-cooked venison, white beans sprinkled with herb sauce, and a jug of light ale.

For most of the disaster victims, this was a luxury from heaven, but for a lord it was both reasonable and necessary.

Louis, chewing on his meat, casually instructed, "Please have someone inform Duke Edmund that I will personally visit later to express my gratitude."

"……Yes."

"Also, tell the doctor to stop loitering around the door. I'm not dead now." He gnawed on a piece of charred skin. "Besides, I know my own body best."

Lambert nodded with a wry smile, but remained standing behind him like a loyal shadow, not daring to relax for a moment.

…………

The heavy door at the end of the corridor slowly opened in the cold wind. Lambert whispered to the doorman before stepping away, leaving Louis alone to enter the study.

The door closed behind him, shutting out the chill from outside.

Hanging on the wall were not paintings, but rolled-up battle maps and densely packed military and political documents, with red ink and black ink marks intertwined and mottled.

The air was filled with the strong aroma of liquor and the astringent smell of herbs, a bittersweet blend.

Lord Edmund, Governor of the North, sat behind his desk, wearing a plain grey robe, without any aristocratic attire, his long hair tied back with a single hemp rope.

His right hand was supporting him with a wooden cane wrapped in white cloth, and the veins on his pale skin floated like vines, one after another, as if it were some kind of countdown.

Despite being prepared, Louis was still taken aback.

That once-powerful man, who commanded the wind and snow, now seems to be nothing more than an empty shell scorched by war.

“You look more energetic than I expected.” Edmund looked up and forced a smile. “I thought you’d be unconscious for a week.”

“Thanks to you, I’m just a little tired,” Louis replied calmly.

"That's good."

Edmund slowly poured a glass of wine for each of them, much slower than usual, and almost spilled it while holding the pitcher.

After Louis took it, he said directly, "The doctor said I have another six months to live."

The wine glass trembled slightly in the firelight.

Louis paused, his brow furrowing involuntarily.

Although he knew about it through the daily intelligence system before he arrived, he still had to pretend that he had just found out.

He remained silent for a few moments, then raised his glass and drank without uttering a word.

Edmund raised his glass, his gaze passing over the firelight to Louis, as if trying to see through his outward composure to his inner thoughts.

His voice was low and somber: "Everything is in ruins after the war, and I... am no longer able to hold on. I want to know, what do you think of its future?"

The flickering firelight cast shadows on Louis's face.

He didn't respond immediately, as if he was thinking seriously, or perhaps choosing his words carefully.

After a moment, he said in a low voice, "I am still young and not someone who can achieve great things. I am afraid I cannot speak on such matters."

Edmund stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "You don't need to act with me."

His tone was like that of an elder who saw through the tricks of a younger person.

"What you did during the Red Tide is something not everyone can do. During the insect plague, you stabilized the territory's order. During the winter plague, you opened the granaries to provide relief to the people and reorganized the military system."

Before the barbarian invasion, you reorganized the Crimson Tide Knights, and in the face of battle, you personally went to the front lines, turning the tide of the war with fewer than two hundred men.

He put down his glass and tapped the rim with his fingertips. "It's not that you can't think about it, it's just that you don't want to say it."

Louis smiled slightly, remaining calm: "If I said that I got it all by luck, the Duke probably wouldn't believe me."

“Of course not.” Edmund sighed, a hint of relief beyond weariness in his eyes. “The North has no shortage of knights or nobles, but it lacks people like you who are clear-headed and ruthless.”

“…If the North were truly handed over to me,” Louis paused, then said seriously, “I would proceed with caution, prioritizing the restoration of people’s livelihoods…”

Edmund raised an eyebrow: "So you're willing?"

Louis paused for a moment and then said, "Being willing to work for the North doesn't mean being willing to stand in the eye of the storm."

"I am not from the North, nor am I a direct descendant of the Calvin family. If the Duke were to truly hand over the governorship to me, I fear not only the North, but even the capital would be uneasy."

Edmund remained noncommittal: "The Governor of the North... is not someone I can hand over to whomever I want."

Louis raised an eyebrow slightly.

Edmund put down his wine glass and said slowly, "But now, the situation is different. The emperor has disappeared."

Louis's expression shifted, his brow furrowing sharply, revealing a perfectly timed look of shock: "You said... what?"

"The news just arrived from the Swiftbird, and not many people know about it yet. But... I trust you."

Louis's expression was grave, and he remained silent.

"This matter can no longer be concealed. His Majesty, along with the First Legion, the Dragonblood Legion, and the Imperial Guard... have all disappeared without a trace."

Edmund's voice was low and hoarse, as if he were describing the reality of some kind of edifice collapsing.

“The capital is probably in complete chaos right now,” he continued. “The noble council is fighting for power, the military is in disarray, there’s no heir apparent… it’s likely to be chaotic for the next few years.”

Louis's expression grew even more somber, as if he were overwhelmed by the bombshell news.

After a long pause, he asked in a low voice, "Then... what about our northern border?"

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say.” Edmund looked him straight in the eye, his gaze sharp in the firelight. “They’ll have to fight for years. The North is a desolate frontier, insignificant, and by then the capital won’t even have time to care. If I die, they won’t have the authority to send a new governor immediately.”

At most, you could set up a council for the reconstruction of the North, but that would be nothing more than a figurehead. What you need to do is to establish a firm foothold in this situation and seize real power in the North.

I will ensure that all my loyal subordinates support you. Just accept this authority; you don't need to worry about anything else.

Louis opened his mouth as if to say something, but Edmund raised his hand to interrupt him.

“Don’t refuse.” Edmund’s tone was firm, his eyes holding a calm that seemed to be facing life and death. “I have seen too many nobles, knights, commanders… but you are the most capable leader I have ever met.”

He slowly got up, took a couple of steps with his cane, as if suppressing some emotion in his heart.

"I didn't choose you because of the North."

His voice suddenly softened, as if an old man were recounting old stories.

“My children… my eldest son died in battle, my second son was just one year old, my eldest daughter married and went to the southern border, and has not returned for twelve years. We have become strangers to each other. My youngest daughter, whom I loved the most, is now your wife.”

Louis was startled, but remained silent.

“My lineage… is almost wiped out, and none of the remaining branches of the Edmund family are any good.” Edmund’s voice was tinged with weariness, but also with a calm resolve. “What I want to preserve is not only the North, but also the embers of the Edmund family.”

He turned around and stared at Louis.

"Therefore, I am temporarily handing over the position of Lord of the North to you. It's a gamble, and I'm betting you can hold on to it."

The room was silent, with only the soft crackling of the firelight like a whisper.

Meanwhile, Louis's mind was already racing.

It's time to assess this game of power.

Edmund is seriously ill, the empire is in turmoil, the emperor has disappeared, the legions are in chaos... the whole situation has entered a "period of rising gray power".

He has a daily intelligence system that allows him to foresee the future, and the Red Tide foundation that allows him to stabilize the rear.

The North is currently vacant, and whoever can seize the opportunity will control the future.

But this road is by no means smooth.

The Third and Ninth Legions of the Empire are still in existence, and their military strength is difficult to shake. The Sixth Prince Asta is also eyeing them covetously. The southern expansionist nobles are also coming on strong, and the shadow of the former northern vassals has not yet dissipated. Each of them has their own plans, and none of them are benevolent.

"Can I... really handle all of this?" Louise murmured to herself.

But the voice didn't linger for long before it was replaced by a deeper thought: You're a time traveler, and you can't even handle this situation? You still want to become a god through incense offerings?

He gave a self-deprecating smile to himself; the brief hesitation was like ice breaking, revealing the surging fire beneath.

Louis finally spoke, his tone resolute: "If you trust me, then I will not fail in my duty."

Edmund gazed at him, a hint of relief in his eyes.

"Okay." He picked up his wine glass and gently clinked it against his, the two glasses making a crisp sound.

"I will protect you for as long as I can for the rest of my time. How far you can go in the future depends on your own abilities."

Louis nodded silently, tilted his head back, and drank the strong liquor in his glass in one gulp.

At that moment, he finally took over the baton of fate, and the fate of the North was rewritten from that moment on.

…………

The early spring night in Frostspear City was still chilly, but the inner hall deep inside the governor's mansion was warmly lit, like the embers of a fireplace after a snowfall.

Ten days after the war ended, Louis did not return to Red Tide immediately, but stayed in Frostspear City.

Ostensibly a period of rest and recuperation, they were actually designing the future of the North.

Despite his declining health, the Duke of Edmund did not slow down his pace in the slightest, summoning Louis to his study almost every day.

He might drink alcohol, take medicine, or lie on the sofa in a wolfskin cloak, closing his eyes to confess.

And, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he brought Louis into the central government of the North.

"You need to keep an eye on the Broken Edge Knights... The vice-commander is loyal, but his vision is lacking."

"Don't rely entirely on the Empire for grain transport. Take a route through the old roads of Red Rock and Broken Peak Mountain. After the insect plague, that area is actually safe."

"And these few, I'll let you see them alone; they're reliable."

As he spoke, he introduced Louis to his old subordinates and vassal nobles, whom he had accumulated throughout his life, like an aging Mafia godfather entrusting his business to his successor.

Louis always agreed with a smile, but deep down he felt a sad sense of entrustment, a feeling of being entrusted with someone's orphan.

Before the reconstruction meeting, the Duke of Edmund did not summon all his subjects at once, but rather summoned them in batches and separately in an extremely cautious manner.

That night, in his study, he summoned his key generals, former Northern nobles, and vassals one by one, and personally informed them of his decision to "entrust the North to Louis."

Most people already knew that the Duke's injuries were serious, and although they were filled with grief upon hearing this, they did not raise any objections.

Although Louis was young in their eyes, his achievements over the past few years were undeniable, and his ability to manage the red tide was widely praised.

More importantly, they generally believe that this is only a temporary entrustment.

When Edmund grows up, power will eventually return to the Duke's lineage.

Of course, not everyone is convinced.

Some of the remaining families in the old Northern Territory outwardly bowed and agreed, but inwardly harbored resentment.

They harbored doubts about this son of a southern nobleman: "The north will surely descend into chaos after the Duke's death, and that will be our real opportunity."

Of course, they concealed these thoughts very well.

But the translucent blue screen had already revealed everything.

Louis made a note of everything; it was clear at a glance who could use it and who couldn't.

…………

Several days later, Emily finally arrived in Frostspear City.

She wore a thick cloak, her face slightly flushed, but it couldn't hide the slight bulge in her abdomen.

"Are you crazy to rush here like this?" Edmund frowned, his words stern but full of worry.

Emily gently held her father's thin hand: "I can't rest easy without seeing you."

That night, the whole family sat around a table.

The youngest son, Isaac, nestled in his mother's arms, yawning.

Mrs. Elena personally served the soup pot, scolding Emily for being tired, and then added soup to Louis's bowl three more times.

The firelight warmed and softened everyone's faces.

This was Edmund's most peaceful and heartwarming night in recent years.

He didn't even personally prepare for the Northern Reconstruction Conference, leaving the entire agenda to Louis.

(End of this chapter)