When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

“Even if we have to accept, we can't accept everything.” Moliatti's face was as pale as paper. “Once the debt is bought by him, we become the debtor, and then we're in trouble.”

“Why are you still arguing?” Moruo handed a bowl of medicinal soup to Moliatti's lips. “In this situation, isn't this the only way?”

Looking at Moliatti, who was still wearing the iron mask, Moruo felt a pang of heartache.

On the way back from Salt Beach, the Grand Duchess risked her life many times to rescue the surrounded army.

In the later stages, she covered the rear many times, dueling with the enemy's Red Feather Knights.

After returning to Upper Ruifo County, the witch doctor removed seven arrowheads from her body, and the penetrating wound in her waist and abdomen was rotten and stinking.

Even with Moliatti's heaven-defying recovery ability, she couldn't avoid leaving an ugly scar.

Moliatti rested for half a month to recover from her injuries. Her complexion had only recently improved, but she was still pale and her lips were like white wax.

And just at this time, a bunch of troubles popped up.

If it wasn't necessary, Moruo really didn't want to tell Moliatti about these things.

“Moruo, you still don't understand.” Supporting herself on the bed board, Moliatti's face was serious inside the clean tent.

Since becoming an autocratic duchess, Moliatti had thought she could rely on the power of the entire Qianhe Valley to slowly subdue Horn.

After all, Horn only had the income and manpower of one county.

Moliatti's income was almost five times that of Horn, and her manpower was almost ten times greater.

But Horn's development speed exceeded her imagination.

In less than a year, he recovered Black Serpent Bay.

Then, alchemy was initiated, white sugar and spice trade were initiated, and wool trade was initiated.

Three trade carriages and the open Flan market allowed Horn's strength to increase day by day.

But what about herself?

Every day, she was fighting wits and courage with the nobles, every day she was inspecting, supervising, and reprimanding.

She had the magic of mind reading. Under mind reading, most of the ministers and nobles were difficult to corrupt.

Compared with the contemporary empire, the government of the Qianhe Valley Principality was quite efficient.

However, this efficiency was not even close to that of the Saint League government.

Even the efficiency of the central government of the Qianhe Valley Principality was entirely based on the efficiency of the Saint League's grassroots government.

Then why was their less incorruptible government more efficient than her incorruptible government?

By the time she reacted, the situation had completely changed:

The income of Langsand County, which had established the market and the three major trades, had actually caught up with half of the entire Qianhe Valley.

As for manpower, Horn had the support of the entire Black Serpent Bay.

That was Moliatti's mother's family, and it was easily taken into Horn's pocket.

Even she herself, when speaking in Changdi City, was not as effective as the local constabulary.

“If this continues, Horn will not be the Grand Shepherd of Qianhe Valley, but the Pope of the Saint League…” Moliatti stared at Moruo, “I need a victory.”

Moruo fell silent. He knew what Moliatti meant by victory.

Horn could go south to obtain Black Serpent Bay and obtain the origin of white sugar and spices.

Then she, Moliatti, could also go north to Gravel Plains and obtain the equally important origin of wool.

However, she failed.

And it was a great defeat.

Everything Moliatti had as an autocratic duchess was earned through force.

Her vassals obeyed because Moliatti could always lead them to victory.

Her enemies surrendered because Moliatti could always defeat her enemies.

But now, the Gravel Plains people had shattered Moliatti's invincible myth.

On the other hand, the rumors in Hortham County had confirmed that there was a problem with Moliatti's bloodline.

Moliatti suddenly understood why Horn had previously said that her Qianhe Valley was a castle built on two thin pillars.

The seemingly solid foundation was more fragile than she had imagined.

On the contrary, Horn's seemingly illusory contracts and mutual trust were more resilient than she had imagined.

Just imagine, if Horn's identity as the Great Grandson was proven false, would anyone still follow him?

Probably more than would abandon me.

The falsification of the Great Grandson's identity had been proven by many people as early as Autumn Twilight Island.

But they still pretended not to know and firmly followed behind Horn.

Moliatti looked at her right hand, which was spread out, and then looked at her left hand, which was clenched into a fist.

Was a stroking palm really more useful than a clenched fist?

“Moliatti…”

After quietly drinking the medicine in the bowl, Moliatti propped up the pillow and placed it behind her back: “My injury has improved a lot. I estimate that I will be able to get out of bed and move around within the week.”

Most ⊥ New ⊥ Small ⊥ Said ⊥ At ⊥ Six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ Books ⊥ ⊥ Bar ⊥ ⊥ First ⊥ Hair!

“Are you really not considering bowing your head slightly to His Majesty Horn?”

“No, my chin is already resting on my chest. If I lower it any further, I can only kneel.”

Moruo knew Moliatti's stubborn personality and had already anticipated this answer.

At this time, Moliatti was stuck in a dead end, and the person who could solve the dead end had died in Sentinel Fortress.

“I see you've been hesitant. Just say what you want to say.” After adjusting her breathing with the knight's breathing method for a while, Moliatti tucked the corner of the quilt under her thigh.

Moruo hesitated again and again, but Moliatti impatiently urged: “If you don't say it, I'll fall asleep again when the medicine takes effect.”

After pondering for a few seconds, Moruo decided to tell Moliatti the news: “In the past few days, in addition to the news of the Great Grandson in Lower Ruifo County, there are three other pieces of news.”

“Speak.” Closing her eyes, Moliatti was concise.

“The first is that King Jiji has broken through the last fortress of the Naderbach family and has begun to divide the land on a large scale.

He released the vassal knights from the Xiandianshi area to return home to rest in advance, while he himself remained on Dawn Island.”

Moliatti knew that letting the vassal knights from Xiandianshi return home in advance was to prepare for the attack next year.

Considering the Gravel Plains operation this time, she suspected that digging the dam was also an idea from the Leia people.

She underestimated King Jiji. He actually had some skill.

“The second is from Nonn. They require you to drink holy water to prove that you are not a witch, and at the same time require you to prove your bloodline.

Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” The veins on Moliatti's forehead faintly bulged.

Moruo's voice became lower and lower: “Otherwise, they will deny your title, either let your cousin be the Duke of Hema Stone, or pay off all the debts owed in one lump sum.”

“Don't even think about it! Cough cough cough—” Slamming the bed board hard, Moliatti coughed violently.

Moruo quickly put down the medicine bowl and gently patted her back.

“I'm fine.” Pushing away Moruo's hand, the Grand Duchess adjusted her pillow, “What's the last piece of news?”

“Your body?”

“Speak quickly.”

Moruo had no choice: “Herman sent a letter asking about your situation. In addition, the nobles of the Plains faction have been making trouble recently over the bond issue.”

Snatching the letter from Moruo's hand, Moliatti read it quickly.

This time, she didn't get angry. She just took a deep breath and slowly exhaled using the breathing method.

“Take the money to pay back the Nonn people and use it to pay off the war bonds. Pay back those who can really influence the overall situation, those who bought a lot…”

“What about the rest?”

“Need you even ask?” Sitting on the sickbed, Moliatti's right hand became a knife and she chopped down hard.