For
Lorist was very reassured by Malek's appointment as the chief responsible person. He simply had a long private discussion with Malek, adjusting the sequence and timing of the family's armed corps' deployment. Lorist felt there was no need to concentrate all three main field corps at the Pangshan Province border. They could provide cover and surveillance only for the sections where work was actively underway. This way, there was no need to advance the entire defense line thirty li forward from the border, which not only reduced the manpower needed for defensive patrols but also allowed for rotations among the assigned corps. In terms of military expenditure, it could also save around five to six million over the five-year period.
This adjustment to troop deployments was made by Lorist out of necessity. The Iron Guard Corps was currently constructing the Lichtenau Fortress in the Yun-Gessandra Province and was not expected to complete the work until the end of next year. The Hunting Rider Corps was stationed in the Pasterland Province, serving as the family's only mobile force. After the Bedrock Corps and the Flying Tiger Corps departed for Pangshan Province, the only military strength left in the Northland was
Although Lorist believed that the family's territories were unlikely to undergo significant changes in the coming years, focusing mainly on recuperation and with little possibility of war within the Empire, the situation would look different once the Lichtenau Fortress was completed and the Iron Guard Corps also moved to Pangshan Province next year. At that point, the family's territories would truly be at their most vulnerable in terms of troop strength. The Winston Province, Dramec Province, and Yun-Gessandra Province would have to rely solely on the newly reorganized provincial defense corps for protection.
He could only hope that the
It was currently August tenth. The next day, Lorist planned to depart for North Sea City with
However, people often jinx themselves. In the morning, Lorist had just been thinking about the Second Prince, hoping he wouldn't cause any more disturbances, when he received news about him in the afternoon. Duke Kemmes had sent an urgent messenger with a letter. The letter stated that out of politeness, Duke Kemmes had also invited the Second Prince to attend. Under normal circumstances, the Second Prince wouldn't bother joining such an event. As the Emperor of the Empire, it would indeed be unseemly for His Majesty to go to White Sand Beach, strip, and play in the water. Originally, the Second Prince had used the excuse of heavy governmental duties to decline the invitation, which suited everyone just fine. But unexpectedly, just two days later, the Second Prince changed his mind and once again replied to Duke Kemmes, declaring that he too would be going for a summer vacation.
Therefore, Duke Kemmes had written urgently, asking Lorist whether the Second Prince's intention to come for a summer vacation had some hidden purpose, and what precautions he himself should take...
The Second Prince was also going to White Sand Beach for a summer vacation? This couldn't possibly be the Emperor wanting to mingle with his subjects. Given the Second Prince's nature, he would never do something so meaningless. With his obsession with accumulating power, he was incredibly busy, dealing with countless matters great and small every day. How could he have the leisure to go on a summer vacation? Lorist's eyes narrowed, and a rough guess formed in his mind. "Genoliro, go inform the wife. Have her take the four concubine wives and the children to White Sand Beach for the vacation. I will not be going. If anyone asks, say that the newly established Pangshan Province has been attacked by mountain barbarian tribes, and I have gone to handle the emergency."
"Your Highness, are... are you deliberately trying to avoid His Majesty?" Genoliro was somewhat taken aback. In his view, even if there had been some friction with His Majesty, there was no need to deliberately avoid him — wouldn't that undermine the prestige of the Norton Family?
Lorist saw through Genoliro's thoughts at a glance and immediately gave him a light smack on the head. "You fool, didn't you read the secret report from the capital a few days ago? Ever since the Qilin Port Grand Trade Market drastically raised its procurement prices for raw materials and mineral resources, the Antalio Guild has been forced to raise theirs too. But that only means the more they buy, the more they lose. That young master Selig has visited His Majesty at the palace several times already — most likely to discuss countermeasures.
Now His Majesty suddenly announces he wants to come to White Sand Beach for a summer vacation. I suspect he just wants an opportunity to negotiate with me about lowering the procurement prices for raw materials and mineral resources, so that both sides don't end up destroying each other. After all, he secretly invested eight hundred thousand gold fards in the Antalio Guild, and the profitability of that investment is at stake — that's why he's making the trip personally. I don't want to cave to his request just because of the weight of his imperial dignity, so I've decided to avoid meeting him entirely. Let the Antalio Guild keep bleeding money."
"Could it really be like that?" Genoliro rubbed his forehead, still somewhat skeptical.
"Sure, our family helped out with the Malek defense line, but that's beyond his control. So the only thing tying his interests to our family is the price increase from last month. His Majesty is using the summer vacation as a convenient excuse to meet with me — that way, it won't cause any major uproar..."
"I see. Since His Majesty declared that the Antalio Guild setting up procurement stations along the Liushui River and intercepting trade caravans headed for Qilin Port to purchase their goods is perfectly legitimate commercial activity and fair business competition, then our family raising procurement prices is equally legitimate commercial activity and fair business competition. The Antalio Guild and His Majesty are powerless to stop it — they can only try to reach an agreement through private discussions with us, to avoid getting locked into a prolonged price war with our family.
It's only been a little over a month, and the Antalio Guild already can't hold on. That's why His Majesty himself has stepped in, ready to negotiate with Your Highness. And Your Highness's refusal to meet is simply to keep this commercial war going. As Your Highness said, our Norton Family has the advantage of sea transport — we can maintain slim profits or at least break even at such high procurement prices, while the Antalio Guild loses more the more they buy, since maintaining their overland trade route with the Commerce League still demands enormous transportation costs." Genoliro understood.
"Exactly. His Majesty initially declined Duke Kemmes's invitation, then changed his mind two days later and decided to go after all. It's obvious he wants to use this opportunity to meet with me and negotiate procurement prices. You know how our Emperor has always loved consolidating power — busy day in and day out with all sorts of affairs. If this weren't about his private investment in the Antalio Guild, he would never have the leisure to go to White Sand Beach for a summer vacation.
I suspect what His Majesty actually wants to negotiate is to have our family and the Antalio Guild divide up procurement territories — for example, the northwest region would belong to the Qilin Port Grand Trade Market, while the two southwestern provinces would fall under the Antalio Guild's responsibility. Through that kind of mutual compromise, both sides could bring procurement prices down. It's just that the purpose of our price war isn't to reach a compromise with the Antalio Guild. Otherwise, those terms would actually be quite favorable.
I'm not going to White Sand Beach precisely to avoid meeting His Majesty. I don't want to get entangled with him in negotiations over procurement prices. Whether the Antalio Guild and His Majesty's investment turns a profit or a loss is irrelevant — what matters is that we need to sever their trade route with the Commerce League. For our family, any action that helps the Commerce League rebuild its strength must be forbidden. Until our Emperor and the Antalio Guild's operator, that young master Selig, understand this principle, I refuse to negotiate with them."
"Gennorio, write a letter to Duke Kemmes on my behalf. Tell him that His Majesty the Emperor's visit should be treated with nothing more than the usual diplomatic courtesies — there's no need to make a fuss. Also, convey my apologies for being unable to attend." Lorist instructed.
"Yes, Your Grace."
Although Lorist had no intention of going to White Sand Beach for his summer vacation, he still had to send Princess Silivia, his other four concubines, and all of his children to North Sea City, where they would board ship and set sail for White Sand Beach. He had Princess Silivia carry his letter of apology to Duke Kemmes, explaining why he could not keep his word and attend. Once the passenger ship had sailed out of sight, Lorist turned his horse around and headed for Nico Academy with Gennorio and his guard detail.
There were many people Lorist intended to visit at Nico Academy. First, he would see his lover, Lady Tesserty, then the two little princesses he had fathered with her. After that, he would visit Schlobel, the eldest son of his concubine Dilliana, who was currently studying at Nico Academy. Finally, he would pick up Frelich,
However, after enjoying himself at Nico Academy for just over ten days, Lorist received a secret dispatch from North Sea City: the Second Prince had arrived traveling light, bringing only a hundred-man guard escort aboard a Kemmes family merchant vessel. He was now heading for Angry Bear City.
It seemed the Second Prince was determined not to give up until he found him. Upon discovering that Lorist had not gone to White Sand Beach, he had simply come straight to his doorstep. Lorist dispatched message hawk instructions with a bitter smile. At Angry Bear City, Fatty Shi would handle the reception and tell the Second Prince that Lorist had gone to Pangshan Province. If the Second Prince insisted on going there as well, then Bodfenger, Fierce Tiger Ross, and Malek would step forward to inform him that Lorist had already left for Silovas Island to urgently settle a commercial dispute.
Under cover of darkness, Lorist took Gennorio, Frelich, and the guard detail to North Sea City, where they boarded a seagoing vessel that had been summoned and set out for Silovas Island. Although the Northland was Norton Family territory, Lorist could not be certain whether the Second Prince had planted spies within it. If the Second Prince discovered that he was simply hiding in the Northland to avoid meeting him and then caught up with him at Nico Academy, it would be terribly embarrassing. Better to make the trip to Silovas Island — Lorist refused to believe the Second Prince would chase him all the way there.
But Lorist had not anticipated the Second Prince's relentless persistence. After spending only five or six days on Silovas Island, Lorist received a message hawk dispatch from Tagel. Upon learning that Lorist had left the Northland for Silovas Island, the Second Prince had likewise ordered his family's leadership to provide him with a ship, and he was now heading for Silovas Island as well.
How could someone be this thick-skinned? Lorist felt thoroughly defeated by the Second Prince — it was clear the man was absolutely determined to find him no matter what. Since that was the case, he might as well go all the way. Lorist ordered a ship prepared for him; he was heading for
Five days later, the ocean liner *White Bird*, carrying the Second Prince, arrived at Silovas Island. Viscount Camora, serving as both Governor of Silovas Island and Commerce Steward of Qilin Port, stood at the dock to receive His Majesty the Emperor with impeccable courtesy. He informed the Second Prince that in order to mediate the commercial dispute, Lorist had already departed for Morant City. Since the dispute involved trade with the Qigeda Kingdom on the southern continent, Lorist might require a considerable amount of time, and there was no certainty as to when he would return to Silovas Island.
The Second Prince now finally understood with perfect clarity that Lorist was deliberately avoiding a meeting with him. After spending five days on Silovas Island, he prepared to return to the Imperial Capital. Before his departure, he held a very in-depth conversation with Viscount Camora, pointing out that the Norton Family's decision to raise purchase prices for raw materials, supplies, and mineral resources at Qilin Port's Grand Trade Market was a self-defeating move that harmed both sides and did more damage than good.
But Viscount Camora's reply nearly made the Second Prince cough up blood. Camora explained that while raising purchase prices had indeed reduced profit margins on raw materials, supplies, and mineral resources, the trade-off was that those Imperial nobles now had more money in hand, which led to greater demand for the goods and luxury items the Norton Family sold at Qilin Port's Grand Trade Market, and they were far more willing to spend generously on what they needed. Looking at overall transaction volume, this year had seen roughly a fifty percent increase over last year, and the Norton Family was reaping greater profits.
Very well then — according to the agreement between Lorist and the Second Prince, Qilin Port fell under the Norton Family's jurisdiction, and as for the Grand Trade Market, its proceeds were to be split evenly between the Norton Family and the Second Prince. However, goods and commodities produced by the Norton Family's own territories and sold at the market were subject only to normal trade taxes. Only the profits from raw materials, supplies, and mineral resources purchased at the market, then transported to Morant City for resale — those were the profits the Second Prince was entitled to a fifty percent share of.
In other words, the Second Prince had been secretly backing the Antalio Commerce Guild's efforts to intercept Qilin Port's Grand Trade Market transactions, and every loss suffered fell squarely on his own revenue. Meanwhile, the Norton Family, having raised its purchase prices, had actually increased the sales volume of its territorial goods and commodities, compensating from an entirely different angle. When the Second Prince received this news, how could he not feel so stifled with frustration that he nearly coughed up blood…
The Second Prince finally departed in a sullen huff. Viscount Camora calmly issued his instructions: "Send a message hawk to His Majesty. The Emperor has already returned to the Imperial Capital, and he may come back now."
……