Chapter 120

"The Duke allocates a huge amount of money every year just to allow you to cultivate an army that can protect itself when the orcs attack."

"In order not to involve the military and territorial disputes, the Duke gave you full authority for border defense. As a result, this is how you treated the Duke?"

"But..." At this time, a border count stood up and defended: "We didn't expect that when the orcs attacked us this time, they would use all their elites."

"All the best are out? Then what will my troops encounter on the front battlefield? Orcs' partial divisions? Orcs' partial divisions are harder to fight than the elite you say?" Orson said, pointing to the Duke's nose, and started Get angry.

"Do you know why I asked you to toast Count Karls? Because everything you have done is treason! You should

Go to hell and see Count Carls! "

"Master Orson, are you serious?!" At this time, another earl also stood up, and he began to suppress Orson with his age.

"Many problems are not as easy as you think. There are also many problems within our county. In short... you are still too young. You will understand us about some things when you truly become a powerful person."

"Heh." Orson smiled when he heard this.

"In that case, why don't you tell us your difficulties?"

"I found an account at Count Karls' house. He spends all the money he uses to maintain the border garrison every year on himself. The difficulty you call is not because the mansion at home is not enough. Luxurious, right?”

"Are you going to be satisfied if you want to build your home like a palace?"

"Don't say this nonsense!" Another earl slapped the table and stood up. "Mr. Osun! We praise you because you helped us resolve the crisis, but there are some things that are not your responsibility, so just leave them alone!"

"When the money comes to us, it becomes a matter for our territory. Even if you are the Duke himself! You can't interfere with the internal affairs of our territory."

"That's right, we are willing to come here to give you face. Who do you think you are, the Duke himself? Let me tell you, even if Lucius himself comes, we should still say this."

"Don't say you haven't become a duke now. Even if you become a duke in the end, don't you still have to look at our faces?!"

"Oh? I heard you were calling me?" At this time, a voice suddenly sounded outside the door. The earls present were stunned when they heard the voice.

"Duke...Your Majesty Duke, didn't Mr. Orson say before that you were sick in bed? Why..."

"Your Excellency, are you feeling well?"

The nobles who had been showing off to Orson just now became servile in front of Lucius.

Orson has no right to punish them, but Lucius has this power.

The reason why they dared to say this in front of Orson was to threaten Orson.

After all, the heir to the duke is not Orson alone now. If they are pushed into a hurry, they will turn around and support Li Te. After Li Te becomes the duke, Orson will be nothing.

But now that the Duke himself was here, they could no longer talk like that.

"Oh, you really want me to die, old man?" Lucius said, crossing the crowd and coming to Orson's side.

"Oson has already told me about your matters. None of you can run away today."

He stretched out his hand and pointed at the nobles in the audience, showing a stern expression.

"What you are responsible for is not only the defense of the earldom, nor the defense of the dukedom, but the defense of the entire empire. You have made mistakes in defense. Do you think that even if I let you go out of favor in the past? Will His Majesty let you go?"

It has to be said that after all, Lucius has been sitting in the position of Duke for more than ten years. In addition, he is a soldier, so his aura is quite strong. Even though he is ill now, he still calms down all the nobles present. They didn't even dare to take a breath.

"I... Your Majesty the Duke, I am very sorry, I have betrayed your trust, Your Majesty the Duke, but I was forced to do this by others..." At this time, seeing Lucius talking to His Majesty the Emperor, a count finally came to him. Unable to withstand the pressure, I began to beg for mercy.

With one person taking the lead, the others also knelt down and begged for mercy.

When Lucius saw this, he just snorted coldly.

"Your guilt will be judged by a dedicated person."

At this time, Elsa walked in from outside the house.

"Your Highness Princess! Your Highness Princess, please have mercy!"

"Your Highness, do you still remember me? I was your bodyguard when you were young. Please be lenient!"

Elsa stood at the door and looked at Orson.

The latter smiled and nodded.

Then, Elsa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and waved her hand.

"take away."

Then, a group of soldiers came out of the door and imprisoned all the earls one by one.

The next process is interrogation, investigation, verification, and conviction.

This crime, at the very least, is to temporarily take back the territory for ten years.

The most severe case may be directly convicted of treason and the person's head will fall to the ground.

This time, the Duchy of Antica is really going to undergo a major reshuffle.

After the group of dukes were sent away, Orson and Lucius sat down.

"Okay, everyone, all the troublemakers have left. Now is the real celebration party."

Osen’s practice of clear rewards and punishments and proper internal and external measures made all the generals see his ability, and everyone had a higher opinion of him.

…

On the other side, Lit returned to Antica City in advance.

In a private room of a tavern, she and Celinina sat opposite each other.

“Sister Celinina, this time, thanks to your financial support, we have survived the most difficult time.” Lit said this, bowing his head to thank Celinina.

For this war, the Lison Chamber of Commerce almost emptied all its liquidity, and even sold its assets in the Naples area.

However, it was also thanks to Celinina’s timely sale of the assets in the Naples area that Giovanni’s subsequent attack on the Lison Chamber of Commerce was avoided.

“It’s okay.” Celinina smiled and shook her head. "Your brother helped me, so I should help him back."

"By the way, Sister Chelinina." When Lit heard Chelinina mention Orson, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "What do you think of Orson?"

"Huh?" Hearing this, Chelinina was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean by this, Lit?"

Chapter 14: Boys should also be careful when they are outside (7K)

"Sister Chelinina, you have done so many things for Orson, don't you have any feelings for Orson at all?" Lit said this, staring at Chelinina, trying to see something from her eyes.

However, Chelinina's eyes dodged, and after thinking again and again, she slowly spoke.

"I... I'm sorry, Lit, I don't have that kind of thought about Orson."

Of course, she knew what Lit meant by asking her, but for the current Chelinina, she shouldn't have, and dared not have, that kind of thought.

The reason is simple.

Orson is too good.

Just like the brightest star in the sky, although yearning for it, it is ultimately untouchable by people on earth.

If before, Cherylina still had a little bit of that fantasy, now she only has respect for Orson.

It's not that there is no love between men and women, but she has completely suppressed and blocked the love between men and women.

She knows what Orson needs from her, and she also knows what she needs from Orson.

Orson needs Cherylina as his treasury, and Cherylina needs Orson's help to become the richest person in the empire and complete revenge on her father and brother.

They are just mutually beneficial.

Although thinking so, whenever Cherylina thinks back to the banquet that day, when Orson stood up for her and did not flinch even in the face of his father and Donnie's sarcasm, her heart still trembles.

Is there no possibility that Orson likes her?

But after that day, with the letters between Orson and her, she understood more and more.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, Orson really just wanted to help her at that time, and had no other thoughts.

So, Chelinina buried all these thoughts in her mind, and kept herself busy through her usual work and business to suppress this feeling.

But when Lit mentioned it again, Chelinina couldn't help but think more.

Lit sat opposite Chelinina, and saw Chelinina's slightly red face after she said this, and knew that Chelinina said something against her will.

"I don't know what you think, sister Chelinina, but if it were me, if there was happiness in front of me, even if I couldn't get it in the end, but if I didn't fight for it, I would definitely regret it in the future." Lit said so.

The reason why Lit said this was that he was ready to drag Chelinina into this love melee.

Facts have proved that Lianka, this silly and sweet girl, doesn't know what love is at all.

To put it bluntly, if Lianka can succeed, it will be the biggest insult to the women around Orson.

"..." Hearing this, Chelinina was silent for a while, and then nodded. "Thank you, Lit, but Orson is really too good. I am not worthy of him at all."

"Really?" Lit said this, looking at Chelinina in doubt.

"But in my opinion, if the future richest man in the empire is not worthy of Brother Orson, wouldn't it be too absurd? Sister Chelinina, do you mean that Brother Orson will be a bachelor for life?"

"That's not what I mean..." Chelinina shook her head and then froze.

"Sister Chelinina, do you think that the reason you are so successful is all thanks to Brother Orson?" Lit said this and began to enlighten Chelinina.

"I don't know what others think, but in my opinion, Sister Chelinina, you are a very smart and capable person."

"Think about it, if it is true that whoever Orson wants to support can do it, then why didn't Brother Orson choose others, but chose you, Sister Chelinina?"

After Lit said this, he didn't continue.

Next, whether Chelinina regained her confidence or felt that Orson was just greedy for her body, she would only make one decision.

That is to officially quit this love war.

"Okay, sister Chelinina, I'll stop here. It's getting late today, so go to bed early." With that, Lit stood up.

"I hope that when I see you again, sister Chelinina, you have made a decision that you will not regret."

After saying all this, Lit left.

Chelinina sat there, staring at the plate in front of her.

After a long time, a tear ran down the corner of her eye.

She wiped away the tears with her fingers belatedly, and then laughed twice in self-mockery.

"Heh, Chelinina, you actually need a backup to tell you what to do..."

Looking at the place where Lit left, Chelinina secretly made up her mind.

"Thank you, Lit."

...

On the other side, the day after the celebration banquet, everyone in Phoenix City left here and got busy with their own things.

Lucius also went home to continue recuperating.

After handing over the military affairs to Orson during this period, he did not live up to Lucius's trust and fought a beautiful battle.

The final exam of the Imperial Academy also ended after repelling the orcs, and the winter vacation also came early.

At this moment, in Antica City, in the Duke's house.

"Orson, do you know what kind of impact my doing this will bring?" Elsa stood in Orson's room, with his back to Orson, with a complicated expression.

"I know." Orson nodded.

"This is the first time in the history of the empire that so many lords have been sentenced at the same time. No matter how you decide to deal with these nobles, your name will definitely appear in the history books of the empire in the future. This trial will also be recorded in history as a warning to future generations."

"Do you remember what I told you before? The nobles are the foundation of the empire. You let me touch the interests of the nobles. Even if they really deserve to die, how will other nobles look at me?"

"Will they prefer a queen with noble blood on her hands, or an emperor who has always stood on the same front with the nobles and safeguarded their interests?"

"Although this is the truth, your highness, don't forget that the matter of establishing a crown prince is said to be a matter of many factors, but the most important factor is the emperor's own intention."

Having said this, Orson shrugged.

"As long as your thunderous wrist is recognized by His Majesty the Emperor, no matter how much other nobles hate you or oppose you, they will have to wait until you ascend the throne."

Hearing this, Elsa pursed her lips.

The education she received since childhood was traditional aristocratic education. In her opinion, the nobles were like the roots of an old tree, intertwined and entangled.

If you want to deal with a noble, the interest groups involved behind it are often quite large.