bookrebus Chapter 711 Emergency treatment
Chapter 711 Emergency treatment
"Um……"
John's hand brushed over the neatly folded parchment document, which contained the military cooperation terms urgently sent by Yoda's side.
The Lord Keeper of the Seals, Theodore, stood respectfully to one side, his gaze steadily fixed on the monarch's profile, awaiting the final decision.
This document came far too hastily, with less than two months remaining before the outbreak of war between Yoda and Midland. At this moment, the thought of seeking help and purchasing weapons from Hilderan seems rather desperate and ill-advised.
John picked up the document with unhurried movements. The edges of the parchment were slightly roughened from frequent handling. The handwriting was neat but had a touch of hasty scribbling, clearly drafted overnight.
He scanned the entries about weapons supplies and the dispatch of military advisors line by line, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Just before the battle started, they remembered to ask me to buy equipment."
His tone was flat, revealing little emotion, but it gave Theodore, who was standing by his side, a sense of reassurance.
John has never liked such passive invitations. The Yoda royal family had previously maintained a distant attitude towards Hilderan's overtures, and now that the war is getting intense, they are eager to seek cooperation, which is a gross underestimation of Hilderan's position.
"I want to summon Ambassador Yoda, who is stationed in Helmingen."
John raised his hand to signal, and the servant standing outside the door immediately turned and hurried away.
The person he was looking for was Reginald II, Ambassador Yoda to Helmingen, who was also his brother-in-law.
This dual identity gave Reginald II a special position in the negotiations between the two countries, allowing him to understand the internal situation of Yoda without creating too much distance between him and Heldran.
The wait wasn't too long, about half an hour later, a rhythmic knocking came from the door.
"Enter."
John's voice came through the door, the hinges turned slightly, and Reginald II pushed the door open and came in.
He was dressed in simple casual clothes and did not wear the ambassador's badge, clearly having rushed over immediately after receiving the news and not having had time to tidy himself up.
Upon entering, he stopped, slightly bent his right knee, and performed a standard one-knee salute.
"His Majesty."
John waved his hand and leaned back in his chair, appearing much more relaxed.
“It’s not a public place, we’re all family, there’s no need for these complicated formalities.”
He gestured with his chin towards the empty chair next to him.
"Let's find a seat."
King Reginald II sat down as instructed, the cushions of the chair sinking into a shallow curve.
As soon as he settled down, John moved closer to him, looking directly at him with a probing gaze.
"What's going on with Yoda? This cooperation agreement came too suddenly; there wasn't a hint of it beforehand."
King Reginald II looked troubled, raised his hand to rub his temples, and spoke with a hint of helplessness.
"I don't really know the specifics. The documents that were sent only stated that they wanted to exchange Yoda's throne for Hilderan's military support, including weapons and equipment, as well as sending officers to help train the army. There were no further details."
He paused and added:
“My father also wrote me a letter. He didn’t make many demands in the letter, only saying that I could decide whatever I wanted, and he would fully cooperate.”
John did not speak immediately, and a brief silence fell over the room.
He lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously tracing the surface of the table as he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
Yoda's throne is a significant bargaining chip, but it also means that once Hilderan intervenes, he will be drawn into Yoda's internal power struggle. He had indeed made the suggestion to the other side before, but he didn't expect them to agree so smoothly. It seems that the other side is not in a good position.
Karl's ascension to the throne as Emperor Yoda inevitably involves a power struggle among the noble council and local governors. Hilderan's support cannot be limited to weapons and training; it must be backed by real guarantees to ensure that the invested resources are not wasted.
After thinking for a few minutes, John looked up.
"We can agree to cooperate, but several terms must be attached."
He looked at Theodore, who had been standing quietly to the side.
"Draft the document now, first copy down Yoda's conditions verbatim, and then add the points I proposed."
Theodore bowed in agreement, then immediately turned and walked to the desk beside him, took out a new parchment and a quill, and dipped it in ink.
John, seeing that Theodore was ready, slowly began to state his conditions, word by word:
"Article 1: Before Karl officially ascends the throne as Emperor of Yoda, Hilderan is permitted to send Blackwatch and the Hilderan Merchant Guild to be stationed in various governorates of Yoda. Blackwatch will be responsible for assisting in maintaining local order, while the Merchant Guild may recruit personnel, purchase land, and conduct normal business activities locally, without any interference from anyone."
Blackwatch, as a commercial mercenary company, has proven its combat capabilities in numerous battles. Deploying them to various locations serves both as a deterrent and as a way to indirectly monitor the movements of governors in different regions.
The involvement of the Chamber of Commerce can not only bring economic benefits to Heldran, but also gather intelligence through business networks, achieving two goals at once.
"Secondly, the governors stationed in various parts of Yoda must provide a copy to the local Heldran Merchant Guild when submitting any documents to the Council of Nobles."
“I need to make sure that Heldran is kept informed of what is happening in Yoda and is not kept in the dark.”
This seemingly simple step is actually designed to break down any potential information barriers within Yoda's inner circle.
There is bound to be collusion between the council of nobles and the governors of various regions. Providing copies of documents would allow Heldran to obtain first-hand information and avoid being put on the defensive during the cooperation process.
"Thirdly, the Council of Nobles must centrally manage the funds used to build the new army and establish a separate account. At the same time, a special oversight organization must be established, composed of relevant officials from Hilderan and representatives from Yoda, to supervise the use of funds throughout the process and absolutely prevent any embezzlement or misappropriation."
At this point, John's tone became more serious. He knew very well that internal corruption was one of the major reasons why Yoda's war had fallen into its current predicament.
If the funds are not used effectively, even if Hilderan provides more weapons and training, it will be difficult to change the course of the war. He knows the plot, so he does not expect Yoda to defeat Midland. He just wants both sides to be severely weakened.
"As long as Yoda can meet these three requirements, Heldran will sell weapons and equipment at the price of Midland and send the best officers to train their army."
John added:
"This price is the best we can offer, and it took Midland three years to secure it."
Theodore's quill glided rapidly across the parchment, the ink leaving neat and clear marks, accurately recording each of John's requests.
About an hour later, the document was completed, and Theodore tidied up the parchment and handed it to John with both hands.
John took the document and carefully examined it word by word, afraid of making any mistakes.
He read it three times, confirming that all the terms were accurate and unambiguous, before nodding in satisfaction.
He handed the document to Reginald II:
"These are my conditions. Take Yoda back and tell the people there that if they agree, we will formally sign the agreement at a suitable time."
King Reginald II took the document, carefully folded it, and put it into his leather pocket.
"I will send someone immediately to convey your message as soon as possible."
He stood up, knelt on one knee again, and then turned and left the room.
……
Inside Yoda's noble council building, Count Castorly sat in his seat, holding the document from Heldran in his hand, his brow furrowed, lost in deep thought.
Count Castorly had assumed that Heldran would take advantage of the tense situation in Yoda to make exorbitant demands and impose some unacceptable and harsh conditions.
After all, Yoda is in a passive position now, and without Hilderan's support, it is almost impossible for him to win this battle.
But to his surprise, Heldran's three demands, though seemingly forceful, were all within reasonable bounds.
The provision allowing the Blackwatch and the Merchant Guild to establish a presence may seem like interference in Yoda's internal affairs, but in reality, the arrival of the Blackwatch can help stabilize the order of the governors in various regions, and the involvement of the Merchant Guild can bring some economic vitality to Yoda and alleviate the current financial pressure.
Article Two, which required the Governor to provide a copy of the documents to the Heldran Merchant Guild at the same time, did make some nobles uncomfortable, who felt that Heldran was spying on them.
But Count Castorly knew that information transmission within Yoda had always been chaotic, and the council of nobles often failed to grasp the true situation in various places in a timely manner. Heldran's request could, to some extent, break this information asymmetry and allow the council to make a more accurate judgment on the situation.
The third requirement regarding fund supervision was something that Earl Castorly secretly agreed with.
He picked up the document, looked at the words "Supervise the use of funds to prevent embezzlement," and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
The reason why Yoda's army was so weak and could not keep up with the supply of food and equipment was largely because the officials in charge of coordinating funds embezzled a large amount of military funds for other purposes.
The money that should have been used to purchase weapons and pay soldiers ended up in the pockets of a few, resulting in soldiers going to the battlefield hungry and their weapons and equipment being outdated.
"If these people hadn't been corrupt, the war wouldn't have come to this."
Count Castorly thought to himself.
He had no dissatisfaction with Heldran's request; on the contrary, he felt that John had a very clear understanding of the situation.
If the problem of embezzlement cannot be fundamentally solved, no matter how much money Yoda spends, it will only be a drop in the ocean, and will eventually be exhausted by those parasites.
He put down the documents and glanced at the other nobles present.
Most people wore expressions of hesitation and contemplation, clearly weighing the pros and cons of the agreement.
Count Castorly cleared his throat, breaking the silence in the room:
"I find Heldran's conditions acceptable."
His voice wasn't very loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
"They didn't ask for territorial concessions or excessive political privileges; they just wanted some practical guarantees. These guarantees were not only for their own benefit, but also, to some extent, to help us address our internal problems."
Count Castor paused, then continued:
"I completely agree with the point about fund oversight. We must ensure that military spending is truly used where it's needed; otherwise, we have no chance of winning this war. Heldran's willingness to send people to participate in oversight is actually a good thing for us, as it will deter those who want to embezzle."
His words drew nods from many nobles, and the hesitation on their faces gradually disappeared.
Indeed, while Heldran's conditions were restrictive, they did not infringe upon Yoda's core interests. On the contrary, they provided Yoda with much-needed military support and an opportunity for internal reorganization.
Given the current situation, this is the best possible outcome.