bookrebus Chapter 708 Compromise
Chapter 708 Compromise
Count Reginald, escorted by two guards, followed the servant through several quiet corridors and finally arrived at a heavy door.
The servant gently pushed open the door and gestured for him to come in. Count Reginald stepped inside.
The sight inside the house startled him slightly.
Documents were scattered everywhere, some piled on the table, some spread out on the chair, and a few even fell to the ground, making the place look messy and disorganized.
Count Castor sat in a chair by his desk, his back to the door, his gaze vacantly fixed on the window. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he exuded an indescribable weariness, like a decadent old man crushed by the years, completely devoid of the dignified and decisive demeanor he displayed in the noble council.
Upon hearing the door open and noticing Count Reginald enter, Count Castorly slowly spun his chair around, turned to look at him, and gave him a complex look.
Count Reginald didn't give the room much of a second glance. He went straight to the chair opposite the desk, sat down, and, his gaze fixed on Count Castorly, asked bluntly:
"What do you need me for?"
Count Castorly did not answer immediately. He raised his hand to rub his temples, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke:
Do you think Yoda can defeat Midland?
This problem came suddenly, yet it was also within Count Reginald's expectations.
He hesitated for a moment, then instead of giving a direct affirmative or negative answer, asked in return:
"That depends on what level you consider a victory. In the most optimistic scenario, we still occupy a significant portion of Midland's territory. As long as our supplies keep up, we might have room to maneuver."
His answer was ambiguous, neither exaggerating the odds of winning nor being overly pessimistic, leaving enough room for maneuver.
After listening, Count Castorly sighed softly, a sigh filled with helplessness and exhaustion.
He looked at Count Reginald, a hint of probing in his eyes, and spoke again:
Has your son-in-law John sent you any messages?
Count Reginald's mind raced, and he immediately understood Count Castorly's intention.
The other party wasn't genuinely interested in John's whereabouts; they were clearly testing him to see which side the Heldran faction was currently leaning towards in the war between Midland and Yoda, and whether they would provide substantial support to Midland or Yoda.
Count Reginald lowered his head and pondered for a moment, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. In the end, he did not give a direct answer, but simply said in a flat tone:
“My daughter Matilda recently wrote me a letter saying that my grandson Carl is learning Yoda.”
His answer, though seemingly insignificant, contained a profound message: Carl, the son of John and Matilda and a prince of Heldran, was now learning Yoda, the implications of which were self-evident.
After hearing this, Count Castorly was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed a few times. His laughter carried a sense of relief, but also a complex mix of emotions.
He recalled that Count Reginald had suggested to him that his grandson Karl become Emperor Yoda in exchange for the full support of Heldran.
He didn't give a clear answer at the time, but just gave a vague response. He didn't expect that Heldran had already started making preparations.
Thinking of this, Count Castorly's thoughts involuntarily drifted to the situation in southern Yoda.
He recalled the rebel leader Minzel from southern Yoda, who had gained John's support after arriving in Heldran and then returned to southern Yoda.
Surprisingly, since then, Minzel's rebels have not only refrained from launching another large-scale rebellion, but have even voluntarily paid taxes to the noble council.
They declared that although they had launched an uprising against a corrupt regime, they were still essentially part of the Yoda Empire, and that as long as Hilderan protected their rights, they would not split or break away from the Yoda Empire.
The absurd scene of a rebel army paying taxes to its own government under the protection of foreign powers is probably unparalleled on the entire continent.
This not only reveals the inaction and inability of officials at all levels in southern Yoda to suppress the rebels, but also clearly reflects that the entire Yoda Empire has been deeply infiltrated by Hilderan in all aspects.
Huldran's influence has quietly spread to every corner of Yoda's territory, even influencing the decisions of the opposition.
Just as Count Castorly was lost in thought, Count Reginald, observing his expression, slowly added:
"Although John hasn't made a definite decision yet, nor has he clearly indicated which side Hilderan will side with, I can sense that he still has feelings for Yoda. If Midland is not satisfied after recovering the territory we occupied, and continues to launch a large-scale attack on Yoda's heartland, threatening Yoda's foundation, he will not sit idly by."
These words were both a response to Count Castorly's probing and a hint, giving the other party a glimmer of hope.
After listening to Count Reginald's words, Count Castori fell into deep thought for a long time.
The room was completely silent, with only the occasional chirping of birds coming from outside the window.
Yoda is now facing a life-or-death crisis. The Midland army is advancing rapidly, the nobles within the country are disaffected, funds are scarce, and the army's fighting capacity is low.
The only hope for reversing the situation seems to lie with Heldran.
Heldran possessed advanced gunpowder weapons, a well-trained army, and John, a highly capable ruler.
Yoda's only chance of survival is to gain Hilderan's support.
A moment later, Count Castorly suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes, as if he had made his final decision.
He looked at Count Reginald and said solemnly:
"If John can sell Yoda a sufficient quantity of gunpowder weapons at a relatively low price and send excellent officers to train our soldiers, helping us build a new army capable of fighting against Midland, then the throne of Yoda can be given to him directly. Don't worry, I will handle that and persuade the nobles in the council to agree. Moreover, as long as your grandson Karl ascends the throne in the capital in the future and becomes the Emperor of Yoda, he can directly manage all the governors within the Yoda Empire without being subject to the control of the noble council, possessing absolute executive power."
These words struck like a thunderbolt, greatly surprising Count Reginald.
He abruptly raised his head, looking at Count Castorly in disbelief, his tone clearly showing surprise:
"Have you thought this through? I've spent so much time talking to you about this before, and you were always vague and unwilling to give a clear answer. Now you've agreed so readily."
He never expected that Count Castorly would make such a big concession.
It should be noted that handing over the throne to someone of foreign descent and granting them absolute power unchecked by the noble council was unprecedented in the history of the Yoda Empire.
"Harmful."
Count Castorly let out a long sigh, his tone tinged with self-mockery and helplessness.
He leaned back in his chair, looking at Count Reginald with a complex expression, and slowly said:
I've thought about this for a long time. The old Yoda, even a mentally ill man, could become emperor and wreak havoc on the country. Now that things have come to this, it's not unacceptable that the emperor is half-foreign.
"As long as he can represent the interests of the Yoda Empire after he ascends the throne, lead Yoda out of its predicament, resist the attack of Midland, and preserve the survival of the Yoda Empire, nothing else matters."