Chapter 501 [Cutting the Heart Knot]

"I've been wondering something."

Standing at the bow of the boat, Chen Daolin looked at Fiona who was standing side by side with him and smiled bitterly: "What is your Duke's intention to throw me such a hot potato like the Northwest Fortress? It's not like this to cheat people."

Fiona snorted and said to himself: You don’t understand, do I understand?

There was also criticism and debate among the family about the Duke's actions. In private, many retainers also discussed, thinking that the Duke was too childish to do so.

The Northwest Fortress is the northwest border barrier of the empire, how can it be thrown away just like this? Some retainers who are concerned about national affairs are a little confused. The Tulips have been guarding the borders for the empire for more than a hundred years. This is an important foundation for the Tulips family to be recognized and worshipped by the empire's people. How can they be thrown away just by saying it?

There are also some loyal families who believe that even if the empire's attitude towards the Tulips family has changed and the new emperor's approach is angering, the Tulips family can rise up and fight a civil war with the emperor! At most, it will overturn the throne of Hilo. At that time, whether it is the Tulips family changing dynasties or selecting a person from the distant relatives of the royal family to become the new king - that is also restored to the situation in the Duwei era more than a hundred years ago. In that era, the Tulips family was the supreme empire, and life and death are all in their hands! - Don't be surprised, the Tulips family has been established for more than a hundred years, so naturally there are a group of loyal retainers who put their families above the country in their hearts.

However, even such a group of people think that they should not give up the Northwest Fortress. No matter what, this is a strategic location and has important military value.

Whether it is to guard against the invasion of orcs in the north to take advantage of the fire, or to strategically form the advantage of encirclement and attacking the Panin in the Nulin Province on both sides, it is necessary to take the Northwest Fortress into the hands of the family.

Throwing such a place to Darling Chen. Why is this doing? Isn’t this a nonsense?!

Whether loyal to the country or the family, they were somewhat dissatisfied with Du Weiwei's move to abandon the Northwest Fortress.

However, because Du Weiwei had just conquered the Northwest Independent Division with her own strength and destroyed the rebel general Sylvester - and the process of suppressing the rebellion was so heartbreaking and so amazing.

Because of this incident, Du Weiwei, the young duke, has greatly improved its status and reputation in the family, and its prestige has increased sharply for a while. Those in the family who were somewhat dissatisfied with her or were dissatisfied with her shut their mouths. Some old ministers who had looked down on this young girl before gradually became convinced.

So, although they were a little dissatisfied, under Du Weiwei's strong suppression, no one dared to make any public voice.

Chen Daolin saw Fiona's face and knew that this woman probably didn't know the answer to her question. He sighed softly.

Fiona thought for a while and looked at Chen Daolin's face seriously: "What about you? Is there any way to defend the Northwest Fortress?"

"Huh?" Chen Daolin smiled: "I thought your Tulip family didn't care."

Fiona shook her head: "The orcs have always been restless. Once they find out that the Northwest Independent Division, which is pressing on their heads, will leave, sooner or later make some noise. Darlingchen, aren't you worried about the life and death of the more than 10,000 people under your command?"

Chen Daolin smiled deliberately: "I was forced to force me, so I took more than 10,000 people to Mulan City and surrendered to Panin. Anyway, my crime will be cleared by Hilo sooner or later, and I will no longer be guilty. I can't go where I can't do this Roland Empire."

"You!!" The woman stared at Chen Daolin angrily: "How can you say such a heartless thing? How many benefits did my Tulip family give you? How can you..."

"Give me the benefits, including throwing me on the fire and roasting?" Chen Daolin frowned: "I only have a few people under my command, throwing them to a huge northwest fortress group. Once the orcs come, I will turn around and run away. What else can I do? Can I let those old, weak, women and children take swords to deal with orc warriors?"

"I...I don't know." Fiona looked a little confused and whispered: "This is all...the Duke's meaning, and I don't know what she is thinking."

Chen Daolin's eyes flashed and he suddenly laughed in a low voice.

"Maybe...her purpose is to hope that this Northwest Fortress is lost to the orcs in my hands?"

"ah!!"

When Fiona heard this, her face changed suddenly!

...

…………

“The Tulips have no reason to give up the Northwest Fortress from any perspective.

They are loyal, so they should guard the northwest fortress and continue to act as a border barrier for the empire.

If they want to rebel, they should grasp the Northwest Fortress, form a strategic encirclement situation on us, and completely suppress us."

Span looked at the map and said quickly, "So, there must be something wrong here that we didn't understand!"

Panin had no expression on his face, squinted his eyes, and didn't know what he was thinking about.

Span suddenly looked moved: "The days I left... Is there any movement on the grassland?"

"No." Panin replied, and then he explained: "I mean, I have not received any information. The Tulips have blocked all the news from the west. During the day you left, even the trade routes were cut off, and all the caravans and chambers of commerce were left in the Tulips. You know, the intelligence routes on the grassland have always been controlled by the imperial capital, and there is too little control. And... I suspect that even some of the intelligence routes originally controlled by the imperial capital were cut off by the Tulips. So, these days, I have not even obtained a piece of information. For the current situation on the grassland, I am simply a blind and deaf person."

After a pause, Panning smiled bitterly: "The night I went to Loulan City, the woman told me that this was the Tulips family preparing to play a large-scale shearing, which would completely harvest the grassland people, and that they could be safe for decades at a time. I really believed it at that time.

So, although I was shocked and angry at that time, I was at least at ease. At least, although this plan was bold and arbitrary, it was at least the premise was for the good of this country.

But later I gradually discovered something wrong.

If this is just a plan to shear the wool that leads the prairie people into the house and close the door and beat dogs, then why would the Tulip family hide it from the imperial capital... and even conceal the capital of the late emperor? After two years of war preparations, a cavalry was cultivated on the grassland?

The only key here is that they have no reason to hide it even in the late emperor.”

"so……"

"So, I wanted to rebel for the Tulips, or in other words, what they planned to do was something that even the late emperor could not agree with, so that woman simply took action first and then reported it." Panning smiled bitterly: "For the sake of the empire, I would rather hope it was the latter! Because if it were the former... the Tulips really rebeled, then for this empire, it would be the end of the world!"

"Doomsday?" Span sneered: "Maybe it's just the doomsday of the royal family. I think... the Tulips family may not be bad if they live in the world."

Panning suddenly smiled bitterly, and he looked at Span deeply: "Is the Tulips... really as good as you said? Hehe!"

...

…………

The boat was slowly docking, and the crew had already put down the wooden boards and crossed between the boat and the dock.

Chen Daolin led several of his disciples and Fiona off the boat together.

After all, Hook was a man who was used to traveling around the world. He ran to the dock and after a moment, he hired two carriages.

This is already the eastern part of the empire. If you walk north for more than two hundred kilometers, it will be the nest of the Liszt family.

In the southeast wind, if you walk on a carriage for a short time, you will arrive at a small town, which is the territory of the Fritz family.

There were mixed dragons and snakes on the dock, but Chen Daolin and others saw that they had extraordinary identities at first sight, and there were people like Hu Ke who were full of tough aura as guards. Of course, no one dared to cause trouble.

Although the two carriages were modified from trucks, fortunately they were spacious enough. Chen Daolin didn't care whether to enjoy it or not. He jumped onto the carriage first, then looked at Fiona: "Are you still following us?"

Fiona glanced at Chen Daolin and said lightly: "Anyway, I haven't seen Governor Fritz for a long time, so it's a good time to visit him this time."

Dixon heard this, gently touched Hook's shoulder, lowered his voice and said, "Look... our teacher is indeed extraordinary, and this caught another one."

Hook glared at Dixon, but went up and took the initiative to sit with the coachman.

Chen Daolin had already greeted several other young disciples to get on the carriage.

There are two carriages in total, but the second one is for loading.

Several people don’t understand Chen Daolin’s intention - as a magician, when they go out, where do they need truck loading?

Not to mention Chen Daolin himself, even young people like Dickson and McQueen Sasha have their own storage rings and other equipment in their hands, so they can put their own things in.

Chen Daolin didn't say much, and took everyone to wander around the town where the pier was located for a long time.

This town is on the bank of the Lancang River and relies on a wharf, so it is naturally much more prosperous than those inland cities.

There are also many goods from all over the city due to the transportation and trade between waterways.

Chen Daolin and his men walked around the town for a long time, but they actually squandered their money and bought a lot of things.

Pearls and spices from the South China Sea. The magic horns and fur of the monsters smuggled from the frozen forests in the north. The finest cowhide sheepskin products from the northwest, as well as some silks and satin produced in the south.

In the end, Chen Daolin bought more than 20 sword weapons at a weapon shop.

Such actions make people even more incomprehensible.

If this is the gift Chen Daolin bought when he came to visit Governor Fritz... it doesn't make sense.

These things... are not too expensive, but... too ordinary!

No matter what pearls, spices, warcraft fur, cow and sheepskin, silk...

In the eyes of ordinary people, they are naturally expensive and good things.

But who is Governor Fritz? He has been a native emperor in the Newhofen province of the East China Sea for more than ten years! Even though he is not corrupt and has a good standing, he has been a rank-level official in the rich place of the East China Sea for more than ten years, and has never seen anything?

Besides, he was originally a nobleman and had industries in his family. His family's industries rely on him to be the local emperor in the East China Sea. Over the past ten years, he has made money and silver. It would be too lighter to send these ordinary goods to him as gifts.

And... more than twenty sword weapons? What does this mean?

Although Chen Daolin bought all the top-quality products from other people's stores in the weapons shop.

However, who does not have a group of guard warriors in the family of a senior official of Governor Fritz? Where are there still missing such weapons?

Even Fiona couldn't figure it out. She sat in the carriage and couldn't help but approach Chen Daolin and whispered: "You can barely say that you are giving Fritz's home gifts, but... these swords are all ordinary goods, what did you buy them?"

Chen Daolin glanced at the woman: "What do you think is swords used for?"

"Kill." Fiona said without hesitation.

"What about killing people?"

Fiona thought for a while: "Give up courage?"

Chen Daolin smiled: "Wrong... swords are used to cut things."

"Cut things?" Fiona stared at Chen Daolin with wide eyes.

"Cut off the knot in the heart!"
Chapter completed!