In the blink of an eye, a month has passed since the Battle of North Port. Although some of the territory south of Castells has not yet been fully recovered, this northern pearl has lifted the state of war and returned to the peace of the past.
Beigang Port has also resumed its busy life, with an endless stream of merchant ships coming and going, and all kinds of goods filling the port.
If it were not for the still-unrepaired shelling marks on the coastal defense forts and the unfinished ruins of Qianshui Street outside the city, it would be hard to imagine that this bustling and bustling scene was a city that was still being counted a month ago.
Surrounded by tens of thousands of troops and a huge fleet, it is always in danger of falling.
When the Violet Messenger, Count Witre, stepped off the sailboat and boarded the port, he saw such a prosperous scene.
"I have long heard that Beigang is the most prosperous city in the north of the entire kingdom. What I have seen now is indeed true. I am afraid that even Lint City is not as prosperous as here..."
Looking at the busy port of Beigang, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Thank you for your compliments, Lord Witre. The Earl has been informed of your arrival and is waiting for you at the Earl's Mansion. Please get on the carriage and come with us."
Opposite Count Vitre, Viscount Len Castel led two columns of fully armed Castel knights and said with a smile.
Count Witre took a look at the shining chain mail on Knight Castel, nodded slightly, and boarded the carriage.
The carriage started and drove towards the city.
Count Witre opened the curtains and looked outside, only to feel that the city's prosperity was no less prosperous than the port.
Horse-drawn carriages coming and going, dense crowds of people, vendors hawking, troubadours performing... Such a lively and prosperous scene, he remembered that he had only seen it when he went to the royal capital.
At this moment, Count Vitre finally understood why the third prince was going crazy and wanted to attack Castells even at the risk of violating the provisions of the "Sacred Code" and the "Contract of Royal Power".
It is indeed intolerable for an ambitious lord to have such a rich territory but not be able to control it in his own hands.
"I have always heard that the contract tax revenue provided by the entire Castel to Bold accounted for half of the entire principality's vassal tax revenue. I thought it was an exaggeration in the past, but now that I have seen it, it may still be an underestimate..."
Count Witre thought to himself.
The carriage drove all the way and arrived at the Earl's Palace.
After the carriage came to a stop, Count Vitre stepped out of the carriage with the help of a waiter, and followed Viscount Leon Castell into the reception room of the Earl's Mansion.
Charlotte was already waiting at the Earl's Palace.
Today, she was wearing a black silk dress with gold trim and patterns. Her long golden hair was draped smoothly behind her back, and her sapphire-like eyes were as bright as the sky.
This was the first time that Count Witray met the legendary young Earl.
That's really the "legendary" count.
Every time he stopped at a port at night along the way, Count Witre could almost hear someone on the dock discussing the deeds of the young earl.
The saint who caused the miracle, the lord who turned the tide, the talented woman who was both wise and brave... He almost heard the cocoon.
In particular, the Battle of Beigang shocked the entire Violet Principality. Castel defeated the elite coalition forces of the two principalities with a small victory and was a legend.
It is said that even the royal capital was shaken, and even His Majesty the King sent someone to ask about the civil war in Boulder and remembered the name Charlotte de Castel.
Thinking of this, Count Vitre couldn't help but take a closer look at the legendary Earl, and felt that he looked even younger than the legend said, and even... could be called young.
If he didn't know what the other party had done since he succeeded to the throne, it would be really difficult for him to connect the girl in front of him, who looked much younger than his own daughter, with the noble lord.
"My lord, Violet's messenger, Count Witre, has arrived."
Viscount Leon Castells saluted Charlotte and said respectfully.
Count Witray keenly noticed the old Viscount's heartfelt awe for the girl in his words and gestures.
Not only that, he also noticed that the other Castel nobles in the meeting hall were all respectful and cautious.
Even the bodyguard knights standing behind the girl were much straighter and seemed quite proud of their work.
This young earl...has already gained the recognition and respect of his vassals and followers.
Vitre immediately came to this conclusion.
Thinking of this, his expression became much more serious, he bowed slightly to Charlotte and said:
"The Violet Messenger, Bertrand de Vitray, has met His Excellency the Count of Castres."
Count Witray's attitude was very respectful.
Although they are both earls, earls and earls are also different.
Not to mention that Castor's territory is already more than three times the size of his own territory, and the wealth between the two is simply incomparable.
In a sense, the Castel Territory even has the capital to be on par with the Principality, and the Battle of Beigang is the greatest proof.
"Welcome, Lord Witre, are you here to negotiate with me on behalf of Violet?"
Charlotte gave a slight greeting and smiled.
The delicate and beautiful face and the gentle smile as soft as the spring breeze seemed to have some kind of extraordinary charm. Even the well-informed Earl of Witre couldn't help but stay for a moment.
Of course, he quickly realized his gaffe, quickly put away his gaze, coughed slightly in embarrassment, and then took out a gold-plated parchment from his arms:
"Yes, Your Majesty the Earl, I am here to negotiate with you on behalf of the Duke. This is a letter written by the Duke to you..."
Charlotte raised her eyebrows and signaled the knights of the bodyguard to take the parchment from Count Witre. After the soldier took it, he quickly came to her and held it up with both hands.
Charlotte picked up the parchment and looked through it carefully.
After a while, she put down the parchment, chuckled and said:
"So... what Duke Violet wants to say is that he hopes to have a truce with me, Castel, and exchange the third prince for Earl Lint and the Violet soldiers we captured?"
Earl Witre nodded slightly and said respectfully:
"Your Majesty, to be more precise, redemption."
"We hope to exchange the third prince for the Earl of Lint whom you captured. In addition to the third prince, we are willing to redeem the ordinary violet soldiers captured by you at the price of ten quintana each, as well as one hundred quintana each.
The price of a quintana is to redeem those extraordinary soldiers..."