On the training ground, veterans who had just returned from the battlefield were teaching new recruits how to form formations and follow orders with wooden sticks in their hands.
Cumberland stood at the entrance of the playground, arms crossed, with a sad look on his face.
"Even the little girls in our village who have just learned to walk can beat up these men." Brünnhilde chewed some black biscuits and shook her head.
Cumberland glanced sideways at the snack bag in her hand, frowned and said, "Still eating old Camp's handmade cookies? It's been half a month, right?"
Brünnhilde stuck out her tongue, licked the biscuit crumbs off her fingers, and sealed the snack bag: "Twilight City is so big, but I can never find such delicious sweets."
Cumberland thought of the disappearing figure in the fire, sighed imperceptibly, and changed the subject: "What are your opinions on the training of these new recruits?"
"Opinion?" In Brünnhilde's ears, the cries and begging for mercy of the recruits came, and she spat: "These recruits recruited from the refugees are so thin and weak that they can't even hold weapons.
If they are stable, how can they go to the battlefield? According to the way of the people from the North Island, I will throw them all into the battlefield, and those who survive will be incorporated into the army, and those who die will contribute nutrients to the land."
Cumberland turned back, looked at the training ground and said in a deep voice: "The weakness of the body is not terrible, the poverty of faith is the source of uselessness. The Muxi Knights fight for the kingdom and freedom, and the group of people in front of them join
The army is just for a living."
Cumberland turned and walked out of the training field.
"Don't you watch anymore?"
"There is no need to read any further. The top priority is that I need to find someone to discuss it with."
Walking through the bustling crowd, Cumberland looked at the bustling streets as he walked, sighing secretly in his heart that the war had only ended half a month ago, and the city had returned to its former prosperity, as if nothing had happened.
The patrolling soldiers recognized the chapter leader of the Muxi Knights and bowed down to salute. Cumberland nodded and quickened his pace.
When he reached the door of a small building, Cumberland was just about to open the door when a middle-aged woman carrying a luggage rushed out and bumped into the old knight.
After seeing clearly who was outside the door, the woman immediately complained loudly: "Sir! I can't do this job anymore. Even if you give me a higher salary, I won't do it anymore!"
Cumberland endured the other party's loud voice and asked, "What's wrong?"
"You'll know after you go in and see for yourself!" The middle-aged woman tightened the straps of her luggage and left the door without looking back.
Cumberland watched the other party leave, turned around and opened the door.
The strong stench of alcohol, mold and vomit hit his face. Cumberland subconsciously took a step back, collected himself, and then walked in again.
In broad daylight, all the windows in the room were tightly closed, and the thick curtains were deliberately fixed with wooden clamps. While Cumberland was groping in the darkness, he kicked down countless empty wine bottles on the ground.
, stumbled to the innermost bedroom.
"Old turtle, what did you do again? This is already the fifth servant girl you have angered!"
After hearing Cumberland's scolding, Earl Emerson, who was sitting on the floor in the corner with a half-full bottle of red wine in his arms, a haggard face and dark circles under his eyes, waved his hand to signal the other party to leave him alone.
Cumberland was furious when he saw how dirty his old friend was. He grabbed the hem of the curtain with both hands and pulled hard, pulling the entire curtain to the ground.
The dazzling sunlight shone into the room. Emerson threw away the bottle, covered his eyes with his arms, and roared dissatisfied.
Cumberland knelt down, grabbed the other party's collar, and said fiercely: "I rescued you because I hope you cheer up, not because I want you to stay with alcohol all day long and commit suicide slowly!"
The unshaven Emerson looked into the eyes of the old knight and said coldly: "At the beginning, no one came to ask you to save me. It was all your own fault, you bastard..."
Cumberland widened his eyes, grabbed Emerson's collar, ignored the other's protests and struggles, and dragged him sliding along the ground into the back storage room.
Lifting the lid of the water storage bucket, Cumberland scooped up water from a wooden basin and poured it all over Emerson's head.
The water was cold and his shirt was thin. Before Emerson, who was nearly fifty years old, could curse, his teeth began to chatter.
Cumberland punched the wooden basin in his hand and smashed it into pieces. He squatted down again and yelled at Emerson: "I saved you because you are valuable! If you really want to give up on yourself, you might as well get on your horse and head towards the south forest.
Let's go, the wild wolves there can help you escape faster!"
Emerson looked at the angry old knight and laughed: "I know what you want me to do. But have you ever thought that the so-called kingdoms are all the same. They rise today and perish tomorrow. In the end, they will be in the long river of history.
, not even a single wave can be seen.”
Cumberland found a piece of clean linen in the storage room and threw it to Emerson: "I told you a long time ago that the Muxi Kingdom is different. There are no hypocritical nobles or races here.
Discrimination, everything here is in order and full of life."
"No, you are exactly wrong. The Muxi Kingdom is not much better than the Silver Ring Kingdom." Emerson took the linen cloth and wiped his hair randomly: "Tell me, for a kingdom, what is it?
The most important thing?"
Cumberland glanced at Emerson: "Army?"
"Fart! From the time we met, you have been fighting every day! If the kingdom relies on war to survive, it will be destroyed sooner or later! Economy, religion, people's livelihood, diplomacy, and military, these are the most important things for a kingdom to develop.
Elements…”
Cumberland shook his head and whispered: "According to what you said, everything is important, isn't it the end?"
Emerson threw the linen cloth he was wearing into Cumberland's face and shouted: "I haven't finished speaking yet!"
"Why do I say that the current situation of Muxi Kingdom is very bad? Let's look at it separately. Let's talk about the economy first. I have calculated the product production capacity of Muxi City, plus the refugees outside the city. It is clear that the population has exceeded 50,000, but
The consumption level within the kingdom has never been raised, and most of the goods produced must be digested through trade. But have you ever thought about what would happen if the Southern Empire, the main trading partner of the Muxi Kingdom, restricted or even
The import of goods is prohibited, what should you do? Pour the excess red wine into the sea?"
"Looking at religion again, the Muxi Kingdom obviously relies on the Heavenly Father's religion as the foundation for its existence, but it has accepted a large number of chaotic pagans. Let me help you count the North Islanders who believe in the Asgardian gods.
The barbarians of God, the aliens who believe in the unified god Taylor,
There are also those scholars who shout atheism every day. Religious conflicts and factional conflicts are intertwined. It does not seem to be a big deal now, but it is entirely relying on the personal charm of the king to suppress it. If this continues, sooner or later there will be a religious conflict.
Conflicts will break out.
"Then comes the people's livelihood. Cumberland, if you stand on the hills of Duxi City and take a look at this city, you will understand where the problem lies. There are workshops and shops everywhere. Do you feel that something is missing?
?! Damn it! Where is the farmland?! Muxi City actually relies on imports for most of its food supply! Have you ever thought about how this kind of imported low-priced food will completely destroy the market?
Suppress the enthusiasm of farmers and force them to give up farming and switch to production or business! Do you know what this means? If I were an enemy of the kingdom, I would just send out a fleet disguised as a pirate to block the sea trade channels, or in the food
There is a massive sweep of goods in the market, and within a month, without even a single soldier, the Muxi Kingdom will collapse on its own due to skyrocketing food prices!"
"The next step is diplomacy. Oh, diplomacy, does Muxi City have diplomacy?! Since the founding of the kingdom, how many diplomatic envoys have you sent and how many countries have you established diplomatic offices? Lingdan! Defeated the coalition forces of the barbarians and Yinhuan.
, you are complacent, but you don’t know that this victory has already
The Kingdom of Muxi is pushed into the abyss! The Silver Ring Kingdom is destroyed, the barbarian army is defeated, and the Church of Heavenly Father is finally able to free up its hands to deal with the Muxi Knights. Let me think about it, depriving the king of his religious membership, declaring the knights invalid, and launching a crusade.
, or even directly send troops, the church can do anything!"
"And military! Cumberland, I don't know what you taught King Muxi? The theory of the supremacy of force?! The theory of plundering national power?! Remember, your theory, no matter how good you teach it, is at best
Training a general is definitely not suitable for a monarch! War is a continuation of politics and a bargaining chip for diplomacy! Starting a war indiscriminately for a small profit without paying attention to the overall situation is a stupid act that will ruin the kingdom!"
With a deep sigh, Cumberland covered his forehead with his hands: "Old Turtle, come with me to meet His Majesty. As I said before, he needs you, and the Muxi Kingdom needs you."