HCB Chapter 347: Governing Power in Exchange for Financial Power
Chapter 347: Governing Power in Exchange for Financial Power
In the city of Mont-de-Marsan, in a snow-covered open space, the sound of hammers and carpenters sawing wood interweaves into a winter symphony. Pav, an architect wearing a heavy cloak, stands in the cold wind, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring closely at the yellowed drawings in his hands.
His voice echoed in the cold air, clear and firm:
"Have the carpenters take care that the roof has a moderate slope, so that the snow in winter will not crush the structure. And have the masons take care that the stones of the foundation are laid one by one, tightly together, without any gaps."
Pav's fingers gently slid across the blueprint, and each stroke accurately pointed to the key parts of the building. Then he looked at the leaders of each construction team and began to instruct them one by one.
"The Simon Chamber of Commerce's guild building, the sculptures on both sides of the gate must be carved in great detail to reflect the glory and status of the Chamber of Commerce..."
"The walls of the Black Watch Mercenary Group's headquarters must be thick and the fortifications must not be negligent. The target of the shooting range on the training ground must be fixed to ensure that every shot is accurate..."
Suddenly, there was a sound of horse hooves. Pav looked in the direction of the sound and saw John and his men riding towards him on horseback. It was not until John came in front of Pav that Pav leaned forward slightly and knelt on one knee to salute John.
John leaned forward slightly on his horse, his eyes swept from Puff's face to the busy people and buildings under construction. He asked:
"Puff, how's the progress of the project?"
Puff stood up, straightened his back, and answered:
"Your Excellency, everything is going well. These buildings will be completed and ready for use next spring. We are speeding up construction to ensure that they are completed on time."
John raised his eyebrows slightly, and he was very satisfied with Pav's work performance. Not only did he build the military facilities near Mont-de-Marsan solid and practical, he also rebuilt the fortress on the border mountains, so that now the soldiers gave Pav the nickname "General Gray".
At this moment, John suddenly remembered that he didn't seem to see Cary after returning to the city, so he asked Puff:
"Where did Kari go?"
Puff lowered his head and thought for a moment, then raised his head and replied:
"Sir, Kari should be organizing the poor outside the slums to receive free food and soup at this time."
John frowned slightly, feeling a little strange. He remembered that Cary was just a street thug before, and he could hardly take care of himself, so how could he have the spare money to buy food for the poor. Thinking of this, he asked:
"How did Kari get all that food?"
Puff seemed to anticipate John's question and explained:
"Sir, Kari used the leftover bread and vegetables in the barracks that day, added water and stewed them into soup, and distributed it to the poor. He also told them that this was the food distributed by you, Sir John. I think the effect is quite good. Most of the poor are grateful after receiving the food."
At this moment, a knight galloped over from a distance, and the sound of horse hooves was particularly clear in the quiet air. John looked up and saw that the knight wearing silver armor and a flying dragon wing head was the king's guard knights - the White Dragon Knights. The knight stopped in front of John, and the panting of the horse and the collision of armor intertwined.
"Governor John, His Majesty the King invites you to speak." The knight said respectfully, with a hint of urgency in his tone.
John was a little surprised. In the past few days, he had requested an audience with the King of Midlan many times, but the king refused his request on the grounds that he was discussing the details of the peace talks with the King of Lana. Now, the king sent someone to find him, which obviously meant that the king had important matters that needed his assistance.
Soon, John, led by the White Dragon Knight, arrived at the door of a room in the embassy. Since the king moved into the embassy, John had to find another place, and he felt a little disappointed. The White Dragon Knight stopped at the door and signaled to the guard, who then slowly opened the heavy wooden door.
When John walked into the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the king who was sitting at the table. The king was wearing a gorgeous robe and looked solemn, as if he was thinking about something important. John's heart tightened, and he quickly walked forward and knelt on one knee to salute the king.
"Get up."
The king looked at John and nodded slightly, with a hint of gentleness in his eyes. With the king's permission, John slowly stood up and walked to the chair next to the king. As he sat down, he secretly thought about the reason why the king summoned him.
"You have done a good job as the Governor of the Southwest in the past two years, and you also solved the invasion war of Rana."
The king of the Midland Kingdom praised John with a smile, his tone full of appreciation and approval.
John bowed slightly and responded politely:
“This is my duty as the Governor of the Southwest.”
The king's gaze became more profound, and he asked:
"Are you adapting to the work here?"
John thought for a moment and answered sincerely:
"Although the work here is good, I would like to return to the position of forest governor. It is more familiar to me and closer to my wife and children."
Hearing this, the king's expression became serious, and his tone was full of majesty:
"Two choices, Wendam or Forest Territory?"
John was shocked and understood the king's meaning. If he chose Wendam, he could directly become one of the top leaders of the Midland army with his achievements in the wars, but the price was that the king would not let him continue to serve as the governor of the Forest Territory, which meant that he would lose control of the Forest Territory in legal terms. If he chose the Forest Territory, he could still continue to be a frontier official and protect his familiar land and family.
"Forest Leader."
John responded without hesitation, his tone firm and decisive. He knew in his heart that it was more important to regain the Forest Territory legally than to care about the illusory official position.
He took a deep breath and continued to think about the king's intentions. John felt that the king must have some suspicions about him. If he chose to become a senior military officer in Windham, the king would certainly be on guard against him. After all, as a general who did not belong to the king's faction and held a high position, he would inevitably arouse the king's vigilance.
This can be seen from Griffith in the future. After the king noticed his ambition to seize power, not only was his reward delayed, but he also got rid of the conservative ministers in the country. Finally, after squeezing out his last bit of value, he was immediately thrown into prison for violating the princess. Even if Griffith did not violate the princess in the end, the king would probably have imprisoned him for treason without hesitation.
As a young general with great room for growth, John would inevitably be more wary of the king even though he had no desire to seize power.
After John finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room became solemn. The king frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. He looked through the window at the building in the distance. After a moment, the king slowly turned around and looked at John firmly.
"I respect the choice you made."
The king said slowly, his tone revealing a hint of authority and understanding.
"But you will need to stay here for a while. After you leave office, your property here will still belong to you."