The King

  Chapter 354 Potential risks

  Holy Mountain, the news of Caesar III's death came, and the Holy See was overjoyed. If it wasn't for the fear of spreading the news, Pius VII would have prepared a celebration banquet.

  In the past days, Caesar III did not slap him in the face less. However, the Alpha Kingdom is not weak and the distance is far away, so it is not easy to start a counterattack.

   Now the greatest heresy has finally fallen. Ulise, who used to be a man with his tail between his legs, suddenly became stiff again.

  At this moment, no one complained that their "sacred hand" was ineffective. The credit for assassinating Caesar III was completely given to Ulisse.

   "Your Majesty, Caesar III is dead, so should we start our next plan?"

  Ulise asked vigorously.

   Killing Caesar III was just the beginning. The real purpose of the Holy See is to stir up civil strife in the Alpha Kingdom and pull out the biggest "heretic" in the Northern Continent.

"Do not worry!

  As an old friend, Caesar III is now dead, we have to send someone over to express condolences, so as not to spread the word and make everyone think: My Holy See is not polite. "

   As soon as Pius VII finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.

   They said it was condolences, but in fact they went to see and add to the chaos. Referring to history, we know that the succession of royal power is rarely peaceful.

  If the Holy See gets involved again, the Alpha Kingdom, which is already undercurrent, will definitely become more lively.

   "Your Majesty, the civil war in the Warhammer Kingdom has lasted for almost a year, and it has disturbed the northern continent.

  For the peace of the continent, I suggest helping them to unify the Warhammer Kingdom as soon as possible.

  Joseph II is the orthodox monarch of the Warhammer Kingdom, and a devout follower of the Lord of Dawn. Supporting him to hold the power of the Warhammer Kingdom is what everyone expects! "

   Blake suggested cautiously.

  Experiencing a series of social beatings, the leader of the Judgment Knights who barely kept his position has become more mature in his political skills.

  Theoretically speaking, the Holy See supports the nobles in the southwest region and can benefit the most.

   After all, although their leaders have high prestige, they do not have the right to inherit the throne themselves.

   If you use the canonization of the king as a bargaining chip and take the opportunity to offer conditions in exchange, you will definitely be able to win the greatest benefits for the Holy See.

  However, behind the huge benefits, the backlash is also very serious. Regardless of the origin of the civil war in the Warhammer Kingdom, this kind of "rebellion" is not allowed to the monarchs of the mainland countries.

   From the current responses of various countries, we can see one or two. At this moment, everyone supports Joseph II, the orthodox monarch.

  The only problem is that all support is verbal; actual actions are always in preparation.

  If the Holy See is willing to help Joseph II, it will be a timely help. Although there are not as many benefits as supporting the "rebels", the victory lies in political correctness.

  Even if the countries on the mainland are conflicted in their hearts, they cannot prevent the Holy See from supporting "orthodoxy" on the surface.

   If the opportunity can be taken to complete the penetration of the Warhammer Kingdom, the layout of the Holy See in the northern continent will be completed by one-third.

"Um!"

   "We really need to hurry up on this matter. The Warhammer Kingdom is already seriously damaged. If the civil war continues, they will really be ruined.

  However, in terms of actions, it is still necessary to keep it strictly confidential and not expose us. Otherwise, it is very likely to trigger a round of proxy wars! "

   Pius VII said with a serious face.

  As early as half a year ago, the Holy See planned to intervene in the civil war of the Warhammer Kingdom, but out of fear of Caesar III, it was too late to extend its tentacles.

   There is no way. Although the Holy See is powerful, it is too far away from the Warhammer Kingdom after all, and the power that can be put into the past is limited.

  If the enemy is targeting you, it will be another action to lose troops and destroy generals if you make targeted layouts in advance.

   "Your Majesty, to intervene in the Warhammer Kingdom's civil war, we still need a major event to attract the attention of the outside world and cover for us.

  The death of Caesar III was an opportunity, but this influence was only short-term and would subside soon.

  The change of kingship in the Alpha Kingdom is a typical succession of father and son, and the domestic nobles will not object to the succession of Crown Prince Caesar.

  If you want to have an impact for a long time, it is best to have a big event that affects the interests of many people.

  According to the information we have, the total debt of the Principality of Moxi far exceeds its own carrying capacity, and even the money for cashing interest on funds is completed by issuing new debts.

  In the past six months, the great nobles holding the bonds of the Principality of Moxi have been secretly reducing their holdings.

   After a large number of war bonds have been traded again and again, they have now flowed into the hands of many small nobles and small businessmen.

   Once this news gets out, it is bound to cause an avalanche in the bond prices of the Principality of Moxi. If we take the opportunity to hold a large amount of bonds and ask the Moxi people to pay in advance, this hidden mine will explode.

  The debt of the Moxi Principality collapsed, and the Alpha Kingdom is bound to be affected. If we take advantage of the opportunity to add insult to injury, they may also default on their debts.

  The two main countries in the Northern Continent are deeply in debt. Even if our actions in the Warhammer Kingdom were exposed, they would not care about interfering.

  As for the other forces on the mainland, when they take action, it is estimated that our Warhammer Kingdom's action will also be over! "

   Cardinal Sauron's proposal immediately attracted everyone's attention. What seems to be just a large-scale debt default is actually a huge thunder that triggers the civil war of the human race.

  There are three big countries in the Northern Continent. Now that the Warhammer Kingdom is in a civil war, the Principality of Moxie and the Kingdom of Alpha have followed suit, and the regional balance within the human world has been broken.

  Originally, after the counterattack against the orcs ended, several powerful countries in the central part of the continent were a little impatient and wanted to expand to the northern continent.

   The delay in taking action is due to the restraint of several powerful countries in the southern continent on the one hand; and the lack of moral reasons to do it on the other hand. l

  In addition, the Principality of Moxi and the Kingdom of Alpha still retained some strength after the war, and Caesar III worked out the plan of the Warcraft Legion, uniting all the small countries in the North Continent.

  Although overall it is not as powerful as the kingdoms in the middle, they will not be able to swallow it for a while.

   Things are different now.

  Without Caesar III, the leading brother, the loose alliance of major forces in the Northern Continent has reached the brink of collapse. Perhaps all it takes is a gust of wind, and it will fall apart.

  Even the moral barriers will disappear after the outbreak of debt default.

  They can march to the North Continent under the banner of armed debt collection. The small nobles and small businessmen who were reduced to the last panxia in our country will become staunch main fighters.

  If the Holy See waits for an opportunity to come up with something to help them hold back several powerful countries in the southern continent, then no one can stop the outbreak of civil war among the human race.

  It is easy to ignite this mine, but the trouble is how to maximize the interests of the Holy See. The Alpha Kingdom cannot be brought down, and one or more anti-Holy See countries will appear again.

  To restore the glory of the Holy See, the best choice is to break the current balance within the human race. But the alien races are staring at each other, and the overall strength of the entire human race cannot be greatly reduced.

   Constantly weighing the pros and cons, Pius VII lingered in the hall for a while.

  …

  Almost at the same time, there were similar discussions in the Kingdom of Franks, the Kingdom of Iberia, and the King of Hesse.

   It's just that everyone has different ambitions and strategic goals, and they all have different tendencies when making decisions.

  Even alien races that had nothing to do with the Alpha Kingdom had a heated discussion about the death of Caesar III.

  For a moment, the entire continent of Aslant presented a scene of rain and wind.

   Originally belonged to the secret "Ten Thousand Years of Calamity", it was also promoted by people with good intentions, and it was spread uproariously.

  To sum up, it can be summed up in one sentence: "Ten Thousand Years Calamity" broke out - "racial hegemony" replacement.

  …

  Mountain Territory, Hudson got busy after hastily ending the activity of recognizing the owner of the Warcraft cubs.

  The king's sudden death forced him to make major revisions to his previous territorial development plan.

  The wharf and shipyard have completed preliminary exploration, and they are waiting for the opening of the canal to start construction immediately.

  It is too embarrassing to give up something that you have spent a lot of money to buy. Hudson is not yet so proud that he can spend decades of investing in gold coins in vain.

   What's more, compared with the investment of money, the "key" to the sea is the most valuable.

  Knowing that this was Caesar III's plan, he could only jump into the pit.

  Once you let go now, it may be difficult to encounter such a good opportunity in the next decade or even decades.

  Even though Hudson has a bunch of related materials in the warehouse, but no one in his hands can transform the things recorded on paper into reality, and the materials are just a pile of waste paper.

  Whether you like it or not, for a long time to come, the mountain territories will be tied to the royal chariot.

   "His Majesty has passed away, and the situation in the kingdom has taken a turn for the worse. You all speak out your thoughts!"

   Hudson said with a serious face.

  At this time, think tanks must be used. Compared with him who has been a man in two lifetimes, these native people have a way of looking at problems that is closer to the mainstream of society.

   "Lord Earl, it is better to be quiet than to move at this time. The news of His Majesty's death has spread, and the kingdom is currently in an undercurrent.

  Our intelligence collection work is seriously lagging behind, and we don’t understand the situation in the capital and the positions of the great nobles in the country. If we rashly intervene, we will only put ourselves in danger.

   It is better to stay still and wait for the development of the situation. After the political situation is clear, decide on the next step! "

  Kane's words disappointed Hudson very much. It seems that they are old-fashioned and seeking the country, but in fact they are missing a good opportunity.

  As a rising noble, it is doomed not to have the confidence of an established noble to sit firmly on Diaoyutai. At such a sensitive moment as the change of kingship, Hudson could not escape if he wanted to.

  Especially this turmoil is not only limited to the country, but may also involve some major international forces.

  Glancing at everyone, Hudson turned his attention to the financial officer who was eager to try, and said directly: "Rudolph, tell me what you think!"

   "Lord Earl, the current situation is not good! The time of His Majesty's death is too sensitive, and there is a possibility that something serious will happen.

  Especially in our southeastern province, the issue of repayment tax has become a hot topic. A large number of small nobles gathered in the Governor's Mansion to cry for poverty.

   Originally, it was very difficult to collect all the taxes. Now that His Majesty has passed away, everyone has to be busy with the funeral. I am afraid that the issue of taxation can only be postponed further.

  We can delay, but the kingdom's finances cannot afford it. If this fee cannot be collected, the subsequent payment of bond interest will inevitably be affected.

  Even in a short period of time, the Ministry of Finance can move around and temporarily gamble on the hole, but problems will still arise later.

   After all, there are too many accidents that can happen during the transition of kingship.

  Including the currently determined repayment tax, it is very likely that it will be available this year, and it will not be amortized next year.

  I don’t think that after the new king succeeds to the throne, he will be able to subdue all the nobles in the country in a short period of time and continue to accept the high repayment tax.

   Not only this tax, but other taxes will also be difficult to guarantee full payment in the coming days. The kingdom's finances are likely to be dragged down by heavy debts..."

  After listening to Rudolph's analysis, Hudson couldn't help sighing: As expected of a financial person, the perspective of analyzing problems is just different.

  Compared to the political changes, the financial crisis is the most urgent problem that the Alpha Kingdom needs to solve right now.

  Originally according to Caesar III's plan, as long as the first "repayment tax" is paid in full, it will become a practice.

  With this adaptation period, the collection will be carried out later, and everyone's resistance will not be so strong.

  As long as everyone grit their teeth and live a hard life for a few years, the Alpha Kingdom will come out of the debt crisis.

   After all, this tax is not only used to settle the interest, but also repays part of the principal in advance. The less interest the kingdom needs to pay in the future.

  However, the plan did not change quickly, and the sudden death of Caesar III broke the plan at once.

  The "repayment tax" was interrupted before it was collected. Whether it can be implemented in the future depends entirely on the integrity of the nobles everywhere.

  If such a large amount of income is missing, no matter how good the Ministry of Finance is at tearing down the east wall and filling the west wall, it will not be able to fill such a hole.

   "The analysis is good. The kingdom's financial crisis may indeed occur. However, this is not comprehensive. In addition to domestic problems, it is also affected by the international situation.

  If someone hits the kingdom, it is likely to trigger a wave of runs requiring early repayment before the bond matures.

  The national treasury has long been empty, and the Ministry of Finance has moved here and there to deal with some minor troubles, and it is simply unable to pay the bonds in advance.

  Although theoretically speaking, we can reject this unreasonable request for early redemption, it is simply impossible to do so in practice.

  People don’t want interest on the funds. They have lent us money for so long, and if they don’t pay them back, the reputation of the kingdom will be ruined.

  A run is only for some bond holders. If credit collapses, all creditors will come collectively.

   Maybe even a show of armed debt collection can be staged, forcing us nobles to spend money to fill the hole! "

  He said this, but Hudson knew very well in his heart that if armed debt collection broke out, what people wanted would not be money.

  Although the Alpha Kingdom owes a lot of debts, there are also too many creditors who can’t stand it. The debt apportioned to a single creditor is at most one or two million gold coins.

  If a large-scale war is really launched, with such a little money, at most it will be an armed training.

  …

   It’s a bit late, but the votes still have to be cast. This is the driving force behind Haiyue’s codewords!

   Thank you readers for your support.

  (end of this chapter)