The King

  Chapter 374 Changes caused by blood loss

  The matter of the Arcane Academy has finally been settled. With the status of Dragon Knight, Hudson successfully got the title of honorary dean.

  The rest has nothing to do with him. Hudson finally understood that these old guys were really just trying to use his name, and never expected him to be on the podium.

   I have to admit that these old guys have a good eye for people. If you go to the Military Academy, Hudson can go over and give advice; forget it at the Arcane Academy!

  Theoretical things, Master Hudson still has something in his mind, which can be shared.

  Knowledge about cultivation, this is embarrassing. As a wall hanger, Hudson's experience has no reference value other than misleading his children.

  In order to show the unity of the kingdom, all the great nobles in the country have become the organizers of the Arcane Academy, and they have to set an example by sending the children of direct families into the academy.

  Although most of the great nobles did not know the news, it did not prevent the high-level officials of the Arcane Academy from helping them decide in advance.

  It's useless to object in the heart, the old guys who help them make decisions include their own elders.

   It cannot be said that every great noble has sent a representative, but 80% of the great nobles in the kingdom have people here.

  The pit dug with the help of my parents and elders, no matter how bumpy the road ahead is, I can only go all the way down.

   With so many people sharing the firepower together, Hudson calmed down instantly. The entire Alpha Kingdom is on the chariot, even if the Holy See settles the liquidation, it will not be so easy.

   There may not seem to be much difference between the first Arcane Academy and the second Arcane Academy, but they are completely different in nature.

  Failed to suppress the Arcane Academy created by the Franks, the deterrent power of the Holy See has declined.

  In fact, as early as the era of Caesar III, there was already a call for the establishment of an arcane academy in the Alpha Kingdom.

  However, limited by his strength, he chose to wait and see the situation for fear of attracting reckless revenge from the Holy See.

   In this wave of run-on, the Holy See has thoroughly angered the "hawks" in the kingdom, and the release of the Arcane Academy has become a matter of course.

  …

  In the Emerald Palace, Caesar IV warmly received all the returning heroes, but unfortunately, everyone didn't give him much face as the king.

   I don’t know if I’ve grown up or I’m used to it. Caesar IV did not show any dissatisfaction with everyone's disapproval.

  The joint-stock country is like this. As the major shareholder of the kingdom, it is difficult to win the sincere support of the rest of the shareholders if you don't do a good job.

  If the shares are subdivided, the royal family's shares are less than 20%, while the shares held by the great nobles exceed one-third.

  The combination of the two can complete the rule of the kingdom, and the relationship between them is more of a cooperative relationship than a mandatory constraint.

   Correspondingly, the interests of the kingdom and the interests of the royal family cannot be directly equated. The country is not the country of the king, but the country of all the nobles in the country.

  Everyone maintains this country together for the common benefit; it is also possible to dig the foot of the country for their own interests.

  The specific operation depends on both interests and integrity.

  Essentially similar to business operations, just like a public listed company, some major shareholders are promoting the development of the company; some major shareholders use their power to seek personal gain for themselves.

  …

   "Has the statistics come out yet?"

   Caesar IV asked with a smile.

   It can be seen that he is in a very good mood now. It is not easy to cheat the Holy See. In the past, when there were conflicts with the Holy See, the Alpha Kingdom seldom took advantage of it.

   "Your Majesty, we have invested a total of 8 million gold coins in cash during this run, and we have recovered a total of 31.837 million face value bonds.

  These bonds were all taken out and destroyed publicly.

  The total real debt of the kingdom, while unchanged, has greatly increased the cash flow in our hands.

  Thanks to the contribution of the Holy See, after deducting all the costs, the kingdom made a profit of about 2 million gold coins.

   Judging from the information obtained, the Holy See still holds bonds of more than 7 million gold coins in the kingdom. Because the price of bonds rose in the later period, if they continue to exchange them, it is estimated that they will contribute one million gold coins to our profit.

  Compared to the kingdom's huge total debt, this profit is not worth mentioning, but our international reputation has been greatly improved.

   It's a pity that the Holy See stopped too quickly. If they continue, our profits can be even greater. "

  Marquis Delgado said happily.

  It's hard to be the Minister of Finance. An Alpha Kingdom in Nuo Da, in order to raise the 8 million cash, the Ministry of Finance has to find someone to borrow money.

  Fortunately, the Alpha Kingdom has made money in this run, otherwise it really doesn't know how it will end.

   "Don't be dissatisfied, it is already very good to be able to make a profit this time.

  If the Holy See continues to toss recklessly, we can only drag them together and lose both sides.

  After all, we have borrowed all the war bonds we can borrow. If this bond exchange war continues, it will really consume our cash flow.

   At that point, the best situation is nothing more than waiting for the Holy See to hold a large amount of war bonds, and then announce the debt default. "

  The Grand Duke of Newfoundland said angrily.

  Alpha Kingdom seems to be enjoying the scenery now, but it is actually dancing on the edge of a cliff. Once the bonds in hand are exhausted, the arbitrage game cannot continue.

  Being able to persuade domestic nobles to lend out their bonds does not mean that they can also persuade foreign creditors.

  The promise of "keeping accounts" is also valid for your own family. Outsiders are more willing to believe in a contract than an empty promise.

   "The extra cash should be used to reduce debt holdings! Especially those high-interest bonds, as long as they are collected, they will be cashed out immediately to save interest expenses.

  In other respects, it is still possible to save high-ranking officials from holding huge debts, which is very detrimental to the development of the kingdom.

   Try to repay part of it every year, and try to pay off all the debts of the kingdom within eight years. "

   Caesar IV said slowly.

  It is a tragedy to think of it. His first long-term national policy since he took office was actually to pay off debts.

  The goal of "eight years" is not set casually. Instead, after eight years, all the debts of the Alpha Kingdom will gradually come due.

   If repayment is not made in advance, when the full payment begins, the kingdom will have to be run and bankrupt.

  The king has no idea of ​​retiring. At the age of Caesar IV, he will still be in his prime after eight years. If you want to not be responsible for passing the blame to the next successor, you have no chance to operate.

  Setting an eight-year debt repayment target also means that the Alpha Kingdom must recuperate in the next eight years.

  Deep in their hearts, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief. They don't have high requirements for Caesar IV, as long as they don't mess around.

  Lie flat, it doesn't matter. With the current system of the Alpha Kingdom, even if there is no central government, the nobles and lords can manage the place well.

   After eight years, the veterans of them had also completed their final mission, and it was time to give up their positions to young people.

  One emperor and one courtier, from the beginning until now, Caesar IV has not replaced any of the ministers, which is enough to give everyone face.

  Of course, keeping the original team from the Caesar III era was a last resort.

   In the case of insufficient prestige, if you want to maintain the authority of the central government, you must appoint ministers with high prestige.

  The old officials left behind by Caesar III have a good reputation in the kingdom. A lot of things made these come forward, and the nobles everywhere would give some face.

  If a newcomer is suddenly replaced, they will not be able to gain everyone's respect before they make achievements, and they will inevitably be compared and criticized when doing things.

  …

  On the holy mountain, looking at the investigation report in his hand, Pius VII's face was gloomy and terrifying.

   Originally thinking of exposing the sinister intentions of the Alpha Kingdom to the outside world, he also became hesitant at this moment.

  The Holy See is also concerned about face. It unfolded according to the original plan. While tarnishing the reputation of the Alpha Kingdom, it is also tarnishing its own image.

   After being calculated by the enemy for so long, no problem was found. An "incompetent" hat must never be taken off.

  If the matter gets out, I am afraid that the people in the Holy See who laugh at it are no less than those who denounce the Alpha Kingdom.

  Once labeled as "incompetent", the Holy See's external prestige may hardly remain much.

  In the days to come, there will only be more and more countries that dare not take them seriously.

   "The news has been verified, this is the conspiracy of the Alpha Kingdom. All the run plans are cancelled, all the bonds in hand are disposed of, and losses are minimized as much as possible.

   This account, write it down first. When our plan to go north is launched, we will go to them to settle accounts. "

   After thinking about it for a while, I finally felt that it was unreliable to hold a large amount of bonds of the Alpha Kingdom for a long time, so I reluctantly chose to cut the flesh.

  As for the follow-up harsh words, Pius VII has let him off countless times in the past years.

   "Your Majesty, everything has two sides. It seems that we lost this time, but winning and losing are always relative. If you lose to the Alpha people, you can still make up for it from other places.

  Now all countries are accumulating strength, and an unprecedented war has begun to brew at this moment.

   It is said that the Kingdom of Franks has formulated a strategic plan to destroy the Orc Kingdom within five years; the Kingdom of Iberia is also planning to use troops against cannibals.

  Other countries that are close to foreign races mostly have similar plans. Except for the elves in a remote corner, who have not been targeted for the time being, other alien races have their own enemies.

   Everyone is busy looking for troubles from other races, and we can't be idle all the time. It is the duty of my Holy See to fight for the living space for the human race.

  The dwarves rejected our kindness last time, so there is no need for them to exist. Destroying them just makes up for the lack of our military industry capabilities. "

  Blake said righteously.

  It is not the first time in the history of the human race that the knife is sharpened to a foreign race. Almost every hundred years, there will be such a time.

  Especially when the internal conflicts of the human race are about to intensify, everyone will tacitly choose to provoke foreign wars.

  If the war is won and the expansion of the territory is successful, internal conflicts will be eased; if the war fails, everyone will be severely injured, survival will be under pressure, and there will be no time to fight among themselves.

   It is due to the battles again and again, devouring the flesh and blood of other races, that the human race has grown from weak to strong, creating the glory of today's overlord.

   It has always been played like this, and it is no exception now. The Holy See has been silent for hundreds of years, and if it wants to return to the pinnacle of the mainland, external power is also necessary.

  Compared to annexing a human country, it is much more comfortable to attack alien races. No matter what method is used, and no matter how ugly the eating appearance is, everyone will not care.

  The dwarves that Blake is eyeing are undoubtedly a big piece of fat. By monopolizing the high-end arms trade, the dwarf kingdom has earned a lot of wealth.

  The issue that needs to be considered now is: the military strength of the dwarf kingdom is not weak, and the Holy See does not border them. If you want to provoke a war, you must find someone to cooperate.

  But this is not what Blake needs to consider. He has failed in consecutive political games, and he can only look for opportunities on the battlefield if he wants to stand up.

   It just so happens that the Judgment Knights are one of the strongest forces of the Holy See. Compared with political games, war is their specialty.

  From a strategic point of view, it is in the best interest of the Holy See to annex the neighboring Kingdom of Ruthenia.

   However, there are too many restrictions in the civil war of the human race. Even if they win a military victory, they still have to face the interference of various countries in the mainland, and it is difficult to swallow the benefits that come to their lips.

   In comparison, it is easier and simpler to fight aliens, and it is easier to gain respect.

   "Captain Blake, our relationship with the Kingdom of Ruthenia is not good, why should they cooperate with us?

  Even if they cooperate with us in their mouths, when the war enters a critical moment, they suddenly stab us and cut off our logistical supplies, wouldn't it be a tragedy!

   In my opinion, we should first look for opportunities to conquer the Kingdom of Ruthenia, put our supporters on the throne, and wait for the opportunity to launch a war against the dwarves. "

   Gu Lei immediately objected.

  Like the Judgment Knights, the Judgment Knights also need war. Everyone is the main combat faction, but it still can't change the confrontation between the two sides.

   Even though they were targeting the dwarves together, when it came time to formulate a strategic plan, the two sides still came to opposite sides.

   "Commander Gulei Army, there are many ways to solve problems in the world. In addition to military means, we can also adopt diplomatic means.

  For example: In a short period of time, the Kingdom of Ruthenia formed an alliance first, and everyone joined forces to plot the dwarves.

   There is no need to worry about their refusal. The current Kingdom of Ruthenia has a lot of internal conflicts and needs to be transferred externally.

  If we propose an alliance, as long as the conditions are not too harsh, they simply cannot refuse. "

   Blake said calmly.

   This plan was discussed with a think tank in private.

  First use a covenant to stabilize the Kingdom of Ruthenia, and after annexing the dwarves, look for opportunities to attack this "ally".

   "Blake, are you crazy! If we form an alliance with the Kingdom of Ruthenia, how can we ask him in the future?"

   Gu Lei asked sharply.

   Annexing one's own allies has a bad reputation. Once such a bottomless thing happens, the bad reputation of the Holy See will become completely stink.

   "Gu Lei, you can't use old ideas to deal with problems. If we can annex the Kingdom of Ruthenia one day, the political structure of the mainland will also undergo earth-shaking changes.

  At that point, the small countries on the mainland have probably been carved up by everyone, entering a new era of strong countries.

  The original rule system will all be overturned, so what do we have to fear? "

  …

   Listening quietly to the arguments of his subordinates, Pius VII fell into deep thought.

   Originally, the Holy See did not need to start a war in a hurry, but this operation failed, and a lot of manpower and material resources were used. In the end, nothing was achieved, and a large sum of money was lost.

  Although the Alpha Kingdom earned two to three million gold coins, the money that the Holy See accompanied them in was not only a little bit.

   Huge losses, even the Holy See can't bear it. The Holy See is not a one-person Holy See. Even if such a big thing happens as the Pope, he has to come out and give everyone an explanation.

  Especially those who have been excluded from the center of power, they will not let go of such a good opportunity to attack.

   If you don’t want to intensify internal conflicts, the best option is to fight abroad. No matter how much loss there is in this operation, the war can be used to balance the accounts.

   "To be on the safe side, it is better to send someone to contact the Kingdom of Ruthenia first. If the other party is willing to cooperate, it is not out of the question to form an alliance with them temporarily.

  The dwarves are not easy to mess with, so it is right to find more cannon fodder. If all goes well, it can also take the opportunity to consume the strength of the Kingdom of Ruthenia.

  As for the future, let’s talk about it in the future. At least until the dwarves are destroyed, we are not enemies! "

  …

  (end of this chapter)