Sauron had successfully extorted the thirty thousand gold coins from Gui Xing Fu. Plus the twenty thousand gold coins advanced by Duke Zhi Ting, Sauron now possessed fifty thousand gold coins. This sum was already enough as the estimated deposit for hiring twenty thousand mercenaries.
Next came waiting for the storm from the royal city.
No matter what, this storm would have an outcome.
Currently Duke Zhi Ting was still leisurely cruising in the waters around Random Stone Island, but he knew clearly in his heart that his good days would soon come to an end.
His army annihilating Gui Xing Fu’s navy definitely needed an explanation.
If Sauron and Random Stone Island were not dragged in, then the matter of the Gui Clan navy attacking Random Stone Island would not exist. It would become the Zhi Ting army unilaterally annihilating the Gui Clan navy, which was a heinous crime.
Taking advantage of these few days before the storm, Zhi Ting and Sauron were both making final preparations to protect Random Stone Island.
Countless ships travelled back and forth between Random Stone Island and Outcloud County. They transported several million catties of stored salt out and brought in several thousand salt slaves from the other two salt fields.
Along with them came countless grains, vegetables, fruits and military supplies. The most important was the army guarding those two salt fields.
The defensive forces on Random Stone Island were too weak. Relying solely on the one hundred warriors of the Suo Clan family was far from enough.
The guard teams from Duke Zhi Ting’s other two salt fields totalled nearly one thousand men, perfectly filling the military gap on Random Stone Island.
Moreover, among the three thousand navy brought by Zhi Ting over one thousand had their names crossed out in the military roster as if they had died in the naval battle with the Gui Clan navy. These one thousand plus men who had vanished into thin air naturally stayed on Random Stone Island to guard the salt fields here.
In this way Sauron’s Random Stone Island now had nearly ten thousand salt workers and over two thousand troops. Its power had expanded nearly tenfold.
Next, excavating new salt fields was no longer the most urgent matter. Building docks and constructing castles became the top priority.
With these troops and the newly built castles Random Stone Island could not be called impregnable, yet without five thousand navy it would be extremely difficult to breach.
The Gui Clan navy had been completely wiped out. Among the coastal forces of the entire Rage Wave Kingdom no single feudal lord could probably assemble five thousand navy. Therefore the Random Stone Island salt fields should be safe for the time being.
Moreover, among the eighteen tower ships brought by Zhi Ting ten had also been struck off as drifted and sunk, treated as having been sunk in that night’s naval battle.
Then these ten tower ships were repainted black and became the guard fleet for Random Stone Peninsula.
For the astonishing wealth of Random Stone Island Duke Zhi Ting had almost exhausted everything, including his thick face and black heart.
…
Fully eleven days later the storm from the royal city officially erupted.
The eunuchs sent by the royal palace along with two thousand cavalry led by Jian Ning entered Outcloud County City and brought the king’s decree.
Duke Zhi Ting left Random Stone Island and went to Outcloud County City to receive the decree. Sauron disguised himself and went incognito, accompanying him.
In the Outcloud County Governor’s residence Duke Zhi Ting knelt to receive the decree.
In the decree the king reprimanded Zhi Ting for being absurd and unrestrained, wasting the people’s resources and labour, and being audacious. Not only had he forcibly entered a feudal lord’s sea territory, but under unclear circumstances he had arbitrarily attacked a feudal lord’s army. It was completely unforgivable.
However, considering that Zhi Ting had immediately submitted a plea for guilt to the royal city and sincerely apologised to Earl Gui Xing Fu, the death penalty could be exempted but punishment was unavoidable.
His title was demoted by two ranks from duke to earl. Furthermore the royal palace’s Dragon Guard Army was ordered to escort Duke Zhi Ting back to the capital, seal his residence and place him under indefinite house arrest.
Not only that, Outcloud County Governor Zuo Dao Jin was also implicated, stripped of his official position and escorted back to the royal city for questioning because the tower ships and navy had been provided to Zhi Ting by him.
All officers and soldiers brought by Zhi Ting to Random Stone Island who participated in attacking Gui Xing Fu’s navy had their military registration cancelled, their noble titles revoked, demoted to commoners and escorted to the royal city for questioning.
All soldiers were completely dispersed, expelled from the army, exiled a thousand miles away and sentenced to hard labour.
Upon receiving this decree Duke Zhi Ting’s heart trembled and his whole body turned ice cold.
This punishment was unprecedentedly severe. Was the combined power of the feudal lords and nobles of the world so strong? They had forced the king to issue such an extremely harsh decree.
Although Zhi Ting’s fleet should not have entered Gui Xing Fu’s sea territory and even more should not have annihilated the Gui Clan navy and must give an explanation to the feudal lord Gui Xing Fu.
However this punishment was still too harsh and cruel.
Yet after the chill spread through his body Duke Zhi Ting still let out a long sigh of relief.
At least Random Stone Island was preserved and the industry yielding over a hundred to two hundred thousand gold coins per year was preserved.
In the decree there was not a single word mentioning Sauron nor a single word mentioning Random Stone Peninsula. It was as if this storm had nothing to do with Sauron at all. It was just Zhi Ting being unreasonable and bullying with his power.
…
Zhi Ting was about to be escorted to the royal city. In the post station outside the city gate he bid farewell to Sauron.
Sauron, you have seen it, you have felt it. Duke Zhi Ting said. Their power is so astonishing that even His Majesty had to yield. Ten years ago who in the world would dare to show such disrespect to His Majesty. Now they dare to bully him directly.
With a painful sigh Duke Zhi Ting said in a trembling voice. It is all because of one reason. His Majesty has no son. Zhi Li’s wings have already grown full. Those nobles and feudal lords now have a backbone and have truly taken the opportunity to jump out.
Once Zhi Li, the noble class and the feudal lord group united their three powers it was an unprecedentedly strong force. Even the king had to yield.
Back then in the succession war almost all nobles and feudal lords supported Zhi Lan. Yet unexpectedly Zhi Bian emerged from the middle and laughed last. From that time the contradiction between the king and the nobles had already been deeply sown.
After Zhi Bian ascended the throne he immediately carried out a major purge among the nobles making the nobles feel on edge day and night.
Then he heavily supported commoner elites, divided the nobles and feudal lords and easily crushed the noble class.
If it had continued like this although the nobles hated it deeply in their hearts they could only hold their noses and kneel before Zhi Bian singing conquest not daring to have any disloyalty.
However…
Time passed year after year. Soon King Zhi Bian was fifty years old yet he still had no heir only one daughter.
Moreover the news was soon confirmed. King Zhi Bian had a hidden illness and could not have sons anymore, could not have any more descendants.
Suddenly everything changed.
At this time Prince Zhi Li who had been protected by the Divine Dragon Holy Temple appeared before everyone. He had already grown up.
Thus in the shortest time all nobles and feudal lords united around Zhi Li.
Then everyone was waiting for the day King Zhi Bian died. From that day on King Zhi Bian changed from the offensive to the defensive.
Although everyone still feared him and still knelt and worshipped him everyone knew the situation was no longer the same.
A king without heirs had almost lost everything.
Demoting me from duke to earl is nothing. The key is that the officers of the army under me will basically find it hard to survive. Duke Zhi Ting said. I will do everything possible to save them but they are basically doomed to die. And those one or two thousand soldiers will become slaves labouring day and night and probably will not live long either.
Then Duke Zhi Ting clutched his heart and said. If I had known it would be so tragic I should have crossed out all their names and kept them all on Random Stone Island.
Sauron’s heart was so suppressed that he could hardly breathe. He really had not expected the situation to be so tragic.
Zhi Li who had always endured in silence and the cabinet which had always endured in silence this time had erupted directly with little warning.
Do you know what all these sacrifices were for? Duke Zhi Ting asked.
Sauron said. To preserve the salt fields of Random Stone Peninsula for the annual revenue of over a hundred to two hundred thousand gold coins and also… for me.
Yes, all these sacrifices were for our cause, our common cause. Duke Zhi Ting said. However I can only help you up to here. We can only help you up to here. The rest must be completed by you yourself.
Then Duke Zhi Ting handed over a thick stack of gold notes and said. Here are fifty thousand gold coins. I have exhausted everything, sold over a dozen properties to scrape this together. Take it all.
Immediately Sauron trembled violently. He had only asked Duke Zhi Ting to advance twenty thousand gold coins yet he had unexpectedly sold family properties to make up fifty thousand.
Duke Zhi Ting continued. I originally did not plan to enter the fray so soon but… your astonishing performance disrupted all the rhythm forcing me to enter the fray ahead of schedule. You should know who I represent, right?
I know. Sauron said.
He of course knew. Zhi Ting was of course not representing himself but some supreme ruler behind him.
If this struggle was compared to a chess game.
Then on this chessboard Zhi Li’s side was strong with powerful pieces: two horses, two cannons, two chariots, two scholars, two elephants. And countless pawns.
While on Sauron’s side there were currently only three pieces. Sauron was the pawn, Zhi Ting was the horse and Zhi Bian was the old general.
Now to protect Sauron this pawn from successfully crossing the river Zhi Ting this horse had been completely trapped.
This struggle was the most terrifying and largest struggle since the establishment of the Rage Wave Kingdom, an astonishing storm.
Duke Zhi Ting said. Our enemies are far stronger than us. They are the vast majority of nobles in the world, the vast majority of feudal lords and a large portion of foolish commoner elites. We are fighting with the few against the many, the weak against the strong. What we are to accomplish is a battle that is almost impossible to win.
Sauron nodded. He of course knew how difficult it was, almost being enemies with the entire world.
The king had no son. He wanted to completely subvert the kingdom’s traditions and even the traditions of the Central Land world to let a woman ascend the throne as king.
This was being enemies with the traditions of the world and with all the nobles of the world.
Unwittingly Sauron had been drawn into this astonishing storm and become the pawn at the very front.
The great battle at Heavenly Water City in three months, their armies will not enter the field nor will our armies. Everything will depend on you alone. Zhi Ting continued. What you will face is the army of Suo Han Yi, the rebel army of Nuer Dan and the army that Zhi Ning brought to Heavenly Water City early on. A total of thirty five thousand troops.
Sauron nodded, remembering every word of Duke Zhi Ting.
The battle at Heavenly Water City is not just your war alone but also our first battle against the world. Duke Zhi Ting said. It can only be won, not lost. Do you know what the consequences would be if you lose the battle at Heavenly Water City?
Sauron said. I know. You will abandon the fight and completely surrender. Prince Zhi Li will smoothly inherit the throne. You will completely kneel and submit to him.
Sauron was the only pawn on this side of the chessboard capable of crossing the river. Once this pawn was eliminated the game would be lost without even playing.
Yes! Duke Zhi Ting said. At that time you will die, your sister will die, everyone in the Suo Clan family including everyone on Random Stone Island will die completely. And that vast foundation on Random Stone Island will completely fall into others’ hands.
Moreover at that time even the division of spoils ratio Sauron could guess: Gui Xing Fu thirty percent, Prince Zhi Li forty percent and the noble and feudal lord forces dividing the remaining thirty percent.
To survive, to preserve the foundation in this battle at Heavenly Water City Sauron could only win, not lose.
Once lost it would be a place of eternal doom.
Then all the burden falls on you. Duke Zhi Ting said. Then I must return to the royal city to receive my punishment.
With that Duke Zhi Ting walked out of the post station and raised his hands.
Several eunuchs stepped forward and placed paper cut shackles on him. Because he was of the royal clan they could not use real shackles so paper shackles were used instead but this was already a great humiliation.
Then four Dragon Guards lifted his fat body onto a fully enclosed carriage.
Depart. Thousand Cavalry Commander Jian Ning gave the order.
Immediately several thousand elite cavalry escorted a seemingly endless line of prison carts towards the royal city.
Among this group of prisoners Duke Zhi Ting was the first, Outcloud County Governor Zuo Dao Jin was the second. Behind them were all the officers of Zhi Ting’s army and the civil and military officials of Outcloud County, a total of several hundred people all wearing shackles and locked in prison carts.
The vast and mighty procession of prisoners headed towards the royal city amid the curses of the masses.
Sauron watched this procession and his heart was almost too sad to breathe.
And all these sacrifices were just for one thing: to protect this pawn of his to successfully cross the river.
…
Night fell.
Sauron had completely changed his appearance and disguised himself. His face was smeared with ginger liquid showing a sickly yellow. On his chin was pasted thick beard and his hair had also become half grey half white.
At this moment no one could recognise him. By his side there was also no longer Ye Jing Yu.
Alone on a single horse he headed towards the southwest. Sauron this pawn had begun to cross the river.
And once this pawn truly crossed the river there would be no room for retreat and naturally he would transform into a chariot.
From now on every step he took could only be won, not lost.
The first step in the shortest time to conquer Yan Nai Er completely conquer her from mind to body.
The second step to take her father’s Silver Wolf Mercenary Group into his hands as his core army.
Now he was going to find Yan Nai Er to find her father’s that invincible mercenary group.