King
Chapter 650 - 650 161 The End of an Era_2

650: Chapter 161, The End of an Era_2 650: Chapter 161, The End of an Era_2 No single egg survives beneath the toppled nest.

When a towering tree falls, how could the birds and beasts that depend on it not be affected?

Upon entering the era of his favored half-brother, he, the uncomfortable illegitimate elder brother, should sneak away amidst the turmoil, or else he might not even stand the chance to leave.

But, amidst the vastness of the world, where could he find his refuge?

Returning to the Southeastern Province is but a dream.

The moment he chose to step out, his way back was cut off.

The incident happened so suddenly, he didn’t even have time to settle the affairs within his own clan, let alone Duke Cavadia arranging for his illegitimate son.

Unfortunate situations like these were quite common among the Nobles of the North.

The sudden transfer of power would certainly trigger a major reshuffling.

Many people within this political group would face the necessity to realign themselves, with countless others being tossed out of the power center.

…

The death of the five Grand Dukes marked the fall of this eccentric political entity, the Northland Noble Group.

The five clans might still stick together for warmth in the future, but it’s impossible for them to represent the entire Northland.

With the departure of an era, Hudson’s workload has drastically increased.

Being the Commander of the Army, he had no choice but to shoulder disciplinary action, and he’s now responsible for all the follow-up tasks.

There’s no hope for power usurpation.

Everyone knows how troublesome the subsequent work would be.

Issues involving post-war profit distribution could arise if the job isn’t done properly, leading to a parade of troublemakers.

Undoubtedly, the frontline person-in-charge would be the scapegoat.

Hudson deeply felt the days passing like years.

He initially planned to share the load with the notoriously stingy Grand Duke Efiel, but the moment the situation slightly stabilized, Efiel hurriedly escaped back to the capital.

Frontline responsibilities all fell on Hudson.

Now, he had to guarantee the logistics of the Allied Forces, calm the mentally broken Northland army, prevent disease spread, and discuss the distribution of profits with the aristocratic military officers.

After exhausting all his wisdom and energy, he barely managed to maintain order at the front line.

But that was it; he was clearly overstepping if he wanted to do more.

Ultimately, he, the Commander in Chief is only allowed to make suggestions about the specific distribution of benefits and has no say in the final decision.

Nonetheless, Caesar III, who’s known to play the balancing game and sneak into any stretched negotiations, would certainly not miss this opportunity.

Despite everyone knowing the whole story, they all vent their dissatisfaction at the Commander in Chief.

“Tom, send this report to the capital!”

Hudson said, looking somewhat weary.

There was a stack of messy affairs to handle, which tired him even more than warfare.

Unfortunately, at this critical moment, he couldn’t just quit and walk away.

A noble, burdened with both “rights” and “responsibilities,” are always proportionate.

Having enjoyed the benefits brought by being the Commander, he had to bear the responsibilities that came with it.

Hudson would not dare to abandon his duties midway.

At this moment, all he hopes for is the swift end of the Alliance’s negotiations and the soon-to-be-agreed internal distribution of benefits in the Kingdom, so he could pack up and go home.

Calculated by day, it’s been two years since he led the troops out.

The war has been hovering for nearly three years.

Alpha Kingdom was already worn out after a long period of war.

Unfortunately, even a single day of war would cause considerable damage to the ancient kingdom.

…

At the Jade Palace, as the victorious participant in a new round of political struggles, Caesar III was in high spirits.

Although he bore the blame for Hudson, and was suspected by many for setting up the Northern nobles, it didn’t affect him essentially.

The death of the five Grand Dukes dealt a heavy blow to the Northland Noble Group.

The internal power shifts alone would make this small group unable to trouble him for years to come.

The power of the king was further consolidated.

The noble forces within the kingdom returned to a balanced era, and the once-dominant, single-family rule was no more.

The only concern was his deteriorating health condition.

Under favorable internal and external circumstances, unless the king deliberately commits suicide, nothing significant would happen.

“Little Caesar, what do you think of Earl Hudson’s scheme for the allocation of fiefdoms?”

Caesar III asked, eager for the answer.

“This report is saturated with a strong taste of compromise.

Earl Hudson is using the Kingdom’s interests to curry favor for himself!”

Crown Prince Caesar said, his brows deeply furrowed.

Similar reports have been sent from the frontline countless times now, none of which satisfied him.

Especially regarding the specific allocation of fiefdoms, it was all about human relations, from start to finish.

Originally, military merits were also an important reference.

However, as the main task of the army was to transport supplies, and no one’s credentials were particularly high.

If traced back, a bunch of losers who had lost battles by discussing military merits was quite ridiculous.

Looked at it closely, it was the Expeditionary Army led by Hudson that had a considerable upper hand in this area.

Unfortunately, these military merits were mostly established in Moxi Duchy.

The owner had paid early for the bounty and the Kingdom could not pay again.

In the final allocation of fiefdoms, one’s contributions to the Kingdom mattered more than the ones made for allies.

Fortunately, Hudson was not self-serving and followed the rules of political games, resulting in all his proposed plans being filled with human relations.