After Becoming The Tyrant

October 1432, the port of Kothsoia.

The cold wind from the abyss strait blows over the tall and low rock buildings.This is the headquarters of the core brotherhood of the Five-Port Alliance.This city is the wealthiest city on the southeast coast of Legrand. It has the best harbor in the entire empire, the most ships, and the most shrewd merchants.

From day to night, merchant ships with sails of various colors come and go, and gold flows in the net-like ships.

Like the Cinque Port Alliance itself, the city of Kossoya has a special political status in the Legrand Empire.

It is the largest autonomous city in Legrand.

Today, the largest port of Kothsoya is blocked, and ordinary merchant ships can only berth in other places.The patriarch of the Guros family, who sits in the city of Kossoya, is waiting at the port in person.The five-port alliance is centered on five southeast coastal commercial cities, and each city has its own invisible control family.

The most powerful family in Kossoya is the Guros family.

Patriarch Goros is also the head of the Brotherhood.

"They're here."

The bright red carpet was spread from the mooring platform to the shore. The gray-haired Guros patriarch closed his eyes slightly, leaning on a heavy wooden crutch inlaid with many precious stones.He has a signature hooked nose, nicknamed "Eagle Beak", and in the mall, he is as fearsome as an eagle hunting prey.

The secretary behind him gently reminded the tough old man.

He opened his eyes.

Four magnificent and magnificent ships slowly entered the port, each one like a small fortress floating on the sea.If it hadn't been cleared in advance, the port at this time would definitely become congested.But even so, their appearance still made the entire port glow.

A certain degree of tacit understanding was maintained between the four ships, and they arrived at the port almost at the same time.When they lined up, there seemed to be some kind of sharpness in the air.

The pedal is down.

A gorgeous lady wrapped in a black dress stepped down from the boat with the spiderweb emblem, a middle-aged gentleman with an ordinary face stepped down from the boat with the circling ancient snake, and a middle-aged gentleman with an ordinary face stepped down from the boat with the flamingo spreading its wings, and his hair was tied in a bunch behind his head feminine man.The person who got off the last boat was the youngest, with brown hair and brown eyes, and was more low-key than the others.

"Welcome everyone"

The patriarch of Guros slowly showed a smile, although the smile was not friendly, but rather gloomy.

The Hong bell in the port was struck.

Everyone knows that the five-port alliance and the urgent fraternity meeting have begun.

Headquarters of the Five-Port Alliance.

In the luxurious hall, the patriarchs of the clans representing the entire Five-Port Alliance sat down on the long table with their deacons.The meeting was held as usual, first discussing the business volume of each port, as well as the internal and external disputes of the alliance during this period.The Five-Port Alliance was established in the eleventh century. After three centuries of development, they have opened up a large network along the southeast coast.

In 1312, during the heyday of the Five-Port Alliance, the Legrand Council passed the relevant "Port Alliance Regulations". Since then, the Five-Port Alliance has legal jurisdiction, the autonomy of the herring market and the most important autonomy. right.

The fraternity meeting held today is a microcosm of the autonomy of the Five-Port Alliance.

The meeting continued to advance, but there was always a tense breath of anxiety in the air.The people in charge of the meeting were important business families, and they all knew in their hearts why today's meeting was held, but none of these veterans of the mall was willing to be the first to pick out the topic.

The Guros patriarch glanced over his allies, and was disappointed to see that even the youngest Dawson patriarch was smiling and doing nothing.

In the end, Guros, as the president of the Brotherhood, cleared his throat.

"I think you all know the real purpose of today."

Finally said it.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Gru family has already turned to the king." Guros said lightly, "They chose to abandon the purpose of the Chamber of Commerce Alliance and betrayed our supreme right of freedom. Since everyone here is willing to come here in a hurry, I think they are worried about something at the same time. matter—what the king will do to us."

He didn't say it directly, but everyone sitting at this long table knew what good things they did some time ago.

Smuggling Gulundi heavy cavalry, transporting military supplies for Grand Duke Grace, picking up the Pope's special envoy... These things are enough to anger the king.

"The old gentleman has something to say."

The lady in the black skirt opened her mouth. She looked as charming as a courtesan at any ball, but whoever really treats this famous "poisonous spider" as a courtesan will probably not end well.

"The nobles of the New Royal Party paid a lot of ransom, and the Gru family delivered their loyalty, so the king forgave them."

"Wouldn't that be great?" The poisonous spider smiled, "We can also pay the little king. If he wants, the Deakin family can even build him a real gold carriage. Old man, don't you Would you like to have another conflict with that majesty?"

Her voice was soft, but there was a knife hidden in her words.

"If you really think that building a golden carriage is enough for the king to close his greedy pockets, then I have nothing to say." The Patriarch of Guros's expression remained unchanged, "Please allow me to remind you that the king has long since made the "Port What do you think we will have to pay to get the king's forgiveness this time? Autonomy? Legal jurisdiction? Like the Grew family, surrender all the freedoms we should have?"

The air suddenly tensed up.

Everyone's face is not good-looking.

The Five-Port Alliance is known as the "uncrowned king of commerce and sea", which is something they are proud of. In the most prosperous time, in the mid-14th century, the naval fleet they provided to the royal family repeatedly defeated Blacy's expeditionary force At that time, all Legrand's internal and external armistice agreements would be sent to the alliance for comments. [1]

From William III onwards, this situation began to change.

During William III’s period, the five-port alliance’s privilege of holding caps for the king and queen was withdrawn, and the leader of the five-port alliance was no longer awarded the title of baron of the alliance. If William III had not died early, the “Port Restriction Regulations”[2] would have been passed.That would be a catastrophe for the core families of the Five-Port Alliance.

In "The Change of the Rose", the reason why they chose Grand Duke Grace was not only because of the bargaining chips offered by the Grand Duke, but also because the five families were trying their best to save themselves.

However, they lost their bet.

Things get more dangerous.

The king's "forgetting" does not mean that nothing happened, but a more terrifying crisis.It means that the king may not want to reconcile with them at all, but intends to completely sink the big ship of the Cinque Port Alliance.

Don't look at everyone trying to be brilliant when they arrive, but that's just to not expose their anxiety.

"Are you willing to accept the restrictions? Are you willing to surrender the legal jurisdiction and autonomy that we should have? We have spent hundreds of years, faithfully providing our fleet to the royal family every time, helping the royal family again and again Fight across the sea, without us, what will he use to build the castle in the north, and what will he use to fight against Blacy?!" Gu Ross roared in a low voice, with terrible anger in his voice.

"Are you willing?"

The faces of most people in the conference room were uncertain.

The youngest Patriarch Dawson glanced over the faces of the others, and he saw the greed and unwillingness on their faces as expected-profit is the most terrifying devil in the world, and it can drive most people crazy.

Patriarch Dawson sighed softly in his heart.

He stood up suddenly, and the Patriarch Guros looked at him coldly: "Is Patriarch Dawson trying to express his opinion?"

Patriarch Dawson smiled and bowed to everyone without being rude: "Where did I come from, compared with you, I am just a brat. I just remembered something urgent, please allow me to leave first."

"I remember that the fraternity didn't force members not to leave early, did they?"

He smiled and said softly.

The venue was silent, and Gu Ross's face was so gloomy that water could drip out.

Patriarch Dawson bowed again as if he hadn't seen him, and left with his deacons.

"Is there anyone else who wants to leave?" the Patriarch of Guros asked coldly.

Whispering, eyes flashing.

In the end no one left.

Guros smiled: "Then let's continue."

The candle flickered.

………………

"That damned old bone."

Walking to the pier, the deacon behind Patriarch Dawson cursed in a low voice.

"Of course he can't count on the king's forgiveness—that idiot's illegitimate son is still in the royal prison. He has no way out and wants to drag everyone into the water. Are the others out of their minds?"

The deacon refers to the fact that the illegitimate son of Guros sent people to rob the merchant ship before, and ended up robbing the royal family.

Although it is well known that the Cinque Port Alliance is engaged in piracy at the same time, blatantly robbing the merchant ships accompanying the royal family is a typical recklessness.However, the ghost knows why Guros attaches so much importance to his illegitimate son, and even joins Grice's team for the first time.

"They're not brainless."

Patriarch Dawson said lightly.

"It's just that the benefits are big enough."

In this world, how many people are so immersed in the glory of the past that they forgot to see the scythe of death that is about to fall?Small chambers of commerce are developing, free ships are flourishing, the monopoly of the Cinque-Port Alliance is being challenged, and commercial profits are becoming ever greater.

Or, it's not that they can't see it, but they are reluctant to give up the privilege they have occupied for a long time.

"How do we do it?"

The young patriarch Dawn raised his head, and the sea breeze was blowing on his face, with a damp and fishy smell: "Go and find out what the king's commissioners have done."

He didn't know why, but he always felt that this time the king was not just conducting a political reckoning against those who betrayed him.What exactly does the king want?Will the Dawn family really want to kneel in front of the rose badge like the Gru family?

Their king is becoming more terrifying and unpredictable than before, and the ancient glory of the Rose family seems to be slowly recovering.

He has to choose.

— before the National Assembly.

………………

The king's commissioners are running up and down in the winter snow.

They uniformly wore black cloaks, and their investigations were more detailed than ever.I don't know when, rumors began to gradually spread among the people.

It is said that the king is very angry with the new royal party this time, and intends to conduct an unprecedented purge after collecting evidence.And people with more sensitive minds talked about it. They don't expect the king to plan interests for civilians like them, but they can take advantage of the king's purge.

Report all the "good things" done by the nobles who the king originally hated, and then take advantage of the king's opportunity to cleanse his enemies so that he can change the sheriff.

This kind of talk quickly spread like the flu, and the nobles in the territory couldn't restrain themselves when they found out that something was wrong.Those common people who are oppressed on weekdays always take advantage of the dark night to quietly walk into the tavern where the Gru family's carriage stops, like the king's commissioners to report the evil deeds of local officials and express their dissatisfaction.

As long as you pay the commissioners a little labor fee, the commissioners will be happy to help them record these things in the books.

Local officials wanted to stop this from happening, and in the name of safety, they expelled civilians who were near the commissioner's tavern.

But the commissioners, as greedy as the king himself, found out and simply lived in the carriages, which stopped as they went to receive feedback from the commoners.What was printed on the carriage curtain of the Grew family was no longer the logo of the Gelu family, but the rose symbol of the royal family.

The officials did not dare to block the carriage that symbolized the will of the king himself, and could only watch it happen.

As a result, the king's commissioners are also called the king's "black wings", referring to them as the fallen shadows of the king's power.

However, what neither the civilians nor the local nobles expected was that when the civilians who took the opportunity to report left, the commissioners immediately handed over the collected coins to the members of the Gru family who acted as supervisors, and they uniformly and clearly record it.

In fact, the so-called rumors that the king could use the king's anger to benefit the common people were spread by the king himself.

The king is well aware of his reputation among the people. Of course, he is more aware of the people's natural wariness and distrust of the government.Only in this way can they be confidently and boldly reported.

And these are exactly what the king himself needs most at this time.

The commissioners who were in charge of the matter were in a complete mess of admiration for the king's wisdom.As the main executors of the investigation, they witnessed with their own eyes how the representatives of the people were silent in the square, but talked endlessly during the "reporting" at night.

The king got what he wanted, and gave a small fortune along the way.

As for the members of the Gru family...

Thanks to the wisdom of the patriarch, they are so lucky to be loyal so early.They didn't want to face the liquidation of such a king who had the heroic blood of William III and was as cunning as a poisonous snake.Believe them, this is definitely not a good thing.

I heard that their former comrade-in-arms, the Five-Port Alliance, is still silent?

The people of the Grew family sincerely hoped that they had better be stubborn, so that the king's attention would no longer be placed on them, and they would have fewer competitors who could perform well in front of the king.

It's better for others to go to hell than to go to hell yourself, right?

With this in mind, the Grew family put all their efforts into finding those "talents" for the king.

Not to mention, they really found some.

A few days later, the king met the "talent" he wanted.

—in the prison of Castle Mezl.

The author has something to say:

[1] After the battles of Dover and Travogel in 1216, Henry III had decided that any armistice agreement between England and the rest of the world would be sent to the alliance for comments.Although it is only for opinions, it also shows its status.When Edward I conquered Wales, he also received vital assistance from the Allies.

[2] In fact, in 1229, the British royal family once promulgated the "Doomsday of the Port"