After Becoming The Tyrant

North, Newcastle.

Due to the Newcastle riots last year, the king ordered the construction of a military castle here as the core hub to control Newcastle.The construction has been going on for nearly eleven months, and the construction speed is not fast, because there are still sporadic violence in the local area.

Right now, the transport ship that was supposed to arrive a few days ago has not appeared, the construction has come to a standstill, and the peasants and craftsmen staying in Newcastle have fallen into anxiety. Unable to return home as scheduled.

As the architect of the entire castle, James walked anxiously through a pile of messy wooden frames and walked into the camp of the resident military commander.

"What the hell happened!"

James angrily slapped a stack of material reports on the commander's desk.

"The stone can still be excavated on the spot but the wood is gone! There is not a single piece left! What do you want me to build? This is your sincerity? Throw me to this ghost place, and then give me nothing, want me Conjure a castle out of thin air for your great majesty? Why doesn't he take my head with him?"

James' anger is understandable. He was originally going to be the designer of St. Joyo Cathedral, but after the king saw his resume, he had to come to Newcastle, where the turmoil had just extinguished.

Fortunately, in terms of architectural design, James is very responsible. Although he is full of resentment towards the king, he still does his best when building the entire castle. He seems to regard every building he designs as his own child.

Commander has often been pointed at his nose and scolded by him these days, picking on the quality of wood and stone hardness not high enough... Of course, the most common complaint is the slow speed of raw material transportation, and the transport ships of the Cinque Port Alliance have become in his mouth. "a rag-tag pile of crap slower than a snail".

Today, the commander is extraordinarily calm.

He poured a glass of red wine for James: "The ship from the Cinque Port Alliance will not come."

"..."

James' endless cursing stopped abruptly. He looked at the commander in astonishment, was stunned for three seconds, and then jumped up like an old cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"What! Are you going to abandon this half-built castle? Holy Lord! You desecrators of buildings, you will..."

"Stop, stop! No matter what you say, I won't go to hell right away."

The commander stood up and pulled off his cloak.

"The ship from the Cinque Port Alliance will not come again, but the castle will continue to be built, follow me."

Newcastle is in the northwest of Legrand, and the wind is blowing at this time.James and the commander walked through the snow to the southwest gate of the castle.In order to prevent the sporadic thugs wandering around from destroying the castle, the gate of the castle has always been closed.The commander said a few words to the guards on the tower.

The drawbridge creaked down.

The gates opened.

"Look."

said the commander.

James took two steps forward.

The city gate was opened, and the cold wind howled in.A long procession appeared on the snow outside, with scarlet banners flying above the procession, and the royal iron roses bloomed on the banners blown by the cold wind.The team came slowly from far to near, and a small group of armored cavalry was scattered around the team.

James saw it.

That turned out to be a long transport team!

Their wagons were loaded with neat piles of timber and other things, and the long convoy snaked up.The armored cavalry in front of the team found that the gate had been opened. He drove forward and saw the commander and James standing behind the gate.

The cavalry stood up and dismounted: "The first batch of supplies has been escorted, and the remaining supplies will be delivered as soon as possible."

"How is this going?"

James looked at the lumber, then at the commander.

The commander rubbed his hands together and laughed loudly. He patted James on the shoulder: "My dear Mr. Designer! You should take your eyes off those stones and timbers. In the future, our supplies will come directly from Angor has delivered it! As much wood as you want, and it will definitely not be rotten wood soaked in sea water!"

It took James a long time to understand why.

Anger State has the highest density forest in Legrand and the best quality iron forest in Legrand.It is not far from Newcastle, but the relationship between the Angle State and the royal family was tense before that, and the construction of the castle had to guard against attacks from Angle, not to mention the direct transportation of timber from Angle.

But now it has changed.

The state of Anger bowed its head to the royal family, the iron trees of the highest quality will be continuously transported from the peaks of Anger, and the king will build the strongest castle.

Also smiling were the cavalry on horseback.

He was sent by Angor State to protect the supplies.He grew up in Angor, and he was used to seeing Angor people guarding the lush forest but poor.They had lived the hardest lives on the roughest lands, but now the doors of Legrand's commerce were once again open to them.

Timber was shipped from the Angles, gold pounds flowed into the pockets of the Angles, and they were even allowed to trade with various places on the way of escort.For the first time, goods that were previously only obtainable by looting were simply available—who wanted blood and death if they could come and go in peace?

This is just the beginning, and the days when Angor could not afford a single button on King Legrand's clothes with a year's tax revenue will be a thing of the past.

"From Angor to Newcastle, wherever the Rose King flag flies, the blood of the empire will flow endlessly!"

The cavalryman leaned over and said like an oath.

………………

The King received reports that the construction of the castle continued.

In addition, the James architect who never wanted to appear in the report attached a letter.

In the letter, the guy who seemed to be only interested in architecture dryly praised the king's achievements, and then he made a request like the king.The iron wood transported by Angor has grown for a long time and is extremely hard. James has a new idea—he wants to maximize the military function of the castle. He wants to build a higher exploration building than the original plan. Build more military towers that echo each other.

"...they will be observation towers standing on the ground. If they can use the hard crossbow banned by the pope, they can even be called terrible killing machines... All the changes on the northern grassland will have nowhere to hide..."

Talking about his own ideas at the end, James' tone became feverish.

Seeing this, the king always felt that the tone was a bit familiar: "Has our Academy of Madman Science missed a member?"

Look what kind of church designer this is, he is clearly a war machine madman.

At the end of the letter, James revealed his true intentions:

—He held out his hand to the king for money.

The king crossed out the sky-high price figure offered by James with a pen, and ruthlessly wrote another figure.

Want more money?

Okay, let's wait until the Five-Port Alliance sinks.

The royal family is really poor now.

Although it is cheaper to buy timber from Angor than to prepare and transport it through the Five-Port Alliance, the quantity is huge.In addition, after the sheriff was replaced, the recruitment and selection of the militia began. Some time ago, after the parliament agreed to the royal family's request to expand the private army, Baron Sean began to get busy.

The king did not intend to select his own private soldiers from the noble knights, so his military reform would be just a dead letter.

New soldiers will be selected from all over, and avoid too many connections with the old nobles.

According to the king's request, this newly established private soldier may not be strong enough to fight at the beginning, but it must have high potential-as long as it has potential, it can be cultivated through later training.Although the knights of noble origin are better than ordinary people in physical fitness, their loyalty... the king has to put a question mark.

Every day the army is maintained, it consumes a day's food and pays a day's salary...

In short, one word: make ends meet.

The king is more and more eager to let the five-port alliance sink into the sea with their bunch of broken monopoly systems.

He put down his pen, took out the "Legrand Port Free Trade Act" that had been drafted and checked it.

The name of the bill was drawn up by the king himself, and he smiled half-heartedly when he wrote the word "freedom".

it's time.

........................

The chamber of commerce resistance movement in the southeast has developed to the stage of a collective strike.

The originally busy port was quiet at this time, and the ships were moored quietly in the port.A large amount of cargo on the ship was not unloaded, and the workers who made a living by helping to load and unload the cargo gathered at the pier every day to watch the merchant ships and sigh anxiously.The impact of the strike on the outage of merchants at the port is enormous.

At this time, snowflake-like petitions flew to the capital from all over the country.

The people affected by the Merchant Revolt expected it to subside as soon as possible—no doubt they hoped that the king would make concessions.

However, despite the intensified resistance movement of the chamber of commerce in the southeast, the royal family never backed down.

The local nobles in the southeast chose to stand on the sidelines—the new "Port Restriction Regulations" are quite attractive to them.But they don't plan to support the king, because the current situation seems to be more favorable to the five-port alliance, and the royal family seems to be even more unable to bear the business stagnation in the southeast.

It is said that the Guros family has already prepared a feast to celebrate the victory at the port of Kothsoya, the headquarters of the Cinque Port Alliance.

Just when the situation developed to the point where even small chambers of commerce and small cities became uneasy, the royal family finally reacted.

The King has published a new Maritime Commerce Act.

Legrand Port Free Trade Act.

It's a regulatory and antitrust bill in the name of "liberty."

This bill shattered the illusion of victory for the Five-Port Alliance.

Almost immediately after the bill was promulgated, the summoning order for the five-port alliance's general meeting was issued from the port of Kossoya and flew to various coastal commercial cities.

The king did back down.

But not to the five-port alliance, but to all merchants along the southeast coast.

.....................

At the port of Kossoya, a meeting of all members of the Five-Port Alliance was held.

Unlike the Brotherhood of the Five-Port Alliance, the all-hands meeting of the Five-Port Alliance includes all members except the core five ports.There is a strict hierarchy in the Five-Port Alliance, and the chambers of commerce in each city are divided into formal alliance members and informal alliance members depending on their specific strengths.

The protagonists of the meeting have always been the core five ports.

But today changed.

It was very quiet in the venue.

The face of the Patriarch of Guros was even uglier than before. The Dawson family refused to participate in all meetings of the Cinque Port Alliance after quitting the Brotherhood last time.The remaining three major business families sat at the top with uncertain faces.

"Your attitude towards the new bill is surprising. Do you really think it is a free bill? It is a unified jurisdiction of the chamber of commerce established directly by the royal family. You intend to give up the autonomy that we have gained through the sacrifice of several times of people. ?"

His voice was laced with anger.

There was still silence in the venue, and silence itself was a terrible statement.

"You, not us, have autonomy."

Finally, someone spoke.

He is a representative of the Hynes City Chamber of Commerce.Hynes is one of the official members of the Five-Port Alliance, and Guros originally thought that the first to speak would be at least an unofficial member.The representative of the Hynes City Chamber of Commerce stood up.

"Haynes joined the Five-Port Alliance three years ago, because if we don't join the alliance, our ships will not be able to pass through the major ports smoothly, and the lighthouse tax we need to bear will be twice that of others."

"Didn't the alliance share the privileges of the first port with you after you became members of the alliance? Didn't it give you protection?" Guros asked back.

"If you claim that the privilege of paying more than you give is also protection and equal treatment, then I have nothing to say." The representative of the Haines Chamber of Commerce replied coldly, "We joined the alliance, and citizens can indeed use the title of 'baron' of the alliance. , indeed may have a seat in your fraternity, may indeed speak on Confederate affairs[1]."

His speaking speed is getting faster and faster, obviously he has been resentful for a long time.

"But that's all!"

he pointed sharply.

"We have to share the naval service of the First Port[2], we have to bear the expenses of the First Port's participation in the Parliament and various royal ceremonies, and we have to provide a large alliance fee to the First Port every year! But we have no voting rights! Participating in various affairs and What's the use, we are dumb and bystanders! Such privileges and autonomy will be taken away by whoever wants!"

"Haynes Chamber of Commerce officially withdraws from the Five-Port Alliance!"

The representative of the Hynes Chamber of Commerce tore off the logo badge of the Cinque Port Alliance from his chest and threw it on the ground. He glanced at Guros and stepped on the badge directly in front of him.

The Guros patriarch was so angry that he almost fell down.

The Five Ports Alliance is centered on the five first ports, and in the middle of the badge is the white ship with the symbol of the Guros family.

"Please allow me to say goodbye."

Another city chamber representative took off his badge.

"I also don't think we in Kuwait have real autonomy - our municipal officials are sent from the first port. If this is the case, shouldn't the officials who accept the royal family be the same?"

Another person stood up.

The metal badge was thrown on the ground or on the table, making a crisp sound.

Guros, an old man who had always been tough, sat in his seat expressionlessly, while the patriarchs of the other three families had uncertain expressions.

Why did it evolve like this?

Because of the new bill issued by the king.

Legrand Port Free Trade Act

According to this regulation, all large and small chambers of commerce along the southeast coast will be treated equally and "equally".

The tariff protection privilege originally belonging to the Five-Port Alliance will be cancelled, the wool red wine franchise granted to the Five-Port Alliance in the [-]th century will no longer exist, the responsibility of the Five-Port Alliance to supervise the southeast market will be cancelled, and the Five-Port Alliance will have no Quan Zai taxed merchants for managing lighthouses...

As long as businessmen announce their withdrawal from the Five-Port Alliance and join the "Free Chamber of Commerce" to be established under the supervision of the royal family, they will be able to enjoy these rights.

The king's purpose is very obvious.

He is willing to transfer all powers to all businessmen like a prodigal son, in exchange for the disintegration of the chamber of commerce alliance created by the Five-Port Alliance.

"Damn guy! Is he crazy?! How dare he give everyone that right!"

Guros couldn't help cursing at the empty venue.

Only the first port members of the five-port alliance are still here.

"What are we going to do?" The curvaceous Mrs. Poisonous Spider in the black dress admired her white gloves and asked softly, "You know, the Dawson family seems to be planning to fall into the arms of the king? What about us? Same as him?"

"impossible."

Guros flatly refused.

He looked cloudy and uncertain.

"There are people who can help us," he said slowly.

........................

The king was reading the news from the southeast in the palace.

"Without a rotten trunk, how can it fall when the wind blows?"

The king sighed.

The Chief of Internal Affairs walked in gently: "Someone wants to see you."

"Who?"

The head of internal affairs looked a little complicated: "Your...scientists."

He had a hard time not saying the word "crazy" directly.

The author has something to say: [1] After the 13th century, there was a huge difference between the privileges enjoyed by the first port of the Five-Port Alliance in England and the privileges enjoyed by ordinary members.

[2] The first port here refers to the five core port cities