"Kalis, I understand what you think. For a long time, you and your family have been loyal to the kingdom. You are the real pillars of Rhine. Without the long-term efforts of you and your ancestors, there would never be the prosperity of Rhine today."

"I hate northern giants just like you. They occupy too much land, but we have too many people to support. I agree with war. I like to cut off the giants' heads and make souvenirs with their jaws. I also like to watch them kill each other like dogs in the arena, which is the most fun game in the world."

"But Calis, you have to understand that sending troops is not as simple as you imagined. It requires money, food, armor and guns. I'll do some calculations for you! The last time I sent troops, I consumed two-thirds of the money in the treasury. The harvest since summer this year has not been good, and it directly affects the commercial tax. According to the one million people you just mentioned, I really can't take out this military expense."

Kalis swallowed the food in his mouth, raised his neck and drank a large sip of the milk placed in front of him. He looked at the king with inquiring eyes and thought for a while: "Nine hundred thousand people, this size should be maintained, right?"

Henderson replied with a wry smile: "It's winter now, not the season for normal tax collection. In a few months, spring will be the spring. All aspects of the country need to spend. Road construction, the navy needs new warships, health and basic expenditures in cities in various places, and continuous diversion of rivers... Management of this country should not only pay attention to the army, but also other aspects. The current tax rate is already very high. If new taxes continue to be added, it will cause a series of problems."

The Duke frowned slightly and quickly let go in just a few seconds. He was not a reckless man who was ignorant of the importance of the seriousness, but he had to argue with reason on related issues: "Your Majesty, I can understand all the difficulties you mentioned. You are right, raising taxes is not a good idea, it will only make things worse."

The bitter smile on Henderson's face turned into a smile: "I'm glad we can reach a consensus on this issue."

"But I thought of a solution." Kalis was not that easy to admit defeat.

Henderson cursed in his stomach, dirty duke who was rude and basically had no hygiene habits. He crossed his white and fat hands in front of him: "Okay, let me hear your opinion."

"We can only make up for the losses through war." This is the conclusion that Carlis has long thoughts: "The northern giants have amazing wealth. Gold, silver, and diamonds... As long as we win this battle, all problems can be solved."

"I know." The king repeated these three words again, and he emphasized his tone: "But after playing for so long, we have never been able to break through the Dragon Lock Pass."

As he said that, he reached out to pick up the knife and gently drew a shallow mark on the surface of the napkin on the flat table: "We can't get in, they can't get out. Calis, this situation has lasted for thousands of years."

"This time it's different." The Duke's attitude was very firm: "His Majesty the Pope personally promised that as long as we send troops, we will definitely conquer the Lock Dragon Pass."

pope?

A figure of old and weak appeared in Henderson's mind. He wanted to pull the damn old bastard out of Gabriel, stripped naked, and stuffed it hard into the pope's butt with a thorny stick... The strong revenge has been around since Henderson's childhood. That year, he was only six years old, and was forced to kneel on the snow in the cold winter and bow to the pope.

There is no way, the power of the church is higher than the power of the king. Although Henderson had never seen the Holy Lord come, he was full of doubt about the so-called Holy Bishop metaphor, but he could not copy the same thoughts to others, including the people of the Rhine Kingdom.

If you shout revolutionary slogans like "The Holy Lord is a slag", then don't think about becoming a king, and escape to an uninhabited deserted island as soon as possible and end your life.

The fat Henderson pretended to be very interested and was shocked at the same time: "Are you sure?"

The Duke nodded vigorously: "I'm sure."

"Okay!" The king spread his hands and made a compromise: "Six hundred thousand people, no more."

Kalis was stunned. This was too different from his psychological expectations. After a brief thought gap, the duke couldn't help but be anxious and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this..."

Henderson raised his right hand and stopped his words: "Six hundred thousand is the limit that the kingdom's financial resources can be maintained at present. Calis, you should understand that our current situation is not very ideal. If three years, or five years, not to mention one million, even if you want one million troops, I will agree. But now it is different. I cannot give up the entire country and give up various plans for the future just because of a war."

"But the Pope has promised that the Holy See's Holy See will be the main attack on Lock Dragon Pass, and that this battle will be won." The Duke repeatedly emphasized, and even forgot the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects for a while.

Henderson sighed: "The Pope is the Pope, I am me. By the same token, this is Rhine, and it is your country and my soldiers have to eat. The bread can only be cultivated by farmers, get flour and handed over to the treasury. On the surface, it is said that the Holy See's Holy See only a few thousand people, or even fewer, each time the Holy See sends troops. Otherwise, let's make a bet---the Holy See will definitely not exceed ten thousand troops this time. The bet will be whatever you want."

Calis was silent.

He knew Henderson was telling the truth.

"Can we really beat the giants in the north? Sorry, my friend, I don't have any questions about your ability, but I have seen too many failures. Not only me, King Saxon, King Gorefresh, Viking, and the guy in the Kingdom of God who claims to have always refused to eat pork, they all have questions about this. If it weren't for the land issue that directly affected the political situation of various countries, the war would have broken out between us first, and then chose to attack the north of the mainland." Henderson said in a low voice. He sat in a high-back chair, his small eyes squeezing deep in his face, and his eyes stabbed towards Calis like an awl.

The Duke was speechless. What the King said was indeed a matter and did not exaggerate it.

"And this also involves a very important issue, that is, the distribution of interests after the war." Henderson's thick lips squeezed out a hint of love Rong. He stared at Kalis, and a cunning light shone in his eyes: "The five kingdoms have not signed an agreement on the distribution of land on the northern continent so far. Of course, this is because they have been unable to capture the Dragon Lock Pass, and they cannot enter the next stage of the issue."

"Calis, you just said very sure. You are a duke with noble qualities. I never doubt your ability and honesty. But you have to look at the problem in two. Suppose...yes, suppose the Holy See did use their secrets that they have hidden for many years and have an absolute certainty about the war itself. But who will take the lead? The Pope Guards? Or other kingdoms? Anyone with a normal mind will take the initiative to stand up and accept this task."

"Okay! I continue to assume that we won, occupied the Dragon Lock Pass, chased the northern giants around like rabbits, and hung them on the rice crucifix and all of them were nailed to death. According to past experience, the casualties after the war was about 30%. According to the one million troops you just mentioned, at least 300,000 people would die."

"Then a new question comes. You are very clear about our strength. One million people means that the regular troops from all over the country must be drawn. Once we win, we must add more troops to the occupied areas of the northern continent. The northern giants are not idiots. They stand there stupidly and can fight whatever you want. They have a brain and can resist. If they can't fight head-on, they will go deep into the mountains and forests, and seize the opportunity to run out and get you up a few times. This kind of fighting style is the most troublesome, because we are not familiar with the terrain and can't do anything to them."

Kalis subconsciously shook his head: "This is not difficult to solve. Just kill them, catch one, kill one, and completely destroy them."

"Of course I know this is the best way. But have you calculated the time needed?" Henderson rubbed his round chin: "It took at least half a year for the first batch of immigrants, which will directly affect the domestic economy and taxation. Sending a large number of troops to the north means reducing domestic garrisons. The difference between new recruits and veterans is very big, and domestic defense at this stage will become empty. If other kingdoms take the opportunity to send troops and declare war on us... what should you do?"

"This shouldn't happen." The Duke frowned tightly, and he shook his head slowly: "His Majesty the Pope will not sit idly by. The giants in the north are our common enemy."

Henderson pouted, looking like a baby who was angry because of something bad: "You are too naive. The strength of the army directly affects the area of ​​the control area of ​​our team in the northern continent and also affects the stability of the Rhine country. Six hundred thousand, no more. Otherwise, we will be in vain and will get nothing in the end."

The Duke weighed the king's words: "You mean, give priority to the country, and then to the land in the north?"

"So," Henderson replied vaguely: "I may not be a good king, but I know what to do to keep a country running."

Kalis thought for a long time, and finally nodded slowly, agreeing in silence.

"Okay! Six hundred thousand, no less." He sighed, stood up, saluted the king, turned around and left the restaurant.

Looking at his back as he was leaving, Henderson sat there motionless with a gloomy face. After several minutes, he suddenly became extremely furious, jumped up from the chair, grabbed the table under the table with both hands and pushed it upwards, but the dining table made of marble was still motionless. The king's anger rushed over his head again. He grabbed the tablecloth, swept his hands left and right, and threw out the various tableware and food placed on the table with force, creating a huge mess in the chaos.

Henderson pursed his lips and did not speak, but his mind was crazily cursing the departed Duke of Calis.

"This damn bastard doesn't wash his hands when he eats, he actually does such a dirty behavior."

"And his saliva... Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! That was the dirtiest substance in the world. He actually dipped his fingers in front of me. Is this the behavior that a noble should do? It's simply uneducated."

"He dares to threaten me. I am the king, his king!"

At this time, a young man in a black robe, thirteen or four years old, and wearing a black robe came in through the side door and saw the messy tableware and food everywhere, and couldn't help but be stunned.

"Father, what's wrong with you?" The boy quickly ran to Henderson, and his handsome face was filled with anger: "Who made you angry? Tell me, I'll send someone to arrest him and ask for guilt."

In this world, the person who can make Henderson feel most peaceful is his son. He quickly controlled his emotions, hugged the boy's shoulders hard, hugged him in his arms like he could when he was a child, and sobbed in his low voice.

The maids left the restaurant one after another. They were very familiar with this scene and knew that there was no need for outsiders to be present at this time.

King Henderson is a person who always has a smile on his face, but this does not mean that he will not turn against him or kill people.

The father and the son hugged each other tightly. The king sat and the prince stood in front of him. From the side, the latter, who had developed early and tall figure, was more like the elder of the former.

"Is it Duke Carlis?" the prince asked softly behind his head by holding his father's shoulder with both hands.

"...He's a bastard." The king stopped sobbing, with a clear cry in his voice: "He's always a damn bastard. Mokel, my child, only you can understand my pain."

For a long time, Henderson felt that he was not a real king.

He can't do whatever he wants in many things.

Royal members usually get married very early, and Henderson is no exception. When he was nineteen years old, he married under the arrangement of his father. His wife was a princess of the Plantain Dynasty. Although she was not beautiful, at least she looked very different from the beauty in Henderson's mind, but he could not resist his father's orders, not to mention that this political marriage was related to the multiple interests between the two kingdoms.

She is a short-lived woman. After marrying her three years, she died of tuberculosis.

His father also passed away. Because he obeyed the arrangement honestly on marriage, Henderson was listed as the first heir among many competitors and won the coveted crown.

Henderson will never forget the moment he saw Elaine.

According to convention, people such as queens and princesses who have important identities in the royal family must leave at least one portrait oil painting to keep it as a permanent commemoration for future generations.

Although Henderson did not like his deceased wife, he could be regarded as having a bed and having a baby and getting a crown through this marriage. He was not stingy with the woman's funeral and related issues, and it can even be said that the arrangement was quite grand.

He ordered the best painters in China to be transferred to the palace, and based on the portraits he had painted before, he would leave at least ten oil paintings for his wife who died early.
Chapter completed!