苍狼之灵

Chapter ninety-seven: Rogue Principality

The Duchy of Somerset is a must pass route to Ironforge.

This principality is very small, and the ambitious Grand Duke of Brittany did not annex it because it is too weak and can be easily taken over at any time.

Moreover, this principality has a water and land transportation route from the southern countries to the imperial capital. If we take control of it now, on the one hand, we will have to withstand strong reactions from the southern countries, and on the other hand, the empire will also have a strong sense of caution.

And now the Grand Duke of Brittany is consolidating his rule over the Kingdom of Croas, planning preparations to annex the Norman Duchy, and he doesn't want any complications yet.

The Duchy of Somerset is known as the Rogue Principality, and its history of hooliganism is quite long.

The first generation of Grand Duke Spike, who was sealed here, was a fraud and a rogue, but in times of chaos, fraud and rogue can sometimes play a significant role. After joining the founding emperor of the Tagore Empire, Spike made several great contributions and was therefore enfeoffed here.

But this place is too small, surrounded by various powerful principalities, and has no resources of its own. At that time, it was a poor and remote area, a barren land.

However, Spike and his descendants soon came up with an idea to make a fortune. They built the best roads and inland ports in the empire, making it a hub for north-south transportation and an important distribution center for goods, in order to maintain the existence of the duchy through taxation.

The clever Somerset Grand Duke made the most high-profile move, which was not to establish an army. This country is known as the most peaceful country, with the most tax collectors, roads, and rivers besides a palace guard. Wherever people can climb, a tax card will be set up.

Due to the lack of an army and the small size of the country, several civil wars that have occurred within the empire over the past thousand years have not affected them, as these neighboring countries are unwilling to eliminate such a small country without even an army and are labeled as unjust.

Anyway, it has no impact on anyone. Even during the most intense period of the civil war, no matter whose army enters or leaves the country, they will not hesitate to open the city to accept and bid farewell, and the municipal authorities will even host a banquet to invite military leaders to drink.

Sometimes. They will entertain one side's army on the first morning, and welcome the other side's army in the evening of the next day. At noon on the third day, he lay on the city wall and watched as the two sides fought fiercely outside the city.

For the victors. It will also send a sincere greeting and a congratulatory gift, such a scoundrel... really gives you no reason to beat it up.

The second thing that the clever Duke of Somerset did was to form extensive marriages. In addition to having good eloquence, a good appearance is also necessary for scammers. The descendants of Duke Spike have retained the excellent genes left by their ancestors, and through the continuous improvement of beautiful women recruited through generations, their offspring have become increasingly beautiful.

So, the Grand Duke of Somerset, who produced offspring of handsome men and beautiful women, continuously established marital relationships with various countries. Let his sons marry the daughters of royal family members or important nobles from various countries. And marry his beautiful daughter to important figures from other countries.

Over the years, the Grand Duke of Somerset has had intricate connections with all countries. Unless necessary, no one would really bother him.

But now Lord Somerset has become increasingly rogue, accumulating wealth to the point of resorting to any means necessary. He not only took advantage of the current tense atmosphere within the empire to impose high taxes on ordinary merchants, but sometimes even picked up some goods that made him envious and seized them as his own.