Chapter 1124 - 173: Rupture! Hunting the Red Dragon Drake!

Chapter 1124: Chapter 173: Rupture! Hunting the Red Dragon Drake!

After listening to the brazen bribery rhetoric of the Helmut commissioner, Su Li was really amused by anger.

The Empire’s darkness and corruption are simply insane!

Assessing a territory doesn’t even consider any of the territory’s indicators, not even how many troops there are or whether they can stand their ground.

It only considers how much money the territory can offer for bribery. A bribe of 10,000 golden crowns can earn the title of Kingdom Knight.

A bribe of 100,000 golden crowns can earn the title of Baron. A bribe of 500,000 golden crowns can achieve the rank of Count!

This corruption is blatant and unscrupulous. Even Su Li’s hope before the meeting that Deputy Leader Bradley would supervise them was dashed.

The dark and corrupt assessment plan can even be counted as having the support of the Electorate Council. Supervision is completely ineffective.

No wonder it’s so difficult for the Border Prince’s Territory to unite! It faces countless external interventions and obstacles.

Because the Border Prince’s Territory is originally a dish on the table of the electors and the Empire’s high officials. Su Li unifying the Border Prince’s Territory is equivalent to what? Equivalent to a dish suddenly wanting to sit at the table and eat! How many people’s interests would be infringed upon?

How can the Empire’s high officials tolerate all this? To be more precise, Su Li is not just facing the issue of joining the table for a meal, nor even the issue of turning the table. It’s even worse than all of that. He wants to eat alone after joining the table! Kick all the original people off the table, monopolizing the entire dish by himself!

To prevent such a situation, to prevent their own interests from being harmed, and to prevent newcomers from joining the table to eat, the Empire’s high officials and nobles are sure to intervene forcefully in the unification and annexation of the Border Prince’s Territory.

However, Su Li is not too worried about this. History both ancient and modern proves that as long as a force can persevere and develop, external intervention is hard to extinguish a thriving territory. The problem of long-distance control is something no authority can overcome. The limit of geography prevents them from exerting even one percent of their strength.

Moreover, even if the 17 nobles of the Empire intervene, he might as well have a battle to establish prestige and legacy!

The most solid and strongest fortress is often breached from within. The greatest fear is the backbone breaking, then it will really never stand back up!

So Su Li looked at Helmut von Klaus with the face of justified arrogance, the anger in his chest instead precipitated down, turning into a cold, almost solid chill.

He slowly stood up from the main seat, the shattered glass fragments and wine stains at his feet appearing particularly striking. The firelight from the fireplace cast a long shadow behind him, enveloping the long table.

"So, Commissioner von Klaus," Su Li’s tone was indifferent, his gaze sharp and fierce as he looked at the other, "Are you saying that no matter how vast my Hesse Territory is, how large the population, how strong the army, how solid the castle, how bountiful the farmlands and pastures are... as long as I refuse to bribe you... you won’t acknowledge my title? Everything Hesse Territory has done for the Empire by expanding borders, establishing order, shedding blood and sweat in the Border Prince’s Territory, is worth nothing on your ’scale of weight’? Is that what you mean?"

His voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a compelling pressure. The dozens of accompanying officials and soldiers instinctively held their breath, their gazes nervously shifting between Su Li and the commissioner.

Helmut commissioner’s arrogance was twisted a bit by Su Li’s straightforward and sharp questioning. He slapped the table suddenly and stood with a crash of dinnerware and silverware.

"Lord Su Li!" His voice raised due to anger, with a sharpness tinged by irritation, "Please watch your identity! You’re questioning the authority of the Electorate Council of the Empire! Questioning the very foundation of the Empire’s expansion policy!"

He pointed at Su Li, his finger trembling slightly with agitation: "Without the council’s acknowledgment, without the Empire’s authorization, your so-called territory, army, castles are nothing more than a group of bandits illegally occupying the Empire’s land! A mob self-declared king in the border! Who do you think you are? Without the council’s evaluation documents, your pioneer territory title is a joke! Your territory will receive no recognition or protection from the Empire! Any lord in the Border Prince’s Territory can, under the banner of ’clearing illegal occupants’, rightfully declare war on you! The Imperial Legion will definitely not provide a single ounce of support for you!"

He knew he could not retreat, once he did, the majesty of the Electorate Council would be shaken, and then he and his dozens of followers would indeed not be able to intimidate the true fearless and bold troops on this wild land!

"Count Litaner of the Swamp Territory will become the model for the Empire in the Border Prince’s Territory! His army will receive the council’s recognition and endorsement! And you, Knight Suli..." He deliberately prolonged the word "Knight", filled with mockery, "...if you persist in your folly, your Hesse Territory will soon become the object the Empire’s order needs to ’cleanse’! Look at those predatory neighbors around you! Hasn’t the fall of Blue Mirror Castle yet woken you up? Those who start trouble will have no good end! Without the council’s recognition, you’re next! So I advise you to see the situation clearly, recognize the trends and be wise!"

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, Hilude’s brave and heroic visage was covered by a layer of frost, the killing intent in her eyes almost bursting forth, and the hand she placed on her lap suddenly pressed down on the sword hilt. Marshal Oerstein’s mighty figure leaned forward slightly, like a tight bowstring about to release, the heavy Warhammer seemed ready to fly out at any moment. And around the hall, all the Heisen Guard Knights standing solemnly could not restrain their killing intent, with a ’clang’, their longswords were unsheathed.