Chapter 482: The Kingdom's Strategy
Chapter 482: The Kingdom's Strategy
The night had deepened, and most of the capital city had already sunk into the embrace of darkness. While lanterns were not considered a luxury, for the majority of the city's residents, lighting them up without a purpose was seen as a wasteful and shameful act.
Only the wealthy residents of the Upper City, along with those in places like Redwood Avenue and Lawse Arcade, would keep their lanterns lit throughout the night, disregarding the cost for a little extra light.
Among the few "lit-up zones" in the capital, the palace, as the heart of the city, had the most lanterns. However, after the palace quietly changed hands, most of the lanterns that used to burn brightly day and night were ordered to be turned off by the new owner. In the rear half of the palace, where the queen's chambers were located, only one window remained illuminated.
Finally, the work was almost done.
After finishing her desk work, the princess, the capital's most notorious night owl, stretched like a cat, easing her sore muscles. But instead of turning off the lights and going to sleep as usual, she reached for a crumpled notebook from the shelf behind her and quietly began flipping through it at her desk.
The handwriting on the notebook appeared slightly skewed, not because it was ugly, but more like the words were written with a foot on a slippery ice surface, making even the straight lines wobbly. This resulted in a chubby, round font that exuded a childlike innocence.
Despite the innocent-looking handwriting, the content of the notebook was far from childish; instead, it carried a sharp and determined tone.
"The first step of the plan is to overthrow the monarchy and completely unify the kingdom!"
Veronica, the princess, couldn't help but smile as she saw the royal emblem on William's old notebook, marked with a forceful red cross.
Unlike the messy handwriting on the side, the royal emblem, labeled as "Target," was drawn with precision, likely traced from a template onto the notebook paper.
Below the crossed-out royal emblem was a simple map of the kingdom's surrounding geography, also traced from a map.
"Next, spare no expense to win over the nobility here and find a way to take this place!"
On the simple map, the location of the Ruhr region in the Hessen Kingdom was heavily circled, with a small, unrecognizable black pattern drawn beside it.
Hmm... it must be a lump of coal.
After recalling the intelligence about the Ruhr region, the princess pulled out a discarded file from her desk and wrote 'Ruhr Region - Coal' on it.
The Ruhr region was known as the largest coal-producing area in the Hessen Kingdom, and the black pattern was probably a mineral marker. However, the word 'coal' seemed to be taught in the third year of public school, so the child might not know how to write it yet, hence the black lump representing coal.
"After taking over the 'black, warm when burned, and slightly gritty when bitten' resource, choose the coldest winter and cut off all northbound roads from the Hessen Kingdom to Ryan County!"
On the traced map, six out of the seven main northbound roads were crossed out, leaving only the one through Ryan County untouched. Next to this remaining road were two intersecting objects...
Toothpicks with handles? Long daggers? Or two long swords? They probably symbolize combat.
Unconsciously, the princess drew a question mark on the discarded file as she tried to decipher the crooked annotations on the notebook.
"The Northern Kingdom relies on burning things for warmth during winter, and its coastal ports make ice cream for several months. So, if we cut off all the roads, they'll have no choice but to burn their stored resources."
Making ice cream for several months... probably means freezing it for that duration. It seems the child hasn't learned how to spell this word yet.
After translating and copying William's homework onto the discarded file, the princess, drawing from her knowledge of the Ashito Kingdom, added a few more strategies that might be effective against the Northern Kingdom. Then, she stared at the old notebook, lost in thought.
The child's writing, though seemingly playful and immature, revealed an astonishingly broad-minded thought process.
As the northernmost ice-covered country, the Northern Kingdom of Ashito frequently harassed its neighbors every few years, but it dared not provoke the Hessen Principality, which controlled its lifeline.
For herself and her kingdom, instead of investing heavily in constructing defensive fortifications and maintaining a standing army at the border, waiting passively for an invasion from the Ashito Kingdom, it would be better to take the initiative and force the Ashito Kingdom to advance its invasion prematurely at a time favorable to her side.
War was the worst choice, but if they continued to resist it, a greater tragedy would ensue.
Rather than burdening the kingdom's finances with defensive fortifications and military expenses, it was better to take the initiative and engage in a controlled battle, making the Northern Kingdom understand that its seemingly weak neighbor also had the capability to bring mutual destruction.
After listing the military strength of both countries on the back of the discarded file, a determined look appeared on Princess Veronica's face.
They could fight! Even though there was still a significant gap in military strength between the two countries, this situation was different from past defensive wars. With the initiative in their hands, they were fighting a battle with a clear advantage, almost guaranteeing victory, and the intensity of the war could be easily controlled.
With the main routes blocked in advance, only two to three legions would be needed to block the Ashito Kingdom's southbound path, especially with their hasty mobilization and winter logistical challenges.
At that time, there might not even be a need for a full-scale war; a month-long standoff and a few small-scale, controllable clashes would be enough to make the Ashito Kingdom retreat and opt for negotiations.
Once that happened, they could promise to reopen coal transportation in exchange for the return of the pass taken six years ago. With the pass back in their control, they would only need a fraction of the original garrison, or even less, to secure the border.
With the border pressure lifted, they could then downsize the old, ineffective armies and prioritize allocating the financial budget to education and public spending. Within eight to fifteen years, they could rapidly cultivate a large number of educated individuals.
Once this generation grew up and became the seeds of change, she would have the ability to wield the knife and completely eradicate the corruption within the kingdom, allowing this aging nation, which had grown old and weary, to rejuvenate and regain its youth.
(End of Chapter)
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