flstandardbreds Chapter 352 Daily life at home
Chapter 352 Daily life at home
John was lying on the sofa in the living room, looking up at the chandelier diagonally above him, and from time to time he looked at Carl and Catherine who were having fun playing with the Monde Marsan toys beside him.
“Quack quack!!!”
Coal Ball, covered in black feathers, stepped into the living room from a doorway, followed by his wife and a group of ducklings that were molting.
Since John left Franche-Comté, Coal Ball and his wife started laying eggs and went into nesting mode. Half a month later, a group of wet ducklings hatched from their shells. Under the careful care of the servants in the Count's Castle, these ducklings grew up smoothly into what they are now.
Looking at this group of ducklings, John couldn't help but sigh that Coal Ball's genes were really strong. Most of the ducklings born to a white mother duck had mostly black fluff, and there was even one duckling that was pure black.
At this time, Black Duck Coal Ball brought his wife and the ducklings to John's sofa and slowly lay down. The ducklings were lively and cute, quacking from time to time, while Black Duck Coal Ball quietly lay on the edge of the sofa, occasionally gently bumping the children with his duckbill.
Seeing this, John stretched out a finger and deliberately hooked it in front of the ducklings. Immediately, a group of curious ducklings were attracted by this action, waddling towards him, and pecked at John's finger with their small beaks, making bursts of cheerful quacking sounds.
While John was teasing the duckling, Matilda came over lightly, carrying a plate of fresh fruits and exquisite pastries, and sat on the sofa next to John. She picked up a piece of blueberry pie and handed it to John. John tasted it carefully, the sour and sweet taste of blueberries bloomed in his mouth, matched with the crispy crust, intoxicating.
John turned his head and looked at his wife tenderly, his heart filled with pride and satisfaction. He couldn't help but praise:
"Matilda, the territory has been managed so well in the past two years, all thanks to you."
Matilda smiled slightly, a hint of humility in her eyes.
“These achievements are not just my own.”
She whispered:
"This is the joint efforts of the officials and the people under their rule. Only by working together can we make the territory better."
At this time, the sun shines through the window onto them, and the warm light and shadow complement the warm communication. John and Matilda look at each other and smile, with the same tacit understanding in their hearts, as if no matter what difficulties they face, as long as they work together, they can overcome them.
However, in this warm atmosphere, a guard suddenly walked into the living room with a serious face. He saluted to John and said hurriedly:
"My Lord, a messenger from Yoda has brought a letter from Count Reginale to Lady Matilda."
John was slightly startled, then he looked at the guard intently. He took out an envelope from his pocket. The surface of the envelope was smooth and white, with a red wax seal in the middle. The seal was the coat of arms of Count Reginale, which was vivid and solemn, showing the importance of the letter.
John felt a little nervous. He knew that Count Reginale would never write a letter unless it was important. Looking at the seal, John was curious about the content of the letter, but he was more concerned about Matilda's reaction. He took the envelope and gently handed it to her, with a hint of concern in his eyes.
"This is for you, honey."
Matilda gently tore open the envelope, her expression becoming more focused. As the letter unfolded, her eyes shuttled through the lines of text, gradually concentrating on the grim facts. Her brows began to frown, and her fingers could not help but clench the letter, as if she was shocked by the contents of the letter.
Finally, she raised her head, with a complex expression in her eyes, and said:
"My father's lieutenant, Emperor Ludwig of the Yoda Empire, has been behaving very abnormally lately."
John saw that Matilda was very nervous and asked:
"what happened?"
Matilda did not answer immediately, but continued:
"In addition to expanding the standing army without limits, he also began to violently reclaim some earldoms that were closer to the empire."
"My father's good friend, Count Saxony, originally agreed to let the emperor take back his territory, but because he asked to distribute his land to the peasants in the territory, he was rejected by Ludwig."
Her voice gradually became low, revealing helplessness and sadness:
"So, the Count of Saxony refused to obey the emperor's order. Ludwig then ordered the army to occupy the Count of Saxony's territory on the charge of rebellion and hanged him and his entire family."
"Then...then Ludwig changed the earldom into a governorate and appointed a governor who was close to him."
There was anger and helplessness in Matilda's voice.
"There are reports that under his rule, farmers were burdened with heavy taxes, and even a large number of farmers died of starvation."
John frowned, feeling a sense of urgency in his heart. He realized that according to Ludwig's current expansion speed, within a few years, the territory of his father-in-law, Count Reginale, would also be annexed. This not only concerned the safety of his father-in-law's life, but also the next step for the Yoda Empire after Ludwig's integration would be the territories of the nobles on the border of Midland.
John asked in a heavy voice:
"How is my father-in-law going to deal with all this?"
Matilda shrugged, with helplessness flashing in her eyes:
"My father's territory is located on the western border of Yoda and has not been directly affected yet. However, the situation is urgent, and some great nobles in Yoda have begun to prepare for a rebellion."
A trace of worry flashed through John's mind, and he couldn't help asking:
"Is my father-in-law going to get involved as well?"
Matilda took a deep breath and looked a little weak.
"He plans to observe for a while to see how the situation develops. After all, the situation is complicated and any rash action could backfire."
John nodded, with an undercurrent in his heart. He had originally planned to seize the Yoda territory bordering his territory to the south while Ludwig was fighting the rebellious nobles. That land was not only fertile, but could also serve as a buffer for his core territory. However, after careful consideration, considering Ludwig's ever-expanding military strength, acting impulsively might lead to irreversible consequences.
"Or else, contact the kings and dukes that you have interacted with before, especially those countries that were once invaded by the Yoda Empire."
John was planning. He knew that it was a pipe dream for a single earl like him to fight against a rapidly expanding empire, and the war with Yoda would not be a stage for him alone.