flstandardbreds Chapter 335 Equivalent Feedback
Chapter 335 Equivalent Feedback
In a courtyard in Logronia that was heavily guarded by the White Wolf Knights, John wrapped in a heavy blanket and sat comfortably by the stove, enjoying the warm firelight. The fire burned brightly in front of him, emitting waves of warm air, illuminating the relaxed contours of his face. The flames kept dancing, making soft crackling sounds, bringing a warm melody.
Although the border mountains acted as a solid barrier, isolating the cold air from the south, John still felt a hint of coolness, which occasionally seeped in through the window cracks and gently brushed his face. The subtle chill was not bone-piercing, but seemed to remind him that the outside world was still uneasy and turbulent.
Just as John was enjoying the warmth by the fire, there was a sudden knock on the door. He was slightly startled, then cleared his throat and said, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and a White Wolf Knight walked in resolutely. He was tall, and his armor shone coldly under the firelight. The knight quickly closed the door, blocking the cold wind outside, and the warmth in the room suddenly became more comfortable. The knight walked to John and handed him an envelope with the Midland royal emblem with both hands. Although his expression was upright, it also revealed a hint of respect.
John took the envelope and felt a little surprised. He carefully opened the envelope, took out the letter, and quickly read it. As the information between the lines was conveyed, his expression gradually warmed up, and finally revealed a satisfied smile.
In the letter, King Midland expressed his high recognition of John's performance in Lana, and his words showed his admiration and respect for him. Then, after a few words that seemed to be empty promises by John, the king mentioned the Lana Marshal's scepter presented to him, and after praising John again, he wrote:
"Since you presented a marshal's scepter, you should also receive a scepter of the same level."
John understood the king's intention after seeing this line of words. Once he returned to Midland, the king would most likely grant him the position of marshal. At that time, he would become the youngest marshal in Midland's history. At the same time, he would also have the opportunity to petition the king to transfer himself back to his original forest territory.
A few days later, Earl Hawes summoned John and other Midland generals in a spacious meeting room. The sunlight shone through the large windows onto the long wooden table, and the warm light added a touch of softness to the tense atmosphere.
Lord Hawes walked to the table and placed a letter in front of everyone.
"This is the peace letter brought by the Rana envoy. The letter mentioned that King Rana has expressed his willingness to seek peace and hopes that the Midland side can send an envoy to discuss the peace."
Before he finished speaking, several Midland generals immediately showed disdain on their faces, and sneered. An older general even said bluntly:
"The fight has already reached our doorstep, and yet the Rana people are only here to ask for peace. They really won't cry until they see the coffin!"
Other generals echoed and the discussion began:
"Isn't this a shameless act? He was so arrogant before, but now he's begging for mercy when he sees the situation is not right. How unreasonable!"
"If you ask me, don't ask for peace. Just charge into the city and plunder it. This way, everyone won't come here in vain."
Amid the heated discussion among the generals, John finally stood up, straightened his clothes slightly, and looked firmly at each of the Midland generals present. He took a deep breath, and spoke in a steady tone, but with a hint of urgency:
"Everyone, I'm afraid it's too early to discuss looting now."
Everyone's eyes focused on him, and the atmosphere became quiet for a moment. John continued:
"We don't know how many troops there are in Leon City at the moment, and it's even more unknown whether the nobles in southern Lana will send troops to support us. If we attack rashly, not only will we fail to win, but we may also suffer more casualties. At the same time, the countries in the southwest peninsula will also feel a sense of crisis because of the aggressiveness of the Midlan army. They may form an alliance with each other to provide military support to Lana, or even directly participate in the battle."
He looked around and continued:
"The occupation of Logronia has already pushed King Lana into a desperate situation. Lana is no longer in the same state as before. If we attack Leon again, if the enemy is really anxious and defends desperately, even if we finally occupy Leon, it may be a pyrrhic victory. We will lose not only the lives of our soldiers, but also a lot of time and resources."
Before he finished speaking, the expressions of several generals remained firm, but some began to frown slightly, as if touched by John's logic. John continued to emphasize:
"The war we are fighting now does not necessarily mean we have to completely defeat the enemy. Instead of fighting the entire Southwest Peninsula, it is better to stop while we are ahead and strive to gain greater benefits in the negotiations based on the existing achievements."
Finally, Earl Hawes was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: "Lord John is right. I propose to accept the other side's peace talks and send someone to Wendam to inform His Majesty the King."
After Earl Hoss finished speaking, he looked at everyone and asked:
"Since we have decided to send an envoy to discuss peace with Lana, we need to choose a suitable person. Which general is willing to undertake this important task?"
There was a murmur among the soldiers, and the atmosphere was full of suspense. Earl Hawes's eyes gradually locked on John, as if he was going to let him take on this important task. His voice was soft but firm:
"Governor John, you have performed well in this war. I think you are the most suitable candidate."
However, John shook his head slightly and said earnestly:
"Lord Hoss, I am the Governor of the Southwest. I am only responsible for assisting in this war. I really don't have the time to take on such an important task. Moreover, I believe that you will be more persuasive if you go to negotiate as the commander of the army."
At the same time, John cursed silently in his heart:
"Good fellow, you are waiting for me here, right? What if the other side holds a Hongmen Banquet and captures or kills me?"
After hearing John's refusal, Earl Hawes obviously knew that his plan had failed, so he frowned and said:
"Lord John, since I am the commander of the army, I should be in charge of the military camp and manage various affairs."
"So if you say so, can I, the Governor of the Southwest, lead my troops back to the Governor's Territory now?"
The conference room was once again filled with arguments, with both sides holding their own opinions and the atmosphere becoming tense.
At this moment, Jules suddenly stood up and said in a loud voice:
"Lord Hoss, I am willing to go and negotiate with the Lanaren."
He bowed slightly to Count Hoss with a firm look in his eyes. Hoss thought to himself that Jules had no connection with his faction, and as a general with a sufficient official position, he was indeed a suitable candidate.
Just as Hoss was about to agree, John slapped the table. From Hoss's perspective, although John had a smile that was a sign of nobility on his face, he could feel the murderous intent emanating from John at this moment.
However, after a moment of silence, John finally nodded and agreed:
"Okay, Uncle Jules, if you insist on going, then I support you. However, I suggest that Earl Hoss also go with you. This will make the other party feel that Midland attaches great importance to this peace talk. Otherwise, it would be too low of status to send only the deputy leader of the Knights Templar."
After feeling the killing intent disappear, Count Hoss wiped the cold sweat from his head and complained in his heart why he suddenly did such a stupid thing. After swearing in his heart that he would never plot against other members of the Hohenzollern family again, he sighed helplessly and nodded slightly:
"In that case, then Le and I will take the army to Leon to negotiate peace."