Demon Laws

Chapter 0: The Earl Boy

When we look back on history, we will find that under the current of history, even the wisest leader will inevitably lose his mind.

Article 35 verse 7 in the imperial chronicles on retrospective reflection in the Roland era.

It was a summer afternoon, the scorching sun hanging in the sky was still emitting heat mercilessly. To welcome the upcoming victory ceremony, guards dressed in bright red armor had surrounded the front of the number one port on the pier.

And a hundred steps outside the pier, the security soldiers of the imperial capital had exerted all strength. Many of them had their clothes torn off, their originally shiny rank marks had been dislodged, the pride caps had come off, even the boots had been stepped on many times.

The thing that made the thousand security soldiers who were ordered to maintain order around this port feel helpless was that they were facing over fifty thousand enthusiastic citizens of the imperial capital.

Enthusiastic citizens had prepared flowers, cheered and applauded. Sure, there are also teenage girls who are ready to give their kisses and chastity. Under such emotional turmoil, a thousand security warriors felt that they were like a broken ship in the ocean that could capsize at any moment.

Currently the thousand soldiers were envious of the soldiers standing inside the guard of the pier as they could march casually, showing the armor and weapons they had just taken out. At the same time there is also no need to worry about his face being scratched by certain citizens.

For the sake of the victory event this time, the Great Emperor - His Majesty Augustine VI - gave the order to double the size of Lancang's great canal to the river of the imperial capital. To that end, the imperial capital paid ten thousand river workers to work for half a year. The imperial treasury also paid nearly three million gold coins.

The purpose of paying those prices was only so that Danton - the expeditionary fleet of the numerous imperial warships - could directly arrive at the port outside the eastern gate of the imperial capital smoothly through the canal to receive cheers citizens to demonstrate the extraordinary power of the empire.

No one cares, is it worth paying that much for sensational?

Since the last Imperial Treasurer's Chancellor who first raised objections had been stopped by His Majesty the furious Emperor. And the only option of the new Treasurer Chancellor is to rack the brain to collect money amid various imperial expenditures to satisfy the ‘the extravagant old man.

The name ‘parents wasteful’ certainly can only be buried in the bottom of the heart of the Chancellor of the Treasurer. Very, very deep.

As the afternoon sun shone on the surface of the vast canal, when the first sailing ship showed a shadow, the crowd began to cheer uncontrollably.

As the huge battleship with a length of two hundred steps in the canal slowly approached the port, the huge shadow of the majestic and mighty warship shocked all the citizens of the imperial capital who came watching.

Danton - the sixth expeditionary fleet of imperial warships, the pride of the imperial navy, the largest battleship of the imperial navy throughout history. In order to welcome this welcoming ceremony, the warship has been thoroughly painted and refurbished. The hull of the ship was painted in a frightening black color. Amidst the cheers, Danton was like a black giant monster slowly approaching the harbor. The flag was a flower of thorns fluttering in the wind on the pole.

When the anchors were dropped, tens of thousands of residents in the harbor were already boiling. Many hats were thrown in the air, many shoes were taken off, many feet were injured. And the poor security soldier could only reduce the ranks as hard as he could.

Earl Raymond - the commander of the imperial expeditionary fleet - stood on the deck and stared blankly at the cheering crowd in the harbor at this time.

This 39-year-old imperial first-rate general - the Imperial Earl - was wearing his grandest attire. The armor covered his entire body, the red robe behind fluttering in the wind. There were two medals on his chest that were obtained on the two previous expedition fleets. And there was no doubt that this victory would give him a third imperial medal.

The Earl's gaze was somewhat unfocused. His gaze did not stop at the crowd of people in the harbor. When viewed from a close distance it could find that the Earl's brows were furrowed, seemingly impatient.

Surprisingly, this armor is too heavy and very stupid!

The Earl did not think that the soldiers of the naval fleet needed to wear this heavy armor when fighting at sea. That's the clothes that army soldiers wear. While these medallions were even more foolish things to the Earl, like a new rich man showing off his wealth. The rich don't really want to do this. He felt that this kind of action greatly demeaned his honor.

Moreover, the crowd cheering below was too noisy. Their cheers were like a huge wave in a tsunami, eroding the Earl's patience that was left a little.

He looked at the powder beneath his feet unconsciously.

This danton was repainted three days ago for today's welcoming ceremony. No more blood on the powder. The deck used in the expedition wars has been rebuilt. The ship has also been replaced. Surprisingly, it was possible that those who liked to curry favor with His Majesty the Emperor turned the bow of the ship into a statue of His Majesty the Emperor himself. And he said, this statue was made by a famous imperial sculptor a few days ago.

The imperial navy paid ten thousand additional gold coins for it.

Mighty, anyway, quite mighty. But, did those idiots not know that when facing a battle at sea, the first part that collided after the battleship collided was the bow?

According to the Earl, ten thousand gold coins were spent in vain. The master sculptor's work was not even more practical than the wooden pegs the origin sought.

In fact, Earl Raymond even thought that building this imperial expedition fleet was a ridiculous wrong decision.

It is undeniable that there are many islands in the South China Sea, such as pearls scattered in the vast ocean. There was a strange forest, there was a savage and ignorant hinterland tribe that was still at the clan stage, there was gold, gemstones, spices, and seafood.

However, the Earl does not think that ‘brings dozens of large warships to bully the small sampan natives there’ is called ‘ekspedis’.

It was robbery, slaughter, plunder, aggression, looting!

The Earl doesn't think there's anything wrong with that. In history, the weak have always been oppressed by the strong, the weak have had to give in to the strong. However, the Earl felt that the fault of imperial policy towards the South China Sea lay in these kinds of expeditions being carried out too often, and the results received seemed to be weakening.

In the first two three expeditions, when the invincible powerful imperial navy brought back gold, jewels, and seafood, it caused a sensation throughout the empire.

But a barn as rich as anything can't stand such a frequent harvest. Excessive looting led to the extinction of an inland tribe somewhat close to the South China Sea. After that, the expedition had to sail further. The extension of travel is a big test for fleet supply.

However, the South China Sea not only has an easy original occupation, gold, and jewels. But also the hot weather, climate change, terrible waves, as well as countless coral reefs, whirlpools, and storms.

Overharvesting made the fertile fields that could become these imperial barns empty quickly. Then, the harvest of the next expedition will be reduced and reduced. Ironically, however, the ceremony of victory was always grander and grander.

Earl Raymond himself has led three expeditions in recent years, making the Earl's reputation resounding in the South China Sea. This imperial admiral, the Earl, had a series of nicknames in Southeast Asia.

Robber, butcher, executioner. Both hands covered with blood from the people in the interior. He was a rotten reputable invader in the hearts of the inland tribes, a demon who burned houses and enslaved them.

The Earl certainly did not heed those things. But the only thing that made him uneasy was that the war of excessive aggression had triggered the development of this inland Southeast Asian population in some ways, especially in the aspect of strength. Before this time returning home, he had even heard that the occupation of several islands in the far south had formed an alliance to fight against the endless plunder of the empire.

Fortunately, those dizzying things did not need him to think about anymore. Because the Earl knew very well that this was his last expedition. Afterwards, he would stay in the imperial capital. If everything was smooth, he would obtain an important position in the imperial high command, then work for around ten years. After the current military minister retires, with the influence of his family, he will become the new military minister. If his luck had been a little better, maybe he could have had a career in politics as prime minister for the last few years.

While the expedition, fuck it. It was a matter that the commander of the next expedition fleet had to mess around with.

Had the inland occupation had evolved to be able to make even cannons, it was not something he should be worried about.

Amidst the heat wave-like cheers, the Earl descended from the deck under everyone's gaze. His feet finally stepped on the ground of the imperial capital. He waved to the cheering crowd. However, his movements were more like driving away flies.

Then, a civil servant dressed in court service boarded the ship and recited the praises of His Majesty the Emperor, as well as announcing that the Earl will meet His Imperial Majesty to receive the award at the palace tomorrow morning.

As expected, the future of politics is bright.

But then a gray-clothed servant approached, whispering a tidbit in the ear of the Earl. And the news made Earl Raymond's mood decline.

The news came from home.

Expeditioning in the vast ocean for more than three years was not easy to communicate with. Raymond doesn't know how the house is now.

The most important thing is his wife. When he set out for the expedition three years ago, his wife was already about to give birth. And now, she didn't even know if her son was a boy or a girl.

News from home, anyway, man.

But the son who was born seemed like an idiot.

The news almost made the Earl fall from the peak of happiness.

Almost!

But almost every imperial official who came to greet saw that the countenance of the victorious expedition commander was so bleak that it was on the verge of collapse.