Chapter 400: Chapter 252: Three Parts Under Heaven (Part 2)
Under these circumstances, as long as the King hadn’t completely lost his mind, he wouldn’t excessively provoke Fang Zhen. After all, this land wasn’t originally under the King’s control, but rather a Duchy.
Making a simple verbal promise to gain a heavyweight ally was a simple calculation. One would think that even His Majesty the King, despite his mental illness, could figure that out.
Fang Zhen’s subordinates present were all elites of this world. Some were quick-witted, while others were slower and more cautious, but by and large, they were all intelligent people.
Soon, these subordinates understood the logic Viscount Keton had laid out.
Instantly, an excited flush unconsciously appeared on the faces of men like Tahar and Finn.
"Of course, if we analyze it that way, then I also think it’s possible the King will acknowledge your status. In that case, wouldn’t we be about to establish the largest Duchy to date?" Tahar said excitedly.
As two of the first Knights to side with Fang Zhen, Tahar and Finn were part of his earliest core team.
Although they were currently just his direct Knights, as long as Fang Zhen continued to develop, the current trend suggested that these two could elevate their families’ status by a level within their lifetimes, reaching the rank of Baron or even Viscount.
In the Zambein Kingdom, advancing in social class was extremely difficult. Basically, whatever class you were born into was the class you would likely remain in for your entire life.
There were only a few windows of opportunity to elevate one’s family status.
Once successful, that person could become the most revered member of their family for centuries, earning the eternal gratitude of their descendants, their name remembered and celebrated for generations.
Tahar, Finn, and the others saw in Fang Zhen the hope of elevating their class.
Therefore, Fang Zhen’s progress was their progress. These men were already tightly bound to Fang Zhen’s interests. And after their reconditioning, they were emotionally and subconsciously devoted to him. Naturally, they hoped their boss, or rather, their Lord, would climb higher and higher. That way, they too could reap the benefits in terms of economy, territory, titles, and status.
Hearing Fang Zhen’s description, even Mansa, who had been somewhat pessimistic before, was moved.
Mansa thought, ’Should I commit more of my resources, invest more in Fang Zhen?’
Of course, the investment Mansa considered was one of effort and mental energy. He was just a Mage, with no territory and not much accumulated wealth.
If one wanted to live well in this world, besides becoming strong oneself, there was another path: attach oneself to the strong, or bet on the strong.
That way, even if one’s own abilities were limited, as long as you followed the right person, the future would be much brighter.
Right now, Fang Zhen was the one offering a bright future to everyone present.
Fang Zhen was the man who gave them hope for the future.
Those who can paint a picture of the future, especially a beautiful one, have always been able to command great influence.
In fact, the situation Fang Zhen described was one that people from Xia Country were very familiar with.
It was a classic "Three Kingdoms" scenario.
Of course, specific problems required specific analysis. Although the future of the Zambein Kingdom that Fang Zhen described was similar to a three-way standoff, it wasn’t exactly the same as the historical Three Kingdoms. It was merely similar in its underlying logic.
It incorporated Fang Zhen’s own thinking and strategic planning.
After Fang Zhen laid out the general concept and Keton elaborated on it, the men had a rough idea of the vision inside Fang Zhen’s mind.
Fang Zhen looked at his now-excited subordinates and said, "Keton is right. This is our strategic situation for the time being."
"In this situation, it’s highly likely the King will recognize my identity and status. And under the framework of noble rules, acknowledging this doesn’t even require changing any laws."
"The Augustus Clan already holds the rank of Duke; it’s just a matter of making the territory official now."
"So, the problem Mansa mentioned earlier—the lack of a just cause or legitimacy without the King’s recognition—has at least an eighty percent chance of being resolved."
"But the only uncontrollable variable, the only problem, is His Majesty the King’s current mental state."
At this point, Fang Zhen looked at Ottis and asked, "Ottis, you know more about the nobility, especially the high-ranking nobles and the Royal Family. Can you describe the King’s current mental state?"
Ottis thought for a moment and said, "His Majesty’s condition is very unstable. He experiences periodic episodes of mania, followed by extreme lows. At times, he also mutters to himself, as if he’s seeing things others can’t, or as if a voice is speaking in his ear."
"But aside from these abnormal conditions, his mind is quite clear. At least, when he’s free from his emotional troubles, he is a ruler with reasonably sound judgment."
Hearing this, Fang Zhen’s mind immediately connected the symptoms to two conditions.
Based on his own knowledge and frame of reference, His Majesty the King likely had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
However, this was just hearsay; he didn’t know the exact details.
After all, the Zambein World had an element that the real world lacked: Extraordinary Power.
"Then let’s just hope the King is in a lucid state of mind when he sees my letter," Fang Zhen said. "Now, all we have to do is prepare and wait."
Over the next few days, Fang Zhen began to handle the affairs in Viscount Keton’s Territory.
