Chapter 015: Sharing Hearts Openly

Count Christopher gave a peculiar smile, casting a brief glance at Du Fan before saying, “As long as he’s a man, who hasn’t been to such a place? I suppose only those eunuchs in the imperial palace might be uninterested in this. Besides, didn’t you come here with Princess Fischer last time? Why be restrained? Moreover, I, Christopher, am not someone who acts recklessly. Since I brought you here, there must be a reason. Could it be that Duke Du Fan is afraid I’ll harm you?”
After a pause, a hint of an ambiguous smile appeared on Count Christopher’s face as he said softly, “It is said that Miss Eileen, who never receives guests, saw you last time… How about, Lord Du Fan, you call her out so I can get a glimpse too!”
Du Fan was slightly stunned, feeling both amused and perplexed. He hadn’t expected to meet the legendary Miss Eileen on his first visit to such a place. What surprised him even more was that it seemed everyone in the imperial capital knew about this…
Indeed, there are no secrets among nobles!
Count Christopher wasn’t reckless either. Seeing Du Fan’s awkward expression, he realized Du Fan likely didn’t want to discuss this topic. So, with a smile, he changed the subject and started talking about various interesting anecdotes from the capital, which made Du Fan nod in agreement repeatedly.
This old fox was truly an experienced politician. Though he revealed the information slowly, Du Fan already guessed the implications behind his words.
After waiting for a while, they suddenly heard noise coming from downstairs. Soon, a group of over a dozen people was led in by Lady Shalin. The man at the front was in his fifties, with a fierce expression, yet dressed in an extremely luxurious noble robe, as if every stitch was made of gold thread.
The dozen people behind him wore black armor. Though their murderous aura wasn’t overt, their intimidating presence spread everywhere.
When Du Fan saw the old man, he didn’t feel much, but upon seeing those warriors, he couldn’t help but let out a soft “Hmm.”
Seeing Du Fan’s expression, Count Christopher couldn’t help but say softly, “Lord Du Fan, do you know them?”

Du Fan shook his head and said, “I don’t know them… But if I’m not mistaken, these people are from the Lani Empire, right?”
“Your guess is correct, Lord Du Fan,” Count Christopher said with a hint of pride on his face. Then he pointed at the old man leading the group and said calmly, “This is the second batch of peace envoys from the Lani Empire. Don’t be fooled by his ordinary appearance—he’s a formidable general on the battlefield. He’s the brother of the Princess of Lani, Prince Quested.”
Du Fan frowned and asked, “Quested?”
Christopher nodded and replied, “In the ancient language of the Lani Empire, ‘Quested’ means madness and cold-bloodedness… From this name, it’s easy to see that Prince Quested is no easy opponent.”
Du Fan was intrigued. Watching the group walk up the stairs, he couldn’t help but say, “If I’m not mistaken, shouldn’t the Lani Empire’s peace envoys this time be the fifth prince, Leopold? Why is it Prince Quested now?”
Christopher replied calmly, “What’s the matter with that? A duke like you must know that the struggle for the throne in the Lani Empire is even fiercer than here… It’s said that the Princess of Lani hasn’t decided on an heir yet, so all the princes have a chance. At present, the ones with the greatest advantages seem to be the first prince and the fifth prince, who is currently in our empire. Both of these princes have built their own factions within the Lani Empire, each with great influence… But their political views are extremely different. For example, in this war, the first prince is a pro-war faction member, while the fifth prince is a pro-peace faction member. That’s why the fifth prince rushed to our Gavin Empire to negotiate in the first place. Without these underlying reasons, things probably wouldn’t have been so easy to discuss.”
Du Fan was deeply thoughtful and couldn’t help but say, “The brother of the Princess of Lani? I wonder if Prince Quested is loyal to the first prince or the fifth prince. If we could figure that out, perhaps…”

Count Christopher listened to Du Fan’s words, nodding slightly, a glint in his eyes as he said calmly, “I hadn’t expected Duke Du Fan to see things so clearly as well. This Quested is said to be utterly loyal to Princess Sha, but it’s unclear which prince he actually supports. If we can figure that out, we might gain a significant advantage in these negotiations.”

Du Fan frowned and glanced in that direction again, whispering, “What do you mean?”

Count Christopher smiled slightly and said, “The war between the two empires has reached a point where it must end. The real reason isn’t so much the threat from the Holy Church, but rather the fact that spring has arrived, and both countries are at the planting season. Unlike our Gavin Empire, the Lani Empire consists mainly of peasant soldiers aside from its central army. These peasant soldiers are easy to maintain and numerous, but they have one inherent flaw: once spring planting begins, their loyalty to the army wanes as they want to return to farming. With such unstable morale, how could the Lani Empire dare to continue fighting? So, if my guess is right, most of the Lani Empire’s peasant soldiers have already withdrawn, and relying solely on their central army to conquer our Gavin Empire is nothing but delusion. So at this moment…”

“The Lanny Empire is different from our Gavin Empire. The prince who receives the most support will ascend to the throne. Therefore, what the First Prince and the Fifth Prince are doing now is nothing but trying to win over people’s hearts. The First Prince, who favors war, has gathered support from different factions within the empire, while the Fifth Prince, who favors peace, has done the same. But now, they have reached a point where they must negotiate. Thus, the battlefield no longer seems important to them; instead, the peace talks table is what they truly compete for. The First Prince, being pro-war, will likely take a tough stance and demand much in negotiations. As for the Fifth Prince, since he is here, surely he wants to end this war quickly. If it were him, he might set exorbitant demands, while we could offer more reasonable terms. So, at this moment, if we only knew whose man Prince Quested is… that would give us a significant advantage. If Prince Quested is loyal to the First Prince, it means the First Prince is also eager for peace, so we might as well take our time, wear down his patience, and secure some benefits. If he’s loyal to the Fifth Prince… then it’s even easier. He’s probably acting on some secret order from Princess Sha, so we can use that to gain more advantages in the negotiations.”

Du Fan was slightly stirred. Count Christopher’s analysis was thorough, and Du Fan understood the situation. He hadn’t expected the count to be so candid. Unable to hold back, he said, “I didn’t realize Count Christopher already had a clear idea. I’ve asked so many questions along the way—apparently, I was overthinking it.”

Count Christopher lost his smile. He suddenly sat up, waved his hand to signal the two ladies to leave, then glanced at Du Fan with a half-smile and said calmly, “Du Fan, the imperial capital is currently turbulent, with hidden currents beneath the surface. Both of us need to be careful.”

“Hm?” Du Fan frowned and looked into Christopher’s eyes, momentarily not understanding his meaning.

Count Christopher smiled faintly again, a hint of bitterness in his smile: “Lord Du Fan, we both know well that no matter the outcome of these peace talks, it will likely lead to widespread criticism across the empire. In other words, this role as peace negotiator is nothing but a huge burden. Given Lord Fischer’s character, he would absolutely refuse to take on such a burden at a time like this… But who else would be willing to take it? The noble families in the imperial capital aren’t fools—they certainly won’t shoulder this burden. So, as a newly risen noble family, I have no choice but to make sacrifices at such a time. Even if I don’t want to, with Lord Fischer’s order, how can I refuse? I can only do my best to handle things well, hoping not to face severe criticism in the future!”
Du Fan felt a stir in his heart. He could sense the unwillingness in Count Christopher’s heart and couldn’t help but probe, “Count, do you mean…”
Christopher gave a bitter smile and said, “Peace talks between two nations are of utmost importance. What status do I, a mere finance minister and imperial count, have to decide such matters? So, I really shouldn’t be burdened with this responsibility. Speaking of those in the empire who are qualified to take on this burden, of course, the dukes are the first ones who come to mind. But after all, you are still young and lack experience in such matters. As for Duke Green and Prime Minister Kimberly, one is busy dealing with the rebellion in the north, and the other is responsible for imperial affairs—neither of them has the chance to handle this. As for Duke Wade, as the minister of military affairs and imperial marshal, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the empire’s defeat is his responsibility. If he were to serve as the peace negotiator, it would be ideal. But sadly… Duke Wade is also too busy with military affairs to handle this, so he recommended me to His Lordship. It’s really forcing me into this role, but fortunately, His Lordship has asked the dukes to assist me in handling this matter…”
At this point, Christopher simply stared intently at Du Fan.