Chapter 013: Testing Ambition

“Prince Fischer wants to kill me…”
Du Fan sat inside the family’s carriage, with Duke Green sitting across from him.
The father and son sat like this for who knew how long before Du Fan finally spoke these words with a blank expression.
These should have been words filled with anger and murderous intent, but spoken by Du Fan, they seemed devoid of any emotion… as if the person Prince Fischer wanted to kill wasn’t Du Fan at all, but some stranger he didn’t know.
Upon hearing these words, Duke Green couldn’t help but frown. He held a delicate crystal glass, still half full of amber-colored wine, which swayed gently as the carriage moved.
“Do you know… why Prince Fischer wants to kill you?”
Duke Green finally replied indifferently.
Du Fan gazed through the curtain on one side of the carriage at the bustling scenes of the capital outside. After a moment, he turned his gaze back inside, to his father, and smiled slightly. “If I didn’t even know that, how would I be qualified to sit here now?”
Duke Green nodded and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp before saying calmly, “Then tell me.”
Du Fan sneered. “With this coup, Prince Fischer will rise to power. He should have been the one to take center stage… But in this coup, not only did I drive Francis away, but I also forced back the remnants of the Bauhinia Dynasty, which were completely unexpected… In short, everything that should have been his glory has been taken away by me… Father, though I don’t understand politics, I do understand what it means to overshadow one’s lord… Moreover, with the current situation in the Gavin Empire and our Green family holding significant military power, if Prince Fischer doesn’t be wary of me, that would be truly strange… And to stabilize public morale and set an example, Prince Fischer has no choice but to make me a duke. It’s likely that the rights we’ve barely regained will have to be given away again. So, given Prince Fischer’s nature, if he had the chance to kill me, killing me would naturally be the best option… But if he doesn’t have that chance…”
“What then?”

Du Fan curled his lips and said, “After today’s events, Prince Fischer must have realized that killing me is no longer possible… So no matter how much he guards against me, as a king, he must keep his word… This duke must be appointed, whether he likes it or not. After that, I wonder what else he plans to do to me… Hmph, who would have thought that I, who was once his ally deliberately brought in, have now become someone he wants to attack at all costs… Hmph, this is politics!”
Duke Green nodded and said, “Du Fan, it’s best that you understand this principle… In politics, there are no eternal friends or enemies—only eternal interests. You must remember this firmly…”
Du Fan nodded and said, “Thank you, Father… But Father, if I’m guessing correctly, Prince Fischer will personally grant me a fief in a few days. Please teach me what to do in this situation…”
Duke Green hesitated for a moment before adopting a thoughtful expression and said softly, “Normally, I shouldn’t be the one to teach you such things… But under these circumstances, I have no choice but to… Du Fan, you should understand that although Emperor Austin III ordered me, Duke Green, to fully support Prince Fischer before his death, even if I am loyal, won’t Prince Fischer still suspect me? You see, at any time, in any dynasty, generals in command of powerful armies are often the ones the king suspects the most… Our Green family commands the empire’s strongest army, which ensures our status in the capital. But this is both our advantage and our disadvantage… Although our fief is in the western part of the empire, it’s barren land—due to the royal suspicions… If I were given a fertile fief, then… how could our Green family’s northern army be only a mere hundred thousand?”
Du Fan’s expression changed, and he said, “So, Father, are you saying we should try to get Prince Fischer to grant me a fertile fief this time?”
Duke Green shook his head and said, “That’s certainly not possible. We’ve already suffered enough from the royal suspicions. If we were given another fertile fief, I’m afraid Prince Fischer wouldn’t even be able to sleep at night… So, if we have to choose this time, we must pick a fief that shows our loyalty.”
Du Fan frowned and said, “Father… I don’t understand what you mean…”

Duke Green snorted and said, “If I’m guessing correctly, given Prince Fischer’s meticulous nature, he will surely force you to choose a fiefdom in public this time… But with the empire’s current situation, aside from the fiefdoms near the capital, there are hardly any other places that can be granted as fiefs, and ordinary people can’t even reach them. However, that doesn’t really matter to us. First of all, you need to understand that Prince Fischer is doing this first to make a grand show, so that everyone in the imperial nobility understands that loyalty to him will bring many benefits. That’s why he will definitely let you choose the fiefdom yourself. Second, he wants to test just how ambitious our Green family really is!”
Du Fan’s eyes flashed as he nodded and said, “I basically understand what you mean… Father… But I still don’t see how choosing a fiefdom is related to a family’s ambitions.”
Duke Green replied calmly, “It’s easy to understand. As a duke, one would receive at least a province as a fief! If someone ambitious were to choose a province near the capital, it would be easy for them to launch an attack on the capital if they rebelled later. Even if they chose some prosperous provinces in the southeast with millions of people, becoming wealthy enough to rival a nation, wouldn’t that pose a threat to the empire?”
Du Fan pondered for a moment before saying, “Father, I understand… So, if we have the chance to choose this time, we should pick some barren land in the northwest? If it’s a province in the northern regions, perhaps Prince Fischer won’t suspect us?”
Duke Green nodded and said, “Your thinking is correct. But given the current situation in the north, it will eventually fall into the hands of our Green family anyway… So why go to the extra trouble? If you want my advice, I suggest you choose a fiefdom in the southern regions. The further south, the better… Even provinces bordering the Lanny Empire would be the best choice for you…”
Du Fan frowned and said, “Father, the southern regions have fertile land, abundant resources, and rich iron mines—these are all great advantages… If we choose there, I’m afraid Prince Fischer will send people to try to assassinate me every year!”

Duke Green smiled faintly and said, “Indeed, if you had chosen that place before, Prince Fischer would naturally have suspected you… But now, he will only see your loyalty, because Du Fan, you must never forget one thing—the Southern Plains are not in the hands of our Gavin Empire right now; they are under the control of the Lani Empire!”
Du Fan frowned and said, “Father, what use is it to me to have a fiefland occupied by the Lani Empire?”
“What use?” Duke Green smiled. “Of course, it’s so you can take it back by yourself! The Southern Plains right now are like a cake floating on mud. For the empire, it’s hopeless to reclaim the South… But if you choose that place, our Northern Army can rightfully send troops to the South. With the strength of the Northern Army, can’t they take down such a small country? Moreover, once conquered, your fiefland will become a stronghold to guard the empire’s borders… By then, no matter how rich your resources or strong your troops are, Prince Fischer will never suspect you… Because he still has many other things to deal with. If you’re willing to help him guard the southern borders, that would be perfect.”
Du Fan looked at his father and said, “Father, are you really so confident you can take down the South? If we fail, won’t we lose everything?”
“That’s a good question…” Duke Green smiled. “If I weren’t confident, would I say this? If I had no way, would I suggest this to you? Du Fan, you must understand that a man in this world should have a place to stand, and that place must be fought for with one’s own strength… If one day you can establish your own power in those fertile lands in the South, what will you fear? A land you seize yourself is much more interesting than one granted by others… Our Green family was once just a minor family in the empire, but our ancestors seized the opportunity during chaos and thus achieved the power we have today… With such a great opportunity before us, can’t my son carry on the legacy of our ancestors?”