"How do you view our relationship with the northern barbarians?"

Mr. Shah asked the question that he was more concerned about currently because he did not care much about how Alex had solved the problem of the drought.

While it was praiseworthy and remarkable and certainly worthy of recognition it was not enough for him to come in person and travel all this way from the capital.

If Alex could solve something as dire as the drought that countless ministers of his had failed to solve and even spent fortunes trying and exhausted every possible solution.

But he came and solved within days so then he would surely have some opinions about the current ongoing tension between the empire and the neighboring barbarian kingdom, right?

Surely someone with such capability would have thoughts on such matters.

But as soon as he finished speaking the entire room fell into tense silence once again and nobody dared to breathe too loudly.

After all the topic was so hot that the various ministers were contemplating about how to progress further and what strategies to employ in this matter.

Alex looked at Mr. Shah with great surprise and confusion.

He had stayed in Ironhold for several months by now so he understood that ordinary people were absolutely not allowed to discuss the Emperor and certainly not his policies or decisions.

Nor could they discuss the relationship between the empire and barbarian tribes without risking severe punishment or even execution.

Today Mr. Shah was asking sharp pointed questions repeatedly and without any hesitation or fear.

Was this appropriate questioning for a businessman to ask?

Does he not fear the wrath of the Emperor or the consequences of such bold inquiries?

In fact not only Alex but even the magistrate and sheriff looked at Mr. Shah with surprise and barely concealed alarm and growing panic.

Your Majesty are you getting carried away? Have you forgotten yourself?

Realizing his question had been somewhat pointed and perhaps too bold Mr. Shah offered a rare explanation "After all if the imperial court were to wage war against the northern barbarians we merchants would also feel the economic impact significantly and our trade routes would be disrupted."

"I understand now."

Alex did not think much of it and he believed the explanation so he accepted it without suspicion or further questioning.

But understanding is one thing but he needed to think carefully before responding because after all it is the Emperor that they were talking about and one wrong word could be fatal.

"I think the barbarians and our empire's current tension will soon escalate into a major war and it will happen sooner than most people would expect."

Alex shared his views based on the past days he had observed and the news that the syndicate had gathered for him these days from various sources.

In this world the founding Emperor who established the current dynasty was a figure of unmatched courage and bravery and legendary status.

He was the man whose bravery was still spoken of by the people of the dynasty with awe, reverence and pride.

From the chronicles Alex had managed to read in his leisure time in Ironhold since arriving, the founding Emperor was described as a warrior unlike any other: decisive, unyielding, and utterly fearless in every battle he fought.

He fought at the front lines and never hid behind shields unlike his predecessors while refusing to retreat even in the bleakest battles and most hopeless situations.

He was the kind of ruler who would rather fall on the battlefield than survive as a coward or accept defeat.

His campaigns were studied in military academies and his determination became the standard by which all future rulers were measured and judged.

In all the stories that he had read it emphasized one thing above all and repeated it constantly:

The founding Emperor believed that dignity was worth more than life and surrender was never an option for him and his people under any circumstances.

With such a figure standing at the beginning of the dynasty Alex reasoned that his descendants would inherit at least part of that iron will and that warrior spirit.

Facing the invasions and attacks of the northern barbarians their resistance was probably only temporary and strategic.

They would endure it for now but there was always a limit to endurance and if the situation granted they would fight back later with full force.

As for when to fight that depended on what the current Emperor thought and what opportunities presented themselves.

But ultimately Alex felt that the Emperor as a descendant of such a warrior would not back down and he would definitely fight back when the time was right.

"Crash!"

Who could have anticipated this?

Just as Alex finished speaking Mr. Shah who was drinking wine accidentally dropped his wine glass and it shattered into pieces on the ground.

The bodyguard also held his wine glass with a trembling hand.

Neither of them was at peace internally.

"Why are you both so excited?" Alex could not help but ask with curiosity.

"I apologize. I am just upset because I heard about the upcoming war."

Mr. Shah explained after taking a sip of wine to suppress the shock in his heart.

In fact the young Emperor however imposing looking was still a young man with an age not more than twenty-one.

So when he heard about the upcoming war he couldn't help but be shocked both by the bold statement this man who was not much younger than him had made and how he predicted it so accurately.

In fact the matter of going to war with the northern barbarians had already been discussed with a small number of people at court.

Only his guards knew about it.

The number of people who knew this was no more than five individuals in the entire empire.

Just last month the Lesser Khan had sent an envoy to the court and they had proposed to join forces with the empire to destroy the Greater Khan.

Regarding this critical matter the Emperor had discussed it seriously with the Minister of War and the Prime Minister.

The Emperor had already made up his mind and he planned to follow the Minister of War's advice. He would join forces with the Lesser Khan to attack the Greater Khan and they would take the opportunity to seize the Greater Khan's lands.

However this matter was extremely confidential and besides himself and several important ministers nobody knew about it.

The Emperor knew that these important officials would never risk losing their heads by revealing this matter.

Moreover it would never be revealed to an ordinary citizen.

So was it that Alex had deduced this based on his own intelligence?

Or had he just like the rumors had said...have supernatural powers in his grasp?

The Emperor struggled to contain his shock and he could not help but ask "Alex how did you know we were going to war with the barbarians? Could you explain in detail so that we merchants can avoid some of the economic risks?"

Alex thought for a moment before replying "The signs are actually quite visible if one pays attention. The bravery of the founding Emperor whose legacy still inspires this empire suggests his descendants would not tolerate continued humiliation.

These barbarians as a foreign race have been harassing our empire's borders for years and such disgrace cannot continue indefinitely without response.

His Majesty will definitely find an opportunity to send troops to punish the barbarians."

Alex paused before continuing his analysis.

"Now that the timing is critical and such opportunities are extraordinarily hard to find. From what I have observed during my time in Ironhold there are interesting patterns.

The northern barbarians' internal conflict appears very serious.

I have heard merchants and travelers speak of a system involving Lesser Khans and Greater Khans engaged in bitter power struggles."

Alex leaned forward slightly as he explained his reasoning.

"When I sold goods at the black markets I noticed something peculiar. Barbarian merchants from different factions refuse to trade with each other and they speak of their khans with either fierce loyalty or bitter hatred. There is no middle ground which suggests civil war conditions."

"Furthermore the types of goods they desperately seek tell a story. The Lesser Khan's merchants are buying weapons and armor almost frantically while paying premium prices.

The Greater Khan's merchants trade more casually showing confidence and this suggests unequal power dynamics."

Alex smiled while connecting the dots.

"If our empire were to send troops than logic suggests joining with the weaker faction. The Lesser Khan faces defeat and would welcome any alliance. By helping him defeat the Greater Khan our empire could expand territory while the Lesser Khan would owe tremendous debt. It represents perfect strategic opportunity."

"The Lesser Khan's desperation makes him the natural ally because after all when one faces annihilation one accepts help from anywhere."

"This is incredible..."

The current Emperor took a deep breath and his scalp tingled with shock at this revelation.

Who was this man?!

How could one know the world's major events without ever leaving home?

"However..."

What! Is there anything more than that?

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