[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-172":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338635,4572,"Chapter 172","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-172",172,"\u003Cp>\"For his outstanding military achievements, His Majesty the King has specially granted Lord Gervas a fief of baronial size.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Given that Baron Cain died in battle with no blood relatives or nephews to inherit, the fief will be reclaimed by the Crown before being re-granted to Lord Gervas!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Cain Baronial Fief?\" Old John said, stunned yet delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was delighted because a baronial fief was no small reward in terms of land area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stunned because the Cain Baronial Fief also lay along the border, so it certainly wasn’t as safe as lands behind the Storm Fief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, it was land—and thus worth celebrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Excellency the Scribe, thank you for your hard work. I shall go fetch our Lord Gervas, and we shall proceed together to the Cain Baronial Fief to confirm the boundaries!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scribe made no reply, only murmured a faint \"hmm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Gervas arrived on the castle’s first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas had already learned of this scribe’s attitude from the manservant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made no outburst now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the fellow was willing to stop while ahead, Gervas would let him take some advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, since dealing with Farrio, Gervas had anticipated that dealing with Eagle City would bring difficulties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this fellow didn’t show some sense now and tried to pull more tricks, Gervas wasn’t made of clay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, under Old John’s arrangements, the group set out for the Cain Baronial Fief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boundary confirmation had previously been conducted only for newly granted lands with no clear borders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scribe would then follow official documents to guide the newly enfeoffed noble in verifying the boundaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at some point, because this task offered ample opportunities for graft, it gradually became corrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for fiefs with clearly defined boundaries, these scribes would now make a show of touring them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you didn’t offer them a bribe, they’d find excuses to shave off one or two miles of land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, nobles, faced with these troublesome little devils, had no choice but to pay to avoid trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially minor nobles—if you lacked powerful patrons, you had nowhere to complain, for these devils were part of a single, interconnected network, with greater nobles above them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than three hours, they circled the entire Cain Baronial Fief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout this process, Scribe Nio said nothing, which relieved Old John and the others—they assumed the scribe had been sufficiently bribed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the group arrived at Cain Baronial Castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Excellency the Scribe, thank you for your hard work! The boundaries have now been confirmed—could you please sign the official recognition document? Of course, I understand the custom,\" Old John said with a beaming smile, again instructing a servant to bring out several bulging money bags.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Confirmed? When did I say it was confirmed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Old John’s utter shock, Scribe Nio glanced at the servant’s bags of copper and silver coins and sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed the parchment scroll Old John offered aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Nio had brought two official scrolls issued by Eagle City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was the document confirming ownership of the Cain Baronial Fief, already bearing the seal and signature that it now belonged to Gervas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other described the boundaries of the Cain Baronial Fief based on the recent inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world had no cameras or satellite coordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boundaries were therefore marked by prominent landmarks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rivers, mountains, valleys, even forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were supplemented with descriptions of distance from nearby villages or towns, allowing a general determination of boundary positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second scroll already bore Gervas’s seal and signature, as well as the seal of Eagle City’s Civil Affairs Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing missing was Scribe Nio’s signature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he signed, the boundaries would be officially fixed according to this document.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Excellency Nio, isn’t that so? You raised no objections along the way!\" Old John frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nio smiled. \"I raised no objections—but that doesn’t mean I approved!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master John, let me tell you plainly: I have serious objections to the boundaries of the Cain Baronial Fief. Several locations, I believe, are not the true historical borders of the Cain Baronial Fief!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s impossible, Scribe Nio. We only learned of our own Storm Fief’s boundaries after your announcement—how could we have moved the Cain Baronial Fief’s boundary stones beforehand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know. Maybe you guessed? Or maybe you bribed someone in Eagle City to get advance word?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regardless, if I believe the boundaries are flawed, I cannot sign. Otherwise, if the Kingdom’s land is later encroached upon, I’ll be held responsible!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nio grinned broadly, making everyone around him want to punch him in the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even the usually most impulsive Migen remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this was the critical moment for their lord’s fief—no impulsive act could jeopardize their lord’s interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, if the fief grant was delayed for a year or more, it would be a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scribe Nio, how many gold coins will it take for you to sign?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a cold voice spoke—Gervas, who had remained silent until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas’s eyes had turned icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Nio had truly crossed his line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You may be greedy—but know when to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And you must show sufficient respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not treat us like fools in some crude circus act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Gervas speak plainly, Nio dropped the act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Gervas, you’re wise. One hundred gold coins—I’ll sign right here. What do you say, Lord Gervas?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around him drew sharp breaths—even Nio’s own aides stared in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred gold coins? How brazen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And could Gervas even afford it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the borderland Storm Fief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem. One hundred gold coins—I’ll give them to you. Sign now!\" Gervas didn’t even flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You agreed?\" This time, it was Nio’s turn to freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But realizing his mistake, he quickly added, \"Lord Gervas, I’ll sign only after I see the gold!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem. I’ll give it to you now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas pulled a money bag from his robe and handed it to Old John to give to Nio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the gold reserve taken from his spatial ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nio’s heart pounded. He snatched the bag and, without shame, opened it right before everyone, biting each gold coin to test it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After biting over a dozen, his grin widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred gold coins had been a wild overcharge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d have been satisfied with twenty—or even ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, this Gervas was clearly rich and foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well? Can you sign now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course! Ha ha! Lord Gervas, if you’d just handed over the gold sooner, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1090,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b4cb082a94ba2ece34bd7b94de4cdb0afa651a41ac4989a3c3bc7d61098d6a7f","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-173","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-171",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]