[{"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-189":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},2338652,4572,"Chapter 189: The Marquis","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-189",189,"\u003Cp>At Adam’s instruction, the birthday cake began to be sliced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, due to the large number of people present, even an extra-large cake could only be cut into as small pieces as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Lord Austin, the birthday honoree, who received a full slice, everyone else could only get a piece the size of an egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even this tiny piece—when the nobles tasted the cream’s flavor, something never before known in this world—they all froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… this… oh my god, it’s absolutely delicious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did I just taste? This flavor—why does it fill me with such deep happiness after eating it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I feel the same. Its texture is as soft as cotton, yet melts instantly on the tongue—sweet but not cloying, and rich with the scent of milk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Adam, how was this achieved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the nobles turned their gazes toward Adam, their eyes brimming with longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…” Adam was instantly startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Adam, please tell us how this birthday cake is made—why does it have such texture and flavor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Lord Adam, was this birthday cake invented by your lordship’s head chef? Do you have more? I’d like to taste some again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh, sir, isn’t your cheek a bit too thick…? Still, if there’s any extra birthday cake, I’d like to try some too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Adam, I won’t taste it—I only want to ask: will you sell the recipe? I’ll pay ten gold coins for it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten gold coins isn’t enough—I’ll pay twenty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surging crowd spoke for itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his eldest son nearly drowned in the crowd, Lord Austin rose with a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lords, this birthday cake is not easily made—otherwise, none of you would be tasting it for the first time! So please, don’t rush. I’ll ask Adam about it later and answer you all properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Lord Austin’s calming words, the nobles finally quieted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adam finally exhaled in relief—just now, the situation had been terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, in all his life, he had never encountered anything like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Austin, seeing his son’s shaken expression, patted his shoulder warmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve worked hard helping your father with the birthday celebration—surely you’re tired. Come, sit down and enjoy dinner with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, but my clothes are dirty, and there’s no space left…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does your clothing matter? The guests know you worked directly for your father—they’ll only praise you for being dutiful and filial!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for seating…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Austin looked at the long table, already filled. A seat had been reserved for his eldest son—but now it was taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This seemed like an oversight, but clearly it was his wife’s deliberate act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kael, bring another chair beside me! Let Adam sit with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adam immediately widened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seating at formal banquets was highly Jiangjiu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father sat at the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At such feasts, that seat was reserved for the family head—or a king or powerful overlord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All other guests, no matter how noble, sat at the opposite end of the table, facing his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, he was to sit beside his father—what this meant needed no explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, this cream cake is truly delicious. I’ve never known such a thing existed in this world—I truly envy the nobles at the lordship’s banquet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t envy them—the nobles got less cream cake than you did!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really, my lord?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Migen, you’re only thirty-odd men—each of you got a big bite. In the banquet hall, hundreds of people each got only a tiny taste—and that’s generous!” Before Gervas could answer, Lei Meng explained for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Migen scratched his head sheepishly. “Hehehe! My lord, I was too greedy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, my lord—after this, will our white sugar become famous far and wide?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s little chance it won’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas still had confidence in the cream cake’s impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, all the slaves have been placed in the ship’s hold!” came the voice of Captain Wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Then set sail—we’re going home!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sails rose; the Black Dragon shot like an arrow across the endless ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After tasting the cream cake’s flavor,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the banquet ended, Adam handed over the payment and the pirate craftsmen Gervas requested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Gervas’s visit to Lord Austin’s domain ended Yuanman .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s not magic… but because of this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“White sugar, Father!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—so it’s the white sugar that made the pastry so rich and created this cream cake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Father. I watched Lord Harry make it with white sugar. Before he left, he sold me the remaining three hundred jin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He also said he’ll return next month—but warned me not to reveal anything about him to anyone except you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adam, he’s right. No matter who he is, as long as only our Austin family holds this white sugar, that’s what matters most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we must fiercely conceal his existence—to keep this sugar in our hands longer. Because… this sugar will soon sweep the kingdom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Austin immediately nodded in agreement and gave solemn orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sweep the kingdom? Really, Father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. We can’t keep your three hundred jin. I’ll have Kael divide it into hundreds of portions—some sent to the royal court and ministers in the capital, the rest given to guests to take home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, Adam, don’t worry—I’ll compensate you for what you spent. Go to Kael and collect one thousand gold coins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Father, no compensation needed. Consider it my contribution to the Austin family. And besides the initial seven hundred jin, the three hundred jin Lord Harry sold me at original price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adam, you must take these one thousand gold coins. If you wish to inherit the marquisate, you must have money and power!” Lord Austin was unusually firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adam’s body jolted—this was the first time his father had openly spoken of the succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think I’ve always favored someone else, don’t you? But if I truly favored someone, how could you have command of the family fleet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though our Austin fleet can’t rival the dukes’ or the royal navy, it remains a vital force.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet over these years, you’ve…” Lord Austin’s expression grew complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eldest son had commanded the fleet for so long, yet still hadn’t fully won over its commanders and soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought this would please his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t know—his father wanted him to fully control it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, if he couldn’t command the fleet, how could he ever hope to command land armies—or claim the marquisate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, Lord Austin decided to speak plainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What path his eldest son would take from now on—was up to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do love Evan. But apart from your status as the eldest heir, the only reason I can’t decide to give the family to him is that he carries the Hernade bloodline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you understand? The Hernade family is too vast—I still wish the Austin family to keep proper distance from them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So for years, I’ve held out hope for you. But to avoid friction with the Hernades, I let you and Evan compete freely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you win, it proves you have the ability to lead the Austin family to greater strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you can’t win, to prevent the Austin family from fracturing, Evan must become heir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After all, that way, the Austin family remains whole.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1211,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","17cbc9a85359bfbd7a0a6b26f7231b2010476b649cd483745a4f914eb9fc56bb","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-190","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-188",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]