Chapter 209: You Are the Marshal

The King was slightly confused, but slowly seemed to understand. He looked at Isolde and asked, "Who told you what you said just now?"

Queen Mother coughed. "That's not the point."

The King pondered. "Mother, it's not that I don't care about our brotherhood. It's just that he hasn't fully revealed his ambitions yet. What pretext do I have to attack? Besides, the court generals are exhausted, the soldiers weary, and our food supplies insufficient. How can we wage this war of rebellion?"

When Queen Mother heard this, she sat up straight and raised her eyes. "When war begins, there will definitely be trouble. Now that Kamari is still young and has just been defeated by Oliver, any military general will definitely be able to annihilate his ambition."

"But, Mother…" The King was also melancholic. "To be frank, I've already discussed this matter with Garrett and Harrison. We all agree that now is not the right time for military action. To mobilize troops, we would need to consult both the morning court and the cabinet. I fear that by then, everyone will object."

Military power seemed concentrated, yet extremely scattered—a huge disadvantage for the empire. The King could use force to send troops, but only in a situation with external forces. Fighting vassal kings and traitors required cabinet discussion. This was also the decree set by the ancestors, intended to prevent sitting kings from harming royal kinsmen and avoid fratricide.

Now, Kamari was acting covertly. There wasn't enough evidence, and on top of that, Pablo had just returned from war; the soldiers were exhausted. Waging a full-scale war would certainly be opposed by the cabinet. If the cabinet opposed it, they could not wage war internally. Besides, no marshal would dare defy the decree left by their ancestors.

Queen Mother smiled faintly. "Civil war indeed requires consultation with the cabinet. And once there's any sign of military action, Kamari will definitely find out. Do you really think he doesn't have any spies in the court?"

"Then, what do you think we should do?" the King asked.

Queen Mother looked at Isolde. "How many troops do you think we need to annihilate Kamari now?"

"Five thousand!" Isolde said.

The King said coldly, "What a fool's dream!"

However, Queen Mother said to Isolde very seriously, "I will give you three thousand troops. Tomorrow is an auspicious day. Your marriage shall be advanced. I hereby grant you this marriage and appoint Jonathan to officiate it. On your wedding night, you shall take these three thousand men and leave through the northwest gate."

Isolde was stunned. Three thousand men? (The following text appears to be a foreign language and is omitted.)

Queen Mother looked at her steadily. "You, the County Princess of Cromwell…"

Isolde widened her eyes and looked at Queen Mother, stunned.

The King was also stunned and immediately objected, "Mother, no matter how many people are sent, she's just a woman. Even though she's skilled, she's never been on the battlefield. How can she resist an army of Kamari?"

Queen Mother smiled for the first time that day. She looked at Isolde warmly. "Can you do it? Swear to the King."

Isolde looked at the smiling Queen Mother and felt a chill in her heart. She looked at the King and said firmly, "I swear by my life that I will surely kill the traitor this time."

The King did not look happy, but he had always been obedient to Queen Mother. Moreover, he thought that sending these three thousand men would at least help gather some military intelligence. Hence, he said, "That's not necessary. Remember, don't act rashly. Focus on spying. If there's any news, quickly send it back."

"Yes!" Isolde knelt and accepted the order.

Queen Mother said, "Appoint Doug as the supervisory officer, Kolton as the deputy commander, and Lucas as the forager. The supplies should go ahead, and you will disguise yourselves as merchants to leave from the east city gate. You will all converge in Torstel. Before reaching Torstel, the troops must carry enough dry food and water and should not stop along the way. Whether you disperse these three thousand troops or march together is up to you to decide. Leave the palace immediately and go to the North Camp to inspect the troops. My decree will follow shortly. Your uncle Kolton will fully support you."

With just a few words, it could be seen that Queen Mother had already made arrangements.

The King was slightly stunned and understood. He looked at Isolde meaningfully and said, "Don't let us down."

"I promise!" Isolde said sternly.

After her rebirth, Isolde was not afraid when facing the battlefield for the first time. Instead, she began to analyze the enemy situation and her own military situation in her mind. She stood up and took three steps back. "I'll take my leave!" Then, she turned around and strode away.

In the hall, Queen Mother looked at the King. "Don't understand why I made such an arrangement?"

The King shook his head. "Yes, I know. You probably made a decision a long time ago."

"Yes, Kamari has to be eliminated, or else it will lead to disaster." She looked at the sunlight slanting through the door. "I missed it once. If there's a chance to remedy the situation, I won't tolerate him."

The King did not understand. "Mother, what do you mean?"

"Nothing much. After eliminating Kamari, you can rest easy. He is a major threat, and you know it in your heart." Queen Mother slowly retracted her gaze and looked at the King's firm and handsome face.

"I knew that he had the intention to rebel, but I was unwilling to believe that he would really mobilize his troops. It was only when something happened to Oliver that I realized he already had such an excellent weapon. Perhaps I was really wrong." The King sighed softly.

Queen Mother said, "Theodore, those in power can only have the country and the people in their eyes. Even if your brother is plotting to harm the country or hurt your people, you cannot show the slightest bit of sentimentality. Sometimes, being merciful is the greatest cruelty."

"I've learned my lesson!" the King said solemnly.

When you ascended the throne, you took your father and uncle as examples in everything, acting with great vigor and decisiveness. You implemented policies beneficial to the state and even defied public opinion to reduce taxes and develop commerce. As a result, our empire truly prospered for several years. However, you have always been a soft-hearted child. In recent years, I've seen you often hesitate in handling matters. From this, I know that you've been deeply touched by Clark's policy theories. It shows that you are aware of your own shortcomings. Now is not too late to make corrections."

When the King heard Queen Mother's words, his gaze slowly became firm.

After Isolde left the Mystic Palace, Sadie followed.

"Lady Sadie Bourbon, thank you!" Isolde said sincerely.

Sadie smiled. "Why are you thanking me? This was originally what Queen Mother meant."

"Queen Mother trusts me so much?" Isolde had just been afraid to ask, but she felt very strange. "I'm just an ordinary woman. In everyone's eyes, I've never been on the battlefield and don't know how to fight. Why would the Queen Mother trust me and entrust me with such an important task?"

"Queen Mother has always done things unexpectedly. Moreover, she might think that no one would expect her to appoint you as the marshal. Even if the King knew about you when you were deployed, he would not take you and your 3,000 troops seriously."

Isolde looked at Sadie in shock. "Sure enough, you know everything?" Sadie even knew that Queen Mother had only given her three thousand troops.

"I've already told you that this was arranged by the Queen Mother long ago. Or else, why would your uncle suddenly enter North Camp!" Sadie smiled.

"But with 3,000 troops, does she really believe that I can win?" asked Isolde.

"You'll have helpers." Sadie turned around and left with a smile.

Isolde looked at her in a daze. Helpers?