"Your Highness, you’ll have to ask Luigi of Dunmere about that," Walter said solemnly.

Simon frowned. He had initially thought this was just ordinary horse smuggling, but Walter’s direct accusation of Luigi raised red flags. Luigi was the son-in-law of the Chandlier family, having married into their household.

However, what truly concerned Simon wasn’t the rivalry between the Goldwynd and Chandlier families, but the fact that prince Gerad was smuggling horses. Had Luigi been bribed by prince Gerad? If so, this man was a ticking time bomb and needed to be replaced immediately.

This wasn’t Simon overthinking things. The position of Dunmere’s governor was crucial, and the struggle for the throne within the Eldorian Empire was intensifying. In his judgment, if the Crown Prince were to be deposed, it would inevitably lead to chaos.

When that time came, anyone could become his enemy.

Therefore, the fact that prince Gerad was smuggling horses through Dunmere merchants wasn’t the main issue. The Eldorian Empire lacked horses, and many nobles secretly purchased horses from the grasslands. Prince Gerad wasn’t unique in this regard; Simon himself also wanted to smuggle horses from the grasslands to bolster his cavalry.

The real problem was that Luigi had bypassed him and secretly colluded with Prince Gerad. This was the true issue at hand.

It had to be said that Cedric had struck a nerve this time. No feudal lord could tolerate a traitor in their midst.

"Your Highness?" Seeing Simon lost in thought, Walter reminded him again.

Simon snapped out of his reverie. "Thank you for the reminder, Walter. I had no idea that such a treacherous individual was lurking in such an important place like Dunmere. I will handle this matter and ensure the Goldwynd family is duly rewarded."

"Your Highness is too kind. As subjects of your domain, it is our duty to share your concerns." Walter said with a smile, feeling extremely pleased with himself. Now he wanted to see how the Chandlier family would respond.

To squeeze out outside merchants, the Goldwynd, Chandlier, Duskry and Redwyck families had jointly purchased the operating rights for soap, perfume, and wine in Eldora. Of course, their success in securing these rights was largely due to other merchants giving face to Simon.

However, even though the four families were collaborating in business, their internal conflicts remained unresolved. Percival had told him that the four families often quarrelled over the distribution of goods.

After seeing Walter off, Simon summoned Baldwin to the castle and informed him of the situation.

Baldwin pondered for a moment and spoke. "My Lord, this is an opportunity to remove the local powerful families from their positions in the government."

"Baldwin, you and I think alike. But if we remove Luigi, who can take over as the governor of Dunmere?" Simon asked.

"If Your Highness trusts me, I can recommend a few individuals. They are all from humble backgrounds and have earned their qualifications, but due to the corruption in the empire..."

Simon understood Baldwin’s meaning. These individuals had passed the imperial examinations but had not been appointed to any official positions due to the dark nature of the bureaucracy.

Compared to the four families, Simon trusted Baldwin more. Even if these recommended individuals formed factions with Baldwin in the future, it would still be a matter of domain. However, the four families had members occupying key military and administrative positions across the six cities, which was what truly worried Simon.

This was also why he had been so tolerant of the four families.

If he were to recklessly purge the four families’ influence from the government, they would inevitably retaliate, plunging the domain into chaos. Now that the Goldwynd and Chandlier families were at odds, he could use this opportunity to remove these key officials.

At the same time, he could exacerbate the conflict between the two families.

"Baldwin, feel free to recommend them. I am in desperate need of talented individuals who can offer me sound advice. I have endured for five years, all for the sake of eliminating the four scourges of this domain." Simon said through gritted teeth.

Baldwin nodded. "In that case, I will send them a letter and have them come to Brambleford."

"Good. Let’s set aside the matter of Luigi for now. Once they arrive, I will order Lancelot to arrest Luigi." Simon said.

"Captain Lancelot?" Baldwin was somewhat surprised.

"Three years ago, Dunmere fell because the defending general abandoned the city. Now, with the horse smuggling in Dunmere, neither Luigi nor Mario, the military commander of Dunmere, has reported anything."

"My Lord, this means that the two of them are colluding?" Baldwin’s expression changed.

"Exactly." Simon said. This was a barbaric era, and also a very lawless one.

He couldn’t afford to be careless. If Luigi and Mario learned that he intended to execute them, they might resort to desperate measures, such as rebelling or even colluding with the reavers to invade. If that happened, he would be finished.

Baldwin thought for a moment and understood. He spoke. "My Lord’s foresight is truly admirable."

Simon chuckled. "Baldwin, you’re actually praising me now?"

"Not at all. It’s said that a scholar can be judged anew after three days. That applies to Your Highness. I take my leave now." Baldwin said with a bitter smile.

By now, dusk had enveloped the castle, and the servants were lighting the red lanterns one by one.

In the past, when the castle was short on funds, Simon had avoided wasting resources, leaving the residence in darkness. Now, he had Ysabeau purchase lanterns, each fitted with candles, and placed them along the paths of the residence, hanging them on bamboo poles.

This finally gave the castle a more dignified atmosphere.

It also gave him a sense of security. After all, he was afraid of the dark, and this setup also improved safety. If any assassins tried to enter, the guards would spot them immediately.

Returning to his chambers, Joan had already prepared hot water for him. After bathing, he went to rest.

The chill of winter was gone, and the air carried a hint of spring warmth. Winter was giving way to spring, and the farming season was approaching.

Simon was afraid of the dark and the cold. Thinking of the coming spring, he felt a sense of anticipation.

When the time came, he could go out to enjoy the spring scenery, go fishing, and savour the beauty of nature.

With these thoughts drifting through his mind, he spent the night half-dreaming. The next day, he taught a morning class at the academy, briefly introducing the periodic table of elements. In the afternoon, he went to the Machinery Department.

"My Lord, what kind of armour are we making?" Fjord asked eagerly as soon as Simon arrived.

He hadn’t slept well the previous night.

"Plate armour." Simon said.

Plate armour, which was quickly rendered obsolete by the advent of firearms, didn’t have a long history. However, its combination of protection and mobility was exceptional, especially against soldiers armed with swords. A soldier clad in plate armour was a nightmare for such opponents, as the armour provided nearly complete protection against slashing attacks.

Simon wasn’t planning to use this armour to defend against firearms, as armour was unnecessary in the age of gunpowder.

Instead, he intended to use plate armour to counter the armies of the Eldorian Empire and the reaver cavalry. The superior protection of plate armour would effectively block swords and arrows.

"Plate armour?" Fjord looked puzzled.

"But before that, we need one more thing: a hydraulic forging press," Simon said. This was the real reason he had chosen plate armour. Scale armour and lamellar armour were too labour-intensive to produce. Equipping his entire army with such armour would take an eternity.

However, with the hydraulic forging press, he could mass-produce plate armour and equip his army on a large scale. After all, steel was his advantage.