Bringing the Farm to Live in Another World

Chapter 408: Setting Sail Again

Zhao Hai initially opened a shop in Jadewater City to establish connections with various merchants and major nobles, aiming to build his own network.

But that's no longer necessary. He has already made contact with Charlie. And who is Charlie? He is a prince, a potential future king. Building relationships with such individuals is far more reliable than with anyone else.

Even if Charlie doesn't become king in the future, he will still be a prince, a powerful prince. Even the king would think twice before taking action against him, as the interests of many powerful people back Charlie. If the king wanted to harm him, he would have to carefully consider the consequences.

Just like the Southern King of the Aksu Empire, he is merely a prince, but his power in the south of the Aksu Empire is no less than that of the king. In fact, the king's orders cannot be enforced in the south because people there only recognize the Southern King.

The Southern King's power comes from the support of a large group of nobles surrounding him. Their interests are interwoven with those of the Southern King. Even though he has not become a king, maintaining the power of the Southern King is vital for them; only then will their interests remain protected.

However, the Southern King is a unique case on the continent. When he contended with the old king of the Aksu Empire for the throne, their father suddenly passed away. Although the old king ascended to the throne, the Southern King's influence remained intact. He had no choice but to let the Southern King keep his title.

In contrast, in the Roson Empire, the old king is in excellent health. If the old king decides to pass the throne to one of his sons while Charlie and the others are vying for the throne, he will suppress the other contenders, significantly diminishing their power. A situation like the Southern King’s will not occur again.

However, the old aristocrats on the Ark Continent are too powerful. Sometimes, even the old king dares not act against them easily, and all the kings wish to establish connections with these old aristocrats. This way, even if they fail in their quest for the throne, they would at least ensure their own safety.

Zhao Hai understands that now that he has allied with Charlie, it will be difficult for him to cooperate with other old aristocrats. Generally, those old aristocrats do not get involved in the struggle for the throne. Supporting one prince could lead to retribution from the new king if their chosen prince fails. Although these old aristocrats have deep-rooted backgrounds, continuous oppression will gradually diminish their power, which is not a good thing for them.

If they do not participate in the prince's struggle for the throne, no matter which prince becomes the new king, they will be treated well. In this situation, why would they help those princes vie for power? Thus, while struggles for the throne among princes happen frequently, the involvement of old aristocrats is rare.

Now that Zhao Hai has connected with Charlie, he is effectively seen as part of Charlie’s faction. Under such circumstances, old aristocrats generally will not engage deeply with Zhao Hai. They fear that associating with him will give the impression of siding with Charlie, which would mean choosing sides, a principle that old aristocrats typically avoid.

Zhao Hai is aware of this, so he has not allowed Mu En to contact those old aristocrats. He only instructed him to manage the shop well.

However, Zhao Hai is confident that his shop will do well. The old aristocrats may not participate in the prince's struggle for power, but that does not mean others will refrain. In fact, many nobles, especially the middle and small ones, are eager to take a chance. If they back the right prince, their families could rise to fame.

Now that Zhao Hai is essentially one of Charlie's subordinates, although he may not have much fame yet, Charlie will explain Zhao Hai's status to the noblemen under him. These people, who are likely gathering news from Trazeb, will soon come seeking cooperation.