The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Shanling Pass is less of a pass and more of a small town at the border between the capital and the northern border.

The real pass and fortress are not here, but if the capital and the North were to go to war, this place would be instantly engulfed in flames of war. After all, the mountain pass is built right at the doorstep of both sides and is the only buffer zone.

Theoretically speaking, Mountain Pass is indeed an official pass, because the capital and the North had an agreement that the capital and the North would each have half of Mountain Pass under their control.

In reality, neither the capital nor the North established the actual border at this location. Instead, they each took a step back, and in a sense, this place also symbolizes the friendly relationship between the capital and the North.

The governor of the North originally wanted to hold the negotiations at Winterhold, but Nora strongly opposed it. Winterhold was a military fortress; once you went in, you couldn't come out, and even getting close to it would be dangerous.

The Queen's convoy entered the Mountain Pass, but there weren't many people who came to welcome her. Most of them were just there to watch the spectacle. Lilith had originally thought that the location of the Mountain Pass would be awkward, since neither the capital nor the North had done much work there, so the Mountain Pass might be quite desolate.

Lilith was half right, half in a physical sense. The area ruled by the capital was indeed quite desolate, no different from most of the territories and outer cities surrounding the capital.

But the scene on the side ruled by the North was quite different. At the very least, merchants flocked there, and most of the onlookers were from the North.

The biggest difference is that the road was built on the side ruled by the North, and it's a concrete road that Lilith is very familiar with.

The cement formula was no longer a secret, but even though Lilith had tried very hard to promote it, the road construction progress in various places was still very slow. The nobles below treated road construction as a business and used this business to constantly fleece Lilith.

After all, if you don't take it and I don't take it, how will the officials above take it?

Lilith was initially quite angry and prepared to give them a good talking-to, but she discovered that such corrupt officials were rare talents among the nobles, and taking a small share had become an unspoken rule. The cement road, which was originally very cheap, became exponentially more expensive when it came to Lilith.

The road to the northern border has already reached the mountain pass, but the road to the capital has only just begun.

Nora looked at the current state of Mountain Pass with mixed feelings. The population had all moved north without her noticing, and there were hardly any people left in the capital area of ​​Mountain Pass.

The exact location of the meeting and talks at Shanling Pass has not yet been finalized, but Nora knows that given the current situation, it is impossible for the meeting to take place within the territory under the jurisdiction of the royal capital.

Not far away, north of the mountain pass, many North Wind Bear flags have been erected, with gold borders, blue backgrounds, and white emblems, looking incredibly impressive.

In contrast, the double-headed lion banners in the Queen's caravan were scattered about, like a group of docile kittens.

Nora sighed and led the convoy toward the northern part of the mountain pass. Once they stepped onto the paved road, the convoy's speed increased considerably. Although there was no one to guide them, flags were planted along the way, and the convoy only needed to follow the path marked by the flags.

This chilled Nora's heart. Before even meeting him, she had already fallen into his rhythm. The governor was indeed no ordinary person.

Lilith, meanwhile, was in the carriage reviewing intelligence from the capital. Although she was about to meet the governor of the North, the situation in the capital was what worried her the most. Lilith hoped that the Augustins would fall into the trap she had set, but she was also worried that the situation would get out of control.

Fortunately, the capital seems to be very peaceful, and nothing has gone wrong.

Lilith breathed a sigh of relief, but was also somewhat disappointed.

When Lilith finished reviewing the intelligence and opened the car window to observe her surroundings, for a moment she thought she had returned to a small mountain town from her previous life. If Judith hadn't been still faithfully guarding her queen, Lilith would have really thought she had traveled back in time again.

It must be said that the new regime's execution is far stronger than that of the old regime undergoing reform. While Lilith was still arguing with the nobles, the development of the North had already affected the border areas.

As the convoy ventured deeper into the area, more and more soldiers began to appear in formation. These soldiers wore dazzling white helmets with smooth, elegant lines and delicate patterns inlaid on the surface, making them look like statues cast in silver from a distance.

Nora knew, of course, that these soldiers were a ceremonial guard, and that they fully conformed to the standards and requirements of aristocratic etiquette, and that the weapons they carried were ceremonial swords and axes that had no actual combat power.

The nobles and knights around Nora knew this, but for some reason, seeing these honor guards always gave Nora and the nobles and knights around her a creepy feeling, and they could even vaguely smell the blood on these honor guards.

Judith understood the moment she saw the honor guard that they were probably soldiers who had just returned from the battlefield.

The knights that Lilith brought were all elite knights from the capital, but their imposing presence was completely overshadowed by the honor guard. As the carriage moved forward, the honor guard drew their swords from their waists and lowered their ceremonial axes. Their movements were so synchronized that many of Lilith's knights were so frightened that they had their heart and lungs stop.

Even Nora's heart was in her throat, fearing that the other side would give a signal and capture Her Majesty the Queen. However, Nora quickly realized that the other side was indicating that they had arrived at their destination.

Sure enough, a young man in a black military uniform was leading Lena by the hand, accompanied by guards, to the convoy.

Although she didn't know Lind, Nora did know Reina, who was once very famous in the royal capital, so she quickly dismounted.

The young governor of the North had a serious expression, which was not exactly respectful, but his attitude was at least acceptable. Seeing this, Nora felt relieved. Although Nora had been very worried the whole way, seeing the governor made her realize that he wouldn't do anything reckless.

The Queen's attendants gently opened the carriage door and lowered a small step to help the petite Queen gracefully step down from the carriage.

Lilith wore a magnificent brocade robe, her purple velvet cloak fluttering in the early spring breeze. The queen's crown shimmered with golden light under the reflection of the azure sky, and the scepter in her hand exuded nobility.

Although Lilith is not tall, her outfit still gives off a strong sense of intimidation, not to mention Judith and the knights who are fully armed around her.

In such situations, everyone's position is carefully planned to put significant psychological pressure on the other party before the conversation even begins.

However, judging from the current situation, it is clear that the pressure from the North is greater. Just those honor guards look more reliable than the knights around Lilith. Only Judith can barely maintain Lilith's dignity.

Looking at Lena beside the governor, Lilith couldn't help but feel a little envious. It was clear that Lena still had some awe of royal authority when facing her, the queen, after all, this former number one enemy of Lilith belonged to a very traditional noble family.

However, the governor of the North was willing to slow down for Lena, abandoning the so-called sense of oppression, and led Lena toward him.

Lilith sighed inwardly, never expecting that the villainous heiress would end up living the life she wanted.

However, when the governor of the North walked up to Lilith, Lilith glanced at his appearance in a daze.

Why does this guy look so familiar?

Linde looked at his fellow countryman with curiosity. This queen was even more petite than he had imagined... Why did she look a bit like his younger sister?

Lilith quickly dismissed her unreliable guess. She must have been too tired from the journey and her eyes were blurry. Looking at him again, she realized that the governor in front of her, who had a fierce look, an imposing presence, and a decisive and ruthless demeanor, could not possibly be the same old brother from her previous life who complained all day, stayed up all night playing games, and was so fussy.

Linde also subconsciously shook his head. He probably missed his younger sister a little. How could the queen in front of him, who was petite but full of majesty and nobility, be the same sister who always wore a tank top, sat sloppily, and was filthy? At least this queen didn't look like she was going to be unable to get married.