Chapter 94: Force and Conspiracy

Jacques had been summoned by John more than once; he now seemed to have become an important lieutenant for John. When he was called away from Guillaume's residence, Guillaume's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

He probably knew that Jacques had embarked on a path that did not belong to a knight.

John waited quietly in the study until Jacques arrived, and then he said to his capable subordinate, "Do you have any news?"

The news referred to here was about the assassination attempt on John.

To this day, this matter has not yet been resolved.

Savigny was the official investigator, and the royal guards were constantly seeking out the participants, dragging them out one by one.

Those who were inconvenient to deal with were handed over to Jacques. This dagger hidden in the shadows was carefully probing that dark line.

The former Duchess of Leinster, Ed, and Lord Hugh de Lacy of Donpatrick were involved.

The former was still understandable to John, but the latter puzzled him greatly. Why would he do such a thing?

However, the Earl of Thomond was indeed completely unaware of this matter.

Some small fry were caught by the royal guards to serve as a deterrent to most people. As for these people, John did not know how to deal with them for a while.

If John used thunderous methods, he would surely face backlash from the nobles.

Especially Lacy, who almost represented the will of the native Normans.

Regardless, John felt that the Duchess of Leinster was someone he should deal with. Although this old woman had lost her title and nobility, her remaining connections still allowed her to contact the outside world.

John remembered that he initially intended to place her under house arrest. But her involvement suggested someone had been in contact with her.

"It was the former steward who helped Ed contact the outside world," Jacques reported in detail. "They made contact each time meals were delivered. Sometimes, a maid would do it."

Sure enough, this woman was not simple.

To continue to hold her position after the death of Longbow Richard, facing ambitious men surrounding her, and still maintain her place, demonstrated her considerable ability.

Especially in winning people over, she was no worse than John.

Unfortunately, John was now in a more advantageous position.

"We can send her to Preston Abbey and then find a way to deal with her," Jacques proposed a sinister suggestion to John. "Margaret can poison her."

John always felt that the existence of people like Sister Margaret and Jacques indicated that church education was not very successful.

To cultivate such monsters, Brother Guy was surely not a good person either.

However, John agreed with the plan: "Indeed, we can do that, but we need to wait a while, maybe a year or two. We should wait until everyone stops paying attention to her before we get rid of her."

Jacques fully agreed with this.

Eliminating a key figure at the height of attention carried too much risk.

"By the way, let me ask you something. Where is Pierre now?" John shifted the topic in another direction.

Jacques shook his head, "I haven't seen much of him lately. It seems he's with Helena, but I don't know exactly where they are."

This couple would probably work out. John felt a hint of satisfaction.

He waved his hand, signaling Jacques to leave the study. Then, John went to the balcony, watching the servants tend to the flowers placed there.

The absent lords had already been recorded by John's subordinates. Except for a few nobles from the northwest of Ireland and supporters of the Earl of Thomond, everyone else had basically sworn allegiance to John.

Now, John was truly the uncrowned king of Ireland.

His thoughts drifted far away, pondering when he should join the struggle for the throne. With the chaos on the European continent, John couldn't remain confined to a small Ireland forever.

However, his thoughts were soon interrupted by a messenger.

"Your Highness, General Breton's forces have engaged in fierce combat with the enemy in the Shannon area!"

The messenger's words made John pause.

Shannon?

...

Rewind to the day after Ivar's death. On the battlefield at Shannon Castle, Breton received shocking news—he was about to be surrounded.

During the siege, messengers from Ballaty Castle scattered and successfully brought over a thousand reinforcements from Connacht in the north.

If it hadn't been for the scouts' efficiency, Breton would still be in the dark about the situation.

This reinforcements were led by Conchobar, the son of the High King Roderic. He raised this army under the banner of avenging his father and used various inducements to assemble such a force.

Despite their lack of discipline, they still posed a significant threat.

Now, Breton's command tent was in chaos. All the officers were frantically trying to come up with a strategy.

Breton, however, remained calm, focusing intently on the map in front of him. He was deeply analyzing the limited information provided by the map.

The southern side of Shannon Castle was the sea, while the other directions were all plains. The fact that Conchobar's army was advancing from the northern plains was, in Breton's view, a tremendous piece of good news.

Medieval warfare did not favor open-field battles but was more inclined towards sieges. High walls could isolate the enemy, causing them to retreat without a fight. Instead of engaging in a decisive battle with the enemy, it was better to slowly wear down their strength in a siege until they eventually withdrew.

After all, the nobles' goal was not to conquer the world but to maintain their own territories.

However, John's army was completely different.

These warlike troops actively sought open-field battles, fighting fiercely with the enemy, and quickly eliminating them. For many nobles, conducting several large-scale battles within a year was nearly unimaginable.

This approach was also related to John's original military strategy.

The funds for John's army came partly from investments by those nobles. If John could not quickly provide returns to these nobles, he would face their backlash.

Thus, he adopted this high-risk, high-reward strategy.

"We should march quickly to the north and crush the reinforcements first," Breton's suggestion stunned everyone present.

The officers were not fools; they had all fought in wars before and included many seasoned veterans.

"Can we really do this, General?" the officers asked. "If the garrison from Shannon Castle and Ballaty Castle leave the castle and attack us from behind, we'll be finished."

Indeed, the officers had considered this thoroughly.

In battle, the last thing soldiers wanted was an enemy attacking from behind. This would mean facing the enemy on both fronts, which was a dire situation.

Being surrounded on all sides was a dreadful prospect.

But Breton had a different perspective. He said, "That's why our goal is to quickly defeat the enemy, not to engage in a standoff with them."

He pounded his fist on the map with determination.

"The Earl of Thomond's two sons will not expect our decision, so their reinforcements won't arrive quickly. We will set off at dawn, and the enemy will not anticipate it."

"Our departure and the time it takes for Conchobar's messengers to reach Shannon will be our window to defeat the enemy. This time frame is short, but if our soldiers are brave enough, we can achieve it."

Everyone was struck by Breton's ambition, feeling a mix of anticipation and fear.

"Let's proceed with the plan," Breton commanded.