At this moment, John was still lingering before London. His army had marched south, passing through the Earl of Northampton's lands. The Earl of Northampton, David, had fled to Westminster in London.
John's troops camped on the west side of Tottenham Marshes, which was still vast farmland and wilderness at that time. London was the wealthiest city in all of England. In the Middle Ages, the simplest way to determine a city's wealth was by its population. London happened to be the most densely populated area in England, attracting people from all directions.
St. Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, and other grand buildings directly reflected the city's wealth. However, behind its prosperity lay significant risks. A dense population led to disorder, increased the likelihood of various disasters, and served as a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria.
But these were not John's concerns at the moment. What he was concerned about was the impact of his entering London.
After Harold died at Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon nobles retreated to London and elected his son as the King of England. In later times, King Philip of France's son, "Lionheart" Louis, crossed the sea to London during his tenure as the crown prince, seeking the support of rebellious English nobles to claim the English throne.
From the beginning, it seemed, London had been a haven for rebels, conspirators, and ambitious individuals.
John did crave power, but he did not want to use overly radical methods. Though he was powerful now, if Henry II was determined to eliminate him, it would not be impossible.
Occupying London would signal to Henry II that John was preparing for a direct confrontation. Even if John did not intend this, Henry II's controlling nature would likely lead him to think the worst of John.
Thus, John's troops camped directly north of London, and with his vast army, he fell into silence.
"Your Highness, will you practice swordsmanship today?" Valcelin's head peeked into the main tent. "You need to practice daily to improve."
This guy...
When John brought him along, he thought he had gained a royal guard. But as he got to know him better, John realized what it meant to be a martial fanatic.
Valcelin seemed skilled with various weapons and was enthusiastic about teaching. He happened to meet Pierre, who, although proficient in combat, was inherently lazy and had no interest in sparring. Pierre quickly escaped, leaving little Roches to bear the brunt. This young noble, unenthusiastic and outmatched, soon lost interest after being thoroughly beaten.
Finally, Valcelin set his sights on John. Under the guise of helping John train, Valcelin was really just looking to gain experience for himself. John, unable to refuse, often found excuses to send him away.
"I have a lot to do right now, Valcelin. Why don't you go practice with Pierre?"
Valcelin blinked, checking to see if John was serious. Once satisfied, he left the tent. Across from John, William breathed a sigh of relief. "Good thing he didn't ask me."
"Is this why you pushed him onto me?" John massaged his temples. "I'm nearly at my wit's end with him. Can't you take him back?"
William wore the same expression as Valcelin but spoke firmly. "No."
John sighed and shrugged. "Alright, then. We need to continue discussing how to handle the situation in London."
"I agree with you. If you enter London, His Majesty will surely see it as rebellion. But what about the Earl of Northampton?" William was fixated on the Earl.
In his view, if it weren't for Robert and the Earl of Northampton's instigation, his father wouldn't have joined the rebellion. Without his father's involvement, he wouldn't have died unexpectedly. Though, with the Earl of Derby's death, William had become the new earl.
John stroked his chin. "What do you think about waiting for His Majesty to return and handle it?"
William's facial muscles twitched. "It would be best to deal with that bastard as soon as possible... but how will His Majesty handle him?"
John couldn't be certain. Henry II had established new laws for England, but his method of enforcing them was unpredictable. The ceiling of a building reflects its structure, and Henry II, being a feudal lord, also judged based on his whims.
The Earl of Northampton, David, was of Scottish royal lineage, essentially a hostage from a vassal state to its suzerain. This unique position made it difficult for John to act against him.
"The Earl of Northampton's status is too unique; we can't handle him," John said, his tone tinged with frustration. "I can promise to take care of young Robert, but him, I really can't do anything about."
The atmosphere in the tent grew tense. William, now allied with John, expected reciprocal support for his own grievances. Even within their lord-vassal relationship, John couldn't always be the one taking.
This silence was William's way of protesting. His main grudges were against young Robert and the Earl of Northampton.
"Can't we use less clean methods?" Jacques suddenly suggested, startling both men.
The power of habitual thinking was strong. After eliminating the Earl of Derby, Jacques reflexively suggested assassination as a solution.
William's shocked expression showed he wasn't that kind of person. John quickly composed himself and sternly addressed Jacques, "Jacques, you'd better retract that statement. We're not murderers like young Robert; we are true nobles."
Realizing his mistake, Jacques lowered his head, as if the deaths of Governor Edward and the Earl of Derby had nothing to do with him.
After another two seconds of silence, John waved his hand: "Forget it, go out, Jacques."
Driving this guy away will definitely help the subsequent discussions, at least there won't be a troublemaker randomly popping up.
Jacques also wisely left John's tent behind.
When he walked out of the tent, he saw several knights who looked exactly like the royal soldiers. They were stopped at the door by Ji Muyao, as if there was some conflict between them.
"Guillaume, let us in." The first knight's expression was not pretty.
Guillaume retaliated decisively: "His Royal Highness is discussing matters with the Earl of Derby, please don't bother me, Forger."
"Earl of Derby? Anyone who has not been recognized by His Majesty the King is a false title. I do not recognize it. I am here to deliver orders to the Earl of Lancaster on the order of the King." Forger's tone was also extremely strong.
"Then you can tell me, and I will tell His Highness."
"No, the order I received is to inform the Earl of Lancaster directly."
"Folger, you are such a fool!"
"Do you want to rebel, Guillaume?"
Seeing the quarrel between his eyes, Jacques secretly returned to the big tent, poked his head through the curtain, and said to John: "Your Highness, His Majesty the King has sent someone here——"