No one dared to block the advance of the three divisions of the Thunder Legion. The so-called lords were nowhere to be seen in the dozens of noble territories that had to pass through in the Nasseri area, and no intimidating butler came to protest against the destruction of the territory by the large group of troops. Something inside is asking for compensation. On the other hand, the poor residents stood numbly on the roadside and watched the troops pass by on the shabby streets of the towns where they lived, leaving only horse shit along the way...
"I thought some ignorant noble would jump out and scare the monkeys... They all seem to be smart people, which is really regrettable..." Claude muttered while sitting on his horse. .
He really hoped that some territorial noble would loudly accuse the officers and soldiers of the Thunder Legion from passing through his hereditary family territory and cause damage to his property and demand compensation. Then Claude can hang him on the gallows and let all the territorial nobles understand that in the face of powerful force, the noble territories are nothing. Even the orders and decrees of His Majesty the King are nothing, let alone the life of a small territorial noble...
Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes, the adjutant, exchanged a few words with the three cavalry scouts who came back from the front, then turned his horse's head and drove his mount at a trot back to Claude: "Your Excellency, Marshal, at the road pavilion next to the ten-mile national highway ahead, There are several local lords who want to meet you. They even held a banquet and asked to see you... "
Well, is it finally here? Claude cheered up and said to himself that this was nothing more than blocking the road to dissuade me, using the kingdom's righteousness and so on to dissuade me from marching on the royal capital. If I don't like it, they will irritate me by yelling and swearing. In the end, it is nothing more than a desperate fight to leave a reputation for loyalty and courage in the history books, but I have become a bad guy who kills loyal ministers and righteous men... . ...
"How many troops did they bring?" Claude asked.
"Men and horses?" Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes was confused for a long time before he came back to his senses: "No, Your Excellency Marshal, those lords did not bring any men and horses, but Luting brought a few servants' entourage." Scout Qingqi asked The reason for their coming is that they want to request your interview and discuss business with you..."
Talking about business? Claude was stunned. Several territorial nobles wanted to discuss business with him...
"Take me to see it." Claude said.
Among the six territorial nobles, the highest-ranking one, like Claude, is a hereditary earl of the kingdom. They really came to do business with Claude. As for the Thunder Legion's invasion of the royal capital, that was none of their business. What they cared about now was their hereditary family territory, not the kingdom. Therefore, the business they want to do with Claude can really only be discussed with Claude, and others have no right to make the decision. They just hope that the overseas autonomous territories can sell them new rifles so that they can form a family armed force that can guard the local area.
"I'll tell you the truth, Your Excellency Marshal," the leader, Earl Hebras, said bluntly: "His Majesty has granted almost all the nobles in the kingdom to the Nasseri area. This place can only be stable for four or five years at most. Continue. When you go down to the Nasseri area, a territorial war will break out between the nobles of various territories, because the kingdom's army cannot intervene in territorial wars between lords. This is the matter of the territorial nobles themselves, and His Majesty the King can only arbitrate but cannot send troops to stop it.
We want to form an elite family armed force for self-protection, and now the most elite armies in the kingdom are the Thunder Legion and the Rock Legion commanded by the Marshal. Therefore, we hope that your Excellency the Marshal will agree to sell the active equipment of the Overseas Dominion Military District to us, so that we can have an elite family armed force to ensure that our territory is not invaded and coveted. For this, we are willing to pay any price... "
Claude really didn't expect that these territorial nobles really wanted to do arms business with the overseas autonomous territories, but now he could only pretend that the matter in the royal capital had not been resolved yet, and he could not make the decision alone. But he also promised that when the Autonomous Territory Military Region holds a meeting in the future, the sale of new weapons and equipment will be discussed, and the results will be notified to them as soon as possible.
When they camped at night, Claude asked what the Territory War was about, and it turned out that Adjutant Mason Hughes really knew something about it. He told Claude that a territorial war is a family war between two territorial nobles. The winner annexes the loser's territory and expands the sphere of influence of his own territory. If two adjacent territories have too many territorial boundary disputes over the amount of irrigation water from a small river, or over a certain tree or cabin, conflicts will naturally occur, eventually leading to territorial wars.
The lords of both sides mobilized their troops and called for friends to come to support and fight in a fierce battle. The winner takes all. In ancient times, the two sides also held duel trials in front of the gods, in which a knight from each side would fight in the Temple of War. The winner takes away the territory of the loser's family, or the loser becomes the winner's vassal. They swear allegiance to the winner in front of the God of War and serve as the master. From then on, they cannot disobey the master's wishes. It can be said that territorial war is a war in which territorial nobles annex each other to strengthen their own power...
It turns out that this is the case, Claude suddenly realized, but he had no interest in this so-called territorial war. It was nothing more than a village-level fighting between thousands of people. He turned around and asked Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes, what was King's reaction and response after three divisions of the Thunder Legion pounced on the King's capital in the past two or three days? Have the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion taken any measures to mobilize contingency
"No," Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes replied: "The falcon message we sent to the royal capital did not receive any reply. And the Red Dragon Legion and Griffin Legion stationed at the border between the kingdom and the Nasseri region are still nestled in them There was no unusual behavior in the camp, nor was there any mobilization of military supplies before the war... "
"What is the current situation of the Rock Legion in the Royal City of Polyvisia?"
"The first division of the Rock Legion left the Royal City of Polyvisia three days ago, and was led by General Beach Kerin to the Odin Mountains. Before the action, he sent a Falcon eagle message to the legion headquarters, saying that the city of Amys was still there. Under the control of the local garrison forces of our autonomous territory. He has ordered the 17th local garrison regiment to send two battalions to occupy the Odin Mountains until the arrival of the 1st Panshi Division. According to the itinerary calculation, even if all the 1st Panshi Division Using horse-drawn carriages to transport troops, it would take sixteen days to reach the Odin Mountains.
In addition, General Beach Kerin also asked in the letter that if the royal capital uses the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion to intercept the Thunder Legion's advance and a conflict breaks out at the kingdom's mainland border, then he will directly lead the first division of the Rock Legion. Attack to the royal capital, or penetrate from the flanks to the rear of the kingdom's mainland border, and cooperate with the Thunder Legion to completely annihilate the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion? "Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes opened the notebook he carried with him and reported.
At this time, everyone was marching, but communication was inconvenient, so they were using human messengers to convey intelligence and news. The biggest problem with falcon communication is that the falcon in the sky cannot confirm whether the troops marching on the ground are the target of the message, and can only communicate between stations.
Claude pondered for a while: "I doubt whether the royal capital will use the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion to intercept our advance. If His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister are clear-headed, they should understand that these two legions are not tied together. They will be the opponents of the three divisions of our Thunder Legion. The Falcon message we sent to the royal capital has made it very clear that any action to intercept us will be regarded as a declaration of war against our overseas autonomous territories.
The Royal Capital will never dare to provoke another war at this time, and they do not have the confidence to defeat our Thunder Legion and Rock Legion. If the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion really come to intercept our progress, it means that something new has happened in the capital. Our arrested representatives of congressmen and promoted officers may indeed be in danger.
Therefore, you send people to the Royal City of Polyvisia, send a hawk message from there to Amys City, and then ask the messengers there to take the hawk message to General Beach Kerin. If a war really breaks out, order him to lead the Panshi First Division directly into the royal capital. Defeat the imperial guards stationed in the royal capital, and don’t give the royal capital more time to prepare for war or evacuate... "
In fact, the closer to the kingdom's mainland border, the more nervous Claude became. Because once the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion are dispatched to intercept the three divisions of the Thunder Legion from marching towards the Royal Capital, it means that the Royal Capital has made up its mind to fight this battle. Even if Claude is sure that he can easily defeat or annihilate the two legions standing in front of him, he will never be able to take off the hat of being a rebel in the kingdom.
In this era where monarchy is supreme, even if His Majesty the King makes a mistake, as a minister he should not send troops to do it. This is a truly treasonous act. Even though Claude used the excuse to go to the royal capital to escort the huge sum of 30 million gold crowns from the overseas dominions and the representatives of the parliamentarians and promoted officers to return to the overseas dominions, in the eyes of many people, he did not receive the necessary support from His Majesty the King and the Kingdom’s Ministry of War. With the permission of the emperor, he sent troops to attack the royal capital. This was an open rebellion.
Claude has already made a decision in his heart. It's no big deal if he wins the king and loses the bandits. If the royal capital really wants to go to war, then this time he will uproot the entire Sterling royal family and destroy the kingdom. As for what to do in the future, there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain. When the time comes, we will convene those national and aristocratic members to discuss it. The republican system is actually not bad...
Without the Sterling royal family, he would not have to bear the charge of rebellion. A hundred years from now, perhaps future generations will still praise themselves as the gravediggers of the old dynasty, the founders of the Republic, and so on. Just like the overseas autonomous territories, no one is the king, no one is above others, no one is nobler than anyone else, and decisions are made through equal discussions. This autonomous parliamentary system can be regarded as a republican democratic system. . ...
"Report!" Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes interrupted Claude's distraction: "General Albertont from the front sent a messenger, saying that the border was successfully passed. The Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion are still staying in their camps. Any abnormal situation..."
Well? Claude was happy at first, but then felt a little worried. He was prepared for a big battle, but he didn't expect this situation. What's going on with the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion? Whether it was because the Royal Capital did not want to provoke a war and did not give any instructions, or the Royal Capital had already sent an order to intercept it, but these two legions knew they were outmatched and did not want to be ordered to attack and ruin their combat power in vain. Only then did we stand still...
If it is the former, the King's capital did not give any instructions to these two legions, which shows that the King's capital wants to resolve this incident peacefully and acquiesces to the Thunder Legion's excuse to send troops. Perhaps by the time the Thunder Legion arrives in the royal capital, the arrested representatives of the congressmen and promoted officers have been released, and the 30 million gold crowns have been returned. Then the Thunder Legion can all turn back and leave the capital and embark on the return journey...
If the royal capital had already given the order to the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion to send troops to intercept the Thunder Legion, these two legions disobeyed the order and stood still. This shows that if a battle breaks out under the royal capital, these two legions will sit back and watch the destruction of the Sterling royal family and remain indifferent. This shows that the so-called direct jurisdiction of these two legions under the Sterling royal family is just an empty promise. There are chief messengers and controllers behind them...
Claude thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure out what was going on with the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion. However, now that the troops have passed the border, there is no need to continue to struggle with this issue. The Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion have become a thing of the past. Next, it depends on whether the troops will encounter resistance from the Guards Corps stationed in the royal capital when they arrive at the Ibiniste Plains...
"Keep going!" said Claude.
Two days later, the Fourth Division of the Thunder Legion arrived at the Plains of Ibiniste and stopped. General Albert sent a messenger to deliver an urgent message. The Prime Minister of the Kingdom, Marquis Blancart, came to welcome the officers and soldiers of the Thunder Legion and arranged a camp for the troops.
"What do you mean?" Claude was a little confused. What was going on in the capital? The Prime Minister of the Kingdom came to greet the arrival of the troops, which always sounded very strange. After repeatedly asking the messenger and confirming that no officers and soldiers of the Guards Corps were found around the troops, Claude began to wonder if the king had accepted defeat from the beginning and did not want to start a war with the Thunder Legion.
"Take me to see Prime Minister Blancart." Claude decided to meet Prime Minister Blancart who came to greet him and find out what was going on.
The Fourth Thunder Division had already set up camp, and Claude led the guards straight to the big camp. As soon as he opened the curtain, he saw General Albert and several senior officers of the Fourth Division chatting and laughing with a tall man with a ruddy face and a mustache and dressed in regular clothes.
As soon as Claude entered the tent, General Albert and the senior officers quickly stood at attention and saluted. General Albert reported: "Your Excellency, Marshal, we are going to the Central Army to ask for your audience after dinner. This is the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, the Marquis Blancart, and he claims to have important matters to discuss with you... ..."
Claude nodded at the tall man, untied his outer cloak and threw it to Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes next to him. He clasped his hands and said, "I was also about to come and learn about the arrangements for marching into the Royal Capital tomorrow. Can you It is really an honor for me to meet the Prime Minister of the Kingdom here. But I can put everything else aside first. I am really hungry and cold all the way here. The wind has been blowing on the horse for a long time, so you might as well give me some hot soup first. Which one is better? I’ll tell you after I’ve filled my stomach..."
So a large bowl of potato and beef stew soup was placed in front of Claude, along with four steaming slices of toasted black bread. Claude didn't think so either. He gnawed on slices of bread and sipped potato soup, and signaled to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom that the food in the army was poor and they were not treating their distinguished guests...
Ten minutes later, Claude, who had filled his stomach, signaled that he could remove the uneaten food. The senior officers also stood up and left. Only Claude, Prime Minister Blancart and Albert were left in the camp. General. Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes took two bottles of fruit wine and placed them in front of Claude, and then retreated outside the camp.
Claude opened the lid of the fruit wine, poured wine into three wine glasses, and then said to Prime Minister Blancart: "This is the first time we have met, Mr. Prime Minister, I have admired your name for a long time. Especially your share. The five-year plan to revitalize the kingdom's economy amazes me. It is really in line with the current actual situation of the kingdom. If it can be implemented, it will only take ten years for the kingdom to become the most powerful country in the Farea continent... "
"You are flattered, Your Excellency Marshal, I cannot deserve your praise." Prime Minister Blancart took a sip of the fruit wine, held it in his mouth and tasted it before slowly swallowing it. It can be seen that he He is a veteran of wine tasting: "Actually, you understand. My five-year plan to revitalize the kingdom's economy actually borrowed a large part from the economic development strategies of the overseas autonomous territories. And the autonomous territories can be where they are today, Your Excellency, Marshal But he put a lot of effort into it... "
Claude laughed loudly: "I'm just a warrior. I only know how to fight. Everything else is just rumors made up by others. Well, Mr. Prime Minister, we don't have to flatter each other. Let's just be simple. We want to know, How do you want to resolve this incident?"
Prime Minister Blancart did not expect that Claude would suddenly go straight to the point and directly ask about the final solution to this incident. He was stunned for a moment, but soon came to his senses and slowly drank the fruit wine in the glass. Claude and General Albert didn't push him, and watched him drink the fruit wine bit by bit in silence.
"Actually, the kingdom has given the greatest goodwill." Prime Minister Blancart said after considering: "His Majesty the King acquiesced to your excuse for sending troops to the capital, and did not instruct the Red Dragon Legion and the Griffin Legion to intercept you. You want I know that many officers in the Kingdom’s Army Department and the three major armies were very angry when they saw the notice you issued. They believed that your overseas autonomous territories did not take His Majesty seriously at all and sent troops without permission. They all applied to stop you. Close to the royal capital, but all this was suppressed by His Majesty's instructions... "
Claude sneered: "So can we reach the Ibiniste Plains or rely on your kindness? Stop talking nonsense, let us tell the truth frankly, how did this incident happen? Why did we send troops to the royal capital? Your Don't you know what bad things your stupid Queen has done? You should be grateful for your sanity as we are not fighting now, otherwise I can guarantee that after this war, there will be no Sterling royal family anymore... . ”