"Damn it!"
Ruhl muttered on the horseback and wiped the snot from his mouth that was blown out by the cold wind.
The cavalry was still galloping on the road, and every cavalryman was exhausted. Even Ruhl's superb riding skills and profound strength were too much for the long-distance running for several consecutive days.
Fortunately, this journey is coming to an end, but...
I am afraid that what greets these people is not some delicious hot meal, but a cold sword...
Shit, what a fuck!
Ruhr cursed fiercely in his heart, and then sprayed all the most vicious curses in the world on the name that had been cursed hundreds of times in his heart.
That stupid emperor who deserves a thousand knives!
How stupid does it have to be to do such a stupid thing! !
…
When it was getting dark, the advancing horse team was finally stopped, and a team of cavalry came over and blocked the way. After receiving Ruhr's order, the guards under his command did not make any drastic actions, but first sent two cavalrymen, holding a banner to meet them for negotiation.
Ruhl finally stopped the horse, took a few breaths, and looked at the cavalry blocking the team from a distance, and he didn't know what it was like.
This team of cavalry is obviously wearing the armor of the Empire, but some subtle changes have been made, and the flag they are playing is no longer the Imperial Eagle Flag, but the emblem of the Minas family.
(Teacher, it seems that he is determined to start anew.)
Ruhr sighed in his heart, and became more and more hopeless about his trip to the south.
In just a few short months, his talented teacher has already swallowed the entire army of the Southern Expedition, tens of thousands of troops, plus the expansion in the past few months, and now the old duke is sitting on the southern four The land in this county has more than 100,000 armors. Although many of them are newly recruited new troops and private troops served by various nobles, their comprehensive strength has undoubtedly far exceeded that of the small center of the imperial capital.
At such a time, he also made moves to provoke the other party... Ruhl really doubted whether he would have a chance to go back on his trip to the south.
Before the trip, Ruhr had already told Adric his concerns in his heart, but Adric's answer was frank: "I know there is little hope, even I am in the same mood as you now, I really want to kick the palace with my boots. The ass of the one in the middle, but... Ruhr, please understand, we have no choice! We cannot afford a civil war! The hope of saving peace, even if it is only one in ten thousand, we must do it! If we can, I would love to I went to see the teacher in person in the south, but the situation in the imperial capital, I can't leave at all! If I didn't sit here, the person in the palace might do something stupid, so... "
So only Lao Tzu went down and wiped his ass on this matter! !
That damned emperor, why did he send someone to kill the little grandson of Duke Minas!
How threatening could that little child be? magician? cut! The current national fortune of the empire is no longer under the control of individual people! Not to mention that there is another magician from the Minas family, even if there is another strong man, what will happen
These chaotic thoughts are spinning in my mind, and I have negotiated before.
A cavalry officer of the Southern Army was brought to Ruhr's horse. Although the other party was only a small officer, he obviously did not show much respect to Ruhr, who was wearing a general's uniform. He didn't even dismount and salute. Raised his hand - obviously, the army in the south has long ignored the imperial capital.
"Your Excellency." The indifferent southern officer stared at Ruhr's eyes: "I am here to meet you on the order of the Duke and take you to see the Duke."
Ruhr raised his brows: "Lord Duke... Know I'm here?"
The officer's face showed a bit of pride: "On the fourth day of your departure, the Duke received the news."
The content revealed by this sentence made Ruhr frown more and more.
Obviously, Duke Minas has more control over the place than he expected.
"Lord Duke learned of your arrival and has already departed from the capital to welcome you. Now your lord is waiting for you in Nolan City in front." The officer said here, raising his hand and making a gesture of please.
Ruhl cheered up, tilted his head at the people around him, and the group slowly rode their horses along the road.
…
Nolan City is not a big city in the south.
But when Ruhl came out of the city, he already understood one thing: Duke Minas obviously did not make a special trip here to greet him!
The entire city of Nolan seems to have almost become a huge military camp!
The city of Ruhr is no stranger to him. Many years ago, when he was only a mid-level officer, he had come to this small southern city with the army during a spring exercise one year. The population here is less than 10,000, but the geographical location is on the main road to the south. The most important thing is that it is not too far from the imperial capital.
If you march on horseback in a hurry, you can reach the imperial capital within ten days.
At this moment, there are large and small military camps everywhere outside Nolan City. Although I don't know the specific number, just looking at the flags, there are at least more than 20 flag regiments.
This is already more than half of the forces under Duke Minas' control.
There was a busy and chilling atmosphere inside and outside the barracks outside the city, and the city defense was obviously much stricter. Even with the welcome team sent by the Duke of Minas, when they entered the city, the soldiers guarding the city were strictly checked. Warrants and Ruhr's team.
The armors are obviously all newly released good stuff, and the swords are all polished brightly.
Obviously, this is a pre-war tension!
Ruhr met Duke Minas in the temporary commander's mansion in the city. In this temporary commander's mansion, which was converted from the former garrison mansion, there was a tense atmosphere. Officers of various ranks and clerks were all in the city. Nervously busy, Luer half his life, he can naturally see what the other party is busy with!
Military resources, food and grass, ordnance, supplies, logistics...
When he finally saw the old duke, Ruhr's heart sank even more!
Duke Minas looked energetic. His beard and hair, which were already gray, seemed to be half black and half white again. The old man looked at least ten years younger than when he was in the imperial capital.
And... he's wearing a military uniform!
The tight-fitting cowhide light armor, the bright red cloak, the riding boots... The sword hanging around the waist is definitely not something that nobles use to decorate, but a genuine weapon.
Ruhl took a deep breath and leaned down to salute.
"teacher!"
Duke Minas stood there with no expression on his face. After Ruhr leaned over and saluted, the old man stared at Ruhr's eyes for a long time, and the corner of his mouth finally slowly, slowly, a smile appeared. Come.
"Ruhr, I've always been curious. You are running and fighting in the army, but you can't lose weight all these years."
Ruhr seemed to be stunned for a moment - the old duke's affectionate greeting seemed to make him unable to react for a while.
Duke Minas has slowly walked to Ruhl's side and patted the fat man on the shoulder: "All the injuries on the body are healed?"
"...I can't die anyway." Ruhl muttered and smiled bitterly: "It's your lord, you are getting younger and younger."
"Oh?" Duke Minas glanced at Ruhr with a meaningful smile, but what he said made Ruhr's heart skip a beat!
"Young? You mean my hair?" The old duke's tone seemed calm, but it seemed to contain a bit of deep meaning: "When I was in the imperial capital, I was always secretly dyeing my hair—not dyeing it black, but Dye the black beard and hair white! Only an 'old' Duke of Minas can reassure the Great Lancer and the young little guy! If I had been in the imperial capital for all these years, I would have been jumping around like this. I'm afraid I won't live to this day! I'm afraid the Great Lance Emperor will send someone to quietly give me a glass of poisoned wine before he dies."
Dyeing... Intentionally dyeing black hair white...
There was a chill in Ruhl's heart.
He didn't answer this sentence, just smiled bitterly.
Duke Minas looked at Ruhl's smile and slowly shook his head: "Ruhl, you are much less courageous than before."
He turned around and walked in, and Ruhl immediately followed behind with his head bowed.
Walking into the hall, just as the two sat down, the old man almost made Luer stand up again with a word.
"When you entered the city, did you see what it looked like outside?"
"Look, I see." Ruhl took a deep breath and braced himself to deal with Duke Minas' sharp eyes.
"How is my military appearance? Can it be considered majestic?"
"Uh..." Ruhr thought about it and decided to tell the truth: "It looks good, but it's still worse than the Central Army."
"Haha." The old man didn't mind at all, and said with a faint smile: "The old foundation of the Central Army is in Adric's hands, which is indeed very good, but the number, if you can make up a corps, it is already overwhelming. Now. Although these people in my hands are a little worse, if the two armies confront each other, they can be surrounded to death. "
"...Yes." Ruhl nodded.
The Duke of Minas, a famous general of the generation, will naturally not doubt his ability to lead troops. But in half a year, the integration of the army in the south has been quite impressive. If you wait a few months...
"Spring ploughing has passed." The old man said lightly: "When the autumn harvest is over, the grain I have hoarded will be enough to supply the 100,000 army for half a year. Although the grain production in the south is not as good as the grain-producing areas in the north in the hands of Xia Ya There are so many, but the south has not experienced wars and chaos, and the local hoards of wealth and food are a lot... I don't know how much chips Adrick of the imperial capital has in his hands now?"
There are less than 20,000 troops in total, of which 10,000 are veterans of the Central Army. Armaments and provisions depend on the aid of the Landis at sea...
Ruhl muttered in his heart.
Then Fatty suddenly felt a sigh in his heart and decided that he could not continue to be passive like this. He raised his head and asked: "Teacher, what do you mean by saying this to me..."
"If that's the case, why did that kid from the Karenma family do such a stupid thing to anger me?"
Duke Minas' face immediately sank.
That kid from the Karenma family? Ruhr savored the title.
Obviously, the old duke was not even in the mood to pretend. The little emperor of the imperial capital, in his mouth, is just "that kid".
"You know, the stupidity of some people cannot always be measured by ordinary people."
Ruhr's answer made Duke Minas laugh.
He looked at the fat man: "So, you didn't come to see me on behalf of that stupid kid?"
"I'm here on behalf of Adric!!" Although Ruhl was sighing, his answer was unequivocal, very straightforward, and did not dare to hesitate.
"Very good." Duke Minas nodded, looking quite satisfied, but in his subsequent words, there was a hint of murderous intent: "If you are here on behalf of that stupid little emperor, you will never see it. Without me, your head would have been hung on the city wall!"
In the face of this murderous sentence, Luer made a haha: "Teacher, you don't have to do this to me, right? No matter what, I am also a disciple trained by you."
"Oh?" The old man glanced at Ruhl, but there was no smile on his face: "Ruhl, how many years have you followed me?"
"Uh..." Ruhl thought about it and said sincerely: "When I was young, I was a cook in your house, and then I was favored by you, cultivated me, and sent me to the military academy. I entered the army step by step. It's all your teachings, and after all, it's been more than 20 years."
"Well, it's been more than 20 years." Duke Minas said lightly: "Unfortunately, it's been more than 20 years, although you little guys have grown up well, you Ruhl can be counted by the empire now. A famous general, but what you just said is not enough."
"Uh?"
"Hmph." The old man sneered: "Don't say that you are my disciple, if you really want to stop me today, I will cut off your head without hesitation! How can you think about killing a big event? A little bit of romance! Hmph, so I said, either you or Adric, it's still a long way off!"
The muscles in the corners of Ruhl's eyes twitched.
"In order to achieve a major event, there must be no hesitation in killing and deciding." Duke Minas said decisively: "If it is necessary, whether it is you or Adrick, I will kill him without hesitation! And that guy Adric obviously still has a bit of a woman's kindness! Hmph, if I were in his position, there would have been more than a dozen ways to end the war, and I would never let the situation collapse to the current situation! "
"Teacher, Adric is only loyal to the empire." Ruhl sighed.
"Loyalty? Is it loyal to one country, or is it loyal to one family?" Duke Minas sneered, but his tone became stern!
"The Kerenma family has been sitting in this Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years, and it's time for a change."
When Ruhl heard this, he couldn't help but stand up!
If all the actions of the old man before can be explained by being self-reliant, then this sentence has clearly exposed the thoughts of his replacement! !
"Teacher! You... have you really made up your mind to do this?"
Ruhl's forehead was dripping with sweat, and his face became ashen.
Duke Minas was silent for a while, and didn't seem to care about Ruhl's questioning. After a long silence, he suddenly whispered: "Ruhl, you have followed me for so many years... You can see it all, I am Mina. The Si family is full of families, how is the loyalty to the empire? How is the loyalty to his Kronma family?"
"..." Ruhr was silent.
"My Minas family has been in the army for the country for several generations. My old man's father died in the northern border of the empire. I joined the army when I was less than 20 years old. When I joined the army, the Great Lancer did not even inherit the throne. !Humph!"
Duke Minas slowly continued: "The military veterans with the same qualifications as me, many became the governors of the first district in those days, worthy of the name ceding the land to the king! If I wanted to take this step in the past, decades earlier Before, I had become a warlord governor, and I had great power. Why should I sit in the imperial capital for so many years and be jealous of the emperors of the father and son! An old guy, pretending to be deaf and dumb, trapped himself in the prison cell in the imperial capital! For the sake of loyalty to this country! I also gave my most beloved daughter to the Karenma family! But later , what did I get"
"More than 20 years! How many 20 years does a man have in his life? If I am forty years old, I can still continue to command the imperial army. With my energy and talent, I have a 70% certainty that I can recover the rivers and mountains. Which of the governors of those places is my opponent? If the old lancer would trust me, just as the founding emperor trusted tulips, how could this country become so divided! Give me ten years, and I will have Confidence to make this empire rejuvenate!"
"But, no! From the beginning to the end of the Kronma family, they only believe in themselves! They will doubt everyone! When we were fighting for power, I also stood by the Great Lance King, and did my best. He has supported him! But when his throne is solid, he can't wait to kick me out of the army!"
"Before I was forty years old, I was worthy of such an empire and worthy of his Kerenma family!"
Every word of Duke Minas smashed into Ruhr's heart, and Ruhr was silent.
Fatty knew very well that his trip to the south was a waste of time.
He didn't even have time to explain to the old duke why the emperor in the imperial capital ordered the assassination of the duke's grandson, little David.
And the Duke of Minas was not even interested in asking this question at all!
In the heart of Duke Minas, he had already made up his mind to rebel.
In the imperial capital, it doesn't matter whether the emperor kills little David, at most it becomes an incentive for the old duke to act in advance.
…
Ruhl knew that he didn't need to say more. If the old man didn't tie him up and cut him with a knife, he was already nostalgic.
Duke Minas had no intention of negotiating with Ruhr at all. Instead, he arranged a dinner party and invited Ruhl to get drunk together. Ruhl did not refuse. After trying to understand the fat man, he also realized that it was probably himself. The last time I had a drink with the teacher at the same table.
But when the dinner party started, when the side door of the restaurant opened and a thin figure came out, Ruhl couldn't help but exclaimed!
"what!"
Ruhl's eyes widened, staring at the child who came out of the door.
"Dai, David!" The fat man immediately turned his head to stare at Duke Minas, and then the fat man began to smile bitterly: "So... you already brought the child here..." Then the fat man gritted his teeth: "Where's Lear? here?"
"It's not just Lear." Duke Minas summoned his grandson to his side, touched the child's hair, and smiled lightly: "In fact, just three days ago, this child was sent to me, just to send him The person who came here was not Lear."
Two figures came out slowly from the side door.
"General Ruhr, long time no see."
"General Ruhr, hello!"
Dax and Dodoro were standing in front of Ruhl. Dax smiled with a thief look on his face, but Dodoro was a little scared.
"You..." Ruhl looked at the two of them and finally gave a wry smile, and then the fat man suddenly slapped the table hard and burst out laughing! !
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Looking at the fat man who suddenly laughed wildly, Duke Minas was stunned.
Ruhl laughed for a long time, then turned to look at the Duke, and bowed: "Teacher, I understand! So it is!! Haha! Unexpectedly, you are actually hooked up with Xiaya's people! It seems that this imperial capital It's long gone."
With that said, Luer grabbed the jug on the table, raised his neck and poured it vigorously, then threw the jug and sighed: "Forget it, I understand now!"
He looked at Dodolo, then at Dax, and finally his eyes fell on Dax: "Although I'm not familiar with you, but fortunately I still know something about you, that guy Dodolo. It's just a follower, these things are all planned by you, right?"
Dax bowed and smiled proudly: "My lord, I just want to be worthy of every copper salary that boss Xia gave me."
"Good method." Ruhl sneered: "Breaking the balance in the south, your northern army will have a chance to intervene."
He turned his head to look at Duke Minas again: "It's my teacher, don't you understand that the Northern Army is now the strongest party, and the army and territory under his command are second to none, even if you can swallow the imperial capital, he When the northern Japanese army is heading south, how will you handle yourself?"
The old man smiled faintly: "It's nothing more than a battle on the battlefield. In this world, it's just a fight between everyone! Whoever wins the fight will belong to whoever!"
The old man has stood up, looked at Ruhl, looked at his legs, raised his finger to his knees!
"Since the day I led the army south from the imperial capital, I have sworn in my heart! In my life, these legs will never kneel to the Kronma family again!"
The last sentence, firm and firm, made Luer a shock when he heard it!
Kneel no more!
Kneel no more! !
"Well said!" Luer laughed three times, grabbed a bottle of wine again, poured it into his neck in one breath, wiped it hard on his mouth, and laughed loudly: "Teacher's arrogance does not diminish in his prime!"
After he finished speaking, Fatty turned around and left. Duke Minas watched Fatty turn decisively. He seemed to be about to speak, but finally sighed.
On the other hand, Dax, seeing that Fatty was about to walk to the door, couldn't help but said, "General Ruhr."
"How?" Ruhl turned his head suddenly: "Could it be that the teacher wants to keep me here?"
Duke Minas shook his head silently.
Dax smiled and said: "General Ruhr, you are also a hero in the imperial army. I know that you and our boss Xiaya are in the same position. If you are willing to go back to the north with us, at least you will be the commander of a regiment. Why go back to the suffocating imperial capital to accompany the emperor to be buried?"
"Bah!" Ruhl scolded with a smile: "If I wanted to go to the north, I would have gone long ago. When I returned to the imperial capital, I didn't want to be buried for that bastard little emperor! I would have helped him kill him back to the imperial capital to succeed me, and put me in Rodriguez. On the night when the corps was exhausted, I had already paid off what Ruhr owed him to the royal family! When I returned to the imperial capital, I wondered if I could pull out another person who was going to be buried!"
Minas frowned and looked at Ruhl: "I know Adric's temperament best, I'm afraid..."
"Teacher, you can kill ruthless, but I... but I can't." Ruhr sighed: "As you said, if we meet on the battlefield in the future, it will be nothing more than a fight. But, teacher... "
Having said that, Fatty paused deliberately, with a narrow smile on his face, but his tone was very serious.
"...Between you and that kid in the north, I'm not optimistic about you!"
…
"Come on, I'm optimistic about you, boy."
Hastings was full of mockery, and Char sneezed fiercely.
With a bang, a sharp energy came towards him, Xia Ya turned his head slightly, and a sharp arrow swiped past his ear, Xia turned over and jumped onto the roof of the car shed, pulled up a bow, and heard a sound of the bowstring, in the distance. There was another scream in the woods, and Xia Ya scolded aloud: "Old boy, are you just sitting and watching the play like this?"
Hastings sat cross-legged in the carport, holding a cowhide wine bag in one hand, and the three-edged war gun was hidden in a cowhide holster and placed across his legs. After taking a sip of wine, he smiled and said, "What can I do if I don't sit and watch the play, do I still accompany you to do this boring thing?"
"Bah!" Xiaya scolded: "If all the people in the convoy die, we will have no guide, and we don't know how much more we have to walk to find the Holy City of Babylon."
Hastings was about to speak when suddenly a stream of arrows flew toward him, but it happened to penetrate the wine bag in his hand, and the wine dripped out immediately. He wasn't angry either, but put his mouth close to the opening and poured it down, and then he breathed a sigh of relief: "If you kill you, don't bother me with drinking."
Xia Ya was helpless, holding the bow again and again in his hand, and screaming one after another in the forest in the distance.
In this vast forest, the caravan had already huddled into a ball, using the carriages of the carriage to form a formation. All the caravans, young and old, took out their swords and weapons, and the warriors all took bows and hid between the carriages to shoot arrows.
In the forest, black shadows can be seen constantly passing through the gaps in the branches and leaves, and the figures are sharp and sturdy.
It was the captain of the caravan, but he was unfortunately shot through the neck by an arrow in the first wave of attacks. At this moment, another businessman in the caravan, a guy who was quite familiar with Xi Ya along the way, was already lying on the ground. After getting out of the car, he was pissing, and he kept cursing: "These goddamn black elves! These goddamn jungle robbers!!"