The news that the armed forces of the Northern Ferman people, including the 6th Brigade, the 7th Brigade and various tribal armed forces were heading towards the city of Ferman caused panic among the citizens of Ferman. Many wealthy people prepared to flee. The problem was that the Northern Ferman area was the entrance for the extraterritorial railway to enter the Ferman Peninsula. Therefore, the flight service company under Qingdao Travel Company was overwhelmed.
The Northern Fermen are not developed, but the Northern Fermen are more powerful and good at fighting. This is a fact recognized by all tribes in Antigua.
The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Brigades controlled by the Basong family and its allied families also gathered near the city of Ferman.
The National Army consisted of twelve brigades, from the Guards Brigade to the eleventh Brigade.
Among them, the 10th Brigade and the 11th Brigade are maritime armed forces and are stationed on inland sea islands.
The Guards Brigade to the 9th Brigade, a total of ten brigades, were stationed on the Ferman Peninsula.
In addition to the two brigades of the North Fermans and the three brigades supporting the Basong family, there are also the 2nd, 8th and 9th Brigades on the peninsula.
The Second Brigade is in the western region and is controlled by the Suriya family. The Eighth Brigade and the Ninth Brigade are in the eastern region and are controlled by the Apaiwan and Ongsawa families respectively.
Of course, there is also the First Brigade of the Chakhai family and the original Honor Guard Brigade.
…
The official residence of the mayor of Bassong.
In the luxurious banquet hall, many celebrities gathered. Before the ball began, Mayor Basong criticized the rebellion of the Northern Feldmans in his speech, pointing out that the rebellion would be quelled soon and the kingdom would stand firmly on its side representing justice.
This grand banquet and dance to welcome Baron Smith, the special envoy of the Imperial Capital, was naturally also a platform for Mayor Basong to curb the spread of Feldman's panic.
The presidents of the Central China Chamber of Commerce, Chen Huanxing and Phraya Lee, were among those invited.
Phraya Lee was particularly conspicuous because his dance partners were two extremely beautiful and sexy Western ladies, and it was obvious that the two ladies were from the real upper class. Their dignified manners and noble temperament could not be developed without a long period of extravagant life.
Therefore, no matter how low-key Phraya Lee was and sat in the corner when the ball started, he still became the focus of everyone's attention because of the two beautiful Western ladies in gorgeous big skirts sitting next to him.
Originally, for the wealthy people on the Fermion Peninsula, although they heard that Phraya Lee was doing great business in the Inland Sea and was a very important figure in the Inland Sea, in fact, no one really cared.
Antigua has a population of more than 50 million, four-fifths of whom live on islands in the inland sea, but the economic center is the Ferman Peninsula, especially in the city of Ferman. The population in and around Ferman is more than 3 million, and the living standards of civilians are much higher than those of the islanders.
The inland islands are most famous for drugs and pirates, which in turn lead to violence and chaos.
No matter how successful you are in trading in the inland sea, it is still not considered a decent business.
But now, looking at the female companions around Phraya Lee, there is suddenly a hint of mystery about him.
In the eyes of the Mitai people, Westerners are undoubtedly superior people, and Western aristocratic women, who are so beautiful, are even more unattainable.
Therefore, when Mayor Prasong walked towards Phraya Lee and sat next to him for an intimate conversation, many people were not so surprised.
"I have heard of Mr. Phraya's great name for a long time, but I didn't have the chance to get close to you before because Chachai played a lot of bad roles in the middle!" Mayor Prasong said to Lu Ming with a smile. He was a typical flat-nosed Myithai man with a broad face that was a little dark, but he had an extraordinary temperament and the kind of domineering attitude that he developed from being a superior person for a long time.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Mr. Chachai is a very nice person."
Mayor Basong smiled and praised: "I really appreciate this about the people of Zhongzhou. No matter if a friend is good or bad, they will never kick him away when he is no longer useful. I now feel more and more that Mr. Li is very compatible with my temperament. I hope we can become good friends in the future!"
Lu Ming smiled without saying anything. Mrs. Audrey beside him took out two cigars and handed one to Mayor Basong.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "This is tobacco produced on the island of Paja where the Yassia people live. It's a cigar factory that I recently invested in. The trademark has not yet been decided. How about you try it first?"
Seeing Mrs. Audrey holding the cigar cutter in her slender white hands to help him trim the cigar, Mayor Basong smiled and said, "I can do it myself!"
Mayor Basong took a match and lit the cigar himself. He took a deep breath and his eyes lit up. "It smells really good! It's a very clear smell, just like the smell of grass and trees. To be honest, I can't get used to it. It's just that the fragrance is too strong and intoxicating."
Lu Ming smiled: "It seems that at least the tobacco from Pa Ya Island has its own characteristics. I am not the only one who feels this way. Maybe it will sell well in the future."
Mayor Basong looked sincere. "So, Phraya, like most Central Asian businessmen, has made great contributions to the local economy. Phraya, please rest assured that I understand the contributions of Central Asian investors to Antigua. In the future, Antigua's policies towards Central Asian investors will not change. If there is any change, it will only be for the better. Although Chachai seems to be friendly to Central Asians, it is only because he hopes to get more money from the pockets of Central Asian investors. In the future, I promise that this situation will not happen again. For those Central Asian expatriates who have lived here for generations, I will push the parliament to repeal the Genis Act and give them the status of legal citizens of this state, and enjoy all the political rights of citizens of this state."
After a pause, Mayor Basong said, "I will also safeguard the interests of the Principality of Black Mountain Fort. Please rest assured on this point. In addition, I have also talked with Brigadier General Yuhase. The fact that the Central Continent Chamber of Commerce donates military funds to the Guards Brigade can become a local tradition."
Lu Ming also lit up the cigar and took a puff, his face expressionless, but in fact, Basong's promise was very touching.
From a political perspective, sometimes it takes the "enemy" coming to power to break the ice.
For example, the Bassong family has always been a representative family that excludes Central Asians. However, it is the Bassong family that really wants to promote the normalization of the status of local Central Asians and abolish the "Gness Act" that severely restricts the political rights of Central Asians. It is really the Bassong family that has the courage to propose and realize it.
Of course, the prerequisite is that the Basong family really wants to do this.
Not only that, Basong's current promise to the Central Continent Chamber of Commerce to continue to provide military funds for the Guards Brigade is tantamount to supporting the Central Continent people to become one of the political forces in Antigua.
Like other families and tribal groups, they can control an armed force, namely the Guards Brigade.
The commander and several commanders of the First Brigade of the Chachai family are under house arrest. The chief of staff Ahom seems to have defected to Basong. The entire brigade's barracks are now silent, all weapons have been taken away, and they are waiting to be reorganized.
Next, the power of the Chachai family will inevitably be thoroughly liquidated.
On this premise, the Central Asians were given preferential treatment and recognized as a formal political force in Antigua.
It is extremely beneficial to local stability, severing the relationship between the Central Continental people and the Chachai family, and making the action against the Chachai family smoother.
Moreover, the power of the Central Continent people is much easier to control than that of the Chatchai family. Even if the armed guards brigade under their control is composed entirely of Mitai officers and soldiers, they may go against the Central Continent people with a little instigation in the future.
Moreover, they are now facing a rebellion of the Northern Ferman tribes. After uniting all the forces they can and defeating the Northern Ferman people, the Basong family will inevitably become the true ruler of the Ferman Peninsula, and will have more advantages than any family that has ruled the Ferman Peninsula in history.
Under this premise, it is inevitable to paint a big picture for all parties.
It is hard to say what will happen when the Basong family becomes the only dominant family in the country.
Basong pondered and said, "In addition, I have prepared a new proposal for the parliament that is about to be reorganized. The state has forgotten too much about traditional culture, which is one of the important factors that make us increasingly out of touch with the outside modern society. Therefore, my proposal is to vigorously restore our traditional culture. We must not forget the Phaya family that once led us from the dark age to the era of revival. The Phaya family should have a seat in the parliament. From now on, the seat of the deputy speaker will always belong to the Phaya family. In this way, the Phaya family can supervise the operation of the parliament and matters of concern to the people from a perspective that transcends party and tribe. I am determined to put Antigua on a new path of development, so Mr. Phaya, don't question my sincerity."
Lu Ming looked at Basong's sincere face, and for a moment, he seemed to be moved by this powerful figure in Mitai.
It seems that he is indeed more than just a politician. From the perspective of the Mitai people, he might actually be an outstanding politician.
Of course, in troubled times, politicians who think they have lofty ideals are very likely to eventually become bloody dictators. This is the case in the chaotic land of Antigua. Without enough power in their hands, many things will be difficult to handle. And as they gain more and more power, it will be difficult to give it up. In order to maintain their power, they will engage in bloody struggles and killings.
Even if I had not lived two lives as a human being, and therefore had enough awe for everything in the world, and had my own unique innate sense of mission, it is unknown where I would end up.
"Mayor Basong, I will seriously consider your suggestion." Lu Ming smiled.
Basong nodded: "Okay, I look forward to your reply, and I won't disturb you dancing with the ladies!" He stood up with a smile, shook hands with Lu Ming, and then walked towards Baron Smith.
Lu Ming looked at his back and had a feeling that Baron Smith's suggestion to completely expel the Sonyans would be difficult to gain Basong's approval.
This guy Basong is really not a simple person.
As for Baron Smith, he was not actually from one of those aristocratic families with a long history in the imperial capital.
After the eldest prince ascended the throne, he promoted many officials and titles in the imperial capital. Smith became a baron after donating a large sum of money for military expenses, and served as a commissioner in the kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
His lover was a spy of the Military Intelligence Department in the Imperial Capital. The Military Intelligence Department had a lot of evidence against him, but he himself did not know the identity of his lover. Instead, he felt that his lover was also a victim in the incident of the bed photos with his lover. Fortunately, what the other party asked him to do was never excessive. For example, the expulsion of the Sonya people in Antigua was completely in line with the interests of the Imperial Capital. The other party also promised that after this matter, the photos and negatives would be returned to him.
In the imperial capital, there are many outstanding spies in the military intelligence department. Three of them are relatively successful because of their beauty. One is a socialite who specializes in making friends with high-ranking officials, but she has a very cold personality and has not had a boyfriend until now. However, the more this happens, the more she is sought after by the powerful people in the imperial capital.
There is also a male spy who is a horse trainer and loves dealing with women in the boudoir.
In addition, there is Baron Smith’s lover, who specifically targets a potential female spy who is relatively open-minded and a porn star.
Of course, the real urgent and important intelligence often does not rely on them. Their intelligence and activities in the imperial capital are a long-term benefit, and may come in handy at any time.
Lu Ming stood up and smiled at Audrey and Britney: "Let's go down and dance."