The engagement ceremony, held in the All Saints' Palace, was simple yet grand. It was simple because the only guests watching the ceremony were Prime Minister Ashikaga and Consul General Du Cunzhao, and it was grand because there were still many formalities. The fairy music and the performance of the Qing'e musicians were truly an indescribable wonderful feast for the ears.
At the end of the ceremony, according to Zhongzhou customs, Lu Ming presented the betrothal gift list to the bride-to-be’s family, the Queen Mother of Qianqiu Temple.
However, this should be the last time that Empress Senakiji appears on the political stage in Japan. In the evening, she will board a special plane to Shengjing.
Prime Minister Ashikaga and Consul General Du Cunzhao were both feeling a little dizzy. It seemed as if His Royal Highness the Prince of Montenegro was getting engaged to the Queen, and that the Prince's closest entourage and ceremonial guards were all there.
Borrowing the identity of the so-called younger brother
However, the prince's private life has always been shrouded in mystery and cannot be asked or discussed.
In the living room, Yuezhao, wearing a gorgeous pearl red kimono, led the way and introduced Lu Ming to the bedroom prepared for his marriage.
In fact, the layout of the living hall is the same as that of the living room of Japanese nobles. The left and right grille doors of the hall open to the tatami bedroom. The hall is also a place for dining, chatting and even receiving close subordinates.
This living hall is more spacious than the living rooms of ordinary nobles, but it is mainly because the "hall" is larger. As for the two bedrooms on the left and right, they are slightly wider. After all, if the place where humans sleep is too big, they will lose their sense of security. Therefore, even the real bedrooms of ancient emperors are often not very big.
Pulling open the east grille door, Yuezhao said softly: "It's a little simple, please don't blame me, I'm in the West Residence, you can go to the West Residence when the time comes, or you can summon me here... " She lowered her head slightly, and a blush rose on her pretty face.
Lu Ming smiled, finally acting like a normal woman, but she didn't know if she was pretending, she nodded and said, "Not bad." Suddenly, she felt something in her heart and said, "You were frightened recently, and then you got engaged to me. I think you must be exhausted. You should take good care of yourself. We'll see you after the New Year!"
Yue Zhao said nothing more, and bowed down, "My husband, I wish you good health!"
…
Lu Ming opened his eyes. The room was dim and he was lying on a Western-style bed curtain.
He stood up and opened the door. Hong Ling Qi Shi Er was outside. He bowed and respectfully handed him a letter.
This is a small courtyard located in the Star City in the Western Region. Lu Ming, as Lieutenant Colonel Bit, has been sleeping here.
The letter was from Candice and was sent to the secret mailbox agreed upon by the two of them. She also published an advertisement in the newspaper with a code word to notify Hong Ling Qi Er, who had been here and bought the "Western Region Times" every day. Only then did she go to pick up the secret letter.
Unfolding the letter, Lu Ming was slightly startled.
But Candice said that Vice Admiral Dönitz was looking for you and wanted to re-employ you.
Lieutenant General? Lu Ming was greatly surprised. He read on and found out that Dönitz had been appointed as the chief of the First Control Western Region Headquarters and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.
In fact, Dönitz is now the real ruler of the Western Regions. The native governor of the Western Regions Autonomous State is worse than a puppet and is basically just a decoration.
It is obvious that Dönitz came to power because of the explosion in the White Tower, which destroyed all biological weapons and biological troops, and dealt a heavy blow to the "charlatan" faction. Dönitz's faction made a comeback and won a great victory in the recent political struggle.
In Candice's letter, she told her to rest assured, saying that in the final investigation report on the White Tower Tragedy, Denitz criticized and lashed out at the chaos caused by the "charlatans" who changed their orders every day, and highly praised the "Ai Lu Village" and "Ai Lu Volunteer" models that she had worked diligently to create.
Naturally, I don't have to take the blame.
Candice asked him to call her after receiving the letter, or go directly to Nicolo City. She is now the head of the Intelligence Department of the First Control Western Region Headquarters.
Looking at the letter, Lu Ming hesitated for a moment.
He paced back and forth in deep thought, and finally said to Hong Ling Qi Er: "Call the three of them and prepare to go to Nicolo."
Jinzhi Shimi, Sutiluo and Shivanu were also brought here to live in seclusion. This was because Lu Ming had a backup plan. In case he needed to act in the identity of Bit, these three "partners" would be indispensable.
However, I didn't expect that Bit would come out so soon.
I originally wanted to be busy before and during the New Year, and after the New Year, marry Yuezhao and become the regent, and focus my main energy on straightening out relations with Japan.
If Bit were to make a comeback now, this period would be too chaotic.
But the opportunity is rare, and it is to enter the headquarters of the First Control in the Western Region. After weighing the pros and cons, I still feel that I must seize this opportunity.
A fierce battle with the Sonyans in the Western Regions is inevitable, and there may even be preparations for a campaign-level war.
To a certain extent, this brutal battle in the Western Regions will even determine the fate and rise and fall of the principality.
I have also been thinking about various ways to break the impasse. Obviously, it would be a great benefit if I could enter the core power circle of the Sonyans who rule the Western Regions.
…
The last time I left Nicolo City was more than a year ago.
The headquarters of the First Control in the Western Regions was originally the palace of King Nile, but it has been transformed to look more and more like a Sonya-style building.
In a lounge with snow-white Western sofas and coffee tables, Lu Ming met Merkel again.
During this time, he still did general affairs and logistical work, but he served as a deputy, the first deputy director of the General Affairs Department of the First Control Western Region Headquarters.
"My good brother!" Merkel gave Lu Ming a big hug as soon as they met.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Merkel, you are going to be promoted again, right?"
Merkel shook his head repeatedly and said with a smile, "It's different now... But you were promoted this time, and the general recognizes your ability." He lowered his voice and said, "The general specifically told me to remind you that our competition with the Montenegrins in the Western Region is about to enter a white-hot stage. From now on, we must proceed from the overall situation. The entire Western Region is in our hands. We can't mess around and must focus on national affairs."
Lu Ming smiled: "Yes."
Seeing that he didn't take it seriously, Merkel wanted to give him some advice, but after thinking it over she gave up.
This guy's military rank will soon surpass his own. In the general's eyes, he is a talent and a capable person, so he keeps looking for him.
As for me, the general did not let me take charge of the general logistics, naturally he was worried about me.
Putting myself in the general affairs department just acts as an eyelid to keep an eye on them and prevent them from doing anything wrong.
The general's status is getting higher and higher, the pattern is different, and his ideas are also different from before.
The ones who are favored are so-called capable people like Bit.
Merkel gritted her teeth, feeling a little uncomfortable.
The door was suddenly pushed open by the guards, and Dönitz, dressed in military uniform, stepped in.
"Haha, sit down, sit down. I feel relieved to see that you are safe!" Denitz gestured and looked at Lu Ming with a very easy-going expression.
Sitting on the sofa, Denitz looked at Lu Ming and said, "I told you on the phone that you have to catch up with the security guards in the future. In a few days, we will have a military rank awarding ceremony, and your commission will be officially issued then. I have high hopes for you, so don't let me down!" As he spoke, Denitz patted Lu Ming on the shoulder.
"Yes!" Lu Ming stood up and saluted.
Denitz nodded with satisfaction: "I need to take care of some things, you should have a good rest these few days!"
After standing up, Denitz patted Lu Ming on the shoulder again before turning and leaving.
Lu Ming saw Merkel's unnatural expression flash by and said with a smile: "Let's go for a drink tonight. It's been a long time since we last met. I miss you a lot!"
Merkel nodded: "Okay."
…
A few days later, Lu Ming was awarded the rank of colonel in the Sonia Kingdom Army and appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Western Region Guard Corps.
In Dönitz's conception, the Guard Corps would actually be built into a puppet army or vassal army that could truly cooperate with Sonya's Corps in combat and have a certain level of combat effectiveness.
As for the security forces of the nominally autonomous state, they were originally a motley crowd and were not directly led by the Sonya military. Dönitz had already demanded a substantial reduction in their personnel, with the capable ones being incorporated into the Police Corps.
The total strength of the Guard Corps and its major regional detachments will reach approximately 30,000 people.
In addition, a Sonya Infantry Regiment will be allocated to the Corps directly under the command and reorganized into the Military Police Regiment of the Guard Corps.
Lu Ming will also serve as the head of the gendarmerie corps.
Armed trains built by the Sonya people will also be delivered soon to be equipped to the gendarmerie regiment of the Guard Corps.
In fact, considering the size of the Police Corps, the commander-in-chief Lu Ming should at least be a brigadier general, or even a major general.
For example, the acting chief before Lu Ming came was a brigadier general, but "Bit" did not have a deep background and was promoted too quickly by chance. Even though the Sonyans are now preparing for a war with West Black Mountain Fort and there are many exceptional things happening, "Bit"'s current promotion speed is already the limit.
Dönitz was extremely dissatisfied with the progress of the previous chief in preparing the Guard Corps, so he remembered "Bit", the founder of the guard model, and reactivated it.
But the military rank can only be like this for now. In fact, there was already a brigadier general as Lu Ming's deputy, but Dönitz transferred him away so that Lu Ming could establish his prestige as soon as possible. As for the rank of Lu Ming's deputy and the next-level officer, colonel is the standard, including the chief of staff and logistics minister of the Guard Corps, all of whom have the rank of colonel. The captains of each team are either colonels or lieutenant colonels.
Basically, all the officers at the colonel level were transferred from Sonya to serve as the chief officers at all levels of this vassal army.