The new year is here, but this new year is not very pleasant. Whether it is the nobles who came to participate in the New Year's celebration, or the high-level personnel of the four Northland alliances, everyone was disturbed by the incident caused by His Majesty the King, and it was inevitable that there would be a lot of discussions in private. Even Lorist There is also a feeling of being overwhelmed. The reason is very simple. Both Earl Felim and Earl Shaheen were moved by the proposal of the Second Highness. For them, it is really a good idea to plunder wealth and manpower while the four central duchies are still in strength. suggestion...
At this moment, Lorist really hated the Second Highness so much that he gritted his teeth. This guy is simply a monster, cunning and insidious. A few years ago, I was slapped in the face by myself, and suffered a big loss in the oath. Unexpectedly, after three years of holding back, a great swordsman came out, and he returned his army with a backhand. Attacking the four central duchies was just a bait. As soon as it was thrown out, it attracted everyone's attention and made people in the sphere of influence of the four northern alliances fluctuate. Then he ran to the territory of the Feisabrun family.
If only those territorial nobles under the jurisdiction of the Norton family were going to attack the four principalities in the middle, then Lorist would not bother to care about their lives. As long as the four northern families do not move, the northeast region will be as stable as Mount Tai, regardless of the victory ahead. No matter how much they fail, they cannot shake the dominance of the Norton family. But the problem is that Earl Felim and Earl Shaheen were both aroused by the Second Highness. If the two of them sent troops, would the Norton family's armed forces stay aside and watch the fun? Where will the covenant of the four northern alliances end
It's not that Lorist has never thought about the idea of the four central duchies, it's just that it will take two or three years before his plan can be implemented. For the Norton family, the most dangerous enemy is the Feisabrun family. There have been countless cases of being bitten by snakes without killing them. Although the Feisabrun family has now admitted defeat, it is far from the end of the mountain. Only after another two or three years, after using economic means and military pressure to force the Feisabrun family to surrender completely, will Lorist turn his attention to the four central duchies.
But now Lorist finds that his allies don't agree with this point of view. Just like Earl Felim said, the Feisabrun family is like a wounded monster, and it will be in its lair for the next two or three years. ****The wound is recuperating in anticipation of restoring strength. Because of this, our four Northland alliances cannot rest on our laurels and wait for the two sides to confront each other again in two or three years. We should take advantage of this opportunity to increase our strength, and is there any more suitable target for plunder than the four principalities in the middle of the country where we have wiped out 60,000 to 70,000 elite troops
Earl Shaheen also believes that looting is the best way for nobles to strengthen their own strength. Whether it is looting property or manpower, it can weaken the enemy's strength and reduce the intensity of resistance. The four central principalities have already fought a battle with our four northern alliances for the Feisabrun family, and they obviously regard us as enemies. And in the southern offensive and defensive battle more than a year ago, we wiped out 60,000 to 70,000 of their elites, and their strength has not yet recovered. Even if they recruited new people, their combat effectiveness is very weak. We should take this opportunity to launch an offensive. It's not to give them time to recover their strength, even if the Second Highness doesn't take the lead this time, our four northern alliances will still have to fight this war.
Earl Felim did it because of the lack of manpower in the family territory, while Earl Shaheen simply wanted to rob and make a fortune. As for the Duke of Kenmes, it doesn't matter if you send troops or not, but considering that attacking the four central duchies is to open up trade routes for the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce, if you don't attack, the trade routes of the four central duchies are closed to the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce, so He also changed his decision, willing to advance and retreat together, and jointly send troops to attack the four central principalities.
Lorist smiled wryly. Since the United Commercial Alliance defeated the Second Highness, the Four Principalities of the Central Region have also destroyed the Principality of Melain, monopolizing eleven of the twenty-nine provinces in the territory of the former Christen Empire, with a total population of nearly five. Six million. Regardless of geographical location or climate, these eleven provinces are the quintessence of the former Krissen Empire. Agriculture, commerce, and handicraft industries are very prosperous. Even after the war, the four principalities in the central part have not yet reached the point where their vitality has been seriously injured. , the strength should not be underestimated. What's more, the four principalities are connected with each other and rely on each other. No matter which principality is attacked, it will attract a strong counterattack from the other three principalities.
At that time, the eldest prince was greedy for the prosperity and wealth of the four principalities in the central region. After establishing the Kingdom of Ridleys, he commanded an army of 300,000 to attack the four principalities in the central region. The resistance lasted for three years, and not only drove the Grand Prince's army out of the country, but also counterattacked to the Kingdom of Ridleys, finally forcing the Grand Prince to surrender and sign an armistice agreement. It is easy to start a war, but it is not up to one's own will to end it. What Lorist is most worried about is being dragged into the war quagmire of the four principalities in the middle. Not only will it be of no benefit to the family, but it will affect the strength of the four northern alliances, and even make the Duke of Fesabrun The old fox found a chance to fight back, and such a result was unacceptable to Lorist.
This is why Lorist upholds the attitude that no movement is worse than stillness. The bread needs to be eaten bit by bit, and the road needs to be walked step by step. Before the Fisabrun family is completely defeated, Lorist is not going to take action against the four principalities in the middle. But at present, three of the four northern alliances have expressed their desire to launch an attack on the four principalities in the central region. This puts Lorist in a dilemma. If he supports it, he will disrupt his planned steps. If he does not support it, the alliance may break down. Even if it can be maintained, it will no longer be as united as it is now, and cooperate with each other tacitly.
At this moment, Lorist suddenly understood the real reason why the Second Highness did not visit the Northland. If he went to the Northland, he must first convince Lorist to agree to launch a war against the four central duchies, and if Lorist objected, he would do so Allies, Earl Felim and Earl Shaheen will firmly support Lorist's point of view even if they have other opinions. If all the four alliances of the Northern Lands opposed it, it would be a farce for His Highness the Second Highness to call on the nobles of the territories to attack the four duchies in the middle, and His Majesty the King would become a buffoon in a joke.
The Duke of Kenmes was very smart, he avoided seeing him and escaped to express his opinion in person. However, Earl Shaheen and Earl Felim were moved by the Second Highness. The Second Highness's calculation is very shrewd. He dug a big hole for Lorist without meeting Lorist at all. Jumping in is up to you. Although jumping in can avoid the split of the alliance, it will force the Norton family to go to war. A war he didn't want to fight. If you don't jump, it will inevitably create a gap between the allies. Once the four northern alliances split, the happiest thing will be him, His Majesty the king...
It’s just that the four duchies in the central region are not as easy to deal with as they imagined. Don’t look at the last big showdown in the southern province’s offensive and defensive battle that wiped out the 60,000 to 70,000 elite infantry sent to support the Fesabrun family, but it was a field battle, and my family What's more, it took advantage of the arms and weapons and equipment, and won a big victory by catching them by surprise. However, if they invaded the territory of the four central duchies, the enemy could completely defend the castle fortresses. Even if they relied on catapults for long-range attacks, they would still need to pay a certain price of casualties to occupy these places.
But Fatty Shi was much more straightforward than Lorist. He said, "Your Highness, we have to fight this war. Not only must we fight, but we must also make special efforts to help Earl Felim and Earl Shaheen achieve their wishes."
"Why?" Lorist was very reluctant to fight this war, and had been looking for excuses not to attack the four principalities in the middle: "For our Norton family, this war is of no benefit. Count Felim, Earl Shaheen wants money, and Duke Kenmes wants to expand business routes. And even if we occupy the land, it does not belong to our family territory. From now on, these places will be under the jurisdiction of the Second Highness. You say, fight this What good does war do to our family?"
Fatty Shi laughed: "Your Highness, of course there are benefits, but they are not so obvious. First of all, if we agree, Earl Felim and Earl Shaheen will be more grateful to you, Your Highness, and the alliance of the four Northern Lands will be stronger. Secondly, Didn’t Earl Shaheen say that he wanted to change his location and find a province with more mines as his family’s territory. In that case, the two small silver mines and one copper mine in the Hindelson Mountain Range in Dremke Province would be It will belong to our Norton family, the current territory of the Shaheen family will also be taken back, and the whole Dremke province will belong to our Norton family.
Third, Earl Felim needs people, and Earl Shaheen needs money, but our family also needs manpower and wealth. There are currently only 1.67 million people in the Northland, and according to our family's development plan, only when there are 3 million people in the Northland can the economic development of the entire Northland go further, so we need at least double the human resources . Attacking the four principalities in the middle and plundering their manpower and wealth is the best source of supplement for the Northland. Looking around the Northland, the Principality of Madras and the Kingdom of Iberia have both perished, so the four central principalities are our only looting targets. "
Fatty Shi's suggestion was very reasonable. It took Loristes several days to make up his mind to send troops to attack the four central duchies after the spring plowing in May this year. The field battle is worry-free, the main thing is to avoid the heavily guarded fortress castles of the four principalities in the central region, sweep and plunder the manpower and wealth of the four principalities in the central region, and avoid causing major damage to the family's armed forces. Just last year, the family reorganized and expanded the four guard regiments, which can be dispatched to carry out rounds of battles, which has achieved the purpose of using battles instead of training.
Time passed quickly, and on April 17th, a news came that shocked everyone.
The Second Highness led a dozen or so riders to the Huju Castle in Donghuang Province, the territory of the Feisabrun family. After sincere repentance and discussion, His Royal Highness forgave the Feisabrun family for supporting the second prince to establish the Iberian Kingdom during the seven-year civil war between the three kings of the empire. The Grand Duke of Feisabrun announced that the family belonged to the former Christen royal family orthodox inheritance of the territory of the Antinac Kingdom. He expressed his willingness to sacrifice his blood for the unification of the former empire under the command of the Second Highness, and contribute to the development of the Feisabrun family. full force...
The Grand Duke Fesabrunn was not just talking about it, he immediately took practical actions, donating horseshoe gold worth one million gold fords to the Second Highness for military expenses, and at the same time donating 30,000 good horses To serve as a spare mount for the light cavalry regiment that His Royal Highness is about to form...
It is not surprising that the Feisabrun family donated money and horses to His Highness the Second Highness, and it is expected that they would pay these prices for surrender. What was surprising was the response of His Royal Highness. He announced that he had a very happy time in Huju Castle, and then fell in love at first sight with Miss Sissy, the granddaughter of Grand Duke Feisabrun, and they fell in love at first sight. After obtaining the consent of Grand Duke Fessabrun, His Royal Highness successfully proposed to Miss Sissy, and the two have married under the auspices of Grand Duke Fessabrun. This means that the Kingdom of Antinac has an official queen...
"This, isn't this a copy of the second prince?" Fatty Shi scratched the back of his head and sighed to Lorist.
The second prince went to the territory of the Fesabrun family to seek the support of the Grand Duke of Fesabrun, and then the Grand Duke married his profligate second daughter to him, backed by the border rangers of the Fesabrun family. The second prince established the Kingdom of Iberia. As Fatty Shi said, the Second Highness went to the Fisabrun family territory and found himself a wife.
"Hehe." Lorist sneered, he was the one who was most upset to hear the news of His Highness's marriage. His cousin Chrisya has followed him loyally for nearly twenty years, and she broke up when she said she would break up. Only such a cold-blooded and hard-hearted Second Highness would believe that he married because of love: "It is obvious, the Grand Duke of Fesabrun I was surprised that the old fox declared his allegiance to the Second Highness so straightforwardly, so there is such a trick. I can only say that the women of the Feisabrun family are lucky, and all of them are qualified to be queens... "
"Your Highness, Princess Sylvia has followed you, she has not become a queen." Fatty Shi reminded.
Lorist suddenly came to his senses, and thought in his heart that if Princess Sylvia had not been sent by Grand Duke Fessabrun, then Princess Sylvia might be the one who fell in love at first sight when the Second Highness went to the Fessabrun family this time. . As soon as the news spread, I must have been furious. Maybe I would rise up and grab my wife with the Second Highness when I was angry, and then the entire Antinac kingdom would be involved in this vortex, and the sky would be darkened. Whoever is a man can't bear it. Fortunately, Princess Sylvia was sent to him... Lorist was overjoyed.
Another seven days later, an urgent message from Bodfinger of the Rock Legion came before Lorist.
His Royal Highness, together with Queen Sissi and a light cavalry regiment of 10,000 people, came to the border to request entry. It is said that this light cavalry regiment is the dowry escort of Queen Sissi. At the same time, Grand Duke Fesabrun and Great Swordsman Sandy led a regiment of border rangers to accompany the Second Highness and the others. It is said that they will go to the imperial capital together... In addition, Great Swordsman Sandy hopes to obtain permission to go to the family territory to visit Xi Princess Livia, send belated greetings...
Lorist's face was gloomy, but what he was thinking about was the old fellow, Grand Duke Fessabrun, that your Sissy's granddaughter married the Second Highness, and you sent a 10,000-man army as a dowry. Sylvia is also your granddaughter, if you marry me you will give me three carts of old household items, this is slapping me in the face! Look down on me, don't you
"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Fatty Shi yelled several times before Lorist came back to his senses.
"What's wrong?" Lorist asked.
"How to deal with this matter? Let the Second Highness and the others enter the country?" Fatty Shi pointed to the Xinying message on the table.
"Let them enter the country. I don't believe that old fellow Fesabrun would dare to act rashly. In addition, I ordered Tiger Ross to lead the Flying Tiger Legion to set off and go to meet and escort them first. I will take the guard battalion to Windbury King City to wait for them. Arrival. Also, send a letter to the Duke of Kenmes, Earl Felim and Earl Shaheen, asking them to meet me in Windbury King City. Anyway, we need to discuss the attack plan, and we will settle it together." Lorist did Decide.
"Yes, Your Highness." Fatty Shi said.
…