Realm of Power

The Imperial Marshal Marcos, who was not the Imperial Minister of Affairs, was only holding a document signed by the emperor of the small empire in his hand. He stood in front of the window with a solemn expression and looked at the border of the land in the distance as black as the Black River. Mr. Li Ming It is a heavy feeling that is difficult to describe, but only when you are really there, you know that it is not heavy, but the sight blurred by blood, the noise of the people and horses on the opposite side, and the breath of the gathered army blowing towards your face.

But our side is completely silent. This unusual gap is itself a problem.

The loss of the battle on the southern coast, the failure of the counterattack against Pu Tao, the failure of the Great Lakes Campaign, the complete withdrawal of the allied forces, the empire in decline, unknowingly lost another 200,000 troops in the war, the empire's finances were completely bottomed out, and the people were in dire straits. Desolation, famine, hunger, and plague tortured the people of the empire, and the domestic economy completely collapsed. A large number of nobles and merchants chose to flee and seek refuge in the occupation. The Istani people who killed millions of people in the north of Congo may seem a little groveling, but everyone knows that the Istani people will never really occupy this land. It is too far away from the mainland of the Istani Empire, and There is a fierce conflict between the culture of Istanbul and the Barrow countries in Central Europe. It is very uneconomical in terms of cost control and the pressure that needs to be faced.

Unsurprisingly, the Istani people will choose to evacuate after receiving a symbolic suzerain status and a series of generous compensations. Gangfei is still the owner of this land, and may even regain the lost north, but the news leaked , so that this The plan was completely disillusioned. The Falcon Emperor would not sit back and watch the fat meat that had already arrived in his mouth be snatched away by the Istani people who were sitting on the sidelines. The Falcon Empire's iron hoof was 80% sure before the Istani army went south. Trampling the entire Gangfei court into pieces,

And the news from the Istani people also shows that it is not so smooth to join the Istani Empire.

The Istan Empire has shown two attitudes on whether to accept Gangfei. On the one hand, the military generals believe that for the sake of Gangfei, not even a province may be left in the end. It would be unwise to start a war with the Falcon Empire, which has millions of mercenaries as stocky as the giant bears in the north.

The military base is based on the fact that the 300,000-strong army of the Istanbul Empire currently occupies the north, which seems to be strong and strong, frightening the entire Central European Baron and making other countries dare not make any changes.

But in fact, they are still under the attack of the two main armies of the Falcon Empire. The Falcon Empire’s 200,000 troops in the southwest region and the Falcon Empire’s total military strength in the Putao area are close to 500,000, which has completely surpassed Istan’s military strength. Just thirty troops deployed in the north,

Once a battle begins with such a heavy troop group, 300,000 Istanbul troops will face being attacked from both the front and the rear. The Falcon Empire is not a weak and incompetent Gangfei. The strength of this northern giant bear is enough to make the entire Central European Barrow tremble, not to mention that the other party also occupies control of the entire Gangfei outer sea.

"No matter how you look at it, the initiative in the war lies with the Falcon Empire.

"Istan has captured enough wealth in northern Congo, which can at least allow the Istan Empire to have sufficient military expenditures within ten years and worry-free conquests. Now it only needs to consider a safe retreat. Rather than hastily starting a war with a more powerful opponent to consume Strength "The views of the generals represent the current mainstream thinking of the Istanbul Army. They are Istani people, the customs and habits here are not suitable for them, and they have been away from their homeland for more than half a year. Fighting is not only for honor and loyalty to the master, but also for grabbing wealth, even if the whole body is covered with priceless jewelry. It is meaningless in the almost ruined north of Congo. Only when they return to Istanland can all their so-called self-fighting be reflected. Glory, wealth, a hero's welcome

The one who showed concern about accepting the surrender of the Gangfei Empire was Crown Prince Thoradin Kasa of the Istan Empire. This young crown prince had already coveted the honorary crown of Emperor Gangfei for a long time. As for how much he could get from Gangfei Land and population are secondary.

What the Crown Prince cares about in the future is whether the Istan Empire under his rule can become the first great empire in the Barrow region of Central Europe to hold the title of two emperors at the same time, the emperor of the United Empire of Istan and Congo. This not only represents Istan The empire's territory extended extremely westward by one-third, but as Like the powerful Feiya Empire thousands of years ago, the first empire that truly extended its territory from the shore of the outer sea to the end of the inland sea. This was once the highest dream of countless kings. Now it was extremely real in front of him. If he showed If he hesitates, he may even look down on himself.

The one with an unclear attitude is the emperor of Istanbul. The head of the Istanbul Empire appreciates his son's ambition, but also affirms the military's opinion. However, his ambiguous attitude actually says it all.

The military did not receive an order to mobilize troops, and the crown prince still said that he was trying to convince the emperor. The sword of the Falcon Emperor was less than 200 miles away from Bethuca, the heart of Gangfei. The clear form was that even a three-year-old child could do it. See clearly, the Istan people showed no signs of deploying troops for rescue, which was to show that they would not go to war with the Falcon Empire for the sake of justice. For the talented and ambitious Emperor Istan, the life and death of his 300,000 troops were more important than a blurred emperor's title. Giving this imperial crown to the Falcon Empire could at least express Istan's respect for the Falcon Empire. , wearing this imperial crown on his head, he will face the siege of hundreds of thousands of Falcon Empire troops, and the balance of this crown has already been tilted

The stars dim and dawn is approaching

"Sir, all the generals have arrived!" Marcos' adjutant opened the door from outside the office with a pale face.

No one can face the upcoming decision with a calm mind, surrendering the entire army, and surrendering to the enemy who destroyed the empire. Such a word should not appear in the dictionary of soldiers, and I don’t know where the Falcon Empire knew it in advance. After discovering that the Confederate Empire had the intention to surrender to the Istani people, the situation suddenly became no choice.

This time, the military god emperor on the opposite side was obviously furious. According to intelligence, the Falcon Emperor's troops on the opposite side increased to 110,000, and the Falcon Empire's most powerful Central Army cavalry unit also reached 110,000. More than 30,000 people are enough to break through the defense line, and an unknown number of thunder gods are still there. The front line was set. The other party mentioned in the diplomatic statement that if they did not receive a reply within two days, they would immediately launch a large-scale invasion war and directly destroy Gang Fei. This was not an empty threat. The military god emperor was like He is an extremely skilled chess player, making every move impeccably.

Under his long sword is a brutal and efficient imperial army. Less than 200 miles away from Bethuca, the heart of the empire, the Falcon Empire's army has formed from three directions: the Great Lakes, Baluta, and the border. Regarding the current encirclement of the core area of ​​​​Gangfei, once this large net full of spikes shrinks, more than 300,000 Falcon Emperor troops can launch a fatal blow to the Gangfei Empire at any time. The war will reach this point. The adjutant also had to admit it. The words of the military god emperor were correct. The Gangfei Empire was only a hair away from being destroyed. Now it all depended on his mood. From the moment he received the document in his hand, Lord Marcos knew that the Gangfei Empire had the last chance to save itself. The opportunity is fading away. This war, which has lasted on and off for several years, has come to an end.

Dawn is approaching, but colder. Billions of stars shine with billions of rays of light. The deep space is shrouded in deep darkness, and the light looks so weak!

The adjutant looked at the thinning shoulders of the old man in front of him and felt a slight pain in his heart, in order to avoid confusion. He had already sent people in advance to spread the news of surrender to the Falcon Empire. Every general and every soldier already knew this decision, so everyone seemed particularly quiet and heavy tonight,

The patrolling cavalry sat absentmindedly and silently on their horses. The sentry stood upright, no matter whether anyone saw it or not, after tonight, more than half of the soldiers here will be disbanded. Marcos stood here to accompany these people like him through this sleepless night. What happened to the more than 100,000 Congolese border guards? Kingdom structure... "Let's go, let's go meet "Meeting room!" Marcos took a deep breath and seemed to have made up his mind. He glanced at a trace of fish-white in the distance, turned from the window, and strode towards the door. After this dawn, everything would be new. At the beginning, the future is still unknown, but everything is possible in the future

Early June in the northern region of Congo is the most beautiful season of the year. The wheat grass is green, and under the majestic white peaks, large tracts of dense emerald forest are like golden turquoise flowers. Large tracts extend along the towering mountains into the distance. In the Frisna Palace, the summer residence of the Emperor of Confederation, close to next to beautiful A lake, a tranquil turquoise lake, with bright spring sunshine shining through the gap between the trees leading to the island in the center of the lake. In the morning, the water vapor rising from the lake shrouded the outline of the palace in hazy smoke, making it look like a fairyland on earth. .

Frisna Lake is the most famous hot spring lake in northern Congo. At this season of the year, it is an area where nobles gather. Although it is indeed a bit remote and desolate, the air here is also very fresh, and the morning air penetrates Everyone's heart brings comfort to the day. Just open the second-story window of the lakeside villa and you can see the palace on the island in the middle of the lake.

early morning. Before the sun came up, Emperor Thoradin I of Istan sent people to convene a meeting with his ministers. This emperor, who is known as the most capable monarch in the history of Istanbul, at dawn, sent the military generals Marquis of Apala, Marquis of Feifu, and the other generals who were accompanying the army at dawn, as well as those who had shined in the northern battle. Hayela, the governor of the Eastern Province, and others were pulled from their sweet dreams into the cruel reality. The content of today's four-person military meeting was very simple, which was to discuss the withdrawal of troops from northern Congo.

The thin and majestic Emperor Thoradin I sat upright, with a military demeanor when sitting or lying down. He had blue-grey curly hair, and he looked like a majestic southern Obarro tiger when sitting on his seat, so although there were several The important ministers could hardly open their eyes, but they did not dare to show any slightness in front of this monarch.

A large Obaro map hangs on the wall of the conference room. The large dark blue area above was once under the control of the Gauls, but it is now fragmented. It is said that under the strong squeeze of the Falcon Emperor, the Gauls We can only rely on the mountains in the east to still resist,

There is a large group of fragmented red in the north-central part, which is the Gangfei Empire that has surrendered to the Falcon Empire, as well as green and purple representing other Barrow countries in Central Europe, making the area near the east side look like a beaten mass. The canvas of turned paint, representing the blue of the Istan Empire, has infected a large area near the eastern mountains

Hayela, the Eastern Governor of the Empire, was pointing at the map on the wall with great respect and said

"My great Majesty, according to the news from the country, due to the sharp decline in the empire's local military strength, the Aero people in the south are ready to move. Their two main legions, totaling 210,000 people, are already in the southern part of the empire. Gathering at the border. Claiming to take back the Holy Land of Jerusalem that was lost last year, and to repay blood with blood, killing all the Istanis in the Holy Land of Jerusalem."

"The Ero people only talk big words. Our two legions are also on the border, and their strength is no less than theirs! If they really dare to come, I believe they will be beaten to pieces!" Military General Apala The Marquis' eyes scanned the dividing line on the map with great experience. He curled his lips disdainfully and said contemptuously, "The pervert Randolph the Vulture should be responsible for resisting the Elo people. That guy likes to stick prisoners at the dividing line with sharpened sticks! There are 210,000 Elo people. It can be discharged at least ten miles away!"

"I heard that the Feshan people promised to provide naval assistance to the Ero people this time. In other words, the other party will not take the land route!" Hayela, the governor of the East, rolled his eyes.

"Didn't you already order large-scale shipbuilding?" Thoradin I snorted in a heavy tone.

The obese Governor of the East trembled slightly and quickly replied, "Since our army occupied the Varunian region, the domestic timber shortage has been effectively alleviated. In order to implement His Majesty's naval strategy, my Eastern Province's One hundred and twenty shipyards are operating at full capacity, according to According to the most conservative statistics, we can now build five to seven sail warships every month, but this number is obviously not enough compared to the naval strength that the Feishan people have maintained for decades. Will there be a naval force to compete with it next year? Is this next year? Is it the so-called full speed? I gave you 10 million funds, not for you to squander it like this." Emperor Thoradin I raised his eyebrows and tapped his fingers heavily on the table. "In the past, I was very interested in the navy. It doesn’t matter. But this time the war between the Falcon Empire and the Gang Fei people, I don’t care. I understand that naval power is also a factor that determines the rise and fall of an empire. If we had as strong a force as the Falcon Empire Navy, the Feishan Kingdom would have been destroyed by me seven or eight times, instead of being like this! Fight all the way along the land defense line with the blood of the Empire’s warriors!”

"Your Majesty is right, but the navy is really not the army. Our country has never paid attention to the navy. How easy is it to build a fleet? Let’s not talk about the recruitment and training of personnel for now. This is the most systematic project and the foundation of the navy. , I’m not anxious. It’s not enough to just have a naval warship without sailors. We are all laymen in terms of naval training. My subordinate has something to say, I don’t know if I can say it! "Ha Yela’s face was full of hesitation,

"Tell me about it?"

Thoradin I raised his hand to him. The navy has always been the shortcoming of the Istan people. Although the Istan Empire has a long coastline, most of the terrain is dry desert areas, and the limitations of tree resources make the Istan people automatically ignore it. The naval construction required a large amount of timber to support,

This time, the Falcon Empire's naval strength also impressed Emperor Thoradin.

The Falcon Empire spent so much effort and almost wiped out the entire Gangfei just to open up the trade routes in the inland sea. However, the Istan Empire guarded the thousands of miles of inland sea coast but did not even have a fleet. This gap is too big! Who said that the sea area is not the territory of the empire! The talented Emperor Thoradin looked at the sea area under his control and was shocked to find that if he had a navy, the territory of the empire could be expanded at least twice. Even the capital of the old enemy Feishans is right on the seaside. !

"When it comes to people who are familiar with naval training, if His Majesty is really so eager, I have a candidate!" Hayela's small eyes sparkled,

"Are you talking about Risabaqi?" Emperor Thoradin I of Istan's eyes lit up, "Oh, why didn't I think of that!" "Yes." Hayera nodded solemnly. He is the Eastern Governor of the Istan Empire. In fact, the so-called Eastern Province is the strait area where the Istan Empire and the Feishan Kingdom meet. Half of it is in the hands of the Istan Empire and the other half. In the hands of Fei Shan,

A few years ago, the emperor of the Istan Empire assembled 300,000 troops to resist the support from Feishan and forcibly besieged the eastern governor of the Feshan Kingdom for three months. The eastern governor was depleted of troops and food and had no choice but to surrender. The Stan Empire finally took over the entire eastern province in one fell swoop. The Feishan Kingdom lost most of its naval dockyards due to this heavy damage. The navy suffered heavy losses and had to look south for a new outlet to the sea where it could build ships.

The Eastern Governor of Feishan who surrendered was Risha Baqi. "Risa Baqi was the former governor of the eastern province of the Feshan Kingdom and the commander-in-chief of the Feishan Eastern Fleet. If His Majesty entrusts him with the task of supervising the construction of the navy, , should be able to get twice the result with half the effort!” Hayela said, “And Risa Baqi knows the combat style of Feishan Kingdom’s navy very well. This is not God’s plan to destroy Feishan!” (To be continued...)