Realm of Power

The sky and the earth are vast, and the wind and rain in June are sweeping across the entire eastern part of the Oubaluo continent. The scene that fills the sky and the earth in front of you is countless moistening white rain lines. The rain lines hit the wooden roof of the carriage, and the towers are like broken wires. The beads fell on the hearts of the people in the car. A group of Istan Empire light cavalry wearing silver-rimmed armor escorted a carriage and slowly drove into the iron gate.

The horses' hooves rumbled into the rainy ground, splashing white water. On the steps of the building, more than a dozen generals from the Istan Empire stood on the steps. They saw the carriages entering the gate in the distance and the emperor's guards. The red and black trimmed cloaks trembled in the wind. The generals glanced at each other subconsciously, feeling bitter in their hearts. If it was a month ago, Kyoto would not have dared to do this, but now the situation is completely different.

Kyoto secretly signed a secret agreement with the six southern countries, ceding six provinces and regions in exchange for the six countries sending troops to Istanbul. Kyoto, which was originally weak in military strength, suddenly received the support of nearly 100,000 six-nation coalition forces, and had just defeated the Eastern Empire in one fell swoop. The momentum of the provincial invasion suddenly grew stronger.

Among the areas involved in this secret treaty was the southern province of Vera where the 17th Army Corps was stationed. Previously, the Kyoto Military Ministry had issued three orders requiring the 17th Army Corps to evacuate from the Province of Vera and move to Vera. The province was handed over to Feize, one of the six southern countries, and was ignored by the Seventeenth Legion. But this time, the emperor's envoy came in person. Even if he found another reason, the Seventeenth Legion would make a move, otherwise, it would be treason!

When did our Istan Empire fall into such a situation? As a soldier of Istanbul, I can only watch my country become the flesh of others. What a shame!

The generals were filled with grief and indignation, and their faces were pale. Their eyes invariably fell from the carriage to Pasnawi, the commander of the 17th Army standing at the front. At this moment, the one who felt most distressed should be Pasnawi. Lord Neville. , has experienced countless battles for this place, and has no less than seventeen scars all over his body. An imperial veteran who has experienced the most glorious period of the Istan Empire. At this moment, his pale hair is wet with rain, and his black and red heavy armor can no longer be worn. He walks with an intimidating momentum as he did in his prime, and his upright posture is like a strong goshawk.

Lord Pasnawi, who is now standing in front, protecting the southern part of the empire from the wind and rain, is already showing his age, and the red general's cloak cannot hide the old man Ju Lou's back. In the white rainy sky and earth. Lonely and desolate, two of the three sons died in the southern part of the empire, and their souls have been integrated into the mountains here. The only one left, accompanied the former emperor on the expedition to Feishan, and his life and death are unknown now. I heard that the Falcon Empire An exchange proposal for the release of Istanbul soldiers has been proposed, but Kyoto has always been unenthusiastic. In the end, due to the protests of the people in Kyoto, Kyoto agreed to the exchange agreement. Even so, it was carried out intermittently. If it is obviously delayed, who knows how many years or decades it will take?

The Paz family was a famous general in the southern part of the empire. It is the end of Pasnawi's generation. Pasnawi was shot through the lungs by an arrow when he was young, although he has recovered. However, the cough became more and more serious after getting old. It was fine during the day, but almost all night long. If there was a problem with rest, even an iron-clad body could not keep up. What's more, this month, Mr. Pasnawi's thoughts on Kyoto The emperor sold one-third of the land in the south in exchange for the six countries sending troops. He was extremely angry and cursed the new emperor many times as a defeater. The emperors of Istanbul worked hard to expand their territory in the south. Hundreds of thousands of Istanbul soldiers were beaten to death, and they were all sent away by this new emperor. In the past, the southern countries did not dare to have any The fat southern country, which they coveted at all, has now easily gained a province without any fighting. This is a shame for the military, and even more so for the country!

Evacuation from the southern province of Vera may be just a change of garrison area for other generals, but for Mr. Pasnawi, it is the collapse of the military credibility that he has insisted on throughout his life.

In the six southern wars of the Istan Empire over the past century, the province of Vera was the most important combat area and the area that suffered the heaviest losses. At least more than half a million young men from Vera died on the southern battlefield one after another. The most recent one was ten years ago, when Thoradin I, the former emperor of the Istanbul Empire, fought against the four southern coalition forces. It was the Seventeenth Legion composed of 50,000 men led by Pasnawi who held the choke. On the eastern front, where the killings were the most brutal, the emperor finally succeeded in forcing the four southern countries to sign the famous Balasu Clause with the Istan Empire, recognizing the Istan Empire's dominance in the east and giving up control of the Alonsos region. Who would have thought that , in just ten years, the new emperor of the empire did not hesitate to give Alonsos, known as the largest trade center in the east, and even the province of Vera to the six southern countries.

With a crisp "creak" sound, the carriage stopped in front, and the raindrops bloomed on the roof of the carriage shed like little flowers of darkness.

The generals were still hesitating whether to come forward to greet them, but the people in the car could not wait to open the door, regardless of the rain outside. Luo Aijiya, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs, was known as one of the most trusted confidants of the new emperor. He walked down from above with a stern face and eagle-like eyes. After looking around, he saw several guards wearing red and black cloaks. Surrounded by military officers, they walked directly towards this side. As a new military figure who had made outstanding achievements in fighting against the rebels, after the new emperor ascended the throne, Feng Yun'er was directly promoted from the commander of the flag regiment to the position of deputy minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs. How? He will take the old and tired Seventeenth Legion in his eyes, not to mention that he is still the emperor's special envoy with a prominent status.

His eyes immediately fell on the white-haired Pasnawi, and his two sword eyebrows couldn't help but frown slightly. "Sir Pasnawi, this is an order signed by His Majesty the Emperor himself. The deputy commander sent it personally. Don't say that you haven't received it. I also hope to leave as soon as possible. You must know that because of your stubbornness, the relationship between us and our allies Already starting to feel unhappy." Loagia, who was leaning against the emperor, said with a trace of disgust in the corner of her mouth. Condescending and arrogant, he came to Pasnawi aggressively, took out an order book with golden patterns and handed it over. His leather boots stopped hard, causing rainwater to splash everywhere, and his back was straighter than before. , seems to be telling the old man in front of you that your time has passed. If you are sensible, let him take it honestly. "I didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor would take such good care of me and sign the order in person. What an honor!" Pasnawi glanced at the gorgeous order in front of him, curled his lips with a bit of self-deprecation, and did not take the order in front of him. The order did not say whether it was executed or not, but his eyes showed deep disappointment. He was probably the first general in the history of the Istan Empire to be signed by the emperor to give up his country. "Are you prepared to disobey the order?"

Loagia's face showed a ferocious look, and the hands of several guards officers behind him were on the hilts of their swords. As long as Roagia gives an order, the officers will rush forward. The old man should just squat in front of the fireplace to keep warm. Why do he have to stand in the wind and rain! What's more, such a storm is not something you, an old guy, can stop. If you are sensible, you will carry out the emperor's orders. The emperor will also miss the old man's old love, and will naturally arrange a pension position for you. Then don’t blame the emperor for being ruthless. After all, the Seventeenth Legion is still the Seventeenth Legion of Istan, not your private army of Pasnawi. The current Kyoto is no longer left to the mercy of you military bosses some time ago. Toy. In Kyoto now, there are 100,000 troops from the Six Nations and 80,000 fierce warriors who have been tempered by the rebellion. Even the Falcon Empire's Eastern Province army has been defeated. How dare the 17th Army Corps, sandwiched between Kyoto and the six southern countries, rebel! "Protect Lord Pasnawi"

The generals of the 17th Legion stood up in unison. As real elites in the army, how could they tolerate such a so-called newcomer who was so self-righteous after just a few battles. I really thought that after fighting a few small counterinsurgency battles, I could show off my authority in front of the real elite southern army. What the hell, when I was fighting hundreds of thousands of enemies in the south, you were still wearing crotchless pants. There were 70,000 to 80,000 people in total, and the pressure was so overwhelming that Kyoto was so angry that they didn't even care. If it weren't for the sake of the new emperor, you would be damned if you could enter the province of Vera alive. "Lord Pasnawi, do we still need to tolerate these villains who betray the country and seek glory! Come here!" A legion general shouted with grief and anger, footsteps rumbled, and the surrounding legionnaires moved towards this person. The side rushed over like a tide, the cold light of the stabbing spear was even colder in the rain, and the murderous intent was tense. It seemed that even the rain had signs of solidification. "What do you want to do! Do you want to rebel!"

Roygia's eyes trembled, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He did not expect that Pasnawi had such prestige in the 17th Army. These generals did not hesitate to fall out with the Central Committee, but also wanted to protect this old man who was obviously about to lose power. Guys, it’s over here It was actually the headquarters of the 17th Legion. It was impossible to say that there was not some weakness in the heart, so Roagia had to put on a very strong posture from the beginning, hoping to suppress the unruly 17th Legion with its momentum. , you must know that the Seventeenth Army Corps can They are the real elite of the empire, not that kind of miscellaneous army, but the ace legion that has been fighting with the south for decades. Even during the decisive battle between the Istan Empire and the Feishan Kingdom, the former emperor had no intention of deploying the Seventeenth Legion. , because the former emperor knew that with the 17th Army Corps, southern Istan could be as stable as a mountain. Because of this, with the 17th Army Corps, the secret agreement between Kyoto and the Six Nations could not be implemented, so the newly strengthened situation in front of Kyoto would be will turn into nothing,

"Kill them, or we will quit at worst. Such soldiers are useless in front of us!" The soldiers of the 17th Legion are all natives of Vera. I don't know who spread the news that the central government ceded Vera. The surrounding people are already excited. , countless weapons were raised, bows and arrows were unstrung, and even two catapults were pushed over. Look, The faces of the imperial guards all turned pale. There were only about twenty imperial guards who came with them. Now they all shrank into a small circle, holding up their weapons and trembling. The soldiers of the 17th Legion outside There are too many, surrounded by hundreds of people. They are like a small reef surrounded by a huge wave, and they may be submerged by a wave at any time.

The generals of the Seventeenth Legion looked at Pasnawi. As long as Pasnawi nodded slightly, they would let the soldiers rush forward and chop all the bastards from the center into pieces.

He has been fighting on the border for decades. As the ace of the imperial border army, he has extraordinary blood. Otherwise, it would be impossible to suppress the coveted ambitions of the southern countries.

Originally, the border troops still had illusions about the central government, but looking at what Kyoto has done since the tragic defeat of Feishan, my heart goes cold. For the sake of the emperor's throne, the soldiers who fought in Feishan were left alone and ignored, and instead they wantonly attacked the surrounding countries. The government borrowed money and squeezed regional tax revenue. Forty-three new tax items were added in one month, which directly led to It led to the rebellion between the region and the central government, exploited the food supply of the border army, forced the border army factions to bow to the central government, and fought externally. They could not even deal with a semi-motley rebel, but internally they were harsh and cruel, and they attacked opponents ruthlessly. How could the empire's central government, which was controlled by various self-interested parties, convince the empire's frontier troops?

In the eyes of those Kyoto factions, as long as the central government can grow stronger, regional interests will not be considered at all. The local army and the frontier army are both targets of bullying. The abandonment of the six southern provinces this time is actually to fundamentally attack the southernmost areas. The six powerful military groups of different sizes have cut off their roots. The central government can also take this opportunity to take back the military power in these six regions. Only with the army can the central government have Only by having the confidence to re-formulate the rules can we take back all the power scattered in the local areas, and make the center of the empire truly the center, instead of a castle in the air that will collapse at the slightest touch. If not, why bother to rely on the hands of six coalition forces? To facilitate this, since the first step has been taken, we can only continue to take it. The result of stopping midway will be a collapse situation. The six countries will withdraw their troops and local rebels will rise again.

"Lord Pasnawi" The generals of the 17th Legion looked at the white-haired Pasnawi again. The arrow was already on the string. Is there any room for hesitation? At this moment, a fast horse galloped. He ran into the iron gate of the headquarters of the 17th Army. A cavalryman jumped off his horse and shouted: Urgent report, an incident in Kyoto. "An incident in Kyoto?" Pasnawi frowned, "What's going on!" "The soldiers and generals who were shouting around also fell silent with stunned expressions. I saw the cavalryman rushing through the crowd and came to Pasnawi and said, "There is chaos in Kyoto. The six-nation coalition forces have surrounded Kyoto. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has returned. Got it! " "What, His Royal Highness is back! "Pasnawi was stunned, and so were the others. His Royal Highness the Great Prince has been missing since Feishan's tragic defeat. Most people thought he was dead. Unexpectedly, he appeared at this time, and it seemed that he was dead. , the troops from the six countries are simply a cover for the eldest prince to return to Beijing! (To be continued...)