Realm of Power

514Undercurrent of the South

"What do you think of Wiki's conditions? It's been two days. If there's no reply, the Wiki's army will march into the corridor tomorrow morning." Chigosamu's eyes dimmed and he looked at his silent partner next to him. , said solemnly, "The rescue letter was sent to Turga two days ago, but there is still no reply. Now can I We have enough troops. In addition to our 40,000 hurricane cavalry, there are only 10,000 defenders stationed in Shamandu. The others are just tens of thousands of old and weak children who stay at the base camp. Even if we recruit those who can fight from inside, There are only 20,000 women at most, which is just enough to be on par with Wikiia. Once a war breaks out, it will only be a disaster."

"Where is King Khan? What is His Majesty's reply? We are guarding this pass with our lives. Even if the main force is too late to return, Turga should have something to show for it, right?" A leader raised his head extremely reluctantly, covered with bloodshot eyes. His eyes were like those of a wounded beast, and he opened a pair of rough palms full of scars to Zigosa and said

"Without reinforcements, don't we even have basic supplies to keep out the cold? Everyone has seen the current situation. People freeze to death every day, and countless people suffer from frostbite. I'm afraid that when the sun comes next year, I won't be able to survive without Wikipedia Attack, we ourselves have long been buried under the heavy snow."

"Actually, it's not like Wang Ting didn't reply."

Zigosa raised his head and said in a muffled voice with a slight grin on his face. His neatly combed hair in the past was now in a mess. He no longer had the same look as before. His eyes staring at the fire were full of desolation.

"The royal court promised us that as long as we can hold on until the main force returns, King Khan will give us the rich water and grassland on the west side of Shamandu."

"Is there abundant water and grassland on the west side of Shamandu?" The tribal leader was stunned for a moment with a suspicious face, then his face turned red, and he asked in an almost furious voice.

"Are you talking about the rocky mountains surrounding the vast desert? Are you kidding me? Ever since the Ruidian people retreated, it has been occupied by more than 20,000 left-back rebels. Don't talk about us who are not good at attacking. Even Wang Ting himself did not dare to send troops to clear out the Hurricane Cavalry. Now that we are allowed to live there, aren't we being used as cannon fodder? "

"Yes, this is too bullying! You really treat everyone as a fool." The leader's words undoubtedly aroused indignation among the other leaders.

The Zuowei Cavalry has been the ace among the Kugit cavalry since the era of the Zuowei King. It is well-equipped and fearless of death. Coupled with the leadership of the genius general Zuowei King, it can be said that it has flourished in the Kugit grassland. Not only does it have a monopoly After entering the lush western grassland, even the Kugit Royal Court in the central part had to endure every step, otherwise it would not have beaten the then-Wikiya into a state of embarrassment with just more than 20,000 left-guard cavalry.

Although they suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Aichmore, the Ruidian people were defeated too quickly and had no time to take care of the tens of thousands of defeated generals. As the Ruidian people deliberately let go of their strategy, not only did they lose these All the 10,000 prisoners were released, and their weapons and horses were also returned to the Left Guard.

Tens of thousands of Zuowei tribesmen quickly resurrected. Although they lost the western prairie as their base, they engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Kugit Royal Court in a large desert to the west of Turga. After several expulsions, they failed. After that, the Kugit Royal Court could only let it go

"Bili Duke, please sit down first. After all, he is also the King of Han of our Kujit people." Li Ji, the oldest leader, waved his hand to the excited young leader until he sat down angrily. , then said in his hoarse voice like a broken bellows, "Since no one can rely on us, we can only rely on ourselves."

"Lord Li Ji, as the most experienced elder in our Qiye Wasteland, only you are the most qualified to guide us through this disaster."

All the leaders turned their heads and looked at the oldest leader with respect.

Respecting the elders is the tradition of the Kugit people, not to mention that this old man is not only a kind and fair elder, but also a brave warrior. It is said that Li Ji is the third son of the chief of the Du Ke tribe and had no chance. Inherit the position of clan leader, However, Li Ji unexpectedly changed his name, and broke into the depths of the desert where horse bandits were entrenched. He stayed there for three years, and then returned to the grassland with a team of 2,000 strong horse bandits. He became famous for a while and was respected by the tribe. Elected as clan leader

The Du Ke tribe, which once had a population of only 5,000, quickly rose up in the extremely cold land based on these 2,000 horse bandits. After thirty years of development, it became the largest tribe in the extremely cold land, which is where Qigosa is now. The prestige is also under this Li Qi. One-third of the 40,000 hurricane cavalry dispatched this time are cavalry from the Duke Department.

Li Ji raised his head and glanced at the young leaders in front of him. They seemed to be decrepit, but the occasional flash of light from the cloudy pupils still gave Chigosa the pain of being burned by fire.

The name of Quarter in the Desert Wolf is now part of countless legends in Kujit. A wolf is a wolf. Even if he is old and has lost his teeth and his claws are blunt, he still has a thirst for blood in his heart.

Li Ji looked at the hesitant young juniors and whispered, "It is absolutely impossible to let the Vekians enter Turga. No matter what, we are all Kugits, and there is no one behind us." An ordinary pasture, but a sacred mountain that our ancestors have guarded for hundreds of years. It is the place where our souls finally belong, and where the souls of all Kujit are."

Li Ji's voice suddenly became dull. "If the Wekias are allowed to enter the Holy Mountain, not only us, but also all the Kugits will be branded with a shame that can never be washed away."

"Then what should we do if we start a war with the Wekiians? Our tribe lost sixteen more young people last night. Counting those from the previous period, there are already 357 people. That's 357 lively young people."

A leader sitting on the right said with tears in his eyes, "They should have brought continued news to the tribe after this winter. Their wives and children are still in the tent without a fire, waiting for him to bring back food to satisfy their hunger. But now, these brave warriors are like dead dogs, worthless and freezing to death on the mountaintop full of cold wind. In this state, we can't compete with the strong and powerful Vekians. Are we just waiting to die like this? "

"I only said that the Wikiyan people should not be allowed to enter Turga, but I did not say that the Kujit people should not be allowed to enter Turga." Li Jishen said calmly, "As far as I know, the Duoweiyan tribe who has taken refuge in Wikiya , it has been growing very fast recently. Taking advantage of this snowstorm, LaLie Many tribes are moving closer to his area, and with sufficient support from Wikiya, I heard that the Duowei tribe has not only recovered its strength, but is even more powerful than before. The number of regular cavalry alone exceeds 30,000. Compared with the left-back department back then, it was no less generous."

"Well, that boy Duoweiyan is indeed very good." A leader muttered in a low voice. He was full of envy. Not only did he get a good pasture, but he also heard that he had a relationship with the Vekia Falcon, and weapons and food were given priority. , I saw his Duowei cavalry last time when I was patrolling the edge. They are almost as good as the Zuowei King back then. How can we be so unlucky that our father and mother don’t love each other?”

"Haha, you were still laughing at me back then. During the pursuit, you deliberately let Duo Weibu go. Now I know that I regret it." Chigosa next to him sneered a few times.

"Well, the past is in the past. As descendants of wolves, our eyes should always look forward."

Li Ji waved his hand to calm down the various voices, and then finally decided, "Just reply to the original words of Wikiya Falcon. I believe he can understand the meaning."

If the Duowei tribe enters Turga City without authorization and launches a mutiny, the most they can do is scold us in the Qiye Wasteland for being too cowardly and afraid of death and not daring to stop the Duowei tribe. This is better than all of them dying here."

In the dark night of Sargosburg in late winter, it is like a huge beast lying in the darkness. All the caravans passing by here feel a chill in their hearts. The dim lights shine through the darkness of the castle. It looked extremely cold on a lonely winter night. Perhaps because this city is located on the border of Germany, the entire town under the castle was particularly deserted under the influence of the war.

The streets were very empty, with no trace of people at all. There were only dead branches and leaves and garbage everywhere. The night wind blew through, bringing with it a wet and rotten smell. This smell has become a symbol of Sagosburg.

In the houses on both sides of the street, there are basically no lights. Occasionally, there is a little candlelight, which looks like it is emanating from hell. It is particularly gloomy and strange◎Because Ruidian's army once surrounded this house After three months of fortified castle, the citizens in the town had already fled, leaving only a lifeless empty city, trembling in the cold wind.

The curfew in Sargos City has not yet been lifted. Even during the day, people entering and leaving the city need to undergo the strictest inspections. At night, it is completely closed. On the outside of Sargos City, military camps stand side by side, and there are resting people everywhere. Because the German soldiers have not had time to disperse, there are 80,000 German troops stationed in the small Sargos area, of which 30,000 are the main battle regiment that is about to go to the Sulu area, and there are 50,000 It is an i army composed of their respective lords

Da da da…

A black carriage galloped past the huge city of Sargos, which opened like hell. The driver's whip broke the silence in the wind.

The night was dark and windy, and the cold wind occasionally picked up the dead leaves on the ground. Under the blowing willows of the night wind, they fell on the carriage, but were soon blown away by the breeze. The coachman kept waving his whip, urging the carriage to go quickly. He drove through the desolate and calm streets until he reached a house with a rather dilapidated appearance before lying down slowly.

The driver of the carriage opened quietly in the night wind. A fat old man got out of the car with a bloated figure. He didn't ask for the carriage driver's help, and drove directly, following the road, into this dilapidated house. .

The broken wind lamp at the entrance of the house trembled in the night wind, emitting a faint light, vaguely illuminating the old man with a dirty figure. He was none other than Marquis Olaf, a lord in the nearby area, and this dilapidated house◎ was The home of the newly appointed Undersecretary of War of Germany, Salton, Margrave of Sargos

Olaf quietly walked into the depths of the house and saw that the courtyard inside was very deserted. There were dead branches and leaves everywhere, and he didn’t know how long it had been since they had been cleaned. He felt there was something different. Although he knew that Sargos City had almost lost everything in the war half a month ago, he didn’t expect it. It would be so miserable. Although Sargos before the war was not a big city, it was still a very prosperous medium-sized city. But now, there are not even a few decent servants to be found.

When he heard someone coming in, the old man who was in charge of watching poked his white head out of the door of his house. He looked out curiously at Olaf's unique figure. He curled his lips slightly and said something. Then he quietly shrank back.

Since the owner of this house was once again enabled by the high-level officials of Rode, many nearby lords have come to visit him. Compared to them, Marquis Olaf is already too late. Lord Salton will go to Harlan in Kyoto tomorrow. When Gos took office, his master's ability to seize the opportunity was really not that good.

The house is open to the public, and there is no one else. It looks very deserted, and it feels a bit doomsday. In fact, Sargos has just experienced a devastating war - despite reversing the unfavorable situation in the north, and Gain an advantage in upcoming negotiations. Ruidian's 80,000 troops were divided into four groups and rushed towards the Sagos defense line with only 5,000 defenders. Xiao was able to take advantage of the last opportunity to open a hole in the southeastern defense line of the Lods and occupy the commanding heights of the negotiations.

As Ruidian's army approaches, most of the residents here have evacuated. Only the desperate residents will stay here, and of course, there are some people who must stay behind. For example, blacksmiths who forge weapons, apprentices who make spears, and various people who may be used in defending the city cannot leave and cannot leave.

In front of the advancing Redian army, the Lord of Sargos, Salton, displayed extremely outstanding defensive methods. He sent scouts to keep track of the advancing speed of the Redian people at any time, and sent troops to intercept anyone passing through the Sargos area. All the caravans that are useful to the defense will be robbed, even if these goods belong to the big shots in Kyoto. Some people say that Salton is crazy, while others say that he is struggling to his death.

But no one expected that it was these crazy actions that allowed Sargos to achieve victory in the brutal siege of nearly half a month with its luxurious material storage. Not only did the Battle of Sargos not let the Ruidian people Gaining a strategic advantage, he spent the blood of nearly ten thousand soldiers to achieve the reputation of the Broken Lion of Sargos.

Olaf walked into Salton's study and scanned the room with cautious eyes. He saw this brave general known as the disabled lion sitting alone in a comfortable rocking chair, 2 meters in front of him. The firelight of the fireplace illuminated the entire house warmly. In Salton's hand, he was holding a book. It was a very thick book. It felt like "The March" by Ragnar the Great, the most famous king of Lod. ,

Olaf wrinkled his nose unnaturally and frowned slightly. The carpet in the study room was still so shabby and exuded a disgusting smell. Fortunately, after Olaf opened the door, the night wind from outside blew in and the smell was slightly washed away. Lost the musty smell.

"Master Olaf?" Salton looked up indifferently and said lightly, "You seem to be half an hour later than the previously scheduled time."

Olaf looked embarrassed and said, "I'm sorry, my eldest son met him when he was leaving and taught him a lesson. Alas, no wonder he was depressed. Half of the good Ali family fleet was destroyed like this, and now the entire Rodesi Hongquan fell into the arms of the Wikiyan people, and as a result, the plan to expand financial opportunities that His Majesty had been paying attention to had to be cancelled."

Salton closed the book indifferently, picked up the candlelight, and said slowly, "This year's financial income is good enough to barely maintain the military salary. I don't know where the food and salary of the lords gathered this time are. The navy is definitely gone←If he can't hold it in at home, you can suggest him to take a job as a sinecure in the Fifth Army. I think Commander Betov will give me some face."

Olaf's fat features were squeezed into a ball, and he said with a depressed look, "He doesn't like to be an army man. He only likes the vast sea. His dream is to open up space for us Rode people."

"Then it will be difficult, as you know, the kingdom's navy now, not to mention the larger warships, has less than 50 ships." Salton sighed faintly and stopped talking. , there was a slight emotion in my heart,

"I also know that the current situation is not good. Although we have won Su Suo, we have lost the opportunity to march into the north in a short time." Olaf sat down alone in the armchair in the corner of the study and said with deep anxiety: "So Lord Burton, what do you think of the current situation in the north? I am very interested. The eagle in the southwest is not willing to seize the West Sea from us this time. It is itself planning for the war in the north."

"Oh, why would Sir Oral think so?" Salton glanced at Olaf in surprise. He didn't expect that this local lord with a big heart would have such keen observation skills.

"Everyone knows that the eagle's gaze has never left the north." Oral said bitterly: "Although the Vecian army does not seem to be making any big moves, the great migration of millions of people is more powerful than any military mobilization. It's even more terrifying. When the migration is completed, the Wekiya army will be able to use Aichmore and the western grasslands as a logistical springboard to unify the north with unstoppable momentum. By then, even if the Kugits want to stop them, they will be unable to do so. I am also powerless.”

Salton's expression changed. He hesitated for a while and said, "Sir Olaf, you and I were not passionate in the past. How could you think of telling me this? You should report it directly to the Minister of Military Affairs, Duke Elric, no?" Better?"

Hearing Salton's words, Olaf shook his head with a look on his face. "Regarding the report of paying attention to the trends in Vikia, I sent a message to Duke Elric last month, but a month later, the reply I got was ,have a finger in the pie

"Haha, this is like those guys' style." Hearing Olaf's complaint, Salton smiled.

"In the minds of the adults in Kyoto, the Swedes are the first enemy, followed by the Dorok people in the eastern mountains, because they blocked the expansion of the kingdom. As for the Vikians, although they have a certain amount of money, their population is weak and their military strength is only 100,000. They are good at defense but not enough at offense. Moreover, they are entangled with the Kugit people in the north. If they want to become opponents of the kingdom, it will take at least 20 years."f @.