Realm of Power

561 The battle between the north and the south (3)

The journey from Hutubein to Vic is not long. The road is made of gravel and is as neat as if it has been polished under heavy pressure. There are large expanses of Bohua woodland on both sides of the road.

This cold-resistant plant has evergreen leaves even in the cold winter, so it is also called red tree. These dense forests form the main body of the earth. The same groups of dark green grass are spread on the vast earth.

The cold winter is gone, and the earth has revived. A fragrance wafts from the fields, grasslands, bushes and flowers that fill the forest. Birds fly around on the roofs and emit various sounds among the branches beside the houses. Various sounds, bushes covered with flowers, up to the mountains shaded by sunny forests,

There are light-colored, silver, golden, purple and transparent clouds everywhere on the top of the mountain. Their sometimes thick and sometimes light colors slightly set off the bright blue sky along the horizon.

A white carriage was driving on the wide road. There were no extra decorations on the carriage. There was only a starlight logo on the mén. But on both sides of the carriage, there were more than a dozen Mamunu dressed in gorgeous decorations. The Ke cavalry followed behind with a pious and solemn face,

Most of them are young and handsome, with proud smiles belonging to Mamunuk knights on their faces. The armor on their bodies shines dazzlingly in the sun, and their tall chests are inlaid with golden hexagonal badges.

The tall war horse walked in a strange pace, which looked like it had been arranged in advance. It was lifted up neatly and then put down neatly, giving people a strange and fresh sense of rhythm.

This is the most popular "horse step" among the Salander nobles. It is said that there are more than thirty pace rhythms.

It is changed according to the venue and situation. It is often used in the Mamunuk Knight's promotion examination. This is a required course to win the favor of those big shots or noble ladies. It is only used in this place. It seems nondescript, but it also explains more. The identity of the owner in the carriage is extraordinary

Among these Mamunuk knights, the one with the largest number of them wears three such hexagonal badges on his chest. He is a young man with silver hair. His keen eyes look at the pedestrians in front of him from time to time.

The other Mamunuk knights were closely behind him. No one dared to surpass his horse's head. Even if they accelerated sometimes, they would deliberately keep a distance from him, as if there was an invisible horizontal line, deep and deep. The painting is in everyone's mind. It is a sign of bravery in combat. Only senior Mamunuk knights who have performed bravely in battles and have been commended by the Ministry of Military Affairs are qualified to wear such a hexagonal badge, which represents the shining starry sky. meaning,

Three coins represent three times, indicating that these Mamunuk knights have participated in brutal battles, rather than newcomers who have just been recruited from the nobles and only know how to show off.

They are the most elite warriors in Salander's army, and they are warriors with a strong sense of pride. Their current status is that they are the bodyguards of Palstina, the star priest of the kingdom. This is personally assigned by His Majesty the Great King.

Of course, not everyone is happy about the good job of accompanying the sky priest to visit the north. For example, the silver-haired knight leader Yesug is the one who rides at the front.

He is a famous warrior in Kyoto. He and his Mamunuk squadron are proudly hailed as "our war eagles" by the Kyoto army.

This title comes from his record of once taking the initiative to face the attack of the most elite fighting falcon cavalry among the Normans with only one squadron. Although he was defeated that time and suffered heavy losses, and all the opportunities were lost to all his subordinates, but He was the only commander who did not feel ashamed under Goshawk Avize's powerful attack.

At this moment, there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes as he looked at the scenery in front of him. The news of the death of Avize the Goshawk had reached the Kingdom of Kyoto. Although there was no physical confirmation, the strange behavior of the Normans outside the city during this period had already made the most of it. good proof,

Goshawk Avize, this invincible nightmare, fell silently in the north of the kingdom. This news became the most shocking news for the Salander people after the killing of the Wild Wolf Lord Savvis. The popularity of people in Kyoto was greatly shaken, but it also shocked Kyoto about the hidden power of the north.

Jesug and the new northern commander-in-chief Jehardo are both representatives of the main war faction in Kyoto. They both advocate the establishment of a stable logistics line in the north to support the long-term operations in Kyoto by transporting supplies and soldiers.

The difference is that Yesug advocated adopting a moderate policy towards the north and winning over the northern lords through certain favors.

Gajardo advocated taking high-pressure measures to force the north to submit with strong pressure. If necessary, use the opportunity of the recent decline in Normandy attacks to carry out military and political measures against some of the lords in the north who were dissatisfied with management. This double blow completely solidified the north in Kyoto's hands.

If these northern country bumpkins dare to object, they would not mind announcing the betrayal of the northern lords in the name of the kingdom's regular army, and then arrest all these ungrateful guys.

This idea is very popular among the nobles of Salander Kyoto. Because of the loss of the southern tract, 80% of the nobles of the kingdom gathered in Kyoto. When the Normans came to the city, these southern nobles who escaped could still Suppress the resentment in your heart and share the same hatred with the enemy,

But now, the Normandy's attack momentum has eased due to some unexpected circumstances, and these conflicts that were originally suppressed have exploded.

Since the land in the south cannot be taken back, then give us the land in the north. Anyway, it is of little use in the hands of those country bumpkins.

This kind of argument is common among the southern nobles. They have never taken the weak nobles in the north seriously, not before and not now.

What's more, some news from the north made them even more eager to take action. Wikiia, known as the mainland's treasury, actually trades with the poor people in the north, and the transaction volume is huge. Countless ships shuttle between the two places, carrying 100,000 yuan every day. Thousands of boxes of goods,

It is said that as long as any product is able to board those ships and encounter the other side, its value will be doubled and it will immediately enter a place called the trading house.

If you can run safely for a month, deducting some minor incalculable losses that may occur on the road and the goods tax of less than 10%, you will have tens of thousands of dazzling gold coins.

I have never heard of anyone making money like this. It is simply a money grab. I heard some businessmen who have been to the north say that even the poorest little northern lord can easily spend thousands of gold coins to repair his own. country hut

Star Priest Parstina gently opened the curtain of the carriage, and looked at the wide road under her feet that could allow four carriages to travel side by side, with a bit of surprise on her face.

From Kyoto to Hutu Bein, hundreds of villages in the barren mountainous areas along the way were either burned down, or only some old people and women in shabby clothes remained there, and the flesh-and-bone children opened their big helpless eyes, innocent. Looking at anyone passing through the village, the village is lifeless, and there is no trace of the activity and busyness during the mixed planting season.

But this is not the most terrifying thing. Through the study of astrology, Parstina can vaguely sense in her heart that this year there may be a severe drought that has not been seen in a century.

There was not a drop of water throughout the winter. The ground just after the severe cold was still white. There were dry and cracked ravines everywhere. Large tracts of land were just abandoned by the roadside, with waist-high weeds growing on them. The wind As soon as it blows, it makes a gurgling sound, which sounds like a whimpering sound with the head covered at night.

This situation has been going on for half a year. All men over the age of 14 have been conscripted into the army. As a result, the entire central and northern part of Salander has completely lost its power. There is desolation everywhere, even the lords of some small places. , and had to leave their own territory and go to the relatively prosperous north.

Now, all of this suddenly changed before our eyes,

First, the villages on the road began to gain color. There were beautiful mixed colors everywhere, the earth shone with a golden luster, and the fields were filled with fireworks. Among the shrubs around the field, hundreds of flowers were blooming and towering. Among the woods, one can see the golden roofs of large village houses, dotted with colorful flowers.

Young figures can be seen everywhere in the fields. The men and women are bending down together, with happy smiles on their mouths, sowing the wheat seedlings in their hands on the land with strange horizontal lines. If you look carefully at these horizontal lines, , you will find that there are deep ravines crisscrossing each other, and the black land smells like wheat seedlings.

This made the face of Star Sacrifice Parszhena have a look of surprise and amazement. She had long heard that the Heck Territory was a strange place. Instead of enslaving the civilians, the local lords gave the land to them at an extremely low price. Rent it to farmers in your own territory. Regardless of whether you are originally from Heck Territory or not, as long as you are willing to move to Heck Territory and settle down, you can get a piece of land.

This would be unimaginable in normal times, but in this age of war, it is undoubtedly an extremely rare and peaceful pure land. It is said that it houses three-quarters of the refugees in the north of Salander, and its population has increased within a few months. Reaching an extremely impressive number of more than 70,000 people,

Palstina saw these newly built farms arranged side by side in a trapezoidal shape on the outskirts of the city, like a huge garden outside the city. This castle was more of a commercial city than a military fortress. People seem to pop up from the ground, businessmen, nobles, and civilians. It seems difficult to distinguish clearly here.

You may see a carriage loaded with goods passing by, but the person sitting next to the carriage driver is dressed in aristocratic clothing. You can even hear the voices greeting each other, most of them are viscounts, barons and the like. ,

Although he is not a big noble, he is still a person of distinction, and the civilians on the roadside are not afraid of these people. They just ask the children playing in the distance to stay away from the wide road when there are many vehicles, and Pars Qin Na also discovered an interesting thing. From the moment she entered the Heck Territory, there were no checkpoints on the road. It seemed that these spacious avenues were meant for people to use for free.

The wide road disappeared from the eyes like flying. It was originally expected to take half a day, but it only took three hours to see the newly built city wall of Heck's territory in the distance.

The main castle of Heck City is not big, just like a black bulge on the gray cliff, with countless small black dots active inside. The port below is bustling with sailboats of all sizes and criss-crossing streets. The lower part of the castle extends out to form a large residential complex, with pointed roofs densely arranged.

"What kind of person is the Marquis of Victonsey?"

Palstina's eyes flickered, and she stretched her somewhat numb limbs in the carriage.

Compared with the dilapidation in other places, the scene in front of her was as beautiful as a dream, but she had come to destroy it all. When she thought of this, Palstina felt very conflicted.

Although she came to host the Winter Veil Festival this time through the procedures of the Sky Temple, everyone knows that in a situation like Kyoto, a war may break out at any time. Without the approval of His Majesty the King, let alone leaving Kyoto, she just wants to It was difficult to take a step outside the temple because she had to abide by the rules of the temple and pray for the warriors who fought bravely on the front line during the war.

At the gate of Heck City, the fat man and the graceful Nilai were waiting. The fat man stared solemnly at a white carriage in the distance, while Nilai had a look of worry about gain and loss on her face. I am happy, but I am also a little worried that my mentor who has been with me for many years is coming. Although I know that my mentor has a transcendent status in the kingdom and rarely interferes in the affairs of the kingdom,

But when this moment comes, it cannot be said that there is no intention to suppress itself. Now the entire kingdom knows that the richest places in the north are Lazar Port and Hek City. As long as they can control these two areas, it is like holding them. The lifeblood of the northern economy

Nilai, who had always admired her mentor, was not aware of her mentor's overt political overtones this time. The news that Parstina, the starry sky priest, might arrive in advance was due to the well-informed old Duke of Russia and Germany who sent his Majesty Notified in

At that time, Nilai still didn’t believe that if her mentor arrived early, she would definitely ask Hongyue to give her a message. There were still ten days left for the Winter Veil Festival. According to the custom of previous years, the Starry Sky Sacrifice, as the host, could only be held at the end. Arrive in three days, because that day is the night with the most dazzling stars and moon in the northern night sky, and that day is also the moment when the stars in the sky shine most

After receiving the news, Fatty immediately sent people to set up surveillance spies in Hutu Beien. He didn't want to get the news that the starry sky priest Parskina had arrived. Then the messenger from Hu Tubein confirmed the news.

The Starry Sky Sacrifice Master Parszhena will set off from Hutubein on March 25th to go to Hekland to discuss the Winter Veil Festival. Of course, this is not the focus. The focus is that the Northern Commander-in-Chief Lord Jehard will follow. Come to Heckland and discuss taking over the fleet with Lord Hecktonsee.

This is a potential message. When Fatty received the news, the first thing he thought of was that the Northern Commander finally couldn't bear it and took action.

Since the Northern Commander-in-Chief took office, he has shown an extremely tough attitude. He has taken measures to crack down on the separation of the newly established Northern Alliance. He first forced out the weak lords, and then divided the lords with average strength. , just like peeling a grapefruit, breaking open the thick outer cortex piece by piece, and then easily grabbing the refreshing and juicy melon pulp. Among these melon pulp, Fatty's Heck Collar is undoubtedly the most mouth-watering.

The rich trade income and the leading position in the northern ports are enough to become the target of the northern leader to kill the alarm monkey. As long as the Heck Territory is captured, everyone in the other big families will be in danger.

At that time, all it takes is a slight push, and this seemingly solid alliance will collapse.

One light and one dark, one soft and one hard, threats and bait, his methods are quite sophisticated. He is worthy of being a figure who came out of the quagmire of Kyoto. It is said that this time it was not this gentleman who decided on the candidate for the northern leader, but a The Duke of Bolvi, for some unknown reason, made His Majesty the King change his mind.

If I do not agree to the request of the Northern Commander-in-Chief, I am afraid that the Starry Sky Sacrifice will not be seen at this year’s Winter Veil Festival, and unfavorable rumors about myself will soon spread throughout the north, which will have a negative impact on the hearts of the people of the entire Heck Territory. For me, it will be a heavy blow.

Just as the fat man was thinking, the Mamunuk cavalry in the distance had already entered the outer city unceremoniously, and a white carriage was slowly approaching.

"Mentor" Nilai came forward with excitement on her face. Captain Mamunuk in front obviously knew this beautiful Duke who once stayed in the Kyoto temple. He did not step forward to stop him, but stepped out of the way.

As the door opened, a woman wearing a large sacrificial robe got out. The young woman didn't look too special. She wore a light white hat on her head, with fluttering ribbons hanging around it. When she came down, her face was looming. Although she was wearing a large sacrificial robe, she could still see her slender waist and plump and round buttocks. On her feet were a pair of very simple cloth shoes.

At first glance, there is nothing special. Only those with a very careful eye can see the quality of the fabric and the exquisite workmanship. At the same time, they can tell that this is definitely not a fabric that can be bought on the market. It is the same as most Salander women. Like people,

The hazy silhouette behind the veil and the slender pink neck. Others can't see her expression or her appearance clearly, but her every move reveals a calm and natural pride.

"Nilai, you have lost weight."

Palstina took the hand of her favorite disciple with her hand. Because her face was covered with a veil, her expression could not be seen clearly, but her voice was as sweet as pearls, with an indescribable magic power, like a thin Silk threads swimming inside the auricle

"This must be His Excellency Victor Victonsa who killed Avize the Goshawk."

Nilai was whispering to her mentor over there, and over here, the silver-haired Yesug looked at the fat man with a hint of hostility. It was hard for him to imagine the arrogant Goshawk Avize. Will die in the hands of such a mediocre fat man