The King

  It was dawn, and Beitlun Port was also turned into a sea of ​​flames. Except for sporadic resistance forces in the city, the rest of the city lay down permanently in the flames of war.

   "The bait we set up will not confuse the enemy for long, and they will soon discover our true purpose. Send the order to let the people below destroy the port quickly, and then retreat immediately!"

  Duke Daniel said solemnly.

   It can be seen from personally leading the command that the real target of this surprise attack is Beitlun Port. At the same time, sneak attacks were launched in multiple places, mainly to distract the enemy's sight.

  As the commander-in-chief of the army, he must not only consider the completion of the strategic raid, but also consider the withdrawal of the army.

  Running deep behind enemy lines is inherently dangerous. Once the enemy army discovers their destination, even if they can complete the sneak attack, they will never want to retreat unscathed.

  War is inherently anti-human behavior. The more impossible things are thought to happen, the easier it is to become the key point of victory or defeat on the battlefield.

   Simultaneously attacking more than ten fortresses is almost impossible militarily. Any mistake in any link may cause heavy losses to the army, but Duke Daniel still did it.

  Besides the inevitable victory of Beit Ferry Port, the rest is to beat the rabbits. It's best to be able to conquer it, and it doesn't matter if you can't.

  Starting from the formulation of the plan, the characterization of the armies from all walks of life is-feint attack. With the help of the siege of the army as a cover, a small number of masters were sent to sneak into the city and burn the enemy's food and grass.

   There is no mandatory mission goal, every warehouse of strategic materials burned is profitable, and the main focus is to destroy.

  Since it is a feint attack, the corresponding troops will naturally not be too many. Except for the 10,000 troops led by Daniel himself, there were two or three thousand cavalry on the other battlefields.

  With the cover of night, it is not difficult to create the momentum of thousands of troops. The enemy can't figure out the situation, so they can only close their doors and defend themselves.

  Even if it is discovered that the neighborhood has been attacked by an enemy, the nearby troops dare not move out easily when everything is uncertain.

  People tend to be pros and cons. If you don't receive the military order from above, you have no responsibility for standing still. If you attack without authorization and lose the battle, you will be held accountable.

  As soon as the sky brightened, the orc cavalry who failed to attack the city began to evacuate one after another.

   This place is the territory of the Alpha Kingdom after all. If it takes a long time, once the nearby troops gather, it will be their turn to be unlucky.

   It was only an accident that the Bauhinia Pass was conquered, and more troops just completed the feint mission. However, they caught the defenders by surprise and took the opportunity to burn a lot of strategic materials.

  Everything went according to Duke Daniel's plan, the only difference was that they did not encounter any pursuers from the Alpha Kingdom when they evacuated.

  …

  Jade Palace, looking at the battle report in his hand, Caesar IV called it impossible. There was no problem on the front line, but the rear first became chaotic.

  If wars are fought like this, then why do we need the defenders on the front line?

  Even if the enemy cannot be stopped, at least the news of the entry of the enemy should be sent back in advance!

   "What is James doing? Why did he let so many enemies go deep into the rear?"

   Caesar IV asked almost roaringly.

  Deep in his heart, besides regret, he still regrets. It was only less than a month after staying with James, and he made such a big mess, and the king couldn't help it!

  If he had known that this kind of thing would happen, he should have replaced him earlier. The warning documents from the front line arrived later than the appeal letters from all over the world.

   Whether the officers on the front line were inefficient and dereliction of duty, or whether they were themselves incompetent and unaware of the enemy's sinister intentions in advance, is not at all important now.

  Things have already happened. Beitlun Port was destroyed, and the kingdom's material delivery capacity to the northern border has dropped by at least 50%.

   In addition, there are many material hoarding places including Zijingguan, which suffered heavy losses from enemy sneak attacks.

  According to the data gathered from the front line, the sneak attack launched by the enemy last night caused nearly 30,000 casualties to the Kingdom's army, and tens of thousands of tons of strategic materials were wiped out in the flames of war.

  Caesar IV was furious, and the faces of the officials were not much better. The Kingdom lost 70% of the strategic materials hoarded on the front line overnight.

  The most direct consequence is: the army on the front line is in danger.

  A large amount of strategic material loss, there is no way to fill the gap in a short time. It's not that the kingdom doesn't have supplies, but that the frontlines don't have supplies.

  Now that the transportation capacity is declining, the logistics transportation speed cannot keep up with the consumption. Only the material inventory on the front line will not last long at all.

   "Your Majesty, things have already happened, let's find a way to deal with the aftermath first!

  The enemy's sneak attack came very suddenly, and the defenders were completely unprepared. It is not surprising to have such a record.

   It can be seen that the enemy commander is not easy. Throughout history, it is the first time that cavalry has been used in this way. It is understandable that Marquis James did not find out.

  The top priority, we still need to stabilize our position first, restore Beit Ferry Port as soon as possible, and ensure the smooth flow of sea transportation lines.

  If nothing can be done, we will abandon some areas, shrink the strategic defense line, and shorten our transportation lines to ensure the supply of logistics materials.

  In order to reduce unnecessary losses, let the people in several provinces of northern Xinjiang evacuate first!

   After covering the evacuation of the people, the noble private army in the border area does not need to stick to the castle, and directly acts with the army. "

   Hudson suggested objectively.

   As the commander-in-chief, Marquis James, must be to blame for the war's situation, but it is more due to the overall lack of quality of the Kingdom's army.

  Since ancient times, there have been only a handful of cases of cavalry attacking cities. Not to mention rushing to the enemy's rear and launching a sneak attack to seize the city.

  Looking at the final result, you can tell that if the defenders are vigilant enough, the enemy troops are blocked outside the city gate.

   Anyone who is successfully attacked by the enemy is a serious problem in the defenders themselves, and the defenders of the city are absolutely dereliction of duty.

  These guys deserve what they deserve, and there is nothing to regret. It is the best choice to die on the battlefield. It is not good for everyone to be held accountable when they come back.

   But the noble lords of northern Xinjiang, Hudson still has to reach out. As the leader of the emerging big aristocrats, even if it is only the boss in name, he must make a contribution.

  In fact, even if Hudson doesn't mention it, there will be others who will jump out to be "good guys".

  In name, they are emerging nobles, but in essence they are still branches of various families. The so-called "emerging" is actually just a political need to set an example.

  The leader of Hudson is nameless. The biggest reason is that most of the emerging aristocrats come from established aristocrats. The conflicts between the two sides do exist, but they are not as sharp as they appear to the outside world.

   If you really think that the rising nobles and the established nobles will never die, then wait to be cheated to death!

   Those who really have more conflicts with the established nobles are rising stars like the Koslow family.

   "Marshal is right. The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation. However, it is not enough to shrink the front line and restore logistics and transportation.

  The battle on the front line is like this, and Marquis James must be responsible for it. I propose to remove him from the post of commander, detain him and return him to the capital for accountability, and replace him with Marshal Hudson to take over the post of commander. "

  The Grand Duke of Newfoundland said murderously.

  Looking at the ferocious expression, it seemed as if he wished to tear Marquis James into pieces. However, the expressions of politicians are often full of deception.

   Nobles want face, especially high-level commanders like this. Even if you want to kill someone, you will be given a decent way to die.

  For example: the former five great dukes of the Northland were all self-sufficient, rather than executed after being pushed out to a public trial and convicted.

   That still involves the Human Race Alliance. If a high-ranking nobleman is executed in the kingdom, their death will be more decent, usually in battle or accidental death.

  If you really want the life of Marquis James, there is no need to detain him at all, but just let Hudson take over as commander in chief.

   At that time, it only needs to be dealt with coldly. For the glory of the nobles, Marquis James will find a chance to die on the battlefield and retain his last dignity.

  Choose to reach out at this time, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland can't help himself. He is not only the prime minister of the kingdom, but also a member of the royal family.

  The Marquis of James is a general of the royal family. If he is to be dealt with seriously, then the following generals who are close to the royal family can hardly be blamed.

  The influence of the royal family in the military has only recovered in the past two years. If it is cleaned out now, it will be difficult to recover in the future.

  Factional struggles are everywhere, and the opportunity to weaken the royal family has come to the door, and the great nobles of the kingdom will not be soft.

   Now it is processed, the situation is still good. The great nobles are basically not in the capital, and the power of the royal family dominates the court.

   As soon as the voice fell to the ground, everyone turned their attention to Hudson. Whether it is to severely punish Marquis James, or to let him go, it is inseparable from the commander-in-chief Hudson's nod.

   "It's a big taboo for military strategists to change generals just before the battle. Besides, there are still affairs of the expeditionary army to deal with, so I can't leave for the time being.

   Let Marquis James stabilize the situation first, and gradually shrink the front line according to the actual situation on the battlefield.

   I will take them to the front line after the expeditionary corps takes a short rest and replenishes their strength.

  By the way, taking advantage of this opportunity, I will train the new recruits gathered from all over the place. "

   Hudson pretended to be embarrassed and said.

   If there is a mess, just throw it to him. Every time I go to war, I will turn the tide, that is too bullying. If he didn't say anything, I really thought he had lost his temper.

  Since the enemy has moved, it is absolutely impossible to only have these actions. Regarding the situation on the front line, Hudson has very limited knowledge. Who knows how many pitfalls there will be in the future.

   If you are in a hurry to take over, then take the blame for Marquis James. The friendship between the two has not yet reached this level, so there is no need to rush to get close.

  Anyway, the situation has deteriorated, and no matter how bad it is, it won't go bad. It is no longer what it used to be. Even if the orcs were given a chance, they would not be able to swallow the frontline army in one go.

  Caesar IV was about to speak, but finally closed his mouth helplessly. As soon as the Western Front War ended, the Ministry of Military Affairs proposed a change of commander. For political needs, he proposed and decided to stay as Marquis James.

   Now that this happened, the unknown label was directly slapped on his forehead.

   Coupled with the inherent character design of "not understanding military affairs", Caesar IV himself has a lot of troubles, let alone reaching out to pull Marquis James.

  Now the strategic contraction is being carried out. Although it is voluntarily giving up the territory, it is still "lost the city and the land" in the eyes of the outside world.

   Hudson, who loves his feathers, is unwilling to take the blame, and as a king, he can't force others. Otherwise, if something goes wrong later, the responsibility will fall on him again.

   Looking for help, the officials turned to the officials, but unfortunately, everyone is a smart person who knows what to blame and what not to blame.

  Especially in military affairs, if you don’t understand, it’s best not to compare blindly, otherwise the consequences will be very serious.

   "Your Majesty, the marshal is right. The loss of strategic materials is too heavy. In the future, it is best for the kingdom to choose a defensive position.

   Even if we want to counterattack, we must wait for us to raise enough strategic materials. Otherwise, even if the orc army is defeated, the kingdom will not be able to expand its results. "

   Grand Duke Efiero said.

  The front line suffered a defeat, but the main force of the kingdom's army was not damaged, mainly due to the shortage of strategic supplies.

Make bricks without straw.

   If the gap in supplies is not resolved, it will be the same whoever commanded the army in the past. That being the case, why offend people?

  At least Hudson gave the royal family face and did not demand severe punishment of Marquis James. As for the crime of "losing the city and losing the land", it should have been carried by him, the coach.

  Compared to these problems, how to give an explanation to the domestic nobles in the future is what the Ministry of Military Affairs needs to consider.

   As soon as the voice fell to the ground, Marquis Delgado's face turned dark. To make up for the shortage of strategic materials, it cannot be solved with a few words, and the Ministry of Finance has to pay for it.

  Suddenly there is such a big hole, what to use to fill it?

   "Your Majesty, too many supplies have been lost this time. In a short period of time, it may be difficult to make up for the shortfall only by raising money from within the country.

  The best option is to speed up self-raised materials while purchasing strategic materials from overseas.

  At present, the kingdom is already heavily in debt, and the debt owed by the Ministry of Finance to the lords of various places has reached an extremely terrifying figure.

  …”

  The Minister of Finance directly came up to cry for poverty, which made everyone even more depressed. Everyone knows that the kingdom is short of money, but there is no way, the war will consume it!

  “Raising” is easy to say, but the question is where to raise money?

  It is impossible to increase taxes, and the lives of nobles and lords everywhere are also difficult now.

  As far as Hudson knows, there have been events in some areas where small nobles went bankrupt and big nobles paid taxes on their behalf.

   The help is not for nothing. I owe such a big favor, and I will not be able to rely on the big nobles in the future.

  Everyone present has a bit of integrity, and they can't do things that shake the foundation of the kingdom.

   "Your Majesty, the kingdom's financial difficulties are a fact. For the present plan, I am afraid that the only way to solve the urgent need is to issue bonds.

  However, the Kingdom has already owed a large amount of debts, and simply issuing bonds may not be bought by everyone. Even if it can be sold, the high capital interest will overwhelm the kingdom.

   It would be best to be able to add a layer of security to the bond. I propose to use the land on the orc prairie as a guarantee to issue land bonds.

  1 mu of land is equivalent to 1 gold coin, and you can directly gamble on it. As long as the kingdom wins the war, everyone can hold bonds for land.

  In order to enhance confidence, Your Majesty is requested to set an example and assure the outside world that land bonds will be dealt with first.

  After the war, the nobles were rewarded, and the fiefs of the small nobles were given priority, followed by the middle nobles, and then the big nobles and the royal family.

  If the harvested land is not enough, then we people will not be divided.

  Of course, if the kingdom is defeated, then these land bonds will be voided directly! "

   Hudson said endlessly.

  Such rebellious remarks are simply a provocation to the aristocratic system. The royal family and the great nobles have always taken the lead. How can there be any reason for the people below to divide first?

   "Marshal, you can get a fief with a little money, this is simply an insult to the nobles!

us…"

   Before the Minister of Internal Affairs finished speaking, Hudson interrupted: "If you have a better way, then even if I didn't say it.

  If you can't think of a way, then please keep your mouth shut. What is needed now is to solve the problem, not to discuss the pros and cons of the solution.

   As for whether it will impact the aristocratic system, I think this kind of worry is unnecessary. The matter of buying and selling fiefdoms is not without precedent on the mainland.

  One gold coin per mu of land, the price is indeed very cheap. But the land is on the prairie, without any strength, can it be developed?

   You have to pay taxes when you take the land. If you are unable to develop it, it is not wealth, but a burden. "

  The suggestion has reached this point, if you still can't react, everyone will be in the officialdom for nothing.

   It seems that anyone can buy land bonds, but those who have the money to buy them and have the strength to develop them are the great nobles in the kingdom.

   The meat is still in the pot after all, the difference is only that those who share the biggest cake will pay to support this war.

  After figuring this out, everyone's anger was almost vented at once.

  The previous orc invasions reached the later stage, and the finances were on the verge of collapse. Vested interest groups would inevitably want to cut their flesh.

  The land bond proposed by Hudson now is nothing more than letting everyone pay in another way.

   The order of loot distribution is placed last, and it seems that the group of great nobles paid a heavy price. But the right to distribute is in the hands of everyone, so how big can the loss be?

  Making such a gesture to the outside world can also boost the morale of the army and calm down the inner grievances of the small and medium-sized nobles.

   Hesitated for a while, seeing that no one objected, Caesar IV said slowly: "Since everyone does not object, let's try issuing a batch of land bonds first!"