Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 64 General Assembly

  “…remember this shameful day! Veneta was deliberately attacked by the Taniria Federation. Until a week ago, the ruling council was still in talks with the Federation to maintain peace in the Inner Sea.

   But history will testify that this attack was carefully planned by the Taniria Federation for a long time. They deceived Veneta with false statements and a desire to keep the peace.

   Our fleet suffered heavy losses, our naval ports were burned to the ground, and many brave Venetas lost their lives.

   The facts speak for themselves: the enemy has attacked us. As the consul of the Republic of Veneta, I have ordered the Army and Navy to take all necessary measures.

  The sea remembers eternity, Veneta will always remember the undeclared war of Taniria. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, I swear: no matter how long it takes, no matter how much blood flows, even if the entire inner sea is dyed red, we will surely achieve our justice!

  Trust our army! Believe in our people! God bless Veneta, we will be victorious!

  I request the All Veneta Citizens Congress to declare: Since the time when the Taniria Federation launched a despicable sneak attack on Haidong Port, the noble Republic of Veneta and the Taniria Federation have officially entered a state of war. "

   In the center of the parliamentary hall, the spirited old man slapped the table top of the podium fiercely, looked around, and pronounced the verdict without doubt: "The Tanilla Union must be destroyed!"

  The congress hall of Nuoda was filled with representatives of citizens who rushed to Hailan City from various city-states in Veneta. The special sound design made the words of the consul can be clearly conveyed to everyone.

   Every time the consul said a word, the representatives of the citizens in the audience would shout.

   When the consul had finished his last sentence, all the angry citizen representatives stood up, waved their fists, and let out a roar like a tsunami: "Destroy the Federation! Destroy the Federation..."

  On the auditorium on the second floor, Antonio put on his triangular cap again, turned his head and said to Winters: "Let's go, Winters. There's nothing to see."

   Those who do not have the status of a citizen representative or a member of parliament cannot attend the meeting in the lobby on the first floor. Therefore, the designer of the parliament hall specially designed the auditorium on the second floor for ordinary citizens to listen in.

   "Didn't you watch the voting process?" Winters was lost for a while because of the atmosphere of the same hatred among hundreds of MPs: "We don't even know what proposal the consul is going to pass."

  Others in the auditorium made way for the two officers, and someone patted Winters on the shoulder and said to Winters: "Kill those **** pirates in the Federation!"

   Winters responded with a polite smile and left the auditorium after Antonio.

After    went outside, Antonio said to Winters: "We don't need to know the consul's proposal, we only need to know the consul's attitude."

   Winters nodded.

"Consul Debella's skills are still powerful." Antonio suddenly said with some emotion: "Actually, some members of Congress do not agree to link Drake's attack with the Taniria Federation, but De Bella directly convened a general assembly of citizens. With the current atmosphere in the assembly hall, I think even a high war budget can be easily passed with three calls.”

"How could a pirate captain like Drake organize such a sneak attack? The Federation must be behind him." Winters asked inexplicably: "But I can't figure out how the Federation would dare to provoke us? Obviously yes We were going to hit them, and they did it first. Wouldn't the Tanilians think we couldn't get revenge by destroying the Veneta Navy?"

Antonio raised his eyebrows and said: "Don't think of the Federation as a whole, just like don't think of Veneta as a whole. Don't think about the Tanirians' thoughts, the hope of a peaceful solution has been dashed. , there is only one way to go. And our job is to win this war for Veneta... Are you used to what you did under Contaire?"

   "Lieutenant Colonel Contell... I think he takes care of me a little too much. The lieutenant colonel put a few of our apprentice officers into his chief centurion, and there's basically nothing to do." Winters said a little embarrassedly.

   Lieutenant Colonel Contel was in charge of commanding the Chief Brigade of the Third Army Corps [Cohort Prima]. The Third Army Corps usually only maintained a half-staffed state. After the attack on Haidong Port, they were quickly replenished with reserve soldiers to the full number. They are now in the West Camp for training. However, Winters is now a trainee in the standing army, but he is not busy.

"Speak less, do more, and observe more." Antonio stretched out his hand to help Winters straighten his military cap, and patted him on the back: "Some people will please you, some people will despise you, but it doesn't really matter, Just do your part."

   Winters nodded wordlessly.

He understands: If he denies the help from his family, he is simply getting a bargain; if he exchanges himself with Benwei, Benwei may not be better than himself, but he must not be a teenager like Benwei. Just going to the dock and working to support the family can't do that Bud - that's why he respects Benway and Bud.

   But he still wanted to avoid the criticism of nepotism as much as possible, so Winters originally wanted to go to the Reserve Corps with Lieutenant Colonel Field, but Antonio asked him to the "Great Veneta". Although few people knew about the relationship between Warrant Officer Montagne and the regiment commander, it still made Winters a little uncomfortable.

  Antonio is comforting Winters, telling him what to do: "Do your part."

The two walked all the way from the parliament hall to the house on horseback. When they were about to reach the door of the house, Antonio said casually: "The navy is cleaning the offshore waters. When they have cleared the route, the Third Army will attack. Get ready, and you have to do it. Everything is fine."

   "What? To send troops so soon?" Winters suddenly became alert: "This is too hasty, warships, gunpowder, shells, food... Are we ready?"

"I'm not ready, but I have to respond." Antonio smiled bitterly: "The people's anger is a fire that can burn both the enemy and themselves. If you don't fight back, public opinion will overwhelm the government. ... The ruling council now desperately needs a victory to establish itself."

   "A monarch cannot start a war because of anger, and a general cannot attack because of resentment. This is chaos, and you should firmly oppose such chaos!"

   "<The Art of War·Volume of Fire> I've read it too." Antonio changed his words: "But I ask you a question. Do you think Veneta has a better commander than me now?"

"No!"

  Although there is suspicion of flattery, but this is Winters' truth.

  The Republic of Veneta named the Third Legion after its own name, which is enough to illustrate the strength of this unit. And the legion commander of the Great Veneta is undoubtedly the best commander in the whole republic.

"Yes, I don't think so either." Antonio sounded bragging, but there was no arrogance on his face, as calm as he was talking about the weather: "Then if I object, the group of five will give up In pursuit of a quick victory?"

   "They will consider your opinion."

   "I have raised objections, and the Five have demanded that I obey orders. If I continue to object strongly, they will replace me and let someone else direct the attack."

   "Then let someone else go."

"Then what? Watching the Third Legion suffer unnecessary losses due to the change of generals? Bragging about his foresight?" Listen, never say 'I've said it before,' even if you did. We are Veneta's soldiers, and since we are paid, we must do our part in the interests of the Republic!"

  Antonio rarely speaks so harshly to children, neither to Winters nor to Elizabeth. Kesha is the stricter parent, and the lieutenant is the one who will cover for the children.

Winters, who was reprimanded, lowered his head, and Antonio also realized that he was a little too angry, and said softly: "The ruling committee has made up its mind, all the soldiers can do is to try their best to win the war. The interests of the tower come first, and the alliance has wiped out the nobles, but we officers are the knights who guard her."

   Winters made a "hmm". In his view, most of the officers actually just regarded military service as a common job, and did not raise their loyalty to the level of a knight's allegiance to a monarch. Although he admired Antonio, Winters felt that he could not be so noble.

  The parliament hall was not far from home, and the two arrived home soon. A dirty little beggar in a big hat was leaning over the fence and looking in.

   Seeing the two officers coming back, the little beggar ran away in panic. With a large number of landless peasants pouring into the city, there are also many more beggars in Hailan City than in the past. The neighborhood where Serbiati's mansion is located is very safe and is the key patrol area of ​​the garrison command, but even so, people can be seen begging from time to time.

   "Go after him and find out who he is. If it's just a beggar, give him some money. Let him not come near our house." Antonio pointed to the back of the little beggar and said.

   Winters nodded and urged Qiang Luck to catch up.

  Antonio first took the jujube horse to the stable to take care of it, and then entered the house through the back door.

  As soon as he entered the door, Elizabeth ran anxiously and grabbed his arm: "Dad, are you and your brother going to war?"

   "Who said that?" Antonio asked with a smile.

"Everyone is saying that the whole Hailan City is talking about the war, even my female companions in the studio are talking, and the old ladies are telling us about the war 30 years ago. Where are you going to fight? Is it dangerous? Why is my brother going too?"

  Antonio rubbed his daughter's head and said in a relaxed tone, "It's not dangerous, your brother and I just take a boat and go around the island at sea, and the battle will be over."

"If you play stupid with Elizabeth, she will become a stupid woman in the future." Kesha came over and said to Antonio dissatisfied: "Have some confidence in the children we raised, Ella is sixteen, she is enough. Strong enough to know what to expect."

  Kesa led Elizabeth to the living room, where Elizabeth was sitting in the middle of the sofa, and she and Antonio sat on both sides.

Kesha held Elizabeth's hands and explained to her daughter seriously: "War is the most violent way to resolve disputes. Two groups of people kill each other until one of them surrenders. That's why there are soldiers. When soldiers go to war, others don't have to. Bleeding. Your dad and brother are soldiers, so even if they hate you, they have to leave this house to fight. Do you understand? They didn't leave the house because they didn't love you."

   Elizabeth asked with red eyes: "Is it dangerous to fight? Will... never come back?"

   "No." Antonio hurriedly comforted his daughter: "It's not that dangerous to fight, there is a song that goes like this, 'If every bullet can hit someone, who would the king ask for him as a soldier'..."

Kesha glared at Antonio, and said seriously to Elizabeth: "War will kill people, and many people's sons will not come back. Your father and brother may not come back. We pray for their safety, but If they can't come back, you have to be strong enough to face it."

   Hearing her mother's words and thinking of the terrible situation, Elizabeth could not help crying.

   "She's still a child, aren't you being a little too cruel?"

   "She's sixteen years old, she has to learn to accept it all. Only in this way, if she really loses you, she won't have a mental breakdown like my sister!"

   Seeing that the two were about to quarrel over their children's education policy, Winters opened the door and walked in.

   Seeing Winters coming home, Elizabeth ran over and hugged her brother and cried: "Winters, I don't want you to go to war! I don't want you to never come back! Don't go..."

   Winters didn't know what was going on and hugged Ella at a loss. He had to pat Ella's back lightly, and asked the two parents with eyes, "What's the situation?"

  But the strong and determined Kesha couldn't help but wipe away her tears.

  Antonio sighed helplessly, took his wife in his arms, and looked at Winters.

   After being silent for a while, Sophia walked downstairs with an expressionless face.

  Yes, Sophia is staying with Winters now. The garrison of the Third Army was now full of soldiers, and it was clearly inappropriate for a woman to remain in the barracks.

   Sophia's identity has also been confirmed. The messenger changed horses all the way, but rushed to the province to transcribe the original documents deposited in the church. Two-phase verification with the documents Sophia carried.

   The Governing Council and Sofia made a deal. In exchange for the notes, De Bella will pass a proposal to rehabilitate Antoine Laurent as soon as possible, while Sofia needs to stay in Veneta for the time being to attend the hearing.

   Originally, Sophia wanted to live in a women’s convent, but Elizabeth strongly invited Sophia to come to her house.

  Although Antonio and Winters were firmly opposed, Elizabeth convinced the real owner of the family, Kesha.

  Kesa's reason for agreeing to Sophia's stay is simple: the two families are actually relatives.

   Kesha's grandfather's sister married into Sophia's father's family. This Kesha's aunt was Antoine Laurent's grandmother and Sophia's great-grandmother.

   In other words, Winters and Elizabeth have to call Sophia "cousin".

  Because of the natural geographical barrier of "two mountains and land", the aristocratic class in the Cenas Bay area usually does not intermarry with outsiders, but internal intermarriages are very frequent.

  Two alliance members with de or la in their surnames sit in a tavern and chat, and they can find their relatives by chatting.

   Winters' grandfather, as the youngest son, did not have the qualifications to inherit the title and fief, so he turned to business, and finally settled in Hailan.

   However, it was a blessing in disguise and escaped the purge of the old aristocracy by the Interprovincial Republic during the Sovereign War.

   After that **** reckoning, the people of the United Provinces were completely freed from the shackles of the old aristocracy.

   The family from which Winters' grandfather was born and many families were completely erased. Sophia is probably one of the few remaining "blood relatives" between Kesha and Winters, although this blood relationship has faded to only one-sixteenth.

  Sophia walked to Winters with a cold face, even under the same roof, she never gave Winters a good face.

   Of course, Winters and Sophia couldn't get close either.

   Apart from the identity of Antoine Laurent's orphan girl, Winters has no affection for Sophia, and will still subconsciously tense his nerves when facing this woman.

   So the two of them get along very awkwardly, to be precise, they don't get along at all.

  Sophia only communicated with Elizabeth and Kesha, and Winters and she avoided each other as much as possible.

   Winters nodded awkwardly to Sophia. Sophia glared at him, took Elizabeth into her arms, and supported the sobbing little girl back upstairs.

   The relationship between Sophia and the male protagonist is actually not a foreshadowing, because Antonio has obviously hinted it. Thanks to the friends who voted for the recommendation before, thank you.

Thanks to the book friend Yan Yunsan for the recommendation ticket, thanks to the book friend Yuan Hongjian for the recommendation ticket, thanks to the book friend "I don't know what it is called" for the recommendation ticket, thanks to the book friend 20181013204343295 for the recommendation ticket, thanks to the book friend fsdafads for the recommendation ticket, thank you everyone .

   (end of this chapter)