King

Originally, Caesar IV summoned everyone to Beijing this time mainly to discuss the topic of the "Scepter of Glory". Unexpectedly, the situation on the battlefield continued to deteriorate, and a series of bad news came, making everyone breathless.

After the Omega Principality was destroyed, the Shillong Principality followed closely, with only three days between them.

Who the next unlucky guy will be depends entirely on the mood of the orcs. The Seven Kingdoms Alliance has been a joke from beginning to end. From the outbreak of the war to now, it has not achieved a brilliant record.

The Warhammer Kingdom in the west is also being beaten dizzy by the coalition forces of the ancient survivors, and the battle lines are retreating repeatedly.

If the Principality of Moxi and the Principality of Oton had not sent troops in time to help them stabilize their position for their own safety, I am afraid the situation would have collapsed.

Of course, the Alpha Kingdom also contributed, and the promised 10,000 reinforcements arrived on the battlefield.

However, on the battlefield where millions of troops were assembled by both sides, the reinforcements of a mere 10,000 ordinary troops, apart from bringing moral support, could not influence the direction of the battle.

This is not the only bad news. The trend of the war in the central part of the continent is not as optimistic as everyone expected.

The human race does have the advantage, but this war has reached a critical moment of life and death for the alien alliance, and all races are fighting desperately.

However, all the human nations have scruples. They all want to win at the minimum cost and are not willing to compromise their own strength too much.

Especially those wars jointly initiated by several countries, all trying to get others to contribute more, and the performance on the battlefield is particularly eye-catching.

The war is about morale, money and food, and more importantly, the determination to move forward.

One side fights for the survival of the race, and the other side fights for profit. Different starting points determine the intensity of investment of both sides in the war.

It is clear that the human race has an absolute advantage in strength, but they can only continue to struggle with the enemy.

The war has reached a stalemate, which has little impact on the countries in the Central and South Continent. Anyway, with their strength, they can wear down the enemy to death.

According to the current fighting style, not only can the strength be preserved as much as possible, but also an elite army can be trained through war.

The future is a time of extraordinary armies, but not yet. Everyone has seen the serf soldiers of the Alpha Kingdom, and when their number reaches a certain level, they can also play a significant role.

In order to reduce the losses of the main army, various countries in the mainland recruited serf soldiers to participate in the war.

There is no shame in learning from each other. Compared with the main army, these cannon fodder units are indeed not as effective in combat, but they are better because they are cheaper!

Just by doing this, the countries in the Northern Continent suffered. Everyone is busy with their own wars, and the countries in the northern continent can only fight alone.

The only thing worse than bad news is bad news after bad news.

Just when everyone was preparing to discuss the artifact issue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suddenly received bad news. Negotiations with the elves failed, and the other party refused to sign a non-aggression treaty with the kingdom.

All the pressure was transmitted together, and the atmosphere in the palace was terrifyingly depressing, like the last calm before the storm.

"The situation has taken a turn for the worse, and the worst situation is about to happen. If you have any ideas, please tell us!"

Caesar IV said calmly. Just the trembling of his body still exposed his inner uneasiness.

He glanced at the ministers and looked at the palace nobles who were also worried, and he became more and more anxious.

A king is a king because the kingdom exists. If the Alpha Kingdom were gone, then he, the lofty king, would be nothing.

Looking at Hudson again, Caesar IV's mentality had undergone earth-shaking changes. It used to be so unpleasant to see Hudson, but now he is so pleasing to the eye.

Unfortunately, Hudson did not understand the message hidden in Caesar IV's eyes. At this moment, he was busy deducing the future development of the situation in his mind, and did not care about the king's thoughts at all.

"Your Majesty, the international situation has taken a turn for the worse and is beyond human control. The most important thing for us right now is to stabilize people's hearts and not to lose our position.

The Kingdom does not have the ability to take care of multiple battlefields at the same time, and the Northern Continent does not have the ability to face the three major alien races at the same time, but it does not mean that we are incapable of fighting.

The elves didn't send troops, so let's ignore them for now. The most important thing right now is to persuade the countries in the Northern Continent to send troops to reinforce the Warhammer Kingdom and help them block the coalition of ancient survivors first.

Our next strategy is to deal with the Orc Empire first. If the elves join the war, let all countries make strategic contractions and open up a path south.

At the same time, we need to strengthen our contact with the seven grassland countries. They cannot stop the orcs' troops, but the army in their hands is also a considerable force.

If possible, it would be best to persuade the seven governments to withdraw the remaining military forces into the kingdom after the fall of the country. "

The Prime Minister, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland, analyzed calmly.

The collapse of the situation cannot be stopped, but it is still possible to use the collapsed situation to enhance the strength of the kingdom as much as possible.

No one knows the specific effects. But for the current situation, it would be nice to come up with a plan to deal with it. How can we expect a perfect solution to the problem?

“Prime Minister, all countries in the Northern Continent have their own ideas, and they may not accept our suggestions.

Rather than sending troops to reinforce the Warhammer Kingdom, they preferred to shut down the country and defend themselves.

The trust between countries had been lost long ago during the last orc invasion. If we make suggestions at this time, it is very likely that they will regard them as the kingdom's revenge for their previous inaction.

Regarding the formation of coalition forces, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has communicated with them many times. Except for a few border countries that agreed immediately, the rest of the countries asked the kingdom to send no less than 500,000 troops.

As you know, the kingdom cannot divide its troops now. If 500,000 troops are mobilized to go west, then the next battlefield in Northern Xinjiang will only be passively beaten.

What's worse is that even if we form a coalition, we can't stop the elves on the western front at the same time.

Both fronts were passively beaten. Even if the human race won this war, the kingdom would still decline.

Over in the Seven Prairie Kingdoms, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can only try its best to do its work.

There are supporters behind these countries. If we want them to act according to our plan, we must also convince the major forces in the mainland. "

Count Francis' words were like pouring cold water on everyone's heads, breaking all their illusions.

A strategy that is in line with the interests of the Alpha Kingdom does not mean that it is also in line with the interests of the countries in the Northern Continent.

Everyone has selfish motives, and it is impossible for everyone to abandon their own interests for the sake of the interests of the Alpha Kingdom.

The various countries asking the Alpha Kingdom to divide their forces are essentially for self-protection.

Everyone knows that after the troops are divided, the two fronts of the battlefield cannot be maintained, but no one cares.

As long as the coalition forces can delay the elves' attack until the end of the continental war, they have the possibility of preserving their foundation.

If it really doesn't work, it would be a good choice to try to win a few battles and then find an opportunity to negotiate with the elves for a decent ending.

As for the life and death of the Alpha Kingdom, he doesn't even care about it. Who has the time to care about his allies?

The Seven Prairie Kingdoms are even simpler.

The foundation has been ruined. If you don't use the remaining strength to prepare for the restoration of the country, you come to help the Alpha Kingdom to fight for it. What do you want?

Of course, there is only one large port on the prairie, and the evacuation capabilities of various countries are limited.

It is not completely non-negotiable to allow the armed forces that cannot evacuate in time to temporarily retreat to the Alpha Kingdom to continue resisting the orc invasion.

“The Seven Prairie Kingdoms are easy to solve, but as the situation on the battlefield worsens, they have only two choices.

Either evacuate from the sea or retreat all the way into the kingdom.

There have been constant storms at sea recently, and there are also ghost ships causing trouble on the way. The risk of ships going south is very high.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the serious relationship to them, and I think they can understand it. "

Earl Albert said indifferently.

The Seven Prairie Kingdoms' evacuation from the sea also needs to pass through the Alpha Kingdom's sphere of influence. Once the kingdom blocks the sea route, sea communication lines will be cut off.

It's just that this approach pulls the lower limit too low. No matter how hard you find excuses to cover up, it will seriously damage the kingdom's international image.

If the fiefdom hadn't been in the northernmost part, and the war would be the first victim, he wouldn't have made such a harmful idea.

"Earl Albert's proposal is very pertinent. There have been constant storms at sea recently. As allies, we have the obligation to remind the seven grassland countries to sail with caution."

Earl Oran on the side echoed.

Immediately afterwards, all the great nobles in Northern Xinjiang responded. International image is a thing of the future, but the orc threat is very close.

If they don't find a way to gather a group of cannon fodder, they, the "responsible" northern border lords, will definitely suffer heavy losses in the coming war.

Originally, some people wanted to object, but considering that during war, someone has to be the cannon fodder.

It is better to let the troops of the seven grassland countries be used as cannon fodder than to let one of your own people be used as cannon fodder.

If the first idea is passed, there will be no shortage of the second one. Anyway, moral integrity has dropped, and everyone doesn’t mind pushing the bottom line a little lower.

The armed forces of the seven grassland countries are about to withdraw, and the people naturally cannot stay where they are to be killed by the orcs, so they simply accept them all.

It happened that the Alpha Kingdom needed to replenish its population, and the territories of the emerging nobles had large tracts of land waiting to be reclaimed.

Of course, there is no need to say it out loud as long as you understand this kind of thing. The only external rhetoric is "accepting refugees."

As for whether these refugees should be returned after the war, and how much should be returned, it all depends on everyone's integrity.

Seeing that everyone's bottom line was falling all the way, Hudson was speechless.

Originally, they wanted to gain enough population during the retreat from the Seven Prairie Kingdoms. But judging from the current situation, there are too many people eyeing this piece of fat.

If we don't set a rule and let everyone play freely, he, the lord of southern Xinjiang, will not be able to take over the local snake in the north.

"Your Majesty, there is no problem in gathering the power of the seven grassland countries, but you must be cautious in the execution process. It is best to do it in the name of helping them restore their country.

According to past practice, after the continental war, the country that sacrificed for the war will be re-established even if it has been destroyed.

As the most powerful country in the northern continent, the kingdom has a great say in the restoration of the country in the northern continent.

This is the biggest bargaining chip in our hands and we must use it.

Not only the seven grassland countries, but other countries in the northern continent can also be included in the public relations scope to persuade as many countries as possible to come to the kingdom to form a government-in-exile after the situation collapses.

In order to better help everyone recover, we must not only accept military forces from various countries, but also open restrictions on accepting refugees from various countries.

The general headquarters will take over the handling of the withdrawal of military forces from various countries. Other people who will be relocated need to be taken care of by the government.

It is best to make corresponding plans now, especially because of the large number of refugees who have poured into the kingdom due to the war, and they must be diverted in time to avoid affecting social security. "

Hudson suggested without changing his expression.

All proposals are for the benefit of the human race and the countries in the Northern Continent. As for everyone's deviation in understanding, that is not his problem.

Whether we should help a number of exiled governments to rehabilitate their country in the future is a matter for the future. Winning the war will require consideration of these complex issues.

If the kingdom loses the war, everyone present will either meet the Lord of the Morning or be part of the government-in-exile themselves.

"Your Excellency, Marshal, accepting personnel from various countries will be a severe test for our finances.

For this war, we have cut expenses as much as possible, but the kingdom's finances are still not optimistic.

Especially the large number of refugees, the kingdom is simply unable to provide relief. If you want to accept it, you can only distribute the task to each province and entrust everyone to help take care of it. "

Marquis Delgado suggested bravely.

There is no other way. We are all people who want face. We cannot just come up to carve up the refugees. We must have a fig leaf.

It happens that only the Ministry of Finance can provide this fig leaf. The government has no money in its pocket, so it has no problem entrusting nobles from various places to take care of the refugees.

Hypocrisy is a little bit hypocritical, but everyone just accepts it.

The only thing that made Hudson unhappy was that Marquis Delgado said this to him, not to Caesar IV.

Once he approved the proposal, it meant that he, the marshal of the kingdom, was the one who made the decision, not the king, Caesar IV.

If problems arise during operation in the future, he will be held responsible and has nothing to do with Caesar IV.

“His Excellency the Marquis’s proposal is very practical, that is, the provinces should jointly share the pressure of refugees based on the actual situation.

However, we must act within our capabilities. While accepting refugees, we must also fulfill the obligations imposed by the kingdom.

Considering the food pressure caused by the increase in population, we must adopt more powerful policies from now on.

The open source work has been arranged. In addition to seizing the time to implement production, the area with the greatest potential is ocean fishing.

Lords of the coastal areas, please work hard, the burden of food for the kingdom now falls on you.

Now we need to discuss throttling.

Before this, the kingdom also took some countermeasures, but they were far from enough.

This crisis is more serious than before, so the measures we must take must be more radical than before.

It is not enough to simply stop holding banquets and ban the use of grain to make wine. I propose that the kingdom formulate a set of temporary laws.

The Ministry of Government Affairs will formulate a food rationing system based on actual conditions and formulate corresponding ration standards based on different identities.

Your Majesty, you still need to take the lead in implementing this matter! "

After all, Hudson had a bottom line and did not do anything to blame his boss. Of course, Caesar IV had volunteered to help him withstand the biggest thunder.

Compared with the troubles caused by the "Scepter of Glory", carving up refugees can only be considered child's play.

It's not like he was the only one who ate the spoils, everyone shared the spoils. If the matter got serious, it would only affect his reputation at most, and it was impossible to really hold him accountable.

After all, the owner of the "Glory Scepter" is the Holy See, but the owners of the refugees are a group of poor people.

The former's anger can make the kingdom deal with it carefully, but the latter can only shout a few times, and if you are more shameless, you can pretend not to hear.

No one cared about some political disturbances, and everyone's attention was attracted by the food rationing system proposed by Hudson.

There are precedents for similar operations in the Alpha Kingdom, but the details are different.

In the past, organizations took the lead in saving food, but they were not regulated by law, let alone specific food ration standards.

Generally speaking, it is the king and the nobles who take the lead in cutting expenses, for example: changing three meals to two meals.

Anyway, this is the external propaganda. How to implement it still depends on consciousness.

"No problem, the food rationing system starts with me!

The daily rations are tentatively set: one pound of bread, one pound of meat, some ingredients, and some fruits and vegetables.

You all have to figure it out, set a standard for yourself, and set a good start for the people of the Kingdom, so that the work of the Government Affairs Department will not be difficult. "

Caesar IV said boldly.

The royal education from a young age was not learned in vain.

Caesar IV knew very well that after losing his military voice, if he wanted to smoothly transfer power after the war, he, the king, must find opportunities to increase his presence.

Taking the lead in saving food, this kind of political project that is beneficial and cost-effective, must not only be done, but must also be done well.

The only problem is that the king has set his standards so low, making it very difficult for everyone!

In this hierarchical world, ministers cannot go beyond the king, and standards have to continue to decline.

It is unknown to the outside world whether Caesar IV implemented specific standards in the deep palace compound.

But those of them who are often active outside often have to implement standards, otherwise they lose the meaning of taking the lead.

Violating the law is a minor matter, but the most important thing is not complying with the standards. If word spreads about it, it will damage your reputation.

"Your Majesty, please increase the quota a little more!

If you use this standard, those of us in the rear will be fine, but the ration standards for officers and soldiers on the front line cannot be fixed! "

The Prime Minister, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland, stepped forward to persuade him.

Regardless of the quality of the food, the quota set by Caesar IV is really small.

Under high-intensity training, two pounds of staple food is simply useless. After all, the food eaten by soldiers does not have such high energy.

He was treated like a king at every turn, and if it spread out, it would appear that everyone had no rules.

"Ha ha……"

"This standard is indeed a bit difficult for you. Well, then add another pound of bread every day.

The situation in the military is special and cannot be carried out according to conventional standards.

Here's the order, the staple food quota for the officers and soldiers in the army must not be lower than mine! "

After hearing what Caesar IV said, Hudson secretly regretted that he should not have communicated with the prime minister in advance.

The scene in front of them was clearly a conspiracy to create an opportunity for Caesar IV to increase his reputation.

Ordinary soldiers don't have much discernment. As long as the royal family publicizes it, Caesar IV's bad reputation in the military will be completely cleared.

It was obvious that he, as the coach, put too much pressure on Caesar IV. In order to stabilize the king's power, he had to lower his profile and actively lower his authority, creating an image of a monarch who "loved his soldiers as his sons".

Now doing this makes Hudson very passive. If you act out of line, you can easily get the reputation of being a "traitor".

The benefits are also very obvious. By doing this, Caesar IV forced many nobles into a corner.

No matter what you think in your heart, you must follow up.

Before the war is over, no one can even think about having a good life. At the very least, you have to endure some hardships in front of outsiders.

With these people taking the lead, the food standards of military generals can be lowered, and the treatment of ordinary soldiers can be improved.

Hudson had made up his mind to go back and carry out reforms in the army to narrow the gap in food and treatment between officers and soldiers.

If you have any objections, let everyone argue with the king. Since Caesar IV wants to increase his reputation, he must bear the abuse from those with vested interests.

Seeing that everyone was reluctant to speak, Hudson took a step forward and said: "Your Majesty leads by example, and we will naturally follow suit.

But in terms of share, I think there is no need to divide it into so many levels. After all, only when you have a full stomach can you have the strength to work.

In normal times, the large nobles are subject to the ration standard of 90% of His Majesty's share; the middle nobles are subject to the ration standard of 80% to 50%; the small nobles are subject to the ration standard of 80%.

The civilians below will receive a 30% discount on rations; the serfs will receive a 65% discount; and the slaves will receive a 40% discount.

The level of staple food, the breakdown of supplementary food, and the proportion of meat are determined by the Ministry of Government Affairs based on everyone's identity and occupation.

Once everyone is drafted into the military, these standards will be invalidated and replaced by military standards.

Taking into account the actual situation, the food standards for officers and soldiers in the army must also be appropriately adjusted.

His Majesty just issued an order setting the lower limit for officers and soldiers in the army, so now it is also necessary to set an upper limit.

Where do you think the upper limit should be set? "

Everyone has no objection to the ration standards. The king's standards are set in front, and no one can exceed them.

It's just that when we are out doing activities, if there are a few dishes missing on the table, everyone will definitely not be hungry.

The food ration standards for serfs and civilians were not considered by everyone. The food rationing system was only for nobles and merchants.

The daily living standards of the people at the bottom do not meet the ration standards, so restrictions are out of the question.

It is not a fixed quota distribution. The so-called standard is actually an upper limit for food consumption.

The key is the adjustment of food standards for officers and soldiers in the army, which has attracted everyone's attention.

From Hudson's proposal, everyone can see that he had planned it for a long time. The delay in taking action is obviously due to fear of backlash.

The performance of Caesar IV just now brought everyone together and laid the foundation for the reform plan.

Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, and for a moment they were at a loss.

Everyone agrees with the minimum limit proposed by Caesar IV just now.

After all, this is war time, and the king cannot afford to starve his troops.

Three pounds of staple food may seem like a lot, but this refers to cooked food, not three pounds of flour.

For a group of big eaters who have little fat and water in their stomachs and eat whole grains every day, they simply cannot support high-intensity training and fighting without eating a little more.

Now Hudson is just asking everyone about the upper limit, and has not set specific standards, so he can't even speak out if he wants to. You can’t say there’s no upper limit, right?

Everyone is cutting back on spending, but it makes no sense that a group of people continue to eat and drink. Although these people are inextricably linked to everyone, they are not enough for everyone to fight for them.

Essentially, this is for the benefit of the kingdom and does not touch the core interests of the major nobles.

"Your Excellency, Marshal, the situation in the military is special, and any upper limit is reasonable.

It is best to deal with it flexibly according to the specific situation. I think it is better to set a reference standard and implement it according to the situation.

The key thing to do is to adjust the food standard level. Because of the war, it is best to cancel some hard-to-find ingredients. "

Archduke Efiero took advantage of the situation and said with a last strike.

Obviously, limiting the total amount is just a false shot, and the real goal is to meet food standards.

Not all officers are big eaters. The real expense is never the quantity, but the extravagant food standards.

It's nothing in peacetime, the nobles outside live a luxurious life. The number of noble officers in the army is limited, and the overall expenditure is also limited.

It was different during the war. With the expansion of the army, the number of officers expanded rapidly, and the required expenses also became huge.

Referring to the last war, we know that nearly 50% of the kingdom's military expenditures were spent on officers.

The remaining 50% of military expenditures not only support a large number of soldiers, but also cover the expenditure on weapons and equipment for the entire army.

The food standards proposed now are just an entry point; the real motivation is military spending reform.

Regardless of Hudson's subjective wishes, with the existing resources, the Alpha Kingdom must carry out reforms if it wants to carry out this war.

Putting the issue out at this moment is essentially a showdown with the major forces, but the method is a little more obscure and does not directly touch everyone's sensitive nerves.

Once the entry point is opened, Hudson can then reach out to the logistics and reform and reorganize the current logistics system.

It is inevitable to catch a few unlucky guys who have no eyesight and kill Li Wei.

It is also a high probability event that the interests of a certain big noble here are accidentally involved. Once the reform starts, bloodshed is inevitable, and it mainly depends on who will be the unlucky one.

However, Hudson was not a simple reformist, and he did not have the gambling spirit to risk his life and fortune for the sake of reform.

The purpose of showing off in advance is to gain everyone's support, limit the bloodshed to the pawns below, and avoid causing a struggle among the upper echelons of the kingdom.

Without profound changes in the political structure, but simply a compromise forced by the situation, such reforms will certainly not be thorough.

Even once Hudson leaves office, vested interest groups will immediately be able to counterattack, but this is also the easiest reform to succeed!

“His Excellency the Grand Duke is right, the military situation is special and it does require flexibility.

Your Majesty, what do you think about setting the upper limit at two to three times? "

Hudson suggested with a smile.

Naked hint.