King

Secret negotiations began, and the originally stable battlefield in Northern Xinjiang fell completely silent.

The orc army did not attack, and the defenders were ordered not to move out by Hudson. The smoke-filled Northern Continent ushered in the long-lost peace.

…

"How about it? Has Marshal Hudson agreed to send troops?"

Duke Rodriguez asked with concern.

There is no shortage of smart people in the world. With the hatred between the Alpha Kingdom and the Orcs, a truce during the Continental War is an incredible thing in itself.

Sensing something was wrong, the Northland noble group took action immediately.

"No, not only our petition for war was rejected, but also those of other generals.

After contacting the boys from the North who were serving under Hudson, they were also confused now and had no idea what was going on! "

Duke Angel replied with an unhappy expression.

The nobles of the North have long been the core force of the kingdom's army. In the past, all major military operations must have their consent.

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, their influence in the military would plummet, and even the commander-in-chief could not find out what he was doing.

You must know that in the last war, the nobles of the North occupied 40% of the positions in the headquarters.

Some time ago, when Marquis James was in office, they still had considerable influence in the headquarters.

But as soon as Hudson took office, the situation completely got out of control.

There is no way, someone always needs to be held responsible for defeat. The commander-in-chief of the army was dismissed and held accountable, and other generals in the headquarters were naturally held accountable.

In one move, Hudson replaced most of the officers in the headquarters, and the remaining generals were labeled as having served their crimes.

The officers who had risen to the rank based on their status and background were all purged in this wave, and a group of more capable officers were promoted instead.

The fiercer the competition in the early stage and the more positions occupied, the greater the losses after this wave of adjustments.

The garrison's inability to retreat was not only due to strategic needs, but also related to the personnel adjustments made by Hudson.

I don’t know if there was any deliberate targeting, but anyway, their group, the five great Dukes of the North, were collectively kicked out of the center of power.

Even if you want to make a fuss, the flames of war have reached your doorstep. If the kingdom's army were defeated, the five of them would be the first to suffer.

What's more, the newly appointed general is no ordinary person. Not only does he have a good background, but he also has a lot of military exploits.

More than 70% of the generals are from the most famous noble corps in the kingdom - the expeditionary corps.

Due to the need to defend against the orcs, when the expeditionary legion was formed, no elite nobles from the northern provinces were recruited.

In fact, the five great dukes of the North were initially included in the recruitment. After all, with the addition of several more provinces, they could also be considered the hinterland of the kingdom.

However, they thought that the Western Expedition was a hard job, and they were not confident about the strength of their neighbors. They believed that the seven provinces in northern Xinjiang could not resist the invasion of the orcs, so they found a way to refuse the recruitment.

"It's useless even if we check it. It's clear that Hudson is deliberately targeting us. He is the coach, and he has many ways to torment us!"

Duke Thorsten's words failed to resonate.

The Northland nobles who made half-correct strategic judgments and missed the recruitment will naturally have to pay the price in a new round of power reshuffle.

If we really want to talk about targeting, it is only the Locknard family that is causing hatred. At most, the four of them will be implicated.

The current tragic situation of the five major families was actually promoted by the royal family and the aristocratic groups in the central and southern provinces. Hudson alone was unable to remove them from the core of power.

In addition to paying for the arrogance of the past, the most important thing is that the military strength of the Northland noble group has dropped significantly, and its weight in the kingdom's army is not as good as before.

The former northern nobles were synonymous with elites in the kingdom, and the combat effectiveness of the private army was not weaker than that of the standing army.

Now the situation has been reversed. After Hudson's costly training, the combat effectiveness of the kingdom's standing army has been greatly improved.

On the contrary, because the Northland aristocratic group was no longer on the front line, they lost the military subsidies issued by the kingdom. In addition, the end of the smuggling trade led to a sharp decline in the financial income of each family and was forced to reduce military investment.

The decommissioned army became a semi-decommissioned army, and after a few more years of peace, its combat effectiveness inevitably declined.

After one increase and one decrease, everyone suddenly discovered that the Northland noble group was no longer important to the kingdom, and the original extra-standard treatment in politics was naturally gone.

Including Caesar IV, who had previously won over them, now has lost interest in them. Politicians are always the most realistic.

The Northland aristocratic group that has lost its special value is just a few ordinary nobles. How can it be worthy of the king to offend the ancestors of the royal family for them.

After understanding the positions of all parties, Hudson was not polite and took advantage of the situation to pull them into their proper positions.

The sensitivity of the northern nobles is mainly due to their inability to adjust to their own roles.

"Perhaps the current changes are not caused by Hudson, but from the Royal Capital.

The Foreign Minister suddenly fell ill a few days ago, but three days ago, his captain of the guard was seen in the military camp.

If the Foreign Minister is not really ill, but comes to the front line, then everything that happened now will be explained! "

Duke Hero said with a solemn expression.

Unlike the negotiations in the central mainland, which require war to exert pressure, the northern Xinjiang battlefield is completely in a strategic stalemate.

In a short period of time, no one is sure to overwhelm the other, so it is better to give each other face and show sincerity by stopping the war first.

“If that’s the case, then it’s even worse!

Negotiating such a big matter without informing us is much more serious than being targeted by the coach.

Everyone has seen the combat effectiveness of the kingdom's standing army. I have to admit that Hudson is really good at training.

Unfortunately, things are not as good as before. Our financial income is limited, so it is difficult for us to follow suit.

The training methods are open to the public, even if everyone only learns 70% or 80%.

In a few years, the military strength of those major fiscal and taxation provinces will leave us behind.

If the current situation continues, our situation in the Kingdom will be worrying in the future! "

Duke Rodriguez said with a sigh.

In the Aslant continent, the right to speak is linked to strength. It turns out that the Northland nobles are the largest military group in the kingdom, and they naturally speak tough words.

Now that its military advantage has been wiped out, it may even be overtaken by others, and its political status will inevitably decline.

"That's not the worst!

Although standing army training is expensive, we can still train a legion each if we grit our teeth. The Warcraft legion is the real gold-swallowing behemoth.

If we can't find new sources of revenue, we won't be able to keep up with the tax revenue from our territory alone.

I don’t think you need to worry about political treatment issues here. If you have this spare time, you might as well find a way to resume the smuggling trade with the orcs.

We don’t expect to be able to maintain our advantage over the provinces. At the very least, we cannot fall behind. Otherwise, those enemies who were suppressed by us in the past will appear and add insult to injury! "

Duke Angel's words made Duke Thorsten's face become even more ugly.

The seemingly ordinary emotion was actually a warning to him not to cause trouble.

The five major families are united, but this does not mean that they are willing to get involved in the dispute between the Locknard family and the Koslow family.

Especially during the war, it is even more tragic to be cared about by the coach.

Just look at the situation of the Locknard family. While the front line has basically remained stable, they have suffered many losses of troops and generals.

It seems that these losses are due to coincidence, as if the Locknard family happened to be unlucky, but in fact they understand everything.

There is no need to deliberately target it, just stumbling a little within the rules is enough.

This kind of special treatment is enough for the Locknard family to enjoy themselves, and they don't want to suffer along with it.

I no longer dare to hope for military exploits or anything like that. Now they just want to end the war quickly and send away the plague god Hudson.

…

"Count Oran, you have the best information. Do you know..."

Before Earl Albert could finish speaking, Earl Oran hurriedly interrupted: "Earl Albert, you are in trouble.

We are all in the same situation. It's okay to ask for some general information. But how can I be qualified to participate in a real military and national event?

But I heard from Hudson that the king sent people over a few days ago. Counting the days, the order not to attack was almost the same time as their arrival. "

Birds of a feather flock together.

Unfortunately, several frontier lords who had lost their own territory and whose lives were linked to each other naturally gathered together.

As an alliance of unlucky men, they are the ones in the most embarrassing situation in the military. They are all great nobles in name, but unfortunately they are great nobles who have lost their fiefdoms.

According to past practice, they should have died in the battle to defend the territory long ago. It was due to Hudson's intervention that the kingdom issued an order to retreat, which allowed them to save their lives.

If a noble lord whose life has been temporarily saved but cannot fulfill his obligations is still considered a noble lord?

In the military, they were often looked down upon and could only behave with their tail between their legs. The right to speak had nothing to do with them.

He is nominally the governor of a province, but his actual status is not as good as that of some army commanders.

It's not that everyone is discriminating, it's just that their military strength as a province is not as good as that of a main army.

"Count Oran, is the news confirmed? This kind of thing is no joke!"

Earl Albert said in panic.

The kingdom negotiated with the orcs and it was good to be able to take back all the territory. If they cannot take it back, these lords who have lost their land will be in complete tragedy.

"Sir, do you think I dare to joke about this kind of thing?"

Count Oran asked rhetorically.

…

Similar scenes continued to play out in the military. Many powerful factions received news of the negotiations one after another. Rumors spread among the military for a while.

Hudson, who should have taken measures immediately, not only failed to take action in time, but chose to let things go.

The delegation, which had originally hidden its identity, was soon dug out by the powerful nobles. The angry Foreign Minister Count Francis came straight to the headquarters.

"Marshal, you..."

He raised his troops to question the crime, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know where to start.

From beginning to end, Hudson did not intervene in the negotiations, including when the delegation arrived.

If you don't do something, you won't make mistakes.

It would be too far-fetched to pin the charge of leaking information on him.

Shifting the blame to a powerful marshal is a major political event.

If the charges are confirmed, it may not be possible to do anything to Hudson.

If he couldn't find evidence, his own political life would be over.

Count Francis, who regained his rationality, immediately sweated for himself, and then changed his words:

"Marshal, now that the news has been leaked in advance, I'm afraid it will affect subsequent negotiations!"

The same thing, if put in another way, has changed from calling out the enemy to discuss countermeasures together.

The nature changes, and everything changes accordingly. Regardless of how the news leaked, Hudson is now dragged into the aftermath.

Even if you want to shirk it, as the coach of the army, you must have the responsibility of the coach.

"Your Excellency, the problem should not be too big. Judging from the feedback below, the voices of the main battle and the main peace are quite equal.

I can stabilize the situation in the military and not let them interfere with the negotiations.

However, the progress of your negotiations must be accelerated. Whether it is successful or not, the results must be produced as soon as possible.

If the delay is too long, the Human Alliance will receive the news and intervene, which will cause trouble! "

Hudson said calmly.

It wasn't that he dug a hole deliberately, but there were some things he couldn't shoulder. When negotiating with the elves earlier, Hudson had the courage to take responsibility.

But the orcs are different, they are the mortal enemies of the kingdom. Just because Chinese people can tolerate compromise with elves does not mean they can also accept compromise with orcs.

At this moment, the kingdom's army did not have an absolute advantage, and it was difficult to achieve results that satisfied all parties by hastily launching negotiations with the orcs.

After the war, old scores were brought up, and these were ready-made levers for political opponents. Hudson did not want to end up with a notorious reputation.

They simply played the game of "non-participation, non-knowledge, and non-interference" and allowed the situation to develop freely.

As for the worry about the intervention of the Human Alliance, it was purely an excuse to urge the delegation to speed up the progress.

Message transmission also takes time, and Hudson doesn't think anyone dares to activate the communication magic circle under his nose.

Even if there are spies deployed by major forces in the army, it will be very difficult to pass on the news. After all, the military camp is not a place where people can come and go freely.

Even if he was lucky enough to get out of the military camp, the surrounding area was surrounded by fortified walls and clearing out fields for hundreds of miles, making it difficult to find anyone to contact him.

Even with the cooperation of the great nobles, it would not be possible to spread the news from the northern continent to the southern continent in a short time without exposing themselves.

What's more, what's being spread now is just a rumor, with no solid evidence, and it's impossible to convict someone based on rumors.

Orcs are not as valuable as elves, and the deaths of tens of thousands of vassal races will not affect high-level decisions.

Just a few symbolic battles on the border can leave all parties with nothing to say.

In fact, the current Alpha Kingdom has been geographically divided by the alien alliance, and the human alliance has very little binding force on the kingdom.

"Marshal, don't worry. Judging from preliminary contacts, the orcs want to end the war faster than we do, and the negotiations are progressing very smoothly.

If it is just to regain the lost territory, an armistice treaty can be signed now. The current dispute between the two sides is the issue of war compensation. "

Earl Francis' words made Hudson call him hasty.

Considering the relationship between the Alpha Kingdom and the Orcs, there is no need for an armistice treaty. What we are talking about now is clearly an armistice treaty.

As long as one side is prepared, war will break out again. Since it is only a short-term truce, some issues can be blurred.

Anyway, the current Orc Empire does not have the ability to develop so much territory, so it is not a big problem to let the Alpha Kingdom occupy it for a while.

Perhaps in the eyes of the orcs, allowing the Alpha nobles to develop the prairie is to cultivate leeks.

Compared with these densely packed fortresses, emerging nobles are still easier to grab. This time it was mainly because they misjudged the situation and did not expect that the kingdom would take the initiative to retreat.

After suffering a loss, they were prepared for the next war. If the emerging nobles in the border areas wanted to retreat, it would not be so smooth.

Territory development takes time. If the seven provinces in Northern Xinjiang want to develop to the level of the five major families in Northern Xinjiang, it will be difficult to achieve without 180 years of hard work.

This is still based on the support of the kingdom, and only relying on the territory's own hematopoiesis, God knows that it can develop in the year of the monkey.

Against this background, the future of Northern Xinjiang will be a big pit. Once you're in, you can't get out.

Every year the orc tribe comes to attack "Grass Valley", and they can beat them to death. It was difficult for the local noble lords to organize an effective counterattack.

Moreover, this kind of hard life cannot end in a day or two. It must persist until the kingdom recovers its vitality and is able to launch the "Eastern Expedition".

There is nothing wrong with it, it is an "Eastern Expedition", not a "Northern Expedition".

Judging from the map, after the Alpha Kingdom regained the seven northern provinces, the Orc Empire not only existed in the north of the kingdom, but more of its territory was in the east of the kingdom.

From a mainland perspective, this place still belongs to the Northern Continent, and the war launched is naturally the "Northern Expedition." However, after the perspective is adjusted to the northern part of the kingdom, there are two options for future wars: the "Northern Expedition" and the "Eastern Expedition."

The climate in the east is more suitable for human survival, and the land is more fertile. All the five royal families of the orcs are entrenched here. If they want to go deep into the prairie and fight the orcs, they will naturally focus on the Eastern Expedition.

In order to facilitate the naming, Hudson gave the kingdom's seven northern provinces all the way to Xueyue Lake a new term "Near East Region".

"It's best if the negotiations go smoothly. If the war ends as soon as possible, the kingdom can recover and thrive as soon as possible."

Hudson said without changing his expression.

Deep down in his heart, he had already said "fuck" countless times. If nothing else, the delegation now insists on asking for land from the orcs, mainly to cash in on the land bonds issued by the previous kingdom.

As for the quality of the land, how to solve the security problem, and whether the creditors can stand firm after obtaining the land, most of them are ignored by the bureaucrats.

As long as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gets enough land from the negotiation table, satisfies the rewards for meritorious officials, and can cash in the previous land bonds, it can silence the war faction.

Hudson was very suspicious that the issue of sovereignty over these lands would be blurred in the treaty, and the orcs would only need to temporarily give up control.

Let’s deal with the follow-up questions after the next war breaks out!

Only this kind of vague treaty, which does not need to bear infamy or bear political consequences, can the contracting parties reach an agreement in a short period of time.

It has laid hidden dangers for the future situation in the Near East, and that is just a small problem. Anyway, there are too many conflicts between the Alpha Kingdom and the orcs. Some of them are triggers, and it doesn't hurt to have one more.

The only ones who get screwed are the next owners of the land. Maybe the orcs came to rob it just after it was sealed.

Perhaps a classic saying will spread in the future kingdom: "Whoever you have enmity with, let him go to the northern Xinjiang and become a lord."

Note: For convenience, some Eurasian maps are used. The Orc Empire is now almost the same as the Ottoman Empire. The African part has been cut off, the Black Sea has shrunk into a lake, and further east is the sea.