Realm of Power

Hu Keqili gently pushed open the door of the study room and saw His Majesty Falcon standing in front of the window with his hands behind his back. The beautiful sea view outside the window, under the sunshine of early May and summer, was as vast as a huge piece of emerald, with a fleet of ships. The breaking waves cut through the white marks, and the circling seabirds wandered up and down among the masts. Everything seemed so calm, but for some reason, Hu Keqili felt that this calmness under the sunset was like a precursor to an impending storm!

A layer of golden afterglow shines on the back of His Majesty Falcon. The light in the darkness is like the center of a storm. His Majesty Falcon's seemingly kind-hearted back supports the powerful empire that spans the vast ocean outside the window. The Falcon Empire looks like a tiger. Everything in the world should be because of him!

"Your Majesty!" Hu Keqili stood at attention respectfully, put his right hand on his chest and saluted the fat man.

"Hu Keqili!" The fat man turned around from the window with some thoughts. His eyes were like sharp swords and he looked at Hu Keqili who was standing opposite. He said with an unexpected look, "I thought it was the adjutant delivering the documents." Sir, I didn’t expect it to be you, but you came just in time! Lord Fuburg just sent an urgent letter from the capital of Gaul. At the imperial meeting of the Emperor of Gaul that ended ten days ago, someone proposed that in view of the current situation in the northwest The situation is unstable and it is necessary to establish a northwest general! "

"General Commander of the Northwest?" Hu Keqili frowned slightly, with an angry look in his eyes. "Is the Emperor of the Gallic Empire blind? The entire Northwest is under the influence of our Falcon Empire. The Northwest General is established." The leader’s intentions are so abominable!”

"You are not blind, but surrounded by a group of self-righteous powerful officials, you are almost as good as blind!" The fat man had a calm face and could not see too many emotions. He said slowly, "Although he knew that the opposition was ineffective, Lord Fubao still He immediately expressed strong opposition at the meeting, and threatened to refuse to return to the front line to fight the Slavs, asking the Gallic Emperor to reconsider, but the Gallic Emperor refused. The decision of the Imperial Council should be made soon. Let's be prepared!"

"Prepare? Lord Fubao means... to start a war?" Hu Keqili hesitated and asked cautiously.

"If we start a war, in your opinion, what are our chances of winning?" the fat man asked without hesitation.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, if the Gauls are so ignorant, we might as well use force to occupy the entire northwest." Hu Keqili looked calm. "With the arrival of local reinforcements, we have gathered 200,000 troops on the northwest coast. people, among which the number of troops capable of fighting exceeds Over 150,000. If the purpose of accumulating strength and expanding strategic space was to protect ourselves to a greater extent, then now is the time for us to show our fangs. Now the entire northwest is our sphere of influence, even if we are facing the Gallic Empire. Even if you fight hard, you still have the power to fight!"

"Showing your fangs?" The fat man rolled his eyes at his right-hand thug, grinning slightly. "I'm afraid our fangs are not that sharp. Although we have taken control of the northwest coast, it does not mean that the entire northwest will be completely on our side.

Once the war starts. I can guarantee that most of the northwest regions will not hesitate to renounce their relationship with our northwest coast. After all, they have been affiliated with the Gallic Empire for decades, and many generations have been vassals of the Gallic Empire. This identification and the resulting Interpersonal relationships and the context cannot be changed in just one year. Especially Denia and Rosende, who have more than 100,000 troops, show respect to us on the surface. In fact, in the mainland, they are not using their respective abacus. Once the war starts, we will need to disperse more than half of our troops just to deal with these two areas, and in the southwest, Murphy O'Brien's Southwest Army has been expanding at an unusually fast rate recently! When it comes to starting a war with Gaul, I'm afraid this Murphy O'Brien is more eager than us."

"Murphy O'Brien will go to war with Gaul...?" Hu Keqili looked stunned.

"Do you know? Lord Forburg's letter said that at this Gallic Royal Conference, the only person who opposed the establishment of the Southwest General Consul was him, Murphy O'Brien!" The fat man did not answer, but instead An imperceptible cold light flashed in his eyes,

"No way. According to our relationship with Southwest, even if we are not enemies, we will definitely not be friends. It would be fine if he does not strongly support us. How could he speak for us at the imperial meeting!" Hu Keqili was surprised. For a moment, it means that it is unimaginable,

The fat man smiled with a smile, walked to the desk, picked up a letter on it and shook it, "The reason why Murphy O'Brien took over the Southwest was to contain us, but now, in just 2 months, Not only did there not be any confrontation, but the Southwest, Northwest, and Southwest rarely spoke with the same voice.

On the surface, it seems normal, but in fact, the turmoil caused within the Gallic Empire is definitely no less than a small earthquake. Many eyes are definitely watching now to see how the Gallic Emperor handles this matter, otherwise, other The region is also following suit, and the whole of Gaul is afraid that a crisis will break out in an instant!

"With the Northwest Commander-in-Chief, the next one should be the Southwest. The Gaul Emperor's thoughts are too obvious. Murphy O'Brien is just worried that his lips will die and his teeth will be cold. The next one will be his turn. After all, everyone can see it. The Southwest Commander-in-Chief This kind of position of close confidant will never fall to him! "

A look of relief appeared on Hu Keqili's face, and he sighed, "Murphy O'Brien is a smart man! It's easy to add icing on a cake, but it's hard to give someone a moment's help in times of trouble. With this favor, if necessary, we are better than those of the nobles in Kyoto. more reliable”

"Smart! You can also say ambitious"

The fat man put down the letter with a chuckle and looked out the window. "In this letter, even Mr. Fu Bao was a little touched by his support. He rarely said a few good words to this young man who took his position. I But I know that this new Southwest District is responsible for Man, secretly let many chambers of commerce in the Southwest District set up underground trading venues at the exit of the pass. In this way, those closest to the water tower could obtain our goods at the lowest price invisibly, and then change hands and sell them to Gaul at a high price. hinterland,

"The reason why he speaks for us is actually just for his own benefit," the fat man said. "He also needs us to attract the attention of Kyoto. This Murphy O'Brien has just gained a lot of fame by defeating Gang Feiren. The labor force generated by the war, the troops of the Southwest Army The force has exceeded 150,000, and the combat power and morale are even better than before! Perhaps the Emperor of Gaul himself did not expect that Murphy O'Brien, who was thrown to prevent disasters, would actually flourish in the southwest and become famous. Only now. If you want him to give up, it's no wonder he doesn't want to let go.

And with Mr. Fu Bao as a buffer, even if we knew that he was using our light to develop his influence in the southwest and even use us to fight against the emperor, we would still choose to turn a blind eye because of this relationship. ! "

"This guy doesn't want to take advantage of the southwest..." Hu Keqili curled his lips slightly, looking like he was hesitating to speak.

"Independence from the Gallic Empire? It's hard to say! With such a bold example like ours in the Northwest District, it's normal for Murphy O'Brien to have such thoughts." The fat man sat down on his seat. He crossed his ten fingers on his stomach, his eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice

"Actually, that's what he planned from the beginning." The fat man unexpectedly revealed a hint of appreciation. "In name, he lost the bet with us and had to let go of the entire Southwest District market. But on the other hand, our business The large amount of goods left by the convoy did not make up for the losses suffered due to the invasion of the Gangfei Empire to the maximum extent. The economy of the southwest has been severely hit. You must know that although the troops of the Congo Empire have withdrawn, they have also destroyed about half of the grain-producing areas in the southwest. Coupled with the unstable people in the occupied areas, the grain reserves will be almost exhausted if large quantities cannot be obtained in time. If grain, cotton and other supplies are needed to survive the winter and spring seasons, the entire southwest region will be in turmoil.

If these very scarce materials are purchased from the hinterland of Gaul, the price will be two to five times higher than the real cost price, and will also be subject to quantity restrictions, but if purchased from our merchants, because there is no There is a tax cost. In addition to the proximity of the road, the price is at most one-third higher than the cost price.

"At this point, not our northwest, the southwest has already collapsed from within!" The fat man stopped his voice, tapped his fingers on the table, and said slowly, "Let's not care about Murphy O'Brien's plans. At least the southwest district It is a good thing for us to secretly have the intention of confronting Gaul Kyoto. Since we may be mutually beneficial partners in the future, I really want to meet this Murphy O'Brien. Something is open. Talking is better than sneaking around now!"

"How about I go down and make arrangements?" Hu Keqili said cautiously.

"Don't worry, I heard that this year is the celebration of the Gallic Emperor's first year on the throne." The fat man smiled slightly and waved his hand. "It's a pity that there are too many things recently. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind going to Gaul Kyoto to see it. Anyway, I am also in charge of the northwest coast of the Gallic Empire, and the Gallic Ministry of Government also sent me An invitation to watch the ceremony. A great empire that has lasted for hundreds of years must still have some heritage worth remembering. If you don’t take a look at it during peacetime, I’m afraid you won’t be able to see it again when the city is burned by war! The one-year celebration should not become the last ray of sunset on the empire!”

"The afterglow of the empire?" Hu Keqili glanced out the window with a strange look. Under the golden sunset, the long green coast was so beautiful that it was dazzling. Because of the dazzling beauty, it rarely seemed unreal. He hesitated for a moment, Hu Keqili boldly said, "Your Majesty, my subordinates came here to report something! The port has captured a Dongting man!"

"People from Dongting?" The fat man was a little confused. Is capturing a person from Dongting worth making such a fuss about?

"Your Majesty, you are from Dongting beyond the long wall!" Hu Keqili lowered his head, hesitated, and said in a serious tone, "Although the port is not sure whether what the other party said is true, according to some port Kuji The special sailor confirmed that this Dongting person who accidentally came to the hinterland of the empire does not belong to the currently known Dongting tribe, but should come from outside the Great Wall!"

"What tribe is the other party?" The fat man stood up from his seat excitedly and walked back and forth a few steps.

The Dongting people have always been his biggest worry. Although only 20,000 people showed up this time, no one can guarantee that more Dongting people will not arrive. Whether the long wall defense line can stop the Dongting people's horseshoes , is still an unknown number that cannot be determined. In history, the Mongols once rode on the European continent. At that time, the Mongolian cavalry only had 20,000 people, and the whole of Europe was covered in a sea of ​​blood. That kind of advance The feeling of fear made Fatty feel like a little bird carrying wood in his mouth and flying around to build a nest diligently every day. He was always worried that he would be blown by an unknown storm and lose everything overnight. Outside the long wall, he saw the tragic scene of Dongting cavalry driving slaves to attack the city. Fatty absolutely believed that the cruelty of Dongting people was absolutely destructive to a country and nation.

"The other party calls himself Mierbu"

Hu Keqili responded cautiously. As soon as he finished speaking, the fat man's footsteps suddenly stopped, and his shining eyes made Hu Keqili speculate.

Was it your fault? Or is this Gedongting person fake? Then he heard His Majesty Falcon whisper excitedly: "It turned out to be the Mi'er tribe from the Long Wall battle. They really couldn't find anything through their iron shoes. It didn't take any effort to get here!" Of course the fat man remembers this, Mi'er tribe. The name that made all the Slavs who participated in the siege gnashed their teeth that day. The 3,000 Miler cavalry were dispersed without any real contact during the battle. Fatty still remembered this, and he originally hoped to capture a few Dongting people. of. But he didn't even touch a hair. Later, he learned from the Slavs that these Dongting cavalry came from the same tribe, the Mier tribe.

"Where is that person?" Fatty asked impatiently. Finally, there was a real "Dongting person". He had this person. The Dongting Empire, which had always made me feel so stressed, could finally be unveiled. What people fear most is not knowing. As long as they fully understand any problem, they will have a way to deal with it. Fatty also wants to figure it out. Is it true that the fake envoy said that the Dongting Empire would launch a Western expedition?

When the fat man saw Brother Milkin, this ambitious young man from Dongting was lying on the cold ground of the prison, dying. He fainted on the boat. As soon as he reported his identity at the dock, he was beaten to death by the guards. It was dragged in from outside, such a toss. Even though Brother Myerkin was very strong, he couldn't bear it. The port authorities reported it to Hu Keqili on the fifth day. By the time the fat man arrived, Brother Myerkin had already lost most of his life. If he wasn't still breathing, he might have been thrown out as a corpse.

"Are you punishing me?" The fat man glared at the prison officer. The prison officer's legs went weak on the spot, and he quickly complained, "No, Mr. Hu Keqili specifically told me that he would not be punished."

"Then what's going on?" the fat man said angrily. The hot air was filled with an unpleasant burnt smell. The soldering iron, clamps, a few temporarily found clamping sticks with blood stains, and four tall and strong bare-chested executioners were enough. It has scared the shit out of ordinary people. In front of him, a man with a ferocious expression In his execution hand, he held a leather whip that had just been soaked in oil and splashed with white salt water. With just one blow of this whip, the prisoner's skin and flesh would be torn to pieces, and the pain would be so painful that it would penetrate to the bone marrow and even the soul. Shivering, but not fainting because of the sting of salt water

"This belongs to the previous prisoner, who was a murderer who specialized in killing children. We are really angry, so..." The prison officer's face was pale and his speech was unclear.

"Forget it, get lost." The fat man waved his hands displeased. He was a little anxious just now, but now it can be seen that he was not detained. Otherwise, this young man's clothes would not be so complete. There is not even a trace of blood on them, and his face is so expressionless. It was a bit paler, but it didn't have the dark blue color caused by great pain. The prison officer and the The people under his command ran away rolling and crawling. The Falcon Empire also has prisons. If there is a prison, there will naturally be these people. In this era, prisons have always been related to darkness. As long as the department goes too far, the fat man will not dig into it. , there is no way to deal with all this kind of thing. At most, the prison officer's boss should be found and reprimanded severely.

In a moment of confusion, the nearly comatose Brother Milkin raised his disheveled head, and his eyes finally came into focus. It was a fat man in ordinary clothes. He was lifting his chin with a riding crop. Brother Milkin gave a wry smile. , said in a weak tone, "Stop looking, if you want to kill, just kill."

The fat man was surprised for a moment. He didn't understand Dongting dialect, but the unknown words coming out of the mouth of this young man dressed in prairie clothes were enough to make him a little excited. It seemed that this guy really came from outside the Long Wall.

"Haha, I forgot, you don't understand my Dongting dialect!" The young man raised his head weakly again. This time the words he spoke were mixed with one or two sentences similar to the pronunciation of the Dongting people of Ikadiva, especially the words "Dongting" The pronunciation of the characters is exactly the same

The fat man quickly used a riding crop to lift his drooped head, looked at him with a pale face and said, "Are you from Dongting?"

"Yes?" Brother Milkin rolled his eyes feebly. He was too weak. He was very disrespectful to the fat man and grinned. But at the next moment, Brother Milkin's eyes suddenly froze at the fat man holding the riding crop. On the middle finger of the left hand,

The obsidian ring was as black and bright as a black star, and it almost made Brother Melkin's eyes almost bulge out.

Anyone who is a grassland person has heard of the Obsidian King Ring of the Golden Family. This is proof of the existence of that glorious empire.

Brother Melkin has never seen the Obsidian King Ring, but he often hears the elders in the clan mention the magic of the Obsidian King Ring. That is, even in a dark environment, the Obsidian King Ring can ignite instantly. bright light,

It was a gift given by the grassland god to the golden family that protected the grassland. Only people from the golden family were qualified to wear it. (To be continued.)