Realm of Power

Negotiations started again on the fourth day,

This time, Algernon Julia, who was wearing a long black dress, and Andalin, who was also wearing a black skirt, walked up the steps of the negotiation hall. At the negotiation table, the two women sat down in front of the negotiation table. There was no Falcon Army negotiator opposite. Instead of Hu Keqili's figure, there was an old man sitting with a thin body and a solemn face.

"Miss Algernon Julia, my name is Doze, the governor of the empire in the Rusty region!"

Seeing the two women coming in, the old man stood up first and spoke fluent Gallic in a gentle yet tough tone. Andalin's face was slightly surprised. She didn't expect that there would be someone with such mastery in the Falcon Army. Proficient in Gaulish, although the Gallic language family is the official language of the Gallic Empire, it is only circulated in the internal areas north of Rusty, such as the southwest and northwest regions, especially the northwest, where there are many small countries and the languages ​​of various ethnic groups. Not the same at all,

"Where is Lord Hu Keqili?" Algernon Julia frowned slightly.

The old man Coupeau smiled calmly at the corner of his old mouth, with a kind smile on his face. He looked very friendly and cordial, and said slowly, "The person in charge of the negotiation in front, General Hu Keqili, was not good at Gallic. It is inevitable that there will be some unsatisfactory communication, which will lead to a series of names. The single login was chaotic. My Majesty apologizes deeply for this. Since it is a negotiation, both parties should show enough sincerity. In order to avoid such unpleasant things happening again, His Majesty temporarily changed the person in charge of the negotiation. It’s all my responsibility!”

"It turns out it's Your Excellency Duo Ze, I've heard about it for a long time! I'm very honored to see you today!"

Algernon Julia nodded calmly, but the pupils in her beautiful eyes were shrinking little by little. Duozhi, the governor of the Falcon Empire in the Rusty region, such a figure is naturally within the scope of Algernon Julia's attention.

Algernon Julia tried hard to control the shock on her face. The five delicate fingers placed under the table had already been clasped together. She was wearing a long black dress and was as cool as the bright moon. He slowly sat down opposite Duoze. The Governor Duoze in front of him was considered a first-class civil servant in the Falcon Empire.

But this is what made her whole nerves tense.

The general responsible for direct combat has been replaced by an old man who has been involved in government affairs for many years. It seems that the Vekia Falcon has begun to impatiently prepare to take action. Hu Keqili's Central Army has 80,000 people on the Western Front. battlefield.

The disappearance of this man was a sign, a sign before a full-scale attack began. The imperial general must have rushed back to his own troops to take command.

"There's something wrong with the atmosphere!"

Andalin next to her seemed to feel something, her eyes flickered in panic, and then she slowly sat down, but her mind was swirling with what Algernon Julia mentioned earlier. Andalin could no longer keep calm in her heart. Suddenly, a warrior was replaced by an official who was good at internal affairs. The confident smile on the other party's face was really what the woman said. The moment the negotiations really started, was the moment the war broke out on the Western Front? "Andalin thought about the conversation between the two. Her face suddenly looked a little ugly, even pale. This kind of game between countries made her feel huge pressure. A heavy breath pressed on her heart, and she could hardly breathe.

"The more stressed you are, the more calm you have to be. Panic will only make you overwhelmed." Algernon Julia's low voice that only two people could hear came from next to her, like a basin of ice water being poured on her body. "If Hassenland Master Bo's war has begun. Instead of worrying pointlessly, it is better to devote all your energy to the battlefield where you should be! "

"Yeah, there's a war here too!"

Andalin said in her heart, her nervous face gradually relaxed. At this time, she felt that her slightly trembling hand was tightly grasped by one of Algernon Julia's slender hands. The five fingers that were clenched were Such determination, in this kind of fullness With the feeling of dependence, the anxiety and hesitation in her heart gradually calmed down. For the first time, Andalin felt that this woman's voice was not unpleasant at all. Even the original feeling of coldness had disappeared. Could it be that this was just the beginning? Is this woman's true face?

"Crack"

The thick negotiation document containing the roster was placed on the table. The sound of the thick document hitting the table echoed in the vast hall. On both sides of the hall were tall and tall guards, wearing black military uniforms and white marble pillars, decorated with complicated decorations. Patterned walls and doors

"I think we can start now!" said Duo Ze on the other side. He opened the documents in front of him seriously and stretched out his hand to make a gesture of invitation to the two women opposite him. "You two can take a look. This is what we are doing." The list of prisoners who were re-confirmed and sorted out in the past two days showed a total of 55,762 people, including nobles. There are 625 people in the war, and we are not mistreating the prisoners! The names are all listed above. If there are any omissions, you can point them out directly! Also, Your Majesty specifically asked me to tell you, Qianyun. The master has arrived, and I hope to listen to Master Qianyun’s unparalleled piano music with you two after the negotiation is completed!

"Oh, has Qianyun arrived already? That's great. Qianyun's piano music is always the best medicine for people to forget their worries!

Algernon Julia raised her head and deliberately sighed deeply, her eyes full of longing and apology. "Qianyun and I are best friends. I wonder if you can tell me Qianyun's current situation. At that time, when we parted ways in the southwest, the situation was It was so chaotic that I had no time to care about others. Now that I think about it, I was as embarrassed as a lost dog. I really feel so sorry for Qianyun, and I don’t know how Qianyun survived this period of time!

"If possible, I really hope to be able to say sorry to Qianyun in person..." Algernon Julia said with clenched fists, red eyes, and her expression began to turn sad.

"Miss Algernon Julia's friendship for Qianyun and everyone is really touching. Since Qianyun and everyone agreed to play the piano, they must have forgiven the young lady."

Duo Zai, who was on the opposite side, didn't hesitate much and said with a smile, "And His Majesty admires Master Qianyun's piano skills very much. He always said that the sound of Qianyun's piano can make people forget their worries, but this is the most dangerous battle after all. The front line. Therefore, His Majesty is very cautious and specially sent people to place Master Qianyun in the Nasri Manor three miles outside the city. There are 1,500 soldiers nearby, guarding the inside and outside on three levels, so that the safety is absolutely guaranteed. !”

"That way, I feel relieved! It would be my greatest honor if I could hear Qianyun's music again before returning." Algernon Julia smiled with relief, seeming to be very satisfied.

Next to her, Andalin looked on with a chill. If she hadn't known this woman's true intention, and just listened to Algernon Julia's apologetic voice, Andalin would never have believed Algernon Julia's true purpose of asking for the address. , in fact, it was to allow the masters of the Royal Guards who had sneaked into the city to ambush Qian Yun in one fell swoop and completely wipe this so-called good friend from the world!

The negotiations lasted until noon and were only the first step in the negotiations. It would take more than five days to check the names of these prisoners, so Algernon Julia was not in a hurry and almost checked them one by one. Duo Zai opposite also had a calm face and even left her seat in the middle of the process. Standing in front of the window and looking at the beautiful scenery in the distance, the two women asked them to check by themselves, but the workload was too heavy. In one morning, the number of people who checked was less than 10,000.

Algernon Julia was a little anxious and requested that these documents from both parties be brought back to the residence at the same time for verification overnight. Duozhi pretended to hesitate for a moment before reluctantly agreeing to this request.

The spring breeze blows on my face, bringing a burst of warmth,

Throwing the thick document aside, Algernon Julia, who was sitting in the carriage returning, wrote on a small piece of leather with a quill "Nasri Manor ten miles outside the city, conducive to ambush halfway!" and then wrote The little piece of leather was kneaded into a ball in the white and tender palms, and he opened the curtains of the carriage and took a look outside.

There were only 8 Falcon Cavalrymen leading the way. They stood tall and straight, looking straight ahead.

This is the scope of the Falcon Army. These Falcon Cavalry who opened the way obviously did not think that they would be attacked here, so they seemed to be cautious, but in fact they were very lax. The other thirty followers were all Algernon Julia's Gallic Guards. They were divided into two teams and escorted the carriage slowly, showing a very tacit understanding.

"Sucard! Send this out immediately!" When the carriage entered a corner and the Falcon Cavalry in front temporarily disappeared from sight, Algernon Julia softly shouted to a Guards Cavalry beside the carriage, Pass the balled up leather secretly

"Yes, I understand!"

The Gallic Guards cavalry approached the carriage and quickly took the piece of leather. As if he had rehearsed it in advance, he gradually slowed down his horse while the falcon cavalry who was opening the way was not paying attention, and finally quietly broke away from the team. , disappearing into the crowd of people in the city,

Andalin, who saw all this, held her chin in her hand and looked out the car window.

The slow and heavy wheels rolled over the stones of the street, making a swaying sound. The streets where people were passing by, the innocent smiles of children, and the cheerful sounds of birds flying across the sky were like a layer of moving scenes. In the bright warm breeze of early summer,

And all of this was what I liked to see most in the past, but now, it is so incompatible with me. In just a few days, everything seems like a world away: war, ambushes, the crisis of the empire, the emperor's secret, hunting... The Eagle Army and the Gallic Army knew that they were deceiving each other, but they still acted in vain, and the conspiracy game between countries. This is a world of light and darkness that most people cannot know, chaotic and cold, and these are the worlds that the woman has to fight ruthlessly. .

In another room, the fat man was leisurely picking up the wine on the table. This was Bochum wine from the Rosende region. It had just been shipped from the northwest region. The smooth taste that melted in the mouth made the fat man's eyes comfortable. Almost narrowed into a line,

"It is indeed a fine wine that is worth the same as gold!" The guy sighed slightly, the orange-red color of the wine reflected on his slightly chubby face. The level of cooperation between the Gauls was really ideal, and both parties were negotiating. They deliberately delayed the time and each had their own agenda, but this negotiation The impact on the entire war situation has been very clearly revealed. In order to exert pressure on the Falcon Army and ensure the safety of those who came to negotiate, the troops on the Western Front of Gaul quickly gave up their original panic-inducing contraction after the negotiations began. Tactics, began to fully expand outwards,

The 250,000 Gallic troops formed a solid triangular array along a length of more than 100 miles on the western front. The center line was a combined army of eight local garrison regiments with a total strength of 97,000 people. The left wing was composed of 70,000 people from the Kyoto local army, and the right wing was the main force of 100,000 people composed of the Sixth Army led by Hassan Rimbaud himself and three local garrison regiments. The frontline troops have even reached the mountain forest area 20 miles away, and about half of the troops have already left the original solidly guarded area.

These Gallic troops, who were getting bolder and bolder, didn't know that in front of them, the 150,000-strong Falcon Army had already opened its pockets, just like it must shrink before extending its fist. Excessive calmness often represents murderous intent.

As for the Andesk Mountain Corridor, which is the core of Fat Man's strategy, it is a steep mountain road, and currently has only 30,000 troops, because it is close to Hassen Rimbaud's 100,000 right wing. Hassen Rimbaud believes that as long as there is trouble, there will be no danger. The 100,000 Gallic troops on the right wing may cut off the path of the intruding troops at any time.

"Obviously, Hassan Rambo does not think that we will take risks and be bold enough to pull out our teeth! But Hassen Rimbaud undoubtedly forgot one thing. If we are attacked across the board, the flanks are likely to collapse. He is full of confidence. full ten On the right wing, do you still dare to risk breaking away from the defense line and cut off the rear of my intruding troops in one fell swoop? If you really do that, all it takes for our intruding troops to turn around is that Hasen Rimbaud's troops will become two sides of our army. A miserable target of a flanking attack.”

Fatty's tone was sharp, in the meeting arranged before the war. Just like this, he said to several regiment commanders attending the meeting, "It is indeed very dangerous to extract teeth from a tiger's mouth, but as long as it is fast and stable enough, even if it is a real tiger, it is nothing to extract a tooth once! What's more, it is a dying tiger that is about to die of illness. ! "

"Your Majesty, the situation has basically been found out!" Hu Keqili, who disappeared from the negotiating table, opened the door of the room with a list of names and said excitedly, "Our people followed the one who slipped away halfway. As expected, the Gallic officer found the target he was looking for in a large chamber of commerce in the west of the city. The number of people was about 150 to 200. Although they pretended to be mercenaries and coolies hired by the chamber of commerce, our people could not tell at a glance. You can see it now,

The language and style of these people are very low-key. They usually stay in the chamber of commerce and do not show up. Even the food is delivered by someone. However, the style of the soldiers is very obvious and they abide by discipline. If it were not for someone to lead the way, we would really not be able to do it in a short time. I found them within a short period of time. I really don’t know how that woman arranged for these people to come in!

"According to this scale, if there is an ambush on Miss Qianyun's way into the city, facing Miss Qianyun's escort force of only about 30 people, it can indeed achieve the effect of killing people quickly and evacuating immediately, and the opponent will definitely We have already arranged an escape route so that we can’t catch him even if we want to!”

"That woman is indeed not simple, but even so, in the face of the shaky overall situation, what can one person's efforts do? She never imagined that the consequences of being smart would destroy the entire Western Front and plunge the Gallic army into deep trouble. dangerous situation,

If the Gauls remain stubbornly defiant and hide behind their thick shells like turtles, no matter how hard we fight, we still won’t be able to break the deadlock for a while.”

The fat man took a sip of the wine in his hand, took a deep sip, wiped the red wine that overflowed from the corner of his mouth, took the investigation report, looked at it for a few times, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect the Gauls to come. , now that we know the number of people on the other side, it will be easier to handle. Let’s go down and don’t alert the snake. Since they are lurking, there is no need for us to go. Alert them, everything is business as usual. Negotiations are still necessary. As for Miss Qianyun, they are temporarily requested not to take any outings. The guard troops are closely guarding. As long as Qianyun does not move, the other party will be anxious. As long as she is anxious, the woman will definitely If you take the initiative to ask to see Qianyun, we will know when they will take action! "

"I know the time to start, but I don't know the location. I'm afraid it will be difficult..."

Hu Keqili took a deep breath with a confused expression and said, "Ten miles is neither long nor short. An ambush of about a hundred people would only require fifty or sixty meters. If we really mobilize The army has monitored the entire ten-mile stretch, and the other party has already noticed that it has run as far as it goes."

"If you were a Gauls, where would you set up an ambush?" The fat man looked at him with a slight smile on his lips. He looked at a group of birds flying by in the sky outside the window and asked noncommittally with deep eyes.

"On the way from Nasri Manor to the city, the dark forest five miles away is undoubtedly the best place for an ambush. The forest there is dense and the light is dark and unclear, which is conducive to an ambush. It would be even more ideal if it is launched at night. As long as you don't know If so, the other party may not even know how he died!" Hu Keqi touched his chin with his hand, thought solemnly for a while, and said with certainty!

"If you think so, then the Gauls must also think so!" The fat man nodded affirmatively and said, "The reason why I deliberately placed Qianyun at Nasri Manor is because of the dark forest that must be passed through on the way. It is really a natural location for an ambush. Instead of letting these infiltrated Gallic killers find any location to ambush, we should give them a chance to determine their ambush location. We only need to seal off the surrounding areas and send cavalry to search the entire forest. You can definitely catch them all in one go!”