Realm of Power

"Just because the Falcon Empire can accommodate people like you, Feishan and the Istan Empire cannot. Just like the blue weed in this cup, no kind of water can accommodate it so freely!"

Francillar's eyes flashed with a neither humble nor arrogant light. He picked up the water glass in front of him and blew gently on the blue sky wild grass root fragments floating on it. Several dark blue grass fragments floated up and down in the cup. As if being frightened, small seed-like things quickly rolled around the city.

This scene made the atmosphere in the room pause.

"What do you mean?" Hayela rolled her eyes, and couldn't help but have a look of solemnity on her face. Blue sky weed is a plant with a slightly bitter taste that is popular among the upper class nobles of the Istan Empire for soaking in water. In the mouth, it tastes bitter and sweet, and the reason why this blue sky weed makes Istan Nobles flock to it because when it floats in the water, it will roll up like a shy virgin girl when exposed to external forces. It is only produced in small quantities on the Bobighilia Mountains in the wilderness of the northwest of the Istan Empire. Because of its scarcity, And it was used by the senior officials of the Istan Empire to show their identity.

As an authentic wilderness person in the northwest wilderness, Hayela knows what every patch of blue sky and wild grass represents.

Thirty years ago, the Istan Empire sent troops to conquer the northwest wilderness and defeated the alliance of the wilderness people. At the same time, in order to limit the population of the wilderness people, it required the wilderness areas to pay an annual tribute of one thousand kilograms to the Istan Empire, which the wilderness people called "holy grass". "The blue sky wild grass, for this reason, how many northwest wilderness people go into the mountains to pick it every year." The number of wilderness people who died in that tall mountain range that was covered with snow and ice all year round was at least in the thousands. When Hayela was a boy, he also entered the mountains in search of blue sky and wild grass until now. I still clearly remember the piles of corpses of my compatriots I saw in the glacier and snow valley along the way. Because the weather was extremely cold, all the corpses were frozen in the glacier. Along the way, the cold wind was fierce, and the corpses stared at the eyes. Staring at the sight of the traveler in the ice, the souls howled miserably. The disaster for the tribe is precisely because of this. Hayera is determined to escape the miserable fate of the wilderness people.

Decades have passed like a shadow, and the ragged boy who staggered among the cold valleys of the glacier has become a famous general of the Istan Empire who is famous in the empire. However, the fate of the people in the wilderness has not changed at all. It is not that Hayera has not worked hard. Hayera even used his influence to propose to Thoradin I to establish an imperial province in the wilderness and establish formal rule. However, it has always been Thoradin I, who expressed his appreciation for Hayera, refused. The entire Istan Empire had the same attitude towards the establishment of the Wilderness Province, which was the empire's old enemy. Even the cold winds and cold valleys have not dampened the hostility of these barbarians. Only by eradicating the roots can the northwest of the empire be stabilized!

"Isn't it?"

Francillar raised his head and looked at Hayera's slightly changed expression. He smiled slightly and put down the water glass, "I believe that the Governor knows the current situation of the Eastern Province better than me. Fei Shan's army is temporarily unable to move eastward, and Istanbul and Kyoto are unable to take care of it, so you sit in this position. As for Istanbul and Kyoto, How much you value adults is a joke. Have you forgotten? . Twenty-one years ago, on that bloody night in Istan Kyoto, the number of Kyoto nobles who died in your hands was at least three figures, not to mention the four wealthy families in Kyoto who were almost uprooted by you. The Harsh family, one of them, is now one of the supporters that His Highness the Second Prince relies on the most.

"According to the news, it is very likely that Hashluluwu will serve as the Minister of Military Affairs of Istanbul. And this time, I can definitely say that Hashluluwu has definitely made great efforts in conferring the title of Marquis to the Governor!" Francelar said with a firm tone.

"On that bloody night, I was just following the order." Hayela opened her mouth with a pale face. She felt that her mouth was filled with bitterness that was hard to distinguish. She didn't know whether it was because of the blue sky grass blades in her mouth or the inability to relax in her heart. , how could I forget that bloody night in Kyoto that changed the power structure of the Istan Empire?

It was he who held the sword with his own hands and led the troops to break into the palace of Prince Rofko, the Imperial Crown Prince who was the biggest obstacle to Prince Thoradin becoming emperor at that time.

The blazing fire illuminated the pool of blood underfoot. In front of the noble crown prince, it was he, a wilderness barbarian, who killed the imperial crown prince's eleven wives, three sons, two daughters, and a three-year-old , with a head full of lovely blond hair, as delicate as a doll, a four-year-old, who has already begun to look at himself with cold eyes, and uses a sword each The nose was cut off, and then the soldiers were ordered to chop off the head, chop the body into pieces, and pile them all at the feet of the crown prince, Prince Rofko. The bloody human body fragments and sixteen disheveled and frightening heads were lined up in a row. , under the light of flashing torches, it was like the open door of hell. The ferocious and terrifying sight made the crown prince, Prince Rofko, insane on the spot.

Some people said that this person was scared crazy, others said that he was just pretending. He didn't care so much. No matter whether he was really crazy or not, things had to be done. Looking at this noble person who was only a hair away from the emperor. , shouted loudly in a pile of bloody flesh, grabbed a lot of human body parts and put them in his mouth, watching the soldiers kicking a dozen human heads back and forth like balls, Seeing the crown prince chasing after him like crazy, and finally holding the half-remaining little daughter, crying and laughing, he gently brushed the messy blond hair from his forehead with his hand, and there were red dry marks under the corners of his eyes, haha Yala still ordered the soldiers to beat the Crown Prince on the head with a kind of cork until the Crown Prince's body convulsed and he vomited a lot of foam at the mouth and passed out.

That night, the imperial crown prince's palace was attacked by rebels. The crown prince was frightened and became mentally disturbed. Prince Thoradin repelled the rebels and saved Kyoto when Kyoto was in danger. Half a year later, with the support of everyone, he became the emperor of the empire. Throne. Eight months later, the former crown prince, who had been deemed insane, was found dead in the moat outside Kyoto. Later, someone testified that the Harsh family, one of the three largest wealthy families in Kyoto, sent someone to remove the crown prince from the city wall. The crown prince pushed it down,

This incident shocked the entire empire at the time, and Hayera served as the Kyoto Guard Officer at the time. Considered the number one biting mad dog under the new emperor, he has been killing political enemies for the emperor for days and is a close confidant of Emperor Thoradin. Of course he knew why. He even found the people who testified against him from death row.

"The Harsh family must be eliminated, and the rest doesn't matter!" In the magnificent imperial palace that still smelled of blood, the dim candlelight shone on the new emperor's cold face, and his fingers tapped on the hard nanmu dark armchair. sound. It's so creepy,

"If there is no legitimate reason, the Harsh family will be uprooted, I'm afraid some..."

"There is a legitimate reason. The death of the former crown prince should be enough! Hayera. You can handle this matter." Emperor Thoradin turned around from the front with a cold face and faced Hayera who was standing behind him. Explain that this is the outer city wall of Kyoto. The cold winter wind blew against the cold stone wall. From below, there was a sound of heavy objects falling into the water.

Although the ice on the moat in the cold winter is not very thick, it is not easily broken. One can imagine how heavy the force was that collapsed the ice on the river.

"Yes. I understand."

Hayela nodded quickly with a look on his face, barely daring to look at the emperor's face. Just now, on this high city wall, the emperor pushed the frightened former crown prince down from the battlements. The new emperor finished After this incident. The sneer hanging on the corner of his mouth at that time still made Hayela feel shabby. He knew that the emperor had just ascended the throne of imperial power and urgently needed a large amount of money to reward those supporters, as well as to appease the increasingly dissatisfied military generals. When a new emperor ascends the throne, he must make some remarks. The Istan Empire is Slavery, regional generals had great power, enough to influence a region's attitude towards the center

However, the empire's financial resources were not abundant at that time, and it had experienced a minor civil strife. If the central government of the empire could not come up with enough financial resources, it is difficult to say that the important ministers who followed Emperor Thoradin out of profit would not become angry. Kill the emperor. With no other choice, the emperor fell in love with the third generation. The Harsh family are both ministers of finance in the empire. Emperor Thoradin gave the task to Hayera because of his status as a barbarian. Many things can be done without having to take care of them. There are witnesses, the emperor's orders, and Hayera. This barbarian and vicious dog, for a king, everything is logical enough.

The Harsh family is considered an old tree in Kyoto. Sensing the emperor's murderous intention, the Harsh family was also frightened. They contacted everyone and planned to hold a palace gate kneel to apologize the next day, and immediately sent someone to the emperor. Said that he is willing to give up two-thirds of his property as atonement. The Harsh family has accumulated it for several generations. Two-thirds is already a figure of nearly ten million. It is not enough.

The empire worms who have enjoyed the blessings of the empire for several generations must always have a sense of repayment! "Emperor Thoradin raised his sleeves and whispered murderously, causing a cold wind to rise in the palace, blowing candles all over the room and making sparks pop. That scene, after so many years, still remains in Hayela's mind. , the Harsh family still underestimated Emperor Thoradin’s determination, one-third The second property is indeed enough to appease him. Unfortunately, what the emperor wants is the rise of the Istan Empire. Under the ruthless appearance, he is deeply remembered by the humiliation of being attacked by the allied forces of the western countries. The Harsh family has been in this position for too long. Naturally, there are many people who are offended.

No matter whether it is the emperor who is waiting for the rice to be cooked, or other wealthy families who are already jealous, they will not let the raised butcher knife be put down gently again.

At three o'clock that night, Hayera, who had obeyed Thoradin I's secret order, had already led his troops to cut off all access to the Harsh family. Groups of archers mounted the outer wall. With their bows raised, they shot at anyone they saw. The crowds surged, and the siege heavy shield soldiers smashed open the door of the mansion with iron-wrapped wood. After rushing in, they stabbed anyone with their spears. In less than an hour, all the men, women, and children of the Harsh clan had already served as twenty-one officers. Years ago, the empire bulged its eyes even to death The chief financial officer, Harsh Luowu, went down to the three cooks and the six geese they raised in the Harsh family's kitchen, totaling more than 1,100 people. An illegitimate son of his son was out in the fiefdom. When the soldiers arrived, he had already disappeared. Over the years, Hayela didn't pay much attention to it. He was just an insignificant illegitimate son. As long as the emperor was around, what else could happen? storm

But the fact is that the emperor suddenly disappeared, and the Harsh family, which had been suppressed for twenty years, reappeared. I have to admit that this kind of wealthy family that has been around for hundreds of years is really a centipede that will never die. If it rains, it will sprout and grow branches immediately, and there are many people willing to help. Not long ago, during the battle against the Risabach rebels, the new generation of famous generals of the Istan Empire, Harsh Luwu, who quickly rose to prominence after defeating rebel attacks several times, was one of those who escaped that year. With his outstanding command ability, he has become the most relied-upon military commander under His Royal Highness the Second Prince.

It is said that the second prince has already spread the word that the 24-year-old Hashilulu will be appointed to the Ministry of Imperial Affairs and become the youngest Minister of Imperial Affairs since the Istanbul Empire. For Hayera, isn't this right? A good thing! If the news is true. When the remnant of the Harsh family gets out of the current predicament, Istan Kyoto will be the first to deal with it. It’s myself,

"To tell you the truth, Lord Governor, you shed your blood for Thoradin I. You fought in the south and the north, and worked hard. The final result is that both the emperor and the ministers want you to die! Have you ever thought about why?" Fran Siral's words stunned Hayela's depressed face for a moment, yes, what on earth is going on? I really haven't thought about this problem seriously. Logically speaking, I have definitely contributed to Emperor Thoradin, and I have contributed hard to the expansion of the empire. After twenty years, couldn't it be that he still couldn't change other people's racial differences? He was still working hard for the Istan Empire. Is it really worth it?

"Because the Governor is a native of the Northwest Wilderness! This is something that cannot be changed no matter how hard you try!" Francis Lars is very clear about the grievances between the Istan Empire and the Northwest Wilderness. In the war of conquest thirty years ago, the Istan Empire Victory was achieved, but the price was heavy, and the people of the northwest wilderness were fierce. The rebellion has never stopped, and more than 100,000 soldiers of the Istan Empire died in the northwest wilderness. Faced with such a northwest wilderness that cannot be beaten or chewed, one can only imagine the hatred towards the northwest wilderness from the top officials of the empire to the common people!

"Emperor Thoradin is talented and ambitious. Twenty years ago, in order to ascend to the throne, he had to be cruel and ruthless, and he had no taboos. However, as his rule became more and more stable, in the past twenty years, the empire's national power showed signs of surpassing the previous monarchs, and even directly attacked the West Coast Gangfei Empire. It shocked the entire Obaro. With such achievements, how could you tolerate leaving a wilderness person to smear you?" Francelar glanced at Hayela's completely silent face and said,

"Is this really true? No matter what you do, you will be eliminated because of your origin!"

Hayela's body was trembling slightly, and there was a surge of anger in his heart. He clenched his five fingers together tightly, and there was a heartbreaking pain in the palm of his fingertips. He knew that what Francilal said was right, the man from He relied on counterattacks to kill his brother. After taking over the imperial power, he showed himself to be as ruthless as the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. He almost uprooted his former political opponents and treated his own people with the same indifference. Show mercy,

Just like the hardcore supporters of the Harsh family, they just sensed the need and took care of it. As a die-hard confidant of Emperor Thoradin, as soon as he realized that there was a possibility of discrediting his own achievements, he immediately stripped him of the frontline army commander. Military power can be put aside at any time The enemy who could die in battle completely ignored his important role in the Battle of Gangfei. He knew too many secrets about the emperor. It was good that the emperor was alive, but there were already signs in Thoradin I's body. Before the emperor died, The first person to be executed should be myself! Hayela's heart was full of desolation. After twenty years of fighting and killing, in the end he had no place to stay!

"Okay, I can submit to the Falcon Empire, but I need to know, what can the Falcon Empire give me?" Hayela's face was ashen, and there was no trace of the unruly look before.

"The Governor is a native of the Northwest Wilderness, so he should know that the current situation in the Northwest Wilderness is very bad. The Istan Empire's border guards have been encircling the Northwest Wilderness, and the number of Northwest Wilderness people has dropped from three million thirty years ago to less than one hundred now. Seven hundred thousand, if another twenty years pass, I’m afraid not even the last tribe will be gone.”

Francis Lal paused for a moment on Hayela's determined face, and said slowly, "Then I don't know what the Governor thinks, if the Falcon Empire is willing to support the Governor to establish a province dominated by the northwest wilderness people in the Eastern Province. That’s not enough sincerity!”

"Establish the province of the Northwest Wilders in the Eastern Province! Are you telling the truth?"

Hayela raised his head suddenly, his eyes sparkling, his lips dry, and even his voice trembling, showing his inner excitement. As he got older, his curiosity about the outside world was being worn out. In his dreams at midnight, he had returned to the vast wilderness that nurtured him countless times, standing on the almost boundless loess land, holding up the yellow sand blown by the wind. Only at that moment could he feel the destination of his soul. The wilderness man, the wilderness soul, was still in his body. This was something that could not be eliminated by any identity, and it was a mark engraved in his bones.

But as an important official of the Istanbul Empire, such thoughts and intentions could not be revealed in front of others after he woke up. Who knew the depression in it!

"The Falcon Empire is not the Istanbul Empire! In the lands conquered by the Falcon Empire, no matter what race, they are treated the same!"

Francilar said with a firm look, emphasizing every word, "And I can honestly say that this is what His Majesty the Falcon meant. The Empire has one more province, and His Majesty can save his own people, isn't that great? As for the hundreds of miles from the Northwest Wilderness to the Eastern Province, it is not a problem for the Empire. Don't forget that the Empire's fleet can reach the Northwest Wilderness side along the sea area of ​​the Eastern Province. Don't forget that the sea belongs to the Empire, and the sea is the Empire's passage!" (To be continued)

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