Realm of Power

"Your Majesty, no matter what, Cornelia cannot be handed over to the Falcon Empire."

"The Falcon Empire Navy is originally the number one in the inland sea area. If Cornelia Port is used as a support point, the entire eastern coast will be enveloped by it. In this case, even if I, Erro, take away the other areas of Cornelia, we will not be able to defeat it." Still at a strategic disadvantage."

At the military account meeting at the headquarters of the Ero Empire, a middle-aged man with a five-centimeter-long scar on his right cheek and a stiff neck knelt on the ground to beg the emperor to reject the Falcon Empire agreement. He said with a loyal face, this middle-aged man He is Duke Rufa, the commander of the Second Army of Hérault. He has been on the battlefield since he was sixteen years old and has experienced hundreds of battles in his life. Because he has flaxen curly hair, the Second Army under his command is known as "grey" in the Hérault military circles. "The Lions"

"What do you mean, Lord Rufa, if you don't hand over Cornelia Port to the Falcon Empire, you can ensure the safety of the coast?"

Emperor Aero narrowed his eyes like a knife and asked with a calm expression. Can he dominate the southern part of Obarro and weaken the Aero Empire, which has been continuously troubled and weakened for decades, and still be able to build it up and down like an iron barrel? Emperor Aero, who robbed Cornelia with the Aden people, can be regarded as a great hero. Once he is really angry, he is also quite powerful.

"this.\u003c〔? (\u003c[\u003c……"

Duke Rufa's face turned red and he looked embarrassed. He didn't know how to explain.

In fact, it was just a temporary excuse for him to drag the management of Cornelia Port to the coastal strategy. Ever since the Eero Empire completely gave up its naval development decades ago, the Eero Empire has no longer had inland sea hegemony. Now it is proposed that it refuses to transfer Ke Port Nelia was handed over to the Falcon Empire in order to prevent the Falcon Empire's navy from dominating the eastern coastline of the inland sea. Thinking about it carefully, even he felt a little self-deceiving.

"Qing Lufa seems to be really tired. Such a big event has reached the level where you can just talk about it casually."

As soon as Emperor Aero's words came out with a smile on his face, the commander of the Second Army, Duke Rufa, suddenly trembled. The limelight seemed wrong. He quickly looked at the generals on the left and right who upheld the same tone as himself, only to see All of them lowered their heads, they were all veterans who had been around for so many years. Once the emperor said something like this, who couldn't understand what the emperor meant? This is a sign of the wrath of thunder!

"you……"

Duke Rufa wanted to find someone to rescue him, but no one looked at him. They were all silent, as if they were not talking just now. Rufa shuddered, his soul flew out of his mind, and his voice trembled: "Your Majesty, I definitely don’t mean this, I just think..."

"Okay, I understand Lu Faqing's painstaking efforts." Emperor Aero finally waved his hand impatiently to interrupt him and continued. "I heard that Lu Faqing's youngest daughter will marry into the Luo Wei family this month. Let Lu Faqing It's really unkind not to be able to attend my little daughter's wedding "" Well, now I will appoint Lord Rufa as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs, in charge of army logistics, so that Lord Rufa can return to the imperial capital to attend the wedding!" Emperor Aero looked calm and solemn. Duke Rufa was at this moment. If you don’t know that the emperor is furious, then you really have a problem with your IQ.

"What, isn't Duke Rufa dissatisfied? Shouldn't he be grateful for this grace to be able to attend his youngest daughter's wedding?" Emperor Aero stood up from his seat and looked at Duke Rufa who was kneeling on the ground with a stern look. Withdrawing his gaze, his tone was as cold as a knife, and the military generals collectively His selfish behavior and disregard for the interests of the empire chilled his heart. Over the years, his blind connivance with the military has led to a self-care culture in the military. The trend has changed drastically, and everyone who still holds the law The generals who ignored the public's thoughts were immediately like a basin of cold water poured on their heads.

The generals who had just called for the Falcon Emperor to start fighting as soon as they boarded 6, turned pale and tightened their lips. They looked at Duke Rufa with a look full of meaning not to implicate themselves.

"Rufa thanks His Majesty for your grace"

These bastards, Duke Rufa looked extremely miserable when he came to the rescue of the generals. He had to thank the emperor loudly. The emperor's tone was so strong, indicating that there is no possibility of turning around this matter. Now there is nothing he can do to regret being the leader. , this time by the emperor If he is transferred back to the capital at once, it will be difficult for him to have the chance to lead the army again in this life. If other powerful generals are pulled out at this time, I am afraid that there will be no good fruits to be eaten. Instead, the entire general hierarchy will be offended. It’s because I’m afraid that even if I want to dawdle, it’s hard to do so

"Just do it, that's it"

Emperor Erro looked at Duke Rufa, who seemed to be much older, and waved his hands with a tired look. Duke Rufa, who could become the commander of the second army, was naturally the emperor's favorite general. In the eyes of the emperor, Rufa He can be regarded as a good soldier, with a rigorous style and rich combat experience, although he has not been a soldier in his life. He has won every battle, but he has never suffered a tragic defeat. He can always judge the direction of dangerous winds in time. "Following Duke Rufa, the chance of survival is twice as high as others." Such comments have already been made It became the label of this blessed general of the empire, but this time, the emperor had to use it to intimidate the generals.

Who told Duke Rufa to be in the wrong position from the beginning? The fundamental reason why Duke Rufa, who always obeyed the emperor, was so strongly opposed was nothing more than profit. When the war debt was issued in the country, there were already rumors. It shows that Duke Rufa, together with several other families, is secretly preparing to join forces and is about to Reserve the war bonds in hand to force the royal family to hand over the Port of Cornelia as a delivery. Emperor Eero has already been dissatisfied. If Duke Rufa actively agrees to hand over the Port of Cornelia this time, the Emperor will naturally not agree. After further investigation, Duke Rufa actually jumped out with the identity of an elder. He really became an emperor because he was made of mud!

Seeing the ten-year-old Duke Rufa stumbling away after the meeting, the generals also looked very emotional, whispering, Duke Rufa is over now, a position like the Deputy Minister of the Military Department, in The corps of Emperor Elo can be regarded as high-ranking. In terms of military positions, the transfer from the commander of the corps to the deputy director of the military department can be regarded as a real move. It is true that he has been promoted by half a level, but the question is, how can a powerful army commander who controls tens of thousands of subordinates be comparable to the military deputy minister in charge of logistics? Moreover, this is the most critical moment of the Battle of Cornelia. Millions of troops fought until the last moment. The so-called real military achievements are those who can gain the most at this last moment.

As long as we can win the Battle of Cornelia, this military merit alone will be enough for the family to continue to prosper for decades without any problem. But now, Duke Ruffa has been transferred back to the Imperial Ministry, and the Ruffa family is directly under the control of the Imperial Army. They were kicked out early in this big victory. I don’t know when the next time the Rufa family wants to get such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The cruel reality is like this. What the soldiers fighting bloody battles want is for the continuation of their family's glory. The Rufa family from the south has lost this opportunity to seize military glory. It has already half-stepped on the label of decline. If There have been no major changes, and figures like Duke Rufa gradually After losing power, it is no longer possible for the Lufa family to maintain its current status. Twenty years later, the Lufa family will soon become like those run-down families that were once famous and then quickly declined. They can only hang around. They are the middle and lower-level military officers. In a few decades, who will remember the Lufa family in the south?

Emperor Ayrault came out of the military tent of the meeting, and a General Ayrault was already waiting outside.

"Luo Weiqing, are you here to intercede for Lu Fa?"

Seeing the subordinates in front of him clearly, Emperor Aero showed a bit of surprise on his face. The middle-aged general waiting outside the tent was none other than the commander of the Sixth Army of the Empire, Luo Weidaen, who was related to Duke Rufa. In the meeting just now, Luo Weidaen He was one of the few generals who did not shout that he would refuse to deliver the port of Cornelia. Luo Weidaen is tall and has good features. He is forty-one years old. He wears a red cloak and looks extremely powerful. He is a young man in the empire. He has always advocated a tough stance against the Falcon Empire, so even the emperor just now was very It’s strange that Lowe Darn didn’t say a word about the Cornelia incident.

"No, this subordinate is here to request that he be dismissed from his post!" Luo Weidaen stood at attention and held his general's sword in both hands.

"Why?"

"Because of the incompetence of his subordinates, His Majesty had to cede Cornelia Port to the Falcon Empire. Although it is a lease in name, it is actually no different from a cession!"

Luo Weidaen knelt on one knee and said with an extremely ashamed look on his face, "Rufa was punished for his own personal gain. This is his own fault. However, as a soldier, his subordinates cannot protect the interests of the empire and the achievements of His Majesty's expansion of territory. Let's His Majesty was provoked and humiliated by his opponents and gave away strategically important areas. This is a dereliction of duty by his subordinates."

"Provocation and humiliation? Give it away? Are you insulting me?" Emperor Aero's eyes flashed with an inexplicable look, and he asked with a cold expression.

"I don't dare, my subordinates are scared"

Luo Weidaen lowered his head, but there was no fear on his face, "I believe that your Majesty is well aware of the importance of Cornelia Port to the Cornelia region, and also knows that there must be a life and death battle between the Falcon Empire and Erro. , our army was prepared for this with all its strength to rob Cornelia. Hundreds of thousands of people from Aden went south. The generals fought in person, several people died in the battle, and the army of millions Fighting to the death and not retreating is the result that has been maintained until now. What I want is to accumulate an advantage in the future when fighting the Falcon Empire, the hero of the north. Now the Falcon Empire can take it away without a single soldier. After arriving at Cornelia Port, is this the result of our army's bloody battle for half a year? As a member of the Imperial Army, my subordinates are incompetent and can only ask for dismissal."

"you!"

Emperor Eero clenched his fists, his face was red with anger, and he was extremely conflicted in his heart. What a world, everyone knew that if Cornelia was not given a port, Eero would fall into the dilemma of fighting on two fronts, but he still had one Isn't it enough to punish Duke Rufa for standing up?

After a long silence, Emperor Aero took out a secret letter from his arms with a wry smile and handed it to Luo Weidaen. "Before you ask for your dismissal, take a look at this first."

"This is?"

Luo Weidaen took the secret letter with a tragic face, opened it carefully, glanced over it, and suddenly took a breath of air. He no longer had any thoughts of asking for dismissal, and only asked in a low voice with an angry face, gritted teeth, "Your Majesty , is this true? That woman is really here Cornelia!"

"That woman thought she was doing it very secretly, but how could she actually know it? If she hadn't already penetrated into the higher-ups of the Order Country, do you really think that I, Eero, would have forgotten the shame of eighty years ago!" Emperor Eero wrote the secret letter. He retracted his gaze, and there was a flame simmering in the depths of his deep gaze, and he said word by word, "Eighty years ago, when Iero was at his strongest, these remnants of the Holy City used unknown means to suddenly dig up the main channel of the Kailuo River in the south. Causing the Great Flood of Kailo The southern plains turned out to be a vast ocean in the south of our Eero Empire. Dozens of prosperous cities were soaked by floods for more than a month. ""Farmland was abandoned and countless people drowned. After the flood, the plague raged for three years, and there was even unknown sand and dust mist. Pervasive in the south, those infected will fall into strange pneumonic and lung diseases, unable to give birth, and eventually become weak and vomit blood and die. Within three years, the population of the southern plain of Erault, which originally had a population of more than 30 million, dropped sharply to 1,100. Thousands, ghost towns everywhere

This was the result of a large number of refugees fleeing to the north. The dust and fog caused the agriculture in the south to be completely abandoned for 20 years. It was not until fifty years later that the terrible dust and fog moved southward to the Southern Sea with the wind, and the south recovered somewhat. Improvement, if this were not the case, how could we, Eero, have been unable to dominate the south since we have a fertile southern plain! Now, in order to migrate the southern population, we need to fight to the death with the Aden people in the Cornelia area! "

Emperor Aero's voice paused, with a murderous intent in his tone: "These remnants of the Holy City have always been obsessed with the Holy City. This time I spread the word that I had discovered the secret of the Holy City. Sure enough, I caught this big fish." Coming ""Your Majesty is saying that Port Cornelia is a bait?"

Luo Weidaen looked stunned. No wonder the emperor was so determined to rent the Cornelia Port. His attitude was completely different from the past. It turned out that he was trying to lure people from the Holy City, but unexpectedly, he directly lured the current Pope here. Although the Luo Empire had a tacit reconciliation with the Order State eighty years ago, it might actually be that simple. The blood feud of tens of millions of people, the desolation of the entire south, and the missed opportunity to dominate the south. At that time, the south was It was so prosperous, and it was the political, economic and cultural center of the entire southern part of Obarro. However, it was completely destroyed by a big flood. Every family had many people who died in the disaster. Therefore, among the upper echelons of Eero, there was no doubt about the people of that year. Even if you want to hide the situation, you can't hide it. Tens of millions of people have died, and you can't take revenge. This hatred has been accumulated from generation to generation. What happened back then was a huge disaster for the proud Ayrault nobles. humiliation! However, the Elo people could only pretend to be deaf and mute in response to the original incident. At this time, it was finally time to take revenge.

"Of course only the people in the Holy City can find the Key of Divine Punishment. When they find it, they won't all be ours!" Emperor Aero said with a cold smile on his face and a twisted expression on his face.

(To be continued.) 8