"They never listened to the poor women's arguments, only whether they had paid enough money or not. Depending on the vacancies, they were beaten, disfigured, chopped off and even beheaded. ”

Hearing this, the Marquis of Brackbarn felt a shock in his heart, and subconsciously asked, "Beheading...... Are you sure? ”

This is just one of the gangsters' death punishments, and it is the most "gentle" and "merciful" one. Count Cummo's expression and voice were a little sad: "The worst I've ever seen them is a pile of minced meat. It was a few years ago when I got the news and led people to a mill by the river outside the city. Two girls did not complete the task for the month, did not pay enough, and they were thrown into the flour grinder and mixed with the crushed chaff. ”

The Marquis of Brackbarn leaned forward slightly, feeling that some of his neglects of the city were being filled in by the Superintendent of Police's narrative.

"Shredding corpses is not common, and the most common method used by gangsters is to cut off heads. This seems to the underground controllers to be a normal replacement of the old and the new. On the one hand, it is to urge women to work hard to make money, and on the other hand, it is also to establish an elimination mechanism to kill old and decrepit women, and at the same time give new women a prestige. Everyone has a different amount of karmic contributions every week, and those who can't complete the task are taken out of the city and cut off their heads in secluded places. ”

"If you've been to the taverns along the river in the East and South Ends, especially on Sundays, you'll see that the women there are anxious, with an indescribable eagerness. They tried their best to win over the guests, dressed up more beautifully, and dressed in a revealing way. Even in the summer, I saw them standing outside in the winter wearing only a layer of tulle, and their faces were blue from the cold. On weekends, they are particularly proactive, and the prices are lower than usual. ”

"Those gangsters killed people outside the city and most of the time they didn't bother to bury them. I can tell you a few places, and if you look at it, it's full of stinking rotting wreckage. ”

The Marquess of Brackbarne was clever enough to be keenly aware that the Inspector General of Police was not saying these words for nothing: "You mean, the gangsters in the City of London should be dealt with first?" ”

Count Commo did not answer directly, he continued in a calm and indifferent tone: "There are still men, many of whom are missing. The Eastern and Southern Police stations receive reports of missing persons on a daily basis. Got kids? Got a woman? There were also strong men, but there were no old people or sick people. Are the numbers of these missing people delicate? Not too much and not too little? In short, it is in the kind that will not be taken seriously by the king, and it is dispensable. ”

The Marquis frowned: "What exactly do you want to say?" I don't have time to listen to your story. ”

The Inspector General of Police looks up? There was anger in his indifferent eyes: "You are the Minister of War, my immediate superior. All appropriations from the Ministry of Police come from the military expenses that are decided at the Kingdom's annual financial meeting and allocated to you. Since I took over the position of Inspector General of Police more than 20 years ago? The police establishment in the capital has not increased. I have submitted more than 1,000 reports of high crime and increased police funding? Each time your reply is either "postponed" or rejected. ”

The Marquis of Brackbarn did not like to be accused to his face: "There are thousands of policemen in this city, isn't that enough?" ”

The Earl of Cummer retorted: "Twenty years ago, there were only about 2.3 million people in the city of London. Right now? The city's population has surpassed three million. Population is increasing? The managers are still the same as before...... I've mentioned this more than once in the report, why do you never bother? ”

A hint of anger appeared on the Marquis's face: "The security of the kingdom is of the utmost importance, we border the territory of the northern giants and face a direct threat. ”

"So that's why you've repeatedly scaled back benefits for the poor?" The police superintendent is not a forbearant person either, and is also on the verge of an outburst: "Look at these things you guys are doing? High taxes are being used to fill the holes in military spending, and arms dealers are being fed fat heads and ears by you? The poor do not have enough to eat even the worst bread. Is the per capita ration for three months a lot? And I wasn't asking for top-of-the-line rations, just the most basic vegetables and salt. Look at your army, right? The soldiers had soup and bread every day, as well as butter and sausages......"

"Don't confuse the two." The Marquis of Brackbarn interrupted him? Unceremoniously said: "The soldiers are training hard? Only a good meal can keep them strong. ”

"Don't think I don't know anything. The army is the power base that governs your kingdom. The best treatment for the soldiers? They will support you and obey your commands. The Inspector General of Police sneered: "You should go and see what the people in the slums are eating." ”

It's just a pointless conversation!

The Marquis of Brackbarn stood up from his chair, straightened his collar, and gave a majestic and indifferent order: "It is a time of war, and you must maintain normal order in the capital. The vanguard army of the Northern Giants will soon arrive, and I don't want to see civil strife. ”

After a pause, the marquis said seriously: "If you don't do it well, I will let another person replace you." ”

Count Kemo shook his head lightly: "If you don't have three months' rations, it's the same for whoever you change." ”

"You'll be given two weeks' worth of food at most." The Marquis of Brackbarn issued an ultimatum: "Actually, the solution you just said is very good. ”

Count Cumo looked at him suspiciously: "What way?" ”

"The way the ghetto gangs deal with women." The Marquis of Brackbarn turned and walked towards the door, his cold voice echoing through the room: "Killing if you can't complete the task, cutting off your head or mutilating your corpse is indeed a good way to replace fresh blood." Only cunning and cunning people will talk about conditions at such times, so let them all die. I will leave the best treatment for those who fight bravely, who are willing to go into battle to kill the enemy, and who honestly obey orders. ”

……

As night fell, the city of London descended into a new round of chaos.

On the orders of the Marquis of Brackbarn, the regular army took over all the defenses on the periphery of the city before nightfall. From now on, it will be strengthened and repaired, and the preliminary construction of the outer positions will be completed within two days.

The main part of the new fortifications was the excavation of trenches. This is the experience of those who survived the Northern War. The Marquis of Brackbarn has experimented, and the trench can indeed reduce combat casualties, especially the multi-level belt defense circle with the city as the core, plus a reasonable ratio of infantry and artillery, the defense effect is at least several times that of the traditional linear array.

The Marquis of Brakbarn was impressed by the fighting wisdom of the northern giants, and on the other hand, he gave what is said to be the harshest battle order in the history of the Saxon Kingdom.

Militias and police were fully mobilized, using them as a basis to drive civilians out of the city and dig trenches.

In fact, this matter is not very important———— the port of Les Bun is too close to the capital, and the news of the fall came too late. The scouts reported that the Giants were less than two days' walk from London.

The Marquis of Brackbarn was a man of action. He believed that with the concerted efforts of the whole city, it would not be a problem to dig a trench of sufficient length in just one day. Three million four, excluding the aristocracy and special groups that have good reasons not to work, at least two million and eight hundred thousand must participate in digging ditches.

Whips, shouting, butts, sticks...... Thousands of people dragged out of their homes, collected tools in various streets and intersections, and were guided by officers and overseers to the designated areas and began digging.

It's a chaotic prologue that starts in the middle of the night. The police and militia began manhunting in residential areas and drove people to nearby open spaces to concentrate.

"You have to work, you have to be dedicated."

"The Giants of the North are coming, and we must hold the city. Winning this battle depends on whether a trench can be dug long enough before the giants arrive. ”

"Citizens, this is your responsibility and your obligation."

Accept it whether you want it or not. Those who came forward to openly question the so-called "responsibilities and obligations" were arrested, stripped of their clothes, whipped on the back, and hung from the wall in chains, dying.

There were also those who refused to obey, who either fought with the soldiers or violently, but their mouths and fists could never beat the muskets, and they were shot on the spot, killing thousands of people.

No one wants to ask for so-called "truth" from the military anymore. At least a million people did not have access to tools because they could not find so many shovels or hoes. But they also cannot be idle, they must dig with their hands, and they must complete the military's engineering plans before sunset.

The Marquis of Brackbar personally escorted the wagons carrying goods out of the city and to the construction site. The first is to monitor the progress of the project, and the second is to reduce the hostility from the people.

To prove that it was not driven in vain, nor was it forced labor, the Marquis of Brackbarn prepared them a sumptuous lunch———— white bread of the finest quality, coated with thick butter and sandwiched with scrambled eggs and bacon in between. Vegetable bisque is a characteristic flavor of the Saxon kingdom, fragrant with peanuts and lard, and topped with thick tomatoes and cabbage.

Such a meal was worth at least twelve pence, which was earned only a day by the laborers who worked in the freight yards and in the trading houses.

The Marquis wanted to behave as close to the people as possible. He picked up a prepared lunch from the carriage and handed it out, smiling all the time in a pair of skeptical and questioning eyes.

Admittedly, this did have an effect, and with explanations from the attendants, it was quickly believed that this was indeed a misunderstanding, a necessary and safe military task for the kingdom.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer was also involved in the luncheon distribution.

The Marquis of Brackbarn stood with him, looked at the people sitting on the construction site and swallowed bread, and smiled: "It looks good." ”

Lawtons nodded expressionlessly, not saying a word.

The Marquis glanced sideways at him: "You don't seem to be satisfied with what I've done?" ”

The Chancellor of the Exchequer did not deny: "You do this no different from forced labour, although you offer a sumptuous lunch." ”

The Marquis of Brackban looked at the dense crowd in the distance: "This is my payment method, there are definitely some people who are not willing to accept it, but they can only get this." ”

Laurent sighed: "I don't want to argue with you. It's all done anyway, and there's no point in talking about it now...... Just do what you think and do, as long as you can win this battle, all problems can be solved. ”

The Marquis was a little surprised by this, and turned to look at the Chancellor: "You seem to have changed your attitude towards me?" ”

"In the face of war, we stand on the same side." Laurent was blunt: "But that doesn't mean I approve of your coercive military measures. There are too many evils to do so, and it can easily lead to corruption. ”

After a brief silence, Brackbar said earnestly, "I promise you to end this as soon as possible." ”

……

Things did not go in the direction that the Marquis had hoped for.

In the early hours of the next morning, Stormtooth led the vanguard of the Marine Corps to the city of London.

Mist shrouded the woods and wilderness, and in the far north, in the distance, groups of heavily armed giant soldiers appeared. They were tired from the overnight journey, but overall they were in good spirits. The carts made from the port of Le Bren were loaded with weapons and ammunition, as well as various rations that rose above the heads of the soldiers.

40,000 infantry, 50 105-mm guns, this is all the strength that Tyrant has at present.

The follow-up troops were coming from the direction of Lebun, but they were not numbered, only fifteen thousand.

The main force led by Tianhao is even farther away, and although the entire Morent County that has been occupied is currently a logistics base, and the troops have entered Gondor County, it is inevitable that the speed of the march will be slowed down by the fighting...... However, the day before yesterday, Tyrant had received a secret communication from the bald eagles that 30,000 cavalry had gone south, and that they would arrive on the outskirts of London by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow with them with them for ten days' rations and beans.

There is a shortcut from Gondorshire to London. It's a way to avoid the major cities and head straight south from the rocky mountains. A few years ago, people from the El Psoe Comptoir traveled all over the country to collect information and draw maps. Rajesh's "Templar Mercenary Regiment" also obtained a large number of classified documents from the military headquarters in the name of assisting the local army in rounding up the bandits. The most important part of this is the "Secret Passage of the Gondor Mountains".

"Secret passage" is a written name, but it is actually a canyon. Gondor County is located in an arid region with little rain all year round, and is far inferior to other Saxon provinces in terms of population and crop cultivation. The western mountainous area is composed entirely of rocks, and the vegetation coverage on the surface is pitifully low, not even 0.1 percent. Such places are uninhabitable, and there are very few animals.

An acute triangle is formed between the canyon and the densely populated city. In fact, the Saxon top did not think of completely renovating this canyon into a road to shorten the distance between the north and the south. But given the border threat from the north, the plan ended up locked in a safe.