After the defection of the Vittin and the Southern Army, the news was tightly sealed, and Michel VII knew nothing about Raymond's death, and he specially sent 17,000 men of the Duke of Roy to the Lanz River position to help Raymond control the situation. However, when the Duke of Roy personally led his troops to the garrison of the Southern Legion, he encountered a trap set by the Southern Legion and the defenders of Landstown, and as soon as the seventeen thousand men arrived, they were flanked by the Vittin and Baron O'Brien, and the army of nearly 20,000 people was almost completely wiped out, and the Duke of Roy himself was killed by the arrow.

Edward, Duke of Corgas, followed closely behind the Duke of Roy, and after several hours of not receiving contact from the Duke of Roy, the Duke immediately stopped the march and reported the situation to Michel VII.

Michel VII was the last to depart, and according to his expectations, the Duke of Roy, who had gone first, should have arrived at the headquarters of the Southern Army on the south bank of the Lanz River by the time the army of Pritown departed, but until he was impatient to wait, the Duke of Roy still did not send a telegram reporting the arrival. At first, he also considered whether the Duke of Roy was playing against the small calculations of the southern nobles again, and after Sinjid spoke to him, he was even wary of the closest Duke Edward, not to mention the other southern nobles. But after receiving Edward's telegram, Michel VII immediately felt that something was wrong, even if the Duke of Roy had his own ideas, but this time he was the one who sent the most troops among the southern princes, because his aunt was married to Michel VII's uncle, and the two families could be regarded as in-laws, at least it was impossible to get together with those people in Weiting.

Thinking that Raymond hadn't reported to himself for a while, Michel VII immediately sensed that something was wrong, and finally Duke Edward's return confirmed his hunch, and the flag of the Empire had been raised at the station of the Southern Legion.

The defection of the Southern Army, the death of the Duke of Roy, and the annihilation of 17,000 troops were a major blow to Michel VII. Although Michel VII did not seem to have any sequelae after fainting, such a blow made him hesitate.

After the defection of the Southern Army, the number of imperial troops on the side of Deweide has reached more than 70,000 people, which is not much different from the 80,000 southern princes' coalition army gathered by Michel VII, and Michel VII has also received the latest information, Mitsey's troops are urgently marching towards Deweide, if the emperor gathers all the troops, the number of imperial troops in the direction of Lanz Town will exceed the coalition army of the southern princes, and Michel VII will fall into great passivity.

He now regrets why he had inexplicably attacked Swain, and regrets accepting Sinjid's suggestion to tear up the armistice with the Empire. He wasted too much time, enough to bury everything for him and the princes of the South.

At such a time, Michel VII could not help but complain about the southern princes who were always thinking about their own gains and losses, this time gathered in the 80,000 coalition troops of Prytown ready to attack Dweide, Prytown sent 30,000 men, the Duke of Roy sent 17,000 men, the Duke of Kogas sent 12,000 men, the Duke of Poiss 6,000 men, the Grand Mayor of Port Biss 5,000 men, the Duke of Charolaleni 2,500 men, the Count of Amanac 3,000 men, the Count of Cason 4,500 men, it can be said that excluding the Duke of Roy and the Duke of Kogas, the rest of the southern princes sent less troops than Michel VII's family。 Especially the Duke of Charolalene, his Duchy of Charolalene is comparable to the rich territory of Pritown, but because he was worried that the army of the Arles would break into his territory, he unilaterally delayed for so long, but he still left most of his troops in Charolalene, and only sent a mere 2,500 men to the war symbolically.

In his opinion, even if he used all the strength of the Duchy of Charolalene, it would be impossible to match the 140,000 army, and even if some of the troops in the central provinces were urgently transferred to Germany, the number of imperial troops on the Alr side would still be more than 100,000, how could he stop it by himself. Since it is impossible to stop the Empire's Arr crusading army, there is no need to waste those troops, it is better to send all the troops over, if they can achieve a big victory in Lantztown, then even if they lose the Duchy of Charolalene, they can get it back in the peace talks later. Only caring about the little sesame seeds in front of him, but ignoring the overall situation in case of collapse, what kind of disaster will it bring to himself, this is the truest portrayal of these southern nobles now.

Now that Michel VII has no way out, he can only seek a decisive battle as soon as possible. If he could defeat the defenders of Landes before Mitsey's army arrived, there would be a glimmer of hope for him and the southern nobles.

However, the Emperor and his War Department were well aware of this, and the current situation was quite favorable to the Empire, and if it took a little longer, the balance of victory would be completely tilted in favor of virtue.

Michel VII's eyes were only on the whole empire, but the emperor's eyes were on the whole world. He is not one of those southern nobles who are short-sighted, and now the rebellion in the south is only a link in front of him, and untying this link does not mean that the empire has solved all its difficulties, and there are two more serious problems waiting for him in the Badajoz Peninsula and in Silesia.

It was based on this consideration that the emperor would send an envoy to negotiate with Michel VII, and would rather lose his prestige than rescue the Kingdom of León and keep the Badajoz Peninsula first. However, Michel VII's arrest of the embassy forced the Emperor to abandon the idea of a peaceful settlement of the rebellion, and if he had been able to negotiate peace with the rebels before, he now had no way out. Michel VII's approach was no longer to challenge Nicholas I himself, but to challenge the prestige and order that the empire had built up over the centuries, and if these traitors were not severely punished, the laws of the empire would lose their authority, and the rebels would have a reason to challenge the law and the imperial system.

Therefore, even if the emperor was anxious about the situation on the Badajoz Peninsula, he had to purge these rebels first, and only the empire that was completely subordinate to the central government could compete with the Hadrian Empire and the Mahdia Empire as the world's first power.

——————————————

Field Marshal Rudolf No. Guderian stepped down the ranks and was greeted by Baron O'Brien and Vitting. The old marshal was dressed in a white marshal's suit, and he still held the scepter given by the emperor in his hand, just like a heavenly father who held thunder and lightning, so majestic that people did not dare to look at it directly. Prior to this, Marshal Rudolph had been leading the 20,000 troops of Alston and Meese to garrison Glamorgan, and by now, the battle situation has become obvious, and the direction of Michel VII's attack must be in Lanz Town, so as the commander-in-chief of the German Front Army, Marshal Rudolph also made a special trip to Lanz Town in advance to command the battle.

"Your Excellency, welcome to the town of Lanz. O'Brien stepped forward and saluted Field Marshal Rudolph, and the soldiers behind him saluted the highest-ranking figure in the Imperial Army.

Such a scene did not make Marshal Rudolph happy, he frowned, and said in a low voice: "Isel, this is not Munster, and I am not here for a vacation. Your expression reminds me of those street vendors who solicit customers. "As a field marshal, Rudolph knew all the Imperial generals, including Iser and Hekarim in front of him.

Baron O'Brien could only smile awkwardly, Marshal Rudolph was about the same age as his father, and he was the most senior figure in the army, and he was no different from a child in front of the marshal.

The marshal turned his gaze to Hecarim Noe Vittin, who was standing a little further back, after the defection of the former commander of the Southern Army, the emperor did not pursue his guilt of rebellion, but the title of commander of the regiment was naturally to be withdrawn, and the current Hecarim was just an ordinary division commander, but the 63rd Cavalry Division merged with the 72nd Division that originally belonged to Raymond, and Bazin's 64th Division was temporarily under his command.

"Your Excellency, Marshal, I salute you. Noticing Marshal Rudolph's gaze, Wei Ting also stepped forward at the right time and saluted the old marshal. It's just that his expression is more unnatural than that of Baron O'Brien.

Marshal Rudolph's short staff tapped the ground, and the corners of his mouth pulled slightly to the side. He did not have a good impression of this Viting, and Marshal Rudolph had met Hecarim at the funeral of the two previous Sir Vitiens ten years ago, when Hecarim was much younger than he is now, and only held the position of commander of a cavalry regiment in the 63rd Cavalry Division. And now, Hecarim became the commander of the cavalry division, but in the eyes of the old marshal, he was even more unproductive than he was then.

"I remember that at the funeral of your father and brother ten years ago, I personally stamped their bodies with the imperial flag. Marshal Rudolph spoke slowly, his sharp gaze was like a sharp sword on Vitin's neck, so that Viting couldn't help but swallow, "Ten years have passed, I really can't imagine that two heroic models sacrificed their lives for the country in Silesia, but their son and younger brother will one day carry the banner of rebellion and tarnish the glorious surname of Vitin. ”

Hecarim bowed his head deeply, it is true that when his father and brother died, he was also moved by this kind of passionate feelings of serving the country and dying on the battlefield, but today, he is no longer a hairy boy, he knows very well that in this era, there is nothing more important than tangible benefits. Therefore, he is willing to tarnish the surname of Vitin to be a part of the rebellion, and he is willing to defect and become a traitor again at a critical moment, he does not mind leaving a stench for 10,000 years, and there is nothing more important to Hekarim Noltin than his current self.

"I have damaged the name of the court, and I know very well that such a mistake cannot be atonement by words of apology. This time, I am willing to pay for my sins with my own life. "Hecarim is a very realistic person, and since he can be a traitor twice for the sake of ambition and self-preservation, it is not too simple and cost-effective for him to humiliate himself in front of the old marshal, which is just a small matter of losing face. Just as he was willing to bow to Raymond in order to keep his position as Commander, he was now of course willing to grovel to Field Marshal Rudolph.

Weiting's attitude made the old marshal unable to catch his mistake, and Marshal Rudolph could only vent his dissatisfaction on his lips again. "You have said these words to His Majesty the Emperor, and I think that as long as you say them well enough, Your Majesty will definitely forgive you. But I don't have to say that before me, I don't have the right to dispose of you—if I had, you wouldn't even be standing here now. ”

"Your Excellency, your lodgings have been arranged. Seeing that the atmosphere was getting stiffer and stiffer, Baron O'Brien hurriedly changed the topic, "You have worked hard all the way, although it is an emergency period, but let's treat you well." I brought wine from Munster, which was the favourite taste of my ancestor, the Duke of Dungal. ”

Perhaps it was the last sentence that moved Marshal Rudolph, and the stern commander-in-chief's expression relaxed a little when he heard the name of Duke Dungar. "Well, I don't know if the taste of the dishes in this part of Lands Town is more of a German or a Prietown. ”

The old marshal, accompanied by two generals, boarded the carriage. Marshal Rudolph was relatively obese, although he had always been in good health and could ride a horse, but in recent years, because he had enjoyed too much happiness at home, his figure has become more and more "majestic", and even if he can afford it, the horses may not be able to eat it.

Baron O'Brien and Vitin rode their horses and followed slowly behind the carriage. "Speaking of which, His Excellency the Marshal and His Excellency the Minister really don't look alike. Vitin spoke suddenly, his voice not loud, controlled to the extent that Baron O'Brien could hear it, but it could not reach the carriage.

Baron O'Brien glanced sideways at the former Legion Commander, and he knew very well who the Lord was referring to by Viting. But he didn't say anything, although he had the intention of relieving the siege for Weiting just now, but as far as his heart was concerned, he didn't think much of this repeated Weiting, just like most soldiers who value glory, it may be acceptable to be injured and captured on the battlefield, but to turn back repeatedly like Weiting is to completely give up the glory that a soldier has won with loyalty and life, which is the most despised behavior.

If it was General Cecil here, probably the old general would have sarcastically mocked Vittin on the spot. General Cecil and Marshal Rudolph, these older generations of imperial soldiers have one thing in common, a temperament that will not be overshadowed by appearances, and that is pride. Their military careers continued throughout the reign of His Majesty Nicholas I, and like Nicholas I, they had a strong iron fist and preferred to use their fists to give the most direct lessons to others. These people don't like hypocrisy, they hate diplomats who always put on a fake smile, especially in the Silesian War ten years ago, when the Marquis of Metternich stole the glory that should have been. However, even in the case of the Marquis of Metternich, he had that proud iron temperament, he was different from those people in the current Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Reich, in his bones, he was no different from Marshal Rudolph and General Cecil, they were all people who regarded the glory of the Empire as their own honor and disgrace, and would never be willing to abandon their principles and dignity for personal gain like Vitin.

Baron O'Brien was different from Vitin, but he didn't have the temperament of Marshal Rudolph. He had his own principles, but the interests of the empire had to give way to his own interests and those of his family. In his heart, he had deep admiration and envy for General Cecil, which is why he decided at the last moment to come to the aid of the Connaught army who were in ambush. However, when it comes to real things, Baron O'Brien still has to put the family's interests first.

Seeing that Baron O'Brien didn't speak, Vittin could roughly guess what Mr. Baron was thinking. However, he doesn't care very much, this is not to say that Weiting is big-minded and doesn't care about what others think of him - in fact, he is a person who cares about face, but if the reputation exchanged for real profit can no longer be converted into real profit, such an exchange is something that Weiting will not be willing to do. He knew very well how others thought of him at the moment, and since he couldn't change the opinion of others, Wei Ting could only pretend not to care.

"Your Excellency the Chancellor is about the same age as you and me, but His Excellency the Marshal is already as old as our fathers. ”

"This is not surprising. Baron O'Brien said lightly, this situation is very common in aristocratic families.

"But Your Excellency the Marshal and Your Excellency the Minister don't look alike, don't you, Your Excellency the Marshal is a little too fat. ”

The baron glanced at Vitin, it was really ungraceful to chew his tongue behind someone else's back, not to mention that they were discussing the titles of their immediate superiors, Minister of War and Field Marshal, which were enough to overwhelm them.

"What exactly do you want to say?" Baron O'Brien looked at Vitin, who had heard of Vitin's deeds, whether it was the capture of the Southern Army after the death of Baron Fairfax, or the instigation of Dawes to join forces to kill Raymond, Vittin looked like a conspirator.

"Your Excellency the Marshal is old after all," Wei Ting also looked at Baron O'Brien, not afraid to look at him at all, "And it seems that the ten years of happiness have also made the Marshal a lot fatter, isn't it?"

Baron O'Brien frowned, he knew that he shouldn't listen to this guy Vittin nonsense now, after all, Marshal Rudolph didn't give Viting a good face just now, and it was not strange for this guy to hold a grudge against the old marshal. But the baron couldn't help but muttering in his heart, although he was not as unprincipled as Viting, he also had his own ideas. Although the O'Brien family is still prominent, no one has held the post of Minister of War for generations, and it can be said that it is quite lonely compared to the scene when the Duke of Dungar was re-elected as the commander-in-chief of the army of the three dynasties. The current Baron O'Brien also has his own careful thoughts in his heart, the battle of Lands Town is his first great victory, and the first credit must be attributed to him, if he can make enough contributions in this decisive battle, then it is not impossible for him to become the Minister of War in the future.

However, although he had some thoughts in his heart, the baron really would not be fooled by Viting, he knew very well what kind of person he was, and it could be said that Viting had reached his current position in the continuous murder of his colleagues. Thinking of the situation after the death of Baron Fairfax, Baron O'Brien even had some doubts about the cause of Baron Fairfax's death.

"These are not topics that you and I should discuss. Baron O'Brien turned his head, but he didn't see a sly smile on the corner of Vitin's mouth.