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Far South City, Capital of the Republic of Interres (Southpolis, Old Taiping Province)

The fourth independent member state of the United Provinces, the Interres Republic is the richest nation in the civilized world.

It was known as the key to the Golden Route, and was the last country to join the Federation of Provinces. The population of Interre in the "Twin Islands" is only one-eighth of the population of the Republic, but it is responsible for the logistics of the most powerful combat divisions of the Free Army: the 1st Division "Republic", the 2nd Division "Interre", the 14th Division "Zhuhai", the 1st National Division "Machete", the 2nd National Division "Trident", the 3rd National Division "Double Edged Sword", and the 9th National Division "Dragonlance" all rely on Interres trade taxes for maintenance.

Its capital is Far South City, a city located in the center of the West Island, surrounded by mountains and rivers. Although it is the capital, Far South City is not the largest city in the country, and it is the third largest city in terms of population and economy - the first city is the West Port of the Phase Port, and the second largest city is the East Port of the Phase Port.

As the third largest city in the country, it became the capital of the republic because the city had a majestic history and a much more imposing name.

For more than 300 years, the city of Far South was the de facto capital of the entire Yellow Turban Taiping Province until the Koman people conquered the south again in the name of the gods and established the Duchy of Inter and the Governor's Palace of the Far South.

Its last name was Taiping Mansion.

Therefore, when the news of the change of power in the province reached the city of Yuannan, the shock was even more violent. If the people of Hong Kong only saw this as a good opportunity to make a lot of money, the councillors of Far South City saw an earthquake that could change the distribution of power in the entire republic and even the whole world.

No one attaches more importance to the politics of the Dao Kingdom than the Interlets. For the Imperials and even the Lennies, the Taiping Dao and the Daomin are very distant legends, to the elves, the Dao Kingdom means gold, to the Orientals, the Dao people are vicious rebels and pirates, but to the Interlays, the Dao Country is one of the most important maritime neighbors of the Interre, and the Dao people are a reality that can be seen around them every day.

Forty percent of the population of Interre is of Taoist or Oriental descent. In the 29 prefectures, counties, and cities of the Republic of Interres, there are 50 members of the parliament, of whom a quarter are Taoist citizens, and one-third believe in the Yellow Turban Taiping and Righteous Path. For the Interre Republic, the Dao Kingdom has always been a behemoth that is difficult to contend with. Ever since the Elven Navy entered the East during the Age of Discovery, the Elven Fleet and the Eastern Company have been battling the traditional trade fleets of the Interlites. Even if you get a trading port and a colony, you need to shed blood for the fleet. This struggle was waged in the days when Interray was still a Duchy of Interre, and when the Duchy became a republic, the struggle became more intense.

And this hundred-year-old movement suddenly came to an end. Originally, it was just a habitual colonial raid, but it brought down the Zhang Futu regime, which had always been allied with the Elven Navy.

Far South City realized that with this as an opportunity, the ports and colonies in the entire Dao country would have a chance to completely reshuffle the cards, and they could wipe out all the elven strongholds and replace them with their own power - and even obtain new harbors and concession colonies in the territory of the Dao country. From then on, the colonial ports of the Free Powers would go all the way east, directly to Lingyangmen, which was located on the mainland of the Eastern Empire.

The Cotai Strip unfolds before the eyes of politicians, but there is only one small question: whether this Cotai Strip should be controlled by speculators in Phase Port, or in the hands of politicians in Far South City, who are worried about the country and the people.

When Far South City reacted, they were stunned to find that the speculators in Phase Port had begun to form a new fleet and army. After the loss of Lenny, there was an influx of refugees from Jurok and the capital region into Interre, providing ample manpower and funds for the new Phase Port Eastern Shipping Company.

Thinking of the pressure and bribery from Phase Port earlier, and casually giving them a concession, some people in the Interre Council were remorseful.

"If I knew that they could take the Qingniu Mansion, they should have invested in it. ”

"Not to mention the concession, how much benefit should the phase port get from this?"

"I don't know if there's a chance to get in now...... The Dao Kingdom is so big, it should always allow us to get some benefits, right?"

In the Oriental-style hall of the council, the councillors exchanged grievances and opinions privately, and from time to time looked with suspicion and jealousy at the five councillors from the east and west cities of Phase Port, as well as five or six other representatives from other port states.

Like most republics, the Parliament of the Interres Republic is divided into two main alliances, the Conservative Union and the Union Union, each with three or four smaller parties under each of them; Councillors from the capital, Far South, and nearby counties, and parliamentarians from the twin cities of the largest trading port, are almost always in two different alliances.

In general, the inland agricultural and handicraft counties, though poor, had a militia that had established a republic and were more represented, while the trading port towns, though wealthy, had less power in parliament. The Far South City represents the former, while the Phase Port represents the latter.

In addition to the dozen or so councillors who served in Fortei or held positions in the military government, there were thirty-seven Republican councillors in Far South, the vast majority of whom were allies of Far South. On a normal day, the number of legislators in attendance would only be 60%, but today it is rare for all members to attend.

That's because the meeting will discuss the issue of an alliance with the new regime of the Taiping Province.

According to the plan, the conqueror of the Dao Kingdom, the Intre Overseer, Namen Soleton, will return to Far South City today through teleportation magic to report to the Council and the Military Department, and convey the goodwill of the Yellow Turban Taiping Dao Kingdom to the Council.

Before the scheduled time arrived, the sound of horses' hooves raining down came from outside the council gates, sounding like a large troop of cavalry passing near. A moment later, a young soldier with a stern expression and a shrewd and capable look entered the main hall of the Inter Parliament with more than a dozen active military guards.

More than half of the legislators immediately gave a standing ovation to greet the guests, while the other half bowed slightly in their seats. The two factions of lawmakers appear to be distinct.

"Welcome to the Intertre Parliament, Special Envoy of the Free Army Staff Council, Lieutenant Colonel Hull Tedwood!"

The current Speaker of the Interlay Council stepped forward and called out the names and ranks of the people who had arrived.

The name sparked a small discussion among the parliamentarians.

"Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood, isn't that Marshal Clad López's right and left hand......"

"Cronies but not high status, that marshal's decision-making is really delicate. Will it be in favor of the Conservatives?"

The envoy took off his military hat, revealing short, slightly curled black hair. He wore his military cap on his chest and saluted the Speaker and the Parliament.

"Your Excellency Marshal has received an invitation from your Council to send me to consult on logistical and strategic matters concerning the Interlite Army. ”

Lieutenant Colonel Hull looked around the council. He saw that in the vast Oriental hall, the seats were more densely placed than before. Several rows of seats have been reserved on either side of the councillor's seat.

The Inter Council does not have fixed seats and podiums like Lenny's United Council, but only uses the Oriental-style Celestial Chair to set up the seats and guest seats of the Council.

"Looks like someone else has to be invited. The middle one must be reserved for the conquerors of the Dao Kingdom, and the other side is ...... Left to the fleet?"

Hearing Hull's speculation, the Speaker replied, "Exactly. ”

"It seems that your plan is not small. ”

Hull sat down on one side of the officers and guards around him, walked straight to the podium in the center of the council, and said, "Since you specifically asked us to arrive early for the hearing...... Presumably there are doubts about the military's strategy, right?"

The Speaker, representing Far South City, hesitated and motioned for another Conservative MP to stand up and speak first.

Seeing that the opposite side was about to launch an offensive, the councillor representing the phase port West Harbor straightened up from his seat, pressed his hands on the table in front of him, and concentrated.

His colleagues asked him in a low voice, "Are those Conservatives going to demand that the shipping company withdraw its troops from the country?"

"It doesn't matter. To prove the interests of the Dao country, as many as there are, it is not a problem to establish two more divisions. Even if they force it here, we can reject it in the United Council. If you want to shake the company's concession, it is even more a pipe dream, and the concession that involves so much money is a ...... that Far South City can recover if it wants to."

The Conservative MP sorted out the speech in front of him and spoke, while the others quickly lowered their voices politely.

"Here's what I want to ask Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood. With an armistice agreement between us and the Empire, can the First Republic Division and the Second Inter Division be withdrawn from the mainland and put into the front on the Dao side from a military point of view?"

Hearing this, Hull's eyes immediately shone brightly, and the councilors of Phase Harbor also exchanged surprised looks.

"Let me confirm again. Hull coughed, "Do you want to withdraw the two most elite divisions of the Free Army from Fortiburg and Eastern Rulok and throw them into the battlefield of the Dao Kingdom?"

"If two divisions can be drawn from the front, it should be of great help to the diplomacy and management of the Dao side. I just asked about the possibility, and asked Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood to answer truthfully. ”

"In my judgment, that would create a huge gap on the front. The Emperor* has taken possession of our capital, and has stationed a heavy army in it, and if he does not maintain a force equal to it, or even more so, it will pose a great threat to the security of the Republic. ”

"I understand. So, if the Parliament of the Republic of Inters cut off the supply of troops and logistics to the above two divisions and turn them in the direction of Daoguo, does Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood feel that there will be serious consequences?"

Hull shook his head: "That would definitely have very serious consequences. Men and logistics are at the heart of the war, especially since these two divisions are in direct contact with the enemy and have to maintain a combat status every day. It's just that I think the Daoguo side ......"

"Thank you, my questioning is over. Before Hull could finish speaking, the councillor saluted him and sat back in his seat.

Before Hull could react, another Conservative MP stood up and went on to ask the next question:

"May I ask Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood, do you think it makes strategic sense to transfer the Free Army's land and military spending to the Daoist side......

One question after another, all from the standpoint of aiding the country. When it comes to military expenditure allocation and strategic issues, Hull doesn't dare to answer without permission, looking at the clerk who is struggling to write on the side. After all, any answer he gives in favor of Naymen Soleton could be turned into a reason for cutting the military budget by the Interre Council.

"These guys ......"

Phase Harbor's chief councillor, Sam Webster, frowned. The opponent's tactics are inferior, but they don't have a good way to deal with it. The Conservative League has always been on the side of cutting military spending, and does not value the interests of the republics as much as the Federalists. Now they are seizing the military expenses of the Free Army as hostages to block the military expenses of the navy and army on the Daoist side, and it is clear that they are sitting on the ground and starting the price.

"As Miss Archbishop estimated, it's not good. ”

Webster pondered, but could not think of how to thwart both of the Conservatives' schemes at the same time. He remembered the prophecy of Bonnie Sefir, the other major shareholder of the route company.

"The Interlite Council will probably do everything it can to frame our men in order to gain de facto control of the company. As long as they can insert their men in key positions, or the army under their control, there are many ways in which the actual benefits can be transferred. ”

Webster had already made a lot of preparations if the other side was to stand in the way of blocking the sending of troops to the country, or if he tried to forcibly establish a second concession shipping company. But the opposite side brandished the righteousness of building a free army as a weapon, and Webster had no good way.

He hinted that several Federalist MPs stood up and tried to defend Namen and the Route, only to be choked back by the question from the other side.

"If we increase the investment in the province, will it be necessary to reduce the funds invested in the first and second divisions?"

"To prepare for a new trade fleet, a lot of armed merchant ships have been drawn from the Seventh Fleet. Will this affect coastal defense?"

"The concessionaire has been exempt from tax for a few years, so will the concessionaire have to fill the gap in military spending for the Parliament?"

Seeing that the arrogance on the other side was becoming more and more arrogant, and he had already begun to draft a memorandum, Congressman Webster simply stopped speaking, and continued to use his imagination with a cold eye at the other side.

He whispered to his secretary and asked him to use his magic to send a message to Naemon Soleton, who was heading here, and to the other major shareholder of the shipping company.

At the time of receiving Congressman Webster's message, Major Namen Soleyton and Colonel Schlopp Cliff "Rabid Dog" had just left the teleportation point in Far South City, waiting for the local garrison to mobilize horses and wagons.

Councillor Webster said he couldn't stand it, and it seemed that the debriefing would be difficult. These guys in Far South City are determined to make a lot of money on us. ”

Naygor relayed the situation to Cliff, who burst into a wild laugh.

"Let them go. Anyway, you and I have already taken so many thousand pounds of stocks, and now they have risen by two or three times, and there are tens of thousands of pounds, right? It's a big deal that Lao Tzu won't be this damn colonel, sell the stocks, buy a farm in Yimeiya to have fun, or go to Qingniu Mansion to get an instructor position. When the time comes, brother, you will say a few kind words for me in front of that young and beautiful little heir, and give me a good position......"

"What is the matter? I don't have the ability to speak for you in front of Miss Zhang Shiyi. Before I left this time, I had offended her miserably. Naimon smiled bitterly twice and diverted the subject, "Let's go, the horse has been found." ”

The two men and the guards got on their horses, got on their horses, got on their carriages, and galloped along the avenue toward the city.

This time back in Far South City to report on their work, thanks to Bonnie Sefir's insistence, Namen and Cliff brought more than a hundred guards. Such a large number of people spent a lot of money on teleportation materials just through teleportation magic, but fortunately, there was no teleportation accident. After reading the bill for the teleportation materials, Naimon secretly made up his mind that next time he would find a boat to honestly go by sea - if he had to teleport like this a few more times, there would be rats running out of the treasury of the Sea Division.

The thought of returning to the Interlite Council to ask for money made Naimon feel stressed. At present, a lot of his military expenses are still raised through bonds, and in the future, they will have to be repaid through seizures, dividends from shipping companies, and military salaries. To this end, he went out of his way to gather all the officers of the two divisions and the gendarmerie, and prepared a large report to convince the Inter Parliament to continue paying the military salaries.

"Even if you don't pay the military salary, at least don't meddle in bad things. ”

But he could only think about it in his heart. To stop the greed of these councillors, I am afraid that even Bonnie or Webster will not be able to do it.

The market in Far South City can be described as deserted compared to the phase port. The shape of the city was built with reference to the Murayman Qingniu Mansion and the Far East Shuntian Mansion when the Dao Kingdom was built in the past, and the galloping road was extremely spacious, accommodating 16 or even 24 horses riding side by side. It took only a quarter of an hour to get from the teleportation point in the suburbs to the council, which was earlier than they had been notified.

When Nammon finally arrived, it happened that the Interlay Council was about to pass the Tedwood Memo.

It was a memo that could be summed up as "a dime a dozen". With the efforts of the Conservative League, they succeeded in recording every gold pound in this memorandum: all the expenses of the Free Army in the country, from logistics to pensions, should be recorded in the military bill, and deducted from the future expenses of the 1st and 2nd Divisions. And in order to make up for the deficit of the Free Army, the parliament will have the right to impose a special tax on the concession company -

"Colonel Schlopp Cliff, commander of the Ninth National Division, and Major Naymen Soleton, the commander of the Intertray, have arrived!"

The proceedings in the parliament were interrupted by the announcement of the guards at the gate.

The speaker lowered his head and looked at the memo in his hand, snorted, and did not stand up to greet him for a while. Councillor Webster of Phase Harbor immediately recognized that this was an opportunity to reverse course. His massive body bounced off his seat, kicked the chair away, and was about to run to the door of the council.

But there was one man who was faster than him.

Lieutenant Colonel Hull Tedwood waved his hand, and all the officers and guards behind him stood up at the same time and saluted at the same time. Their movements were so neat that it sounded as if there were only one or two people.

The Special Envoy of the Council of Staff himself walked across the entire council hall with a magical brisk, stopping in front of the two men who had just entered the hall.

"I have been entrusted by Marshal Cladé López to convey his greetings to the two. Hull tried to raise the corners of his mouth, trying to put on the slightly uninhibited smile of Clad López, "said His Excellency the Marshal, well done, win beautifully. ”

Hearing this, Naimon opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn't know what to say. This sentence reminded him of his childhood sweetheart, Danica López.

Danica would be glad to hear her father compliment her, he thought.

"Also, I brought a greeting from Dictator Conti Fox. He said that the victor is not to blame. ”

Hel Tedwood then gave Naimon a military salute.

"Finally, personally, on behalf of the Free Army Staff Council, I would like to congratulate the conquerors of the Daoist Kingdom on their successful victory. ”

"Thank you. Naimon replied. He glanced at Cliff, who was busy straightening his crooked military hat. "Also for the sacrifice of Major General Gao Huo and his comrades-in-arms on the land of the province. ”

Hearing the conversation between the two, the Speaker of the Inter Parliament slammed his hands on the podium with a dull sound.

"Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood!

Hull turned around and shook his head at the Speaker: "I can only confirm the military issue. The General Staff Council has no intention of interfering in the political matters of the local councils, but you must meet the military expenses in the memorandum. ”

Congressman Webster cast a somewhat sympathetic look at the Speaker. Hull's performance undoubtedly represents the will of the two giants of the military, and under such pressure, the speaker will not be able to win enough supporters - after all, most parliamentarians also know that a change of government in the country will inevitably generate a lot of wealth. They didn't really want to fight against the Free Army, they just wanted to get a piece of the pie.

"The gap in the will to fight. Webster sighed under his breath.

In front of the military, the fragility of parliament is all too obvious. The Conservative Alliance thought that the Free Army Headquarters, which made profits from the country, would support them to get a piece of the pie, but they did not expect that even in the face of interests, the Free Army military headquarters chose to support their own people.

The Speaker lost his mind for a moment, and then he looked up again, staring with empty eyes at Soleton and Cliff, who were walking towards the middle of the council. The councillors sitting near Webster stood up and clapped as if they were going to drive him down.

The Speaker glared resentfully at Councillor Webster, who was in the middle of the men, as if he had decided that he was the mastermind. His right hand trembled for a moment, and then he swung it in the air as if he had made up his mind.

Immediately afterwards, a newly promoted Conservative MP stood up and said in a loud voice: "I accuse! I accuse Colonel Schlopp Cliff of the National Guard Division under the Interlay Parliament of secretly accepting large bribes from the Eastern Route Company and, in order to obtain profits, directing his National Army to launch an adventurous attack without authorization, resulting in the death of his colleagues! I propose that he be removed from his post as commander of the National Guard Division! At the same time, I propose that I have conclusive evidence to prove that the commander of the Fifth Fleet under the Maritime Trade Commission, Darrow Brown, is a member of the National Guard Division. Salami also took large bribes from the Eastern Route Company, and I have a list of their stock transactions here!"

The entire parliament fell silent suddenly.

The congressmen on Webster's side all looked at the speaker with stunned eyes, surprised that their opponents had such courage.

Indeed, both the National Guard Division and the Maritime Trade Committee are theoretically under the management of the Parliament, and as long as the Parliament finds that the evidence is conclusive, the bill can be removed......

"But for the sake of the interests of the Eastern Route Company, as for this kind of thing? Even if you forcibly replace your people, you can't deprive the fleet, nor can you replace the Naval Division and the Independent Gendarme, do you really think that this can force the company to negotiate with you with money?" Webster scolded in his heart.

But when he got the documents circulated by the Conservatives, Webster changed his mind about the other side's efforts.

It seems that the Speaker is also very well prepared for this "second package". He cunningly bypassed all the owners of the 14th Division and the Separate Gendarmerie: after the dissolution of the joint parliament by the junta, these people were theoretically not under the jurisdiction of the parliament.

And with this as a breakthrough, they can open fire on the entire route company at will.

"He probably sent a lot of people to the port of phase, right? He actually got the special dividends of the Eastern Route Company to the fleet and the various divisions of the national division. If they can use this document, they can pull in other allies......"

The more Webster looked at the document, the more surprised he became, the data in it was also very accurate as a shareholder, and the previous contempt for the Conservative Party had disappeared somewhat.

Namen Soleton and Schlopp Cliff also got their hands on the papers. Amid the noise of the surrounding parliamentarians "taking bribes" and "lackeys", the two exchanged a worried look.

Cliff couldn't hold back for a while and stood up: "That's right! Uncle Ben took some stocks, but this is also a stock in exchange for his life! We were killed by Zhang Futu's pro-army! In exchange for you, will you send yourself to death for a few thousand pounds!"

His language is loud, but in the eyes of parliamentarians, it is full of loopholes.

"But taking a bribe is taking a bribe!"

"If you didn't collect the money, would you attack such a dangerous place!"

"Why did the commander of the 14th Division die in battle, that's not something you just say!"

"Vote! Vote! We request to the Council of Staff that these corrupt officers be removed from their posts!"

"There is also an executive meeting of the Maritime Trade Committee!"

In such a surging public opinion, even Webster hesitated. The evidence on the other side is so conclusive that a bill of denunciation can almost be passed. Although this bill may not be enforced, the other side has proven that they have the ability to cause trouble for the shipping companies.

While Federalist lawmakers were desperately resisting the opposing rhetoric, Webster called his secretary and told him to quickly contact another major shareholder to resolve the situation.

The hesitation of the Federalist legislators made the arrogance of the other side even more arrogant. In the face of such pressure, it was inconvenient for Hull, the representative of the military department, to speak, and it seemed that they were alone.

The voices of opposition were swallowed up in an instant, and the voices of condemnation of them turned into roars.

"Condemn corruption and bribery! Condemn abuse of power!"

"Speaker, pass the bill!"

The Speaker of the Conservative Party raised his gavel high and slammed it down.

"Let's vote!"

Amid the condemnation of him and the approval of vote after vote, "Rabid Dog" Cliff slowly stood up.

"I take what I think I deserve. If you don't think I deserve the money, condemn it, I don't care! I've given so much for this country, not to protect you greedy moths!"

His eyes were fixed on the parliamentarians who opposed him.

Schlopp Cliff took off his gloves, revealing his right hand, which was missing three fingers, and slowly put on his armblade.

"Don't do that, Colonel Cliff! you do it or resign, and you'll fall into their trap!" Naimon also stood up, trying to stop the red-faced Colonel beside him.

But how could he persuade the "rabid dog"?

Colonel Cliff walked to the podium step by step, with an expression ready to move. Seeing that the situation was not good, Naimon hurriedly called all the guards and prepared to drag him down.

At this time, the huge body of Councillor Webster stopped in front of the "rabid dog".

"Don't do it. Just let them perform and wait another five minutes. Do you hear the sound of horses' hooves outside?"

Hearing Councillor Webster's words, the Speaker burst out laughing.

"Five minutes? You know it's time for the fleet representatives, but why should the fleet support you greedy people who are trying to compete with them?"

He suddenly lowered his voice.

"Congressman Webster. If you give us two of the shares of the Voyage Company now—"

"Don't think, Conservative wolves. ”

A heavy baritone voice came from the door of the main hall. Hearing this, Webster's brow finally relaxed.

That was the last major shareholder of the shipping company in the Far South City.

"Our Seventh Fleet, but we also have a 30% stake in the Eastern Route Concession Company. Excuse me, are you going to hold us accountable for accepting large bribes, Your Excellency?"

Entering the field with a large group of naval officers was none other than Wei Taiping, commander of the Seventh Fleet, who was dressed in a marshal's uniform.

"That'...... Those guys...... When did you bribe the Seventh Fleet?!"

The person who thought it would be reinforcements suddenly became the majority shareholder on the other side, and the Conservative MPs panicked.

The Speaker held up the document in his hand: "However, we have passed a bill condemning the illegal bribery of the route company—"

Admiral Wei Taiping smiled slightly, snatched the resolution from the speaker's hand, slowly pressed his hands into a ball, and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

"I, Pease Wayne, on behalf of the Maritime Trade Commission, believe that this resolution is a disorderly endangerment to the interests of the republics. Although the current commander of the Fifth Fleet does not serve on the Maritime Trade Commission, it is entirely accessible for the Fifth Fleet to take shares from the shipping companies to build the fleet, and I do not consider it a bribe. ”

After destroying the resolution in full view, the gray-haired Marshal of the Eastern Navy walked up to Namen.

"I've heard that Lored has already conveyed his compliments, so I'm here to pay my respects to both of you. These greedy bastards shouldn't bother you anymore. Would you be interested in taking my flagship back to Phase Harbor, Conquerors of the Dao Kingdom?"

Thinking of the previous teleportation bill, Naimon nodded.

Councillor Webster interjected: "If it's convenient, I'd like to take your flagship to Phase Harbor too." ”

He was curious about Conservative sources. The other party got a confidential dividend distribution table, but he didn't know much about Wei Taiping's almost semi-public shares.