Chapter 159: Strategic Intent

After receiving the news that Kebo City had been conquered, it took only twenty-nine days for Shi Fat Man to transfer the convoy and 100,000 displaced people from Venades City to Kebo City, which greatly amazed Lorlist. The distance of 780 miles is less than a month, and you must know that it is more than 100,000 horses.

Shi Fatzi's method is very simple, in addition to transporting materials and transporting the old, weak, lonely and widowed carriages all the way to the direct route, he divided the 780-mile road from Venades City to Kebo City into seven temporary camps, each camp nearly 1,000 transport carriages, specially transported personnel to the next camp, this is how quickly the task of personnel transfer was completed.

His Royal Highness led 10,000 soldiers of the Royal Guard Regiment to enter the city of Vannades and immediately rushed to the city of Kebo, his purpose was to borrow food.

Lorist doesn't care, anyway, there is a lot of grain in Kebo City, and the number obtained from the granary after the occupation is more than 300 million catties, which makes everyone sigh that the Demke Province is known as the largest granary in the former empire. With food, everyone is relieved, and the hundreds of thousands of horses and horses of the convoy and the displaced people can spend the winter in Kebo City with peace of mind.

However, the second highness's plan to borrow grain was stuck by Shi Fatzi, what Shi Fatzi said is very reasonable, you can borrow grain, but you have to have a mortgage, even if you are the crown prince of the Andinac Kingdom, you must act in accordance with the traditional customs of the nobles, you can't just say that you can give as much as you borrow, right?

In fact, His Second Highness's net worth is poorer than the team, and Shi Fatzi is clearly embarrassing him. However, His Royal Highness was not discouraged, and returned to Vannades City with a slight smile. As a result, ten days later, His Royal Highness brought a large number of collateral materials. Shi Fatzi looked at these materials and wanted to cry without tears.

These collateral materials were actually the goods that Shi Fat had wanted to expropriate from the merchants of Vannadez City at a third of the price. However, the Second Highness is even more ruthless. Directly in the name of confiscating enemy property, he turned these goods into collateral for borrowing grain. In the end, His Royal Highness transported 100 million catties of grain from Kebo City, and even when the severe cold of winter came, he continued to transport grain regardless of the frostbite of the transport personnel and pack horses.

Shi Fatzi wondered why His Royal Highness was racing against time like this, and he couldn't wait. So he went down privately and asked Lorist.

Lorist's explanation is simple, recruit troops, prepare for war.

Having taken a map of the Kingdom of Antinac, Lorist said that next spring, His Royal Highness would face two wars. Needless to say, the counterattack of the Grand Duke of Madras, the most critical thing is here, Lorist pointed to the border between the Kingdom of Andinac and the Kingdom of Redlis, I heard that the Grand Prince has signed an armistice agreement with the four central principalities, and most of the troops on hand are still there, with his jackal nature, the next unlucky one is likely to be the Kingdom of Antinac.

Thanks to you, Lorist looked at Shi Fat and smiled, His Royal Highness has integrated the nobles within the kingdom and stabilized the situation. And production was carried out. As long as it can survive two or three years in peace, the Kingdom of Andinac can become a regional power. If he is given another ten years to develop, the dream of the Second Highness to unify the former empire is likely to become a reality.

Now what His Second Highness lacks most is time, and at present, he is adopting a strategy of taking the north and defending the south step by step. For the Great Prince's kingdom of Redlis, he put the Tempest Legion in charge of the defense of the border between the two countries. However, the Tempest Legion fought for many years and assisted the Duchy of Merein to resist the invasion of the second prince, and the damage was great. If His Highness wants to replenish the soldiers of the Tempest Legion for combat readiness and long-term defense, he needs a reserve of food and weapons.

For the Duchy of Madras, His Royal Highness wants to occupy it, but at present, he has more than enough power to do so. His idea was to annex the province of Yungshandra first, and the four central principalities could be connected to each other to obtain support, and this side would first defend and consume the strength of the Grand Duke of Madras, and then annex the Duchy of Madras in one fell swoop after two years of preparation.

Shi Fatzi looked at the map and was silent for a long time, and then made a suggestion: "My lord, if we don't stay here and don't leave, let the Second Highness give the province of Dramke to our Norton family on behalf of the Andinac royal family, we can help the Second Highness complete the purpose of annexing the Duchy of Madras as soon as possible, this is the best of both worlds, I think the Second Highness will be very happy." ”

Lorist was stunned for a moment, stared at Shi Fatzi for a long time before asking, "Is this what you think yourself?" Or do many people think so?"

Shi Fatzi thought for a while and said: "Two days ago, I went up to the city wall to inspect the castle guarding equipment in the tower, and when I came down, I saw a group of homeless people gathered at the moat. When I heard a sentence that the province of Delemke is fertile and the largest granary of the Cresson Empire, I was moved, if we occupy this province, how much help can we give to the family!"

Lorist smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Don't think nonsense in the future, such a good thing can't happen." ”

"Why? Even if His Second Highness refuses to give us the entire province of Dramke, the city of Nakebo is ours, and a hundred miles around it should be rewarded to us, and then we can settle 100,000 displaced people here for farming, and let our family lay a nail in the province of Demke. Shi Fatzi was very unconvinced.

"Alas......" Lorist sighed: "Brother Shi, you think everything is too beautiful. His Royal Highness would never have given us the province of Delemke, and even if we had conquered the entire province for him, he would not have given us the city of Kebo. Even if we occupy the entire province of Demke with our strength, it will be a private occupation, and it will be counted as theft, and His Royal Highness will not recognize it in name.

If His Royal Highness is a king who is content with the status quo and does not want to make progress, then it is still possible for your idea to come true. It's a pity that His Royal Highness has great ambitions and wants to unify the former empire, so he can hand over the entire Northland to our Norton family, but he will never allow the province of Dramke to be touched by us.

If you look carefully at the map, you will understand the strategic intentions of His Second Highness. Why did he keep so many territorial nobles in the first two provinces of the Kingdom of Andinac?Quite simply, those two provinces he was going to use to defend against the invasion launched by the Great Prince, and it would not be a pity to break them. The last province of Verbasya was swept by you, and all the nobles of the realm were hanged on the gallows by you, but His Royal Highness did not say a word. That's because he wanted to bring the province of Verbasya under the direct jurisdiction of the Crown. Make this the foundation of the royal revival. So he will not canonize a territorial nobleman in this province.

If you look at the map of the Principality of Madras, the province of Yungeshandra has been placed under the control of His Second Highness, although this province is barren, it is a strategic place, and His Royal Highness has eliminated more than 20 territorial nobles on charges of treason and aiding rebellion, leaving only six or seven lords who are willing to honestly obey the orders and orders of His Second Highness.

Why would His Second Highness go on a killing spree in the province of Yungeshandra out of the ordinary? It was because he also wanted to bring this province under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family. Next up was the Archduke Madras and the Seamount Corps in the province of West Degrad, which was a province under the direct administration of the Grand Duke of Madras. There are no other territorial nobles, as long as this province is taken, the Second Highness will start to deal with the territorial nobles of Dramke.

Food is the most important strategic commodity of a kingdom, and without food, the kingdom cannot be stable. His Royal Highness had suffered from a lack of food before, and as the largest food-producing province in the former empire, it was impossible for His Royal Highness to put Dramke Province under the control of the territorial nobles again, and he would also cleanse the territorial nobles of this province, and those who defected to him would be transferred to the province of West Degrad, now you are looking. What would happen to the situation if these provinces were under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family?"

Lorist took a map of the division of the former Cresson Empire into three kingdoms and seven principalities, in the province of Verbasia, in the Kingdom of Antinac. A line was drawn on the three provinces of Yungeshandra and Delemk in the Duchy of Madras, and a circle was drawn on the northern ground.

Shi Fatzi was stunned, pointed to the circle above the north land and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Have you forgotten the words of His Royal Highness, when he destroys the Duchy of Madras and borders the Northlands, if our Norton family takes the entire Northlands, he will canonize me as the Grand Duke of the Northlands on behalf of the Antinac royal family, and this circle represents our Norton family. Lorist replied.

"In such a situation, where do you think His Royal Highness's troops will point?" Lorist asked Shi Fatzi.

Shi Fatzi pointed to the Iberian Kingdom: "It's the second prince." ”

Lloris nodded: "This is another reason why His Royal Highness will not hand over the province of Dramke to us or the nobles of other territories, only the provinces directly under the royal family can better mobilize troops and materials to support the front line." The province of Demke and the Iberian Kingdom are bounded by the small mountain range of Hindersen, as long as the Second Highness sends troops, it is easy to break into the hinterland of the Iberian Kingdom, and the Second Prince does not have the ability to support it for long.

We all know that the second prince relied on the strength of his father-in-law, the Grand Duke of Fisabrun, and the former imperial frontier legion under his command to establish the country, and the second highness sent troops to the Iberian kingdom, and the Grand Duke of Nafisabrun will definitely also send the border army, and then the second highness will be able to use our Norton family. If we send troops from the Northlands, and if Archduke Melein also sends troops, then Archduke Fisabrun will have to retreat to his lair in order to avoid being attacked from three sides, and sit back and watch His Second Highness sweep through the Iberian Kingdom. ”

"If His Second Highness takes the Iberian Kingdom, then the situation of the entire empire will be clear at a glance, and he will order our Norton family to confront the Grand Duke of Fisabrun, coerce the four principalities to return to the imperial territory, and then gather forces to destroy the kingdom of the Great Prince's Redlis, which is the general trend and no one can resist it. His Royal Highness will soon be able to fulfill his wish to unify the empire and ascend to the throne of the new Crisson Empire, and he will become a legend in the history books as the emperor of the revival of the empire...... "Shi Fatzi has understood what Lorist said, and finished the next strategic layout in one breath.

"His Royal Highness is really playing a big game of chess, he has a good idea, and when the time comes, he will use us to involve the frontier army of the Grand Duke of Fisabrun, so that we will not be able to make more meritorious contributions in the process of reviving the empire, and avoid the trouble of rewarding our Norton family after the unification of the empire, it is really calculated...... "Shi Fatzi sighed.

Lorist smiled: "This is a yang scheme, everything is so above board, people have nothing to say." ”

"Then we can't share some more benefits?" Shi Fatzi was still a little unwilling.

Lorist shook his head: "You should realize this from the second highness borrowing grain from us, 100 million catties of grain, the second highness can give us a hundred miles of land around Kebo City in exchange for food, but he would rather confiscate the merchant's goods as collateral." Even if we take the entire province of Dramke, but after His Royal Highness destroys the Duchy of Madras, reorganizes the troops and combat readiness, and then orders us to hand over the province of Delemke, what are you going to do with our Norton family?

Refusing to obey orders, raising troops to rebel, is it realistic? Don't forget that the 100,000 displaced people we brought with us were originally the children of the Kingdom of Antinac. You have arranged for them to work here, and as long as the Second Highness gives the order, they will be overjoyed that they have become the people of the kingdom again. No one will bother with us, a nameless lord. Only to bring them to our family territory. They will become the subjects of our Norton family.

Our Norton family has no shortage of territories, don't forget that the island territory that His Royal Highness sealed me with no one to manage. The most important thing now is to bring these displaced people back. Don't think that our fleet is very well armed, in fact, it is far from being elite. The reason they followed us to the Northland was to give their families a peaceful and peaceful place to live. If we lead them to fight for these nameless territories, will they be willing, and where will we replenish these valiant warriors when they are gone?

No one is a fool, and His Second Highness would like our convoy to stay in the province of Dramke, and purge all the nobles of the realm as you did in the province of Verbasya, so that he can get a good reputation without soiling his sword, and he can use the excuse of anger to force us to leave. He could even justifiably order us to go to war in the war with the Grand Duke of Madras after the beginning of spring. Give support.

I don't want our Norton family's armament to become cannon fodder for His Royal Highness's ambitions, in fact, his strategic deployment can be seen by many people with a heart, and if he wants to succeed, it depends on whether those who are willing to give him this opportunity. Next summer, the Principality of Madras will become a big battlefield, and if we don't leave in the spring, we won't be able to go anymore. ”

Lorist held out his finger and pointed to the location of the Iberian Kingdom on the map.

"You mean that the second prince will send troops to attack the province of Dramke?" asked Shi Fatzi.

"Not an attack, but an annexation. Lorist said: "I said that no one is a fool, not even the second prince, how can he not see such obvious strategic intentions of the second highness? Even if he can't see it, the current province of Delemke is like a big piece of fat, with the greedy character of the second prince, will he not bite? Even if he doesn't bite, there will be people who encourage him to bite."

Previously, it was the Duchy of Madras that stood in front of the Kingdom of Andinac. Now that the Grand Duke of Madras has been beaten to protect himself, someone who has a heart will definitely instigate the second prince to come and join in the fun. If you think about it, the second prince had to ask the Grand Duke of Madras to borrow grain. Can he not be happy to swallow the grain production land in one bite now?"

"Locke, who are you talking about?"

"Those who don't want to see the revival of the Crisson Empire, and those who don't want His Second Highness to reunite the empire. ”

"Didn't the second prince just suffer a defeat, and where did he get the troops to attack the province of Delemke?"

"Borrow troops, don't forget that the frontier regiment under the command of his father-in-law, Grand Duke Fisabrun, has always been at full strength, 78,000 people, the second prince only needs to borrow 30,000, and then gather the private soldiers of those territorial nobles under him, and it is very simple to get 50,000 or 60,000 troops, these troops are enough to sweep the province of Delemke. ”

"Then why are you sure it's summer, and not spring?"

"The second prince of Kaichun can't gather military rations, and he will send troops as soon as the wheat is harvested in the summer. ”

"It's really a pity to give up here, such a good grain-producing province......" Shi Fatzi sighed......

"What's good here, except for the grain there is neither iron ore nor horses, the biggest disadvantage is that it is closed. Lorist shook his head.

"Closed? You see, it connects the Northlands, the Iberian Kingdom, to the city of Venades, and from there, it connects the province of Western Degrad, the Kingdom of Antinac, and from the province of Yungeshandra to the four principalities, and the transportation is very convenient. Shi Fatzi said strangely.

"By closed, I mean that it can only go around in circles within the empire, you see our family territory. Lorist pulled over a map of the Northlands: "You see, if we look for a port here in the Blade Mountains, then we can develop our fleet to connect to my island territory, and from the island territory to Tim's harbor, from there we can reach the city of Moriente, from the city of Moriente to the ruins islands, the empire of Lomon, the sea and the sky, let us soar." Now you can see why I insist on bringing the convoy and the homeless people back to my family's domain, where we can develop and build the best home!"

"Locke, you're going further than we thought......"

"Of course, haha, that's why I'll be lord and you're my knights. ”

"Locke, you're such a stinky fart, I'm just casually taking a picture of the ass, are you serious......"

....... (To be continued.) )