When the day dawned, the port of Betlun was also on fire. Except for the sporadic resistance in the city, the rest of the city lay down forever in the flames of battle.

"The bait we have laid will not fool the enemy for long, and they will soon discover our true purpose. Pass the order down and let the people below quickly destroy the port, and then retreat immediately! ”

Duke Daniel said with a solemn expression.

From personally leading the command, it can be seen that the real target of this surprise attack was the port of Betlun. Sneak attacks are launched in several places at the same time, mainly to distract the enemy.

As the commander of the army, he must not only consider the completion of the strategic raid, but also the withdrawal of the army.

Running deep behind enemy lines is already dangerous. Once the enemy discovers their destination, even if they can complete the sneak attack, they will not be able to escape with their whole body.

War is inherently an act against humanity, and the more you think that something is impossible, the easier it is to become the key point of victory or defeat on the battlefield.

Sneak attacks on more than ten fortresses at the same time are almost impossible to complete militarily. Any mistake in any link could lead to heavy losses for the army, but Duke Daniel did it anyway.

Except for the port of Betlun, which is bound to win, the rest are all grass and rabbits. It's best to be able to conquer it, and it doesn't matter if you can't conquer it.

From the beginning of the development of the plan, the characterization of the various armies is - sheep attack. With the help of a large army to siege the city as a cover, a small number of masters were sent to infiltrate the city and burn the enemy's grain and grass.

There is no mandatory mission goal, every warehouse of strategic materials burned is earned, and the main thing is to sabotage.

Since it is a sheep attack, the corresponding troop allocation will naturally not be too much. Except for the 10,000 troops led by Daniel himself, there were two or three thousand cavalry on the rest of the battlefields.

With the cover of night, it is not difficult to create a momentum of thousands of troops. The enemy could not figure out the situation, so he could only retreat and defend himself.

Even if it was discovered that the Lingju had been attacked by the enemy, the nearby troops did not dare to dispatch easily when everything was uncertain.

People tend to have pros and cons. If you don't receive the military order from above, you have no responsibility for not moving, and you will lose the battle if you attack without authorization, but you will be held accountable.

As soon as the sky dawned, the orc cavalry, which had failed in the siege, began to evacuate one after another.

This is the territory of the Alpha Kingdom after all, and after a long time, as soon as the nearby troops are assembled, it will immediately be their turn to be unlucky.

The Bauhinia Pass was conquered by just an accident, and more troops just completed the task of sheep attack. However, they still caught the defenders by surprise and took the opportunity to burn a lot of strategic materials.

Everything went according to Duke Daniel's plan, the only difference was that when he evacuated, he did not encounter the pursuers of the Alpha Kingdom.

……

Emerald Palace, looking at the battle report in his hand, Caesar IV called it impossible. There were no problems at the front, but the rear was in chaos first.

If the war is fought like this, then what do the defenders on the front line do?

Even if you can't stop the enemy army, at least you have to send back the news of the enemy's entry in advance!

"What does James eat, and why do you let so many enemies go deep into the rear?"

Caesar IV asked, almost with a roar.

Deep down, he regrets nothing but regrets. It's just that he has been in office for less than a month, and he has poked out such a big basket, and the king can't hold it!

If I had known that this would happen, I should have replaced them as soon as possible. The warning documents on the front line actually arrived later than the letters asking for help from all over the country.

It doesn't matter at all whether the officers at the front were inefficient and derelict in their duties, or whether they were themselves incompetent and did not perceive the enemy's sinister intentions in advance.

Things have happened, the port of Betlun has been destroyed, and the kingdom's ability to transport materials to the north has been reduced by at least fifty percent.

In addition, there are many material hoarding places, including Bauhinia Pass, which suffered heavy losses from enemy sneak attacks.

According to the data collected from the front line, the sneak attack launched by the enemy last night caused nearly 30,000 casualties to the kingdom's army, and tens of thousands of tons of strategic materials were wiped out in the war.

Caesar IV was furious, and the faces of his courtiers were no better. The kingdom hoarded strategic materials on the front line lost seventy percent overnight.

The most immediate consequence is that the army at the front is in danger.

A large amount of strategic material has been lost, and there is simply no way to make up for the gap in a short period of time. It's not that the kingdom doesn't have supplies, it's that the front line doesn't have supplies.

Now that the transportation capacity is declining, the speed of logistics and transportation cannot catch up with the consumption, and the material inventory on the front line alone cannot support it for long.

"Your Majesty, everything has happened, let's find a way to deal with the aftermath first!

The enemy's sneak attack came very suddenly, and the defenders were completely defenseless, so it is not surprising that such a record was made.

It can be seen that the commander of the enemy army is not simple. Throughout history, it is also the first time that cavalry has been used in this way. Marquis James didn't find out, and it's understandable.

At present, we still need to stabilize our position first, restore the port of Betlun as soon as possible, and ensure the smooth flow of sea transportation lines.

If this is not possible, we will abandon some areas, shrink the strategic line of defense, and shorten our transportation lines in order to ensure the supply of logistical materials.

In order to reduce unnecessary losses, let the people of several provinces in northern Xinjiang evacuate first!

After covering the evacuation of the people, the noble private army in the border area did not have to stick to the castle, and directly acted with the army. ”

Hudson suggested objectively.

The war has led to this situation, and Marquis James, as the commander-in-chief, must be to blame, but more often than not, the overall quality of the kingdom's army is insufficient.

Since ancient times, there have been only a handful of cavalry sieges. Not to mention running behind enemy lines and launching a sneak attack to capture the city.

Looking at the final result, you can see that as long as the defenders were vigilant enough, the enemy army was blocked from the city gates.

Anyone who was successfully attacked by the enemy was a serious problem with the defenders themselves, and the officers defending the city were absolutely derelict in their duties.

These guys deserve it, there's nothing to be sorry for, dying on the battlefield is the best choice, and it's not good for everyone to be held accountable when they come back.

But the noble lords of the northern frontier, Hudson still has to reach out and pull a hand. As the leader of the new aristocracy, even if it is only the nominal boss, he must also contribute.

In fact, even if Hudson doesn't mention it, there will also be others who jump out to be "good guys".

Nominally a new aristocracy, in essence it is a branch of each family. The so-called "emerging" is really just a political need to set an example.

The biggest reason why Hudson's leader is in name only is that most of the new aristocrats are from the old aristocracy, and the contradictions and conflicts between the two sides do exist, but they are not as sharp as they seem to the outside world.

If you really think that there is no end to the death between the new nobles and the old nobles, then wait to be pitted to death!

The real conflict with the old aristocracy is still similar to the rising star of the Coslow family.

"The marshal is right, the most important thing now is to stabilize the situation. However, it is not enough to shrink the front and resume logistics and transportation.

The Marquis of James must be held responsible for the battle at the front, and I propose that he be removed from his post as commander, detained and returned to the royal capital for accountability, and replaced by Field Marshal Hudson as commander. ”

The Archduke of Newfoundland said murderously.

Looking at that fierce expression, it seems that he wants to break the Marquis James into pieces. However, the expressions of politicians are often full of deception.

Aristocrats are about face, especially such high-level commanders. Even if you want to kill someone, you will be given a decent way to die.

For example, the former five dukes of the Northland were all self-terminated, not pushed out to the public trial and convicted and executed.

That still involves the Terran Alliance, and the execution of a high-ranking nobleman within the kingdom will be more dignified, usually in battle or accident.

If you really want the life of Marquis James, there is no need to detain him at all, but directly let Hudson take over as commander-in-chief.

When the time comes, it will only need to be treated coldly, and for the glory of the nobility, Marquis James will find an opportunity to die on the battlefield and retain his last dignity.

Choosing to reach out at such a time, the Archduke of Newfoundland couldn't help himself. He was not only the prime minister of the kingdom, but also a member of the royal family.

Marquis James is a general of the royal family, and if he is to be dealt with seriously, then the following generals who are close to the royal family will also be to blame.

The influence of the royal family in the military has only recovered in the last two years, and if it is purged now, it will be difficult to recover it in the future.

Factional struggles are everywhere, and the opportunity to weaken the royal family has been sold, and the great nobles of the kingdom will not be relentless.

Now that we deal with it, the situation is quite good. The big nobles are basically not in the royal capital, and the power of the royal family dominates the court.

As soon as the words landed, everyone turned their eyes to Hudson. Whether it is to severely punish Marquis James or let him go, it is inseparable from the nod of Hudson, the commander.

"Changing generals on the spot is a taboo for soldiers. What's more, there are still affairs to deal with with the expeditionary force corps, and I can't leave for the time being.

Let Marquis James stabilize the situation first, and gradually shrink the front according to the actual situation on the battlefield.

After the expeditionary corps had taken a short break and replenished its troops, I would take them to the front.

By the way, I will take this opportunity to train the new recruits who have gathered from all over the country. ”

Hudson said with embarrassment.

If there is a mess, throw it at him, every time he goes on an expedition, he turns the tide, and that is too bullying. If he didn't say anything, I really thought he had lost his temper.

Since the enemy has moved, it is impossible to have only these actions. Hudson knows very little about the situation at the front, and who knows how many pits there will be in the future.

If you are in a hurry to take over, then you will take the thunder for the Marquis James. The friendship between the two has not yet reached this point, and they can't be in such a hurry to get together.

Anyway, the situation has deteriorated, and no matter how bad it is, it can't get anywhere. It's not the same as before, and even if the orcs are given a chance, they won't be able to swallow the army on the front line in one bite.

Caesar IV was about to speak, but finally closed his mouth helplessly. As soon as the war on the Western Front ended, the Ministry of War proposed a change of commander, and for political needs, he proposed and decided to stay as Marquis James.

Now that this kind of thing has happened, the label of unknown people directly hit him on the forehead.

Coupled with the inherent character of "not understanding military affairs", Caesar IV had a lot of troubles of his own, not to mention reaching out to pull Marquis James.

Now the strategic contraction, although it is the initiative to give up the territory, but in the eyes of the outside world, it is still "losing the city and losing the ground".

Hudson, who cherishes feathers, is unwilling to take the blame, and as a king, he can't be strong. Otherwise, if something goes wrong in the back, the responsibility will fall on him again.

The eyes of the ministers for help were turned to the ministers, but unfortunately everyone was smart and knew what pots could be carried and what pots could not be carried.

Especially in military affairs, it is better not to compare blindly if you don't understand, otherwise the consequences will be very serious.

"Your Majesty, the marshal is right. Now that the loss of strategic materials is too heavy, it is better for the kingdom to choose a defensive position for some time to come.

Even if we want to counterattack, we must wait until we have enough strategic supplies. Otherwise, even if the orc army is defeated, the kingdom will not be able to expand the victory. ”

The Grand Duke of Ephiero said.

The front suffered defeats, but the main force of the kingdom's army was not damaged, mainly because of the shortage of strategic materials.

It is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice.

If you don't solve the gap in materials, it's the same for whoever commanded the army in the past. Why, then, should we offend people?

At least Hudson gave the royal family face and did not demand severe punishment for Marquis James. As for the charge of "losing the city and losing the land", it should have been borne by him, the coach.

Compared with these problems, how to give an explanation to the nobles in the country in the follow-up is what the Ministry of Military Affairs needs to consider.

As soon as the words landed, the face of the Marquis of Delgado on the side darkened. To replenish the gap in strategic materials, it is not something that can be solved in a few words, and the Ministry of Finance needs to pay for it.

Suddenly such a big hole appears, what to fill it?

"Your Majesty, there are too many supplies lost this time. In a short period of time, it will be difficult to make up for the gap by raising money from within the country.

The best option is to speed up the process of self-raising supplies and procure strategic supplies from overseas.

At present, the kingdom is already in debt, and the debts owed by the treasury to the lords of various places have reached an extremely terrifying number.

……”

The Chancellor of the Exchequer came up directly and cried poverty, which made everyone more and more depressed. Everyone knows that the kingdom is short of money, but there is no way, the war will be consumed!

"Fundraising" is easy to say, but the question is where to raise it?

It is impossible to raise taxes, and the life of the noble lords everywhere is no less difficult now.

As far as Hudson knew, there had been cases in some areas where the minor nobles went bankrupt and the big nobles paid the taxes on their behalf.

】

It's not for nothing, I owe such a big favor, and I can't even rely on the big nobles in the future.

Everyone present was a little disciplined, and they couldn't do anything to shake the foundation of the kingdom.

"Your Majesty, the Kingdom's financial difficulties are a fact. For the sake of today's plan, I am afraid that the only way is to issue bonds to solve the urgent need.

However, the kingdom already owes a lot of debt, and people may not buy it by simply issuing bonds. Even if it can be sold, the high interest on the funds will overwhelm the kingdom.

It would be better to be able to add an extra layer of security to the bonds, and I propose to issue land bonds with the land on the orc savannah as security.

1 acre of land is equivalent to 1 gold coin, and the bet is directly made. As long as the kingdom wins the war, everyone can hold bonds to exchange for land.

In order to increase confidence, please set an example and assure the outside world that land bonds will be dealt with first.

After the war, the nobles were rewarded, and priority was given to the fiefs of the minor nobles, followed by the middle nobles, and then the big nobles and the royal family.

If the harvested land is not enough, then we will not be divided.

Of course, if the kingdom is defeated, then these land bonds will be directly invalidated! ”

Hudson said without being shocked.

Such a rebellious remark is simply a provocation to the aristocratic system. It has always been the royal family and the big nobles who take the lion's share, how can there be a reason to let the people below divide first?

"Marshal, a little money to be able to get a fief is simply an insult to the nobility!

We ......"

Before the Secretary of State could finish speaking, Hudson interrupted: "If Your Excellency has a better way, then even if I don't say it."

If you can't think of a way, keep your mouth shut. What is needed now is to solve the problem, not to discuss the merits of the solution.

As for whether it will impact the aristocratic system, I think this worry is unnecessary. The matter of buying and selling fiefdoms is not without precedent on the mainland.

One gold coin and one acre of land, the price is indeed very cheap. But the land is in the prairie, and if it doesn't have some strength, can it be developed?

If you take the land, you have to pay taxes, and if you can't afford to develop it, it's not wealth, but a burden. ”

hints to this point, if you can't react, everyone will be mixed up in officialdom in vain.

It seems that anyone can buy land bonds, but those who have the money to buy them and the strength to develop them are still the big nobles within the kingdom.

The meat is still in the pot after all, and the difference is limited to getting these people who share the biggest cake to pay for the war and support it.

Thinking of this, everyone's anger was almost vented at once.

In the later stages of the previous orc invasions, the finances were on the verge of collapse, and vested interests inevitably had to cut their flesh.

Hudson's land bond now is nothing more than a different way for everyone to pay for it.

The order of distribution of the spoils of war was put last, and it seemed that the large aristocratic group paid a terrible price. But the distribution power is in everyone's hands, no matter how big the loss is, how big can it be?

Making this gesture to the outside world can also boost the morale of the army and calm the inner grievances of the small and medium-sized nobles.

After a slight hesitation, and seeing that no one objected, Caesar IV said slowly: "Since everyone is not opposed, let's try to issue a batch of land bonds first!" ”