The King

  Chapter 223 Marshal Gou Dao

  The days of peace are always short-lived, and the news of Orton Dukedom being brutally poisoned by orcs spread quickly.

  A principality didn't even have a decent resistance, and was directly torn apart by the orc army. Hudson was already powerless to complain.

  Perhaps this is the price of "soldiers in storage, horses in Nanshan". A comfortable and comfortable environment is always easy to let people relax their vigilance.

  It would be another story if they had carried out national mobilization early instead of pinning their own safety on the Principality of Moxi.

  The changes in the Principality of Orton also affected the expeditionary army, and the destruction of the country and family was imminent, and the Orton officers and soldiers in the expeditionary army were panicked.

   No matter how flustered it is, it's useless, the water can't quench the near thirst. What's more, in the face of the main army of orcs, even if they pull the expeditionary army up, it is the fate of being hammered.

   Originally wanted to appease the morale of the army, but in the end Hudson chose to let it go. This is also a silent test.

  A capable officer will solve the morale problem of his subordinates by himself, instead of just coming to trouble him as a commander with problems.

  In a sense, the tragedy of the Principality of Orton is also an opportunity for Hudson.

  In a world of highly monopolized knowledge, talents are almost all gathered within the ruling group, and talent overflow will only occur when the country is ruined and the family is destroyed.

   In the past, there was not much hope for poaching the wall, but the homeless Orton nobles in the expeditionary force had the possibility of being subdued.

   Next, it depends on the development of the situation. With the Principality of Moxie and the Kingdom of Warhammer standing in front of them, the land of the Principality of Orton is no longer counted as the front line. The problem of safety itself is far less serious than that of the front line.

  The situation this time was completely an accident. Under normal circumstances, the situation in the Principality of Moxi should not have deteriorated so quickly.

  Theoretically speaking, as long as a relatively solid line of defense is built, the security of the Principality of Orton is still guaranteed.

  This kind of security is not a good thing for the Orton nobles. This means that their land has a value worthy of peeping.

   The Terran Alliance helped regain the lost ground, and that also required paying a price.

  If you are lucky, you may be able to keep the name of the country, and everyone will just open some branch trumpets to share a piece of the pie; if you are unlucky, you may be directly dismembered by everyone.

  No matter what the situation is, they are cutting the flesh of the local nobles of Orton. There will always be a group of unlucky nobles who will lose their family fortune.

   Being able to be sent out to reinforce the Principality of Moxi, he did not do well in the Principality of Orton. If such a tragic event happens, there is a high probability that they will become the first victims.

   Aware of this, Hudson has deliberately begun to observe the reactions of the Orton nobles, preparing to select available talents from them.

  Thinking about it is also speechless. After traveling for several years, I don’t even have a decent team of talents.

   When encountering things, Hudson has always made his own decisions. It is very difficult to find someone to discuss.

   In order to recruit talents, Hudson also spent a lot of effort, but the final result is very touching.

  In addition to recruiting some basic talents, there is no real big talent.

  Even if it is a declining nobleman, the first person they choose to defect to is the king, followed by the great nobles in the country.

   When it was Hudson's turn, he had already been screened countless times. It's normal if you don't meet them, but if you really meet them, there will be problems.

  …

  Emerald Palace

   "Your Majesty, there is news from the front that the Duke of Aarondo was attacked and killed by an orc master while he was out.

  Almost at the same time, Duke Pias, Duke Agiron, Duke Dias, and Duke Cavadia were also attacked.

  At present, the four companies are strictly blocking news, and the specific situation is still unknown.

   Even Marshal Campbell, who was in the barracks, was assassinated. Fortunately, the old marshal was strong and was not succeeded by the enemy.

  In addition, many frontline generals were assassinated by the enemy, and as many as seven people died.

  Assassin identities are also varied, there are races, orcs, elves, dwarves, demons, undead..."

  After listening to the report of Grand Duke Afiero, Caesar III's face instantly turned livid.

  The assassination of one person may be an accident, but it is absolutely impossible for so many people to be assassinated at the same time.

  Aside from other things, just controlling the whereabouts of so many people is not so easy to accomplish.

  Unless there is internal and external collusion, otherwise it is possible to complete

   "Who is the black hand? How did these assassins sneak in?"

   Caesar III asked murderously.

   Those who were assassinated were all big shots, and the guards around them were definitely not weak. The arrangement is from my own family, and the possibility of being bribed by outsiders is very small.

   Except for the fact that the Duke of Aarondo was attacked by orc masters, which was slightly normal, the rest of the assassination cases were all foggy.

   "From the current situation, the orcs are the most suspected. However, given the hatred between the human race and the orcs, they absolutely do not have the ability to plant so many insiders.

   What's more, the identities of the assassins are varied, and the Orc Empire family may not have the ability to control so many people at the same time.

  The most worrying thing is that these assassins, except for the sudden appearance of the undead, the rest are slaves and servants, lurking in early. "

   Grand Duke Afiero bit the bullet and explained.

  Although the incident happened in the military, it does not mean that the Ministry of Military Affairs can figure out the situation. The great nobles have their own private army around them, and their personal safety is also the responsibility of their own private army.

  The information obtained by the Ministry of Military Affairs is all the specific details of the assassination given by them, and only these parties know.

  Especially for the five local snakes, except for the definite death of Duke Arondo, the remaining four don't even know whether they are dead or alive.

   If you want to track down the murderer, it is not up to the Ministry of Military Affairs. Without the cooperation of these great nobles, it would have been impossible to proceed.

   It’s not that everyone deliberately resisted the investigation, the main reason is that before the matter was found out, each family lacked the most basic trust.

   Estimating this time, they all looked like murderers.

   Even if the crisis of confidence is eliminated, it will be difficult for the Ministry of Military Affairs to fully intervene. There is no way, everyone has a lot of black history.

   It’s fine if it doesn’t explode, but once the cover is uncovered, it will be a major political accident.

  Even if there is no time to fight internally during the war, these dark histories after the war are also the target of political enemies.

  Under this background, the five major families in northern Xinjiang would rather investigate by themselves than the Ministry of Military Affairs to intervene.

"Humph!"

  After a cold drink, Caesar III said angrily: "I don't want to hear so many explanations, the man behind the scenes must be found out as soon as possible.

  Tell the guys in Beijiang that either they find the murderer for me themselves, or they will fully cooperate with the kingdom's investigation.

   There are also front-line issues, which the Ministry of Military Affairs must pay attention to. With so many accidents happening all at once, the orcs will definitely not give up this opportunity. "

   If there is a chance, Caesar III would not mind knocking the five northern Xinjiang families into dust, but it is definitely not now.

   Regardless of how annoying the five major families in Northern Xinjiang are, their military strength is real. They still played an important role in resisting the invasion of the orc army.

   Without these companies acting as barriers, the flames of war would soon spread to the hinterland of the Alpha Kingdom, and the resulting losses would definitely be astronomical.

  …

"kill!"

"kill!"

   "Archer, let go!"

   "Hold it, stand it up!"

  …

  The flames of war finally reached the Warhammer Kingdom. Facing the menacing orc army, the defenders performed much better than the Ortons.

  Although the defense line was still not completed, at least a lot of traps for the orc cavalry were dug, and multiple wooden fences were set up.

  The defense is not as good as a castle fortress, but it is better than nothing. The simple lines of defense one after another failed to stop the pace of the orc army, but slowed down their advancing speed.

  One legion was defeated, and another legion went up, but unfortunately the final fate was the same.

   Facing the ever-increasing number of casualties, the Warhammer Kingdom is also under great pressure.

   "Marshal, you have seen the number of casualties on the front line. According to the current situation, I am afraid that our troops deployed on the southern line will be wiped out soon!"

   Joseph II said indifferently.

   It can be seen that his dissatisfaction with Marshal Borg has accumulated to the breaking point.

   Kings are realistic, if the pillar of the kingdom is not able to turn the tide, it is no longer a pillar.

   Past achievements are completely worthless in the face of reality. If there were no better options, he would have been replaced long ago.

   Marshal Borg, who was the party involved, was also full of anger. If it was caused by his strategic problems, it would be fine to take responsibility.

   But the problem is that the strategy he formulated did not go wrong. If it hadn't been for the strengthening of the frontline defenses of the Principality of Moxi, the enemy would have already entered, and there was no need to make a big detour all the way.

   Even if it was the threat from the southern front, he had raised it early, but the problem was that the kingdom's strength was limited, and it was unable to take care of so many places at the same time.

  Limited resources need to be distributed in unlimited defense areas, no matter how they are deployed, there will be loopholes.

  Even if the front line of the Principality of Orton was defended, the enemy would have to detour for hundreds of miles. The allies are not strong enough to allow the enemy to sweep all the way, what can they do?

   There are not enough fortifications, just some simple facilities. To stop the pace of the orc army, the frontline army is not collapsed at the first touch, that is the result of everyone's desperate efforts.

   "Your Majesty, what are you going to do?"

   Marshal Borg said expressionlessly.

  He is a master with a temper. As a veteran of the kingdom, he will not take the blame for nothing.

   cannot solve the problem, it is the strength of the kingdom. The corruption in the current situation was not caused by his blind command, so there is no need to feel guilty at all.

   "The orc army from the south has a total strength of no more than 100,000, of which 30,000 are ordinary wolf cavalry, and the real elite is only 70,000.

   Regardless of how the orc army has fought against each other all the way, the losses they have paid are definitely not small. The current total strength is around 90,000 at most.

   Concentrate the troops in the southern and central provinces of the kingdom, deal with them slowly, and wait for the opportunity to find a decisive battle! "

   Joseph II said calmly.

  This strategic plan was drawn up by his think tank after much deliberation.

  Theoretically speaking, under the full mobilization of the southern and central provinces of the Warhammer Kingdom, an army of 600,000 to 700,000 people can be organized.

  Relying on the advantage of several times the strength of the enemy, it is completely capable of fighting. Don't expect to be able to win quickly, as long as it delays for a while, this orc army will be the turtle in the urn.

   "Your Majesty, you are too optimistic.

  The nobles in the southern provinces never thought that one day the enemy would come out from behind, and their preparations were seriously insufficient.

  The call-up order has been issued for so long, and the mobilization of the provinces has not been completed. I am afraid that the orcs will be killed before the army gathers.

  Even if we can muster an army, we won't be able to stop the orcs.

  As a lone army, they were originally responsible for making trouble, and they would never fight us decisively.

  Tear a hole at random, and the enemy will come all the way from south to north. Most of the enemies are cavalry, and the ordinary army can't catch up with them at all.

  In a simple cavalry duel, the kingdom's military superiority is not so obvious.

   Busy concentration of troops to fight the enemy will only lead to a faster defeat. It's better to let nobles from all over the world rely on castles and fortresses to continuously harass the orc army.

  When necessary, we can also shrink our forces and retreat to the west of the kingdom. Warhammer If the Great Plains enemies want it, give it to them first.

  As long as the strength of the kingdom still exists, we can still get back the lost territory now. "

   Marshal Borg said seriously.

   He also doesn't want to give up Warhammer Plains if possible. But there is no way, the real strength of the Warhammer Kingdom is not as powerful as it seems.

  If it was just an army of orcs who went deep alone, he was still sure to defeat it. The problem is the military pressure they need to bear, and the northern and eastern fronts.

  The main force of the kingdom has been restrained, and only a gang of mobs, what can they use to fight the orcs?

   Abandoning the Warhammer Great Plains and retreating to the western mountains of the kingdom. Although this decision is difficult, it is the best choice to resolve strategic passiveness.

   "Your Excellency Marshal, do you know how much the Kingdom will have to pay for abandoning the Great Plains of Warhammer?

  Nearly 70% of the population of the Kingdom lived on the Warhammer Great Plains. There is no way to evacuate in a short period of time. Once we retreat, we will expose these people to the butcher knives of the orcs.

  Your territory is in the western region, so it doesn't have much influence, but what about the nobles on the Warhammer Great Plains? "

  Facing Prime Minister Gay's angry questioning, Marshal Borg sighed and replied solemnly:

   "I'm not blind, so I naturally know what the Great Plains of Warhammer means to the kingdom. But the problem now is that the orcs are targeting us this time.

  Among the three northern countries, the Moxi Principality has no danger to defend, and it is not a place to live for a long time.

  The Alpha Kingdom is so powerful that they won't be able to eat it for a while.

  The only thing that is most suitable for the orc empire is the kingdom.

  Maybe they won’t be able to defend the Warhammer Great Plains, but the western mountains are different. As long as they eat it, they are likely to digest it.

  If the kingdom concentrates its strength and sticks to it, with the advantage of terrain, it can also block the front of the orcs.

   If you want to fight the orcs first, and then want to stick to the west of the kingdom after the defeat, it will not be so easy! "

  Marshal Borg has never suffered a major defeat since his debut. Even if you suffer a small loss in the early stage, you can make up for it later, thanks to this caution.

   It's just the situation this time, which is obviously different from the past. Abandoning Warhammer Great Plains, beyond the bottom line of many people.

  Even if you know that this is the choice with the highest winning rate, everyone has reasons to refuse it. The loss of the kingdom is second. The key is that everyone's family business is in the Great Plains of Warhammer.

  Once the plain falls, even if it is only for a short period of time, everyone will have to pay a heavy price.

  The most important thing is to make sacrifices now and become a rootless duck. When dividing up the spoils after the war, they also don't have enough confidence.

   "Your Excellency Marshal, the plan to retreat to the west of the kingdom has been temporarily put on hold, and the situation has not yet reached that point.

   Right now, let’s think about how to stop the orc army!

  According to your previous deployment, this kind of plan to resist and slow down the pace of the orc army is obviously out of date now.

  The Kingdom needs to adopt more active strategies and tactics, rather than blindly retreating.

   Hasn't the Terran Alliance declared war? When will reinforcements from various countries arrive? "

   Joseph II decisively vetoed it.

  Like many great nobles, the royal family has its roots in the Warhammer Plains. Although the western region also has royal territories, their proportion is less than one-fifth.

  Giving up the foundation and moving the capital to the west, the royal family's advantage over the domestic nobles will no longer exist, and it may not be as powerful as the great nobles in the western region in the final say.

  Even if the lost ground can be regained after the war, it will be a major political reshuffle. The western aristocrats who have taken advantage will definitely take the opportunity to expand their strength eastward.

   It involves the core interests of the royal family, so naturally there is no possibility of compromise. Even though he knew that a decisive battle with the orcs would be risky, Joseph II still had no choice.

   Did not jump out directly, accusing Marshal Borg of conspiracy in his plan, which was his last respect for the Marshal.

   "Your Majesty, the speed of action of the Human Race Alliance this time is a bit faster than expected.

  The parliament has passed the first batch of military material aid plans, including 100 magic crystal cannons, 3,000 magic crossbows, 50,000 armors, 30,000 horses, 20 million pounds of rye...

   It's just that the Moxi people were the first to be assisted, and their family took 60% of the quota.

  Among the remaining material quotas, the Alpha Kingdom monopolizes 30% of the quota, and the last 10% of the quota will belong to the Kingdom after being divided among the Ortons. "

   Foreign Minister Cassidy said indignantly.

  Although these aid materials are not obtained for nothing, they will still need to pay the cost price in the future, but it is very rare to be able to obtain parity-priced strategic materials during wartime.

   It is understandable that they can't win the Alpha Kingdom. The strengths of the two sides are there, and the right to speak in the alliance is not the same.

   Besides, the Alpha Kingdom has held back most of the orc army and undertook the heaviest military pressure, so it is understandable to take an extra share.

   Losing to the Principality of Moxie, Cassidy was not convinced. The representatives of the Warhammer Kingdom protested as soon as the Terran Alliance meeting made a resolution.

   It is a pity that the protest was accepted by the parliament, but the final result remains unchanged.

  The question is: the Principality of Moxi needs more help.

  There is a lot of nonsense, and some representatives directly accused them of not doing anything during the war and not playing their due role.

   On this issue, Cassidy can't help. The kingdom's strategic issues cannot be changed by a foreign minister.

"why?

  Will I be easy to bully when I am Warhammer Kingdom?

  What does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs do for food? Why does it tolerate the unfair treatment of the Kingdom? "

   Facing the king's questioning, Cassidy secretly complained.

  What to do or not to do? The material assistance plan was approved by the parliament immediately after it was proposed.

   Even if you want public relations, you have to have time.

  (end of this chapter)