Although the cold wind has repeatedly delayed the pace of spring, spring has finally arrived.
After March, the entire northwest became busy.
On a land of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, starting from Nulin Province in the east, the Northwest Corridor in the west, the Kilimaro Mountains in the north, and Loulan Lake in the south. The troops of the brigade set out and went to various pre-set locations.
Performance location.
This is an annual spring drill for the army throughout the empire, stipulated by Roland Empire decree.
The Roland Empire was founded by force. Thousands of years ago, Emperor Aragon rose up on the continent with his amazing talent and beauty. He conquered the east and west, and fought in the south and north. Only then did he integrate the entire continent into one, and established a
Such a huge empire. And ever since Emperor Aragon himself, he has established such an iron law!
In order to ensure that the empire's army will not be weakened due to prolonged peace, the empire's army will conduct a spring drill every spring.
And such drills were strictly implemented during the Aragonese era.
Although in later generations, with the end of the Aragonese era, the empires of later generations gradually abandoned this iron law because of its long period of peace. There was even a time when the imperial army did not conduct exercises for more than ten years, and its military discipline and combat effectiveness were completely neglected. But later,
With the change of the Augustinian dynasty, this iron law of Aragon the Great was once again strictly enforced.
After all, the current Augustinian dynasty was only established for two hundred years. During this period, there were some small-scale regional wars, which made the empire's army vigilant to a certain extent and did not relax too much.
I would especially like to thank the current emperor Augustine VI. Although this guy is considered a tyrant who enjoys great success, at least during his tenure, he paid unprecedented attention to military combat and training. Especially during the years of Augustine VI's reign,
The Imperial Army conducts drills every year with almost no interruption.
Although Augustine VI did a lot of ridiculous things during his reign, and the emperor was not very wise, the Northwest War was a futile effort and a waste of national strength. The situation of the Southern Ocean expedition was greater than the harvest.
But it is undeniable that, thanks to the existence of this emperor, the current average combat effectiveness of the empire's army can be said to be the best that the Roland Empire has maintained for more than a hundred years.
The spring breeze blows, and the army sets off.
The two northwest provinces, in terms of the division of war zones, naturally belong to the territory of the Northwest Army. Although the Northwest Army has secretly fought against the central government and listened to the instructions but not the announcement, this annual spring drill has never been abandoned.
What's more, this annual spring drill is also a way for the Northwest Army to show its strength. It can intimidate the center of the empire and show a tough stance as its own political bargaining chip. Therefore, every spring drill,
The Northwest Legion spared no effort in carrying out the mission. It mobilized several armies with rigorous training and the strongest combat capabilities to show off their power and perform drills on the northwest land.
Of course, at the same time, he will not forget to be vigilant about every move in the center of the imperial capital.
It is worth pondering that for the annual spring drill, the northwest of the imperial capital is a place of special attention!
An army of 200,000 people was mobilized frequently and still refused to obey its own control. Such frequent mobilization made the central government of the empire not feel nervous?!
Every spring, the Imperial Guards Corps of the Empire mobilizes tens of thousands of elite troops all the way to the west and is stationed in the upper reaches of the Lancang Canal, facing the northwest. They are on tight alert in case the northwest regiment rebels.
What kind of truly treasonous act could you do?
The same is true for the Northwest Army. At the same time as their annual drills, the two most elite cavalry divisions of the Northwest Army will drive all the way to the eastern border area of Nulin Province. In name, it is a normal long-distance training, but in fact
On the battlefield, they also vigilantly confronted the Royal Guards Corps in the center to prevent the empire from taking the opportunity to mobilize troops into the northwest.
For the Northwest Army, the annual spring drills, although they must always be on guard against the Royal Guards Corps in the central part of the empire, are somewhat uneasy. However, over the years, the central government has been unable to take care of the northwest, and it has not had the courage to fight a civil war ruthlessly.
, completely eradicate internal troubles in the northwest.
Over the years, the warring faction and the compromising faction in the military headquarters of the imperial capital have argued and argued again and again. The hard-line landlord warring faction is often the new young general of the empire. They advocate the use of force to conquer the northwest sovereignty and completely
Solve the current warlord situation of the northwest army and maintain the centralized rule of the central government.
As for the compromisers, although they are hated in people's hearts, these compromisers are actually not the weaklings they imagined. On the contrary, these people are not selfish, and most of them are sincerely concerned about the country and the people.
Every time they quarrel with the warring faction, they can also come up with a lot of analysis on the empire's financial and military expenditures and national strength. Speaking from reality, the empire's national strength is declining and it is simply unable to fight a civil war. If a war is forced to start,
Even if this civil war is won, the empire's national strength will be greatly weakened! The ensuing bad results, after analysis, may lead to two situations:
The first is that the empire reluctantly conquers the northwest and solves the problem of the northwest army. However, the grassland aliens take advantage of the situation and move in: Just imagine, without the northwest army to guard the northwest, and after the civil war, the empire, which has suffered a huge loss of military strength, where can it mobilize so many troops to deal with those who have
Steppe wolves with hundreds of thousands of elite cavalry?
Second, even if the aliens from the northwest do not take advantage of the situation... Then, imagine that if the empire wants to fight a civil war, where will it mobilize the army to fight against the northwest army? The closest to the northwest, the best choice is naturally the Royal Guards Army.
The Royal Guards Corps, this is the kinsman legion of Emperor Aragon during the founding era, the most glorious "Thorn Flower Legion". In terms of equipment, combat power, and military strength, it can compete with the Northwest Legion... But the problem is, if after the war
, even if the northwest army is solved, if the Royal Guards Army loses too much and is severely weakened... then if the direct military force in the hands of the central empire is too weak... it will be difficult to protect the northern army in the frozen forest in the north. And the southern army,
Or other powerful noble lords in the empire will not have different aspirations!
Political power emerges from the barrel of a gun. Although Roland Continent is a different world, the people here understand it!
If the civil war resulted in a situation where the central government was weak and the local governments were strong... then once chaos arose, it would not be easy to calm it down!
For this reason, the empire repeatedly tolerated the warlord separatism of the Northwest Army and appeased it year after year, making it impossible for the Northwest Army to lose its tail.
For the Northwest Army Corps, this annual spring drill has another huge benefit:
Money! Food!
The iron law of the empire is the annual spring drill. The required military expenses are directly distributed by the imperial military. Weapons, horses, and food are all provided by the local government. The imperial military will compensate the local government with financial allocations.
In the northwest, this situation gives the Northwest Army an even greater advantage: the original damn wartime regulations of more than 20 years ago gave the Northwest Army the right to intervene in local government affairs. And for the annual spring drills, the local government must also
To pay a sum of military expenses. Especially for grain and grass, the Northwest Army used the name of the training place to pull out so many troops to train back and forth in the two northwest provinces. Every time they passed a place, they directly approached the local government to ask for money.
If you don't give me food, you are disobeying the imperial military order.
Governor Bohan has been in the northwest for many years and has been extremely troubled by this situation. However, he has also come up with some countermeasures. Two months before the annual spring drill, he will order all warehouses in various places to be emptied.
, leaving only a small amount of food and grass supplies, lest when the Northwest Army exercises, those locusts pass through and there will be no grass left.
Over the years, one robs and the other hides, and a hide-and-seek show is staged every year in the northwest.
However, Du Wei broke this convention this year!
The sun at noon has risen above the head. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the defenders of Loulan City, this city of miracles, are already standing ready.
Starting yesterday, the Duke issued an order to restrict entry and exit of the city gates. Especially today, the city gates were closed and no one was strictly prohibited from leaving Loulan City. Even those caravans coming from the south to the North King who got wind of the news early, they simply stopped
Choose to take a detour, bypassing Loulan City, and go to some small villages and towns on the shores of Loulan Lake to replenish fresh water and food before continuing on.
Some who were unwilling to take the detour temporarily went to live in villages and towns near Loulan City.
When a dark shadow gradually appeared on the horizon in the distance, the dense sound of iron hoofs was like thunderbolts under a clear sky, hitting the hearts of the guards one after another!
The northwest wilderness has a flat terrain, which is most suitable for cavalry attacks. At this moment, on the horizon, there is a dark line, like a wave, and like wind and dark clouds. Looking at it, I can see a dark line of cavalry, galloping all the way.
Horse hooves are like thunder and the sky is filled with dust!
But standing at the top of the city, some experienced veterans were able to identify the opponent's situation by observing the dust.
Such a large group of cavalry, at least more than 20,000 people, and while galloping, the formation was not chaotic, but the formation was in the flying geese band, assuming a posture of unabashed attack, heading towards Loulan City!
The dust in the sky almost covered the sky.
Most of the guards standing on the walls of Loulan City were elite veterans from the four thousand rebels that Du Wei had conquered that day. These imperial guards, who were formerly the elite imperial capital, watched these troops coming.
The cavalry could not help but change their color slightly!
The wind and the remaining clouds are like thunder!
Almost in a moment, the large number of cavalry had already galloped to the city. With a horn sound, the galloping cavalry immediately changed their formations and stopped about a mile away under the city, but it was completely dark.
The cavalry on horseback are all wearing the standard armor of the Empire's Northwest Army, but each armor has a unique symbol of the Northwest Army painted with black ink.
Judging from the flags, the 20,000 cavalrymen who arrived were a complete cavalry division. What made the defenders on Loulan City angry was that although they stopped at the bottom of the city, they blatantly showed off an attack attitude.
Posture!
The horns of the cavalry array of the Northwest Army kept blowing, and then they saw the flags tumbling, and several thousand-man teams immediately separated from the two wings, but they were running around in a circle. It was clear that they were marching in a battle column, as if they were besieging the city.
Got it!
Someone had quickly reported it to the Duke's Palace. After Du Wei heard the report, he didn't say anything and just said lightly, "I understand."
In fact, the anger in Du Wei's heart was also suppressed by force.
As early as three days ago, the Northwest Army sent someone to inform Du Wei: for this year's spring drill, the Northwest Army's military headquarters decided to choose an area near the lake outside Loulan City for the drill. When this decision was sent to Du Wei,
The other party claimed that the army has already set off and will arrive in three days!
Such a move made Du Wei almost fall out on the spot, but he had the patience to endure it.
Why?
Arriving in three days?
In other words, when the other party's messenger came to report the news, the army had already set off!
This so-called messenger is even more of a pretense! The army has already set off, so I just pretend to tell you! You have to agree if you agree, and if you don’t agree, you have to agree!!
At this moment, Du Wei heard the report and immediately ordered to change and go out. He hesitated for a moment. He didn't wear the noble clothes of a duke or the robe of a magician, but chose a set of armor. This armor was also from Du Wei's shop in the imperial capital.
The one produced here, in terms of the gorgeousness of the shape, is comparable to the one Ruolin had originally, and the effect has also been improved.
Du Wei was originally tall and slender, but his body was weak when he was young. After practicing the introductory skills of Starry Sky Dou Qi, he has been greatly improved. After one year in the northwest, he has gradually become taller and taller, although his face still has a slight trace of it.
The childishness of young people is also limited by age. However, the dignity in their behavior is getting stronger day by day.
At this moment, this specially made armor is worn on the body. If you take a quick look, you can see that there is really a heroic aura rushing towards your face. There is a bit of a young general in his movements.
Du Wei gave the order, took all the guards and the guard Elder Yan, and immediately left the Duke's Mansion and went to the city gate.