Chapter 304
Regarding Aofina's proposal, most people have little hope because of the stereotype of the Northwest Bay.
Only a few people think it is worth a try, such as the officers in charge of army logistics. They know that a large part of the supplies and ordnance in the kingdom's army now comes from the northwest gulf.
In terms of military rations, canned goods from the northwest bay are welcomed by many officers and soldiers, especially in the south where the temperature is higher and food is not easy to store. When the troops march long distances and there are no places to purchase or requisition food near the garrison, Cans can be very useful in towns.
In terms of ordnance, a weapons supplier named [Northwest Industry] accounts for a large share of the source of weapons and armor for the Kingdom's army. The quality can only be said to be average, but the success lies in the large quantity and low price. The kingdom's army can stabilize the rebels in terms of armor coverage, and the Northwest Industry can be said to have contributed a lot.
It's strange. Where did the Northwest Gulf come from so much iron to make so many weapons and armors? Aren't the lords there themselves fighting wars?
But it is obvious that if the lords of the Northwest Gulf give these ordnance equipment to their soldiers, then the war between them cannot simply be described as "peasant fighting".
While everyone was talking about it, Catherine winked at Aofina and asked her to discuss this issue privately with her later.
Now that the Northwest Gulf has been raised, the theme of the meeting gradually turned to the Assault War that broke out at the beginning of the year.
“Obviously, the family headed by Earl Parker will never recognize the legitimacy of Maltz Kent’s inheritance of the title.”
"Really, the country is in crisis. They don't want to raise troops to serve. Instead, they are fighting among themselves in private. They really don't understand the general situation."
"This is not without its benefits. The former Duke of the Northwest The lords have always been contemptuous of the royal family. After all, the Parker family still loves the royal family. It would be better to suppress the indigenous lords."
"After all, it is for their own interests. I don't believe how loyal they are to the royal family. If there is any conflict, please ask His Majesty the King to decide it! It’s nothing to resolve it privately.”
The royal representatives sent to the northwest territories had different opinions, such as Hansel who was stationed in Arda. Abbott and Emerson Wilder, who was stationed in Emden, often aligned themselves with the position of their local lords in their reports to Jingyao. In their letters, they also scolded the royal representatives on the other side for confusing right and wrong, gossiping, and making irresponsible remarks.
These conflicting reports have left His Majesty the King and the ministers at a loss as to who is right and who is wrong. However, most people in the court still tended to oppose the duke's faction. After all, since the outbreak of the southern rebellion, the two counts of Alda and Bailding in this faction have sent supplies to the kingdom's army that was short of food due to fires in the name of vassals. There was a large amount of food, and the [Northwestern Industry] established by the lords in this faction also provided a large number of low-cost weapons and armor for the kingdom's army.
Duke Dodge was thoughtful: "Which faction has the upper hand now?"
Ofina: "The latest news is that the Duke's side is in decline, and it seems that he has a plan to concentrate all his efforts on making a desperate move."< br>
“Both sides have no intention to stop?”
“There have been rumors of a truce, but obviously no agreement has been reached.”
Duke Dodge turned to Catherine and said: “Your Highness, After the disputes among the lords of the northwest bay subside, can they be responsible for guarding Veblen and then transfer Walker's troops to the south to deal with the rebels?"
Through secret channels, the kingdom's senior officials have basically determined that Duke Veblen of the East has turned to Giles, but they have not yet openly responded to Giles. In order to prevent Veblen from raiding the rear, Catherine had to leave a force of up to 25,000 men to guard the east. This force was commanded by Duke Walker.
The army of more than 20,000 people did nothing but guard against possible enemies, resulting in a huge waste of troops. Otherwise, the main force led by Catherine would not have been blocked. The Fougeres area has been unable to open up the situation.
Perhaps this is the effect Giles had in mind? His allies were only responsible for distracting the kingdom's troops.
Ofina agreed with Duke Dodge's suggestion: "Among the lords who opposed the Duke of the Northwest, Earl Grayman played a backbone role. His family was sent to the Northwest Gulf because of the palace struggle a long time ago. In the process of collecting supplies for the army going south, Earl Graiman put in a lot of effort. He must also have the intention to make good friends with the royal family. If the honor of the Graiman family can be restored in the name of His Majesty, this Earl must be able to do so. Serve the country wholeheartedly and serve as a catalyst for other lords.”
Judging from the meaning in her words, it seemed that she was very optimistic about Graiman's faction.
Katherine was a little moved by what the two said, and nodded and said: "The dispute between the two factions in the Northwest Bay has not yet subsided, and it is not yet certain who will win the final victory. We will send envoys there after the dust settles. Let's do it."
The princess said this, but she couldn't help but feel a little unhappy in her heart. If there was no rebellion at the moment, and an edict was issued in the name of the king, the two groups would have been killed no matter how red-blooded they were. Jingyao had some dignity to sit down for peace talks, but now he can only wait for the winner to appear and seek his support.
The reason for this situation is simply that the royal family's power was restrained by the rebels in the south, and they had no time to worry about it. If someone is sent there hastily, the mediation will not be successful and the situation will be aggravated, and the already declining royal power will be even more precarious.
Thinking of this, Catherine hated Giles as a traitor even more.
At this time, Viscount Klein looked at her and said: "Your Highness, the Northwest Gulf has always been relatively poor. How can the strength of those lords alone stop the wealthy Eastern Territory."
Catherine smiled: "It's up to you. You should have thought of a solution already, right?"
Klein laughed: "Yes. We can recruit the highland barbarians to guard the east together with the northwest army, oh. No, it should be Count Zherov, showing his loyalty to the kingdom.”
Zherov was the tribal leader who fought in the rebel tribes when Catherine put down the barbarian rebellion in the highlands last year. It was precisely because of his internal response that Catherine was able to quickly put down the barbarian rebellion, and later awarded Zherov the title of Earl of the Highlands.
Catherine is very satisfied with Klein's suggestions. In recent years, she has been committed to promoting young generals to the top ranks of the army, and Klein and Lester are among the best. The former is humble and thoughtful, while the latter is silent and aloof, but has a natural intuition for marching and fighting. Like Aofina, the two are her capable subordinates, and because of their similar age, it is easier to communicate with them than the veteran generals.
"Let's do it!" Her Royal Highness the Princess made the final decision.
After the meeting was dissolved and everyone was leaving, Catherine stopped Aofina.
"Come to my room and tell me about the current situation of that girl Irene. Oh, and the thunder hammer you mentioned in the meeting just now."
(End of Chapter)