After listening to the report of the Minister of the Interior Valentine, the Imperial Emperor Peter was furious and smashed many antiques that had been preserved for thousands of years in the study, causing Prime Minister Zangwill and others who were standing aside to curse in their hearts:
"This prodigal son, these are immeasurably valuable antiques. They have not been damaged in the hands of previous emperors. It's a good thing for you to smash them to pieces in one go."
But no matter how sorry everyone felt, there was nothing they could do to stop Peter the Great from venting his anger.
"Marshal Servais, please pass on my order to lead the army to attack the Shire."
"As you command, Your Majesty." Servais saluted Peter with a military salute.
"Master Bartlett, the imperial army needs your mages."
"As ordered, the Imperial Mages will serve your Majesty." Bartlett, the president of the Imperial Magic Association, immediately replied.
"Your Majesty, you must not do this!" an exclamation came from Prime Minister Zangwill. "The Shire army is at its peak. If the imperial army rushes out to attack, even if it wins, it will be a tragic victory. How can we resist the subsequent invasion of the south by the orcs? How can the south resist it?
How can we resist the two empires? How can we resist the Holy Empire? Your Majesty, think twice!"
"Zangwill, I think you are really old and confused. Gross has insulted His Majesty the Emperor like this. Is this the end of it? Where do you place His Majesty's majesty and the majesty of the empire? I think you value love and justice.
, Don't forget to protect your old friend!" Servais said with such heart-wrenching words that Zangwill's face changed greatly.
"Your Majesty, it is clear to you that what I said was all for the interests of the empire. Now that the empire is suffering from internal and external troubles, it really cannot withstand such a civil war!" Zangwill knelt on the ground and said sadly.
"Get up, my prime minister. I have my own considerations. You just need to make preparations for the army to go out. I will not joke about the fate of the empire. You can rest assured about this." Peter.
He did not get angry as everyone imagined, but calmed down Zangwill in a friendly manner.
This made Zangwill a little overwhelmed and could not continue his subsequent speeches.
However, he was also a veteran of many years of political struggles, and he soon understood that Peter's calm appearance hid a vast array of strategies, and he was somewhat unable to see through him.
"Yes, I am too narrow-minded. The dignity of the empire and your majesty cannot be violated. I hope your majesty will forgive me for my gaffe just now."
"It doesn't matter. I know that the prime minister is dedicated to the country, but you don't seem to have caught up with my rhythm and pace. It's okay. The Minister of the Interior Valentine will be in charge of the logistics for this expedition. You can come with me.
Your old friend."
"As you command, Your Majesty." Zangwill knew that he had never underestimated Peter, but he did not expect that his tactics were so profound.
Zangwill knew that Peter's expedition against the Shire was just for show, and it was impossible to really waste national power for a woman. He was just adding fuel to the flames, and there must be a force in the court that could restrain the imperial power.
It's a pity that except for himself, everyone else in the cabinet seems to be the same as Peter.
But I don't know whether I should be happy or sad.
It is undoubtedly a blessing for Albrex to have such a talented and strategic king. I believe that the empire will become more glorious under his leadership.
What worries me is that after all, Peter was not in the right position. He killed his father and the emperor, and killed his old friend. This left hidden dangers for the future. And although he was loyal to Peter for the sake of the stability of the empire, in the eyes of the people of the empire,
, I’m afraid that I have already betrayed my old master and is a flattering and shameless person.
I really don’t know how to explain to Charles III after his death.
Seeing Peter letting Zangwill off in an understatement, several people on the field couldn't help but feel sorry. Some of them had been coveting the position of prime minister for a long time, and they wished that Peter would depose Zangwill in anger. Then no matter who could become the chancellor.
Becoming prime minister doesn't mean you have freed up your position after all.
After the important ministers of the cabinet resigned, Helen walked out of the secret room of the study.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a pity, these precious antique utensils." Helen looked at the mess everywhere and said with some regret.
"This is the collection of the Ludendorff royal family for generations. It is also my father's favorite artifact. It is a priceless treasure."
Helen stepped forward, leaned gently on Peter's shoulder, and asked puzzledly: "Then why did your Majesty destroy them?"
"That's because I don't like it, that's all. The royal treasures can't be sold, so we can only find a reason to destroy them." Peter said lightly.
Helen chuckled, her beautiful smile instantly dimmed everything in the study, and Peter couldn't help but marvel at her beauty.
"You are such a wonderful person. After being with you for so long, you still have endless attraction."
"Haha, Your Majesty is joking. But the Shire has rejected our engagement. Does your Majesty really want to attack the Shire?" Helen asked.
"Of course not. I want to make a gesture to show that my dignity and face cannot be insulted. In fact, I have long known that Grand Duke Charles will definitely refuse. He is not stupid. How can I give up a territory that has been passed down for thousands of years to others. Mainly because I want to experience it by the way.
If the army of Lower Shire is not as strong as the legend says, it will have another ending."
Peter looked north, as if his eyes had crossed the plains, mountains, rivers, and finally the Kansas grasslands. He knew deeply that the orcs were the biggest threat there.
If Charr acts beyond his bottom line, then he can guarantee that after defeating the orcs, Charr will cease to exist.
Soon, all the major empires and forces in Toril knew that the new emperor Peter was going to conquer the Shire Principality personally. The reason was that the Shire rejected Peter's engagement.
There are some people in various countries and major forces who are gloating about the misfortune, and there are people who are watching from the other side, but there are fewer knowledgeable people who are worried.
For example, Emperor Heinrich of the Cyrel Empire was a person who took pleasure in misfortune. Although he could not send troops to take advantage of Albrex, he could always laugh at the joke. He repeatedly mocked Peter in public to show off his brain.
The Knight King of Batoria, Ryan, is worried that the civil war in Albrex will seriously deplete the country's strength. Not only will it not be able to help them fight against the Holy Empire, but the orcs' southward invasion in the near future will probably affect Batoria.
But what makes the world unbelievable is that the Holy Empire has not taken any action, and even among the top leaders, there is no news about the Holy Empire's next strategic move.
This has puzzled the current affairs commentators on the mainland. You must know that in the past, whenever there was trouble in the mainland of Toril, it was either the Holy Empire who instigated it or directly interfered.
Why is the Holy Empire so quiet this time?
Could it be that endless expansion has reached its limit?
A few days later, all of Alplekes was mobilized.
The nobles led their personal guards and direct troops to Wadenhof, followed by the Imperial Guards Corps (reorganized), the Order of Order, the Dark Blade Knights, the Frost Giant Heavy Infantry Corps and other regular regiments of the Empire.
.
There is also the Mages of the Magic Association, which has now been renamed the Royal Mages.
At this time, the number of troops assembled in Wadenhof had reached 70,000. You must know that these are professional soldiers and elites.
In fact, the entire regular army of Albrex only numbered about 200,000 people, and Peter had already summoned 70,000 people, most of whom were the elites of the empire.
Reconvening will affect border defense and public security. The entire population of Alibex is only over 10 million. The standing regular army, semi-professional imperial security army and border defense army basically have to be calculated according to the standard of 50 people to support one professional soldier. Among them
Deducting the cost of raising knights, Peter's 70,000-strong army to conquer the Charles is really a lot.
Even if logistics is not considered, in many cases, the more troops the better, but the more regular troops who can fight and dare to fight, the better.
As for the serf infantry regiments and some free people's armies, no recruitment orders were issued, because now is the season for planting food crops, and planting cannot be delayed at all, which is related to this year's harvest. In addition, unless it is a national war, these temporary conscripts
Soldiers are not very effective and are just cannon fodder on the battlefield.
It was already early summer, and the mud caused by the melting snow in late spring had disappeared. The road to the Shire was very smooth, which was very beneficial to the march of Albrex's army, so it marched very fast.
Soon, the southern fortress of the Principality of Charles was visible in the distance.
This fortress can also be regarded as one of the most powerful passes in the mainland. Since the main material of the city building is obsidian, it can reflect dazzling light under the sunlight, so it became the Fortress of the Scorching Sun.