Claude is staying at home to be a baby daddy. In mid-February, Kaifani gave birth to a little girl for Claude. In late March, her sister Anna also gave birth. She and Michael had a son, Field.
There were two new little lives in the manor, and there was an endless stream of people coming to congratulate them. Claude was so busy that he couldn't handle it. Fortunately, Michael was also in the manor, serving his sister Anna and helping to receive them.
The guest made Claude breathe a sigh of relief.
When Caifuni gave birth to her eldest son Tesore and her second son Belgacy, Claude was not at home. At that time, he was attending the military academy in the royal capital for training. When his second son was born, he took care of him.
The Thunder Division was fighting a fierce battle with the Hicks Kingdom's standing army. Now that his little daughter was born, he rarely stayed in the manor, accompanying his wife from beginning to end, welcoming the arrival of new life. When he found out that the baby was born,
After giving birth to his daughter, he was extremely happy.
The mother no longer stayed in bed and pretended to be sick because of the birth of two little lives, and she no longer paid attention to Blovik who was hiding in Anna's ranch. However, Adele's due date was at the end of June, and there were still two months left. Her younger brother Blovik
Vic specially asked the Legion for half a year's leave, preparing to accompany Adele to welcome the birth of their love.
The situation in the overseas autonomous territories is now very calm, as is the news coming from the mainland of the kingdom. Except for the Nasseri Kingdom and the Royal Capital being entangled over the three loan shark debts, the situation is gradually getting better.
.Perhaps it can be said that the 1.6 million refugees and refugees of the kingdom that Claude moved away from the kingdom's mainland did a great favor to the newly ascended King Frederick I and eliminated the biggest factor of instability in the kingdom.
According to reports from the Kingdom, the reason why the Royal Capital and the Kingdom of Nasseri cannot reach an agreement on the debt dispute is that no one is willing to bear the three loan shark debts of Sterling XI and the Kingdom of Nasseri.
Some people even suggested that these three debts should not be recognized. If the Kingdom of Nasseri wants to collect debts, it can go to Sterling XI and be prepared to refuse to admit it. Anyway, Sterling XI is already cool and can blame it on the dead.
go.
In contrast, Frederic I was a kinder man. Perhaps he was very clear-headed and knew that the situation was no longer what it used to be, where the Kingdom of Ovilas oppressed other countries in the eastern part of the continent. He expressed that he could cooperate with the Kingdom of Nasseri
The special envoy discussed carefully and found out that regarding the three loan sharks totaling 8 million gold crowns, the king was willing to repay the principal plus normal interest for a total of 5.6 million gold crowns. Back then, Sterling XI only received
4.8 million in cash...
However, the special envoy of the Kingdom of Nasseri did not agree with Frederick I's suggestion at all. His two demands were also very simple. The first was to pay back the full amount of 8 million gold crowns before the expiration of the debt period. The second was to sign another 8 million gold crowns.
A three-year loan agreement of 10,000 gold crowns means borrowing new money to repay old debts. However, after the expiration of this new loan agreement in three years, the total amount will become 12 million gold crowns.
The two demands of the Nasseri Kingdom's special envoy were naturally rejected by Frederick I and the senior officials of the royal capital. The two sides have been arguing until now. However, the termination deadline for the three loan sharks is August this year, and Nasseri
The kingdom's special envoy also made harsh words, to the effect that if you don't pay back the money, we can send troops to collect it ourselves.
No one would take the harsh words of the Nasseri Kingdom's envoy seriously. Even if the Nasseri Kingdom did send two standing legions to garrison the border counties between the two countries, Frederic I would only order the Red Dragon Legion to garrison the border areas.
Strengthen vigilance. Even though the Kingdom of Overas is now severely weakened, the Kingdom's soldiers still do not take their former defeated generals seriously. The military threat of the Nasseri Kingdom is more like a joke to the Kingdom's soldiers.
The world is at peace. The most important thing in the overseas dominions at present is the laying and construction of the second railway that is being arranged. The official operation of the first railway has brought benefits to all the people in the dominions. Traveling is more convenient, faster and safer.
Freight saves worry and effort, and the transportation volume has increased greatly. The entire overseas dominions are like being pulled by a locomotive. The economy is developing extremely fast and is full of vitality and vitality. As long as they are willing to work, anyone can find a job that pays well.
However, the Dominion Military Region is still carrying out various construction plans step by step. In the first half of this year, 150,000 people from the two legions will complete the replacement of weapons and military uniforms, all equipped with new rifles and new military uniforms. Now, whether it is the Thunder Legion or the Rock Legion,
A reinforced field regiment directly under the legion, a special forces brigade directly under the legion, and a mobile light cavalry battalion were newly established, bringing the total number of personnel in each legion to 75,000...
Next, the Dominion Military Region will replace 20 local garrison regiments with new rifles, and equip two regiments with new infantry light field artillery. All warships in the ocean cruising fleet will be equipped with marine steam engines to become dual-purpose sail and steam engine warships. And the new
The iron-hulled warship is already undergoing experimental development work in the dock and is expected to be completed in the second half of the year for sea testing.
...
Lanhu City Southeast District Railway Station is the largest, busiest and most popular railway station in the entire overseas autonomous territory.
"Wow, there are so many people in Lanhu City!" The long-faced man came out of the train station and exclaimed at the scene in front of him: "This place looks a bit similar to the capital, with so many people and vehicles, and such wide roads.
..."
The leader of the big man looked at the simple map of Lanhu City he bought from the small bookstore in the station and said: "It says that Lanhu City has a permanent population of nearly 400,000. It is the capital of the entire overseas autonomous territory and the economic, financial and administrative center. There are many people."
Inevitable."
The round-faced man sighed: "If, if, during the civil war in the kingdom, the troops of this overseas autonomous territory could fully help His Majesty, then His Majesty would not be assassinated, and we would not be reduced to this situation. We used to treat this overseas autonomous territory as
We thought it was similar to the colonies of those countries on the west coast. It seems that we thought wrong..."
The leader's face was ashen: "No matter how well they manage the local area, it is still a rebellion of the kingdom. They not only betrayed His Majesty, they even betrayed the group of traitors in the kingdom itself, otherwise they would not have declared autonomy.
.After we take care of that despicable woman, we will see if there is a chance to teach the bumpkins here a profound lesson, let them understand that betraying the kingdom will not end well... Okay, let's find accommodation first
Then you can go and inquire about the whereabouts and whereabouts of that woman..."
"Okay, head." The round-faced man and the long-faced man replied.
"Hey, stop, wait a minute..." Two patrolmen in black uniforms in the distance noticed the dozen men here and stopped them: "Where did you come from? Are you here?
What to do? Do you have identification?”
The leading man turned his face sharply and came forward with a smile on his face: "Hello, we are from Crusuya. This is the identity certificate we got from the customs..."
The two patrol officers looked at the identity registration form handed over by the big man in charge, took out an official seal and stamped it. The several seals on the form indicated that they had been inspected several times by the patrol police.
"You are here to purchase goods, right? Then you should go to the West District. It is the commercial district of Lanhu City and the wholesale market for bulk commodities." A patrolman said to the leading man with a pleasant look: "You can stay there directly.
, there are many big pubs and hotels there, and there are also many restaurants, some of which are open day and night.”
"Thank you, thank you..." The big man at the head thanked him repeatedly: "This is our first time here. Fortunately, you gave us your guidance. Otherwise, we would have spent a long time looking for it by ourselves. Thank you very much."
Another patrol officer patted the bulging backpack behind the round-faced man. The leader's face froze, but he heard the patrol officer say: "You are new here, let me remind you not to bring muskets and long-range weapons with you.
When shopping, it’s best to keep it in your accommodation. If you encounter any trouble, just go to the patrol police directly and I guarantee that you will be dealt with fairly.”
"Okay, thank you, we understand."
After the two patrolmen left, the round-faced man wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "The train station here seems to be more strict than other places. We were spotted by the patrolmen as soon as we got off the train."
The leading man looked at the backs of the two departing patrolmen and sighed: "This is the capital of an overseas autonomous territory, so the security will of course be stricter. Let's go, call the carriage and go to the West District first, and find a place to stay."
...
"...What are you talking about? The laboratory of Blackstone Gun Manufacturing Workshop has produced a rifle that can fire continuously. It can shoot thirty-eight bullets in one breath without stopping?" Claude was a little surprised.
, looking at the messenger standing in front of her. Madam Sonia knew the importance of confidentiality, so she did not use a hawk to convey the message, but sent a messenger specifically to tell Claude.
"Yes, General, I saw with my own eyes that rifle that can fire concentrated fire. After pulling the trigger, it fired thirty-eight bullets in one go, smashing the entire target." The messenger answered honestly.
.
"Okay, you rest in the manor for two days first, and then go to the manufacturing workshop with me in two days." Claude pulled the bell rope, Major Mason Hughes walked in, and Claude told him to take a good look.
Entertain the courier, send a message to the railway station, and prepare a box for yourself. You will go to Vibato Port State in two days.
Only five generals in the overseas autonomous territories have this privilege. They can hang a special carriage, also called a box, on the back of the train. The outside is covered with thin armor, which can withstand musket fire and light infantry field artillery bombardment at close range. In this way.
It is convenient for the generals of the Dominion Military Region to handle official business and think about strategic issues quietly in the box.
What Claude wondered was how Mrs. Sonia came up with the idea of making a machine gun. He had never told her what a machine gun looked like. After the last time the new infantry light field artillery was finalized, Master Bird asked her to study how to install it on a machine gun.
The heavy artillery on the iron-hulled battleship? When did she change the target and start studying machine guns...
But no matter what, Claude had to see it with his own eyes to know what was going on.
Two days later, Claude led a squadron of guards to the train station in a carriage. The train that was about to leave was still parked on the platform. The passengers had already entered the carriage and were looking through the glass window at the squadron of guards arriving at the station.
The carriage with Claude...
Claude entered the special carriage at the back. There was a small kitchen and bathroom, a bedroom and a small reception room, as well as a study room. The front was a guard room, connecting the normal passenger carriages and freight carriages. But in front of the special carriage
The carriage was also occupied by the guards, who brought fifteen horses on board to prevent any accidents from happening during the journey.
The station master, a chubby middle-aged man, ran over and gave Claude all the latest newspapers that could be bought near the station, so that Claude could read the newspapers to relieve his boredom while riding the train. Claude asked him
After thanking him, soon the whistle sounded and the train started moving.
From Lanhu City to the banks of the Dolinibala River, if we were marching on horseback in the past, it would take a day and a night if we were going fast, and half a day if we were slow. This is mainly because we need to conserve our horsepower when marching on horseback, and it would take half a day at most.
When the hour is more than 40 minutes, you need to dismount and march with your mount or take a rest to avoid dragging down the horse power. Seriously comparing, sometimes marching on horseback is really not as fast as a long-distance passenger carriage with four pack horses. The pack horse can actually
Running for an hour or two and then resting for half an hour is not as troublesome as a war horse.
Now, by train, you can reach the banks of the Dolinibara River in six hours. Get off the bus and cross the river. There is already a train on the other side waiting for passengers. This is how the current railways in the Dominion are divided into two parts by the Dolinibara River:
The two halves are the Northern Three States and the Southern Five States. Since the newly acquired Rocky Mountain States in the north are all mountains and the railway has not yet been laid across them, the Rocky Mountain State is automatically excluded from the northern railway line and is generally only called the Northern Three States.
.
Claude picked up a newspaper. This was the newly published "Lanhu City Daily" in the morning. The headline on the front page was that the murder was solved and the murderer absconded. Claude became interested and said that he remembered that Lanhu City has always had good public security and order.
There hasn't been a murder in half a year. I haven't read the newspaper in the past two days. Why did another murder happen?
After reading from beginning to end, Claude realized that a murder occurred in the residential area southwest of Lanhu City the night before yesterday. Two smugglers were killed and they were not local residents. It is said that a female pharmacist came here half a month ago and rented a house.
Went down to the house where the murder took place, where they sold an ointment that was very effective for rheumatism.
The two dead smugglers were a group of about twenty smugglers from the Crusua Colony of the Kingdom of Resnia on the west coast. They should have gone to the Lanhu City business district to purchase goods. According to the investigation, this group
Smugglers began to inquire about the female pharmacist's whereabouts from the town of Ancano in Tirsim canton. The reason was that the female pharmacist used ointment to treat a restaurant owner's severe rheumatism in the port of Corbicius.
attracted the attention of this group of smugglers.
It is said that one of the smugglers said that his father also suffered from severe rheumatism and was bedridden, so he inquired about the whereabouts of the female pharmacist and wanted to buy the therapeutic ointment. But now the police detectives suspect that this group
The smugglers wanted to get the ointment formula in the hands of the female pharmacist. It was very simple. Most of the sailors and smugglers lived on the ship for many years, fighting against the wind and waves. As they got older, they would more or less suffer from rheumatism in their hands and feet.
Disease. If you can get this ointment formula that can effectively treat rheumatism from the hands of a female pharmacist, it will be almost a gold mining industry that can be passed down to future generations of the family.
The reason why the detectives had this suspicion was that the two smugglers who died in the female pharmacist's residence were fully armed, carrying special muskets and crossbow weapons equipped with poisonous arrows, and visited the female pharmacist in the middle of the night.
It was clear that the teacher’s residence had evil intentions. Some neighbors said that they heard several gunshots and the shrill barking of dogs that night...
The female pharmacist is currently missing. I don’t know whether she absconded because of a murder at her residence or was captured by the associates of the two dead smugglers. The two associates of the dead smugglers also left the West District where they stayed after the murder.
The Mona Tavern disappeared without a trace. When the police went to investigate, they found that these smugglers were in a hurry and left a lot of luggage. The Patrol Bureau has issued a wanted notice today to investigate this group of smugglers in the Dominion.
Claude didn't take it seriously. Nowadays, the most people who come to the Dominion to purchase goods are smugglers from the colonies on the West Coast. It is also through these merchants that the Dominion sells the goods produced by the manufacturing workshops in each state to the colonies on the West Coast. Generally speaking,
Generally speaking, as long as the smugglers do not infringe on the rights and interests of local residents, most of the conflicts that arise between them will be ignored by the patrol departments of the autonomous region. If they endanger or harm local residents, that is another matter.
.
The female pharmacist in the newspaper is also from outside, and it is very likely that this case will be a big one, and a small one will be ignored. Don't read the newspaper that a wanted notice has been issued for the group of smugglers, but Claude suspected Lan
The most the Lake City patrol department can do is to post the wanted notice at places such as stations and piers, and it is not even possible to send the wanted notice to other towns.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, the train arrived at the banks of the Dolinibara River. There is a pontoon for train passengers to cross the river. The small station where the train stops is surrounded by high fences and brick walls to prevent outsiders from entering the station.
Passengers on the train get off the train, pass through the pontoon, and take the train tickets to the station on the other side of the river to get on the train. There is also a train parked there with the same number of carriages. Passengers crossing the river can use the train tickets in their hands to take the same train.
Carriage and seats.
Claude waited for all the passengers to cross the river before leading the guards across the pontoon. A special box was also added to the back of the train on the other side. After entering the box, the adjutant Major Mason Hughes came over to inform Claude
, the train will have to stop for about half an hour before it goes on the road, because some people who have crossed the pontoon bridge in front queue up at the station to buy tickets, and they want to take the train here.
It wasn't until six o'clock, when dinner was already being sold to passengers on the train, that the train sounded its whistle, started slowly, accelerated gradually, and started to move...