Although the cold wind delays the pace of spring again and again, spring has come after all.
After March, the whole northwest began to be busy.
On the land of several hundred thousand square kilometers, it starts from nurin province in the East, reaches northwest corridor in the west, kilimaro mountains in the north and Loulan Lake in the south. The troops of the regiment set out and went to each pre-set drill site.
This is the annual spring exercise of the army throughout the Empire, as stipulated by the laws of the Roland empire.
The Loran empire was founded by military force. A thousand years ago, the great of Aragon rose above the mainland with his amazing talent. He fought in the East and West, and fought in the South and North. Only in this way did he integrate the territory of the whole continent and build such a huge empire. Since the beginning of the great Aragon himself, such an iron law has been set up!
In order to ensure that the army of the Empire would not lose its fighting power because of too long peace, the army of the Empire would have a spring drill every spring.
In the Aragorn era, such exercises were strictly carried out.
Although later generations, with the end of the Aragorn era, the Empire of later generations gradually abandoned this iron law because it had been peaceful for too long. There was even a history in which the imperial army had not practiced for more than ten years and the military discipline and combat power were exhausted. But later, with the change of Augustine Dynasty, the iron law of Aragon was strictly enforced again.
After all, the present Augustine Dynasty is only two hundred years old, during which there were some regional small-scale wars, which made the imperial army get some vigilance, not too relaxed.
Especially the present emperor Augustine VI. Although this guy is regarded as a successful tyrant, at least during his term of office, he paid unprecedented attention to military combat and training. Especially in the years of Augustine VI's reign, the Imperial Army practiced every year, almost without interruption.
Although Augustine VI did a lot of absurd things during his reign, and the emperor was not too wise, the northwest war was in vain. The situation of Nanyang expedition is greater than the harvest.
However, it is undeniable that, thanks to the existence of the emperor, the average combat effectiveness of the Empire's army is the best maintained by the Loran empire for more than 100 years.
With the spring breeze, the army begins.
In the division of war zones, the two provinces in the northwest naturally belong to the northwest Corps. Although the northwest army had secretly fought against the central government, they did not listen to the tone. But this annual spring drill has never been abandoned.
What's more, this spring drill once a year is a good opportunity for the northwest corps to show their strength. To deter the central government of the Empire, to show a tough stance and to use it as a political chip. So every spring, the northwest regiment spared no effort to perform. We will mobilize the best trained and most powerful armies to show off their strength and perform in the northwest.
Of course, at the same time, we will not forget to be alert to every move of the imperial capital.
It is worth pondering that for the central part of the imperial capital, the northwest is the place for the annual spring performance. Are particularly concerned about the place!
How can the central government of the Empire not be nervous when it frequently mobilizes 200000 troops and does not listen to the 200000 troops under its control?!
Every spring, the imperial city guards will mobilize tens of thousands of elite troops to drive all the way to the west, stationed in the upper reaches of the Lancang canal, facing the northwest. On the alert. In case the northwest Legion will rebel and make any real act of treason.
And the northwest Corps. It's the same. At the same time of their annual drill, the two most elite cavalry divisions of the northwest regiment will drive all the way to the eastern border of nurin province. In name, it's a normal long-distance training, but in fact, it's also a vigilant confrontation with the central royal city guard regiment, in case the Empire takes the opportunity to mobilize troops into the northwest.
For the northwest army, it's not reassuring that they should always guard against the guards of the Imperial City in the middle of the Empire during the spring drill every year. However, over the years, the central government has not been able to take care of the northwest, nor has it the courage to fight a civil war and eradicate the internal troubles in the northwest.
Over the years, the main battle faction and the compromise faction in the military headquarters of the imperial capital have been fighting and arguing. The hardline landlord warlords were often young generals of the new empire. They advocated to subdue the sovereignty of the northwest by force, thoroughly solve the current situation of warlords under the separatist regime of the northwest legion, and maintain the centralized rule of the central government.
And the compromisers, though hateful in people's hearts, are not the soft bones in their imagination. On the contrary, these people are not dedicated to their own interests, and most of them are sincerely concerned about the country and the people. Every time they quarrel with the main fighters, they can also come up with a lot of analysis on the Empire's financial and military expenditure and national strength. Speaking from reality, the Empire's national strength is declining, and it is simply unable to fight a civil war. If they force a war, even if they win the civil war, It will also hurt the strength of the Empire! The following bad results, under the analysis, may appear two kinds of situations:
First, the Empire reluctantly subdued the northwest and solved the northwest army. But the exotic people in the grassland took advantage of the situation: imagine, without the northwest Legion guarding the northwest, and after the civil war, where did the Empire lose its military strength and dispatch so many troops to deal with the prairie wolf with hundreds of thousands of elite cavalry?
Second, even if the northwest foreign race does not take advantage of the opportunity... Imagine, if the Empire wants to fight a civil war, where can it mobilize troops to fight against the northwest army? The closest to the northwest, the best choice is naturally King City guards. The Royal City Guards Corps, the most glorious "thorn flower corps" in the era of the founding of the great Aragorn, can fight against the northwest Corps in terms of equipment, combat power and military strength... But the problem is, if the northwest army is solved after the war, but if the Royal City Guards Corps loses too much, If the military power directly under the central government of the empire is too weak... It is difficult to protect the northern Legion in the northern frozen forest. There are also the southern legion, or other powerful aristocratic lords in the Empire, who will not have different aspirations!
Under the barrel of a gun comes political power. Although the land of Roland is alien, the people here also understand it!
If the central government is weak and the local government is strong because of the civil war, then once the situation becomes chaotic. It's not easy to calm down again!
For this reason, the Empire would appease the warlords of the northwest army year after year. So that the northwest army can't lose its tail.
For the northwest corps, this annual spring drill has one big advantage:
Money! Food!
The iron law of the Empire, an annual spring drill. The military supplies were directly provided by the Imperial Army, and the local governments were responsible for the supply of weapons, horses, and grain. The imperial army would compensate the local government with financial allocation.
In the northwest, such a situation made the northwest Army take advantage: the damned wartime regulations more than 20 years ago gave the northwest army the right to intervene in local government affairs. And every spring, the local government has to pay an extra sum of military expenses. Especially for grain and grass, in the name of training ground, so many troops of the northwest army come out and train back and forth in the two provinces of the northwest. Every time they pass through the ground, they directly ask the local government for money and food. If you don't give them, you will be disobeying the imperial order.
Governor Bohan had been in the Northwest for many years, and he had a headache for this situation. But he also made a little knock on the door. Two months before the spring drill every year. He would order that all the local warehouses be emptied, leaving only a small amount of food and materials. In order to avoid that when the northwest military exercise place, the locusts will pass through, and there will be no grass left.
Over the past few years, a good play of hide and seek has been staged in Northwest China every year.
However, this year, Dewey broke the convention!
The sun rose overhead at noon. Under the blue sky and white clouds. Loulan City, the city of miracles, has been well prepared.
Since yesterday. The Duke gave the order to restrict the entrance and exit of the city gate. Especially today, the city gate is closed and no one is allowed to leave Loulan city. Even those caravans who came to Beiwang from the South and got the news early, they simply chose to take a detour around Loulan City, and went to some small villages and towns on the Bank of Loulan lake to replenish fresh water and food, and then went on.
And some do not want to detour, also temporarily ran to Loulan city nearby villages and towns.
When a dark shadow gradually appeared on the horizon in the distance, the dense sound of iron hooves seemed to be a thunderbolt under the clear sky, smashing at the hearts of the guards!
Northwest wasteland, flat terrain, is most suitable for cavalry impact. At this moment, on the horizon, a black line, like waves in general, but also like the wind roll clouds, look around, only to see that a piece of black cavalry, galloping horse, all the way like thunder, dust all over the sky!
Standing at the head of the city, some experienced veterans can identify each other's situation by observing the dust.
Such a large area of cavalry, at least there are more than 20000 people, and galloping, the line is not chaotic, but in the wild geese wave band line, put on an undisguised attack posture, toward Loulan city!
The dust almost covered the sky.
Most of the guards standing on the wall of Loulan city were the elite veterans of the 4000 rebels that Duwei had taken in that day. These were the elite guards of the imperial capital. Looking at these cavalry, they can't help changing color!
The wind blows the clouds, the potential is like thunder!
Almost in a moment, the large number of cavalry had already galloped to the bottom of the city. With a horn, the cavalry in the galloping changed immediately. They stopped about a mile under the city, but it was dark.
The cavalry on the horse were all wearing the standard armor of the imperial northwest army, but everyone's armor was painted with a unique symbol of the northwest army with black ink.
Judging from the flag, these 20000 cavalry troops are a complete cavalry division. What makes the guards in Loulan City angry is that although they stop at the foot of the city, they are blatantly attacking!
The northwest cavalry array kept bugling, then saw the flag rolling, and immediately separated several thousand troops from the two wings, but they ran around. It's clear that it's in line with the battle column and the Siege!
Someone had already gone to the Duke's palace quickly. Du Wei listened to the report, and did not reveal any words, just a faint "I know."
In fact, Du Wei's anger was forced down. As early as three days ago, the northwest army sent someone to inform Du Wei that this spring's drill, the northwest army headquarters decided to choose the area near the lake outside Loulan city for the drill. When the decision was sent to Dewey, the other side declared that the army had already been set up and would arrive in three days! Such a move, let Du Wei almost turn over on the spot, but strong patience son endure. why? In three days? In other words, when the messenger of the other party came to report, the army had already set out! This so-called letter is a cover! People's army has already set out, just come to tell you! If you agree, you have to agree. If you don't agree, you have to agree!! At this moment, Dewey listened to the report and immediately ordered him to change his clothes and go out. He hesitated for a moment. He didn't wear any Duke's aristocratic clothes or wizard's robes, but he chose a suit of armor. This armor was also produced by Duwei in the shop of the imperial capital. From the gorgeous degree of modeling, it was no less than that of Jolin's, and the effect was improved. Du Wei was originally slender and weak when he was young. After practising the martial arts of fighting against the stars, he got a lot of improvement. In the northwest, he has gradually become tall and straight. Although his face is still a little bit childish, it is also limited by his age. However, the prestige between manners is stronger day by day. At the moment, this special armor is worn on the body. It's really a heroic spirit. There was something of a young general in his actions. Du Wei gave an order, took all the bodyguards and the elder bodyguard smoke, and immediately went out of the Duke's house to the gate.