Sword of Dawn

Page 288

Now, she has experienced a near-death crisis and is facing a turning point in the country's destiny. The owner here has become the Duke who has been resurrected from the dead. She has a faint feeling that history is gradually focusing on this room, and I... am experiencing all of this.

"Sit down, just do whatever you want," Gawain said in a casual tone as he stood by the desk, watched the two Dukes of the Protectorate enter the room, and watched the attendants close the door and leave, "We want to talk about the future of this country." question."

"It's... the Duke," Baldwin nodded, and found a seat for himself to sit down. He still addressed Gawain as "Duke", because Gawain has neither been crowned nor finalized and announced the framework for the country's future. , for the time being, he can only continue to refer to him as Duke.

"Wait a minute, there is another participant." Gawain pressed his right hand to let the two guardian dukes wait, and his eyes fell on the magic net terminal that had just been placed on the desk. "She is establishing a connection." ...The operation of the magic net here is not very stable, and it is being debugged."

At the same time, the two guardian dukes turned their eyes to the shimmering magic machine with a triangular metal base and a crystal core. It was not the first time Victoria had seen a magic net terminal, but Duke Baldwin had never seen it before. The Duke of the Westlands kept his eyes on it and did not hide his curiosity at all: "Is this the magical device that can cheapen the communication technique?"

Gao Wen nodded: "You can think so, but in fact it is much easier to use than the communication technique - although it needs to rely on a complex infrastructure to operate, its scale limit and unit cost are far from the communication technique comparable."

"I once imagined how to expand the scope of the communication technique and reduce its casting requirements. This will be of great benefit to the economy and the military, but the research has not made any progress." Baldwin couldn't help but move closer to the device, as if wanting to To understand its principle carefully, "...is a completely different route..."

"Buzz-"

While speaking, there was a sudden buzzing sound from the magic net terminal, and then the projection crystal as the core brightened instantly. Duke Baldwin stepped back half a step in surprise, and saw the holographic projection above the crystal. A beautiful lady with a calm and elegant demeanor in an elegant dress.

"Ancestor, good afternoon," Hetty greeted Gawain first, and then turned to the two dukes, "Grand Duke Franklin, Grand Duchess Wilder, good afternoon."

She has never met the Duke of Baldwin, but she has read almost all the high-level nobles in the kingdom. A lot of basic knowledge about the Ansu Kingdom is the content of the textbooks in Cecil College. They are no strangers.

"Good afternoon," Baldwin replied, and after a moment of hesitation, he matched the other party with the information in his mind, "Ms. Hetty Cecil, you are as beautiful as the rumors say."

"Thank you for your compliment."

"We have entered Silver Castle," Gao Wen said beside him, "You should have received the detailed information."

"Yes, the communication between the government affairs hall and the front line is smooth." Hetty nodded, with an undisguised relaxed smile, "I'm glad to know that your battle is going well—the extra supplies and civilian personnel sent to the north have boarded the ship from Pompeii Set off, using a fast mechanical ship."

Gawain breathed a little: Having a reliable and capable n-tier great-granddaughter like Hetty is really reassuring. He basically doesn't have to worry about logistics and local order, except for not being able to marry, casting spells and painting Aside from cheating for sick leave with dark circles, Hetty has no shortcomings with him...

He sat down behind the desk, and the two guardian dukes sat on the two high-backed chairs next to him. Coupled with Hetty's holographic projection, a remote meeting that was very unusual in this era began.

"Ansu's history is over. Regarding the evaluation of this kingdom, about the merits and demerits of the kings, and about its end, these historians have to discuss it. Now we have to consider how to ensure the stability of social order and ensure the stability of the society. The survival of the people after this disaster, and the end of the state of disorder in this country as soon as possible," Gao Wen looked at Baldwin and Victoria, "Although the enfeoffment lordship system is backward, at least one benefit has been reflected at this time—the enfeoffment of the territories. To some extent, it is like countless self-sufficient and self-sustaining small kingdoms, and the end of the Ansu kingship will not immediately lead to the collapse of the order of these territories, and we will have some time to operate."

"Yes, Victoria and I discussed this point." Bai Dewen nodded, "The two of us still have some influence among the nobles of the old country, and we will do our best to cooperate with you in this process to minimize the Rebound everywhere to ensure the stability of the national restructuring process."

Hetty also nodded: "The southern border is ready. The working group composed of the consul and officials at all levels of the government affairs department and the security force are already on standby at the Rock Fortress. They can go to the north to rebuild order at any time."

"Rebuilding order in the north requires the cooperation of local forces to a certain extent. The Military Intelligence Bureau has rich experience in this regard, and I will ask Amber to assist me," Gao Wen said, "The other two guardian dukes will also assist in this process. "

After a pause, he added: "Currently, the southern region has limited manpower, and the government system has limited ability to digest and control. It is impossible to eat the whole of Ansu in one go. Prioritize the reorganization and reconstruction of the Holy Spirit Plain, and first restore the production functions in the hinterland of the country. , the western border and the northern border...give it to Patwin and Victoria, and I will send government officials to assist you, is there no problem?"

The two guardian dukes responded after a short thought: "No problem."

"During this process, all the old nobles must sign and obey the new law, including you two. At the same time, the military power in the two territories will be transferred to the Military Department of the Supreme Government Office. The garrison of the Government Affairs Office," Gao Wen said one by one, "the economy, military, and politics... all must be unified, and the enfeoffment system will be terminated and replaced by Cecil's law and order. Obstacles will inevitably appear, There may even be regional and staged repetitions, but I hope everyone can at least make one thing clear: the new era has arrived, and its advancement is inevitable, and obstacles can arise, but the obstacles must eventually be eliminated.”

His gaze swept across Victoria and Baldwin, but one of the two guardian dukes maintained a calm expression, while the other was full of carefree expression.

"The era of the Moen royal family is over, and the aristocratic system of the Holy Spirit Plain has disintegrated. If there is any factor in this country that is qualified to be an obstacle, it is the two of us," Bai Dewen said with a smile, "We choose to support you, then The rest of the nobles are not qualified to act as obstacles—in this regard, I am still somewhat confident."

"The Mountain Corps' vitality has been severely damaged, but the Wilder family's deterrent to the northern mountains is still there." Victoria also said briefly.

"Very good. Afterwards, I will use the system of the Principality of Cecil as the basic template, make some adaptations and improvements, and then spread it to the whole country. I plan to divide Ansu into several provinces with the highest government office in the capital as the center. , the provinces set up provincial governors, and then set up city government offices with big cities as the center, and set up city governors...

"I myself am the supreme ruler of the country, but I myself will also obey the legal constraints. At the same time, my rule over the country will be carried out through the government affairs department system. Under me, set up a grand consul as the head of the highest government affairs department. The current big The consul is Hetty alone, but I plan to add two more, and two guardian dukes will be in charge... After that, the combination of three grand consuls will become the norm until the system is out of date or there is a situation that has to be changed ...

"The Grand Consul will carry out my will and carry out the specific management work of the Supreme Government Office, but he should also give me timely suggestions based on his own judgment...

"The specific implementation method, the Supreme Government Office of the Principality of Cecil has accumulated a lot of experience, and we can discuss it with the officials in the southern border..."

Gawain talked about his ideas one by one, while Hetty continued to make supplements. Gradually, Baldwin and Victoria also adapted to the rhythm, and changed from one-sided listening to fruitful communication. Francis II, in the study belonging to Welsh Moen, they discussed how to restore the order of the country, how to rebuild the production activities damaged in the disaster, and how to establish a new national framework...

In the process of discussion, Gao Wen's ideas are also being perfected little by little - many of the ideas he put forward are actually just a general framework, or even an overly idealized framework with many omissions and mistakes. But the greatest significance of his ideas is their inspiring focus. Under his inspiration, Baldwin and Victoria put forward a series of valuable references, which gradually filled the framework made by Gawain.

Even so, the discussion they have today is still destined to be preliminary and framework-oriented, and there must still be many parts that need to be improved and changed in line with the actual situation. A lot of trial and error, running-in, adjustment, and a lot of repetitions and setbacks... The last king of Ansu tried his best to remove the obstacles to change, but the obstacles will never disappear completely. After all, it will take time, manpower, The three major costs of material resources will be solved slowly.

Gao Wen knew this very well, and was mentally prepared for it.

Their discussion lasted for a long time, so long that everyone seemed to have forgotten the passage of time, until the sun set outside the window and the castle area was lit up, the discussion came to an end, and Duke Baldwin Franklin breathed a long sigh of relief , asked: "Then, we should come up with a name for this kingdom that is about to be born."

"The era of kings and lords is over, it is not a kingdom," Gawain said slowly, "it is an empire."

After a pause of two or three seconds, he said word by word: "Cecil Empire."

He chose to name the new empire with his current surname, to make a complete distinction from the former "Ansu Kingdom".

He will bury the former Ansu, and that ancient and once glorious kingdom will become history, together with its name. No matter from a symbolic or practical sense, the new empire must be in harmony with "Ansu" This word creates separation, which is also one of the measures to weaken the influence of the old forces.

He will also reflect his authority in the name of the new empire, and ensure the centralization and efficient operation of power from the side—in order to face the next challenges and the crises that are about to erupt, he must choose to use the method of centralization of power to deal with Improve the operational efficiency of society to prepare for the crisis as quickly as possible.

The study room was shrouded in solemnity for a while, and after a long time, Victoria said softly: "From now on, regardless of your merits or demerits, you must resist."

"When I chose to lead the army northward, I was ready."

"Then," Baldwin stood up from his chair, "pay tribute to the Cecil Empire."

It was Victoria who stood up next: "Salute to the Cecil Empire."

"Salute to the Cecil Empire." Hetty said the same.

Gawain glanced at the three of them, and exhaled lightly.

"It will deserve your tribute."

Chapter 0648 Crisis and Turmoil and Situation Arrangement

As night fell, the lights in the city of Saint-Sunil lit up one after another in the night.

This ancient city, which had experienced the crisis of destruction, seemed extraordinarily quiet in the night. For many days, it finally ushered in a night without shouts of killing and explosions. Saint-Sunil was like a giant scarred beast, in the In this rare quiet night, he quietly licked his wound.

The lights in this city are much less than that of Cecil City, and the bright magic crystal lights are basically only maintained in the castle area and the inner city area. Outside of this, the lights that illuminate the streets and alleys are not so bright The candlelight and the dimly flickering brazier, but such a lack of bright light, created a peaceful and peaceful atmosphere in the night.

Victoria stood in front of the window, looking at the distant scenery, and turned around after a long time: "When do you plan to hold the coronation ceremony? Or... what other ceremony is used to announce the founding of the empire?"

"Tomorrow, the news of the establishment of the empire will be sent to the whole territory to stabilize the situation everywhere. As for the so-called coronation..." Gao Wen shook his head, "Don't worry, wait until we resolve the biggest crisis."

"Are you referring to the remaining crystal cluster monsters in the southeast of the Holy Spirit Plain?" Victoria blinked, "A large number of their main forces have been hit hard, and it seems that they have no ability to launch another general attack... The threat you are referring to is something else?"

Gawain nodded. Here, at this moment, he felt that he could let the two guardian dukes know the existence of that "time bomb".

"I suspect that the death of all things will activate an ancient god's legacy. Those crystal cluster monsters fell into frenzy because of the sudden loss of control of this ancient legacy. I have obtained relatively definite evidence that this god's legacy is 'active', and it is in the Holy Spirit Deep in the eastern part of the plain... close to the eastern border. Now my legion is trying to collect information on the relevant area, but so far no clues have been found. Its energy response is increasing day by day, and it is only a matter of time before it erupts... and it won't be too long Long."

Victoria and Baldwin glanced at each other subconsciously, and they both saw shock in each other's eyes.

This disaster... this disaster that has already destroyed Ansu, actually has a deeper crisis? !

"I know what you want to say-the soldiers have tried their best to save Saint-Sunil in the disaster, and they have sacrificed a lot, but they only blocked the first wave of this disaster. Now I suddenly know that it is far from over, even There is still a bigger crisis, which is definitely not acceptable, but fate will never cater to our ability to accept it," Gawain said before the two guardian dukes spoke, "What we are about to face may affect the fate of mankind Challenges - This does not only refer to the crisis created by the death of all things, but also includes the situation for a long time to come.

"The shadows on the wasteland of Gondor are about to move, the harbinger of the demon tide has loomed, the figure of the giant dragon has appeared in the world, and two of the three major dark sects are still active in the shadows...

"Our neighbor, Typhon, has risen, and it is also a huge threat. In the future, in order to survive, to survive disasters, to survive competition, we must also rise, and we must become the strongest ...

"I can confess to you here that building an empire is not the best plan for reform. It will leave many hidden dangers and residues in the reform. I can think of more thorough reform methods and more advanced social systems. , However, time is running out, we have no time to choose the best, we can only choose the most suitable for the time being.

"We have to survive - I'm ready and I hope you are."

Facing the sudden utterance of Gawain, the two guardian dukes fell into a brief silence.

This is not the first time they have heard similar words from Gao Wen. At the earliest time, when the founding hero had just been resurrected, he had brought a warning about the demon tide. After that, he also There were warnings from all angles about the crisis at hand—but at the time, no one took those warnings seriously.

Today, no one thinks these things are alarmist anymore.

"We should restart the research on the magic tide and the wasteland, restart those ancient libraries and archives," Baldwin said, "it's time to wake up from the numbness-compared with this world, we really fell asleep Too long."

"The crisis of the end of all things is a top priority," Victoria also said, "but now the Kingdom Army and the Northern and Western Legions are almost powerless, relying on the Cecil Legion... can solve the crisis you mentioned? ?”

"I have already made arrangements, and there will be no major surprises," Gao Wen said. "What I need you to do is to maintain stability. No matter what method is used, before the dust settles, the western part of the plains and San Sunil will be absolutely stable." Can’t be chaotic—this year is halfway through, and the next harvest month will be the key to whether we can survive this winter safely. We have already lost half of our grain production land and a large amount of grain reserves. If the western plains appear again Bandits and large-scale refugees... Even if the Cecil Legion solves the cult crisis, we will also face the winter crisis."

The two guardian dukes nodded solemnly, and then Gawain looked at Victoria again: "How many reserve troops are there in the northern border?"

"The Mountain Legion was seriously injured. Even if you count the reserve soldiers who stayed in the northern border and did not fight, there are only 5000 to 5000 people left. If you add the conscripts, private soldiers, and mercenaries from all over the country, there will be about [-] to [-] soldiers." [-] people."

"Have you eliminated the army guarding the border?"

"It's been removed—the corps defending the northern countries will not be transferred from the northern border under any circumstances."

"More than 1 people...not enough, but we can't ask for too much," Gawain sighed, "Send reliable people and lead troops to the east, from the hilly land north of Solinburg, where Cecil's army is already there A safe passage has been created—before the end of summer, I will take over the Changfeng Fortress in the East and guard against Typhon. In addition, I will also send my Second Legion to the border for common defense. The reorganization and modernization of the Mountain Legion will be Let's do it in the east, we have limited time, we must race against the clock."

Victoria nodded slightly: "I understand."

"The Legion of the Western Territory will stay in the Holy Spirit Plain to recuperate and maintain order in the grain-producing areas." Gawain looked at Duke Baldwin again. "The reorganization and modernization of the Legion of the Western Territory is also taking place on the plain."

Baldwin lowered his head: "This arrangement is very appropriate."

Gao Wen looked at the two of them. When talking about the reorganization and modernization of the army, the expressions on the faces of the two guardian dukes were all indifferent.

"I hope you understand that the process of reorganizing and reforming the northern and western legions is the process of recovering your military power," Gao Wen said, "I will replace their command system and rebuild their discipline and order. They will change from being loyal to you to being loyal to you." In order to be loyal to the Cecil Empire—of course, considering the stability of the army and your personal abilities, the reorganized legion will still be under your command, but at that time it will no longer be a private soldier..."

There are some things he has to say more clearly. Even if the content of the military system reform has been clarified during the previous discussions, now it is specific to the two guardian dukes, he must emphasize it again, because this issue is both sensitive and important, and Due to the actual situation, he could not completely deprive the two guardian dukes of the power to command their original regiments - on the one hand, he could not find capable people to replace the two dukes; It is necessary to take into account the stability of the morale of the original two corps.

If it was in peacetime, he would of course choose a restructuring plan that would leave no hidden dangers, but now that there are internal and external troubles, the empire has not many available troops, and he must try his best to avoid a decline in the combat effectiveness of the existing legions, even if it is a temporary decline.

After all, the weakest stage of a country is not before change, but during change.

On the premise of retaining this huge hidden danger, he must ensure the reliability and cooperation of Victoria and Baldwin, at least within the constraints of the rules.

After all, he didn't want to see such things as warlords in the newborn empire.

"Of course we understand," Duke Baldwin laughed, "and we will make sure that every family in the northern and western borders understands this."

Gao Wen nodded slightly, and before today's long talk ended, he mentioned one last thing.

"Finally, regarding the capital of the empire - when the dust settles, the ruling center of this country will move to Cecil City."

Victoria and Baldwin glanced at each other, but neither of them had much surprise.

"It is necessary to cut off the foundation of the old forces more thoroughly, isn't it?" Victoria said with a calm expression and a cold voice.

"Not only that, there are several other factors," Gao Wen said, "Saint-Sunil has been severely damaged, and its ruling function as the capital has actually stopped now-the old aristocratic system has disintegrated, and the military power has almost A large number of traffic arteries are covered by polluted areas, and they cannot be restored in a short period of time. It is of little significance to continue to use it as the capital. This is one of them;

"Secondly, the new order of the empire is based on the magic industry. The high production capacity provided by the magic industry is the key to ensuring the rapid recovery of society and the foundation of our rise. The industrial foundation of San Sunil can be said to be a Blank—Although there are some new factories, they have all been shut down, and there are several magic nets, but they are not systematic. Cecil City is already a relatively mature industrial center, and it is also a developed commercial and cultural center. There are also a large number of fully functional new cities. Compared with San Sunil, Cecil City is more suitable as the capital of the new empire.

"Finally, what you just mentioned, Victoria, is to completely cut off the foundation of the old forces."

The various families of Saint-Sunil have been in business for many years, and their pedigrees are intricate, and their power network has even penetrated into the gangsters and scoundrels in the streets and alleys. This mess will not dissipate in a short time, and Gawain has no time to guard a family. The dilapidated ancient city and this mess are fighting wits and courage, and moving the capital directly is obviously the most time-saving and labor-saving solution.

"But if the capital is located in the south, will it be too close to the south in terms of geographical location?" Bai Dewen thought for a while, and raised his own doubts, "On the one hand, it is far away from the population center in the north, and on the other hand, it is too far away from the population center." Close to the wasteland..."

"It's not a problem to be close to the wasteland, because I'm already expanding the land to the south and building a multi-layered progressive defense line. One day we will take back the land at the southern foot of the Dark Mountains, and to be honest, the southern area itself is It is more suitable for survival than the north - the land is fertile and the climate is relatively mild. If it is not deserted, it should have become a better food producing area than the Holy Spirit Plain, but the north...is too cold.

"As for the other point, if you understand the new means of transportation in the southern border, you won't have this concern. From the map, San Sunil is located in the center of the intersection of Ansu, which is the situation of the year and the subsequent technological decline However, without convenient transportation, the capital can only be located in the middle of the territory, but if the transportation problem is solved, the geographical location is not so important."

Duke Baldwin thought for a while, then nodded slightly: "If it is true, then I have no worries."

The night was getting darker, and the cool wind blew through the study room. Gao Wen rubbed the center of his brows, and then heaved a long sigh of relief: "The things we discussed today cannot be completed overnight, and besides the big picture, the details also need to be completed. There is still room for discussion, let’s stop here today, and rest early..."

"When...when...when..."

A melodious bell with a hint of holiness suddenly came from a distance, interrupting the second half of Gao Wen's sentence.

It was the bell from the direction of the Holy Light Cathedral.

The three people in the room (Hetty had already hung up the communication) raised their heads at the same time and looked in the direction from which the bell was ringing.

"The blockade of the Holy Light Cathedral has been lifted," Baldwin said, "...it seems that we will have to wait a while before we can rest."

"Let's go and have a look together," Gao Wen said while looking out the window, and at the same time couldn't help but think a little bit divergently, "I don't know how the people in the cathedral will feel after learning about the changes in the outside world..."

After the divine descent technique ended, probably in order to calm down the turbulent energy of the Holy Light, or maybe because the heavily worn priests needed to recuperate, the Cathedral of the Holy Light remained locked down until now.

In this situation, Gao Wen couldn't help but make some interesting associations——

Before closing the gate, the king of Ansu was still commanding the defense of the city.

After opening the door, let alone the king, Ansu is gone.

Those in the cathedral will probably be taken aback.

Chapter 0649 Continuation of the Rebellious Plan

The radiant barrier that had shrouded the Holy Light Cathedral for several days began to gradually disintegrate, and countless pale golden particles escaped from the melting energy barrier, fluttering and dissipating in the depths of the night, and the gradually dissolving Inside the barrier, the melodious bell continued to ring.

The melodious sound of the bell sounded like an invitation.

Gawain and the two guardian dukes stood on the square in front of the church area, looking at the scene in the direction of the church, Duke Baldwin frowned slightly: "It's strange... the priests should come out of the cathedral to meet the believers at this time Why is it so quiet in the church district?"

Gawain looked up and saw that the church area maintained a strange silence and solemnity amidst the scattered dust of holy light. He could not see the bishop and high-ranking priests appearing, only some ordinary people walking in a hurry. Priests and attendants were running back and forth between the buildings, and some panicked figures could be seen in the corridors of the cathedral's upper floors, which was indeed an abnormal situation.

While the three of them were guessing what was going on in the church, the solemn and heavy door depicting many miracles and runes was finally opened.

However, what came out of it was not a group of priests composed of bishops and high-ranking priests, nor Pope Saint Ivan III, but Veronica Moen in a plain white dress—she walked out slowly. Go to the church, walking towards Gao Wen and others, holding the platinum scepter that belonged to the Pope in their hands.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but the moment he saw the "Saint Princess", Gao Wen felt a faint sense of discord. Although Veronica still looked the same as the last time he met, but... he always felt that Where is the other party a little uncoordinated.