After meeting with Prime Minister Marquis of the Kingdom, Prince Montenegro and his wife hurriedly left the imperial capital and boarded the special plane returning north. According to the original plan, there were still three days of travel, but they left early.
It was said that the war situation in Longbei Province had changed, so he wanted to go back to deal with it.
In fact, the real itinerary that both William V and Prince Montenegro knew was to end today.
However, the war in Longbei Province did change. With the mediation of the prince's special envoy, the Ren Zhonglin faction and the Sun faction reached a temporary ceasefire agreement.
Basically, apart from Lu Ming's occupation of the original Nanping and Wanzhou provinces that had been included in the Zhili Province of the Principality, the remaining thirteen provinces of Longbei Province were divided into two, with Ren Zhonglin's faction occupying five and Sun's faction occupying five. Occupy eight roads, but Ren Zhonglin’s faction controls the economically developed areas around the provincial capital. Therefore, the actual economy, population, etc. of the two sides are similar. Ren Zhonglin still has a slight advantage. However, the Sun’s faction nominally controls a wider area. In fact, both sides Under the big warlords, today's small warlords are more centrifugal.
The roads in Longbei Province have a larger population than those in Anshan. Adding in the underreported population, each road averages about three million.
Nowadays, the Northern Territory has been divided into four major forces. Ren Zhonglin, Sun Jia, Qi Huaide, and Han Renwang all have a territory and population of less than half a province. They are all about the same strength. In theory, they are all from the Principality of Montenegro. ally.
There is also the Miao Baifeng Group in Gouan Anshan City, which is equivalent to a vassal of the principality.
There are also the remnants of Liu Bangchang who are huddled in Shenglunduo, the border land in the far north, the remnants of An Mingyuan in the border land in the northwest of Anshan, and many border tribes that have not been effectively managed. They are all places that the principality does not want to touch for the time being.
This is the current situation in the Northern Territory.
After returning to Montenegro, Lu Ming sent envoys to Ren Zhonglin and the Sun family respectively, inviting Ren Zhonglin and Sun Gan, the head of the Sun family, to come to Montenegro for peace talks, hoping that the two sides would sign a permanent peace agreement.
At the same time, Qi Huaide and Han Renwang were also invited to Montenegro.
Prepare for the five parties to sign some kind of covenant to advance and retreat together.
…
In the Western Region, the city-state coalition did not march eastward to attack the central city-states such as Huoluo. Instead, they quarreled over the distribution of benefits after the recovery of the Nicolo city-state.
King Baoyue, as well as the city-states of Jiaheluo, Supiluo, Shashicheng, etc., all believed that they had made great efforts to restore the city-state of Nicoluo and wanted to get the rewards they deserved.
Until news came that Sonia's Western Frontier Corps dispatched an infantry division and arrived at White Teeth City, a city in the southeastern part of the Western Region.
Although the border guards in Sonia close to the Western Region are basically miscellaneous troops, the three border defense divisions are all equipped with miscellaneous equipment, and there are many border residents, most of whom are Bolognese. Although they are also one of the Western ethnic groups, they are the same as the Onians. , an ethnic group living in a bitter cold land.
This is the case for this border defense division that entered the Western Regions. More than 60% were Bolognese, and the rest were other ethnic groups from the Western border and mercenaries from the Western Regions.
Its border defense division only has more than 10,000 people, which is not the same concept as a division of the Principality of Montenegro.
But even so, they were Sonia's regular army after all. When the news came, many short-sighted city-state lords panicked.
If we want to unite them to fight against the Sonia regular army, there are no responders at all.
After Sonia's border division arrived at White Fang City, they could enter King Baoyue's southern city-state region more than a hundred kilometers west.
More than three hundred kilometers to the northwest is the territory of the Nicolo city-state.
It's just that the eastern, central and southern regions of the Western Region are in chaos now. It often happens that small lords in some towns take the opportunity to become independent and no longer pay taxes to the missing city-state lords.
…
Nicolo City already had an airport, and now the engineers of the Petroleum Corps are expanding it.
The Petroleum Corps mobilized an infantry regiment of nearly 4,000 people and has arrived in Nicolo City.
At this time, in the splendid inner city castle of Nicolo City, in the meeting hall, sat several Montenegrin military and political dignitaries including Lu Ming, Feng Qifa, commander of the First Infantry Regiment of the Petroleum Corps, Gao Yaohan, director of the regiment's political training department, and Ni Luozi, Nilezi's uncle Nilehou, Baoyuewang, Wang Qiang, Dajialuo and other city lords.
Lu Ming's current status is that of the principality's plenipotentiary representative in the Western Regions.
Audrey ended her mission and returned to the "Prince's House" in Anxi. Although she had only two or three months of experience, she had extremely special qualifications. After returning to Anxi, she was specially appointed to serve as the upper house of the Anxi Autonomous Territory. The senator became the person with the highest political status in the "King's House".
From Lu Ming's point of view, being in the "Wang's House", contacting all classes from top to bottom, and feeling the changes in society is a truly comprehensive investigation, which is much more reliable than reading various materials sent by his subordinates.
As for the Western Region, although it is unlikely that the Sonians will enter the Western Region in large numbers due to the constraints of the Grifenni frontline legion, their border guard regiments located on the border of the Western Region must still lose their arrogance in order to promote peace.
He no longer acts secretly as a representative of Yellow River Trading Company.
"The area around West Black Mountain Fort will be officially accepted by the Principality as an enclave of the Principality and the West Black Mountain Fort Special Administrative Region. Currently, the military and political affairs of the administrative region will be temporarily handled by me." Lu Ming's words were nothing short of earth-shattering.
Lords of the city, look at me and I will look at you.
Regardless of what they were thinking, Lu Ming continued: "It seems that this border defense division of the Sonia people will be destroyed. Of course, we will still use the sharp eyesight of our coalition forces and volunteers. In addition, we must wait for him to invade our land."
The city-state lords, except Nilezi, were even more silent.
King Baoyue's eyes flickered, and after a long while he said: "Is it better to negotiate peace? On behalf of your lord, after all, the principality is far away from here..."
Lu Ming smiled and said: "Yes, we will eventually have to negotiate peace and use fighting to promote peace. You don't have to worry."
Several city-state lords said nothing, not to mention the current Sonia border defense division, which you can't beat. Even if you can defeat it, if you really piss off the Sonia people, the entire Western Region will not be able to stop its steel. What a torrent!
Nilezi suddenly said: "On behalf of your lord, I am willing to lead all the people of Nicolo City to surrender to His Highness the Prince. I hope His Highness the Prince will not despise my ignorance and allow me to follow His Highness the Prince as a vassal." "
There is no doubt that for Nirozi, this may be the only chance to keep him as the master of the Niro city-state.
Not to mention the city-state lords in the coalition who are eyeing the land and population of the Nicolo city-state, there are also deadly enemies such as the bloody Hunhuoluo who are preparing to make a comeback, and there are also the Sonia army pressing the border and so on.
In terms of the power of the restoration of the Nicolo Kingdom, the Nirozi do not have an advantage. There are collateral royal families, large resistance leaders, and lords of the major Nicolo towns, all of whom are vying for the leadership of the restoration of the nation or independence. Propensity.
For example, his cousin Nilehou, who now has a strong army and horses, is his biggest opponent for the throne.
Nilezi has even become a thorn in the eyes of many "allies", and many people wish that he would disappear silently.
Nilezi's words caused the other city-state lords to start whispering among themselves.
Nile Hou's eyes flashed, but he remained silent. He was in his early fifties and rarely expressed his opinions. He knew at a glance that the city was very deep.
King Baoyue said with a smile: "Your Excellency Niluozi, then our Free City-State Alliance of the Western Regions will no longer exist."
Nicolo City State, originally the leader of the Free City-State Alliance, surrendered to the Principality of Montenegro, and the entire Western Region City-State Alliance naturally collapsed. This would be something unprecedented in thousands of years. No one knows what will happen to the great changes that will follow. .
Wang Qiang sighed and said: "Ever since the Sonia people supported Hunhuoluo to attack the city of Nicolo and massacre the royal family of Nicolo, the city-state alliance has existed in name only. It was not His Excellency Nirozi who destroyed the city-state alliance, nor the Principality of Montenegro. But the Sonia people, King Baoyue, am I right?”
Wang Qiang, as the Lord of Supiro, had already changed the name of Zhongzhou. At this time of crisis, he knew that he could only advance and retreat with the Montenegrins. Once the Montenegrins were expelled from the Western Region, he and his The family was shattered into pieces.
Although the city-state lords all knew his position, what he said was true and it was difficult for others to refute it.
In fact, comparing the actions of the Sonia people in the Western Region, including the rumors of atrocities in the Gede area, with the Montenegro Principality's business methods in the Western Region, everyone hopes that the Principality of Montenegro can resist the Sonia people.
But this hope is too slim.
Lu Ming observed the expressions of the city leaders and smiled slightly: "Let's discuss this matter again. Let's continue to talk about peaceful coexistence with the Sonia people. What kind of peace agreement do you hope to reach?"
The city-state lords immediately became active and offered opinions in a flurry.
…
After coming out of the meeting hall, Lu Ming returned to his castle.
The inner city of Niccolò is a castle complex and the residence of the Niccolò royal family.
Unlike the southern city-states, the Nicolo nobles did not live in temple buildings.
There are three most magnificent castles in the inner city castle complex, which were originally the inheritance of the three major lines of the Nicolo royal family.
Today there are still two lines, the Nilezi line and the Nilehou lineage.
Another castle is now Lu Ming's residence.
The three-story castle has a magnificent interior. It is heavily guarded from the gate of the castle. There is a pistol platoon stationed there. They are all female soldiers from the Western Regions who were trained in the Black Mountain Fort. They are the guard platoon prepared for the Prince of Black Mountain Fort. All of them are fair-skinned and beautiful. They have long legs and are all wearing light blue female soldier uniforms, berets and white gloves. They are all heroic and full of exotic charm.
Lu Ming went straight to the communications room on the third floor and didn't know who he was talking to on the phone.
