It only took three days for the Sealand Kingdom's army to capture the Latin Principality; but it would take several times or even ten times more time to clear out the Latin Island, eliminate the last resistance, and collect enough resources and loot; so in Jiangtian Under the leadership of , another strategy was adopted.
As an important branch of the Nicaea dynasty/Siverine dynasty of the Western Empire and the largest vassal force in the south of the peninsula; under the system of the Latin Principality, it was also composed of large and small vassals/aristocratic territories at all levels who swore allegiance to the duchy and royal family, and part of the royal family The provincial system under direct leadership coexists.
This point is similar to the Sealand Kingdom, which once implemented Orientalist reforms under the leadership of the Terrible Lord. Among them, the royal territory that implements the provincial system and appoints officials to manage it is mainly located in the Capitano Plain, the largest and most fertile area in the central and southern part of the island.
Only some manors and towns in the surrounding mountains and hills were divided or awarded to knights at all levels or lower-level courtiers directly under the royal family as lifelong fiefs. Then in the northern mountains of the big island, as well as some long, narrow and winding coastal plains, are the noble territories.
And based on their resource output and abundance, several local noble groups with different characteristics were formed; with one or several large nobles as the convener and leader, they responded to the royal family's military conscription and donations; or in providing feudal services. The details of ministerial obligations have been debated for generations.
In other words, under the so-called "Flower of the Principality" represented by the royal family, the "eleven branches" of families theoretically share weal and woe and advance and retreat together. In addition, on these coastal plains, there are several accompanying families directly affiliated with the royal family of Siver, as well as the stewards of the island's palaces and royal estates.
Although, under the thunderous offensive of the royal army, most of the upper echelons of the nobles/vassals of the principality, as well as their main military forces, were annihilated or captured in the capital city of Cagliari. However, there are still varying numbers of low-level vassals, knights and other armed forces remaining in various territories, castles and towns.
They may not be able to effectively fight against the plundering holes from the Royal Army; but once they are broken up into parts, they can rely on familiar rural areas to create a lot of trouble and obstacles for the Royal Army's search for resources and other trophies. and even delay and delay progress.
For Jiang Tian, using extraordinary power to hit gophers everywhere is also a matter of "killing mosquitoes with cannons". On the contrary, it will reduce the deterrence and awe brought by defeating and destroying the principality. Therefore, there are only two choices that Wang Guojun has to face.
Either re-support a survivor of the duchy's royal bloodline and act as a temporary puppet on the surface; rebuild the duchy's royal court to command and appease, and stabilize the remaining local forces. Or, introduce external forces or mobilize the underlying forces to completely disrupt the principality's ruling system.
These, these remnant forces, which have been impeccable since ancient times, naturally cannot cause any decent trouble to the Royal Army. Therefore, in order to avoid the long-term occupation and the tone of maintaining security, Jiang Tian decided to take a three-pronged approach. On the one hand, local armed forces from Corsica were introduced.
Under the organization of the Kingdom, it served as an occupying force in the northern part of Latin Island. On the other hand, the fertile southern plains of the big island were used as some kind of important political bargaining chip in an attempt to obtain sufficient benefits from the Eastern Empire. Finally, the bottom level of the big island is mobilized.
Especially in the central and coastal areas of the island, the poor, tenants, and bankrupts in the noble territories; as well as vagrants, vendors, and apprentices in some cities; after simply arming them, under the supervision of the royal army, they robbed and raided those A noble territory that lacks military protection.
Especially the manors, towns, and castles where noble families and vassals lived. While restraining their excessive burning, killing and other wanton destruction, and recruiting and coercing more poor people from the bottom, they also exchanged various materials and ordnance for various trophies they plundered.
Finally, the Royal Army will also issue temporary letters of appointment to some small groups that are relatively self-disciplined or have good reputations; transforming their status into order maintainers and protectors of a certain town, village, or even a small castle. . In cities, citizens' self-governing associations are formed.
In this way, as long as the Royal Army controls several key coastal ports and gradually turns them into fortresses, it can continue to maintain its influence with a smaller military force. Even if the Western Empire succeeds in counterattacking in the future, it will face a great (corruption) situation in which "all things are competing and full of vitality".
With the current size and accumulation of the Western Empire, it is impossible to be defeated in one fell swoop or disintegrate in a short period of time. However, through the recovery of Corsica and the occupation of the Latin Island, as well as subsequent disposal methods, it can be turned into a sore that causes the Western Empire to continuously lose blood.
Unless the Western Empire could categorically give up this place, the birthplace of the rise of the first royal family, or sit back and watch it become an important springboard for enemy countries to threaten the mainland of the Italian peninsula from the east sea for a long time. For this reason, Jiang Tian issued several orders, including arresting tax collectors and tax collectors belonging to the royal family.
After their home was confiscated, the whole family was taken to Corsica for hard labor; more than 20,000 prisoners of the principality's army, including middle- and lower-level nobles and knights of the principality, were sent in batches to islands off the coast of the kingdom to dig up birds. Bezoar deposits; kill alien and dark creatures that thrive on chaos.
Of course, for Jiang Tian, the key is the latter. He thought he would be able to gain something when he conquered the city of Cagliari; but in the end, he was either turned into ashes on the spot by the ancient black mass-style sacrifice; They are just some insignificant corpses, skeleton monsters, or lycanthropes.
Therefore, the focus fell on the flesh-winged monster that luckily escaped from the altar bone pillar, but was shot down by Jiang Tian; or the "ancient species". According to the church records in the holy city of Reims, the so-called ancient species and ancient ones are one of the products of the first celestial sphere change.
It’s just that the ancients generally refer to the first generation of aliens that survived the sudden wave of mutations that suddenly appeared on the continent and adapted to the drastic changes in the environment; some of them even reached coexistence with local forces and obtained Generations of resources to support and worship.
As for the "ancient species", they are native creatures that were mutated due to the influence of the wave of mutation. Therefore, their external forms are also all kinds of strange, possessing various abilities or special features. But as the mystery ebbs and disappears, it inevitably falls into dormancy.
Among these ancient species, also due to the reproduction and spread of the population, there are also distinctions between the first generation, the second generation, the third generation, and the fourth generation; the later generations are undoubtedly weaker, they may even directly degenerate into particularly stronger ordinary beasts; But at the same time, the impact is becoming more and more limited.
Therefore, when the mysterious wave reappeared in the Western Continent following the changes in the celestial sphere; compared to most ancient species that were dormant and dormant, they gradually disappeared. On the contrary, among the many beasts, there is a trace of influence left over the generations; the first to produce various deformities and mutations.
And in the last active period when the "Ancient Ones" fell into suspended animation; the local descendants who survived through various methods; some of the individuals who broke through reproductive isolation also became the origins of some noble and knight bloodlines in later generations, and some of them were deeply awakened atavisms. The case is called a blood descendant.
Therefore, some ancient aristocratic families will abandon the constraints of human ethics and doctrine; secretly use blood descendants as the core, let most family members perform so-called blood purification rituals; obtain more descendants with similar characteristics and potential, and even compete with A bargaining chip for other families to communicate.
On the other hand, due to their own special characteristics, these ancients are often difficult to kill or completely eliminated by secular means; and once they conflict, it will have devastating consequences for the surrounding areas. ; Coupled with the trend of the wave of mysterious elements fading away day by day.
That’s why the so-called “Flower Appointment” was born. Limit the conflicts of these ancients to secular wars; avoid excessive consumption of each other and enter slumber in advance. At the same time, it is also the final guarantee for its supporting force; ensuring that the bloodline of the loser will not be cut off.
But no matter what, obtaining such an "ancient species" that has mastered the ability to control strong winds is undoubtedly an extremely important research sample. Not to mention other things, this ability to control wind direction and create strong winds has key strategic value in traditional naval battles and navigation.
It's a pity that it was captured by the Latin royal family first and used as the charging core of the strange object "Gaius' Lament", extracting a large amount of bloodline power. It finally escaped in the chaos, but was shot down on the spot by Jiang Tian. Therefore, he has always been in a state of being exhausted, dying, and unconscious.
At the same time, thousands of miles away, one of the imperial gardens outside the city of Rome - Stone Spring Palace. In a large greenhouse made of large transparent glass panels and metal frames, the steaming hot spring water vapor is spreading in the Royal Botanic Garden where flowers are in full bloom and green plants are lush.
A palace eunuch wearing a silver-grey silk robe and a red wide-brimmed soft hat also held a memorial with a red seal in his hand. He was wearing a silver-scaled heavy armor and a long-brimmed helmet, and was holding an axe, a halberd, and a winged spear. The guards of the Forbidden Palace walked through with small steps; they came to an indoor rockery.
Facing the looming figure shrouded in the smoke of the flowing spring above the rockery, he screamed: "Urgent message from the Supreme Augustus, Duke of Upper and Lower Sicily, the Sealanders have occupied The Latin Principality also lost the Holy Trinity and its attached fleet in the naval battle!"
After hearing these words, the plants around the indoor rockery suddenly started to rotate; as if they were alive, they pointed their branches, flowers and leaves at the short and fat court eunuch who was lying on the ground. He continued unconsciously: "The empire's spies in Cagliari also discovered traces of the legendary 'Georgius', but he has become a prisoner of the Xinlan army."
In an instant, the large area of vegetation centered on the indoor rockery seemed to have been affected by something, withering and withering visible to the naked eye.
