When the walls of the city finally came into view, it was the early morning of June 21, 532 in the year of the Glorious Era, 1225 AD. At that time, the sun had just emerged from the majestic mountains at the end of the eastern horizon, and the fresh air of the morning sun was filled into the nostrils with the fragrant smell of soil and grass in the fertile land on both sides of the Heishui River, and occasionally there was a faint sweet aroma of melons and fruits.

The early summer morning is supposed to be such a vibrant and healthy world. The bitter cold and restraints of winter should be completely liberated at this time. The young girls can finally be happy, because they can finally get rid of those ugly and heavy cotton ball-like warmth, change into light dresses, and show their youthful demeanor to the fullest. Of course, boys who are in the period of hormone secretion can be happy, even if they are poor unlucky people who are alone in Dicks, no one loves to be alone, at least they can get a minimum of benefits - feasting their eyes on the street. Everybody will be happy.

Sure enough, spring is just the season of germination, and summer is the season of youth, love and life!

However, on the blackened city wall in the hazy early summer morning, the six-pointed star banner of the Federation hung faintly from the metal flagpole, like a dying old tree that had lost its vitality and crown.

The last time Lu Xi came to this city, it was a city with a long history, but it was dilapidated and chaotic. The city walls are in disrepair, the houses are scattered and messy, the mercenaries and adventurers who walk the streets and alleys, the street girls who wear heavy makeup, and the rest of the various professionals who wander the gray areas on the fringes of society. This should be a very unfriendly city to those who keep to themselves. Of course, for a quiet and beautiful man like Lu Xi who has a powerful backstage and character, plus absolutely restless self-guarding. But it is also a city full of strange charm and vitality.

At this time, the Black Man City was under the rule of the Federation. It's been more than a year and a half. During this period, the Federation, which wanted to build Black Man City into the fulcrum of the Kingdom of Heaven in the eastern part of the continent and the center of agricultural industry, had indeed invested heavily in the construction of this ancient "paradise" for adventurers.

The federal government itself has no money, but the gatekeepers of the federation are rich and rich. And in order to obtain funds for the development of Heiman City, the seaweed father of the Wickbach family and the squinting father of the Dandy Lane family, the two big and second masters of the gate valve aristocratic faction, joined forces to do a "big thing" at the beginning of last year, auctioning the land around the Heishui River basin around Heiman City as capital, and quickly accumulated a large amount of money. Equally. In exchange for several years of tax exemption, these federal gate lords and even multinational chaebols who participated in the auction promised that the new territory in the Heishui River valley would only develop agriculture.

Master Russell, who has always been an opposition and a minority, has kept an unusual quiet about this matter.

After quickly recovering a large amount of money, the federal government "claimed" to use all the funds to build the entire city defense system of Black Man, and at the same time organized the newcomers to form their own guards, encouraging the nobles to build castles on their territory as a support point for the official defense system.

The gate valve aristocracy proposed such a plan, perhaps in order to make it more convenient for them to eat rebates between them. Perhaps in order to divide the fruits of the Union's victory in a way that seemed particularly "reasonable and legitimate". Regardless, however, the plan did work. As a result, the defense system of Black Man City has to reach a reasonable level of integrity in such a short period of time.

Presently. The walls of the Black City were well fortified. The dilapidated and collapsed walls of the past have been repaired, and the decayed sections have even been pushed back and replaced with new and solid masonry. The main orientation of the city's defense. Due north, the average height of the wall has increased by more than five metres, and many new towers have been built. Scorpion crossbows, trebuchets, and a certain number of flame crossbows were placed; And even if it is considered that "the enemy cannot appear from this direction", together with the walls of the southwestern and southern sections of the water gate side of the Heishui River. It has also been repaired to a certain extent. In addition, the Black Man City Garrison Command has only planned to build an urn city due north, but this project has only completed the design, and even the preliminary planning has not yet begun.

In addition, it is said that outside of Black Man, there are eight "official" castles of the Federation, scattered across the plains belonging to the territory of the Federation, and the larger ones can house thousands of people, even the smaller ones, which can accommodate three to five hundred people. As for the private castles built by various nobles, it is said that there are more than 20.

These large and small castles, together with the main force of the defenders stationed in the Black Man City, formed a well-established defense network, guarding hundreds of large and small farms and hundreds of thousands of federal immigrants in the Black Water River Valley.

The premise is that the defenders are as reliable as the newly built walls.

Lu Xi smiled coldly, looking at the city wall that was obviously much taller than the last time he came, but he always felt that the place was much weaker than last time, so weak that it was like a building block, as long as the baby's fingers touched lightly, it could collapse with a bang.

Two river transport ships, along the direction of the Heishui River, slowly approached the direction of the water gate of the city wall. It wasn't until Lu Xi, who was standing on the foredeck, could even see the faces of the defenders on the city wall clearly that the sergeants defending the city let out a surprised and nervous sound, and fell into a state of almost panic. It wasn't until nearly a minute later that there were about fifty meters of archers standing by on the walls of the Water Gate.

Lu Xi shook his head slightly, while Sai Xiliu, who was beside him, sighed deeply in a painful tone.

"Why do you have to react so much? If it's really an enemy, that's enough time for me to unleash a big spell on the city. Lu Xi shook his head and said.

"Don't say such things that will make people misunderstand!" Sai Xiliu said loudly, and then she couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly: "Really, what are the detective mages doing?" ”

"I thought that the Federal Army stationed in Black Mancheng, even if it was unreliable, should at least be more reliable than the adventurers and mercenaries we met last time." Lu Xi said.

"Mercenaries and adventurers lack organization and discipline. And they are all wild, and it is difficult to enforce the ban. But they are all warriors who have seen blood. I can only give enough rewards, and no matter what, I have the courage to fight when facing the enemy. Sehireux said, "But." However, the defenders of Black Man City are all army soldiers transferred from within the Federation, plus many private soldiers of various nobles who cooperate...... The floating fleet of the Federal Navy has seen blood, but the Federal Army, except for the Eastern Legion, has not seen a real war for a long time, including the Central Forbidden Army. ”

"In other words, another bunch of road specimens?"

It took three seconds for Sesilu to understand the meaning of the word, and he couldn't help but sigh again: "It's better than that." The road specimens of the forbidden army are all young and middle-aged men who are tall in appearance and figure, and their training degree and equipment are very high. As long as you can survive the adaptation period of the recruits. In fact, they are all able to become elite soldiers. Well, at least there's a chance to become an elite soldier. But what about the garrisons in the rest of the place...... As far as I know, it has long been infiltrated by various gate valves. With the exception of the Eastern Army, which was the Sixth Army, and the forbidden army from the First to the Third Army, the reorganization rate of the soldiers in the other eight legions was less than two-thirds, and the rest were all 'invisible soldiers' whose names could only be found in the records of the Ministry of Military Affairs. In addition, many mid-level and high-ranking officers of the regiment even directly treated the soldiers as their own servants and beat and scolded them at will. It even takes up most of their time to do private work for themselves. In this way, there is no minimum training time. ”

"Eat empty...... It's really a good act of corruption that has a sense of immediacy and no creativity. Of course, since all the vacancies have been eaten, military spending will naturally not be mentioned. Lu Xi sighed: "Master Rassell is able to maintain the basic military expenses of the Forbidden Army, the Eastern Legion, and the Floating Fleet under this situation. It is still very difficult to leave at least face and capable troops for the federal army! Of course, I can understand the reason why the Eastern Legion made its own small treasury at that time. ”

"yes. I was disgusted at the time! Now that I think about it, I was really naïve before. Sehireu laughed self-deprecatingly. Then he said seriously: "The garrisons of Black Man City should be the Ninth Legion and the Twelfth Legion, but due to the transportation capacity. At present, only a third of the original plan has been reached, about 15,000 people. Of course, it is difficult to say how many of these people are professional soldiers with real basic training. It is said that when the federal government ordered the two regiments to be transferred to Black Mancheng, the Ministry of Military Affairs also sent a special commissioner to go to the training. In order not to show their stuffing, many aristocratic officers who ate empty quotas had to find a lot of people from the territory to change their names and stuff them into the army, so they barely managed to get the number to eighty or ninety......"

"Uh-huh, La-Zhuangding...... It's getting more and more immediate. Lu Xi nodded seriously.

"But in any case, the two legion commanders have arrived with the first troops in the early stage, and it is said that there is Halda, who has the ninth legion? Lieutenant General Dandy Lane is positive, Bernard of the XII Corps? Major General Eugen is a deputy ...... From this point of view, at least they are quite responsible. Sehireu said.

"In a sense, it's not necessarily good news." Lu Xi smiled reluctantly.

Sai Xiliu's eyes widened, as if he didn't understand why Lu Xi would say that. Nicole on the side said with a smile: "Lu Lu means that if these two generals don't arrive, Lu Lu can take power with his position in Black Man City and the hearts of ordinary Federation soldiers." ”

“…… Even if it's true, you don't have to say it in front of so many people. Also, Seyriliu, don't look at me with the same eyes that you look at the anti-system dangerous elements. Lu Xi pursed his lips: "I myself am confident that I will defend this city again, but only if the big people who have the final say here are really willing to listen to me." If they are teasing, for the sake of the citizens and soldiers and the general interests of the Federation, they have to use extraordinary means in extraordinary times, well, it's a pity that the two generals came, even if it is a person like me, if they come into contact with the command of the generals, the psychological pressure will be very great? ”

“…… This, this, you guy, don't mess around! Sesilyu's eyes widened, and her voice couldn't help but raise an octave, but then she couldn't help but sigh tiredly, and her shoulders couldn't help but collapse: "Okay, okay, I'll just let you be joking, I haven't heard anything anyway...... Uh, but, Lieutenant General Dandy Lane has been the commander of the legion for so long, even if he doesn't have much ability, at least he should be able to listen to other people's opinions, right? ”

"I know, squinting cousin." Lu Xi's smile was extremely sarcastic, as if to say: "I have always been stingy to estimate the IQ of nobles with the greatest malice."

"Well, and Major General Eugen. This is a Federation veteran! The reputation among the low soldiers is also very good...... He must be a reasonable person. ”

"I hope so." Lu Xi said: "The enemy I originally had to face was already very troublesome, and I didn't have to devote my energy to deal with office politics during this painful period." ”

As if no one was around, the ship was within range of the crossbow on the castle tower. But a ballista "boom" was heard ejecting from the city wall and falling into the water at the bow of the ship.

"Stop the boat now! Inform us of your identity, or we will start attacking! A clear and powerful voice came from the castle tower. The owner of the voice should not be too old, but he has a majestic courage and heroism.

Lu Xi finally nodded. After all, the federal defenders in this city are not completely incorrigible. However, soon, he suddenly realized that this voice was still very familiar.

"It's Carol!" Sesiluk looked surprised.

"Well, it's indeed the non-mainstream rich boy with the second disease, but it's a 3.5 enhanced version. The upgrade is so much that I can't even hear it. Lu Xi couldn't help but be happy and strode to the bow of the boat.

His appearance and figure were finally revealed in the eyes of the federal defenders at the head of the city, but unfortunately it did not attract the cheers of the mountains and tsunamis and the legendary red flags waving gongs and drums that he was expecting, but in a strange silence.

"I'm a three-star mage of the Academic Alliance, Lieutenant Commander Lu Xi of the Federal Navy? Berencaster, please open the door and let us pass! ”

His common name still drew silence, and after a while, he vaguely heard a fierce quarrel, and then a voice spoke slowly, not Carol, but a voice that sounded a little stiff and even a little hostile: "Show me the convincing proof!" Strangers, otherwise, we will still attack! (Want to know more about Crystal Palace in Heaven?) Open WeChat now, click on the "+" sign in the upper right corner, select Add Friends to add an official account, search for "Qidianzhongwenwang", follow the official account, and never miss every update! (To be continued......)