The earth is beginning to bloom, the spring snow is melting, and the city of Horqin has begun to start the war of the new year.

The total strength of Horqin City now reached nearly 70,000. Although the original expeditionary force lost more than half of its strength, it absorbed more than 30,000 of Morris and 7,000 of the captured logistics guards, bringing the total strength to 60,000! And the advance detachment army brought back by Higg and Smecta totaled more than 8,000 people. After the reorganization of the autumn and winter seasons, the old and new personnel have been completely integrated, and the officers and soldiers have gradually adapted, just waiting for the upcoming battle test.

However, Horqin City is too small after all, even if you add the villages and towns in the surrounding radiation area, it is difficult to support the 70,000 army, and if you don't expand your territory, it may be difficult to maintain the supplies until summer.

At the military meeting of the New Year, there was an endless debate about the future of the army! The conservatives advocated expansion to the north, where the population was large and the army was relatively weak, and the establishment of a base camp there would be a great support for the long-term interests of the army; The radicals advocated going straight to the Yellow Dragon and capturing the city of Donauton, the base camp of the Second Army, as a springboard to penetrate deeper into the core area of the Druids, so as to end the war as soon as possible; Others suggested that they should join forces with the Liberation Army and first divide the large area between Horqin City and Horley Fortress into their own sphere of influence, although this area is not populated and lacks resources, but it can have enough depth to compete with the Druid army, and then contact the rebels from all walks of life to form an encirclement of the Druid's core area and gradually encroach on it.

"Young marshal! Commander Jesse urgently asks to see you! The guard at the door came in and reported.

Higg was about to answer, but Jesse had already hurried into the conference room despite the obstruction of the guards at the door, and before anyone could reach him, he said loudly, "Young marshal, Princess Maria has hurried away with Sindalf!" ”

"When's it?" Higg stood up in surprise, motioned for the guards to stand back, and asked hurriedly.

"Just now!" Jesse walked up to him and said, "Two people left, not even a single guard!" ”

"What a nuisance!" Higg was very upset and said, "Why did she leave the city, and where did she go?" ”

"Her Majesty has someone from there, waiting to see the young marshal, the young marshal might as well ask him!" Jesse said.

"Let him in!" Higg said.

Then, outside the door, a man dressed in the official uniform of the Elastian envoy, about thirty years old, a man of great talent, and extraordinary temperament, walked to the conference table after entering the door, saluted to Higg and said: "The Queen's envoy Shariev has seen the Count! ”

"Emissary?" Higg said curiously, "Are you sure you're going to see the Count and not the Marshal?" Aren't you here to persuade me to go back to the Fifth Legion? ”

Shariev said with a smile: "Of course, I hope to see the marshal, and before the consent of the earl, I can only see the earl!" ”

"Princess Maria left the city in a hurry, presumably it has something to do with the messenger?" Higg angrily asked, "What the hell is going on to go in such a hurry and not even say hello?" ”

"Lord Earl is angry, Her Royal Highness the princess is leaving, it is really not the intention of the next order! Her Royal Highness the Princess is because Her Majesty's affairs are urgent, so she will leave without saying goodbye! Shariev said, "A year ago, Arad was proclaimed emperor, and immediately waved his army south, broke through the defense line along the river, occupied a large part of His Majesty's territory, the defense line along the river completely collapsed, the city of Zorma was in danger, Her Royal Highness the princess was afraid that it would be too late to go back, and she would not be able to see Your Majesty!" ”

"Arad as emperor?" Higg was surprised and said, "How can the defense line along the river be so vulnerable? Even if Arad has the ability to break through the defense line along the river, but His Majesty still has an army of two million, and he can completely maneuver with the enemy on his own territory and use the home advantage to defeat Arad's army, how can he be so embarrassed to the point of collapse on the whole front? ”

"Arad has formed a new paladin legion, and everywhere it goes, it is unstoppable and terrifying!" "As a result, not only did the defense line along the river be lost, but also half of the territory, including the province of Andalu, which is close to Fuxing City!" The Earl doesn't know that the defense line along the river is lost, but Fuxing City is directly bordered by the Arad forces, and as the Lord of Fuxing City, doesn't there be any news? ”

"Hahaha!" Higg laughed and said, "Fuxing City is originally a neutral city, and it doesn't matter who you are next to!" Your Excellency, Her Royal Highness the Princess is understandable and understandable in returning to China for this matter! But what do you want to see me for? Is there anything Your Majesty would like to convey to me? ”

"I was only instructed to inform Her Royal Highness the Princess, and Your Majesty meant to let Her Royal Highness the Princess discuss with the Earl as appropriate!" Sharyev said, "Who knew that Her Royal Highness the princess left the city in a hurry, and explained that she would ask the Count a word!" ”

"Oh?" Higg asked curiously, "Does Her Royal Highness the Princess have something to leave for me?" ”

"Her Royal Highness the princess asked me to ask the Earl, the next time we meet, should I call the Lord Earl or the Marquis?"

Not only Higg, but even everyone involved in the meeting felt very strange, why did he suddenly appear as a marquis?

Higg was deeply disturbed and asked, "Her Royal Highness the princess asked this, I don't understand!" What did the Count say, and what did the Marquis say? ”

"It seems that the Earl does not know!" Sharyev said, "When Allad ascended the throne, the great vassals, among whom Count Hig became a marquis, and were the first to recognize the neutral status of Fuxing City, and returned the Luojia River Plain to the marquis's fiefdom. When the princess asked, the Earl should understand what it meant, right? ”

Everyone was stunned, and the sentence that Maria asked was equivalent to the two sides in court, asking Higg to make their position clear, whether it was friend or foe, Higg had to make a statement immediately, which also contained a hint of threat.

Higg has always been very disgusted with this kind of coercive questioning, especially for the high-minded and self-righteous authorities, he has a feeling of being insulted, so he pretended not to understand what the other party meant, and said contemptuously: "Whether it is an earl or a marquis, what if I don't want any of these titles?" This was originally the identity imposed on me by the authorities, and I didn't accept it, as for the fiefdom Fuxing City given at the time of the knighthood, it was originally under my control, it was given to me, it was mine, it was not given to me, it was also mine, and Your Majesty was also a favor! I don't understand why Her Royal Highness the princess asked such a question, since I am so difficult to answer, simply, I don't want these two titles! ”

"It's surprising that the adults answered like that!" Shariev smiled, "Before Her Royal Highness the princess leaves, let me give you a word!" ”

"What else does Her Highness have to say?"

Sharyev said: "Her Royal Highness the princess asked me to tell my lord that if you don't return to the Fifth Army to resume your duties, then, in this life, I'm afraid you will never see your child again!" ”

"Can't see my kids?" Higg was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?" ”

Sharyev smiled: "I don't know about this, I'm just telling you the truth!" ”

Everyone in the conference room was watching Higg, and the news that Maria was pregnant exploded like a thunderclap around everyone. Maria originally followed Higg in order to return to the Fifth Legion to continue fighting Arad, but Higg ignored him. Now that she is pregnant with Higg's child, and Mary is doing it again, Higg knows that it is the North that threatens her, but it is impossible to be indifferent! However, if the expeditionary force loses its commander, it is difficult to say what can be done at a critical moment when the Druid's territory is full of flames.

"Dismiss!" Higg sat back in his seat and said with a blank face.

None of the officers present at the meeting spoke, and they stood up one after another and left, leaving only Higg, Blue Fairy, and Sharyev in the entire conference hall.

"Why aren't you leaving?" Higg glared at Shariev and asked.

"Where do you want me to go?" Sharyev asked rhetorically.

Higg snorted coldly, "Your mission has been accomplished, it's time to go back to where you rightly been!" ”

"I'm waiting for an answer from an adult!" Sharyev said, "I haven't confirmed the answer of the adults yet, so I can't go back!" ”

"Lord Messenger, please come back first!" Lan Xian'er said, "We need time to think about it, three days at most, and give you an answer!" ”

"Yes, ma'am!" After Sharyev finished speaking, he bowed and exited the hall.

Lan Xian'er looked at Xige, she knew that at this moment, he was in turmoil. Attacking the druids and recovering the entire territory of the druids, Benjamin and the Valley of Flowers, who benefited the most, Higg originally helped Benjamin and Blue Fairy to send troops on an expedition, and now the expeditionary force has arrived here for two years, and has just opened up the situation, and the situation is very good. Even if Benjamin could have defeated the druid without Higg's help, the distribution of benefits after the victory had nothing to do with Higg. Of course, the entire distribution of benefits does not refer to how to divide the resources in the druid's territory, but Higg's voice and influence on the soon-to-be-re-established forest country, so that he can't get much political capital in this newly established country.

"Maria has Sindorf with her, you don't have to worry!" Blue Fairy comforted, "Go back to the Fifth Legion!" The interests of Erathia cannot be lost, and the children cannot be lost. Relative to this, Erathia is more important and the task is more difficult. ”

"I had planned to help Benjamin complete his restoration, and then join forces with him to destroy Auguston, a few years at most," Higg said. At that time, with this powerful ally of the Forest Nation and the solution to the problem of the Valley of Flowers, you can turn back and concentrate on dealing with Arad. Unexpectedly, Catherine disappointed me so much that she lost half of her territory. ”

"The recovery of the forest clan is the general trend, it is only a matter of time!" Lan Xian'er said, "I have a deal with Benjamin, and the mining rights of the Spirit Stone Mine belong to our Fuxing City, so you don't have to worry about losing this right to speak after the Forest Country is restored, because of our lack of power!" ”

"The world is unpredictable!" Higg said, "What is the most solid thing when the initiative is in our hands!" ”

"But we're weak!" Lan Xian'er said, "At present, the mining conditions of the Spirit Stone Mine are not satisfied, it is better to go back to Alasia first, Fuxing City cannot be discarded, and the Fifth Legion cannot be discarded, that is our hard work, our foundation!" Catherine got the punishment she deserved, and the heat was almost over, and if she continued like this, the gains outweighed the losses! ”

"So what about here?" Higg asked.

"The recovery of the elves, the fate of the forest people, should be in their own hands!" Lan Xian'er smiled, "Too much intervention, first, we have so much energy, and second, it will make the situation here more complicated, which is counterproductive!" Only when they rely on their own hands to build a new kingdom will be more suitable for them and more powerful! Leave Korqin City as an advance detachment of Smecta, and leave some equipment including crossbow chariots, and the people of the expeditionary force, let's take them away! ”

"At the end of the day, it's just that we're not strong enough!" Higg sighed, "After so many years of running around, we have seen stitches and needles, and the only thing that really belongs to us is Fuxing City!" However, Fuxing City has only been built for a few years, and it is still like a baby, we should not ask too much from it, but should take more care and protect it! I decided, go back to Fuxing City first, and then go to Simak and Mevo! ”

"Aren't you going to look for Maria and Catherine first?" Lan Xian'er asked in surprise.

"What are you looking for them?" "Say something to them as a sign of loyalty," said Higg, or propose to Catherine in a lowly manner? ”

Blue Fairy was speechless......