Mediation
Unaware of the change in the high command's thinking, Hudson continued to lead his army on a arduous journey. The initial daily distance of twenty li gradually increased to twenty-five li.
He proved with his actions that Count Hudson loved the kingdom and was willing to sacrifice his life for its cause.
And apart from a few minor disturbances in the first few days, everything was calm and peaceful afterward.
The price paid was that cries of agony and screams frequently echoed through the military. There was no way around it; no matter how strict military discipline was, there were always those who would break the rules.
Left with no other choice, Hudson extended the Guilt by Association to officers, requiring noble officers to supervise each other. Those who failed to report others in time would all face severe consequences.
The chaplain stayed nearby to make sure no one died. Then they did whatever they felt was painful.
As for the younger brothers who followed these dandy officers to cause trouble, they naturally accompanied the noble master throughout the whole process. The difference was that they only kept their heads with them, and their lower bodies had been fertilized.
The pain was already unbearable, and then they had to endure the bumpy ride in an open-air carriage. To make matters worse, there were other people in the carriage with them.
Especially those spoiled brats with many henchmen, lying on top of each other's heads, the terrifying and horrifying scene was enough to make them never forget it.
It wasn't that Hudson was heartless. None of these people were innocent when their heads were chopped off. These spoiled brats caused trouble everywhere, and their lackeys and cronies contributed at least half of their "achievements."
As beneficiaries, if they cannot break the rules that benefit them, they can only wrong these "lackeys".
As it turns out, these people's efforts were not in vain.
Having learned from past mistakes, the spoiled brats who had narrowly escaped disaster were all exceptionally well-behaved.
The playboy advisors who were originally there to devise strategies have now become the main force trying to dissuade them from behaving themselves, fearing that their masters might cause trouble and cost them their lives.
If things settle down, everyone's happy. The army advanced smoothly all the way, and apart from being a tiny bit slow, there was nothing else to complain about.
Considering the army's advancing speed, which was increasing daily, even if the increase was small each time, it proved that Hudson was a good commander.
Adhering to the principle of making the most of available resources, Hudson promoted his cronies extensively within the military, placing his own people in key positions to hone their skills.
The military positions are all temporary and do not count against the formal establishment of Wang***'s team. The pretext is also readily available: to rectify military discipline.
Given the messes the Southwest Front Army and Central Front Army had made before, no one could say anything if Hudson, the acting commander-in-chief, wanted to rectify military discipline.
A series of coordinated attacks managed to barely achieve the desired level of discipline. As for other matters, Hudson couldn't afford to worry about them for the time being.
The army dawdled along the way, stopping and starting frequently. By the time the main force reached the Northlands, the Human Alliance reinforcements were still slow on their way, which greatly embarrassed Hudson.
Further ahead, we'll enter several newly recaptured provinces. The defenses here are broken, but they can be patched up and used as is. At most, we'll find the ruins of ancient battlefields.
"Issue the order: halt the entire army. Set up camp on the spot, repair the city's fortifications, and rebuild the defensive line."
Send a messenger to the kingdom, instructing His Majesty the King to dispatch a capable general to command the entire army, and also to urge the allied reinforcements to arrive.
Hudson said calmly.
Go further ahead, whoever has the guts can go. He certainly wouldn't dare lead a rabble into a clash with the Beastfolk army in the wild.
Building a defensive line on the spot to resist a possible Beastfolk invasion is already a responsible act towards the kingdom.
The Alpha Kingdom was suffering, and the Beastfolk army was equally shrouded in gloom. The large number of cannon fodder troops deployed to the battlefield, while intended to weaken the besieging Northern Expeditionary Army, also incited further resistance from other tribes within the kingdom.
Originally, everyone was just moving to avoid being summoned by the Five Great Royal Families, but now it has escalated into an armed confrontation.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. The Beastfolk tribes, unwilling to become cannon fodder on the battlefield, actually united...
Come, and carve out a territory within the Orc Empire.
Moreover, this new separatist force was very persuasive and quickly attracted countless tribes to participate.
This was an inevitable outcome; the Beastfolk of the world had long suffered under the rule of the Five Great Royal Families! A single call to arms naturally drew a large following.
With external enemies not eliminated and internal conflicts intensified, the Orc Empire found itself in a predicament.
Between "resisting external aggression" and "pacifying internal strife," a choice must always be made.
"The Alpha Kingdom has sent word that they want us to let their army leave."
Alex said expressionlessly.
Despite their hostility, the top officials of both sides still maintained contact with each other in private.
In the past, various smuggling activities, which may have seemed to be driven by the greed of those below, were actually the result of a tacit understanding reached between the higher-ups of both sides.
As the original head of the Five Great Royal Families, this secret communication method has always remained in the hands of the Behemoth Clan.
"Are the Alpha people crazy?! They say we have to release them just because they say so? Why should we?"
"The Bearman Emperor said disdainfully."
We paid a heavy price to secure a chance to retain the main force of the Alpha Kingdom. How can we give it up just because of the enemy's demands!
"Given the current strength of the human race and our weakness!"
"The Human Alliance's reinforcements are arriving in droves, while we are plagued by endless rebellions!"
The Lion Emperor sneered.
He was the one who instigated and provoked the war in the first place, but now he has transformed into a peace advocate. It's all because of his own interests.
Although the war failed to establish sufficient prestige, it did manage to eliminate dissidents.
The Lionmen's losses in the war were already small, and those who died were mostly enemies. Now that the war is over, the Lion Emperor naturally feels no pressure.
"Letting the enemy leave is easy, but the problem is how to guarantee that the human race will end this war immediately?"
If the Alpha Kingdom could be in charge of the Human Alliance, the Empire would have been destroyed ten times over.
Unlike before, this time the Human Alliance is clamoring for a war of annihilation. As the dominant power on the continent, they can't just talk the talk without walking the walk!
"The Silver Moon Wolf Emperor said with a worried expression."
As the overlord of the continent, besides strength, the most important thing is to be true to one's word. If one breaks their promises too often, who will take the overlord's words to heart in the future?
This involves the stability of the human race's hegemony, and getting the other party to take back what they said is clearly not an easy task.
It's uncertain whether even the Alpha Kingdom itself will abide by the agreement, let alone the Human Alliance.
If the enemy troops are released and they turn their backs on them, launching another attack, then it would be a real tragedy.
"Actually, there are ways to ensure that the other party fulfills their obligations. For example, we can ask a race that the Alpha Kingdom cannot afford to offend to act as guarantor."
Of course, when it comes to the entire Human Alliance, one race might not be able to intimidate them. The best approach would be to bring all the races on the continent together and sit down for negotiations.
As soon as Alex finished speaking, the image of "Dragon Race" simultaneously popped into the minds of several emperors.
The only Dragon Race that could deter the Alpha Kingdom from breaking its promises and also exert a certain degree of influence over the human race was the dragon race, which produced many super-strong individuals.
For ordinary people, Dragon Race are synonymous with power and mystery, but for the higher-ups of various races, Dragon Race are primarily synonymous with power.
As one of the oldest continental overlords, the Dragon Race had long since migrated out of the Aslant Continent and returned to their old home—"Dragon Island," or the continent of dragons.
Even with a large number of people leaving, a few restless dragons occasionally manage to wreak havoc on the continent.
When it comes to Dragon Race, all the races on the continent have only one word to describe it—"headache".
Dragon slayers sound impressive, but the truth is that 999.99% of dragon slayers end up as the dragon's snack.
The remaining less than one in ten thousand who successfully slayed the dragon are now enjoying their success and fame.
At the same time, we must also be prepared to face the Dragon Race' revenge at any time.
Don't expect any powerful force to provide protection. When faced with enemies like Dragon Race, who are incredibly powerful and elusive, any force will only have a headache.
If Giant Dragon start acting like thugs, humans will have no chance. Just imagine a group of Giant Dragon attacking and waging guerrilla warfare everywhere—the outcome is obvious.
Even the most powerful forces will quickly decline if they provoke such an enemy.
Over countless years, many who refused to believe in this have paid a bloody price for it.
"Alex, it's not easy to get the Dragon Race to help, especially since there's not enough time! You all know how time-conscious Giant Dragon."
It wasn't that the Silver Moon Wolf Emperor was worrying unnecessarily; Giant Dragon, being long-lived creatures, genuinely have no sense of time. Expecting them to make efficient decisions when they can sleep for years at a time is simply impossible.
Before they could even persuade the Dragon Race to intervene, the Orc Empire might be wiped out.
"Persuading Dragon Race is difficult, but persuading a Giant Dragon is not so difficult. As long as we are willing to spend a lot of money, we can bribe a Giant Dragon to mediate."
As long as we don't tell anyone, how would the human race know that it was a Giant Dragon that intervened, and not the entire Dragon Race?
If we then involve all the races on the continent and put pressure on humanity, they will most likely compromise.
Those who resolutely advocate the destruction of the empire are essentially the northern human kingdoms, and among these kingdoms, the Alpha Kingdom holds the most influence.
"Taking them down is equivalent to taking down half of the pro-war faction among humans, and the rest of the problems will be much easier to solve."
Alex said with a chuckle.
He had considered this plan for a long time. He came up with the proposal only after weighing the pros and cons of all parties.
Frankly speaking, given his steady personality, he didn't like to be in such a hurry to show off. However, the mess left by the old Behemoth Emperor was too big, and he had to find a way to fix it.