Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 443: Restore the Virtue of My Forefather
At the side of the monastery's training field, Meltem sat on a stone pier and watched the nuns gathering not far away.

"What are you thinking about?" Someone came over and asked.

Meltem turned around and saw a middle-aged woman holding a helmet walking over.

"I'm wondering how the current situation will develop." Meltem replied: "Mother has been talking to Her Majesty the Queen Mother for a quarter of an hour, and I don't know what the outcome will be."

"What do you think the outcome of the meeting will be?" the other party asked curiously.

"The Queen Mother agreed to the support matter as soon as we came here. Therefore, the things they need to talk about alone should be more than that simple." Meltem analyzed: "However, it must be done during the time you are preparing. To make it clear, I guess it won’t be too complicated. Thinking about it this way, I’m afraid it’s a question of how it will end later.”

"How do you plan to end this?" the man asked again.

"Actually, I'm not sure. As soon as I got the news, I hurriedly notified all the helpers, and then my mother brought me here." Meltem said with a smile: "As for the plan... the city was in chaos. In this way, even if everyone has a plan, it is useless now. What can still be seen now is everyone's improvisation."

"Speaking of which, madam, you are more familiar with the Queen Mother, so you should know her better than me, right?" she asked in return.

"I'm just a country woman who was temporarily hired by the Queen Mother as a trainer. What kind of lady is she?" The other party shook her head: "Just call me Maria - if you think there are too many people with this name, you can't tell them apart." , just call me captain. That’s what they all call me.”

"It sounds like a title for a mercenary. Do you have any experience in joining a mercenary team before?" Meltem asked curiously, remembering the old mercenaries he saw at King Wu's house before.

"No. I have actually never been a mercenary, nor have I joined a formal army." "Captain" Maria shook her head and told her: "My hometown is in the northwest of Romania, in the third province. It started with my grandfather. , the people there are all Romans and have very mature military organizations. So there is no tradition of choosing to join the mercenaries like the Alemanni."

"But the fighting groups organized by the government and the hundreds of households in the village cover too few people. We women need to protect our hometown, but there is no ready-made organization, so we can only imitate others and establish less formal organizations. "

"In this way..." Meltem nodded: "That should be the second batch of provinces established after Prime Minister Guo."

"Yes. You seem to know it very well, right?" Captain Maria was a little surprised.

"I'm actually not an outsider." Meltem explained: "I have lived in Dadu for a long time and often play with my brother. I still know a lot of common sense. Besides, Old Prime Minister Guo is the ancestor of his family."

"He told me that the naming of the provinces of the Purple Horde Khanate is very interesting. The provinces in the hinterland were divided and named under the leadership of the founding prime minister Guo Gai. According to his meaning at the time, not only should the provinces not follow The previous division of noble territories should avoid following geographical boundaries as much as possible, and the previous customary boundaries should not be used. He also made a new batch of names for provinces and even states and counties."

"However, after Prime Minister Guo passed away, no one came to name the newly established provinces. My brother said that it was because they all felt that their cultural level was not good enough and were afraid of making things worse, so they only named area numbers for temporary use."

"Yes. Our place was the northwest border back then. At that time, the Roman Emperor didn't even know if he could hold it, so he directly gave it the number 'Third'." Maria said.

"After I came here, I heard from most scholars that this was the order in which each province was recovered - I don't know if this was the official statement later. But in fact, it has nothing to do with these."

"My grandfather told me that it was named this just because it ranks third among the three northwest provinces. If you really can't hold on, you can give up first. Therefore, the shape of the entire province is also very strange, because In fact, it was drawn like this based on the location of the fortified camp at that time."

"However, when Basil III reorganized the new provinces in his later years, many people were too lazy to change them because it took too long. Even if the court thought of other names, it would involve a lot of administrative documents and procedures. As a result, the executors lacked the will. So until now, we still use the Chinese word '三' to refer to our hometown."

"This name... is really not easy." Meltem said with emotion.

"Yes, some old people still have some resentment about this matter." Captain Maria shook her head: "To others, it is probably just a talking point, but to us, it is a horror story."

"If the Legion really gave up there, my grandfather might not survive. The Polish nobles who originally occupied the area massacred their hereditary villages on a daily basis, not to mention that in order to get rid of them, we converted to God-worshipping. And the men who killed them have long had a deadly feud. That’s why everyone, regardless of gender, old or young, will participate in the battle."

"My theoretical hometown has long been ruled by others - or more strictly speaking, I may not even have a hometown." Meltem shrugged: "At least, you still have a home to protect, and you succeeded in the end. ah."

When she said this, Captain Maria didn't know what to say.

"Moreover, your efforts can be regarded as providing an example to others." Meltem continued.

"I heard before that Prime Minister Guo has been working hard in this area since the establishment of the Purple Horde Khanate. For thousands of years, there has been almost no such effort outside the Central Plains. Even Rome at its peak was Local governance is much weaker than this. I feel that it is very normal for problems to arise in this attempt. If we talk about it in detail, even the civil war that year was probably related to this."

"What do you mean?" Captain Maria obviously hadn't thought about this.

"Old Prime Minister Guo not only promoted new regional divisions, but also worked with other emerging military aristocrats to crowd out traditional local aristocrats - this was probably one of the causes of the outbreak of the first civil war that year. After the civil war, the new aristocrats in Nanya The rapid expansion caused a new imbalance, which is why there was a subsequent coup and the expulsion of the Li family." Meltem shook his head and explained: "This obviously has causes and consequences."

"You see, at least you are in the midst of a historical tide, and the suffering and sacrifices you suffered back then are at least meaningful. And what about my family? It's like a joke." She shook her head helplessly: "That's why I feel, I’m a little envious of you.”

"You are so understanding of these changes in the political situation." Captain Maria seemed convinced: "I thought this was only considered by the big shots in the court. Even the Queen Mother usually doesn't talk about these things."

"If you don't tell me, you must know. My brother told me that before doing something, it is best to know the causes and consequences and know what you are doing. Only by doing it at this time can you ensure that you are clear of conscience and can you I promise you won't regret it later." Meltem didn't think there was anything wrong with this.

"Our group was famous for assassinations back then. But assassins not only need to use their hands, but also use their brains. They are more sensitive to changes in the political situation than ordinary people and can seize opportunities better. Otherwise, I'm afraid even survival will be a problem - not as good as It is said that the indolence of the changes in the current situation was the reason for the demise of the old Assassins. In any case, we cannot repeat the same mistakes again."

"Moreover, these histories are not just history. They have an impact on what you and I want to do now."

"What do you mean?" Captain Maria became more and more curious.

"It is impossible to deal with the local old nobles simply by using strong methods, so at that time, it was Old Prime Minister Guo and Queen Mother Helena who were cooperating with each other." Meltem said:

"My mother also spent some time in the Roman court. She told me that the court culture of the Roman Khan's court was started by Queen Mother Helena. In other words, before that, they almost didn't have a decent court."

"At that time, most of the capital had just been recovered. Due to the previous blows, the Khan's court basically had no plans to move the capital, even the Greek officials who were appointed by the Khan's court. The Queen Mother Helena, who was still a colonel at the time, was the most active promoter. It is said that it was through her efforts that she persuaded others to agree to move south.”

"And for this reason, she also frequently summoned local nobles and called on them to move to Dadu. This city is in dire need of development and is still very empty, so the local nobles who follow her to Dadu can get good rewards and gain Respect that is not found in the local area. Some old and far-sighted nobles saw the huge prospects here and joined in one after another. When they made huge gains in fame and money, more noble families who were watching began to follow suit."

"So this matter is actually about the two of them cooperating with each other, one to catch up and the other to catch up. The final result is what we are now."

"What about our actions today..." Captain Maria asked eagerly, half understanding.

"The advantage of this is that there are a lot fewer old nobles in the local area, and the cost and energy required to deal with them is also reduced. After the two sides compromise with each other, it will be much more convenient to implement the new management system in the local area." Melt Mu told her: "But the consequence is that all the old nobles are crowded into the capital city." "Looking at the chaos today, it is estimated that these remnants are involved in it. Whether they actively participated in creating chaos, or were passive before Being involved, and helping the thieves without any opinions are definitely related to it."

"So, today's matter is not just as simple as dealing with a few cults and gangs of thugs. Behind this matter, I'm afraid there are complex problems that have accumulated since Queen Mother Helena. My brother should be very clear about this matter. After all, he is continuing to do what his grandfather did."

"That's it...that's really troublesome." Captain Maria probably understood.

"My brother told me that if you want others to do work for you, it's best to explain clearly the causes and consequences." Meltem told her: "Because if you want to act efficiently, everyone needs to do their part. And if If others don’t know what they want to do, they naturally won’t be able to perform.”

"To be honest, some people may quit, but according to the Taohuashi people's experience since ancient times, the more important the matter, the more capable manpower is needed, rather than a large group of rabble. Their generals would rather give up numbers before key battles. Advantage, demobilize soldiers who are not elite enough. Unreliable people are a fatal problem in this case. It is better to let them quit voluntarily."

"So, I'm not afraid to tell you this directly. If you tell your sisters, you can also make everyone understand your mission," she said frankly: "I didn't believe this statement at first. I felt it was very troublesome to explain everything clearly. , and it will have side effects. But my brother insisted that I try it a few times, and then I found that it is indeed very effective. I think if you try it, you will definitely agree. "

"We..." Captain Maria smiled helplessly: "We are actually just vases. We usually play with the Queen Mother, or serve as an honor guard, which can meet the needs. But when I was in my hometown, I fought against barbarians. Many times. The current state of the girls is far from being a serious army - I still have this self-awareness. "

"I will definitely make it clear to them. But you should be able to see that today's situation is becoming more and more similar to the real battlefield." She shook her head in confusion:

"Is there anyone who is immortal on the battlefield? No matter how great the advantage is, there will always be damage. We are all good girls, and we have worked hard for so many years to get where we are today. To be honest, if I have a choice, I would rather go on my own, and Not taking them there..."

"But they want to truly become a 'serious army', want to achieve greater value and make their souls more radiant. Participating in battle is the fastest and most effective way." Meltem shook his head and said: "In my hometown In the mountains, women are also involved in fighting, and I dare say that their attitude towards themselves and the attitude of other ordinary people towards them will change dramatically."

"Sacrifice is indeed inevitable, but you have to believe in us, your brother, the Queen Mother, and others who are working hard. No sacrifice will be in vain." She held Captain Maria's arm again and said sincerely.

"I hope so." Captain Maria sighed: "My previous problem has been solved. I probably know what your mother and Her Majesty the Queen Mother are talking about."

After saying that, she shook her head, put on her helmet, and went to summon other nuns.

After another half-quarter of an hour, Queen Elizabeth walked out of the hall wearing a suit of armor and a serious face, followed by Meltem's mother.Everyone who was still whispering immediately stopped and looked at the Queen Mother.

"Girls." The Queen Mother walked to the crowd and stood still: "I hope to work with you to rescue that boy Guo Kang, but I still have too many things to do. Now I want to go to Lao Cao's house and ask him carefully. situation. I hope you don’t blame me for letting you go deep into danger while you ran to a safe place.”

"We won't!" Everyone shook their heads.

"Maria." The Queen Mother sighed and turned to the captain next to her: "The girls are entrusted to you. Do you need anything else? I will try my best to help."

"I wish to ask them again," Captain Maria said.

The Queen Mother nodded.

"Sisters." She turned to everyone and took off her helmet again: "We are going to the battlefield."

"There, we are going to kill, or be killed, or both at the same time, of course. Are you ready?" she asked loudly.

"The battlefield is a man's world. All other things being equal, it is impossible for us to defeat them, including the thugs we are facing this time. Don't ask me why, because this is the will of the Father. We don't know There is no need to speculate about His purpose, we can only do our own thing well under this premise."

"So, if you want to go to the battlefield, you must be more rational and calm than a man, than a normal warrior. Only in this way can you maximize your usual training level. The good news is that even if you can exert [-]% of your strength, It is enough to defeat most enemies, because they are generally far inferior to you. But if you are like a spoiled young lady who can only scream when faced with a sword, then it is best to stay away from this dangerous place."

"Similarly, you must be more united than men. The information we have received shows that there are many trained people among the thugs, even elites that have been cultivated by the nobles for a long time. If you want to defeat them and let yourself survive, you must be stronger than them. To unite, you must also believe in your comrades. At the same time, you must be more responsible than them and don't let your comrades down."

"For us, failure is terrible. For ordinary soldiers, they will try to kill you; but for us, according to my experience when fighting barbarians, they will not only kill you, but also rape you. Your body, your skin peeled off and your limbs chopped off, just for some inexplicable pleasure that I can’t understand.”

"If you're lucky, you'll probably follow this order," she added.

The nuns were silent, and Queen Elizabeth glanced at her worriedly: "Mary..."

"Our enemies are a group of demons. I want to tell you clearly, don't have any illusions about these barbarians and these barbarian rebels." Captain Maria continued to shout: "As long as we fail , what we will encounter must be worse than the worst case scenario you can imagine."

"So, we have to win."

"If you have confidence in your efforts over the years, in my command, in the development of today's situation and in the efforts of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, then come with me." She finally said: "Nearly all of us here You are a newcomer who has never seen blood. If you are not afraid after hearing so many consequences, then I welcome you."

"Because I believe that those who can do these things will also have faith in Heavenly Father. Because Heavenly Father is fair and just after all, and what seems to be a shortfall will definitely be made up for in other ways. Now, are you willing Shall we use the armor and gunpowder in our hands to pursue the ultimate justice left to us by our Heavenly Father?”

The nuns were silent for a moment, then burst into loud cheers.

"I think they can do it." Captain Maria turned back and said to the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother nodded to her, mounted the horse brought by the attendant, waved to everyone, and left quickly with a few entourages.

Captain Maria put on her helmet again and looked at Meltem.

"Thank you for your advice. After saying this, I feel much better myself," she said.

"This is your own experience and thoughts, and it is your own credit." Meltem shook his head.

Captain Maria smiled and patted her again to express her gratitude.

"Then let's go. Come and help me show the way down." She said, looking back with a surprised look: "Hey? Where is your mother?"

"Ah..." Meltem didn't pay attention, looked back and forth, and could only spread his hands: "Forget it. I guess he went back to doing his own thing."

After saying that, she shook her head helplessly and left with the team.

(End of this chapter)