I just covet their strength

Chapter 119 I am the Tyrant

Westhead's question caused a moment of silence.

This topic is a bit too serious and heavy, but also very crucial.

It is true that Qinghui Territory fell, but it was not a one-sided defeat. There was still some resistance, and the territory was lost step by step, rather than being completely destroyed all at once.

Under such circumstances, naturally, most of the people in Qinghui Territory escaped. However, Westhead strategically moved to the imperial capital after that, and entered a state of self-abandonment and drunkenness, completely forgetting that he still had people under his jurisdiction.

"Although there is a big delay in information transmission between the border and the imperial capital, I still got some intelligence in the past two years."

Finally, it was Yurta who spoke:

"After the fall of Qinghui Territory, most of the survivors became refugees and roamed the borderlands. Many people flocked to the empire to make a living, but only a few were able to gain a foothold in the empire. Many people became slaves. Other refugees established settlements on the border and barely survived."

The border does not mean desolation. The land around the Bright Forest is actually quite fertile and rich, enough for the refugees to survive.

But without the blessing of God, everything is just a castle in the air and may vanish at any time.

What is certain is that the survivors will have a tough time.

"Alas, I failed them."

Even with Westhead's moral level, he couldn't help but feel ashamed and sighed.

But his moral standards are still a little too high.

"Brother, you haven't done anything to offend them."

Yulda was a seasoned feudal warrior who had been deeply influenced by the aristocratic elite's ideology. She corrected Westhead's erroneous views on the spot:

"As the people of Qinghui Territory, they should devote everything to their lord! Not to mention that you have fulfilled your duties and led the family to fight until the last moment before evacuating. Isn't that enough?"

"Perhaps some unruly people will still complain about your indifference, but how can these short-sighted people understand the difficulties of the lord? If anyone is sorry, it should be them who are sorry to you. As the people of Qinghui Territory, we must have the fearless spirit of giving everything for our homeland! And absolute loyalty to you!"

".You have a point."

Westhead stared into the white-blond girl's deep and determined purple eyes for a moment, then realized that he couldn't convince her, so he simply shrugged and obeyed Yurda.

"But if we want to recover our homeland, the support and strength of our people are also very important. When it comes to recruiting and forming an army, the Qinghui people are naturally the most suitable. So I will not allow the Qinghui people to remain in such a state of desolation."

Westhead clenched his fist and hammered his leg, saying, "Now that we are wealthy, we naturally have to declare our determination to reclaim our homeland to all our people."

"Yuerda, announce this to all Qinghui refugees at the border, and then order them to gather. By the way, where is the best place for our fleet to anchor and establish a forward base?"

Yurda: "There is an interesting thing I want to tell you about this."

The white-blonde girl walked to an open area, opened the three-dimensional map on the airship, and uploaded her own data, so that the territory of Qinghui Territory could be clearly revealed.

The territorial scope of the Empire's [Branches of Prosperity] varies, but is roughly the same as the area of ​​an Imperial province. The territory of the Qinghui Territory is centered on the Bright Forest and expands in all directions.

Yurda pointed to an area near the river and said:
"Among the refugees in Qinghui Territory, someone has already gathered hundreds of thousands of people here and built a stable town. We don't even need to spend too much effort. We can just use this place as our base."

Westhead raised his eyebrows. "This is a little too close to the border of Chaos, isn't it? But the location is really good. It's right next to the Ying River. We can start to recapture the territory after crossing it. It's a perfect location for the forward base."

The Ying River is a river that originates from the Bright Forest and is also the boundary river between the Empire and the Qinghui Territory.

After the fall of Qinghui Territory, this river became a bridgehead to prevent further invasion of Chaos, and its geographical location was quite important. Lord Qinghui waved his hand and said, "Then let the fleet dock here and establish a base. Who organized the refugees? Do we have such a capable person in Qinghui Territory?"

"Roy, the second-class tax officer of Qinghui Territory, was previously responsible for collecting taxes from small villages on the border."

"Such a talent is doing such trivial things? He should be in my court with his abilities!"

Westhead was furious when he heard this: "Did he get framed and suppressed by villains? Such a talented person is buried!"

"Brother, he was once your courtier."

Yurda's expression was not very good. She said, "Roy was promoted because of his outstanding political achievements, but later he advised you to reduce taxes, which angered you and he was expelled from the court."

"."

What? I am the tyrant?!

Westhead felt that something was wrong with the way Mivana looked at him, and he coughed awkwardly twice:

"Ahem. Now that you mention it, I remember that he is indeed a good guy. In fact, I specially transferred him out to train for two more years. Young people need to sharpen their spirits so that they can go further. Look, isn't it showing results now?"

"That tax collector isn't old, but he's not young either."

Yuerda did not notice Westhead's embarrassment and said seriously:

"Also, brother, please don't think that Roy is a loyal subject of Qinghui Territory. He was able to gather refugees and gain a foothold at the border not just by his own ability. According to reliable intelligence, he accepted assistance from Qingzhihuan."

Are there foreign forces?!
Westhead lowered his eyelids and said, "[Ring of Sunshine]. The group of witches that wandered outside the Kingdom of Order? Are you sure?"

Yulda nodded: "That's probably the case. The witch heritage of the Sunny Ring cannot be hidden. In the border area, they are the only ones who have the ability to support the refugees to build a settlement so close to Chaos."

"So, brother, after the fleet arrives, I suggest you control Roy and the others, and then investigate how many spies the Ring of Sunshine has planted. Capture them all. Also, the inhabitants of the settlement, since they have received the favor of the witch, their loyalty to the lord is questionable. It is best to educate them thoroughly."

The look in Yulda's beautiful eyes became increasingly cold, and she said something that even Westhead found outrageous.

I thought my messing around in the secret trial was ridiculous enough, but I didn't expect that you, Yulda, are the heavyweight!
Westhead couldn't hold it back, and shook his head.
"Not really. Even if Roy really accepted the help of the Ring of Clear Sky, it wouldn't be a sin. Not to mention that the witches themselves can be considered friendly forces against Chaos. What reason do I have to blame a group of people who are about to starve to death for accepting relief food from others? Do I have to ask them to rather starve to death than beg?"

At least this kind of behavior against heaven is rare and not encouraged in the empire.

"The Knight Lord of Yonglan will."

At this moment, Myvana suddenly spoke:

"If they are knight lords, they would rather let the serfs in the territory starve to death than forbid the people to escape, because this will bring shame to the lord."

Miss Knight revealed a golden eye hidden by her purple-black hair, and as if she recalled something, sadness and melancholy emerged in her eyes.

This is indeed the case in the Kingdom of Yonglan. The land is barren and the class system is strict. Unless you are a member of the knight class, you are not even considered a human being.

Westhead probably understood what Miwana was thinking and said:

"So I will never blame my subjects for this. Anyway, let's send the airship carrying the engineering team over first. We will collect refugees along the way and then meet up at the river."

(End of this chapter)