OBS Chapter 707 He Changes, I Change Too
Chapter 707 He Changes, I Change Too
On the first day of 1465, before the dawn had completely dispelled the chill of the capital, the Imperial Noble Council in the far-off capital of the Yoda Empire was already filled with a noisy debate that could not be quelled for a long time.
Everyone knows that a new round of great battle between Midland and Yoda is just around the corner, and the current situation, from any perspective, is extremely dire for the Yoda Empire, with no hope of reversal whatsoever.
In terms of territory, of the Midland territories that the Yoda Empire once seized, only the small territory of the Dordorei Governorate remains intact.
The other occupied territories were already in grave danger under the fierce offensive of the Midland army, and could be completely recovered at any time.
What troubled the Yoda nobles the most was the large number of cannons in the hands of the Midland army.
With the support of these incredibly powerful cannons, the Midland army was almost invincible in siege warfare. The days when they could besiege a castle for dozens of days or even months without being able to break through it were over.
Midland's army would often concentrate dozens of cannons and bombard the castle walls continuously until several huge breaches were blasted into the sturdy walls.
Once the breach is formed, the following infantry will immediately rush in through the breach and engage in street fighting. This tactic is simple and direct, yet extremely lethal, and Yoda's army simply cannot withstand it.
The financial difficulties further exacerbated the woes of the Yoda Noble Council.
The merchant guilds that were originally willing to provide financial support for the war chose to withdraw their investment after seeing Yoda's army suffer repeated defeats and the situation becoming increasingly clear, and were no longer willing to lend money to the council of nobles.
The merchants in these chambers of commerce were all shrewd. They knew that given the current state of the Yoda Empire, the probability of fulfilling the repayment agreement was extremely low. Continuing to invest would be tantamount to throwing money down the drain, and no one was willing to do such a losing business.
Without financial support, the army's supplies, weapon repairs, and soldiers' pay became intractable problems.
Finally, there were the empire's internal problems. The continuous defeats had demoralized the army and shaken the already divided nobles.
Some nobles have now made it clear that they are unwilling to send their private troops to participate in this war, which they have no chance of winning.
They preferred to preserve their strength and defend their territory rather than invest all their resources in this doomed war and end up with nothing.
"I think we should stop while we're ahead."
A slightly overweight nobleman was the first to stand up, his face showing obvious fatigue and anxiety, and his voice stood out in the noisy council hall.
“We should immediately send someone to communicate with Midland and redefine the territory based on the areas currently under the actual control of both sides. As long as we can retain the Governor-General of Dordore, this is the choke point for our invasion of Midland. If we hold this position, we will still have the possibility of counterattacking in the future.”
He had barely finished speaking when he was immediately interrupted by another tall nobleman, whose tone was filled with undisguised mockery and anger:
"Are you crazy? You think the Dordores are important to Yoda? The Midlanders aren't stupid. Their goal from the very beginning has been this place. How could they possibly agree to let us hold onto this strategic location?"
Once a debate begins, it spreads rapidly like a ignited flame.
Throughout the hall of the noble council, arguments rose and fell. Some nobles supported peace, believing that preserving strength was the best course of action; others insisted on war, feeling that they could not give up so easily; still others blamed each other, shifting the responsibility for the defeat onto the other.
The various sounds intertwined, creating a chaotic mess that made one dizzy.
Even Count Castorly, the Speaker sitting in the main seat, felt extremely agitated, as if a raging fire was burning in his chest, making him feel uncomfortable all over.
At the same time, his heart, which had still held a sliver of hope, sank completely, becoming as cold as an ice cellar.
I'd always heard that the internal struggles in Midland's court were fierce, with everyone a master of infighting. Now it seems that Yoda's council of nobles is no less so, and perhaps even more so.
How could a country be well governed, and how could victory be achieved in this brutal war, when working with a group of nobles who only know how to quarrel and shirk responsibility?
Count Castorly's thoughts drifted back to the past.
Back when he led his army into the capital and captured the former King Ludwig, he was full of vigor and arrogance.
At that time, he believed that as long as he could remove that incompetent and foolish emperor from the throne and restore order to the country, he could quickly gather strength and reverse the course of the war.
But he never expected that after entering the capital, he would find that there were many people like Ludwig, all short-sighted and only concerned with their own interests, with no thought of sharing the burden of the country.
He gripped the mallet tightly, unable to bear the endless arguing any longer. He slammed the mallet down on the table in front of him, shouting as he did so:
"Quiet! Quiet! All of you shut your mouths!"
Several loud shouts rang out like thunder in the parliament hall.
The previously noisy argument vanished instantly, as if its throat had been choked.
The nobles stopped arguing and turned to look at Count Castorly in the main seat, their faces showing a mixture of astonishment and fear, wondering what the speaker had to say.
Count Castorly took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger, and slowly swept his gaze over each nobleman present, his tone heavy but unusually firm:
"This battle will only be decided when it comes to the very end. As long as we still hold onto even an inch of Midland, we still have a chance to win and we have not been completely defeated. The most important thing now is not to argue about whether or not to fight, but how to resolve the current predicament, try to stop the Midland army's offensive, and buy ourselves some breathing room."
Having said that, he immediately turned to look at the military commander standing on one side of the parliament hall, his tone carrying an unquestionable command:
"Immediately explain the specific predicament that Yoda's army is currently facing, without any concealment."
The military commander dared not delay, immediately stepped forward, bowed slightly, and reported clearly:
"Speaker, after losing Rona territory, the Yoda army's entire defensive line has been split in two by the Midland army. The northern Yoda army has had all its supply lines cut off by the Midland army and is now in a difficult situation, with its food and ammunition running out. According to the latest intelligence from spies, the King of Midland has ordered the dispatch of elite troops to specifically encircle and annihilate the northern Yoda army, and a general offensive is expected to be launched soon."
He paused, a bitter look on his face, and continued:
"In addition, Midland imported a large number of advanced gunpowder weapons from Heldran, including a large number of artillery pieces and new firearms. Moreover, with the personal assistance of Heldran officers, they formed a large-scale new army. This army has undergone professional training and its tactics are completely different from those of traditional armies. On the front lines, our infantry regiments were simply unable to cope with them and suffered heavy losses in several engagements."
After listening to the various issues raised by the military commander, Count Castori frowned deeply and fell into deep thought.
He knew that the situation had reached its most critical moment, and every decision could determine the life or death of the Yoda Empire, leaving no room for hesitation.
A moment later, he suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes, and quickly made a decision.
He immediately turned to the Minister in charge of the Imperial Seal and gave the order:
"You should immediately send someone to communicate with the ambassador of Helderland and tell him that the Yoda Empire hopes that Helderland can temporarily take over our northern troops."
Upon hearing this, the Minister in charge of the Imperial Seal looked troubled and immediately replied:
“Speaker, I’m afraid that won’t work. Hilderan has already signed neutrality agreements with Yoda and Midland, which clearly stipulate that no party’s troops are allowed to enter their territory. They probably won’t agree to this request.”
"Agreements are rigid, but people are flexible!"
Count Castorly interrupted him, his tone urgent and forceful.
"Then let them take off their armor and throw away all their weapons, and enter Heldran as refugees. As long as they are willing to accept them, we will pay Heldran enough money as compensation! No matter how much it costs, we must preserve the fighting strength of this army."
Having resolved the issue of the northern army, Count Castorly continued to issue orders:
"Furthermore, arrange for personnel to be dispatched immediately. I am going to Huldran for a state visit. The purpose of this trip is singular: to sign a formal military contract with Huldran. First, to purchase as many gunpowder weapons as possible of the same type as those used by Mitland; second, to request Huldran to send outstanding officers to our country to train the Yoda army, ensuring that a force capable of confronting Mitland's new army is built in the shortest possible time."
Having given all the orders, Count Castorly raised his gavel again and tapped it on the table, saying in a deep voice:
"The meeting is dismissed!"
The nobles rose to their feet, their faces showing complex emotions, and left the council hall one after another. Count Reginald also followed the flow of people out of the hall, preparing to return to his mansion.
But just as he reached a corner, a young man dressed as a servant suddenly strode forward, blocked his path, and bowed slightly, saying:
“Count Reginald, Speaker Count Castorly has important business with you. Please come with me.”