At midnight, the officers who had not yet left Salibia arrived at the Royal Castle on an urgent summons.
Shortly after entering the conference room, everyone's face turned ashen, and Admiral Gustav, as if he had lost his parents, collapsed into his chair as if all his strength had been drained.
Emperor von Palen's face was cold and stern, his thin lips pressed together like knives. Just now, he had received a message that struck him like a thunderbolt.
The Star Islands beyond the strait were conquered by the Yan Kingdom before the New Year, and on New Year's Eve, when the whole country was celebrating, the navy was completely wiped out, with no one surviving!
The empire's western territorial waters have been completely lost, and the Yan people now control that entire ocean.
However, this was not the worst news. What was most unacceptable was that Foster Harbor had fallen. The Yan Kingdom, which was once regarded as the "first colony," not only defeated the Imperial Navy, but also blasted open its gates and led its troops into the Empire's territory!
This is what the empire should be doing, but now it's completely the other way around.
When he first heard the news, Von Palen even found it absurd, but it was Gustav who brought the news. He was originally supposed to return to Bruno Port to command the naval operations, but after receiving the news on the way, he immediately returned to Salivia.
He seemed to think that all the ports had fallen.
At this moment, seeing Gustav's dejected appearance, Von Palen was filled with anger, but venting it would be of no use. After all, during the New Year celebrations, who could have imagined that those Yan people were winning victory after victory?
Von Palen, suppressing his anger, turned to Wolfgang and said:
"Foster Harbor has become a landing point for the Yan people. We need to send enough troops there as soon as possible to intercept them."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wolfgang quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
"However, Your Majesty, there is the Heinrich military base in Jonham Province, and Brewster has more than 300,000 troops under his command. In addition, there are several divisions around the port of Brullo."
"The entry of Yan people is definitely preventable and controllable in the short term."
Upon hearing this, von Palen shook his head and said:
"Don't be so optimistic. Your current thinking is the same as what the Kosovos thought when we attacked the Kosovo Empire."
Wolfgang's expression froze, and then von Palen continued:
"The complete defeat of the navy fully demonstrates that the Yan people possess advanced weapons that are far superior to ours. After destroying our naval forces and gaining control of the sea, the Yan people did not stop, but immediately attacked the port and completed the landing, which shows that they were well prepared."
"This is not a short-lived war between major powers, but a protracted conflict that will become a long one."
At this point, Von Palen looked around at everyone and said coldly:
"The Yan people are very ambitious. Their swift and decisive continuous operations are aimed at seizing all our territory!"
These words sent chills down everyone's spines. Wolfgang felt a deep connection to them, for the rise of the empire was precisely in the same way it had swept across the entire continent.
The reason why the empire was able to sweep away the enemy in a short period of time was because it had expanded its army before the war started and had prepared a lot of weapons, which led to the subsequent victories.
However, compared to then, the enemy countries are attacking at an even faster pace today, to an astonishing degree.
Thinking of this, Wolfgang said with a stern face:
“The situation in Jonham province may be even worse now.”
Feng Palen said coldly, "Yes, battlefield information is often delayed, and this time our enemy's offensive is particularly swift, so we must prepare for the worst when formulating our next battle plan."
As he spoke, he looked at everyone and said, "Tonight you will return to your respective units and take your troops to Jonham Province as soon as possible."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Wolfgang then asked, "Is Shelley's Second Army going to Jonham Province?"
Von Palen frowned and said, "I'm talking about all of you here! Sheri has already left Salvia, and his Second Army is maintaining stability in the eastern region. Do you think it's necessary to send him to Jonham Province?!"
Wolfgang's face stiffened, and he said, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't..."
Before he could finish speaking, Feng Palen interrupted, "While I said not to be too optimistic, we shouldn't be too pessimistic either. It's not that bad yet!"
"The troops in the eastern and northern regions do not need to be mobilized for the time being, especially Sheri's troops. I don't want any unrest to occur in our rear while we are fighting the Yan people!"
Wolfgang cleared his throat and continued, "Yes, Your Majesty, our central army will quell the rebellion of the Yan people entering the country first."
"And Saski's Fifth Army has entered a state of combat readiness, ready to be called up at any time."
Feng Palen nodded slightly and said, "Yes, we can't let our guard down. Saski's troops are in the southern region, and their support won't be too slow. If an unexpected situation does occur, we'll have enough time."
"only......"
At this point, von Palen bit his lip, while Wolfgang keenly sensed his concerns.
"The temperature has dropped a lot in the past few days, which will slow down our marching speed."
"The order must be issued tonight, and the troops that receive the order should set off as soon as possible."
Von Palen nodded in satisfaction. Following him, an officer at the conference table said, "My troops are in Pocamia province. I will leave Salvia tonight and return as soon as possible with my troops to Jonham province."
Feng Palen looked up at him and said, "Even here the temperature has dropped quite a bit, and the temperature in the Nzos Mountains will only be lower. We need to make sure the soldiers have enough clothing."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we will prepare a cotton coat for everyone."
Wolfgang looked worried upon hearing the officer's reply, because this was not a simple matter. Although the Imperial Army had a large number of troops, they were not good at fighting in cold weather, especially in the last two years, when training in harsh winter conditions had been very rare. And at this time of year, it was definitely the worst time of the year.
Just as Wolfgang was filled with worry, von Palen suddenly said:
"The navy's defeat, the entry of Yan people—these are all terrible news. I don't want to hear anything worse. Next, defeat them and annihilate them all!"
"Let's take action now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the crowd replied in unison.
At this moment, Von Palen suddenly looked at Gustav and said:
"Gustav, what can you do for me now?"
Gustav looked flustered and helplessly stared at Von Palen.
——
at the same time.
On the way to the Enzos Mountains, we camped at the Yan Army camp in an open area as night fell.
Qin Ze, who was baking, received a message from the scouts.
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