Chapter 404 — Sweeping and Reorganization
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
Then, before Gao Yang could fish something out from beside him and slap her against the wall, she hastily changed the subject. "But come to think of it... this ten-day pursuit—forget those noble soldiers, I doubt anyone in all of Ansou has ever witnessed such a thing... After all, you are the first in history to refuse a truce in a noble war."
"I accept truces—once they are completely annihilated, or every last one surrenders, the war will naturally end," Gao Yang said. "And I believe that day is not far off."
"So what do you plan to do next?" Amber looked at Gao Yang curiously. "The noble coalition is finished, their lords are sitting in the prisoner camp at the edge of the Horsman earldom, and in the southern region dozens of noble domains, great and small, are waiting for you to take them over. On the other hand, according to the intelligence I've received, one-third to one-quarter of the noble coalition escaped Philip's pursuit in the plains. Those people probably won't dare return to their domains, and if they roam about, they might well turn into one hell of a problem."
Though in daily life she was a careless and unreliable sort, Amber had, after all, served at Gao Yang's side as a guard for a year, and was now the leader of the Military Intelligence Bureau; she had accumulated some experience in serious work, and her analysis at this moment was fairly well-reasoned.
"Of course I will take over the lands of the southern region..." Gao Yang said as he rose and walked to the great map of the southern region hanging in the office. "But the specific plan for taking them over still needs careful thought. As for those who fled... it is within expectations. Philip's manpower was limited, after all; that he let only so few slip away already exceeded my expectations. Don't worry about those nobles who have already run, or their beaten remnants—they will be dealt with, cleanly and methodically."
As he spoke, Gao Yang's gaze traveled upward along the map, finally coming to rest at its very top.
Fortress Stonehold, the northern gate of the southern region, settled at the center of his vision.
After staring at the fortress for a while, Gao Yang withdrew his gaze and swept it across the noble domains, great and small, carved up in enfeoffment across the southern region.
"Send messengers to the Horsman prisoner camp. Have Philip and Byron first escort all the noble lords and extraordinaries in the camp back to the domain; the camp will be taken over by Knight Wald Perich. In addition, notify Heidi and all the officials of the Internal Affairs Department to assemble at the government hall—I have matters to discuss with them. The southern region is not yet pacified, but it is time to take over a portion of the land."
The war was not yet over; some of the nobles' remnants were still on the run, and even among the captured nobles, quite a few still clung to the naive notion of a "noble war game," waiting for Gao Yang to negotiate with them, waiting for their domains to pay ransom and redeem them so they could go on being lords. But on Gao Yang's side, from the very beginning he had never considered "negotiating" with the noble order of the southern region.
The situation he demanded had to be realized. Now that the forces that could obstruct him had been struck down, he would proceed with the next stage of his plan.
Shortly afterward, in the government hall at the center of the domain, Gao Yang appeared before the assembled crowd.
The officials of the government hall rose as one and then bowed in salute to their lord with reverence.