I really became a king.

Chapter 329 The Royal Family Guards the National Gate

The capitals of the three great dynasties of Xiqi, Nanzhao and Donglan in the wild continent are all located in the middle area of ​​the entire country, radiating the entire territory.

The Dali Dynasty was different. Its capital, the Dali Dynasty, was close to the western border and less than a day's journey away from Humen Pass, the first pass of Dali.

Thousands of kilometers west of Humen Pass is the Demon Realm Pass.

The geographical location of Demon Realm Pass is very special. It can be said to be a natural gateway to the western border of the Dali Dynasty. This is also related to the terrain near Demon Realm Pass.

Thousands of kilometers west of Humen Pass, there is a mountain range running from north to south, stretching for more than ten thousand kilometers.

This mountain range, which stretches for tens of thousands of kilometers, is steep and towering into the clouds. The entire mountainside and above is covered with snow all year round, serving as a natural barrier for the Dali Dynasty.

Because if the foreign tribes on the border want to attack the Dali Dynasty, they must bypass this mountain range from the south or the north, which is a long journey of more than tens of thousands of kilometers.

Sending tired soldiers on a long-distance raid is a taboo in the military. Moreover, they also have to guard against attacks from the Xiqi Dynasty and the northern border of Dali along the way. It is basically a road to self-destruction.

Therefore, for thousands of years, the border ethnic groups have never tried this attack route.

It is also because of this that this mountain range called Demon Realm Mountain, which stretches for tens of thousands of kilometers from north to south, has become a natural barrier to block the troops of foreign races on the border.

The location of the Demon Realm Pass happens to be right in the middle of this mountain range.

To be precise, this mountain range of Demon Realm that stretches for tens of thousands of kilometers does not run across the entire mountain range, but is broken in the middle and cut into two sections by a canyon that is more than 100 kilometers wide.

When the Dali Dynasty was founded, a city was built around the canyon based on the terrain, creating a Demonic Pass where one man could block the passage of ten thousand.

For thousands of years, Demon Realm Pass has been ravaged by war, and the attacks from foreign tribes on the border have never stopped.

Because they knew very well that if they wanted to suppress the Dali Dynasty, they must conquer this natural barrier.

Once the barrier of Demon Realm Pass was gone, the straight-line distance of thousands of kilometers could be reached in a few days, and the troops would head straight for Humen Pass. And once Humen Pass was conquered, the troops could reach the capital of Dali in one day and directly approach the city.

Compared to the natural barrier of Demon Realm Pass, Humen Pass is far inferior. It can only be said to be an important border town. If planned properly, it can even be bypassed directly.

Therefore, rather than saying that Humen Pass is the first pass of Dali, it would be more appropriate to say that it is the Demon Realm Pass.

It is such an important natural barrier, but now it is about to be abandoned.

For a while, the whole court was filled with endless debates about whether to give up the Demon Realm Pass. Only a small number of people were qualified to participate in the debate, and the vast majority of people were like spectators, standing there quietly listening and watching, including Jiang Yi.

After listening for a long time, Jiang Yi understood that the reason why a group of people led by Queen Ye Xinmei insisted on giving up Demon Realm Pass was because Demon Realm Pass was isolated in the western border, with constant fighting all day long. Not only did they suffer heavy casualties, but the supply of materials was also extremely difficult.

Although it is only a few thousand kilometers, there are millions of troops stationed at the Demon Realm Pass all year round, and the daily material consumption is a terrifying number.

Everything else is easy to deal with, the most important thing is water source.

It was strange to say that the area west of the Dali Imperial Capital was bounded by the Humen Pass. The area within the Humen Pass was normal and had sufficient water resources. However, outside the Humen Pass, water resources were scarce, and the further west one went, the less water resources there were. By the time one reached the Demon Realm Pass, there was no water at all.

Take the border town of Heshuo City as an example. It is located more than ten kilometers west of Humen Pass, and its water source has almost dried up. Fortunately, it is not far from Humen Pass and has a small population, so water can be transferred from inside the pass.

The same situation is basically true for other important military towns outside Humen Pass, because they have geographical advantages and abundant water resources.

But further west, the situation is completely different. There is silence all year round, the water sources are dry, and even the most basic living water needs are not met.

But when we arrived at the Demon Realm Pass, it was a completely dry place. There had been only a few rainfalls in thousands of years, and in the last few hundred years, there had not been any rain at all.

And for some unknown reason, the further west you go, the faster the water deteriorates. By the time you reach the Demon Realm Pass, the water can only be stored for one day at most, and will become stinking the next day.

Therefore, on the thousands of miles of wasteland between Humen Pass and Moyu Pass, a large and specialized logistics and transportation force shuttled back and forth day and night to ensure that Moyu Pass had drinkable water every day, which consumed a huge amount of manpower and material resources.

Ye Xinmei and others seized on this point and strongly advocated abandoning the Demon Realm Pass and retreating to the important military town of Humen Pass.

"This is really ridiculous. Have you ever thought about the consequences of giving up the Demon Realm Pass?" Ning Donglai said angrily.

"What consequences? I feel that the consequences you mentioned are negligible compared to the waste of manpower and money." An old man retorted. He was Diao Sijiang, one of the eight military leaders.

Ning Dong took a look at this old rival and said, "Old Diao, are you really confused?"

"With the Demon Realm Pass in our hands, we can absolutely suppress the foreign races on the border. But once the Demon Realm Pass falls into the hands of the enemy, everything will be reversed and we will be suppressed."

Many people nodded slightly, and Yishan followed up with, "Yes, Demon Realm Pass is nearly 10,000 kilometers away from Humen Pass, but only a hundred kilometers away from Black Water Pass in Xifan. As long as Demon Realm Pass is in our hands, even if we do nothing, we will still be able to suppress them strategically."

"On the other hand, if the Demon Realm Pass falls into the hands of the enemy, they will no longer have to worry about anything and will be able to take the strategic initiative to attack or defend."

Diao Sijiang sneered and said, "You are wrong. If the other party obtains the Demon Realm Pass, what kind of strategic suppression will be formed with nearly 10,000 kilometers of arid wasteland in between?"

"If they want to travel a long distance, they must carry enough water, and they must also guard against our surprise attacks along the way. How can they attack?"

"And if we give up Demon Realm Pass and retreat to the nearly 10,000 kilometers of drought-stricken land between Humen and Heshuo, it will become a natural buffer zone. We only need to defend Humen and Heshuo and we can rest assured!"

Ye Xinmei nodded and said, "Yes, with this buffer zone, it will be very difficult for the foreign tribes on the border to attack Humen and Heshuo. I believe they will never dare to mobilize a large army to go on an expedition."

"Also, don't forget that a few hundred kilometers away from the Demon Realm Pass is the Baiyue Dynasty's Niangzi Pass. Xifan and Baiyue have always been at odds. With the Baiyue Dynasty holding them back, Xifan would definitely be wary even if they get the Demon Realm Pass and would never dare to go on an expedition easily."

Confused Prince Jiang Huan, who had been silent the whole time, looked up at Dali Emperor Jiang Zhenyi, smacked his lips, and said, "That being said, have you ever thought about what would happen if Baiyue and Xifan formed an alliance?"

"And since we have a way to solve the water problem at Demon Realm Pass, they also have a way to solve the water problem for the expedition. It all depends on how determined they are."

Many people looked at Jiang Huan in surprise. For many years, this foolish prince has been a mascot of the Dali Dynasty. He thought that he would stay out of the affairs that did not concern him and not offend either side.

What happened today? He actually spoke up and seemed to have chosen a side. His words meant that he was against abandoning the Demon Realm Pass.

Many people carefully glanced at Emperor Jiang Zhenyi, who had remained silent from beginning to end, and began to ponder in their hearts, because everyone knew that this confused prince was the absolute confidant of the current emperor.

Could this be what the Emperor meant?
Jiang Huan ignored these people's thoughts and continued, "If one day the alien army overcomes the water problem and breaks through Humen and Heshuo, the capital of Dali will be in danger." Ye Xinmei glanced at Jiang Huan and smiled, "The old prince's worries are not unreasonable, so abandoning the Demon Realm Pass is only the first step. At the same time, we must move the capital to the south, so that there will be no hidden worries at all!"

When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked. They might have realized that this was the other party's real intention, to move the imperial capital south!

The entire Auditorium Square was suddenly plunged into a noisy whisper of discussion. Although there had been rumors about moving the capital before, no one had ever formally mentioned it in the court.

But now it has been formally brought to the court, and the one who proposed it was Queen Dali.

Many people were whispering while revealing their joy. It was finally officially put on the agenda!

Although there have been rumors about this in the past, they were just private discussions and basically no one had any hope. After all, the rumor of moving the capital has been around since the founding of the Dali Dynasty, but there has been no movement for many years.

But now it’s different, because Queen Dali formally brought it up in the court.

Unlike the people in the inner square, when the two or three hundred thousand people in the outer square heard this proposal, most of them suddenly changed their expressions and looked terrified.

Moving the capital might be just a matter of spending some travel expenses for the rich and powerful, but for ordinary people and those wealthy families with a little wealth, it would be a disaster.

Because all their wealth and roots are here, once the imperial capital moves south, they have no choice but to stay.

What happens after they stay? The resources are already scarce, and they all rely on transportation from the south. If the imperial capital is gone, this barren wasteland will immediately decline.

Except for a limited number of oases, the entire old imperial city will soon become a barren land.

After a brief discussion, the entire palace suddenly became silent, and many people even began breathing heavily.

"The imperial capital is moving south. I wonder what you gentlemen think?" Ye Xinmei spoke again.

Many people secretly and carefully glanced at Emperor Jiang Zhenyi, and when they saw that the other party had no intention of objecting at all, their minds became active.

"At the beginning of the dynasty, the imperial capital was built on this wasteland. Almost all the materials needed for life had to be transferred from the south. It was a waste of money and manpower. I don't know how much money was wasted over the years."

"After the imperial capital moves south, these problems will no longer exist. Even if the foreign troops break through the Humen and Heshuo lines, there will still be enough buffer zones. So, I second the proposal." Diao Sijiang seemed to have been waiting for these words. Hearing this, he stepped forward and said.

"I second the proposal."

"I second the proposal."

"I second the proposal..."

……

For a moment, the voices of seconding the motion rose and fell, and the entire inner square was almost filled with seconding voices, and the mood was enthusiastic. However, outside the palace, there was a gloomy and gloomy atmosphere.

Ning Donglai, Yishan, Jiang Mo and others who had originally strongly opposed abandoning the Demon Realm Pass also remained silent at this time.

Moving the imperial capital southward is definitely the wish of almost all the wealthy and powerful. After all, the current location of the imperial capital is too desolate, with thousands of miles of barren land and almost no grass.

Moreover, the climate is inhospitable. Two-thirds of the twelve months of the year are covered by sandstorms, and even the food in your mouth always has a foul taste of sand and dirt.

As for the south, the climate is suitable, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, and it is more suitable for human habitation.

"It seems that the relocation of the imperial capital to the south is also what everyone wants. Does anyone have any objections?"

Faced with the surging voices of seconding, the Dali Emperor Jiang Zhenyi finally spoke. His tone was flat and no emotion could be seen, but there was a hint of expectation in his eyes as he glanced around the audience.

The whole place was silent, and most people had a look of joy in their eyes.

Jiang Yi stood quietly in the queue, with no emotion on his face, but he was sighing secretly in his heart.

Whether it was the Demon Realm Pass or the relocation of the capital, they were both extremely absurd in his opinion, but facing the overwhelming voices of seconding proposals, he was powerless.

He could stand up, but what would happen after that? He would probably immediately become the target of public criticism, and the main reason was that he didn't know what his great grandfather meant.

At today's grand court meeting, from beginning to end, the presence of the emperor of the Dali Dynasty was very weak. Instead, it was the Queen Ye Xinmei who was unusually active.

Of course, the most important thing is that he has to be patient and lurking.
But there are many ways to endure and lurk, and Jiang Yi will not really do nothing. He is waiting for a suitable opportunity.

"I disagree!"

Unexpectedly, the one who finally stood up to oppose was the confused prince Jiang Huan, who stood up tremblingly with a furious look on his face.

Many people looked at this old prince who had been "confused" for many years with suspicion. What happened today? He was unusually active.

"Whether it is abandoning the Demon Realm Pass or moving the capital, I do not agree!"

"The Demon Realm Pass was conquered by our ancestors with untold hardships. How can we give it up so easily?"

"As for this imperial capital, our ancestors even gave us a precept that forbids the imperial capital from moving south!"

As if she had expected this, Ye Xinmei continued, "Uncle, it's not that we don't want to defend Demon Realm Pass, we just can't do it any longer. Demon Realm Pass is a bitterly cold place, and the defenders there are already wailing and complaining, and their discontent is getting more and more intense. It's really hard to defend it any longer."

Diao Sijiang then stepped out of the line and echoed with a sigh, "Your Highness, you don't know that after the defeat a month ago, the resistance of the soldiers guarding the Demon Realm Pass is getting stronger and stronger. If we suppress them further, it may cause a fierce backlash..."

"Moreover, I'm afraid that using ancestral precepts alone will not be enough to convince those arrogant soldiers and generals. After all, ancestral precepts say that the royal family guards the country's borders!"

"But it has been many years since the royal family personally took charge of Demon Realm Pass... If we want to convince these arrogant soldiers and generals, we must take actual action."

Ye Xinmei raised her eyebrows when she heard this and glanced at Diao Sijiang. It seemed that the other party had said too much. Just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted by a loud voice:

"Grandfather, I am willing to follow our ancestral teachings and guard the country forever!"

(End of this chapter)