Chapter 1976: Overstepping Authority

After Li He's troops seized supplies from the French forces, they were temporarily out of their predicament.

However, there was still a long distance to their marching destination.

At this time, General Li's Longyan army, under his strategy.

Those refugees, having obtained cold weapons, were attacking the French troops at the port.

Although the refugees captured a few French positions that were not particularly important.

They were still intercepted by the French troops; the refugee army, having no command and only thinking of looting, was quickly routed after encountering the French regular army.

But such a strategy consolidated the Longyan army's defense in Xini Cheng and resolved the food crisis in Xini Cheng.

However, the consequence of doing this was that these refugees no longer trusted Xie Fang's government.

A large portion of them had immigrated here, originally aiming for Australia's free trade, the Longyan army's leasing, and Dual Citizenship.

For them, there was no sense of belonging to Xie Fang's government, so they would not have much affection for it either.

As for the local inhabitants, they lived even more miserably, as Xie Fang's government was still a Monarchy.

These local inhabitants engaged in farming were even more disgusted with Xie Fang's government.

Therefore, it did not matter whether they believed in Xie Fang's government or not.

The key was the Longyan people themselves; Australia was a place they had conquered, and it was absolutely impossible to hand it over to the French troops.

This was absolutely impossible.

Upon learning that the refugees were fighting against them, Delu was so angry his nose was almost crooked.

Originally, this strategy was one he used to trap Xini Cheng and weaken their strength, but now it had turned into these refugees beginning to plunder their territory.

This forced Delu to send out troops to suppress them.

Although he won, it also caused him quite a few losses.

Several small towns inhabited by French people were destroyed; these were the industrial zones they had established.

Long ago, they had been laying out plans to attack Australia.

This industrial zone could be quickly converted into their logistical support.

But because of the refugees, this industrial zone suffered damage and required a certain amount of time to repair.

This would lead to a strain on the front lines.

For them, this was not good news.

General Li took advantage of this opportunity to quickly build fortresses and strongholds on the outskirts of Xini Cheng, as Xini Cheng was close to the coastline.

It was a vast, flat area, originally with no natural defenses to hold.

They needed to use these fortresses and strongholds to protect Xini Cheng; furthermore, because of the previous siege situation.

General Li had to turn the areas surrounding Xini Cheng into agricultural planting zones to achieve self-sufficiency, so as to avoid being besieged and attacked by French troops again.

After experiencing this battle, the number of refugees dropped by a large portion, and the remaining refugees were also absorbed into the city by General Li to participate in construction.

Moreover, relying on such a corrupted Longyan army to fight now was destined to be swept away by the French troops; they had to build a force that was not corrupted and still capable of fighting.

In the past, the expansion of the Longyan army was dispatched from Longyan, but the current Longyan army in Australia had been made independent.

Longyan absolutely did not allow the existence of a military leasing policy.

Therefore, under these circumstances, Xie Fang's troops were currently in a state of self-sufficiency, and recruitment could only be sought among those Longyan people who had immigrated to Australia.

But in the current situation, if soldiers were only recruited from among the Longyan people.

Most of the Longyan people who immigrated to Australia had only come to Australia because they could not survive in Longyan.

But such people were also few and far between, and the system had not been reformed.

Therefore, the current Longyan army was still dominated by those old veterans, and no fresh blood had been added for a very long time.

If it were in normal times, letting such matters slide or slowing them down would be fine.

But that would not do now.

Now was a special period, and troop strength had to be replenished; without consulting Xie Fang, General Li issued an order to expand the troops.

And he allowed the indigenous people and immigrants in Australia to join the Longyan army, and he also reformed the troops.

The Longyan army in Australia was officially renamed the Long-Ao United Army.

The government established by Xie Fang was originally a Monarchy, and such an order should have been approved and passed by Xie Fang.

But this time, General Li gathered the officials in Xini Cheng, held a meeting, and used a vote to confirm this plan, which was ultimately passed unanimously.

Many immigrants and indigenous people in Xini Cheng chose to join the troops at this time.

This was not because they had any sense of belonging to Australia.

Or how much hatred they had for the French troops.

The reason they chose to join the troops was purely because the food distributed by the troops was a little more than what ordinary people got.

They did not want to endure that gnawing hunger, so they chose to join the troops.

But this news quickly reached Xie Fang's ears.

"Absurd!"

"Without my permission, how dare he change the military system!"

"And expand the troops without authorization!"

"Does he want to be executed along with his entire clan!"

"Issue an edict immediately, tell Li De to come see me at once!"

Xie Fang's furious voice resounded throughout the entire hall, but no one moved; his imperial majesty was like a joke at this moment.

He looked at his Prime Minister and asked coldly: "You knew about this long ago."

The Prime Minister stepped out, bowed slightly, and said: "Your Majesty, General Li had already notified me. This subject believes that although this approach lacks decorum, it is not unacceptable!"

"Your Majesty, now is an extraordinary time, and extraordinary measures should be taken!"

Xie Fang was stunned, looking at his Prime Minister, then looking at the assembled officials: "Are you all trying to rebel!"

The crowd knelt down in unison and pressed him, saying: "We implore Your Majesty to grant your approval!"

Seeing these ministers who had once all opposed one another now colluding together to deal with him.

Xie Fang sat on the imperial throne and gritted his teeth: "Have you all gone mad? Li De humiliated the imperial court and treated the system as nothing, yet you actually come with him to pressure Us."

His hand pressed against the precious sword at his waist, and with a clang, Xie Fang drew the sword, pointed it directly at these ministers, and shouted: "Do you really think I dare not kill you!"

The court officials remained unmoved, staring at Xie Fang and saying: "We implore Your Majesty to grant your approval!"

An emperor without an army and without the ability to govern could not even suppress these ministers.

When Xie Fang established the Australia government, he relied on the financial support of Longyan.

But now, every single thing Xie Fang has done is merely for the sake of his own desires.

As for the development of Australia, he has not taken it to heart at all.

This time, when the French troops invaded Australia, General Li He gave Xie Fang a warning very early on, but he listened to nothing, instead trusting Delu, that French man.

Only now has such a disaster been caused.

After the war broke out, Xie Fang only cared about fleeing for his own life and completely ignored the most valuable and core scientists and engineers of Australia.

This allowed the French to intercept many Longyan scientists and engineers; these were the most precious resources that Longyan had originally provided to them as aid.

But now, Xie Fang asks nothing about them; these ambitious people who followed Xie Fang have now seen his true face, and they no longer want to continue working for Xie Fang.

Australia must be allowed to usher in true development.