The prelude to the war began with a document from the capital.

“The emperor of the Roland Empire orders the commander of the empire’s northwest corps, Lu Gao, and the generals of the northwest army. Because of the high casualties in Stormwind army, the army of Northwest will march to north to guard against the beast tides. Within one month after receiving the order, the Northwest Army will go to Imperial Northern Theater in accordance with the marching route stipulated by the Military Command. The Northwest Army will take over the Northern Theater. The personnel arrangement in the Northwest Army will not be changed. The leader of the Northwest Army Corps, Lu Gao, will be the commander in the northern theatre. The salaries of all army generals will be double. Stormwind army will take over the northwest.

Signed by Robb Scher, Acting Military General. ”

This document was sent to the Northwest Army’s Watt Fortress at the same time and an exact copy was placed on Du Wei’s desk.

Without any doubt, even after the content of this document was spread even idiots knew that it was time to fight.

Everyone knows what it meant to “change the defense.”

For the Northwest Army, their turf covered half of Nuling Province and had been operating in the Northwest for twenty years. If this time “changing defense” was equivalent to leaving their territory. The big tree which had no root would only end up dead.

Moreover, the Northwest Army had not listened to any orders of the empire for past two decades, but it was still an imperial army in name.

For Lu Gao, commander of the Northwest Army, he was also very clear that this was a final signal of the empire.

He had to made life-threatening decision. Either accepts the empire’s order to change defenses and then waiting for northwest army to be disintegrated by the empire after it reached the north.

Or, refuse Empire’s imperial order. As long as he refuses, it was the crime of “defying the military order”, “treason”, etc. Next, it will be… war.

This year, the empire recruited a large number of recruits and then Du Wei also dispatched 100,000 soldiers in the northwest. Moreover, Governor Bohan was also actively preparing for the battle. The Imperial City Guards sent another division northwest … Everything was already very obvious.

As for the Northwest Army, it seemed that there were very few army movements.

Lu Gao was also very clear in his heart that everything he had been able to do before was because the empire did not want to start a civil war that would hurt its vitality. In order to stabilize and maintain peace on the surface, the emperor was reluctant to wage civil war.

But now, he didn’t know why, that young regent made this decision!

Lu Gao knew better than anyone else that once the empire made up its mind. Even if it had to pay a large price, it would likely win in the end. No matter in terms of population, military strength, war potential etc., empire was far stronger than him. He was a general facing a huge empire.

He had to make the smartest decision now.

Northwest Army, Watt Fortress, The Northwest Army Commander House.