It was the second Wednesday of April, and it rained continuously. The warmth that had just arisen in early spring was extinguished by the wind and rain that lasted for two days.
Two armies were facing each other tensely inside and outside Wincheston Manor. Outside the manor were nearly three hundred elites of the Western Frontier Army, and inside the manor were more than a hundred elite Welsh regiments.
At stood on the wooden wall on the north side of the manor, letting the rain fall on his cloak. This cloak was smeared with the juice of a special local plant to make it waterproof, and it has become a must-have for legionnaires.
Odo, the adjutant of the legion who accompanied Art, took off his hood, glanced at the Western Army camp more than 300 steps away, and said: "Sir, it seems that they will not attack by force today. They are probably still waiting for the baggage team behind."
「您说他们是怎么想的？带着三百个人来攻打我们五百人，他们哪来的自信？」
这支西军在征粮队被歼灭后次日一大早就全军开拔朝温切斯顿庄园奔来。
But before the team could get close to the manor, they were trapped by traps and holes all along the way to the north.
Him hurriedly prepared and began to storm the outer wall of the manor. As a result, the Western army, who was only carrying a wooden ladder to climb the city, was repulsed by the sudden appearance of bows and arrows on the outer wall as soon as they approached the manor.
So they stopped for the next two days and waited steadily for the team dispatched from the north to arrive outside the manor carrying food supplies and siege equipment.
"Sir, our brigade has arrived at Lane Manor. Do you want to order them to attack? We will attack from inside and outside and annihilate these three hundred drowned rats in one fell swoop." More than 300 people from the remaining six flag groups of the Wells Army have arrived at Lane Manor. They can rush over as long as Art gives an order.
At was noncommittal, staring at the Western Army camp outside the manor, and asked: "Do you think you can defeat those Western troops?"
"Yes!" Odo answered affirmatively.
"Then how much price do we have to pay."
Odo was speechless for a moment. If the Welsh Army were allowed to fight in the wild with this Western Army, the chance of victory would be great, but its own casualties would certainly be high.
What do you mean?”
Matt dusted off the water drops on his cloak and replied: "I don't know who gave them the confidence to dare to come here to die empty-handed. They can't hold on for long. Order the sergeant major and the others to continue to stop the baggage train from the north for me. There are troops from Lane Manor hanging outside the wall. The Western Army would never dare to go to the north to pick up the baggage. Without the supplies of the baggage team, their soldiers would have nothing to do but plunder. If they had the guts to loot nearby, the county and city garrison would have something to do. "
The western border army is indeed in a difficult situation.
Since the failure of the first attack on Wincheston Manor, it was doomed that they would not be able to "recover" the lost ground.
The outer wall defense of Wincheston Manor was stronger than they imagined, and it would be difficult to capture the outer wall without siege equipment.
However, the baggage convoy sent by Count Bernard, consisting of one hundred Earl's soldiers and two hundred army laborers, was blocked by a cavalry team and several elusive special teams. There were constant traps along the road, and night raids were unexpected. The baggage team had already traveled for four days in the short two-day journey from the southern border of Lucese to the county town of Tyniec. Every night, working farmers with mental breakdowns escaped, and more than fifty large and small grain trucks had been burned down.
The most helpless thing about the Western Army was that they were unable to do anything about it. When the baggage train arrived two days overdue, the Western Army prepared to send a large team to the north to greet them. However, an army of 300 people suddenly appeared in Lane Manor south of Wincheston. This army looked ready to pounce and bite them at any time. As long as the Western Army dared to move, the 300 soldiers in Lane Manor might join the more than 100 defenders in Wincheston Manor to stab them in the butt.
The most fatal thing is the lack of food and grass in the Western Army camp. Two days ago, they boldly led their troops to plunder a small manor north of Wincheston. As a result, the Tyniec County City garrison immediately prepared for war and prepared to leave the city to fight the Western Army. Viscount Pierre immediately ordered all the lords in the county to prepare for war. In addition, Tynets County was the direct territory of the Marquis of Ivrea, and the Western Army could not escape like bandits, so the risk of attacking in Tynets County was too great.
I thought it was a pack of wolves that had entered the henhouse, but now I found out that the sheep had fallen into the wolf's den. The Western Army could only repeatedly reduce the daily rations, hoping that the baggage trains in the north could overcome many difficulties and transport the food here.
As for the heroic talk of capturing Wincheston Manor in one fell swoop, no one mentioned it anymore. They could only hope that the baggage train would arrive to replenish supplies, and then they would be surrounded for ten days and a half and give instructions to their superiors before withdrawing...
... .........
Fifteen miles north of Tyniec County, the bodies of the cavalry raid on the battlefield a few days ago have been collected and buried by the Western Army, but the dried blood on the ground has been washed into bloody mud by the continuous rain.
But at this time, this place became a construction site for land reclamation and farming. Attracted by the "high" salary of one pfenni a day for food and drink, hundreds of civilian farmers from nearby villages came here to carry out their best work - digging soil, carrying hoes and shovels, leading oxen and horses, and heavy plows hung with iron share.
Centered on the North-South Highway, the surrounding half-mile area is already covered with deep pits and large holes. Many ravines of different depths have also been dug in the farmland, and artificial obstacles have been set up even in the farmland and wasteland further away from the road. ....
On the top of a boulder beside the road, Redoan, who had just returned, was beside Angus. He looked at the farm tools and hoes that the farmers kept waving, and couldn't help but said: "Lord Angus, I still This is the first time I have seen people using hoes and plows to fight. Now I have gained some experience."
"Such things are already commonplace for us. Your Excellency once said that no matter how hard you deal with the enemy. No sinister plot is too much. "
"You must send orders to the soldiers on guard around you to keep your eyes open. We can send people to attack their baggage, and they may also attack our farmers."
Redoan took the order and jumped off the boulder and ran towards his men who were on guard and sentry around the "construction site"...
Matt didn't know the strength of the western border army, so when he dispatched the army to fight north, he transferred Redoan, who had just surrendered, and his "warriors" to the north for backup. These guys were all gangsters, and their combat power was definitely stronger than the peasant soldiers in the territory. They could also be useful at critical moments.
No, Angus brought this group of people with him when he was ordered to take charge of the northern resistance war.
The task force led by Stanley and the cavalry led by Lusignan were specifically responsible for sneak attacks and cannibalizing the baggage train, while Angus was personally responsible for digging traps and holes on the path of the baggage train to block their progress southward.
Such interceptions have been carried out twice, but this time the spectacle was the largest. Angus not only allowed all Redoan's men to return to their old profession, but also hired many farmers from nearby villages to help dig traps and obstacles.
As for the roadblocks dug today, it would be impossible for the baggage team to fill them up in less than a day, and it is impossible for the cavalry and the task force to allow them to fill the holes with peace of mind...
In the wasteland beside the road on the north side of Wincheston Manor, a temporary camp built with dead branches, weeds and rags and carpets was desolate.
It was raining in the sky, and there was mud under our feet. Wet wood was not easy to burn, and it took a long time to light it, but it only produced thick, choking smoke.
The soldier who lit the fire was choked by the smoke and coughed, and his eyes were blood-red. "I've had enough! If I soak it any longer, it will turn into mud. It's better to rush up and die under the wall!"
The soldier kicked away the smoky firewood pile, and the only spark was extinguished by the muddy water on the ground. Next to the fire squatted a few Western soldiers who were soaked in rags and blankets by the rain. They rolled their eyelids and glanced at this guy who was out of control, then lowered their heads and continued to recuperate.
They had not had enough to eat or drink for several days. They were cold and hungry and did not want to lose their temper and waste their energy like this fool.
The rest of the people in the camp were not much better. Except for the personal guards of Viscount Sauron and the knight officers who could barely eat enough these days, the rest of the soldiers could only eat one meal of thin soup and wheat paste every day. They had no food in their stomachs and did not dare to plunder. Naturally, everyone had no energy and just found a place that could barely shelter from the wind and rain to hide.
Frustration spread day by day, and an atmosphere of uneasiness enveloped the temporary camp.
As the commander of the Western Army, the leading Viscount Sauron had noticed that the soldiers were about to mutiny, and he once again convened the officers for a military meeting to discuss countermeasures.
"Alban, you are the adjutant of the legion, tell me your opinion." Sauron named the baron who was sitting next to him with his head bowed and led the army to propose countermeasures.
The baron who led the army bowed and replied slowly: "My lord, now we are deep in the quagmire, and we may be annihilated if we move even slightly. I think we should pull out the feet we are stuck in."
The adjutant said it very euphemistically. What he meant was that the Western Army was in a desperate situation and it was time to escape from this trap.
A man who looked like a leading knight took over the topic and said: "Now we have stepped into the quagmire. It is not that easy to get out. If we are not careful, the wild dogs in Lane Manor will rush out and bite us."
"How about we make peace with Baron Art?" The leading knight asked tentatively.
"No!" Commander Viscount Sauron and command adjutant Albon refused in unison.
Alban and Sauron looked at each other and said: "We must not make peace with Art. It doesn't matter whether we can win this battle or not, but if we make peace with our opponents in private, Count Bernard will definitely not let us go in the future."
"Adjutant, we have to find a way, right? My soldiers are on the verge of collapse. If I hadn't tried my best to suppress them, they would have mutinied long ago." The leading knight was so anxious that his eyes almost bulged out.
Other officers at all levels in the military tent also nodded in agreement and started discussing among themselves in whispers.
Sauron's head was so big that he had already secretly cursed the bastard who suggested to Count Bernard that the Western Army launch a simple assault on Tyniec ten thousand times. If it hadn't been for this bad note from the count's advisers who thought they were proficient in military strategy, I would never have led an elite Western army to tremble like a wild dog in the rainy mud of the southeastern mountains.
Taking a long breath, Sauron calmed down the anger in his heart, "Quiet, everyone!"
The arguments and screams in the military tent slowly stopped.
"Send the order! Pack up the camp secretly, set up camp in the dark at night, and go straight to the north to join the baggage train!"