Chapter 616 Prelude to the War
..—Master, I think they were your people three days ago. "Ron bowed his head and whispered in Art's ear,
with a bit of pride.
Yat did not answer, his face even looked a little solemn. It is true that he wants to recruit a few capable subordinates, but the war is imminent, and his confidants rush to snatch people from the monarch. Once this is exposed, the suspicion between the monarch and his ministers will inevitably deepen again.
Flanders's ears and eyes are almost all over the Burgundy Kingdom and the surrounding principalities, and any slightest disturbance will be reported to his ears.
But as Ron was his loyal personal attendant, it was inconvenient for Art to scold his subordinates for their mistakes as he did in the past. Sighing lightly, he had no choice but to speak in another way: "Ron, the current situation is unclear. Have you figured out the background of those two guys?"
A few days ago, Ron and a few of his men were having fun in the wooden castle's own tavern, and several guys from the Palace Guards' Crossbow Corps also jumped in. Drink the Welsh beer produced in the valley inside to relieve the fatigue of the long march in recent days. Ron, who was sitting aside, remained silent, just quietly listening to the conversation of several people, and occasionally glancing at the polished crossbows beside the table. After many years of marching and fighting, Ron has already developed a keen eye for "recognizing goods". Just by looking at a few crossbows leaning against the wall, they could tell that their master had been fighting on the battlefield for many years, and if he could survive, he was by no means an ordinary person. There were also a few people who drank until they got excited and complained, confided their true feelings, or boasted about the countless innocent souls that had fallen under their arrows. As a result, Ron basically knew the details of several people.
But the reason why Ron was sure that several of these guys could be brought under the Art Demon's control was not complicated. Although they are members of the Praetorian Guards' crossbow unit, their salaries are not even as high as those of ordinary soldiers of the Welsh Legion. In addition, the relationships in the palace were complicated, and important positions were almost controlled by the powerful. It was difficult for ordinary soldiers to rise through the ranks through military exploits. Although Flanders is a king, even if he intends to promote some outstanding soldiers, he must still consider the interests of the old and new powerful people behind him. A few guys looked at each other and said something, which made them feel bitter. Especially after learning about the treatment of the soldiers in the Wells Legion, several people even yearned for it and intended to join the Earl of Xinpu.
As a soldier, if you have no background or connections and want to take the next step, you have no choice but to find another way. The reputation of the Wells Legion spread like wildfire with the end of the Succession War, and it naturally became a place that professional mercenaries flocked to. Compared with the Palace Guards Corps and other lords' private soldiers, the Wells Corps has the fairest promotion system and the soldiers receive the highest treatment. What's even more attractive is that those who pass the legion's screening can also settle down here. Even if they die in battle, their families will have a generous pension to continue living. If he followed other lords, most of his land and houses would be confiscated, and his wife and daughter would either be taken back by the lord, or they would live on the streets sleeping rough. Looking at the whole of Burgundy, there is no better place to stay than here.
When leaving his tavern, seeing that the time was right, Ron specially gave a few people a large barrel of Welsh beer, and left a message: The Province of Wales will never treat every soldier who has shed blood and sweat poorly.
Several people looked at each other, but each of them also had an answer in his heart. "-Oh, tell me and listen." Art held the waist-high railing with both hands, and his eyes moved back and forth between the two army positions.
"What I mean is, as long as they are the people that the master wants, I can make them serve the master."
Att turned his head and glanced at Ron. The torn scar was no longer as terrifying as before. It not only represented the glory of the warrior, but also brought infinite wisdom to this confidant. He saw that the young man behind the scar who used to have a low self-esteem disappeared, and the person standing in front of him turned into a mature, steady and thoughtful backbone of the legion.
Att said nothing, nodded slightly, patted Ron on the shoulder twice, and then shifted his gaze to the battlefield and back to the west gate of the Guards camp. After several rounds of arrows, seven or eight Lombards fell to the ground. Although he shot a few arrows towards the opposite side from time to time, they lacked accuracy and most of them landed in empty areas where there was no one. The Praetorian Guards' crossbow unit suppressed the Lombards with absolute superiority, forcing the opponents to hide behind a tight shield formation.
Seeing that the time was right, following the commander's order, the suspension bridge built between the wide trenches kicked up the dust on the ground with a muffled sound, connecting the inside and outside of the camp.
Dozens of light cavalry who had been hiding in the dark, armed with spears and swords, kicked the horses' belly with wolf kicks, and rushed towards the still unaware Lombard crossbowmen like a gust of wind.
Dong~
The sound of arrows fired at the Lombards hitting the wooden boards became increasingly sparse. A bold soldier moved his shield slightly, trying to use the gap to check the situation outside. Just as he was about to move his shield, the ground beneath his feet began to shake slightly, and then there was the familiar sound of horse hooves. The sound became louder and louder, and the earthquake on the ground became more obvious. "Enemy attack!" A scream caused the Lombard soldier hiding behind the shield to look left and right, with a gradually panicked look on his face. Just as the dozens of surviving guys moved their shields away, a spear penetrated the heart of a shield-handler through the suddenly opened gap. The shield lying in his hand took down the archer behind him under the impact of the huge force. Then, there was a unilateral massacre——
The cavalry who rushed into the Lombard crossbow team swung their chain hammers and smashed the forehead of a Lombard soldier on the spot. The iron spikes on the hammer penetrated the entire skull. As the horses ran, the chain hammer in the cavalry's hands pulled hard and directly opened the Lombard soldier's sky cover. The brains mixed with blood spilled on the ground~
In the blink of an eye, most of the Lombard archers had been hacked to death. The remaining Lombard cavalry and infantry mercenaries standing behind the formation were so shocked by the sudden attack that they did not react for a while. It wasn't until a few lucky guys threw away their shields and ran towards their own positions that the Lombard commander reacted. He immediately drew out his long sword and shouted, "Chop those bastards!"
When everything was ready to attack the Burangdians, the opposing cavalry stopped fifty paces away. Neither advancing nor retreating, they just stood and watched, showing no signs of further attack.
The two sides faced off for half a bowl of rice. Just as the Lombard cavalry was preparing to take the initiative to attack, dozens of cavalrymen of the Praetorian Guards had slowly reached into the sheepskin bags straddling their horses. The prelude to an unprecedented battle will begin with this small-scale cavalry battle.