Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 431 The great alliance moves forward (3)

  [Gyeongho County]

  [mountain intersection]

  The rammed earth road is divided into two in front: one leads to Changhu Town, and then leads to Bazenauer; the other leads to Qingyin Mountain Pass, and then leads to Maplestone City.

  The advancing army also split into two groups at the intersection:

   Troops from Baishan County, Leiqun County and Bianjiang County continued northward along the Dajiao River to help Bazenauer, who was still holding on;

  The troops from Tiefeng County headed east, crossed the Qingyin Mountain Pass, and marched towards Green Valley Town.

  The horns were silent, the war drums were silent, and the heavily armed soldiers hurriedly plunged into the mists of the unknown. Only the morning bell of prayer floated from the distant village to see them off.

   Two soldiers, one old and one small, stood side by side at the intersection on horseback, watching the warriors who might usher in a completely different fate.

"The mission you shoulder is even greater than the mission of the Minghe Camp when the Chihe Department was crusaded. The enemy's reinforcements may or may not come, but no matter how many or not they come, you must ensure that the army has a back path. No worries."

  The old soldier Colonel Bode turned his head to look at the young soldier Winters, with a serious and painful tone: "Don't let us repeat the mistakes of the Battle of the Great Wilderness."

   "I am ordered." Winters solemnly raised his hand to salute: "I wish victory!"

   Colonel Bode solemnly returned the salute with his remaining right arm: "For peace."

  …

  [two days ago]

  [Site of the pre-war assessment meeting]

   The assessment meeting before the war has always been regardless of military ranks and no taboos. The participating officers sat or stood around the map, and a cavalry captain was the first to speak:

"If the information is correct, Sanel took at least two-thirds of the troops in Maplestone City and Maple Leaf Fort. The remaining troops huddled in Maple Leaf Fort, leaving the city to the city militia to defend themselves. As long as we can reach Maplestone City It is not difficult to reach an agreement with the city council. At that time, we only need to deal with the enemies in Maple Leaf Fort. Whether it is a siege or a storm, the initiative will be in our hands.”

   "Commander." The captain took the initiative to ask Colonel Bode: "I am willing to go to Maplestone City as a messenger and convince the city council to open the city anyway."

   "Your idea is too optimistic! It is completely based on the premise that the enemy will act according to your plan." Another major present shook his head: "What if Maplestone City does not surrender?"

   "If you don't surrender, then hit them until they surrender." The cavalry captain replied humbly.

The major asked coldly: "Where are Maplestone City and Maple Leaf Fort so easy to fight? That's the headquarters of the Legion! If we can't conquer it for a long time, then should we wait for Sanel to come back and wipe us out? Under Maplestone City?"

The cavalry captain explained his strategy: "We don't need to actually launch a storm - we just need to look like we're launching a storm. As soon as we know that Maplestone is lost, Sanel will be so anxious and come back at full speed, we can choose the battlefield. , wait for work, and wipe out Sanel under Maplestone City."

   "Losong." Colonel Skool, who was listening to the argument between the two, softly called the name of the cavalry captain.

"Yes."

Colonel   School asked thoughtfully: "Have you ever thought about what situation we will face if Sanel doesn't come back to help, or if he comes back slowly and steadily?"

"How could they not be in a hurry to come back to help?" Captain Luo Song was startled and asked suspiciously: "The traitor's baggage, weapons, food and grass are all hoarded in Maplestone City and Maple Leaf Fort. Once Maplestone City loses, they will be in the new land. Withered grass without roots, a fire will disappear. Not to mention the symbolic significance of Maplestone City. How could they not be in a hurry to return to help?"

   "Withered grass without roots? In a hurry to return to help?" Colonel Skool repeated these two words, shook his head, and said in a deep voice, "That's not necessarily true."

  Skull stood up, used his scabbard to draw a line along the Jade River on the map, and looked around at the officers participating in the assessment meeting: "Don't forget, there is also a clear road here."

The wind blew the map, and Colonel Skool held on to the hilt of his sword, with a haze in his eyes: "The United Provinces have strengthened the fleet of the Great Council, and the Jade River is now firmly in the grip of the Great Council. In my hand. On the Jhinliu River today, ships flying the red rose flag are unhindered."

Skool pointed at the map with the scabbard: "If we choose to hit Maplestone City, then Sanel can completely take down Bazenauer first, get supplies directly from the Kings Castle through the Jade River Channel, and then deal with us slowly. "

   "What will happen then?" Skool asked Loshon: "Have you thought about it?"

  The shabby stables quieted down, and before Captain Losson could speak, Colonel Skool asked himself:

"Even if we can take Maplestone and Mapleleaf Castle, we will lose the initiative. Our main force will be pinned down in Maplestone by Sanel, unable to move; the Grand Council army of the Northern Foothills Province will attack Thundergroup County. And Bianjiang County launched an offensive to support Sanel; seeing that we are in a dilemma and facing the enemy, I am afraid Sandel in Vigne County will also end. At that time, it will only be a matter of time before we are strangled."

   The lieutenants present looked at each other. If in the standing regiment, the lieutenant does not have the opportunity to participate in the military assessment meeting. But in new fields lacking officers, lieutenants also took up intermediate command positions.

  However, the lieutenants who participated in the pre-war assessment meeting for the first time did not expect that the colonel would make the situation so serious. It was simply... It was simply increasing the ambition of others and destroying their own prestige.

   "Okay! Don't scare the children!" Colonel Geisa laughed and pointed at the lieutenants: "Look, one by one, your face is white with fright!"

The    lieutenants also laughed embarrassedly, and the depressed and depressed atmosphere was temporarily relieved.

"No, I'm not being an alarmist." Colonel Skool didn't appreciate it, he looked at the faces of every lieutenant: "Most of you were sent to new fields right after you left school, and have never experienced a real war. So before you step on the battlefield, I want you to understand what situation you will face and what risks you will take."

   Some lieutenants bravely met Colonel Skool's scrutiny, while others bowed their heads in shame.

  School's gaze finally rested on Winters Montagne, who neither looked at him nor had any shame on his face, but just sat upright with his knees on his knees.

Colonel Skool retracted his gaze and told everyone present with a cold voice: "In fact, I think Maplestone City is simply the bait thrown by Sanel, to lure us to send troops and lure us to attack. Once we swallow this bait, Sanel will It will take the initiative in return.”

He paused for a moment and continued: "Even... I think that Sanel and Chloe's eagerness to attack Bazenauer is actually luring the enemy. He wanted to kill two birds with one stone and encircle Arpad's troops, Lead us out and wipe them all out. Then he will be able to wipe out the new land in one fell swoop, and wipe out all those who oppose the Great Council, who oppose the traitorous Grove Magnus."

   It was already May, but the officers present felt a little chill.

Colonel Skool was silent for a long time, and waited for the lieutenants present to gradually accept the reality before they spoke, and asked: "Since we already know that the other party is deliberately tempting us to send troops, why are we still here? We know it may be a trap, why do we still step on it? "

  The stables were silent.

Colonel    took a deep breath and scolded the worried lieutenants:

"You are going to learn the first lesson from actual combat today-war, there is never a strategy that can be won! Just like a swordsman duel, Sanel revealed a flaw. Whether he did it on purpose or not is irrelevant to us at all. The important thing is - seize the opportunity! A fake may help you win, but it may also kill you! No matter what Sanel's plan is, the important thing is to follow our plan, it's that simple!"

   "Well said!" Colonel Geisa on the side laughed while touching his palms: "What care does he have? Let's stab him down! See him on the battlefield!"

Colonel   School noticed that Winters Montagne, who had been silent, also looked up at him.

   "Senior." Colonel Skool faced Colonel Bode and bowed slightly: "[Planning can depend on everyone, but decisions must be made by one person], Maplestone City is still Bazenauer, please give your order!"

   Colonel Bode did not answer directly, but looked at Skool and said with a smile: "You should be in the standing regiment, in the army headquarters, how could you be stuffed into the new land?"

   All the officers present were taken aback.

"You have already explained the truth, so what else is there to say. If Sanell is resolved, Maplestone will not be able to attack itself; if Sanel is not resolved, even if you take Maplestone, you will not be able to hold it." Colonel Bode stood up. , clearly giving the command:

   "Detour to Changhu Town, go straight to Bazenauer, and look for opportunities to fight with the Saner Department - the main force!"

   All the other officers present stood at attention and saluted neatly: "Yes!"

   However, Captain Luo Song was still very unwilling. After hesitating again and again, he still asked:

"Maybe we can try Maplestone first. If Maplestone doesn't surrender, we can also go to Bazenauer—just a detour. The baggage in Maplestone's warehouses is piled up like a mountain, all of which are collected by General Adams. It came down. Being able to get those supplies back will be of great help to the next war.”

"A little detour?" An officer retorted: "It takes at least two more days to go around Maplestone City. You can't wait more than a day at Bazenauer. Maybe it's just because we delayed a day, Bazenauer's troops will The whole army will be wiped out.”

   Silence fell in the stable.

   Suddenly an officer asked with a smile, "Wouldn't that be better?"

   Hearing this, many officers laughed along with them. But there were also several officers with sullen faces, apparently not finding the joke funny.

   Winters didn't laugh or get angry, just silently observed the expressions of everyone present.

   Coincidentally, Skool was also watching Winters.

  The eyes of the two met, and Winters nodded slightly, then turned away.

Colonel Skool patiently explained to Captain Losson, showing that he took his subordinate seriously: "Sooner or later our whereabouts will be revealed—in fact, I think it is likely that Sarnell has learned of our movements. So we Every wasted day is an extra day of rest for Sarnell."

Colonel Skool's brows tightened unconsciously: "What's more, since the day he captured Maplestone City and killed General Adams, Sarnell has been asking the Great Council for help. Every day we delay, Sarnell's reinforcements leave. We're closer. Time is our helper—and our enemy."

   "Okay, don't talk nonsense." Colonel Geisa said with a haha: "Fight Sarnell first. After winning Sarnell, we will talk about it after winning Sarnell."

   The immediate commander said something, and the lieutenants didn't say anything more.

Colonel Bird did not speak. He was not familiar with the lieutenants who served in the New Reclamation Corps, nor did the lieutenants know him.

   When the stables were quiet again and the officers swept the grass clippings off their trousers and were about to leave the camp of the new army in Tiefeng County, Colonel Bode suddenly said, "Captain Montagne."

"exist."

   "You don't need to go with the main force to Bazenaul. Colonel Geisa, Colonel Skool and I have other arrangements for you."

  …

  [Gyeongho County]

  [Green Valley Town]

Lvgu Town, located on the banks of the Achyranthes River, is a beautiful, peaceful and peaceful town. Qingmeng Mountain and Yinque Mountain are like two outstretched arms holding it in their arms. The vegetation in the valley is lush and lush. Named "Green Valley".

  The Achyranthes River originating from Qingmeng Mountain provides abundant irrigation water for agriculture, so the flat land along both sides of the river has long been reclaimed as farmland, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the newly reclaimed land.

   In addition, there is the only stone arch bridge over the Achyranthes River in Green Valley Town, and most of the caravans who come and go choose to cross the river, which makes the town more prosperous.

  It took only thirty years for the new land to be conquered, and the town of Green Valley has become one of the wealthiest towns in the province.

   At a glance, the small town with green walls and red tiles in the middle of the valley is pleasing to the eye.

   However, for Winters, who wants to capture Green Valley, the blue walls and red tiles mean that most of the buildings in the town are made of stone - which is not a good thing.

  Sarnell apparently left a troop garrison in Green Valley. When Winters approached for reconnaissance, he found that the town of Green Valley had entered a state of alert: the gate was closed, the pedestrians disappeared, the fence was patrolled, and the tower was also set up with sentries.

After    circled around the high wall of Green Valley Town, Winters counted fourteen centurion flags and brigade banners, that is, two brigade, a thousand people.

  The high wall of Green Valley Town is not a rushed wooden fence like Shovel Harbor, but a solid earth and stone structure.

  The wealth accumulated in the town allows it to enjoy a higher level of security, and coupled with the thousands of defenders, it is really a tough bone to crack.

  Fortunately, Winters also discovered another situation - the alert direction of Green Valley Town is mainly the south bank, not the north bank where the new army of Iron Peak is located.

   Because Colonel Bode believed that when the army was less than 50 kilometers away from Maplestone City, concealment would be meaningless, and speed was the key to victory.

   Therefore, in the past two days, when the main force of the coalition forces of the four counties marched along the Dajiao River to Qingmeng Town, the light cavalry units of the coalition forces carried out a large-scale feint on the outskirts of Maplestone City, creating the illusion that the coalition forces were about to attack Maplestone City.

   The defenders of Green Valley Town were obviously deceived by the action of the light cavalry, thinking that the attack would come from the south, but they did not know that the enemy had already crossed the Qingyin Mountain Pass and circled behind them.

Therefore, Winters chose the attack time at dusk. The offensive would be launched from the south bank by the second battalion, which secretly crossed the river from the upper reaches, but the real main attack task was handed over to the first and third battalions hidden on the north bank, and the remaining battalion was Winters remained on hand as a reserve.

  …

  [at dusk]

  [Outside Green Valley Town]

   All units of the new army in Tiefeng County have already entered the sortie position, just waiting for the cannon to fire.

   Winters set up the command post in a vineyard in the west of the town. From the roof of the owner of the vineyard, you can see the whole town at a glance.

  While Winters was closely observing the situation in Green Valley, Andre groaned beside him.

   "What's the matter?" Winters asked.

"What's wrong?" Andre was so angry that he took a sip of wine and said angrily: "Bastard! Look down on us! They go to fight a big war on their own, and let us do the job of wiping our butts. !"

After    finished speaking, Andre took another sip of wine. This wine was found in the wine cellar of the vineyard owner - the vineyard owner took out the cellar key very consciously.

   "Drink less," Winters said.

   "If I don't paralyze myself, what else can I do?" Andrei sniffed: "Anyway, you don't need me in this battle, do you?"

   "Who said that?" Winters took out the Newron clock and looked at the time: "You are my last resort."

  Andrei sighed, sticking his head out of the eaves: "Tulin!"

  Tulin, who was standing outside the house, quickly responded.

   "Next!" Andre threw the bottle down.

  Tulin grabbed the bottle and shouted happily: "Thank you, my lord! Alexander! Come on! The lieutenant is giving us wine!"

   "Silence!" Andre scolded.

"Yes."

After    finished processing the bottle, Andre climbed back to Winters again. He was still a little annoyed and asked, "Aren't you angry? They left us here, and it's obvious that they don't trust us!"

   "Then do you trust them?" Winters asked back: "If we follow the main force to Bazenauer, don't you worry that they will use us as cannon fodder and let us be consumed with Sanel's troops?"

  Andrei stopped talking.

Winters said lightly: "They don't trust us, they're afraid that we won't do anything, they're afraid that we'll betray; we can't fully trust them. So Colonel Broad's arrangement may not be the best way, but it's the most feasible way. — and took great care of us.”

   After a while, Andre said slyly: "Actually, I'm worried that without us, Colonel Bode and the others will lose the battle..."

   Winters laughed dumbly: "Even if the troops are divided, they still have the advantage of troops on the battlefield. You should have confidence in Colonel Broad."

  …

After repeated discussions, Colonels Bode, Geisa, and Skool decided to assign Winters' unit to take charge of one direction independently, so as to avoid confusion in the chain of command and to take the initiative of Winters' unit. .

Colonel    Bode gave Winters a progressive order:

   First of all, the Tiefeng County garrison must clear out the enemy troops on the "Qingyin Mountain Pass-Lvgu Town" line to ensure that the army's back road is not threatened;

  On the premise of completing the previous duty, the Iron Peak County garrison needs to closely monitor the every move of the Vaughn County garrison.

   Colonel Skool has always been deeply skeptical of Vigne's attitude.

Both   School and Bode were worried that Vigne County was just pretending to be neutral, and was actually waiting for the fighter planes of the coalition forces to attack Maplestone City or cross the Qingyin Mountain Pass, and launch a surprise attack from the side of the coalition forces.

  If Colonel Skool is unfortunate, then Iron Peak County must stick to Green Valley Town until reinforcements arrive, and must not let the soldiers of Vigne County cross the Qingyin Mountain Pass.

   In addition to the above two duties, Colonel Bode's order to Winters has a third part:

  When the defenders of Maplestone City learned that the back road of Sanel's department was cut off, it was not ruled out that they might take the initiative to support Sanel.

  If the defenders of Maplestone City take the initiative to attack, then the Tiefeng County garrison "must look for opportunities to annihilate it", and should "look for all possibilities to restore Maplestone City".

  …

   At this moment, Winters is executing the first part of this order - clearing the enemy from the Qingyin Mountain Pass to the Green Valley Town.

  Andre couldn't refute Winters' words. He reached for the wine bottle and found that the wine bottle had been thrown to Turin, so he pulled out his dagger and scratched on the shingles... as if he was carving curse words.

   Winters quipped: "I thought you'd say 'Fight! Let them fight! The more blood they bleed, the better'?"

  Andre was a little stimulated. He propped up his upper body and asked unhappily, "Who do you think of me? When did I betray my comrades? I betrayed my friends?"

"I apologize."

  Andre snorted lightly, pouted his lips, lay down again, and continued to play with the dagger in a boring way.

  Winters took out the Newron clock and squinted his eyes: "It's time."

  …

   On the south bank of the Achyranthes, the commander of the second battalion, Bart Xialing, drew out his sword: "The tribune thinks that we are inferior to the first battalion, so let's play a feint! Today we have to prove that the blood wolf is also at fault!"

   "Drum!" Bart Shalling yelled, "Go forward!"

   All four snare drums rang in unison, and the rapid sound of the drums echoed in the valley, like rumbling thunder.

  The soldiers of the 2nd Battalion carried crude ladders and brackets, climbed over the embankment, and rushed towards the high wall of Green Valley Town shouting.

  …

  On the north bank of the Achyranthes, the monkey hiding behind the ridge held the hilt of the sword with both hands, and repeated nervously: "It's coming to us! It's coming to us!"

   Lu Xirong checked the helmets and armor of the soldiers under his command one by one. When he checked all the way to the monkey, he subconsciously wanted to reprimand, but he couldn't bear it. He raised his hand at the monkey, and the monkey subconsciously shrank his neck to avoid it.

   But Roussillon just knocked on the monkey's chest plate: "You are a long-term leader. You have to set an example for your fellow brothers. They are all counting on you."

  Monkey turned to look at his comrade-in-arms in the tent, and found that everyone else was looking at him, especially Paco. The eyes of the five-year-old man were full of horror, and the memory of the last battle was obviously still tormenting him.

  The monkey gritted his teeth and nodded.

   "Boom!"

The    horn sounded.

  A short figure jumped out of the field: "That...that..."

   The short acting company commander held back for a long time, and finally roared like a beast: "Follow me!"

   As soon as he finished speaking, he was the first to rush to the north gate of Green Valley Town.

  Behind him, the soldiers flooded out of the fields like a tide, flocking to the small town with green walls and red tiles in the middle of the valley.

   The cannon, which was also suffocating, finally let out a hearty roar, tearing the tower of Green Valley Town to pieces.

  …

   The battle in Green Valley was over before it was completely dark.

  When Peter Bunir led his subordinates to blow up the north gate and enter the south town, they were surprised to find that the friendly army had cleared the high-walled defenders and was chasing prisoners all over the city.

  The "honorary officer" who stayed behind in Green Valley Town was escorted to Winters' command post for the first time.

  After the simple interrogation, Winters and Mason looked at each other, dumbfounded.

   It turned out that Green Valley Town was actually only guarded by two centenarians. Long before sending troops, Sanel and Chloe made a plan to use the river to transport supplies, so the importance of land supply lines was greatly reduced.

   The "honorary officer" defending Green Valley Town also knew that he had too few troops, and his defensive position was particularly dangerous.

   He was a little clever, so he made a dozen flags and pretended to have two battalions garrisoned in Green Valley Town, hoping to scare off the opponent.

   Then he waited for Winters Montagne.

   "Forgive your life! Your lord! Be merciful!" The honorary officer knelt on the ground in embarrassment, crying and begging for mercy: "I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Be kind! Your lord!"

   The more Andre looked at the captured honorary officer, the angrier he became. He stepped forward and kicked him: "Cry, cry, cry! Are you worthy of being a soldier?"

  The captured honorary officer cried even more fiercely: "I just spent money to buy an officer's status, I never thought that I would really fight! Ahhhh!"

  Andre shouted angrily, threw his hands away and went to find Major Seber for a shift.

   Mason was also very helpless. He pulled up the captured honorary officer and patted the dust off the other party's clothes: "Alas, you... If you don't do these tricks, I can still save some shells."

   Winters sighed, but praised his opponent objectively: "Even if it was just a waste of our time, you performed your duty to the best of your ability. You did a good job, don't cry."

   The captured honorary officer wiped away his tears and showed a childish face. He sobbed and asked, "Sir, who are you?"

  Mason cleared his throat, and before Winters, introduced with a smile: "This is Winters Montagne - Blood of the Wolf."

  It doesn't matter, the captured honorary officer cried out again with a "wow".

  Senior Mason couldn't help laughing.

Winters motioned Heinrich to watch over the captives, summoned Ciel and the clerk Jacob Green, and dictated some orders for receiving supplies and entering the city to defend, and asked Ciel to give it to Tamas and Bart Xia himself. Mausoleum.

While    Winters dictated the order, Jacob had been surreptitiously observing the howling officer of honor.

   Waiting for the cry to subside, he returned to the captured honorary officer.

   Winters simply patted the honorary officer on the shoulder: "Since you know who I am, I don't need to say more. I ask, you answer. Lie, die; don't lie, live."

  The captured honorary officer chick nodded as if pecking at the rice.

"name."

   "Daniel."

   "Last name."

   "Messer."

   "Hometown."

   "Maplestone City."

  The sound of hooves came from a distance, and it was getting closer and closer. Winters raised his eyes to look in the direction of the hoofs and asked the captured honorary officer casually: "Tell me something I don't know."

  The captured honorary officer was taken aback.

   Seeing that it was Pierre, Winters was relieved. He turned his head and glanced at the captured honorary officer.

  The captured honorary officer, Mercer Daniel, shivered, and hurriedly replied: "I have a sister! She is as beautiful as a fairy!"

The guards around    couldn't help but laugh.

   Winters resisted the urge to slap the boy in front of him and said coldly, "Military!"

  Messer Daniel thought for a long time, then suddenly shouted: "The reinforcements are coming!"

  While Mercer Daniel was thinking hard, Pierre arrived at the command post.

   He got off the saddle, strode to Winters, and reported, "Centurion, reinforcements are here!"

   "Where's the reinforcements?" Winters frowned.

  Pierre replied calmly: "Maplestone City."

   "Kings!" Mercer Daniel shouted hastily.

   [Holding a military assessment meeting before the war is considered a fine military tradition of Palato, and is essentially a legacy of the nomadic era. Military assessment, in fact, is military democracy, which exists in many nomadic tribal societies that rely on fists to speak]

   [During the Battle of the Great Wasteland, the Palatine Expeditionary Force held several pre-war military meetings to discuss how to meet the enemy. However, at that time, the minimum number of officers involved was also a colonel. The situation of the newly reclaimed land is special. After nearly two years of military expansion, the lieutenant has often actually commanded more than one brigade of troops, so the lieutenant is also qualified to attend the meeting]

   [Captain Losson is a new character, Skool's favorite]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)