Rise of Rurik

The Ross army who had withdrawn from Aachen finally returned to the camp. Of course, the major events in Maastricht have kept them on high alert.

The army returned to the riverside camp in heavy armor and learned of the war immediately.

"What happened? Who can give me an explanation?"

In the riverside camp with a complicated atmosphere, the blue fox looked around and roared. His roar immediately attracted Bjorn, who looked embarrassed for seven days.

"Bjorn? Why are you here? Where are you... your camp?" Although the blue fox had guessed a lot, he still needed an answer from the person concerned.

And forcing him to explain is like rubbing salt in the wound.

Bjorn, Duke of Mälaren, was in low spirits. He lost more than half of his fighters, and when he ran to the other side, he found out that he withdrew back a mere 150 brothers. As for the others, they must have been killed by the cavalry.

This is the fact, and he can't hide anything. After all, as long as the Mellaren army is assembled, the severely reduced strength proves everything.

He is not afraid of ridicule, anyway, his abdication is already very embarrassing.

Now what he encountered was also a loss of face. Although he occupied the city and neglected to guard against it, the reason for the defeat should not be attributed to this alone. The Mellaren army is only 500 people, and the Frankish cavalry can be said to be everywhere! In the case of absolute military suppression accompanied by a strong sneak attack, it is lucky for him to escape successfully.

He clearly explained the situation to the blue fox, and then looked up to see the Ross army attacking Aachen returning with the spoils, and it seemed that their troops had almost no loss, and he couldn't help feeling jealous.

I have no right to be jealous, after all, I gave up attacking Aachen, who can blame me if I can't get the spoils?

The current blue fox has no intention of mocking this loser at all, nor does it offer any comfort.

Blue Fox was always worried that his actions would be too ostentatious and cause a full-scale counterattack by the Frankish army. It was completely unexpected that the counterattack would be launched in this way.

In any case, the army returned to its camp on the river opposite Maastricht, across the river from the Franks. The exhausted soldiers urgently needed to finish their rest in the camp, and the war weariness that many soldiers had developed made Blue Fox very worried.

The so-called if the Frankish army successfully crosses the river through some method, will the Ross coalition army still maintain a strong morale to fight against it?

As the supreme commander, Blue Fox has major options.

But he is not Rurik himself. If King Ross is here, all parties will support any action, even if it is a direct withdrawal.

Dense drums were beating loudly, and all the trumpeters blew their horns. All actions were inspired by the blue fox, just to prove their existence to the Frankish army on the other side of the river.

Therefore, in General Tristan's view, the Norman army suspected of attacking Aachen suddenly appeared. They had a lot of troops, and suddenly felt that their absolute superiority in strength had been lost. He originally thought of using fishing tactics to wipe out the Normans who seemed to have a small number of people in one fell swoop, but now he feels that his strategy's chances of winning are not 100%.

It will be dark soon. He organized the dismounted soldiers to climb up the thick wall of the inner city, and instructed: "Keep an eye on the enemy's movements and **** up your ears, so as to prevent them from launching a night attack."

On the other hand, now that the action plan has been determined, and the enemy's huge army has appeared on the banks of the Maas River, such an army of villains cannot be left alone.

No nobleman, not even the king, could imagine that a very large Norman army would appear on the Meuse River. Not eliminating them is not only a great shame to the empire, this group of scourges burns, kills and loots all kinds of crimes, and its existence itself is a rotten sore that grows on healthy people and keeps getting worse.

Across the Maas River, whether it was the Ross Army or the Frank Army, both sides were shocked by the existence of the other side.

No, both sides took advantage of the night window to urgently organize nobles to hold a military meeting.

In the city of Maastricht, the cavalry corps moved all the camps to the east of the city. They got the granary and felt that the food was safe. The war horse stopped eating grass! In order to succeed in tomorrow's operation, the riders and horses will feast on the city's food tonight.

A spacious private house was used by Tristan as a temporary command post. All three banner captains, including himself, gathered in the house, as well as the subordinate centurions of each banner team. As an important nobleman and the son-in-law of the king, Gilbert not only had to participate in the meeting, but also became a ruthless figure in the battle.

Seeing that the personnel had expired, a group of armored soldiers gathered in the house, their helmets shone under the dim oil lamps, and the light shone on their faces, but they appeared a little gloomy.

"The enemy's strength has suddenly increased. Even so, the plan I made cannot be moved." Tristan put his hands on his chest: "Don't forget our oath, to be loyal to the king, and to defend the faith. No one can sit idly by for a large group of Norman robbers, even if There are so many of them, we must persist in the assault."

"Roar!"

All the officers proved their courage with deep roars.

Tristan continued: "Tomorrow we will continue to follow the established plan, and those captives will cut open their stomachs in front of the Normans. I really want to see the evil hearts of these villains."

"Are you so sure that doing this can really anger them?" Gilbert couldn't help interjecting.

"Otherwise? Of course, I can't completely count on this, but our army can vent their anger."

"Hard to say."

"How? You still have a new surprise attack plan."

Although it was questioned, Gilbert really couldn't come up with better disgust.

Tristan asked back: "How about allowing the army to cross the bridge of your fief?"

"Forget it. In my opinion, your disgust can still irritate them." Gilbert smiled awkwardly and couldn't explain anything further.

"There is indeed no better choice now." Tristan looked around again: "We are field cavalry, not a city defense army. Lord Earl Ramongao, your infantry is still collecting the dead bodies in Liege, I'm afraid we You won't be able to wait for them any longer."

Gilbert nodded in affirmation, and he really didn't want his infantry to wade into this muddy water. Those were farmers. If a large number of strong farmers died in a fierce battle with the Normans, it would be his own wealth that would be severely damaged.

"I am willing to attack with the whole army." Tristan said solemnly: "Maybe our army cannot complete the complete annihilation. As long as a large number of Normans are severely injured and forced to retreat, we will truly recover the city. Attacking here is the most important thing." Good defense. How is it? My lord, are you willing to take the lead as bravely as you did at the beginning?"

Tristan stared at Gilbert's face, as if questioning his personal ability. The displeased Gilbert slammed his chest, shaking his armor: "I dare! My army will take the lead and will Go ahead of you and kill the enemy first."

"Very good. Tomorrow we will all lie in ambush in the north of the city, and only a small number of people will be left in the city to defend. This is an adventure. I can't guarantee victory. Now our army can only win by taking risks."

The Frankish army has completely unified their thinking. They are just betting that the Norman army will land on a large scale due to fury.

On the other side of the Maas River, the Ross coalition camp.

The army returning here also held a military meeting overnight in full swing.

The nobles still need to hear Bjorn's own testimony, but in his opinion, this is the second time to add salt to the wound.

He was already simmering with anger in his heart, even if he had a thick skin, he couldn't stand the repeated humiliation. Of course, he had to make amends for his failure. When describing the battle situation, he especially emphasized the strength of the Frankish cavalry. As for the description that his side was busy eating and drinking, he was lazy at all. The so-called Mellaren army has been performing normally, and seven or eight out of ten of the losses are due to the strength of the enemy.

The nobles listened attentively, but Bjorn's claim that the Frankish army was strong was extremely absurd in the eyes of most Ross people.

"What do you think? The Frankish army is on the other side. What do you think?" Blue Fox deliberately asked everyone for their opinions.

Askad's obedient wife is now in a happy spring.

He arrogantly and directly grabbed the words: "The Franks are nothing. Their capital has been detailed by us. Killing some enemy troops before returning will make our army more glorious. I think our army should take the initiative to attack and sacrifice Austrian blood." Ding!"

The young man was in a heroic mood, but Askad didn't notice that the attitude of the entire army had quietly and inadvertently changed.

Veteran Grund has a high status in the army, and his attitude is extremely critical.

"It's not appropriate to take the risk of launching an attack." He said: "Attention! This group of enemies are all cavalry. Do we have the ability to go ashore and actively attack the cavalry? In my opinion, not necessarily."

"We can!" Askad was dissatisfied immediately: "Our army won the battle at the Elbe River?"

"So, what's the price?"

"Isn't it just that some brothers died in battle? Because of their heroic performance, their souls have gone to the Hall of Valor and won eternal glory."

"you…"

Askad had a serious face, but his immature face had the bravery and resoluteness of his father Eric, but in the eyes of Grund now, he was thoughtless and reckless. "Don't you think sacrifice is honorable at any time?"

"The greatest glory of every man is to die on the battlefield. Only in this way can he go to the Hall of Valor."

"Okay. Of course I believe so, but I would rather die in battle with a gray beard. And you!" Grund knew that this kid had to sleep with his captured servant in his arms every night, so he had an idea to use his words Stimulate him: "If you die in battle, what will happen to your Alicia. Could she kill herself and be buried for you?"

"This... you actually said that?"

"Or leave it to your brother Jill?"

Askad was too young, and was completely choked by the old Grund guy's words, and he simply murmured angrily: "Are you afraid that you will be a coward? Everyone will die, and so will I. My life is still long. Yes, my Alicia is going to give me a bunch of boys."

"Good boy. Be ambitious." Grund hurriedly eased the atmosphere, and then mentioned the Elbe River War two years ago again: "As far as I know, the Duke of Saxony said after the battle that he lost more than a thousand soldiers. Just In an instant, after experiencing the impact of cavalry, he suffered such a huge loss. And our Ross army also suffered hundreds of casualties. Askad, it is not that you have not participated in the war. In good conscience, you think our army Was it easy to win?"

"I see..." After a little hesitation, the young man stomped his feet fiercely: "Easy! I think it's easy."

"You. You're just stubborn."

"No! My father said that he led people to meet Ragnar, the father of the Invar brothers, and their coalition defeated a cavalry in Bremen."

Grund had heard about this matter. In essence, it was when Rurik arranged for his elder brother to attack Bremen. It was indeed a fateful encounter with Ragnar who was hunted down.

Askad deliberately changed the topic since Ragnar was mentioned, and Yinvar was the witness of the incident at that time.

"I support you. My Danish army fully supports you." Askad was relieved by the firm support from Invar the Boneless.

The two boys were almost the same age, and they had lived together in Novgorod for a period of time, and their friendship with each other was indeed deep. The two boys can gather the troops they can control to form a thousand-strong army. If the two of them decide to act recklessly, they do have the capital to be reckless.

Blue Fox was very entangled in this issue. He couldn't just sit idly by the Frankish army on the other side of the river, and he couldn't really abandon all his thoughts and take the initiative to lead the whole army to fight to the death with the cavalry corps.

He also wanted to listen to other people's opinions, and as a result, all the nobles began to hem and haw.

Grund did not deny launching an attack, after all, he did not believe that the Franks could watch the Ross army carry the spoils onto the ship step by step. The time of transshipment of goods is the most vulnerable period of the whole army. If it is self-defense, the Frankish army can build a pontoon bridge somewhere in the river and directly cross the river before launching an attack.

The views of Grund and Askad were not tit-for-tat. When no one else raised a third point of view, Blue Fox interrupted everyone's free speech.

"The Franks will interfere with our evacuation. They are entrenched in the city, and we face the possibility of being attacked. But I don't think it is possible to fight them with all our strength. With a lot of spoils, the soldiers think more about bringing them back safely. Home, it would be too miserable if you die in battle before departure."

"Uncle, your nonsense is supporting Grund." Askad pouted with dissatisfaction.

"Kid, don't talk yet. In my opinion, we have to find a way to drive the enemy away. We can fight, but the scale must be small. Don't all of you think that you can defeat cavalry on flat ground. If you really work hard, we will definitely win. But the price is unbearable for us. Since the Duke of Mellaren said that the enemy is stationed in the city, can we set fire?"

"You should have set the fire a long time ago!" Askad's disdainful attitude remained undiminished: "You didn't set fire to Aachen and returned them a intact city. I think it is stupid."

"What do you know?! Do you know the cost of arson in Aachen?" Blue Fox scolded.

"Why do I care so much? I just want to see the fire. Anyway, my father is here, every city must be burned."

】

It is true that Arik must burn every city, and Blue Fox does not question this. He didn't want to mention the matter of Aachen again, and the current problem was to be solved. Want to set fire to it? certainly! Even become very necessary.

"Arson is a tactic, not a means of venting anger." Blue Fox emphasized again.

"What do you think now? I think Maastricht must be burned down, just like what we did in Liege." Askad yelled very rudely, completely ignoring the presence of Duke Mellaren: " Anyway, the Mälaren people in the city were killed, and there are no living companions there. Let the Frankish cavalry be buried in the sea of ​​fire, I think it will work. Burning a group of cavalry is to bury the brothers who died in battle. Force the living cavalry out, We'll kill them all when we land."

"In my opinion, that's the case. They won't fight us to the death again." Lan Hu was very satisfied that everyone supported the arson tactic at this moment. "It can be set on fire, and the Franks will not be willing to be burned to death. They will retreat far away, so that my goal will be achieved. The soldiers are too tired. Everyone should rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning we will organize people to forcefully cross the river. Arson started on the spot under the cover of the arrows. Their houses were connected together, and eventually the flames could set the whole city on fire. In this way, we can also avenge the slain people of Mälaren."

Some people are satisfied with such a battle, and some people can only pinch their noses to recognize it.

Askad's mind was still full of thoughts about the entire Ross Army attacking the Frankish heavy cavalry on the banks of the Maas River. He just had a strong desire for victory and glory, and he was worthy of his status as the eldest son of Arik. There are people who agree with his proposition, and Yin Waer fully supports it. After all, if there is such a victory, even if he is a cripple, he has to be impressive~www.readwn.com~ For this tactical arrangement, May, who did not have much extravagant expectations Duke Laren Bjorn is already very satisfied.

Bjorn also thought of arson after retreating to the opposite bank. He had no reason to set fire when he was in the city, and a lot of loot was lost at present, so he could come out and set fire to the city to vent his anger without any scruples. It's just that his own army suffered heavy losses, and even the arson plan would be forced to give up because there were too few troops to fight.

He is not qualified to teach Blue Fox and other Ross people how to do things, and he is very satisfied with such a result now.

No, Bjorn thumped his chest: "Then let's do it. I would like to personally lead people to join the arson. Now the wind direction is in our favor, and because of the Maas River, the soaring fire can't burn us no matter what."

"That's right." Blue Fox nodded: "The warm southeast wind is the gods helping us. Light more bonfires tonight and prepare more torches tomorrow! Also, it was originally used to lubricate the slingshot slideway, maintain the Take out all the grease from the cables, soak the cloth strips to make high-quality torches, you all go and arrange some soldiers in good spirits to do it separately."