After absorbing Hilos Antonios as his deputy, Edmond Dantès finally felt that his men were fully staffed.
He selected some local soldiers from the Greeks who were familiar with Messolonghion and the surrounding environment, and selected some agile, bold and careful elite soldiers from the volunteers. The total number of these people reached dozens.
No more is needed.
If you want to launch a successful attack, you can't make it too loud. A few dozen people are enough.
The next step is to do everything possible to ensure that the operation is successful - after all, there is only one chance. If it fails, it means that all the hard work he has put in will be in vain, and the expectations placed on him by His Majesty, It will also fail.
He absolutely cannot tolerate this outcome.
After the team was successfully formed, Edmond Dantès asked to see Aiglon to report the results of his actions.
His request was quickly approved, and Aigron received the Count of Monte Cristo in his camp.
"Edmund, how did you complete your mission?" After seeing him, Aigron got straight to the point.
"Your Majesty, this is what I want to report to you." Edmond Dantes replied solemnly, "I have already found the manpower I need."
Then, he told the young man exactly how he had visited various places to select his subordinates and selected his deputies in the past few days.
After Aigron finished listening, his mood suddenly improved.
Not long ago, he suffered a setback in the attack on Mesolonghion Fortress, and his mood fell to the bottom. However, because Chanel was by his side, the anxiety and resentment accumulated in his heart also disappeared.
And the news about Edmond Dantès was like giving him new hope.
He knew that his victory now depended on Edmond Dantès alone.
"Okay, you can continue to follow your plan." Aigron nodded with satisfaction, "No matter what you need, I will have people fully cooperate with you."
"Next I need some ships, and then I will take my men for training at night." Edmond Dantès answered.
"No problem, I have already recruited people from our allies, and they are happy to cooperate with our actions..."
"boom!"
Just as the two people were talking, the roar of a cannon suddenly came from not far away.
Aiglon was not surprised. He knew that these bombardments were issued according to his orders.
In order to confuse the enemy, achieve a sudden attack, and at the same time consume the enemy's will, he ordered his men to continue to attack the fortress.
He said no more, but made a gesture, indicating to Edmond Dantès to follow him out of the camp.
The two people came to the platform next to them, and then used their height to observe the military appearance not far away from their feet.
The roar of the cannon gradually subsided, and as the bombardment ended, another group of soldiers in black military uniforms jumped up from the front ditch and charged towards the front of the fortress wall.
Compared with the first attack, the density of soldiers this time was much sparser, and the gaps left in the middle were also much larger. This was to disperse the firepower of the defenders and also to reduce the number of troops invested.
Amidst the roar, these soldiers rushed through the last open space, and then came to the trench under the bastion wall. They fired continuously at high places, and at the same time consciously tried to climb from several gaps to board the low City wall, trying to find a breakthrough.
The fierce battle continued on the forward position, and soon became white-hot. In several gaps, the soldiers who scaled the city wall fought with the defenders with bayonets, and blood and death gradually permeated the entire front.
However, amidst the hail of bullets from the defenders, the soldiers' efforts ended in failure. Although they were brave enough, they still had to retreat after the situation became unfavorable, and the officers had already obtained permission to retreat in advance. , so there was no obstruction.
So the battle that lasted for an hour or two ended. The sound of artillery fire and roars that once filled the battle line slowly disappeared, and everything gradually became silent again.
Of course, in this ruthless battle, many corpses with different expressions were left behind. The God of Death smiled and accepted these new sacrifices, and urged the fighting people to provide him with new tributes as soon as possible.
Many of the soldiers who died in the previous attack were still lying in open spaces and trenches because the bodies left behind could not be collected. The people who lost their lives in this battle provided new nutrients to the earth. They lay on the ground, leaving shocking spots on the ground.
Although the weather gets colder after autumn, if left alone, I believe that these people will rot in a short time, and the smell of corpses will permeate the entire battlefield...
Aigron and Edmond Dantès, who were standing on the high ground, saw the entire battle in detail.
Although both of them had already anticipated the outcome of this attack, when they actually witnessed this scene, both of them could not help but be speechless for a moment.
Edmond Dantès knew that according to His Majesty's will, they had to capture Mesolonghion as soon as possible, and several attacks had proved that they could not do this during a frontal attack.
So all hope lies in him.
"We have suffered a terrible price," he hissed.
"This is the price that must be paid to lead to victory." Aigron corrected the other party's statement, "That's what fighting is like - if you want to win, you have to be willing to spend your life. If we can win, then what we have lost will All costs will be adequately compensated.”
That's what Aigron thought, so even though he knew it would be futile, he still ordered his subordinates to attack without hesitation or guilt in his heart - because he knew that as the commander-in-chief, if he If you are compassionate and hesitant, more people will die in the end.
Of course, he also knows that there are limits to all this.
Human beings are creatures with emotions, not machines. Once they have passionate impulses, they can do feats that are unimaginable to ordinary people. However, once they are discouraged, people will be more cowardly than sheep.
He is now destroying his own morale by constantly asking his men to attack.
Because of the prestige he had accumulated in the past, his officers and soldiers are still executing his orders without complaint. Even though they know that there is little hope of victory, they are still charging into battle for him.
But if there is still no hope after a period of time, then morale will definitely weaken, or even directly collapse——
The Turkish army had been besieging Mesolonghion Fortress for a long time and returned without success. This is the reason.
There is no doubt that under his command, his army has high morale and is much more cohesive than the Turks. However, once it enters an endless war of attrition, no matter how high morale the troops are, they will gradually lose their morale. Lose confidence and fall into disarray.
Aegron must find a way to win this battle before that day comes - or, as he and his men promised, lead the army back to Nafpaktos and suffer the consequences of failure.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!" Edmond Dantès suddenly covered his face as if he felt guilty in his heart, as if he was too ashamed to be looked directly at by him again. "If I could move faster, we wouldn't have to pay such a price!"
Aiglon was slightly surprised by his words.
After a moment, he understood.
Edmund regarded the deaths of these soldiers as the result of his own incompetence.
"Don't blame yourself." He spoke calmly and comforted the other person, "You have done a good job, at least in line with my expectations. If there is any responsibility, the responsibility lies with me. I made all the plans. , and then it was I who brought all of you here to death. If there is any judgment in heaven, I will gladly accept it, but before that, I will lead you to victory - we must win."
"We must win!" Edmond Dantes repeated loudly.
Although Aiglon put all the responsibilities on his own shoulders, Edmund silently made up his mind in his heart. If he messed up everything, let His Majesty return in vain, and let so many dead warriors sacrifice their lives in vain, Then shoot yourself in the head and use your life to compensate for your mistake.
Following the young man, walking around Greece as his agent, and then fighting with him all the way... In Edmond Dantès's heart, his understanding of himself was no longer that of an ignorant sailor. He is the Count of Monte Cristo, a nobleman personally ennobled by His Majesty, a man who should repay trust with courage and blood.
It is better to die with honor than to live an ignoble life with shame.
Of course Aiglon didn't know his favorite's state of mind at the moment, but from Edmund's eyes, he had noticed how firm his will was.
That's all he wanted to see.
"Don't act in a hurry. Remember that we only have one chance and we must ensure success. Although there are always casualties, we can currently bear the cost...I will not force you to start right away. You have enough time." Because I know the other party How determined he was, so he was deliberately trying to relieve Edmund's pressure.
"boom!"
At this moment, the cannon, which had been silent for a long time, fired again.
In order for Aiglon to implement the will of the tired enemy, the bombardment continued even after the battle was over. However, because the attack just suffered a setback, the momentum also weakened significantly.
Amid the rumbling cannons, Aigron had to increase his voice, "The ones you recruited are warriors. I am willing to give the warriors enough rewards and tell them that if the operation succeeds, I will give each of them three dollars." A bounty of ten thousand francs!”
Aiglon believed that a big reward would lead to a brave man, so he offered a huge reward - today's French citizens only earn a few hundred francs a year, and a soldier's annual salary is much lower. Thirty thousand francs is a huge amount of money that will keep them fed and clothed for the rest of their lives.
However, Aigron quickly thought that such an operation was extremely dangerous. Even if it succeeded, most of the people in the death squad might not be alive to collect the bounty from him.
After a pause, Aigron added, "In addition, you can tell them that they can designate a beneficiary, whether it is a family member or a lover, no matter which country they are from. Once successful, even if they have lost Even if I give up my life, I will definitely give every penny of the bounty to the designated beneficiaries, I swear to God!”
Seeing such a generous promise from the young man, Edmond Dantès also nodded secretly in his heart.
The Greeks he selected were already blessed by hatred of the country and the family. If the temptation of money was added to them at this time, they would definitely risk their lives even more.
The sacrificial spirit of warriors is worthy of admiration, but just because they sacrifice themselves voluntarily, we should not forget the rewards they deserve.
"Okay, Your Majesty, I will definitely convey all your words to them." He immediately held his head high and assured the young man, "I believe this will definitely make them serve you more bravely."
"That's all I can do. Everything else can only be left to you." Aiglon patted Edmond Dantès on the shoulder, "Edmond, the reward I offered is not It's not just for your subordinates. As the leader of the operation, you should also get that share - I promise you, if you live up to the expectations of the entire army and win the victory for me, then I will let you You become the Marquis of Monte Cristo..."
"No, Your Majesty!" Edmond Dantès shook his head without thinking, rejecting Aigron's proposal, "I don't need your reward."
"Why?" Aigron was a little confused by his reaction.
"You gave me enough things." Edmond Dantès stared at the young man in front of him, and then said with emotion, "You gave me a life and let me leave Chateau d'If; you gave A title gives me a title that I can boast about; and most importantly, you gave me the dignity to become a human again, letting me know that I am a person qualified to decide my own destiny, not someone who is at the mercy of others. Clown... Apart from my adoptive father, Father Faria, you are the only one who believes that I will become a great person. You trust me and entrust me with important tasks. To me, this is not so much a mission as a mission. It is said that you want me to find my place in the world. For me, the moment you bestowed upon me the title of Count of Monte Cristo, I owed an incomparable debt. I am just repaying this debt. Please Don’t give me any new grace until I pay it off!”
Agron was a little moved by Edmond Dantès's sincere words, and deep down in his heart he was even a little ashamed.
He knew that he was not worthy of the other party's tears of gratitude - because he did not blindly grant such trust and grace to Edmond Dantès without knowing anything about him.
But how could everything be explained to him?
If he wants it, then so be it.
After a while, he regained his energy.
"Okay, but I hope this is the last time you refuse my grace. Remember, even modestly refusing a favor is disrespectful to me." So, he nodded and ended the conversation between the two of them, "Take care of yourself , Edmund, we still have too many stormy waves in the future that we need to overcome together."
"I will, Your Majesty."
