As autumn turns to winter, the season of spring flowers blooming and ice and snow melting comes again; many major events have taken place in the Kingdom of Zealand, which is suffering from internal and external troubles and wars everywhere. For example, the Burgundian dynasty in the capital once again conferred nine dukes and dozens of marquis and counts.
There are hundreds of other corresponding viscounts, barons, lords and knights, and even honorary knights. However, except for a small group of relevant people gathered in the capital and near the Grand Seine, almost most of the subjects in the province who were granted the title did not hesitate to reject the edict.
Especially as the only remaining generalissimo of the kingdom and the former commander-in-chief of the Northern Army and the Army of Flanders; Marquis de La Porte, Motiler, refused without hesitation the title of Duke from the city of Seine. And directly denounced the Burgundian dynasty as the false dynasty of John the transgressor;
He also summoned his old troops in his retired hometown and formed the so-called National Salvation Alliance Legion. With the support of local royalists and old nobles, he announced his appointment as the chief minister of the National Salvation Alliance Committee; therefore, it also detonated what was called the National Salvation Alliance Army at the time. The political crisis of the kingdom changed dramatically in February.
From the edge of the Black Forest in the north to the kingdom's fortresses and fortresses in the Flanders lowlands; the remaining units of the Northern Army and the Flanders Army, which were still holding on and staying away for a long time, were forced to undergo a civil strife-style reorganization. Taking sides and purging each other.
Among them, the constitutionalists, royalists, republicans and reformists were still radical liberals; the contradictions that had been suppressed in the face of the Norman invasion also broke out. As a result, internal strife and mutinies continued to occur almost every day, and groups of soldiers fled or fled south.
At this time, the Seven Kingdoms United from the Three Islands on the other side, also under the call of the contemporary king on the Iron Throne, formed two large expedition fleets; on the pretext of being invited to maintain regional order and mediate wars by the Dutch Count, they began a large-scale invasion The Dutch princes who were vassal forces of the kingdom;
However, the seven-nation Northern Fleet successfully landed on the coast of Flanders and captured important towns. However, the southern route was not unexpectedly intercepted and attacked by the Holy Kingdom Navy; in the end, both sides suffered heavy losses in what was known as the Battle of Normandy.
Therefore, the Burgundian dynasty, which was indirectly supported by the Holy Kingdom, was also led by the contemporary John I. Since the city of Seine promulgated the "Mobilization Order for All Subjects of the Kingdom", it has once again resumed the implementation during the National Convention, targeting adult males from all walks of life in the kingdom. of indiscriminate conscription.
It was claimed that he would recruit 300,000 troops from his subjects, restore and replenish the garrisons of each province, and form three large legions. Therefore, for a time, with diplomatic representatives and couriers running up and down the road, local armed and garrison troops were frequently mobilized and assembled, and war clouds gathered in the north.
In contrast, the large-scale raids and guerrilla warfare that occurred at the junction of many provinces in the southeast seemed to have become an episode that no one paid attention to. However, the Ciro (Empire) Federation/Northern Italian princes coalition, which was exhausted or unable to cope with the local area, had a completely difficult time.
The foreign coalition forces headed by the Principality of Verona have been ambushed and captured many times, and the large domestic baggage convoys, as well as the search teams and reinforcements dispatched, have also suffered repeated defeats during day and night harassment and sneak attacks. But they can only hide in big cities where supplies are scarce.
And their perverse behavior in the dilemma caused more citizens, wealthy people, and noble families to flee. The angry retaliation against suburban villages and estates caused more farmers and property owners to flee to the territory of the Southern Free Army or start to inform them.
Therefore, outside Tilan City in Yinzer Province. A strengthened patrol consisting of more than thirty Verona soldiers also walked tiredly on the edge of the abandoned and desolate village; they would rather step on the grass on the muddy road after the ice and snow melted than enter it easily.
Because many former colleagues never came out after entering these places; or they became forks and exposed their bodies on the road. Even though they were within sight of the city defenders at this moment, they could quickly support them by lighting up all the fireworks.
However, it still failed to increase their sense of security. Therefore, in the intermittent spring rain, the sergeant major with an old appearance and early gray hair chose a seemingly lonely riverside mill for his men as a temporary repair and rain shelter.
Soon, along with the dismantled door panels and other wet wood, thick smoke emerged from the fire; the Verona soldiers, whose eyes were reddened, finally took off their armor and robes, Feeling the long-lost warmth and relaxation; he stacked the weapons and took out the food bag.
The next moment, a sparkling object suddenly fell on the fire among them, and also knocked over the stand they had finally put up to bake food; they were so shocked that they all shouted and looked up. ; Then there was a bang and sparks and smoke bloomed in the crowd.
The sergeant major who was standing guard outside the mill gate with a few soldiers was suddenly knocked to the ground by the smoke bursting out from inside. When he raised his body from the mud with rain on his face, he I was horrified to find many gray-black clay figures emerging from the grass beside the river.
One of the clay men swung a sickle, and struck him with a slash that was almost a foot away from his ear, and suddenly cut off half of his face with a sudden drag; the pain caused Sergeant Major Verona to struggle and roll in the mud. The other clay figures quickly pounced on the stunned Verona soldiers.
Therefore, after a short battle of just over twenty minutes, the Sergeant Major of Verona, whose face was covered with blood, ran dozens of steps with a sickle in his back and fell slumped; it was announced that this Verona army The patrol of the Na army was destroyed in the wilderness on the outskirts of the city.
However, the broad-faced captain with curly hair, washed away by the renewed rain, revealed his true appearance, rushed behind another soldier who was slashing at the enemy soldiers who had abandoned their weapons, and suddenly stopped him. The opponent turned around and chopped off the hook and said: "That's enough, Father Milon."
"You have killed enough enemies, and there are still opportunities for you to kill them next." "But we have better uses for the remaining survivors." "If you insist on violating the order set by the military judge, With ten commandments and seven covenants, there will be no chance for you to take revenge."
"..." After hearing the last words, the veteran named Milong Dad slowly let go of his blood-stained sickle; his face no longer looked ferocious and ferocious, and turned into a dull and numb old man again. But he was still muttering: "One is worth eight, it's not enough..."
Then amidst the crisp bird whistles, a group of sallow-looking villagers appeared like ghosts. Whether they were corpses killed in battle or surviving prisoners, they were all regarded as ghosts by the villagers who came forward. For some kind of reward, he was stripped naked on the spot;
Then, as members of the Free Army guerrillas, they escorted these naked prisoners, let them carry the corpses and wounded, and disappeared into the distant mountains and forests. But when the search team set out the next day, they found this place along the only remaining traces, but there was nothing left.
Once you go out, you will not see anyone alive or dead, as if it is the result of evaporation out of thin air; coupled with the long-term loss of contact and the worry of insufficient replenishment, the Verona Company in the city finally broke through, and the accumulated resources accumulated over a long period of time were The limit of pressure and tension.
So, after a commotion and chaos, they rushed out of the city in a chaotic formation and retreated towards Vienna, the provincial capital with a larger garrison in the north. A few days later, the Free Army arrived after receiving the news and temporarily took over the ownerless city.
"The Point Guard Is Here"
However, compared to the hills and mountains to the north, where at least dozens of guerrilla teams are scattered, the invaders and occupying forces scattered among several cities are like vampire gadflies piecemeal; the Free Army is in Delong Province In the south, it can be called a stormy offensive.
The main force of the 20,000-strong Free Army led by Jiang Tian personally included twelve newly formed regiments, a total of sixty fully-staffed combat companies, and fifteen over-staffed auxiliary companies; they fought almost every day and were invincible. More than 20 local armed forces of various colors were defeated, surrendered and destroyed one after another.
They also penetrated the provinces of Gard and Vaucluse, and successively occupied and took over twenty-seven large and small cities. Therefore, they continued to invade and occupy cities, seize inventories and recruit soldiers, select and appoint municipal officials and establish garrison forces, snowballing development and expansion.
When the vanguard of the Free Army, a cavalry regiment composed of a large number of captured livestock, finally arrived at Avignon, the capital of the province of Provence, located on the lower reaches of the Rhone River; various troops under the name of the Free Army The establishment has also expanded to 50,000 people.
Of course, in this time and space, the historical allusion called the Prisoner of Avignon has not yet occurred. But here you can see the colonial city-state of the ancient Roman era. It is also the summer palace of the Sealand royal family, and it is also adjacent to one of the eight royal territories.
The Grand Crown Territory of "Lower Rhone" is directly managed by the palace steward; it is only 21 Roman miles (85 kilometers) away from Marseille, the largest port city in the south of the kingdom, where the Rhone River outlet is located. But it is also the biggest obstacle and the biggest obstacle standing in front of the Free Army.
Because, although the local palace steward had been dismissed from his position after the May Storm of the White Iris royal family and his fate was unknown; however, one of the many nobles surrounding the great crown collar of "Lower Ronal", But he took the opportunity to occupy and fill the gap.
In the name of the royalists, they even led self-recruited private soldiers and self-defense regiments to enter and take over the provincial capital Avignon: and in the Maritime Province, they fought with the merchant escorts of Marseille and the royal navy of Toulon. /The fortress garrison formed a three-legged force.
Now, as the Free Army led by Jiang Tian comes with an overwhelming victory, it has become a powerful external factor to break this unstable situation.
