"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Above the wilderness, the sparse forests have been cut down. The originally vast wilderness looked more and more desolate and chilling.
The sound of the drums that shook the sky was loud, and it was immediately spread far away.
Twenty big drums lined up in a row, each side covered with cooked cowhide, and erected on a high shelf to the height of one person, beside each big drum there are two naked strong men, holding giant giants in the gust of wind. The hammer hits hard!
The dark army formation has already formed a square formation that is closely connected with each other. The black iron armor spreads on the ground like a dark cloud. From a distance, it is cold and bright!
At the rear of the array, a high platform made of giant wood is ten meters long. There are huge rollers under the base. More than 200 strong men in leather armor are pushing the high platform hard as the army slows down. Move forward slowly.
The sky was gloomy, the dark clouds seemed to be lower, and Governor Hughes on the high platform looked as if he was standing among the clouds.
Hughes in golden armor looked high-spirited. Under the golden helmet, he was in high spirits, holding a horsewhip in his hand, standing on the high platform, holding the railing, and staring into the distance...
Just in front, a long river is like a strip of water, opposite the majestic and continuous city wall, and the towering triumphal tower, the flags are fluttering, but under the dark clouds, it looks a little desolate.
Standing on the tower, Hughes suddenly waved his horse whip and exhaled with a smile: "That is the royal capital of my future kingdom!"
Behind him, there were several armored guards on the high platform. Among the guards, Adeline and Daphne stood there with miserable expressions.
"This continent's largest city will be the first precious gift I will give you!" Hughes turned his head, and the light in those eyes swept across Daphne's face before he smiled reservedly : "I will be the new king here... And you, my future queen, the city will also crawl at your feet."
Once the army of tens of thousands of iron-clad lions is scattered in this wilderness, it will really cover the sky! The Armenian military region has always been known for its excellent armor and armor. Armed to the teeth, thick iron armor, covered peeps, iron shields like walls, spears like forests!
After the drum sounded for a while, there was also a rush of bugles from the distant city wall of Osgilia, and the soldiers on the city tower were seen moving like ants from a distance, and the battle flag was quickly raised.
The fluttering imperial eagle flag stood above the city tower. Hughes looked at the majestic city wall, but just pursed his lips and smiled.
At this moment, several cavalry in the distance came galloping from both sides along the front of the army formation.
The military formation immediately divided an aisle, and let these horses come under Hughes' high platform.
"Lord Governor! The First Banner Regiment has conquered the Southern Acropolis, annihilated 400 enemies, and the Southern Acropolis is in my hands!"
"Lord Governor! The Second Banner Regiment has conquered the Western Acropolis! After wiping out 600 enemies, the Western Acropolis is in my hands!"
"Lord Governor, the Third Banner Regiment has conquered the Northern Acropolis, and the enemy has burned the city tower and it is in ruins!"
"Lord Governor, the Fourth Banner..."
Several cavalrymen reported loudly under the high platform one by one, and Hughes above heard it, raised his brows, then laughed a few times, and shouted: "Okay! The surrounding nails have been removed! Sigiriya has become an isolated city!"
He immediately smiled and said with a slow smile: "Pass my order! Conquer Osgilia and put my king's flag on the top of the city! The first person to break the city, no matter what his status is, the reward is 100,000 coins, rising by 3. class!"
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Above the Triumph Tower of Osgilia, the commander of the Royal Guards, General Spahn, had a sullen face. His eyes were bloodshot, and his beard had not been trimmed for many days. Minor wounds from the battle never healed.
General Spahn has not slept for two days. Although he is not a famous general of the empire, as a general who has been in the army for half his life, he is also very aware of the current situation!
Trapped in the lonely city!
Ever since Salvador escaped from Osgilia that day, Spahn knew very well that the curtain of civil war had begun!
Although he received the thunder and anger of Emperor Cantos, he was loyal to the royal family and knew very well that he had no way out and no choice!
Just two days after El Salvador fled, the Armenian military region closest to the imperial capital was the first to raise the flag of rebellion! Immediately within the empire, at least a dozen military district governors immediately responded with troops! And even if there is no news from the rest, they must be just around the corner.
At this time, it doesn't matter whether the guy from El Salvador escapes or not. The outbreak of this civil war is no longer a situation that one person's life and death can change.
In other words... On the day Caviehir was stabbed to death, the curtain of this war had already been pulled!
The Armenian military region has enough food and resources, and the benefits of the soldiers can be called the best of the Byzantine Empire! General Spahn, who has been in the military all his life, is very aware of the elite level of the army under the Armenian Governor-I heard that these Armenian rebels are so well equipped that even the royal guards of the palace may not be able to match!
Just three days ago, an announcement had spread throughout the empire, and the announcement had been passed through the magic circles of the magic unions all over the empire.
This is a gauntlet drafted by Armenian Governor Hughes.
In this gauntlet, Hughes denounced the imperial emperor Cantos the Great's cronies in a questioning tone, betrayed the military, made no achievements in government for many years, and repeatedly suppressed the military, causing the generals of the empire to be chilled and heartbroken. This time, it suddenly launched a purge of the military. In the gauntlet, Hughes asked Cantos the Great to abdicate immediately, abolish the royal dominance of the Karenma family, restore the senate system in the antique system, and re-elect members of the council of elders to jointly rule the empire.
"The state has been in existence for thousands of years, and it has been extremely redundant. It has come to a time when it cannot be changed! At this time, it is for the sake of the empire and the glory of the soldiers. You should stand up, even if you die nine times, you will have no regrets! Former Governor of the Armenian Military Region of the Empire Hughes weeps and confesses, the world's heroes and heroines will beg the emperor to return the glory of our empire!"
Spahn thought of the last two sentences on the announcement, and couldn't help sighing in his heart.
A good "former governor of the Armenian military region of the Empire Hughes", this sentence is wonderful in the word "original". This Hughes has made up his mind completely, and even the official position of the empire has been abandoned.
Discuss the emperor, abolish the rule of the Karenma royal family... Establish the Senate? Joke, how could these warlords play some senate trick? Even if a senate is really established, the elder members in the future new senate will be cleaned up and replaced by this batch of military governors. Do it.
This announcement has completely broken with the imperial family politically. No more recognition of the dominance of the imperial royal family, no more recognition of official positions established by the imperial royal family, or even... no more recognition of the existence of the Byzantine Empire!
Governor Hughes's rise of troops immediately aroused the response of the warlords and partisans. At this moment, the various military regions in the empire, especially in the north, have erected rebel flags for a while, and half of the northern part of the empire has changed flags.
The Armenian military region is the closest to the imperial capital, and Hughes was the first to attack Osgilia. His strength was originally ranked among the top three military regions of the empire. In addition to the advantages of military armor and years of operation, even if he raised 100,000 It is not surprising that the army came. I heard that this time Hughes has reached an agreement with the other military governors, that El Salvador played a major role in it, and Hughes immediately came out. The Wan army immediately marched into Osgilia.
In this case, as the general of the garrison commander of Osgilia, General Spahn had to resort to a retreating tactic.
Originally, Osgilia was the imperial capital of the empire, and there were four acropolis around it. The scale was roughly equivalent to an ordinary small city in the empire. Together with the surrounding villages and towns, it formed a direct jurisdiction of the imperial capital.
When the Armenian rebels attacked, Spahn's response was to abandon the surrounding area and retreat to the imperial capital Osgilia.
Although this strategy had been debated at court meetings, especially by those in the civil service, who denounced this strategy of retreating before a war, but Spahn insisted on his own.
He was very disdainful of the remarks of those civil servants.
Fortunately, the old emperor Cantos the Great was also from the military after all, so he firmly supported Spahn at this time.
Spahn's reasoning was simple: Osgilia's troops were insufficient.
Originally, the defenders of Osgilia consisted of only 20,000 Imperial Guards, plus only about 8,000 Imperial Guards. Even if you add up all the security guards in the city, the number on paper is only 30,000.
More importantly, because of the recent war with the Odins, two of the Empire's Central Standing Corps were directly crippled. At least 8,000 people were dispatched to fill the new army. The vacancies in the Royal Guards were filled by the mobilization of the second-tier local garrison in various places.
Originally, the combat effectiveness of the Imperial Guards was not necessarily that strong—although there was no doubt about the loyalty of the Guards to the royal family, and the salaries of the equipment troops had always been favored by the royal family. However, this army has been stationed in the imperial capital all the year round, and most of the soldiers have not even experienced much fighting. Such an army, even in the eyes of several other central standing corps that also belong to the royal camp, is somewhat disdainful.
People from the 6th Corps and the 13th Corps are often heard mocking the Imperial Guards as "old soldiers and baby soldiers".
But now even this "old soldier and baby soldier" has been recruited by half, and the second-line local garrison added in is even more unbearable, and its combat effectiveness has dropped by 30%.
As for the Royal Forest Army... If the Imperial Guard is a fancy army, then the Royal Forest Army... It's okay for these guys to be the guard of honor, are they fighting... Shake your head faster.
Except for the mysterious "Dark Night Royal Forest"!
But no matter how strong the Dark Night Royal Forest was, there were only a few hundred people. How much can a few hundred people play in the battle of the big corps
Although the military strength of 30,000 people sounds like a lot. But the city of Osgilia is so big! To defend such a huge and majestic city, 30,000 people would appear much weaker once sprinkled on the long city wall.
If you want to divide troops to garrison the four outer acropolis
That is simply looking for death!
There is a lack of cavalry in the city... Although there are many cavalry in the Royal Forest Army, the fighting power of those guys cannot be trusted.
The rebels outside the city had the upper hand, and once they attacked, they would pull out the nails around them first. And if the troops are stationed separately, it's like a fist is loosened, and the opponent will cut off his fingers one by one.
It might be better to close your fists and defend Osgilia with all your might.
The city of Osgilia is majestic and dangerous. In addition to the year-round prosperity, the city has plenty of materials. If nothing else, it is no problem to be self-sufficient for three months.
And there are also sea transportation lines! The rebels have just arrived, and they may not have the ability to block the sea area, stick to Osgilia, and continue to replenish supplies through the sea. Relying on this heroic city, they may be able to deal with the rebels for a while.
And... Spahn still had some hope in his heart.
General Adrick has gone to the southeast to mobilize the local garrison. They will definitely come with reinforcements, as well as several other central standing corps of the loyal empire... Not to mention, if the Ruhr's Roderian cavalry regiment can come, then there will be more hope of victory in this war. one cent!
But although Spahn often thinks this way, he also understands that there is not much hope.
Several central standing corps are scattered in various places. At this moment, rebels are everywhere. If each corps wants to help the imperial capital, they must first pass through the enemy-occupied area.
And even if you really risk your life to arrive, how much of your fighting power is left
Moreover, when the Hughes army invades, other rebellious warlords will also raise their troops one after another. I heard that several other governors in the north have already raised their troops and rushed to the imperial capital at this moment.
In Spahn's view, this war, the royal family really has no hope of victory. The empire has been rotten for a hundred years. The system of the Tema military region has fattened these wolves. After several generations of management, these military regions have long become a country within a country. Disadvantages, not to mention that after the battle with Odin, several central standing corps loyal to the royal family were weakened.
Knowing that it is certain to lose, the people in Osgilia are panicking these days. And from time to time there are all kinds of rumors and rumors.
As a general of the garrison in the city, Spahn was once tempted by the rebels.
These rebels have been operating in the Empire for generations, and the hidden power is unknown. Even though the city has been under martial law for several days, just last night, someone actually asked to see Spahn in the middle of the night, indicating that they were representing the rebels outside the city to persuade Spahn to surrender.
I really don't know the tight city defense, what secret channel did these guys sneak in through!
The other party made it clear that as long as Spanken turned his back on the battlefield, changed his ways, and opened the city gate during the battle to let the rebels enter the city...
"Master Hughes said that the future post of Minister of Military Affairs of the Kingdom of Armenia is reserved for you! Make an earl and reward you with 100,000 gold coins! And I heard that you have a nephew Nigur, you take it as your own. Hughes The lord said that he is willing to marry his daughter to Nigur as his wife! From now on, treat you as a brother!"
The price is really low!
The future minister of military affairs of the kingdom, the earl, the reward of 100,000 gold coins, and the marriage of sons and daughters with the new king...
Espan's prestige in the city guards for many years, naturally there are also a group of loyal soldiers who are loyal to him. It may not be too difficult to open the city gate during the battle.
Spahn knew very well that as long as he was willing to nod his head and sacrifice himself to the city gate, he would be able to live a prosperous and rich life in the future, or even save his family and his own life.
And if he refuses, once the city is defeated, his entire clan will be wiped out!
And now it seems that there is really no visible hope on their own side.
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"I'm very tempted, really tempted."
At that time, Spahn looked at the messenger sent by the other party, and sighed calmly: "I serve the royal family faithfully. I am forty years old this year, and I am just a commanding general. The person closest to and trusted by His Majesty is counted to There may not be me in the top 20. I can't even rank in the top 100 of the powerful family of the empire! Even before the war, His Majesty blamed me for El Salvador's escape. It is only now that the war is employing people, so that I am guilty and meritorious. , continue to lead the Guards.
And I, Spahn, I know my skills. Speaking of talents, I'm just a middle-aged person. There are many famous generals in the empire. Whether it is Adric or General Ruhr, the talents are ten times better than mine, even if it is The mad dog Green of the past is also ten times better than me!
With my talent, even in fifty years, it is impossible to sit in the position of Minister of Military Affairs. So... In contrast, Lord Hughes' conditions are already full of sincerity.
So, it would be a lie to say that I am not interested! "
When the messenger heard this, his face suddenly changed: "Your Excellency agreed?"
Spahn continued to sigh: "I really want to promise you, but unfortunately... I can't!"
He stood up, walked around the table slowly, looked at his saber hanging on the wall, suddenly smiled slightly, and turned his head slowly, at this moment, Spahn's tone was light, but very serious: "Human life In my life, there is always something else besides glory and wealth.”
After he finished speaking, his hand flashed with vigor, and the sword edge had already pierced into the throat of that messenger!
The messenger's eyes widened, covered his throat, and made a grunting sound, and blood slowly flowed out from his fingers!
"In the history of the empire, the founding marshal, Duke Tulip, once said: If the country is destroyed, loyal ministers will perish! I am not talented, I am a mediocre person, and I dare not compare myself to a hero like Duke Tulip. However, today, I also have a word... "
Span slowly wiped the blood on the blade of the sword, his eyes were as calm as water: "If the empire is destroyed, I, Span... let me die!"