RNP Chapter 47 The Battle Situation is Unpredictable
Chapter 47 The Battle Situation is Unpredictable
The pork chop with sour sauce is fatty but not greasy, and the smoky layer covering the sides has an exceptionally rich aroma.
The olive oil sears the fatty and lean pork chops until they are slightly charred, and with one bite, the juices burst in your mouth.
Aulet took a big gulp of cider, then leaned back comfortably in her chair, as if she had flown to heaven.
No matter how many times she tries this dish, Aure is always captivated by it.
Mitchell stormed into the hall, slammed the door shut, and sat down angrily next to Aurelia.
Aulet put down her wine glass and smiled:
"Who made you so angry, Your Highness?"
Mitchell glanced sideways at Aurelia, his nostrils flaring:
"What's the village chief's name again?"
"Mick," Aure remembered this time.
"This Mik is, after all, a knight-errant. I ordered him to don armor and carry a sword, to serve in my first battle, but he kept making excuses. Doesn't he understand how generous the rewards I, as a prince, can bestow upon him if he performs meritorious service?"
"That old knight is quite old, maybe sixty? At least fifty, and he has lived in the countryside for many years, so his martial arts skills have long since become rusty. I think he's just not up to the task. Besides, he generously lent us his village to use as a camp."
"That's why I didn't argue with him too much."
Mitchell picked up his glass, annoyed.
"You should know that, according to the law, every lord is obligated to fight for the royal family for thirty days each year."
"It is the Great Lord, Your Highness,"
Auley corrected,
"A minor lord is only responsible to his lord and serves for forty-five days, while a commoner must serve his lord for sixty days each year."
"What's the difference? Aren't their lords also subjects of the Sinclair family?" Mitchell said dismissively.
"But the Thomas family in the Twin Rivers region has not yet officially announced its participation in the war," Aurelia reminded.
"Hmph! A bunch of traitors!" Mitchell slammed his fist on the table in anger. "They actually stood by and did nothing in the face of the royal family's war."
"At least for now, no one has explicitly refused," Aurée said. "There's still hope."
"These nobles are all foxes, only good at changing their tune with the wind. Only after I have achieved several great victories and the situation becomes clear will they express their opinions and try to get a share of the spoils at the last moment."
Aurelia shrugged and said:
"Foxes are good at relying on power, but they dare not disobey tigers. Your Highness, this is the only thing you can be at ease about."
"But war is imminent, and I need leverage."
Mitchell took a big gulp of wine, then looked at Aurée.
"Bob, right now you're my only supporter."
Aurée rose and respectfully curtsied.
"Your Highness, I am willing to serve you with all my heart, even unto death."
It will never stop until you die!
"Put your knees down, Bob,"
Mitchell rolled her eyes at Aurelia.
"I need no oaths or grand pronouncements from you, army! I need soldiers and knights!"
Aulet sat down again, raising an eyebrow and saying:
"As the Lord of the Highlands, I have ordered my vassals to send troops to support us. In fact, several knights have already joined the royal army with their troops, and several more are on their way."
"But don't think I don't know, those who came were just marginal nobles."
Mitchell laughed.
"Yeah, haha, look at the kind of trash that's arrived! It takes an average of three people to make a complete set of armor, and the total number doesn't exceed five hundred. Even adding those on the way, it's definitely less than a thousand!"
Aure could not refute this.
Indeed, those who agreed to go to the battlefield were all lords who were confined to the highlands, lowlands, and outskirts.
They are powerless and easily swayed by changing winds when they are on the plateau.
None of the powerful knights agreed to send a single soldier.
Located in a remote highland, the families that have continued and developed in the thin air of the Lines Plateau are inevitably proud and stubborn at heart.
They remembered the kindness shown to them by the Lines family, but they also remembered Bob Capello's despicable behavior and his smug, petty nature.
They looked down on their new ruler from the bottom of their hearts.
Therefore, when Aurelia writes to them in Bob's name demanding that they send troops to fulfill their obligations, the outcome is predictable.
Moreover, Auréli's wording in the letter emphasized arrogance, precisely to create the current situation.
Auré explained to Mitchell:
"Your Highness, as you know, the climate on the Lyons Plateau is extreme, and it is currently the dead of winter. Many families are indeed encountering insurmountable difficulties in their marches."
"Difficulties?" Mitchell sneered coldly. "Then let me hear what excuses you have."
"The Davis family of Whitewood City said that the city is suffering from a rat infestation and they cannot gather enough food for their army. They wrote back to my Goringburg to borrow food. If I refuse, they will turn to Whitegoldburg for help."
"They actually want to ask the royal family for something? Haha!" Mitchell laughed angrily.
"The Zeman family of Moonstone Fortress says that the Zhenyuan River is covered with a thin layer of ice, making it impossible for the ferry to navigate and for their army to cross. The Turner family of Silver Star Tower, on the other hand, says that the Zhenyuan River is too turbulent to cross."
"Ha! The rivers on the plateau are truly amazing, able to remain turbulent even while freezing over?" Mitchell sneered.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, although I am the lord of the plateau, I have never spent much time there, so I cannot give you an answer."
Aurelia replied dismissively.
Seeing Mitchell's face turn red and green in turns, Aure almost burst out laughing.
But she held back, cleared her throat, and continued:
"besides……"
"Enough!" Mitchell finally spoke up to stop him. "Stop making me listen to those lame excuses."
"Yes, Your Highness," Aurelia shrugged.
Mitchell sighed and pondered for a moment:
"Hmm... In that case, we are at a disadvantage against troops in hilly terrain."
Aurée urged:
"That's not true, Your Highness. The hills only have 2,500 soldiers, while His Majesty has given you a full 3,000."
“There are only three thousand men,” Mitchell frowned. “I really don’t know what my father was thinking. He agreed to my request to go on the expedition, but he only gave me three thousand men.”
"Three thousand is no small number; it's almost half the royal standing army. Moreover, it includes a thousand horsemen and five hundred archers. Add my thousand men, and our strength is nearly twice that of the hills."
But that was outdated intelligence from more than two months ago; the current strength of the hill troops is very likely greater than that.
However, Aurelia would not easily tell Mitchell this.
"Perhaps you're right..."
Mitchell suddenly looked dejected and shrunk back in his chair.
"But what I'm most worried about is the general on the other side, that 'mad dog'..."
"Loyal dog," Aurée corrected.
"It doesn't matter, they're all biting things anyway," Mitchell said dismissively, scoffing. "I've heard this guy is quite talented."
Aurelia comforted him, "But His Majesty has also assigned you two skilled and capable Royal Guards to assist you in battle."
"And my martial arts skills may even surpass those of the Guardian Knights!" Mitchell emphasized.
But when it comes to strategy, Aurelius thinks that the three of you combined can't compare to a loyal dog.
"Yes," Aurelia nodded, "therefore, the loyal hounds are nothing to fear, Your Highness. You should confidently accept the challenge!"
After Aurelia's earnest persuasion, she finally dispelled Mitchell's hesitation to give up.
Once the army is assembled, blood may not have been shed yet, but silver coins will certainly have already begun to flow away rapidly.
Therefore, the stalemate between the two stationed armies cannot last too long.
Sure enough, a change of events soon followed.
On the first day of February, scouts from the front brought news of the military situation:
The troops from the hills suddenly formed a battle formation in an open space in front of a sparse forest, about ten miles away.
The hall was filled with jazz musicians, and an emergency pre-battle meeting was convened.
Mitchell was in the head coach position, and Aurélie naturally sat in the second position.
Aurelia had sat in this chair twice before, except that last time, her name was Rosa Montero, and the person sitting next to her was Pena Montero.
Following them were two Guardian Knights, the Commander of the Royal Legion, the Herald of the Royal Heraldry, the captains of various units, and the minor nobles of the highlands.
"What are the specifics?" Mitchell asked briefly.
Herald Zachary said:
"The enemy force numbers around 2,500. Their main banner is the Green Hills of the Montero family, and their secondary banner is the Yellow Dog of the Trough Harbor. The owner of this emblem, Hubert Peyton, is the enemy commander. In addition, the emblems of more than half of the lords of the Hills fly on the flags at the front."
"Then this must be the enemy's main force," said Guardian Knight Ryan.
Another Guardian Knight, Finn, agreed: "The number of soldiers is correct."
Mitchell nodded and turned to look at Aurelia:
"Earl Bob, what are your thoughts?"
Aure was very confused. Assuming the information was correct, why would the loyal dog do this?
Even though she was just a woman, she understood perfectly well.
Given a numerical disadvantage, abandoning a solid fortress and proactively deploying a frontal formation is hardly a wise decision, even when fighting on home ground.
Moreover, the main force under Mitchell's command is a standing army heavily trained by the royal family, and even in the entire kingdom, it is the elite of the elite.
Therefore, in terms of individual combat capability, Qiu Ling was no match for Wang Jun.
Surely a famously loyal dog couldn't possibly not understand this?
Aurelia had no choice but to believe this, after all, it was the cornerstone of her plan to use the war to kill Mitchell.
Since the foundation is unshakeable, even if Aure doesn't understand the loyal dog's intentions, she absolutely cannot hinder his plan.
Right now, the loyal dog undoubtedly wants to start a direct confrontation.
That's all that's needed for Orei to make it happen!
Auréli said:
"No matter how you look at it, the battle force is four thousand to two thousand five hundred. The advantage is on our side, Your Highness. We can certainly fight them!"
Despite the herald's suspicions that the Hill Army might be treacherous and that caution was necessary, the herald was still on the lookout.
However, most people at the meeting agreed with Aurélie's opinion, and ultimately, Mitchell made a decisive decision:
"Then let's muster our troops and array them for battle!"
After the specific plans were finalized, the generals began to act swiftly and decisively.
Mitchell will lead three thousand royal troops and five hundred highland troops to the front lines.
Meanwhile, Aure led the remaining nearly five hundred plateau soldiers to guard the village and serve as a support force.
Aure stood on the village path, looking towards the orchard.
Aure stayed here during the summer.
The fruit trees in the rain are lush and green, and look like fairyland in the rain and mist.
Right now, it's the dead of winter, all the leaves have fallen, and the bare tree trunks are covered with bluish-green frost.
It shimmered and sparkled under the sunlight.
Just like my mood, Auleti thought, I felt restless and uneasy.
Messengers traveled back and forth between the front lines and the rear, keeping Aurean informed of the battlefield situation.
However, the soldiers' descriptions were vague, making it difficult for Aure to grasp the full picture of the battle from their language.
The army set off before noon, and it is now approaching evening.
Suddenly, a messenger arrived in front of Aure:
"My lord, the battle is over!"
Aulet hurriedly asked, "How did it end?"
"Our army has won a great victory!"
The messenger looked delighted.
Aurelia, however, remained stunned.
Big win?
Aure couldn't believe it.
God!
This also means that Hubert Payton...
That legendary loyal dog...
They actually lost to Mitchell?!