Chapter 1,233 Ambition Expands with the Expansion of Strength

When the Battle of Kaiserslautern had just come to an end, Ludwig's mighty army marching backward along the Mainz Avenue finally arrived at the foot of the Palatinate Mountains.

All his cavalry regiments participated in last year's battle, and he himself even took the lead in the charge, directly leading the entire regiment forward.

The remains that can be seen everywhere in the abandoned villages and towns were all caused by the cavalry. When they went to the old battlefield to observe their masterpieces, the soldiers did not have the slightest worry. On the contrary, they felt that this was a good sign.

But for the extremely large number of infantry troops, the senses are not only shocked but also frightened.

The Thuringian lord Thakurf didn't want to take a trip into this muddy water at all, but he couldn't disobey the king's order, so he had to reluctantly bring a weak brigade to join in the fun.

Most of the soldiers have gray beards. How much can a group of aging soldiers accomplish?

The retinue soldiers were always required to keep a close eye on their surroundings and report any signs of trouble. That's how it was in Thuringia. Once things went wrong, they would give them a symbolic hit and then run away.

"Sir, there are bones everywhere here. Is this really the work of the king?" The retinue of the cavalry had never seen such a scene.

The bones crunched under the horse's hooves, the ferocious skeleton looked up to the sky with sorrow, and the soldiers' hearts trembled.

Takulf looked around and pretended to be calm: "Are you all scared?"

The cavalry were silent.

He continued to shout in the dialect of his hometown: "Some people want to die fighting for power for the great nobles, but we will not. Remember! If the king's battle goes well, we will benefit from it. If the battle goes wrong, we will retreat. We must remember that life is our own. . Once you see my flag retreat, don’t fight.”

"Roar!" the soldiers signaled.

Therefore, the existence of the Thuringian Army is more like a lottery. They can only add icing on the cake when the war goes well. If not, they will be a group of deserters.

In fact, what Ludwig needed most was the Marquis's statement. At least Marquis Thakurf came, and that was enough.

After all, this is a marquis in the Alemany region, not a vassal of Bavaria and Austria in his core area. Are the vassals in your core area disobedient? That is absolutely impossible.

Until now, the main force used by Ludwig is still his own personal army group. In the final analysis, this is the legacy left to him by his grandfather, Charlemagne.

Part of the army that conquered the Avars was stranded in the east, and they formed the main force of Ludwig's army.

He has not mobilized all his strength. If there are heavy losses in this year's operation, it does not mean that he will completely lose his military advantage. Even if it is not good enough, he can order all the Eastern nobles to lead troops to join the war!

Just then, the nobles will demand huge power, and then they will have to recognize semi-independent princes such as the Duke of Saxony and the Diocese of Cologne.

This was a compromise, and Ludwig was not willing to accept it.

The infantry armies transported a large amount of baggage to each other and advanced steadily in a normal marching manner. They had been stationed in Mainz for a long time, and the soldiers all knew about the bloody battle last year. Now that they came back to the battlefield and saw the corpses on the ground, they were extremely shocked. When they thought of the Saxons who were protecting them from the mines in front, they felt much better.

Ludwig still wore his purple robes, but instead of wearing a helmet, he held his golden crown high on his head.

The soldiers around him held two flags high, one was a black cross on a white background, and the other was the three lions battle flag representing Charlemagne.

People's hearts are changing dramatically with the times. When he leads the army into battle, the south wind blows on Ludwig's bearded face. He begins to imagine why he can only be Caesar. As long as he seizes the opportunity to kill his elder brother, he will become Augustus. All.

As for his younger brother Charlie, who doesn't even have a fief, there's no problem in banishing him. There was also the nephew Pepin II who followed his eldest brother up and down, and his fiefs in Lombardy and Provence had to be deprived of him.

Because he had suffered heavy losses in successive battles at Kaiserslautern, he took it for granted that the Saxons had suffered heavy losses as well. They exhausted all their blood for themselves, which was the gateway to Strasbourg for the main force.

"Fighters! Do you all know? That guy Liudov really thinks that Kaiserslautern is rich. Haha, I have transferred the gold and silver there long ago. The Saxons are fighting for me, so that these rebels will be wiped out. , it relieves the hatred in my heart."

Ludwig was in a good mood, but he was baring his teeth and the soldiers did not dare to say anything.

Until the light cavalry scouts who were scouting the road ahead quickly turned around and looked anxious, as if they had learned something important.

The scout reined in his horse right in front of Ludwig.

"How's it going? Is there a fight ahead?"

"Report to your majesty, the Saxons... the Saxons..."

"Say it!"

"The Saxons actually won."

The scout was very excited. Not only did he see a victory, but also the battlefield was littered with corpses.

The news began to be reported to Ludwig, and even he, who had experienced many battles, was greatly surprised. "A large group of spearmen defeated the cavalry again? Liudov is a weak force, and there is no help from the Russians this time..." He couldn't figure it out: "Forget it, now that the battle is over, I'll go and see for myself."

Ludwig finally gave the order to speed up the march, and the entire army arrived at the mountain pass battlefield where corpses were strewn in the evening.

Standing on horseback on a cramped battlefield, he had been here last year. At that time, he had lost his troops and generals but was still unable to penetrate the enemy's defense.

The battlefield included the road to Kaiserslautern, which was now cleared. Ludwig could see corpses piled randomly on both sides of the road. The poor corpses had clearly been stripped of their clothes on purpose, and the exposed corpses had begun to turn gray.

At least two days have passed since the battle ended. If you smell it carefully, you can see that the air is already filled with a stale stench.

The hoarse cries of crows can be heard in my ears, and the sky is densely packed with flying black shadows. He saw crows pecking at the eyes of the corpse and digging holes into the flesh.

The corpses of the war horses were even more mutilated, and more crows gathered there. The cavalry sent to investigate alerted them, and suddenly a "black cloud" of random sounds rose up.

Was it all the Saxons? Ludwig had some doubts. There was not a single black corpse of the Saxon army on the battlefield, and if those soldiers were alive, they could only be in the city of Kaiserslautern.

"Order the whole army to move forward. I will spend the night in the city tonight."

Finally, Ludwig saw the victorious army. At first he couldn't believe that the soldiers running around in front of him were Saxon soldiers. They changed their clothes, the civilians put on plate armor, and those wearing only leather hats also put on iron helmets.

Their overall color was still black, and when they saw the army coming from the north, they showed no awe and seemed not to pay attention.

Even the soldiers couldn't stand it. Some people were angry for the king: "Your Majesty, the Saxons are too arrogant! They should line up to welcome him."

"Forget it. Let's keep walking."

Ludwig didn't want to make any statement. In any case, Kaiserslautern was once firmly controlled by him, and it would be really shameful to have it taken away from him. But the city was conquered by the duke of Saxony, whose loyalty was questionable. Liudov won the honor, but it was not easy for him to ask for it.

The first priority is to see the man.

In fact, the scout cavalry was intercepted by the Saxon sentry when it entered the battlefield at the mountain pass. The scout soon met Liudov himself and learned some details.

The dilapidated palace was the center of the entire city. Liudov ordered a simple cleaning, and he stood there on horseback, as if he had become the master of the palace.

If Ludwig enters the city, let this palace, covered with withered grass, serve as a meeting place.

The entire city served as a Saxon army camp. When the main force of Ludwig's army tried to actually enter the city, it was surrounded by soldiers who were well prepared.

The leading cavalryman ordered them to give way with swear words, but the Saxons formed a wall with their spears, forcing the cavalrymen not to attack.

"How presumptuous! Who do you forest bandits think you are blocking? Make way for the great king!"

The Saxon nobles who were responsible for holding the road into the city were equally arrogant: "Our Lord Duke has an order! The only ones who can enter the city are the Duke of Bavaria and the Margrave of Thuringia. You fools on horseback! It's you who should retreat."

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"You...you are looking for death! You don't respect my king as your majesty."

"Then I'll kill you. Brothers, suppress them with spears!"

After all, the person who gave the order was a Saxon nobleman with the title of graf. He brought his hometown elders to participate in the war and contributed a lot. He also made a fortune in post-war plunder.

They are nobles recognized by Liudof. Their level is equivalent to counts, but their strength is much inferior to the counts of the Frank line. But it doesn't matter. They got great benefits and won the bloody battle. Now they only obey Liu Doufu's words.

The noise suddenly caused the Saxons to be on high alert. After figuring out the basic situation, Ludwig had no choice but to admit it with gritted teeth.

He ordered the entire army to bypass the city, even if it took some time. After all, Kaiserslautern is surrounded by mountains on both sides, and the small plain of the Lauter River in the mountains is not suitable for the garrison of a large army.

When the main force of Ludwig's army arrived at the southern exit, looking to the south was the Brisgau hilly area with somewhat trivial terrain. The relatively flat slopes were more suitable for camping and burying pots for cooking.

A large campfire lit up the dark night. After more than a year, Ludwig owned this place again.

When he entered the palace on horseback with a few soldiers in accordance with the request of the Saxon envoy, the moon was already high.

It was late at night, and Ludwig, who was supposed to be suffering from the fatigue of traveling and riding, was greatly shaken. He was not tired, and he urgently needed to see what the palace had been like at the hands of the Saxons.

The heavy gate collapsed, some imitation Roman columns collapsed, and the gaps between the open stone slabs were filled with grass.

There are many warriors standing in the majestic and heavy palace. They hold torches not only for lighting, but their presence is more like palace guards. They stand upright here to demonstrate to the "guests".

"Liudov also knows how to show off? This guy is very good at playing. I want to see what tricks you can do." Thuringia Hou Takulv spat casually, and he deliberately stood behind Ludwig.

After waiting for a while, Ludwig became impatient: "Liudov! What are you doing?! Come out and see me!"

"Does this make you impatient?" After a moment, a group of cavalry walked out of the dim hall.

Ludwig couldn't help but retreat for a while. He was surprised that the palace had turned into a racecourse. After seeing Liudov's face clearly, he took three steps forward. He pointed with his big hand: "How impudent! Liu Duofu, why don't you dismount after seeing this king?"

"Dismount? Yes. But didn't you promise this city to me?"

"This matter? All I promised you was the wealth in the city! This palace is my property, and you are not allowed to be arrogant."

"But you lied to me." Liudov was still arrogant. He had his own reason for being stubborn: "Where are the hundred boxes of silver coins? The soldiers are fighting for this money, but according to what the prisoners said, the city has never been There is no such money. You lied to us."

Ludwig had no intention of explaining the matter. He suddenly had an idea and said, "We have money! It was all taken away by Lothair's army!"

"I knew you would say that. However, we can talk about this slowly. I have more important things to tell you, and you will thank me."

Because of the great victory, the energetic Liudolf was extremely inflated. He felt that as long as he had more troops, he would not be a vassal of Frank. Saxony could build a great country on its own!

After all, their island cousin, the Kingdom of Wessex, had proven that the Saxons could build a great state.

However, the Saxons in Europe have always been suppressed by more powerful forces. Now, with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Liudov feels that through this great victory, he has fully proved that he has the love of God and that he has become the king.

He dismounted, his arrogance unabated.

Ludwig, who had been seriously violated, was extremely angry.

"Are you angry? Ludwig!" Liudolf simply called him by his first name. He could no longer hide it: "My daughter is the wife of the eldest son of King Rus, and my son-in-law is still the king of Mercia. Now, I have a very good relationship with the Rus and Danes. My army was trained with their help, and many of my guards are Danish warriors. This is why my army can quickly defeat the enemy and get Kaiserslautern. And you, already We lost nearly ten thousand troops for this city. Now the honor belongs to Saxony, not you."

Of course, it was impossible for Ludwig to agree with some theoretical talk, so he still held back his anger after he stopped talking.

This Liudov was no longer easy to mess with. He had close contacts with all the Normans, and they thought that they were no different.

But Liudov almost hinted that he was no longer a nobleman under the Frankish system. Maybe he denied his status as "Duke of Saxony". Not only was it not a punishment, but it was to remove the remains of the ferocious hound, so that the hound would Became a wolf.

Sometimes, as a king, you have to give in. Ludwig was deeply traumatized by the Russian people, and he was extremely worried about the backlash against the forces that used the name Nassau but were actually Rus.

He couldn't help but glance at the sanctimonious Takulv behind him. This cunning guy actually had a smile. What if he wasn't smiling and enjoying himself.

"In that case, why should I come to see you?" Ludwig grimaced, then turned around and looked like he was about to leave.

"You can't leave." Only then Liudov dismounted.

Holding the hilt of his sword, he approached Ludwig and stood behind him.

At this moment, the purple robe under the night cannot show its nobility, and the man with the golden crown on his head cannot show his nobility when faced with the aristocratic arrogance of Mo Ran.

Ludwig was still carrying his back: "You win, and you can plunder the city. What do you want? Do you really want to blackmail me for a hundred boxes of silver coins?"

"You can't take it out, but I still got some loot. It's true that I have the right to plunder. After all, Kaiserslautern is yours." Liudov had already taken back his arrogance, and his tone was much calmer.

Ludwig knew that he did not have the right to be angry. After all, he still needed the nobles in the west to work for him, but he could not provoke them into retreating privately.

"Thank you for knowing that the city belongs to me. What are you doing now? What gifts are you planning to ask for?"

"What if it's some key intelligence? What if I can wish you the victory over Strasbourg?"

"Do you have important information?" Ludwig turned around quickly.

Seeing Liudof clapping his hands, a man with his upper body tied with a bag of cloth was twisted and brought from the darkness, and then was pressed down to his knees with a wooden stick by a guard who was obviously a golden-haired Dane.

"Who is this?" Ludwig asked.

"That's the general guarding Kaiserslautern! Count Metz's eldest son is named Freibach."

"That's him?" Ludwig was slightly surprised. He knew the two sons of Count Metz's family, and even knew that Metz had contributed a lot to Lothair in the civil war.

What surprised him even more was that Kaiserslautern was actually guarded by vassals.

"You didn't kill him."

You can hang him "now, if you wish." Liu Duofu shrugged: "I will give this man to you, and you can do whatever you want with him." All I'm telling you is that many of the soldiers you fought with last year came from Metz. If it hadn't been for us this year, even if you defeated Kaiserslautern, your losses would have been huge and you would have lost the force to attack Strasbourg. "

"Are you trying to persuade me to order his death?"

"No." Liudov shook his head, "You do owe me a sum of money! After the battle of Strasbourg, let our Saxon army remove five thousand pounds of silver coins from the local wealth. As long as this is the case, I will continue Fight for you."

"You? Still want the right to plunder Strasbourg?"

"You don't have to give it. Let's each take a step back. If you don't give it, I will withdraw our troops."

Because he personally entered the occupied city, Ludwig could not see the corpses of the Saxon troops and judged that their losses were not much, so the battle they had just ended had an extremely exaggerated battle loss ratio. Although he didn't want to admit it, Ludwig had to admit that they were strong, and they had captured a large amount of armor, which made them even more powerful.

He needed this strong army, and as for Strasbourg, Ludwig was very conflicted about his attitude towards it. In his heart, he hoped to see the local archbishop who was dissatisfied with him lose his soul, and also wanted to bring it under his rule after the war.

After thinking about the pros and cons for a moment, he decisively agreed: "Okay! The premise is that your troops must work with me to capture Strasbourg."

"I will join the war! But there may be 30,000 to 40,000 defenders there! I hope this man is lying." After that, Liudov kicked the captured Freibach hard.

Ludwig glanced at him and refused to believe the numbers: "How valuable is this prisoner? If Count Metz is caught by me, I will kill him with my own hands. As for thirty thousand or forty thousand defenders, don't listen. The lies of prisoners of war.”

"Oh? Then you will have this opportunity right away."

"how do I say this?"

Liudov shrugged: "First of all, Sarabrücken was indeed destroyed. Nassau's actions forced Count Metz to detour to Schwabrücken in Brisgau."

"That guy from Black Fox really didn't lie to me?!" Ludwig was a little touched.

"This time Count Adalbert of Metz came with his own troops, and almost all the troops from the entire earldom came. They are about to arrive at Kaiserslautern, and a new battle will break out. Now that your army has arrived, let's fight again Do not hit?"

"What's the point?!" Ludwig's anger instantly disappeared. After all, the nobles' hypocrisy and subterfuge are not public behaviors, and everything can still be resolved through negotiation.

But the nobles loyal to Lothair openly raised the table, and Count Metz was the one who danced the most.

Looking at the captured Freibach again, Ludwig had murderous intentions.

"Then fight! This is my honor. You Saxons stand down, and I will personally annihilate the Metzians."

"I obey." At this moment, Liu Dofu finally showed the humility of a vassal.