Chapter 1,523 A Traitor’s Failed Lobbying
【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
The cold wind blew the dry grass, and directly in front were the hills beside the Moselle River.
At the mouth of the flat Sauer River, a black shadow stretched across the Frankish army.
There are a large number of blue and white objects in the black shadow. If you look closely, they are the flags of the Russians.
"They are from Russia..." Earl Eberhard looked ahead, with a hint of hatred on the corner of his mouth.
He looked back at his men: "Retreat for now and tell the larger troops that the battle is about to begin."
After that, he turned his horse's head and took the last cavalry to complete the rendezvous with the large army.
At the same time, the sentries posted by the Ross army outside the camp had noticed the movements of the Franks. The sentries emerged from hiding, untied the hemp ropes and suddenly sprang out of the woods, galloping back to camp to announce the enemy's arrival.
At this moment, the Russian-Danish coalition forces had already had a nice hot meal early in the morning. They had a stomach full of salted wheat porridge and were very energetic. They just helped each other put on various armors.
All the velvet hats to keep out the cold were removed and replaced with iron helmets with huge nose wings. There were also many warriors wearing butterfly helmets that protected half of their faces.
Iron pieces were riveted onto leather clothing to form plate armor. This temporary armor of the Frankish regular army had further development among the Russians. The iron pieces are inside, and on the outside you can only see regular rivets on the clothes made of deerskin.
Now they all wear white cloth robes, with decorative blue stripes sewn on their chests. Many warriors even have such stripes on their backs.
Young warriors have enjoyed good food and drink since they were young, and they are generally tall in stature. In addition, they are young and energetic, so they are not afraid of tigers. They wear woolen sweaters to keep out the cold. Even after wearing the armor, they won't feel uncomfortable because of the sweater. Finally putting on the battle robe, the whole person looked extremely burly, and even the already strong warrior seemed a little bloated.
Count Gilbert of Ramengau, who was caught in the Ross army formation, witnessed with his own eyes the whole process of the change of equipment of all the Ross army infantry, which was unimaginable to him.
Even his own noble army cannot be so tall, let alone Ramon Gao's army cannot be uniformly dressed.
The Russian clothes are completely unified in color, making it easy to distinguish between friend and foe once they fight.
"I have to learn how they fight. God forbid, my Ramongao militiamen can see my face clearly and not fall into such a meaningless battle."
On the other hand, as the appearance of the Ross military camp became clearer, more and more Frank warriors realized that the battle was about to begin, which did not even require the nobles and archbishops to mobilize again.
The more this moment comes, the more calm Earl Eberhard must be.
He stood upright in front of the formation with his sword drawn horizontally, ordering all the soldiers in the front row to slow down. In this way, the army, which had inevitably been dragged into a long and narrow line during the march, now began to quickly gather into a pile.
More than 10,000 people advanced slowly so that the soldiers would not feel tired. Since the enemy was already within sight, all the baggage could be left on the spot and the entire army advanced lightly.
The morning light gradually dispelled the coldness. The spears carried by the warriors shone coldly in the sun, and the various weapons made from harpoons and sickles also reflected light.
They all have brown hair. Between the whips and the leather hoods that protect their ears, and the leather and linen clothes to keep out the cold, they all appear black.
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
An extremely large black force was approaching the Ross military camp at the mouth of the river like a dark cloud. Now, the Ross crossbowmen who were standing through the low wall could clearly see the slowly approaching enemy army with their naked eyes. They were sighing like a dark cloud. generally.
The Ross soldiers did not feel afraid. Some of the most senior soldiers in the army have become the backbone of each flag unit and are the soul of the unit. These veterans who have become officers all think of the battle on Gotland ten years ago. At that time, King Rurik was also under full command, and he commanded fewer troops than this time. The brave warriors of Gotland launched a crazy charge, and were eventually trapped under the man-made mounds of the Russian army. Defeated after counterattack.
History is very likely to repeat itself. After all, the king was extremely well prepared this time.
"Ah! The Franks sent out so many warriors?"
"Finally we can do something big. If they really have 10,000 people and kill them all, what a great achievement it will be."
"Bah, it's not difficult to annihilate them. Burying all the dead bodies may exhaust us."
"Are you stupid? We can capture some prisoners and let the prisoners of war bury the bodies. That's it, then execute the prisoners of war."
…
The young soldiers chatted with each other. They lamented the large number of enemies. They were still determined to win. Before the war started, they were already fantasizing about cleaning up the battlefield after the battle.
The veterans in the army did not have the endless optimism of these young people. They still had awe of the Frankish army, and the flag captains also warned their soldiers not to underestimate the enemy.
The veterans remained serious. The berserkers wearing the thickest armor had decorative black bear skulls attached to their helmets. The upper jaw of the bear became a visor, and the sharp fangs were clearly visible directly above the field of vision.
There are three hundred such extremely well-armed heavy infantry, or heavy armor, here. At present, they are the only ones who can wear it and still retain enough physical strength to kill.
Rurik changed his usual high-profile attitude and dressed like an ordinary flag captain. He was also worried that he would be the target of public criticism for being too eye-catching if they were to fight. However, the king's flag with a gold edge was specially erected behind the low fence in front. Rurik set an example deep in the front. He wanted to fight side by side with his warriors! Also for safety reasons, he wore an integrated chest plate armor on his chest.
It is not surprising that the king is on the front line. It is said that Charlemagne was very brave in his youth and often led his own heavy cavalry to attack decisively.
Earl Gilbert stood inside the military formation, watching the Russians preparing to fight in such an orderly manner, and he seemed to have become a military observer.
Suddenly, a roar came from my ears.
"Gilbert! The people on the side will be opened in a moment to let you out. I order you to negotiate with your people! Remember, whether La Menggao's militia can survive depends on you."
It was the roar of King Rus, and it sounded like the coalition forces of Rus and Denmark were vowing to wipe out all the attacking Frankish armies.
"Well, hopefully I can make it work."
Convincing at least two thousand soldiers to leave the battlefield before the battle put a lot of pressure on Gilbert. At this point, he was convinced that the archbishop had learned about his rebellion. The rest of the matter depended on God's arrangements, and he also hoped that the King of Ross could help him. Show mercy.
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
Gilbert would ride out of the camp with five followers, each carrying a cloth bag containing Ross flags stuffed into balls.
How to identify ourselves and the enemy in a chaotic battle? If Ramon's army declares that they are leaving the battlefield, they should accept the flags sent by these counts themselves, even if they open their arms and display them, so that the Ross army will not attack this group of people.
Soon, towards noon, the Rus warriors, standing behind a low wall fence, could see the face of their enemy from a distance.
They were a group of guys dressed as farmers. Although there was a group of armored warriors in front of the formation, the small number of elites could not strictly follow the fact that the crowd was densely packed with militiamen.
Count Eberhard of Jülichgau placed the remaining elite warriors at the head of the team. Compared with the militia, the so-called elites were just swordsmen wearing chainmail or rough plate armor. The Frankish army's invincible heavy cavalry was now gone, and they could only fight the enemy with rudimentary infantry.
He was surprised that the Russians actually built a city on the ground. No one had ever heard of a large settlement at the mouth of the Sauer River.
When he took a closer look, he realized that the so-called city wall was just a short fence made of countless timbers. As long as he launched a charge, the entire army could rush forward and break it down.
Is there anything else to talk about with the barbarians? The Count could notice heads bobbing on the low walls, and there must have been Ross infantry lined up behind the walls.
He also noticed that a dense number of longships had been parked on the river, and the mouth of the Sauer River was blocked by them. It can be speculated that the enemy's strength is considerable.
victory? It's not a sure thing.
Now the battle is unavoidable. He knows that what the archbishop said last night is a beautiful dream. The conflict between his side and the Russians is irreconcilable, so there is no need for him to line up as a temporary envoy to persuade the enemy to retreat.
The only means of communication with the Russians are swords and spears.
He raised his arms and shouted: "Glory to Frank! Glory to us, descendants of Charlemagne!"
The soldiers in the front row began to shout, and the militiamen behind them immediately raised their voices and roared, causing a rumble like thunder on the earth.
Is this a war cry?
Rurik, who was standing behind the low wall and observing the entire battlefield, turned around and ordered the huge warriors on standby to roar.
Then, under the leadership of some veterans with strong voices, the Russians and Danes restrained their Viking war cries with an absolute sense of rhythm.
Both sides are shouting, and this is a demonstration against each other.
Gilbert, caught in this deafening shout, knew he had to leave the camp.
If the infantry started shouting after the Franks formed their formation, a general charge would begin immediately. On the contrary, the Viking war cry is an almost ceremonial vent before a bloody battle. The battlefield is the place where blood is sacrificed to Odin, and the war cry before the war is a ritual.
After understanding Gilbert's explanation, Rurik could order the opening of the horse-repelling roadblocks on the flanks, as if a small opening allowed the allied count to rush out with his entourage.
Just as the Franks were about to launch a general attack, a small group of cavalry suddenly burst out from behind the wall.
Eberhard was stunned by this scene and temporarily suspended the general attack.
"Isn't it? Six cavalry are going to fight ten thousand of us? No, it's the messenger."
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
In a short time, the Frank army stopped shouting. Eberhard felt that these enemies had no desire to attack, so he led a group of followers and rode forward very boldly.
Before the horse's hooves could move forward much, Eberhard was extremely shocked to see the face of the leading man.
The two sides met on the battlefield.
"Gilbert?! Is it you? You're actually still alive."
By now, Gilbert was no longer obsessed with Count Jülichgau's fantastic experience after that battle. "Uncle, thank God for blessing you with being alive." He said politely.
"You...what happened to you? You broke out from the barbarian ranks? And what happened with those letters? Did you really surrender to them?"
"No! That's an alliance. It seems that you did receive those letters." Since Count Jülichgau was here, Gilbert simply said bluntly: "My army does not need to fight the Russians to the end. My alliance with them is true. Yes, could it be that... all my infantry have arrived on the battlefield?"
"Your infantry is about to fight the barbarians. Victory belongs to the Franks."
"Victory belongs to the Franks, not here. Do you know how many soldiers the Russians have? Five thousand warriors, everyone is wearing iron armor. That's it. I will declare all Ramon's infantry to withdraw from the war now. If My men are under the command of the Archbishop of Liège, and I declare his command illegal now.”
From the initial shock to joy, and now to determination and anger, Eberhard's mood suddenly changed in just twenty seconds. The old guy frowned. He didn't dare to be rough with the emperor's son-in-law, but he also realized Given the current situation, it would be best if Gilbert never showed up.
As for the enemy's strength and equipment claimed by this person before the battle, it may be true. But...if we accept this truth, how can we still fight this battle?
Eberhard's rare curse: "Stupid, have you sold your soul to the devil? Why do you appear here and why do you disturb the morale of the army?"
"There is no need to die needlessly. I declare that my war is over and I am withdrawing."
Having said that, Gilbert took advantage of others' unpreparedness, grabbed the reins and drove the horse and ran out. At this moment, Eberhard greatly regretted that he had not decisively controlled him.
Gilbert's face dangled in front of the densely packed Frankish warriors. Speaking in Frankish, he shouted about his noble status and shouted for Ramon's army to immediately leave the battle.
Although many people heard these words, how could the real Ramon Gaojun militia see the count's face clearly among the crowds of people.
What is even very embarrassing is that the noble earl always stays in the city of Namur. He has close relationships with the small lords everywhere, but has little interaction with the peasants in the territory. Unless the vast majority of militiamen saw the face of this generation of Earls without a conscription order, a casual encounter would not leave a significant impression on people. As for whether this person is the Earl, who knows?
The archbishop has already sworn that Count Ramongo has died, and he is just an ordinary peasant. Who should he listen to?
Archbishop Hatgar, who was standing on the captured longship to observe the development of the situation, was anxious and angry. His eyes were dim but he still noticed that the bold horseman was Gilbert himself.
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
"You might as well die, why are you jumping out now?! You traitor, you really sold your soul."
Gilbert wanted to call his militiamen to withdraw from the battle, but due to the sudden complexity of the situation, the sounds of surprise and doubt quickly turned into low whines, and all his shouts were obscured by these noises.
It stands to reason that Count Jülichgau cannot take action against this nobleman, nor can he sit back and watch this reckless man ruin the battle plan. He ordered his subordinates who were kept in the dark: "Kill all the followers of the speaker, and I will deal with that guy personally."
Therefore, Eberhard, who personally led the followers, thought about another nobleman's attack. The followers quickly cut through the mess and killed five of Gilbert's followers. He himself stabbed Gilbert's horse in the thigh, causing the horse to kick in pain, and Gilbert was thrown off.
"He is a fake!" Eberhard raised his arms and shouted, then ordered his followers to subdue him completely.
Then he dismounted and knelt down, looking down at Gilbert who was firmly controlled.
"You? Eberhart, let me go, you have no power." But Gilbert's neck was restrained by the soldiers, and he lay on the grassland unable to move.
"If I kill you now, the world will only say that you died fighting the Norman bandits, and you still have a good reputation. But you betrayed the emperor, betrayed your oath, and made peace with the barbarians in order to survive."
Gilbert did feel guilty in this regard, and he excused himself ferociously: "I was forced to have no choice. Please let me go, I want to take Ramon Gaojun home."
"Shut up, don't force me to kill you." He ordered the subordinates who subdued him to tie his mouth with rope and linen, so as to prevent the crow's mouth from making any further remarks about failure.
Eberhard was surprised to find the flag of the Russians in the cloth bags of these people. He immediately had a plan in mind and displayed a flag publicly: "Fighters! Look at it! This is the flag of the Russians."
After that, he cut the flag in his hand into pieces with his sword in public. Such a feat aroused great honor among the soldiers.
There is no need for the just Frank to negotiate with the barbarians before the war. It is reasonable to kill their envoys.
Of course he knew that this was the real Gilbert and that he would not be held responsible for killing Count Ramengau, so he ordered his entourage to escort him, and after the war started, he personally took custody of this guy.
Because Eberhard was not crazy enough to fight in person.
At the same time, Rurik had witnessed with his own eyes the whole process of the released Gilbert failing to lobby and being captured again. Thinking on the negative side, Gilbert might have rebelled for the second time.
According to Murphy's Law, things will take a turn for the worst. As for whether Gilbert should die or not, Rurik showed no mercy to him. Now he accepted that the enemy had another big prize. During the chaotic battle, Liu Ya shot him into a hedgehog. It can only be said that Gilbert's fate was like this.
Now as long as Rurik gives the order, all fifty torsion slingshots on standby can launch javelins to complete the fatal projectile and hit the enemy's formation. To annihilate the enemy's vitality, we must not act too hastily.
He ordered his men to remain calm, all the crossbows were loaded and charged, and the archers who stood in line planted the arrows they wanted to shoot on the ground on the right.
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
The Russian-Danish coalition waited for the Franks to take the initiative to attack. With the fierce drumbeats and hoarse copper horns, the Franks were guided by armored warriors to open the way. The black army pointed all kinds of sharp weapons forward, and the battle began.
"Get ready!" Rurik bowed specially and called all the torsion slingshots on standby: "Look at my hands!"
A pair of eyes only paid attention to the king's right arm holding the sword. They each tightened the rope in their hands. The rope was gradually straightened. With a slight exertion, the latch pulled out the javelin and flew.
Now, the king's arm has fallen. At the same time, the Franks began to charge desperately amidst overwhelming shouts...
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