Chapter 154 The Final Battle
really…
This village is Donremi, where Joan of Arc is located. Because it is at the junction of Lorraine and Champagne, its geographical location is somewhat ambiguous.
In the last simulation, the reason why Joan of Arc was obsessed with fighting the British to the end, even to the point of being somewhat paranoid, may also be related to the fact that her hometown was once plundered by the British.
He was heartened.
With just two different choices, he was sure that the results of this simulation would be very different from the last time.
Without any hesitation, just choose the first option.
[As someone who has been reborn once, you are well aware of the extraordinary qualities of Jeanne Darc. You received her and poured unreserved trust into her. You taught her writing, granted her the status of a knight, and allowed her to interact with you. The ministers learned to handle government affairs. 】
[You recognize Joan of Arc’s commanding ability on the battlefield, but think she lacks political sensitivity, and intend to focus on cultivating her in this aspect. 】
In front of Lothar's eyes, scenes of the Crown Prince and Jeanne's daily life began to emerge.
Eat at the same table.
At the top of the castle of Chinon, we were laughing and chatting.
She was affectionately called "Dear Joan of Arc".
She also naughtily gave Charles the nickname "Little Flag" because the flag of the French royal family was in the hands of the British, which meant that she would regain victory for Prince Charles.
She got along well with everyone, even the Dauphin's wife, Marie of Anjou, was willing to bathe with her and sleep in the same bed.
Lothar looked at this scene with a complicated expression.
At this time, Joan of Arc was still very immature, and her speech was full of the innocence of girlhood.
Only in the knight's competition field will she reveal her outstanding fighting talent and ability.
Although the appearance can still be seen to be similar to that of his retinue Knight Yao, their speech and behavior seem to be completely different.
Ten years can completely change a person.
And how many decades has Jeanne experienced? Did it become what it is now?
[You instructed the bishops to preach the holy name of Joan of Arc to unite people's hearts, and her seemingly innate personality charm also infected everyone who met her]
[On this day, the Duke of Bedford, the regent of England in France, personally led an army to attack the city of Orleans. Charles I, Duke of Orleans, wrote to you to ask for help]
You decide:
A. Borrow money from your mother-in-law, Lady Yolanda of Aragon, recruit an army, and lead the expedition yourself.
B. Borrow money from his mother-in-law, recruit a large army, appoint Joan of Arc as commander-in-chief, and have full authority to command the battle.
C. In the name of "supporting Orleans", levy an additional tax on the vassals and the three-level parliaments, train more troops, but stay put for the time being.
The day has finally arrived!
Lothar thought for a moment and then decided to choose the second option.
Regardless of the name, as long as he has not been crowned, the vassals and parliament have reasons to reject it. Moreover, from a legal perspective, Henry VI on the other side of the strait does have more claim to the throne of France than he does.
As for standing still?
Don't talk nonsense. Orleans is the Armagnac faction, which can also be called the "royalist". It is the last and largest stronghold in the north. Once it falls, he will really be alone.
By then, the best outcome for him would be to be a country lord, and he would always be on guard against the assassination that would come to him one day.
[Your mother-in-law generously gave you a large sum of money. You used this money to recruit a thousand armored soldiers, and led 500 standing troops under your command, totaling 1,500 people, to march towards Orleans]
[During the battle, you and Joan of Arc, who held high the golden iris on a white background, fought side by side and charged at the front. Before the English longbowmen could lay down their horses and stakes, you led the army and rushed in, killing them. The army will be defeated]
[The garrison troops surrounded in Orleans also took advantage of the situation to counterattack]
[In this battle, the enemy lost four thousand people, while your army lost less than a hundred people]
[Because of your brave battle with Joan of Arc, your personal prestige has been greatly increased. The Duke of Orleans personally went out of the city, knelt down on one knee, and kissed the back of your hand to show his allegiance]
[This battle greatly inspired the fighting enthusiasm of the French who were unwilling to surrender to the British, and swept away the haze brought by the Battle of Agincourt to the French]
[The outstanding military talent shown by Joan of Arc in this battle, as well as her innate keen judgment on the battlefield situation, have been unanimously recognized and supported by your generals]
Having won this great victory, your ministers believe that you should return to the court in Bourges, gather your vassals and soldiers, and prepare to regain the lost territory.
Because even if the army led by Duke Befort was severely damaged and it would be difficult to form another army in a short period of time, the Duke of Burgundy was also an extremely powerful opponent.
You decide:
A. Withdraw troops and return to Bourges
B. Continue to march and regain Paris
C. Follow Joan of Arc’s advice and go to Reims to be crowned king.
Lothar fell into thought.
Now, his personal prestige is undoubtedly much stronger than the last simulation. Perhaps he no longer has to go to Reims to be crowned to declare his legitimacy and then counterattack Paris like last time.
The British at that time must have been well prepared for defense.
But now, the main force of the British army has been damaged, and the Duke of Burgundy is likely to choose to stand still because of his letter.
But this is undoubtedly a big gamble. If Paris fails to be captured in the first time and is supported by the Duke of Burgundy with troops, the outcome will be worrying.
Bet!
Anyway, there is another chance.
[You choose to summon all the vassals in Orleans and the troops they wish to send. However, except for the Armagnac lords of Orleans, most of the southern vassals are still in a wait-and-see attitude, citing that the crown prince does not have the right to summon an army. , rejected your recruitment order]
[You have no choice but to lead the army and the vassals in Orleans who are willing to support you and march towards Paris]
[The towns along the way opened their gates to welcome you. Everywhere you went, you sent troops to kill bandits and bandits, and upheld justice for the civilians in villages and towns, earning you the nickname "The Just One"]
[Joan of Arc also used her affinity and called on a large number of civilians to join your army]
[Along the way, your army grew larger and larger, until you reached the gates of Paris, your army was more than double the number when you arrived, more than 10,000 people]
[On the contrary, the reinforcements from the Duke of Burgundy have not arrived, and the number of defenders in Paris is sparse, but the walls of Paris are strong. The Parisians are afraid that you will punish them for their betrayal when you break the city, and the supplies and materials you collected along the way Not abundant]
Therefore, you choose:
A. Siege and storm the city
B. Surround Paris, wait for the enemy to arrive, and then gather reinforcements
C. Turn to attack Lance
"I choose the fourth option!"
Lothar made a decisive choice.
The perspective moves downward.
He came to the military tent and glanced at the noble generals present, including the Duke of Alencon, Gilles de Rais, the Count of Clermont, Marshal Boussac, and the Count of Vendôme.
And the most important thing is Joan of Arc, whom Lothar trusts the most.
The hourglass passed quickly.
Lothar raised his hand and stopped the generals who were arguing.
"It is not advisable to siege the city. The number of artillery we carry is too small and the caliber is very small. You should also know how strong the walls of Paris are. In front of rolling stones, hot oil, and solid cannonballs, a heavily armed armored knight and a ragged man There is no difference among the serfs.”
The Duke of Alençon praised: "Your Highness, I also think that it is too difficult to conquer Paris in a short time. It is better to besiege the city of Paris and send troops to ambush the enemy's reinforcements."
"Your Majesty the Duke, please listen to me first - the strategy you mentioned of siege and ambush enemy reinforcements is indeed a good idea. But please know that we are going deep alone and have limited supplies. Once the British decide to open a higher Using our leverage to persuade the Duke of Burgundy to lead reinforcements, we risk being surrounded."
Lothar and Joan looked at each other: "Dear Joan, transferring to Lance is indeed the least risky choice, but I want to be more greedy."
"An order was sent to the soldiers to announce that all citizens of Paris are victims of threats from the British. I know very well that they help the British not out of their own ideas, as long as they kill the British who defend the city Man, give me Paris and I will forgive everyone!”
The time of independent control is fleeting.
There are many reasons for Lothar to make this choice. The biggest premise is that his current prestige has been greatly improved compared to before, from a brave man to a just man. This greatly makes up for the original crown prince Charles. The stupid assassination of the Duke of Burgundy was a blow to his credibility.
Otherwise, even if Lothar talks nonsense, it will be difficult to gain the trust of Parisians.
Secondly, the number of British troops defending the city was much smaller than that of the French in Paris. Even if the strategy was unsuccessful, this would lead to mutual distrust among the enemies.
【time flies】
[You ordered your troops to build huge siege engines, and continued to spread rumors that you had secretly reached an agreement with the Duke of Burgundy and that reinforcements would not arrive]
[In the city of Paris, the Parisians and the British defenders began to look at each other with vigilance and hostility every day]
[But below the city, you kept bluffing, exaggerating your military power, and preaching that if you refused to surrender, you would massacre the city when it was broken, to put pressure on the Parisians in the city]
[Finally, in the middle of the night that day, shouts of killing came from the city of Paris. You immediately use group night vision and initiate a siege]
[The city of Paris was easily captured by you. Afterwards, you found out the origin of the cry of killing that night. It was just a drunk British soldier who cursed casually, and the Paris defenders mistakenly thought he was insulting himself]
[You re-captured Paris and crowned him as King of France, Dauphin Charles, and has since become Charles VII]
[Although it occupies Paris, this city has gone through many wars and its population has been depleted. Many people are hungry. Wild dogs roam the once prosperous manors and urban areas all day long. 】
[Under the ruins destroyed by artillery fire, you can still see exposed bones from time to time. 】
[You fulfilled your promise and forgave all Parisians, but you did not stay in this city for long, and you took away a large amount of food stored in the city, leaving the Parisians to fend for themselves]
[You march to the city of Reims and start a confrontation with the Burgundian and English coalition forces that are coming. 】
Duke Philip of Burgundy would not easily jump to his side. Lothar had already predicted that if he could raise a price, the British could also raise a price.
Perhaps it was an agreement with the British that he would be the new regent of France, or perhaps the British promised him more land and fiefdoms.
In short, he didn't send troops before, he just waited for a price to sell.
[Under the city of Reims, you personally led an army of 10,000 people to confront the coalition forces led by Duke Befort and Duke Philip, totaling 18,000 people. 】
your choice--
A. Temporarily avoid the edge, return to Paris, and wait for the vassal King Qin
B. Decisive battle with the enemy (You will trigger the final battle.)
C. Negotiate with the enemy and conduct peace talks
Lothar looked indifferent. The first and third options were both ideal choices. In the former, only God knew how many vassals would be willing to send troops to support him.
The latter, when the enemy has the upper hand, will be less willing to negotiate.
"Let's fight."
Lothar took a deep breath and felt a little eager to try: "I can't wait to try and lead an army of 10,000 people to fight the enemy."
Before that, what was the largest number of troops commanded by Lothar?
Just over 800 people.
And now, in his army, there are as many as 1,500 heavy cavalry wearing full plate armor!