Chapter 486: Roman Version of Norman Landing

The imperial army set out from Rome and headed north to Siena and Florence, while the Dalmatian troops headed to Pisa and Verona.

On the tenth day after the Battle of Jerusalem, the Roman army launched an attack on the two republics of Siena and Florence.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!"

There was looting and fighting everywhere. These republics had never seen such a large-scale fight before, and most of the areas surrendered directly.

The Roman cavalry did not hesitate, bypassing the countryside and castles and heading straight for the other capital.

By the time Siena reacted, most of the republic had been occupied by Rome, leaving only the capital.

And Florence was not much better. Their army was unable to resist the attack from Pisa and Romagna.

Some people said that John should be killed, but the other party had already run out of the city. They could only be angry meaninglessly.

The news that the Roman emperor was preparing to return to the Apennines also shocked the anti-Roman alliance. They never expected that the other party would deal with it so quickly. Egypt was really too bad.

At this point, they could only bite the bullet. Austria joined other southern princes to defend Milan, while Poland and Lithuania put pressure on the north of Rome.

But they only learned the news from the merchants in Genoa, and it seemed too late to issue orders at this time.

In Western Europe, a shock no less than that of Egypt was about to come. Duke Stefan of Normandy gathered enough ships that could accommodate 13,000 people. He was originally planning to develop maritime trade with Rome, and then those merchants kept building ships, saying that they hoped the Duke could take them with him.

The sea route from Normandy to Rome requires going around half of France and Iberia to enter the Mediterranean, and they don’t think it’s troublesome. If it doesn’t work, there is England here, and they can also sell it.

In addition, there are some mercenaries wandering on the sea. They were all hired in the Anglo-French War. Now that there is no war, they have disbanded and have to go back to their old business: pirates.

Stefan didn’t think there was anything wrong with pirate ships, and directly hired them at a high price to transport soldiers.

Because the matter was urgent, while their attention was all in the east, they didn’t care about occupying Calais. He decided to cross the English Channel directly, and changed his destination to Plymouth in southwest England.

In the ancient Roman era, the local area developed because of the tin trade. It was burned down seven years ago. There were ruins there, and the resistance to landing was minimal.

"My lord, we are ready. The sea will be calm in the next three days, which is a suitable opportunity."

Stefan nodded. The army was ready. For this gamble, he had bet everything he could. If he failed, although he could let his elder brother pay off the debt, he would not have the face to go out again. This time he could only succeed, not fail.

"Everyone is ready to go, and the Normandy matter is left to you, Thomas."

Salmon looked at the Duke who was about to leave, and quickly expressed his loyalty. He saved his life, and he had to take care of the family no matter what.

"Don't worry, my lord the Duke, I will definitely help you."

Stefan boarded the battleship and looked at the land that was gradually going away. He knew that he could only succeed and not fail.

Because the fleet was complex, it took a lot of perseverance to integrate them together. Stefan also spent a lot of effort in it, and he didn't dare to relax for a moment. What if the pirates go back on their word? What if someone disobeys orders? He has to think of all the problems.

The sea was calm these days heading north, and there were no big waves. Soon they saw land, and the vanguard troops landed immediately. The nearby fishermen were scared and ran back.

"My lord, we are in England."

Stefan looked at the land. He had been a little too worried in the past few days. But now he can rest assured. Plymouth is a bit desolate, but the castle in the past is still there. Stefan ordered the army to repair it, establish a stronghold, and prepare for long-term garrison.

The Duke of Exeter was the first to know that Stefan had landed in England. On the one hand, he reported to London, and on the other hand, he assembled and led the army to the south to expel them. Not only him, but also the Earl of Devon, the Earl of Somerset and other vassals who were close to him went together.

The sudden influx of tens of thousands of soldiers in Plymouth naturally caused panic among the residents. Stefan couldn't stop their actions, so he could only let them go, hoping that they would be more powerful in fighting.

The rural areas near Plymouth were plundered because the army needed food and also began to attack. Stefan chose to attack westward and defeat the army in Cornwall first to resolve the threat.

Since the Duke of Cornwall merged with the Crown Prince after his death in 1400, Cornwall was governed by only local small nobles at this time. Their army was defeated one after another before they gathered together, and Stefan also said that he would not deprive them of their property, as long as they supported or remained neutral, they could get a reward in the future.

The small nobles didn't understand international politics at all, they only cared about how the harvest was this year. Naturally, they accepted the olive branch handed over by Stefan. After dealing with the small nobles, the next was the big nobles.

Five days later, Stefan's army arrived near Exeter, and the Duke had to lead his 2,000 troops to fight.

Because it was a sea crossing, Stefan brought very few horses, so the Duke of Exeter attacked with cavalry first, and then let the infantry suppress it.

The idea is good, but in the face of absolute suppression, this strategy can only increase the opponent's losses. Especially when Stefan brought out 5 cannons and 40 guns, the horses could not stand the huge shock and fell down. The English longbowmen were well-trained, but they also retreated quickly because the infantry was also dispersed.

The Duke of Exeter was shot by a bullet from somewhere before he returned to his castle, and he died.

Such a smooth sailing made Stefan feel that all this was unreal, but he also knew that now was not the time to think about it, and he had to go to London as soon as possible. Just like the Duke of Normandy.

Stefan's army was looted along the way. When they came, they only brought five days of dry food, which was exhausted when they landed. Later, they robbed several surrounding villages to barely maintain. And some small nobles also contributed a little, and the battle with the Duke of Exeter allowed him to harvest enough food to sustain a month and a large amount of currency, so he could go to the market to buy food normally.

The people of England did not have the idea of ​​risking their lives for the country, they could only pray that the other party would leave quickly. They asked for food and gave it to them, so they left quickly.

Afterwards, the Earl of Somerset and the Earl of Devon were defeated one after another. They did not expect the other side to be so fierce. Fortunately, their reputation was saved. Now they had to go to London to find the king.