allonlinenovel Chapter 712 He crosses the river, I cross the river too
Chapter 712 He crosses the river, I cross the river too
In the spring of 1465, on the western border of Doldore Fortress, a river stretched between the armies of Metland and Yoda.
It was not yet the flood season, and the river water was shallow, just overflowing the riverbed. The current was slow, and the water level was just up to an adult's calf.
The flat land on both sides of the river was open and unobstructed. The armies of Midland and Yoda stood facing each other across the river, their formations stretching for miles. A silent, grim atmosphere permeated the two armies, and even the wind seemed to have stopped in mid-air. The only sounds were the heavy breathing of the soldiers and the soft clash of weapons.
Yoda's army had a thicker line and a clear numerical advantage. The infantry in the front row held shields and spears, while cannons could be vaguely seen in the rear, their dark muzzles pointed at the Midland army on the opposite bank of the river.
On the Midland side, the formation was more orderly, with musketeers in the front row, spearmen and a small number of cavalry in the back row, and several cannons interspersed in the middle, their barrels polished to a shine, gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster in the sunlight.
The soldiers on both sides were on edge, their eyes fixed on the enemy opposite them. Sweat soaked the grips of their weapons, and their hearts pounded in their chests as they awaited the signal to begin the battle.
Suddenly, a muffled cannon shot broke the silence. It was Yoda's army that fired first. A metal ball whistled through the air and landed on the ground not far in front of the Midland army's lines, exploding into a cloud of dust and sending shards of stone flying.
Immediately afterward, the Midland army's artillery responded swiftly, firing several shells in succession towards Yoda's army. One of them struck the shield formation at the front of Yoda's army, shattering the shields with a dull thud and knocking several soldiers to the ground by the shockwave.
With this exchange of fire, the battle between Metland and Yoda on the main battlefield officially began in 1465.
Before the Midland army, a general rode a strong brown horse, its hooves pawing restlessly and white mist billowing from its nostrils.
The general wore the new army's simplified armor, with the metal parts fitting snugly against his body. There were no superfluous decorations, and only the key areas were thickened to ensure protection without hindering movement.
He reined in his horse and glanced at the neatly lined-up soldiers of the new army in front of him. Every soldier's face was tense, some even trembling slightly, but they gripped their muskets with exceptional firmness.
The general raised his sword, blade pointing at Yoda's army on the opposite bank of the river, and shouted:
"You are an army that the king has painstakingly trained. From recruitment to training, the king has never been stingy with resources. The muskets in your hands are the best weapons that the artisans of Heldran have worked day and night to create. Their range and power far exceed those of ordinary weapons. The salaries you receive are the most generous in the kingdom, enough to ensure that your families have no worries about food and clothing and do not have to worry about making a living."
He paused, his gaze sharpening as he swept across the soldiers' faces, sensing the wavering in their eyes slowly fading:
"Now, the king's order has been issued: cross the river and attack Yoda's army on the other side! I know you have seen that they outnumber us, but so what? Their weapons are far inferior to ours, and their training is not as good."
"Don't worry about the other side having more people or strength."
The general's voice rose again, carrying a strong mobilizing tone.
"As soon as your muskets fire, the lead bullets will pierce their flesh and disrupt their formation. They will then scatter and flee, utterly defenseless! All you have to do is advance to the beat of the drums, aim, and fire. The rest is simply a matter of pursuing the enemy!"
"As long as you fight bravely and win this victory, I will petition His Majesty the King for your rewards. Land, wealth, whatever you deserve, the King will not be stingy with! Your families will be proud of you, and the kingdom will remember your achievements!"
The soldiers' breathing became heavy, their grip on their muskets tightened, and many unconsciously straightened their chests.
The general sensed the change in his soldiers and was satisfied. He said no more, turned his horse around, and pointed his sword once again at Yoda's army on the opposite bank of the river.
"Infantry regiment, advance!"
The moment the order was given, a rapid and powerful drumbeat rang out, accompanied by a clear flute melody; the two sounds intertwined, forming the rhythm of the charge.
The musketeers in the front row immediately raised their muskets, rested the butts on their shoulders, and advanced step by step toward the river in rhythm with the drumbeats.
Midland's infantry regiment advanced steadily toward the river, getting closer and closer to the riverbank.
Meanwhile, Yoda's army on the opposite side was not idle either. Their cannons had already been aimed at the advancing Midland soldiers. With the commander's gesture, several cannons fired at the same time, and iron balls flew towards Midland's formation with a piercing whistling sound.
"careful!"
A platoon leader couldn't help but shout, but before he could finish speaking, an iron ball struck the center of the Midland army's formation. Several soldiers were hit on the spot, their bodies instantly torn apart, blood and flesh splattering everywhere. The surrounding soldiers were knocked to the ground by the shockwave, and a gap appeared in the originally neat formation, making it somewhat chaotic.
"Don't panic, keep moving forward!"
Behind them, the general, protected by cavalry, saw the chaos in the formation and immediately shouted. He rode his horse back and forth in the rear, keeping a close eye on the infantry regiment in the front row, paying close attention to their movements.
The brief chaos gradually subsided, and the infantry regiment regained order, continuing their advance towards the river in rhythm with the drums.
Soon, Midland's infantry regiment arrived at the riverbank.
The river water was icy cold, washing over my calves and bringing a chill to my bones. The pebbles underfoot were slippery, requiring extra caution to maintain my balance.
Without pausing, the soldiers waded across the river, their muskets held high, watching Yoda's army warily.
Just as the soldiers of Midland were halfway across the river, Yoda's army began to rain arrows down from the sky.
Countless arrows rained down, striking the armor of the Midland soldiers with a crisp, dense clanging sound.
An arrow struck a soldier's helmet. Although it didn't penetrate the helmet, the force of the impact made him dizzy and almost caused him to fall into the river. He shook his head and, enduring the dizziness, continued forward.
Another soldier was not so lucky. An arrow struck his neck, which was not protected by armor, and blood gushed out immediately. His eyes widened, and his body went limp as he fell into the water, instantly staining the river red as it drifted away with the current.
"Quickly, speed it up!"
A Midland officer shouted, urging the soldiers around him to hurry up.
After Midland's infantry crossed the river, they drew ever closer to Yoda's army's position. Yoda's arrows continued to rain down, and the spearmen were ready to charge, waiting for Midland's army to enter their attack range.
Meanwhile, Midland's artillery continued to bombard Yoda's army, attempting to divert the enemy's attention from the infantry and create conditions for the infantry regiments to advance.
Finally, when Midland's general could clearly see the pattern on Yoda's banner across the way, he knew the time to attack had come. He immediately summoned a messenger: "Army halt, prepare to fire!"
The messenger dared not delay, immediately turned his horse around and galloped toward the sides of the army, while blowing a low horn.
The bugle call was long and clear, penetrating all the sounds of the battlefield and reaching the ears of every Midland soldier.
Upon hearing the bugle call, the front rank of the formation immediately halted their advance, stood in neat rows, and had their muskets ready.
The musketeers in the first rank quickly raised their matchlock muskets and aimed at Yoda's army opposite them.
Their fingers were on the triggers, their breathing steady, their eyes fixed on their targets, without the slightest hesitation. With the officer's command:
"Fire!"
A burst of gunfire rang out, and white smoke instantly billowed out, obscuring the figures of the soldiers in the front ranks.
Countless lead bullets flew towards Yoda's army formation. Before Yoda's soldiers could react, they were struck by the lead bullets and fell one after another.
The entire Yoda army's formation immediately fell into chaos. The soldiers panicked and scattered in all directions, and the once orderly lines collapsed in an instant.
The soldiers in the front row wanted to retreat, while the soldiers in the back row continued to rush forward, pushing and shoving each other, creating a chaotic scene.
Meanwhile, on the Midland army's side, after the first rank of musketeers finished firing, they immediately crouched down and began reloading gunpowder and lead bullets.
The musketeers in the second rank immediately raised their muskets and continued firing at Yoda's army opposite them.
Another burst of gunfire rang out, and more lead bullets were fired at Yoda's army, causing them heavy casualties once again.
Yoda's soldiers tried to block with their shields, but the firearms used by the Midland army were far more powerful than they had imagined. The lead bullets easily pierced through the shields and hit the soldiers behind them.
The shield offered almost no protection against the dense barrage of lead bullets.
Yoda's soldiers could only retaliate against the Midland army with arrows, but their arrows were crudely made, with blunt arrowheads and limited range.
Even though the armor of the Midland army only protected vital parts, these crude arrows were unlikely to cause them much damage. Most of them only grazed or were deflected by the armor, and could not stop the Midland army's attack at all.
Midland's musketeers fired wave after wave, the dense bullets raining down on Yoda's army formation, causing heavy casualties.
Yoda's army's morale plummeted, and they could no longer maintain their formation. The front ranks of Yoda's infantry began to rout, throwing down their weapons and fleeing to the rear.
They had only one thought in their minds: to escape this terrible battlefield and get away from those guns that could easily take their lives.
"Kill!"
Upon seeing Yoda's army routed, the general immediately shouted, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
Midland's new army pressed their advantage, advancing towards the rear of Yoda's forces, with their sights set on Yoda's artillery positions.
Yoda's artillery had been exchanging fire with Midland's artillery, consuming a great deal of time and ammunition. The gunners were too busy to notice the infantry line's collapse.
By the time they realized what was happening, Midland's army was already very close to the artillery positions.
By this time, the Midland army had already rushed up to them. Yoda's gunners had no time to reload the gunpowder and shells and could only watch helplessly as the Midland soldiers charged in.
"Quick, drop the cannons and run!"
An artillery officer shouted and was the first to drop his tools and flee to the rear.
The other gunners followed suit, abandoning their cannons and fleeing with the officers.
Midland's soldiers successfully captured Yoda's artillery positions, but they did not stop there. They continued to pursue Yoda's army deep into their territory, expanding their gains.
……
"asshole!"
Inside the fortress at the rear, Goode, the commander of the Ram Charge Knights, stood before the map, his face terribly grim.
A commander of the Yoda Infantry Regiment stood disheveled before him, his armor stained with dust and blood, his face filled with fear and shame, and he dared not look up at Goode.
Goode looked at the infantry regimental commander who had fled back, and his anger could no longer be contained. He slammed his fist on the table next to him, and the map and writing materials on the table jumped up from the impact.
"Useless idiots! A bunch of useless idiots! An infantry regiment of over five thousand men, and you couldn't even hold out for half a day?"
"So many men, such good artillery, and you were utterly routed by the Midlanders, losing your artillery positions and cannons! Do you live up to the trust placed in you by your superiors? Do you deserve the weapons in your hands and the salaries you receive?"
The infantry regimental commander trembled slightly, his head bowed, his lips moved as if he wanted to explain, but in the end he said nothing.
He knew he was largely to blame for the defeat, and no amount of explanation would help. He was filled with remorse and fear, wondering how Goode would deal with him.
Goode took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger, and his gaze returned to the map.
His finger slid across the map, analyzing the current situation. If things continued this way, the Midland army might launch a direct attack on the fortress, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
Just then, a scout rushed in, knelt on one knee, and said urgently:
"Commander, the main force of Midland has crossed the river and is heading towards the fortress. They're not far from here!"
Upon hearing this news, Goode was not alarmed at all; instead, his eyes lit up and a cold smile appeared on his face.
He slammed his hand on the map, his tone a mix of madness and confidence:
"Good! Well done! He crosses the river, so will I! Does he think he can attack my stronghold and win this war just by crossing the river? That's wishful thinking!"
His gaze sharpened, and a bold plan formed in his mind.
"Pass on my orders: assemble the Ram Charge Knights immediately! Since he crossed the river to attack my stronghold, I will lead the Knights across the river, circle around to his rear, and raid his supply train and main camp!"