Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 459 Eye of the Storm

In June, the sun blazed fiercely.

The Iron Peak County army has been "taking over" Maplestone City for seven days, and the siege of Maple Leaf Fortress has also lasted for seven days.

The occasional roar of heavy artillery reminded everyone that the war was still ongoing.

But life must go on.

Like other cities, Maplestone City has large tracts of farmland on its outskirts. Right now, the rye outside the city has been harvested, and it will soon be time to harvest the wheat.

Oxen and horses slowly dragged heavy stone rollers, grinding large flat areas into the harvested fields.

The threshed grains were spread evenly on the ground and left to dry under the scorching sun.

Looking out over the fields outside the city, there were striking golden spots everywhere, as if someone had splattered them on with a paintbrush.

Because harvesting, threshing, and drying all require a lot of manpower.

Therefore, at this time of year, every farmer's family, whether male or female, adult or child, as long as they have two hands, must go to work in the fields.

Not only the farmers and tenants of Maplestone City work in the fields, but also the landless from nearby villages and towns, as well as the poor in Maplestone City, who rely on selling their labor during the harvest season to earn meager wages.

A large number of short-term workers gather like streams in the early morning and return home like birds in the evening.

The scene of busy work was almost no different from that of June in previous years.

If one turns their attention to the more remote Tiefeng County, one will be surprised to find that the large refugee farms under the control of the rebels have already finished harvesting their winter wheat and are rushing to plant miscellaneous vegetables and beans to supplement their food supply.

It seems that the entire newly reclaimed province has shaken off the war and turmoil and regained its former stability and tranquility.

However, this tranquility is more like the calm at the eye of a storm.

There was no need for deliberate propaganda; the outcome of the Battle of River Valley Village naturally spread beyond the newly reclaimed lands, immediately causing violent upheavals in Palatine and even within the alliance.

A new round of purges broke out in Zhuwangbao.

The Red Rose faction, which split from the old Grand Council, was once again divided in two according to whether or not they unconditionally supported Grove Magnus.

A large number of Red Rose MPs who disagreed with Grove Magnus—especially those local factions who vehemently opposed external intervention in the Paratul civil war—were arrested and imprisoned on charges of being “traitors,” “spies,” and “sympathizers of the rebels.”

Some Red Rose councilors were even executed in public without trial as “traitors who caused the defeat in the battle.”

The castle of kings has returned to the terrifying atmosphere of the last bloody coup: every household has its doors and windows tightly shut, and apart from cavalrymen carrying wanted posters, there are no pedestrians to be seen on the road.

Some say that a dying beast is more dangerous than an ordinary one.

But Grove Magnus's actions went beyond mere danger; they were downright insane.

It's just unknown whether the members of parliament who had once surrounded Grove Magnus as he walked toward the speaker's seat felt any remorse as they bowed their heads before the executioner's sword.

In Guitu, the United Provinces, having learned of the latest developments in the battle of Palatine, began a new round of mobilization and arming.

Prices of iron, lead, nitrates, and sulfur skyrocketed in the market, and the price of raw wool also soared along with the price of military supplies.

The Piedmont Wool Importers Association has provided a suggested list price for a bale of medium-quality, undegreased raw wool, valued at one gold shield and two silver shields—and it is only a suggestion.

Panicked textile factory owners began stockpiling raw materials at any cost, while wise factory owners were already laying off weavers.

On the other side of the Inland Sea, the tremors in Venetia were no less severe than those in the United Provinces.

For many years, there has not been a large-scale battle within the Cynas Alliance where both sides have committed tens of thousands of troops.

Going back a hundred years, a battle of this scale would have been enough to destroy or revive a nation; even today, after experiencing the baptism of sovereignty wars, such a brutal battle is still worthy of being recorded in history.

However, the Venetians' shock was tinged with more positive than negative.

The "inside story of the Iron Peak County rebels," which had been deliberately suppressed by the Directory, could no longer be concealed. Winters Montagne's name spread throughout the Highlands overnight.

At the Serbian residence, elegant ladies from the sea came in droves, subtly inquiring about the situation from Kosa Serbian; after leaving, they went straight to the Navarre estate, offering their congratulations to Madame Navarre with a mix of sincerity and pretense.

Leaving aside the rumors circulating in Hailan's living room and salon, the reactions of Mrs. Navarre and Mrs. Serbiati need no further explanation.

In response to the latest developments in the Paratú civil war, the Venetta government issued a strongly worded statement to the United Provinces Governing Council through public channels, warning allies against intervening in the Paratú civil war in any form, or Venetta would be forced to respond.

The situation in the Tannaria Islands and the Benli River basin has escalated again. The officers of the Third and Fourth Corps have had their leave canceled, and soldiers can no longer be seen loitering outside their barracks.

The Venetian Fleet also departed its home port, launching a new round of raids on the provincial smuggling vessels on the Inner Sea.

On the shore of the Inner Sea, both the United Province and Veneta had arched their backs, bristled their manes, and pressed their bodies tightly against the ground, as if they were about to pounce on each other and tear each other apart at any moment.

On the contrary, the Parat military government on the north bank of the Jinliu River, located in Hongchuan, responded indifferently to the fighting on the south bank.

The Hongchuan military government neither took advantage of the enemy's heavy losses to attack the eastern border cities bordering the United Provinces, nor did it attempt to break through the Jinliu River defense line again.

In short, the Hongchuan military government took almost no action, and its passive attitude is intriguing.

As time passed, the ripples caused by the "Battle of River Valley" within the alliance were reflected back to Xinken.

The upper-class citizens of Maplestone, who were able to receive news from the outside world, couldn't help but become pessimistic about the prospects of the newly reclaimed land.

The situation within the newly reclaimed province was equally turbulent.

The Iron Peak County Army released a victory proclamation signed by Winters Montagne to the public, and Maplestone City immediately became a paper-thief of news.

The printed bulletins were snapped up, and handwritten copies sold for a silver coin each. The three printing workshops in the city had to urgently reprint them.

The citizens of Fengshi City who received the bulletin not only read it in the square, living room, and dining table, but also secretly sent it to other places.

Although the communiqué omitted many tactical details and remained silent about the casualties of the coalition forces.

However, through the summary content in the article, ordinary people outside the two sides of the war were able to see the whole picture of the battle for the first time and understand the devastating blow that the Grand Council army had suffered.

Through the subtle emotions conveyed between the lines—for example, referring to the parliamentary army as the "pseudo-government army," the armies of Baishan, Bianjiang, and Leiqun counties as the "newly reclaimed land army," and using "our army" only for the "Tiefeng County army"—many intelligent people in Maplestone City pessimistically realized that there might still be a battle to be fought within the so-called "newly reclaimed land alliance."

The situation unfolded exactly as the citizens of Maplestone had anticipated.

The Leiqun County army was stationed southeast of Maplestone City, and never joined forces with the Tiefeng County army, watching as the Tiefeng County army besieged Maple Leaf Castle alone.

It is said that Blood Wolf asked a major to contact the Thunderband County army, but the officer had a big argument with Colonel Skull, and the Thunderband County army retreated again that day, all the way to the border between Maplestone City and Thunderband County.

On the other hand, the garrison in Vaughan also rejected the Blood Wolves' ultimatum.

The garrison commander of Vaughan received the Bloodwolf's messenger politely, but firmly stated that he would never accept "unconditional surrender," much less "surrender to the rebels."

Beneath the surface of peace and tranquility in the newly reclaimed land province, undercurrents are surging.

The armies of Tiefeng County, Leiqun County, and Wone County were locked in a stalemate, with no open action taken.

However, it was clear to everyone that although the Iron Peak County army controlled Maplestone City, it was in the most unfavorable position. Its connection with its base had been cut off by the Vonie County army, while the Leiqun County army, backed by its homeland, was replenishing its losses.

From small signs, one can see the big picture; from the beginning, one can foresee the end. All these signs led the more insightful upper-class citizens of Maplestone City to believe that the current peace was merely a mirage, and that a new round of war could break out at any time.

The pessimistic mood spread from top to bottom, gradually reaching every corner of Maplestone City.

Even people working in the fields, when they occasionally straighten up and look at the dense dark clouds on the horizon, will feel anxious about the future.

However, Major Ald Felt, who was trapped in Maple Leaf Castle, knew nothing of any of the above.

Major Felt knew nothing of the purge at Kingsburg, the tense standoff between the United Provinces and Vinnetta, the unusual quiet of the military government, or even which of his colleagues had survived.

From the moment he fled into Maple Leaf Castle, the major's world shrank to less than one square kilometer, roughly in the shape of a circle with a radius of three hundred meters centered on Maple Leaf Castle.

Maple Leaf Castle originally had a large garrison, but some deserted after learning of the defeat. Later, about a hundred remnants of the Felt tribe fled in, along with about a hundred servants and laborers, bringing the total number of men capable of taking up arms to about a large battalion.

In fact, Major Felt had already proven his ability by maintaining the morale of these five hundred men and preventing them from being tied up and handed over to the Blood Wolves.

But apart from that, he was powerless to try anything else.

The major could only watch in despair as the Iron Peak County rebels went berserk, first building a high wall around Maple Leaf Fortress, and then building a second high wall outside the first one. At first, only the rebels were digging trenches outside Maple Leaf Fortress.

A few days later, some prisoners dressed in brown clothes also appeared on the construction site, which greatly accelerated the rebels' work efficiency.

The rebels used the open space between the two high walls as their new camp. While digging trenches to advance towards Maple Leaf Fortress, they also organized prisoners to make a large number of baskets in the new camp.

Because Maple Leaf Fortress was built along the river, the riverbank between the river and the fortress was completely exposed to the defenders' fire range, so there would always be a section of the riverbank under the defenders' control, making it difficult to completely encircle the fortress.

However, the rebels did not even spare the last stretch of the riverbank.

The rebel engineers took a different approach, first building a fortified camp on the opposite bank of the river, and then extending a pontoon bridge from the camp at night.

By the time Major Felt awoke in the morning, the rebel bridgehead had already sprung up.

The bridgeheads on both sides of the river, along with the pontoon bridge, not only sealed off the last gap in the siege fortifications but also blocked the Anya River.

If it weren't for the fact that the pontoon bridge spanning the Anya River was the enemy's doing, Major Felt would have applauded the officer in charge of the project.

However, it's not a pleasant experience to become the "enemy" in a textbook battle example.

With the completion of the rebel bridgehead, Maple Leaf Fortress was completely cut off from the outside world. Not only could it not send or receive messages, but it could not even fetch water.

If it weren't for a spare well inside Maple Leaf Fort, the garrison would have surrendered immediately.

On the fourth day of the siege, the rebels' cannons appeared outside Maple Leaf Castle.

Upon seeing the 32-pound cannon pushed out by the rebels, Major Felt's vision went black.

The major's last hope was dashed, and he realized that he only had one option left: to negotiate and then surrender conditionally.

However, according to Felt's own observations, the rebels seemed to be planning both a strong attack—otherwise there would be no need to dig so many trenches—and a long-term siege—the double-layered high walls were clearly for defense against external enemies.

They showed no desire to negotiate.

"Why won't you negotiate with me?" Major Felt asked himself this question every day, but he could never figure it out.

He gazed out of the city, and cried out in despair, "Why won't you negotiate with me?"

Major Felt—or rather, the Maple Leaf Fort garrison—had leverage in negotiations.

As the headquarters of the New Reclamation Legion, Maple Leaf Fortress was not only a fortress, but also the Legion's warehouse, storing the gold, weapons, and gunpowder that supported the entire legion's operations.

Meanwhile, as the core defensive stronghold of the Plato Army in the newly reclaimed land, Fort Maple Leaf has undergone several expansions and reinforcements since its completion.

The remodeling in 532 corrected the firing range of each battery; the expansion in 535 added a new triangular bastion outside the main bastion; and the renovation in 539 made a large-scale adjustment to the terrain outside Maple Leaf Bastion...

As a military engineering project in itself, the value of this fortress is immeasurable.

Major Alder Felt had already decided what his first words would be during the negotiations: "You want me to surrender? I'd rather set the powder keg ablaze and reduce Maple Leaf Castle to dust!"

To ensure he delivered his statement with absolute certainty, Major Felt secretly practiced in front of the mirror many times until he could deliver it flawlessly.

However, the major waited and waited, until high walls were built outside Maple Leaf Fortress and pontoon bridges were erected over the Anya River, but the rebel negotiators never came.

As the sun set, Major Felt stood alone on the prism of Maple Leaf Castle.

"Winters Montagne!" the major gritted his teeth, crying out in his heart, "Do you really want me to send Maple Leaf Castle to the heavens?"

Major Felt was unaware that Winters Montagne, whom he was cursing, was right in his line of sight at that very moment.

Looking south from the higher ground of Maple Leaf Fortress, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the north and west of Maple Rock City.

Right at the west gate of Maplestone City, where carriages were gathered, Winters was chatting with a middle-aged farmer.

Because the western gate, which was under the control of the Tiefeng County Army, did not charge tolls, many farmers would take a longer route to enter the city through the western gate.

As a result, from morning till night, large carts came and went in and out of Fengshi City through the West Gate in an endless stream.

The farmers were in a hurry to transport their dried grain into Maplestone City, not only because there were warehouses protected by the city walls, but also because they needed to pay their land rent and taxes as soon as possible, and they couldn't afford to delay even for a day.

“From the south of the city all the way to Maiqiu and Gongshao Town.” Although the middle-aged farmer was not quite sure who the young man in front of him was, he still used respectful language cautiously: “Almost every plot of land you can see belongs to the ‘local lords’.”

Winters handed over the kettle and politely asked, "What is a 'gentleman of the city'?"

“The lord of the city is naturally the lord who lives in the city.” The middle-aged farmer gratefully took the water jug ​​and moistened his parched throat: “But he also owns a lot of land outside the city.”

Winters is no stranger to the situation where urban residents own property outside the city. For example, many farmers in the suburbs of Gevordan automatically have the rights of Gevordan citizens; they go out to work during the day and return to the city to rest at night. Although they are "citizens," they are also "farmers."

"Aren't there any independent farmers around Maplestone City?" Winters asked.

“Not many.” The middle-aged farmer shook his head. “They all rented land from the lords in the city, including me. So after harvesting the grain, we have to pay the rent and taxes overnight.”

"So anxious?"

"I'm in a hurry, otherwise I'll have to pay a lot more interest."

“Oh?” Winters raised an eyebrow.

The middle-aged farmer bitterly explained the ins and outs to Winters: "The government collects summer taxes on the fourth Monday of May every year, which is the time when food is scarce. The taxes have to be paid by the magistrate in the city on our behalf. After we harvest the grain, we have to pay back the magistrate in the city. In the process, we have to pay back a lot of interest, so we can't afford to delay even for a day."

Winters only knew that farmers needed to borrow grain to survive during the lean season, but he never expected that there was such a layer of exploitation in Maplestone City.

He couldn't help but sigh: "Isn't this just bringing back the tax farmers again?"

"Who is it?" the middle-aged farmer asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing." Winters smiled and asked, "Who are the lords of Maplestone City?"

“It’s not ‘who’,” the middle-aged farmer quickly waved his hand. “No one.”

Winters understood perfectly: "You mean, not a specific person?"

“Yes, yes, not just one person.” The middle-aged farmer grinned broadly, counting on his fingers: “The Wool Guild, the Stonemasons Guild… the South Parish, the North Parish, Anya Monastery… the local lords, the visiting lords…”

Finally, the middle-aged farmer slapped his forehead: "But the land with the most land is still in Guanting, and the land I rent is also in Guanting."

“Official office? What official office?” Winters frowned.

“What other government office could it be? A government office is a government office.” The middle-aged farmer was also puzzled: “The Newly Reclaimed Land Legion.”

Winters was first taken aback, then realized what was happening, and finally burst into laughter.

The middle-aged farmer in front of him looked puzzled, and Houdel, who was serving him, was equally baffled.

Beside them, wagons laden with grain were continuously entering Maplestone City.

“If there were an opportunity for you to own your own piece of land,” Winters asked softly, “would you accept it?”

The middle-aged farmer lowered his head, and his reply came from a soul tormented by poverty and deprivation: "I am willing to give everything."

Winters solemnly extended his hand to the middle-aged farmer, shook it firmly, and then stood up, leaning on his sword.

“Let’s go,” Winters said to Houdl.

……

……

[Vogne County]
Artemis
At dawn, Major Sandel, the garrison commander of Vaughan, was awakened by the sound of an explosion.

He rolled off the bed and smashed open the window.

In the distance, the navy blue military flag of the Tiefeng County Army was already planted on the city wall as the sun rose.

[Three chapters this week completed! And all of them are long chapters ヾ(^▽^*)))]
[The previous map's faction markings were incorrect; the area bordering the northern part of Jinliu River and the United Provinces is still in the hands of Red Rose. A correct version will be released as soon as possible.]
[Supplementary Explanation]
[In fact, it wasn't just wealthy people in ancient China who went to great lengths to buy land; before the Industrial Revolution, people all over the world, once they had money, would try every means to buy land. Because at that time, land was the safest and most lucrative investment option—usury, due to religious reasons, was often not an option.]
[Therefore, in late medieval and Renaissance Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, a closer examination reveals that most of the land on the outskirts of many developed autonomous cities was still owned by the city's residents.]
[It is therefore not surprising that during the German Peasants' War, the urban bourgeoisie, who were also oppressed, often sided with the feudal ruling class and the church when faced with pleas for help from the peasant rebels, because they were also landowners and their interests aligned with those of the feudal ruling class and the church.]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
(End of this chapter)