I'm not a lord

Chapter 181 No rush, let's play around with him.

More than half a month has passed since Lynn ordered the looting of Three Rivers.

He gained a lot during this period.

They destroyed nearly 70% of the farmland in the western suburbs of Sanhe City, captured nearly 500 large livestock, and sent more than 1,000 serfs to Baihe Territory.

These serfs were assigned to Green Lake Territory or Shallow Beach Territory to fill the labor shortages in the areas after conscription.

Besides these tangible benefits, Lynn's biggest gain was the complete destruction of Three Rivers City's local food supply channels.

It's already mid-May, and with the climate in the North, it's almost too late to plant anything.

By this autumn, the western suburbs of Sanhe City are destined to lose more than 70% of their grain income.

Without external assistance, Sanhe City will face a severe food shortage in just over two months.

Even the remaining 30% was not intended to be left for Sanhe City by Lynn.

He left the southernmost part of the territory, the River Marsh County, and crossed the newly expanded twenty-kilometer forest road to reach the military camp located at the road's exit.

Outside the military camp, there were still many Kawanuma Prefecture residents working.

Lynn's plan was to build the two military camps at the crossroads into large semi-permanent fortifications, with brick and earth as the foundation, and then use large trees to construct fences, arrow towers and city walls.

With 500 troops stationed there, they could easily withstand the siege of thousands of regular troops. Combined with the iron chains across the Hengjiang River, they could truly keep the enemy out of the country.

However, this line of defense has a gap: the swampy areas in the southern and southeastern parts of Kawanuma Prefecture.

In spring, summer and autumn, it's fine; the swamp is full of water and silt, which is an excellent natural defense.

However, once the swamps freeze in winter, the enemy can easily invade Kawanuma Prefecture.

But Lynn only needs this temporary defense line to hold out until winter.

By the end of November, when the ice melts, those thousand new recruits will be ready for the battlefield.

Lynn can also recruit a large number of archers from the High Cliff tribe, guaranteeing at least four hundred.

At that time, the number of professional soldiers in the entire territory will be close to 2,500. Coupled with the advantages of terrain and equipment, even if the Duke of the Swampland comes in person, Lynn will not be afraid at all.

Inside the military camp, the second brother, Hugo, unfolded a precise map of the western suburbs of Sanhe City and pointed to a large manor in the lower left corner, saying:

"Brother, next I hope to attack this large manor called Gary Abbey."

According to intelligence provided by the serfs, the manor is now crammed with more than four thousand serfs, and the permanent armed forces include fifteen cavalry squads and fifty crossbowmen from the church, plus about two hundred unarmored conscripts.

The estate had approximately 30,000 mu of cultivated strip fields; if they could all be destroyed, they should be able to obtain more than 500 serfs.

For the past two weeks or so, the second child has been living a very prestigious life.

He led 150 cavalrymen and roamed freely in the western suburbs of Sanhe City.

Wherever his black skull and crossbones flag went, the church's soldiers fled at the mere sight of him, and the serfs either knelt down begging for mercy or ran around like rabbits.

The city's militia also had to avoid their sharp edge, only daring to hide within the city walls.

The entire western suburbs were at his mercy, and nearly 20,000 people trembled under his horse's hooves.

At the church estate, his name was even used to stop children from crying at night.

But the second child was still not satisfied.

Since the start of the war, he hasn't fought a single hard battle. He's either plundering or on his way to plunder. Not many people dare to resist him, which is quite boring.

Of course, this was also because Lynn did not allow him to attack the four manors south of the western suburbs.

The church's forces had already concentrated in these four manors, including Gary Abbey Manor.

The second son had been eyeing this manor for a long time, wanting to pull off a big heist.

Lynn stared at the map for a moment and slowly said, "Fifteen lance squads, that's fifty cavalrymen, plus fifty crossbowmen, and several hundred conscripts. To take this manor will be quite difficult; we'll need at least five hundred soldiers."

Lynn also wanted to cause another major upheaval in Three Rivers. According to recent intelligence provided by Leon, the conflicts within Three Rivers had escalated to a point where they were almost irreconcilable.

The struggle between the two factions within the city council intensified, and everyone in the city knew that the faction inside the city and the faction outside the city were irreconcilable enemies.

Lynn's strict trade embargo on Three Rivers deprived the city of some markets and cheap raw materials, leading to a major depression in most of the city's handicraft industries.

The number of serfs who have now fled to the cities far exceeds a thousand. Faced with citizens who cannot afford to give alms, they quickly iterate their tactics, adapt to market changes, and continuously improve their service levels.

The lower-class citizens not only have to endure soaring unemployment and food prices, but also face endless harassment from thieves and robbers.

The entire city is gradually heading towards an irreversible collapse.

It had only been a little over a month since Lynn imposed an embargo on the city.

He saw through the vulnerability of Sanhe City completely and carried out the most precise strike.

Once the four struggling manors in the western suburbs are destroyed, the complete collapse of Sanhe City will be imminent.

At this moment, Lao San Yang sang a different tune: "Sir, I think we need to observe for a while longer. Half a month is enough time for Jinlubao to send a cavalry unit to support Sanhe City."

He prioritized stability in his military strategy and disliked unknown variables the most.

The church has now completed the integration of its armed forces and is able to quickly support the attacked manor.

With the level of weaponry and defensive capabilities of Gary Abbey Manor, plus external support, it wouldn't be difficult for them to hold out for two to three days.

Leaving aside the professional soldiers, the four thousand serfs on the manor were not just for show. If they had a certain will to resist, they could cause some trouble if they picked up hoes and pitchforks.

If the operation drags on, it would violate the principle of swift and decisive raiding.

If we are attacked from both sides by reinforcements from Golden Deer Fortress, the losses will be enormous.

The second brother countered, "We must take that manor before reinforcements arrive. And even if Golden Deer Castle does send reinforcements, the number won't be too large. The Duke of the Swamp is currently besieging Amber Harbor. How many troops can he leave for his stronghold?"

The third son has his reasons for seeking stability, and the second son's radical logic is also quite reasonable.

The Duke of the Marshland's resources and army were not unlimited; he had five hundred court knights who followed him in his conquest of the Crown Territory.

Adding in some miscellaneous attendants and crossbowmen, the total number of professional soldiers in this area alone exceeded two thousand.

This doesn't even include the knights of fiefdoms who went on expeditions with the army.

How many knights can the entire Marsh Duchy support?
You should know that one knight means three or more professional soldiers, the kind who are completely off-duty.

Moreover, the Duke also had to divide his forces to guard the border castles and his stronghold, Golden Deer Castle.

In the second brother's opinion, Golden Deer Castle could only send a maximum of two hundred people, no more than seventy fief knights.

"Second brother, you don't need to rush. Looting the manor at any time before the autumn harvest in August will have the same effect."

"Right now, we can give Sanhe City a little more time, let them descend into further chaos, and our losses when we attack the manor will be less."

After considering both opinions, Lynn ultimately decided to play it safe and observe the situation from the sidelines.

As long as he's not in a hurry, what's in a hurry is Sanhe City.

Two days later, reinforcements from Golden Deer Fortress did indeed arrive.

This group of people were well-equipped, riding tall horses and carrying the Duke's golden stag banner. They made a grand entrance through the no-man's-land created by the second brother in the western suburbs and entered the western gate of Sanhe City.

According to intelligence provided by scouts, the cavalry force numbered approximately three hundred men.

The intelligence that Leon subsequently provided also confirmed this.

These cavalrymen were extremely arrogant in the city, demanding massive amounts of military supplies from the city council, and also requiring high monthly wages.

They even frequented brothels in the city for free, and stuffed any merchandise they saw on the street into their pockets, causing chaos throughout the city.

(End of this chapter)