I'm not a lord

Chapter 291 The Ice Melts and the Snow Sets, the War Begins

In mid-February, temperatures in the North began to rise across the board.

As a result, the frozen River Tranquil began to show signs of ice loosening, and the snow on the major roads in the North began to melt.

As temperatures rise, the various forces in the North, which have been lying low for nearly three months, will gradually begin to take action.

The harsh and tranquil winter is coming to an end, and the warm but chaotic spring is on its way.

Lynn and his personal guard left the warm River Marsh County castle and headed south along the road against the biting wind, arriving at the north bank of the Quiet River in the western suburbs.

The wealthy merchants of the Mikawa City Council accompanied the group on a tour of the riverbank. Marcel, a grain merchant, stood on the shore and, after carefully observing the frozen river, remarked:
"My lord, the northern border is unusually warm this year. It's not even March yet, and the ice on the shore has already started to loosen."

The ice age of the river was closely related to commercial shipping routes. Marcel had been traveling with ships for many years and was very familiar with the hydrological conditions in the north.

When he was a child, the ice on the river in the western suburbs of the county would usually not show signs of loosening until early March, and it would not be until late March or even early April for it to completely thaw and resume navigation.

Leon followed closely behind, dismounted, squatted on the bank, tapped the ice with his cane, and stood up to say, "My lord, in recent years, the winters in the North have become noticeably shorter. The section of the river near Three Rivers should be navigable again in about a month."

Two years ago, Lynn had just arrived in White Bear Territory. He used the salt mine as bait to lure the black marketeer Leon, who arrived in White Bear Territory by boat from Three Rivers City upstream at the end of March.

If this had happened a decade or two ago, it would have been unthinkable.

To travel by boat from Sanhe City to Baixiong Territory, one must travel more than 300 kilometers upstream along the Baihe River. The further north one goes, the slower the river ice melts.

If navigation on the middle and upper reaches of the Baihe River can be restored before April, then navigation on the Jinghe River to the south will only resume sooner.

It is clear that the North has entered a relatively warm period in recent years, and there have been significant changes in the climate.

The outward manifestations are shorter winters and longer summers, with both snowfall and precipitation increasing. This may lead to higher grain yields, but it also increases the probability of climate disasters.

Spring did come earlier this year.

As Lynn rode his horse, gazing at the vast expanse of frozen river to the west, he could vaguely make out the watchtower on the opposite bank. He then asked, "Is it possible for the Tranquil River waterway to reopen to navigation in the first week of March?"

Leon looked up at Lynn and replied, "If temperatures continue to rise over the next two weeks, it is indeed possible to resume flights ahead of schedule."

Marcel quickly added, "The River Still has several sections of waterway, and the reopening times are not the same. You probably want to use transport ships to deliver supplies to Turbulent County and Oak County. If you go upstream on the River Still, the waterway will suddenly turn northwest after passing Turbulent County, and the reopening time of that waterway will usually be one to two weeks later."

The River Stillness runs through the Northern Kingdom and is the busiest waterway in the North, but its flow is not a straight one from west to east.

This river actually originates from the watershed between the Northern Kingdom and the Wasteland, which the Wildlings call the Centaur Mountains.

After exiting the Centaur Mountains, the river flows from northwest to southeast, constantly merging with tributaries along the way, and its water volume increases significantly, becoming a natural boundary river between the Grassland Duchy and the Swamp Duchy.

Upon reaching Oakshire, the River Still suddenly changes course, flowing from west to east, and becomes the natural boundary between the Marsh Duchy and the Valley Duchy.

To put it simply, due to the different latitudes, the ice melts at different rates on different waterways of the Jinghe River.

If Lynn wants to transport supplies upstream, he must take this hydrological feature into account.

Don't go through all that trouble to get the boat across, only to find the ice on the river hasn't completely melted yet, leaving you stranded halfway.

Lynn carefully observed the ice surface that had developed fine cracks, and after a moment of thought, he said resolutely, "I want to take advantage of the difference in the rate at which the ice melts to rush soldiers and supplies to Turbulent County and Oak County ahead of time."

A commander must not only be familiar with training and leading troops, but also be well-versed in astronomy and geography, including hydrological features.

When he was a bandit leader in his early years, Lynn consciously collected relevant intelligence and had a good understanding of the natural conditions in various parts of the North.

Knowing the different melting rates of the ice in the various waterways of the Jinghe River, he devised a transportation plan to circumvent the blockade by the Golden Deer Fortress navy.

The navy of Jinlubao is usually stationed in Jinlu Lake, which is located north of Jinghe River and is connected to Jinghe River by a natural waterway.

In other words, the latitude of this lake is even slightly further north than the upper reaches of the Jinghe River.

Assuming the section of the river in Sanhe City is navigable in early March, the earliest navigability for Jinlu Lake will be in mid-March or even late March.

Lynn's navy was indeed smaller than the enemy's, and he could hardly win in a head-on confrontation on the water, but he was able to act at least ten days earlier than the enemy.

This period was his prime time to rush supplies.

He was determined to seize this golden opportunity to take control of the entire Marshland Duchy.

Leon, who had also been a sailor for a few years, quickly grasped Lynn's plan after a moment's thought, and immediately flattered him:

"The lord's strategy was brilliant. When the transport fleet from Three Rivers City landed on the south bank of Turbulent County, fully loaded with soldiers and supplies, the fleet from Golden Deer Fortress was still frozen in Golden Deer Lake and could only watch helplessly."

After hearing Leon's words, Belon, the guild master of the brewing guild who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up:
"If you wish to travel upstream during the ice melt season, you must take into account the problem of floating ice. By next month, there will be a large number of floating ice floes on the surface of this Jinghe River. Even hitting an ice floe the size of a dining table could cause the boat to leak and sink."

Belon's guild not only brews wine but also engages in the wine trade. His fleet consists of three medium-sized transport ships and several escorting small assault ships, making it the largest fleet in Three Rivers.

His concerns were not unfounded, given his familiarity with the river's hydrological characteristics.

When the river ice melts, large amounts of broken ice drift downstream like bamboo rafts, creating a spectacular 'ice raft' landscape.

These ice floes reflect colorful luster under the sunlight, making them quite beautiful.

Due to the different melting times, the ice in the middle and lower reaches of the river in the lower latitudes has often melted away, while the ice in the upper reaches has only just begun to flow downstream.

This will undoubtedly delay the opening of navigation in the middle and lower reaches of the river.

After all, few captains dare to go against the current through ice floes; if they crash their boats, they'll lose everything.

As soon as Belon finished speaking, Leon's face darkened instantly. He retorted, "We're taking advantage of the time difference between the middle reaches being navigable first and the upper reaches being partially frozen. We can't keep all the ships docked just because we're afraid of ice floes!"

Leon had made a pledge to Lynn that he must ensure all the ships in Three Rivers were in place.

Sanhe City has only twenty medium-sized transport ships. A single trip fully loaded with grain is enough to feed an army of five thousand men for half a year. This does not even include the fine grains needed for warhorses and draft horses, and only considers the consumption of soldiers.

A ten-day time difference is enough for one trip. If a few ships are missing, then this race will lose most of its meaning. Leon's life, fortune, and bright future are all tied to Lynn, so of course he hopes Lynn can win the war and take that damned Golden Deer Fortress.

Grain merchant Marcel chimed in, "While floating ice is indeed frightening, there's no need to be afraid. Based on past experience, floating ice tends to concentrate on the banks where the water flow is slower. In the center of the river, where the current is faster, the ice melts more quickly, resulting in fewer floating ice."

Moreover, Sanhe City has plenty of experienced captains and sailors; simply sending small assault boats ahead to scout the way can effectively avoid the ice floes and save the ships.

The fate of the Marcel family is also inextricably linked to Lynn's; he, his daughter, and his brother are all serving Lynn.

Who would believe he wasn't a close friend of Count Shirakawa?
If the new Duke of the Marshland, László, were to return, Marcel's family would be completely finished.

However, he will never lose his rationality because of vested interests. As long as we do as he says, the ice floe problem can be effectively avoided.

“Very good, then it’s settled. The city council must prepare all the boats and manpower by March, and immediately head to Kawanuma Prefecture to load supplies once the Shizuku River is navigable!”

After considering various opinions, Lynn finally made the final decision on the plan.

Having said that, he tossed his heavy mink cloak aside and led his personal guard to continue inspecting the river to the west, leaving only a few businessmen and councilors to discuss follow-up plans.

He wouldn't care about the objections of a few merchants; if they had any opinions, they could talk to his army.

Even if some ships were destroyed by ice floes, he would still transport food and supplies to the westernmost part of Turbulent County by waterway.

He didn't care about casualties; all he wanted was for the food supplies to be delivered!

After surveying the riverbank, Lynn arrived at the military camp located in the center of the western suburbs.

In the evening, he had dinner with his second and fourth brothers in the military camp.

"Both of you will accompany me on this expedition to Golden Deer Fortress. Together with the two thousand men under Third Brother and the two thousand barbarian archers under Little Soward, the total force for this expedition will reach nearly seven thousand men."

Lynn announced his strategic plan to his two trusted generals.

Aside from these expeditionary forces, only one thousand new recruits under the command of the fifth brother, Andrei, and two thousand barbarian infantry under the command of the young Hafdan remained in Baihe Territory.

This war will be the largest military operation since Lynn raised his army.

Originally, he thought of saving some resources and letting his fourth son, Joseph, also stay behind to guard the territory.

Since Kraslo has already been recruiting new soldiers at any cost, Lynn should at least give this new Duke of the Swamp some respect.

Joseph, the fourth brother, munched on a freshly baked crispy roasted goose leg and said nonchalantly, "Big brother, I've heard that Nalaslo is the strongest young man in the North, and he's never lost a duel. This time, I'll definitely capture him alive and present him to you."

As the eldest son of the Duke, László has always been known for his formidable personal martial prowess.

However, he rarely performed well on the battlefields of the Crown Territory.

The main reason was that the Duke of the Marshland was constantly waging siege warfare, and he couldn't possibly send his precious first heir to the city walls as cannon fodder.

Moreover, individual bravery is indeed difficult to demonstrate on a large-scale battlefield. Even someone with three heads and six arms cannot completely withstand the swords, spears, and crossbow bolts coming from all directions.

The second son, Hugo, wasn't interested in the goose leg. He picked up a goose neck and ate it patiently in small bites, saying as he ate, "I wonder what kind of defensive strategy Nalaslo will adopt. If he keeps defending the castle, this battle will be difficult. But if he dares to go out of the city and fight a decisive battle in the wild, it will be much easier."

Hugh's forces consisted entirely of cavalry, including five hundred heavy cavalrymen and five hundred light cavalry apprentices.

Cavalry has always been the king of field battles, and in the monotonous siege warfare, they are no different from infantry.

Last year, he and his third brother conquered Turbulent County. During that war, his cavalrymen were mostly tasked with maintaining local order and capturing refugees and bandits who took advantage of the chaos. They did not fight any real battles with the enemy.

Now that he had heard that László was recruiting new soldiers on a large scale, he naturally hoped that the new duke would be brave enough to go out of the city and fight in the field.

Wilderness battles often decide the outcome in one decisive battle, which is satisfying for both sides. The winner takes all, while the loser gets nothing.

Joseph quickly finished his goose leg, tossed aside a bare leg bone, and laughed, "His plan to huddle in the city is exactly what we want, isn't it? We have bronze cannons; not many castles can withstand their bombardment."

Joseph had always been interested in bronze cannons and had visited the artillery battalion in the forest west of the River Marsh County many times, witnessing the power of the cannons firsthand.

Lynn picked up a towel to wipe his mouth, took a sip of beer, and said, "Bronze cannons are not omnipotent. You can't expect to blast open all the gates and walls of castles with cannonballs. They serve more as a deterrent."

As the designer of the bronze cannon, Lynn knew best the actual destructive power of that thing.

If it were a small castle of baronial scale, the cannonballs from the bronze cannons might be able to damage the corner towers or battlements, or destroy the enemy crossbowmen's cover, but that would be about it.

This thing can only shoot in a parabolic trajectory, so it's hard to hit the iron gate inside the city gate, and it won't have much destructive power against the stone walls that are often two or three meters thick.

To put it bluntly, the bronze cannons cast under the backward handicraft industry in the North were at best a reinforced version of catapults, lighter and more convenient to move with the army and be used multiple times.

Catapults are quite bulky and are often assembled on the spot. After use, they can only be burned. The bronze cannon improved upon these shortcomings.

Of course, Lynn could have increased the diameter of the cannon barrel and the weight of the cannonball, but that would have also compromised the cannon's portability.

In real history, many famous super cannons did exist in medieval Europe, such as the Urban Cannon.

But those things were just as bulky as catapults, and they were all temporarily cast on the spot during sieges because there were no means of transportation that could move them.

Does Lynn have the time? No.

Otto of Amber Harbor is no idiot; he'll just be given another six months to develop.

In the next six months, he must take over the entire swamp territory; he has no choice but to act quickly.

To achieve a swift victory, we must lure László out of the city for a decisive battle.

Before the troops move, the messenger goes first.

The following day, Lynn found a down-on-his-luck nobleman from Three Rivers who had connections to Golden Deer and ordered him to deliver a letter to Laszlo.

(End of this chapter)