I'm not a lord

Chapter 372 The entire North is learning from Lynn

Upon hearing that the Southerners had fled, Vasa's intense drowsiness vanished instantly.

He threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, barefoot, excitedly asking:
"The Southerners escaped? Are you sure?"

After Vasa finished dressing and putting on his shoes, the scouts brought back the latest information:
"My lord, we have investigated the situation outside the castle. The enemy has indeed retreated. Judging from the traces at the scene, they must have retreated quickly before dawn, without even having time to dismantle their camp. We also found a lot of leftover supplies in their camp."

Damian, the younger brother, asked impatiently, "Brother, should we give chase? These Southerners are moving so fast, something must have happened in the Crown Territory. We should follow them and launch a fierce attack!"

Damian has been feeling incredibly frustrated lately. He's been trapped in the Iron Fortress by Count Harvey's troops for weeks, feeling extremely stifled, and now he just wants to vent his anger.

Vasa glanced at his hot-blooded brother and immediately rejected the idea: "Pursue? Don't be ridiculous. How many troops does the enemy have, and how many do we have? If we chase after them and fall into an ambush, this Iron Fortress really won't hold. We can't rule out the possibility that this is an enemy ploy!"

Vasa was not blinded by momentary joy. He had reason to suspect that the enemy was deliberately retreating to lure the defenders into pursuit because they could not take the fortress by force.

This strategy of feigning retreat to lure the enemy is simple, but it can often be surprisingly effective in certain situations.

He even felt that the Southerners' desperate attacks over the past two weeks were a prelude to a feigned retreat to lure the enemy.

That morning, Vasa summoned the city's generals and issued a strict order: "No one is allowed to leave the city to pursue the enemy without my permission until we have obtained accurate intelligence on the enemy's movements and the Crown Territory!"

Vasa's caution was actually out of necessity. Mirror Iron Territory had been besieged by the enemy for nearly two months, during which time he had difficulty obtaining information from the outside world.

When Iron Fortress was completely besieged, it became a true information island, and even foreign exchanges were temporarily suspended.

Vasa is currently completely unaware of the situation outside, including the enemy's specific movements and whether Lynn has already sent troops to relieve Iron Fortress.

Before understanding the external situation, he certainly dared not act rashly.

Soon, under Vasa's orders, several reconnaissance squads skilled in mountain marching left the Iron Fortress to scout out enemy positions.

Father Evan, who was in charge of diplomatic affairs, advised, "Your Grace, I believe that the enemy's retreat is most likely not a trap. It is now mid-April, and the ice floes on the Jing River have all melted. Lynn has already promised us that he will send troops to assist us."

With the military pressure greatly reduced, Vasa's mood improved. He sat in a high-backed chair, poured himself a glass of imported wine, took a sip, and slowly asked, "So, you believe that Lynn's troops have crossed the Tranquil River and are heading towards Iron Fortress? The enemy retreated in a panic because they saw Lynn's movements?"

Evan immediately replied, "That's one possibility. Another possibility is, as Lord Damian said, that Lynn is launching a fierce attack on the Crown Territory, and Otto, unable to withstand the offensive, has no choice but to recall the army of Mirror Iron Territory."

“Hmm, that makes sense.” Vasa took another sip of wine and chuckled. “Based on my understanding of Lynn, he should be in the Crown Territory right now. Otto is too greedy, sending 20,000 to 30,000 troops to my Mirror Iron Territory. Lynn’s sense of smell is sharper than a hungry fox, and he certainly won’t let go of such a good opportunity.”

Evan smiled and chimed in, "Lynn is indeed as greedy as a fox. His head-on confrontation with Otto is undoubtedly a good thing for us."

Vasa sighed, "Alas, in the end, we are still not strong enough. In the North, only Lynn has enough strength to fight Otto head-on. If he loses too badly, my Iron Fortress will eventually fall."

Vasa was actually quite desperate last week.

He was surrounded and brutally beaten by Harvey's more than 10,000 troops in the Iron Fortress, and he also knew that Harvey had Tristan's 10,000 troops behind him.

Even if he fights his hardest to withstand Harvey's offensive, Tristan can still deliver a fatal blow.

The fortress was indeed sturdy, and the defenders were indeed brave, but they could not withstand the enemy's prolonged siege and fierce attacks.

After more than a year of fighting, Vasa had come to realize the enormous gap between himself and Otto.

If it weren't for Lynn holding the line, he probably would have lost even White Eagle Fortress.

Evan comforted him, “My lord, please don’t be discouraged. Your opportunity is coming soon. If Lynn and Otto are locked in a protracted war, you will not only be able to reclaim the other castles in Mirror Iron Territory, but also send troops to conquer Luyuan Territory. However, I suggest that you follow Lynn’s example and exercise direct rule over the newly conquered territories, and do not distribute them to other nobles.”

As a diplomatic official, Evan also had a deep understanding and research of the political system adopted by Lynn.

The benefits of direct rule by the supreme ruler are very clear: it allows for the mobilization of as many of the territory's resources as possible to support a larger army, while also reducing the risk of rebellion in the territory.

The downside is that it would violate the existing aristocratic enfeoffment system in the Valley Territory, which could potentially provoke opposition from some officers.

Many of Vasa's trusted troops were generals from traditional noble families. Most of them were second sons of their families and lacked the right to inherit their territories, so they could only join the army of the upper nobility.

They were willing to serve the Vasa not only because they could obtain a relatively stable income, but also because they hoped to be granted land and become true nobles.

If Vasa wanted to exercise direct rule over the newly occupied territories, he had to appease these officers who harbored aristocratic dreams.

Improper appeasement could easily trigger unrest within the military.

Besides the officers, Vasa also had to consider the attitudes of the local nobles.

The transition from feudalism to centralized power is never a process that can be achieved overnight.

When the nobles saw Vasa establishing centralized rule in the newly conquered territories, they naturally began to doubt whether he would reclaim his existing fiefdoms.

This could easily trigger a noble rebellion.

But Vasa no longer wanted to cater to the ideas of these 'insects'. He slammed down his silver wine cup and said firmly, "Of course we have to do it. I've had enough of these nobles in the Valley Territory!"

Mirror Iron Territory has been besieged for nearly two months. Have any nobles from other parts of Valley Territory sent troops to support it?

Of course there are reinforcements, but most of them are delayed on the way for various reasons, such as difficult roads, flash floods, or broken bridges.
It's almost the end of April, and the reinforcements that set off in early March haven't even arrived at Xiyan Territory yet!
To put it bluntly, these nobles of the Valley Territory had no intention of risking their lives for Vasa.

Of course, they also had something to say: Otto of the Southern Territory came with great force, bringing an army of twenty to thirty thousand men. They were just minor barons and earls, who could at most mobilize a force of three or four hundred men. Even if they were all wiped out, they could not shake the Southern Territory's invading army!
Vasa didn't really have high hopes for these minor nobles, nor did he think much of their weak military forces, but he needed a clear stance!

You don't have to participate in the war, but at least you can't all stay in the rear!

It's worth noting that Vasa sold off all his 'treasured' unmarried children, whom he had kept for many years, in order to win over these nobles and forge marriage alliances with them.

Vasa only needed them to cause some harassment on the periphery to show that they were willing to obey the Duke's orders.

Everyone here is a local from the Valley Territory and they are all skilled in mountain warfare. If the enemy attacks, we can simply retreat.

Even for such a small request, those nobles were unwilling to grant it.

After this battle, Vasa had completely lost faith in his in-laws. From now on, in all newly conquered territories, he would follow Lynn's example and send officials loyal to him to govern directly, completely abandoning the noble feudal system. As for where the officials would come from, Vasa already had a plan: he would, of course, follow Lynn's example and recruit them from intellectuals in various regions.

Even before the chaos in the North, there was an overflow of intellectuals in the Vale, and many graduates of monasteries could not find suitable jobs.

Back at White Eagle Fortress, Vasa had already ordered his wife to recruit more people, so there was no need to worry about the officials.

To put it bluntly, in an era that places extreme importance on one's background, there are many people from the lower classes who want to climb the social ladder.

Being a court official for a high-ranking noble family is a dream job; if you don't want it, plenty of others will!
After two days of careful reconnaissance, Vasa was finally convinced that the enemy had retreated and there were no signs of Lynn's reinforcements around Iron Fortress.

Everything indicates that Otto has indeed encountered a major problem in the Crown Territory, and he will have no time to attend to Mirror Iron Territory for the time being.

"Move the entire army out and recapture the castles throughout Mirror Iron Territory as quickly as possible. Damian, you will lead two thousand soldiers and launch an offensive against Luyuan Castle according to the plan I have devised!"

Vasa did not hesitate any longer and quickly ordered the castle's garrison to switch from defense to offense, sending out nearly four thousand troops in full force.

Luyuan Fortress is naturally the core castle of Luyuan Territory.

The castle was built on a large riverside terrace. It was originally the residence of a local count, but was later occupied by Otto III and became the largest military supply depot in the area.

Vasa had already ascertained the details of Luyuan territory last year and made corresponding attack plans, and now he can finally unleash his full potential.

"Evan, you will immediately go to Three Rivers City and find out Lynn's exact movements. If he is in the Crown Territory, then go there and find out the situation. Also, if Lynn asks me to send troops to support him, tell him that my army will be holding Otto's forces in the flank."

Accompanying the army was Evan, who had been sent by Vasa as an envoy.

Just as Vasa launched his powerful attack, the siege of River Bend had entered its fourth day.

After three days of continuous artillery bombardment, several dents on the west wall of River Bend Fort grew larger and larger. Not only was the outer layer of stone blocks completely destroyed, but even the inner layer of gravel and clay began to fall off.

Every time a cannonball hits an existing dent, a large number of stones and debris fall off the city wall.

Looking out from outside the city, this section of the city wall, scarred by countless bombardments, resembles a dilapidated door, as if it would collapse with a single kick.

Count Schulz, as the supreme commander of the River Bend garrison, still stands on the city wall today directing the battle.

The western wall of Hewanbao is over 200 meters wide, but only a small section near the city gate was bombarded, which is less than 20 meters wide.

Apart from this 'unfortunate' section of the city wall, the rest of the western city wall remained largely intact, making it easy to observe the battle from its heights.

To this day, Lynn has not sent a single soldier to storm the city walls; he has only ordered the gunners on the ships to fire, hurling black, hard cast iron shells at the poor western city walls.

Count Schulz claimed to be directing the battle, but in reality, he was just constantly sending soldiers and craftsmen to repair the city walls.

He and his generals kept shouting morale-boosting slogans, but it was as if they were boxing against an opponent they couldn't touch.

Apart from mechanically repairing the city walls, the defending troops inside the city were unable to launch any decent counterattack against the enemy.

Although morale is something that is difficult to see with the naked eye, Count Schulz could see it very clearly: the morale of the city's garrison was rapidly declining at an alarming rate.

If we compare the morale of the defending troops to a stock, then Lynn's artillery shells were like a series of deadly negative news, causing the stock price to plummet to its daily limit.

If it falls any further, it won't be long before it's delisted.

Count Schulz had a habit of keeping a diary, and no matter how lacking in inspiration he was, he would fill the blanks in his diary with the day's recipes.

But these past few days, whenever he picks up a pen, his mind goes blank, and he doesn't even feel like copying recipes.

Before the war even began, the morale of the garrison at River Bend was undoubtedly high.

The castle was intact, the granaries were filled with enough food to last for two years, and the armory was filled with all kinds of weapons that had been polished to a gleaming shine.

The defending soldiers believed that they would defeat Lynn, who dared to attack the castle, with their strong defenses, and thus earn His Majesty Otto's praise and reward.

But after several days of shelling, most of the soldiers have lost their confidence.

With each round of bombardment, the western city wall would be weakened, and they all clearly understood that sooner or later the wall would collapse, creating one or even several breaches.

When the formidable city walls ceased to be sturdy, and when the enemy's weapons exceeded all expectations, the confidence and morale of the defending soldiers were utterly destroyed.

The generals in the army could naturally see the crisis at hand, and some of them kept warning Schulz: "Your Excellency, we can't continue like this. At this rate, the city walls will not be able to hold on until the day after tomorrow at the latest. We have to find a way to stop the enemy's bombardment."

To this, Schultz could only reply with a mixture of anger and helplessness: "Don't I know what you're saying? What I need now is not a warning, but practical advice!"

The defending generals, including Schulz, were helpless in the face of this situation.

The range of artillery is too long; only artillery can counter artillery.

Some generals had planned to set up catapults on the city walls to counter the cannons, but the wooden frames they had just erected were mercilessly destroyed by Lynn's cannonballs.

The open space inside the castle was too small to set up long-range counterweight catapults, leaving the defenders with no choice but to passively endure the attacks.

"Stop wasting any more energy. Everyone must prepare for hand-to-hand combat. Once a breach appears in the walls, Lynn will launch a full-scale attack on the castle!"

After realizing he had no other options, Count Schulz instead rallied his soldiers to prepare to defend the breach in the city wall.

Lynn couldn't just raze River Bend to the ground with cannons, could he? His cannons didn't have that kind of power.

The outcome is still uncertain. Even if a breach appears in the city wall, Lynn will still have to use his soldiers to occupy the castle.

Count Schulz was determined to fight to the death; if he could hold out until reinforcements arrived, he would win.

(End of this chapter)