I'm not a lord

Chapter 373 The Final Battle to Break Through the City
"The time is almost up. In two more days, no, in one more day, there should be a breach in the western wall of River Bend Fort that will allow the army to enter!"

At noon, on the flagship White River, Captain Hawke squinted at the dilapidated city walls, his face filled with excitement and cruelty.

Witnessing a magnificent and well-organized castle gradually crumble can indeed bring a unique sense of pleasure.

The sailors on board shared the same sentiment. When a large stone slab broke off from the city wall and crashed down, a burst of jubilant whistles clearly rang out on the deck of the Shirakawa.

"I will go and report the situation to the King immediately; the moment of decisive battle is fast approaching."

That afternoon, Mayor Leon of Sanhe City boarded a small boat and landed on the north bank, then transferred to a warhorse and headed to the military camp north of River Bend Fortress.

Along the way, he could see a continuous stream of covered wagons heading towards the military camp.

There were official horse-drawn carriages responsible for transporting military supplies and provisions, as well as transport convoys spontaneously organized by merchants from various regions.

Tens of thousands of young, vigorous men gathered together, along with tens of thousands of horses of various kinds, incurring enormous expenses every day.

Merchants are always driven by profit; wherever there is a market, there are merchants.

In just a few days, merchants from nearby towns even brought over beautiful women to satisfy the soldiers' sexual needs.

When Leon arrived at the military camp, he was told that His Majesty the King was watching a wrestling match.

As he approached the wrestling arena in the center of the military camp, he heard a deafening roar of noise, a mix of cheers and shouts.

The navy fired cannons on the front lines, while the army rested and recuperated in the rear, conducting daily drills and occasionally holding competitions or contests.

As far as Leon knew, wrestling matches in the military were usually team competitions held by companies or battalions.

This is also a common activity in the mainland army. In addition to wrestling, there are equestrian competitions, archery competitions, shot put and spear throwing, and long-distance running with weights.

The earliest sports games in human history mostly originated from military events.

However, unlike other armies, Lynn's army strictly prohibits betting on matches and engaging in gambling. If caught, the punishment ranges from hefty fines to beheading.

Instead, the winning unit receives a material reward and a championship trophy awarded by Lynn, making each event a focus of attention for the entire army.

Led by his guards, Leon squeezed through the layers of soldiers watching and finally saw Lynn on the VIP stand on the north side of the stadium.

"Your Majesty, the front lines," Leon briefly introduced the situation at the front and reminded Lynn to seize opportunities.

"No need to worry, my soldiers are ready to fight at any time."

Lynn waved his hand casually, gesturing for Leon to sit next to him, then asked with interest, "This wrestling match is a contest between the First Battalion of the Cavalry Regiment and the First Battalion of the First Legion. Which side do you think has a better chance of winning?"

Wrestling in the military originated from close-quarters combat among soldiers.

In close combat, weapons such as swords and knives are difficult to pierce through armor directly. When two soldiers are engaged in close combat, it is necessary to quickly disrupt the enemy soldier's balance and knock him down, and then use melee weapons to attack his weak joints.

After a moment's thought, Leon replied, "I think the Second Legion will win."

Lynn turned to look at his side and asked, "Victor, what about you?"

“Your Majesty, I still favor the cavalry legion,” Victor said without hesitation.

"reason?"

Victor shrugged and said, "It's simple. The cavalry soldiers are all carefully selected. Even when they fight on foot, they are stronger than the infantry."

About half an hour later, the wrestling match in the center of the arena came to an end, with the 2nd Battalion of the Cavalry Regiment winning the championship of this round.

Captain Leshek rushed onto the field and embraced the five competitors in a passionate celebration.

Outside the arena, the cavalry soldiers also embraced and celebrated, singing the victory song popular in the North.

Leon shook his head and sighed with slight regret, "I lost. The cavalry legion truly lives up to its reputation as the king's sharpest sword."

“Whether it’s wrestling or martial arts, the cavalry always monopolizes the championship, and the infantry or barbarian legions get a chance in other competitions.” Victor said, looking towards the center of the arena.

Lynn had already stepped down from the podium and was personally presenting trophies to the champions.

After the awards ceremony ended, Lynn looked around at the soldiers present and gave an impromptu pre-battle speech.

"Just before the wrestling match ended, I received news from the front lines. Mayor Leon told me that the walls of River Bend were about to break, and that damned wall that was blocking our advance was about to collapse under the bombardment!"

As he spoke, Lynn glanced at the podium, and the soldiers followed suit, all seeing the slightly overweight mayor.

Then Lynn continued loudly, "Perhaps the day after tomorrow, or perhaps tomorrow, we will be able to pass through the breach in the city wall, push aside the obstructing stones, and see the terrified faces of those Southerners behind the city wall!"

If they still refuse to surrender, then without a doubt, our swords will pierce their chests, our cannonballs will smash their skulls, our boots will crush their noses, and we will utterly annihilate the Southerners in that castle, telling them with iron and blood that they have no place in the Northern lands!

As Lynn's high-pitched voice slowly faded, the soldiers' enthusiastic and angry shouts immediately resounded through the sky.

During the long, harsh winter, these northern soldiers spent their days eating, sleeping, training, and drills, and had long been brimming with energy and fighting spirit.

Now that the great opportunity to drive out the Southerners and make a name for themselves is right in front of them, and after Lynn's pre-battle encouragement, how could they not be filled with patriotic fervor?

Once the shouting subsided slightly, a confident smile appeared on Lynn's face. He shouted again, "All units, return to camp immediately and prepare for battle at any time!"

That evening, the enticing aroma of wheat porridge filled the air throughout the military camp.

As night fell, the military camp fell silent. Soldiers without duty went to bed early, waiting for the battle to begin the next day.

Meanwhile, a large number of ships sailed into the temporary dock south of the military camp and underwent simple modifications overnight.

Lynn's main tent was brightly lit, with the core officers of the army gathered around a large map to listen to the final battle plan.

Lynn held a long, thin baton and pointed at the map as he made pre-battle arrangements: "Tomorrow morning, I will first send a river fortress ship to approach the castle and try to persuade the garrison inside to surrender. Of course, the probability is very low. All the officers Otto left in the castle are from the South, and it is almost impossible for them to surrender."

Once a breach appears in the city wall, the First Battalion of Yang's First Army Corps and the Second Battalion of the Wilderness Army Corps will serve as the vanguard of the attack. These 1,000 elite soldiers will land by boat outside the western city wall of Hewanbao and establish a beachhead stronghold as soon as possible.

During this period, the fleet and the archers on the ships will do their best to suppress the defenders on the city walls and cover the landing of the vanguard.

Once the stronghold is established, the remaining two thousand troops will quickly follow, transporting siege equipment to the landing site. The vanguard will immediately engage in the siege, aiming to capture River Bend Fort on the very day a breach occurs!

Lynn then made detailed arrangements for each unit, even specifying the order in which each unit would board and disembark.

Two days earlier, Lynn had already completed pre-battle reconnaissance and made the most appropriate troop deployment based on the water level of the Jinghe River.

River Bend Fort is surrounded by water on all sides, and it is currently the spring flood season. The island in the river where the fort is located only has a narrow mudflat exposed. To attack the fort, one would have to brave the ranged weapons of the defenders on the city wall and force their way onto the mudflat.

This pre-battle arrangement was far from Chiang Kai-shek's wartime micromanagement; it was simply to clarify the tasks of each unit and to make overall arrangements as much as possible to reduce manpower losses during the siege.

The oil lamp in the main tent burned late into the night.

The following morning, Count Schulz, the commander of River Bend Castle, opened his weary eyes to the rumble of cannons.

After enduring several days of shelling, he had begun to get used to the noise of the artillery. However, he couldn't sleep soundly at all last night. Every few tens of minutes, he would suddenly open his eyes, fearing that the city wall would be breached in the middle of the night, and that Lynn's troops would advance through the breach and drag him out of bed.

Fortunately, none of this happened, and today is another 'peaceful' morning with a hint of tension.

Count Schulz got up, took off his pajamas, and stretched out his legs as he asked, "How's the situation on the city walls now?"

The young male servant knelt down to change his trousers and socks, and replied, "Sir, the west wall held out for another night, and fortunately there are still no breaches. Breakfast is ready in the dining room."

"Time is of the essence, so I won't go to the restaurant. I'll have the chef bring it to my bedroom. I'll eat a few bites and then head up to the city wall."

Schultz may have been fond of enjoying himself, but he was also a responsible commander. With the western city wall in danger at any moment, he had no time to waste.

Before long, two male servants helped him put on his helmet, armor, and longsword, and the cook also appeared at the door with breakfast.

During this time, the cannon fire outside the castle never stopped, and the sound of cannons seemed to have become even more intense.

Just as Schultz reached the bedroom door, took a sip of light wine to moisten his throat, and grabbed a piece of bread to try and stuff it into his mouth, he suddenly heard a terrifying sound of bricks collapsing from the west.

"Oops!"

Schultz dropped the bread and sprinted toward the city wall. As soon as he stepped out of the main building, he noticed the eerie breach in the west wall.

The breach was nearly ten meters wide, though slightly less deep, but it was still a devastating blow to him.

The existence of breaches will severely reduce the height and defensive capabilities of the city walls.

The breach was located on a relatively low city wall, only twelve meters high. If you remove six or seven meters, the enemy wouldn't even need ladders or siege towers; they could simply climb over the wall by stepping on the naturally formed brick and earthen slopes.

Count Schulz also saw a group of generals rushing towards the main building. He quickly ran towards them, shouting, "Fix the breach immediately!"

One of the generals replied with a look of despair, "Sir, it's too late! All the enemy ships' cannons are already aimed at the breach. Even if we use lives to fill it, we can't repair it!"

At that moment, a soldier on the city wall exclaimed in alarm: "A ship! It's an enemy river fortress ship!"

Soon, a familiar Northern voice, familiar to the lower-ranking soldiers of the garrison, rang out from outside the city walls: "Listen up, garrison troops! The walls of River Bend have fallen, and the great King Lynn will soon launch a fierce offensive against the castle."

"If you surrender now, King Lynn promises to protect the life and legitimate property of every warrior. However, if you do not see a white flag on the city walls before the offensive begins, this promise will be void, and defeat and death will await you!"

Lynn arranged for over a hundred loud-voiced sailors on the river fort to sail down to the foot of the city wall and shout in unison, the sound of which could even drown out the booming cannon fire.

In an instant, all the soldiers and officers of River Bend Castle heard Lynn's declaration of surrender.

"Sink them! Sink them!" At this moment, Count Schulz had already led a group of generals up the surviving right half of the western city wall and was giving orders to the crossbowmen on the wall.

However, these local crossbowmen from the North seemed to have collectively short-circuited; most of them, although they had already aimed at the river fortress boats patrolling below the city walls, were unable to pull the trigger for a long time.

"What are you all standing there for? Fire!" Count Schulz could see the hesitation in the crossbowmen's hearts. He immediately kicked one of the crossbowmen to the ground in anger, snatched the heavy crossbow from his hand, and fired a steel crossbow shot at the river fortress ship.

The crossbow bolt pierced through the sonic boom of the surrender offer and struck the hard hull of the river fortress ship with a thud, having no effect on the sailors inside.

On the city wall, the generals from the southern border simply drew their longswords and killed two crossbowmen in succession before forcing the rest of the crossbowmen to fire their crossbow bolts.

"This is nothing but a lie from the enemy. Lynn is extremely cruel to prisoners of war. You all know that any prisoner who falls into his hands cannot be ransomed with money. Once they surrender, they will only die. Only by continuing to resist can they win their lives!"

In addition to the warning with his longsword, Count Schulz also resorted to verbal attacks.

There is indeed some truth to this. Lynn did not have the habit of releasing prisoners of war, much less accept ransom to buy his life.

However, it wasn't difficult for the prisoners of war he captured to survive if they were willing to work hard in the mines.

Under the intimidation of Count Schulz, the soldiers on the city wall regained some morale and began firing crossbow bolts at the river fortress.

After circling twice and seeing no hope of surrender, the river fortress ship stopped wasting its time and slowly sailed away from the castle.

Earl Schulz scoffed, "Thinking you can take River Bend Castle with just a few words? Dream on!"

But the next second, the disdain on his face froze completely.

In his line of sight, he saw more than a dozen large warships, fully loaded with soldiers, sailing through the river bend.

A quick glance revealed that there were at least two thousand soldiers on board.

The soldiers guarding him naturally noticed this strange phenomenon as well. One crossbowman even shouted in terror, "A ship! It's an enemy troop transport ship! The enemy is really about to launch a general offensive!"

(End of this chapter)