thefictionvixens Chapter 111 Fighting Side-by-Side in the Western Frontier, Who Will Win?
Chapter 111 Fighting Side-by-Side in the Western Frontier, Who Will Win?
Chapter 111 Fighting Side-by-Side in the Western Frontier, Who Will Win?
The wheat ripened twice, and more than half of the year 298 of the Aegonian calendar had passed.
The second and third walls of Gaoting fell one after another.
Although they were two iron gates without any wooden structure, Great Jon, clad in heavy armor and braving arrows, personally carried a pot of wildfire and painstakingly painted it on bit by bit, like painting.
Even the fine steel couldn't withstand such intense heat, and eventually it melted down like wax in the flames.
The Duke of Metz locked himself in the main building and never came out again.
Meanwhile, in the large tent outside the city, the feudal lords had differing opinions on where to hold the final battle.
"First, march north and capture Ancient Oak." James pointed heavily on the map.
"Then we joined forces with Lord Tywin from the north and south, and met up at the foot of the Rocky Hall."
Ed thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Sir, you served as a squire there and know that it is a fortified city, with a strategic location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack."
"It took Lanley more than three months to take it down, and he is now stationed there with 40,000 troops."
"The Earl of Landau is both wise and brave, and is adept at fighting tough and fierce battles."
He pointed to the river above the pavilion.
"I think it would be better to use the nameless river and the Mandeb River as the boundary to block the enemy's southward advance, and we could even deliberately let some soldiers escape to weaken their fighting strength."
"The enemy forces are now divided into two factions: one side consists of soldiers from the North River Bay whose homes have been occupied, and the other side consists of soldiers from the South River Bay who are temporarily safe."
"But they all want to go home, and the longer it drags on, the more anxious they become. If they stay trapped in Beihewan for too long, they will naturally break down."
"Ranley will definitely be forced to launch an attack, and we have a great advantage thanks to our river defenses."
Ed's tactics remained as prudent as ever, and he gradually took control of the territory he had acquired.
But it's clear that this approach is not popular.
If you take all the credit, what will we eat?
"I agree with Sir James!" Bronze Yorn was the first to shout.
The nobles of the valley responded enthusiastically.
"Yes, yes! We're willing to be pioneers!"
It seems this was already discussed, and it wasn't just James's idea.
The lords of the North, the Royal Territory, and the Riverlands all reaped rewards, but the Valley people, aside from capturing a bunch of deserters, simply went on a long detour.
Finally, half of the people were unable to participate in the raid on Highhold in order to guard against the Dornish army.
Now that the ferry crossing is under control, there's no longer any worry about being attacked from behind and being unable to evacuate the river bend.
So they were all transferred over.
The Valley soldiers were in high spirits, and Joffrey didn't want to drag things out any longer.
He also wants to return to King's Landing to celebrate his nameday.
"Jamm, Royce, listen to my command." Joffrey stood up.
"I hereby appoint you two as vanguard soldiers of the valley. Set out tomorrow, first take Ancient Oak, then encamp on the riverbank outside the forest. Do not act rashly."
"Once I lead my army to Red Lake, I will completely cut off any escape route Renly may take!"
"Mace Tyrell is a complete waste!"
In the woods outside the city of Rall's Hall, looking at the homeless soldiers forced to camp there, Earl Landau was filled with grief and indignation.
The surprise attack on the western border was the right move; it successfully delayed Ed's journey north.
The move to mobilize the coalition forces was also the right thing to do, as their supply lines were stretched too thin and their troops were scattered in various places.
Meanwhile, the main forces of Stormland and River Bend remained united, trading space for time and looking for an opportunity to wipe out another ten or twenty thousand of the other side.
This is to achieve the goal of equalizing troop strength in a battle.
Greyjoy's harassment could also demoralize the Riverlands soldiers, and the Royal Territory and the Westerlands were at opposite ends of the world and could not support each other.
Cut off one of their arms, and then slowly reclaim the lost territory.
This is the right way to overcome the strong with the weak.
Every step he took was correct, but in the end he gradually headed towards failure.
Landau never expected that Gaoting, defended by 10,000 elite soldiers, would not even last a month, completely ruining his plan to immediately return to rescue the city after its fall.
Although Redwin's fleet was able to transport half of the people, Tywin, the old lion, changed his previous stance of holding firm and refusing to engage, and resumed his usual aggressive and menacing manner.
He recklessly led his men out and seized their tails tightly.
Those who had boarded the ship were forced to disembark and fight together against the enemy.
Then Tywin ran away with his men.
After this happened several times, Landau had no choice but to lead his men south by land.
But with the loss of Gaoting, they could not retreat to South River Bay; moving east was also unrealistic, as North River Bay, across the Nameless River, had already been completely taken over by Ed.
When the banner of the Roaring Lion appeared not far to the south, Landau knew that the Kingslayers had surrounded them.
A decisive battle is inevitable.
This is exactly what Landau has been trying to avoid; he has little confidence in going head-to-head with anyone.
"Why does the gentleman look so worried?"
Lanley, however, remained as carefree as ever.
Since the heavy rain a few days ago, the weather has been overcast, with occasional light drizzle.
He boldly stomped into the mud pits, surveyed the soldiers, and often called out a few names.
The Tass daughter clumsily held the umbrella for him, but Renly's clothes were still half wet.
When he returned to the main tent after his inspection, he saw Landau sighing there and comforted him instead.
"Ed was dragged along by us for hundreds of miles and fought continuously for months, so he was already exhausted."
"We recently captured Lannesport, took many prisoners, obtained a lot of supplies, and the soldiers have rested and are now in high spirits."
Lanley laughed.
"Besides, over a decade ago, you defeated my elder brother, only to be defeated by Ed in the end. Don't you want revenge?"
"Although Duke Mace ordered the surrender at that time, I could tell that you still cared about it."
"How can you miss such a great opportunity?"
Landau regained his spirits.
Because he really held a grudge about that incident.
The lords of the Reach and Stormlands were all summoned for their final meeting before the decisive battle.
"The rain is a good opportunity for us," Landau said.
"Ed is from the North and has no idea about the Reach's terrain and climate."
"If he holds firm and stays here, trapping us, it will be disadvantageous for us. But now that Ed has taken the initiative to attack and try to surround us, he has instead exposed a weakness."
"With such muddy roads, Ed's army cannot arrive at the same time, and besides, the area around the Rocky Hall is surrounded by woods, so they don't know where we are hiding."
Lan Li ran his fingers through his hair and poked at the map with his wet fingers.
"Scouts report that Tywin is stationed fifty miles away and won't be able to get there for at least two days. Ed's army in the east is still around Red Lake City."
"But the irritable and easily angered king killer left only a small force to besiege Ancient Oak, and directly led his troops to set up camp near the shallows ten miles from the edge of the woodland."
"It seems he was afraid we would escape by boat from there, so he marched all the way here and blocked the crossing."
"But he didn't know that it would become his final resting place."
Lanli's biggest advantage is that he can take advantage of the time difference, launch a proactive attack, and break through one lane first by using his numerical advantage.
Turn one against three into three against one.
Lanli and Landao exchanged a glance, and the latter retreated into the crowd.
"Count Cenford," he said, pointing out a name.
A large, fat man with a purplish-red face walked out.
"You carried out the order to besiege Rallhouse very well during my attack on Lannesport."
"Now I grant you this land and assign you eight hundred archers."
"You must hold this city firmly. During our attack, do not allow a single Tywin soldier to cross here via the Seaside Road."
Cen Fude knelt on one knee and accepted the order.
"Earl Fossowy, Earl Orton Mariewes, Earl Ewood Meadow." Renly called out three names, but four people stepped forward.
The Forsovereigns are divided into two families, the Red Apple and the Green Apple, and the other two are also noble families from the East River Bay.
"Your castles are in the east, so the eastern defenses are entrusted to you as well."
"I am sending all the light cavalry to you. Make sure to block any reinforcements that Ed may send to the battlefield."
The remaining lords of the Stormlands and Reach were personally commanded by Renly.
After months of fighting, only over 30,000 men remained with fighting strength.
"Get a good rest tonight, and tomorrow morning, we'll face the king-killer in battle!"
The morning breeze swept across the fields, carrying the dampness of the earth and the distant river.
Jaime Lannister squeezed his right arm.
He knew the importance of this battle, and he also knew how useless he was in the fight.
So he handed over all command to the Valley Nobles and stayed obediently in the rear, like his father, commanding a reserve force that could provide support at any time.
The central army was commanded by Bronze Yorn.
Most of their spearmen were mobilized and formed a dense linear formation at the front, with light infantry armed with short swords and axes behind them.
Further on were the archers from the valley, scattered into a large, chaotic formation.
The valley is mountainous, rich in hunting resources, and has many hunters. Archers mostly use short bows with a fast rate of fire, rather than long bows suitable for group combat.
All the heavy infantry were assembled on the riverbank on the left flank, while the roads on the right flank were full of cavalry.
Most of the knights also gathered there, and they all took off their face armor, the world shrinking into a narrow slit before their eyes.
A deafening roar echoed from afar, pounding against everyone's chest.
"Waaah"
The bugler beside him puffed out his cheeks and blew the attack horn with all his might. The sound was high-pitched and piercing, instantly breaking the stagnant silence of the battlefield.
Tens of thousands of iron hooves struck the earth simultaneously, converging into a deadly torrent.
Two steel walls began to approach, with sharp spikes protruding outwards, each representing death.
Jaime could see the flowers on the armor of the enemy's front-line knights and recognize the emblems on their shields.
As the distance shortened, both armies began to accelerate.
This is the cruelest and purest logic among heavily armored cavalry.
Courage, discipline, and most importantly, luck.
The Eagle Knights of the Valley and the Flower Knights of the Reach both want to prove that they are the best cavalry in the Seven Kingdoms.
They pushed their horses to their limits, turning the charge into a whirlwind.
The knights stood ramrod straight, their lances tucked tightly under their armpits.
Even standing on a small hill miles away from the impact line, James could feel the chilling shock.
He was once one of them.
Thousands upon thousands of loud noises erupted at the same instant.
The whole world receded into the distance amidst the thunder.
Wood cracked, metal twisted, bones shattered, and flesh and blood flew everywhere. All the sounds were compressed together and merged into a terrifying sonic boom.
The moment the two torrents of steel collided head-on, countless people were thrown to the rear, trampled by the enemy and their comrades who could not stop in time.
Amidst the chaos and turmoil, a stranger arrived in his domain.
The cavalry following behind could not stop; they could only try their best to control their horses, passing by their fallen comrades and enemies, or simply trampling over them, before facing the lances of the second and third rank charging forward.
The battle quickly escalated from a one-off charge into a brutal melee on the front lines.
Longswords and maces were drawn from their waists and slashed and smashed at extremely close range, with roars and howls replacing the sharp sounds of the charge.
Different bugle calls sounded, sharper and more aggressive.
The spearmen who had been standing still began to slowly advance, and the mountainside was filled with spears and halberds pressing forward.
Hammer and anvil.
But here, heavy cavalry is the anvil, and infantry is the hammer.
They are like a moving mountain, not waiting for the enemy to crash into them, but actively crushing the enemy.
The more agile free riders, sensing the tide was turning against them, began to slip away from the flanks, fleeing the battlefield before being crushed by the mountain.
The archers picked up the arrows stuck in the mud and aimed specifically at the gaps in the thighs and armor at close range.
The spearmen poked their spears out from the gaps in the formation, stabbing the knights off their horses. Axemen and halberdiers swarmed forward, splashing blood as they rose and fell.
But at that moment, tens of thousands of infantrymen suddenly surged out of the woods and cut towards the exposed flank of the central army in the valley.
The bugle call changed its tone, from an attack to an urgent call for help.
It turns out that the knights on both sides were the most delicious scapegoats.
The heavy infantry on the left flank began to turn, trying to block the torrent, but the enemy in front of them suddenly began to exert force, biting down and refusing to let go.
The central spear formation was attacked from both sides, and its formation twisted and deformed like crumpled parchment.
The reserve force advanced to relieve the central army.
But at that moment, ships appeared on the western sea, their surfaces painted with bunches of purple grapes.
James began to feel a bitter taste in his mouth.
Those once delicious golden wines have now turned into mouthfuls of awful poison.
Just as the battle reached a stalemate, a flag suddenly appeared on the eastern horizon.
Then came the spearheads.
Looking at the familiar crowned stag, Renly's soldiers knew that it was not their reinforcements.
However, what shocked them the most was that an enormous, pure white giant deer appeared at the very front.
A knight clad in gold and red armor sat steadily atop it.
A man surnamed Sun from a barbarian country in the Far East once said this.
They marched hastily, day and night without rest, doubling their speed and covering a hundred li in a single day, thus capturing three generals.
The gist is that in a rush to get there, those with good stamina arrive first, while those with weaker bodies fall behind, ultimately resulting in them being eliminated one by one.
However, the saying "speed is of the essence in war" also originated from him.
Moreover, Westeros armor cannot be rolled up; it must either be worn on the body or transported by wagon.
Mobilizing a large-scale army on this vast land is an extremely troublesome matter.
To prevent Renly from suddenly emerging from the forest and catching them off guard, Eddard did not allow the soldiers to move too quickly.
Moreover, many Reach riders have appeared, seemingly Renly's vanguard.
-
So they marched during the day and camped at night.
But Jaime's scouts arrived in the middle of the night like vengeful strangers, saying that a large number of scouts from the river bend had appeared at the edge of the woods, and that a fleet was also lurking at sea not far away.
The soldiers from the valley were the most energetic and were singled out to form an independent army.
Their numbers were also relatively small, and they certainly looked like an easy target, so it's not surprising that Renly chose the Vale soldiers to fight them.
Last night, Joffrey pondered for a moment and then woke Ed up.
I'm over thirty years old, how come I can fall asleep so early?
"His Majesty intends to lead the King's Landing commando team there under cover of night?"
Joffrey nodded.
"The soldiers in the North and the Riverlands have suffered too many casualties and can no longer march at full speed."
"If Jaime's side is Renly's feint, and the main attack is coming from here, the main force may be caught off guard."
"But we can't just ignore him, so it's best if I lead the men there."
Over the course of several months, these people were the most relaxed, having endured no hardship whatsoever except for the arduous task of crossing the Bitter Bridge.
When attacking High Pavilion, Joffrey left them in the Corner for a whole month of training because there were too many of them to maneuver effectively.
The fighting spirit of the King's Landing Assault Team has now reached its peak.
Or rather, aside from standing at attention and running drills, they would be willing to go to the seventh level of hell.
And now...
Joffrey lifted his visor and gazed at the distant battle.
"Bring the horse here."
"This deer walks with a hopping motion, and I can't sit still."
Heart