Five days later, the second prince came to the northern convoy's camp again. This time, he brought over forty shabby fishing boats and a few dozen fishing nets for Laurist.
"I'm sorry, Brother Locke. These are all the fishing boats and nets on the rivers and lakes within a hundred miles. Another batch might arrive in a few days, but it won't be much. There aren't any rivers or lakes further away from Egret Lake, "the second prince said apologetically.
"It's fine, Your Highness. It's already a great favor for us that you're able to do this. We're very grateful for your care and help. We've already been fishing this afternoon. Why don't we go to the lake now and send these fishing boats and nets over as well? "Laurist smiled as he expressed his gratitude to the second prince.
It took them less than half an hour to reach the lake. From afar, they could already see the hustle and bustle of people.
A thick layer of reed mats was laid on the ground about ten meters from the shore, piled with fish of all sizes. More than ten women in their forties were choosing fish, picking them up and throwing them into the baskets at the side. When the baskets were full, they would be dragged to the other side to cut open the fish's bellies, scrape off the scales, clean them, and dry them on neatly arranged wooden racks. They were making dried fish.
The fishy smell was very strong. The second prince sniffed and sneezed.
Fatty Shi ran over excitedly, his face red. "Locke … Oh, my lord, you'd never expect this. We caught a few thousand catties on our first try. We've only cast the nets three times this afternoon, and we've already caught more than twenty thousand catties. At this rate, we'll catch at least fifty thousand catties today. "
The only ones fishing on Egret Lake right now were a squadron of armored lancers. They were all soldiers who could swim, and all of them were bare-chested as they cast the nets on more than thirty completed boats.
These boats were named Locke Fishing Boats. It was simple. They were designed by Laurist. Strictly speaking, it was a three-meter-long wooden box with a pointed top. The middle was reinforced with crossbars, and the inside of the boat was scraped with a thick layer of green cement to prevent leakage. When the cement dried, a layer of planks was laid on top of the crossbars, and a small fishing boat was completed. To prevent the ship from capsizing, Laurist ordered his men to add a meter-long plank to the bottom of the ship so that it would not capsize easily.
Several experienced shipbuilders in the craftsman camp shook their heads and sighed. Although this kind of boat could be built quickly, it could not be used for long. After one or two months, it was easy to deform and fall apart. It would take at least a month or two to build a good little fishing boat, and it would take a good selection of wood. You can't just nail the planks together like this.
However, Laurist insisted that the nearly two thousand carpenters in the Craftsman Camp produce more than two hundred of these boats within ten days. As such, these boats were called Locke's Fishing Boats. No one knew if these carpenters were mocking or praising them.
Fatty Shi saw the fishing boat and fishing net that the second prince had brought, and curled his lips, "The fishing net is too small, I've already asked people to hurry up and make a bigger one. Well, I've found that the bigger the net, the more fish we can catch."
"You can link all these nets together. That will shorten the time it takes to weave them. Just make sure it's strong enough, "Lollister said.
Fatty Shi clapped his hands, "Yes, that's a good idea."
He turned around and hurriedly ordered his men to pull the fishing boats and nets away.
At this time, the nets were being cast on the lake again. Seeing how heavy the soldiers were pulling the nets, the harvest this time must be quite good.
The second prince sighed, "I didn't expect there to be so much fish in Egret Lake. I remember there's a long-tailed whitefish in this lake. It has a sharp head and thin scales, few bones and a lot of meat. It's extremely delicious and is a famous delicacy in the capital. However, the amount caught is very small and the price is very high. Ever since the civil war broke out, fewer and fewer fishermen have been fishing on Egret Lake. They were either conscripted and sent to the frontlines, or they couldn't stand the oppression of the lords and became refugees.
When the Madras Duchy was established, my father led an expedition and Egret Lake became the border between the two countries. Fishermen were forbidden from fishing here, so the small fishing boats all went to the small rivers and lakes. Now, Egret Lake has become our granary for a hundred thousand refugees. It's so surprising. Haha … "
"Then bring some fish back and we'll try it tonight." Laurist laughed.
"Okay, but I don't need too much. I prefer to eat sea fish. The fish in the lake and river have too many bones and it's easy to prick the tongue. Ask people to choose the bigger fish, the ones with more meat and fewer bones. "The second prince said.
"En, alright. I'll ask people to look for the long-tailed whitefish that Your Highness mentioned. "Laurist agreed.
Looking back at the rows of boats waiting to dry in the distance, the second prince asked curiously, "How many boats did you make?"
Laurist answered, "More than two hundred."
"Why so many?"
"That's a lot? Your Highness, Egret Lake is a hundred miles long. We can't just fish in one place. With so many boats, it's less than a few miles. We can only catch the most fish in the shortest time if we fish in multiple places at the same time. "Laurist said.
The second prince thought for a moment and nodded, "You're very thoughtful. I really don't know much about fishing."
…
In the evening, Laurist accompanied the second prince for dinner. The main course was fried long-tailed whitefish.
The second prince deftly cut off a large piece of fish with a fork and put it into his mouth with a silver spoon. He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, "This is the taste. How many years has it been since I tasted this fish …"
"We caught quite a lot this time. I've already asked you to keep them in a bucket. Your Highness, take them with you when you go back so that my cousin Christian can have a taste. It's a pity that she didn't come today. "Laurist said.
"Loke, thank you for your kindness. Christian has to train the newly recruited soldiers, so she can't leave. By the way, aren't you also recruiting soldiers from the refugees? "The second prince asked.
Buckingham nodded. "We've recruited 20,000 people. After all, we're heading north. Even if Egret Lake is frozen, our convoy and the refugees will enter the Madras Principality. We still need enough armed guards to ensure the safety of the convoy. These twenty thousand soldiers were recruited to maintain order for the convoy and refugees on their way north. They'll be disbanded when they reach the north. The north is remote and can't support so many soldiers. If they don't work, they won't have food … "
The second prince let out a long sigh. "Damn it, the Grand Duke of Madras has deployed the Iron Guards at Lejidana Fortress. This is forcing us, the Andinac Kingdom, to station our troops in Nardegath to confront him. Now that the province of Verbasia is under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family, we must prevent it from being attacked by the Guardian Legion. If it wasn't for the good news I just received, I'd have a headache filling the gap of troops here after your convoy goes north. "
"Oh, what good news?" Laurist asked.
"It's the Gale Legion. They helped Grand Duke Merine to sweep the southern province of Enoch in the Kingdom of Iberia, which is the three southern counties divided by the second prince. They arrived at the city of Winderbri, forcing the second prince to ask his father-in-law, Grand Duke Fisablun, to dispatch the border guards to the capital. The two sides fought several small-scale battles without a clear winner. Seeing that winter is approaching, Grand Duke Merine decided to retreat back to the principality, and the Gale Legion can also return." The second prince said.
Laurist raised his silver cup, "Congratulations to Your Highness. I think the second prince should have a few years to rest after being taught a lesson by Grand Duke Merine. When the war subsides, Your Highness can let the kingdom recuperate and accumulate strength."
The second prince was still frowning and shook his head, "I was going to wait for the Gale Legion to return and deploy to Nardegath to guard against the Guardian Legion, but I received another intelligence report. It's said that the allied forces of the four duchies who counterattacked the Kingdom of Redelis some time ago are ready to shake hands with the eldest prince and sign a truce agreement with the two sides. Although the eldest prince lost his city and lost his land, he didn't lose many troops and his strength is still there. This is the main reason why the four duchies are willing to make peace.
I'm worried that the eldest prince and the four duchies will turn their attention to our kingdom after the truce. In the past, the kingdom was unstable, and the eldest prince wasn't interested. He attacked the four duchies to make a fortune. That's why the hundreds of miles of border between our kingdom and the Kingdom of Redelis has been neglected. This is also why my brother refused to accept your convoy when you occupied Benzburg Stronghold. First, you don't have the troops, and second, it's not necessary.
Now, the few strongholds on the border between the two kingdoms have some guards. Once the eldest prince and the four duchies stop fighting, I have to strengthen the defense of the border between the two kingdoms. When the Gale Legion returns, they can only stay there to guard against the eldest prince. This way, Nardegath is empty of troops. We have to recruit soldiers, and recruit soldiers requires food. It's really a headache. "
Laurist smiled, "If Your Highness needs food, we can leave these fishing boats and nets behind after our convoy heads north. Your Highness can also have people catch them as food for the army."
The second prince toasted Laurist to express his gratitude.
"But in the long run, if Your Highness can take down Lejidana Stronghold, it means that you have the initiative to deal with the Madras Duchy. As long as you make some changes, this stronghold can become a sharp knife that will make the Madras Duchy restless. Maybe Your Highness can even take Yungesandra Province and add another province to the kingdom." Laurist looked at the second prince and said.
The second prince smiled bitterly and shook his head, sighing, "You're right, but I can't do anything. Lejidana Stronghold is strategically located, easy to defend and hard to attack. Just the Guardian Legion alone is a headache. Without more than ten times the number of troops and a long siege, I think it'll be very difficult to take down this stronghold. "
"How about this, Your Highness, if you lend me twenty thousand troops, maybe I can take down Lejidana Stronghold and offer it to Your Highness." Laurist pondered for a moment and made a suggestion.
"What did you say? You have a way to take down Lejidana Stronghold? "The second prince's eyes widened in an instant, and he didn't even realize the silver cup in his hand had fallen onto the table.
Laurist nodded, "I found the weakness of the stronghold. I have an idea, and it might work. It's just that I don't have enough troops. If Your Highness can lend me twenty thousand troops, there's a high chance that we can take down this stronghold. "
"I'll lend you thirty thousand. As long as you can take down this stronghold, it doesn't matter even if all thirty thousand troops are sacrificed!" The second prince could no longer sit still and paced around excitedly.
Laurist laughed, "There won't be that many casualties. I estimate that five or six thousand casualties would be a heavy loss."
"Impossible. The ones defending are the Guardian Legion, known as the world's best at defense. How can you take down Lejidana Stronghold with only five or six thousand casualties?" The second prince looked at Laurist in confusion.
"Your Highness, I won't attack the stronghold. On the contrary, I'm going to let the Guardian Legion attack, and we'll defend," Laurist said.
"Wait, what do you mean? The Guardian Legion attacks, and we defend? Where are we going to defend? Unless the Guardian Legion is crazy, they won't give up the stronghold to attack us … … "The second prince felt that Laurist was talking nonsense. If he was the commander of the Guardian Legion, he would never give up the stronghold and attack.
"Hehe … …" Laurist laughed, "Redi, bring me the map of Lejidana Stronghold's defenses."
Redi quickly brought out the defensive blueprints of Lejidana Stronghold that Laurist had bought from Vanades City's bookstore and placed it on the table.
"Your Highness, take a look. This is the internal situation of the stronghold."
The second prince was surprised that Laurist was able to get his hands on the blueprints of the stronghold's internal defenses. Laurist thought for a while and felt that there was no need to tell him that these blueprints were only sold for one imperial silver coin in Vanades City's bookstore. He could let the second prince's imagination run wild.
After looking at it for a long time, the second prince still felt that there was no way to take down Lejidana Stronghold. He felt that he had underestimated the defensive capabilities of the Guardian Legion when he said that they would have ten times the number of soldiers.
Laurist pointed at a small pond inside the stronghold on the map, "Your Highness, do you have any thoughts about this reservoir?"
The second prince shook his head, "This reservoir may be small, but it is enough to ensure the supply of water for the defense of the stronghold. It can even be used to defend against fire attacks. As for the weakness of the stronghold, I don't think it is this. "
"Your Highness, look here. The stronghold is built on a hillside. The water in this reservoir comes from the waterfall that falls from the peak of the mountain, and there's a hidden pipe buried in the pool. The water in this reservoir is endless, and it even flows into the moat in front of the stronghold, forming a small stream below. You have all neglected the source of the water. If we can get to the waterfall and drain the pool or find the hidden pipe to block it, I dare say that in less than ten days, there will be no water in the stronghold. Will the Guardian Legion still be able to defend the stronghold then? "
The second prince was delighted by Laurist's words, but after looking at the map carefully, he shook his head, "We can't reach the waterfall from this side. We have to go over the mountain from the stronghold. But now that the stronghold and Bread Hill have blocked off the front, we will have to pay a heavy price to break through this line of defense. "
Laurist smiled, "There is no need for Your Highness to worry about this. Our convoy will destroy the enemy on Bread Hill. As long as Bread Hill falls into our hands, we can dig trenches and build earthen walls outside the range of Lejidana Stronghold's crossbow bolts and surround the stronghold's Guardian Legion. Once we cut off the stronghold's water supply, it will be the Guardian Legion's turn to attack us. This is what I mean when I say we defend and they attack. I really don't know how good the Guardian Legion's siege ability is … "
"Good, Locke. Your plan is wonderful and very reliable. What do you need me to do?" The second prince applauded.
"It's very simple. Your Highness only needs to send your troops to the front and let the Guardian Legion focus on your troops. After we take Bread Hill, your troops only need to build walls and dig trenches around the stronghold. You will be in charge of defending the stronghold in the future. Is that okay? "Laurist asked.
"Yes, of course. I also want to test the Guardian Legion's attack ability." The second prince punched the map, "Ten days, Locke. I only need ten days to bring the Royal Guards here. Since the honour of the Guardian Guards came from the Royal Guards, then let the honour wither from the Royal Guards … "
… …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
