The second prince's face was as gloomy as the month-long rainy season. The news that Laurist had brought him had made him unable to eat or sleep properly for three consecutive days. Furthermore, the front line's attack on the Handa Duchy's defensive position had failed. He, a first rank Great Swordsman, was actually angered and felt a toothache. His cheeks were so swollen that it looked like a piece of bread was stuffed into his mouth.
The pharmacist who had just left made the second prince even angrier. He wanted to kill him with a sword. As an imperial physician, the pharmacist spread out his hands and said that he couldn't do anything after examining the condition of the second prince's teeth for a long time. This was because dental pain was a neurological disease, and pharmacology had always considered dental diseases to be a big problem. It was not like other physical diseases that could be cured with a bottle of medicine. There was only one way to solve the problem of tooth pain, and that was to extract the tooth. But after extraction, the mouth would be missing a tooth. As for filling the tooth, that was a fantasy. No one knew how to do it.
Of course, the second prince didn't want to extract the tooth. As the king of the Andinac Kingdom, he would be laughed at by the nobles if he lost a tooth. There was a solution, which was to extract a good tooth from a dead person's mouth and fill the gap. This was what many nobles did after tooth extraction. But when he thought of putting a dead person's tooth in his mouth and taking it out when he ate to avoid accidentally swallowing it with food … the second prince felt disgusted and firmly refused the pharmacist's suggestion.
The pharmacist had no choice but to prepare a few bottles of antipyretic potion for the second prince, but he couldn't guarantee that it would be useful for the tooth pain. The second prince, on the other hand, was in excruciating pain. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't speak properly, he would have lashed out at the pharmacist. What toothache? This was a world-class problem in pharmaceutics. Even a broken liver could be cured with a bottle of medicine. Why was it useless when it came to the teeth? Nonsense, teeth were the crystallization of human bones and were different from flesh. He was obviously not good at it. He really shouldn't have spent so many gold coins on him every year …
Looking at the few copies of Morent City's newspapers that Laurist had given him, the second prince felt that his luck was really bad. He was about to destroy the four central duchies, recover eleven provinces of the Empire, and see the dawn of the unification of the Empire. However, the greatest enemy in his heart, the Ford Commercial Union, had actually recruited a Sword Saint. With this Windstorm Sword Sage guarding the country, would he still be able to send troops to reclaim the provinces that had been taken over by the Commerce Alliance? But if he gave up those provinces, could the empire still be considered complete? Could he still deceive himself into thinking that he was a great king who completed the empire's revival?
Not to mention the second prince's anxiety, Laurist went to the frontline to check the situation with Count Şahin. After the rainy season, Laurist dawdled in Furious Bears City for more than half a month. It was only when the second prince sent three messengers from the frontlines to urge him on his way that he reluctantly set off with the Flying Tiger Legion. At the same time, he brought him a few newspapers that reported that the Ford Commercial Alliance had recruited a Guardian Sword Saint …
After checking the defensive positions set up by the four central duchies, Laurist finally understood why the second prince was so anxious to urge him to come. He was puzzled at first. Attacking in the mountains should be the job of heavy infantry. The Flying Tiger Legion was a cavalry, so what was the use of them? Now that he was on the battlefield, he understood that the second prince didn't want cavalry, but the Flying Tiger Legion's war chariots, steel crossbows, and the Thunderbolt Catapult.
It was already the 21st of May when Laurist arrived at the frontline. After the rainy season, the second prince led more than 200,000 troops into the Westwood Province of the Handla Duchy. At first, he smoothly occupied a quarter of the territory, but then he was stuck at the Veeronny Mountain Pass. After a few failed attacks, he thought of using the Flying Tiger Legion's long-range attack ability to suppress the defense's counterattack. That was why he kept sending messengers to urge Laurist to come as soon as possible.
"This battle won't be easy," Laurist said.
This was the truth. The Westwood Province, as the name suggested, was a mountainous and forested province, and it was a large one. Weise, in the common language, meant to describe the majestic mountains. The Broken Cloud Mountain Range in the Egret Lake Swamp started in the Cambona Province, crossed five provinces, and ended in the Westwood Province. Although this was the end of the Broken Cloud Mountain Range, the mountains were covered with forests, and the terrain was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Back then, the eldest prince had sent more than 200,000 troops to conquer the four central duchies, but they were also stopped in the Westwood Province. After two years of confrontation, they lost several battles. However, at that time, the eldest prince attacked from the south to the north. Now, the second prince was attacking from the north to the south.
The Veeronny Mountain Pass, to be exact, was the end of the Broken Cloud Mountain Range. The terrain was similar to the Pisper Mountain Pass in the Winston Province, where Piedro City was located. However, this place was much wider than the narrow Pisper Mountain Pass. It was more than ten miles wide. However, although the Veeronny Mountain Pass was wide, the terrain was still high. It was extremely disadvantageous for the attackers to attack from above.
From the monocular, it could be seen that the defending troops of the Handla Duchy still used trenches and earthen walls to build a defensive position. However, they didn't use many arrow towers. There were many destroyed shield wagons scattered around the defensive position. There were also dark marks on the ground, probably left by the attacking soldiers. There were also many potholes and long linear trenches of different depths on the slope …
"Look at the protruding parts on both sides of the slope," Count Shahin reminded.
"What's that?" Laurist turned the monocular to the area Count Shahin had pointed out. He saw a row of strange tower-like wooden houses with cranes.
"Catapults," Count Shahin replied. "His Majesty deployed the catapults to cover the White Lion Legion's attack. However, the enemy was already prepared. The row of strange wooden houses with long arms turned out to be used for catapults. Although the distance of their catapults isn't as far as our catapults, they have the terrain advantage. The attacking troops of the White Lion Legion suffered a crushing defeat and suffered heavy casualties. His Majesty also lost more than ten catapults. "
Catapults? Laurist understood. It seemed that the Handla Duchy had already developed lever-type catapults. The tower-like wooden houses below were probably built to conceal the principle behind the lever-type catapults. Haha, they're quite secretive. Laurist counted. There were more than forty wooden towers on one side, and nearly a hundred catapults on both sides.
"How big and heavy are the stones they launch? What's the furthest they can reach? "Laurist asked.
Shahin thought for a moment before replying, "The size of a human head, forty to fifty kilograms. The furthest they can throw should be two to three hundred meters. The catapults that His Majesty sent were destroyed at this distance. His Majesty was furious and said that the catapults you gave him were trash, and that they couldn't throw as far as the enemy's catapults. When we were attacked by the enemy's catapults, our catapults immediately launched a counterattack, but the problem was that all the stones fell in front of the catapults. We couldn't destroy the catapults, so we had no choice but to retreat. "
Laurist snorted through his nose, "Trash, how dare he say that. He didn't think about the fact that we attacked from below. The enemy was on top, so we had the advantage of the terrain. Our catapults obviously couldn't throw as far as the enemy. "
"Yes, His Majesty understood later on. He arranged for a night attack, but the enemy's defenses were tight, so it failed. The current situation of the battlefield is the opposite of what happened in the Flondor Duchy. Back then, the day was our world, and the Flondor Duchy's garrison could only counterattack at night to take back the positions we occupied during the day. But now, with the hundred catapults on top, the day has become their world, and we can't attack at all. "Shahin said.
This was true. The hundred catapults on the slope were a huge threat to the attackers. As long as they entered the range of the catapults, they would have to be vigilant of the falling stones. Under such circumstances, there was no need to talk about the efficiency of the attack and the chances of victory.
"Your Highness, didn't you try another place?"
"It's useless." Shahin shook his head, "This is the flattest part of the road in Veeroni Mountain Pass, and it's the most advantageous terrain for us to attack. We've looked at the other places as well. The mountain is steeper, and some roads go around the hills, so it's more advantageous for us to defend. After all, this road in front of us is the main road between the four central duchies, and it's the most spacious one that poses no threat to us. It's just that we didn't expect the Handa Duchy to have so many catapults here, blocking us at this mountain pass. "
"How are the troops of the four central duchies distributed?" Loriste asked.
"According to our scouts and the captives' statements, the Red Dragon Legion of the Handa Duchy is guarding the mountain pass in front. The Red Dragon Legion and the White Dragon Legion are the two standing legions of the Handa Duchy. Each legion has 24,000 men, and each legion has two divisions and a battalion. Usually, they're called the Red and White Dragon Legion, but during wartime, they'll be divided into two legions. Currently, the Red Dragon Legion has four divisions, each with 8,000 men, and a logistics battalion with 3,000 men. That's a total of 35,000 men, and they're responsible for defending Veeroni Mountain Pass.
The First Garrison Legion of the Fulondor Duchy is defending the Broken Cloud Mountains on the left, and the Green Forest Legion of the Falkner Duchy is defending the Martenemadi Mountains on the right. The rest of the troops haven't appeared in front of us, so we're facing these three legions of nearly 130,000 men. "Shahin had a clear understanding of the battlefield.
Loriste pointed at the Martenemadi Mountains in the distance, which were shrouded in white mist. "Our king didn't plan to attack there?"
Shahin smiled bitterly. "Of course he did, but he almost lost an elite light infantry scout battalion of my family. The Martenemadi Mountains are steep, and there's no main road to pass through. What's more, there are many creeks and deep ravines. It's hard to move an inch. The Green Forest Legion of the Falkner Duchy only occupied a few strategic points, and we couldn't escape even if we had wings. I sent an elite scout battalion into the mountains to find a way, but only 300 of them came back … "
"Doesn't the Nibaraku River beyond the Martenemadi Mountains lead to the hinterland of the Handa Duchy, Delamark Province? Has the second prince ever thought of sending a surprise troop to the enemy's rear to mess up the situation in the Handa Duchy? "Loriste made another move.
"It's no use. Grand Duke Fisabulun suggested it, but he almost lost a light cavalry regiment." Shahin sighed. "The Handa Duchy has long been prepared. Grand Duke Fisablun had gathered craftsmen to make countless wooden rafts, preparing to sail down the river all the way to the province of Delamark. However, he did not expect that the Handa Principality had set up three iron chains to block the river at the bend of the Matenemadi Mountains.
In order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack, Grand Duke Fisabulun didn't send anyone to scout at all, for fear of alerting the enemy. In the end, on the day of the attack, the grassland barbarian cavalry of the reserve army went downstream, but they were stopped at the bend by the iron chains. The enemy who was on guard on the shore quickly called for reinforcements, and took the opportunity to launch rockets and fireballs at the river. They even poured kerosene on the river, causing a sea of fire. In the end, the reserve army was defeated, and they lost nearly 10,000 men and horses … "
Alright, Grand Duke Fisabulun was really unlucky. He lost almost an entire regiment, and they were all burned, but they didn't even touch the enemy's skin. Loriste gloated for a long time, but then he remembered that he had guaranteed in front of the second prince that he would definitely think of a way to take down the position in front, and then he frowned.
He was really sick in the head. Why did he mock the second prince at the welcome banquet for being trapped here, and force him to bring the Flying Tiger Regiment over? Then, he was provoked by the second prince, and he couldn't stand it anymore. He also drank too much wine, so he patted his chest and said that he would definitely think of a way to take down the mountain pass defense position. Now, it was all good, he had managed to hold himself back …
"Henned, bring me around again. See if there are any loopholes in the defense of the four central duchies," Loriste said to Shahin.
After another three days, the antidote that the pharmacist presented finally took effect. Although his teeth still hurt, the second prince's cheeks were no longer swollen, and he could speak properly. The depressed second prince held a military meeting to discuss how to break out of the current predicament and break through the mountain pass defense position.
"Locke, last time you said that there would definitely be a way to break through the Venonese Mountain Pass in front. Have you thought of any good ideas in the past few days?" The second prince was the first to ask Loriste. Who told this guy to bring the Flying Tiger Regiment over reluctantly? He complained at the welcome banquet, saying that he was busy migrating the refugees for three months last winter, and even helped him remove the threat of the Foldo Duchy's Mountain Legion. He helped so much, but didn't have enough time to rest, and should at least make up for the winter vacation or something. He even said that without the Norton Family's Flying Tiger Regiment, he wouldn't be able to fight a war. He was so depressed that he almost died.
At that time, Grand Duke Fisabulun stood up and wanted to explain how perfect the defense position of the Venonese Mountain Pass was, but Loriste laughed at him and said that there was no such thing as a foolproof defense in this world. It was just that they hadn't discovered the weakness. He seized the opportunity to stop this guy, and then this guy volunteered to find the weakness of the defense position. Maybe it was because he had a few drinks at the time, but it was really rare. But before this guy left, he gave him a few copies of the newspaper, letting him know that the Ford Commercial Alliance had recruited a Sword Saint to guard the country, causing him to have a toothache for so many days …
If this guy said that he hadn't thought of a way to break through the Venonese Mountain Pass defense position, then he would definitely laugh at him. Who asked this guy to boast shamelessly? That was what the second prince thought.
Loriste raised three fingers. "Your Majesty, forgive me for my lack of knowledge. After understanding the situation of the battlefield these few days, I can only think of three ways."
…
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