Chapter 196: Mass before the war, morale +20%
There is also a gap between cold weapons and cold weapons.
The chainmail armor was made with shoddy workmanship and materials, and it might break when faced with a slash from a long sword.
The powerful crossbow carefully crafted by craftsmen can reach a maximum distance of 200 steps.
Of course, these well-made weapons and equipment should be expensive.
An exquisite spear costs at least 2 gold dinars.
An iron helmet starts with 6 gold dinars.
As for the chainmail armor, one that can go on the battlefield and withstand a sword chop costs 15 gold dinars anyway.
As for longbows and crossbows, although their prices are limited, you still need several shiny gold coins to get them.
Isaac is well aware of the intensity of his taxation. Even with the prosperity of Cyprus Island, with seven citizens and three citizens, the farmers will be hungry to the point where they are almost out of food.
This is precisely his purpose.
Farmers can't eat enough. If we really want farmers to eat enough, that would be dangerous.
Even his rule over the countryside did not rely on the administrative system for management. Instead, he directly levied heavy taxes and tributes from the villages by appointing his cronies and local officers.
His mode of control in the villages was militarized, sending garrisons or local officials to exercise control over the villages and prevent popular rebellion.
The garrison was not only used to suppress dissatisfaction, but was also responsible for ensuring that the village paid taxes on time. In fact, it was no different from regularly entering the village to grab grain.
But after everything is like this, those farmers can still take out their crossbows? Equipped with a lot of armor?
Then he defeated his group of garrison troops and couldn't enter the rebel base?
Oh my gosh!
No wonder Isaac felt so uncomfortable, something unexpected happened.
Moreover, Cyprus is still an island, and being an island means that it has weak connections with the outside world.
Not only is it difficult for the Eastern Empire to regain the island of Cyprus, but it also means that as long as the ports are well controlled and the patrols of the maritime fleet are increased, the import and export of any commodity should be able to be monitored.
If a large amount of weapons were pouring into the island of Cyprus, how could he, Isaac, not know about it?
Isaac, a middle-aged aristocrat with a straight nose and a lot of white hair, glanced at everyone on the conference table.
At this meeting, apart from his court officials, those who could come were the mercenary captains and the remaining local nobles.
If there is someone who can obtain a large number of weapons from outside the island without anyone noticing, then everyone present is suspected.
Isaac, who was suspicious by nature, was not in a hurry to attack, but he was already ready to investigate.
Different from the feudal governance model of the Franks, strictly speaking, these nobles present did not have fiefdoms, but were just members of the Senate under his command.
An honorary title.
The meaning of existence is to help him hold celebrations and ceremonies on the theater island of Cyprus, and act as the so-called representative of public opinion.
Listening to the whispers of the court officials and "seniors", the weather-beaten Isaac suddenly started to tremble in his heart.
He could feel that his position of power seemed to have many cracks.
These successive rebellions are impacting his prestige.
Isaac knew very well that none of the nobles he named senators surrendered from the bottom of their hearts, and those mercenary captains were just greedy for his money.
None of the officials he sent did not enrich themselves.
If his military power proves to be unable to defeat a group of farmers, then the greedy beasts among these people will instantly turn into vultures to gnaw at him.
These guys are scavengers.
Isaac set his sights on a Turk, a tribal chief named Elsaid.
"You have half a month. I don't ask you to wipe out all of them, but at least burn down 5 villages and let the rebels know the price."
Elsaid nodded slightly. In the current situation, the Turks and Isaac were both prospering and losing.
If they continue to fail, sooner or later the ambition in the eyes of the local nobles will be unbearable.
The Turks were the pagans of the land, and they were useful weapons only in Isaac's hands.
After the court meeting ended, Isaac, who was very tired, saw his daughter, a cute little guy.
He had the appearance of a typical Greek aristocrat, with fair and healthy skin, slightly wheat-colored, exuding the luster given by the Mediterranean sun.
Her delicate face and soft contours make her look particularly delicate.
He hugged her into his arms and sobbed softly.
"Beatrice, you are the only one left to me."
However, Beatrice was extremely stiff and even panicked when she was hugged by Isaac.
……
Under the sky, the dust kicked up by the horses' hoofs billowed in the air, covering the entire horizon. The smoke became hot and blurry in the sun, as if the land was burning.
Between the mountains and the coastline, this group of cavalry was like a black torrent, tearing apart the tranquility of the island.
When black smoke rose up one after another, all the villages in the area controlled by the Liberation Front learned of the enemy's attack.
But unlike in the past, this time the Turks were not held back by the peripheral earthen fort strongholds.
They nimbly passed between the low earth walls and inserted directly into the base area.
These Turks are confident because they are sweeping the base area with absolute numbers and strength.
Under such circumstances, farmers in ordinary villages who had just picked up weapons for a few days did not dare to fight.
In fact, they could do nothing but take refuge in nearby fortifications with what little they had left.
And if these Turks try to besiege some individual strongholds, then the 2-meter-high earth wall will only delay them for a while, but they will be ready to be killed.
After all, there are too many opponents.
Looking at the black smoke floating not far away, Elsaid had actually expected it.
This was actually the case in the previous small-scale conflicts,
Whenever black smoke rises, it also means that the infantry teams patrolling outside and the militiamen in surrounding strongholds will gather together, shrink inward, and then come to expel their Turkic light cavalry.
Due to the imbalance in numbers between the two sides, those small groups of Turkic light cavalry had no choice but to give up their offensive intentions and evacuate.
But this time it was different. This time the troops led by Elsaid were large enough, and their attack was intended to be knightly.
"Although Isaac asked us to burn the village, to be honest, if we don't deal with those enemies, burning the village will become very dangerous."
"We need to mobilize those gangsters who are staying in their turtle shells."
"Therefore, we first divided our forces to burn the village, then launched a feint attack, and then used our mobility to concentrate our advantages to eat their reinforcements."
"In this way, we can declare to the rebels who is their master."
Elsaid told his men about his plan. He divided his troops into two waves. One wave was smaller and attacked the deserted villages to show his strength by showing off his power.
The large troops stayed in a corner to hide their numbers.
There is a clear difference in spatial perception between cavalry and infantry.
Although the endurance of horses is not much stronger than that of humans, their running speed in a short period of time is far faster than that of humans.
This gap in spatial perception directly leads to the absolute advantage difference between the two sides in the speed of intelligence acquisition and feedback. The outcome of the battle is often based on the exchange of intelligence.
Whoever can master more critical intelligence and provide faster feedback will have the initiative in war. This law has been emphasized by countless wise men since ancient times and has been confirmed in countless wars.
Whoever can gain the upper hand in intelligence warfare can take the lead on the battlefield.
Elsaid understood this well. He knew that light cavalry was superior to rebel infantry in obtaining intelligence, so he sent a large number of cavalry as eyeliners to obtain surrounding movements.
While his men led a raid on a village with nomadic cavalry, Elsaid stood still, waiting for intelligence from his scouts.
The surrounding earthen wall strongholds were all monitored by Elsaid in advance.
It was this intelligence advantage and the gap in maneuvering speed that made Elsaid believe that he was invincible.
Of course, the development of things will not be smooth sailing. Just after a scout reported the situation of the nearby stronghold, a blood-stained scout rushed over quickly.
"Due to the west! Large-scale troops are dispatched! One hundred and fifty steps away! I was hit by an arrow!"
"You were shot by a stray arrow?"
"No, just one shot."
The scout could not suppress the horror in his words.
Even Elsaid was stunned for a moment, because although the crossbow and longbow had a maximum range of more than 200 steps.
But who is a good person who can easily shoot someone at a distance of 150 steps?
However, now is not the time to be entangled. After hearing that the other party's troops are gathering, Elsaid will also make some adjustments and prepare to implement its own plan to encircle the point and provide reinforcements.
……
The number of mobile troops in Garris' hands was not large. To be precise, there were only three brigades in total.
The three hundred or so people were already all the defeated remnants of Nicholas's uprising that Garris had collected over the past few days.
Of course, the number of troops that Garris can mobilize is far more than this number.
These days, both the Paladin group and the Frankish veterans from Tire are working hard to select useful adult males from the farmers.
The number of these people was scattered to add up to 400 people, which at least increased the momentum of the army.
Different from the Celestial Empire, to be precise, any nation or society that lacks experience in large-scale army deployment is actually quite dismissive of the discipline of the army.
As for the scale of combat, most of the time, it does not exceed a thousand people.
The battle training that soldiers need to receive can be as simple as it is outrageous.
In this era, as long as this area and infantry can maintain the shield wall, it is actually enough to go on the battlefield...
With only a little training, to be precise, almost any adult who is not mentally retarded can easily master the secrets of the shield wall in less than three days or at most a week. That is, in a four-row battle formation, the space between you and your companions should be just right. Don't be crowded or loose. After the comrades in the front row die, use the shield wall to advance on top of the back row to disintegrate the enemy.
Of course, that's what I said.
The real problem is not understanding shield wall tactics, but whether you can stand firm on a bloody battlefield, and whether you can face death.
Garris actually had no idea about the mob behind him.
All he could hope for was that these people would reach the level of Shangyong.
[He who flees when he hears the enemy is inferior is brave; he who flees when he sees the enemy is middle brave; he who flees after meeting the enemy is superior courage. 】
——"The Complete History of the Taiping War"
When Gairis arrived at the plundered village, they realized that they were a step too late. For the Turkic tribes, this action was not an act of plunder, but an unabashed demonstration.
They want to show their brutality and power with the blood of innocent people, and intimidate anyone who dares to resist.
Even though there were not many victims in this village, the fire had been ignited and the villagers' belongings were destroyed.
The hundreds of troops brought by Garis were busy fighting the fire together with the nearby villagers.
Andre looked at this scene with a solemn expression. This should be the normal state of this world.
But his hometown, that isolated mountain village, has disappeared in the normality of this world.
"They were aware of our arrival, that's why they left so quickly." After a little inspection of the traces left by the Turks, Andre said to Gairis.
"Do they know our size?"
Nicholas on the side frowned, something was obviously wrong.
Although it seems that the unit led by Garris is a hunting dog and a pursuer, but according to common sense, the enemy is strong and we are weak, which is the common understanding.
As a strong party, he actually gave in, which made people suspicious.
Judging from the combat effectiveness of this era, a light cavalry of similar size can kill several hundred peasants who have just taken up arms.
"They are heading southeast, are they retreating?"
"They probably feel that this is not a suitable place to expand."
Garris's face was also a little solemn.
In terms of topography, the village is still close to hilly areas.
Although those Turks can launch attacks here.
But that doesn't mean that this place is suitable for hundreds of light cavalry to fight.
Garris, Andre, Nicholas and others squatted on the ground and briefly drew a sketch of the nearby terrain.
"Where do you think they will be?" Garris looked at Nicholas, who was a nobleman nearby and was relatively familiar with the terrain.
Nicholas drew a line to the southeast based on everyone's current position.
Then he pointed to a place where the hills met the coastal plain and where the valley exited.
"I think it should be here. Those Turks may just wait there to wait for work. In this case, do we still want to pursue them?"
Pursuit? The opponent is not retreating or escaping. The opponent is choosing a battlefield suitable for the light cavalry and then preparing to fight.
If they continue to pursue, one can imagine what kind of bloody battle will be waiting for them.
In plain battles, it is impossible to pull like in mountains and hills, and the cavalry clearly has the advantage.
"But we can't help but go..."
If it is an ordinary war, there is really no need to actively go to the battlefield set by the enemy.
But this is no ordinary war. Garris led the farmers nearby to declare war on the "god" of Cyprus.
And that "god" has also decided to punish these rebellious people.
The fire of divine punishment burned in the village where Garris was.
The grain was being trampled on, and Ixa would rather not receive a grain of grain than starve to death those who dared to resist.
After all, he controlled the villages and cities on the island through a violent and repressive system of rule.
His governance style had neither systematic policies nor broad support, and relied more on terror and plunder.
The rule of Isaac Comnenus did not provide many favorable treatment even to the nobles.
Anyone who disobeys him will either have his property confiscated and be expelled, or he will be hanged on the gallows.
This autocratic and centralized ruling style further strengthened his personal authority, but it also made local officials and nobles dissatisfied with his rule, thus increasing the vulnerability of his rule.
It can be said that he has become the King of Fear.
Terror becomes domination itself.
"All actions aimed at creating terror are contrary to sacred teachings."
"They are building a country that worships death and creating a terrifying idol to subdue the love of life and our Lord in the hearts of the world."
"They are crucifying all rebellious lives in the name of eternal order and peace."
"I want to say that any order that puts people to death is sinful and blasphemous, no matter what appearance it gives itself."
"Whether it is imperial power or divine power...the moment they are made into idols that bite people, they are all guilty."
"Andre, Nicholas, please remember that no order is eternal, and anyone who tries to kill people is a man-eating monster."
After completing the fire-fighting operations in the village, Garris gathered the soldiers and conducted a short mass and sermon.
He gathered all the soldiers in front of him and stood on a carriage.
Garris' eyes swept across everyone present, and came into contact with those who were excited to try, those who were apprehensive, and those who were silent.
“Who can separate us from the love of the Lord?”
"Is it tribulation? Is it hardship? Is it persecution? Is it hunger? Is it nakedness? Is it danger? Is it the sword?"
"As it is written: For my sake you will be killed all the day long; you will be regarded as sheep to the slaughter."
“But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
“For I am convinced, neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature. , cannot separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Gareth’s words come from Chapter 8 of Romans.
Paul declares here that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ. Neither worldly hardships nor persecution nor supernatural forces can shake God’s love for mankind.
"We do not live in a world filled with justice and life, but walk in a kingdom of injustice and death, because the kingdom of heaven has not yet come."
"In this world, as the scriptures say, you encounter tribulation, hardship, persecution and danger, and are trapped in a terrifying night."
"Loneliness goes deep into the heart, oppresses the soul, and makes the inner beast continue to grow."
"Just as the boundless desert tenaciously erodes people's will, people walking in the darkness feel helpless and afraid."
"However, neither the 'apostle' Paul nor I want to tell you that neither these unfathomable nights nor loneliness and weakness can separate us from the love of God."
"Even if the world drives us into despair like lambs to be slaughtered, through the Lord who loves us, we are destined to win in everything!"
"It is this love from God that enables us to persevere and not give in even in the face of desert-like despair and darkness."
"We are not alone, for no power, neither death nor life, nor power nor abyss, can separate us from this divine love."
"So, although the world is filled with injustice and death, although we must always be ready for battle and always vigilant, the hope in our hearts never dies."
"Because love has already ignited light in our hearts, helping us overcome darkness, loneliness and fear, and move towards the final victory."
Garris's preaching was not exciting, and even a little sad. Just like the village next to him, it was a charred remains.
But in this scorched earth, life has not died, but has turned into seeds and sprouted from the soil again.
Tears rolled in the eyes of these warriors, and they could feel the sorrow in Garris's words.
Gareth wept and grieved with them.
These people are all young. They have just been smoothed by life and have never despaired of the world.
Numbness is the sour wine brewed by suffering, and love is the honey that dissolves it all.
They need love, they need to believe that others love them, and they need to connect with each other through love.
Isaac, the idol known as the "King of Terror," tried to scare the peasants with slaughter and fire.
Then Garris promised everyone present that they would win.
Even if you die, it is not the end, because there is still eternal life waiting for everyone.
Massacre and tyranny cannot scare people with true beliefs, they will only make them explode in silence and rage!
This has been true throughout the ages.
Garris took out the crosses he often used and passed them around for every soldier to touch and kiss.
Although these crosses were of different styles, they were all carried by Garris.
It was consecrated by Gareth himself.
When Garris sprinkled the holy water on these young people, the anxiety in many of their eyes had been replaced by perseverance.
They already knew their position within the shield wall.
It’s still a big chapter of 6,000 words!
It’s the end of the month, let’s count the votes
(End of chapter)