Chapter 353 More important than life
Early morning.
The mountains are covered with heavy snow on Thorn Ridge.
Under the snow, there are clusters of withered shrubs.
The sound of creaking snow and being slapped in flattened, and the steel-wrapped battle boots broke a few branches. Lan Cha walked up the mountain road alone, with a little sigh in his eyes.
As the main road from Tiehua District to Bolan District, it is also connected to Ximu and Chaiqiao District. Jingthorn Ridge has always been an extremely important transportation hub and transit.
If you want to bypass it and go to Bolan, you will have to go at least half a month longer.
A few months ago, when the Eagle Army first entered the Bolan area, it easily pulled out the stronghold and destroyed it when it retreated from the Bolan area in order to avoid It was back to the hands of the Ivor people.
But now, Thorn Ridge has become a poisonous stinger stuck in the throat of the Eagle Army.
2000 deadly Aivol soldiers were stationed here, blocking the Eagle Army's way.
Just as she was thinking about this, Lan Cha walked past a corner of a valley, and suddenly, several puffs appeared, and then two long spears were placed on Lan Cha's neck.
These soldiers came out of the snow pit, and the covered animal skin was covered with snow.
The leader's hands and face were already red from cold, and cracked frostbite could still be seen, but his movements were extremely stable and his voice was quite excited:
"Traitor!"
"You dare to come to the mountain!?"
A trace of guilt flashed in Lan Cha's eyes, but he still said calmly: "I'm here to negotiate conditions." The leader said angrily: "Ha, it sounds nice, who knows you Is it the assassin sent by Lei Wen? "
"I didn't bring anyone here." Lan Cha said: "As a holy knight, I can swear to my lord here, this time I will come Just for negotiation, I will never threaten the personal safety of Viscount. "
"Of course, I can also wait here, and I will not take it back after you get the demon-sealed steel shackles and lock me up. Resisting."
Several soldiers exchanged their eyes and soon a soldier disappeared.
After about half an hour, the soldier brought two more people back, one of whom was a knight with full helmet and all armor.
Under the surveillance of the knights, Lan Cha was bound by the demon-sealing steel and walked into the mountain under their leadership.
Along the way, the snow was getting deeper and deeper, and the mountain roads became more and more difficult to walk.
Soon after, Lancha saw a pass.
The slope of this pass is at least 60° and covered with snow. It can only allow 4 or 5 people to move forward at the same time.
It is here that it has become a nightmare for the Eagle Army infantry. The slope is large and the ground is slippery in winter. It cannot rush up at all, and the engineering equipment cannot be deployed.
If you want to forcibly capture, you will have to sacrifice at least 2 or 3,000 soldiers, so Lei Wen was stuck here for two months.
A huge wooden basket fell from above with a rumbling sound.
"Go up!"
The soldier leader kicked Lan Cha without hesitation, but he couldn't let Lan Cha stagger, but he was hit by this force instead.
Before the man got angry, Lan Cha shrugged, walked to the wooden basket, and let himself be lifted up.
The above is a platform, and most of the snow has been cleaned up, and every trace of it can connect Lancha to the previous battle situation.
The fist-sized pits were left by the Feng King cavalry thrown into spears.
A thick layer of scorched earth on the ground is the traces of burning tinctures.
In the past two months, the Eagle Army has launched various forms of attacks on this place, but each one has not achieved decent results.
With cave protection, no matter whether it is tincture oil or poisonous pipe, the Wind King Cavalry cannot gain a foothold in the face of extraordinary things. "What are you looking at? Go quickly!"
A soldier's order came, and Lan Cha nodded and continued to walk inward under guidance.
Until we arrived at a huge cave.
The entrance of the cave was sealed by a fence, and scorched marks burning from the fire could be seen on it.
After entering, the cold outside gradually faded away.
The rock wall was still frost at first, but when it got inside, it turned into wet water marks.
As the pace went deeper inward, many soldiers appeared on both sides of the road, and they were more or less injured.
The wounds eroded by the poisonous fog and the scars burned by the fire are visible under the bandages, and some have even become purulent.
A hint of unbearance flashed in Lancha's eyes.
The weather is cold and the ground is cold, and there is no doctor or medicine. Such wounded soldiers can only wait for death here.
When seeing Lan Cha arrive, the wounded soldiers who can still move pointed at his nose and cursed.
The sounds of "traitors" and "scums" are endless, and saliva and saliva are flying together. Some people will pick up stones on the ground and smash them at Lan Cha.
Someone even rushed to Lan Cha and asked him loudly, why did he serve the invader, as the descendant of the nobles of the Principality and the son of Count Duduo?
Lan Cha couldn't answer or explain.
Just, he could not kill the rebel soldiers under his command.
But soon someone separated the soldiers and took Lancha inward, allowing him to escape from the sea of insults and come to a small hut deep in the depths.
At this point, the humidity is already so heavy that it makes people uncomfortable. Even the burning torches and braziers cannot dispel the bone-like chill.
And Lancha finally saw his goal of this trip - Viscount Fowler.
"Mr. Lancha, we're meeting again." Fowler coughed and stood up, "You all retreat, I'll talk to Mr. Lancha alone."
"But sir, what if... …”
“Nothing in case, no one needs to doubt Mr. Lancha’s character.” Fowler picked up the teapot on the small stove next to him and smiled at Lancha, “Sit down.”
The guards quickly retreated, and the knight glared at Lan Cha fiercely before leaving.
Lan Cha did not sit down immediately.
Because Fowler is already very different from what he thinks.
The hair that had always been neat now lies on the head like a ball of rotten algae, oily; the square face turned pale, but even looked a little obese due to swelling; the beard under the jaw has grown into a slim broom.
But his body was thin that was not commensurate with his cheeks. His hands holding the teapot were so loose that they had wrinkles.
Lancha couldn't help asking, "Vissue Fowler, why are you..."
"Sit down." Fowler smiled gently and poured a cup of tea for Lancha. Put it in front of him:
"How can the defeated general be able to live a better life?"
Lan Cha sat down, politely picked up the teacup and took a sip, frowned slightly, but still swallowed.
The tea itself is of pretty good quality, but due to poor storage conditions, it has become moldy and spoiled. Lancha can clearly taste the moldy smell in it. "I miss you so much." Fowler drank tea without caring, and said leisurely: "Last time we met, it was better to be at your coming-of-age ceremony. At that time, the entire principality was so peaceful."
"You and I don't have to confront each other in different camps like this."
At the coming-of-age ceremony, there were flowers, wine, parents' blessings, and...
Lan Cha was trapped in warm memories, but was awakened by the musty smell in his mouth. The huge gap almost made him cry.
"Vissue Fowler, I'm here to persuade the surrender."
This sentence is extremely destructive.
But Lancha must say it, otherwise he would be afraid that he would never be able to say the purpose of the trip again.
So as soon as you open your mouth, you can't stop: "You may not know that just yesterday, a rebellion occurred under my command."
" And Lord Lei Wen was dealing with it too He was extremely tolerant, just asked them to cut off their thumbs and released them back. "
"He was not a bloodthirsty person. In fact, since the Eagle Army arrived in Aivol, he had never had any success Institutional beastly conduct; occasionally soldiers bully men and women, but they were severely punished by military discipline. "
"This time, Lord Lei Wen also gave loose conditions." "
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"As long as Viscount Fowler can lead his troops to surrender, everyone can leave the blame. As long as you guarantee that you will not fight against the Keynes Empire, you can go home safely."
Visual Fowler's expression is as quiet as autumn water, but slow I slowly finished drinking the tea in the cup and then turned it upside down on the table.
This is in Eivor's culture, which is a sign of seeing off guests.
Lancha frowned: "Vissue Fowler, don't you really think about it carefully?"
"Indeed, there is water in the cave, but what about food? Where is the medicine? How long can I last here? ”
"When I came, I saw your soldiers wearing the leather of a rock-skinned and dead-horned cow. I'm afraid these first-level monsters have been slaughtered and eaten meat?"
"You are almost out of food and ammunition It's amazing! "
"Even if it's for the lives of the soldiers under his command, surrender!" Viscount Fowler suddenly showed his head and nodded: "I'm still here Weird, why did you choose to surrender, so it makes sense. " "I won't evaluate this choice." Fowler looked into Lancha's eyes:
"But I have a question, why do your subordinates rebelled?"
Lan Cha Naran couldn't speak.
The nobles trapped in Gushan, and the nobles in Bolan City did not dare to fight against Lei Wen in field, and did not leave the city for two consecutive months, so there was no help here.
The moment Fowler led his troops up the mountain, he was already in a desperate situation.
But he stayed here for a full 2 months.
During this time, Lan Cha saw it, and his soldiers also saw it.
How can we not be moved by Fowler's insistence?
Their rebellion was the response to Fowler's action.
Lantha knew, and Fowler knew.
"That's the meaning, Mr. Lancha." Viscount Fowler smiled and said, "I have to admit that the Principality of Evor is scattered from top to bottom, and what we do in the Iron-Bai region For it, it is indeed worthy of the title of the nobles. "
"But we are Evor people after all."
No mistakes, one song, one content, one in one 6 One 9, one book, one bar, one read!
"Barrevan used troops like a god, and no one in the Principal of Evor is his opponent. Perhaps in the future, Evor will become a noun in history."
"But..."
"She can't die as humiliated as she is now! Even those who are loyal to her are pitiful."
"Lien Zhan defeated, and the Marquis surrendered in sight. There are now more than 100,000 troops gathered in the entire Bolan City, but no one dares to go out to fight Lei Wen in a field."
"Even if this is our own land, even if the other party has only a little over 10,000 people!"
"This country shouldn't be like this."
Speaking of this, Fowler took a deep breath: "So, I insist here, not that I don't care about the lives of the soldiers, nor that I don't know how precious life is."
"But there are always some more things , more important than life."
Lan Cha's expression was extremely complicated for a moment, and something that surpassed life and family crashed into his mind, stirring it into a pot of porridge.
He couldn't help but start questioning himself.
Is the original decision really correct?
Seeing Lancha start thinking, Fowler smiled slightly: "But there is no need to be so pessimistic. Aivor is not yet at the time of destruction."
"Maybe, the burden of rebuilding it on the ruins is to have to be restored. You are here to take on part of it."
"Don't think too much, let's take a night off here today. I'll take you back tomorrow."
Lan Cha stayed there.
This night, he did not sleep well, not because of the wet wheatgrass beds, nor because the soldiers kept slandering and sarcasm at him all night.
It was not until I was so sleepy that I fell asleep in a daze.
Early the next morning.
When Lancha was woken up, the cave was basically empty.
He met Fowler in the clearing in front of the cave.
The viscount put on armor and cut off his beard with his sword, leaving only the empty stubble.
Behind him were all the surviving soldiers, including those who could still move. "You're right, we really have no food anymore." Fowler smiled slightly and whispered to Lancha: "But we don't want to be beasts that eat similar types of animals, either." .”
After saying that, he pulled out his long sword from his waist:
"Set out!!"
The King of Wind in the sky cried.
This is a battle with a destined ending.
If it is a mountain with its back against Thorn Ridge, then it can still defend; but if it is a decisive battle with the Eagle Army on the flat ground, it is simply a death sentence.
Every soldier under Fowler knows it.
But their steps did not hesitate at all.
With an indescribable mood, Lancha followed the soldiers down the Thorn Ridge and watched them rush towards the iron-walled eagle army.
It's like an egg hitting a stone.
But the battle process was longer than Lan Cha expected.
This is the cruelty he only saw in his life.
Fowler's troops were like they didn't know what fear was.
The weapon was broken and the hands and feet were broken and the teeth were broken, even if it could only leave a little dent on the heavy armor.
They are unwilling to give up fighting before they die completely.
This is an enemy that the Eagle Army has never faced before. They are extremely poorly equipped, but their tenacity is the first time they have seen it since they entered the Principal of Aivol.
The battle with absolute advantage was fought from dawn to afternoon.
The blood and internal organs covered the earth.
Until Viscount Fowler, who rushed to the front line, died in battle.
He was the last one to die, and would rather die than surrender, and he was penetrated through his throat with an arrow.
In this battle, Viscount Fowler led the way, with almost no armor damaged and almost no intact. He was shot 41 arrows and 11 injuries.
Until the time of death, his body was still in a state of fighting, with no wound on his back.
The war ended, the crowd separated, and Raven walked to Fowler's body.
Lan Cha, wearing shackles, also walked over and lowered his head, not knowing what he should say at this time. "Vissue Fowler, what did you say to you?" Lei Wen asked suddenly.
Lan Cha raised his head and took a breath.
Maybe he was stimulated by the smell of blood, his eyes were a little red, but he was still organized and told the conversation between himself and Fowler one by one.
After listening, Lei Wen was silent for a while:
"Is there something more important than life...?"
I didn't expect that in this world, there are also people who have such an enlightenment.
If you hear this from elsewhere, Lei Wen will only find it ridiculous.
In these years, the slogans shouted by the nobles became louder and louder, but they themselves would not believe it.
Fowler, while he used his life to practice his beliefs.
Looking at his standing corpse, Lei Wen wanted to ask a question.
Is it worth it for Ivor?
But in the end, just sighed and let the words blow away in the wind.
"Cleaning the battlefield." Lei Wen raised his hand and catching the hyena: "These soldiers are warriors. Don't desecrate their bodies. After burning, they will be buried in a concentrated manner."
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"As for Fowler..."
" Ask someone to take care of his appearance, hire local businessmen, and send his body gift back to his hometown."
Hyna obeys the order and leaves and starts organizing Auxiliary soldiers clean up the battlefield.
The logic of the soldiers is very simple. They respect the warriors, even if they are opponents.
Especially, many of them have participated in the conquest of the bloody highlands. This time, facing their opponents reminded them of their past selves.
In just over a dozen days, a huge tomb was erected under the Thorn Ridge.
The rules for this tomb are quite simple, just a small hill is surrounded by a large number of stones.
At the door, a stone tablet was erected with their epitaphs: "The warriors who fought loyally for honor and dignity are buried here forever."
" Born great, but died from the cowardice of the Aivol nobles. ”
Lei Wen personally engraved the last stroke of the epitaph, and then set out to point directly to Bolan City.
…
(This chapter ends)