Tang Qi Tan

Chapter 317 Raiders

Along the way, we encountered several villages that had fled or been looted into ruins; the small team led by Jiang Tian also followed the mountains and fields on the side of the road, and finally saw a town that was still inhabited; The only local who also acts as a guide couldn't help but said:
"Ahead, it should be the town of Joao... Not only are the tax collectors resident in the kingdom, but there are also several taverns and inns for merchants and pedestrians, as well as location service blacksmith shops, carriage and horse shops, and brothels..."

It's just that when Jiang Tian came to the hill to investigate and watch in person, he was a little disappointed.Because, in this town where the road is right, there are groups of foreign troops wandering around; and above the third floor of the mayor's office, there is even a black crow's head flag.

"Damn the Principality of Milan, damn the Lombards. These ungrateful dogs have forgotten how to beg the kingdom for help before they were able to stand on their own in northern Italy!" Another person accompanying the investigation couldn't help but cursed: But it was Madurand, the only sergeant in the team.

However, Jiang Tian just took a look, and he stopped complaining immediately.Ma Durand, with slightly curly chestnut hair, profound facial features, vicissitudes on his face and always tired and tired, is also the deputy of the first team directly under Jiang Tian; strictly speaking, he is a trainee sergeant who was born as a crossbowman of the Kingdom, and was originally attached to the garrison wing.

According to the kingdom's army system, there are only two major parts of the standing army, one part is the kingdom army directly under the royal family in name; it is also the field army that the kingdom follows.The other part is the garrison supported by the provinces and metropolises, usually with only one or several large or small regiments of soldiers.

The basic unit of the kingdom's army is the regiment, which originated from the end of the classical war era; it belongs to the third type of mixed organization besides the classical and eastern styles.Therefore, there are not only regiments with oriental characteristics, but also regiments with classical colors; and titles such as brigade, squadron, and squad.

Then several regiments form large regiments (5-8 regiments) or small regiments (3-4 companies); several regiments form an ad hoc military region/overseas corps; led by generals.An army consisting of more than ten regiments is usually called a legion; it is led by a marshal or a generalissimo.

In some border provinces with military jurisdiction, there will also be some special troops; such as the Alemanni Mountain Infantry in the Upper and Lower Alps Province; the Basque Militia in the Pyrenees Frontier Military Region; Asian Sailors...

It is said that the ancestry of Madurand can be traced back to the White Iris Dynasty, which replaced the last descendant of the Acacia Dynasty in the Corolla War; the Demon royal decree was upgraded from a conscripted serf to a free citizen, and thus obtained a small piece of land on the outskirts of the capital Generations of veteran/sergeant family.

Therefore, as long as you bring your family-owned weapons and join the army, you can easily qualify as an official soldier, and then drop out to be a double-pay veteran, or a trainee non-commissioned officer, a full-time non-commissioned officer, a senior non-commissioned officer, and a non-commissioned officer. For the leaders and captains at all levels from the company captain to the lieutenant.

To use a certain terminology for later generations, he is like the children of the five banners who were stationed in various places in the Manchu and Qing Dynasties; while the old border knight family from Jiang Tian is a member of the royal charter knights whose ancestors directly belonged to the royal family; Petty officer origin; belonged in a sense to the same system.

Therefore, he naturally has a tendency to be close to, support, and follow Jiang Tian, ​​who has the status of deputy commander of the Second Military Region of the Overseas Corps.It is also a potential help to master this first team.Then I saw Podos with a straw stick in his mouth also came over and said:

"Can you take advantage of the night and find a chance to go around from the edge of this town?"

"I'm afraid it's more difficult, you see..." Jiang Tian observed for a while but shook his head, then called them together on the flattened muddy ground, and drew a rough outline: "This town is just on the edge of the road, as long as it is Movements and whereabouts in the wild can be threatened with a bow and crossbow."

"Within this distance, there is no certainty that we can pass through these grasses and trees that lack cover without alarming the outer sentries and patrols. If we want to detour to the mountains and forests farther away, I am afraid that physical energy consumption and food supplies will be even more difficult. Not to mention the wounded, the old, the weak, and the sick.”

"So, this town can't be bypassed." Hearing this, Podos slammed his fist deeply on the muddy ground. The price will not be small. Even the remaining people may not be able to escape."

"Could it be that you can't try to turn back and find another way?" Apprentice priest Andrew, who acted as the recorder, squirmed his lips:

"No." "Can't turn back!" However, Podos and Madurand denied almost in unison: Then Jiang Tian also looked at him and explained: "Those Avars are behind us, although they have temporarily stopped them. Pursue, but if you turn around, you may re-encounter."

"Actually, it's not impossible, we can go through here." Then, amidst their expectant eyes, Jiang Tian said unhurriedly: "But you need to do your best to cooperate; to be able to use the petite price, The goal was achieved.”

After another half a day, the sky gradually turned yellow.And the Aval Ranger, who was disguised as a scattered activity, ventured close to this town to investigate and watch for a long time, and Jiang Tian, ​​who was unceremoniously expelled by the sentinel, also came to the team who were left behind Qiu to eat and rest. among.

"Lila, I have something important and I need your cooperation and assistance." Then he found one of the two washerwomen who was chatting with the wounded in a low voice: although she had a thick waist, her skin was dull and rough. , and crow's feet; but that big part is just as substantial.

"Excuse me, my lord, will you kill me?" However, the thick washerwoman named Lila couldn't help hesitating and asked cautiously:
"What I ask you to do will of course have corresponding risks and threats;" Jiang Tian replied without hesitation: "But it may not endanger your life, but you will inevitably suffer some hardships. Of course, you You can also choose to refuse, but there is no reason to accept the team's asylum."

"In this case, my lord, I beg to bear the necessary price together with Lila." Hearing this sentence, another washerwoman who was even thinner by the side shook hands on her chest and begged: "Otherwise my My heart is always restless..."

"Okay, then you two are together." Jiang Tian simply nodded, and then turned to the other people who were holding their breath: "Since the bait is already there, next, I need a few volunteers to cooperate... "

So, at night when the sky was about to fall, a horse-drawn carriage hurriedly drove up from the distance of the road outside the town; and as it ran closer and closer, it rushed out of the dirt-rock road again; And overturned in the gutter on the side of the road; then rolled down two women.

The two ladies were wearing bright dresses, and like frightened quails, they hurriedly got into the grass as tall as half a person.Afterwards, several Avars came chasing after them on the road; they hissed strangely, got off their horses in a hurry and chased them into the grass that was constantly moving.

These, the Milan soldiers and guards who were lazily patrolling outside the town, couldn't help but become excited; after discussing a few words, they also held their weapons and pointed towards the grass without hesitation. Chasing the swaying movement, he touched it with endless laughter.

Then, one of the sentries, who was standing on a wooden frame by the wall and wearing a Pozii burqa, was also paying attention to the direction that these patrols had rushed to, as well as faintly heard voices among the tumbling grass. woman screaming and man growling one after another.Suddenly the eyes popped.

But it was a bloody sharp blade that pierced through his alveoli and heart from the back; he lost all consciousness immediately.At the same time, the several sentinels of the Principality of Milan who stayed outside the door were also blocked by Tiago's sword one after another, or were severely broken by Podossle from behind.

At this time, Jiang Tian, ​​who had already set his sights on the fourth target, jumped up again; one hand climbed on the edge of the ten-high log town wall, and the other hand pierced it from bottom to top. ; With the blood splashing down, it turned into a posture of leaning out.

Then the dull footsteps of iron boots rubbing against the wall approached again; facing the dead sentinel who leaned out motionless, he used the eaves unique to northern Italy to yell at something in a deep voice: Then, Jiang Tian also used his memory He replied in Italian, and someone showed up immediately.

But it was a bearded and broad face worn in a conical helmet, with long light yellow beard and hair falling down; then, the moment he caught a glimpse of the Jiangpan hanging by one hand against the wall, he was changed hands again. Jiang Tian hit his head and neck with a noose, dragged suddenly and hit the wall, and suddenly lost his voice.

However, the opponent's strength is not small. Although he was hit by the wall after being tightened by the noose, he still used the iron gauntlet to support his throat, trying to struggle to warn.But Jiang Tian no longer gave him this chance.With a sudden thrust of two fingers, he pierced his eyeball and snapped it again.

The next moment, Podos and the others, who were working together to clear away the last person in the outer room and were about to call the police, heard a tooth-piercing sound of armor rubbing against the outer wall.It was the armor-piercing officer who was screaming and screaming, but he was dragged down from the wall with one hand, and fell to the ground dully.

Podos, who was the closest, caught up and wanted to make up for the knife with a hammer; only to find that the face of this officer wearing a half-length armor and a coat of arms had already been crushed.Then, as Jiang Tian disappeared, there were low screams and muffled groans on the inside of the wall one after another; it turned into several corpses falling one after another.

With the landing of the last corpse, it was dragged into the mud ditch in the blind corner of the field of vision outside the wall.In a short period of time, the Army of the Principality of Milan occupying this town completely lost its vigilance and ability to respond in this direction.And with the torches lit in the darkness, another battle ended quickly.

Along with the team of dozens of people who had changed into a burqa again, they regrouped outside the emptied south gate of the town; at the cost of minor injuries to five people, they successfully ambushed those patrolling soldiers who were chasing after lust; In the end, nine people were killed and one escaped, and the other four were captured intact.

And after the four captives exchanged cordially (torture/threats) and crushed the skull of one of them, Jiang Tian also got part of the situation in this town again.The number of effective fighters in the town was even less than those he had observed and evaluated during the day.

In other words, there is only a seriously disabled regiment of about two or 300 people; among them, there are only a small part of the soldiers belonging to the Principality of Milan; , vagrants and so on, I think they will be added one after another.

Therefore, some of the more elite soldiers were assigned to the two gates near the road; they were used as guards and guards;As for the others, they scattered on the few streets in the town to find their own fun.This is also the reward promised to them at the beginning.

In this case, Jiang Tian's original plan of using a small number of horsemen to create chaos, slamming the attention of most of the enemy troops, and covering the passage of others will have to be adjusted and changed again.Because, he felt that he could add more and bigger goals to the existing goals...

(End of this chapter)