Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 736 The French are so kind
"The French are really awful."

Inside the tent, several nobles expressed their opinions.

“The international situation is quite sensitive right now, so we can’t jump to conclusions like that,” Sigismund said, trying to reassure his men. “Whether it’s dealing with the aggressive infidels or maintaining the precarious Church, the entire Christian world needs to unite and show the same enthusiasm that led to the Crusades. At a time like this, it would be unwise to hastily criticize His Majesty the King of France and his court.”

“We clearly scattered that King Wu’s forces, but in just half a month, so many people have regrouped.” A nobleman accused, “Unless he received foreign aid, I don’t believe there’s any other possibility. It’s certain that the Mongols supported him, and the French are definitely involved as well. General Wembley and I have both fought against them, and this change is too obvious.”

“Yes, their organization and combat capabilities are completely different now compared to before.” The mercenary commander next to him nodded and said frankly, “There have been reports these past few days of encountering the French. It’s unlikely that this is false.”

Sigismund sighed and turned his gaze to a high-ranking priest in a magnificent red robe beside him: "Well, Your Excellency..."

“Your Majesty is right. The situation is special now. The division within the Church is the first problem we must solve. Otherwise, when facing greater challenges, we will lose the protection of the unified faith and the Church, and the situation will certainly be even more difficult.” The bishop said, “As a bishop and an elector, I support Your Majesty’s cause and have promised that as long as the great feat of healing the Church is accomplished, I myself, along with several other archbishops, will certainly support him in going to Rome for his coronation.”

"The attitude of France is crucial to resolving the problem of the church's division. They cannot accomplish this task alone without their support. Therefore, even if there are any suspicious events recently, we must first resolve them ourselves and not offend the French unnecessarily."

"Good heavens, how dare the French make demands?" a nobleman immediately protested. "Isn't the schism in the Church their doing?"

“We can refrain from publicly criticizing the French royal family, but Your Majesty must step forward and at least demand an explanation.” Another nobleman interrupted him, offering a more moderate suggestion: “Everyone is saying that the peasant army calling themselves the ‘Ming Army’ on the other side contains members of the French regular army, and that they are led by a princess. If the French cannot give us a clear explanation, they cannot blame us for saying so.”

"Can we be sure about the French involvement?" Sigismund was still somewhat hesitant. "There are too many French knights and heavy cavalrymen who are constantly running around. How can we be sure they are the kingdom's regular army and not just some restless mercenaries and adventurers hired by the peasants to lead them in battle? This kind of thing has happened before, hasn't it?"

“It’s certain,” the mercenary general told him. “Yesterday evening, we caught two Frenchmen in town. They confessed to us that they were of noble birth and showed us their family crests.”

"Furthermore, they insist that they are not wandering knights who have left their families and abandoned their feudal obligations, but rather that they came here with a group of companions following Princess Jeanne. Therefore, they believe that they are not mercenaries, but formal members of the royal army, and therefore demand that we treat them as proper prisoners of war."

"These Frenchmen, they're so troublesome." Sigismund scratched his head in annoyance. "Yesterday... you didn't report to me either?"

"Uh..." The mercenary general looked to the side somewhat awkwardly.

“When we came to report yesterday, you were reading the war report from Bohemia and were discussing military affairs behind closed doors. So we didn’t come in to disturb you,” the nobleman replied tactfully.

“…Okay, I was outraged by those good-for-nothings in Prague.” Sigismund paused for a moment before admitting helplessly.

Everyone felt a little awkward and could only force a smile.

A few days ago, a letter came from Bohemia pleading for help, saying that their army, which had set out to fight the Hussites, had suffered an unprecedented and crushing defeat.

The people of Prague had boasted wildly that they could wipe out these ungrateful bandits, eliminate the die-hard heretics on Tabor Hill, and the roaming "Ming" peasant army. However, after the battle, they were not only defeated by a weaker enemy but also suffered exceptionally heavy losses; very few escaped. Now, they even lack the strength to defend the city and are urgently seeking reinforcements.

The relationship between the Prague City Council and Sigismund wasn't exactly good; at least for most of the time, it probably couldn't be called an "ally." This military intervention wasn't due to his call to action, but rather to demonstrate the city's power to him and thereby gain more privileges. Those in the court weren't fools; they were well aware of this.

Therefore, when the news of the defeat first arrived, everyone was even somewhat gloating, thinking that these people deserved a beating, and that being dealt with by the mob was good news. One could even say that whether the Grail faction and the citizens won, or the "Ming" peasant army triumphed, it was good news for Sigismund—the former would help him eliminate these peasants who had come out to cause trouble at a crucial moment, while the latter would weaken those always troublesome citizens and merchants; killing either one would be beneficial. If they continued to wear each other down like this, everyone in the royal court would probably be laughing in the middle of the night.

However, they soon realized that something seemed a little off.

In past wars, although the losing side suffered greater losses, most people could generally escape. After a war, although there might be a complete collapse of the army, or even a single war determining the fate of a country, the majority of the consequences stemmed from the loss of authority of the former rulers after the defeat.

Due to the defeat and the losses at home, local lords were likely no longer willing to follow the defeated monarch and would instead choose to switch masters. This doesn't mean that everyone involved in the war was wiped out. Therefore, even the victorious side, unless it was a complete reshuffling like William's conquest, often had to accept the local order.

But this time, things seem a little different.

The most advanced and intense wars in Europe today are generally considered to be the Roman Khanate on the Eastern Front and the Anglo-French War on the Western Front. Both sides introduced many new ideas, such as the use of firearms and other new weapons, and the organization of independent farmers and minor nobles as standing armies to replace the traditional feudal conscripts. However, unless it was an absurd situation like a crossbow forcefully penetrating the heart of Rome and ending up losing everything, even with heavy losses, they wouldn't have been beaten to such a state.

Europeans are not unaware of the art of annihilation warfare. Especially in recent years, studying ancient military thought and referencing classic battles by ancient military strategists has become an increasingly popular and fashionable pursuit. This trend may have originated in Italy, a region with a rich tradition and frequent confrontations with Eastern powers, and produced a group of generals enthusiastic about studying military strategy. However, the situation in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire was slightly different, resulting in the emergence of a group of professional advisors.

Most of these people came from minor noble families, but unlike the traditional image of military nobles who were all brawn and no brains, they had received some professional education, could read and write, could perform military-related mathematical calculations, and had a systematic understanding of some classic battles.

They often sought refuge in the courts of powerful nobles, serving as advisors and assisting their employers with various professional tasks. Before battle, they were responsible for negotiating with mercenaries, calculating supply needs, and so on. On the battlefield, they calculated formations based on width and provided advice to specific commanders—for example, after the battle situation developed to a certain point, they would tell their lord, "This is exactly the situation Caesar faced, and he did this and that," citing historical examples. Of course, whether these were based on Caesar's actual battles or, like many "ancient stories" of today, embellishments to enhance the persuasiveness of military theory, is unknown. Even so, the presence of these advisors was beneficial to improving the overall military level of the region. In the current situation, the advisors immediately sensed that something was amiss.

The most classic example of a decisive battle that everyone has studied is the Battle of Cannae during the Roman Republic. However, such a battle required a brilliant commander and excellent enemy cooperation, making it very difficult to replicate. Indeed, no similar example has emerged over the years. While the Prague Legion's fighting strength was average, thanks to the wealth of Bohemia, their size was considerable. It's not like they were so easily annihilated.

However, Sigismund had cultivated a strong presence in Bohemia for many years, garnering numerous supporters and, of course, his own intelligence sources. Along with the letter arrived intelligence from his trusted confidants. According to their reports, the losses in Prague this time were indeed real.

Neither Sigismund nor his advisors readily believed the outcome. They had all fought numerous battles against peasant armies, including this recent surge that had sprung up everywhere. Before the war, Prague had also reported that the leader of these groups similarly claimed to be "Prince Zhu," the son of the former King of Wu.

Clearly, even though their force was larger and appeared more organized, it was only because they were lucky enough to receive aid from the Mongols. Currently, the Mongols' focus is still on the south, and they're reportedly spreading propaganda about their victory over the Black Death and their miraculous feat. They obviously don't have the time to send their main forces. Therefore, in essence, these people are not much different from the mobs that were previously suppressed.

However, news has now arrived that the Prague Legion has been completely annihilated by the peasants, and even the mayor has been killed. This is truly outrageous…

Intelligence indicates that Prague's defenses are currently weak, and the deaths and injuries of the mayor and councilors have created a power vacuum, leading to widespread chaos. The current temporary replacement is the president of the wool textile guild, who narrowly escaped the disaster after returning from a business trip to Lübeck; he was also the one who sent the letter seeking help. However, the president is unable to stabilize the situation and is extremely anxious.

What's worse is that the Italian mercenary group they had hired escaped unscathed and has now set up camp near the city.

Even though the guild leader wasn't a military expert, he could clearly see something was wrong. The others had either been wiped out or had broken up and become outlaws, but they were still intact and acting in an orderly manner. That could only mean that they had probably conspired with the mob to kill their employer, or at the very least, they had been prepared on the battlefield and were able to escape in time.

Sure enough, once they arrived, they started demanding the unpaid wages, stating that the contract didn't address the issue of winning or losing, so they had to pay even if they lost. Furthermore, they argued that the loss wasn't their fault; the Prague residents were foolish enough to hand over the money. Therefore, the money had to be paid in full, or they would go into town to collect it themselves.

The new mayor was very dissatisfied and complained to Sigismund that no one had thought about the contract issue—generally, everyone would delay paying their commissions, letting the mercenaries collect them on the battlefield if they won. And if they lost, the mercenaries would either die or flee, and the employer would likely collapse, so there was no need to consider these issues. Who would have thought that a mercenary group could come to collect debts even after losing a battle?
Therefore, they hoped that Sigismund would come to their aid as soon as possible and drive away these frightening mercenaries and farmers. Otherwise, they estimated that these people would threaten the core area of ​​the Kingdom of Bohemia, which would be bad for everyone.

Sigismund disliked these people intensely—especially when they were fighting like this and still blatantly threatening him.

However, he was also helpless, after all, after the collapse of Hungary, Bohemia was his most important stronghold. If he could not hold this place, then he himself would probably be the "king of wandering beggars".

Sigismund had recently been recognized by the electors as "King of the Romans." He himself was well aware of the reasons for this.

On one hand, the recent Roman expansion put considerable pressure on the electors, forcing them to abandon his brother Wenceslaus, who disliked meddling and was therefore easier to manage, and instead choose Sigismund, who was at least more proactive. Earlier this year, intelligence suggested that the Westerbach family's efforts to arrange a marriage alliance with Baisa Khan were rejected, prompting them to hastily switch their support to him, allowing him to win the election. Otherwise, his success would have been a surprise…

On the other hand, he also provided many benefits to everyone, including the enormous sums of money he received from Bohemia. Now, if he wants to go further and become "Emperor of the Romans," he not only needs the support of the princes and the church in the German region, but also needs to persuade the Roman Catholic Church.

Now, the Vatican is divided, meaning it has to appease more than one faction. And these people in the Church are incredibly greedy for money. After all, they are the most professional religious personnel; you can't win a doctrinal debate with them—it's like showing off your scriptures at St. Peter's gate. So, the only option is to offer more money…

So, despite his annoyance, he still seriously discussed the matter with his advisors and then wrote a letter. In the letter, he explained that his pursuit of this "King of the Ming Dynasty" had reached a critical juncture. The enemy must be fearing his complete crushing, which was why they were acting frantically in other directions, even colluding with the Mongols to try and divert his forces. If he were to turn back now, he would likely fall right into their trap. This would be a waste of time, resources, and opportunities, giving the enemy room to regroup and seize more civilians.

Everyone knows that the Mongols are notoriously cunning, and they have used this tactic more than once before, deliberately forcing the empire's limited regular army to shuttle back and forth between different battlefields, ultimately leading to their collapse and defeat. This so-called "Great Ming" is clearly a puppet regime supported by the Mongols, and their schemes are certainly similar. Therefore, it's not that he's unconcerned about Prague and Bohemia, but rather that he must resolve the much larger problem there before he can return.

However, he would not abandon his subjects. Albrecht of the Habsburg family had always been a loyal subject of his, and he would write to the Austrians requesting Albrecht to send troops to help the people of Prague, including even those Hussites who had reformed and were willing to submit to him. Before reinforcements arrived, the people of Prague also needed to protect themselves. They needed to recover from the chaos as quickly as possible, establish order, and defend themselves against the enemy.

At this point, money shouldn't be the primary concern. He believes the people of Prague should reach an agreement with the Italians as soon as possible, and clearly explain to the mercenaries that robbery only provides temporary pleasure, while long-term cooperation with the city would certainly bring in much more than just this much income.

Italians are shrewd; they'd definitely understand this—if they truly had no desire to negotiate, they would have stormed into the city and looted it already. After all, even if they beheaded all the city council officials, the money wouldn't disappear, so why couldn't they bypass them and take it directly? Giving everyone time to judge and discuss actually shows they're rational and are preparing for a long-term deal.

Right now, the rioting farmers are everyone's common enemy. Even if they demand more money, we'll give it to them first to avoid further trouble. We'll discuss how to negotiate after all this is over.

Sigismund thought that although the situation there was still uncertain, it should be enough to handle things for a while. However, news came yesterday evening that the Prague City Council was adamant about not paying and had a falling out with the mercenaries.

The new mayor tearfully recounted that the Italians had stormed into the city and were looting everywhere—even Sigismund's palace in Prague had been robbed by them!

This result infuriated Sigismund. He dismissed everyone else, leaving only a few close associates, and raged in the room, roaring for a long time before finally stopping.

Therefore, other intelligence from this side could not be sent to him.

(End of this chapter)