Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 764 The Final Melee

Originally, according to the Ming army's plan, after annihilating the main infantry force, they would intercept the Hungarians on the way and force them to surrender.

Previous intelligence indicated that most of these Hungarians were exiled nobles, and therefore extremely ruthless. The Purple Horde also implemented the equal-field system in Hungary, granting conquered land to citizens. Consequently, many of these nobles harbored an irreconcilable hatred towards the Purple Horde.

Other nobles who fell to the Purple Horde were not as extreme. However, they understood that the Purple Horde relied on its citizens as soldiers, meaning the fiefdoms they had once held were gone forever. Therefore, this sentiment was far stronger than that of national annihilation or religious subversion—even the small states annexed by France, or the regions conquered by the Arabs, did not exhibit such resolute resistance. Perhaps it was this intense hatred that enabled them to maintain a militarized organization even in exile.

This sentiment led them to harbor unfriendly feelings towards other peoples and even some minor nobles.

Although they nominally claimed to be remnants of the Kingdom of Hungary, striving for the restoration of their kingdom, those who provided intelligence to the Wu Prince's Palace said that many of these people were pure local bullies. They not only disobeyed the Purple Horde Khanate but also constantly antagonized the King of Hungary himself. It was this group that instigated the Hungarian Civil War.

Moreover, during the civil war, many people did not support either side, but instead wavered between different claimants to the throne. They disliked Princess Maria and Queen Elizabeth the Elder, as well as the throne-hungry Rastilau, and of course, Sigismund, who had inherited the kingdom as his son-in-law. They supported whoever offered them the most benefits.

The first phase of the civil war was when they took advantage of the extinction of the royal line to launch an attack. Ignoring the fact that the Purple Horde had already crossed the Carpathian Mountains, they first attacked the royal territory and began to openly seize land.

When Sigismund intervened, they showed no respect to the Luxembourg family, refusing to relinquish any spoils or make any concessions to save face. As a result, they not only bullied the orphaned mother and child but also Sigismund himself.

Sigismund was no match for the nobles in terms of military strength, suffering defeats twice in a row against the noble alliance. As a result, the royal domains plummeted from 20% to just 5% of the country, and the monarchy almost completely lost control over its territory.

The rampant internal strife, the exorbitant taxes levied to fund the war, and the widespread looting by various armies fueled widespread discontent among the lower and middle classes. Merchants and citizens in the cities, as well as local clerics and minor lords, all suffered greatly. This is why the westward expansion of the Purple Horde suddenly became so smooth.

However, the exiled nobles did not see it as their own problem; on the contrary, they always felt that others had not done a good enough job.

As the civil war drew to a close, Rastilau was assassinated, Maria was captured by the Romans, and the Poles were expelled, leaving only Sigismund alive. With nowhere else to go, these men sought refuge with Sigismund. Sigismund, unable to tolerate them but needing as many men as possible to help in the war, divided them up. A portion of them were sent to Austria, to be cared for by the Habsburg family, with whom he had good relations.

As a result, the Hungarians in Austria showed no sense of being guests, constantly making demands and interfering in the area around their residence. They even kidnapped Albrecht's local governor, accusing him of colluding with the Qing Dynasty and demanding a large ransom before releasing him. Therefore, almost no one liked them. They had to be careful when dealing with them.

However, the locals didn't really take these words to heart. Even if the Hungarians were brutal, they had always bullied people from other places, and since they were complete strangers to the locals, there was no real animosity between them.

Moreover, they had no opportunity to plunder along the way—the mountain people, aside from anything else, were extremely skilled at using the mountains to hide and relocate, thus evading their lords. The villages they could "plunder" along the way were pre-planned, emptied out beforehand, and used specifically to deceive them. Therefore, the locals suffered little loss, and lacked a real sense of the threat they posed.

When formulating the plan, Louis and his men thought that as long as they eliminated the army led by the German nobles and dealt with the culprit Bernhard, they might not even need to fight the Hungarians anymore. Although their fighting strength was not strong, these men made up the vast majority of their forces.

On the battlefield, one cannot rely solely on elite troops; a large number of soldiers filling the lines are also crucial. They may not be the main force, but they are the cornerstone of the army. Without the cover of the German army, even the most formidable Hungarians could not sustain a sustained offensive.

So, after the fighting outside the city was basically over, they left only a small number of people to clean up the battlefield, while the rest quickly left to intercept the Hungarians. They even specifically called on the Venetian merchants in the city, asking them to act as guarantors if the Hungarians didn't recognize them.

The Hungarians were indeed caught off guard. It was probably after the noble coalition forces collapsed that they first heard concrete news of the situation, and by then it was too late to build fortifications, and escape was no longer an option. Soon, the Ming army that arrived quickly surrounded them.

Everyone felt that things had reached a point where they were almost done. But the two Swiss company commanders disagreed, insisting everyone remain vigilant. They believed the nobles weren't so easily persuaded to surrender. In their homeland, after defeating a noble army, the mountain people typically didn't take prisoners. This was partly out of hatred, and partly because the nobles were unlikely to submit. Keeping them alive might lead to unforeseen trouble, so it was safer to kill them all.

However, many people still felt that this idea was too extreme. Especially the Italian militia members involved in the fighting, who felt it didn't have to be this way. After all, they didn't even know each other; they were just protecting the road, while the other side was just mercenaries being paid to do the work. Now that their employer was gone, what was the point of fighting?

So they decided to talk first and try to minimize casualties. They asked Antonio, the president of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, who had been inspecting the area recently, to send a representative, carrying the white flag common in Italy, to the other side to negotiate.

However, things unfolded much as the Swiss had anticipated. For some reason, the enemy became extremely agitated. They shouted that they refused to surrender and vowed to fight to the death for the Crown of St. Stephen.

Before most people could react, these people went berserk, roaring wildly. The Venetian representative was hacked to death and thrown out. Others piled up the spoils and started setting them on fire. The large cauldrons were also dismantled and smashed with hammers.

The city militia and mountain people were dumbfounded, while the Mongols in the ranks were furious. Without waiting for orders, they rushed out and engaged the Hungarians in a fierce battle. Fortunately, the Swiss were prepared. Several veteran instructors, carrying halberds, tapped the mountain captains one by one, urging them to stop waiting and move out. So, the infantry on this side also rushed out in a chaotic rush and began to engage the enemy in close combat.

The battle raged on for some time, but the outcome was entirely predictable. Despite a desperate, desperate resistance, the Hungarians' formation was quickly shattered by the overwhelming disparity in strength.

A fierce close-quarters battle ensued. The Hungarian cavalry, outnumbering the Mongol cavalry, immediately surrounded the first to charge in. The horses on both sides were so tightly packed that they could barely move, neighing and kicking at each other. The riders quickly discarded their lances, which were no longer wieldable, and attacked each other with scimitars and maces.

Soon, more infantry charged in, completely surrounding the position. Some Hungarians were still urging their horses to trample the enemy, but they were quickly felled by swarms of spears. Some quick-thinking men abandoned their horses, jumped back to the ground, and formed even denser infantry formations with their comrades, creating small circles to block the Ming infantry outside. However, it wasn't long before even this hollow circle formation could not be maintained. Amidst the shouts of the Swiss, the mountain people began to advance with all their might, squeezing the circle formation until it was riddled with holes.

Those in the front ranks quickly realized that the two sides were too close together, making their spears difficult to use. So, everyone started to take out other weapons, and even tools. In no time, the very front of the line was filled with people wielding pickaxes, hammers, and large axes.

The Hungarians concentrated their forces and launched several counter-attacks, but each time they were blocked by reinforcements. However, at this point, the deployment of each unit was less a matter of command and more a matter of spontaneous instinct.

The war had lost all the "artistic quality" that the Italians spoke of. On the front lines, soldiers gradually became so crowded that they could hardly swing their axes and hammers. The soldiers in the front ranks could not penetrate each other's armor and could only pull and push each other, trying to throw their opponents down and press them onto the muddy ground, stabbing each other in the face and armpits with daggers and short knives.

The Hungarians' individual combat skills were fully utilized in this situation. Before being killed by various means, they often managed to take down several Mongols and mountain dwellers. In the center of the formation, the guards of several Hungarian nobles remained almost unmoved. Any Ming soldiers who tried to squeeze past them were quickly killed. For a moment, the formation actually weakened there.

Adil, his face covered in blood, ran back from the front lines and asked Louis to come up with a solution, saying that the fighting couldn't continue like this.

On the battlefield, the corpses of both sides' men and horses piled up. Not far ahead, a Mongol climbed a small slope made of corpses and fired arrows down at the enemy, hitting them in the face with two consecutive shots. However, the Hungarians reacted quickly, immediately concentrating their fire on him. After a few muffled volleys, the man tumbled headfirst down the mountain of corpses.

Louis also looked troubled.

Having fought to this point, they absolutely cannot retreat; otherwise, defeat is certain. But right now, they have no other option but to overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers.

Adil was a squad leader under Toqto'a Mishi, which, among the "officials" dispatched and appointed by the Wu King's court, was considered a very professional military background. As for himself, he was simply a farmer who also ran a business, and his military experience was even less than that of others.

This plan was the result of their entire team's long and painstaking efforts—and to a large extent, it was thanks to Bernhard and the other nobles' utter lack of integrity and their cooperation at every step. But now, in this critical moment, if he were asked to come up with a solution immediately to resolve this issue that concerned the lives of so many people, he simply couldn't think of a way.

Louis began pacing back and forth, repeatedly striking his sword. Seeing that he was becoming increasingly agitated, President Antonio stepped forward in time.

He stated that both sides are now fighting to the last drop of strength, so as an ally, he has no choice but to take action.

Louis and the others hurriedly asked him how much money he wanted this time, but Antonio said that their merchant guild had also participated in the fundraising for the road, so this time it was also to protect their own property, and of course they didn't want any money.

Without waiting for anyone else to consider, he instructed his assistant to order his guards to join the battle.

These wealthy merchants all have their own armed forces for personal protection or to participate in business competition. Antonio also brought a guard with him this time.

This team was small, with fewer than a hundred people, and was not particularly noticeable compared to the large group gathered here. They hadn't participated in their joint training sessions; they simply focused on protecting their clients.

However, this guy was always cunning. If he said he could go, there must be some reason. So, they stopped hesitating and focused on finishing the battle as quickly as possible. If they could secure victory and minimize casualties, they could always give him more money later. After all, right now, soldiers' lives were far more important than gold coins.

Adil told Antonio that the area on the left, the slope near the road, was where the fighting first began. He saw that the Hungarians there were still fighting, but because of the intense crowding, they were unable to rotate properly.

The two sides have been fighting for half an hour now. Wearing heavy armor and engaging in such strenuous activity for so long must have severely depleted their stamina. If we add the previous pursuit and looting of supplies, then their activity time will be even longer. Even the most resilient person will experience a decline in combat effectiveness.

Now that everyone is huddled together, there's nowhere to launch a surprise attack, so he suggested starting the assault from the enemy's weakest point. If successful, this should cause the enemy's currently precarious lines to collapse further, making it easier for them to continue their advance.

Antonio took the advice and had his men do it.

He told Adil and Louis not to worry, saying that although he didn't have many men, they were all experienced fighters. The current crowded and chaotic environment was actually more suitable for them to perform.

Sure enough, the moment these few dozen people entered the battlefield, they changed the balance of power between the two sides.

The Ming army had surrounded the enemy from the outside, thus allowing them room to maneuver. Louis and Adil ordered their troops to retreat, but these militiamen were still too inexperienced. The Hungarians seized the opportunity, immediately disregarding their fatigue, and launched a counterattack against their lines, pursuing the retreating city militia.

However, Antonio's guards had already jogged into the battlefield, blocking the enemy's path. The Hungarians, who had initially been able to retaliate, were immediately halted. Before long, they were forced to retreat step by step, causing this section of the line to quickly collapse.

(End of this chapter)