Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 782 Operation Loot Calculation

After the enemy launched their charge, the Italian crossbowmen ceased firing. Modern crossbows have become increasingly robust and powerful, with improved range and accuracy. However, this also meant that many crossbows could not be cocked manually and required mechanical assistance. Consequently, their speed was actually somewhat lower than that of their counterparts from decades earlier.

Therefore, with the enemy already charging, there was no need to continue firing. Commander Francis assigned some experienced soldiers to hide in the back ranks, specifically to snipe enemy officers. The others lowered their crossbows, the second rank moved forward to fill the positions of the first rank, and then they too began to advance, heading towards the enemy.

The two teams quickly came into contact and began close-quarters combat.

The Italians were better equipped and trained, but the Polish-Lithuanian infantry were also accustomed to high-intensity assaults. Although the response was hasty and they didn't even form a complete line, they still charged forward in a chaotic frenzy and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Of course, this also resulted in significantly greater casualties; several groups of infantry were even scattered upon meeting. However, despite the unfavorable situation, many more, driven by their officers, continued to charge forward. Those who were driven back did not significantly impact the rear, suggesting that everyone had long been accustomed to this.

Therefore, the anticipated collapse of many mercenaries did not occur. The enemy continued to surge forward like waves crashing against a dam, wave after wave, attempting to shake their lines. Some cavalrymen who had gathered at the camp gate also rushed over, leading a large group of infantry behind them, hoping to bypass their long line and attack their rear.

The mercenary commanders were prepared for this. The cavalry left behind quickly caught up, intercepted the enemy, and engaged them in close combat.

Although several waves of Polish-Lithuanian infantry were already en route to the front lines, a significant number remained behind, even outnumbering them. As time passed, they began to recover from their initial shock. Some infantry units received orders to return from the main road to reinforce their position. Even the infantry that had initially been driven back were recalled by officers and returned to the battlefield from the other side, attempting to extend their lines and encircle the mercenary group.

The situation had exceeded the plans that Commander Francis had made for his captains. The infantry commander at the front also sent someone to ask him if the surprise attack had not been as effective as expected and whether they should withdraw as soon as possible to avoid losses.

However, Commander Francis still ordered them to remain firmly in their positions and not waver. The more enemies that came this way, the better the tactics would be.

The captains were puzzled. But soon, someone noticed thick black smoke rising from the enemy camp. A commotion also began to rise behind them. Quickly, the cavalry still engaged in flank combat hastily withdrew, leaving the infantry bewildered and unaware of what was happening.

It turned out that Commander Francis had not committed all his troops to this area in an attempt to crush the enemy in one fell swoop. On the contrary, he had never forgotten that the main objective was not these enemies, but the camp itself. To this end, he had left a considerable number of cavalrymen behind from the beginning, allowing them to continue their maneuverability.

From Jessica's explanation of the overall strategic plan and their assignments, Commander Francis realized that the Ming army intended to use Prokop's troops, along with subsequent reinforcements, to apply pressure on the front lines and draw the Poles into battle. Their forces, on the other hand, would be used as a surprise attack to strike the enemy's rear—this was essentially the classic hammer-anvil tactic, constantly used from Alexander to Hawkwood. Therefore, Commander Francis easily grasped his meaning.

On the battlefield under his command, Commander Francis replicated this tactic once again. He ordered most of his infantry to form ranks, leading the enemy to believe that his primary objective was to rout these assembling infantry. Simultaneously, he left a reserve of cavalry to prevent a flanking attack. It appeared to be a complete battlefield deployment.

Once the enemy falls into the trap and mobilizes all their forces to fight him, his pre-arranged cavalry, which continues to maneuver, will rush in from the other side of the camp, directly attack the camp, set fire to the barracks and supplies, and create chaos.

To make his performance convincing, he didn't even explain the entire mission to the captains—as a veteran in the mercenary world, Captain Francis knew his subordinates' working style well. In situations like this, he couldn't simply lay out the mission clearly and demand full execution, unlike when Jessica gave orders to his men.

He noticed that one of the main conflicts in Bohemia was between the locals and the German immigrants, and as a result, the army Zhu Wenkui brought included a large number of Germans. For example, tonight, according to the duty roster, many of the elite cavalry from Pizhou and Linzhou patrolling and waiting in the camp were German knights they had recruited, which is why they had always been the main force of the government's full-time standing army—because they were originally full-time or part-time professional warriors.

The people in the Tabor Mountains belonged to the lower ranks of the Hussites and had been opposing the rule of the German nobility. To be honest, the fact that Zhu Wenkui was able to lead this group to aid the Hussites was astonishing to many.

Moreover, by bringing along a large group of German allies, they could also force Prokop and his men to sacrifice themselves and the Poles to gain more opportunities for victory for the main force.

It's important to understand that the Hussite forces had always maintained a high degree of independence, while the various Ming army units were normally separate and responsible for their own territories. Strictly speaking, there wasn't a significant difference from the previous feudal lord system. It's baffling how this was so effective… Frankly, it's not surprising at all that such people could win a war.

Francis was a soldier and a businessman. In his view, the Wu King's plan was not too difficult to understand. It should be to increase the output of the territory and support more people who were no longer engaged in professional work, thereby organizing one of the common problems in various countries at present, namely these wandering impoverished knights and professional mercenaries, into a standing army directly under the "Great Lord", that is, Zhu Wenkui himself.

By restraining these professional soldiers, the most powerful bandit group can be dealt with, and their strength can even be transformed into a force for maintaining order, making the area safer and further increasing local output and trade prosperity.

The Wu Prince's Palace didn't actually make any major changes to the local social structure, but this adjustment alone brought about tremendous changes, creating a positive virtuous cycle. Unfortunately, how Zhu Wenkui and his men were able to achieve this remained a mystery to everyone in the mercenary group.

Of course, they weren't particularly conflicted. After all, everyone understands that if this kind of government organization could be easily learned, Italy wouldn't be in such a state of disarray...

Because of this situation, Commander Francis knew very well that if he made it clear to his men that they were merely the "chopping block" and not the main force to storm the enemy camp first, they might think that since there was no chance to raid the enemy camp first, they might as well preserve their strength. The enemy wasn't stupid; on the contrary, according to the records, these men had fought the Romans many times and had probably seen all sorts of tactics. If his command became lax and everyone started to shirk their duties, then things would really go wrong. At best, it would result in insufficient pressure on the enemy, leaving them with surplus mobile forces that they hadn't committed; at worst, it might cause the frontline soldiers to underestimate the enemy, feeling confident of victory, only to be defeated by an enemy with unexpected willpower. In any case, it was something that needed to be avoided as much as possible.

As for whether they'll be unhappy later, that's a minor matter. As long as they win, Francis can just give each of them some "emotional compensation" privately when distributing the spoils. After all, this isn't the first time; as long as he gives them enough money, the captains will even thank him...

So far, this strategy seems to be working well against both the enemy and our own people.

The enemy had no idea that when they launched their surprise attack, they had left a group behind to continue their flanking maneuver. Now, with the situation suddenly arising, some enemies were already rushing back. Whether they were going to defend and put out fires, or were eager to salvage their own valuables, Francis couldn't say for sure. After all, the Poles had certainly looted quite a bit along the way.

After the cavalry left, the infantrymen left behind were left bewildered.

Their commander-in-chief likely wanted the infantry to hold their ground and hold out until everything was over, without making any unnecessary moves. However, the junior officers and soldiers were clearly quite confused about the current situation.

When the mercenary group first appeared, everyone could understand; it was a surprise attack on the camp, so they should immediately organize a resistance. But then another unexpected situation occurred: friendly forces also fled without a word, leaving many unsure of what to do. Some Polish-Lithuanian officers at the front lines also began to desert. And after they disappeared, the infantry who had been holding on despite casualties finally couldn't take it anymore.

Large numbers of soldiers began to flee the lines. Some followed the cavalry and officers, running towards the camp. Many others simply scattered and fled. The lines crumbled, and the Italian mercenaries gave chase.

However, they ignored the enemies and simply ran towards the camp. On the plain leading to the camp, some Lithuanian infantrymen even moved alongside the mercenaries. The mercenaries, not bothering to deal with these penniless bastards whose entire possessions were worth less than their own crossbows, simply went their separate ways...

In contrast, the heavy cavalry were mostly Captain Francis's trusted confidants, old acquaintances from his days in the large mercenary group, so they didn't run away. However, Captain Francis wasn't too concerned about the specific number of casualties. He sent out several reliable men with their respective cavalry squads to check the battlefield situation and assess the effectiveness of the attack, while he led the rest of his men to the camp gate to guard the main road.

The current chaos makes it a perfect time for looting. However, they are unaware of the current situation between the main Ming army force and the allied cavalry. If another major enemy force were to return at this moment, the entire mercenary group would be in danger.

Although staying here would mean missing the first opportunity to plunder, he was the leader, after all. Everyone gave him so many privileges, frankly, in exchange for him cleaning up their messes. So, he had no choice but to personally stand guard. Fortunately, he had already negotiated the bulk of the loot with Zhu Wenkui beforehand. Therefore, his men were still happy to work for him here.

Of course, there's another point: if it were in Italy, or if they were hired by the Prague City Council as before, then Commander Francis only needed to focus on how to close the deal. Aside from his core men, the other mercenaries temporarily recruited by the outsourcing manager were essentially "disposable resources," and losing them wouldn't matter much.

However, after witnessing the performance of Zhu Wenkui and others, the mercenary group's higher-ups, including Captain Francis and Manager Roberto, had some new ideas.

Previously, the rumors about a "new administrative region" in northern Italy were just hearsay, but now they seem to be true, and in some aspects, even more exaggerated than the rumors. It seems they could explore new methods beyond the traditional mercenary path to power. Since Zhu Wenkui was willing to disregard money for a larger scale, they could perhaps emulate this approach. And to achieve this goal, preserving the entire mercenary group as much as possible is even more important; at the very least, it can't be a "one-off" operation like before.

Fortunately, he held out for more than half an hour without seeing the enemy arrive.

By now, the flames were burning even brighter. The Polish and Lithuanian soldiers in the camp had already fled from the side, heading northeast. Some mercenaries, forced by the out-of-control fire, could only carry their spoils and retreat, still feeling the thrill of the battle.

Once everyone had finished looting, Manager Roberto, along with two accountants, began tallying the spoils. According to the customs of the mercenary industry, loot cannot be taken indiscriminately; it must be collected, valued, and then redistributed based on rank, combat position, battlefield merit, and other factors.

Since the mercenaries were all there for the money, the distribution method was relatively "transparent and fair," at least enough to satisfy the partners. During the distribution process, Captain Francis and the officers would first take a cut of the spoils handed over, then leave a portion for the soldiers who couldn't participate in the raid due to their missions, and the remainder would be distributed back to everyone proportionally.

Of course, it goes without saying that the soldiers would secretly hoard a lot of valuables. This is why the right of first refusal is so important. However, everyone is a veteran mercenary, and there's an unspoken understanding about this, so things generally don't go too far. Commander Francis and his men wouldn't forcefully search or demand anything, ruining everyone's fun.

Moreover, many items, such as the oil paintings looted from Prague, wouldn't fetch much if sold by an unknown mercenary. However, if the entire mercenary company vouched for the artwork's provenance and the smooth handover process, merchants would be eager to purchase it at a higher price. Therefore, it's a win-win situation where everyone participates and benefits.

Even after Roberto and his men had leisurely finished calculating their gains, the main Polish-Lithuanian force had not arrived. There was also no movement from the distant battlefield. A while later, Bohemian cavalrymen under the Ming army came to them, saying that General Žižka wanted them to return and rejoin the rest of the army, and had arranged for some large wagons to pick them up.

This arrangement was very thoughtful. Francis and his companions then quickly packed their things and prepared to return.

(End of this chapter)