Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 783 Never Give Up Until the Goal is Achieved

Around 9 a.m., Jessica and the others chased the enemy to a nearby river. They searched for a ferry crossing while waiting for the engineers to arrive, while the others took the opportunity to rest and regroup.

In the evening's battle, the Polish-Lithuanian allied forces suffered heavy losses, but the Ming army was unable to break through the main attacking cavalry force. When Tang Sai'er led her large army out of the camp, the allied forces fought and retreated. Only when fighting suddenly broke out at the camp did they begin a rapid retreat.

Tang Sai'er gave chase, but the enemy didn't return to their camp; instead, they ran straight along the main road, preventing them from using the Italians there to intercept them. They were also quite fast, and completely disregarding the numerous infantrymen who hadn't yet caught up, they ran past and destroyed the bridge.

Tang Sai'er's vanguard was outnumbered and hadn't anticipated their decisive action, resulting in a surprise attack that sent them flying back, leaving them helpless. However, the allied forces didn't immediately continue their retreat but instead lingered on the other side of the river.

The remaining Ming troops arrived one after another, but they had been scattered in various places during the previous battle, and many had fought all night, requiring both men and horses to be rotated and rested. Therefore, Jessica decided not to rush into pursuit, but instead sent men to monitor the enemy's movements, find a crossing point, and wait for the engineers to arrive.

At this critical moment, Zhu Wenku convened a temporary meeting of his generals to discuss what to do next.

After the battlefield shifted, Jessica ordered Lorenzo, the commander of the "Mongol Battalion," to clear the battlefield at the camp entrance. Due to time constraints, a rough count was conducted just before dawn, but several hundred enemy corpses were discovered. Although the number seemed small, these were cavalrymen with warhorses and armor, the enemy's most elite and capable troops. This showed just how fierce the battle had been the previous day.

However, the Hussite army also suffered heavy losses. Father Prokop was wounded in the fighting, only realizing it afterward. Exhausted and wounded, he fainted as soon as he could catch his breath and has now been taken to the camp for treatment. His wagon battalion also suffered significant losses; almost all of the wagons that participated in the battle were destroyed, and the number of wagon riders and subsequent infantry killed is estimated to be over a thousand.

The loss of chariots wasn't a major issue; the Ming army had no shortage of construction capabilities, and they could easily rebuild and upgrade some—out with the old, in with the new. However, the lost personnel were the core of Tabor's faction. Especially the chariot firearms operators and the veterans assembled for the subsequent counter-attacks—they couldn't be replaced quickly. Therefore, they had to be temporarily replaced to avoid significant losses of rank-and-file personnel, which would make rebuilding difficult later.

Adding to the losses suffered by the Gelai tribe, who had previously engaged in a sudden skirmish with the enemy, the Ming army is now also experiencing significant combat casualties. Unlike the absurd battles they fought against the Bulagians, they are now facing a truly tough fight.

Therefore, Zhu Wenkui temporarily summoned all the commanders who were still able to work to discuss the best course of action.

Jessica had previously been employed by the Poles and fought alongside them against the Teutonic Knights. He believed that although the Poles had lost a large number of infantry, their fighting strength might not be significantly affected. Furthermore, their reluctance to leave suggested they might want to fight one more round. Therefore, the Ming army should pursue them to achieve greater results, or at least inflict significant damage. Among the others, many supported him, but some held different opinions.

Since Prokop was still in the hospital, he was represented at the meeting by an officer from the Tabor army named Hervezda.

Hevizda was originally a poor country gentleman who later joined the Hussites and was elected as one of the "Ghetmans" due to his military skills. In order to protect the interests of the Bohemian people, he spent many years in Prague, contacting nobles and citizens who sympathized with the locals and the Hussites, calling on everyone to unite and support King Wenceslaus to fight against Sigismund, who often sacrificed local interests to satisfy the greed of the German nobles under his command.

During that time, Hevezda and Žižka were colleagues. Both of them worked in the Bohemian court, employed by Queen Sofia of Bavaria as officers. The reason they followed the Queen's army instead of the King's was that Wenceslaus only knew how to play and never cared about anything. The Queen's political status was almost like that of a widow. Even the army against Sigismund had to be organized by her personally.

Sigismund took every opportunity to harass his sister-in-law. Therefore, the two had fought side-by-side. Later, when the queen's side was defeated and Wenceslaus was captured by Sigismund, they were forced to part ways and go their separate ways.

During her time in Prague, Hevizda was deeply disheartened by the attitude of the citizens. These people seemed devoid of principle; one day they would fervently support one figure, and the next day, for inexplicable reasons, they would suddenly launch a tirade of insults and criticisms against him, only to then fervently extol another. Initially, they cooperated with the Hussites, hoping to safeguard the interests of the Bohemians. But soon, the citizens of Prague grew weary of them, viewing them as religious fanatics who were hindering negotiations with Sigismund, and began to expel them.

Hevizda concluded that these people were not going to amount to anything, so he left Prague and returned to Tabor to train new recruits, until this sudden fight broke out.

Regarding this situation, Hevizda believes it depends on what the Wu royal family's plans are for this war and to what extent they intend to fight. Because, frankly, the previous wars started rather hastily, and he wasn't entirely sure why the Wu king would so abruptly engage in combat with the enemy—after Father Hus's murder, he seemed even more agitated than the fanatics on Mount Tabor, who hadn't even bothered to berate all the high-ranking nobles.

Therefore, for the past few months, it seems they've been forced to defend and counterattack because the enemy has been attacking them. However, they can't continue to rely solely on reactive measures; they need to clarify their objectives.

The Hussites and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, especially in Lithuania, have always had a pretty good relationship. Although everyone knows that relationships with the great nobles are not a reliable thing, it is not logical to expect them to start a multi-front war over this.

Judging from the current situation, getting them to surrender outright seems difficult. However, it's possible to force them to accept reality and not cause trouble here after the war through a combination of fighting and negotiation. After last night's battle, they probably know this place is not easy to deal with. The Hussites could send envoys to negotiate with them, demanding they return—what's the point of attacking here when there are still the Teutonic Knights or the Rus'? However, some leaders have expressed opposition. Father Prokop's brother, Prokop Jr., believes that if negotiations had been held before the war, there would have been a chance; but at this point, what's the point of talking?

Before the war, the brothers had tried before, but the Poles disregarded past ties and ignored their repeated explanations and petitions, insisting that the Taborists were all devils and heretics. Now that they have conducted sufficient propaganda and ideological mobilization, it's likely that even their own people wouldn't be happy to stop.

Moreover, one reason these people insisted on coming to Bohemia was likely to avoid joining the ongoing Eastern Expedition. In other words, this outcome was originally caused by factional strife. Therefore, trying to persuade them further would probably be pointless.

As for the other officers, their thoughts varied. The officers in the southern Bohemian provinces were reluctant to fight, fearing that heavy losses would make it difficult to suppress other hostile forces. Furthermore, the location of Sigismund's main force was currently unknown, and if Old Wu's side suffered another defeat, they would likely have to help fight as well. Therefore, it seemed best to deceive one enemy at a time. The longer they had time to prepare, the greater their advantage would become.

But the Tyroleans in the "Model Regiment" were unconcerned, even hoping to fight more to gain more military merit. They felt their previous losses were acceptable, and the enemy wasn't as strong as they had imagined. Even with heavy losses, they could retreat and recuperate for a while, as the enemy would also suffer heavy damage and wouldn't be able to fight on despite their losses. As one of the earliest groups to follow the Wu King, with the most complete infrastructure and grassroots management, they were acutely aware of their superior mobilization and organizational capabilities. In this phase of battling at high casualties and testing recovery capabilities, this was precisely where their greatest advantage lay.

Zhu Wenku asked Tang Sai'er for her opinion, but Tang Sai'er seemed angry and didn't answer. Just then, the female knight-errant, Rangna, stepped in to speak.

She said that now it's not just about the battle itself, but also the subsequent impact. Jessica's assessment is likely correct; the enemy doesn't seem to intend to withdraw immediately. This indicates that they don't believe they are at a disadvantage in the balance of power.

The Polish-Lithuanian army is just one force among many. If this force is no weaker than the current Ming army, what if others also come to join them? Many nobles and church figures are likely already thinking this. Her intelligence indicates that some Bohemian nobles have been maintaining contact with the Polish side. The reason they haven't launched an attack yet is because the last victory was too decisive. If they can't achieve a complete victory on the battlefield, these people will feel they have another chance. And once some start thinking this way, more and more nobles will join the campaign. In that case, not only will they fail to expand their mobilization advantage, but they'll also make it impossible for the enemy to be defeated completely.

Zhu Wenku thought this made sense, and at this moment, Tang Sai'er quickly added that fighting the Poles was not a problem. In the previous battles, she had indeed been somewhat restrained. However, now that she had another opportunity, she was confident she could annihilate the enemy.

The other commanders couldn't help but laugh, thinking she was being too hasty and getting carried away. Jessica and the others tried to persuade her not to rush things. They explained that she was still young and easily lost control of her emotions, which they could understand. However, war was a serious matter, and she, being a veteran, certainly understood that. Therefore, it was best to remain calm.

Tang Sai'er seemed quite indignant, but still insisted that she was indeed confident. However, everyone couldn't help but laugh. Fortunately, the core issues of the meeting had been largely resolved. Therefore, without dwelling on it too much, the meeting ended, and everyone went about their own business.

After everyone left, Jessica stayed behind to remind Zhu Wenku.

He organized his thoughts and then told Zhu Wenkui that he shouldn't interfere in such matters, but the affair between Girl Rana and Girl Tang San was already affecting military command. Especially Girl Tang San, who had been emotionally unstable since last night. If this affected command, the consequences would be serious.

Moreover, she is, after all, a young girl, and the circumstances surrounding this incident are quite unusual. Forcing her to calm down and ignore other matters using military orders would likely be ineffective and might even backfire. Furthermore, because of her status, some newly arrived officers who had no prior direct contact with the Prince's residence, while outwardly respectful to Zhu Wenkui, actually harbor some distrust towards her.

According to Zhu Wenkui, Tang Sai'er had just joined the Prince's team when the chaos of Dadu suddenly broke out; afterwards, she worked alongside him and Guo Kang, among others. She contributed significantly to the population statistics of the slums, the organization of household registrations, and the reception of refugees after the turmoil.

It's important to understand that the sudden influx of so many people into the capital city had already put the Qin government on edge. While gangs were indeed criminal, they objectively served to maintain order at the grassroots level and fulfill administrative functions. Whether that order was good or bad, at least it existed. However, due to the unrest, these people were now unemployed, without organization or leadership; moreover, they were so poor that they lacked even basic necessities like food and money. Even in the countryside, they were constantly at risk of becoming refugees, causing sleepless nights for the local government. Their sudden appearance in the capital city was even more alarming.

However, Tang Sai'er volunteered, saying she could help manage these people, and although her methods sounded crude, they were reasonable. Guo Kang, who was involved in the sheltering and reorganization work, valued her highly and specially recommended her, having Tuo Huan and the others grant her considerable authority. Tang Sai'er performed exceptionally well, even seeming quite at ease among the refugees, completing all assigned tasks admirably. Therefore, everyone recognized her abilities and considered her very capable.

Moreover, with organizational skills at this level, her ability to command troops is guaranteed. This suggests that her previous claims of commanding battles were genuine, rather than her simply being a figurehead as a religious saintess. That's why she was allowed to lead troops during later training camps—after all, in the culture of the Great Qin Kingdom, war is considered far more serious and important, and it's impossible to make an exception just because her relationship with Zhu Wenkui became increasingly ambiguous.

Later, she participated in everything from the Egyptian expedition to the northern Bohemian campaign. Therefore, even when joking, Zhu Wenkui's old team wouldn't question her much. However, for those local government officers who hadn't dealt with her before, it was a different story…

(End of this chapter)