industrial lord

Chapter 734 Next Operational Plan

Baron Sende, five hundred mercenaries, and three mages were all wiped out overnight, with fewer than twenty escaping back to the camp.

It was not a defeat, but a complete annihilation by a meticulously planned and merciless fire and ambush. This was by no means accidental, but a ruthless and precise counterattack by Count Julmand!

Although Baron Sende and his men were insignificant to the entire army, this was the first battle in the siege of Flensburg. Superstition was prevalent among soldiers and nobles during the war, and the bad start cast a shadow over many people's hearts.

Rudolf felt a chill run down his spine and up to his head. His first order had ended in total annihilation, instantly extinguishing all his previous confidence.

For the first time, he clearly realized that Count Ulmann of Flensburg was not an old wolf that had lost its fangs due to hunger and exhaustion, but a beast lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting, ready to tear its prey apart in the most lethal way.

"Can I defeat such an opponent?"

An idea began to take root in Rudolf's mind.

At the military council, two ministers who had long served in the court, Ranke and Pisto, who knew him well, immediately became nervous upon seeing his expression, as His Majesty the King was in a state of dejection.

Pistor immediately said, "Your Majesty, although Baron Sende has died in battle, he has captured the port and blocked the waterways of Flensburg."

Rank said, "Baron Sende has rendered meritorious service in this battle and should be rewarded."

Morale is currently affected, and rehabilitating Sende can boost morale.

Rudolf said listlessly to Rank, "You can handle the matter of the reward."

Those around felt a jolt of unease. The amount of the reward was one thing, but the king's attitude was another. At the very least, Baron Sende needed an explanation.

Many people recalled the story of Earl Wesson, who devoted himself to his duty and sacrificed himself, only to become a scapegoat in the end.

They didn't think their son could be as intelligent as Frederick.

Rank and his men hadn't expected this. More than a decade had passed, and in recent years Frederick had frequently shown goodwill, leading them to believe that the matter of Count Wessen was over.

Baron Sende was on the Queen's side, and Rank didn't think he would pin the blame on him, so he didn't pay any attention to it.

Pistor said to Rudolf, "Your Majesty, now that the port has been captured, I suggest that the entire army launch an attack to seize the bridgeheads and fortifications outside the city, thus clearing the way for the subsequent siege."

There used to be a small town outside Flensburg, but it was destroyed by the army of the Kingdom of Sverrières, and the discarded building materials were used to build fortifications and repair the castle.

Shu Yun Stiga said, "We don't need to send out the whole army to deal with these few bunkers."

After he finished speaking, he noticed that Rank was gesturing to him with his eyes.

Pistor said, "Yurmand is very cunning. We must play it safe. He will definitely think that we will attack the bridgehead and bunkers. We need more troops to guard against contingencies and to resolve the battle in the shortest possible time."

Shu Yun Stiga felt that what he said made some sense, and seeing Rank's gesture, he didn't say anything more.

Rudolf suddenly asked, "Can we ignore those bunkers outside and attack the city directly?"

No one expected him to give such an order: to attack the city without clearing the outer perimeter. This was somewhat illogical.

After a moment's thought, Shu Yun Stiga said, "Your Majesty, with supplies not yet complete, the Royal Mage Corps can only carry out one siege."

He felt there was something wrong with Rudolf's order, so he explained his difficulties.

Rudolf shook his head and said, "Frensburg has even fewer supplies and no resupply. They need a major battle that can put them under immense pressure to deplete their resources."

Shu Yun Stiga thought it made sense. They had enough supplies and could replenish a large amount of supplies in a couple of days, so they could slowly wear down Yulmand.

Becher said, "Your Majesty, the Royal Mage Order can focus on eliminating the enemy's magic crystal cannons while the Knights attack the fortress outside the moat, in preparation for the upcoming battle."

His individual strength is among the top tier, but when facing a castle with a well-developed defense system, he still needs the help of a group of mages.

Last night, he and Palatinate both felt that there was someone of their kind secretly watching them. If that person were to launch a sneak attack when they were exhausted, they would most likely be seriously injured even if they didn't die.

However, only half of the royal mage corps is currently here, while the other half is building coastal fortifications in the Kingdom of Gaul; otherwise, things would be much easier.

Palatine also said, "I can lead the griffin riders to launch an aerial attack on the castle from high above, restraining the enemy and creating opportunities for the mage group."

The top leaders set the general direction, and then the General Staff formulated the plan.

The most distinctive feature of Rudolf's staff was the lack of a chief of staff to oversee the overall situation. This was mainly because there was no such talent in the court, and secondly because capable nobles were eager to command battles and gain military merit, and no one was willing to do these specific tasks.

A staff officer without a chief is like a fart that makes no sound.

So Count Shu Yun Stiga came over and said something, Count Pistor sent someone to mention it, Count Delden spoke on behalf of the Royal Knights, and the Baron swarmed around like flies, all wanting to get some meat into their own people's bowls.

War is not just about fighting and killing; it also involves human relationships and social interactions. The staff officers couldn't afford to offend those powerful figures, so they had to divide the offensive missions equally, like splitting a cake.

On the tower in Flensburg, Julmand and Preben observed the direction of the Rhine Alliance camp.

Yulmand said, "I didn't expect Rudolf to be so calm. I thought he would launch a major attack today."

"Is it possible that he's indecisive?" Preben asked.

“No way?” Yulmand said. “How could an indecisive person send troops to attack us?” “Even if he doesn’t know how to use troops, his ministers and nobles certainly do.”

"Shu Yun is loyal and fierce, Pisto may seem slippery but he won't suffer any losses, and Ranke is a good mediator who also has the courage to come alone to spy on military intelligence."

"Not to mention the devilish Wesson, do you really believe he's not on the battlefield, but in the city of Burling, hundreds of kilometers away?"

"With so many people helping you, even a dog could do a good job, let alone a person."

"I suspect that Wesson is currently in the military camp across the street, probably plotting something."

Seeing Yulmand's confident demeanor, Preben himself began to feel a little insecure.

But he raised a question: "If Wesson were on the other side, how would you explain yesterday's battle at the port, allowing you to gain such a huge advantage?"

Yulmand said seriously, "Yesterday's battle was actually very dangerous. I only realized it this morning. We almost ended up dead."

"This has to do with the internal politics of the Rhine Union."

"The current queen comes from the Gallic royal family. You should know about the relationship between the Visson and Gauls. On the surface, they are harmonious, but behind the scenes, things are very complicated."

"I've heard a rumor that old Wesson died at the hands of old Louis, so young Wesson and young Louis secretly joined forces."

Preben was hearing about this for the first time and gasped in shock.

If the king is to be killed, the crown prince is a natural partner, and it seems like the two of them working together would be no problem.

Yulmand continued, “My men interrogated the prisoners, and that Send was the Queen’s man.”

Preben immediately asked, "You mean, Wesson used you to kill his political enemies?"

Instead of answering directly, Yulmand asked him, "Wesson's mentor, Richard Nar, is a good friend of yours. You should know his preferences."

Preben immediately understood and said in surprise, "You mean, Wesson is fishing, using Sende as bait to lure you out, while eliminating his political enemies at the same time."

“That makes sense. I was wondering why two magic gods suddenly appeared last night. They were fishing nets, which means that Weisen had anticipated that you would send troops to ambush us.”

"They must have already spotted me, and because I shouldn't be here at this time, they hesitated to make a move."

Yulmand nodded. If those two in the sky had been bolder last night, he would have already died for his country.

He added, "I judge that the second piece of evidence against Weisen is from the opposite side, Guan Hong."

"Lacken's surrender was within my expectations, but the Duchy of Wessen reacted way too fast. Even if there was a telegram, what about the decision-making time?"

"Putting aside the issue of agreeing to Larken's surrender, who do you think would dare to easily send Wesson's fiancée to the battlefield in person?"

"Only Weisen, unless there is another person in the Duchy of Weisen who is as intelligent as Weisen, wields the same power as Weisen, and also has the same prestige as Weisen."

"Do you think there could be such a person? It can't be Richard Nar, can it? I haven't heard of him having any experience in making decisive decisions in politics and the military."

Preben thought he made sense. Richard Nar was known for not getting involved in power. If Psyche wanted power, she would have raised an army and become empress long ago. There was only one truth: Wesson was in the army.

"The most important evidence that finally convinced me that Wesen was on the other side was the strategic deployment of the Rhine Alliance," Julmand continued.

"Everyone would place their most elite troops in the most important places, but the 1st and 4th divisions of the Wessen Army are in Storkport, and the 3rd Division is hundreds of kilometers away in Burling. This 3rd Division is the absolute main force that killed the heretical king!"

Preben asked, puzzled, "Doesn't this prove that Wesson is in Burling City, and not in the Rhine army?"

Yulmand shook his head and said, "Wesson made these arrangements precisely so that people would think the same way you do."

"The 3rd Division has just returned from overseas operations and needs to rest. Going to Burling is just a pretense to collect debts; the real purpose is to rest as well."

"The 1st Division was equipped with many vehicles, and the 4th Division was an all-cavalry force. The roads in Guangang were well-connected, and the main road to the north was the most important. Over the years, it has been continuously widened and repaired."

Preben exclaimed in surprise, "Could his real target be Kosdorf?!"

Yulmand nodded and said, "Frensburg should also be Wessen's bait!"

"Believe it or not, the Rhine Alliance will definitely launch a fierce attack next, and then begin to show weakness, making Kosdorf think that he can take advantage of the situation to eliminate the exhausted main force of the Rhine army outside the city, so he will march south."

"At that time, the Weisen army moved north to block Kosdorf's rear, while the Mainz and Bain armies came out from Hawthorn Village and Red Waterwheel Village respectively to threaten the flanks. With the army blocking the south side as well, even a dog could win."

"Then they can just wipe us out, and then head north and east, occupying whatever they want."

Preben thought about it carefully and realized that what he said made a lot of sense.

He asked, "So what do you plan to do?"

Yulmand narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the Rhine army camp in the distance, and said in a cold voice, "Naturally, we should treat the guests on the other side well, weaken them as much as possible, and let the two bandits fight to the death. Maybe we can drive them away."

(End of this chapter)