When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 774: Pig Rider and Dung Digger

Just as many mountain nobles expected, within an hour, this surprise attack on Meliati came to an end.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the Qianhe Valley Army did not dare to stay any longer, but quickly evacuated the battlefield.

Otherwise, if they were caught by the Imperial Order, given their current state, they would most likely be skinned alive before they could escape.

But it must be said that this battle stabilized people's hearts.

In one battle, they wiped out 6000 enemy troops, captured alive two earls, nine barons, and extraordinary knights.

Although it is not a winning trick, it can be considered as a test.

After seeing the power of a series of clockwork weapons, the mountain nobles gave up the idea.

At this moment, they could only be thankful that this technology was not unique to Horn, and that the clockwork cannon was also in the hands of civilized people.

After raiding the town of Komita in the morning, Meliati returned to the vicinity of Xialu City when the sun was setting.

The autumn sunset carries the smell of cooking smoke.

Riding on horseback, Meliati looked at the spire of the town's clock tower in the distance and frowned unconsciously.

Returning in triumph and suppressing the mountain nobles were two things worth being excited about, but why did they make one so uneasy when put together?
"Your Highness, look." Lannes on the hillside suddenly shouted at Meliati.

After leaving the team, Meliati rode her warhorse up the hillside and saw the main road outside the town.

The roads were crowded with horse-drawn and donkey-drawn carts carrying large and small packages, and the citizens were heading towards the forests and mountains with packages on their backs.

When I got closer and looked, I saw fear and anxiety on everyone's face.

They were crowded on the roadside, with chickens, ducks, cows and sheep calling out to each other, and the slightest friction would trigger a war of words or even a fight.

But the fight won't last long, and both sides will stop fighting and continue on their way.

"What happened?"

Meliati ignored Lannes and looked towards the river further away.

The sounds of lottery and sails came from the river. She took out her telescope and looked towards the Nauan River.

On the Nauan River in the distance, the number and density of ships were far greater than before.

The ship had a very deep draft, and not only was the cabin filled with cargo, but the deck was also filled with people.

What's going on here?
Could it be that Xia Lucheng was taken over by someone?
That's impossible. Even if Meliati is attacking from outside, there are still thousands of defenders and Herman in the city.

There are also two military settlements nearby, which can provide rescue services in the city at any time.

The most important thing is that although the Iron Gate Town was captured and the enemy had a supply and transfer center, it would still take them some time to digest the vast land on both sides of the river.

With these fortresses, the attack on Qianhe Valley must either go straight to Xialu City at the beginning, or clip the wings first.

Not to mention the Leians, even if Meliati or Horn adopted the same strategy as Lavle, it would take at least three weeks.

But this escape didn't seem fake, so what happened? Was it a rumor of riot or a plague?

"Lannes, take a few people with you..." After putting down the telescope, Meliati turned around and was about to give instructions to Lannes, but suddenly raised the telescope again.

The moment she put it down, she actually saw a familiar figure among the crowd fleeing westward.

"Bring me the man in green riding a Kush rough-hoofed horse!"

Soon, Lannes threw the man in green at Meliati's feet.

"Amien!" The veins on Meliati's forehead throbbed. "Why are you here instead of handling government affairs in the city?"

This municipal official is the old man left behind by Meliati's father.

Meliati trusted him quite a bit, and had read his mind many times before, and he had always been quite loyal.

"I, I... I didn't." Before the municipal official could explain himself, Melia lifted him up into the air with both feet, and his face became even paler.

Although he said no, she clearly heard the words "escape" and "Xia Lucheng is finished" from his inner voice. "What happened? Tell me!"

With his teeth chattering, Amian looked around at the other mountain nobles who came running over curiously, and stammered, "Bad news came from the northern part of Qianhe Valley at noon today. The important town of Qila Castle was captured."

"What?!" When the mountain nobles arrived, they heard such bad news and were so shocked that they almost fell off their horses.

Hotam County is flat and there is nothing to defend.

That's why Meliati had to build fortresses everywhere, blocking the key points of land and water, buying enough time for Thousand River Valley and trying to keep the enemy out of the country.

But this first batch of reinforcements hadn’t even arrived at Xialu City, and several key fortresses had already been breached?
The people of Shangri-La County fought against several new bastions for a year but were unable to defeat them.

The Leia people had only been here for over a week, but they had already captured several bastions in succession.

Then wouldn't it be a waste of tens of thousands of pounds every year?

"Impossible!" A mountain knight rode his horse and put his sword across Ami's neck, veins popping out, "You're lying!"

Lannes used a cowhide scabbard to hold down his steel sword, which prevented Amien from peeing his pants.

"It's OK for other small forts, but it's understandable that they were unprepared for the Leia attack." Lannes stared at the official's eyes, "Qira Fort, what's going on?"

It was understandable that the local nobles took the opportunity to surrender the small fortress.

However, key towns like Qila Fort are all well-managed, and the chances of being forced to surrender by traitors or nobles are extremely small.

"It is said that they were instigated to rebel, or that the city gates were opened by a traitorous noble, and that is, that is..."

"Just what?"

The municipal official licked his cracked lips and said, "It is said that a group of extraordinary knights swam 20 kilometers from the river, went around the back of the fortress, and raided the castle."

“It’s possible for a group of people using the Nine-Stage Breathing Technique to swim twenty kilometers underwater, but will they condescend to do this?” Lannes looked at Meliati.

Meliati remained noncommittal: "Go on."

After taking a quick look at Meliati's face, the official swallowed his saliva and said, "The Leia army raised the slogan... to kill the Grand Duke and still owe him food. The towns and villages along the way surrendered.

The same thing happened in the south, where the Leia used captured clockwork cannons operated by the surrendered troops to capture a key town.

Nowadays, there is no strategic location to defend from Tiezhamen Town to Xialu City, and the local nobles will also take the initiative to provide food supplies and other logistical support.

Xialu City is surrounded on three sides, with only one way out, the Naoan River in the east. Naturally, the townspeople in the nearby towns will flee!"

"Are you one of them?" Meliati's eyes were extremely dangerous.

Amian's head suddenly accelerated, shaking like a rattle: "No, no, no, no, I'm trying to persuade them to go back. I have no intention of running away."

"What's that package on you for?"

"All dry food. After all, you need to eat when you are out there." Amien laughed awkwardly.

Meliati was about to ask again, but suddenly she heard something from Ami's inner voice, and her pupils suddenly dilated.

"Amien, let me ask you, since the fortress has been breached, what about the mountain militia settlement near the fortress?"

"This one……"

"explain."

Feeling his collar getting tighter and tighter, Amian quickly explained with a sad face: "Those damn Leia people instigated the plains people to massacre the military settlement..."

As soon as Amian finished speaking, he felt his collar loosen and he fell to the ground.

When he looked up again, he saw that Meliati's face was extremely gloomy.

"Lannes, you lead the army, and the rest of you, follow me back to the city immediately."

(End of this chapter)