When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 885: Battle of Dusk Bell Mountain (Sequel to the Prequel)
August 6 at noon.

Muzhong Pass.

The sun above our heads emits blazing light and heat.

The golden grass grows to the calf, with its tips hanging down into the clear stream.

The stream reflected the sky, and the golden grass looked like a giant pillar reaching into the sky.

But this tranquility in late spring and early summer did not last long.

The tips of the grass began to vibrate along with the ground, and even the stream was filled with ripples for no apparent reason.

"Xilulu——"

With a neigh, countless horse hooves stomped violently in the clear stream, splashing turbid water.

The centaur with earrings and bone spurs on his skin quickly crossed the stream.

Next came three groups of 800 heavily armored cavalry squads, followed closely by soldiers riding mules, horses and donkeys.

At the very end were the peasant soldiers and infantry sergeants who were exhausted, panting and sticking out their tongues.

The news arrived last night, and the meeting was held in the early morning. By the time the extremely fast border knights returned from Muzhongshan, it was already noon.

The speed of this action was obviously extremely fast, and even Meng Sai was caught off guard.

According to the character of the Imperial Knights, they organized more than 8,000 people to return, and it was estimated that they would arrive in the evening after setting out in the morning, but this group of border knights arrived at noon.

Holding a telescope, Monse stepped on the roof of the carriage and looked in the direction pointed by the dragoons.

Between the blue sky and the green grassland, the dust raised by the war horses formed a high khaki wall.

Even from such a distance, the guards could still hear the ferocious roars of the Centaur warriors.

Putting down the telescope, Meng Sai took a deep breath to calm his nervous heart, then turned his head and asked, "Where is the fortification work?"

"Breast walls one, two, and five have all been repaired, but breast walls three, four, six, seven, and eight have not yet been repaired."

"Estimate the work yourself. If you can finish it within two quarters of an hour, continue. If you can't finish it, just put a board in and be done with it."

"Yes." The messenger immediately jumped on his horse.

Following the messenger's departing figure, you can see the green plain below the stairs.

All the houses in the nearby villages were demolished, leaving enough bricks and stones.

Orderlies and local shepherds pushed wheelbarrows with sails back and forth between the rear and the front.

The corps commanders took the lead, rolled up their sleeves, buckled their shirt hems onto their belts, and dug the hard soil with dust on their faces.

Even though they were the most central army, the guards still worked hard, carrying rattan baskets and pouring mortar and rubble between the wooden frames.

This is the consistent style of the Holy League. The status of officers and soldiers may be unequal, but the work they do is equal.

According to the Holy League's "Soldiers' Code", each breastwork is 50 meters long and 1.5 meters high, with an inverted triangular shooting crenel at the top, and a 3-5 meter infantry passage between each breastwork.

Instead of digging trenches in front of the breastwork, spiked wooden stakes and fences were placed. The border knights were equipped with a large number of extraordinary monks to help them cast the divine spell of "walking on flat ground".

However, the time was too short and they only had time to dig out a breastwork, and there were no other fortifications.

This means that they have a high probability of coming into close combat with the enemy.

It’s not that the guards are afraid of close combat, but it is very likely to cause considerable casualties.

These are the Pope's guards. Can they afford such casualties?
Meng Sai was a little troubled for a moment.

But he didn't know that Cosme brought him much more trouble than he brought to Cosme.

Standing on the hill, Cosme looked out with his keen vision.

There were scattered wheat fields along the river, and further away were fenced pastures where even Gravelland sheep and cows were leisurely grazing.

On the side and rear of the ranch was the staircase position they had once captured.

The undulating slopes and hilltops were rebuilt with rammed earth breastworks and spiked wooden piles.

These breastworks were originally there, so it was normal for the guerrilla hunters, the imperial army, and the vanguard to repair them quickly. But the small plain under the stairs in front of us was not normal.

The narrow corridor, which was five miles long and two miles wide, was filled with flying dust.

In just half a day, they had built at least three breastworks.

According to the current progress, by the time our troops are deployed, there will probably be more than three breastworks.

Cosme, who had taken overall command, had an even more serious look on his face than when he was the knight commander.

I have to say, the commander-in-chief is right, this place is indeed not suitable for combat.

It is said that the passage is two miles wide, but the combat width is far less than two miles.

There were a large number of villages, wheat fields and ditches on the west side near the river that blocked the cavalry charge, so the only attack could rely on infantry soldiers.

There are elite guards at the staircase entrance on the east side. If we attack from the side, we will be fired upon by them from the mountain.

Therefore, the actual width that can be used for attack is estimated to be only six or seven hundred meters.

That is to say, cavalry and infantry can hardly move together.

A single infantry phalanx of 50 men would occupy a battlefield width of 100 meters and a maneuvering width of meters.

Four thousand soldiers were enough to squeeze the knights so hard that they could not move.

I have to admit that it was a brilliant move by that crazy Pope to send his troops on a forced march to occupy the stairs last night.

On the one hand, it distributes the troops' strength so that they are not crowded on a narrow battlefield.

Secondly, it can provide support from the side and continue to compress the knights' range of maneuver.

If we attack the entrance of the stairs first, with the nearly two thousand troops currently at the entrance of the stairs (the Vanguard Regiment, the Holy Armor Guards and a small number of guerrilla hunters), it will probably take three or four days to capture it.

Although the Grand Commander agreed to the attack, it was not without conditions.

"Two days. Defeat the enemy within two days. If there is no progress, we must leave."

Emeric's words were so sonorous and eerie that even Cosme felt a chill down his spine.

If he fails to win this battle, his fate will probably not be good when he returns to the border.

With a wry smile on his face, Cosme turned his attention to what was in front of him.

"This battle is not easy to fight." Tadrash, the knight commander who served as the deputy commander, rode his horse at the same level as Cosme.

"Whether the battle is easy or not depends on our own planning and combat." Cosme took off the scalding iron gloves, "How much can we move?"

“40个旗队（约1600名骑士），4000名军士，还有半人马骑帐军100拔都300火力赤全调给咱们了。”

Emeric did not give all his troops to Cosme, but left behind 900 knights and more than 2000 sergeants.

Because even if 8500 troops were deployed together, only three to four thousand could be deployed in front of the stairs.

In that case, it would be better to send fewer troops.

"The Centaur Cavalry is the reserve force, so don't move for now. Tell them that we have won the battle, and the bounty and slaves will be doubled." Cosme fluently called out ten names, "Tadrash, you lead these ten flags and charge immediately!"

"Now?"

"Right now." Cosme looked at the guards who were still busy repairing the fortifications, "They rely on the fortifications, and now that they are not repaired, they are at their most vulnerable.

If you can penetrate their defenses in this battle, I will personally lead 10 flag teams to support you..."

Before Cosme could finish his words, they heard the devil's scream.

With a loud bang, the carriage wheels, the soldiers' bodies and the soil jumped up at the same time, and then fell heavily to the ground.

The huge iron ball broke one of the horse's legs before rolling into the ditch and stopping.

Looking at the warhorse kneeling on the ground in pain and wailing continuously, Cosme's usually easy-going eyes became sharp: "Tadrash, the battle has already begun!"

(End of this chapter)