Armored Cavalry, survive in a world full of mods

115 Wind and Rain (3)

The storm that everyone feared finally arrived. The attack on Christina, the daughter of the chief senator, was certainly a shocking case, but how did those assassins obtain so many horses and weapons? How did they hide so close to the capital? And what roads did they take to get here...? If you examine every detail carefully, a large number of people will be in trouble.

The emperor issued an order to thoroughly investigate the matter the very next day. The garrison responsible for suppressing bandits and maintaining order in that area immediately suffered. Several officers were brought to the capital for questioning, and not long after, the town officials in that area were also dismissed and arrested.

The black-clad guards of the capital prison were also mobilized, arresting all suspects and sending them back to the imperial capital for investigation and questioning... Panic gripped the entire capital and surrounding areas. This wave was rapidly expanding at an unstoppable pace, implicating more and more people.

The fact that those assassins were nearby and were able to lie in wait revealed a terrible truth—someone had leaked the whereabouts of Christina, the daughter of the chief elder and wife of the legion commander!

This immediately touched a nerve with many people, and with countless others fueling the flames, the storm is showing signs of intensifying.

Every day, people were transported into the capital by carriage. Even if they were innocent, they could not escape suffering. Officials and nobles at all levels were in a state of panic. Before long, an elder statesman publicly impeached his colleague for incompetence and dereliction of duty.

Just as Thesolius had anticipated, someone would seize this opportunity to launch a massive attack on those who disagreed with them, in order to gain power and profit for themselves.

The nobles of the Senate were not a cohesive unit, or rather, quite the opposite. They would never have been united without the pressure from the emperor. Power is a sweet but deadly thing, and no one wanted to give it up. If it weren't for the chief senator constantly balancing the contradictions and disputes among them, the nobles of the Senate would have fallen into a frenzied infighting.

The uproar caused by this incident acted as a catalyst, fueling their ambitions and making many people restless, trying to gain more power.

An unavoidable chaos and turmoil is raging in the imperial capital. But thanks to prior preparations, the emperor and elders ultimately managed to contain the chaos, preventing the imperial capital from truly being shrouded in bloodshed.

Only the chief elder, Scripps, knew that they had lost something... The contradictions among the nobles had become apparent without their knowledge, and he could only try to mend the rift with his prestige and methods, but the bond between them was destined to be less solid than before.

Profit and wealth can make a person short-sighted, preventing them from seeing the real crux of the matter... or rather, most people find it difficult to see clearly when faced with enough temptations, and those who remain calm are actually a minority.

Even knowing that the chances of success are slim, many people will still do it when the opportunity actually falls into their hands and they have a real chance to suppress others.

Scripps knew their weakness—the nobles were too proud, and many believed that even the seemingly powerful emperor could not possibly oppose all the nobles and had to compromise with them.

After all, the nobles controlled a large part of the empire's power, and their influence was deeply entrenched in various provinces. Many of their long-established families had profound foundations, which gave them ample confidence.

But Scripps knew where their so-called power and status came from... so he was even more aware of how bad things were going.

The situation had become somewhat delicate for them, which made the old man determined to do something...

An unsettling situation loomed over the imperial capital for a full week before no one was finally arrested for any wrongdoing, and the atmosphere of panic dissipated. The imperial capital finally returned to its former state, though people still spoke with lingering unease, discussing the storm that had just passed.

After a week of rigorous investigation, not much detail was uncovered about the assassination of the elder statesman's daughter, but many corrupt officials were arrested. Many things that were originally shady were exposed and brought to the forefront, leaving no room for cover-ups.

Ultimately, the biggest outcome of this whole ordeal was the arrest of several garrison officers and city gatekeepers who accepted bribes from strangers, as well as a village gentry who rented out his hunting grounds to unidentified individuals…

It seems that nothing has changed, but only those with a truly keen sense of smell can perceive the changes brought about by the upheavals of the past week.

But no matter what, the empire still had to continue operating. The capital city would continue to handle a large number of affairs in the various provinces, appoint and dismiss a large number of officials, coordinate war and production... The entire country's bureaucratic system was always operating at full capacity, allowing this huge administrative machine to play its due role.

........................

The legions of Thessalius obtained permission to expand—after three days of wrangling in the Senate, they successfully achieved their goal through some political maneuvering.

He realized once again the applicability of the open window theory... If he asked for an additional legion, everyone would object, but if he then only asked for an increase in the size of the original legion, and not by much, many people would find it acceptable.

With the addition of some clever exchanges of benefits and lobbying, this matter did not encounter much resistance.

Thesolius had no particular opinion on achieving his goals through political means; he neither rejoiced nor disliked it, but he was exceptionally good at it... The communication and relationships between people are such a wonderful thing, and they also require a certain talent, which he happened to possess.

The slave army and mountain archers he brought from the south did not have a formal organization before; at most, they could only be considered temporary auxiliary troops, and their treatment was naturally not comparable to that of regular legion soldiers.

Now that they have permission to expand, they can be legitimately incorporated into their own legions, making it much easier for them to do whatever they want afterward.

With the emperor's support, Tersolius is unknowingly advancing his ideas; at least for now, few people besides the emperor and his brothers can see his plans.

If everything goes smoothly from here on out, he can become the governor of the province within a month, and then he will have a lot to achieve...

But sometimes, when you hold onto the hope that things will go smoothly, that hope is quickly dashed, and things don't go as you expected. This unexpected turn of events was truly beyond your expectations.

………………

The messenger, clad in chainmail, rode a swift horse, carrying the token as he passed through checkpoint after checkpoint. On his saddle was a long spear, with a red flag tied to its tip. Upon seeing this flag, each post station would immediately prepare a fast horse for him to ride.

Even the food was packed and handed to him directly. He changed horses but not riders, eating and sleeping on horseback. Although he was extremely exhausted, he kept traveling and delivering messages to the destination as quickly as possible.

Thus he traveled through the towns and villages of the empire, along wide, flat roads, and reached the empire's capital at top speed, before collapsing to deliver the message to the garrison general.

Turias dared not delay. He first conveyed the message to the emperor, and then informed the chief senator according to protocol.

Just as one wave subsided, another rose; the capital, which had just quieted down, became noisy again...

When Tesorus received the news, he could hardly believe it. After all, it would be hard for any normal person to believe such news—that someone had started a rebellion at a time when the country was gradually settling down!

The rebellion took place in the eastern province of Cerisonas and was quite large. It seemed that the Kurist people from the eastern steppes were also involved. The situation was becoming increasingly difficult to contain, so the governor immediately sent a messenger to request assistance.

In those times, transportation was far from advanced, and information spread as quickly as the fastest horse or the fastest ship. By the time they received this news, the rebellion in the province had surely undergone new changes, and a decision had to be made immediately…

Such a rebellion, which affected an entire province, was a major event, and so, in that magnificent Senate, a decision that would determine the fate of the empire was being made.

The letter written by the provincial governor was extremely detailed, basically explaining the cause and effect of the matter. After a loud-voiced preacher stood on the stone platform at the bottom and read it aloud, all the noble elders basically understood the situation.

After the speech, a small murmur immediately broke out, but basically no one objected to the judgment. On this point, everyone was quite in agreement—the authority of the empire could not be challenged, and this rebellion had to be quelled as quickly and decisively as possible.

Now that the basic strategy has been decided, the next step, the specific implementation, has become a point of contention. Driven by self-interest, almost everyone has their own ideas and they start arguing endlessly, spitting their own spittle in other people's faces.

Seeing that things were going to drag on, Chief Elder Scripps stood up and interrupted the argument:

"Gentlemen, please hear me out... Your Majesty, the other legions are stationed in various places and are difficult to mobilize, while the Northern Legion must guard against the Kiel's unrest... If we want to quell the rebellion in the shortest time, I propose to send out the legion commanded by Elder Tersolius. This is the best solution."

The emperor's brow twitched slightly, and he made up his mind to refuse... In their original plan, Tersolius and his legion were to be stationed in the Central Province, and he would rightfully become the governor of the Central Province... If they were sent to the East to quell the rebellion now, things might not go as planned.

Moreover, the emperor didn't believe that the old man was really so selfless... Perhaps his suggestion was impeccable, and from any perspective it was for the benefit of the empire, but Clautina was not naive enough to think that his purpose was that simple.

But just as the emperor was about to speak, she suddenly noticed Thesolius's gaze... and her impending rejection turned into approval.

"Your Excellency Scripps is quite right. This is the best course of action at present. Although my general has just returned from war, such an enemy should not be too difficult for him..." The emperor, wearing a golden crown, turned to look at Tersolius. He tapped his scepter slightly on the ground. "I have no choice but to trouble you again, Tersolius. I hereby grant you the authority to mobilize the legions and quell this rebellion as soon as possible."

No one voiced any objection. The chief elder and the emperor had reached a rare consensus. At this moment, not everyone had the courage to stand up and stop this decision.

Moreover, they couldn't see the downsides of this decision—Tesolius was simply too powerful. He had only been back for a few days and already made them feel constrained. Letting him go further away from the center of power in the empire wasn't such a bad thing.

Thus, the decision officially took effect, and news that Thasorius would lead a large army into battle spread like wildfire, destined to stir up another uproar in the city…

"Why should we agree? This rebellion can be dealt with by other troops; there's no need to disrupt our previous plans."

Inside the emperor's golden palace, in its vast halls, the two walked side by side. Clautina couldn't help but wonder why Thesolius had gestured for her to agree with his eyes. ...

“My lord, in my opinion, this is not a bad thing…” Tersolius said with a confident expression, or rather, he had a new plan: “This rebellion is both a threat and an opportunity. If the rebels are powerful, this province is destined to undergo a reshuffle. The power they previously held tightly will loosen, and things will become much easier…”

"Perhaps Scripps has his own plans, but we can't really read his mind... Instead of getting stuck on it, it's better to go with the flow, deal with each move as it comes, and take advantage of the situation to steer the outcome in our favor."

The emperor smiled and gently shook his head, his magnificent purple robe, embroidered with subtle patterns, gliding across the smooth stone surface.

“Since you have your own plans, I won’t force you… However, this rebellion is not so simple. Tricaros actually gave me another letter, but I didn’t release the information because I was worried that it would cause unforeseen complications.”

The emperor's expression turned serious, and the beautiful, soft lines of his face hardened.

"This rebellion involves not only the Kurist people, but also the Iris people who are the masterminds of it!"

116 The Rebellion of Cerison (1)

As black banners and royal guard cavalry poured into the camp, the vast military camp, spanning several miles, immediately stirred. New orders were constantly being issued, and the soldiers began packing their bags, taking water and food, as well as their weapons and tools, binding their leggings, and checking their shoes, clothes, and belts.

They began to assemble in small squads, each with its own flag. Led by the flag bearer and captain, they found their own centurions. Once each centurion had made sure no one was missing, he would lead his soldiers to join the command of the chiliarch.

The livestock and wagons used to transport supplies were already prepared. According to military regulations, each squad had to have two mules or pack horses to transport supplies and equipment. As the emperor's personal guard, this army had no compromises in any aspect. The livestock were all strong and healthy. As departure approached, they crowded the entire area, and the air was filled with the distinctive pungent smell of animals. All kinds of supplies and luggage were being packed on their backs. They prepared in units of a thousand men each, and then one by one they set off on the road, heading east.

After they left, they left behind a mess, with piles of animal dung everywhere. But when the sun was high overhead, scorching the earth with its intense heat, a group of nearby farmers entered the camp. They were given permission to take the dung away to fertilize the land.

This fortified permanent camp was now left with only a little over 1000 garrison soldiers... These soldiers who remained complained about their bad luck and regretted losing the opportunity to gain glory, but they still maintained strict discipline and took over all the defense zones.

Meanwhile, the entire army had already set off and was advancing along the well-maintained roads. Two days earlier, the order to repair the roads had been relayed to every village and town. The village chief, the head of every market, and the town's protector were all required to organize manpower to repair the damaged sections of the roads. If there were any delays when the army passed through, they would be severely punished.

From their starting point in the outskirts of the capital to their final destination, countless warehouses were taking stock of the grain, transporting the harvested grain from the previous autumn from the dry, well-ventilated granaries. They would advance, receiving supplies along the way, until they finally reached the rebel-held territory with enough provisions to last for three months.

In addition, there are a variety of consumables that need to be replenished, such as hay, leather, cloth, salt blocks, dried meat, and dried vegetables. The soldiers' damaged tools and equipment also need to be replenished and replaced at the large armory near the central mine. They still have a lot to do before they can actually go into battle.

Nothing in human society consumes more resources than armies and wars. A powerful army is a deadly luxury for a country with insufficient national strength, especially such an elite standing army, which costs a lot of money and consumes a huge amount of resources every day.

Not to mention the enormous destruction that war inflicts on production and construction. Areas where armies clash are often turned into scorched earth. In the case of years of war, a country can even become a living hell, with bones exposed in the wilderness and no roosters crowing for miles around.

However, a country cannot become strong without an army. Without an army, even the most prosperous and wealthy country is just a piece of meat that can be slaughtered and anyone can take a bite out of.

A normal country is one where the military protects the nation and the nation supports the military.

Commanding an army is even more of a skill and an art. An army's duty is war, but most of the time it's on the move and resting. All the preparations made before true victory are necessary and indispensable. As Caesar said:

"Victory is achieved by walking on two legs, while the hands merely pick it up."

Being able to organize troop marches effectively, ensuring the troops don't become disorganized or scattered; properly scouting the surrounding environment to guard against enemy attacks; setting up camp during rest periods to prevent night raids and camp bombings; gaining the soldiers' trust and communicating one's will effectively; and making good use of the terrain to gain an advantage...

This is the quality of a qualified general. As long as you can do these things, you will be invincible most of the time.

However, this is only an ideal situation. In reality, the gap between the upper and lower limits is often huge. The worst commanders will futilely sacrifice the lives of thousands of soldiers due to their stupidity. On the other hand, the best commanders can achieve brilliant victories with far fewer troops than the enemy.

Marching is a tedious and lengthy process, but it is an essential prerequisite for war and victory, and a test of an army's organization and discipline.

………………

An endless army marched forward on the road, countless feet treading on the solid stone pavement. Tight leggings allowed them to walk further and more easily. The billowing yellow dust whipped up the fluttering flags, and the continuous thud of their feet sounded like rolling thunder from the horizon.

Half of the cavalry marched at the very front of the column without hesitation, while Arka led the other half to bring up the rear. The entire legion advanced at a suitable pace with overwhelming momentum, with the officers' shouts echoing from time to time, restraining the soldiers' behavior.

The vast majority of armor was carried on the backs of livestock and transported by vehicles. After all, this was within the territory of the empire, and there was no need to consider the possibility of large-scale enemy attacks, so there was no need to wear armor at all times. Most people only wore lined jackets as inner garments.

However, things won't be so easy when you get close to enemy-controlled territory. If an emergency occurs, there won't be enough time to put on armor temporarily, so you have to prepare in advance.

Meanwhile, Thesolius was sorting through his thoughts, preparing for the impending war and other complex situations, while also pondering the intelligence he had received from the emperor the previous day…

Although the Empire does not have an objective world map, there are many maps of the entire Empire, and they come in various versions. Scholars in the capital library are always keen to do this. Whenever a new territory is incorporated into the Empire, a large number of scholars will explore the geographical environment, landform features, and resource distribution of the new territory, and then add it to the map that is updated every five years.

The most detailed maps even marked the rural roads and forests of every province. Large swathes of harsh and barren land in the north and east were occupied by nomadic peoples. The Kiel in the north and the Kuriset in the east often harassed the empire's borders, trying to plunder and run away.

The Hols in the south, relying on the strategic terrain, firmly guarded their territory, while the Asel people further south had many excellent merchants who could be found in every corner of the empire. This red sand kingdom with its vast territory was also not to be underestimated.

The West, on the other hand, consisted of a group of countries far weaker than the empire. These countries were constantly at war, yet their relationships were intricately intertwined, making it a chaotic and complex region. This was also the empire's primary direction of expansion. The immense pressure from the empire constantly forced these smaller nations to form alliances at crucial moments to avoid being swiftly defeated.

His destination this time—a border province in the east of the empire—was a very special place. Although the land there was flat, irrigation was inconvenient, and by general standards, it was not considered fertile land. While it was difficult to develop agriculture on a large scale, it was very suitable for raising horses, and nearly half of the empire's warhorses came from there.

If chaos and war were to erupt here, the entire empire's warhorse supply would be affected. That's why the imperial central government was able to reach a consensus so quickly, dispatching troops just three days after receiving the news. Although the situation will certainly have changed by the time they arrive, it seems to be under control for now.

According to the intelligence Clautina received, the main force of the local rebellion was the Iris – a group of displaced and wretched people who, 100 years ago, wandered from the south, offering gold and bread to the emperor and begging for acceptance.

Even though these people were exiled for thousands of miles, they still couldn't bear to part with their wealth, and as a result, they were plundered everywhere, suffering heavy losses. Only about one-fifth of them were able to reach the empire.

However, upon arriving in the Empire, they did not hesitate to exchange all their wealth for a chance to gain asylum. At that time, the eastern border provinces of the Empire were sparsely populated, and the famous mad emperor agreed, allowing the Iris to take root on the eastern border.

And now, only 100 years later, these guys are already starting to get restless? ...They're even plotting to carve out their own territory and establish their own countries?!

When he first heard the news, he almost thought these people were all lunatics… The empire wasn't some chaotic, fragmented place; on the contrary, it was a powerful nation with vast territory and a strong army. A nation that dared to advance so recklessly—no matter how you looked at it, they were throwing eggs against rocks, like a sparrow daring to use its beak to peck at an eagle's feathers—how dare they?

Do they really think that with the support of the Kuriset, they can occupy the empire's provinces? Even the Kuriset themselves have spent so many years trying and failed. Do they really think they can do it with the help of these worthless scoundrels?

He rubbed his temples in frustration, completely baffled by these people's thinking. If this was truly their stated plan... what were they relying on? Were they really that confident, believing they would definitely succeed?

It wasn't until nightfall, when they set up camp, that Tersolius stopped thinking. Not because he had figured things out, but because it was time to eat. He would find out the details once he reached the rebellious area; until then, he just needed to prepare cautiously.

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Tersolius was astonished by what he saw, and for a moment he even wondered if he was dreaming—two huge mine pits had been dug out from the towering mountain and the depression in the middle, and countless slaves and miners were working in them like ants. The miners were doing well, but the slaves were weak and sick like thin, sick oxen, wriggling in the pits like insects.

The number of slaves here is astonishing. They wear tattered clothes and worn-out straw sandals. Under the supervision of soldiers with sharp blades, they repeatedly crawl into the mine to dig and transport ore. Once a certain amount is accumulated, livestock will drive huge cranes to transport the iron ore to the surface. On the other side of the mountain are endless furnaces, and the black smoke from molten iron is dense, like a large swathe of black saplings swaying in the wind.

Slaves mined the ore, transported the ore, herded livestock, added coal... Slaves could be seen everywhere. There were probably tens of thousands of slaves here, plus a garrison of thousands, turning this place into a massive flesh and blood factory, constantly mining ore to smelt steel.

The slaves lived in a large shack on the south side, built with branches and weeds that would be blown away by the wind. Next to it was a military camp ready to suppress the slaves at any time, using whips and swords to force them into obedience and maintain the cruel order here.

To the north lay a permanent camp—the residence of the artisans. The artisans were well-paid; they could live comfortably and accumulate wealth simply by crafting weapons and armor. Furthermore, if they performed well enough, they received additional rewards, allowing them to build up a substantial fortune for themselves within a few years.

The empire possessed numerous high-quality iron mines, some so dilapidated they could barely be called "high-quality" mines; after being mined and smelted, they yielded roughly crude iron. Even the slag from these mines contained more iron than the finest ore from many other places. Mining was easy, transportation was convenient, and coupled with the vast number of slaves acquired through years of war as labor and a large artisan class, the empire's army boasted an astonishingly high rate of armor wear—a feat unmatched by any other nation.

Even auxiliary soldiers in the Imperial army are equipped with breastplates and helmets. When the entire army is ready to march in formation, it is like a surging sea of ​​steel, enough to make any enemy tremble with fear. The most elite legionary infantry are even known as the Iron Men, always tenacious and unstoppable.

After each war, large numbers of prisoners of war were sent into the empire as slaves. This cheap labor force, in turn, supported the empire's various industries, making the entire country more prosperous. This allowed the empire to maintain a large and elite army for a long time, maintaining a significant advantage even when surrounded by enemies on all sides, and even continuing to advance...

117 The Rebellion of Cerison (2)

"Open the armory."

As Tersolius gave the order, the officials in charge of the warehouse unlocked the huge bronze locks and slowly opened the heavy doors, which were covered with iron plates on both sides. An official carrying a book walked in with him.

The cold, metallic smell filled the nostrils, the maintenance oils emitted a strange odor, and piles of limestone for moisture control covered the ground. One after another, gleaming silver chainmail and scale armor were neatly arranged, and sturdy helmets were decorated with polished brass rivets.

The polished weapons, gleaming with a cold, oily sheen, were piled in boxes mixed with straw. Bundles of sharp spears and straight arrows stood upright like haystacks, unharmed by the loose sawdust beneath them. They could easily take a life at any time.

Each weapon has a designated storage area, and each piece of armor bears the craftsman's unique number. Only products that pass inspection are sent here; those that fail to quench or develop cracks are melted down and remade. This ensures that the armor and weapons are sturdy and durable.

The weapons and equipment here are only supplied to the Imperial Legion and are subject to strict control. Any loss of any other item will result in accountability. The warehouse keys must be kept by at least two people, and an inventory is conducted every year, but this still cannot stop some people from embezzling and breaking the law...