In the eyes of Quentin's bannermen who were marching, all the nobles who continued to stay in the Coblenz area were traitors. With King Lothair's permission, he could attack all the rebels.
They marched all the way without resistance, which for a time made him puzzled.
Those knight families who were executed did not resist, and the disarmed knights' retinues also shouted innocent. The murderous Frank army continued to defend them, and in the face of the "exposure order", the villagers also "bitten" each other. stand up.
Quentin is not a local lord. He holds the title of knight as a companion to the standing army officers, and his soldiers are also professional soldiers.
These men were the military legacy left by Charlemagne to his descendants, imitating the standing army of the Roman legions as much as possible and not hesitating to kill.
Even those who were to be executed were Franks.
The ancestors of the people living in Koblenz are the Moselle tribe under the Alemannic people. They were defeated by the Franks hundreds of years ago. More than three hundred years have long made the locals forget the past. They do not understand. Obviously a few years ago we were all subjects of Lothair, but now little Koblenz changes owners frequently. Why do ordinary people have to pay a bloody price for the nobles who are fighting for power?
Quentin didn't care. The order he received was to eliminate the rebels and cleanse the Normans of their poison. The only thing he had to consider was that if he failed to complete the task well, he would be deprived of his status as flag captain. The feeling of being demoted to a big soldier was more painful than beheading.
Will the villagers expose each other? Very good! Anyone who is accused is a traitor and will be hanged!
The village became a devil's nest, but the army still insisted on their victory. The rebels' homes were ransacked, their livestock and poultry were confiscated for military rations, and their houses were deliberately burned to create fire and smoke to scare the enemies who held the "German Corner" .
Villages in the mountainous areas were "inspected" one after another, and the arrival of the army would be a disaster.
Burning villages causes smoke and dust, and improper operation can even cause a whole village to catch fire.
The ashes are rising rapidly, but the local water vapor has always been naturally strong.
In the evening of that day, it started pouring rain all over Koblenz, which extinguished the fire, and the ground suddenly became muddy. The people who lost their homes howled bitterly. They did not dare to scold the shamelessness of these troops, but now they snuggled next to the priests and prayed to God. of salvation.
What can the priests do? The priests stationed in the village must obey the Bishop of Koblenz. They have nothing to say to the soldiers and can only try their best to comfort the lambs who have suffered huge losses.
First, there was an early warning of heavy fire and smoke that could not be ignored, and then there was heavy rain. Along with the rain, there was a steady stream of refugees fleeing into the villages and docks below the mountains.
Three knights fled with their families. They took the whole village with them and arrived at the dock with only limited belongings.
They set up a temporary camp, and the young priests who fled with the team went straight to the monastery, explained the disaster to Bishop Bachbert, and prayed for salvation.
However, they saw that Quentin's flag team had to inspect villages one by one and attack the rebellious knights, so their movement speed was naturally slow. After a rain, the road became muddy, which further slowed down their speed.
Finally, the new village is in front of you, and you can even see a larger wooden building.
The situation was extremely strange. The scouts who took off their armor and transformed into light cavalry went to investigate and found that the entire village was empty. The scene was extremely strange. It was obvious that some cattle and sheep had not been taken away, but the poultry raised were wandering around the muddy village path.
It was as if all the villagers disappeared in an instant.
But the ruts, horse hoof prints and dense footprints on the ground proved that people were fleeing.
"Maybe I went too far?!" After listening to the scout's urgent report, Quentin reexamined his conscience for a moment.
The king's order is absolute!
After some psychological struggle, he held the riding whip and walked forward: "Keep walking! The rebels are afraid of crime and run away. We will camp in the village! Let us eat and drink enough to continue the crusade!"
They slaughtered the abandoned cattle and sheep, and the soldiers were ordered to search the entire settlement for property and find the hidden food and make a fire on the spot to eat.
After resting for a day, all the houses were set on fire according to the principle of crusade.
At first, those houses with thick haystacks were difficult to ignite because the roofs were moist. Thick white smoke first emitted. When the flames slowly ignited, the white smoke turned into gray-black smoke, and red flames shot into the sky. The soldiers
Facing this crazy warmth.
Quentin, the flag captain in armor and stomach, still stood up with his sword drawn: "Remember! We are ordered to attack the rebels and the Normans! Show your courage! Don't show mercy!"
He did some war mobilization, and now it is the third day of the crusade. The soldiers who were a little conflicted at first have now given up everything.
…
At this moment, a large number of refugees had gathered on the flat land of the river mouth under the Koblenz Fortress. They heard that King Lothair's army was rushing towards them and killing people. Various rumors were flying all over the sky, and the most terrifying rumors were none other than the kingdom's army.
Unbelievably, he pointed the butcher knife at his own people.
Even though everyone generally didn't believe it at first, the mountain residents who escaped said similar words and there was no room for disbelief.
How many people are gathering in the river mouth plain area below the mountain now?
At least more than two thousand people escaped with limited belongings, and as an important farming area, the river mouth area has always had a large population.
There are as many as five thousand people crowded here, which is already an extremely dense place based on the current population density of Frankia.
Those people who were unwilling to live under the control of the new ruler of Nassau left a year ago. These people who successfully fled to the river mouth area under the mountain not only support Nassau, but what they need most now is the salvation of the new lord.
The fishermen's spontaneous escape has begun. They made rafts on the shore. Even if the limited fishing boats carried a small number of people, they tried to squeeze as many people as possible and crossed the Rhine River with portable rafts. Their destination was the fishing village of Landstein on the other side.
, and is now the riverside port of Baron Nassau.
In this regard, Eric, who was stationed in the fortress, as a Russian, and his nearly two hundred brothers, at this moment, transformed from the conquerors to the defenders of the people.
Do they really regard this group of scurrying people as their own?
They are not so virtuous, they are like a large group of animals that surrender to themselves. The Ross garrison has the right to ask for tribute from them to live. If someone comes and kills these people intentionally, wouldn't it ruin the lives of the brothers?
They still have a set of ideas that the Ross tribe used to regularly demand tribute in the old days. It is this idea that drives these tough warriors to protect the poor.
Spontaneous river crossings are fraught with dangers. During the high water season in early summer, the current of the Rhine River is faster, and overloaded fishing boats are at risk. In order to survive, the paddlers no longer care too much.
This boat accident suddenly appeared in front of everyone. People gathered on the riverside watched the boat float and screamed as the poor man was swallowed up by the river water.
There were loud cries and screams, but the crossing of the river could not be stopped.
The number of refugees in the fishing village of Landstein is gradually increasing, and the operation to cross the river for survival continues.
All the boats were used for people's self-rescue. The thick smoke burning not far away perfectly proved the approaching danger. People were shouting "The apostles of Satan are going to kill us." The chaos on the ferry never stopped. This is Father Bach.
Bert couldn't be comforted either.
On the contrary, the Ross garrison took the initiative to leave the fort and maintain order at the dock.
They threatened the men who robbed the ship with swords and axes. Since they had witnessed the tragedy of capsizing, and in order to avoid another disaster that would cause the precious ship to sink with it, Eric simply let them know what tyranny is.
Two men who were crazy about robbing the boat were caught out and beheaded in public. Their bodies were kicked into the Rhine River by Eric, and one of their heads was held high by him.
He yelled only one thing in broken Frankish: "If there are any more snatchers, kill them!"
The crazy trick of killing one person as a warning to others has indeed achieved great results. Father Bachbert who witnessed all this did not do anything to stop him. The priests kept crossing themselves and watched silently. Some young priests even knelt on the ground and prayed to God for rescue.
However, the archangel did not descend to earth. Suddenly, the people gathered at the pier cheered collectively.
They once regarded the dragon-headed warship as a terrifying monster, and the monster on the bow clearly depicted the little devil under Satan.
Otherwise, the big open oars are like the wings of a six-winged archangel, and the sturdy and spacious warship will save everyone.
They were so sure because the Russian soldiers stationed at the fortress, while killing the rebels, also announced to the helpless people that reinforcements would arrive soon.
No, reinforcements began to approach the dock.
Black Fox mobilized ten longships, accompanied by a large number of small barges behind them.
The long boats were filled with warriors busy paddling. They wore armor in order to fight fiercely with the enemy after arriving at Koblenz.
The knights Gilbert and Ballard, as well as Count Robert, who was about to leave, took out all their personal guards at this moment.
Saving the people from fire and water is the most important thing. This time they cooperated with the Norman Rus for the same goal, and everyone worked hard.
From the perspective of the Ross army stationed in Nassau, a group of outsiders dared to run wild in our territory, and they must be killed without return. This tribal consciousness that has disappeared in a short period of time makes their fighting will very difficult.
powerful.
The obese Black Fox dressed up like a brave warrior, but the iron helmet buckled on his head like a fat fish, and the fat was squeezed out. Along with the mustache that he deliberately started to grow, his appearance was really too funny.
No one would think that their boss is really a warrior, and even if they really fight, they have to listen to the actual instructions of the old guys Eric and Vardy, but the way he supports the monster on the bow of the ship and holds the steel sword high is very refreshing and objective.
The fat man Shan pressed down on the bow of the ship, which was slightly tilted due to fast paddling, so that the ship sailed more steadily.
The appearance of the longship caused a sensation, and similarly, the roaring crowd on the other side also opened the eyes of Black Fox.
"Hey! Wadi, when did we still have so many people?!"
Wadi, Blue Fox's old follower, is a rescued slave who is now a rare and powerful general of Black Fox. This guy does not have a title for the time being, but his title is a certainty.
Wadi doesn't know either. He has quite a lot of combat experience. In his eyes, the existence of a large group of civilians is a crazy constraint on combat. They should disappear! The existing fleet must evacuate them as soon as possible.
"I don't know!" His answer was simple.
"Ah? What do you know? Give me some advice!"
"Evacuate the people and move away their surplus food and grain. After that, it's up to you."
The black fox thought that this was indeed the case. After transporting the people, they had to feed them, and using their food to feed themselves was the right way. After this chaos was over, they each returned to their homes. If there were difficulties in life, they would talk about it later.
But he thought again, "No! What to do with our Coblenz Fortress? We still have to hold on and we cannot give up without resistance."
"Let the fortress go to hell! Boss, we don't have the strength to fight with those people now. Unless they are not a huge thousand people."
"That's right. Then destroy the fortress and set it on fire deliberately. We can't let them get what we can't get."
The longships arrived at the pier one after another. With the previous actions of killing chickens as a warning to monkeys, facing the savior-like ship, no one dared to get on board rashly, no matter how anxious the waiters were.
The Rus warriors carrying round shields were wearing uniform clothes, and the ten longships quickly became empty.
Without further ado, without bothering to clean up the large amount of mud on his boots, Black Fox hurriedly met with his stationed subordinate Eric. After some pleasantries, he made an appointment: "Since you have started to evacuate, I will leave the rest to you. Use all your strength."
The long boats carried people to the other side.”
Seeing my Black Fox boss again, this young fat man has the decisiveness of his second brother Blue Fox, which makes people admire him with admiration.
This kid has really grown up after experiencing the war. In fact, this kind of person is extremely important at critical moments.
"So, what to do with the fortress we are garrisoned in?" Eric had to figure out the new situation.
"No more!"
"ah?!"
"Our troops are limited and we will not fight them to the death."
"This! It's not honorable enough. The brothers are planning to sacrifice blood to Odin!" What Eric said represented the thoughts of many warriors.
Vardy came forward and patted the old man on the shoulder: "This is the territory of the Franks. Don't you and I believe in their gods? Put the blood sacrifice aside and clear this area. We won't worry about the decisive battle after that."
"Just do it according to my decision." Black Fox emphasized again: "This is my wife's order. Remember, she will soon be an earl. In the future, you two and your brothers will have higher status here. Go to
Her canonization still needs to be confirmed later.”
It sounds a little funny, but it is true. The mentality of the Russians stationed here has changed drastically. They have always been pirates. Adventurers are not a long-term solution. Everyone still needs a noble status to live their lives!
No, the black fox shouted in a half-joking way: "Wardy, Eric, you will all be barons from now on. Our brothers must be knights at least. Take a long-term view!"
An efficient evacuation operation finally began. The oarsmen were reduced to twenty people. The remaining space could be used to rush in fifty unarmed civilians. If children were transported, one boat could transport a hundred people.
Just sail 200 meters through the Rhine River channel, unload the people directly on the desert beach on the other side, and let them walk to Llandstein upstream not far away.
Long ships sailing such short distances can take some risks of being overloaded. With ten ships in action, the transportation speed can be said to be extremely fast!
As if this is not enough, everyone hopes to be the first to board the ship, and they need a more powerful presence to stand up and intimidate.
Until now, Robert is still the Count of Ingol, and he has stepped forward.
The Earl of Laingau came in person?! Isn’t the area on the opposite side the same place as Laingal?! Hasn’t Nassau always been a vassal of Laingau?! So we have the Count’s permission to go to the other side?
Or even come to Earl Ingo to serve as our queen?!
The majority of civilians had limited access to information, and they did not know that Robert was about to leave, and that Lyingau and Coblenz had merged. They only knew that the great nobles in the north were helping them, and the Normans had become good people.
On the other hand, King Lothair's army was killing indiscriminately, and no one could ignore the thick smoke rising from behind the mountain. It was like an ax hanging above the head that could fall at any time. It was this situation that was the most terrifying.
Because they had to worry that Lothair's frantic army might rush out at any time and kill the fleeing people wantonly.