Chapter 1222 Baudouin, Earl of Flanders, who fished in troubled waters, and the lost Brussels
In Rotterstad, everything has returned to calm.
The port of Duriste has forever passed into history. The remains of the former town are covered by thick reeds and gradually buried by the mud washed down by the Rhine River.
A brand new port city has replaced it. No northerner can ignore the superiority of this unique location. It is like a treasure given to everyone by the gods, but it has nothing to do with the Franks.
After all, the area at the mouth of the Inn River was originally the territory of the County of Flanders, and it was a helpless move for the County to surrender to Frank.
Count Baudouin was very aware of the fact that Blue Fox led the army south to attack Aachen. In other words, although he did not participate in the war, he was a real participant in the entire incident.
Rotterstad has completely become a paradise for the Normans. Danish free fishermen have been migrating here continuously. Not only them, but also Norwegians from many fjord areas, and even Götalanders and Swedes. They are in an extremely geographical environment.
The trivial estuary islands began to build their settlements.
For the first time, the huge fish resources in the North Sea began to be plundered by trawl fishing technology from the north. It is not an exaggeration to describe the "scraping" operation to salvage cod schools as a sweep.
No one thinks that the fish stocks can be fished out. The resources of the sea are inexhaustible. The extra fish caught are sold nearby to the locals in Utrecht to earn extra income. When not robbing, they make a living by fishing. Life is indeed
Much better than in the north.
Rotterstad is not a city, but a collective name for a port settlement. She has two large settlements, one is a Danish community with a gradually increasing population along the small tributary of the Rotter River, and the other is a more populous settlement on the main river.
Located near the entrance to the sea, this is where Ross Shop is located.
Ross Shop is centered on a military fortress with wooden walls, and around it are fishermen's dens that are gradually prospering.
No one taxes fishermen, and because of war dividends, these free fishermen can freely enter Utrecht, Antwerp, and Ghent.
Are Danes who have left their homeland still considered Danes?
Compared to Henry Nassau's family who moved from inland Nassau to Utrecht to become Earl, the Earl of Flanders continues to work hard in his coastal fiefdom. Even though he has Frankish ancestry, it is just for the sake of his family's interests.
He must also be tied to the interests of the large number of Gauls and Frisians in the territory.
Bilichka is the old name of Flanders.
Once something sets a precedent, it will be followed by a second and third example until it becomes commonplace.
The earl, who is good at adapting to the situation, is not only anxious to send his daughter to the bed of Red Fox Gouldson, the governor of Rotterstad in the Kingdom of Ross. He has already seen the commercial treaty signed with the Ross people.
Benefits obtained.
There is a large area of saline-alkali land in the coastal area of Flanders. This land is not suitable for planting, but it is suitable for raising cattle and sheep and doing salt boiling. Their fishing ability is far inferior to that of the Norman immigrants, but the huge people are still very
It needs wheat to survive.
Brussels and Lille, one in the east and the other in the west, such fortresses cannot be lost. After all, those areas are already inland, free from the harm of salt and alkali, and the flat terrain is very suitable for growing crops.
Baudouin had already assembled a large army in Brussels. He was unwilling to actually go to war with the Frankish army. The two sides always maintained a delicate balance.
He was waiting for an opportunity to get what he wanted to know from the returning Ross army.
The opportunity is now in front of you.
As for some detailed information conveyed by the messenger sent by the "permanent representative" at Ross's shop, he was really surprised.
"Lotel's third daughter was actually captured? Didn't he bring the whole family to Strasbourg? This woman may be a fake. Whatever. Since those damn cavalry garrison suffered heavy losses, I should take action."
He thought so, and indeed he changed his turtle tactics, and the Flanders Army, which was in a static state, finally began to take the initiative to send troops.
But Baudouin did not want to fight a decisive strategic battle with the Franks that would determine success or failure, even though he knew very well that the purpose of Chen Bing's opponents on the border was just to contain him. As long as there was a Frank army on the border, it would always be his choice.
sword.
Only when the enemy reaches his doorstep will Baudouin lead his troops to fight for their lives. In this kind of border war, he still uses the old and extremely thieves method - constant harassment by small groups of troops.
He just wanted the damn Frankish heavy cavalry to leave and bring peace to the border.
But this time, he had to think more.
"Now that Liège and Maastricht have been destroyed and burned, and the priests slain by the Normans, who will be the new master of all Maasgau? If Lothair suffers a great defeat this year, if I
Masgao, who took advantage of the opportunity to occupy it, should admit the established fact."
At first he didn't want to be like this, but changes in the general environment made Mascot, which had just experienced a severe war, like a jar of honey in the eyes of some big nobles. Baudouin couldn't help but be tempted!
The loss of the area north of the Rhine River and the peace treaty signed with the Normans did indeed bring about economic development, and it was indeed a loss of power and humiliation for the country. If I take advantage of this year's opportunity to capture the entire Maasgau, the lost
Wouldn't it be taken back from another aspect?
"I have to have a legitimate reason for the military action. Yes! Let's march there on the grounds of rescuing Maastricht and expelling the bandits. After all, I am still a vassal of Frank."
Logically, legally, and morally, Baudouin's new idea is tenable.
He began to take action and personally mounted his war horse and arrived at the Brussels Fortress, where the army assembled as if it was about to launch a massive attack.
If it had been left in the past, the Frankish general Tristan on the opposite side would have pulled the heavy cavalry out of the formation and prevented the outbreak of a full-scale war under the strong military deterrence.
But this time, the information obtained by the agents sent by Baudoin made him think about it in every possible way.
"The Franks and the Russians lost a lot of money in a deadly battle by the river, but they were not defeated, right? Why did Tristan himself disappear? That young Gilbert of Ramengau actually became a temporary general? Is it possible that Tristan was the reason?
Dead? If so, their fear would be justified."
Ghent is where Baudouin's palace is located, and its southern part is actually the essence of Flanders, with the main population here.
He thought of a cruel move. Launching an attack during the wheat harvest season was tantamount to suicide. The so-called wheat rotting in the fields after missing the farming season basically equaled no harvest. However, today's Flanders Army is very different from before. The coastal troops
Fishermen and herdsmen did not make a living by farming. The count drew some of the best from these people to form a militia, and organized debt-ridden farmers in his farming areas.
The most special thing is that he has a mercenary army with only more than 200 troops - the Danes.
The free fishermen of Denmark were not completely opposed to living in the Frankish world. These people spontaneously moved their families and settled in Antwerp, converting to God on the spot in exchange for the right to go directly and unimpeded to Ghent.
The locals were in awe of the ferocity of the Normans, but when they really saw the blond women and children of the Normans, and their collective conversion, people had to do some thinking.
The pragmatic Baudouin immediately recruited them. Although they were converted, they did not have to pay the church tithe, nor did he have to pay the tithe for himself as a prince. He would not reward all converts with knighthoods, but
The only knighthood was awarded to a man named "Rabbit Tooth" Siegfast.
Nicknamed "Rabbit Tooth" because Siegfast was born with large and long front teeth. Due to the protruding buck teeth and protruding face, his appearance is not very good-looking, but it is very distinctive. In addition, he is in the prime of life and has been practicing fishing for a long time.
He has a body of muscles. He has such a peculiar appearance and is strong enough that first-time viewers are wary of him. Some people spontaneously gathered around him and fished with several families in Rotterstad. Now a group of people have gathered together.
People immigrated directly to Flanders and established their communities in the rebuilt Antwerp.
With this powerful Danish mercenary, things seem to have returned to the time when his father was an earl.
At that time, the pirate king Horik was still in power in the Port of Durist. This man loudly announced that he was the real Count of Flanders. At that time, Baudouin was still a child. A Danish pirate leader actually overran the throne at a young age.
Baudouin was already murderous, but fortunately, the guy was cooked alive as a "roast pig" by the Russians, which gave him some relief.
It's really a turn of events, and the one in power can also have a Danish mercenary army. There is no need to give them military pay, as long as they are allowed free plundering rights in war.
So is the news from careful investigation true?
Baudouin ordered "Rabbit Tooth" Siegfast to lead his men in a surprise attack on an infantry station of the Frankish garrison in Brussels.
The style of this Danish mercenary was extremely traditional. Baudouin sent his trusted guide to show Siegfast the way, and also arranged for a small group of his own elite soldiers to cobble together a coalition of 300 people.
Three hundred people may not seem like much, but although the Frank Army is stationed in Brussels, the military camps of each department are relatively scattered. An infantry standard group (brigade) with 400 or 500 people is stationed in a small fortress. Each garrison fortress is convenient for life.
It must be built along the river, and these wooden walled forts are on the right bank of the river.
The Brussels Fortress is essentially just a small city. Even if it is lost, Baudouin will have no loss.
The problem now is that the city is indeed in the hands of the Franks.
The victory over the city is nothing more than a three lion flag representing Charlemagne's authority hanging on the top of the city. What else can it mean?
Outside the city is the opposing army of Flanders. Baudoin did not have a good solution in the past. He took the initiative to give up control of the city of Brussels. Of course, he also took away all the local population.
Well, what was thrown to the Frank army was an empty city without even supplies.
The two armies have been in confrontation since 841, and the confrontation reached its peak in 842.
The fact is that the two parties are along a small river called Senne. Although it is a small river, its average width is 40 meters. This width is enough for long ships to sail normally. It is a tributary of the Scheldt River, so if you start from Antwerp
After setting off, you can indeed take the waterway directly to Brussels itself.
Sigfast's Danish mercenaries are the main force of this operation, and a centurion of Flanders elite soldiers accompanying the operation are cooperators and witnesses. The latter will personally observe whether the mercenaries really dare to fight.
, their centurions will report detailed battle conditions to the count.
As a result, ten longships starting from Antwerp took the lead in breaking the deadlock between the two armies.
The huge paddles on the upper and lower ranges of the dragon-headed longboats were flying on the Seine River. They suddenly appeared from the thick fog in the summer morning, and they suddenly appeared as ferocious phantoms. To the Frankish infantry, they were like monsters coming!
The defenders blocking the attack?! They don't exist at all.
The longboat hit the reed field by the river, and the oak keel was dug as deep as mud. Sigfast jumped off the longboat with his brothers.
"Let's go! Kill them! Take everything you want!"
He held his battle ax high, and the brothers beside him either held axes or harpoons. When it comes to armed capabilities, the level of this group of Danish mercenaries is far inferior to that of the Russian army. The real Danish army of King Ragnar of Denmark is also far stronger than these.
people.
After all, they are just ordinary Danish fishermen, and most of their weapons are tools for daily life. As for the armor, there is something special about it. The so-called open-air market in Rotterstad sells armor and armor obtained by heroes from other places.
The style is basically that of common items worn by Frankish soldiers. As for the source, they must have been ripped from corpses.
But what kind of Frankish infantry were they fighting against?
General Tristan was stationed in Brussels with the order of King Lothair. The infantry troops were all from local farmers. If it were not for a relatively stable supply of military rations, these people would have fled long ago.
It's a pity that Tristan is dead. The cavalry legion neither lost nor won. The withdrawing Frank army brought back bad news. The two cavalry flag captains survived the disaster, but it was a pity that all their subordinates suffered casualties. In addition, the holy city of Mastri
Hutt was caught in a raging fire, and the atmosphere in the military camp was clearly that of defeat. No one who spoke hard could deny the fact that General Tris had been killed in battle.
Now, who is the commander-in-chief?
The bridge collapsed, the big city as a hub for material transportation was burned down, and the alternative Liege ended up in flames. What's worse is that the fertility of the land near the small town of Brussels is very low, and there were not many residents here in peacetime. Now because of the ongoing military confrontation
For more than a year, nearby farmland with meager productivity was also abandoned.
The military rations can still be maintained until the autumn harvest, but it is already the autumn harvest period. New wheat from other places may not arrive in Brussels within a short period of time. The Frankish army stationed here is at great risk of running out of food!
After General Tristan was killed in the battle of the cavalry standard corps that is still capable of fighting, the captains of the standard made a decision that seemed rational but was actually extremely stupid!
It is said that after counting the existing food, the food was mainly distributed to the various cavalry units, so that there should not have been a food shortage crisis in a short period of time. However, six infantry flag teams were formed this year, and each soldier received only half of the wheat porridge in the past.
.
Such an action was equivalent to announcing that the Frankish army had really suffered a defeat on the banks of the Meuse River. Most of the homes of ordinary infantry were in the Measgau area, which was an area very close to the battlefield where the Normans were raging.
The soldiers were homesick and worried that the defeated heavy cavalry could not guarantee the safety of their hometown. They were even more worried that their hometown would be plundered by the Normans and their wives and children would be taken away as slaves.
The soldiers were deeply puzzled by this boring confrontation. After all, the Flemish people showed an uncharacteristically offensive attitude, which made all teams nervous.
The biggest problem at hand is that if the food in hand is cut in half, how long can the military rations last even if they are cut in half? If we don't eat enough, will everyone still have the strength to fight?
All infantry flag corps had a pessimistic attitude.
As for whether they are really pessimistic, the details sent by the messengers need to be verified by others, so Siegfast and his Danish brothers came.
The low Nordic horn horns carried the dull sound into the distance. The fog covered everything and only the sound reached the ears of the newly defeated cavalry soldiers.
The cavalry soldiers were shocked. The horrific scene on the Meuse River was still fresh in my memory, and the familiar sound of the trumpet sounded like a sound from hell. Could it be that the Normans were targeting Brussels again?
But the Frankish army camp was located at the infantry barracks on the lower reaches of the Seine River. The local garrison first saw a large number of warriors holding round shields emerging from the fog.
"It's the Normans!" The soldiers standing in the simple wooden tower first sounded the alarm.
However, the entire military camp did not move at all to urgently fight.
Already demoralized, they chose the wisest thing to do - escape.
Those soldiers who escaped late did not even take their weapons, and were killed by the Danes who easily broke through the wooden door and entered the fortress barracks. Accompanied by Sigfast's Danish mercenaries, a centurion-sized Flanders elite soldier
He also joined in, and the battle was quickly completed. The fleeing enemies were all obscured by the fog, and the victor had no intention of pursuing them.
The great escape of an infantry standard troop immediately caused a terrible chain reaction.
Only God knows how many Normans came, and fear spread. As a result, five infantry flags chose to flee. Even the rational flag captain was unable to reverse this decline.
The news quickly reached the ears of the cavalry regiments. Shrouded in a defeatist mood, they did not go to the area where the incident occurred. Instead, the cavalry flag corps made different choices.
A big opportunity suddenly appears in front of you!
Sigfast and his Danes appear to have achieved a major victory, and there appears to be a mass exodus from the Frankish camp on the other side of the Seine?!
Baudoin realized that this was a fighter opportunity given to him by God. He had no intention of launching a decisive battle, but he was itching in his heart!
Then take action! Make a big bet!
The Flanders army launched a full-scale attack, the soldiers were full of momentum, and Baudouin himself took the lead in the charge.
Under the absolute suppression of troops, the last Frankish cavalry that intended to resist chose to retreat.
The Lords of Flanders took back Brussels, which they had personally abandoned, and the city's defenders surrendered without a fight. Baudouin immediately pardoned these people's crimes. After learning that almost all of these people were farmers forcibly recruited from the Masgao area,
After hearing his complaint, he immediately announced: "Masgau will be my territory of Flanders! Hasn't the Count of Masgau been cancelled? I am the new Count of Masgau!"
A captured infantry standard-bearer was transformed into part of the Flanders Army!
There was no large-scale war, and the Count of Flanders won a dramatic victory. Baudouin's actions continued, and he had already begun to march towards the city of Maastricht, which was bound to turn into scorched earth.
As for the Frankish heavy cavalry regiment that escaped, they were already exhausted by the battle. They withdrew into the count of Ramengau. They no longer cared about aristocratic etiquette and forcibly "invaded" the count, but Count Gilbert could no longer care about his anger.
In Gilbert's view, he was defeated. He claimed to have saved his life. He fled back to his hometown in Namur just to resolutely protect his fiefdom. Now the heavy cavalry who escaped claimed that the Brussels barracks had completely collapsed, as if
The Landes army and the Norman barbarians fought towards their fiefdom.
What to do? What to do?
Gilbert has no better way. After all, it is a threat to his core interests. He is young and energetic, and he is not willing to fight against the evil enemies for the sake of his family and his princess wife. The natural premise is that they really invade Ramon
High territory.
This is where the Flemish thieves are. Baudouin strictly ordered his men not to threaten Ramengau. After the army stayed in the regained Brussels, he personally led the elite to attack Maastricht...
However, all the actions of the Flemish people have nothing to do with the resting Russian coalition forces in Rotterstad. They are all private actions of Baudouin himself. The so-called Russian coalition forces muddied the water and he took the opportunity to fish.
.
As early as when Baudoin was about to take active action, the blue fox had already taken the princess Gisla, some gifts, and some vacant longships and sailed backwards on the River Inn.
Blue Fox has a lot of things to do, including leaving the princess to her uncle Ludwig. The more important thing is actually to import a large amount of wine that is in high demand in the north from his brother Black Fox, who is the ruler of Nassau.
.
After all, the family is a businessman, and business is engraved in their bones.