"Mr. Ford, let me ask you, if we set off from the Axbite Pass to the Empire, how long will it take and how many people can we pass?"
Sun King Ryan and his Queen Surya stand on Montfort Castle. Looking down from above, the Axbite Pass in the distance is in the foreword. If you start from Montfort Castle and take the road behind Helmgart
The imperial city of Bogenhafen is the end point, so the whole journey is about 200 kilometers away.
"Your Majesty, it is impossible for us to send troops to support the empire at this time." Duke Ford has a relatively simple appearance, dark skin, and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He is in his forties this year, with more conspicuous mountain man characteristics and a strong build.
He is not tall and speaks with a certain imperial accent. This is due to Montfort's long-term contact with the empire.
"Yes, Your Majesty, it is unlikely that we will send troops to support the empire now. My army needs training, and the new recruits are far from reaching the standards that can send troops." Bertrand also said that the commander-in-chief of the Old Guards was in Cuilleu.
During the battle, he was injured by the brass whip of the great demon Khorne. He had to recuperate for several months before he reluctantly came back, and it seemed that he was not completely healed yet.
From the spring of 2523 in the Imperial Calendar to the autumn of 2524 in the Imperial Calendar, Britannia experienced successive wars. The Dukes were busy rebuilding after the war, and the court of Lane was also busy reorganizing the army. After several battles, the top of Britannia
The loss of strength has been very heavy. The Old Guard has not yet reached the pre-war level of 2,200 men in Cuilleu, only 1,800 men, and the combat effectiveness of the new recruits has not yet reached the pre-war level.
Similarly, the Coldstream Guards Regiment has only reached 1,500 men, and the 1st Lancers Regiment has reached 1,000 men. Even Ryan is still having a headache where to find a qualified wing cavalry commander - Rokoso.
Marshal Vsky had died in the previous battle, and General Meretskov's abilities were limited.
The Young Guards currently only have 800 people, and they are still unable to form a combat force.
The only good news is that the battle with the Demonic Army of Khorne allowed many people to break through the shackles of legend. Now the three elites of Lane should add up to 700 legendary warriors. It can be said that as the great guardian becomes weaker and weaker.
With the disintegration of the maelstrom, the restrictions on mortals were gradually lifted.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Raymond also walked up. The old deputy commander of the Guards was shrouded in the light of the Holy Grail. There was a touch of red in his eyes, which was the characteristic of drinking the water of the Holy Grail. Duke Ford was full of
With envious eyes, Raymond said to Ryan: "At least give us two more months. If we want
To support the empire, we can first send an army along the waterway and along the coastline, starting from Le Angoulan, or upstream along the Reik River to Brunswick and then to Talabheim or even Bay.
Kafen, or we can go directly along the West Territory to the Nord Territory, until Erengrad."
Bertrand glanced at Ryan's reaction and saw that he did not refute, so he continued: "Your Majesty, we have two ironclads, the Enterprise and the Varyag, which are simply the best in naval warfare and maritime transportation.
Sharp weapons, we also have the land cruiser Formidable and the Dwarf Colossus Mczord on land. We have no reason not to use them. Although the Ax Bite Pass is easier to pass, we need to transport the Formidable and Mczord there and reassemble them.
, this difficulty..."
"My dear friends, I know everything you said." Ryan shrugged: "I even know that if we leave from Marienburg, the high elves' Marienburg fleet can still escort us, right?"
"Exactly." Bertrand thought for a while and suggested: "If the empire cannot survive by taking the water route, we can at least support the empire before Chaos reaches Talabheim."
"Yes." Ryan nodded. How could he not know that taking the waterway is convenient and fast? As long as the main waterway artery of Le-Angoulen-Marinbourg-Brunswick is opened, from Britannia
It only takes a few days to reach the city of Brunswick.
Historically, in ancient times, waterways were a vital lifeline, whether in war or people's livelihood. Its priority and convenience were many times higher than those of land routes, and transportation losses would be much smaller.
"You can imagine it, can't the Chaos Army imagine it?" Ryan smiled at Ford, Bertrand and Raymond and others: "I am making preparations. It is good to be able to travel by water, but if it really happens,
In the event of a situation or emergency, we also need to have alternative plans. Mr. Ford, tell me, what is the upper limit of the army's ability to withstand the Ax Bit Pass, and how long will it take?"
Duke Ford frowned when he heard this. He thought for a few minutes before replying: "Your Majesty, the total length of Axbite Pass is 154 kilometers. If we start from Montfort Castle and end at Bogenhafen, then the total length will be 154 kilometers."
It is 203 kilometers. To be on the safe side, and to ensure that logistics is not interrupted, a maximum of 30,000 people can travel at one time. This is the limit."
"Thirty thousand people, very good. How long will it take?" Ryan nodded.
"The plank road at Axbite Pass has been repaired and reinforced many times, and there are a large number of sentries and patrols, but many places are still rugged and difficult to navigate." Duke Ford thought for a while and gave an estimate: "If nothing happens,
, a large army can travel for one month, and a small group of light cavalry can travel like a caravan for about 15-20 days."
"No accident?" Lidya Su asked.
"Without heavy rain, without encountering large groups of greenskins in the gray mountains, and without encountering any other conditions, we should be able to reach Bogenhafen in a month." Duke Ford nodded: "With your blessing, ma'am."
"The lady will protect us." Ryan smiled.
Although it takes a month to get to Bogenhafen on the opposite side from Montfort, it is the fastest. If you start from Curona and reach Braunschweig via the Curona Road, it will take more than 1,000 kilometers.
road,
Water transportation is really important. Ryan thought that Archaon, the Eternal God Chosen, had no reason not to think of it. He had to make a backup plan to prepare for the fact that if Chaos blocked the waterway, he could still go by land.
Thinking of this, Ryan couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was already easy to walk through the Axebit Pass, but it was still a waste of time. No wonder in his previous life, Prime Minister Zhuge of the Celestial Dynasty spent his whole life on the Northern Expedition but was always trapped in Hanzhong and failed to achieve anything.
.
Then some people will definitely say that Han Xin succeeded in secretly plotting against Chen Cang.
In fact, it was different. The difficulties Zhuge Liang faced were completely different from those of Han Xin. First, when Chen Cang was secretly assassinated, the Central Plains forces were in chaos. Han Xin had the opportunity to fish in troubled waters, while the Central Plains was already monolithic during Zhuge Liang's time.
Furthermore, there is a very, very important geographical factor, that is, Han Xin can take the waterway out of Hanzhong. From Chencang Road, he can transport troops directly through the Han River to the Wei River, and then follow the Chencang River all the way to Chang'an to fight.
In ancient times, when marching, waterways meant efficiency, speed, and low loss.
So the question is, why didn’t Zhuge Liang take the water route?
Unfortunately, during the Han Dynasty, there was a great earthquake in Wudu, the landform of Chencang Road changed, and the Han River was cut off and diverted.
By the time Zhuge Liang left Qishan, the Western Han River was no longer connected to the Wei River. Han Xin could transport troops and grain by water. By the time of Zhuge Liang, he could only rely on soldiers pushing wheelbarrows to transport grain along mountain roads. This was a devastating disadvantage.
You can strike by surprise (that is, the first Northern Expedition). As long as the north is prepared, it will be very difficult for Shu to stand a chance unless a military miracle can be achieved.
This is also the reason why Sun Shiwan keeps going to Hefei. Hefei is the key point connecting the Huaihe River system and the Yangtze River water system.
Similarly, if Ryan wants to support the empire from the Axbite Pass, then the Grand Canal of Britannia, which he spent sixteen years repairing, is the key. The North and South Grand Canals have connected the entire Britannia water system, and supplies supplies from all over the country.
And the army could come as far as the castle of Montfort.
Ryan thought about it in his mind, and he cast his gaze into the distance. The mountains of the Gray Mountains were as majestic as ever.
Karl-Franz, my dear friend, you must hold on until we in Britannia have reorganized our army.
…………I am the dividing line that I hold on to……
"What? Destroy the main force of Chaos in one battle?"
It was also the autumn of 2524 in the Imperial Calendar. On the front line of the Golden Fortress, at Von-Zhukov Castle, Imperial Emperor Karl Franz was having a meeting, preparing to listen to the opinions of the electors and Imperial generals.
After nearly two years of fighting against Chaos, the Empire has become very clear that Chaos is determined to destroy us. These Yankees are different from any previous enemies. They have only one goal, which is to destroy the human world.
Under the continuous battles and never-ending losses, the imperial army is very tired. The morale now relies entirely on the emperor's personal prestige and his speeches one after another to maintain, because the intensity of the Chaos attack is very high.
Gao, the imperial army has no replacement at all, they can only fight one battle after another.
Karl-Franz kept urging supplies, military pay, and new soldiers from the rear to rush to the front. At the same time, he also realized that if this consumption continued, the empire would not be able to survive Chaos - hundreds of thousands of troops basically did not need any supplies.
As long as killing is the best food and military pay, the power of the evil god makes the enemy stronger, while the empire becomes more and more tired. After almost exhausting the troops from all over the empire, the emperor now only has 120,000 people in his hands.
And scattered along the entire Golden Fortress.
Opposite the Golden Fortress is Archaon's lieutenant general Croon's 300,000-strong army, and new troops are constantly being added.
Sitting on the main seat of Von-Zhukov Castle, Karl Franz listened to everyone's opinions.
"Your Majesty, the Golden Fortress has begun to disintegrate automatically. Although our wizards and priests can still maintain the operation of the Golden Fortress, they do not know how to repair some damaged and rusting places." Kant, the Supreme Dean of the Imperial Academy of Light, faced the emperor.
Said: "The things left by Gaelt... are too profound. We have spent all our energy and still can't understand the operation of the Golden Fortress. All we can do is to follow the rituals left by Gaelt."
"Kant, you are the best light wizard since the traitor Egrim. Can't even you understand the secret of the Golden Fortress?" Karl Franz sat on the main seat. The emperor lost a lot of weight.
In the past two years, except when the winter blizzard was the strongest, he could only get a few sleeps.
Apart from sleeping, the emperor was almost busy maintaining the northern defense line for the rest of the time. This made a man who was originally strong and energetic become visibly older to the naked eye. Crow's feet had appeared in the corners of his eyes.
It’s unbelievable for a sixty-year-old Saint Realm expert.
After hearing Kant's words, the emperor's tone was not very pleasant.
"This is a brand new spell that I have never seen before. I can't analyze its principle. Your Majesty, perhaps only Galt himself..." Kant, the supreme dean of Guangming Academy, could only admit his mistake immediately.
"That's enough. Galt has escaped. We can't place our hope on him." Hearing Galt's name again, the emperor frowned. Galt was undoubtedly unjust, but he was also stupid.
If Gelt is recalled again, where is the authority of the empire? How will the Justice Church explain it? What about the Ludenhoff family?
"Okay, my dear friends, I am calling you all today in the hope that you can think of something." The emperor motioned Kant to go down: "You have witnessed the war for more than a year and personally participated in the action against the army of chaos.
The empire appreciates your efforts, but this is not enough, far from enough. Everyone knows the current situation. If you have any opinions, feel free to put them forward."
There was silence in the hall.
Elector Marius was aggressive and clearly had a plan.
Elector Wammel and Elector Alberich remained silent. Their faces showed both hope and pain. They hoped to change the status quo but were afraid of failure, so they remained silent.
Theodoric Geisel, the king of Nord and the holder of the Nord electorate, was furious but did not intend to speak. Perhaps he was already preparing to retreat.
Marshal Rick Heilberg had a frown on his face. The emperor couldn't help but want to laugh when he saw the old marshal's expression, but he felt sad at the same time. Helberg had been working hard for several months to find a way to reverse the predicament, but he could never think of a perfect solution.
strategy.
The remaining imperial generals and palace ministers all remained silent, Boris and Emmanuel were not present, and these few electors were the only ones left in the empire.
"Your Majesty, you mean...we have to give up the Golden Fortress?" Acting Archbishop Esme III asked tentatively.
"The Golden Fortress helped us withstand the army of Chaos, and Geert has contributed to this." The emperor nodded, and Karl Franz could only continue: "But... but you have also seen the current situation, if this continues
If we continue to waste it, we will definitely lose."
There were waves of low "oh oh oh" sounds in the venue, and it was obvious that the imperial military and political officials present were aware of this problem.
The emperor needs to change. If the Golden Fortress continues to be defended, the only outcome for the empire is to be consumed by Chaos.
Everyone, look at me and I look at you. No one dares to be the first to speak. If you stick to the golden fortress, the empire can still sustain it for a while. If you change your strategy but do not receive appropriate results, then it will be the turn of the person who speaks.
Taking the blame.
Therefore, no one dares to propose giving up the Golden Fortress. Although the Golden Fortress has many problems, as long as they can make do with it, no one dares to talk nonsense. Before doing anything, the pot must be divided first.
Everyone is in a hurry, everyone is waiting for the emperor to speak.
At this time, only Elector Marius spoke. Seeing that everyone was restrained, the famous "Crazy Earl" simply spoke directly: "Your Majesty, I have three strategies, upper, middle and lower, to break the chaos!"
"Oh?" Karl Franz's eyes lit up when he heard Marius's words. Crazy Count Marius's plans were always full of whimsical and neurotic. Many times his plans were not only very risky, but also involved everyone.
The potential of a soldier is squeezed to the limit. Sometimes his military plan will lead everything into the abyss, and sometimes it will bring about a brilliant military miracle: "Sir Marius, please speak."
"The best option is to abandon the Golden Fortress and fight the main force of Chaos in one go in Ostermark!" Marius's voice was very passionate, and he said forcefully: "I have thought about the process, we just need to do this,
There will be a chance to annihilate the main force of Chaos in one fell swoop!”
"The best solution? What is the best solution?"
"Abandon the Golden Fortress directly?"
"A direct decisive battle with the main force of Chaos?"
"Marius, are you crazy?"
The whole hall was filled with surprised sounds.
"I'm not crazy, this is the only chance!" Marius said firmly.
"How to do it specifically?" Karl-Franz signaled everyone to be quiet, and he motioned to Marius to continue.
"Our approach is to...reproduce the Three Kings of Middenstanger battle between Knight King Ryan Malcador!"