I will be crowned king

To the west of Changhu Town, there is an ice pine forest.

In the endless wilderness, hundreds of Changhu Town militiamen waved golden iris flags, and charged towards the Red Hand Bay position with roaring roars. The morale of the Red Hand Bay army, which was almost frightened, almost fell. At freezing point, the entire army collapsed without even firing a shot, and they fled towards the dense forest behind them in despair.

On the hills not far away, two simple artillery forts facing each other were still lighting up from time to time; accompanied by sporadic roars and whistlings, dust and sand exploded all over the cold and muddy position.

Although the accuracy of these artillery pieces is quite poor, and it can even be said that they have no effect at all except to hear the sound, they are very effective in destroying the morale of the Red Hand Bay army without artillery... just because of the shock and stampede caused by the sound of the artillery. , which already makes those solid bullets with inaccurate heads worth every penny.

The battle has only lasted less than two hours, and the Red Hand Bay army that launched the offensive has already been defeated!

Looking at the tragic scene of overwhelming defeat, Lieutenant Jason Fruhauf, who stood on the high ground and looked at the entire battlefield, looked almost desperate - completely despairing of the morale and combat effectiveness of the colonial army!

Although Long Lake Town has the most abundant armed forces among all colonies and has suffered the least damage from previous attacks by rioting beast slaves and indigenous people, it is precisely because of this that their combat experience is also the worst among all imperial colonies.

The number and combat effectiveness of the armies in Red Hand Bay and Chang Lake Town are actually quite different. Players belonging to the same rank even have more troops in Red Hand Bay. The only advantage of Chang Lake Town is that they have sufficient ammunition. , and also possesses seven or eight six-pound infantry guns.

And it was these artillery pieces that became the key to determining the outcome of the war!

At the beginning of the battle, Jason did not take these artillery pieces seriously; in his eyes, as a cavalry lieutenant, unless the opponent had an extremely experienced gunner, it would not be enough to turn the tide of the battle; as long as the column advanced quickly, at most two Round shooting, those powerful weapons are just a pile of iron blocks.

This statement is not unreasonable, and the completely inaccurate shooting from the opposite side is also good evidence; since the enemy has stronger firepower, use offense to force the battle into hand-to-hand combat, and quickly engage and outflank the enemy. , giving full play to one's numerical advantage.

But what he never expected was the willpower of the Red Hand Bay militia, which was so fragile that it was unimaginable - they couldn't even survive several rounds of shelling, and they collapsed on the spot!

During this period, the commanders of the Red Hand Bay Militia Regiment did not try to suppress the deserters and reorganize the attack; but these efforts basically had the opposite effect. They seemed to have no experience in dealing with shelling, and they actually asked the soldiers to continue to stay close. The phalanx marched forward in the face of the explosion.

As a "passer" who has experienced the Hantu War, the cavalry lieutenant can understand that when a low-level army faces heavy casualties, it can only maintain morale by adopting the method of "reporting to the group to keep warm" in dense formations.

But in the endless plains, forming a slow-moving and tight phalanx... To be honest, no matter how low and ridiculous the level of artillery fire from the opposite side is, it is really a bit too humiliating and provocative.

After two consecutive companies forming a square formation were penetrated by six-pound solid bullets from the center, and rows and rows of soldiers and officers were torn into pieces, the militiamen's fear of cannons finally exceeded the whips and revolvers in the hands of officers. The guns dispersed one by one like a receding tide.

"Red Hand Bay...it's over."

Looking at the positions not far away being decorated with golden fleur-de-lis flags one by one, and Changhu Town soldiers holding weapons high stepping on the bodies of the Red Hand Bay people and cheering loudly, the cavalry lieutenant let out a heavy sigh.

The battle has reached this point, and there is not much suspense about the two colonies, whose strength is almost different. Red Hand Bay, which suffered a disastrous defeat in the field battle, has only the option of retreating to the port.

But in front of the Changhu Town army with artillery, it is really doubtful how effective that wooden city wall can be...

However, although the possibility of a comeback is gone, Jason still intends to try his best to help Red Hand Bay collect the defeated troops and add some confidence to the Red Hand Bay Council, convinced that "the reinforcements from Beluga Harbor will definitely come to the rescue"...By the way, let Let this one-sided war last as long as possible.

With extremely complicated emotions, the cavalry lieutenant who tightened his reins rode his mount and rushed down the hill with the accompanying navy sailors to catch up with the soldiers who fled towards Red Hand Bay.

At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, the Changhu Town army finally conquered the empty Red Hand Bay army position after a two-kilometer jog.

Under the fluttering golden iris, the proud leader of the Changhu Town militia stood with one hand behind his back and a knife in the other in front of the cannon where the smoke had not dispersed. He looked at the Changhu Town Speaker beside him with pride:

"You see, I have said before that this rebel army is completely vulnerable and there is nothing to worry about - defeating them is as easy as breathing."

"You are right, my leader, you have always been good at discovering facts that are known to everyone." Speaker Hollande replied coldly, unabashedly sarcastic:

"Unfortunately, what we are worried about is not Red Hand Bay but Beluga Port. They are not an opponent that can be defeated at a moment's notice, but a powerful army composed of five thousand elites and a fleet... Do you have any good strategies for this?"

"Of course it does, and that's exactly why we're here!"

Perhaps it was because the victory in front of him gave him a lot of confidence. The militia leader who was scared to death by Beluga Harbor before and lost interest in night sports is now extremely confident:

"More than half of the reason why Beluga Harbor dared to show off and declare that it would send troops was because Red Hand Bay gave them an excuse to intervene. If this is the case, then as long as we quickly attack Red Hand Bay, they will have no legitimate reason to intervene!"

"If they still dare to take action by then, we can call on other rebellious colonies to unite, put aside their disputes for the time being, and unite to fight against the Clovis invaders first!"

To win over the rebellious colonies... Speaker Hollande frowned slightly: "Do you think those traitors will really send troops for Chang Lake Town, even if it is actually to protect themselves?"

"Maybe, maybe not...but that's not the point." The militia leader smiled mysteriously:

"The key point is that as long as they agree, they will take the initiative to give up roads and ports to allow the imperial army from Sail City to pass smoothly and come to rescue Changhu Town!"

"Long Lake Town has the most abundant arms among the empire's colonies and is the closest to the Clovis colony. The empire will never give up on us easily and be occupied by the Clovis people - of course, the great people of Long Lake Town are even less likely to agree! "

"So as long as we quickly defeat Red Hand Bay, then immediately return to defend Long Lake Town, send out invitations to negotiate to all rebel colonies, and finally continue to ask for help from the imperial army - as long as we persist for two or three months, Beluga Port and their five thousand troops will , we will be attacked head-on by the entire imperial colony!"

"Hmm... It sounds very possible to implement. It seems to be a good idea!" Facing the complacent militia leader, Speaker Hollande commented very pertinently:

"But you seem to have forgotten a very important issue, and that is how to deal with the Clovis fleet. They may launch an attack from the sea, and the speed will be much faster than on land."

"No problem, I've actually thought of this too."

The militia leader shook his head confidently: "Our Changhu Town is not like other colonies that rely on ports to develop. The inner lakes and rivers are the key. The only port is not important to Changhu Town."

"So if the Clovis are attacking from both sides, we can completely abandon the port and concentrate on defending the city - anyway, once the imperial reinforcements arrive, their fleet will definitely be finished!"

Speaker Hollande's pupils shrank slightly, but he had neglected this aspect.

Long Lake Town is different from standard seaside colonies such as Red Hand Bay and Beluga Harbor. It is more like an extension of the imperial colonies trying to advance into the interior of the New World, relying on roads and rivers rather than seaports.

Therefore, when encountering a sea attack, you can completely abandon the port and retreat to the city to reduce the pressure on defense. Unlike Red Hand Bay, Changhu Town has a complete defense system and has no problem dealing with ordinary sieges.

Avoid the threatening naval bombardment and rely on the local colonial militia to fight against the Clovis army; winning is of course unrealistic, but if it's just a confrontation... there is hope!

"And the distance from Changhu Town to Red Hand Bay is closer than the distance from Beluga Port to Changhu Town." The militia leader continued to add:

"When the news of our capture of Red Hand Bay reaches Beluga Port and Clovis's army sets out again, we will definitely have enough time to return to defense!"

Indeed... Speaker Hollande nodded slightly, and at the same time he was a little curious. How could the militia leader, who was usually so... informal, suddenly become so organized and clear:

"How did you come up with this plan?"

"Ah, this is all thanks to Speaker Hollande!"

"I?"

"Yes!" The militia leader nodded repeatedly. He said very proudly:

"You left a newspaper at my headquarters. From that day on, I have been collecting them everywhere and learned a lot of new things from them - including this plan, which I also learned from the "Good People of Beluga Harbor" It was only when the Clovis fleet was unable to attack the city directly that I suddenly had an idea!"

"Oh, that's it." Speaker Hollande suddenly understood and nodded with some relief:

"I really didn't expect that even you, who originally disliked reading the most, could actually perform to a much higher level after reading a newspaper. It seems that knowledge is the real power - huh?! Newspaper? "Moby Dick" "Hong Kong Good People"?!"

………………

Beluga Harbor, port area.

On the spacious pier, soldiers from the three infantry regiments of the Storm Division lined up in neat queues. With the cooperation of the Royal Fleet, they were quickly boarding the ship one after another; rifles, bayonets, and military boots were constantly rubbing and colliding, making a constant flow between the decks. Constant sound.

They will take the only two cruisers and several fast sailing ships currently available in Beluga Port and quickly head to the port of Changhu Town - before the Changhu Town army returns to defense, they will capture Changhu Town as quickly as possible.

In addition to these three regiments of infantry, an artillery company and a company of guards led by Lisa, Fabian would lead a grenadiers regiment and another artillery company, a company of hussars and an artillery company, leading a thousand men under arms. Alliance soldiers launched an "attack" on Changhu Town from land.

In order to increase the success rate, Anson decisively chose to dispatch all troops... There was only one cavalry company left in the city to maintain contact and basic communications, leaving no soldiers behind to strive for success!

Of course, the risks taken by such an all-out effort are also huge - without the force of the Storm Division to deter them, no one knows whether the forces lurking in Beluga Port, some "unspeakable" existence, will take the opportunity to launch a counterattack.

But then again, to a certain extent, Anson actually wanted them to be exposed proactively; on the one hand, in order to maintain the righteous image of the storm masters, it would be quite troublesome to do many things without a reason.

And if they really think that Beluga Harbor is completely undefended and no one can stop them...well, Miss Thalia August Luhn, who is currently stationed at the Beluga Harbor Council, will be very happy to He "entertained" them in his new home...

In addition to careful preparations, in order to advance quickly and catch everyone by surprise before Long Lake Town could react, Anson also tried every means to convince Colonel William Cecil that the White Whale Harbor Fleet temporarily stopped its "taxation" work and fully cooperated with the Storm Division. military operations.

But this was not because the naval officers of the fleet also decided to join, it was purely because the young fleet commander was repaying the favor he owed before; and even if he made up his mind, he was still quite worried about Anson's behavior.

"Maybe I really think too much, but do you really plan to do this?" Looking at the confident Anson Bach beside him, William Cecil frowned slightly and couldn't help but said:

"I must remind you that although the rough seas in March and April are navigable, they are still far from 'calm'; even offshore waters close to the coast do not mean absolutely zero risk!"

"Thank you for the reminder, but I have full confidence in the Royal Fleet." Anson chuckled and patted the fleet commander on the shoulder with absolute trust in his friend:

"With an excellent captain like you and a group of experienced sailors and crew, a mere storm is nothing to worry about - this is just the beginning, and it won't be long before we conquer the entire coastline!"

"No, you... didn't understand what I meant at all." William raised his eyebrows with a sad look on his face:

"I also have great confidence in my crew and the battleship, but I very much doubt that after enduring the turbulence of the waves, can you and your soldiers still be able to walk down the deck on your own and launch an unexpected surprise attack?"

Anson Bach: "..."