dognovel Chapter 379: Battle of Slaver's Bay
Chapter 379: Battle of Slaver's Bay
After the rain, the desert presents a new look. The originally cracked land is moistened by the rain, and the air is filled with the smell of soil.
The residents of Murcia went out of their homes and started their daily lives. Some of them carried various farm tools and walked out of the city gate, along the road to the farmland on the north bank of the river outside the city to cultivate and sow. This time the farmers worked very hard. The previous siege had delayed farm work for a long time, and if they did not work any more, the season suitable for crop growth would be over.
In the square outside the palace in the city, the bustling crowd lined up in several lines, and at the end of the line, a dozen women in Kusha costumes were distributing flatbreads and mixed vegetable soup. The flatbreads were golden and crispy, exuding an alluring aroma; the mixed vegetable soup was bright in color and steaming. These women were busy distributing food to ensure that everyone could get a portion.
Outside the square, several teams of Murcian soldiers were patrolling. Although they once belonged to the King of Murcia, they have now surrendered and joined John's camp. However, when people saw these men who had helped the King of Murcia to commit crimes appear here, the atmosphere in the square became more tense and the team gradually became scattered.
"Don't worry, everyone."
At this moment, John, dressed in a white robe, strode onto a high platform and soothed them with a gentle voice:
"Don't worry, everyone. These soldiers were also victims of the false king's enslavement in the past. I have already executed those who are morally corrupt and hateful to both humans and gods."
"At the same time, we have prepared enough food for everyone to enjoy. Please line up in an orderly manner to receive the food."
John's words were passed through layers of soldiers and finally reached the ears of everyone in the square. Relying on John's prestige in the place, the originally noisy crowd quickly quieted down.
When John was about to return to the palace to rest, a soldier suddenly ran into the square, knelt on one knee in front of him, and said:
"Sir, there is a troop of cavalry outside, carrying the flag of the French King's Hall, requesting an audience with you."
Upon hearing this, John immediately returned to the palace. After changing into his battle armor, he immediately rushed towards the hall.
When John came into the hall from the back door, he saw several fully armed knights standing at the bottom of the stairs. Their armors shone with cold light, and their faces were covered by their helmets. One could only vaguely make out the pattern on the armor of the leader, which was obviously made by a prominent family.
The leading knight saw John coming and saluted before continuing:
"Good day, Lord John."
He said in a loud voice.
John nodded slightly, indicating that the other party did not need to be polite. The knight then knelt on one knee and handed John a letter with both hands.
"This is a letter from my general, Lord Reynard. Please take a look."
John took the letter and opened it quickly. He saw the handwriting of General Reynard on the letter. The content was concise and to the point: urgently summoning generals from all countries to Acre to discuss the next strategic deployment. After reading the letter, John understood that the French King's Office was probably having trouble with the war somewhere during his absence, and needed to gather the forces of all countries to besiege it.
"I understand."
John said solemnly.
"I will gather my army immediately and rush to Acre."
One morning a month later, the sun shone on the walls of Acre. General John led his tired but determined army back to the ancient city. They had just experienced a hard battle and were in urgent need of rest and supplies. John did not waste time and immediately ordered the army to enter the camp in an orderly manner and begin to rest.
Then, John rode on his warhorse and headed straight for the inner castle with dozens of loyal knights. His mind was full of questions and he wanted to understand the current situation as soon as possible.
In the hall of the inner castle, John soon met General Reynard. He did not beat around the bush and asked directly:
"General, why are you summoning the armies of various countries?"
General Reynard sighed helplessly, and then replied:
"General, since the armies of various countries have divided up to attack, most of the armies have chosen to attack the coastal port cities of Kusha. For them, it seems that holy war is not the ultimate purpose of their coming here, but plundering the wealth of the pagans is the reason for their coming here. However, this has also improved the efficiency of their attack. During the days when you were away, several coastal cities of Kusha have been conquered."
He paused and continued.
"However, we also discovered a hidden danger: in order to gain the greatest benefit, these armies always act alone, which results in the armies being very far apart from each other. At the same time, as the occupied land continues to expand, the supply routes are also getting longer and longer."
"Not so long ago."
General Renard continued:
"The armies of some countries were attacked by the coalition forces of the Slave Bay City-State Alliance because they were positioned too far forward. Due to the large number of the enemy and their strong mobility in the desert, our army unfortunately suffered a great defeat."
John continued following General Reynard's words:
"So you plan to convene a military meeting, gather the armies of various countries, and after unifying the opinions of all parties, mobilize collectively to eliminate the opponent's main force."
General Reynard frowned when he heard this, then nodded in agreement. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes, but then a hint of worry appeared. He added:
"But there are still two difficulties. The first is that he doesn't know whether the armies of various countries can obey orders in a unified manner. The second is that Acre City currently does not have enough supplies to support them to reach Slaver Bay."
After listening to General Reynard's difficulties, John frowned and fell into deep thought. After a long while, he raised his head, stared at General Reynard with his eyes, and asked in a deep voice:
"Where does Slaver Bay's food supply mainly come from?"
General Renard thought for a moment, then replied:
"Thousands of slaves come in and out of the various city-states in Slaver Bay every day. Together with the local population, the total number has reached over 100,000. The local food production obviously cannot meet such a huge demand, so they mainly transport food from other grain-producing areas via sea and northern land routes."
After hearing this, General John suddenly came up with a bold idea:
"In that case, why don't we take advantage of this opportunity to seize their food supplies?" He paused and continued, "Since these foods can sustain the survival of the local population of Slaver Bay, they can also solve our current food shortage problem."
When General Reynard heard this proposal, he immediately realized that this might be a quick way to solve the problem. He knew the importance of food to an army. If he could control the food supply line, it would not only alleviate their food problem, but also further consume the food reserves of the city-states in Slaver Bay.
Thinking of this, General Renard said without hesitation:
"What a great idea! I will bring this up at the next military meeting and discuss a specific action plan with the generals."