Chapter 1145: Chapter 1080: The Siege of Wonyu City
As the two predicted, on September 5th in the year 1455 of the Imperial Calendar, the Leia army moved.
According to information from the Falan Kingdom, the Leia army had set out on September 5th, expected to reach the Dawn Island border in two weeks.
Looking at the current situation, among the fifteen counties of Dawn Island, they are highly likely to station at Wolf Castle in the Waterwheel County.
Opposite Wolf Castle, across Greenfield Lake, lies Wonyu City, one of the five-city alliance.
In terms of strategic intention, the Leia does nothing to hide; they aim directly at Wonyu City.
Because the Falan Army stationed at various Leia transport routes are the eyes of the Holy Alliance.
They can’t hide even if they wanted to, and can only face a confrontation on the battlefield.
"That’s all the information we’ve gathered." The envoy from Wonyu City said solemnly, "Wonyu City needs your help."
Seated at a high position, Jeanne remained silent, wiping her face with a hot towel while reviewing the intelligence passed by the staff.
The envoy seeking aid at the main camp from Wonyu City has a complex identity.
His name is Drum Riddle, and his father is the mayor of Wonyu City, Piasu Riddle.
In the five-city alliance, Longbow Castle is the undisputed core city, striving for leadership.
Yet the initiator of the five-city alliance was neither Longbow Castle, nor the equally affluent Silver City, but rather Wonyu City, famed for its wine.
The reason Leia prioritized Wonyu City is mainly due to its accumulation of noble hatred compared to other cities.
Wonyu City is considered a new city among many, with only four to fifty years of history, but its predecessor was the capital of the Wonyu Dukedom.
The Wonyu family continued for three hundred years in Wolf Castle, while the Riddle father and son come from Armed Farmers.
Piasu was a mercenary in his youth. When the Wonyu family died out, the local citizens hired him to resist the noble army and establish a free city.
In the end, Wonyu City did not succeed like Joan of Arc Castle but rather reached a compromise between local merchants and nobles.
The city originally could have returned to rule under the Leia Royal Family, but the common citizens and monks were evidently displeased.
Piasu seized this point, leading the citizens in a revolt, executing the noble representatives.
After a mix of bribery, assassination, and marrying the illegitimate daughter of the Wonyu Duke, he relied on connections with monks and religious orders and turned to the church.
After various political maneuvers and the outbreak of the Battle of Windmill Field, the kingdom was distracted, allowing Wonyu City to become an independent free city with the help of the church.
The Riddle family of Piasu is undeniably a tyrant with very low governing legitimacy.
Puzilio, as the empire’s renowned general skilled at bullying the weak and fearing the strong, has already labeled Wonyu City as weak, preparing to commence a massacre.
Jeanne put down the hot towel: "Do you have detailed information about the troops?"
Drum’s expression darkened: "The enemy might have about twenty thousand troops."
"How can they still muster twenty thousand? Where did they come from?" Dora could hardly believe her ears.
Previously, Leia was thoroughly beaten by the Holy Alliance and Falan, yet now they’ve suddenly gathered twenty thousand mobile troops.
"Now Leia has implemented the selling of official positions, and with the continent blocked, the price of precious metals in Thorn Garden has risen again, so the regent has a lot of money and provisions.
As for manpower, infantry comes from wandering soldiers and robber knights, with some from the Border Knight Order."
"Border Knight Order?" Jeanne repeated, recognizing an old acquaintance.
"Yes, after the fall of Holy Seat City, the northern defensive line couldn’t hold and retreated near the Luo River.
Due to the loss of significant territory and pressure from old adversaries, the Norn people, many border knights are moving south.
They don’t want to become mercenaries; instead, they work with less pay under Puzilio."
So, Puzilio’s forces are not the ragtag army everyone imagines; their combat strength might not be weak.
"What do you all think?" Drum eagerly looked at Jeanne in the high position.
Securing this senior officer of the Holy Alliance would mean securing the Holy Alliance and Longbow Castle.
With the Holy Alliance and Longbow Castle’s guarantee, he could use it as leverage to rally more troops from other cities.
"Mr. Drum." Socette paused for a moment, "The enemy giving up a direct attack on Longbow Castle and opting for Wonyu City was unexpected.
Because it’s a poor choice, it gives us an opportunity and more time."
"Can’t Longbow Castle provide support?"
"Lady Joan, but please allow me to explain." Dora confirmed with Jeanne before speaking, "Support for supplies is possible, but sending soldiers is difficult."
A significant problem within the five-city alliance is that while their troops are elite, they are few.
From Jeanne’s perspective, core combat strength lies in the newly trained first and second corps, the still-training third corps, and a five-hundred cavalry regiment, totaling two thousand.
If Puzilio had only two thousand troops, Jeanne could easily crush them.
If four thousand, careful planning is needed, but victory is still attainable.
But twenty thousand versus two thousand, with a tenfold disparity, winning requires luck and long-term planning.
If Jeanne gathered forces here, combining mercenaries from the five cities and various volunteer forces from towns, it would exceed ten thousand.
Yet leading these over ten thousand mixed forces to face an equal number of Leia troops might not guarantee victory.
Puzilio commands elite border knights and seasoned infantry warriors hardened by the ten-year blood battle; even if not the entire army is such, the numbers combined exceed ten thousand.
This isn’t 1+1=2, but rather 1+1<2.
"...So I believe the optimal solution is for Wonyu City to hold on for about half a year, allowing time for subsequent army completion to enable rescue."
Drum’s expression turned grim, as he and his father were well aware of this reasoning.
The noble and church factions run rampant within the city, and their tyrant position is already unstable.
If they failed to secure aid this time, not only would Drum lose his inherited mayoral position, but Piasu might also end up on the gallows.
Jeanne however refrained from rash judgment: "Overall strategy is indeed like this, but we won’t just train behind the scenes."
"What do you plan to do? Even if just a display of deploying troops, we’re willing to accept." Drum clung to the last straw of hope.
Jeanne closed the intelligence booklet in front of her: "My brother... ahem, the Saint’s Grandson once said, in war, you should appear unable when you can, and vice versa.
So, when your hard power is less than the enemy’s, you should instead take the initiative and scare them.
From my understanding of Puzilio, he’s bound to hesitate, not daring to attack with full force, giving you enough time."
Walking to the map, Jeanne stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze silently roaming across the map, occasionally calling over Dora, Michelle, and others for discussion.
Under Drum’s anxious gaze, Jeanne took a deep breath: "For the vanguard battle, we’ll fight at Shovel Town; in this battle, Puzilio must be hit hard."
