OBS Chapter 416: The Rear Area
Chapter 416: The Rear Area
Autumn 1457
In a house on the edge of Onion Town in the forest, Xiao Yuge was awakened by the sunlight outside the window. He looked out the window dazedly and found that the sun was already high in the sky.
"I overslept again."
He muttered, then opened the bedroom door and walked into the empty house.
It was quiet all around, and it seemed that his parents had gone out to work. Fortunately, there was breakfast on the table. After Yuger finished the cold bread and oatmeal porridge, he skillfully cleaned up the tableware and ran out of the house excitedly, ready to go out and play with his friends as usual.
Soon after Yu Ge walked out of the door, he heard faint crying. Curiosity drove him to find the place where the sound came from, so he came to the door of his aunt's house, where his aunt was squatting at the door, covering her face and crying loudly.
Yu Ge immediately stepped forward, helped her up, and asked with concern:
"What's wrong? Did your uncle abuse you?"
My aunt wiped her tears and shook her head:
"No, even though he drinks a lot, he doesn't dare to do such a thing."
Just when Huguet was relieved, his aunt told him a piece of news that shocked him greatly:
"Just now, the conscription officer came to our town and said that the Yoda army was coming and required the residents to join the army. When your uncle, who had just retired from the army a year ago, heard about it, he immediately rushed out and prepared to return to the army to fight the Yoda people. No matter how I tried to persuade him, it was useless!"
Yuger was shocked when he heard this, of course, what shocked him was the news of the invasion of the Yoda army. He recalled what the teacher often reminded them in class: the current peaceful life is only temporary, and there is war outside, and no one knows when it will hit here. He immediately left his aunt's house and ran to the town square.
As he got closer to the town square, he saw more and more people. When he finally reached the square, all he saw was a crowd of people, most of whom were young and middle-aged men.
Yuge saw several old people sitting at the edge of the square, surrounded by a dozen children watching the fun. He quickly went over to listen to what they were talking about.
One of the old men watched the excitement and said with a somewhat complaining tone:
"I really don't understand what the emperor of the Yoda Empire is thinking. After fighting the South for so many years, he chose to send a large army to invade us. We have no gold or silver mines here. What's the benefit of the Yoda people coming here?"
Another old man shook his head, looking quite insightful:
"You don't understand. Although I'm old, I still care about current affairs. I heard that Emperor Yoda made a big move this time, with hundreds of thousands of people besieging Franche-Comté and Niland. Even the siege cannons needed special transportation, and they couldn't be pulled without elephants. Who said that we are the most difficult place to conquer in Midland, and if they take us, they can invade Midland without any worries."
However, someone else said doubtfully:
"I don't think this is a good situation. Let's not talk about how many of his hundreds of thousands of troops can actually fight. Take the wall of the Earl's Castle for example. Even if we use catapults and artillery to attack for a day, we can only barely make a hole at most. What's more, our Earl has just signed a military alliance with Balden, Grant and Isu. If the Yoda people attack us, it would be like attacking four people at once. How can he be so powerful?"
"I heard that before King Bardon signed a military alliance with us, they had already fought with the Yoda people. The newly crowned Emperor Yoda did not recognize the previous peace agreement..."
At this moment, the noise in the center of the square gradually died down, and everyone began to focus. Although Yu Ge could not see the person speaking through the crowd, he still heard a man's voice:
"We all know about the Yoda invasion. The Yoda army that invaded this time is large in number. I am here to mobilize everyone to support the front line."
The man continued:
"Now let me tell you about the requirements for enlistment. Soldiers must be between 20 and 50 years old, in good health, without disabilities, and without a criminal record..."
Suddenly, someone from the crowd asked loudly:
"Didn't they say that Yoda's army is approaching? Why are the requirements for recruiting soldiers so high now? Can't we just recruit as many people as we can?"
The recruiting officer was not fazed by the question and explained:
"Yoda's army is indeed approaching, but they are also professional soldiers. Those of you who have never been trained will be cannon fodder if you rush in! This conscription is to fill the vacancies of patrols and militias on the front line. Only trained residents are qualified to go to the front line."
"Then I can!"
At this moment, Yu Ge suddenly heard his uncle's voice, followed by scattered discussions around him.
"Come on! Those who meet the requirements and want to join the army please line up. After you are approved, bring your certificates to the square tomorrow. There will be carriages to take you to various garrisons!"
Then, the mayor's voice sounded:
"Dear residents, although you cannot join the army, you can still contribute to the front line. There are more and more refugees in the south now, and we urgently need your help to build temporary houses so that they can have a place to live this winter..."
In the Count's Castle in Franche-Comté, candlelight flickered in the spacious hall. Ministers moved their offices here and received documents that kept coming in. Matilda was on the side, directing the servants to prepare for war. Although Carl and Catherine were only nine years old, they also knew that the army of the Yoda Empire was coming, but at this time they could only watch the officials coming and going like the coal balls next to them.
At this moment, Hawke walked towards Matilda with a stack of documents. He bent down slightly and reported:
"Madam, in the past two months, half of the troops on the first line of defense have successfully completed your orders and retreated successfully, and 80% of the troops on the second line of defense have also covered the refugees and retreated to the Forest Territory as you requested."
Matilda's expression eased slightly after hearing this, but a trace of fatigue and worry still flashed in her eyes. She sighed deeply. The offensive of Yoda's army was extremely fierce. The soldiers had done their best. It was a miracle that they could hold on until now, and no army even chose to surrender. She whispered:
"May God bless these noble souls to ascend to heaven."
Looking at the Countess's expression, Hawke's heart tightened, and he couldn't help but persuade:
"Madam, I think you should take the Earl's children away from here now and hide in the rear. It will be safer this way."
However, Matilda shook her head:
"No, I am the Earl's wife and the administrator of this city. If I, who should be the first to lead the charge, leave, what reason do the defenders have to stay here? Moreover, once the Yoda people learn that I have left the Earl's Castle, the importance of the Earl's Castle will decrease in their eyes. They are likely to turn their offensive from here to the Forest Territory in the rear. Wouldn't all the efforts made by the soldiers before be in vain?"
Hawke felt heavy in his heart after hearing this. He understood the truth of what she said, and he could also feel the heavy responsibility she had as the city manager when Earl John was away. He took a deep breath, then knelt on one knee and looked at Matilda firmly:
"As the military minister appointed by the Earl himself, I will stand with the tens of thousands of soldiers in the city and swear to defend the Earl's Castle together to protect the safety of you and the Earl's descendants!"