Through secret conversations with Reglaf, "Bald" Charles did not think Rurik, King of Rus, was a devil. If that man was really a devil, how could he give birth to Reglaf, who was praised by many senior priests?
A father and son, the father is a villain, but the son is a good man. The priests can say both good and bad things. Charlie would rather go and see for himself what the character of King Ross is.
Even if he has the title of king, he does not have the sincere support of the nobles. He is only the King of Aquitaine. Among the coalition forces, such as the Count of Toulouse and the Count of Gascony, etc., they are only allies of their own side and have no allegiance at all.
After careful analysis, what can be called the Aquitaine army outside the city is almost only the soldiers and horses of his uncle Bernard.
If there is no benefit from the war, how can the nobles in the southernmost part of the empire participate in the war?
It was late at night. After seeing off his uncle Bernard, Charlie was not embarrassed. He cheered up and formally explained his decision to his court bishop.
"If God decides to punish me, he will not let me live until now. I can't continue to be a bird and beast in a cage. I must go to Auxerre in person and talk to that King of Ross in person. Let’s talk.”
Although the court bishop Agius had listened to everything, the old priest thought it was the young man’s irrational and angry words.
“Are you...really planning to go there in person?” The old priest’s eyes widened, and he kept persuading Charlie: “There are various signs that those who besieged Auxerre are the most barbaric Russians among the Normans. , Those are a group of devils, they will kill you."
"Forget it." Charlie didn't want to hear this nonsense at all. He waved his hands impatiently: "I
"But, I heard that the army that attacked Aachen actually... took orders from the King of Rus. They murdered your niece Gisla, and they are very likely to directly assassinate you this time." The old priest said again reminded.
"So what? So I ordered Bernard to send troops to assist me? If he doesn't dare, it means he is a conspirator, and other nobles will have more thoughts about him. If he can't protect me properly , It’s also a big crime. By the way, you go too.”
“Me?” The old priest was taken aback and took two steps back subconsciously.
Charlie, who was sitting upright, suddenly turned his head: "Are you afraid?"
"No. I'm not afraid, but I can't just sit back and watch the noble you go." Negotiate with the lowly and dirty barbarian chief."
"Come on. Whoever holds the army is noble." Charlie was very dissatisfied with his current situation. He shook his head unwillingly: "Even. Even Reglaf has a strong army, and he is obviously more confident. Unfortunately, I have less than 200 soldiers who are truly loyal to me."
"You.And Ariubert. "The old priest reminded.
"Yes. Charlie slapped his thigh: "Now it's even more time for me to go." Aliobert is a smart man. Maybe that guy has already negotiated with King Ross, and maybe King Ross already knows something about my situation. The King of Rus asked a nobleman of the same level to go, so he asked me to go by name. It would be very embarrassing for them if I didn't go.
”
Agius thought for a while, and I’m afraid there is a hint in this regard. Nobles want to be shameless, and the bigger the nobles are, the more honorable they are, unless they are really down and out. There is almost no chance of a comeback. "Maybe that's the truth. "
The old priest felt that if he continued to persuade, he would become a clown, "Okay, if you want to go, I will go with you. I also want to see who Rurik, the king of Rus, has a complicated identity in Master Eskil’s writing. ”
Charlie decided to mobilize the last of his soldiers. These old warriors gathered from Northern Italy and Alsace have been wandering with their master. Time has fully proved their center, and now they are following the king. Charlie rushes to Auxerre, only God knows whether he will go to hell or heaven.
There are some things that cannot be said.
Charlie always feels that King Ross is a negotiable person. Although the partner of the cooperation has little capital now, there is no doubt that he has the "right to confer knighthood" on anyone. Whether he can fulfill it is another matter, but many people are eager to get it even in name.
In the past, the royal nobles had a completely contemptuous attitude towards the Danes. They were a group of barbarians who did not convert to the right way. Only a few Danish chiefs converted to Christianity, but the vast majority remained the same.
Charlie feels that even if he is really blessed by God, even if he seizes every opportunity, he can never usurp the title of "Roman Emperor". At most, he can return to the highest status of the old royal family. ——The king of all Franks.
This Frank is not a universal empire, but the original Frankish kingdom, so we must find a way to capture Paris and the surrounding areas.
Make it his own territory, just like the territory controlled by Clovis.
I must leave Aquitaine and become the king of the Frankish Kingdom in a narrow sense. If there is a chance, Charlie will also recognize the legitimacy of the surrounding nobles, even if they are only nominally loyal.
It is extremely difficult to achieve this goal, if Tan Ruo has one in hand. Tens of thousands of soldiers who obeyed his orders completely, and even the most difficult tasks were accomplished, but now there are clearly not even 200 of them.
“Maybe King Ross can help me? If I gave that guy some authority and gave the Russians legal ownership of some land, would they support me? Regraf, you shouldn’t betray me, and you have no reason to betray me. "Charlie thought about it over and over, evaluating various possibilities in his mind, until his energy reached the extreme before falling asleep.
Charlie didn'tHe would stall again, but early the next morning he cheered up and gathered the limited troops at hand.
His personal soldiers are indeed few in number. The advantage is that the equipment of the individual soldiers is relatively refined, and everyone has at least a group of war horses. Tempered by the long life of exile, those weak ones have stayed in the past. Those who are alive today are all experienced veterans. The most commendable thing is that Charlie is not worried about their rebellion at all.
Charlemagne selected a hundred warriors, and everyone put on their best clothes, especially Charlemagne's lion flag.
The young Charles put on his chain mail and hung his helmet on the saddle. He specially put on the homemade crown and inspected his troops outside the monastery.
"Yes, if it were not a hundred people but ten thousand people, I would have no fear
." As he murmured to himself, the palace bishop sitting in a donkey cart Agius, too, emerged from the secrets of the monastery.
The entire army was not notified that the King of Aquitaine would go to Auxerre in person, and some nobles stationed far away were also unaware of it. The situation in the camp was still stable, and Charlie decided to leave quickly in the early morning so that he could reach his destination around noon. If you really encounter any danger there, you won't have to worry about walking at night when you retreat. Instead, the enemy who launches a pursuit will have to think about how to escape after chasing you to the Aquitaine Army's camp.
Charlie was really prepared. Seeing that the palace bishop actually rode in a donkey cart, he couldn't help but hope that Lord Agius would quickly change to a horse.
Agius smiled helplessly and refused: "I am too old, and the bumps of the war horse can break my old bones. Since you are not afraid of risks, why should I be afraid? If I die, then It is also my destiny."
Charlie did not want to continue arguing with Agius on issues of logic and rhetoric. Since the bishop was interested, he immediately led the army to Bernard's big tent.
On the other hand, Bernard was not very concerned about going to Auxerre in person. He did not expect that Charlie would really do what he said.
There was a commotion outside the big tent. After the morning fog dissipated, the soldiers who got up early saw the sudden appearance of the King of Aquitaine and subconsciously retreated.
Charlie was in good spirits after irritating his face with cold water, but Bernard looked sleepy, and his beard was messy due to bad sleeping posture.
Bernard patted his face. He didn't even bother to put on a decent look and faced Charlie outside the tent.
"The noble Count Poitier,
I am ready, but you... It seems that you think you can wait a little longer?"
The young man seemed to have something in his words. Bernard, who felt as if he was being ridiculed, suddenly became energetic, and his face began to turn red with anger: "Are you worried that I am afraid of that King Ross?"
"I don't dare to say that. . At least I dare to face him."
"Forget it. I will organize an army to go with you. Or, since you are brave, you might as well go there in person." p>
This time it was Bernard's turn to retort. Charlie could not stand being controlled by his uncle. After being provoked, he became furious: "You think I don't dare?"
"I can't Dare you say that."
"Okay, that King of Rus is inviting me, after all. I'm going to leave now. It's best if you... come!"
p>After suffering another verbal defeat from his uncle, the annoyed Charlie threw aside what he said yesterday. He no longer waited for Bernard to summon some capable cavalry to accompany him, and only took his last cronies and sat down The court bishop Agius, who was riding in a donkey cart, struggled northward, and everything was just like the exile in the past.
Different from a real exile, Charles always ordered his subordinates to raise the lion war flag high. This trip must be high-profile, and it is best to attract the attention of King Rus early.
I have the same name as my grandfather, the Great Emperor. My grandfather was blessed by God and his military power forced the nobles of the known world to surrender. Even if he couldn't reproduce his grandfather's power, at least he shouldn't tarnish the lion flag hanging high above his head.
The road journey between the camps of the two armies was only about thirty kilometers. The cavalry ran smoothly and arrived slightly faster in less than two hours
The horses were still in good condition. physical strength.
The cavalry led by Charles was approaching Auxerre. He could clearly see the densely packed tents in the distant wilderness. Looking carefully at the reflective spots in the sun, he could conclude that they must be armor and armor. Weapon reflection.
The flash of bright red in the lush world was so eye-catching. Before they reached the outskirts of the camp, they were already discovered by the Ross cavalry deployed in the distance.
In view of what happened yesterday, Rurik not only recalled his son from the northern camp to the south, but also informed the Count of Auxerre himself of the relevant news.
The Aquitaine army of "Bald" Charles actually appeared from the south. Rurik didn't know the reason, but Conrad guessed it as soon as he slapped his thigh. Count Autun was afraid that he was related to Aquitaine. Certain deals were made between the Quitan nobles, and Charles's army successfully crossed the upper Loire via a well-established route.
My Autun cousin has been jumping between Aquitaine and Burgundy. He will defect to whoever offers the highest price. The emergence of Charles from the south basically means that the nobles of Burgundy have returned. There's one more enemy.
The dilapidated city of Auxerre remained on alert, and the Russian and Mercian armies were even more alert.
Rurik mobilized the elite to the south. Digging holes overnight would make the soldiers' arms sore from fatigue, so the defensive civil work was not done harshly. The baggage carriages were lined up on a wall, with some felled saplings used as fences. A large number of torsion slingshots and trebuchets were placed in it, and a large number of crossbowmen relied on the baggage carriages for defense.
The Ross army and the Mercian cavalry gathered together, especially the Ross cavalry who left the camp to set up covert defenses, firstly to act as scouts, and secondly to choose
opportunities to launch attacks.
Fisk and Brody have long been regarded as Ross troopsThe vanguard force used it, and this time the two generals still did it. They were authorized to attack first when they discovered the enemy. As for whether to attack, Rurik believed that Fisk had his own discretion.
Fisker knows what he is selling. He would smear cinnabar on a piece of white cloth, and then smear chalcopyrite powder on it to look like a lion, or cut the yellow cloth into the shape of a lion and sew it on the red cloth. This is Charles's Three Lions battle flag.
Since the battle with the Duke of Bavaria, the Ross cavalry learned to distinguish the unique coat of arms and flags of the Carolingian royal family.
Fisk first saw the red flag. As the opponent's cavalry continued to approach, he saw clearly the looting - the lion battle flag.
"No way? It can't be the King of Aquitaine who comes in person? Is he really brave or stupid? Aren't you afraid that I will attack and kill him?"
To himself After muttering to himself, Fisk made a decisive decision.
The two cavalry teams were divided into secret defenses, and good luck fell on the first cavalry team. Fisk was overjoyed. He ordered the brothers not to shoot arrows, and immediately mounted their horses and emerged from the hidden woods. As long as the other party did not To resist, the Russian army will never start a war first. The brothers' priority is simply to surround each other.
Then a low horn sound came out of the forest, and then a very penetrating sound resounded throughout the world.
Because he saw the unique image of densely packed tents and reflective spots in Auxerre City, Charlie had cautiously slowed down. Charlie was still too naive and ignored the possibility that there might be ice floes in the nearby woods.
Suddenly a group of Ross cavalry came out, and Charlie was in chaos. The elite soldiers subconsciously protected their master. In this way, Charlie was surrounded by flesh and blood. Lost the chance to escape.
Fisk emerged from the woods, holding the reins and driving the horse for a stroll. He looked up and saw the flag tied to a spear, "Yes, it is Charlemagne's battle flag, then..." He I have seen a young man wearing a "Crown of Thorns" on his head. Although it is a bit absurd, I am afraid that the man with slightly curly hair is "Bald" Charlie.
The Carolingian royal family all had curly hair, and the man wearing the crown had this characteristic.
It was because of the royal family’s brown and yellow curly hair that the Blue Fox accurately identified who was the real princess during the chaos in Aachen. Now Gisla, who has been renamed Blackbird, Her hair is still curly, which is indeed unusual in the northern world.
While Charlie was looking around at a loss, a bald man walked out of the soldiers and horses.
The person who came was none other than Fisk who took off his helmet.
"Not bad, young, with curly hair, brownish-brown to black, and a crown." Fisk said to himself as he took a closer look at the other person's appearance.
He held the reins and advanced with a calm mind, which was completely different from the emotions of the soldiers and horses in the encirclement.
Under normal circumstances, nearly three hundred cavalry cannot complete the siege of more than one hundred cavalry. As long as Charlie is willing, he can kill him now.Order his subordinates to break out immediately. Charlie felt that the other party did not have any malicious intentions. From the "Saint Andre's Cross" pattern on these people's smocks, they should be the Russian army that Reglaf mentioned.
As a king, Charlie was not happy with the tall bald chief
The bald chief walked towards him, muttering that this person might be Rurik, and even if not, he probably had some blood relations. relation.
Charlie would not condescend to speak first, but fortunately Fisk asked the question first to avoid further embarrassment.
"Look at your appearance? The person here is the King of Aquitaine, that Charlie?"
Charlie understood the Frankish with a strange accent. He did not reply clearly, and hesitated for a moment. default. After being silent for a while, he asked: "Are you the army of King Rus?"
"Exactly. Young man, who are you? Are you wearing a crown, are you Charlie?"
p>
Charlie no longer concealed anything, he straightened his body further: "It's me. I am the noble King Charles of Aquitaine, my father is the Emperor Louis, and my grandfather is Charlemagne..."
"Stop talking." Fisk scolded him sternly: "I know you are Charlie. It's incredible. Could it be that...you left your army behind and came to our camp to find out what's going on in person? Do you look down on us?" How about it? Do you plan to fight with us?”
It’s a really baffling question. What Charlie doesn’t understand is whether this culture comes from King Rus. But once he doesn't take the initiative, will King Ross think that he is weak?
Charlie simply put down his harsh words: "If you are willing to fight, I can accompany you. The wilderness outside Auxerre is very flat and is very suitable for a cemetery for you barbarians."
Some warriors were enraged by such words! Fisk ordered his men to stay calm, smiled for a while and then said: "You must be Charlie if you can say such irritable words. In this case, Ross cannot commit a war with another king for no reason.
Although I don’t know why you came so boldly. Now that you are here, Fisk calmed down and asked, “Do you dare to follow us? King Rus’ son Reglaf is already in Auxerre. The city has been waiting for a long time. Conrad and his son from Auxerre are also waiting. "Huh? Who are you?" The amount of information made Charlie couldn't make up his mind. .
Fisk just smiled, deliberately not stating his identity, and still using the provocation method: "Regraf said you are a good king, so King Ross is willing to talk to you. Who am I? It's not important, you will meet many nobles in Auxerre, those people are important to you. By the way, some of your relatives are also there, and your old friend Alibert is also there. King Ross promised not to. Use conspiracy, so I didn’t use force first. Do you dare to follow me?”
The words seemed to be very clear, but also seemed to be very vague.
Charlie looked around and could now see the city of Auxerre.You can also see many details from the tent over there. He has reached this point, but Bernard's army, who promised to be his escort, has not yet appeared, as if that guy is deliberately looking at his recklessness.
Charlie simply made up his mind: "Let's go. If I were afraid, I wouldn't stand here. I come sincerely, and I hope your king keeps his promise."
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