Rise of Rurik

The Battle of Kaiserslautern ended at the moment when the defenders collapsed. The captured person who was suspected to be a noble was really a high-ranking noble.

Freibach, if nothing unexpected happens, he will be the next Earl of Metz.

Liu Dou actually knew this man and also knew that his father was not in good health.

Even though Metz is a die-hard supporter of Lothair, the Saxons have no hatred against these guys. The two sides fought purely because Kaiserslautern was a battleground, and the Metz people occupied the wealth. This was enough to force the Saxons to fight hard. If the defender was someone else, the battle would have broken out.

Freibach was captured, and Liudov was keenly aware that this was a major bargaining chip. From the moment his identity was revealed, Liudov arranged a way out for him.

As for the legend that there is a golden mountain in Kaiserslautern, this statement was flatly denied by Freibach.

"You are lying to me. It doesn't matter, I will send someone to dig out all the gold and silver you have hidden."

Liudov, who had just won, urgently needed to see a large amount of cash, and he had no intention of talking nonsense with the captured guy now.

So he ordered his subordinates to tie him up tightly, considering that this guy was definitely rebellious and probably just wanted to die.

Liu Doufu told the guards he had arranged in his native dialect: "Keep an eye on this man, but cover your ears. Keep an eye on him and don't allow him to escape, and don't be provoked."

After all, many brothers were killed by the cavalry charge commanded by this guy. The Saxon guards wanted to use a small stick to slowly turn them into a piece of meat to vent their anger.

They will carry out the Duke's order, and now stare with their blue eyes at the next generation of Earl Metz who has been stripped down to his bare feet.

Of course, the premise is that this man lives until his father dies, and his brother does not compete with him for the title.

Only in the current situation did Freibach realize that the black army that defeated him and even defeated the king's standing army was the Duke of Saxony and the former Earl of Westphalia.

His father and Liu Duofu met. At that time, the years were still peaceful, and now the war is only about their own masters.

Freibach became a "guest under house arrest", but a group of captured Metz soldiers were not so lucky.

Liudov specifically told this guy about the killing of prisoners. He was so angry that his body tied to a pillar in the house twisted violently, as if the pillar could be broken.

The captured ordinary soldiers were escorted to the Lauter River and beheaded one by one. The Saxons had never heard of the unknown killing of prisoners. They killed like this in retaliation for the incident fifty years ago.

On the other hand, this group of prisoners of war was not trustworthy at all. They were loyal to their lord, lacked communication with the Saxons, and spoke a different language.

Keeping prisoners captive would only be a waste of food, so he just did it. Liu Doufu didn't believe that God would send down thunder and kill him for such a trivial matter.

It was because he was tired that he rode to the river to observe the execution. He needed his soldiers to vent further.

The setting sun left only the last ray of light in the west, and the sun finally sank into the earth from the vast hilly forest area in northern Saarland, which is the original uninhabited land in the west.

Kaiserslautern does not have a mountain of gold or silver, nor does it have a hundred money suitcases. But only some searching could lead to this unfortunate fact.

However, the soldiers still found the treasure after searching hard. Everyone found some silver coins, and even seized protective gear and weapons from the enemy's barracks. They were puzzled why the enemy didn't wear them when they were clearly well-armed. Now Saxony has exchanged shotguns for cannons. military.

The biggest seizure was actually the granary!

But after actually finding the granary, anyone with a discerning eye can see that there is not much food here. How can we support the huge garrison here with such food for so long.

Count Graf from the extremely remote area of ​​Saxony got together to discuss...

"The people of Metz are afraid that they will run out of food. The Duke's timing is really good."

"It just so happens that there are a lot of cooking utensils here. My people have had enough dry food, and many of them have chewed up their mouths." These words immediately resonated with everyone.

"We have a lot of horse carcasses, and my people also found some bacon in their barracks. We can have a good meal..."

Then, with a burst of laughter, they gathered their own people and started carrying food spontaneously.

In the afternoon after the battle, when the dust settled, every Saxon looked different.

With new shoes and new clothes, many soldiers began to put on chain mail and plate armor. They abandoned their shabby clothes, so the military strength of Liudov's army increased sharply in this single battle.

For this reason, it is worth paying a lot of casualties. Because the entire Kaiserslautern is a treasure mine that belongs to the Saxons, Liudov has ordered free plundering. In addition to prohibiting arson, he can plunder in any way he wants.

Indeed, Liudov was somewhat dazzled by the victory.

The battlefield was littered with the mutilated corpses of the fallen, and a large number of war horses were concentrated and killed. In the evening, the enemy's corpses were stripped clean. The Saxon soldiers, who grew up in poverty, took off their blood-stained clothes and the good shoes of the Frankish soldiers. , any dirt is washed off in the Lauter River, a bonfire is lit and dried in the sun.

Just in the past, Saxony had a culture of headhunting during the tribal period. Enemies were beheaded, their teeth were punched into necklaces, and their skulls were made into bowls.

Such barbarism ended when they were forced to convert to God, but possession of the relics of the dead was still considered an honor for the victor.

The cavalry group finally gave the Saxons a heavy blow, but the impact was not enough.

The Saxon army suffered thousands of casualties, and the extremely poor sanitary conditions determined that the wounded would also die.

He lost 25% of his combat effectiveness in the first battle. If the enemy had not launched a large-scale cavalry charge at the last moment, Liudov would not have suffered such losses at all.

Actual combat has proven that as long as a large number of spears are used concentratedly, it will be a unilateral killing of the enemy.

The enemy corpses on the mountain pass battlefield seemed to spread a terrible blanket over the field. The Saxons only gave gestures to their own people and buried them on the spot. The enemy's white corpses must still be there.

On the first night after the war, Liudov saw the dismembered bodies of the prisoners thrown into the Lauter River.

As a small tributary of the Rhine River, if all the enemy corpses on the battlefield were thrown over, the river would inevitably ride into the empty city for itself.

The old palace of Kaiserslautern has gone through wars, and the residential area outside the palace also looks dilapidated. There are only a large number of soldiers holding burning sticks for lighting as they count down and rummage through their belongings.

The reason why it was determined that the box Ludwig promised did not exist was because the soldiers rushed into the palace and saw everything clearly, and were deeply disappointed. They fantasize about grandeur and grandeur, thinking that even the walls are plated with gold.

There is nothing in the real palace. The walls and floors are just rough rocks. The place where the bathhouse used to be is now a big dry pit. You can feel thick dust when you touch the pillars.

There are no valuable furnishings in the palace, the coarse curtains are covered with dust, there are a lot of spider webs in the corners, and there are mice scurrying around.

It is less like a palace and more like a tomb. At least no one has lived in it for a long time.

Liu Doufu walked into the palace on horseback and was very proud.

"Soldiers, do you know where this is?"

The retinue on horseback and holding torches was silent.

"Don't know? Haha, this is the palace, the property of Charlemagne. It seems that neither Ludwig nor Lothair care about this kind of palace. Let's go! Let's ride in directly."

As a result, the hall that was originally used for receptions and banquets became a racecourse for the Saxons, and a large amount of horse manure was left on the site.

The palace complex was full of soldiers pouring in, but they couldn't find the money box, so what Freibach had just captured was true.

It is a lie that Liu Doufu is not angry, he really hopes that the legend of the cash box is true.

He dismounted and walked into the empty palace. Compared to the hustle and bustle outside, the silence and dilapidation here was regrettable.

Hearing the chatter of his followers and the neighing of war horses, he caressed his mount and looked at the soldiers, "Let's go and leave this ruins. I! I want to meet that Freibach again."

At this moment, Freibach was chained to a pillar of a house. This was the Saxon's "polite house arrest."

No one beat him severely. After being treated like this and having learned that the prisoners of war had been killed, Freibach kept yelling and swearing, trying to provoke the guarding soldiers to stab him to death with a sword.

He cursed loudly, saying things like "Saxons are dirt", "Liudov is a descendant of marmots", "surprise attacks are contrary to aristocratic morals" and so on.

Just as Liudov gripped the hilt of his sword and strode forward, a loud shout came from the house: "Liudov! You are one of Ludwig's dogs!"

"Hmph! Whose dog are you?!" Liu Duofu, who was holding the hilt of his sword, walked into the house aggressively. The enemy was extremely jealous when he saw each other. He suddenly drew his sword and put the blade directly on Freibach's neck.

"You?" Freibach turned his head to look at the sword and had to say that it was a good sword. He continued to grin: "Either kill me or we exile me. You'd better kill me."

"Do you want to die with honor? I want you to tell me something."

"Ha! You treat me like a lamb to be slaughtered, what else can I say?"

Liu Dou put away his sword: "Tell me, what's going on in the palace? It's empty there, and I didn't find a single gold coin."

"So this is why you started the war? You are a robber."

"No." Liudov smiled, "In my opinion, you are the robber. Kaiserslautern is the property of Ludwig, for example. He transferred all the property to me, and you are the thief. You …”

Liudov reached out and patted Freibach's bearded face rudely. This action was like a grandfather hitting his grandson, which was really humiliating.

Freibach, who was wide-eyed with anger, struggled hard and continued to shout: "Let me go, otherwise..."

"Otherwise? What else?"

"I advise you to end the war. You Saxons should surrender to the real king, His Highness Lothair. If you continue to act your own way, it will only lead to the genocide of the whole family! Don't forget what Charlemagne once did!"

What sounds like persuasion is actually a threat.

Liu Dou stared at him contemptuously: "You are already like this and you still want to be a lobbyist? You can't defeat me on the battlefield, so you can win with just a few words?"

"No. You will be in catastrophe. I never expected that Ludwig would be the first to attack, and you Saxons would be the first to attack."

"Is it possible?" Liudof narrowed his eyes: "Lotel also wants to take action?"

"My monarch must have taken action, and the army set off from Strasbourg. Soon, my father's army will arrive at Kaiserslautern, and the new Metz army will definitely defeat you. It's still too late to abandon the dark side and turn to the bright side now. Derwig is not worthy of your following, only the Roman Emperor Lothair is."

Hearing these remarks made Liu Dofu burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing? You are also a Frankish vassal."

"Of course I am a vassal, but I never thought that being a hunting dog for others is also honorable?"

"Absurd, we are nobles, not dogs."

"No." Liudov shook his hand: "At least I am not Ludwig's dog. I am the Duke of Saxony, and my army is all Saxon. Tell you!" His spirit became excited: "My ancestor is Vidukind! The surrender back then was forced, but now I have returned to the country. Ludweder recognizes my special status, can your Lothair do it?"

"King..." Freibach was surprised that there could still be such an existence in the northern region, and that Ludwig actually tolerated a separatist rule by a big noble.

"King Lothair...will recognize all the power you now have."

"Do you think I will believe it?"

"Why don't you believe it? The king gives wealth and land to his loyal subjects."

This boring rhetoric Ludwig also said that since the Principality of Saxony is actually independent, it still needs to be discussed whether it will remain loyal to Ludwig after helping him win the civil war (at least not lose). Of course, as long as you can get more benefits decently, there is nothing wrong with nominal surrender.

As for Lothair, this guy killed his own brother in order to reduce the feudal vassal. This guy has questions about all his promises to the Frankish nobles, let alone a Saxon noble?

There is even a striking example.

Liudov would not be quick to talk to prisoners. The so-called attack on Aachen was because he, Liudov, actively made suggestions for the Russians. Such a thing is a secret, but it will be exposed sooner or later, and then "Lotaire will not be able to swallow me in one bite."

"Stop your persuasion! Now that your father is coming to Kaiserslautern, you should think about how Adalbert will get across the destroyed Sarabrücken Bridge and the burned town. The granary is also on fire, so your granary is almost at the bottom.”

It sounded like Freibach, who was in shock, was already doubting life.

"You know about the killing of Baron Salgao? Could it be you who did it?"

"Yes, not entirely." Liu Doufu had no intention of telling this person the inside story. The so-called Earl of the Netherlands was his vassal. After the Earl's youngest daughter married a Ross noble, the Barony of Nassau had expanded to include the entire Leingau and Koblenz.

Although the female Count Sophia was openly loyal to Ludwig, her father was after all a vassal of the Duke of Saxony.

So Liu Doufu had to bear some responsibility, but he really wished that he had done it himself.

"The bridge is broken. No matter how many people your father has, I guess he won't be able to cross the Saar River this year." Liudov was very proud.

Freibach looked stubborn: "Not necessarily."

"How about it? Can you still fly across the Saar River?"

"Of course we pass through the territory of Baron Brisgow, don't forget Schwabrücken..."

"That's just a small bridge. Besides, Briscoe let you cross?"

"Haha, this is your ignorance. You can either kill me or send me back to my father. Otherwise, there will be a bloody battle when my father's army arrives, and your army will lose this time."

To be honest, Liu Doufu was a little nervous. Firstly, his soldiers were busy venting their anger after the war, and they had to quickly assemble for combat. Secondly, the army's losses were really not small. There were still less than 4,000 combatants, and the army needed to digest the fruits of victory. Only then can we fight again. He couldn't believe the captive's story either.

"Okay, I'll think about what you say."

"Submit to King Lothair?"

"Stupid! I have to think about how to defeat your father's reinforcements again! And you should also think about your own way out."

"Me?" Freibach closed his eyes and kept bumping his head against the pillar, yelling, "How about you kill me?"

"Let's give you to Ludwig! Even though you are loyal to Lothar now, look at the whole of Laiyinlan! The people's livelihood here is depressed, and your Metz also came here after the war. Besides, only the remaining members of your family are You are alone, if you die again, the Earl of Metz family will have to replace you."

There was something in these words, and Freibach suddenly calmed down: "How can I say this? What does it mean that I am the only one left?"

"Because behind me is Ludwig's main Bavarian army and the Thuringian army. They are well prepared. Your father is not the only one facing us! Counting that, it will be four times. The Battle of Slautern! Do you think your father can defeat an army of fifty thousand (deliberate bragging)? He will be killed."

"This is not true! Besides, I still have a younger brother. Our Metz also has a new count! There is also a steady stream of troops."

"Your brother Odobach? I've heard about it. Your whole family is in Metz. It's just a pity..."

"how?!"

"The Nassau army has been ordered to attack the city of Metz."

"Nassau? Just a baron?"

"Stupid! Nassau is now an earl. Besides, they only have the name of Nassau. You should know that even I have something to do with the Danes. And those so-called Nassau troops..."

"A Dane? The well-known Danish mercenary of Ludwig?"

"It is a more powerful existence than Denmark." Liudov stared with sharp eyes and his words became more and more arrogant. "Your whole family will die because your family chose the wrong monarch. Listen, Lothair will be defeated. He The territory is full of war. Haha, I have sent my son to Tours. I dare say that soon you Metz will learn about the war in the south. Don’t forget that Louis (the Pious) does not have a crown on his head. He is also taking action. Will Metz be able to fight on two fronts by then? How many troops do you have left to fight the attack from the south?"

This year's war was initiated by Ludwig, but the war turned into the "Frankish World War". Liudov actually became the military planner of the East Kingdom camp and joined as a conspirator and doer.

As a result, Freibach passively learned something he never dared to think about.

Now this tied body can only be helpless and furious.