"Withdraw the troops." Saiyin sighed softly and looked at the rain curtain outside the window. The drizzle has been falling for two days in a row and the river water has risen a little. If the troops are not withdrawn, they will have to wait until the rainy season is over.
"General Saiyin." Hugo Saimeng frowned, "I didn't expect you to have such an idea. If your father were still alive..."
"My father is gone." Saiyin interrupted Hugo Simon, "Now, I am the commander of the left army, and before I came, General Trajan gave me the right to decide to withdraw the army."
"Hmph!" Hugo Simon clapped his hands, shaking the cups and plates on the table. "Saiyin, retreating when you can't win is not the style of the Hulit First Army. If you want to retreat, you can retreat. I can't afford to lose face."
"You are disobeying orders!" Saiyin turned around and glared.
"You two!" Nero frowned. "Let's make a decision as soon as possible. There's no point in arguing. The morale of the soldiers below has been low after so many days of truce. If the three of us keep arguing, I'm afraid it will make the people below even more dissatisfied."
"Who dares to be dissatisfied?! I will chop off his head!" Hugo Simon shouted.
Nero sneered and shook his head, his eyes shifted to Saiyin: "General Saiyin, it is true that General Trajan gave you the right to decide whether to withdraw the troops, but you must give the reason for the withdrawal, otherwise, not only the right army will not obey, even my central army will find it difficult to obey."
"The reason for the withdrawal is simple. We can't attack." Saiyin took out a blueprint and spread it out. "This is the layout of the enemy's new wall that my scouts spent two nights to obtain. A total of fourteen people were sent, eight died, and two were captured."
"The enemy's wall is 20 cubits thick, not only protecting all the edges of the gap, but also connecting the left and right sides of the entire camp. Look at these marks behind the wall, there are more than 50 of them. They are new toys of the enemy. Each one has a large base like a catapult and a thick wooden pole that can protrude from the wall. The wooden pole is operated by manpower and can be flexibly and quickly swung left and right and up and down. The front end of the wooden pole is a number of copper spikes more than one cubit long. Among the eight scouts who died, six were killed by the wooden pole..."
"It can sweep a large area with great force, speed, and flexibility. It can not only kill people directly, but also knock down wooden ladders and other siege equipment flexibly." Saiyin frowned. "Even if we use a rope to tie it up, the rope will be cut and thrown off by the sharp spikes on the pole head. Even if we can't get rid of it for a while, the neighboring ones can help cut it off. With the density of the enemy's deployment, it is very difficult to break through it. Even if we are lucky enough to get on the parapet and not be hit or swept, please look here. There is a trench twenty cubits wide and high between the enemy's parapet and these defensive piers. Every section of this trench is a nail board covered with barbs. Once you fall into it, even if you are not nailed to death, you will become a prisoner."
Hearing this, Hugo Simon and Nero couldn't help but frown.
"So, if we don't retreat now, when will we retreat?" Saiyin slapped the blueprint and said.
"Okay, let's retreat. How do we retreat? Where do we retreat to?" Hugo Simon asked with a frown.
"Let's go to Honggu Bay." Saiyin narrowed his eyes, "The right and center armies withdraw, and my left army stays."
Saiyin stayed for revenge, of course. The information on the blueprint was correct, but it didn't mean that he couldn't restrain himself.
…
Mikoyan finally left. He had a very leisurely time during the few days he stayed in the Salt Marsh Camp, because after discussing with Shelley, Woolley told him that it would be most appropriate for Archpriest Saint Lean to make the final decision on the authenticity of the magic. Woolley also made a request for this - if Archpriest Saint Lean ruled that the magic was true, then please be sure to handle it from the perspective of protecting Archpriest Shelley, such as announcing that Archpriest Shelley's magic was actually taught and approved by Archpriest Saint Lean himself.
Mikoyan was very satisfied that Woolley used the word "request" instead of "suggestion" to deal with this difficult matter. Woolley and Shelley's attitudes were so clear that his mission was considered to be successfully completed. He believed that Archpriest Saint Lean would be very satisfied.
Therefore, Mikoyan spent most of his time in the Salt Marsh Camp visiting, reminiscing about the past, and asking Wu Lai for advice. As for the content of his advice, no one else knew it except the two of them.
Galileo stayed because he had nowhere else to go—he was effectively exiled from the Temple.
Galileo, who stayed behind, became a hot commodity. After seeing the flamethrower invented by Galileo, which was named "Galileo No. 1" by Woolley, the thirteen regiment leaders from the first to the fourteenth regiments, except Bailey, rushed into Woolley's tent to plead their case. They said that their regiments had a weak foundation and low combat effectiveness, and if they could get a person like Galileo, they would definitely catch up and win glory for Assyria, add color to Salt Marsh Town, and grab more glory for General Woolley...
Woolley, who was a little impatient with the noise, waved his hand and made the decision - Galileo would be managed by him personally and would not belong to any regiment.
As soon as the decision was made, the thirteen team leaders expressed their dissatisfaction. One said that Wu Lai was unsympathetic, another said that Wu Lai was biased. However, after Wu Lai said something else, everyone smiled and had nothing to say.
"It would be a waste for any of your regiments to have a talent like Galileo." Wu Lai said, "I have decided to separate the ordnance repair platoons of each of your regiments and assign them all to Galileo to form an armament battalion. Galileo will be the battalion commander. In addition to repairing ordnance, the armament battalion will also be responsible for the research and development and production of new weapons, such as the 'Galileo No. 1' that you are all coveting. I will not be partial to any of the new weapons I develop and produce. Every regiment will have one, but the order and quantity will be decided by you..."
"General, how do you decide?" Red interrupted again.
"Research and development and production both require materials and funds. You all should be wealthy, but you should have good family backgrounds. If you want good things, you should take the initiative to hand over the materials and transfer funds to the military camp." Wu Lai laughed and said, "In that case, Galileo will have to work hard for you, right?"
"General Woolley, I have another request," Galileo said quickly.
"Just tell me what you want. With so many team leaders here, are you still worried that we can't solve it?" Wu Lai asked with a smile.
Galileo nodded with a smile: "I hope each regiment can give me a few more skillful soldiers."
"No problem. I'll give you twenty, but you give me a 'Galileo 1' first." Huo Yi immediately emerged from the crowd.
"Go to hell Huo Yi, have some manners, you're a Hulett who's trying to rob people right away. Are you a Hulett?" Red glared at Huo Yi and stood in front of him. After saying this with a straight face, he turned around and put on a smile that was as amiable as possible. "Ahem, ahem, ahem, dear Captain Galileo, I'll give you twenty-five. Can you make one for me first?"
"Oh my god!" The captains immediately used the catchphrase they learned from Wu Lai to look down on Red.
"With money, people, and materials, everything is easy." Galileo laughed and crossed his arms...
…
The rain was falling softly, hitting the umbrella surface particularly loudly.
Under the umbrella, Wu Lai narrowed his eyes, put down the telescope and said to Odo and others beside him: "The enemy retreated. Let's not talk about the possibility that this is to paralyze us. Even if it is true, we can't take it lightly. We must always remember that this gap defense area is the barrier of Kayikede. Only by firmly stationing here can the people behind us live and work in peace."
"The general is right." Everyone nodded. After a period of study, the commanders' purpose of gaining fame and fortune in joining the army has been greatly reduced, and their sense of responsibility for protecting the country and the people has increased day by day, which has become the difference between the Salt Marsh Army and other armies.
"Let them retreat, and we can use this time to train." Wu Lai continued, "The enemy won't give up so easily. The terrain here in Kayikede is too easy to penetrate. If it were me, I would take this place even at the cost of two legions..."
"Report to the General! Urgent news!" The report voice suddenly interrupted Wu Lai.
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"Whose?" Wu Lai frowned. Even though he had personally ordered that no matter what he was doing, any urgent letter or intelligence must be reported to him as soon as possible, he still didn't like being interrupted. However, he didn't plan to give another order not to be interrupted. Military intelligence was the most important thing.
"It's an urgent letter from His Excellency the Scarlet-robed Priest."
"Show it to me." Wu Lai frowned again, thinking that Mikoyan had just left for four days, why did he send an urgent letter now? Did something happen? After opening the letter, it was indeed Mikoyan's handwriting and seal. The letter was very simple, saying that the temple had sent a secret envoy to Kayikede City, asking Wu Lai and Shelley to go there immediately after seeing the letter. He and the secret envoy were waiting in Kayikede City.
Secret messenger? Saint Leon is really old. Wu Lai shook his head and stuffed the letter into his arms: "Who sent it?"
"It's Chelis, the liaison soldier of the Kayikede City garrison." The signalman replied.
"Got it." Wu Lai nodded, and after sending away the signalman, he called over the regiment commanders who had accompanied him to inspect the enemy situation. After giving them a detailed explanation, he left the protective wall and went straight to find Shelley. It was still early, and it would be better to set off earlier and arrive earlier so as to know what was going on earlier than to worry about it in his heart.
After the meal, Wu Lai and Shelley set out. Wu Lai rode a horse and Shelley sat on a sedan chair. In addition to four auxiliary soldiers who took turns carrying the sedan chair, they also brought six guards and tents, cooking utensils and food for the journey. Sares wanted to follow, but after seeing that Shelley did not show any reaction, he gave up the idea. First, with Wu Lai and the guards on the road, Shelley would be safe. Second, if he followed, it might affect Wu Lai and Shelley...
Before dusk on the second day, Wu Lai and his party arrived outside the main gate of Kayikede City. As soon as he jumped off his horse and stretched his almost stiff thighs, he saw a man in priest's clothes running towards him.
Looking up, Wu Lai recognized the man. His name was You Zhong. He was one of the followers who followed Mikoyan to the Gap Defense Zone that day. He didn't talk much, but he always had a smile on his face.
"It turns out to be Priest You Zhong." Wu Lai smiled slightly and took two steps forward to greet him.
"Hello, General Wu Lai." You Zhong bowed and saluted, then bowed to Shelley on the sedan chair, and then said, "Your Excellency the Scarlet-robed Priest has been waiting for a long time, please follow me."
After saying that, You Zhong turned around and gestured to the two carriages waiting in front of the city gate, "General Wu Lai, High Priest Shelley, thank you for your hard work on the journey. This carriage was prepared for you by His Excellency the Scarlet-robed Priest."
Wu Lai nodded, waved for a guard to come and bring the horse, then walked to the sedan chair with a smile and helped Shelley down.
"Thanks to the bravery of your Salt Marsh Army, the city of Kayikede is still as prosperous as usual. After seeing the secret queen, if it's still early, you must accompany me for a walk." Shelley said with a smile as he walked.
"It's my pleasure." Wu Lai said with a smile, "If it's too late, I'll go shopping with you tomorrow. But whether it's tonight or tomorrow, I suggest you change into ordinary clothes, because I'm afraid..."
"What are you afraid of?" Shelley asked with a smile.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to resist kissing you in the street," Wu Lai replied with a smile, "If you still wear the temple clothes, we will be gossiped about."
"Bah, you filthy bastard." Shelley covered her mouth and giggled after spitting, "As you wish."