Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 815 The Habits and Rules of Surrender
Not long after the battle began, the Crusaders found themselves in a state of command failure.

In order to engage in a decisive battle with the main force of the Ming army, Sigismund made continuous diplomatic and military preparations. The pursuit alone took a month. In the small area of ​​the Teutoburg Forest alone, they fought more than ten battles with Ming troops of various sizes. During this time, they were ambushed and even poisoned. It took them almost a week to get here. It is no exaggeration to say that the journey was full of twists and turns.

As a result, in this real decisive battle, less than half an hour into the battle, Sigismund's command post was destroyed...

Although Sigismund's headquarters is still the one being attacked, this result has shocked other forces.

In this era, the role of cavalry was generally perceived as declining. This wasn't even a recent concept, because over a century before the arrival of the Ming Dynasty, there had already been numerous battles where infantry had risen to prominence. Back then, not only them, but even the Purple Horde hadn't yet emerged.

In particular, after the start of the protracted war between Britain and France, mercenaries from all over Europe were drawn to the conflict for a living. On this highly intense battlefield, new military ideas and army-building theories were rapidly evolving. The experiences gained during the war were then disseminated to various regions.

A key lesson from the Anglo-French Wars was that the dominance of cavalry on the battlefield was no longer what it once was, and was continuing to decline. In the past, cavalry, as the absolute mainstay of the army, was responsible for direct confrontation with the enemy. If either side lacked sufficient cavalry, they would often be defeated upon first sight.

Nowadays, cavalry is generally only used as a reserve force, waiting for the infantry to engage first and establish the desired balance of power. Then, when the time is right, the cavalry can be deployed to achieve the objective.

This approach was used repeatedly during the Anglo-French Wars. Sometimes, victory was achieved without even deploying cavalry. These tactical ideas were also adopted elsewhere by veterans of the Anglo-French battlefields, such as Sir Hawkwood. For example, in Italy, infantry became increasingly popular, and even knights were often deployed on foot, as commanders discovered that foot knights were more effective as heavy infantry than as heavy cavalry.

This time, launching a cavalry charge right from the start was a rare tactic. Even nobles who had been knights since childhood were surprised. Judging from their charge route, it seemed they came out from behind the hillside and then began their charge along this main road.

The attack path was so straightforward that the commanders of the other armies were dumbfounded and couldn't figure out how it was done.

In general, whether it's the Black Prince or Hawkwood, they would conceal their "surprise troops" beforehand or secretly move them to the designated starting positions when the enemy wasn't paying attention. No one had ever imagined a scenario like this, where the main attacking infantry were hidden and attacked from the rear, while the cavalry, used as a surprise attack, simply walked towards them openly.

Many people's first reaction was, "How could they not have noticed this?" After all, if they had gone a little further, or sent more men to check the hillsides and orchards for survivors, they probably would have found clues. However, given the circumstances, no one had thought of this. Looking at it this way, it's clear that the enemy had been controlling the entire battle's pace for a long time. They even knew their reconnaissance range and marching habits perfectly.

The mere destruction of Sigismund's command post might only be a temporary setback—in fact, objectively speaking, the Crusaders might even have some advantage without his command…

The problem is that the fact that this operation was successful suggests that everyone's situation is probably very dangerous.

Therefore, after a brief moment of realization, the units that still had combat capability either reacted slowly or were trying to divert troops to rescue Sigismund; the units that reacted quickly immediately wanted to disengage and preserve their main force.

Meanwhile, after the cavalry entered the battlefield, even more infantry appeared from all directions, seemingly covering the entire mountainside. The valleys and forests resounded with shouts of battle, terrifying the Crusaders. These Ming infantrymen formed small squads and continuously attacked the Crusaders' flanks, preventing them from temporarily sending reinforcements to the center. Furthermore, due to this unexpected situation, the already disadvantaged rear guard, under attack from three sides, finally began to scatter.

The beginning and end of the Crusade had lost all order, with the remnants running amok and spreading panic. As more Ming troops arrived on the battlefield, this atmosphere turned into a real threat.

The Crusader units were exhausted from the long march. The situation had worsened in the last few days. Initially, everyone felt they were in a winning position, so even when Sigismund urged them to continue and forbade them to plunder, they gritted their teeth and persevered. But now, surrounded by enemies on all sides and their commander missing, the situation was clearly dire. The resulting emotional turmoil caused many mercenaries and even knights to begin deserting.

Seeing the dire situation, the powerful nobles with troops immediately sprang into action, attempting to break out. However, Ming infantry emerged not only from the rear but also from the hills and plantations on the hillsides. Furthermore, the peasants who had been driven away by the Crusaders somehow returned to the battlefield. They occupied the outer hills and joined the siege.

The Italians on the left wing of the Crusaders were the first to break out. Their position was better, and they had already driven away the Ming troops on the other side and seized a small hill, thus reducing the pressure considerably. During their breakout, they encountered little resistance, easily breaking through several groups of Ming soldiers who had just arrived, and reached the hillside behind the orchard.

Some captains believed that the South Pass was just ahead, and that it would be safe to leave from there. However, General Spano worried that since the Ming army could come this way, the situation here was not good either. Especially with the Crusades' failure, the already wavering local nobles might turn against them and support the Ming army. Therefore, they chose to bypass the battlefield and flee northwest.

Sigismund's knights, led by his trusted generals, discovered that their lord's location was under attack, and they were momentarily at a loss. The commanders were unsure whether to continue their orders to attempt a flank attack on the Ming army, or to return to rescue their lord.

They reasoned that Sigismund was surrounded by several other powerful nobles, each with their own personal guards, and shouldn't be so easily defeated; moreover, a hasty retreat would ruin their battle plan. But failing to rescue him would appear disloyal, and how would they explain themselves in the future?

However, while they were hesitating, Sigismund's banners fell, and his soldiers scattered in all directions. With no other option, they quickly turned back to see if there was still a chance to rescue Sigismund and the others.

After they left, the armies on the right flank quickly came under attack from the Ming army. Not only infantry, but also men carrying various cannons of different sizes occupied farms and hillsides, firing at the Crusaders. Their firepower far exceeded that of the catapults the farmers had set up the previous two days. Most of the Crusaders were caught in a pincer attack.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the other Ming troops immediately sprang into action, flanking the Crusaders. Each centurion and chiliarch shouted slogans and charged into the Crusader formation. The Crusaders, originally from a motley crew, were ill-suited to this tactic and quickly fell into disarray.

Nearly an hour later, the Crusader's vanguard—which had originally been the rearguard and center—had largely collapsed. The rearguard also began to scatter and flee. In just two hours, the entire army had been cut into several parts, some still trying to break out, others fighting like cornered beasts.

Duke Ludwig's contingent of crusaders advanced to the right, and with their superior numbers, temporarily repelled the Ming infantry. They occupied a small hill overlooking an orchard, using the terrain and fortifications to hold their ground. However, given the surrounding situation, it seemed unlikely that any reinforcements would come even if they held out. So, the leaders discussed the matter and then raised the white flag.

Before long, some Ming soldiers arrived and ordered them to lay down their weapons and surrender. But the Crusaders insisted that they had a duke on their side and needed a nobleman to come first. These infantrymen were mostly farmers from the Rhine region. They hesitated for a moment, then said that their commander was a nobleman, but everyone was in disarray and they didn't know where he was. So they went to the back to call for reinforcements, asking someone to bring the French knights and their leader, saying that important figures were present. Sure enough, several French knights arrived shortly afterward, led by their captain, La Hire.

They reached the front lines, and Duke Ludwig stepped forward, shouting, "We are ready to surrender to the bloodline of the great 'Restorer of the World,' the noble Seres royal family, His Majesty the King of Wu. Is he here?"

"Why are they suddenly praising the King of Wu again..." a knight whispered. "Didn't they say just a few days ago that His Majesty was a 'peasant king'? So they know about the King of Wu's background..."

"They're surrendering, aren't they?" another knight quipped. "Is the Duke going to surrender to the peasants?"

"..."

During the discussion, Lahail stepped forward and called out, "His Majesty is not here and cannot preside over the surrender ceremony."

"Ah? We thought such a brilliant tactic must be the work of the King of Wu." Several Crusader nobles looked somewhat surprised: "Then, is His Excellency the Archbishop in the army?"

“Bishop Daoyan isn’t here either,” La Hire said. “Our operation this time was commanded by our Queen, Her Highness Princess Jeanne de Valois, whom you know.”

"What?" The Crusaders were even more incredulous.

“Well, it’s no wonder you’re surprised…” La Hire shook his head: “Then what do you suggest? Her Highness the Princess should be noble enough to accept your surrender, right?”

“She is indeed very noble, and we can certainly pay our respects to her, but this is war after all.” This time, Duke Ludwig himself came out to answer: “According to custom, it is really not appropriate for us to surrender to a woman, even one as noble as her.”

"What kind of rules are these?" Lahail was speechless.

“Please understand.” Duke Ludwig actually bowed directly from his horse: “There’s nothing we can do. We are on the eastern foothills of the Alps, and you are on the western foothills. Our noblewomen, in any case, have no authority to lead troops. The customs are indeed different.”

Seeing his sudden politeness, La Hire felt embarrassed. It was truly unacceptable for a duke to bow to him. He quickly returned the bow and said, "Then what do you think?"

"As the defeated party, we have no reason to make excessive demands," Duke Ludwig explained. "If all else fails, we can just find any male nobleman to carry out the surrender ceremony."

“Oh, right, young man, I remember you.” He glanced at the emblem on La Hire’s body and suddenly remembered something: “Aren’t you the warrior who challenged His Majesty Sigismund to a duel a few days ago?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Lahail said proudly.

“I understand. It seems you are the one leading the charge.” Duke Ludwig nodded. “It seems you are indeed a great warrior, and your actions are entirely befitting your noble status. Then—” He turned to look at the nobles. “Please allow me, on behalf of you, to surrender to this gentleman.”

"No, no, no..." La Hire quickly waved his hands: "To be honest, I'm not really a proper knight. My father didn't have much money, so I was always just a novice knight. I never got to become a full knight before I had to become a mercenary to make a living. I'm just a seasoned soldier, not a knight at all."

“No, no, no, that’s easy.” Duke Ludwig shook his head repeatedly. “I will tell you the truth: I am Duke Ludwig of Brunswick, from the Welf family. I believe you will know my origins when you see my banner and hear my family name.”

“My family is one of the oldest and most glorious lineages within the empire. Anyone familiar with the history of our Roman Empire will know that we—to this day, Italians refer to the ‘anti-emperor faction’ as the Guelph faction.”

A true Ming Dynasty person might have been more modest. But Duke Ludwig and La Hire were clearly not among them. So everyone listened as the Duke boasted about his family history, finally concluding, "I believe I am of sufficient standing to bestow an honor upon you. My lineage should not be a disgrace to your courage and achievements, should it?"

La Hire was somewhat flattered by what had been said. Even the knights around him and a few knowledgeable local officers showed expressions of envy.

So they immediately got to work, quickly leveling the grass. La Hire dismounted and knelt, and then, surrounded by a group of counts, barons, knights, and soldiers, Duke Ludwig symbolically tapped him with his sword, announcing his promotion to knighthood and formal granting him noble status.

Everyone cheered in celebration.

Amidst this harmonious and joyful atmosphere, Ludwig's troops laid down their weapons, emerged from the buildings and trenches, and formally surrendered to the Ming army.

After the largest defending force also gave up resistance, the entire battle was nearing its end.

(End of this chapter)