flstandardbreds Chapter 374 Siege
Chapter 374 Siege
In the palace of Murcia, sunlight shines through the gorgeous curtains into the magnificent hall. The King of Murcia is sitting at a huge dining table with a sumptuous meal in front of him. The roasted lamb leg smells fragrant, and he grabs a piece of meat without hesitation, chewing it in big mouthfuls, the gravy flowing down his fingers, reflecting the satisfaction on his face.
At this time, a minister came in from outside. He first glanced at King Murcia, and seeing that he was in a good mood, he lowered his head and came to his side, saying respectfully:
"Your Majesty, I have an important report on the situation outside the city walls."
King Murcia swallowed the last bite of meat, wiped the greasy corners of his mouth, and looked at the minister and asked:
"Tell me, what's going on?"
"Your Majesty, our spies reported that the city of Murcia has been surrounded by a large enemy army."
King Murcia was stunned, and the leg of lamb in his hand almost dropped. He stood up excitedly, his fat body trembling, and said in a loud voice:
"Then what are you waiting for? Send the troops in the city out to fight!"
King Murcia paced back and forth angrily, shouting as he walked:
"And the troops stationed in the strongholds along the enemy's route, not a single one of them informed me of the enemy's approach. Sooner or later I will kill them all!"
After a while, the King of Murcia calmed down a little, sat back at the table, and forced himself to calm down. The minister continued to report carefully:
"When besieging a city, the most feared thing is running out of water and food. Currently, we have a well in the city that is connected to the underground river, so the water supply is sufficient. But as for food, since it is not yet the harvest season, the reserves in the granary are slightly insufficient. We should call on the residents in the city to hand over some of the food."
King Murcia nodded slightly, thought for a moment and said:
"Let's do as you say. Immediately gather the people in the city and have them hand over one third... no, half of their food!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The minister replied respectfully and hurried out.
About two or three miles outside the city, John's army set up camp near a river.
John rode his horse to the river bank and gazed at the natural scenery around the river. He noticed that there were lush vegetation growing on both sides of the river, which was green and lush, like a natural barrier, full of vitality.
On the north bank of the river, near the city of Murcia, large tracts of farmland came into view. Tender green sprouts swayed in the spring breeze, and the canals between the fields sparkled in the sunlight, as if telling him about the richness of this land.
“No wonder Murcia is the strongest tribe nearby.”
John pondered in his heart, and the fertile land in front of him made him realize that if other tribes could only struggle in the arid desert, then Murcia undoubtedly had enviable conditions. The agricultural development here showed a vigorous vitality, which could only be compared with some of the rich areas in Acre.
Thinking of this, the city of Murcia became more important in John's heart. This large and populous city, combined with the unique agricultural conditions nearby, could become a base for controlling the north bank of the river as long as it was well managed.
At this time, a cavalryman came galloping from the camp in the distance, raising a cloud of dust. When he came to the opposite side of John, the cavalryman hurriedly said:
"Sir! The army of Murcia City has already left the city to meet the attack!"
John's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. He quickly jumped on his horse and rushed out of the camp, clamping his legs around the horse's belly and galloping away quickly. In his field of vision, the Murcian soldiers poured out of the city gate like a black tide, and under the sunlight, their armor reflected a dazzling light. The armored camel cavalry followed closely behind, and the soldiers sat on the camels, all with fierce expressions, ready for battle.
"Order the artillery team to push the artillery to the front of the camp, deploy two cavalry teams to both sides of the camp, and deploy an infantry regiment to the rear to support the formation."
John shouted his command loudly, his tone firm and powerful. He knew that he had to make all preparations before the enemy charged in order to gain the upper hand.
The artillery responded quickly and pushed the artillery to the front of the camp. Several soldiers cooperated tacitly and began to load ammunition in an orderly manner. John monitored the overall situation and made sure that everything was carried out according to his orders. When the artillery was ready, his eyes were involuntarily locked on the approaching Murcian army.
At this moment, Murcia's armored camel cavalry had already formed their formation, and the charge horn sounded in the air, shocking people's hearts.
The distance between the two sides was rapidly shortening, and the atmosphere of the battle became increasingly tense. When the enemy was less than a mile away from the camp, John gave an order:
"Fire!"
Following his command, flames spurted out of the muzzles, and the solid bullets were like roaring beasts, accurately shooting at the camel cavalry that had gathered in formation. With a loud bang, the shells cut through the air and landed heavily in the enemy formation, instantly splashing a cloud of blood in the cavalry. The camel cavalry was in chaos during the bombardment, and some camels began to rush out of the team uncontrollably, and the cavalry formation that had just been neat immediately scattered.
At the same time, the organ cannons nearby also began to show their power, firing shells continuously and hitting the camel cavalry who survived the artillery fire. Accompanied by bursts of roars, the Murcian soldiers in the distance, although brave, could not help but show fear on their faces.
At this time, Greek fire also began to spray at close range, and boiling hot oil gushed out like a tidal wave. The camel cavalry who failed to find cover were instantly engulfed in the flames. The camels let out low wails, and the soldiers struggled painfully in the sea of fire, becoming blazing fireballs.
After a while, the cannon fire stopped, and thick smoke and flames filled the battlefield. The air was filled with the pungent smell of smoke and a hint of burnt barbecue. The sound of horse hooves penetrated the camp, and the few surviving Murcian cavalry retreated in panic. Their armor was covered with ashes and blood, and after the baptism of battle, their expressions looked tired and desperate.
John stood at the edge of the camp, with his army in neat formation behind him and the ruined scene in front of him after being hit by artillery shells. The ground was littered with the bodies of fallen Murcian soldiers and camels, and the brutality of the battle suddenly appeared before his eyes.
"Sir, should we bombard the opposite wall and gate next?"
An artillery officer approached and asked, his voice particularly clear in the chaos.
John looked up at the city gate that was slowly closing in the distance. He shook his head and said:
"No hurry, let's surround it for a while first. Even if we take it down now, we can only get a ruin. Real shells are useless now. It's better to give the residents in the city sugar-coated shells."