Chapter 309
For the soldiers to successfully climb the rope bridge in the dark and reach the other side, it required not only courage but also skill. Although it was only about a hundred meters, it was actually very time-consuming. When faced with clumsy soldiers, they crossed the river at a snail's pace. The comrades at the back were anxious but did not dare to make a sound, because a few of them had accidentally fallen into the river and disappeared.
It was already late at night, and one-third of the soldiers of the First Battalion had not crossed the river. Dracos felt that time was running out, and he could not wait here. He ordered the captain of the First Battalion who had not yet crossed the river to organize the soldiers behind him to cross the river. He also reminded Adrianx, the captain of the First Battalion, who had already crossed the river, that when dawn broke, he would immediately lead the First Battalion to attack the defensive camp along the river path and seize it to ensure that the Second Army could smoothly enter the territory of Abyssinia, and then work together to attack Ciudad Abyssinia.
… …
Most of the soldiers who crossed the river lay quietly and orderly on the riverbank under the command of their respective platoon leaders and squad leaders. They seized the time to rest, calm their nerves, and restore their physical strength and energy so that they could be in a better state for the upcoming battle. A small number of soldiers who were in better condition sneaked into the forest and used the tools they brought with them to quietly saw off small trees, cut off branches, and made simple wooden ladders.
As the platoon leader, Adrianx, with a few guards, crawled not far from the defensive camp, and observed the layout of the camp with the faint light of the camp.
At this moment, he felt someone patting his back. He looked back and saw that it was the captain of the first platoon.
He quickly followed him and climbed back. When they were far away from the camp, he sat up and asked, "What's the matter?"
"The warrior who swam across the Krati River has an urgent matter and wants to see you."
"What urgent matter? Is he dying?!" Adrianx said impatiently.
He had been in a bad mood for the past few days. In order to organize a delegation to participate in the Isthmian Games, he had even asked the Devers for permission to not follow the Second Army to reinforce Tarantum. In the end, the expedition team returned with glory, but the delegation he led became the laughing stock of the whole of Greece. After he returned, a few senators in the Senate criticized him for this matter. Although he was protected by the Devers and the former mercenary senators, so he did not receive too much blame, he felt very sullen in his heart.
Coincidentally, when the Bruti War broke out, his old friend Dracos, who knew him well, allowed the First Brigade that he was in charge of to cross the river first. They would take on the responsibility of occupying the defense camp and receiving the entire army. This was a good opportunity for him to prove himself and wash away the humiliation he had suffered.
Adrianx hesitated for a moment, but after considering Secklian's contributions, he decided to take the time to meet him.
At this moment, Cecelian was being treated by the doctor who had crossed the river. Apart from the external injuries, his most serious injuries were two broken ribs on his left side and some damage to his left lung. The doctor fixed the broken bones and bandaged his wound.
When he saw Adrianx, he struggled to stand up but was stopped by the doctor.
"You'd better lie down!" Seeing that his injuries were more serious, Adrianx's tone became gentler. "I heard that you have something to talk to me about?"
"Yes … Captain …" Once Cecelian spoke, his lungs were affected. The pain made his face contort, and his voice was like a broken bellows, making hissing sounds. With great effort, he said, "I heard that you've given the order … to … to attack the enemy's defense camp in the east at daybreak …"
"Yes, it's the Commander's order." Adrianx thought that he wanted to ask for permission to fight, so he said, "You need to rest now. You don't have to participate in the next battle."
"If … If we attack the defense camp first … the enemy in the city will know … that we're here … and they'll defend with all their might … It'll be more difficult for us to conquer Abyssinia, and the casualties among our brothers will increase … Why … Why don't we attack Ciudad Abyssinia directly? I've swum across this river … I know they'll never think … that we … "Cecelian said anxiously, panting even harder. The doctor quickly asked him to stop talking and rest.
Although his voice was intermittent and his words were unclear, Adrianx already understood what he meant. Ciudad Abyssinia is unprepared, so we should take them down with a sneak attack!
Adrianx's eyes brightened. If he could lead a brigade to take down a city by himself, he would undoubtedly be able to wash away the previous humiliation! As for sneak attacks on cities, Diónia had many successful experiences in this area. The key to seizing Amendolara, Neutum, and Grumentum was to act suddenly, attack fiercely, and advance quickly. They had to deal the biggest blow to the enemy in the shortest time possible, causing them to fall into chaos. This had been summarized by the Devers and written into the tactical chapter of "Diónia's Military Law".
Adrianx still remembered something that the Devers had repeatedly emphasized: Be daring to take risks, and at the same time, plan carefully.
Now, he had made up his mind: Not only would he take down the defense camp, but he would also launch a sneak attack on Ciudad Abyssinia! Therefore, he had to think carefully about the situation of Ciudad Abyssinia.
The Devers had written a booklet about Ciudad Abyssinia (in fact, it was the work of Antraporis), and the officers of the Second Legion could recite it backwards. When Adrianx closed his eyes, the internal sketch of the city appeared in his mind: Ciudad Abyssinia was a small city, and the city walls were not made of stone, but double-layered wooden walls (The Bruti region was surrounded by the Greek city-states and was greatly influenced by the Greeks. The walls of each city varied according to their economic strength and the degree of threat. Kenapetiya, Cosenza, and Zweig were all made of stone, Abyssinia was made of wood, and Anbania was just a simple wooden fence). There were about 3,000 soldiers in the city, and according to the continuous observation and reconnaissance on the other side of the river in the past few days, Ciudad Abyssinia had sent no less than 2,000 troops to the west, and they had not returned yet. Therefore, including the defense camp, the remaining forces of Ciudad Abyssinia should be similar to the First Battalion. With the unprepared and unprepared, the possibility of taking down Ciudad Abyssinia independently was very high!
Adrianx did not think of it before because he was used to obeying the orders of his superiors. Now, after thinking it over, he decided to send 300 people to attack the defense camp, and he would personally lead 700 people to attack Ciudad Abyssinia.
He immediately called the company captains and sub-captains to discuss the attack plan, and sent more soldiers into the woods to make more wooden ladders. The movement was naturally bigger than before, but the dark night and the rushing river provided the best cover for their actions. The people of Abyssinia, which had been peaceful for a hundred years, did not build a sentry tower outside the city, and the few sentries on the wooden wall had already fallen asleep. It was still quiet in Ciudad Abyssinia …
… …
Time passed by, and it was too hard for Adrianx to bear. He tossed and turned, and it was difficult for him to sleep.
But the night would eventually pass. When a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, he turned over and sat up. He patted the messenger beside him to wake him up and whispered, "Inform the company captains to start the operation!"
The messenger informed the company captains, and the company captains informed the sub-captains, and the sub-captains informed the sub-captains. The sub-captains woke up the soldiers under them one by one.
The soldiers yawned and picked up their wooden shields and spears. A few of them carried the wooden ladders, and they began to stagger forward with the team officer.
There was no sound of drums, and no bugles. Everything was carried out in silence. The soldiers stared at the waving military flag in front of them in a daze. As the troops slowly moved forward, the scattered formation gradually became orderly, and the confusion on the soldiers' faces was replaced by sobriety.
150 meters … 100 meters … 50 meters … The troops had arrived in front of the city's trench, but there was still no movement on the city wall.
The trench was three meters wide and three meters deep, and there were countless sharpened wooden stakes. The soldiers could not cross it with their bare hands. There was no open space on the other side of the trench, and it was directly connected to the towering wooden wall.
The wooden ladder was put up, and one end was plunged into the soil, and the soldiers were holding it. The other end was not long enough to reach the top of the wall, but it did not matter. When the soldiers climbed to the far end of the ladder, they stretched out their hands and grabbed the top of the wall. With a strong push, they flipped over the top of the wall.
On the walkway, a sentry wrapped in fur was sleeping soundly against the wall. The tremors and sounds of the battlement made him open his eyes in alarm. However, it was too late. More than a dozen wooden ladders were placed on the wall, and more than a dozen soldiers climbed over the wall at once. Very soon, the walkway was filled to the brim. Before the sentry could understand what was going on, he was either killed by gunfire or captured.
Then, the soldiers on top of the wall quickly opened the city gate. The company captains followed the plan and immediately led the soldiers into the city. They divided the soldiers under them into three groups and quickly advanced along the streets.
Success! Adrianx waved his hand excitedly, "Sound the bugles!"
The bugles and military drums sounded at the same time, and the soldiers also took the opportunity to roar. Immediately, the city was in chaos as if there was an earthquake. Whether they were naked and went out to check on the situation, or picked up their weapons and rushed out of their houses, they were met by the soldiers marching along the street. Without any explanation, they were stabbed by the soldiers marching along the street. For a moment, there were screams everywhere … The bloody massacre frightened the people of Abyssinia. They simply hid in their houses and did not dare to move.
Although Ciudad Abyssinia was built in the mountains, it was actually a flat city. Therefore, the first battalion advanced very quickly. In front of them was the great leader's mansion in the center of the city, which was also where the meeting hall was located.
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