The city of Bremen was burned, and the Norman count Hunter was killed in battle.

The demons from the sea came as fast as they ran. They were killing everywhere. Many villages were reduced to ruins, and a large number of people poured into the direction of Hamburg in the north.

Almost all of the people who went to Hamburg were Saxons. If they were Franks, they would flee to the south immediately.

Once, Hamburg was a small tribe of Saxons since ancient times. Who would have thought that making a military fortress occupied and transformed by the Franks would become the hope of a large number of Saxons.

It was because of the destruction of the Normans along the Weser River that the villages were withered and houses were turned into ruins, the city of Bremen was also reduced to ashes, and the local St. Peter's Church and many refugees were turned into powder.

The entire Earl of Bremen has become almost empty, and the people who have fled have gone their separate ways. Some of them fled to the Earl of Flanders (now the north of the Netherlands), some of them could not escape to the Earl of Cologne, and even further fled to the Earl of Rheingau further south.

Most of the refugees who escaped were Frankish. Also during the Conquest of Charlemagne, a large number of Franks were forcibly migrated to the newly conquered Saxon territories and mixed with the natives.

Now Charlemagne is long gone, and even his successor, Louis the Pious, has died. The civil war has broken out among the three princes over matters such as the right of inheritance and the reduction of the clan.

For the disadvantaged Prince Ludwig, he must join forces with his younger brother, Charles the Bald, in order to defeat the elder brother, the legitimate King Lothair.

However, the destruction of the Bremen region by the Normans was on the eve of the outbreak of the civil war, which meant that his strength had suffered a certain blow before the war.

In the summer of 840 AD, Ludwig's main force had left his loyal Regensburg, from the eastern part of the fief into the central and western part of the fief.

The army was stationed in Mainz and Worms on the banks of the Rhine, which was the fief of Robert, Count of the Rheingau.

As long as the army advances not far south, the first thing to face is Strasbourg, a military town directly controlled by Lothair.

As the de jure king, Lothair, who controls the central region, must fight on two fronts. Fortunately, the area under his control is densely populated, and the population composition is mainly of the same family of Franks. Unlike his two brothers, Ludwig had a large number of Alemanni, Thuringian, Saxon, and even some Sorbian (West Slav) slave soldiers. And Charles the Bald has a large number of Romanized Gauls descendants, as well as Burgundians from the duchy of Burgundy with ambiguous attitudes.

On the Eastern Front, Lothair and Ludwig recently fought a battle. The battlefield was Lautenburg (Kaiserslautern). He was able to take advantage of his strength, but was unable to continue northward and enter Mainz to kill himself. brother Ludwig.

On the Western Front, the Isle of Paris was occupied by Lothair's king's army, and Charles the Bald was forced to shrink strategically.

As a strange fourth party in the war, the Duchy of Burgundy immediately expressed support for the real Lothair. As for the king's order to send troops to attack Charles the Bald, the Duke of Burgundy did send troops, but secretly sent someone to contact Charles. If the two armies keep facing each other, the battle cannot be fought.

Macroscopically, the situation is very good for Lothair. As long as the war drags on, he is confident to force his two younger brothers to come barefoot to Aachen for peace.

This is the situation of the civil war in the Frankish kingdom in 840. Compared with before the outbreak of the civil war, Lothair's actual control area has expanded.

But he was unaware of a series of positive moves by his two younger brothers. For example, Charles the Bald sent an envoy to Rome to ask the Pope to do some practical work as a mediator, and he sent an envoy to the uncontrolled Breeze. Tani area, trying to recruit some mercenaries from the Romanized Celts, who are rebellious and unruly, to fight for themselves.

Lothair didn't even know that his good brother Ludwig was actually trying to win over the Danes.

But, unknown to everyone, Ludwig's series of actions finally attracted a group of polar bears and Nordic sea wolves...

Because of the difficulty in transmitting traffic information, Ludwig, who was far away in Mainz, had no idea what was going on in Jutland and even in the entire Viking world.

The first Frankish vassal to know the news was of course the Earl of Hamburg.

The Count personally led two hundred cavalry all the way north, and prepared all the lower nobles in his own territory, and all Saxon men must also be armed. Because, the intelligence shows that the Normans or the Danes who started the war in Bremen a few years ago made horrific killings!

The messenger carried the parchment letter quickly towards the south. It was a long journey, and it took at least fifteen days for the message to be conveyed by horse and boat.

The Earl of Hamburg is already the northernmost aristocratic jurisdiction in the Frankish Kingdom. It is extremely large, and the power of Earl Robert is theoretically great. Because the vast majority of the submissive Saxon tribal chiefs were canonized as barons and obeyed Robert according to the decree. It's just that Robert and his parents have not used the power conferred by the king for a long time. In fact, he can only rule these traditional Saxon nobles in name, as long as they do not rebel.

This time, no one could ignore the horrors the Normans created. Robert gave an order that all Saxon nobles in the territory must serve immediately and recruit soldiers to fight the possible southward movement of the Normans.

Robert's 200 cavalry arrived first in the northernmost border town of Schleswig. As soon as they arrived, they saw a large number of refugees. They told the terrible wars that took place in the north, as well as all kinds of bizarre stories.

"More than 10,000 long ships landed in Jutland? Horrick is finished this time? Are the Normans still going to invade Frank?!"

Count Robert expanded his barracks in Schleswig, and he had to wait for the incoming vassals and entourages, as well as the army of the Saxon-born nobles.

He could be sure that at least a thousand warriors were grinding their way north on foot. Don't expect the speed of this group of people, they are not Frankish but almost all Saxons, and it is too far-fetched to expect them to die with the Norman Danes.

Fortunately, he recruited a group of men among the refugees in Schleswig and armed them with rudimentary weapons.

His army instantly expanded to the scale of a thousand people, that is, the quality of the soldiers was too stretched.

He inquired about Ludov, the count of Westphalia, from the refugees, hoping that the man would successfully withdraw from the Aleb fortress.

However, Robert didn't receive any news. Thinking of Liudov's bad luck, he had to stick to it. Perhaps the troops at hand were unable to carry the Normans southward, at least they had to resist for a while before withdrawing. Even, look for opportunities to make peace with the Normans to ensure that they will not have unacceptable losses.

Therefore, Schleswig flew the cross flag everywhere, and Charlemagne's three lions battle flag was erected here.

A large number of soldiers composed of Saxon refugees were dressed up by Qiao Zhuang, and the blue fuel they could find smeared huge crosses on the robes made of plain cloth, just like a group of crusaders.

Then Schleswig became extremely calm...

Facing a large saltwater lake, the local people can barely make a living by fishing. It was just in time for the wheat harvest, and Robert was not worried about the lack of supplies for his army.

He still has a naive fantasy in his heart. The so-called Normans also want to harvest wheat in August. Now that wheat is harvested everywhere in the Frankish territory, they can sit and watch the wheat and no one is harvesting? The Normans did not necessarily go south, they were ready for winter after harvesting the wheat.

In Robert's perception, if there was no war in August, then there would never be a Norman invasion incident this year.

The commander was so optimistic, and optimism began to spread in the army.

However, a large number of people who fled did not dare to go north. They fished in the saltwater lake in front of them to store supplies for the winter. They also chose to accept Robert's invitation to arrive in Hamburg in the south to open up farmland along the Elbe River. For the Earl's family.

The war was an opportunity, and Robert, a Farak, naturally lacked the support of the native Saxons, unless there was a favor to the latter. Settling the northern refugees to successfully survive the winter and live a stable life in the future, these people will soon be the people that their family can directly control.

He then declared to his army: "Just keep delaying, until the autumn rains gather, and when the temperature drops, everything will be fine. We only need to wait another twenty days, and then we can go home."

Twenty years? ! Robert, who knew nothing about the war in the north, soon faced disaster.

In a sense, Schleswig refused to conduct a strategic reconnaissance in the north out of fear, so that even the Norman army's strength and the situation of Ludov and Horlick in the north were unknown.

Their fishing boats did not dare to leave the deep Schlei Bay, so they held the attitude of "defending the Maginot fortifications" and prayed that the Normans would not appear.

Then, a large number of rowing longboats are advancing...

It was only a phantom at first, and the sharp-eyed sentry standing in the tower noticed the looming risk.

The horn was still sounding, and the small bronze bell hung high in the monastery was also being struck wildly.

A sentinel quickly reported the terrible scene to his master, and now Robert was completely restless.

The optimism was swept away, because the paddle boats were advancing very fast, and what was even more incredible was that there was actually a cavalry advancing fast along the waterfront.

Behold! Those were flying a lot of Rus flags!

The Rus flag is no stranger to people living in Jutland, and it is no stranger to the Earl of Hamburg himself.

Count Robert was standing on the rammed earth wall of the Great Wall. Facing the continuous advance of the fully identifiable Rus army, he suddenly felt that the world was very unreal.

"This is the real Rus army? They have cavalry? No! Is it really not Ludov's cavalry?"

He muttered in his heart, and immediately overturned his judgment.

Those cavalry were enemies, at least not friendly. Look at the frantic paddling of those boats, they are going to land on the beach!

However, the Schleswig Great Wall under their control has no resistance to them.

resistance? How can it be!

The total length is not long, and it was deliberately stuck in the deepest part of the two bays in the east and west of the Jutland peninsula. The fortification of digging a large trench and ramming a large wall was itself a defense against the Franks. This made it difficult for the Frankish army to cross the border, while the Danish army could sail around the Wall with ease. The fortifications that Chief Godfrey presided over fifty years ago was to bully the Frankish marine forces and pull their hips.

Therefore, the city of Schleswig, occupied by Robert, has no defense at all.

A subordinate warned: "Sir, many people are fleeing, and we must also withdraw."

"You?" Robert glared at the subordinate: "What nonsense. The enemy is about to land, and if no one stops them, the fleeing people will be easily captured like fowls running around."

That's all, he didn't want to think about any distracting thoughts, and raised his arms: "Warriors! Get on the horse! Fight!"

The people who have only been fleeing for a short time are really fowls who are running around. The priests did not leave. They took urns filled with holy oil and arrived at the infantry soldiers who were lining up. They used cypress branches dipped in oil to bless the soldiers who stood firm.

A group of recruited soldiers also escaped. Those guys were already in trouble, and Robert never counted on these people. Fortunately, the infantry from Hamburg's hometown have arrived, even if these people have not been repaired when they arrive.

Blessed warriors will not leave, because the priests say that their original sins are forgiven, and when these savages are defeated, great goodness is accumulated, and if they die in battle, the souls leave to go to heaven.

This scene moved Robert very much, because the huge army was quickly lined up, and he was busy reorganizing the cavalry. Instead, the infantry was settled down by the priest's blessing ceremony, and he had no worries.

As a commander-in-chief, Robert's actions are now worthy of his own monarch, Prince Ludwig.

You must know that he really took out a solid army of 1,400 people, and knowing that the Norman Rus army was about to land, he held high the flag of the cross and the three lions of Charlemagne at Schleswig. An emergency formation was formed on the grass next to the town, looking at this posture, it was about to fight the enemy who was about to land.

The defenders completely abandoned the town, and Robert did not understand and did not want to fight in the streets, especially in the areas near the water, where the Normans could take advantage of tactics.

If they were tricked into some inland areas, the scale of victory would likely be directed towards Frank.

I saw this Count of Hamburg, riding high with his lance in front of the infantry array, and shouting, "Franks! Saxons! Russ and even Danes! They will kill! Now for your own sake! Life, for your wives and children, in order to protect your wealth, go and fight with them!"

If it is to protect their family and wealth, many people will risk their own lives.

Of course, all eyes were on the most effective Frankish cavalry, who ensured that the morale of the infantry was solid.

Most of the infantry formations consisted of Saxon peasants, who were illiterate and seldom left their homeland. A large number of people have lived in the vicinity of Hamburg for generations, many of whom are descendants of the Saxe Hammarburg tribe. Most of them wielded short spears, swords and axes, and their weapons were no different from those of the past barbarian duchy of Saxony.

Only the elite cavalry can maintain the fighting spirit of the army. The key to victory is to use the cavalry to play a tactical advantage.

Look at the cavalry of the Earl of Hamburg. Two hundred cavalry are standing in formation. The soldiers are all wearing chain mail. The horses have leather armors on their chests. The cavalry held a very long lance and looked majestic, so the cavalry maintained Robert's pride.

The cavalry warriors believed that they would easily kill those barbarians, just as Charlemagne's cavalry killed all kinds of barbarian infantry, and even defeated the Avars barbarian cavalry.

As for the annihilation of the Count of Bremen's cavalry, this matter has been selectively ignored by everyone~www.mtlnovel.com~ After all, the news of the death of this great nobleman is too bizarre. Still suspicious. There is a convincing argument that the cavalry was so mired in the mud by the river that they couldn't move at all to be killed by the Normans. After all, the bodies of centaurs and horses were found on the banks of the river. The nobles believed in their own words and believed that the Norman barbarians were invincible and attacked the noble Frankish nobles in the mud.

This is of course not true, if someone could examine the dense holes in the corpses, they would know that they were actually killed by the dense arrow blows. Since the arrows were subsequently recovered by the Ross-Ragnar army as usual, no reliable evidence was left.

The Schleswig battlefield is not muddy land, it is a hard land, especially before the autumn rainy season, the earth is the hardest period of the year. Robert felt he had picked the right battlefield.

He had never played against the Rus, and based on his past experience, he felt that he could recreate the barbarians by relying on traditional tactics.

Dear, click in and give a good review. The higher the score, the faster the update. It is said that those who give full marks to the new ones have finally found a beautiful wife!

The new revision and upgrade address of the mobile station: https://, data and bookmarks are synchronized with the computer station, no ads and fresh reading!