Chapter 68: The Uninvited Guest

  Late October on the East European Plain, clear sky with white clouds, except for the slightly cool air, everything is perfect.

  Kyiv, the Roman Empire's artillery positions set up outside the city continuously poured shells into the city. On average, every three hours, the empire would fire at the city for thirty minutes without interruption, allowing people inside to wait and do something else.

  6-pound and 8-pound solid shot, flew incessantly over the low-lying Russian battery at Kiev, smashing into its position. All the Russians who were defending the city could do was gaze blankly at the shells flying through the air with a visible trajectory before landing within the city walls. As an ancient city with a rich history, the old brick walls of Kiev were pockmarked with holes like wood shavings scattered everywhere. Further inside the city, many buildings became precarious, and black smoke from fires could be seen for tens of miles around.

  Now that we have successfully besieged Kiev and won two small victories, the next step is to make arrangements for the next move.

  "Should we attack Kiev and take this city? Anyway, the old commander's order is to go north to besiege Kiev, pin down the Russian army from Minsk, why not take this city and defend it after we take it? Commander of the Legion, we ask for the honor of putting the eagle flag on the head of Kiev!"

  Two legions' commanders who missed two battles are eager for action.

  "Will an attack inflict damage on the Empire's troops and also cause damage to defensive installations, with a destroyed city to counter Minsk's garrison?"

  "Provisions are estimated to be insufficient; our transport vehicles can carry less than two months' worth of provisions."

  "You are all cowards! How can a brave Roman be afraid of death? Commander of the legion, let me lead the troops, I will personally plant the flag of Rome on the head of Kiev!"

  "How dare you speak like that!"

  "That's enough!" Seeing a good military council turn into a quarrel, Uncle Zimisya intervened to stop the two corps commanders. "I don't want to take Kiev at all. Alright, you both come here, I'll give out orders."

  The main force remains in place, besieges Kiev, sends out cavalry, and has the Poles coordinate to destroy the pro-Russian Polish nobles' forces around them. Before the Russian army's main force makes a move in Minsk, this is Rome's next deployment.

  Each of the legion commanders departed to receive their assigned tasks, and in the large tent where the military council had been held, only I, Uncle Zimisces, and one-eyed General Cristini remained.

  "Your Highness, what do you think of my arrangements this time?" asked Uncle Zimis Zia.

  "The Russian garrison in Minsk not only had to defend the territory, but also suppress local uprisings, with a force of over 70,000 men. After capturing Kiev, we would have to hold it, and even if we didn't consider the losses during the siege, the defensive fortifications were insufficient for another battle. Moreover, the city couldn't accommodate our tens of thousands of troops. Holding out here with our forces might attract the Russian army, but it could also lead to us being worn down, or even hindering Sviatoslav's main force on that side.

  I thought about the drawbacks of holding Kiev and felt that this place was really unpalatable. Who would have thought that the supply lines were so long? The plan proposed by the legion commander is quite good: surround Kiev without attacking it, send cavalry to cooperate with the Poles, sweep through the surrounding areas, take away everything that can be taken, move away everything that can be moved, and let the Russians coming from the south have nothing to eat. This will be very beneficial for our future battles."

  Uncle Zimushka nodded in satisfaction: "That's right, that's what I mean, lock up Kiev, let our troops eat the grain around, and when Minsk's Russian army comes here, there will be no grain to use!"

  Apart from Rome, European countries basically did not have to worry about supplying food for their troops. They had almost no logistical burdens and no such concept, so it was a tradition to eat wherever they went. Unexpectedly, the tactics used by the Russians in the past to defeat Sweden, Napoleon, and Hitler were actually useful for us.

  Czernichew Uncle gave me a task later, with all the Polish vassal cavalry, to go to each corps and take three battalions of Imperial infantry, he also gave me two hussar battalions to cooperate with my cuirassier battalion to visit the Poles in the vicinity of Zhytomyr, as far as we can reach.

  Since it's a rush to complete the task before the Russians arrive, it's naturally better to set off as early as possible. The command of the Cossack regiment was handed over to Uncle Zimisya on the first day, so I didn't need to think about selecting the Cossacks, and I immediately took the order from Uncle Zimisya to each major military unit to recruit people.

  The three legions that had come into contact with the enemy in front, having suffered some casualties and having marched continuously, were exhausted, so those men were not considered, and the three infantry regiments had to be chosen from the two newly arrived legions.

  The commander of the Fifth Legion, Hypatius, received me warmly. This slightly stout man in his fifties had just made a deep impression on everyone with his loud voice and generous words in the military tent, as if he was ready to sacrifice himself for Rome at any moment. Upon learning that I needed three infantry battalions, he immediately spoke generously, allowing me to choose whichever battalion I wanted from the legion.

  Hippias quickly assembled the soldiers in the legion, arrayed by battalion in the legion's camp.

  "It's truly enviable that Your Excellency can lead troops into battle!" The fifth Spartan Legion Commander, Hypatias, suddenly said this sentence of admiration for no reason.

  I smiled and asked him in return: "Aren't we all serving the Empire now?"

  "Your Highness, I'm just a commoner from Anatolia. Fighting, brawling, and stealing from those heathens are everyday things for me. Since I was young, I've been used to speaking with my fists. War is simple, it's about using your fists to speak. The army has arrived, why bother besieging the city? Look at those aristocratic generals, one by one making excuses for their cowardice!" Shi Bei Yas vented his grievances.

  "Are you also dissatisfied with the Legion Commander's strategy?" I thought to myself.

  Chippyias didn't care at all what Zimis Zia uncle was to me: "Yes!"

  "You're a very charismatic general."

  He nodded his head in approval at the cunning general, giving him a fairly decent evaluation. In any case, I had already taken notice of this person.

  "I just like being straightforward."

  Is Hepias straightforward?

  I was just wondering why he was so eager to attack and even claimed that he would personally lead the team to capture Kiev, it turns out that he was trying to impress me in front of everyone, and the reason is that he said he was a civilian.

  The commoners of the empire generally reached the position of legion commander, and it was difficult to climb further. At this time, based on the experience and strategy accumulated over hundreds of years, the commoner who became a legion commander had a title of knight. The most stable approach at this time was to find a middle or lower-level noble lady or a wealthy family to marry into, laying the foundation for future generations. Within three generations, let their grandson become a baron or viscount. However, some commoners who were favored by the great nobles could rise rapidly, like Old Man Sha, whose title before his death was a military earl.

  I chose two infantry battalions and left the camp of Hippieus, went to the 10th Rheinsteiner regiment, selected one infantry battalion. Three infantry battalions were chosen, it was also dusk, time for dinner in the military camp.

  In the army, the staple food is bread, and meat is mainly beef and pork. Due to Orthodox beliefs, during Lent, the army will switch to fish oil and even vegetarian meals. Of course, these are all foods provided in peacetime garrisons.

  In peacetime marching, Roman military camps provided food from Viking traditional practices, "stir-fry".

  The staple food was still 1 pound of bread. After a day's march, the soldiers received their bread and gathered around the marching pot, putting olive oil, meat, vegetables, onions, and salt into the pot for slow stewing. After finishing dinner, the remaining residue at the bottom of the pot would be reserved for use on the second day. If there was a lack of vegetables and other supplies, they would directly put bread or biscuits in boiling water to make porridge.

  Next to each marching pot, the quartermaster of the company, accompanied by a flag bearer, acts as a cook and distributes food. After receiving bread and food, soldiers would sign their name with the quartermaster and then receive their daily ration of wine. In Roman armies, wine was very important, just like condoms and chocolate for American GIs.

  In my Atalanti cavalry regiment, I, as the commander of the regiment, had a dinner that was identical to everyone else's. The bread was dipped in a murky mixture of taste and color, and just as I swallowed it, a big shot swaggered past the gate, making me stare with wide eyes.

  A German young lady appeared, dressed in a deep blue coat with white facings, such as foreign cadets wear, and having a blue shoulder-belt, and a three-cornered hat on her head, and this pretty creature had also stuck a cockade and some ostrich feathers on the edge of her hat.

  The first thought that came to my mind when I saw Fidelia was stealing military secrets, but this is not the 21st century, where foreign officers pay money to serve as interns in another country's army as their first step in a military career.

  "What is she doing here? The Roman army isn't a place where you can just pay money to come and learn stealth." The sneaky Assassin suddenly appeared from behind me.

  I couldn't help but laugh and say, "I think it was my father who sent her. Having a Prussian prince in the Roman army to scare off the Russians is not a bad choice."

  Just as we were talking, Filletia came over and gave a greeting "Yo!", then looked at Assassin beside her.

  "Your friend?"

  "I'm Hans' bodyguard. Is Hans also here?"

  "Yes, so I came looking for you."

  "As expected." I turned my head and smiled wryly at Assassin. ________________________________________ Some people say that France is an agricultural power, so they can get eggs, Rome can use olive oil.... In fact, during the conquest of Russia, Napoleon's army got their eggs not from France, but from the Russian old men who were robbed by the French soldiers holding high the tricolor flag of liberty, democracy and revolution. Of course, as a major meat supplier in Europe, Poland also contributed some, Prussia also contributed some... And, I saw some data the other day, in 1830, at some point, the price of oil in London was seven times that of eggs... In North America, it was five times...