Chapter 1390 - 592: Different Choices, Different Fates

Chapter 1390: Chapter 592: Different Choices, Different Fates

Led by the Old Guard, accompanied by a small number of local nobility’s knight armies and the peasant infantry corps supported by Laine, the rebellion suppression army led by Baron Biocari, Juan Carlos the Sun Watcher, swept across the Southern Leonais with the force of a storm, uprooting one rebel base after another.

Since joining under Laine’s command, Juan has been deeply influenced by Laine. Before departing, he received detailed guidance from Laine. As a Flame Sun Knight, Juan has a very keen eye for strategy and tactics. After fighting several battles with the rebels, Juan immediately judged that although the rebels appeared formidable, in reality, they were vulnerable. They managed to grow and thrive under the local nobility’s extermination mainly by relying on the following aspects.

First, pick up weapons and you’re a rebel; put down weapons and you’re a peasant. Many rebels are cunning, and the Master Knights find it difficult to distinguish them, after all, a peasant wielding a pitchfork might genuinely just be intending to fork grass.

Second, the rebel peasants are very skilled at hiding. When the Master Knights arrive, they hide in the bases, sneak into the hills, hide in the forests, engaging the Master Knights in hide-and-seek. After a prolonged period, the Master Knights, severely lacking in food and having insufficient numbers, can only choose to retreat.

Third, rebel peasants also generally receive sympathy from the common peasants, which is crucial. In Laine’s words, this is called "having a mass base." Although Juan doesn’t quite understand why it’s called this, he comprehends the meaning.

Actually, this problem isn’t very troublesome either, the key lies in trust. The previous Duke of Leonais, Aldred, made a significant mistake in this matter. Being too young, Duke Aldred committed foolish acts like killing captives and exterminating surrenders, which greatly impacted the rebel peasants. Although it served the purpose of deterrence and food conservation, it also caused the peasants to lose faith in the knightly nobility.

Therefore, after detailed discussions with Count Durin and Count Larot, Juan ordered to first distribute relief grain. The distribution method followed the suggestions of Count Durin and Count Larot. Firstly, the relief grain should not be handed over directly to the local knightly nobility, as giving them the grain would surely result in less actually reaching the peasants. Secondly, peasants should not collect the grain individually, as this would be time-consuming, and rebel peasants might mix in and cause chaos.

Juan remembered Laine’s instructions. He sent people to investigate the population of nearby villages, calculated ratios carefully, and then let the village elders lead people to receive bags of black bread. He warned these elders that if any embezzlement or corruption occurred, they would have to pay with their heads.

Shortly after, Juan announced strict military orders, prohibiting any plundering. If supplies were needed, compensation would be given according to market value in grain or money.

Initially, prohibitions against soldiers engaging in illicit sexual activities were also in place, but the issue was that it wasn’t the soldiers looking to engage, but rather peasant women, and even some young noblewomen were proactively approaching. After years of war, widows were numerous. Juan pondered for a long time and could only follow Count Durin and Count Larot’s advice: if you do something, you must take responsibility.

Coincidentally, a peasant infantry soldier who had battled for years under Duke Laine couldn’t resist stealing a few eggs from local peasant families to eat. Juan seized the opportunity for severe punishment, executing twenty lashings in front of the village peasants, leaving the once slightly indulgent peasant infantry bruised and almost lifeless.

This severe punishment not only commanded respect from the troops but also shocked the entire Old Musillon Territory. Rumors spread wildly among the peasants, claiming Duke Laine’s army was different from any other Master Knights! He embodied knightly virtues! We are saved!

This time, when some rebel peasants returned to villages seeking sympathy and supplies, the local peasants’ attitudes immediately changed. They not only refused to sympathize with these rebel peasants but brutally tied them up and brought them to Juan.

Additionally, Belgar taught Juan a particularly cunning tactic. Belgar advised Juan not to completely eliminate the enemy in one annihilation battle but instead let some escape, ensuring they reach the remaining rebel peasants.

Indeed, within a few days, though there were still tens of thousands of rebel peasants, the phrase "Old Guard is invincible" had already spread wildly among them. No matter how their leaders tried to prohibit it, they couldn’t stop it.

Seizing this opportunity, Juan led a group of Old Guards, two peasant infantry corps, a unit of Dwarf Artillery, and knight armies led by Count Durin and Count Larot to set off, preparing to attack the last few strongholds of the rebel peasants.

Like the pressure from the Pale Sisters Peaks, it began to weigh down slowly on the rebel peasants. The terrifying pressure almost suffocated everyone and under such immense pressure, approximately thirty thousand remaining rebel peasants were forced to gather, with their leaders convening and quickly splitting into two factions.

One faction argued for an immediate counterattack against the rebellion suppression army, suggesting defenses along the river before being completely defeated, as the southern forces need to cross the river to continue advancing.

The other faction advocated retreating to the stronghold near Arden Forest, rallying forces for a desperate defense, awaiting the rebellion suppression army to exhaust their provisions as usual.