vstars Chapter 391 Pre-war Arrangement
Chapter 391 Pre-war Arrangement
After returning to Acre, John Xun summoned the generals, the presidents of the various chambers of commerce, and the leaders of the mercenary groups stationed in the city to the hall in the castle. For a moment, the hall was filled with noise, and the atmosphere was solemn and tense.
Through the back door of the hall, John looked at the people in the hall, then took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and strode forward under the protection of the knights, and stood in the middle of the hall. He cleared his throat and said in a sonorous and powerful voice:
"Everyone, I have important news to tell you. The northern Kusha army is about to march south, and it is estimated that there may be hundreds of thousands of people!"
The hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at each other with anxiety and uneasiness on their faces. John continued:
"This huge force, directly attacking Acre, will pose an unprecedented threat to us. I hope you can join me in resisting the attacks of the pagans and jointly defend the Lord's only fortress in the pagan land."
After saying this, John sat on the chair behind him, then raised his hand to signal everyone to speak.
At this moment, a thin Chamber of Commerce president stood up, with a thoughtful look on his face, and then began to say:
"If the Kusha army really has hundreds of thousands of people as you said, their logistical costs will be extremely huge."
The president paused, attracting everyone's attention.
"We can collect all the food around Acre and bring it into the city, and strictly control the flow of food in and out. When the Kushans really besiege our city, we only need to defend the city. By next year, they will definitely be short of food and grass."
The Chamber of Commerce president continued:
"Since Acre is surrounded by desert, the Kushans have no way of getting supplies locally. If they transport food and grass from the north, it will be too late. By then, the Kushans will inevitably suffer from low morale and dispersed military spirit, and will eventually be forced to retreat!"
John nodded, with a determined light in his eyes:
"That's exactly what I was thinking. However, I hope to invest in purchasing a large amount of food from various chambers of commerce, and at the same time hire guards from your chamber of commerce to help guard Acre City. I hope you can give me a suitable price."
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of the Chamber of Commerce presidents changed immediately, and they whispered to each other and exchanged their views. They knew in their hearts that defending Akka City was not only about ensuring the safety of the residents in the city, but also about protecting the wealth they had accumulated with great effort. As a result, the atmosphere at the meeting instantly became heated.
An elderly Chamber of Commerce president stood up and said with a smile:
Lord John, we all know that this war concerns the future of all of us. The safety of Acre is closely related to our property, and defending the city is to defend our interests. Therefore, we will definitely fully support your plan. "
After he finished speaking, the presidents of the surrounding chambers of commerce expressed their willingness to support John in this battle.
When the Chamber of Commerce representatives finished their speeches, a deep and sonorous voice came from one side of the hall. A fully armed mercenary group leader stood up and fixed his eyes on John:
"Lord John, since you hired us to defend the city for you, how much are you willing to pay us?"
John looked directly at the captain and replied:
"I will send someone to review the number of people and weapons and equipment of each of your mercenary groups to confirm this. Mercenary groups with large numbers and good equipment will definitely receive generous rewards. Of course, the tasks they undertake will also be more important."
The leader nodded slightly, seeming to approve of the answer. The mercenaries beside him whispered to each other and began to discuss their respective advantages and conditions.
After the meeting, everyone left the castle and rushed to all directions to prepare for the war. John calmed down and began to issue various policies to the city to ensure that the city's guard deployment was in order.
First of all, the first order John issued was to require the soldiers to closely guard the gates and ports of Acre. Only entry was allowed, but no exit was allowed. All ships had to undergo strict inspection before leaving the port to ensure that no suspicious persons or objects could enter or leave.
He then instructed the army to send troops to the villages under the jurisdiction of Acre and ordered all the food and livestock in the villages to be transported to the city.
At the same time, John posted notices about the upcoming war and conscription in prominent locations in the city to inform residents of the current urgent situation. The notices were written neatly and clearly, reminding every citizen to prepare for the upcoming war and encouraging capable young people to actively respond to the call for conscription to defend their homes.
In order to prevent the economic turmoil caused by the war, John also specifically ordered various chambers of commerce to stabilize prices and prohibit any merchants from taking the opportunity to raise prices.
In addition, for those residents who were unwilling to stay in the city, he ordered people to prepare transport ships to ensure that those who were willing to leave could smoothly go to the port of the French King's Hall. After all, food was limited, and since these people were unwilling to fight, staying in the city would only waste food.
In terms of the city's defense, John ordered the craftsmen to reinforce the city walls and repair the damaged areas. He also specially assigned soldiers to prepare rolling logs and pounding stones and other defensive equipment, and sent people to check the catapults, crossbows and artillery on the city walls one by one to ensure that these weapons could function normally at the critical moment.
As the sun gradually set, John stood on the city wall, feeling uneasy. His eyes followed the afterglow of the setting sun, and he felt uneasy in his heart, thinking about the upcoming battle. To be honest, he did not want to fight the army of Calixces.
However, the reality is cruel, the situation can no longer be reversed, and he must face the upcoming challenge. John kept praying in his heart, hoping that the reinforcements from Reynald and the French King's Hall would arrive as soon as possible.
More than a month later, as the sun scorched the earth, a scout rode a camel and hurried to the city of Acre. After being strictly checked by the soldiers guarding the city, the scout immediately ran towards the castle and was finally summoned by John.
When the scout saw John, he immediately saluted and reported:
"Report, Lord John! Less than a hundred miles north of Acre, we have discovered several Kusha armies, each with no less than 100,000 soldiers!"
John nodded, and then opened the system map. In the area where the fog of war met north of Acre City, several character models did appear. Among these models, a conspicuous figure immediately awakened John's memory of his previous life.
This person is the future ruler of the Kusha Empire, the overlord who can sweep across the continent, known as the strongest apostle under the Hand of God - Galisica, or the more well-known name, the Emperor of Terror.