Chapter 35: Mithradat's Scheme

After a long time, the adjutant Phellisius came over and reported: "The whole army is ready. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info”

Davers announced with a blank face: "Let's go." ”

Before, he didn't feel obvious in the team, but now, as the leader, looking down on the overall situation, he found a problem. In his previous life, although he was not a soldier, he watched movies and visited forums, and he knew that one of the foundations of the army's victory in battles was strict discipline and rapid mobility. Fortunately, it took more than an hour from the trumpet blowing to the end of the procession, and this procrastination had extinguished half of the excitement of his new chieftaincy.

Now, having no prestige in military affairs, he can only quietly observe, write down all the malpractices, think of solutions, and wait until the time is ripe before he can talk about rectifying the army and reforming the military system.

When the group was almost halfway out of the camp, Pherisius said, "Chief Davers, it's time for us to go. ”

Davers nodded, Shilos had already brought his horse. Yesterday, when Davers learned that the leader had a horse to ride, he was quite nervous, he had not ridden a horse in his previous life. Who knew that after riding, he was actually in control. It turned out that one of the most powerful horse-riding races in the Mediterranean world at that time was the Thessalians, the original owner of this body had been herding sheep and horses since childhood, and the remaining memories and instinctive physical memories were enough for Davers to control the horses freely.

He grabbed the reins of the horse, jumped onto the horse, clamped his legs slightly, and the horse raised its head and neighed lightly, moved its hooves, and trotted forward.

Davers sat on top of it with his head held high. Yesterday, Tolmid's words made him stop thinking about sharing the weal and woe with the soldiers, and give up his horses to the old, infirm, and disabled soldiers. Now he needs to be high on his horse, always reminding the soldiers: he, Davers is the leader of the whole army! As for those practices of buying people's hearts, let's wait until he becomes a famous general who shocks the world.

Riding on the horse, looking at the mighty procession, Davers naturally had a pride in his heart: the husband should be like this!

Davers led his horse slowly, followed by Pherisius and Assistes, followed by the Shiros escort on foot. After leaving the barracks, we marched a little further forward to the place where the whole army converged.

Davers thought that his team was slow, but he didn't expect that other teams had not arrived, and it seemed that procrastination was a common problem of mercenaries, and everyone was used to it.

The Spartan procession of Chrythops had already stood in front of them, and as Davers rode over to greet him, there was quite a commotion in the passing procession, and the other soldiers of the barracks recognized him as the leader of the brilliant speech he had made yesterday, but there were still some who were jealous and dissatisfied with the condescension of a young man who had not yet dried up, and said bad things that questioned his command ability, which made Asistes blushing and angry. Davers, however, did not hear it, and only looked forward.

Only the group of Chrysops was silent as if they had not seen his arrival, which made Davers take a serious look at these true Spartan warriors: they were dressed in full armament, arranged in a neat phalanx, and all of them stood silently, like green pines standing tall and tall, becoming a unique scenery at this noisy confluence. And in their sharp and murderous eyes, Davers felt what a powerful power this silence would unleash once it broke out! Physical, skill, tactics, discipline, all in one, this is the Spartan warrior!

Davers looked enviously: when will he be able to command such an elite soldier! Only later did he learn that only about a third of the soldiers in Chrythops' army were real Spartan warriors, and the rest were Periasians.

The Spartan army was flanked by a group of small mercenaries such as Sosis and Pacion, and after the all-army meeting, most of them joined the team of Chrysops, and several other leaders also joined the team, except for Davers's barracks, which was not of interest. In this regard, Davers also felt helpless.

Davers's army was very fast this time, because it basically followed the order in which it had left the camp: on the outermost side were the heavy infantry columns, divided into four columns, the first column in turn backwards; On the inside is a column of light infantry, divided into two columns, so that the column length of the light and heavy infantry is the same, about half a mile long in front and back. When the enemy attacks from the outside of the left flank, the soldiers of the marching column can immediately turn to the right, with the heavy infantry in front and the light infantry in the rear, and quickly form a regular battle formation. The baggage battalion was located on the inside of the light infantry, to the left of this huge central clearing. Davers and his convoy were between the light infantry and the baggage battalion.

About half an hour later, the battalions were lined up, the brass trumpets sounded again, and they were finally ready to set off.

The march was not fast, and was mainly dragged down by the various baggage battalions, and tents, food, medicines, goods, and other supplies that could not be carried by men had to be carried by oxen and horses. Horses should not carry too heavy wagons, otherwise the harness will pinch their necks and trachea, causing suffocation; Bulls are stronger than horses, but they don't have good stamina and are not very reliable in temperament.

Davers saw Merses in the baggage camp, shuttling back and forth, dealing with unexpected situations, and calling for the help of the soldiers from time to time. Davers secretly congratulated himself on following Merses' advice and sent him a squadron to assist the baggage battalion in advance. Eventually, Davers' eyes fell on Christoya, one of the women, who was easily recognizable in her figure and temperament, even though she was dressed in the same way.

Christoya seemed to have sensed it, and turned her head to look this way.

Davos hurriedly withdrew his gaze.

"You can't walk ten miles in an hour at such a marching speed." He said.

"It's good that there is no Persian infestation." As soon as Phellisius finished speaking, there was a commotion behind him.

"What happened?" Davers's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked.

Assistes immediately sent heralds to the rear to check on them.

After a while, the herald rode back: "It's the Persian general Mithradhat!" He took about thirty cavalrymen with him and loudly persuaded him to surrender not far from the right flank of the whole army! ”

Attack the heart! Davers frowned.

"Mithradat is the general of Cyrus the Younger, but his trick doesn't work, we have been to the Persians once, and fools will go a second time." Felicius said unhurriedly.

Davers nodded and said, "Spy on Mithradat and keep investing!" "At the same time, let Assistes send another herald, so that the news can be sent back alternately.

……

"More than twenty soldiers, throwing away their weapons, ran to the Persians! …… They...... They surrendered to Mithradhat! ”

Davers' heart stirred, it was clear that Phelicus had overestimated the wisdom of the mercenaries. What's more, Hieronymus's troops were arguing over the election of a leader yesterday, and now they are easily torn apart by Mithradat with a lie to tear a crack between the ununited Hieronymus troops, will it cause a snowball effect on the whole army? Davers began to worry.

"Mithradat went around the rear of the whole army and shouted to the troops of Criano! …… About ten more soldiers threw down their weapons and ran to the Persians! ”

Damn it! Davers's fears are being fulfilled.

Phellisius was equally nervous.

It seems that Mithradat is ready to circle around the huge formation of mercenaries, constantly breaking the fighting spirit of the soldiers. Moreover, he will soon be in front of the troops of Davers!

"If only I could get rid of him." Assistes said hatefully. But he also knew that it was impossible, the other side was light cavalry, coming and going like the wind, and the mercenaries had no cavalry at all.

"Just shoot him with a javelin!" Matonis drew his javelin from his back and shouted loudly in the convoy.

"How to shoot?! By the time you get your javelin out, the Persians will have already run away! Moreover, the javelin is not as far as the Persians' horse bows! Arcisstes retorted.

A flash of inspiration flashed through Davers's mind, and he eagerly asked the herald, "How far is Mithradat from our array when he shouts?" ”

"About a hundred meters away."

"Did the Persians retreat when the surrendered soldiers ran over?"

"Nope."

……

Davers asked a few questions in a row, and after receiving the answers, he faced Philicius's puzzled gaze, muttered for a moment, and then said to Philicius: "Now, I have an idea, do you think it will work?" ”