Marshal Billund received a second letter for help from Bordeaux on the third day after the shelling of Bordeaux.

The letter was supposed to have been delivered earlier, but Marshal Billund's army had already been assembled, and the unfurled army of 10,000 was about to cross the Marlone River and attack the city of Cahors.

The letter for help kept him moving.

Because along with the news that 'the besieging army had increased to 5,000 or more', there was also the news that 'Chen Jiujing, the marshal of the Ming army who had plundered Bordeaux, joined the battlefield under the banner of the Kingdom of Navarre'.

And, of course, the defenders' determination to live and die with Bordeaux.

This is illogical for Marshal Birlon.

"How could the king of Navarre, despite the presence of Catholics, openly claim that Navarre is the refuge of all the Huguenots?"

Only half a day's later letter answered the question of Marshal Billund, who did not know whether to go west to relieve the siege of Pau or to go east to avenge the siege of Kacheng.

The banner with a large gold chain on a blue background does not represent King Henry Bourbon, but Marguerite, Princess of France and Queen of Navarre.

After the artillery bombardment, the Ming army and the Spanish army did not attack, only the knight shrouded in plate armor beside Chen Jiujing rode to the city, lifted the mask to reveal her identity to the city, and persuaded the defenders to surrender.

Henry Bourbon was a Huguenot, but Queen Margaret was a devout Catholic by birth, and it was perfectly normal for the Spanish Legion to stand behind her.

Therefore, after only half a day, the third letter was no longer a letter asking for help, but like an ultimatum: "The cannon has blasted out of the gap in the city wall, and more people have appeared outside the city, and the original plan may not succeed." We will defend the city for the king for six days, after which Bordeaux will surrender to the queen. ”

Marshal Billund, who had joined the cavalry as a baron, closed his eyes in distress as he clutched the letter, which he clutched together and muttered, "Queen Margot, Queen Margot." ”

When Margot was a little girl, Billund was only a lowly baron from a large family, and was selected to serve as Princess Margot's chamberlain for a short time, and when he was serving as a princess's chamberlain, he was favored by Marshal Brissac, who entered and left the court.

On the recommendation of the marshal, the little baron went to serve in the army at the end of the Italian War, which made him lame, but also became the commander of the cavalry under the old Duke of Guise.

He was saddened by everything that happened to France, and the most painful of all was undoubtedly the royal family of Valois.

A wise king should stabilize his kingdom, but his king can't even stabilize his own family, let alone stabilize his own kingdom.

The younger brother, the Duke of Anjou, raised troops next to Paris at every turn, and his sister, who married into the feudal kingdom, not only did not help the family think about it, but also thought about helping her husband sit in the position where her brother was now sitting.

How he remembered the glory of the French in the Italian War and the Habsburgs for European hegemony under the banner of the king!

And what is the situation now? Did the French dukes join the frenzy with foreigners in this melee that would determine the fate of France?

Whether he had sympathy for the slaughtered Protestants or a heartache for the internal strife in France, Billund was reluctant to meet the Bourbon Henry of Navarre.

For apparently it was a more brilliant king than Henry III.

But at this moment, the French princess appeared in Bordeaux with the Ming army and the Spanish army, and the situation was beyond him.

Marshal Billund, who had no other choice, sent horsemen to inform the king of Paris of the news, requesting that more standing troops be sent to support the two-front operations in the province of Guyenne, and that another force should be sent south to attack any fortress belonging to the kingdom of Navarre that could be captured on the way, with a view to reuniting the two enemy armies as late as possible.

At the same time, the army rose up camp on the banks of the Donon River in the evening, and retreated along the road from which it came, and he was to go to Bordeaux by another road.

Unlike Wang's army, which was actively seeking war, the situation in Bordeaux was not as urgent as the letter for help suggested.

In the vineyards on the left bank of Bordeaux, the Count of Potak, representing the defenders, is exchanging glasses with the hussar general Chen Jiujing and Queen Margaret of Navarre.

Although they were all dressed in armor, the atmosphere was like that of the port of the Gironde that divides Bordeaux in the middle, avoiding the calm of a direct impact from the sea.

Margaret, who had pulled her veil open, sat on the chair like a thin man, and she squeezed a grape into her glass, raised her glass to Count Potak, and said, "Then, in three days, the defenders will surrender to me, and the gentlemen of the city have made a wise choice." ”

There was no one happier than Count Potak, and now this vast vineyard estate belonged to him, reserved for the rest of Queen Navarre, who respectfully raised his glass and said, "In these days we will provide grain, fruits, vegetables, and some meat for the queen's army, in exchange for peace." ”

"And I vouch with honor that if Marshal Billund arrives with his army, the city of Bordeaux will not join you in the war against the king." Potak pursed his lips and said, "But the final ownership of Bordeaux City is still up to you, even if the deadline is overdue, but Billund arrives, Bordeaux will not join your army, I hope the queen understands." ”

Margaret was immersed in the excitement of 'leading troops to win a war', she was happy like a little girl, and glanced back at Chen Jiujing who was sitting on the chair beside her before smiling at Potak: "Your Excellency, please rest assured, I don't need more troops. ”

After that, she said to Chen Jiujing: "What do you think, my general?" ”

"Isn't there anyone in the city who speaks harshly?"

Chen Jiujing, who was puffing on his pipe, looked very lost and confused, and his majestic back in armor leaned back against the chair, and two angry smoke erupted from his nostrils: "For example, if you want to recover the losses from the last battle, or for the sake of honor, don't you talk about honor and fight me to the death for honor?" Is there really no such person? ”

His words embarrassed Count Potak, and after a pause he whispered, "No, no, honorable general, everyone is very happy to have reached an agreement with the queen." ”

"Alas......"

Chen Jiujing sighed for a long time, and suddenly raised his hand and waved at the knight riding around the manor in the distance, and said to Potak: "Do you see that big man, that's my lieutenant Kangguru, I promised him that he would get more plates from Bordeaux than last time and give it to him, you should have seen it last time." ”

"This is a difficult thing for me to do, and last night he slipped into my tent and said that he found you all beautiful in new armor and on new horses."

Chen Jiujing raised his hand and gently rubbed the arch of his eyebrows, and then pointed to the Bordeaux city wall not far away, with a serious expression: "Can the city solve this troublesome matter for me?" Since you don't participate in the battle, it's useless to keep the armor, weapons, and horses, right? ”