Chapter 293 The war is coming. After
more than ten years of development, the Harland territory experienced a fiscal deficit for the first time this year. The amount was 37,000 gold coins, accounting for 8.6% of the fiscal revenue.
In the past few years, the fiscal surplus of Harland Territory totaled about 100,000 gold coins, and the fiscal deficit of 37,000 gold coins was not particularly serious. Relying on the gold coins saved in the treasury can make up for the shortfall.
After the financial meeting, the goddess's birthday soon came.
The Birthday of the Goddess is the final festival of the Grant Kingdom. Although most of the nobles are believers in the God of Kingship and Order, the influence of the Royal Church in the Grant Kingdom is not as deep as that of the Church of the Dawn.
During the Goddess's Birthday Festival, Harland Territory will have a ten-day holiday.
Even in heavily guarded factories and scientific research institutes, except for those who need to be on duty, all have returned home to celebrate the holidays with their families.
During the Goddess's Birthday Festival, the shops in Harland's territory are also particularly prosperous, and craftsmen will sell various small goods on the streets.
Because of the cruel environment in northern Xinjiang, residents in this area are not very fond of saving. Both high-income people and ordinary people have a carpe diem style.
This national characteristic is actually not very conducive to capital accumulation.
But changing the social atmosphere and changing people's concepts is not an easy task.
Although Richard has prestige in the Harland Territory, he can only unite people's hearts and assimilate people from different ethnic groups into the Harland Territory, and comprehensively reshape the national character of the Harland Territory people. This can only be left to the next generation. people.
Not long after the Goddess's Birthday, six primary schools in Harland Territory have begun recruiting students.
This year, Richard lowered the tuition fee again, reducing the annual tuition fee for primary school to two silver coins and fifteen copper coins, and required the school to provide free breakfast. Although these breakfasts only consist of goat's milk and whole wheat brown bread, they can still reduce the burden for children in ordinary families.
Tuition fees have been reduced, and the number of free people has increased significantly. This year, more than 1,600 children are enrolled. On average, each school recruits students from classes six and seven.
After the goddess's birthday, Wendy went to Nolan in person and used 300 magic crystals to exchange a crystal ball for testing qualifications with the Grant Mage Association.
More than a dozen magicians from the Harland territory were all dispatched to test the qualifications of the 1,600 newly admitted children. Fourteen students with magic qualifications were found, and one had intermediate qualifications.
These students with magic qualifications have received special attention from their teachers. After they start practicing meditation, they will join the Harland Mage Association to supplement the Mage Association.
Entering February, the soldiers in Haaland Territory began to fully mobilize and went into emergency alert.
The Magic Hot Air Balloon Troops and the Lion Cavalry all began to take off, scouting the northern area of the Eagle Mountains, looking for the whereabouts of the orcs.
The reconnaissance cavalry brigade will also dispatch elites to cooperate with the operations of the air reconnaissance force.
After years of development, the Harland Territory is now equipped with three magic hot air balloon squadrons. Each squadron is equipped with eight hot air balloon teams. Together with the hot air balloon teams trained by the headquarters, more than 30 groups of hot air balloons can take off for combat. .
After four years of training, the Gryphon Cavalry has trained seven Gryphon Knights. The griffin eggs captured that year were also successfully hatched. In addition, the gryphon population has expanded in recent years, with the number of young gryphons exceeding ten.
By the time of the next Orc invasion, there should be two Griffin squads available.
Because there are third-level archers in the magic hot air balloon team to restrain the harpies, the aerial reconnaissance force of Harland's territory can already compete with the aerial reconnaissance force of an orc army.
However, the situation in the northern Xinjiang region where the enemy is strong and we are weak has not changed. In order to avoid stimulating the orcs' desperate situation, Richard ordered to reduce the intensity of aerial reconnaissance and still focus on ground reconnaissance.
The reason why the orcs were able to take the initiative in fighting humans was that, in addition to the superiority in numbers and strength, the overwhelming advantage of the reconnaissance force was also an important reason.
Once the orcs realize that the Harland Territory has cultivated a large number of aerial reconnaissance forces, they will inevitably concentrate their efforts to destroy the Harland Territory.
Although the Harland Territory has developed rapidly in recent years, it is still not comparable to the huge Orc Empire.
这个风头还是交给格兰特家族来出，到时候就算是天塌了，也有高个子来顶。
通过频繁的侦查，兽人大军渐渐暴露在李察眼中。
这一次兽人果然抽调了大军，涌向了哈兰德领，根据侦察兵的估计，出现在哈兰德领北部地区的兽人已经有三个军团，超过十万大军。
这股强大的力量，单独依靠哈兰德领地根本不可能抗衡。
为了确保情报真实，哈兰德领损失了四个魔法热气球，阵亡失踪的侦察骑兵超过几十人。就连狮骛骑兵，也受伤了两人，一只狮鹜伤势太重，以后可能不能升空飞行了。
侦查到了兽人主力行军路线，李察立刻给后方的主力军团写了求援信。
因为侦查力量全面处于弱势，格兰特王国的策略一向是分兵把守，消耗兽人的力量，然后等待兽人撤军。
这样的策略是非常被动的，每一次兽人入侵，北疆地区都损失不轻。
但是侦查力量比不过兽人，任何主动出击对兽人大军来说都是单方面透明。
贸然离开坚固的城堡，离开经营多年的防线，必然会损失惨重。
多年来的战争经验也证明了这一点，几年前灰熊军团就中了兽人围点打援计策，差一点全军覆灭。
狂狮军团也因为侦查不到兽人主力，贸然出兵同兽人主力决战，落入了兽人陷阱损失惨重。
收到哈兰德领地求援信之后，北境军团军团长拉伯没有贸然出兵，他先是派遣一个主力大队加上一千名辅兵进入普拉托斯堡垒群，与夏普男爵留在领地中的几百名士兵一同镇守这座重要的山道。
然后命令黑河、罗门两郡的贵族联军，合兵四千人进驻到哈兰德领。
虽然第一批援兵只有四千人，李察依旧表现的非常高兴，将四千名贵族联军派遣到盐湖县北界堡之中。
Salt Lake County is located between the two counties of Harland Territory. Once this county is lost, the east and west counties of Harland Territory will be separated. At that time, the two counties will not be able to see each other, and they will be easily divided and annihilated by the orcs.
The geographical location of Salt Lake County is very important and is a focus of the defense of Harland's territory. However, due to the limitation of the number of soldiers, there are only 4,000 defenders in this area.
Among the 4,000 defenders, the main two brigades consisted of 3,000 people, and the auxiliary troops and local security forces were close to 1,000 people.
Even though there are 4,000 soldiers defending it, it is still the weak point of the defense line. This area is equivalent to the egg of Harland's territory. Once it is pinched by the orcs, it is easy to become passive.
Before the war broke out, Richard originally planned to mobilize soldiers to strengthen the defense of Salt Lake County. Now the 4,000 people sent by the noble coalition forces from the two counties can just strengthen this direction. With these 4,000 reinforcements, the defenders of Salt Lake County already have 8,000 people. people.
Eight thousand people guard Salt Lake County, and the orcs can only pose a threat unless they deploy legion-level forces. Richard can hold the remaining troops in his hands and act as a general reserve force.
In order to unify command, Richard appointed Viscount Luomen as the garrison commander of Salt Lake County, and Captain Zhan Nings of the Sixth Battalion as the deputy commander.
The Harland territory is now divided into two counties, with a total area of 56,000 square kilometers. It needs to defend about 400 kilometers of front from east to west.
This 400-kilometer defense line has four defense focus points.
The westernmost is the Platos fortress group. Because the Northern Army has sent reinforcements, the Harland territory does not need to send reinforcements for the time being.
According to aerial reconnaissance, there are about half a legion of orcs in the northern part of Platos' defense line.
The area east of Platos is the core of the Harland territory. From Fort Sophia and Fort William to the Depot and Swamp Basin, they are the focus of Harland territory operations.
A large army is stationed in the Harland territory in this direction. Not only is there a brigade stationed in the swamp basin, but also half a mage regiment. There is also a brigade stationed in the military station.
Fort William is the headquarters of the Harland Territory. It has three infantry brigades, a Warcraft Cavalry brigade, half a scout brigade, and a magic hot air balloon squadron, concentrating the main force of 7,000 troops.
The total number of garrison troops in the three castles exceeds 10,000. If the war is urgent, auxiliary troops, security, intelligence and other second-line combat personnel can be mobilized to mobilize 15,000 troops.
It's just that the second-line forces such as auxiliary troops, security, and intelligence can only defend the city and cannot fight in the field to defeat the orcs head-on.
To the east of the Military Station Passage is Salt Lake County. This area is supported by nobles from two counties in Gedda Province, with a total of 8,000 defenders.
The easternmost is Grotta River County. This county garrison is divided into three castles, with a total of four infantry brigades, five reconnaissance cavalry squadrons, and a magic hot air balloon squadron. The main force is about 7,000 people.
If the battle is to defend the city, two thousand auxiliary troops can be dispatched to cooperate with the battle.
The total number of defenders in the four regions totaled 35,000 soldiers. However, the only ones with stronger combat effectiveness than the orcs in a head-on confrontation were the 20,000 regular troops in Harland Territory.
Through reconnaissance, the orc army rushing towards Harland's territory exceeded three legions, with a total of about 100,000 orcs.
The first to fight against the Harland territory were the Grotta River County orcs.
Canyon Castle is located in the northernmost part of Grotta River County. This castle is located in the east of the Eagle Mountains, only 180 kilometers away from the lair of the legendary green dragon.
Near the castle, there are occasional Yasaurus activities. In order to avoid irritating the legendary green dragon, the demon hunting team led by Harland basically did not operate in this area.
During the period of control of Grotta River County, the Harland territory and the legendary green dragon lived in peace, and no conflicts broke out.
The location of the canyon castle is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Camps were built on the mountain ridges on both sides of the north, which can support each other with the castle in front of the canyon. This castle is completely a military fortress. Apart from the garrison, there are almost no people nearby.
"Attention, the orcs are coming, light the smoke quickly, string the bows and crossbows, and help each other put on the armor. We only have about ten minutes." The defenses in the northern part of Canyon Castle extended about thirty miles
to the north, every ten miles. They all built brick sentry towers, and smoke could be lit inside the sentry tower at any time.
The sentry tower was built on a mountain ridge with a very good line of sight and could monitor the enemy from a long distance. The surrounding big trees were also cut down, and a trench was built at the rear through which one could quickly go down the mountain.
A small-scale military station was established at the foot of the mountain. There were more than a dozen war horses stored in the military station, which could quickly allow the defenders to retreat to the rear.
Stretching northward along the canyon fort, more than twenty guard towers of various sizes were built in the north of several valleys.
Depending on the terrain, there are dozens of scouts stationed in these watch towers, and only a few soldiers. The total number of scout cavalry stationed in the watch towers exceeds 300 regular troops.
It was by relying on these frontline scouts that the enemy situation in the northern part of Canyon Fort could be ascertained.
Since the discovery of the Harpy, the canyon castle defenders have begun full mobilization and can enter a state of war at any time.
On the third day after the Harpy appeared, the orc army appeared in the north of the Fort.
The orc forward group waved a mess of weapons and let out majestic shouts. The orc captain was relatively barbaric. He may have relied on his experience three years ago and rashly launched a siege without careful investigation.
There are about two thousand soldiers in this orc brigade, and the two thousand orcs are divided into seven or eight races. They swarmed up in confusion and began to attack the defense line established by the canyon castle defenders.
The valley in front of Canyon Castle was only a hundred meters wide. Two thousand orcs poured in and it immediately became chaotic.
The soldiers on the walls of Canyon Castle seized the opportunity and fired arrows from the crossbows in their hands.
The arrows were like locusts, constantly shooting through the orcs' shields and leather armor, and for a while, shrill screams could be heard in the canyon. The ragtag group of orcs had begun to disintegrate.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the orc captain immediately mobilized his elite troops, and the snake-like heavy infantry quickly entered the battle, hoping to climb the city wall and break through the defense line.
As a result, the defenders had already set a trap, and when the snake-like man appeared on the battlefield, they immediately threw dozens of alchemical bombs.
After bursts of smoke, crossbows had already been fired from the city wall, and the officers also used enchanted crossbows to point at the snakes and greet them. In an instant, the losses of the snakes had exceeded half.
Seeing that the snakes were about to be wiped out, the orc captain hurriedly urged the harpies to launch a surprise attack to cooperate with the snakes.
As a result, two hot air balloons rose inside the castle.
There were third-level archers on the hot air balloon, and they were also equipped with explosive arrows. The harpies were not aware of it, and three of them were hit by the explosive arrows and exploded into pieces in the air.
Seeing this scene, the harpy was so frightened that he didn't dare to step forward.
Without the cooperation of the harpies and disrupting the battle line, the snakes were quickly surrounded and annihilated by the defenders.
The main backbone suffered heavy losses, and the orcs suddenly couldn't bear the casualties and wanted to withdraw from the battle line.
Seeing that the orcs were retreating, trebuchets on the city wall were fired one after another. The area had already been marked with a firing chart in advance, and countless stone bullets fell into the midst of the retreating orcs. The defenders in the camps on both sides also fired arrows from high places. The orc brigade was besieged from three sides and could not withstand it for too long, and was quickly wiped out.
(End of chapter)