But what the princes of the Eight Kingdoms didn't expect was that Marin actually appeared on the city gate tower in person and generously admitted that he had no arrows......

"That's right, we're running out of arrows!"

Munster, an officer of the Earl of Gaelden, who was in charge of the temptation, was also a little stunned:

"Then why are you letting people scold a few adults? Hungry? ”

Marin didn't hide it from him either:

"Because I want to ask you to help fill in these kang kangs!"

"Filling the pit? What do you want? Munster was a little confused.

"I have no arrows, and it will be inconvenient to defend the city. Therefore, I plan to lead my troops out of the city to fight you in a decisive battle. However, these pits not only prevent you, but also prevent our army from going out of the city for a decisive battle. So, just let you send someone to fill the hole......" Marin replied half-truthfully.

"You're going out of the city for a decisive battle? Seriously? Munster's eyes lit up.

The officers of the alliance of the princes of the Eight Kingdoms are tired of this kind of tortoiseshell-like battle. If the opponent can come out of the earth city to fight a decisive battle, wouldn't it be possible to decide the winner quickly with their superior forces? This way, they will also have time to return to their hometowns for the autumn harvest......

It is now the beginning of October, and the autumn harvest in other countries is gradually begining. If the war can be quickly decided, then the soldiers of the alliance of the princes of the eight countries can also rush back to participate in the wheat harvest. After all, there are no harvesters now, and a young and strong male labor is important for the autumn harvest.

Looking at Munster, an enemy officer with an excited face, Marin deliberately pretended to be embarrassed and said:

"We want to go out of the city for a decisive battle, but the problem is that there is not enough space to send troops. Otherwise, you go back and report and say we'll be out of town in three days, but we need enough space. Therefore, I would like to ask your army to retreat 1 lige (the old unit of length, which is divided into two types: the lige on the sea and the lige on land. At sea, one mile is equivalent to about 3.18 nautical miles, which is about 5.56 kilometers. On land, it is equivalent to 3 miles, or about 4.83 kilometers. Here is the land league, that is, 4.83 kilometers), leaving room for our troops to go out of the city and line up. ”

This is also what Marin came up with just now, although blowing down the earthen wall is also a way, but it is too wasteful of gunpowder. Moreover, after the earth wall is blown up, the ground will not be too flat, which will affect the army to excavate the city.

So, it's a good choice to let your opponent back and make room.

In history, there is such an example as the "Battle of the Rivers". It's just that there is no general like Zhu Xu in the enemy army, and he can't take the opportunity to shout "the coalition army is defeated" when the enemy army retreats. Therefore, Marin can only choose to go head-to-head with his opponent.

Fortunately, the 3rd Army and the Cossack Corps were ambushed in a forest southeast of the battlefield. As soon as the battle on this side began, signaled by the sound of artillery, the 3rd Army and the Cossack cavalry would rush out and attack the enemy's flank. In this way, there is no need to worry about the enemy being undefeated......

……

"What? Marin really wants to go out of the city and fight us? No, does he have the confidence to stand up to our army of 40,000? Charles, Earl of Geldon, was puzzled when he heard this.

You know, the current army of 40,000 is different from the previous army of 40,000. Previously, the 40,000 people of the alliance army of the princes of the Eight Kingdoms were mainly composed of 20,000 veterans and 20,000 conscripts, and their combat effectiveness was like that, and they did not dare to say that they could defeat Marin's two legions.

But after the capture of the city of Oldenburg, the situation changed. After absorbing 6,000 Italian mercenaries, the coalition of the princes of the Eight Powers accepted 7,000 private troops of the nobility of Bremen.

Whether it is an Italian mercenary or a noble private army, the combat effectiveness is stronger than that of a pure peasant levy. Therefore, although the number of people has not changed much, the combat effectiveness of this army has been greatly improved.

Today, although the coalition of the princes of the Eight Kingdoms attacking East Friesland still has more than 40,000 troops, only 7,000 conscripts remain. The new 6,000 Italian mercenaries and 7,000 noble private troops, although not very strong, were much stronger than the conscripts composed of farmers.

Now, if it is a head-on battle, the princes of the eight countries will have confidence in their hearts. The eight princes all believed that even if the 20,000 people in Marin's hands were all veterans of the Beihai Kingdom, they could win the battle......

"Could it be that he really sought a decisive battle because he ran out of arrows?" Henry, Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, was puzzled.

Henry, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttle, rolled his eyes and said:

"You can't defend the city without a bow and arrows? How stupid! I think it must be something else. Perhaps, he was afraid of delaying the autumn harvest? ”

"Autumn harvest? If he was worried about the autumn harvest, then why did he send someone to burn the wheat fields in Oldenburg? No......" retorted Henry, Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg.

"You don't believe it, the province of Oldenburg has been occupied by us, and even if the wheat is harvested, it will be cheaper for us. That's why he sent people to burn the wheat fields. But he still has large wheat fields to harvest in East and West Friesland, and those harvests are his own. Henry, Duke of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttle, said with disdain.

Although the two Duke Henry are both from the Welf family and are both called Henry, they don't like each other. No, the two quarreled......

"Don't quarrel with the two Henrys, I think, the words of the two adults are reasonable......" Charlie, Earl of Geldon, hurried out and muddy.

"I think what he said was running out of arrows might be true. And the autumn harvest is probably also what he is concerned about. After all, I've heard that the most wheat fields in the North Sea Country are in the mainland province of East Friesland. And in West Friesland, there are also many wheat fields that belong to Marin himself. ”

"It is said that Marin's main territory is in East Friesland proper. As for Oldenburg, in fact, many estates belonged to some old nobles in the province of Bremen, and Marin was only in charge. I heard that after Marin took charge of those estates, he only gave the old nobles who were sent to Bremen the original output, and the extra production after using fertilizer was privately swallowed. Later, he also changed the territory of those people to Bremen. Moreover, those old nobles in Bremen are not given fertilizer. The betrayal of Marin by the old nobles of Bremen is said to have a lot to do with the lack of fertilizer......"

On this last point, Charlie, Earl of Geldon, was right. The old nobles whose territories were transferred to Bremen not only lost their political rights, but Marin also did not provide them with fertilizer, making it impossible for them to make a fortune. And this is also the key reason for the betrayal of most of the old nobles in Bremen - they don't bring us with them when they get rich, they don't treat us as their own......

Speaking of this, Baron Ginter, the old aristocratic representative of Bremen Province, who was in the last seat of the big tent, was full of anger:

"That's right, Marlin, this guy refuses to give us high-yield fertilizer, and doesn't treat us as his own at all. Since he doesn't treat us as his own, don't blame us for abandoning him! ”

In fact, Marlin was just worried that these people would be tempted to speak out after using the fertilizer and cause a leak. After all, these people have a wide range of contacts and networks. If it's leaked, it's not good. Therefore, Marlin not only did not give them fertilizer, but also did not tell them the actual yield after using fertilizer, but only vaguely told them that the yield per mu had doubled. However, this is enough to make those old aristocrats go crazy with jealousy - why do you eat meat, I can't drink the soup, so I can only watch dry?

Subsequently, several veteran aristocratic representatives of Bremen Province, who were at the end of the seat, complained about Marin's injustice, and turned the military conference into a "grievance conference......

……

Seeing that the meeting was crooked, Magnus I, Duke of Saxony-Lauenburg, coughed and said:

"Guys, let's discuss whether or not we agree to go back 1 mile first!"

"I agree, let Marin take the people out of the city quickly, and we will go back to China to harvest the wheat in good condition. If you don't harvest again, if it rains, the wheat will rot in the field! Antonios, Count of Schaumburg and Count of Ravensburg, said.

"But if we conquer the North Sea Country, won't we get more wheat?" John I, Count of Rietberg, puzzled.

Count Antonios rolled his eyes and said:

"Even if you grab the wheat of the North Sea Country, how much can you share?" After speaking, he also looked at the two Duke Henry sitting on the head.

John I immediately understood - the few little earls of them were here to drink soup, and the two Dukes of Henry were the ones who could really eat meat and take the lion's head. Therefore, they cannot give up the autumn harvest in their country. After all, that's what they're all about.

Probably figured it out, and the other counts, including Magnus I, Duke of Saxony-Lauenburg, agreed to retreat so that Marin's army could come out of the "tortoise shell" of the earthen city and fight them. If they finish early, they will return to China for the autumn harvest. As for the autumn harvest in Beihai Country? Let them harvest themselves, and when they are finished, they will come with a great army and take away the harvested wheat......

In the end, after careful consideration, the two dukes of Henry also agreed to retreat 1 mile. Because they thought that if the war was not ended, the autumn harvest in East and West Friesland would be seriously affected. After the victory of the war, most of this food belonged to them......