Basel is a border town on the tripartite border, and although the Hu Empire did not have a clear border with the Burgundians and Alemanni on the border, Basel was actually the town closest to the area where the Burgundians lived.

After the arrival of the Western Expedition in Basel, Qin Dong sent a number of missions to the western Germanic tribes to make peace with them, the purpose of which was to stabilize these Germanic tribes and prevent them from forming an alliance when attacking the Burgundians and Franks.

The Burgundians began on the shores of Lake Geneva and continued westward, including the Rhône and Saône rivers in later France, where they established the second Burgundian kingdom, with its capital in Lyon, later France.

Qin Dong immediately sent troops in Basel under the pretext that the caravan of the Hu Empire was attacked in the Kingdom of Burgundy, with Balhan leading 3,000 light cavalry as the vanguard, and then the main force descended from the southwest to attack the Burgundian towns.

In fact, Qin Dong led an army of 50,000 this time, plus 12,000 men and horses of the Alemanni Kingdom, a total of more than 60,000 people to deal with the Burgundians and the Franks is too many troops, more than 60,000 troops are equivalent to the size of ten legions of the Roman Empire, in this era, it is already a large-scale war for one side to send 60,000 horses, although Qin Dong also knows that bringing so many troops this time is really a bit of a feeling of killing chickens with a knife, but he has always been unwilling to suffer losses in terms of troops, Even the combat effectiveness of his army is at the top in this era.

Dealing with the Burgundians and Franks was completely different from fighting the Eastern Roman Empire, whose armies fought in full formation. The Burgundians did not have a complete phalanx when they fought, and the real reason was not that they would not, but that they really wouldn't. The biggest reason is that the environment in which they live does not allow them to form a neat phalanx, at this time most of Western Europe is forest, dense forest, high mountains and hills, and there are very few plains, even if they can arrange their troops, there is no place for them to set up an infantry phalanx against the enemy.

Due to the terrain, this time Qin Dong only brought one cavalry division, and this cavalry division was a very complete cavalry division. There were not only light cavalry, but also heavy cavalry, archers, and crossbow cavalry, each of which numbered more than 3,000 people. Including non-combatants, there were 15,000 men and horses.

In addition to this cavalry division, the other 36,000 men were infantry, consisting of three infantry divisions. The proportion of mountain infantry in these three infantry divisions was much higher than that of other infantry divisions in the Empire. It was specially compiled mainly in response to the war situation.

During the march, Qin Dong did not dare to be careless, and at the same time as sending reconnaissance cavalry in front, there were also a large number of reconnaissance teams on both sides of the main force, which were composed of mountain infantry, and they carried out careful and intensive reconnaissance in the mountains and forests on both sides of the road that the main force needed to pass through, so as to prevent the Burgundians from setting up ambushes in the mountains and forests, and these mountain infantry walked like flying in the mountains and forests. It's a skill that other classes don't have.

This time, after Qin Dong's western expedition set off from the small town of Basel. The actual strength of the army is only 60,000, but it is claimed to be 100,000 horses, such a huge number of troops really frightened the Burgundians, even in the battle of Chalons in 451 AD, the strength of the Huns is not much more than this number of troops, although both sides at that time claimed to be 500,000 troops, a total of 1 million troops fought each other, but in fact, the real number of participants on both sides is probably less than 200,000.

Although Qin Dong had made estimates in all aspects before the war, after the war began, things developed beyond his expectations. Before his army arrived, the southern Burgundians were so frightened that they abandoned their homes and fled south, and hordes of Burgundians began a large-scale southward migration with their families.

Royal Palace, capital of the Kingdom of Burgundy, Lyon.

King Gundorbad sat on a high throne and watched the courtiers below chatter about the news from the north that the army of the Hu Empire had crossed the border and headed south, and his face was very worried.

"Ahem, that's enough, what's the noise? What does it look like to be on top of this royal palace? After Gundobad said a few words, the whole hall fell silent.

Seeing that no one was talking anymore, Gangdobad clenched his fists and hammered them on his knees, "You all know about the Hu Empire's army attacking our cities and towns from the north to the south, right?" Now it's not about arguing, it's about coming up with a solution, you know? This large-scale westward expedition of the Hu Empire, Emperor Qin Dong personally led the troops, known as 100,000 iron cavalry, no matter when such a huge army is not something that we Burgundians can deal with, we must think of a way, how can we get through this difficulty? ”

The Catholic crown prince Sigismund stood up and saluted and complained: "Father, my son has long said not to provoke the Huns, don't think that Attila has been dead for so many years, and there are no ruthless people among the Huns, not to mention Qin Dong, the emperor of the Hu Empire, that is, the king of the Southern Courtyard Sambus and the king of the Western Courtyard Urgan are not something we can provoke, and some people take their son's words as a deaf ear, and they insist on going to the north to grab food from the wolves of the hungry wolves of the Hu Empire, now it's okay, Provoke the hungry wolves led by Qin Dong, the lion, I see what you should do now! ”

Gundorbad listened to his son's words so angry that his beard was cocked, but he couldn't help it, he only had such a son as Sigismund, and he would have this son to inherit the throne in the future, in fact, the Burgundians went north to plunder the villages and towns of the Hu Empire by other ministers, and now the Western Roman Empire is governed by Majorian, and takes a tough attitude towards the outside world, and the territory of the Burgundians is next to the Western Roman Empire, so it is the most oppressed, and some tribes have to move north to invade the land of the Hu Empire, Although Gundobard did not nod his head and agreed to do so at that time, he also acquiesced, and now his son Sigismund said this, in fact, he also had the intention of complaining about him.

Gundobad said unhappily: "Okay, now is not the time to blame anyone and hold anyone responsible, if the army of the Hu Empire comes over, we will all suffer, not a single person, now we should work together to deal with the Hu Empire!" ”

A minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the number of troops from the Hu Empire this time is too large. Although every one of my Burgundian soldiers is a brave man, our chances of victory are slim against an absolute number of enemies. In the opinion of the ministers, it is better for us to move south on a large scale and migrate to the territory of the Western Empire, so that if the Hu Empire wants to continue to attack us, we must be enemies of the Western Empire, even if they really dare to do so, we don't need to be too afraid. Pull in the Western Empire, and our chances of victory will be better, won't we? ”

As soon as this person's voice fell, he was ridiculed by others: "It is better to speak than to sing." Do you think that my whole tribe moved south if they wanted to? Not to mention how long it will take to prepare, will the army of the Hu Empire give us this time, even if we have enough time to move south, but the Western Empire has been suppressing us now. This is also the reason why many of our tribes went north to invade the Hu Empire. Do you still want to move south into the territory of the Western Empire? You also have to see if they agree to the knives and guns in their hands! ”

The minister who was refuted suddenly said angrily: "Compared with the Huns, I always think that the Romans are a little easier to deal with, according to your meaning, this is not good, that is not good, what do you say?" ”

"If I knew what to do, would I still be here talking nonsense to you? I have already dedicated my mind to His Majesty the King! ”

"You, unreasonable. You can't help it yourself, why deny someone else's advice? ”

"Alright. Stop arguing! King Gundorbad stopped the two ministers from arguing any further, looked at a priest in a black linen priest's robe, and asked, "Bishop, my friend, you have always had a lot of ideas, what do you have to say?" ”

Jon, the Catholic Bishop of Venice who was good friends with Gondobad, happened to be missionary in Lyon at this time, because the two had a close relationship, and Jon had always had a lot of ideas, so Jon was also invited by Gundorbad to participate in this discussion.

Jon stood up and bowed to Gundobard, then straightened up and said, "Your Majesty, Honorable King, neither the Western Empire nor the Hu Empire is easy to mess with, and the Kingdom of Burgundy is now nominally still the Western Empire as its suzerain, right?" ”

Although Gundorbad was reluctant to admit it, it was an indisputable fact that the Western Empire was the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Burgundy, and he nodded: "Yes, although I don't want to admit it, but this is a fact, Bishop, does this have anything to do with what you have to say?" ”

"Of course it does!" Jon said: "For the Western Empire, the Burgundian Kingdom is like her child, now it's just because the child is naughty, the mother of the Western Empire is unhappy to teach the child a lesson, I think as long as the child admits a mistake, the mother will definitely forgive the child, but the Hu Empire is different, they are now sending 100,000 iron horsemen to the south, this is to prepare to completely destroy the Burgundian Kingdom, if you want to make a choice between being destroyed and admitting your mistake to your mother to get shelter, I think His Majesty the King should know how to choose, right? ”

Although Gundobad was old, he was not confused, but he was still skeptical that the Western Empire could forgive the former Burgundians for harassing the Gallic provinces, and hesitated: "Can the Western Empire accept our apology?" ”

Of course, Jon understood Gundorbad's concerns, and he said, "Your Majesty, don't worry, you have forgotten a very important fact, the Hu Empire is the common enemy of your country and the Western Empire, and the enemy of the enemy is a friend, isn't it?" Moreover, the relationship between your country and the Western Empire is not just a friendship! ”

Gundorbad suddenly brightened up when he heard this, but he frowned and said, "I understand what the bishop means, but who am I going to send to Rome to do this?" Do you know that if this is done, will the Western Empire allow us to enter the provinces of Gaul? ”

Jon shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, if you just want to take your people to move into Gaul Province for refuge, I'm afraid the Western Empire will not agree, if Your Majesty has the courage to fight with the Hu Empire, I am willing to go to Rome as your envoy to help you mediate this matter, so that the Western Empire can unite with other subject countries to fight against the Hu Empire, a strong enemy, after all, the threat of the Hu Empire from the north to the south is self-evident!" ”

Is there going to be another battle of Chalon? Gundobad muttered in his heart, and after thinking for a long time, he finally made up his mind: "Well, if the bishop is willing to go to Rome as the king's envoy to facilitate this matter, I will have the courage to fight a big war with the Hu Empire!" ”

Jon bent down and saluted, "Jon is willing to serve!" (To be continued......)