Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War

If he wins, he can break the will of the Gauls to resist, and use the food stored in Rennes to supply the army. Of course, the cost of losing is also terrible. He may be trapped there with no way to retreat.

However, Aurelian never thought that he would lose. After so many days of fighting with the Gauls, he knew the situation of the Gauls very well. They could not afford another decisive battle.

The manpower was severely damaged and the troops were scattered all over Gaul. Now the troops that can be mobilized near Rennes are only tens of thousands of people, not much more than him. This battle is completely unequal.

After repeatedly confirming that the army was in good condition, he ordered his adjutant: "Start a forced march from sunrise tomorrow, and reach the city of Rennes as quickly as possible to force the Gauls to fight a decisive battle with our army."

The adjutant raised an objection out of duty: "Isn't it not good to consume the soldiers' physical strength like this? And will the Gauls in Rennes fight with us out of the city?"

"It's not a prosperous and wealthy city, nor is it a strategic location. The city's defense is very ordinary, even worse than places like Orleans and Tours. If necessary, we can fight them in street battles, and it's not difficult to attack the city.

The reason why Rennes became the core city of the Gaul rebellion is that it is far away from the Roman army's garrison, and secondly, it is the hometown of Bagaud. It's not because it's suitable for defense, or because it has any serious religious significance, it's just a subtle coincidence."

The adjutant also understood the temperament of his superior. Things that have been decided are not easy to change easily, and they are very active. This is a necessary characteristic of an excellent commander. Indecisive people can't survive on the battlefield.

"I understand. Tomorrow I will arrange for the captains and centurions to step up their actions."

——

After inspecting the defense line, Orville would write letters to his family, which was his favorite thing to do.

The letters to Vespa were mainly to report safety and situation, and occasionally he would ask him about some things about the Franks and Gauls. Vespa was not stingy in imparting his experience. He kept writing letters to teach Orville how to control his subordinates, how to win over the locals, and how to be a qualified legion commander. In general, he was fulfilling his responsibilities as a father and was quite responsible.

The letters to Domitia were mainly about family affairs, ensuring that the other party could get used to living in Trier, mainly to show concern. She now lives with Berenice in the city of Trier, away from the front battlefield. Vespa was of course dissatisfied with his second daughter's behavior, but Orville and Tia pleaded for her, so the matter was barely muddled through.

The main reason was that Orville found her a very good temporary teacher. The astronomer Ptolemy was also a top figure in the Library of Alexandria. Even if the best teacher could be found in Rome, it was only at this level. After a test, Vespa felt that being in Trier would not affect Domitia's growth too much, and he also felt a little guilty about her, so he could go with the flow.

The letter to Tia was mainly to report the situation, but Orville would sometimes write her some casual content, basically attached at the end as a diversion. Sometimes he found some interesting food or animals nearby, sometimes Domitia learned something, and sometimes something happened in the army that could make people laugh. In short, they were all trivial and insignificant things.

The military camp is a high-pressure environment, and Tia is still the kind of person who is very restrained and very strict with herself. Orville noticed this when he was in Palfi. Although Tia herself didn't say it and might not feel it, she would accumulate pressure at this time, and there was no normal way to release it. If she held it back for a long time, it would easily cause problems.

Orville wrote these contents at the end without even expecting a reply. It was enough for the other party to laugh when she saw it. It was also for the other party's sake, and let her relieve the pressure. That's all he could do.

Orville also used letter writing as an effective way to relieve stress. Leading troops to fight and being a staff officer working under someone are two completely different feelings. In addition, this war actually put a lot of pressure on Orville, so he also needed to release pressure.

The way he chose was the most harmless and literary one, at least it did not affect others.

After finishing his daily duties, Orville walked out of his tent and began to sit in a quiet position to observe the plains outside Paris and the sparkling Seine River. This was his usual way to calm down and think.

There were actually not many people in this military camp who needed to think like this. Most people just needed to concentrate on performing their tasks. In addition to Orville, Procopius, who was also sitting here, was one of them.

He did not need to advise on military affairs or manage anything. The task Orville gave him was to write with the army, to write a history book for the Romans and future generations to read, which was also some of the marks Orville left for future generations.

Writing is also a very brain-intensive thing, especially Procopius is a bit of a perfectionist in this regard. He often spends a lot of time thinking about the language and article structure, and then writes a few words slowly.

Both of them need to think quietly, so they often meet inadvertently in some places, and occasionally Orville will chat with each other to pass the time.

Although his temper is not so good, the other party is undoubtedly an intellectual, and because he has to write, he has a certain degree of understanding of the local customs and people, and Orville can also learn a lot of interesting things from him.

"Procopius, do you know what 'Bagoda' means in the Gaulish language?"

"Your Highness, it means warrior. In fact, this name is similar to a nickname. It originated from the movement of local people against the Romans. The rebels called themselves Bagoda. In fact, most of these rebels are lower-class civilians, and not so many upper-class people participate. After all, they understand our Roman culture better and know that we are a nation superior to the Gauls, so they don't want to resist.

The reason why the man surnamed Julius is called Bagoda is, on the one hand, because his resistance is the most courageous and outstanding, and the locals are more in awe of him. On the other hand, because he wants to win over the civilians, he took the initiative to change his name to a name that can unite the local civilians.

Although this kind of resistance and little thoughts are just a dying struggle, it is also very interesting. I will introduce this matter in my book."

"What do you think of these Bagoda themselves?"

Orville was curious about Procopius's views on these rebels. He knew it would not be too positive, but he wanted to know the difference between them and himself. Just treat it as a casual chat, there must be a topic.