The Eagle of Eastern Europe

Imperial troops departed from the city of Rome and headed north to Siena and Florence, while Dalmatian troops headed for Pisa and Verona.

On the tenth day after the Battle of Jerusalem, the Roman army launched an attack on the two republics of Siena and Florence.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

There were looting and fighting everywhere. These republics had never seen such large-scale fighting. Most areas surrendered directly.

The Roman cavalry did not show any signs of ink. They bypassed the villages and castles and went straight to the opponent's capital.

By the time Siena reacted, most of the republic had been occupied by Rome, leaving only the capital.

Florence was not much better. Attacking from two directions, Pisa and Romagna, their army was unable to withstand it.

Some people said that they wanted to kill John, but the other party had already run out of the city. They can only be pointlessly angry.

The news that the Roman emperor was preparing to return to the Apennines also shocked the anti-Romanian alliance. They never expected that the other party would deal with it so quickly. Egypt was really bad.

At this point, they had no choice but to bite the bullet. Austria united with other southern princes to move south to defend Milan, while Poland and Lithuania put pressure on northern Rome.

But they only learned the news from the merchants in Genoa. It seemed that it was too late to issue the order at this time.

In Western Europe, a shock no less than what happened in Egypt is about to come. Duke Stephen of Normandy collected enough ships that could accommodate 13,000 people. He originally planned to open up maritime trade with Rome, and then those merchants kept building ships, hoping that the Duke would take them with him.

The sea route from Normandy to Rome had to go around half of France and Iberia and into the Mediterranean. They didn't find it troublesome. If it didn't work, there was still England here, and they could sell it.

In addition, there are some mercenaries wandering the sea. They were all hired during the Anglo-French war. Now that they are no longer fighting, they have been disbanded and have to return to their old profession: piracy.

Stefan didn't think there was anything wrong with pirate ships, so he directly hired them to transport soldiers at a high price.

Due to the urgency of the matter, they did not bother to occupy Calais while their attention was on the east. He decided to sail directly across the English Channel and changed his destination to Plymouth in southwest England.

In the ancient Roman era, the area developed due to the tin trade. It was burned down seven years ago. There are ruins there and there is minimal resistance to landing.

"Sir, we are ready. The sea will be calm in the next three days, which is a suitable opportunity."

Stefan nodded, and the army was ready. For this gamble, he had already bet everything he could. If he failed, although he could make his eldest brother pay off the debt, he would not be able to go out again. This time we can only succeed, not fail.

"Everyone is ready to go. I will leave the Normandy affairs to you, Thomas."

Salmon looked at the Duke who was about to leave, and quickly expressed his loyalty. He saved his life, and he had to look after his family no matter what.

"Don't worry, Duke, I will definitely help you."

Stefan boarded the battleship and looked at the receding land. He knew that he could only succeed but not fail.

Because the fleet is complex, it requires a lot of perseverance to integrate them together. Stefan also spent a lot of effort on it, and he did not dare to relax for a moment. What if the pirates repent, what if someone disobeys the command, he has to think of all the problems.

The sea has been calm these past few days heading north, and we haven't encountered any big waves. Land was soon sighted, and the vanguard troops landed immediately. The nearby fishermen were so frightened that they ran back.

"My lord, we have arrived in England."

Stefan looked at the land, he had been worrying a little too much the past few days. But now he can feel at ease. Plymouth is a bit desolate, but the castle in the past is still there. Stefan ordered the army to repair it, establish a stronghold, and prepare to stay for a long time.

The Duke of Exeter was the first to know that Stefan had landed in England. On the one hand, he reported the news to London, and on the other hand, he assembled and led the army to go south to expel them. Not only him, but also nearby vassals such as the Earl of Devon and the Earl of Somerset went together.

The sudden influx of tens of thousands of soldiers into Plymouth naturally caused panic among the residents. Stefan could not stop their actions and had to let them go. He hoped that they would be more effective in fighting.

The countryside around Plymouth was plundered as the army needed food and also went on the offensive. Stefan chose to attack westward, first defeating the army in Cornwall and solving the threat on one side.

Since the Duke of Cornwall merged with the crown prince after his death in 1400, Cornwall at this time was only governed by the local petty nobles. Their armies were defeated one after another before they could gather together. Stefan also said that he would not deprive them of their property, and that as long as they supported or were neutral, they could get a reward in the future.

Little nobles don't know anything about international politics. They only care about this year's harvest. Naturally, he accepted the olive branch offered by Stefan. After taking care of the small nobles, the next step is the big nobles.

Five days later, Stefan's army arrived near Exeter, and the Duke had to lead 2,000 troops under his name to fight.

Since they were crossing the sea, Stefan brought few horses, so the Duke of Exeter first attacked with cavalry and then suppressed it with infantry.

It's a good idea, but in the face of absolute suppression, this strategy can only increase the losses for the opponent. Especially when Stefan brought out 5 artillery and 40 guns, the horses couldn't stand the huge fright and fell down. The English longbowmen were well-trained, but they quickly retreated because the infantry was also scattered.

The Duke of Exeter was hit by a bullet from nowhere and died before he could return to his castle.

Such smooth sailing made Stefan feel that none of this was real, but he also knew that now was not the time to think nonsense, and he had to go to London as soon as possible. Just like the Duke of Normandy.

Stefan's army was looted along the way. They only brought five days of dry food with them when they came, and it was all used up when they landed. Later, they robbed several surrounding villages to survive. And some minor nobles also contributed a little, and the battle with the Duke of Exeter allowed him to harvest enough food for a month and a large amount of currency, so he could go to the market to buy food normally.

The people of England do not yet have the idea of ​​risking their lives for the country. They can only pray that the other party can leave as soon as possible. They asked for food and were given it, so hurry up and leave.

Subsequently, the Earl of Somerset and the Earl of Devon were defeated one after another. They did not expect that the other party would be so fierce. Fortunately, their names were saved. Now they have to go to London to find the king.