The Crown of the Hundred Years' War

Chapter 34 Allied Forces

The noble allied army camp outside Jarrod was far more magnificent than the shabby earthen ramparts of the English army. A large council tent, at least two stories high, stood in the center of the camp, three stables with heated rooms lined up in a row, and several small buildings that could be called "wooden houses" stood out conspicuously among the messy tents. Outside the camp's wooden fence, merchants had even gathered to form a small market, and a few tents had even been set up as brothels.

It's a pity that in such a well-supplied and manpower-rich siege position, there were hardly any ladders or catapults in sight. The walls of the besieged city of Yarro also showed no signs of collapse.

At this moment, the large tent was filled with a great deal of noise, and the loudest voice belonged to Count Albrecht.

"Your Grace, the siege of Orléans has been lifted, and the British army's morale must be low upon receiving the news. A few days ago, we deliberately sent in a few messengers to let the defenders know the news. Today, let's just launch a general offensive and take Jarjo, ending this siege!"

The Duke of Bourbon, seated at the head of the table, remained silent, waiting for the other nobles to speak first. Sure enough, a portly lord stepped forward to retort, "Albrecht, what do you know? How long have we been besieging Jarro? They still dare to open the city gates to welcome the messenger. To me, the English are still in high spirits; perhaps we should extend the siege a bit longer."

Albrecht frowned. "What do you know? We have four thousand men to feed and fodder for; every day costs money. If we launch a general offensive sooner, the saved supplies can be used elsewhere."

A tall, thin man scoffed, "Albrecht, what nonsense are you spouting? The supplies we've been receiving these past few days have all come from His Majesty, and our contract with him is to eliminate the British threat on both sides of Orleans. It was precisely because we intercepted the British supply convoy a few months ago that we achieved today's great victory. If you ask me, now that the siege of Orleans has been lifted, we should wait for His Majesty's army to join us before attacking the city, which would reduce casualties."

Albrecht's voice rose again: "Don't you know that we were exiled to a place like this precisely because we lost the Battle of the Herring? If we have to wait for reinforcements to take down a mere Jarro, how can we save face? Won't His Majesty the Duke's prestige be affected?"

The tall, thin man's expression changed, and he was about to launch into a tirade when the Duke of Bourbon, seated at the head of the table, spoke up: "Albrecht, you exaggerate. My personal prestige is insignificant. However, for the sake of the nobility's honor, we indeed shouldn't wait for reinforcements." He paused, "How about having Clement assist you in arranging a siege tomorrow?"

Albrecht readily agreed. The Duke of Bourbon then adjourned the meeting. Most of the people, who were already restless and eager to attend the "Orleans Siege Commemorative Auction" organized by the merchants, poured out of the main tent.

As the tall, thin man left, he muttered "Gascogne upstart" behind Albrecht's back, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Albrecht didn't hold back and retorted, prompting others to step in and break up the fight. The two were only separated after the Duke of Bourbon intervened.

The auction of commemorative items from the Siege of Orléans and the siege of Jarrod both took place simultaneously early the next morning. While the former saw a bustling crowd of nobles, the latter was attended by only two leaders and a thousand soldiers who entered the siege lines. Albrecht had planned a surprise attack, but found the defenders well-prepared: the walls were already packed with people, and several bonfires were lit, their purpose unclear.

He had to change his plans and switch to using heavy artillery to bombard the city walls. By the time they finished their fuss, the sun had already risen.

Unlike previous artillery battles, this time the defenders' counterattack was somewhat feeble. Albrecht carefully counted the turrets that had fired, then turned to Clement with some delight and said, "The British have less than half the number of cannons they used last time; they must be out of ammunition. Let the armored men prepare for the general offensive."

Clement examined the area closely, but seemed puzzled: "There are fewer cannons, but the number of longbowmen is excessive. There are more people on this one wall than in all the previous sieges combined. Charging like this could result in heavy casualties among the armored soldiers. Should we consult my father first?"

Albrecht nodded and was about to send someone to ask the Duke of Bourbon when a cheer suddenly erupted from the city walls. The garrison took down their flags and waved them vigorously on the walls.

The two men inspected their position but found nothing amiss. Albrecht glanced around, then suddenly pointed to the high ground to the west, his voice changing: "Where did these British troops come from?"

Sure enough, a whole column of British troops appeared on the high slope, with hundreds of cavalrymen charging at full speed—their target was the chaotic market outside the camp, where an auction was being held, and the nobles attending made up nearly half of the camp's population.

Clermont's expression changed drastically, but he quickly composed himself, ordering the troops to retreat to camp while shouting to Albrecht, "My lord, we must go and save them!"

Albrecht stood there for a moment, then grabbed him. "No, these British soldiers probably mistook the outer guards and attendants for the main camp. They want to disrupt our camp and relieve Jarro." He put on his helmet, mounted his horse, and said, "The Duke didn't go to the auction, and there are three thousand men in the camp. They can't break through. The danger is here! We must block the way into the city and not let a single cavalryman in."

Clement suddenly realized what was going on and followed Albrecht in organizing the armored soldiers into a thin horizontal line, blocking the gap between the siege position and the main camp.

The English cavalry easily stormed into the market, scattering the respectable nobles in panic. But when they tried to drive away the merchants and nobles' retinues and storm the camp, they found the gates already tightly shut. Several nobles who fled to the camp walls were hoisted up by ropes. The watchtowers were already filled with crossbowmen.

Seeing this, the British troops ceased their pursuit and turned their horses towards the gap in Albrecht's formation. Clement made a rough assessment and, his confidence soaring, declared, "We outnumber them! As long as we hold our ground, they won't be able to break through!"

Albrecht nodded, intending to send someone to inform the Duke of Bourbon that once they had contained the cavalry, the camp would send troops to cooperate and turn the tide in a decisive victory.

As the two were lost in thought, the bugle sounded—the gates of Yarro swung open once more. A cavalry force charged out of the city, followed by longbowmen who swarmed out and began to form ranks. It seemed they were preparing to coordinate with reinforcements to attack the rear of their lines.

Clement panicked completely and asked Albrecht what to do. Albrecht wasn't much better off; after a long pause, he managed to squeeze out, "Your troops should engage the defenders; I'll handle the reinforcements. Quickly send your father out to rescue us!"

Just as Clement was about to give the order, he suddenly pointed behind Albrecht: "Look! There are cavalry too!"

Albrecht turned around abruptly.

Indeed, there were cavalry. A column slowly made its way down the hill, its leader bearing a huge, white banner embroidered with golden irises—these were French cavalry, their reinforcements.

Upon seeing the flag, Albrecht knew that the day was over. The British reaction was greater than he had anticipated. Almost as soon as the flag appeared, the reinforcements began to panic. As the large flag slowly descended the hill, the British ranks broke apart. Before the French troops had even reached the bottom, the British, led by their commander, had already sounded three horns towards the city, turned west, and hastily retreated.

Albrecht and the already arrayed defenders stared blankly at the scene. It wasn't until the bugle sounded that the defenders reacted, disbanding their ranks, retreating back into the city, and slamming the gates shut.

The large banner marched toward Albrecht's army. The leading officer planted the banner on his saddle and spurred his horse forward at full speed.

Albrecht stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your rescue. May I ask who you are? I'm sorry I've never seen your flag before."

The person took off their helmet, revealing a head of smooth, golden hair.

"I am Joan of Arc," she said. "By order of His Majesty, I have come to support the siege of the Royal City and assist in sweeping away the British forces along the Royal River."