With the arrival of armies from both sides, the total strength of both sides reached a full 50,000.
This is extremely rare in the entire Christian world. There has been no such war in the Christian world for many years, so it naturally attracted countless attention.
In addition, there were three Christian kings and a pagan khan involved, and the attention of nearby countries was poured into Rus. Rus had not been so eye-catching for a long time.
Even the imperial capital has heard about it, but it is only limited to the impression that "the savages in the north are fighting again, and I heard it is a big one this time". At most, some military nobles who are interested in state affairs are concerned.
Ambitious warriors and mercenaries in Christendom have come here one after another, wanting to perform in this war that Christendom will not see in the next few decades, and to win their own reputation.
There are even more poets who come here. They can't wait to sing the praises of the victor's martial arts and glory, and at the same time gain fame and wealth for themselves.
Regardless of the outcome of this battle, the situation in Eastern Europe in the next few decades will be determined by this.
The atmosphere of the war became increasingly tense, and both the North and South armies understood that the battle that would determine the fate of all Russia could begin at any time.
But no one knew when that moment would begin, and everyone was filled with uneasiness.
In this uneasy atmosphere, finally, the Grand Duke of Kiev sent a letter to the Prince of Moscow, a letter regarding the location of the battle.
After exchanging letters several times, Rostislav finally agreed and agreed on the battlefield in three days, when countless soldiers would fight there.
Although the hammer finally landed, it did not make the intensity of those small-scale battles decrease. On the contrary, it continued to increase. Both sides wanted to control favorable locations on the battlefield and establish advantages for future battles.
The battlefield selected by the northern and southern armies was the location of the Smolensk land and water transportation system, and they chose an open land in this system.
Large and small rocks, shrubs, grass and gray bushes are randomly distributed on the land. If these places were cleared and developed, it would be good fertile land, but it is a pity that there is a lack of manpower.
There are slightly undulating hillsides on the north and south sides, and there are several hillsides in the east and west directions, some of which have been specially leveled to facilitate the handling of ships.
It is called Bushy, which means wilderness, and there is a monastery in the center of this open land, but this monastery is not called Bushy Abbey.
This monastery is called St. George's Monastery and was built in honor of St. George, but in fact it was part of the Smolensk defense system under the rule of Veshata.
The main body of the monastery is made of bricks, using red bricks specially transported from Novgorod. The red monastery tower is very conspicuous. It overlooks the land, and the bells in it ring accurately every day to remind the surrounding area.
residents.
It can be seen from the location of this monastery that it is enough to control this open area. If a team of archers are placed on the tower, then the surrounding areas will be under its firepower, and no activity can escape the eyes above.
After the war began, the monks left the area, and the Smolensk militia moved in, firmly controlling the land.
When this place was still an alternative battlefield, the battle for the monastery was fierce. Everyone understood the importance of this place. After all, the tower standing on the plain was too conspicuous.
Both the Southern and Northern armies once controlled this place, which also shows how fierce the fighting was and how many times it changed hands.
Vishata defeated the Kiev militia here, and Svyatoslavich massacred the Smolensk people here.
This palace built for monks has now been stained with countless blood.
The monastery was greatly damaged during the fierce battle. Both sides used siege equipment such as ballistae and trebuchets during the attack. Although one or two battles could not cause much damage, the place was constantly changing hands.
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Moreover, conquering a monastery will inevitably involve breaking down walls and digging holes in the monastery. In this way, the damage will naturally increase.
The outer walls have been destroyed in various battles and turned into ruins on the ground. As for the main body of the monastery, it has also become very shabby. Several walls have been broken and knocked down, like dolls that have been played with.
However, the main body of the monastery is still generally intact, and even though it is scarred, the monastery tower still stands, overlooking the land.
No matter which side occupies the monastery, they will immediately place archers on the roof of the tower where the monks are still intact, and these archers can cause a lot of trouble for the attacking side every time.
This monastery is still of great strategic value. Although many places have been turned into ruins, it can still be regarded as a solid position and can be used as a basis for defense.
So in these three days, the competition immediately became fierce, and it was even more cruel and bloody than before.
In the past, one side would retreat after finding that the battle situation was unfavorable, but now the defenders are ordered to fight to the end.
The fighting at St. George's Monastery lasted for three days and three nights. This time, neither side had the intention to collect the corpses. They even piled the corpses on the spot as defense materials, leaving them there even if they smelled bad.
However, neither the northern nor the southern armies increased their investment in troops due to the ongoing battle here. At most, they replaced new elite troops to fight for it.
Because the main forces of both sides have to prepare for the war in these three days, rather than going to the battlefield too early, which would be irresponsible to the army.
Even on the day when the battle began, the fighting here was still going on fiercely.
Encouraged by the horns, the last group of Ugric barbarians rushed forward bravely, jumping over the ground covered with rubble and blood, and climbing over the pitiful remnants of the stone wall.
They carried large wooden shields, which were already filled with arrows, but some people still fell down from time to time.
Arrows "swish" passed by from the sky, more barbarians hid behind the bunkers and shot, javelins and arrows kept flying.
The defenders under the flag of St. George were so pressed that they could not raise their heads, but the crossbowmen on the tower still fought back. Several barbarians were hit by crossbow arrows and fell to the ground wailing.
Valin stood up and slashed directly with his sword, and the Nafen man seemed to be facing the sword and sent his head under the sword.
"These barbarians can't hold on for long! My brothers, push them down at once!"
The city leader jumped into the enemy group without hesitation and caught the Fen people off guard. They never expected that someone would jump out from behind the strong fortifications.
The sword cut into the unprotected neck of a Finn, easily tearing open the skin and muscles, and blood spurted out. Valin drew out his sword, stepped over the corpse, and the Finn warrior fell down with his throat cut.
At the same time, Valin stabbed the second man's mouth wide open in shock with a backhand sword, and then blood spurted out on his face.
Several spears were stabbed in the rush, but they all grazed the chain link. The person who was stabbed swung his sword away, and blood splashed all over him this time.
"Kill!"
The soldiers' shouts came to mind, and with the encouragement of the commander, the Russians bravely crossed into the formation.
The Finns, who were already at the end of their strength, were obviously no longer able to fight. They retreated in embarrassment, and their retreat immediately turned into a rout.
The crossbow arrows fell from the sky and landed among the defeated troops, causing a burst of howling ghosts and wolves, which also made the barbarians run faster.
The soldiers of the Northern Army cheered, but were soon scolded by Valin and retreated to the position. Some people had chased the enemy and rushed out, but they were intercepted and killed by the nomadic cavalry. Most of them died on the way back, and they began to use all their means to escape.
Use whatever you can find to strengthen the fortifications.
"This should be the last wave. There will be a war soon. It's really nerve-wracking."
Valin walked into the riddled monastery, sat directly where the crucifix of Christ was, and muttered something.
"Yes, the sun has come out, it's time to start the war, and the next step will be a more difficult time."
Yegor continued to look at the map, but his nervousness could be seen from his clenched hands. Can he withstand this difficult situation?
"Next, it's time for your Moscow Battalion to perform. Master of Moscow, my people have been unable to defeat us for the past few days."
Warin fumbled around, and then found a bottle of kvass from the table with faded blood. He opened it and poured it into his mouth. After drinking it, he sighed with relief. There is nothing better than a refreshing glass of kvass after a hard fight.
Already.
"Of course, this is my mission, and I will never let Lord Rostislav down."
Yegor Ivanovich Serikhov also muttered words, while snoring could be heard from Varin. The city leader had been fighting continuously for a day and a night, and his body was extremely exhausted, so he fell asleep.
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The Moscow battalion commander glanced at him, saying that the city lord and his men were quite good, and then continued to look at the map.