After the battle, the Gedes army seized countless small leather bags in the Saxony Allied Forces camp, which were filled with food. It took half a day to collect these small bags of food. The last count was enough for everyone to eat for a while.
When the escaped George approached Groningen, he encountered more than 10,000 Saxony Minsheng who were transporting grain to the front...
"Stop, stop! Listen to my orders and turn around and go back!" George ordered loudly.
The front has been defeated, and these Saxony Minsheng sent the grain transport team over again. Wouldn't you send military rations to the Gedes army? Moreover, you also send prisoners to the other party...
In this way, George returned to Groningen with more than 10,000 people and many grain trucks. After returning, George cried...
It was really crying, not fake crying. After counting, George found that there were only more than a thousand Saxon plate armored heavy cavalry and more than a thousand infantrymen who had stayed in Groningen to defend the city. Of course, there were more than ten thousand Saxon civilians...
Obviously, George was completely defeated this time and he never had the ability to turn over again. Why? The ransom from eight or nine thousand prisoners of war alone could make George bankrupt.
Although it is not clear how many people were captured, George is very clear that at least a few thousand or tens of thousands. If it were ordinary soldiers of the Principal of Saxony, it would be fine if George did not redeem it, but the troops of the allies of the Principal of Saxony must be redeemed. Because it was the troops of the allies.
If George did not redeem allies' prisoners of war, he would not have thought of scrambling in the noble circle in the future. At least, in the future, no one would send a soldier to help George.
So, no matter what, George has to redeem those soldiers...
However, tens of thousands of prisoners of war, the ransom costs almost a million gold coins...
A few years ago, the previous Duke of Saxony, Albresit, was forced to pay one million gold coins because he was captured by Marin. Although the Duke of Albresit relied on borrowing money to repay the ransom, the Duchy of Saxony signed a lot of debts. Until now, the money has not been paid off.
Now, if the Gedes people extorted millions of ransoms, no one would lend money to the Principal of Saxony. Because the previous debts had not been paid off yet...
Moreover, George now has only more than 2,000 soldiers and horses, and he cannot resist the amazing combat effectiveness of Swiss mercenaries. Therefore, giving up Groningen became the top priority that George had to consider.
Although George could barely guard Groningen with more than 2,000 elite troops and the strong people who transported grain. But what's the use?
Because George will no longer have reinforcements. The Saxon coalition that was formed before was actually the last reinforcements that George sought everywhere.
Now, even the last batch of reinforcements have been captured, and George has lost any meaning to defend Groningen. Therefore, giving up Groningen and withdrawing the land is the best choice.
To this end, George Duke of Saxony ordered that all the food in the city and the property of merchants be forcibly "confiscated" and carried by more than 10,000 Saxony Minzhuang to leave Groningen.
That night, the big families in Groningen were robbed by Saxony troops who were planning to retreat...
Unfortunately, the city of Groningen changed hands several times and had been looted by the rioters several times. Those big families were either robbed or had already dug holes to hide their property.
Therefore, in the end, the Saxony army only grabbed 150,000 gold coins worth of property, which was still much different from the one million gold coins that Duke George thought...
However, the city was rich in food. This is because the Gedes army had previously stored 20,000 troops in the city of Groningen to eat for two months. In addition, George brought more than 20,000 Saxony coalition forces to eat for several months, the city now has a lot of food.
But George wanted to retreat, so he naturally had to take away all the stolen property and food, so as not to leave it to the Gedes. In addition, George also planned to take away two or three thousand prisoners of war captured when he broke the city, but did not take it back to the country, but to East Friesland on the east bank of the Ames River to bargain with the Gedes and exchange some prisoners of war.
Among them, the three most important prisoners of war were probably Fyskefrijheid, the former governor of the Friesian Noble Republic, the former Baron Ztel of the Friesian Noble Republic, and the former commander of the armed forces of the Friesian Noble Republic, Sivag.
When Marshal Boniz was fleeing with his troops, he did not care about these three guys who were regarded as puppets, but instead retreated directly with his main force. In this way, the three men fell into George's hands.
George decided to take these three people away as treasures this time. Why? Because Governor Fyskefrijheid can testify that it was not the West Friesland resistance army, but the army of the Duchy of Gedes...
As long as Governor Fyskefrijheid is witnessed, Duke George can file a complaint with the Imperial Parliament and sue the Principal of Gedes invasion of West Friesland. At that time, even if George cannot get a counterattack from the army, he can create political trouble and pressure on the Principal of Gedes, forcing him not to speak loudly.
Once it can be confirmed that the Duchy of Gedes secretly controlled West Friesland, it would be like the Duchy of Gedes broke the rules and slapped the emperor in the face...
After all, it was Maximilian I who publicly announced that he would award West Friesland to the Principality of Saxony. Now, the Principality of Gedes wants to annex West Friesland. Have you ever asked Emperor Maximilian I for his opinion? Isn’t this slap the emperor in the face?
At that time, in order to maintain his face and dignity, Maximilian I will have to stand up and help mediate, and ask the Principality of Geders to stop illegally encroaching on West Friesland and seek to restore it. In this way, Duke George can take West Friesland back.
What George was most worried about was that he might have to fight for bankruptcy to redeem those friendly soldiers. But if he could not redeem those friendly soldiers and he could not take them back to Sifriesland, he would have suffered a huge loss.
Therefore, Fyskefrijheid, the former governor of the Friesian noble republic, is a very important witness. He can testify at the Imperial Conference to confirm the wolf ambitions of the Principality of Gedes. At that time, the problem will be easier to solve.
Fyskefrijheid seems willing to cooperate, and his condition is that if Duke George takes back West Friesland through diplomacy because of his testimony, then he will be crowned Fyskefrijheid as the hereditary baron of the Principal of Saxony.
Chapter completed!