He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 129

129. The Government Army Counterattacks

Lambeth Palace, London. The front yard of the temporary command and control center.

3 a.m.

About 300 soldiers were gathered in front of Lambeth Palace.

They were all wearing black cloths and had charcoal powder smeared on their faces for camouflage.

After a quick equipment check, Theo hopped onto a raised platform where everyone could see him.

The soldiers’ eyes immediately turned to Theo.

Once the surrounding noise died down, Theo raised his voice.

“We stand now on the precipice of destiny! We are caught in the very vortex of history!”

Theo, with the advice of a retired general, had prepared an 18th-century-style rousing speech.

“…Raise the flag high and fight to the end for the values we hold dear!

For the King, for the people, and for the country!”

Fighting for the King. It might not resonate in the 21st century, but it was a classic sentiment that stirred the hearts of soldiers in this era.

Saving the king in danger was akin to saving the country itself.

The soldiers’ eyes reflected a newfound determination as they listened to the speech.

‘Okay. A surge of emotion is building. Time to seal the deal.’

Theo closed his eyes and cried out as if in prayer.

“Oh God! Protect these brave men! If you would take my insignificant life and spare their precious ones, I would gladly die a hundred times.

In the heat of battle, grant that their uniforms become an impenetrable shield!

And after the battle, may all see the proud flag of victory waving high!”

Theo’s prayer cut through the pre-dawn mist, creating a palpable sense of solemnity.

Theo, in his role as temporary regiment commander, was proving to be quite different from other commanders who lacked proper training or combat experience.

He didn’t flaunt his position and treated even the lowest-ranking soldiers with respect.

In particular, the unprecedented camouflage and ingenious operation plans gave the soldiers, who were about to face a large rebel force, a newfound confidence.

Above all, the guerrilla tactics – which boldly abandoned the traditional, honor-bound style of combat in favor of survival and inflicting maximum damage on the enemy – sparked great interest and enthusiasm among the soldiers.

A retired general, watching the send-off ceremony from the second-floor window of Lambeth Palace, quietly remarked to the officials, “It seems Lord Sanderson is truly remarkable.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you afraid? He’s facing over 20,000 elite soldiers under General Howe. Their loyalty to the general is well known.

Yet, he’s planning to infiltrate the enemy’s camp to save His Majesty, and he’s inspiring the soldiers to fight like that. It’s truly amazing.”

An official looked at the assembled soldiers and said, “But haven’t the soldiers’ eyes changed? It’s astonishing that they volunteered to jump into the enemy’s camp in just a few days. Usually, they’d avoid even the smallest risks, right?”

“Didn’t they say that even the prickly King was completely won over by Lord Sanderson’s words? There seems to be a strange power in that man’s words, a charisma that draws people in.”

“Perhaps he emphasized the rewards the soldiers would receive if they suppressed this rebellion?”

“That’s possible. But it’s still a long shot. The opponent is General Howe. It won’t be as easy as Lord Sanderson thinks.”

“But if reinforcements arrive as Lord Sanderson claims, might the situation change?”

The retired general sighed and shook his head.

“Hoo- Hey, General Howe isn’t a fool. Wouldn’t he anticipate that? He’ll likely try to capture His Majesty and force his demands before reinforcements arrive, or, failing that, execute him immediately.

Lord Sanderson is recklessly entering the enemy’s camp to save the King, but if General Howe executes the King first, he’ll lose all justification and power.”

General Howe’s rebellion, an event absent from the history books, was unfolding in an unpredictable direction.

Near St. James’s Palace, London, Rebel Army Command and Control Center.

7 a.m.

“…The 2nd Artillery Regiment will be responsible for the left side of the gate. And…”

Inside the rebel army’s command and control center, commanders of each regiment, including General Howe, were gathered to finalize the plan to bombard St. James’s Palace.

But then,

Thump-

The door burst open, and General Howe’s aide rushed in.

“What are you doing! Can’t you see we’re in a commanders’ meeting!”

Colonel Timothy Jenkins rebuked.

But the aide went straight to General Howe and exclaimed, “General! Something terrible has happened! The government army has taken Westminster Abbey by surprise!”

“What?”

A surprised General Howe jumped up from his seat.

“What are you saying? Has the defense of the Thames been breached? How could that be?”

“No! That’s not it. We haven’t received any reports of an intrusion on the Thames.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Then how did those bastards occupy the abbey? Did they drop from the sky or something?”

“It’s not confirmed yet, but according to intelligence… we believe they may have infiltrated through the underground.”

“Underground? You mean through the sewers of London?”

“Yes, General. It seems they used sewers or underground passages dug by smugglers, things like that.”

General Howe looked dumbfounded.

He had heard long ago that there were numerous sewers and various underground passages beneath London, but he never imagined they would use those passages—complex as a maze and filled with stench and filth—as a means of transportation.

“I don’t understand. I know that underground space is a haphazardly constructed network of passages with no connected routes. How could they have infiltrated the heart of London through such a place?”

“It seems there is someone on the government army’s side who knows the underground passages of London well.”

“Don’t we have anyone? Shouldn’t we quickly find someone who knows the underground facilities of London and deploy them?”

“We are trying hard to find someone, but most people don’t even know the existence of underground passages.”

General Howe sighed briefly.

“So? What’s the situation there now?”

“That’s…”

In just a few hours, the government army led by Tae-oh quickly occupied Westminster Abbey.

Military personnel guarding the nearby Thames River and bridges rushed to the scene due to the sudden emergency, but the government forces, who had already seized the high ground of the abbey, took turns firing their guns to prevent approach. Moreover, they appeared unpredictably from various unknown passages, forcing the rebel forces to retreat far away.

Holding his head, General Howe asked,

“How many government troops are there? How many are they saying there are?”

The aide-de-camp replied in an uncertain voice.

“The reports coming in are all different, so nothing is certain at the moment. Some reports say there are about five hundred, while others say there are well over a thousand.”

After pondering for a while, General Howe opened his mouth with a stern face towards the commanders.

“For now, postpone the bombardment of St. James’s Palace. We must catch those eel-like bastards who infiltrated the abbey first.

If we’re not careful, and the defense of the Thames River and the entrance to London becomes lax because of those guys, we’ll only create an excuse for King George’s reinforcements to easily push in.

Gather as much available force as possible, except for the minimum number of guards, and rush to Westminster Abbey! We must catch these bastards by the end of today!”

“Yes! Understood!”

* * *

After issuing emergency missions to each regiment, General Howe immediately presided over a meeting of the top commanders.

Generals from each department rushed to the rebel army’s command and control center after receiving the emergency call.

“Who on earth could it be? There shouldn’t be any military commander among the government forces near London right now who could come up with such a daring plan and charge in like that…?”

General Howe also nodded.

“That’s what I’m saying. Among the military figures gathered at Lambeth Palace right now, there shouldn’t be any generals or commanders who can devise such a surprise attack.”

“Yes, that’s right. According to the information we’ve received, most of those gathered at Lambeth Palace are only interested in saving their own skin and don’t have much military ability. There are a few retired generals, but they don’t have the qualities to carry out this operation.”

The rebel army’s command, aware that a temporary command and control center had been established at Lambeth Palace, did not take it seriously.

The only thing that was somewhat concerning was that some troops who had not sided with the rebels were preparing to infiltrate through the Thames River bridges.

But even that was nothing. Numerous artillerymen had already fixed cannons and established a strong defense on the Thames River docks and bridges, so they could not pose a significant threat to the rebel army.

Moreover, the only naval force near London that could enter through the Thames River was Admiral Bentham’s unit, which had been labeled as traitors, but that was impossible as long as there were powerful artillery cannons deployed along the riverbanks.

The artillery installed on the ground was not only larger and more powerful than the cannons on warships, but the artillery units on the riverbanks were also much more advantageous than ships, which had limitations on the loading of ammunition and other supplies.

“It’s not important who is carrying out the surprise attack right now. Within a few days, the standing army and militia in the provinces will come up to save King George. We must quickly conclude the operation to eliminate King George before that happens.

Order the front-line commanders to concentrate their forces on the abbey as much as possible. We must crush those bastards by the end of today and block even the smallest gaps in advance!”

“Yes, understood!”

As he watched the top commanders leave with worried expressions, General Howe’s face also darkened.

‘Who could it really be…? Among the government army commanders remaining near London, there is absolutely no one who would make such a daring decision and charge in like that… Who carried out such a bold operation?

Moreover, it’s not a typical type of operation. It’s the small-scale warfare that gave us so much trouble with the colonial army…’

General Howe was reminded of the nightmare in North America.

‘This is a big problem. It’s too ominous. If they really come out with small-scale warfare, we can’t guarantee that we’ll be at an advantage. But we can’t suddenly change to an unfamiliar battle formation to deal with them…’

At that time, the British army valued honor as much as their lives.

But this was where their fatal flaw was hidden.

The streets of London had become a maze of wide roads and narrow alleys due to rapid urbanization.

This was an area where line battles, where soldiers stood in a line and loaded their guns to fight, did not work.

Conversely, it was also a place optimized for guerrilla warfare for those familiar with the terrain.

The rebel army led by General Howe suffered great damage in the colonial battles of North America while fighting in the traditional line battle formation. They were caught up in General Washington’s guerrilla tactics.

Nevertheless, the rebel army’s battle method remained unchanged.

This was because of the noble officers who considered hiding and attacking the enemy to be a cowardly and dishonorable act.

Tae-oh, who knew this well, used guerrilla warfare to roam around the streets of London as if it were his own home.

And General Howe, who noticed Tae-oh’s movements, could not hide his unease.