Chapter 1137 Alarm Bell
Although the Hungarian government had captured almost everyone in and outside Budapest in the previous battle, there were still 13 million people in the whole of Hungary (Crown of St. Stephen).
In addition, there were about 50,000 Hungarians in the Austrian Imperial Army at this time. If these people could return to Budapest or revolt in various parts of the Austrian Empire,
Kossuth was still full of hope for the future of Hungary, and his followers became more and more fanatical.
But Petofi felt that the man in front of him was more and more unfamiliar. Before, he only doubted the justice of the Hungarian government, and this time he even doubted the justice of this war.
"Bell Tower", author: Petofi.
"The biggest enemy is hidden among us,
It is those despicable and traitorous brothers,
One person destroyed the efforts of 10 million of us,
It is like a drop of poison in a glass of wine.
As long as the internal enemies are eliminated,
We will surely defeat the invading enemies!
Now, I will put down my piano and
Run into the bell tower to ring the alarm bell."
This great poet was finally imprisoned for alluding to the great Hungarian government. Three days later, Petofi died in prison for unknown reasons, and the alarm bell never sounded.
But perhaps death is a relief, after all, he does not need to witness the collapse of his ideals with his own eyes.
However, the ancient city of Košice, located in the eastern section of the Hornad River and close to the Hungarian border, is a warning bell.
"The Hungarians are here again!"
The man on the bell tower shouted loudly, his tone full of fear.
In a short while, the originally bustling street was empty.
People ran back home and closed the doors and windows and dared not show their heads. Some shops did not even take care of the goods that had not been collected, and let the goods be blown down and rolled all over the ground.
Accompanied by a burst of crows' screams, a cavalry team appeared in the smoke and dust.
The man on the horse was short and skinny, with only a pair of bow legs proving that he was a person who had been dealing with horses for many years.
The man seemed to be accustomed to the scene in front of him, and he spoke without any emotion.
"I am here today to collect 10,000 kilograms of grain and 500 strong men. I hope that all Hungarian subjects can cooperate.
In addition, the new national policy cannot use gold, silver and copper as currency, let alone the old currency of the enemy country. Those who violate it will be treated as collaborators.
This is the latest gold forlin, which has a stable value. I hope everyone will exchange it and strive to be an upright citizen!"
Although the man's voice was not loud, his shrill voice was as penetrating as the cold wind.
Ten thousand kilograms of grain and 500 strong men should not be a big deal for a big city with a population of nearly 80,000, but it is terrifying to come here once a week.
Moreover, all those able-bodied young men never came back. At first, some local gentry came out to act as agents for the Hungarians, but soon they were unwilling to take on this thankless job.
Due to the excessive pressure of the war on the front line, the Hungarian government could only take the way of collecting taxes. But how much money do ordinary people have?
If you want to make a quick profit, you can only eat the big ones. The Hungarians also face huge war pressure in Slovakia, and the areas they control are mainly military fortresses and passes.
Those angry people and the local gentry who were exploited can only retaliate against the so-called agents. The dog will naturally go to the owner after being beaten, but at this time, Hungary, the owner, is still in a stage where he can't protect himself, so how can he fight for a dog.
In addition, the strategy of the Hungarian government is to defend the homeland at all costs. Places like Slovakia are just buffer zones to prevent the Austrian army in Galicia from moving south. No one is willing to open the door, and the thin man is not in a hurry. He just throws the woman in the carriage on the ground like cargo.
"Which street is it this time?"
After saying that, the knights laughed and drove the women with lifeless eyes back home. Some of them who could not walk were left aside to wait for their families to pay the grain and take them away.
There was no crying, only the sneer of the jackals. After emptying their own grain barrels, the numb residents numbly led their wives and daughters back home and numbly closed the doors and windows.
The "warm" time is always short. With a crackling sound of knocking on the door, the screams of women, the cries of children, and the roars of men are endless.
Most of the time, there is only the sound of whips, but occasionally one or two gunshots are heard.
A young woman wanted to hide the relics left by her mother, but unfortunately she was seen by the experienced tax collector at a glance, and then the woman was dragged to the street in front of her husband and son.
The man on the bell tower held the railing tightly, his knuckles were clenched white, and the scene in front of him made him feel painful and powerless.
Just a few months ago, they helped drive away the small number of Austrian troops stationed outside the city. In fact, there is also a royal area like Kolosberg in Slovakia, and the troops there are enough to protect the peace.
(Kolosberg is a direct territory of the Austrian Empire, and the base camp of the Austrian army in Transylvania at this time.)
However, the generals stationed in Slovakia were weak-willed, and the troops were too scattered. In addition, the Slovaks helped each other inside and outside, and they failed to form a base camp behind enemy lines like Kolosberg.
At this time, a man holding the Republican Medal issued by the Hungarian government stood up and shouted loudly.
"You are a bunch of Hungarian scum! You are destroying the foundation of the Hungarian Republic. All those here are Hungarians who recognize their Hungarian national identity!
How dare you exploit us like this? "
"Hungarians? Now that the Austrian Empire has invaded our country, the whole nation should unite to face the national crisis! But look at these guys who would rather leave the food to rot at home than give it to the soldiers on the front line!
And these cowards who would rather be turtles here than go to the front to defend their country! What kind of Hungarians are they?
And what qualifications do you have to talk nonsense here when you are just lying on the merit book and waiting to die!
We put our heads on our belts every day for Hungary!
Sergeant! Send this old guy to the battlefield! Let him understand our difficulties! "
"Yes! Sir."
The sergeant on the side immediately took two big-headed soldiers to lift the man up and put him on the carriage.
The man reluctantly kicked the edge of the carriage with his legs and shouted.
"I have shed blood for Hungary! I."
Before he could finish his words, he was hit hard in the stomach, and then two pairs of big hands dragged him into the carriage.
"Listen! This is a war! Cowards will only die! Only those who are not afraid of death deserve to live! You can either die gloriously for the great Hungarian nation, or die in fear as an enemy of Hungary!"
The man on the bell tower shrank his body, revealing his dry and pale arms, and muttered.
"But why do we have to fight?"
He wanted to shout loudly not to let the light of hope go out, but he didn't have the courage to look at the blood.