Chapter 354: Twist

(Outrageous, unprecedented outrageous)

The atmosphere in Trebizond has been very tense recently. In addition to Alexius launching a coup to seize the throne, there is also the impact of declaring war on Rome. They feel that attacking Rome is like hitting a stone with an egg, and they are looking for death.

And it has only been a few months since the coup, and the whole place is not stable yet, so they have to attack Rome. This is also unsafe.

"Alas, I say, don't you think that life is getting harder and harder now."

"You don't need to think so. Taxes have increased again, and many people have been captured to fight. How can this be good?"

"Yes, life is getting harder and harder now."

The two soldiers in Trebizond talked secretly. As Alexius levied heavy taxes throughout the country, their lives became more and more difficult. There are fewer merchant ships coming here. You can see those idle porters at the port. Only basic food is sold in the market, and almost nothing else.

"Look, is there a ship coming?"

The soldier pointed to the front for his colleagues to see, and the outline of a ship became clearer and clearer.

"Yes, there seems to be more behind..."

One, two, three, a large number of ships appeared in their field of vision, and the porters on the dock also saw it. This must be a merchant fleet. They all cheered up and wanted to make money to support their families.

"Great, business is finally here."

The port manager was also very excited. After so many days, a fleet finally came. There must be oil and water to be made, so he looked at the dock with full expectation and tried to complete the operation as quickly as possible.

However, the closer they got, the more they felt that this fleet was not simple. From the flags hanging, it was Roman, but it was larger than ordinary merchant ships. When they got closer and closer, the black muzzles on the ship were aimed at the city wall.

"Yes, the Roman army, run!"

As soon as the voice fell, shells were fired at the port of Trebizond. Not only the workers waiting to work, but also some of the defenders ran away. Without any obstruction, the Roman fleet docked at the dock of this city.

Mihaly came down from the deck and looked at this important port city in Anatolia, which was far inferior to Constantinople.

"The battle will be resolved within one day!"

The army dispersed and began to control Trebizond. In fact, most of the defenders surrendered when they met in less than a day. Except for some defenders in the castle who resisted, other places were successfully taken over.

Mihaly walked into the castle, where the emblem of the Komnenos family and the previous furnishings were still preserved. Out of respect for the three emperors who revived Rome, this place was not destroyed immediately. But if it was occupied, Georgia's support would be cut off. Next, let's see how Alexius would deal with it.

The battlefields on the south and north lines were very smooth. Muhammad had attacked Ancyra, the main battlefield, many times but still could not capture it. They had been here for a whole month, and the army began to disband.

Muhammad racked his brains in the tent to think about how to capture the city. He had to destroy it thoroughly. But one wave after another, he got a big bad news: Caesar of the Roman Empire had led his army to Ancyra.

In recent years, the administrative construction in Anatolia has achieved initial results. The original 60,000 conscriptions were not only exceeded, but also reinforcements from Morea arrived. Together with the troops allocated to him by the emperor, Peter had a total of 90,000 troops at his disposal. This also included 10,000 established cavalry units.

At this time, Peter had led his army to Ancyra. When Muhammad learned the news, he immediately moved his position to the west, leaving 20,000 people to continue the siege.

From mobile warfare to positional warfare, Muhammad made many stupid moves. At this time, he was not as high-spirited as before, and only wanted to regain his prestige with the victory of this battle.

However, in the face of this situation, these people still did not learn their lessons, and digging trenches was not their specialty. The progress of the project was dragged on.

The battle on the second day began with the encounter between the two cavalry. The Ottoman cavalry initially pressed the Roman cavalry, but the Despot Theodore soon led his army to support. The Ottoman army gradually could not hold on and retreated to the rear. Then a fierce battle took place in the nearby village of Andrebov.

"Kill, Allah is supreme"

The Ottoman soldiers rushed towards the enemy with scimitars, but the Roman army directly bombed with small artillery. And there were dozens of artillery pieces coming together, which was a dimensionality reduction blow to the Ottomans.

The situation of the cavalry was not much better. Their fighting on horseback could be compared with the Mongolian cavalry. They could not only fight in close combat, but also draw bows and arrows on horseback. But they still died in front of the artillery.

This time, Peter brought a full 300 artillery pieces. It was enough to destroy their army, and under the firepower attack, they gradually withdrew from the village of Andrebov.

"Let Ibrahim take the army to take this village back, otherwise don't come to see me."

Mohammed roared and ordered his men that the army must not retreat. Once he retreated, everything would be over. But the facts forced him to make a choice.

"Look, brother, the Ottoman army is going to run away."

The youngest brother Stefan excitedly told his elder brother Peter everything he saw, and Peter and others also listened to his words with interest.

"Okay Stefan, leave here first, I will bring you a gift."

"Oh"

As Stefan left, Peter also ordered a general attack. Tens of thousands of soldiers attacked the Ottomans with overwhelming force, shouting slogans for God and attacking these pagans. And what followed was the collapse of the Ottomans' morale.

The Roman army broke through the Ottoman defensive line in one go. The soldiers who were fighting saw the emperor's Caesar and the prince coming to fight together, and their morale was greatly increased. The pace of advancement began to increase.

Muhammad's camp was in chaos, and various news of the frontline's defeat troubled him. With the advice of various generals, he decided to "retreat in an orderly manner."

"Hurry up, don't want any of this, let's go!"

At the Sultan's urging, the core army fled with him and the Ottoman flag. The remaining Ottoman troops either continued to resist or surrendered immediately. Six hours later, the battlefield had quieted down.

In this battle, the Ottomans suffered 30,000 casualties in the siege, 20,000 died in the battle, and 70,000 prisoners. So much so that some civilians transporting supplies joined the team to capture prisoners. The prisoners ranged from 60-year-olds to teenagers. It can be seen that the Ottoman domestic military reserves have been drained dry.

"Your Highness, this belongs to Muhammad."

Peter looked at these supplies made of gold and thought that nomads would still enjoy them. Unlike them, they had to think about how to get farmers to produce more food. They can just grab it.