Chapter 672 Situation

The cheers from Constantinople were still clear to my ears even though they were so far away.

Coupled with the remnant defeated generals who retreated into the camp in embarrassment, it was like a loud slap on the face of Mahamu II, who had stayed up all night to observe the battle situation.

The Ottoman senior officials had different thoughts, but no matter what they thought in their hearts, they did not dare to show any emotion on their faces.

In last night's battle, our side had gone all out. The main force was not only elites like Janiceli, but also mixed with many guards that Mahamu II had trained when he was the governor of Asia Minor.

Although the war situation was bumpy, the Greeks were still losing ground in the face of the absolute power gap.

Seeing that the overall situation was about to be decided, at this moment, three ships from Rhode Island sailed into the Golden Horn Bay. The new force of more than a hundred hospital knights and more than three hundred attendants was like a magic weapon descending from the sky. The tide of battle turned.

A pasha, covered in blood, retreated to the camp with the remaining defeated soldiers. As soon as he entered the tent, he accused angrily: "We are only one step away from capturing Constantiniya for your majesty. I think You know, what exactly does our fleet do?

As long as they can't break into the Golden Horn guarded by the Greeks, can't they even block the Aegean Sea? The empire spends a huge amount of wealth every year to support you. Is it just like raising a group of bread-eating rice buckets? "

A naval general who was present couldn't help but secretly cursed that standing and talking didn't hurt his back.

The Black Sea passage is cut off by the two fortresses of Rumelia and Anatolia. It stands to reason that the fleet only needs to block the enemy reinforcements coming from the south. In the eyes of laymen, it is indeed not a problem.

But in fact, the Ottoman siege of Constantinople required a huge amount of military supplies. It could not be dispatched from the interior alone. It required a large number of ships for transportation, and the entire Aegean Sea would not be idle.

In particular, there were a large number of Genoese and Venetian fleets. The Ottomans cooperated with both parties. Many military supplies such as gunpowder were purchased from them, which is quite the style of capital without borders in later generations.

As a result, the Ottoman fleet, in principle, required inspection of every passing ship, but in practice this was simply not possible.

What's more, the pirate knights of Rhodes Island also possess many holy objects and extraordinary beings. If they were caught so easily, how could these pirates who fly cross flags and plunder Zoroastrian caravans wantonly continue to roam the Mediterranean for so long? ?

Even in the original history, there was no influence of extraordinary factors.

The maritime blockade of Constantinople was still not very tight. Constantine XI not only sent ships for help, but also the supply ships purchased by His Majesty the Pope at his own expense, as well as three Genoese merchant ships. They also broke through the Ottoman naval blockade and entered the Golden Horn.

No matter how much he cursed in his heart, he did not dare to show it at this time. He had no choice but to explain: "Last night was a rainy night after all. The boats of those pirate knights were more flexible than ours, and the wind direction was in their favor..."

Hearing what he said, the pasha became even more angry: "You have the nerve to say that on a rainy night, our soldiers braved the freezing rain to attack all night, and you are still sleeping in a warm bed!"

"enough!"

Mahamu II said angrily, his pale golden eyes belonging to the dragonborn, staring closely at the four-beta flag that was still hanging high after the war.

"Even if you kill each other now, will you be able to capture this city for me?"

He snorted coldly. When the news came, he wanted to smash his navy commander's head with his cane.

"This time, I will not hold anyone accountable. But next time, if there is another person who neglects his duties, I guarantee that his end will be more terrible than death."

next time?

Your Majesty still doesn't give up?

A group of high-ranking Ottoman officials looked at each other. In their hearts, they no longer had any hope of taking over the city.

In fact, not everyone wants Mahamu II to win this battle and push his prestige further.

It is not a good thing to work under a strong monarch.

It’s just that I can’t think of any reason for them to withdraw their troops decently. After all, this is the first major thing that Mahamu II, the new king, does when he takes the throne. If he is frustrated, it will affect the prestige of the new king who has already stepped down once in embarrassment. , is undoubtedly a heavy blow.

It is impossible for Xinjun, who has a heart as high as the sky, to swallow this bitter pill willingly.

As for letting Mahamu II ride a dragon in person to fight, even if this idea exists, it is impossible for them as ministers to express it. It can only be proposed by Mahamu II himself, otherwise he will not care about the safety of the monarch. Who can bear it when the hat is off?

"I know what you are thinking now. Yes, we suffered huge losses last night. We were about to break through the enemy's defense and seize this sweet red apple, but a group of pirates reversed the situation.

Anyone would feel frustrated, but our losses were heavy. Wouldn't the enemy's losses be smaller?

Could it be that a mere three to four hundred pirate knights could change the situation in which the Greek emperor could only rely on the weak Greeks and Latin mercenaries who were known for their weakness and fear of death?

How do those pirate knights compare to our defeated Dragon Knights? "

"Your Majesty, the losses we have suffered are too great. Once we weaken, the Europeans, the Karamans, and even the Aries Dynasty, Timur's lackeys further away, may pounce on us like vicious dogs and plunder. Our territory.”

Grand Vizier Kandali said cautiously: "Why don't you send someone to negotiate peace with the Greek emperor? As long as they are willing to pay three times the previous tribute, we will agree to lift the siege.

In this way, even if the Greeks are given a few years to recuperate, they will not be able to save up a sum of money to strengthen the city defense and prepare for war."

Mahamu II showed displeasure: "Needless to say, I will fight this city to the death. Either she defeats me or I conquer her."

Mahamu II, holding the scepter, sneered and said: "I can afford it more than Constantine XI! Pass on my order, the whole army will rest for ten days. After ten days, I will personally lead the troops to fight a decisive battle with the Greeks."

A group of Ottoman high officials had different expressions, but in the face of this powerful monarch, they could only obey orders obediently.

Faced with the current situation, Mahamu II has decided to take action himself.

But he still feels uneasy if he doesn't solve the threat of the dragon-shooting crossbow.

He asked? "How long will it take for the dragon in the dragon garden to be delivered?"

…

Viviana was not peaceful during meditation. She woke up several times, went to the window and looked at the four β imperial flags that were still standing, and then lay down again.

The battlefield needs warriors with hard hearts, not poets with soft hearts.

When she heard the news that the first wall was about to fall, she could hardly control her desire to go to support, but finally chose to trust Lothar's decision.

She is not a good decision maker, she has this self-knowledge.

Otherwise, her father would not show both relief and disappointment every time he saw her with such a talent.

The old emperor Franz would not value a woman from the Hohenzollern family who had competed with him for the leadership of Germany, and single-handedly promoted her to become the representative of the Germans.

Fortunately.

The battle was won.

Listening to the cheers of the people, Viviana walked out of her tent.

Her mental strength was only restored by a small part, but it was enough for her to exert her full strength in a small-scale battle that did not last that long.

The streets were full of cheering people.

Priests holding holy images sang hymns loudly.

"The reinforcements of the Knights Hospitaller have arrived. They joined the battle at the critical moment and defeated the Ottomans in one fell swoop."

"Is it just the Latins' credit? Last night, His Majesty stood on the top of the city and fought to the end. He didn't even take a step back. You know, His Majesty hasn't closed his eyes for three days and three nights!"

"God bless His Majesty, God bless Rome!"

"Long live Rome, long live His Majesty!"

The victory of this battle obviously greatly boosted the morale of the defenders. The bloody city attack and defense, as well as the terrifying death toll, seemed to become insignificant under this atmosphere.