1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 115 The Eagle Flag Still Remains
On May 1453, 5, after Matthias Hunyadi learned about the battle situation in Constantinople, he confiscated all the horses and took a thousand elite soldiers to gallop at night, bypassing fortresses and large cities, running thousands of miles, and arrived at the outskirts of Constantinople before sunset. He suddenly appeared behind the siege camp and launched a charge on the Ottoman camp.

As early as a few days ago, news of the Christian Crusaders' invasion of the Ottoman homeland began to spread among the lower-level Muslim soldiers, but the Beys, Pashas and Ulemas at all levels denied it and attributed these rumors to a conspiracy of the Constantinople defenders.

And now, the Christian cavalry coming from the west was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely breaking down the soldiers' psychological defenses.

Before the Ottoman army could organize an effective defense, the first wave of cavalry had already rushed to the front. The old, weak and sick who stayed in the camp had no ability to resist at all and fell into the sword one after another.

Then, the St. Romanos Gate in the middle section of the Theodosian Wall was suddenly opened. Seeing the reinforcements coming, the defenders of Constantinople gritted their teeth, exerted their last bit of strength, rushed out of the gate shouting, venting the pain and anger they had felt during the two-month siege, stabbing their blades into the enemy's chests and letting the warm blood splash on their bodies.

On their chests were painted the emblem of a crowned lion, on their shoulders the emblem of the Cross of Constantine, and at their waists were swords engraved with the four betas of the cross.

They held halberds with the Cross of Lorraine, they wielded war hammers carved with roaring boars, and they held high banners with the Armenian Cross.

Behind these remaining regular troops, many brave citizens of Constantinople picked up their weapons, rushed out of the city gates and beat the fallen dogs.

They had been depressed for too long. Since the rise of the Ottomans, the Eastern Roman Empire had suffered defeat after defeat. Bursa, Gallipoli, Thessalonica, Smyrna... once prosperous cities were lost one after another. They retreated from Anatolia to the Balkans, fled from Thessaly to Thrace, until there was nowhere to escape and they were trapped in Constantinople.

When the Ottoman army of 200,000 gathered in the capital, no one was optimistic about them, believing that the loss of Constantinople was only a matter of time and the demise of the Eastern Roman Empire was a foregone conclusion.

However, after three years of preparation and two months of perseverance, Constantinople survived the frenzied Ottoman attacks time and time again, stubbornly standing in the way of the Turks, annihilating enemies that were several times larger than itself, and defeating the enemy at Galata, giving hope to the surrounding Christian forces.

Until now, the reinforcements we had been longing for finally arrived.

Until now, the Ottoman army, which was so invincible two months ago, began to retreat under the attack from both inside and outside, and fled in a panic.

To this day, the eagle flag still flies over Constantinople.

……

On Mount Maltepe, in the golden and red tent, Mehmed II looked at the crushing defeat in the distance and was silent for a moment.

"Keep charging! Don't retreat!"

"Coward! Bastard!"

Suddenly, Mehmed II waved his arms wildly, yelled at the fleeing soldiers in the distance, and drew out the sword from his waist with a clang.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Several ministers around Mehmed II were a little panicked.

His eyes were wide open, the madness in them gradually faded, regret and anxiety began to emerge, his lips were bitten tightly, and blood was dripping.

"His Majesty!"

Zagan Pasha shook Mehmed II's shoulders vigorously, bringing him back to reality from his fantasy.

"Ok?"

Mehmed II came to his senses.

"The whole army is waiting for your order now. Whether to fight or retreat, you must give us a definite answer!"

Mohammed looked around and saw the Beys and Pashas looking at him anxiously and in panic.

For these people, he was still the Ottoman Sultan, the master of the Balkans and Anatolia, and the spiritual sustenance of all soldiers.

Mehmed II forced himself to calm down and focus on the battle situation in the distance.

It was obvious that both the invading Hungarian cavalry and the Christian soldiers attacking from the city were outnumbered and lacked physical strength, and they fought bravely with their last bit of faith.

Under normal circumstances, these enemies were no match for their elite Janissary Guards.

However, they happened to be in the right place at the right time, causing a chain reaction. Their front army led to the collapse of the rear army, and the formation was completely chaotic and out of control.

"Your Majesty, the morale of the soldiers has dropped and they are running in all directions. We cannot continue like this."

Mahmoud Pasha stepped forward and said.

"What do you think should happen?"

"Now the soldiers are scattered, the generals are scattered, and Constantinople has received reinforcements. It is unrealistic to continue besieging the city."

"I'm afraid we have to retreat."

"The sun has already set. We can use the night to reorganize our army, disperse and evacuate, and regroup in the southwest."

"Our top priority is not to eliminate the enemy forces nearby, but to bring the remaining troops back to Edirne as much as possible to avoid unnecessary losses."

Mahmoud said this in a loud and clear voice.

Mohammed's face was pale and his lips were moving.

"Tell the commanders of each legion to withdraw."

"Just do as Mahmoud says."

He sighed deeply, threw the sword down, and it hit the ground with a crisp sound.

The generals felt relieved and hurried out of the camp to organize the evacuation.

The battlefield was extremely noisy, but the camp was deserted.

"Mahmoud, I didn't follow your advice at the beginning, which led to today's defeat."

Muhammad looked at Zagan Pasha and Mahmoud Pasha, the only two left in the tent, with a complicated expression.

"Your Majesty, now is not the time to talk about this."

"The Christians invaded our borders, Karaman and Aquarius took advantage of the situation, and we suffered heavy casualties in Constantinople."

"But we can afford to lose."

"You are still the most honorable Sultan, and we are still your most loyal servants."

"Victory and defeat are common in the military. You must cheer up."

"Well said, Mahmoud."

Mehmed II opened his half-closed eyes and murmured.

He bent down, picked up the sword and handed it to Mahmoud, who was kneeling on one knee.

"Take my sword, gather my guards, and soothe their hearts."

"Tell the soldiers I'm taking them home."

"I will follow you till death!"

Mahmoud took the sword, held his head high, and walked out of the camp.

Zagan Pasha was still waiting in the tent, watching his Sultan.

Mehmed II gradually recovered from the severe blow and became the ruler who never showed his emotions.

"Zagan."

"Your command."

"Go and inform Karaga Bey to evacuate northwards, then gather the remaining troops in Galata, take food and fodder, cross the Bosphorus and head to Bursa."

“We must stabilize the city of Bursa and avoid chaos in Anatolia.”

"What about the fleet in the Golden Horn?"

"It's too late to save him."

Mehmed II shook his head decisively, with a gleam of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"Withdraw the sailors to the shore and burn or scuttle all the ships."

"The siege towers and artillery were also destroyed so that the Christians could not get them."

"Yes!"

After Zagan Pasha left, Muhammad looked at the empty tent with an uncertain look.

……

In the early morning of May 1453, 5, the chaotic war in Constantinople finally ended. All the organized troops of the Ottoman Empire had evacuated Constantinople and fled in various directions in several parts.

Holding the Sultan's sword, Veli Mahmud Pasha led the Sultan's Guards, who still retained some strength, to withstand another round of charge by the light cavalry, buying enough time for the rest of the army to evacuate.

The Hungarian light cavalry had been on a thousand-mile charge, and their sight was obstructed by darkness, so they chose not to continue the pursuit, but bypassed the Ottoman army from the north and entered Constantinople to rest. The naval battle in the Golden Horn also came to an end at the same time. The Ottoman Fust fleet failed to break through the defense of the Great Wall before the Hungarian reinforcements arrived, and took the remaining fleet to hide in the shallows in the northwest of the Golden Horn.

As the artillery companies withdrew one after another, the Foster warship group lost the protection of the roadbed artillery. Some ships surrendered to the Eastern Roman fleet, while some ships retreated to a corner and became sitting ducks for the Eastern Roman fleet.

In desperation, Baltoglu ordered his soldiers to sink the fleet, and the sailors scrambled to land and escape from the north shore.

At this point, the Battle of Constantinople ended. The Eastern Roman Empire, relying on 10,000 defenders and an isolated city, withstood the continuous attack of the Ottoman army of more than 200,000 and more than a hundred artillery pieces for more than two months, greatly weakening the morale and number of the Ottoman army, and waiting for changes in the surrounding situation.

Of the Ottoman army of more than 200,000, nearly 100,000 were killed or wounded, more than 20,000 surrendered, and more than 40,000 were missing.

Mehmed II fled back to Edirne under the protection of Mahmud Pasha, gathered the remaining troops, and counted the number of people, finding only more than 60,000.

The significance of this war was undoubtedly significant. The once-mighty Ottoman army was badly beaten to a pulp under the city of Constantinople, losing most of its elite forces, and the prestige of Mehmed II was destroyed. This allowed the various forces that had been on the sidelines to see an opportunity.

In the Balkan Peninsula, pro-Ottoman forces in Serbia suffered a severe blow, and Grand Duke Branković immediately sent troops to invade the border.

On the Anatolian Plateau, Karaman Bey Ibrahim II finally stopped hiding and assembled a large army to launch another attack on the Ottoman-occupied Ankara area.

In the Mashriq region, the White Sheep King Uzung Hassan took advantage of this opportunity to launch an attack on the Ottoman Empire's staunch ally, Dulkadir Bey, and won successive victories.

In the Pontic Mountains, Trebizond loudly announced its joining of the holy war against the Ottomans. King John IV personally led his army westward from Sinop, vowing to restore the glory of the Komnenian dynasty - but was then defeated by the local garrison troops and fled in embarrassment.

……

Edirne, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

In a mansion, Grand Vizier Khalil sat alone at the table, staring blankly at the glass on the table.

The Battle of Constantinople was a failure, the empire was in chaos on its borders, the Sultan's prestige was ruined, there were endless disputes in the central government, and the local governments were short of troops, showing a sign of decline.

He could not help but recall that just a few years ago, the empire was thriving, Murad II was open-minded and magnanimous, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects was harmonious, the generals encouraged each other, and the people were loyal to him.

"Khalil, how shall I treat you?"

"I will never forget your kindness."

"Assist my son well."

"In the name of Allah!"

Khalil recalled that on Murad II's deathbed, the dying Sultan entrusted his young son to the care of a loyal old minister.

After Murad II's death, countless people advised him to support Ahmed the Younger to ascend the throne and compete with Mehmed II, so as to monopolize the government.

He refused.

He knew that his student Muhammad did not like him, that he had lofty ambitions, and that he would most likely strike back in the future and depose him or even kill him.

However, he resolutely sent Murad II's last will to Manisa as soon as possible, recalled Mehmed II to Edirne, and forbade little Ahmed to leave the court.

Because he knew very well that if his young son ascended the throne, he would not be able to suppress the ambitious people from all sides, which would cause endless turmoil in the empire.

Just as now——

After the defeat of Constantinople, Khalil, who was in charge of supervising the transportation of grain and grass, returned to Edirne first. Immediately, many people tried to test Khalil's attitude for various purposes, trying to use the Grand Vizier to overthrow Mehmed II and support his son Bayezid.

Khalil decisively refused, put all the rebels into jail, sent soldiers to closely guard Prince Bayezid's residence, repaired the pass, reorganized the weapons, stabilized the people's hearts, counted the military supplies, and waited for the Sultan's return.

When Mehmed II returned, Khalil led the capital's civil and military officials to the city gate to greet him. He could tell that beneath the Sultan's praise, there were deep doubts.

The servants' panicked cries and women's screams could be heard from the gate, and the sounds of soldiers' armor colliding and weapons clashing came from far away.

The door opened and several fully armed Janissary soldiers rushed in and blocked every corner of the study.

When Zagan Pasha walked in, he saw Khalil Grand Vizier sitting quietly.

He seemed to have anticipated his fate.

“Chandar al-Khalil, in collusion with the Christians and Constantinople, leaked our military deployment and military plans to the Constantinople defenders, leading to the complete defeat of Galata and Constantinople.”

"We found a large number of correspondence, weapons, armor, and gold products from your several houses in the capital. It's obvious that you were plotting a rebellion."

"I am here by the Sultan's order to bring you to justice."

Zagan Pasha produced an edict with the seal of Mehmed II and a document containing the full record of the search.

Khalil remained indifferent and did not even look up.

"Anything to say?"

"After I die, will you be the Grand Vizier?"

Zagan Pasha was stunned, obviously not expecting this question.

"Your Majesty is going to divide the power of the Grand Vizier. I will be the Vizier with the Seal and Mahmud will be the Vizier with the Sword. The power of diplomacy and finance will also be divided."

"It should have been so long ago."

Khalil nodded and smiled.

For some reason, a feeling of frustration suddenly appeared in Zagan Pasha's heart, making him a little angry.

"Do you plead guilty?"

"What's the crime?"

"Betrayed the Sultan and attempted to overthrow the Ottoman cause."

Khalil finally turned his head and stared at Zagan Pasha, anger and sadness appearing on his old face at the same time.

"My ancestors followed Osman I when he was just the leader of a small tribe."

"My ancestors followed Osman I in the siege of Bursa for nine years and never left the battlefield."

"My ancestor followed Osman I and fell on the eve of the fall of Bursa. His son continued to fight with Orhan I in the south and the north."

"My great-grandfather followed Orhan I to raise the Ottoman flag on the Gallipoli Fortress, enabling the descendants of the Ottomans to gallop across the European continent."

"The Chandar family has been loyal to the Ottoman family for generations. My grandfather, uncle, and father have successively served as grand viziers. I am the fourth one."

"Since I took over my father's position, I have worked diligently and loyally to assist Sultan Murad II in getting this war-torn country back on track. Decades of hard work have resulted in a peaceful and prosperous country with the people returning to their homeland."

"How could you possibly understand this glory engraved in my bones, this faith flowing in my blood!"

"I never rebelled!"

Khalil stood up and raised his head proudly. His originally hunched body suddenly straightened up and he was surprisingly tall.

Zagan Pasha's face turned pale and he reached for his waist, but was held down by a hand.

Mehmed II stepped out from the shadows, his face expressionless.

"teacher."

Everyone was silent. Khalil looked deeply at Mohammed and smiled. His smile contained six parts sadness, three parts pleading, and one part relief.

"I see."

He picked up the glass on the table, raised it to Mohammed, and drank it all in one gulp.

On June 1453, 6, after the Ottoman Grand Vizier Candar Khalil's rebellious intentions were exposed, he committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

Mehmed II attributed all the blame for the defeat of Constantinople to the Grand Vizier Khalil, and quickly uprooted the power of Khalil's faction, conducting a large-scale purge in the capital and eliminating all restless factors, preferring to kill the innocent rather than let them go.

He only pardoned Khalil's youngest son, little Ibrahim, as his last act of mercy to the old minister.

He used the large amount of money obtained from the Great Purge to appease the military, reorganized the army based on the Janissary students in the capital and the evacuated veterans, continued to gather the defeated troops, appointed Mahmud Pasha as the Sword Vizier, boldly promoted young officers, and increased the number of troops to 80,000.

Mehmed II's radical behavior soon caused unrest around the capital. Many landlords and gentry whose interests were threatened rose up in rebellion, but their forces were too weak and full of internal conflicts, so they were quickly suppressed one by one.

The Bektashi Order and the Ah Brotherhood were deeply tied to the Ottoman family and continued to stand on the side of Mehmed II, declaring rebellion illegal and calling on Muslims to take up arms and defend their homes.

However, in any case, almost all Ottomans fell into great panic after learning the news of the defeat of Constantinople.

Because they all knew very well that the heyday unique to the Ottoman Empire, created by Mehmed I and Murad II, was finally coming to an end.

Troubled times are coming.

(End of this chapter)