1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 194 Secretly assassinating Chen Cang
Mount Igi, central Crete.

Mount Ig is the highest mountain on the island of Crete. It is shaded by green trees in summer and covered with snow in winter. There are gurgling springs in the mountains and abundant resources. The villagers make a living by growing wheat and also grazing cattle and sheep on the hillsides.

The main geological composition of Mount Ig is limestone. There are many caves and underground water palaces. It is the main birthplace of the ancient Minoan civilization.

In peacetime, Iji Mountain provides a good hiding place for smugglers and criminals. They store goods and daily necessities in caves hidden in the mountains and forests to avoid being hunted by the civilized world.

Now, Mount Iggi has become the main base of the Cretan rebels. They use mountain villages and large caves as strongholds to conduct guerrilla warfare, repeatedly defeating the joint encirclement and suppression of the Venetian army. From time to time, they come down the mountain to harass the Venetian supply routes, making them uneasy.

However, with the arrival of Venetian mercenaries, the Cretan rebels had an increasingly difficult time. Experienced mercenary captains pressed forward step by step, adopting the strategy of fortifying the city and clearing the countryside, gradually eroding the rebels' base and cutting off their connection with the outside world.

Due to the lack of external resources, the rebels fell into a serious shortage of supplies. Fresh water was abundant and food could hold out for the time being, but the most critical weapons and armor had been completely sold out. Many rebels could only fight the elite Bohemian heavy armored troops with hunting bows and wooden spears. They tried their best to get close to them, but they could not pierce the enemy's armor.

To make matters worse, the shortage of supplies made the factional struggles within the rebels more intense. Many rebels became discouraged and even proposed to accept the surrender of the Venetian government.

It is foreseeable that in the absence of external interference, this St. Titus uprising would soon be suppressed by the Venetian government, which has absolute superiority, with thundering means.

Outside a large cave, Qasim and several of his companions walked on a dirt road.

This is the headquarters of the Saint Titus rebels, with more than 800 rebel soldiers stationed here. The three surrounding villages provide them with supplies, the mountain outposts provide them with information about foreign invasions, and the steep cliffs, dense forests and surrounding streams provide them with the best protection.

Before he even entered the village, Qasim could faintly hear the sound of quarreling inside.

"Nikopoli is a Saint Titus! The Kalergis have always been the leaders of the cause of freedom in Crete!"

A voice speaking in Italian emphasized.

"Nonsense! Old Count Kalergis once asked the Emperor of the Eastern Empire for support and expressed his willingness to return to the embrace of the empire!"

"Nikopolis has already sent envoys to meet with Emperor Isaac some time ago. He has also publicly promised not to abandon the Roman survivors on Crete. His army and fleet should be on the way!"

"The Kalergis family is clearly an imperial faction!"

"Humph! A hundred years ago, we asked the emperor for help with great hope, but what did they do? In my opinion, we shouldn't have trusted them!"

"That was in the past. Now the Eastern Empire has been reborn from the ashes. Whether for sentiment or profit, the emperor will not allow us to be exploited and oppressed by the Venetians!"

A Cretan guerrilla blushed and argued loudly.

"In any case, the purpose of our uprising is not to overthrow an autocratic government and welcome another autocratic monarch. Our goal is to establish an independent and autonomous Republic of Saint Titus!"

Another guerrilla also shouted loudly.

"Oh? Then what do you say we should do?"

"Without the emperor's support, we will never be able to drive out the Venetian government."

"In my opinion, we should accept the government's recruitment and fight for our rights through non-violent means!"

"Nonsense! You are a spy sent by the Venetians!"

"you……"

Qasim listened to the guerrillas' arguments and shook his head.

The military defeat intensified the internal conflicts of the rebel army, and the guerrillas were extremely frightened and at a loss as to what to do.

"Captain, what do you think of the Saint Titus faction and the Imperial faction?"

A young guerrilla fighter next to Qasim asked.

"Instead of discussing such boring issues, it is better to think about how to overcome the difficulties at hand."

"My father always said that land and freedom are worth a lifetime's pursuit, but both come at a price."

"According to the information I have learned, the Republic of Venice is about to collapse. The Grand Council will not give us the same preferential treatment as before. It will only exploit us further for the sake of profit."

"And Emperor Isaac has always been known for his generosity and kindness. He would not oppress the people just to make money."

"If I had to choose, I would certainly prefer to live under his rule."

Cassim showed the guards the letter from the rebel leader Nicopoli and successfully entered the stronghold.

"But aren't you of Italian descent? Won't the emperor discriminate against you for this reason?"

The team member asked again.

"The emperor only cares about a person's loyalty, not where he comes from."

"Besides, His Majesty is also of Italian descent. He has more than half Italian blood, while I only have a quarter."

"No matter what, we are in urgent need of his help now, for the land and for freedom."

"But more importantly, to survive."

Cassim said heavily.

"Nikopoli summoned all the rebel captains together. He must have something important to announce. It is probably about the emperor's reinforcements."

"You guys go take a rest."

The team members nodded and walked towards the stew pot in the open space, while Cassim went straight to the tent with the flag of the Kalergis family.

Pushing open the tent, all the rebel captains were already in place. When Nickopoli Kalelgis saw Cassim arriving, he smiled and nodded at him.

Next to him was a young man who also wore the emblem of the Carlegis family.

"Giannis, this is Kasim, a brave and sincere young man."

"You have been staying in Billinge before now, so you may not have seen him."

"He was one of the first guerrillas to revolt. He not only used his influence in the village to unite the people, killed the local Venetian governor, rescued his father, but also participated in the war to attack the city of Rethymnon."

"Over the course of several months, the young man gradually grew into a determined warrior, was wounded several times in the city of Rethymnon, and even saved the life of the leader of the Carlton."

Nickoli pointed to a chair beside him and Qasim nodded in thanks.

"Captain Carlton was seriously injured while evacuating Rethymnon. Before he died, he appointed Cassim as the leader of the Rethymnon rebels, hoping that he would continue to fight with his brothers."

"In this way, Cassim took on the important task, evaded the pursuit and blockade of the Venetian army, and led the rebel army to Mount Iji."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, dear brother Kasim. My name is Yannis Kalergis. I was granted the title of Baron Kalergis by the grace of Emperor Isaac."

Kassim nodded to Giannis as well.

"Okay, everyone is here. I called you all here today to announce an important news."

Nick Boley regained his seriousness.

"As you all know, a few days ago, I sent Giannis to Bilinchi to meet with the emperor and ask for his assistance. So far, we have made significant progress."

"The emperor is not only willing to provide us with assistance, but also appointed Yannis as the Baron of Kalergis and me as the Baron of Celia. He also ordered us to reorganize the rebel army into the 12th Legion of the Guards and personally named it the Banner of Saint Titus."

Nicopoli unfurled a military flag, which was the flag of Saint Titus that the rebels had been using.

At first, he did have his own ambitions and tried to establish his own regime by relying on the reputation of the Kalergis family in Crete. Even if he could not establish his own regime, he could still negotiate terms with the emperor.

However, Venice's counterattack soon extinguished his ambitions, and the news that his cousin Giannis was made a baron also made him feel uneasy.

So when Giannis came to him with the emperor's order and the enthronement document, Nicopoli immediately made his decision.

"That is to say, starting today, we are all members of the Roman Empire's Guard Corps and enjoy the same treatment as the Guard Corps."

The captains present were all surprised and began to whisper to each other.

They were certainly aware that establishing an army would not bring any practical help to the rebels who were in deep trouble, but it proved one important thing.

The emperor will not abandon them.

"This is the first military pay the Empire gives us."

"It was with these funds that Giannis bribed a mercenary captain and was able to rush back to the mountain."

Nickoli took out a piece of gold from the bag around his waist. The gold was shining alluringly under the candlelight.

"Of course, due to the blockade of the Venetian mercenaries, the emperor is temporarily unable to transport weapons and food to the mountains."

"But the Emperor's army has already assembled in Bilinchi, with flags in full swing and ships filling the river."

"So, after this meeting, the rebels are forbidden to use the term "Republic of Saint Titus" in their internal documents. They are to be referred to as the Roman Empire's Crete Region instead."

"Baron, what we want to know more than this is when His Majesty will send troops." A rebel leader spread his hands.

"After all, we are almost unable to hold on."

Instead of answering directly, Nickoli took out a document with a double-headed eagle emblem on it.

"Since the Venetians have been operating on Crete for a long time and have well-developed defense facilities, your Majesty's army will face many difficulties when landing."

"Several major cities in the north, including Chania, Heraklion and Rethymnon, are unavailable as landing sites."

"Your Majesty advocates placing the landing point in the weaker south."

Nicopoli drew a circle on the unfolded earthen map.

"The port of Horasfa is the target of your majesty's planned attack."

"This is a weak area under Venice's rule and is very close to the North African continent. If we can occupy this port, your Majesty's troops will be able to continuously pour into Crete."

"The mission the emperor has assigned to us is to harass the supply lines of the Venetian army and delay the large army's march southward."

"This is the first major battle since the establishment of the 12th Guards Army. You must go all out!"

Nick Boli spoke with great force.

All the generals said yes.

The rebel leaders left one after another, but Qasim remained where he was.

"Kasim, why don't you get ready?"

"Captain, I have some doubts."

"But it doesn't matter."

Cassim leaned close to Nikpoli and whispered.

"From what I know, the rebels are not completely in favor of pledging allegiance to the emperor. They are likely to resist it."

"Besides, our previous activities were discovered by the Venetian army in advance for some reason. I have reason to suspect that there is a spy within the rebel army who is secretly colluding with the Venetian government and is preparing to sell us out in exchange for his own future."

Cassim poured out all the doubts in his heart.

"It would be unwise for you to tell them directly about the emperor's military plan."

"What nonsense!"

Nick Boli frowned.

"We, the rebels, have all been through the test of war and have long since developed a deep friendship. Even if we have different opinions, we will never betray our comrades!"

"Go back and don't mention these things anymore!"

Cassim sighed and pulled away.

……

The night enveloped the entire earth. In a dense valley on the mountainside, the man walked under a big tree, and the leaves under his feet made a rustling sound.

"what's up?"

A hoarse voice sounded among the treetops. The man was startled and then looked around. After making sure there was no one around, he leaned against the trunk of the tree.

"Nikoli has completely sided with the Eastern Empire."

"I know."

The hoarse voice sounded again.

"According to him, the Greek emperor is preparing to land at the port of Horasfa."

"Is the news true?"

"I am not the only spy you have on Mount Yiji. You also have spies in Port Bilinchi. You can find out if you investigate yourself."

The man sneered.

"In any case, your subordinates in the south do need to be strengthened, and it would be a good idea to be more careful."

"I will report the truth to my superiors."

"After the matter is done, I will send your son to Florence. The money given to you is also in the bank of Florence. You can restart your life there."

"Thank you."

The man's tone was tired, uneasy, and a little relieved.

The hoarse man glanced at the man with contempt, jumped to another big tree, and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

……

In the Bilinchi naval port, a majestic fleet is weighing anchor and setting sail.

In order to implement the plan smoothly, the three major fleets of the empire gathered in Bilinchi, and various types of ships covered the entire sea surface nearby.

Caravelles, galleys, pirate ships, requisitioned transport ships... scattered here and there, totaling more than 230 ships.

The three legions of the Guards, the three thousand-man squadrons of the Slaves Legion and some Berber servants have all been boarded, totaling more than 12,000 people.

At the dock, Isaac was giving final instructions to Admiral Fidel, who was in charge of the naval battle, and Marquis Mikhail, who was in charge of the land battle.

"That old man Isurte said he didn't want me to take charge personally, and even brought in Leonor, who is pregnant."

"You are all the people I trust the most. This time, the combat mission is completely handed over to you."

Isaac smiled.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will definitely send the Duke of Gandia's head to your desk as a gift for the birth of the new prince!"

Mikhail smiled gruffly.

"While I can still fight, I will conquer more territory for you!"

Fidel glanced at Mikhail helplessly.

This old marquis is good in everything except how to speak.

"I don't care what grudges you have in normal times, but always remember that during wartime, family and country come first, and all personal feelings should be put aside."

"It must be so!"

The two nodded.

"I have informed the legions in the Balkans that they will launch a feint attack on Corfu and Naxos to distract the Venetian fleet."

"Count Maruna is also leading his army northward. The ports that the Venetians need to protect are too scattered, and they cannot gather all their ships together."

"You probably won't encounter Venice's large fleet this time, but you must not be careless."

"You will definitely encounter various difficulties during the landing operation, which requires you to work together to overcome the difficulties."

Isaac thought about it, but couldn't think of anything to explain, so he could only pat them on the shoulders.

Compared with a decisive battle between large troops on land, landing operations are more difficult, and the defenders have an absolute advantage by being well-rested.

In landing operations, the impact of the environment is very large. In addition to strength, luck is also a crucial factor.

No matter how powerful a fleet or army is, it is no match for nature.

All Isaac could do, apart from trying to disrupt the enemy's forces as much as possible through some means, was to pray to God.

"All the necessary preparations have been made, and all the necessary words have been said."

"Then I wish you all good luck in fighting!"

……

On March 1462, 3, the combined fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire, carrying 25 troops, swore an oath to march north at the naval port of Bilinchi and disappeared on the endless sea.

(End of this chapter)