1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 227 Mahmoud
The Great Wallachian Plain, south of the town of Klerach, at the Danube crossing.

On the north bank of the ferry, a large army was gathering, with three flags flying above the army: the Crescent Flag of the Ottoman Empire, the Bulgarian Bey Flag of Mahmud and the Black Bird Flag of Vlad III. The army was large in number, and its black mass covered the land along the river.

Under the Ottoman flag, Mahmud and Vlad III stood side by side, looking quietly at the river.

On the river, many fishing boats were coming and going, very busy. The water flow here was relatively gentle, and the soldiers connected the fishing boats with ropes to build a floating bridge.

"Lord Mahmud, the Kapikulu cavalry is ready. There are two thousand of them, fully equipped and in high spirits. Please give us your instructions!"

"The Janissary Guards are ready. There are 4,500 of them, fully equipped and enthusiastic. Please give us your instructions!"

"The Knights of Delhi are fully equipped, a total of 2,800 people, please give your instructions!"

"Ajinki cavalry is ready!"

"Azab Corps awaits orders!"

"The Vidin Corps obeys orders!"

"The Constanta Corps is ready!"

One by one, the army commanders came to Mahmoud, bowed to him and reported on the reorganization.

"Mahmoud, I never thought you could mobilize so many elite troops. It's really eye-opening."

Next to Mahmoud, Vlad III, dressed in black, sighed.

"When His Majesty the Sultan evacuated Rumelia, he left the entire Rumelian Army to me."

Mahmoud smiled.

"Out of 40,000 troops, these are the only ones left today."

"You are really capable to support so many troops with just Bulgaria."

Vlad III's mouth curled into a smile.

"We are able to barely be self-sufficient in food, and His Majesty the Sultan occasionally sends us some money and equipment via merchant ships at night, which has kept us going until now."

Mahmoud sighed slightly.

"Your Sultan believes you."

Vlad III laughed.

"I have always been a loyal subject of His Majesty the Sultan. I do yearn for wealth and glory, but this does not prevent me from being loyal to the Sultan in my own way."

Mahmud looked at Vlad III sternly.

"His Majesty the Sultan is wise and decisive, and he has a clear understanding of the current situation."

"If we are completely defeated by the Greek emperor, Anatolia will be the next to suffer."

"Maybe. Hurry up. We have completely stepped out from behind the scenes and stepped onto the stage. We can't delay any longer."

Vlad III stopped smiling.

"Tell your men to speed up. We will try to cross the Danube before lunch and arrive at Varna by tomorrow evening to deal a fatal blow to the Greek emperor."

"We have staked too much on this surprise attack, and nothing can go wrong!"

Mahmud called the messenger, gave him a few instructions, and looked at Vlad III again.

"Don't worry. We have been hiding in your Black Forest for half a year. The soldiers have been holding back their anger for a long time and are just worried about where to vent it."

"Hey, do you still like my Black Forest?"

Vlad III chuckled.

Mahmoud could not hide the disgust in his eyes as he recalled the forest of mummies skewered on wooden poles.

After Vlad III became the Grand Duke of Wallachia, he brutally suppressed the rebellious forces in the country. He strung tens of thousands of rebels on wooden stakes and placed them around the family castle, forming a gloomy and terrifying forest.

This place was considered a forbidden area by the common people. It was seldom visited by people and merchants were forbidden to enter. Only Vlad III's own confidants dared to set foot in the forest and enter the castle.

Long before the war began, Mahmud and Vlad III had anticipated the possible northern expedition of the Eastern Roman Empire and jointly discussed this crazy and bold strategy.

First, use the entire Bulgaria as bait to lure the Eastern Roman army and foreign mercenaries to fight each other, slowing down the offensive speed of the Eastern Roman Empire and forcing them to disperse their forces.

Secondly, he built the city of Varna like an iron barrel to contain the Eastern Roman Empire's army and wear down their morale and manpower in the long defense battle.

Finally, before the war, he led his army along the Southern Carpathian Mountains into Wallachia and hid in Vlad III's Black Forest to preserve his strength for the subsequent decisive battle, in order to launch a surprise attack and deal a fatal blow to the enemy.

Vlad III saw the disgust in Mahmud's eyes and sneered sarcastically.

"Mahmoud, you more than 10,000 soldiers are eating, drinking, defecating and urinating here, and you are almost eating up all the food I have stored for years, and you are still being picky?" "I made the plan, but you also agreed to it. If you think you can defeat nearly 60,000 Greek troops on the front battlefield with more than 10,000 soldiers, then I have nothing to say."

"I know you have defeated Karaman's army with inferior forces, but don't forget that the Greek army is not something that Karaman's old-fashioned conscripts can easily match."

Mahmoud heard this and nodded slightly.

"It's meaningless to say these things. Success or failure depends on this one move."

"The agreement between us is still valid. You provide me with 8,000 elite soldiers. After that, Constanta will be yours."

"Of course, of course."

Vlad III laughed strangely.

"I sometimes wonder, if I had not boarded your pirate ship and directly surrendered to the Greek emperor, would he have given me a larger territory?"

"Oh, if you really wanted to be inferior to others, you wouldn't have agreed to my request right away."

Mahmoud said.

"The core area of ​​Wallachia is all plains, with no strategic locations to defend. An empire so powerful and eager to conquer has appeared to your south. Do you think you can stay out of it?"

"If Bulgaria is occupied by the Greek emperor, Wallachia will be his next target. Even if you swallow your pride and go after the Hungarians again, they may not be able to protect you."

Vlad III gave Mahmoud a gloomy look.

"Walachia is Wallachia. I will not submit to the Greeks, nor to the Hungarians."

"yes,"

Mahmoud sighed.

"In the face of real power, we have few choices. We can either take sides or unite to stop their invasion."

"Unfortunately, Moldavia doesn't seem to see this. If Stefan III also joins our plan, our chances of success will be much greater."

Vlad III curled his lips in disbelief.

"Stefan III already hates you. His wife is a noblewoman from the Gavras family. She has the blood of the Palaiologos family in her body, and is considered a half-relative of the emperor."

"Besides, even if Moldavia is in such a bad situation, it can still hide under the wings of the Poles and survive, which is different from us."

As the two men were talking, a floating bridge on the river gradually took shape. Mahmud's 16,000 soldiers and Vlad III's 8,000 soldiers were on full alert, ready to cross the river and attack the south at any time.

"We are very close to Varna. If we increase our speed and work day and night, we can reach there in one day and one night."

Mahmoud estimated.

"Taking into account the time for rest, we should be able to launch a general attack on the Greek army besieging the city tomorrow evening."

"That would be great, I really can't wait."

A cruel smile appeared on Vlad III's face.

"Hehe, when those Greek troops who have been unable to conquer the city for a long time see our well-trained and elite army, what kind of surprise and panic will they have? I am really looking forward to it..."

"Okay, let's stop talking nonsense and prepare to cross the river."

Mahmoud said grimly.

The sky was gray, tiny snowflakes were falling, the river was icy cold, but the soldiers' hearts were full of passion.

Mahmoud stretched out his right hand, caught a snowflake, and watched the beautiful snowflake turn into cold water in his palm.

"It's snowing, but it doesn't look like it will be very heavy for now."

"We have to act quickly. If we delay for too long, even if Varna can hold on, the environment will become harsh."

"However, the snow will also make the Greek army relax their vigilance, which is a good thing."

"Furthermore, most of the Greek troops come from the south, and a large number of them even come from hot North Africa. They have never seen heavy snow, let alone experience fighting in the snow. This is also our advantage."

"We only have one month's worth of food and fodder, and no heavy weapons. We will either be a great success or be completely defeated."

Vlad III still had a cold smile on his face as he looked at the dark sky, seeming to be thinking about something.

"Okay, endure for several months, and then attack on a snowy night. This will become a legend."

On December 1464, 12, the snow fell heavier and heavier. The coalition forces of Mahmud and Vlad III began to cross the river, preparing to launch a night attack on the city of Varna before the ground was covered with snow.

(End of this chapter)