1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 363: Divide the River to Rule?

Central Iberia, south of Toledo, at the Camp of Mora.

From any perspective, Mora cannot be called a real city. It is poor, small, has no abundant population, and no large tracts of farmland. It was only because Mora was built on a high place and was militarily easy to defend and difficult to attack that the Eastern Roman Empire expeditionary force set up its main camp here.

The unrest in Iberia undoubtedly brought serious harm to national production. The army, bandits, refugees... wherever they passed, farmland was abandoned, roads were left unrepaired, industry and commerce almost stagnated, and the food in the warehouses became less and less.

After the Eastern Roman Empire expeditionary force arrived at the Meseta Plateau, the supply problems of the army system were exposed. This place was far away from the coast and the homeland, and the rear ruling area could not be stabilized for the time being. The supply of luxury goods quickly ran out. The nobles obeyed the rule of King Carlos on the surface, but they procrastinated about food supplies and hid flour and grain in the basement of the castle.

In addition, the Eastern Roman Empire's excessive preferential treatment of the central army soldiers also made the Castilian nobles' private army very dissatisfied. They were obviously fighting for King Carlos, but the Eastern Roman soldiers could eat meat, eggs and milk, and occasionally enjoy cigarettes and spirits, while they could only eat dry food with cold water. Not to mention luxury supplies, even fresh meat was a luxury.

Due to the poor logistical situation, Justinian and Isabella had to divide the coalition forces into three parts, trying their best to preserve the supplies of the main force of the central army, and leaving the other two parts to search on their own.

In addition to the shortage of supplies, due to the hasty march, most of the artillery was abandoned in Granada, which resulted in the Eastern Roman army being unable to capture the Royal City of Toledo in a short period of time and being forced to confront Fernando's army across the river.

By now the Eastern Roman Empire's Iberian expeditionary force was also very tired. They had already expended a great deal of energy in the mountains of Granada, and now they had to march here by force. Their morale was somewhat low, and their spirits were not as strong as before.

The main force of the Eastern Roman Empire was in such a state, and the conditions of the other two parts were obviously worse. The Knights' army was barely able to maintain its combat effectiveness due to the blessing of faith, but the situation of the nobles' private soldiers was even more indescribable. They picked up the traditions of their ancestors and began to plunder everywhere, killing innocent people indiscriminately, and their military discipline was completely destroyed.

This series of harsh conditions greatly reduced the combat effectiveness of the Eastern Roman coalition forces, and they finally lost their initial arrogant attitude of being far ahead. In Fernando's view, they have basically maintained the same level as the Iberian native army, which made him see some opportunities.

On the small road north of the Mora camp, a small delegation slowly moved southwards, with mules and donkeys carrying food and supplies, and the horses' coats painted with the patterns of the Aragonese royal family.

Among the diplomatic corps, the envoy, Father Mendoza, urged his horse slowly. His fat face looked kind and amiable, and his small eyes looked around intently.

A week ago, they crossed the Tagus River on the orders of Prince Fernando of Aragon and first went to the city of Toledo for peace talks, but failed to achieve much result. They then continued south to meet Justinian at the Mola camp.

Of course, in addition to carrying out some superficial peace talks, they are also responsible for investigating the truth. This method has existed since ancient times and everyone is accustomed to it.

"Father Mendoza, it seems that the Greek army is not as strong as the legend says. It is not much different from us."

A knight spoke up.

"When we visited the ferry a few days ago, we found that the Greeks were not able to build many ships at all, and the civilian ships we collected were not enough."

"In this way, isn't the initiative still in our hands?"

"Okay, remember who we are, this is not something we should care about."

Father Mendoza said calmly.

"The military strength of the Greeks is obvious to all. If Toledo were not located deep inland, we would not be their opponent at all."

"Their army can maintain extremely high combat effectiveness and extremely long combat time by relying on water transportation. It is truly a war machine that never slacks off."

"But their invincible fleet can't reach here, can it?"

The knight shrugged.

"The mouth of the Tagus River is in the Bay of Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal. Even if the Portuguese were willing to let them enter the river, they could only sail in the lower reaches and had no way of getting to the middle and upper reaches."

"Maybe, but we still can't underestimate them. The Greeks are full of conspiracies and intrigues, and that's well known."

Father Mendoza shook his head and pointed to the camp ahead.

"The trenches are extremely deep, there are many watchtowers, the tents are neatly arranged, the patrols are orderly, and the morale of the patrolling soldiers is good, most of them have ruddy faces."

"Although I don't know much about the military, this kind of military spirit is incomparable to that of our country's soldiers."

"Let alone other things, look at their height. Which country can afford such strong soldiers?"

"Humph, only the soldiers in this camp have this kind of treatment."

"Justinian the Cossack was very good to his own people. His soldiers were brave, but they were all trained to be masters by his generous treatment. They were not much different from the Italians."

The knight snorted in disbelief.

"The Greeks only treated their soldiers so well, which shows that they did not regard the Castilian nobles who obeyed them as their own people at all."

"As far as I know, they also divide the nobles who surrender to them into several categories. The earlier you surrender, the more rewards you will get. Alonso, the 'Kingmaker', was directly made a duke and has obtained an entire duchy."

"However, those who joined in during the march received almost nothing, only a promise to preserve their original interests."

Father Mendoza nodded slightly, said nothing more, and walked towards the nearest patrolling cavalry.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

the patrolman asked loudly in crude Latin.

"We are here on the orders of King Fernando to discuss peace talks!"

"We know you are short of supplies, so to show our sincerity, we have brought a lot of food and supplies!"

Padre Mendoza responded.

"We have sent a letter before. Please let us meet with His Highness Justinian and His Highness Isabella to discuss the peace treaty in person!"

The patrol leader looked at the pitifully small amount of food and fodder, and a look of disdain flashed in his eyes.

"We have indeed been notified that His Majesty Justinian has ordered that you and your guards may go in, and everyone else must remain outside!"

Father Mendoza nodded and followed the patrol captain with his escort knights.

Along the way, Father Mendoza saw many carriages lying in a disorderly manner. What was piled on the carriages was not weapons and armor, but a wide range of luxury supplies, some of which he had never seen before.

"Huh, country bumpkin, do you know what that is?"

Seeing that Father Mendoza's eyes were fixed on the cargo in a carriage, the patrol captain glanced at him with disdain.

"This is cocoa powder, a good thing from Elysium. Add sugar to it and it can be made into a drink!"

"And there's Imperial Camp Vodka, which is also good stuff that just came from the rear!"

Priest Mendoza nodded with a smile. He didn't care about these things that had little effect on the direction of the war. He was more concerned about weapons and food than luxury supplies.

“You are treated really well.”

Father Mendoza exclaimed with heartfelt praise.

"In our place, even officers find it difficult to enjoy such conditions."

"Haha, that's right. We are the Central Army. Without cigarettes and alcohol, how can we still fight?"

The patrol leader waved his hand arrogantly.

"Some time ago, the Castilians wanted to compete with us for supplies. How dare they do that? Do they have the strength to do so?"

There was some noise in the barracks. Many soldiers gathered together, drinking and gambling. The stakes were the luxury goods supplies that had been shipped in recently, such as tobacco, cocoa powder, and liquor...

Mendoza looked around with some confusion, and seeing that the order was good and the security was tight, he nodded imperceptibly.

"Yes, we are here. Her Highness Isabella is in charge of the mobilization of supplies in the south, and His Majesty Justinian is waiting for you in the main camp."

The patrol leader pointed to the small castle that served as the command headquarters, and faint noises could be heard coming from inside.

"His Majesty has been in a bad mood recently. He even scolded General Gonzalo. You must not anger him."

The patrol leader warned with some taboo.

Father Mendoza nodded, left the guard knight outside, walked into the castle alone, and came to the meeting hall.

"Asshole! Gonzalo, watch your words!"

There were no guards outside the meeting room, and Justinian's drunken curses could be heard from inside.

"Since my soldiers follow me, they should enjoy the best treatment. Why should those Spaniards who just joined enjoy the best treatment?"

"Your Majesty, they are also serving King Carlos. Even if you don't give them extra supplies, you should at least give them enough basic food and fodder, right?"

Gonzalo's anxious voice came out.

"If you had moved some of the wagons carrying liquor, tobacco and other luxury goods, we could have camped together!"

"Nonsense, letting them stay here will only undermine military discipline!"

Justinian roared viciously.

"They have no loyalty to my son in the first place, they are just forced to side with us due to circumstances!"

"Those who first joined Carlos received huge rewards, including your brother!"

"But you asked him to stabilize the situation in Granada and didn't let him come to the front line. Now, those noble private soldiers are all scattered!"

Gonzalo also roared.

"This is an inland plateau, so we can't use sea transportation! Even if you spend all your strength to protect the main force, the supplies will still be far from enough!"

"As for the boats for crossing the river, you promised me that you would collect or build them in the shortest possible time. But now, there are only about thirty of them at most. Are you planning to use diplomatic means to make Fernando withdraw his troops?"

"Gonzalo, get out of here! Don't think I can't fight without you!"

The sound of something breaking reached Mendoza's ears.

"Remember! I am the king and you are the subject!"

When Father Mendoza pushed open the wooden door, he happened to bump into the angry Gonzalo. He recognized the young general who was rising in fame and nodded slightly to him.

Gonzalo ignored him and left.

Father Mendoza smiled without saying a word and walked into the meeting room. As soon as he entered the door, he smelled a strong smell of alcohol and saw letters and documents scattered on the floor.

"Greetings, Your Excellency Crown Prince Justinian."

Father Mendoza bowed slightly.

"I come here on behalf of King Fernando to discuss peace with you."

"Peace talks?"

Justinian was clearly still furious.

"I have an army of 100,000. Why should I negotiate?"

"My soldiers, even if their morale has hit rock bottom, are still far stronger than your old army!"

"But His Majesty has the support of the Kingdom of France, and their army is also among the best."

"Haha, you want to scare me?"

Justinian smashed the bottle to the ground, startling Mendoza.

"Don't think I don't know that the Burgundy War has reached a stalemate. King Louis of France is likely to withdraw troops to the north. You can't afford to waste much time!"

Father Mendoza was a little surprised at Justinian's sobriety, and then smiled.

"You are right. Because of Burgundy, His Majesty can't afford to delay."

"But, from what I understand, you're also having a lot of trouble with the supply problem, and you can't afford to delay."

Mendoza pulled a scroll of letters from his pocket and handed it to Justinian.

"Your Majesty Fernando believes that since neither of us can afford to drag it out and the forces supporting the illegitimate daughter Juana have been staying indoors, it is better to negotiate peace to avoid loss of life." Justinian took the letter and threw it aside.

"I don't want to watch it. Tell me, how does Fernando want to negotiate peace?"

Mendoza shook his head helplessly and cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty believes that since both of us are arguing over the crown of Castile and both of us have legitimate claims to the crown, it would be better for us to each take a step back and rule by dividing the river."

"Govern by dividing the river?"

Justinian's eyes were blurry and he was muttering to himself.

"Yes, the Tagus River is the boundary between the two sides. The area north of the Tagus River belongs to our king, and the area south of the Tagus River belongs to Carlos. Since Castile already has the names of the old and the new, both sides can call themselves the King of Castile."

Mendoza explained.

"If the peace treaty is reached, both sides must respect and recognize each other, and you must stop supporting the separatist forces north of the Tagus River, including the Biscaynes."

"What's that? If this happens, once the French leave, we will immediately cross the Tagus River and put an end to Fernando's rule. Aren't you afraid?"

Justinian shook his head.

"Your Highness, His Majesty the King trusts your credibility."

"There are three crossings on the Tagus River near Toledo. Your three camps are stationed there respectively, and the crossing on the north bank is occupied by our king. If an agreement is reached, we can destroy all the crossings to show our sincerity."

Mendoza said with a smile.

"Besides, war and rule are two different things. Just because you can conquer half of Castile doesn't mean you can achieve stable rule here."

"If you are still not satisfied, we can sign a five-year armistice agreement under the watchful eyes of God, and when the time is up, we can decide the winner."

"In order to show respect to God, King Fernando has accepted the guidance of the Inquisition and will gradually eliminate the Moors and Hebrews in places like Valencia."

Justinian seemed to be moved, holding his chin and thinking for a moment.

"Okay, let me think about it, you can leave now."

"Are we going back to report?"

Mendoza asked tentatively.

"What are you thinking? You've learned so many of my military secrets. How could I let you go?"

Justinian narrowed his eyes.

"There is an abandoned chapel on the back hill. My soldiers usually won't disturb it. You can stay there."

"Your Highness, I didn't get into any military secrets."

Father Mendoza spread his hands.

"Your patrol captain has been staring at me all the way. There is really nothing to find out."

"There's nothing much to say. Go quickly. I'll discuss this with the consultants for a few days and let you know when the results are out."

Justinian waved his hand and drove away the Mendoza priest.

……

As the night deepened, the lights in the Mora camp gradually dimmed, and the patrols became fewer and fewer. In the abandoned church on the back mountain, Priest Mendoza sat at his desk.

After closing the doors and windows, Father Mendoza took out a pen and paper.

"Your Majesty the King."

"According to your instructions, I came to the Eastern Empire camp on the south bank of the Tagus River and met Justinian Palaiologos."

"According to my observation, their camp is busy but not chaotic, and the order is pretty good. Although there is drinking and gambling, these things are normal for an army that has been fighting for a long time."

"Contrary to what many people imagine, their army has not lost its morale due to the shortage of supplies. Justinian has done his best to supply his core army and maintain a high level of combat effectiveness. Their supply of luxury goods is simply amazing. I think, because of this, their soldiers were able to fight for several consecutive years in a foreign country."

Mendoza thought about it and dipped his finger in ink.

"However, this also brings hidden worries to their army. From what I have observed, they have become quite dependent on these supplies. Once the high-value supplies are difficult to secure, their morale will also decline, and they will not be able to hold out for long."

"In addition, it seems that a conflict broke out between Justinian and Gonzalo. They quarreled in front of me. This may be true, because Justinian has always loved drinking and was seriously biased in treating soldiers. As a Spaniard, Gonzalo would naturally be dissatisfied with this."

"Of course, this could also be a trick they use to confuse the enemy. The coalition forces are mixed, and there are certainly contradictions, but they may not be this big. Justinian is a man of deep thoughts, and you must be aware of him."

"In summary, the combat effectiveness of the Mora Camp has indeed declined, but they are definitely not useless. This situation is quite consistent with my personal prediction. If they are really in chaos and have no morale, it would be suspicious."

"In short, I suggest you don't listen to slander and take the opportunity to cross the river to attack the Mora camp, because you may not be able to defeat them. You should change your mindset and negotiate."

"Your friend, Mendoza."

It was dark at night and all around was quiet, except for a little noise coming from the direction of the military camp.

Father Mendoza put the letter into an envelope and held the candle to the window.

After a while, a dark shadow rushed over and hid in the weeds near the window.

"Is everything going well?"

Mendoza lowered his voice.

"It wasn't very smooth. They were guarding very tightly at the beginning. I wandered around for a long time but couldn't get close to them."

The shadow replied in a low voice.

"A group of carriages just drove into the barracks, bringing the latest supplies. The soldiers were scrambling for them, and the patrol team ran to maintain order. I sneaked over here."

"Okay, that's normal."

Mendoza breathed a sigh of relief and handed the envelope to the shadow.

"Leave quickly. I didn't write any military secrets. The letter only advised the king to negotiate peace. Don't worry about being caught."

The shadow nodded and leapt into the endless darkness.

……

Not far away, on the top of the castle tower, Justinian put down the telescope and handed it to Gonzalo beside him.

"It seems that our Father Mendoza is not very honest."

Gonzalo took the telescope and cursed inwardly as he watched the lights by the window suddenly disappear.

"It's just an ordinary thing, there's nothing to blame."

Justinian lit a cigarette for himself.

"This person is cautious by nature. Everything we show today will bring him a satisfactory result."

"In my opinion, he will probably report the situation of our army truthfully to Fernando, which will be enough to dispel Fernando's unrealistic ideas."

“The soldiers acted really well.”

Gonzalo chuckled.

"I didn't tell them what to play at all."

Justinian blew out a puff of smoke.

"Most of what Mendoza saw was completely true. We were short of supplies, and the soldiers had not returned from the battle for a long time. Their morale had dropped, and I had to use more and more extra supplies to stabilize them."

"But despite this, we are still stronger than Fernando's old-fashioned army."

"Are you really short of supplies?"

Gonzalo asked doubtfully.

"You said before that you would solve this problem for me."

"Of course it's missing. I'm not Jesus Christ. Can I turn water into wine?"

Justinian said unhappily.

"Fighting in such a remote area with such a long supply line, it's already pretty good to be able to maintain the current situation."

"Mendoza is right. Fernando and I can't afford to delay any longer."

"Then is it necessary for you to requisition so many carriages to transport the extra supplies?"

Gonzalo curled his lips.

"These soldiers were brought up little by little by your father over the past thirty years. Their loyalty to your family is extremely high. If you just ask them to be patient for a while, they will definitely not say a word."

"Haha, I have made some arrangements, and I will tell you slowly later."

Justinian smiled but didn't say anything directly.

"So you...are you really ready to negotiate?"

Gonzalo asked.

"How is that possible? The one who least wants peace talks is Fernando. He has staked everything on this. If he fails to defeat us before the French withdraw their troops and takes over the Kingdom of Castile, he will have no way of explaining to the interest groups at home and abroad."

Justinian shook his head in disdain.

"For the Kingdom of Castile, this is a civil war for the throne. Even if more foreign forces intervene, the essence remains unchanged."

"The cruelty of civil war is far greater than that of foreign war. Both factions are fighting to the death. There is only so much land, and it has already been promised by both sides. Even if the monarch wants to stop it, he has to consider the opinions of his subordinates."

"The English have given us a good precedent for what a civil war is like."

Justinian's face was grim.

"Governing by dividing the river? Wishful thinking!"

"So what are you going to do?"

Gonzalo pondered.

"You haven't built much ship yet, and you've already lost the initiative. Juana's faction is still waiting for a price, waiting for us to decide the outcome."

Justinian was silent for a moment and sighed.

"Father always said that war is just a continuation of politics. Since it is politics, we must consider all aspects. We must not only calculate our opponents, but also our own people."

"Don't worry about these things. You are only responsible for fighting."

Justinian stood up and patted Gonzalo on the shoulder.

"And I will be responsible for creating the best opportunity for you to fight."

(End of this chapter)