1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 399: The Shipbuilders' War
It was late at night, the scorching sun hid in the depths of darkness, and the bright moon hung high in the sky like a mirror.

The ocean and the ground cool down at different rates, which creates a pressure difference. The evening breeze blows from the land to the ocean, passing through the streets and alleys of the huge complex.

Under the cover of night, this building complex looks like a giant beast sleeping on the coast of North Africa, breathing evenly and powerfully.

This is the Roman Arsenal located in the east of Carthage, a large naval arsenal built by the Eastern Roman Empire decades ago in imitation of the Venetian Arsenal. During these decades, this arsenal provided more than half of the naval ships of the Eastern Roman Empire and trained more than three-quarters of the naval talents. It is like a mother nest, breeding overwhelming and endless swarms of insects, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, and even from the coast to the inland.

The core of the Roman Arsenal was the Navigation School, the Carthaginian Naval Shipyard and the newly established General Directorate of Warship Research. The former was the cradle of naval officers, while the latter two were responsible for researching and building the latest weapons of great powers, becoming the sharpest claws and teeth of the Eastern Roman Empire.

It was an indisputable fact known to everyone that the Eastern Roman Empire attached great importance to its navy. The money spent by the imperial government on the navy often exceeded two-fifths of the total military expenditure. The army was indignant about this, but they also knew very well that without hegemony over the ocean, the emperor would not be able to raise enough money to pay them salaries, nor would he have enough money to upgrade their equipment.

By 1478, the Roman Arsenal had far exceeded its original purpose in size and had evolved into a small town with a population of several thousand. The residents here did not farm or fish, but relied on the Arsenal for their survival and had become a part of it.

In the deep night, Mansreti rode a stallion and slowly walked towards the shipyard. His gray hair was dyed silver by the moonlight, and his wrinkled face was full of vicissitudes of life.

The armory looked peaceful and serene in the darkness. Only the bright lights were on in the shipyard, and the sounds of hammering and banging echoed in the dark night.

In a state of war, the naval shipyard will not stop working. Workers work in three shifts, and senior engineers can forget about getting a good night's sleep.

The heavily guarded sentries naturally recognized Mansreti. They bowed and saluted him, and Mansreti nodded kindly, dismounted, and walked forward.

Mansreti walked around the buildings with ease and arrived at the large shipyard. He quietly watched the workers and craftsmen working hard, and quietly watched the unfinished ships gradually taking shape at a very fast speed.

Since the establishment of the Carthage Naval Shipyard, Mansreti has been in charge of all matters of the shipyard. Compared to the mansion in the town, he prefers to stay here, as if this shipyard filled with the smell of tar and the sound of rivets is his home.

The waves gently hit the rubber baffles, and the workers in a dock cheered. A ship with a special shape slid towards the sea along an oil-coated log, stopped steadily, and splashed a wave.

"The third standard ship of the Notos-class inland coastal patrol ship, the Ferryman Charon, has been successfully launched for the first time!"

A young and steady voice sounded, followed by another round of cheers.

"The Ferryman Charon will arrive at the port of Famagusta in five days, escorted by two caravels. We will conduct several more tests tomorrow, and we will install the naval guns the day after tomorrow. Time is very tight, so keep working hard!"

The young voice continued to encourage.

"According to the date, the first two Notos should have arrived in Cyprus. Just think about it, the warships you build today will be able to fight all directions in the future, protect the territory of the empire, and drive out the pagan pigs. This is such a proud thing!"

"Remember, the deck of every meritorious warship is stained not only with the blood of the sailors, but also with our sweat!"

"Yes!"

The workers shouted loudly, some ran to the beach to record parameters, and some continued to hammer and make the gun mount that had not yet been installed on "Charon the Ferryman".

The Notos-class inland coastal frigate is an inland warship built by the Carthaginian shipyard specifically for subtropical rivers. It has a low bottom, high sides, oars installed on the sides, and a hard ram wrapped in metal at the front. There is a semi-arc turret at the bow and stern that can fire in all directions. A standard "Notos" can carry twenty medium-sized naval guns.

This type of inland warship was originally designed for Nile River shipping, and was given a new mission during the Second Great Turkish War - to follow the river and defeat the Ramazan Bey State that occupied the Cilician Plain.

The early design ideas of the Notos class came from Venetian drawings, combining some improvement suggestions of Venetian shipbuilders on the Galleon, and were a special kind of "Galais galley".

After receiving the order, Mansreti summoned the ship designers and worked non-stop for a week to make some improvements on the Venetian drawings, weakening the naval combat capability of the Notos class and improving its adaptability to inland navigation. The strong oarsmen were enough to provide the power to go upstream when the wind direction was unfavorable. The streamlined hull and excellent maneuverability were enough for the ship to sail on winding rivers. Four heavy anchors could keep it firmly nailed in place when the water was turbulent. The hull was also covered with asbestos fireproof cloth - this was a mineral resource from New Thrace.

This is a type of ship built specifically for the subtropical rivers along the Mediterranean coast. These rivers do not have the freezing period of northern rivers, but have distinct rainy and dry seasons, such as the Nile River in North Africa or the Seyhan and Ceyhan Rivers in Cilicia.

The Notos class was not large, with a full load displacement of nearly 300 tons. The Carthage Naval Shipyard directly stopped the construction of the two small galleons and spent two months using their raw materials to build the first ship "Saturn" and the second ship "Scipio Africanus", and at the same time started the production of the third and fourth ships.

Mansreti walked over to the young engineer and patted him on the shoulder from behind.

"Good job, Lazarus."

"Teacher? You're here?"

Lazarus turned around and looked at Mansreti with some surprise.

"You're not going to rest today?"

"Alas, I'm still worried."

Mansreti sighed.

"Besides, my kid is making a lot of noise all the time. I'm really fed up with it, so I'm going out for a walk."

Having said this, Mansreti looked at the workers who were busy and in an orderly manner.

"I was right about you. You already have the ability to independently manage a shipyard."

A relieved smile appeared on Mansreti's lips.

"I read the report you submitted. It's very good, especially the data and drawings. They are very clear and understandable."

"As expected of you who have studied in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Nicosia for two years, you have a keen sense for numbers and geometry."

"In the future, the shipbuilding industry will definitely develop towards standardization and modularization, and you will definitely have a place."

"Thank you teacher for your cultivation!"

Seeing that his efforts were recognized, Lazarus bowed repeatedly, then raised his head again.

“I don’t know if my last application…”

Mansreti smiled, pulled a document out of his pocket, and became serious.

"Lazarus Belgas, born in Constantinople in 1450, first-class citizen, graduated from the Engineering Department of the University of Constantinople, and holds a two-year bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Regiomontanus National University of Nicosia."

"Due to his outstanding contributions and excellent talents in the Carthaginian shipyard, he was appointed as the first director of the Venetian Arsenal in the name of Emperor Isaac, and presided over the resumption of work at the Venetian Arsenal."

As Mansreti read the appointment letter, Lazarus' eyes became brighter and brighter.

"Congratulations, my most proud disciple. From today on, you are on the same level as me."

Mansreti handed Lazarus the letter of appointment and hit him on the chest with his fist.

"In the future, the production lines of southern river ships, including the Notos class, will be moved to the Venice Arsenal, where the conditions are better."

"As far as I know, Serbian Grand Duke Manuel is planning the construction of the Balkan Canal. By then, inland ships will be even more important, and your talents will be put to good use."

Lazarus took the appointment letter solemnly and nodded heavily.

"Teacher, I will finish building all these Notos and will not give up halfway."

"Well, if you rush straight to take up an official position, I will look down on you."

Mansreti smiled.

"Once this mission is completed, you can take a few workers from the Notos Shipyard with you. They will become the backbone of the Venice Arsenal."

"Okay, I will restore the Venice Arsenal to its former glory."

Lazarus nodded and looked at Mansreti hesitantly.

"Teacher, after I leave, your burden will be heavier again."

"It's okay. I'm not too old to walk."

Mansreti said, looking towards the dark ocean.

"Back then, this was just a deserted village. The emperor and I spent decades of hard work to turn this place into the most important shipbuilding base in the entire empire. At that time, I only slept five hours a day."

"After decades, I've gotten used to it."

"Besides, maybe I can find other proud disciples?"

Mansreti winked at Lazarus, his face wrinkled.

The two shipbuilders continued to chat, Mansreti chattered about the history of the Carthaginian shipyard, and Lazarus listened patiently to these stories that he had heard countless times.

"My youngest son... He didn't learn the shipbuilding technology, and he didn't study hard. This time, the college students in Carthage marched and petitioned, and he ran over to join in the fun."

Mansreti sighed heavily.

"My eldest son has already gone to the colonies, and I really don't want to send my only youngest son to the battlefield."

"I promised my late wife that I would protect him, but he always quarreled with me and there was nothing I could do about it."

"I am a royal craftsman. Logically speaking, even if the emperor issues a general conscription order, my family members are exempt. Besides, it is not the time yet."

Hearing this, Lazarus was silent for a moment and looked at Mansreti.

"Every generation has its own ideas. Your little son grew up in a prosperous era. His love and loyalty to this country will definitely surpass ours."

“Perhaps, respecting their ideas will make them happier?”

Lazarus smiled and looked at the bright moon in the sky.

"A few days ago, students from the University of Carthage held a march and petitioned to form student soldiers to fight in the war. They were not allowed to do so, so they formed a civilian labor team to transport food to the legion on the plateau."

"There are so many manor owners on the North African coast. They are all upper-class people with families and businesses. But I saw that on the transport ships to Anatolia, the children of the manor owners brought their own slaves, camels and food, sang military songs, and threw themselves into the most difficult plateau battlefield."

"Most of the manor owners are military nobles who once followed Your Majesty. They are blessed by the Emperor, so naturally..."

Mansreti said softly.

"So are we? This country has been very good to me and it has been very good to you."

Lazarus raised his eyes.

"A few days ago, I went to the port of Carthage to clear the timber brought by Hanseatic merchants, and the driver of my rented carriage turned out to be an old woman."

"She told me that her husband and three sons had gone to Anatolia to serve as laborers, voluntarily."

"I know how cruel the Turks are. I know what a mess they have made of the plateau. I know how their cavalry can come and go like the wind. I know that slaves cannot be used to transport important materials. I know how high the casualty rate of the civilian labor team is. She obviously knows that, too."

Lazarus paused.

"I asked her why she allowed all the men in her family to go to Anatolia to work in logistics, and she pointed to the law building at Carthage University."

"She told me that most of the students there are children of nobles, wealthy businessmen and bureaucrats. Even they are on the front line. This country has hope."

Lazarus looked at Mansreti and suddenly smiled.

"My younger brother is a member of the law department. I am proud of him. I worked hard to build the Notos warships so that the emperor could take over Cilicia as soon as possible, get behind the Turks from Cappadocia, and bury those damn Turks in the grave as soon as possible."

"Everyone is working hard for the future of our country. We are great, and your son is great too. We will win in the end and return with glory."

"As the emperor said, he will share the glory of victory with us!"

Mansreti was stunned for a moment, shook his head and sighed.

After leaving the shipyard, Mansreti mounted his horse again and headed home.

He looked around. It was quiet here late at night. The armory was fast asleep. The students of the Navigation School had finished their evening training, the parade and speeches after dinner, and were falling into passionate dreams in their dormitories.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Fight the holy war to the end and seize the destiny that belongs to the Romans!"

"Give me back my land and drive those godless pigs back to the desert!"

Mansreti silently looked at the propaganda slogans on the main road. These slogans came from the students of the Navigation School. They seemed to have been infected by the Carthaginians and became warlike and fanatical. The students talked about the war all day long and even applied to the academy many times to form a college corps and go to the battlefield.

Of course, they are all the backbone of the Imperial Navy in the future, and they are all talents cultivated by the Empire at great cost. It is impossible for the Academy to really let them charge forward like slave cannon fodder, but it still asked several fleets for a number of places, allowing some senior students with excellent academic performance to study on board.

On the wall opposite the war slogan, a vivid board painting appeared very clear in the moonlight. In the painting, a tall and thin uncle wearing a chef's uniform, a goatee, and a double-headed eagle hat stared ahead with his right hand pointing forward.

"Uncle John needs you!"

This sentence was written just below the painting, followed by a series of war slogans.

"The holy war is caught in a vortex? Is it difficult to cross the highlands and deserts?"

"Rome needs civilians, Rome needs civilian ships, Rome needs camels, Rome needs your help!"

"Stand with the students! Deliver supplies to the plateau!"

This was the work of the University of Carthage. The students' petition to join the war was also not approved, but they formed a civilian transport team and went to the Anatolian Plateau, using camels, horse-drawn carriages and even ox-drawn carts to deliver supplies to the imperial army.

Uncle John was a tavern owner in the port of Carthage. He won the respect and love of the students by providing free drinks and food to the civilian laborers. A painting student used his image for war propaganda. In the past few months, large cities on the North African coast have been filled with such woodcut prints.

The blank spaces on the walls were also covered with graffiti and messages, with crooked handwriting, some serious, some vulgar. "Even the people of Constantinople, who are known for their cunning and selfishness, have created a fleet of thousands of civilian ships. Are the Carthaginians, who are known for their loyalty and bravery, willing to hide behind them?!"

"The Turks can't hold on any longer. Give them the final blow. I will lead the armed reclamation team to turn all their villages into hunting grounds!"

"Ha! Turks, you want to drain us dry? Go back and hug your mothers and dream on!"

"Winter is coming, and the Turks are about to have a chance of survival? Go to hell!"

"Guerrilla warfare? War of attrition? Damn it!"

"Ankara is right before our eyes, and my lamb wants to go back home..."

"I am a German barbarian, but this country has been good to me. Now I have to go to the most dangerous place on the plateau to deliver food to General Gonzalo. Fellow countrymen, see you in Valhalla!"

Mansreti looked at these incongruous graffiti and chuckled. He had made the right choice back then. The emperor was worthy of loyalty and the country was worthy of dedication.

As Mansreti walked and looked along the way, ripples appeared in his old heart.

They arrived at the residence, which was a mansion that was built for him by the royal construction team to thank him for his dedication over the years.

Above the mahogany door is a plaque with a crown painted on it, which is the symbol of the royal craftsman and the honor of his life.

When he returned home, Mansreti gently opened the door of his youngest son's room without waking up the sleeping servants.

The youngest son was obviously not asleep, so Mansreti ignored him and sat down at the desk.

On the desk was a map of Anatolia, on which were marked the most difficult supply routes, all leading to the depths of the plateau.
There was also a letter and a check on the map. The letter had the emblem of Carthage University on it, and the check was the pocket money that the youngest son had saved over the years.

The emblem of the University of Carthage is a Barbary lion with its head held high and its eyes glaring. It is said that many of the university's board of directors are retired officers of the First Legion of the Guards, the "Crown Lion", and they chose this school emblem.

"This country has the ambition of a lion, and I have the honor to roar for her."

Mansreti recited softly. This was the motto of the Student Union of the University of Carthage, which came from a speech by the emperor. His youngest son especially loved this sentence and often mentioned it.

Mansreti sighed and walked to his son's bedside.

"Go ahead and do what you want."

"Your father is a royal craftsman in a shipyard, and your brother opened a private shipyard in the Viceroyalty of Cuba. You could have chosen an easy and happy life, but if you don't want to, then I respect you."

After saying this, Mansreti took off his purse and placed it next to his youngest son's pillow.

……

In the port of Alexandria, Egypt, strong sunlight shines on the sea, completely exposing the groups of warships on the sea to the sight of people on the shore, revealing endless pressure.

"Ambassador Marcus, is this your "free trade" fleet?"

On a high platform, the Mamluk Sultan Kaiytbay looked at Marcus Komnenos, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Eastern Roman Empire, with some anger on his face.

"Even the so-called 'Cairo's Star' has come over here. What do you mean by that?"

"Are you bullying me because I don't have a navy?"

"No, the Cairo Star cannot sail on the inland river, so it's a good opportunity to come here for free trade."

Marcus smiled warmly.

"As to what it means, you know better than I do."

"According to our agreement, you cannot provide any support to the country of Ramazan Bey, even though this country was once your vassal state, and even though the prince of Ramazan is in your palace."

Marcus's face turned cold and he stared at Kaitbe.

"In the ports of Gaza, Acre, Beirut and other places in the Levant, there will also be some warships to conduct "free trade". I believe you will abide by our agreement."

"You'd better withdraw the reinforcements that have reached Damascus as soon as possible to avoid damaging the friendship between the two countries."

"They are all mercenaries, hired by Ramazan Bey."

Kaitbe is talking nonsense.

"I didn't break my previous agreement."

"Very good. The flooding period of the Nile River has ended. Perhaps there will also be a group of mercenary pirates bombarding your Cairo city along the Nile River."

Marcus said sarcastically.

"We can tolerate you because Anatolia is the focus of the empire. Do not challenge the dignity of the empire and do not test the patience of the empire."

"That's all I have to say. I believe you will make the right choice."

Marcus bowed and left, leaving Kaitbe gritting his teeth in anger.

"Your Majesty, we still..."

A eunuch came forward and asked in a low voice.

"I'm afraid Ramazan has no ability to stop Isaac, the 'accuser of the dead'. He will be completely destroyed within a month."

"Tell them not to go."

Kaitbe squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.

"We can't control Ramazan anymore. We can only hope that Osman and Karaman can use the highland desert to hold back the Greek army."

"So... withdraw?"

The eunuch looked cautiously at the furious Sultan.

"Withdraw? Why?"

Kaitbe suppressed the anger in his heart.

"Let them go to the northeast and participate in the civil war of the Aries Dynasty."

"Prince Jacob and I have an alliance. When he becomes the King of Aries, he will cede the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Dulkadir Bey to me and fight against the invasion of the Greeks together with me."

Kaitbay raised his head and looked at the high-raised sails of the Cairo Star with resentment in his eyes.

"Continue to collect taxes and recruit Venetian and Ottoman engineers. I want to build fortresses at important checkpoints along the coast and rivers. The war between us and the Greeks will continue!"

……

Cilicia is a small plain, surrounded by mountains on three sides and the ocean in the south, wrapping it in a warm embrace. The warm and humid air currents from the Mediterranean form rainfall here, and the Ceyhan River and the Seyhan River flowing down from the plateau mountains wash out fertile plain soil. It is almost a miniature and refined "Two Rivers Plain".

However, the two rivers made Cilicia a "land of abundance" and gave birth to infinite vitality, but they also brought serious hidden worries - the threats on land were blocked by mountain fortresses and towering city walls, but the attacks on the sea and rivers were difficult to defend against.

Among the three major cities in Cilicia, Icel is a natural harbor close to the ocean. Adana and Ceyhan are both riverside cities. Adana, the capital of Ramazan Bey, is even passed through by the Seyhan River. Warships sailing upstream from the mouth of the Seyhan River can directly penetrate into the heart of the city as long as they break through the flimsy water gates.

On September 1478, 9, the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire set sail from the port of Famagusta and bombarded the port of Icel. Dozens of warships used hundreds of naval guns to repeatedly bombard the sturdy city walls. The hot lead bullets rained down on the beautiful city, and the defenders in the city had no way to deal with it.

In this era, artillery had just entered its first peak period. Army artillery moved slowly and had little room to maneuver on the battlefield, but naval artillery did not have to worry about this problem at all. The heavy ships could carry fierce artillery to every corner of the known world.

On September 9, the sea wall of Port Ichel collapsed completely, the wooden buildings in the city were ignited by the high heat of the shells, and the fire began to spread.

On September 9, the Marines began to land. Thousands of terrified remnants were helpless under the artillery fire and could only rely on the collapsed buildings to engage in street fighting.

At noon that day, Fidel, the Minister of the Navy who was in charge of the attack on Porto Icel, ordered his soldiers to pour kerosene in the city, setting it on fire, and then evacuated the city and set up camp outside the city.

The fire burned from noon to the early morning of the next day. When the Eastern Roman soldiers re-entered the city of Icher, it had become a ruin, with traces of flames and rotten and charred corpses everywhere.

After the port of Icel changed hands, the Eastern Roman Empire immediately launched the next action. The naval fleet was divided into two groups. Led by the first ship of the Notos-class inland warships, "God of the South Wind", and the second ship, "Scipio Africanus", they went north along the Seihan River and the Ceyhan River. Large and medium-sized warships were unable to enter the inland rivers. Except for the Notos class, the ships carrying out inland operations were mainly small and medium-sized military and commercial dual-purpose transport ships. On the decks of the transport ships were soldiers responsible for landing operations.

The weather was perfect, a great river meandered across the plain, mountains were vaguely visible in the distance, and the city of Adana was just ahead.

On the bow turret of the South Wind, Isaac raised his telescope and looked at the city not far away.

As Isaac's fleet advanced inland from the mouth of the Seykhan River, it had destroyed three large villages and a small town without walls. The main settlements of Cilicia were all located along the river, and the South Wind's naval guns could fire at them at any time and anywhere. After dispersing the remaining soldiers, the marines on the transport ships would quickly disembark, set the settlements on fire, destroy castles, burn down villages, and damage farmland and granaries.

After several rounds of population exchanges, the number of Christians in Cilicia had become very low, and Isaac had no scruples when he launched a devastating attack here.

"Your Majesty, the artillery is ready, the anchorman is ready to drop the anchor, and the south wind god's attack on Adana City can begin at any time."

The captain of the God of the South Wind came forward and reported in a low voice.

"It seems the Turks have sent some small boats with kerosene."

"Let them come. The God of the South Wind is unburnable."

Isaac smiled contemptuously and looked at the approaching Arab sampan without comment.

After obtaining New Thrace, Isaac possessed a huge number of asbestos deposits. The distribution of this mineral fiber in the world is extremely uneven. There is not much in Europe at all, but South Africa accounts for one-tenth of the world's reserves.

The ancient Egyptians used asbestos to make shrouds for the pharaohs, the Eastern Roman Empire used asbestos to make fireproof cloth for use in buildings and ships, and asbestos mining in South Africa has been increasing steadily over the years.

As for the fact that asbestos mining is extremely harmful to the human body and has a high probability of causing lung disease, Isaac doesn't care about that. After all, it is also the job of the Bantu blacks.

The Notos class was the first ship in the Eastern Roman Empire to fully adopt asbestos fireproof cloth, which could effectively reduce the risk of fire and make the boarding arson tactics commonly used in the Muslim world futile.

On the vast ocean, boarding battle is seriously outdated, but in the narrow and cramped inland rivers, Isaac had to resort to this method to minimize the probability of the Muslims turning the tables.

"Open fire, I leave it to you."

Isaac patted the captain on the shoulder, handed over the command task to the professionals, and walked towards the cabin.

The cannons began to roar, the sailors began to roar, and the smell of gunpowder, blood and rum rushed into Isaac's nose.

On the navigation table in the cabin was a strategic document, which was the general strategy Isaac had formulated for the Anatolian War. The goal was to achieve a complete and thorough victory. Not only would the remaining Turkic states be destroyed in the artillery fire, but the nomadic problem in the central and eastern parts of the plateau would also be solved to the greatest extent possible, thus reversing the decline of the Eastern Roman Empire in the east since Manzikert.

The Anatolian strategy mainly includes two aspects. The first is the preliminary preparation, including the launch of the eastward movement, the acceleration of immigration affairs, and the means of calling for colonies.

The second aspect is divided into four points. The first is the Christian uprising in Cappadocia. The second is to quickly take over Cilicia by inland ships and connect it with Cappadocia to provide a bridge for the Eastern Roman Empire to enter the depths of the plateau.

As for the third and fourth, considering the dates, it’s time to get ready.

After years of sailing, Isaac had long been accustomed to the bumps of the ship. He picked up a pen, took out a map, and drew several large circles to the north and east of Cappadocia, which were the areas where nomadic forces were most rampant.

In the past, nomadic tribes came from the East and continuously invaded the Roman homeland.

In the future, Isaac will break the legs of their horses and completely block them from entering the territory.

In Isaac's mind, solving the problem of the westward migration of nomads was even more important and more difficult than eliminating Osman, Karaman and Ramazan. The three Turkic countries were like dry bones in a tomb and like a broken house that would collapse with a slight kick.

As for the great difficulties they brought to the Eastern Roman soldiers in the highland desert, this is of course true. In order to carry out his own plan, Isaac even inadvertently created considerable obstacles to the military operations of Gonzalo and Mehmet. They must have had some grievances.

Isaac took out the latest military report. Gonzalo and Mehmet were still shouting that the roads were blocked, supplies were difficult, and the slaves who transported food were rebellious, demanding food, men, and horses.

Bayezid II was a ruthless character. According to reports, this marijuana addict had probably started preparing for a scorched earth policy a long time ago. He looted all the Muslim villages near Ankara and prepared to return to a nomadic life completely, leaving Gonzalo's army with a large wasteland filled with refugees, bandits, famine and plague.

Isaac speculated that he might not even plan to take Ankara, and might take the nomads who had eaten and drunk their fill during the looting and flee east to Sivas, close to the Aq Qoyunlu.

Aries Dynasty...

Thinking of this, Isaac frowned. Prince Khalil was even more incompetent than he had expected. The civil war had just begun for a few months, but Jacob defeated the strong with the weak on the front battlefield. Jacob granted autonomous privileges to a number of vassal states and semi-vassal states, including Dulkadir, Hassankeyf and the Mushasha Order, in exchange for a lot of reinforcements.

Then there are the Mamluks, who also want to get involved, and an alliance between the Egyptians and the Persians may be inevitable.

At the beginning, the Eastern Roman Empire temporarily gave up interfering in the East for the sake of the western shipping routes, and the situation in Egypt that it had painstakingly built up collapsed step by step. Now it seems that there are gains and losses.

In a few months, the civil war of the Aq Qoyunlu will most likely be ended by Jacob. Khalil, who is ambitious but incompetent, is no match for him at all. The Eastern Roman Empire may face a coalition force from the Aq Qoyunlulu, Mamluks and many nomadic tribes in the eastern part of the plateau.

However, without the money brought by the Western routes, Isaac would not be able to launch a large-scale invasion of Anatolia, let alone fight a protracted war of attrition with the Egyptians and Persians, let alone spend huge amounts of money to implement Isaac's great plan.

As for the coalition that was hastily assembled out of fear and anxiety? This was already part of Isaac's plan.

Isaac wrote the last few words on the strategic document, put down his pen, poured himself a glass of wine, and watched the blood-red wine sway in the glass, emitting a dazzling glow.

In any case, the Eastern Roman Empire is no longer what it used to be. Decades of rapid development have provided the people with a prosperous life, a good economy for the country, upgraded weapons and equipment, progress in science and technology, and the budding of patriotic enthusiasm. Such a country cannot fail.

After so many years, the empire was on the right track, and he was no longer fighting alone. The once weak empire no longer needed his meticulous care, and had grown into a towering tree, its branches and leaves blocking out the sun, its crown towering into the clouds. Isaac would climb the vines of the tree relentlessly, and eventually he would break through the clouds and see the sun, and touch the sky.

(End of this chapter)