1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 49 Brega

Surt, the city lord's mansion.

The sound of artillery fire in the distance has stopped, the enemy has begun to charge, and the sounds of shouting and killing seem to be far away in the sky, yet seem to be right in front of you.

Isurt sat at his desk, in front of him was a piece of white paper with a few lines scribbled on it.

There was also a jug of wine and a glass on the table.

He covered his face with his hands, hiding his world in darkness, but he could not hide his fear of the future.

During the ten-day siege, he barely even saw the enemy.

The walls of Lancelot were built in just two years, and their height, hardness, width and other aspects were only barely up to standard, and could not be called a fortified city at all.

Under the bombardment of the enemy's siege equipment, the city wall was full of holes and was on the verge of collapse. It could only be blocked with human lives.

Now, human lives are almost gone.

The enemy launched a general offensive, apparently not intending to continue wasting time with the defenders.

There was a sound of hurried footsteps and the door was pushed open heavily.

"My Lord, the western castle has fallen, the White Castle is in danger, and the enemy is about to enter the city. What should we do?"

Isurte sat there in a daze.

After a long time, he spoke.

"Go to the dock and inform the militia guarding it to reopen navigation and stop blocking the people who want to flee."

As early as the beginning of the war, in order to boost the fighting spirit in the city and integrate the forces from all sides, Isult announced that he would defend the city to the death and block the port until His Highness returned, so as to prevent too many people from fleeing and affecting the morale of the defenders.

I'm afraid this has offended many businessmen and dignitaries in the city?

Iseult shook his head.

Now it seems that there is no need to continue implementing this policy.

"Sir, what should we do?"

the attendant asked eagerly.

"You should also go to the dock and take a boat to escape."

Isurt swiftly signed a permit that allowed the attendant to board the official transport ship.

"Sir, then you..."

The Home Secretary waved his hand, signaling the attendant to leave.

The attendant opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

He took two steps back and bowed deeply.

Listening to the servants' hurried footsteps getting farther and farther away, Isurte sighed and poured himself a glass of wine.

He picked up the wine glass and slowly savored the final spiciness and bitterness.

It obviously doesn’t taste that good, I don’t understand why His Highness likes it so much!
He put down his glass, picked up his pen, and stared at the paper.

"Dear brother George, by the time you read this letter, I will have already..."

He couldn't write what to say next.

There was a commotion coming from outside, and it sounded like it was at the dock.

As long as I'm not around, the city will be in chaos.

Isurt picked up the bottle and walked irritably to the terrace of the city lord's mansion to see what was going on.

When he went outside, the dazzling sunlight made him cry.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked towards the pier.

bang——

The wine glass broke into pieces.

A fleet appeared on the distant coast. Some small boats had already docked on the shore. Well-trained soldiers rushed off the boats and headed straight for the smoke.

He saw that old bastard Mikhail was riding on a tall horse, waving his hands and grinning at him.

……

"Your Highness, Ogelai is ahead."

The merchant Urda pointed to the dilapidated town in the distance and said to Isaac.

"There's not much special product there. The only thing of some value is salt, but there's no shortage of salt in this area."

"The temperature difference between day and night is huge here, and there are few trees. Many tribes use kerosene that sprays out of the ground as heating fuel."

"They mainly make a living by fishing..."

"Alright, alright!"

Isaac waved his hand, interrupting his long speech.

“How many people are there in this town?”

Urda thought carefully for a moment.

“When I came here last year, there were about a thousand people.”

"There are still two thousand people in the surrounding tribes."

“There’s only so much water here, and the population won’t increase.”

Isaac thought about it.

"Then there is no need to make any preparations, just send the entire army forward."

"Let Erdosh lead the Slaves Legion as the vanguard, and more than 200 students from the Royal Knights Academy will follow."

“The first priority is to occupy the water source.”

At the command, the advance troops began to move, the transport fleet quickly docked, and the soldiers filed out.

The fishermen on the shore watched in astonishment as more and more soldiers, armed with sharp blades, ran down from the fleet that had approached the shore.

"Shoot! Leave only one person alive for questioning!"

Erdosh ordered, a cruel light in his eyes.

Whoosh—whoosh—

The soldiers took out their bows and arrows and began to shoot freely.

The fishermen fled in all directions, but could not escape the clutches of death.

Soon, all the fishermen along the coast were slaughtered, and the survivors desperately ran towards the town.

Erdosh roared and rode in pursuit.

By the time Isaac got off the boat, the situation in the town had been brought under control, and the administrator appointed by the Mamluks surrendered decisively and was taken into custody.

Isaac mounted his Andalusian horse and walked through the deserted streets straight to the center of town.

The administrator's mansion is very luxurious and is the only bright spot in the entire town.

Isaac dismounted and went into the study.

Instructors Erdosh and Dilin were already waiting on the side. Two Slaves Legion soldiers, one on the left and one on the right, carried a bald fat man into the room.

"Your Highness, we have already asked, this is the Mamluk Khatib here, Ayannas."

"He confessed everything before we even tortured him."

Ayannas put on a smile, wrinkled his fat face, and nodded quickly.

He is the Khatib here, in charge of civil affairs and tribal communications.

“This is indeed not a transit point for the Mamluks, but all transportation routes pass through here.”

Dilin handed Isaac a piece of paper, which recorded all the information provided by Ajanas.

Isaac took a look and didn't see the news he wanted most.

"Ajanus?"

Poor Khatib knelt on the ground, twisting his body to get to Isaac's feet.

"Do you know where Emir Yusuf's military supply transfer station is?"

Ajanas nodded vigorously.

Isaac waved his hands, signaling the soldiers to untie him.

Ajanas broke free, stretched his arms, and sighed with contentment.

"where is it?"

"Port Brega, your highness."

"Why are you so sure?"

"I am a Brega."

"How is the garrison there?"

Ajanas thought for a moment.

"During the time of the previous Sultan Barsbey, there were at most 5,000 troops stationed near Brega to guard the granary."

"After Sultan Chakmak came to power, the number dropped to two thousand."

"Just a few days ago, Emir Yusuf recruited another thousand troops to support the frontline battles, so the number of troops in Brega Port must be small at the moment."

"You know everything."

Ajanas seemed to have gained some kind of great honor. He stood straight, with his chest puffed out and the fat on his belly shaking up and down.

"I am willing to serve your highness!"

Are you kidding? He is neither Circassian nor Caucasian. He can only be a Khatib all his life. Why bother risking his life?

Di Lin on the side snorted with disdain, and Erdosh also curled his lips.

Ajanas seemed not to have heard it, and the smile on his face was still strong.

Isaac glanced at him.

The port of Brega is not far from the town of Oguelle and can be reached in the morning and evening.

Isaac began to calculate the available forces.

The Erdosh Legion has 2,000 men, the student team led by Dilin has more than 200 men, and the Dobruja army brought by Ghazi has 800 men.

The rest of the army was taken away by Mikhail to support Surt in defending the city.

With a total army of 3,000 people and a few hundred cannon fodder recruited from the local area, it is more than enough to attack the port of Brega.

If the port of Brega could be captured, it would greatly alleviate the water shortage and prevent the remaining enemy forces in Birinchi from supporting Yusuf.

It can make the siege army completely isolated.

Isaac had an idea.

"It's very good to turn from darkness to light."

"Since you are a Brega, why don't you lead the way for me?"

"If you successfully capture this city, you will be the tribune of Brega."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Ajanas immediately knelt down and kissed the top of Isaac's shoe.

After a while, he stood up again, bowed respectfully, and looked at Isaac with hope in his eyes. "Your Highness, my family is quite powerful in Brega Port, and I have 200 private soldiers. Do you need them?"

Isaac glanced at him.

"Can you speak at home?"

Ajanas shook his head and smiled cunningly.

"Governor Brega is extremely suspicious. As long as you spread the news of my surrender to the enemy back to the city, he will naturally force my good father to rebel."

"If your family can take control of the situation in Brega first, quell the unrest in the city, and seal the warehouse,"

"Then your loyalty is worthy of a consulship and the title of lord."

Compared with the tribunes who were in charge of public security and household registration, the consuls were positions of real power.

Ajanas danced with joy and shouted to set off immediately.

Isaac stopped him.

"One of the duties of Khatib is to manage the basic situation of the nearby tribes, right?"

Ajanas nodded.

"Go and call all the tribal sheikhs here first. I have something to inform them."

Half an hour later, Isaac met the Sheikh of the nearby tribe.

He was dressed in rags and had a fawning look on his face.

This was their first impression of Isaac.

Apparently, Archon Ajanus had already given them a heads-up.

"Two things, do them after I tell you."

"First, gather the best and strongest people in your tribe to fight with me. The quota is 300. Go and divide the responsibilities among yourselves."

The Shekhs nodded.

"Second, send someone to the siege camp of Surt to spread the news of the fall of Ogelai and Brega."

"Remember, this must be spread throughout the army."

The Shekhs looked at each other, not knowing why.

Isaac had no intention of explaining and simply drove them away.

……

In the evening, in Brega City, Walli sat in his study, feeling uneasy.

Just this morning, news came from the town of Ogale that his incompetent eldest son Ayannas surrendered to Kafir and told the news of Brega to the Kafir commander with great fanfare.

The news was extremely detailed, even the lunch Ajanas had eaten that day was described vividly.

Obviously, I was designed.

As soon as the news came out, Wali immediately went to the Governor's Mansion and scolded Ajanas, saying that this rebellious son had cut ties with the family long ago.

Governor Germyan comforted him and said that he would not listen to the slander of villains.

Wall-E burst into tears and immediately expressed his willingness to donate money to build city defenses.

But he knew very well that Germyan was suspicious by nature and would not let it go.

Sure enough, at noon, several family members serving in the army were demoted because of a trivial matter.

Several business rivals took advantage of their misfortune and forcibly occupied their shops.

For this reason, Wall-E could only swallow his anger and pretend that nothing happened.

squeak-

The door opened and the servant came in, seeming to say something but stopping himself.

"Father, what's troubling you so much?"

Ajanas, smiling, walked into the study from behind the servant, skillfully opened a thick book, and took out a bottle of wine.

"You...you dare to come back!"

"How did you avoid the patrol?"

Ajanas drank heavily and burped.

"Father, the tunnel you used for smuggling is still in the same place. Your guards will not stop me from returning home."

"Oh, but I didn't hide well just now, someone might have seen me."

Ajanas smiled slyly.

"You bastard!"

Wall-E was shaking with anger.

"Father, the Governor is determined to target you anyway, why not join me in the rebellion?"

"His Highness Isaac agreed to let me serve as Archon."

Wall-E thought for a moment, his eyes rolling around.

If we go to the governor now with the head of our eldest son Ajanus, will he forgive our family?

Wall-E thought about it and felt that there was little hope.

"My Highness has 10,000 troops waiting outside the city."

"With one order, who can stop it?"

Wall-E pouted.

Definitely not ten thousand, but maybe a few thousand.

Although his son is naughty, he is very smart and never does anything that risks his life.

Do you want to believe him for once?
"How do you ensure that His Highness keeps his promise?"

Ajanus took out a decree with the emblem of a double-headed eagle printed on it.

Wali found a family member who knew Greek and asked him to translate the edict into Arabic word by word.

Ajanas sat in a chair, leisurely watching his father's face change from hostility to astonishment, and finally to flattery.

Wall-E grabbed his good son's hand.

"From today on, you are the heir of the family!"

"I have a larger secret passage that leads directly outside the city. Let your Highness's army enter the city quickly!"

Ajanas stopped his father.

"His Highness said that we must prove our loyalty."

"You mean..."

"We have to take out the governor and take control of the city's military."

"This one……"

Wally's face looked a little ugly.

Seeing that he was still hesitating at this moment, Ajanas was furious.

"You old fool, I know you have a hidden trick up your sleeve, so don't hide it now!"

"Let me try!"

Wall-E gritted his teeth.

……

In the dead of night, Governor Germiyan sat at the table, writing orders in the dim candlelight.

"The city of Ogel has been occupied by the Kafirs, and the distribution of food has stopped..."

"Emir Yusuf is in danger. The situation is out of control. Immediately notify Bilinchi and ask for help from Cairo..."

The Brega transit station has always been managed by a governor sent by the central government to manage military and political affairs, so in theory, Germiyan does not need to obey Yusuf's orders.

Germyan used to be a personal soldier of Barsbay and made great contributions. Because of his caution and suspicion, he was appointed Governor of Brega by Barsbay.

When Chakmak usurped the throne, Germyan said nothing.

Therefore, he felt guilty towards Yusuf, the son of Barsbeh, and indulged him in every way.

Germyan did not agree at all to this expedition to Surt.

Yusuf came in person, asking about the family's well-being and reminiscing about the past.

The young master looked very much like his father, full of vigor and vitality.

Germiyan softened.

Ugh!
The old governor sighed deeply.

Tuk-tuk-tuk——

There was a knock on the door.

"Please come in!"

It was his maid, Muna.

"My lord, it's late at night. Drink a cup of hot camel milk to warm yourself up!"