1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 50 Rout
Yusuf sat in the camp with a dull look in his eyes.

The family heirloom sword that he usually treasured lay crooked in the darkness, as if covered by a shadow.

He thought back to yesterday's disastrous defeat.

His army had clearly captured a castle and pushed the enemy under the city walls.

Next, we just need to advance steadily and eliminate the remaining enemy forces in the city.

What a pity, what a pity...

Yusuf did not want to recall the horrific scene at that time.

He drank the last drop of wine and smashed the bottle to the ground.

After the disastrous defeat, Yusuf locked himself in his tent and didn't want to see anyone.

He paced slowly and calmed himself down.

The main force of the enemy has returned, and there is no hope of attacking the city. The main problem now is how to bring back the remaining 4,000 troops intact.

If it is unable to expand outward, it must protect its position within Sudan.

The Barqa region is separated from the Egyptian mainland by a large desert. It belongs to the marginal area of ​​the Mamluk Sultanate and has always been outside Cairo and Damascus.

Although this land is far less fertile than the Nile River Basin and Syria, it also has a large population and vast arable land.

If I can keep this area, I will definitely be able to make a comeback!
Yusuf left the camp with his sword in hand, ready to find his advisor Ymir to discuss the withdrawal of troops.

The defending troops also suffered heavy casualties and basically lost their ability to fight in the field, so they probably wouldn't pursue.

Yusuf walked out of the tent.

Panic, chaos, and mess.

When several soldiers in a hurry saw Yusuf leaving the camp, they saluted quickly.

"What happened?"

Yusuf frowned and pulled a soldier over.

"grown ups……"

The soldier murmured.

"Say it nicely!"

"Ogale town surrendered to the enemy, and Brega port fell..."

Yusuf suddenly felt dizzy.
"Understood. Summon Advisor Ymir and the Tribal Shekh."

He nodded calmly.

"The tribal sheikhs were afraid of being left behind as the rear guard, so they ran away..."

"Counselor Ymir is missing..."

Yusuf's legs went limp and he fell to the ground.

"grown ups……"

"Run, run for your life..."

Yusuf laughed miserably.

On March 1448, 3, Count Mikhail returned to Surt under the banner of Isaac and drove the enemy troops out of the city walls.

The soldiers, who had just been dazzled by money, fame and fortune, lost all morale when they saw the main force of the enemy return, and returned in defeat.

The next day, news of Isaac's surprise attack on the town of Oguelle and the port of Brega spread throughout the siege camp. With their retreat cut off, the soldiers became panic-stricken.

Commander Yusuf sat alone in the camp, while advisor Ymir was missing, and the shekhs of various tribes took the opportunity to stir up trouble.

In the end, the siege camp collapsed completely and the soldiers fled in all directions.

At this point, Sirte was relieved.

……

"Your Highness, in this battle, we successfully assassinated the stubborn Governor Germiyan, successfully occupied the granary in the city and the main pasture outside the city, and successfully persuaded the army to cause internal rebellion."

In the Governor's Palace in the port of Brega, Isaac was flipping through the books recorded by Germyan while listening to Ajanas bragging about his own achievements.

Isaac put down the book, rubbed his eyes, and looked around.

Germyan's records were very careful, and all the texts were written in Arabic, containing a large amount of records on population, water sources, tribes, and chambers of commerce.

Every sheep, every camel, every gold coin has a specific source and destination.

Such talents are very rare in the current Mamluk Sultanate.

Most of the Mamluk nobles were descended from Circassian slaves and did not bother to learn Arabic, let alone manage their fiefdoms and people wholeheartedly.

The room was neat and tidy, filled with books and few luxuries; the most valuable item was a jewel-encrusted knife.

After Ajanas settled the city, he immediately cleaned it up, removed all the furniture with Islamic colors, and replaced them with Christian styles.

Isaac walked over to the weapons rack and drew his sword.

"Your Highness, this is a relic of the pseudo-Governor Germiyan. It is said that it was given to him by the former Sultan Barsbey. He has kept it as a treasure and has rarely used it."

Isaac took a quick look at the blade and found that it was in good condition. It seemed that the owner took great care of it.

"I heard that some civilians in the city spontaneously held a funeral for Germiyan. Is that true?"

"Is there such a thing? Your Highness, please wait, I will go right away..."

Isaac stared at Ajanas, who was jumping up and down.

Ajanas's shouting gradually died down.

"Your Highness, Germiyan has been the governor here for more than ten years. He has always been cautious and careful, and has repeatedly prevented the southern tribes from looting before they could begin."

"He also invited scholars from Baghdad to give lectures, set up Islamic schools and sponsored orphans."

“Among other things, Germiyan limited the power of merchants and landowners and protected commoners in the name of religion.”

"So, the common people in the city are very grateful to him, while the nobles and gentry hate him to death."

After hearing this, Isaac felt even more sorry.

It would be great if we had such talents on our side.

"Is Germiyan's body still there?"

Ajanas nodded.

"Go and bury him with honour, according to Muslim rites."

"If people come to pay their respects during this period, they must not be stopped."

"After I finish this, I will ask the priest to baptize you, appoint you as the Archon of Brega, and grant you the title of Lord. I will keep my word."

After seeing off the jubilant Ayannas, Dilin and Erdosh came together.

Ghazi was left in Oguelle by Isaac to guard against Yusuf's return attack, although the probability was extremely small.

"Your Highness, there is news from the town of Ogelai that the cavalry they sent out captured enemy prisoners from the Surt siege camp."

"The siege of Sirte has been lifted and the enemy has been routed."

The two looked at Isaac with admiration in their eyes.

If they had doubts about Isaac's strategic ability before, they are now truly convinced.

"very good!"

Isaac slammed the table, and the huge rock that had been weighing on his heart for a long time finally fell to the ground.

"Contact Surt and order Count Mikhail to pursue the enemy after stabilizing the situation in the city!"

"Spread out our troops and intercept the fleeing enemy!"

……

Linton Town, suburban cemetery.

Afif walked past the rows of crosses and came to the large tombstone in the center.

The Hafsid cavalry slaughtered half of the town's population, leaving behind a streak of broken limbs and arms.

When Hussein Sheikh arrived at the place with reinforcements, he was stunned by the bloody scene before him.

There is killing between tribes, but it is usually for the sake of profit. Population is a precious asset, so they will not kill indiscriminately.

But the purpose of this group of gangsters seems to be destruction.

They also tried to set fire to the house, but had little success given the earth and stone structure.

Hussein knew that the bodies could not be left for long, otherwise they would incur a terrible plague.

With the help of the refugees, the reinforcements worked hard to find every dead or injured resident, tried their best to identify them, returned them to their families, and ordered them to be buried as soon as possible.

The remaining broken bodies were collected together, buried in the land on the edge of the city at a collective funeral presided over by a pastor.

Linton engineers who arrived upon hearing the news built a cemetery for the town and a monument for those broken souls.

Afif gently stroked the monument, running his fingers over the uneven inscriptions, feeling the cool touch.

Living people turned into cold names.

Wu Luci, a retired Purple Guard, died in the defense battle.

Hanerdo Dorsh, captain of the Dobruja militia, died in the defense.

Aldo, a salt mine transporter, died in the defense battle.

Afif's finger stopped here.

This name once belonged to my father, a kind man, a strong warrior, the best husband and the best father.

Afif did not shed any tears; they had all dried up long ago.

The finger continued to slide down.

Filippo Neville, a retired Guardsman, died protecting his wife and daughter.

Ira Neville, Filippo's wife, tailor, massacred. Sophia Neville, tailor, massacred.

Although he had seen it many times, Afif's heart still tightened.

How he wished that all this was just a nightmare from which it was difficult to wake up, that his father was not dead, and that Sophia was still alive.

But, there are no buts in life.

"Father, Sophia, I have passed the preliminary selection of the Slaves Corps and will report tomorrow."

"Father, I know you don't want me to go to the battlefield, but the fact is that war will never stop just because you escape."

"I will arm myself, protect my family, and annihilate my enemies."

"Sophia, you are a kind Orthodox Christian. May you remain as beautiful as ever in heaven. I love you."

Afif covered his face and started to cough dryly, tears streaming down his face.

A breeze blew across the spire of the wooden cross, making a humming sound, as if it was also mourning.

The breeze brushed across the boy's face, drying his tears.

Afif walked back to his half-destroyed home in confusion, walked to the dining table in confusion, listened to his brother's crying in confusion, and watched his mother holding back tears and telling her youngest son that his father had just gone on a long trip.

His mother and brother were waiting at the table, and they began to eat only after Afif took the reserved seat.

This is the father's special place.

Afif looked at his mother and brother and suddenly felt a strange feeling.

It turns out that I have become the backbone of the whole family.

Afif fetched the wine and took a big gulp, imitating his father's example.

"Yesterday, I signed up for the Slaves Corps."

My brother blinked and my mother immediately expressed her objection.

"Your father wouldn't agree..."

"I want money, and I want revenge."

The mother's eyes turned red and she seemed about to cry again.

"I'll go prepare the gift for you."

She wiped her eyes and walked into the back room.

My mother is a very traditional Muslim woman, even though she has converted to Christianity.

She knew she couldn't change her son's decision.

The next morning, Afif packed his luggage, left home and headed for the military camp on the outskirts of the city under the tearful eyes of his mother and brother.

Along the way, Afif saw many young men carrying their luggage, who, like Afif, were survivors of the massacre.

With hatred for the enemy and love for their families, they walked towards the battlefield step by step.

……

"Your Highness, a new batch of prisoners has been brought in."

Instructor Di Lin walked into Isaac's study and reported.

The more than 200 students he led played a significant role in the War of the Milanese Succession and the War of Soult, and these inexperienced students gradually matured in the wars.

"A total of 201 people, more than half of whom are tribesmen, and the rest are Yusuf's regular infantry."

Isaac nodded.

Since the enemy's collapse, Isaac ordered the cavalry to disperse and cast a wide net to intercept the defeated enemy soldiers and take them as prisoners.

In addition, Isaac also warned nearby tribes not to provide shelter to defeated soldiers passing by, and anyone who disobeyed the order would be executed.

Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for the defeated soldiers to escape from Isaac's clutches.

This is the fourth wave of prisoners this week, totaling to one thousand people.

It is said that Yusuf also brought a team of his beloved Mamluk heavy cavalry, but was reluctant to use them during the siege.

Now this elite force and Yusuf himself are nowhere to be found, and the captured defeated soldiers are also hesitant and unclear.

"Your Highness, we have captured a big shot this time."

"Oh?"

Among the previous waves of captives, there were many shekhs from large and small tribes. They surrendered directly to Isaac very quickly.

In response, Isaac locked them all up for later.

“The man claimed to be Yusuf’s advisor.”

Half an hour later, Ymir appeared in Isaac's study, followed by two guards who were watching her closely.

"I heard that you claim to be the military advisor to Emir Yusuf?"

Isaac asked in Arabic.

Ymir bowed deeply and nodded in agreement.

“Where is Yusuf?”

"do not know."

"So you abandoned your monarch and ran away alone?"

Ymir saw Isaac's increasingly hostile look.

"Your Highness, he is not my monarch."

"I am from Behaili, a Turkic people. I believe you have heard of this name before."

The Bahri, the previous dynasty of the Mamluks, was composed mainly of Turkic slaves.

In 1382, Bakuk, who was born a Circassian slave, overthrew the Bakhiri dynasty and established the Burgi dynasty, which was mainly composed of Caucasian slaves, especially Circassian slaves.

Isaac nodded, motioning for him to continue.

“We are the descendants of Baibars, the heirs of the Lion of Islam!”

At this point, he puffed out his chest with pride.

"But now, no monarch is willing to use us. Only Yusuf, who was also overthrown, is willing to let us take up some positions that seem important but have no real power."

"He treated us like slaves, and he would come whenever he wanted. When he got angry, he would beat and scold us."

Ymir pointed to her neck, where there was a deep pinch mark.

"I don't care who you are or why you had a falling out with Yusuf,"

Isaac looked at Ymir.
"I just want to know, what can you give me?"

Ymir fell to her knees with a thud.

"Your Highness, I heard that your new Archon of Brega is a native Arab. Is this true?"

Isaac nodded.

"I know the composition of Yusuf's army and the situation in Bilinchi. If you can promise to give us, the people of Behairi, equal treatment, I will serve you and give you advice."

Isaac was amused.

"If you really have a brilliant military vision, how could you have caused such a rout?"

Ymir stood up, looking solemn.

"Your Highness, that's because Yusuf didn't listen to what I said at all."

"As early as the beginning of the siege, I planned a four-stage offensive for him,"

"First, recruit the cannon fodder from nearby areas to fill the trenches and consume the long-range arrows and shells."

"Second, the tribesmen began to attack violently, wearing down the enemy's fighting spirit and consuming nearby kerosene and rocks."

"Third, our siege equipment will begin bombarding the enemy, suppressing them and making them unable to raise their heads."

"Fourth, all the elite troops must be mobilized to capture the city wall in one fell swoop."

Isaac was a little surprised. The report from Surter wrote that such tactics caused heavy casualties to the defenders in a short period of time and they almost took the city.

“I heard that Yusuf did that.”

Ymir smiled disdainfully.

"Yusuf is a complete idiot,"

"There were not enough cannon fodder, and we were reluctant to use regular troops to fill the gap. We were afraid that the siege equipment would be destroyed, so we only pushed forward half of it each time."

"The most elite heavily-armored Mamluks were left to gather dust in the camp, but we held them like treasures in our hands and refused to let them attack the city."

"How can you not fail if you look ahead and behind?"

Isaac smiled.

"Do you think I am a cautious monarch?"

"Your Highness has a brilliant vision. He jumped out of Surt's vortex and directly attacked the enemy's weak point."

"How can a monarch who is cautious and hesitant be so decisive?"

Ymir noticed Isaac's joy, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and boasted with a smile.

My life was saved.

"From now on, you are my military advisor."

"I can guarantee that as long as you keep up this level, you will always be reused."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Ymir thanked him quickly.

(End of this chapter)