1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 72 Tripoli
On June 1449, 6, Count Mikhail and military adviser Ymir led the First Guards Corps, the Second Guards Corps and two thousand conscripted infantry westward to Misrata.

On July 7, Count Mikhail arrived at the gates of Misrata.

Amid the swirling dust and fluttering flags, Count Mikhail, dressed in military uniform, rode out on horseback with a group of personal guards.

Swish——

From the top of the city wall, arrows were fired and landed in front of Mikhail.

"Surrender! His Majesty will allow you to take your money and settle in Surt! The residents of the city will not be killed!"

Mikhail gestured, and the translator beside him shouted loudly in Arabic.

On the top of the city wall, the recruited peasants, holding pitchforks and trembling with fear, looked at Omar, who was wearing thick armor, with hope.

"Humph! Surrender?"

Omar pretended to be calm.

"We can defend this wall till we die!"

As the conversation was not going well, Count Mikhail nodded, rode back to the battlefield, and announced the start of the siege.

For several days, at the suggestion of their advisor Ymir, the Guards maintained a low-intensity siege, using artillery and large catapults to repeatedly irritate the defenders.

Under Mikhail's offensive, the morale of the defenders in the city quickly collapsed. Omar began to give up on himself and hid in the palace all day, amusing himself with several concubines, hiding as long as he could.

"My Lord, what are you waiting for?"

In the main camp, consultant Ymir rushed in anxiously and looked at Mikhail who was leisurely.

During the Cyrenaica War, Ymir, a consultant from Bethheli, had just arrived and did not get a chance to prove himself, so he was hidden in Surt.

This time, he finally got a position as a military staff officer, allowing him to display his military talents.

This battle must be fought beautifully!

Through his own planning, this siege cost very little but achieved good results, and he was on the verge of winning the final success.

However, Mikhail, as the main general, did not seem to be in a hurry to break the city. He was about to climb to the top of the city several times, but was stopped halfway and retreated.

It was as if he had deliberately let Omar off the hook.

"Dear Counselor Ymir, don't worry,"

Mikhail looked at the new staff officer with interest.

Ymir has good military skills, but he is too utilitarian and is eager to clear a name for himself and the people of Bheli.

His Majesty mentioned privately, intentionally or unintentionally, that he would never give these Behai people the precious military power until they had thoroughly proved their loyalty.

"This is your Majesty's wish."

Mikhail pulled out a letter, thought for a moment, and handed it to Ymir.

“We must maintain military pressure at all times and contain the defenders of Misrata and Malfa.”

“The key to this war is not in Misrata, nor in Tunisia.”

Mikhail pointed to a black dot on the map that represented a city, and around it were densely packed villages and towns.

This place is obviously strategically located, a hub for land and sea, controlling the east and the west.

“And in Tripoli.”

……

"The city of Tripoli was built more than two thousand years ago and was one of the earliest trading bases established by the Carthaginians."

Lord Albert, the chief intelligence officer of the Kingdom of Cyrenaica, sat in the carriage, listening absentmindedly to his deputy's report.

Albert successfully demonstrated his outstanding intelligence control and espionage abilities in the war to capture Sirte, and was relied upon by Isaac.

After that, he kept traveling to various places where His Majesty needed him, including Dobruja, Birinci, Adana... setting up intelligence agencies in local areas and collecting necessary information for the central government's reference.

After successfully establishing an intelligence agency among the Armenian population in Cilicia, Albert handed over the organizational power to the local head and went to Tripoli without stopping.

Only this time, his role was more like a lobbyist than a spy.

"Yahya is a great leader and he must be able to see the root of the problem,"

"You must outwit and outwit the emissaries from Tunis and try not to let the merchants turn to the Hafs Center."

"Tell them that we are willing to support their independence and self-government, free from Tunisia's control."

Albert still remembered that His Majesty Isaac said this in the Black Castle.

"Tripoli has excellent natural conditions, lush flowers and plants, a large population, many good ports, and prosperous commerce. It is known as the 'White Bride of the Mediterranean'."

"In Tripoli, merchants had great power. They elected a puppet emir, and Yahya, who had just ascended the throne of the caliph, had no choice but to accept it."

"In recent years, Yahya has worked hard to govern the country and made a lot of money through trade, which has brought the entire Tunis area into a period of prosperity."

"Under these circumstances, Yahya gradually began to expose his ambition to control everything, and his first target was Tripoli, which was also famous for its business and could provide a lot of funds."

"The merchants in Tripoli are certainly unwilling to accept direct control from the Hafsid dynasty again. This kind of state of being close to and distant from the central government is what they have always pursued."

Albert nodded and pointed outside the car, signaling the deputy to stop talking.

The white city in front of us was getting closer and closer, and there were more and more horse-drawn carriages galloping and camel caravans walking slowly on the road.

Albert turned his head and saw many small vendors on the roadside, selling local specialties collected from the villages and affiliated tribes.

Furs, cured meats, dairy products, dates, palms, raisins, everything.

The city of Tripoli has tall walls, deep trenches and high ramparts surrounding the city. On the walls, battlements are continuous and towers are intertwined. Soldiers in armor and holding sharp blades patrol the city defenses.

What a magnificent city!
Albert stopped at the city gate and handed the letter to the guards.

The letter came from Urda, the executive president of the Cyrenaica United Chamber of Commerce, who has many trading partners here.

The guard took the letter and stared at Albert.

The deputy understood and handed over a bag of silver coins.

With a smile on his face, the guard waved his hand and signaled to let them pass.

The carriage continued to move forward. It was noon, the city was bustling and noisy, and the people were living a prosperous life and looked very happy.

In the crowd, Albert could occasionally see European merchants dressed in gorgeous clothes. They mingled with the local people and bargained over some goods. There were not many disputes based on ethnicity and religion.

This is a healthy and vibrant city with stable people, inclusive culture and prosperous business.

Albert thought so.

The delegation found an inn introduced by Urda, and after placing their luggage, they continued their journey in the cool evening.

The carriage rumbled past the most prosperous commercial district and the most chaotic dock area, and arrived at the highest authority in Tripoli, the City Hall. Albert straightened his clothes, put on a professional smile, and was about to get off the carriage.

"My Lord, look."

The deputy pointed to a beautifully crafted carriage nearby.

The emblem of the Hafsid royal family was engraved on the chariot.

……

The summer nights in Bilinchi are very quiet. There is not a single cloud in the clear sky. Looking up from the window, you can see the brilliant starry sky.

Under this brilliant and colorful galaxy, the Black Castle lies dormant at the foot of the hill like a giant beast lying in the darkness.

In Isaac's study, candles burned quietly. The special candle oil made a slight sound and emitted a pleasant smell that calmed people's minds.

The study is filled with bookshelves, but the books on the shelves show little signs of having been flipped through. They are placed there in brand new, like props used by the owner to show off his taste.

There were swords, spears, swords and halberds on the weapon rack, and armor and shields were hung on the side, but they were all covered with dust and obviously did not receive the favor of their owners.

In contrast, the desk in the room was filled with all kinds of maps, each covered with various scribbled marks.

On the wall opposite the desk was carved a map of the known world, with the continents in black, the oceans in grayish white, and some areas marked in bright purple.

The owner of the room, Isaac Palaiologos, co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, master of Cyrenaica and Soult, sat in a chair next to the desk, staring at the map on the opposite wall in a trance.

Cyrenaica, Sirte, Olón, La Palma, Bijagos Islands…

In five years, he went from being a prince of an impending country to the ruler of a vast territory. He defeated countless powerful enemies, walked on thin ice, and walked step by step to where he is today, escaping danger time and time again.

As the destined day drew closer, Isaac began to panic.

Can he really rewrite the fate of Constantinople and defeat the arrogant Ottoman Sultan?

Isaac stared at the secret letter on the table, speechless.

News came from the Ottoman Empire that as Murad II grew older and was unable to have any more children, it seemed that Muhammad’s re-entry to the throne was a foregone conclusion.

Many former fence-sitters began to turn to Muhammad, trying to get a share of the benefits when the old king stepped down and the new king was crowned.

The latest secret letter mentioned that Muhammad had begun preparing a private fleet, hiring naval talents from Venice at high salaries, and handing the fleet over to the experienced and loyal Zagan Pasha.

If you are making progress, your enemies won't just sit there and wait.

Not long ago, Muhammad's eldest son was born. Many people were not optimistic about this child with three-quarter Greek ancestry, but this did not prevent Muhammad from loving his eldest son.

Muhammad, who became a father for the first time, was overjoyed and named his son Bayezid.

This name was once a nightmare in the hearts of many people in Constantinople.

Isaac shook his head vigorously, trying to put aside the uneasiness in his heart.

He tried to immerse himself in the ongoing war.

Misrata is just around the corner, a bone lying next to your mouth without much meat on it.

Strictly speaking, this is not the core area of ​​the Hafsid Dynasty. It is located on the edge of the desert and does not have much oil and water.

If they only captured Misrata, it would be difficult for their looting fleet to directly attack the most prosperous trade route in the Gulf of Tunisia.

Tripoli, a big city that you can’t avoid.

Isaac was not sure whether the merchants in Tripoli would still take up arms against the central government of Tunis in this time and space.

Isaac remembered that in the original history, these merchants were very dissatisfied with the Tunisian central government and had always sought treatment similar to that of the Italian Commercial Republic.

But they happened to meet a monarch like Yahya who was determined to restore the glory of the Hafsid dynasty, and the conflict between the two sides could not be reconciled.

Eventually, the merchants of Tripoli joined forces with the Barbary pirates and expelled the central officials in anger. After that, it was successively occupied by Spain and the Knights Hospitaller until the arrival of the Ottomans.

His opponent Yahya is not a simple person. He will probably try his best to tie Tripoli to his chariot, even if it means temporarily giving up some interests.

Later generations' evaluation of Yahya is very similar to that of Emperor Manuel I of the Komnenos dynasty of the Eastern Roman Empire. When they were alive, the entire country did experience a certain degree of revival and prosperity. However, with their passing, the empire declined rapidly, then fell into decline and then fell apart.

It only took a few decades from prosperity to destruction, which is very telling.

Facts have proved that some of the rulers' policies are simply drinking poison to quench thirst, overdrawing national strength and laying mines for their successors.

However, from the current perspective, Caliph Yahya can be regarded as a wise ruler and should not be underestimated.

No matter how turbulent the dynasty was, he remained calm and worked hard to govern the country. This kind of determination and strategic vision are not something that ordinary people can learn.

Tripoli is the gateway to the heart of Tunisia, something Yahya must be well aware of.

Isaac stared at the black dot representing Tripoli on the map, wishing he could erase it from the map.

Is there a way to make this place not play its original role?
Isaac's eyes flashed, he took out two pieces of letter paper, dipped them in ink, and picked up the pen to write a letter.

……

"Conte, you disturbed my sweet dream out of nowhere. I guess you have some good news."

The next morning, Isaac looked at the dusty Baron Conti with dark circles under his eyes and an expressionless face.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have completed the task you assigned to me."

"Oh? How many people did you find?"

Isaac braced himself.

"There are only fifty-three of them at the moment, all of them are good fighters. According to your request, they are all landless knights."

"How did you manage to evade the pursuit of the Knights of the Imperial Order?"

"Disguise yourself as a refugee, go through Provence, and board the merchant ship that will meet you at the port of Marseille."

Conti paused,
"Your Majesty, these people have been hiding on the fringes of society for a long time and may not be so easy to get along with,"

"But I can guarantee that they are all first-rate people who value friendship and loyalty. As long as you treat them with sincerity, they will also treat you with sincerity."

"Those fickle villains have already taken their companions' heads to local officials to ask for pardons."

Isaac nodded, took out a purse from his pocket, weighed it, and threw it to Conte.

"Your Majesty, you are..."

"You left in a hurry and didn't withdraw much money. I didn't expect the process to be so tortuous. This is my compensation for you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Where are the knights?"

Under the leadership of Conti, Isaac met these landless knights from France.

(End of this chapter)