When the Ottomans stormed Cesme, they brought nothing but looting and destruction. An important part of the Asian coastal defense line in Justinian's time has been passed down to this day, leaving only the ruins of the walls.

Of course, not all places in the world that can be called "cities" are as prosperous as Constantinople or Venice, and Cesme is a classic counterexample. The former Greek obedients were driven out of the city by the proud Murad, and after a lot of wind and rain, they built a few humble villages in the surrounding barren mountains.

After a small number of laborers have repaired the walls of the city for the infidels, they may be able to find shelter in a so-called "shack" in a dark corner beneath the walls, but they will also say goodbye to the days when they used to wear silk and cotton robes from the Balkans and even Egypt and choose a variety of goods on the streets.

"The rule of the barbarian Ottomans has never been as strong as imagined! Imperial...... The Empire will win. ”

Giovanni looked away from the mountain kid with mud on his trouser leg and turned his head to look at Angelo. He didn't know how many names he could rank in the empire in terms of merit, but Angelo was three points better than him compared to his love and loyalty to Valleo and this empire.

The Imperial army had only carried out two sieges outside Cesme, and even the logistical workers had not yet set up camps, which had already taken in a large number of Orthodox Greek refugees.

"It seems that the life of the old people of the empire under the rule of the Ottomans was far less beautiful than that advertised by Mehmed II." Angelo touched his chin and patted the little boy on the head, "Little friend, if you want food, there is still half an hour before the stove is opened, and after a while, you will be able to drink a warm and delicious stew with fragrant bread." Now, you should stay with your dad in the tent we set up for you. The next siege is about to begin, and in a few days you will be back in your city. ”

"If the Ottomans had been able to expand in the Balkans without hesitation, as they had done in the past, and had forced the empire to huddle in a projectile land, the Greeks would have had a better fate. But at the moment, the Ottomans are the same as the Rome of ten years ago...... There is no difference. Giovanni sighed, "Little one, don't storm into the tent without permission, next time, the guards won't be so kind to let you in." ”

"No, I'll tell you a path that you can go around in, into the city!"

"You say...... What the? ”

The little boy wiped the stain from the corner of his mouth with his arm, and then shouted excitedly: "When I went hunting rabbits with a few friends, I found it in the barn south of the city!" ”

He threw his arms proudly, and then continued in jerky Greek: "The forest behind the barn has been drilled in, and the wall looks very high, but I don't know when a hole has been gnawed by rats at the bottom. Later, it seems that someone dug the hole a little bigger, just enough to get into it! Occasionally, at night an Ottoman soldier with a shroud would crawl out of the hole, hey! They must have come out to steal! That hole is guaranteed to be able to get into the city. ”

Giovanni and Angelo were deeply impressed by the results of the Ottoman brainwashing, after all, even now in the Balkans, there are still many mobs who want to be ruled by Mehmed II again. On the borders of Asia, they did not even count on the help of the "good people". The Ottomans' unique approach to religion and culture has made the new generation almost forget about the purple royal family of yesteryear, and even a child who can speak Greek will feel more relatable.

"How many times have there been some losses in the assault, why don't you take someone to see it?" Giovanni said in a low voice, "When the bracket stone thrower is erected, the city wall will collapse sooner or later, but if you can fight for one more day, it will be one more day." ”

"It's still bright, wait until it's dark, and the next round of siege will proceed normally. Let's talk about it in the evening...... By the way, I heard that the last time you were in Kepharonia, you had a team of scouts who could climb the coastal cliffs empty-handed......"

Giovanni wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "This group of guys is authorized by His Majesty John to train, at least we have to ensure that the hole really exists, and the plan can be carried out normally before it can be mobilized." Although their equipment does not cost a few dollars, the training cycle is not the same as that of ordinary phalanx infantry. ”

……

In the course of an afternoon, the empire launched more than a dozen strong attacks in different directions, large and small, but all of them were superficial. Not many corpses were piled up even under the city walls, and more recruits were injured when they were too nervous to grasp their hands when they climbed the ladder.

But this method of attack exhausted the Ottoman defenders in the city. Cesme is a typical fortified city, with a castle inside in addition to the outer walls, with relatively strong inner walls to protect the forbidden areas used by the old aristocracy to have fun. Obviously, at this time, the whole city guards, whether they were Ottoman servants or guards with some connections in the castle, were dragged to the city walls and played a long run with the empire.

The Empire's rather naïve bow and arrow suppression, and the infantry's tactics of climbing the wall, put tremendous pressure on the Ottomans under the absolute superiority in numbers. Attacks were being placed on three sides, and no one knew which city would be the first to need reinforcements. They had to run long distances up and down the walls. Giovanni and Angelo, on the other hand, spent an afternoon chatting with the boy in the military tent, and gave him some brand-new gold coins by the way.

"When the empire takes over the city, you can use this money to buy a pretty beautiful stone house with your father."

The boy was even more grateful to Dade, and offered to let him and a few playmates take the Imperial army into the city to find the location of the Ottoman barracks and warehouses.

"You seem to know a lot about those guys?"

"The Ottomans broke my father's leg while driving out the laborers, and they also ...... my mother I remembered the faces of the group, and if I had the chance, my only request was for me to cut off their heads with my own hands. ”

"It's more than a deal, my little one." Angelo sighed, "I have a job here, and I'll give you fifteen new silver coins a month. Fifteen times as many stones you dug for the Ottomans. Do you do it or not? ”

"What job?" The little boy's eyes sparkled.

"My close attendant. Giovanni was particularly good at this mouthful. It suddenly occurred to me that a young man carrying a heavy sword for my old bone might be easier in battle. ”

"Good sir...... I've heard that only the knights of honor in the empire have their own footmen...... And fifteen silver coins, that's too much......"

"Don't worry, the knights full of honor in your mouth have to be under my command when they all add up. Now, it's almost time, lead the way, little one. ”

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