Eagle Byzantium

On the tower of the wall of Saint Simon, a Persian perfume bottle cannon was steadily hoisted up by pulleys and slings. Several sailors then carried it and placed it at the firing port of the battlement, with the muzzle facing the fields outside the city, where many civilians, merchants and cavalry who had escaped from the port were crying and shouting towards Antioch like a tide.

In the evening, four more galleys and twelve jaegers came from Cyprus, carrying three detachments of brigade soldiers and also sailed into the port of Saint Simon. The purple and gold double-headed eagle flag was raised on the city tower.

It is said that another three detachments of brigade soldiers will soon arrive by boat from Tarsus.

After nightfall, the rumbling of cannons can be heard in several fortresses of Antioch and the Syrian Gate.

In the Four Sisters Tower, Bohemond's face was pale and he had completely lost his composure. He stood in the middle of the hall, looking very lonely, and said to the equally shocked generals, "Gawain didn't go to Crete?"

"It seems like this now - his main force has appeared outside the Syrian gate, and it seems that he has the upper hand and wants to deal with us first." Everyone replied.

"I'm not afraid of him. Everything is planned now..." Bohemond's voice was a little trembling, "Prepare the horses for me. I want to gather all the troops to take back the Port of Saint Simon first!"

When the servants in the stables ran out quickly, several lords came over, worried, "Sir... All the ships of our fleet anchored in the Port of Saint Simon were destroyed and burned, and the towers and walls were almost all occupied. The enemy already has 2,000 to 3,000 people there, and there are artillery for support."

"In the name of transporting supplies, he launched a despicable attack on me. Gawain is a villain and hypocrite with no morals at all." Bohemond roared hysterically, "Syria Gate, what about Syria Gate?"

"If the Port of Saint Simon is not safe, we can't go to Syria Gate. If we go, the enemy's detachment will easily land by sea and cut off our connection with here."

Syria Gate also has 3,000 Auxing fiefdom soldiers stationed there by Ostus. Do we have to give them up?

When Bohemond expressed such concerns, others nodded heavily, meaning that this was the only way.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't worry at all. Antioch's 10,000 people are enough to defend for a year, even if Gawain has siege cannons. Aleppo and Damascus will seize this time to block other enemies, and then the great king will come, and everything will be fine at that time. Stock up on supplies and check the granaries, do you hear me!" Bohemond kept nagging in a daze.

However, a few days later, Gawain's main force had already attacked the castle of the Syrian Gate separately, and a complete brigade (the Guard Brigade) had landed at Port Saint Simon, and joined forces with the Guard Cavalry and the Comaloi Cavalry Regiment that bypassed the Syrian Gate and rushed in at another gate on the east side, Ata City, and began to attack Ata City fiercely.

Once Ata City fell, the entire Orontes River and Antioch City would lose their barriers.

The whole city and the entire court were in chaos. Bohemond made up his mind to personally lead all the main forces to fight the enemy in front of Ata City, otherwise he would become a trapped beast in the future.

As for the entire city, he thought about it painfully and decided to leave it to his most trusted Earl Richard.

The King of Antioch, who was about to mount his horse in front of the palace, had his robe held by his kneeling wife. Constance burst into tears, "What happened between you and the Emperor of Constantinople? Is there no room for maneuver? Is there no friend who can help you?"

"Don't worry, no one can kill me. I am the son of Guiscart, the prince of Taranto, the prince of Antioch, the greatest hero of the holy war, including that villain Gawain, no one can deal with me!" Bohemond's cheeks trembled, and he bowed his head to his wife and asked her to be patient and wait for his return.

"I already have your offspring in my belly." Constance bowed her head and wept.

The chain mail made a sound, Bohemond knelt down and supported his wife, looking into her eyes, "Just give birth to him with peace of mind, don't worry, leave everything on the battlefield and diplomacy to me."

About 6,000 Auchen soldiers from Antioch, carrying a large white flag with gold edges, surrounded Bohemond and others and came to the plain on the east side of Ata.

However, at this moment, Ata had already fallen in the blazing flames. The craftsmen of the Guard Brigade quickly assembled a counterweight ladder with wheels and sent the skirmisher commandos to climb the battlements. The city soldiers were unable to resist at all. Some were killed, and most walked out to surrender.

The victorious Guard Brigade quickly turned the fire barrel arrows and artillery that were originally aimed at the castle and fired fiercely at Bohemond's army that came from Antioch to reinforce.

Several round shells flew in from a distance of more than a thousand feet, bounced a few times, and then splashed a loud shout. Bohemond's formation was concentrated, messed up for a while, and then was in the process of readjustment.

Bohemond drew his sword and rode under the flag, watching the fireworks coming out of Ata City. He felt unprecedented confusion: should he bravely rush over to fight the enemy, or retreat to Antioch City to defend?

Read the correct version in 16-9 Book Bar!

But the enemy didn't seem to give him time to think about it. Amidst the thunderous sound of horse hooves, thousands of Comaroi cavalry on the banks of the Orontes River, wearing countless bright red felt hats, carrying blazing guns and light spears, marched on Bohemian. Germany's right wing was galloping; the left wing was also buzzing with trumpets, and the emperor's cavalry guard was probably in the thousands. The sky was filled with smoke and dust, and the attack was approaching. The general at the head was Efraimius (the original orthodox commander Diognis, who had rushed to Tbilisi to take over his own Bellero The embroidery on the bow pouch of the young General Ducasse is shining brightly.

If he did not retreat, he was afraid that he would be outflanked by these two cavalry and cut off his retreat. Bohemond gritted his teeth, thinking that he still had the strong city of Antioch to hold on to, so he turned his horse and led all his men in a panic. They panicked and fled toward the city's Dog Gate with flags flying. When crossing the stone bridge, it was so crowded that dozens of people even died due to trampling and falling into the water.

After returning to the city, Bohemond ordered the surrounding city to be defended. All supplies in the city were made public, and all strong men were voluntarily enlisted in the army to defend in sections. He also implemented inspections and the "Oxing sergeant company method" of drawing one out of ten, and mobilized two soldiers. Thirty thousand men came to defend Antioch.

Bohemond, who returned to the palace, tried to pretend to be victorious. When Constance stood at the door of the palace in shock and saw her husband returning, Bohemond said to her lightly:

"Go and rest in peace. I have successfully repulsed the enemy's attack. Gawain will be forced to negotiate peace with me. He will not get Antiochus - Constans, go and rest in peace. Your husband will be back soon." There are some trivial things to deal with.”