Eagle Byzantium

In front of the roaring and powerful stone bullets, hundreds of defenders in the fort and about 4,000 people were hiding in battlements, sheds and corners in the city. Many people suddenly fell into the trap while fetching water and food. He was hit by falling stone bullets and died. The whole city was filled with death, which was extremely miserable.

Even the solid tower in the center was constantly hit by the stone bullets of the big Pulani cannon. The dust was shaken and fell one after another, and a lot of it accumulated in front of the Nikka seat. After the small town was lost, the old general Sitting in silence until now, Severn and Ace were anxious one after another. The emperor came to ask him for tactics, but Nika did not answer. He just shook his head and sighed, saying that when the three of you launched a rebellion in Sith City, the fate of this castle and the family was already doomed. Now the emperor and the prince have delayed us and others. , "This can only go so far."

On the hillside of the small town, the other two Callegos brothers led 600 elite soldiers, abandoned their horses, and fought bravely on foot along the rugged terrain; while Monomachus from Gawain's side also led 700 Western Cilicia soldiers. The Jinate soldiers relied on the mountains to resist, using bows and arrows to inflict massive damage to the opponent.

Because the two sides were previously neighboring Jinat military meritorious landowners, but now they have completely moved to different camps, taking up weapons to fight together. Therefore, while arrows were flying in front of the formation, the shouts and curses from both sides also shook the entire valley. Leo and Tiga cursed Monomachus as a traitor for being willing to take refuge with a grass-headed king like Gawain; while Monomachus angrily denounced the Kallegos family for betraying General Philaredos. country, and the act of colluding with the Turks.

After fighting like this for almost a whole day, Titicius couldn't bear it anymore and personally led a reserve team of two thousand people to step forward for reinforcements. Monomachus then abandoned his position and led his men to destroy the mountain stream. All the bridges were retreated to the side of the small town on the other side and continued to be defended.

At dusk, Titicius finally saw the Alamein River rushing towards the swamp below the mountain, as well as the destroyed sluice. "I paid a lot of money to recruit soldiers and craftsmen, took a small boat, and opened the sluice in front of me. Repair it!”

Then, the soldiers who were tempted and inspired, regardless of the fatigue from the previous battle, lined up in a long column from the mountain to the camp at the foot of the mountain. They first dragged several small boats up, and then carried bundles of earth, rocks and firewood on their backs and carried them. It filled the inside of the small boat, and then pushed it into the deep mountain stream. The soldiers and craftsmen braved the splashing water and the risk of being washed off the cliff, and then swam bravely, using ropes and hooks to drag the destroyed items to the rocks. The clamped iron gate was slowly pushed hard in an attempt to pull it back to its original position and stabilize it...

Just as Taticius was struggling in the mountain stream, with the setting sun behind his back, Alexios and John and his son personally led an army of 15,000 people and lined up along the street. Among them, the emperor's face was ashen, while the prince was full of joy. His face was ashamed, "At your age, it's normal for you not to be able to fight with Gawain, but I didn't expect you to stay together." If he rejects the suggestions of his generals and staff, then it is not a gap in experience, but a gap in his standards and ideas as a ruler!" The emperor pulled the bridle and scolded his son mercilessly, and then he paused, " You are in charge of the Pamfiliatmachi Military District, which is adjacent to Gawain and Giliki, so it is difficult to defend the situation. "

When his father said the next words, John's face twitched. He knew that his father was not satisfied with him working in this crucial military region.

But John didn't defend himself. He just lowered his head and listened to his father's words. "Although Breanus is duller, he is mature and prudent and can fully listen to the guidance and deployment of the imperial capital. I will swap his positions with yours right away." , you go to the Moria region to serve as the Grand Duke, reclaim the Thessaly Plain, and build and train a fleet there, so you don’t have to deal with all kinds of treacherous and powerful enemies now.”

Therefore, what the emperor means is that you can safely accumulate experience in civil affairs in the future. It will not be too late to visit such dangerous poisonous dragon lairs and crocodile pools in Anatolia when you are mature.

"Father, what do you mean, are you ready to give up Alamein Castle?" John lowered his head and did not refute Alexios's decision.

Alexios remained silent, and then he and the marching team saw the continuous camps where Titicius was stationed on the west side of the swamp, and the struggling city of Alamein, which was burning with fireworks in the distance, and remained silent like this. Di and his son were stationed at the overlook, and groups of imperial troops came from They continued to move forward, and finally the emperor spoke, "You have to pay for your negligence and naivety, John. Look, what good ideas can you think of now? We can only do our best to save him, at least make a show of it, and help Anna." The people and nobles of Tolia take a look."

After the 15,000 imperial troops joined Titicius' troops, they began to camp for several miles. At night, the emperor, who was firmly in the commander-in-chief's camp, sat on a chair covered with purple satin. Received the military intelligence report from Titicius on the top of the mountain: After a day of fighting, our army finally repaired the sluice on the mountain stream. After closing, the Alamein River will no longer pour water into the great swamp.

"Well done Titicius, it seems that as long as the Kallegos family holds on for a little longer, I can still be saved." The emperor regained a lot of confidence, "John, have all the civilians gathered together?"

"Yes, father, the first batch of three thousand people have been given rations and clothing rewards, and they are ready to serve you."

"Pump the water from the Great Swamp. Drain the water from here. Divide all the soldiers into four groups and take turns to assist the civilians in doing this!" The emperor's eyes were burning.

Alexius was a very shrewd army commander. In the next three days, although he had verbally said that Fort Alaman would leave it to fate, facing Alexius who had kidnapped his daughter and made Anna his enemy, every time he thought of his enemy showing off his military power on the other side of the swamp and slaughtering and looting his people, how could he swallow this breath! ?

Almost 20,000 imperial soldiers, except for 800 who were left to guard the newly repaired sluice, the rest were divided into four groups: one group, together with thousands of conscripted civilians, stepped on many "Archimedes screw water pumps" - this drainage and water pumping device is implemented by people stepping on a turntable to drive the screw, and often a thatched shed is built on it to block the still terrible sun in late summer; however, due to the complex manufacturing process of this screw, the number is still insufficient, so the Turkish slave Aksepokos offered another plan: he originally migrated to Anatolia from the Oghuz tribe on the Persian Plateau, and began to guide the entire army to build another simpler water pumping device, the so-called "pot wheel", also called "Persian wheel", people made a large wheel shape, put together the spokes, and then each frame outside the spokes was tied with a pot or leather bag, which was pulled by packhorses to drain water (the livestock used in the Persian region were often camels). (To be continued ~^~)