The Sun and the Lion

Under the attack of artillery, the deceived cannon fodder could not stand densely to resist the Ottoman attack. They quickly gave up the river bank position and shrank to the rear camp. Under Havac's dispatch, these miscellaneous soldiers relied on the simplicity of the camp. Fortifications - the last line of defense - offered resistance.

“Allahu Akbar!”

The slogans were followed by fighting. The Ottoman army fired several rounds of guns and artillery to disrupt the enemy formation. The armored Sipaxi took advantage of the chaos as a vanguard and took the lead in digging into the enemy formation. His shield and chain armor blocked all the inferior arrows fired from the rebel formation. Ya, the hordes of armored warriors are simply not something that these makeshift poor people and bandits can resist.

Even if Sipaxi was surrounded by a large number of people, the scrap metal in the hands of the soldiers and their unfamiliar martial arts would not be able to inflict damage through the armor. There were still musketeers and Ajinji cavalry wandering around the outside of the camp, and from time to time on the side. Some lead bullets or arrows would fly and penetrate into the muscles and bones of the soldiers. They tried to compete with the Ottomans for numerical superiority and momentary bravery, but they could only leave scratches on the opponent's armor.

The commando team composed of Sipaxi quickly entered the camp, and it happened that Havaqi ran away at the right time. At this time, the Pasha intended to encircle and annihilate the main force of the rebels, and finally succeeded in one battle. The miscellaneous soldiers lacked unified command and could only They can fight on their own and then surrender.

The battle ended successfully, and the next step was to clean up and count the time. After learning that thousands of people had been harvested in this battle without paying any price, and a considerable amount of gold and silver property had been recovered, the Pasha felt that everything went well. The scouts who went out to investigate did not find anything unusual, only Something went wrong with the prisoner's interrogation.

"They claimed to have at least 20,000 troops, but they didn't even have half of the heads or prisoners, and the bandit leader was not identified among the corpses that were inspected..." Karagz Pasha's words made the officers under his command who were still happy at first became very excited. clam down.

At the same time, some people also found ruts leading from the camp to other directions. It seemed that these large vehicles were full of supplies. As for more details, there is no way to know. After all, the road in the valley is narrow, and no one will stop passing in order to retain clues.

Recalling the general geographical information of western Asia Minor in his mind, the pasha continued to ask the lieutenant general and staff present: "If you were a religious bandit, where would you run at this time?"

Everyone was lost in thought, developing various "reasonable" imaginations based on the information they already knew. Without exception, everyone believed that the bandits had become discouraged and did not dare to go west again, and might go east. .

As for the rut marks, there is not much loot in this camp. The rebels have been in rebellion for so long, so it is reasonable to spend a lot of energy and energy to search for food and property. After all, a few shallow rut marks were also found at the site and other entrances and exits.

At this time, the pasha also came to a conclusion that was not much different from theirs, but he still said symbolically cautiously: "However, the defeated bandits may not be able to form one team. It is difficult to identify the correct direction in a hasty retreat. It is difficult for them to flee to the east." With friendly forces handling it, we can report victory to Padishah after clearing out the remnants still in Anatolia Province."

"Yes, Pasha." Upon hearing that they could receive the reward from the high gate so easily, all the officers were very excited and planned to complete the remaining tasks immediately.

Quite different from the ease in the Ottoman army, the rebel troops that are currently moving in are nervous. Although the troops in charge of breaking off the rear have repeatedly reported that they have not detected the large groups of enemy troops that are pursuing them, they still cannot relax. Failure to see it cannot be equated to does not exist.

After two days of intense marching, Shahkulu and the real main force arrived at Davraz Mountain, about 80 kilometers away from the camp. He decided to take a rest in this mountainous area and stay to wait for Khawaqi to return.

"Caliph, a small group of unknown people appeared behind the team."

Shahkulu was surprised by the unknown visitor. After thinking quickly, he issued an order: "The entire army is ready for combat. Immediately mobilize a team of people to gather around to confirm the identity."

The misunderstanding was quickly resolved, and the travel-stained Khawaqi appeared in front of Shahkuru faster than he imagined. Seeing that his old friend was safe, the dervish said: "Lucky Bey, it's Huda's blessing that you escaped safely from the clutches of the devil's servants. How is the situation over there with the Roma? Are there any pursuers who are biting you?"

"There were no pursuers behind me. They were still busy handling the loot. However, the Roma sent some scouts to run along the road to explore more. They had to spend a lot of effort to avoid these annoying mosquitoes. Maybe they have discovered it. Something's wrong, act quickly next."

Havaci's answer suddenly reminded Shahkulu of a question: "If a team of lightly armed cavalry rushes here from the original camp, how long will it take?"

"Uh... If it is a cavalry force with a size of thousands, it will take at least a day. Scouts and messengers can run faster." This answer dispelled the anxiety in his heart. If the Ottoman army is still where it is, look for Shuyuanwｗｗ.zhaoshuyuan .comｍEven if the opponent starts to pursue immediately and the cavalry rushes quickly, the two sides will still be separated by at least one day's journey, unless they travel both day and night.

"If you still want to ask how long you can stay in this mountainous area, then my suggestion is to leave immediately. The ruts of the baggage alone are enough to expose the current position of our army. Only constant movement can make us unpredictable and seize fighter opportunities. "Havaci added another suggestion while the iron was hot.

Shahkulu rubbed his thigh subconsciously: "I have no intention of being trapped here. I also understand your reasoning. The way out for our army now is to go north and fight to Bursa until the pseudo-Roma kingdom collapses and dissipates. Let this fire burn throughout the world.”

"Ha, dear Caliph, you are right. But before going to Bursa, I still suggest that you go to Kutahya first, where you can get back everything you lost. If you want to get more, in the name of Allah in the name of.”

Havac planned to snowball again as before, all the way to Kutahya, the capital of Karagoz Pasha. By mobilizing the Ottoman army to return to defense urgently, he would seize the initiative on the battlefield and wait to meet these invading enemies. .

After reaching an agreement, Shahkulu appeared again to speak publicly to the entire army. He first took the lead in reciting scriptures and led collective worship under simple conditions. After the collective ceremony ended, he continued to quote scriptures and analyze the current situation, telling believers that this was not a desperate situation.

"...This is where we rise, and God has sent a revelation to me through an angel, a revelation of victory for us - to Kutahiya, where we will surely defeat these abominable heretics!"

The crowd below was shouting, and you could hear the inconsistent rhythm of "Allahu Akbar."

In the expectation of victory, these remnant soldiers strengthened their faith and marched towards the new goal.