Chapter 355 Movement to Recover Lost Land
Peter left some people behind to count the loot, and he took the others into Ancyra to comfort the defenders.
Woick led the defenders to greet Peter. A month of defense made them a little tired, but the joy on their faces did not diminish at all. Successful defense against the menacing Ottoman army was more important than anything else.
"It will be difficult this month. We have to face the Ottoman army."
"Fortunately, Ottoman's siege methods have become increasingly ineffective in recent years, and Muhammad's governance ability is only about that."
Peter rewarded all the soldiers heavily, gave them the Ottoman spoils, and kept the flag. As for the prisoners, he had not yet figured out what to do with them.
It would be a waste of labor to kill them directly. If they are used as slaves, they will not cause trouble. After all, they all hate Rome.
"Brother, some prisoners are making trouble." Vlad reported the unexpected situation to Peter. Several Turks banded together to cause trouble. Fortunately, the army suppressed them, otherwise there would have been trouble.
"Ha, bring me the leader. Also, don't leave food for the prisoners in the next few days to avoid causing trouble."
Peter would not let these go easily, and sent for brushes, axes, knives, spices, small iron chains, and other things. Then people were asked to bring over the Turks who were leading the trouble.
"You infidels, I will tear you to pieces one day!!!"
A Turk was brought up, his eyes fixed on Peter.
"It's really dishonest. A prisoner is still clamoring for release. Doesn't he think too little of me and the emperor?"
There was a language barrier between the two parties, and Peter couldn't understand what the other party said, but judging from his expression, he must have been swearing.
Peter was not angry, on the contrary, he revealed a strange smile. Tie his hands to the chopping board, then pick up the ax and chop off his fingers.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!"
He is the eldest son of the local tribe and one of the future heirs. Now that he was being slaughtered, this gap made him even more unbearable, and he kept trying to break free.
"Let me go, I will kill you!"
But now he is tightly tied with ropes and there is a big iron ball on his feet. No matter how strong he is, he can't run.
"I can't stand it anymore, don't worry, there's more."
Peter took out fire water and poured it on the wound, and the Turkic prisoners screamed again. Peter turned a blind eye and continued to torture him.
(after an hour…)
High-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking method. After being busy for an hour, Master Peter was making barbecue.
Barbecue sauce made with pepper and other spices is being brushed on the meat. Peter is brushing it while turning it over to ensure even heating.
"Slow down, don't get confused."
When the time was right, Peter had the whole roasted lamb carried over and had a meal with his family.
(What do you think I said?)
"Brother, what should we do next?"
Vlad asked about the next plan. Muhammad had already escaped, and it was said that he did not run back to the capital Konya, but went east.
"Your Highness, the General of Cyprus has sent word that Antioch has been recovered. We'd better push southward and open a land passage with Antioch."
Theodore suggested that it would be best to quickly occupy Konya and Cilicia to connect Antioch. Then he pushed eastward to the Lake Van area. He did not believe that Ottoman would cross the Zagros Mountains to Persia.
Vlad was a little worried, "Muhammad still has a hundred thousand troops in hand. If he goes south, he may be in danger."
Peter didn't know how many troops Muhammad still had, but things would change over time. If he dispersed his troops and went elsewhere, he would be in a protracted war.
"There is no need to worry about this at the moment. Muhammad mobilizes the whole country to attack the empire, and naturally there will not be many city defenders. Moreover, there are constant conflicts within the Ottomans. We just need to be faster than them."
When Peter expressed his opinion, anyone with a discerning eye could see that he was here to fight for his life, and naturally there would not be many defenders in the city. Rome could take the opportunity to regain a large amount of lost territory, even if it couldn't reach Lake Van, it could reach Edessa. Then penetrate into Mesopotamia and Syria, and the overall situation is decided.
"No matter what, we need to take action immediately and tell the army to set off early tomorrow morning. The spoils will be distributed when we get back."
Peter gave the order, and he decided to take the opportunity to carry out a large-scale territorial recovery operation. The movement to recover the lost territory in Iberia took too long, from the Tang Dynasty to the present. The devil knows why it is so long. Iberia was recovered in 800, and Peter wanted to show him what speed and harvest meant.
Muhammad did not go to Konya, but went to Tunceli, which was further away. There was also an Armenian uprising in Cilicia, which was close to Antioch. They voluntarily joined the Roman army in the hope of being protected.
This fierce war took just over a month to reverse. A major earthquake occurred throughout Anatolia. The Turkic tribes accelerated their withdrawal. They went to Persia, Georgia, or crossed the Caucasus Mountains to settle. The original people came to The crowded tent was gone. Peter brutally punished the captives. Forget about freedom, just be a slave in this life.
Peter ordered his soldiers to advance the next day and continue the attack to the east. As far as the eye can see are pastures, tents, and people who have become slaves. Peter announced the granting of freedom to them in the name of Caesar of the Roman Empire, and then it was the same thing as in the Balkans: from now on, slaves who resisted the Ottomans could be freed and get land. And a bounty is issued. No matter who it is, as long as they catch a Turk, they can get the bounty.
Alexios, who was still on the front line, fainted once when he received the news of the Ottoman defeat and the fall of Trebizond. After waking up, he ordered the army to go to Constantinople. He felt that it was no longer appropriate to risk his life and go back for rescue. Only by attacking westward and capturing Nicaea could he force the emperor to negotiate for peace, so that he would have a way out.
But just because he thinks so does not mean that the soldiers below also think so. They were originally recruited by force, and one can imagine how they felt when Trebizond was occupied.
Now being urged by the so-called emperor to march westward, their dissatisfaction has reached its peak. More and more soldiers were deserting, and Alexios was still dreaming of conquering Constantinople. Coupled with the fact that a Roman army was already attacking along the Black Sea coast, the hope of victory became increasingly slim.
What follows is a familiar scenario, with dissatisfied soldiers mutiniing at night and killing Alexios and his henchmen. The army was scattered, and the rest surrendered directly to the Roman army.