Chapter 584 Tunisia Tribute
Nikiphorus asked his men to interrogate the surrendered people. He soon found out the situation in Tunisia.
"Since most of the Tunisian navy is here, we will attack Carthage immediately."
"Yes"
Nikiphorus gave an order, and all the troops boarded the ship and headed south to Carthage. Because most of the navy had been dealt with, they did not encounter any obstacles. However, due to the strong wind, they could only dock in the nearest Naples. This small border town with only more than 10,000 people naturally fell after being attacked by the Roman army.
The hundreds of defenders in the city fled and scattered, leaving only a mess. The residents in the city hid in their own rooms, looking at the Romanian troops through the cracks in the door with a rough and uneasy look. Their only hope now is that these Romanians will not cause too much trouble to the city.
However, their worries were in vain. The commander who led the team did not intend to stay and "relax". Instead, after leaving an army to maintain law and order, he continued to march without stopping, even without taking a break to catch his breath.
Because Nikephoros's naval mission was basically completed, the land commander of Tunisia was changed to Obrador. He had already stated that this battle was fast. Every day needs to be planned, and the minimum amount of fighting is clearly stipulated in the battle plan. The commander who served as the vanguard certainly did not dare to neglect the mission, and kept urging the troops to move forward.
Of course, this was not the only Roman army that the residents of Naples saw today. After a few hours, the mighty Roman army appeared in front of them. The mighty cavalry and the countless cannons in the back half of the team were being driven forward by several horses. In addition to the cannons, the logistics carriages covered with canvas were also huge. The dust raised by them covered the sky, making even the knowledgeable local residents feel uneasy.
Facing the Roman invasion, Tunisia was not aware of it at first. They only got the news from the cavalry of Nabeul. This news made them panic, and the ministers had no idea.
The Sultan of Tunisia was able to calm down. Tunisia would not be annexed before Rome took Egypt. At most, it would be a tributary state, so he sent people to inquire about the other party's requirements, and if they could agree, they would agree to it, so as to avoid war.
The envoy came back quickly, because the Roman army had arrived at the city of Tunisia. And brought their requirements: Tunisia gave up all its navy and eliminated pirates with Rome, and also paid 500,000 lei in compensation.
Although he had heard about the situation of the navy a long time ago, he was also surprised to learn about the losses caused by these pirates to Rome. They were too bold, weren't they afraid of Rome fighting? Oh no, they had already transferred the consequences to him.
However, the Roman army did not give them time to react, and immediately launched an offensive against the city of Tunisia. Although the defenders fought desperately, facing the Roman army's attack without counting casualties, they broke through the defense line without even a day of resistance.
In the Tunisian palace, the ministers were anxious when they heard the sound of gunfire in the distance, but even so, many people still tried to dissuade the Sultan from leaving this troubled place.
"Sultan, the enemy has entered the city now. If you don't leave, you won't be able to leave."
"Sultan, you can't delay any longer."
Faced with the ministers' pleading, he still didn't want to leave. This was the city of Tunisia where he was born and raised, and he didn't want to leave here at all.
"If we leave here, where can we go?"
"We can go to Cairo..."
"No, we should go to Mecca."
"Morocco is also OK..."
The ministers' suggestions gave him a headache. However, he knew very well that no matter where he went, he was just a fallen monarch who had lost his territory. This was also the reason why he was reluctant to leave, because many monarchs who had fallen into exile in history died of depression, and he didn't want that experience at all.
Perhaps the Romans also needed him to maintain the continuity of the local area. Anyway, Tunisia was also a vassal of other countries in history, and if a new owner was changed, the family's status could be preserved. Of course, this was the worst plan.
"Okay, I have an idea. Just stay here and negotiate with the Romans."
So the Roman army suddenly found that the Tunisian army was no longer resisting, but a religious man with a white flag came to them.
"Hello, I am Ali, the minister of Tunisia. On behalf of the Tunisian Sultan, I am willing to discuss peace with your commander."
Faced with this Tunisian peace negotiator, the Roman army did not dare to make a decision on its own and immediately sent him to the commander, General Obrador.
"Sir Ali, I can accept your request. But in order to avoid misunderstandings between us, it is best for your army to return to the barracks to avoid misunderstandings."
Ali certainly knew his purpose this time. Seeing the Roman commander agreed, he knew that his mission was completed.
"Well, sir, I hope you can order a suspension of the attack so that those innocent people can survive."
"No problem, but we can give you two hours at most. If they don't go back by then, they are not innocent people."
Since the Tunisians intend to surrender, Obrador doesn't mind showing his magnanimity. Of course, the consequences of the other party's violation should also be warned.
In fact, his warning was completely useless.
When the armistice came into effect, the Tunisian soldiers, led by their respective commanders, returned to the barracks one after another. After all, no one wanted to be hurt when the overall situation was already decided.
Then Rome occupied various key points in the city, and then Obrador brought a team of soldiers to meet the Tunisian Sultan.
"Dear Sultan, Romania is a peace-loving country, but your country's pirate problem has affected the interests of our country and Naples, so His Majesty the Emperor and the King of Naples decided to send troops to discuss the situation with you."
Then, Obrador took a document from the adjutant behind him and said. "Sultan, in order to avoid disputes between the three countries in the future, our country has drafted a contract, and I hope Your Highness can sign it for peace in the Mediterranean."
The Sultan immediately took the document and opened it. The document contained Romania's requirements. The terms were similar to the previous ones, but with a few additions: a total of 700,000 lei in compensation to Rome and Naples, Tunisia gave up building a large navy and only kept 25 coastal patrol ships, and Rome also sent troops to help when Rome asked for troops.
There was basically no problem with these conditions, and the Sultan signed them very happily. As long as his family was not damaged, he could even follow Granada and stay in Constantinople.
"Congratulations, Sultan, you made the right choice."
The Sultan smiled bitterly in his heart: "Do I have any choice? You have blocked the road."