Vol 5 Chapter 116: The Great Siege (29)

In 29 BC, a nobleman named Cordaus became a civil servant in the Roman Empire.
This well-known aristocrat has no special meritorious achievements in his life, and he has left no traces of attention in history, but one of his hobbies made his reputation last for a long time.
This rich man is a foodie with a special affection for eating. It can be said that although there have been countless examples of extravagance and craving throughout the history of Rome, if it is just the love of food, no one can Compared with him.
Relying on his wealth, the wealthy public security officer enjoyed almost all the food he could taste at that time, and every luxurious banquet held in his home was a delicious feast.
This person ’s taste for food ca n’t be neglected even every day, so that when a cook at home thought he was just making the dishes a little simpler by eating at home alone, his sentence was relished by countless foodies. Le Dao's famous saying "Kordaus wants to invite Kordaus" has become the dream of many people who pursue food.
But if you want to enjoy those delicious, it is not so easy.
The choice of ingredients, sufficient ingredients, and the richness of various condiments are the keys to cooking an exquisite dish. If a cook does not have these conditions, even with superb craftsmanship, he will not be able to satisfy diners.
Pepper is the darling of gourmets of this era, and its price is already comparable to that of gold.
Although the role of another condiment may not be as exaggerated as pepper, its huge amount also has staggering value.
This is sugar.
The climate in continental Europe is not suitable for planting sugar cane, which is mainly used to obtain sugar resources, and sugar beets, which can also be pressed, cannot be compared with sugar cane in terms of planting area or sugar production.
Crete is the largest sugarcane plantation in Europe. This Mediterranean island far from the European continent is now under threat from the Ottoman Navy.
However, Crete is not so easy to capture. Whether it is for the Venetians who occupy most of the islands or for the European continent, Crete can be said to be an invisible barrier because of its barriers and attraction. The Ottoman navy could not carry out harassment and offensive to Europe again and again.
As the largest island in the Eastern Mediterranean, Crete has unique advantages for growing sugar cane. It can be said that most of the sugar market in the entire European continent is monopolized by Cretan plantations. And as the situation in the Mediterranean is getting tougher, the risk of maritime transportation is also increasing, and the price of sugar is rising all the way. Although it cannot be turned into black gold like pepper, it can be up to several times or even more than a dozen. The price still makes many ordinary families regard it as an expensive luxury.
The sugar industry sold the book of transfer, just looking at this document, Ladislas II ’s breathing has become slightly quicker, he knows what this thing indicates, this is money, and from now on it is still a sum It seems that it will not decrease for a long time, only more and more wealth.
"Crete?" The king carefully looked at the contents of the document. When he saw the detailed description of the sucrose produced by Crete that could be allocated to him, the king's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Ottoman navy and pirates are not Has the Mediterranean been blocked? Earl, are you sure you can safely ship Cretan sugar to the mainland? "
"Please rest assured, I can assure you that as long as you can sell those sugars, you can get enough rewards, and I will solve the troubles at sea. You will get in Bosnia, Hungary and Moldova or Poland. Of course, if you can do business in Moscow, I will also be very happy. "Alexander explained to Ladislas II" 30 years of copper mining rights in exchange for the right to sell sugar, This is not a disadvantage to you. "
"But it didn't take advantage."
Ladislas II murmured in a low voice. He knew that this transaction was two very different things. The mining of copper mines may not immediately get a visible benefit. After all, from mining to refining, to casting and sales. A series of things is too much trouble, and as far as he knows, since the Fugel family has decided to incorporate it, things should not be so easy, but because of this, the king feels that there must be something crucial that Alexander has not told him otherwise. Nor would he prefer to exchange the right to sell the sugar industry, a condition that obviously can quickly benefit.
"Your Majesty, sometimes holding a good chip in your hand may not necessarily give you a good return, especially when you don't know how to use this chip."
Alexander's words were a little unwelcome, which caused the king's dissatisfaction. He stared angrily at the young man in front of him, trying to speak out his arrogance, but after opening his mouth, Ladislas II finally Still bear it.
In order to benefit, as the king of Bohemia and Hungary, Ladislas II had to argue with the merchants of Venice for a little protection fee, and the luxury life of the Prague court actually relied on a large part. The funding received from the Venetians was maintained.
Ladislas II lacked money, and it was not a general lack of money. It was because of this that he bowed his head to the Venetian again and again as the noble identity of the Elector. This was one of the most unpleasant things for him.
With such an opportunity now, the king felt it was better not to give up easily.
As for the copper mines in southern Hungary, it is said that because the Emperor Maximian has been obstructing the destruction, the king's control of the copper mines with huge reserves is not very smooth, but this makes him not to transfer mining rights. Disgusted.
"So, do you think the Duke of Zagreb can stop Roy?"
The king did not directly express his agreement. What he was most concerned about at this time was how to stop the Bosnian attack. If the copper mine fell in the hands of the Bosnians or the Emperor Maximian, it would undoubtedly cause him an unimaginable huge blow. , Which he absolutely didn't want to see.
"The Duke's army should be on Mount Mecke now, and please forgive some things I cannot tell you for some special reasons, but I believe you will hear some good news soon."
Alexander did not want to talk about the tacit understanding between him and Ayrep. How many people will be involved behind the huge benefits of the copper mine? It is not known yet, but he can be sure that such a huge benefit is enough to make many people not only Abandoning the enemy and ourselves can even abandon the differences of faith and condense together.
At least the Ashhurk brothers are an obvious example.
The king was still hesitating, but in fact he had made some decisions in his heart.
The grudges with Emperor Maximian made him have a tendency in his heart. When he just heard about the Bosnian invasion, he felt for a while that he even thought that if the emperor took the opportunity to try to reach into southern Hungary, he would rather put The copper mines were given to the Ottomans, and they did not want them to fall into the hands of the emperor.
Now, there is an opportunity to make things better, and it may even be possible to obtain a benefit from it, which quickly tilted the balance in the king's heart to the beneficial side.
The look on Ladislas II ’s face slowly softened. At this time, he felt that this young man was not that annoying anymore. It was only about whether Herva could really hold Bosnians as he said. Some concerns.
The King ’s worries were not superfluous. Not only did the Bosnian army show extraordinary bravery in the battle of Sosborg, but Roy? The superior command also made the battle almost become a unilateral slaughter.
Not only did the defenders of Sosberg suffer heavy losses, but more importantly, the castle they relied on did not withstand the bombardment of the Bosnian artillery, which made Ladislas II start to worry about the ambitions of the Bosnians. How big.
The king certainly does not believe that Roy? Would arrogantly think that only his Bosnian army could capture the whole of Hungary, or occupy Budapest, but he was very worried that if the Bosnians continued to advance north, they might give Maxim Emperor An took the opportunity to send troops under the pretext.
Of course, Ladislas II did not know that the emperor was having a headache for the mountain people far away in Switzerland at this time, and even later that a decisive battle would not only free Switzerland from the shackles of the Holy Roman Empire. , Even more embarrassing the emperor's face.
For a time, there was no mood and energy to intervene in the affairs of Hungary.
But all this was known to Alexander, and he made the most of it.
"Your Majesty, you can think carefully, but allow me to remind you that His Majesty the Emperor is very concerned about Hungary."
The king's slightly improved face instantly became somber, his lips moved, and the word "blackmail" almost blurted out, but he finally refrained.
"So now, I mean the Ottomans outside the city, how do you think they should be dealt with?"
The king reluctantly calmed his emotions. He knew that it was not time to bargain with the abominable foreigner at this time. He knew that this man had caught his weakness.
"We are going to hold Bucharest," Alexander gave an unremarkable answer, and when he saw the king showing a disappointed look, he smiled slightly. "Your Majesty, what do you think is the purpose of this expedition in Sudan?"
Ladislas II was slightly pensive, and he also speculated about the purpose of the Sultan. In the end, he concluded that Bayesert II clearly could not tolerate the existence of a Greek princess and anti-Ottoman alliance.
As for Sudan wanting to seize the opportunity to stabilize its rule in the Balkans, the King was not really concerned.
After all, whether it is Greece or Bulgaria, it has been deeply influenced by the Ottoman Empire for many years, and even southern Bosnia has been gradually Ottomanized. This makes his ambitions for the Balkans more maintained in those areas bordering Hungary. .
Ladislas II ’s plan was simple. He hoped to establish a buffer zone before Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, and northern Bosnia, Croatia and Ouagaraya are undoubtedly the most ideal.
It ’s just that Rua ’s sudden betrayal disrupted the king ’s good abacus, which made him hate the traitor more than anyone, so when Alexander asked him to publicly support Hurva ’s claim to the Bosnian throne, he was almost Without hesitation, I agreed.
It's just Sophia ...
Thinking of Sophia, the king couldn't help but look up at Alexander.
The eyes of the two met, and Alexander felt the inquiry in the king's eyes,
"Your Majesty, the Greek princess is a symbol of this land," Alexander said softly but with unquestionable firmness. "Sophia has a great role in calling everyone here. This can't be shaken by anyone, nor allowed to be violated." "
The king's face twitched slightly. He knew that Alexander was actually warning him not to hit Sophia's idea, but he said it directly, which made Ladislas II feel annoyed.
"As for the Ottomans," Alexander apparently did not want to give the king a chance to refute. He simply went on to "cut off the supply lines of the Ottomans and the Bosnian army, so that they could not continue to fight for a long time, so that every piece of land became a battlefield. The Ottoman army was very It ’s huge, but how long can they last? "
Alexander's voice was not high, but his words caused the king to fall into a certain imagination with his words.
"The Ottomans seem to want to break through from the east bank," the king looked to Alexander. "Do you think Cepes can stop them from continuing their offensive on the east bank of the river?"
"To be honest, I don't know," Alexander shook his head gently. He knew that Ottoman was actually going to break into Bucharest directly from the river, and the sudden appearance of Zepez obviously ruined the Sultan's plan. As for whether the Ottomans will continue to follow the original The plan to launch an offensive is unknown. "We must prevent the Ottomans from breaking through the river. Perhaps we should let Zeppes not return to the city temporarily. His threat to the Ottomans outside the city is much greater than staying in the city."
The king hummed softly, speaking of defending Bucharest, Ladislas II felt a little frustrated. In fact, he had regretted why he came to this unlucky city at this time. Not only did he not get the imagination here Honor, on the contrary, almost suffered an incredible insult.
All the Bucharest people forced him to swear publicly, and a anger came to him.
Perhaps it was better to sell the city to the Ottomans. Such terrible thoughts recurred in his mind, but he knew that if he did, he would become the target of all parties.
It may even be an excuse for the emperor to declare war on him.
"Where is Cepes now?" The king finally asked quietly. He knew that Alexander must know where Cepes was, especially after hearing that he had asked the Greeks to support Cepes.
"Actually, I don't quite know. The Duke of Wallachia now seems to be retreating eastward. He must get rid of the Ottoman chase before he can wait to attack the enemy on the east bank from outside the city."
Seeing the king ’s unconvinced look, Alexander only smiled slightly. He knew that Ladislas II definitely believed that he had negotiated conditions with Zeppes, but after thinking carefully, he could n’t help but admit it. The king's guess is not entirely unreasonable.
Bodped brought Zeppes not only the suggestion that Alexander asked him to retreat, but also a problem that made him ponder after listening to it.
"Do you want to be a true Grand Duke of Wallachia?"
When he heard the words conveyed by Bodped, Zepes almost jumped, but soon he calmed down.
He knew that Alexander would not ask such an insulting question at will, so he obviously asked.
As for whether you want to be a true Grand Duke of Wallachia, this does not need to be considered at all. The question is how to do it.
Now Zepez kept urging the mount while nervously watching the smoke rising in the distance, the Anatolian light cavalry who had been chasing behind.
This Ottoman army has been chasing him for almost 2 days, from the east bank of the Dembowica River to the east. As he gradually entered the low-lying area, Cepes found that if he moved forward, he might even leave Wallachia. Territory.
It ’s just that the enemies behind did n’t seem to want to stop at all. They chased and chased them all the way. Except for the food, they paused and plundered the nearby villages. I thought that the commander of the Oss army had private enemies with him.
This forced the Wallachia army to be forced to flee with its enemies in the vast east of this vast Bucharest plain, and there was no chance to re-direct the city for a while.
And within a few miles, Xi Sugu, who was also exhausted after two days of chasing, was also not so good.
Except for the Anatolian light cavalry, most of his troops are also infantry, which makes him unable to quickly chase up and fight Zepez in addition to sending light cavalry to intercept harassment in the pursuit to delay the enemy's retreat. .
2 days is not long, but for both sides, it is almost on the verge of collapse.
The Wallachia can rely on local advantages to obtain supplies as soon as possible, while the Ottoman army can only replenish or even replenish supplies by robbery.
Xi Sugu knew that Cepes planned to drag him until he had to retreat himself, but Xi Sugu hoped to fight the enemy as soon as possible.
It's just that the Wallachia have apparently been avoiding encounters with the Ottomans, relying on their familiarity with this area. Although this made Sisou Valley angry, as the two sides' troops gradually approached the edge of the eastern Bucharest Plains, Sisou Valley knew that his chance might come .
The eastern edge of the Bucharest Plain is a vast lowland with a vast expanse.
This river is vertical and horizontal ~ EbookFREE.me ~ The dense lake area forms the largest delta wetland in the lower Danube.
For the Wallachia army that has been withdrawing eastward, once it is driven into this delta, it means that the initiative has been lost. As long as the Ottomans are strictly defending in some important ways, the Wallachia army must be blocked. Outside of the Bucharest Plains, by then no matter what the final result of the Battle of Bucharest, it made little sense to Cepes.
He will completely lose the chance to finally unify Wallachia, and may not even protect the throne of the Grand Duke.
Because of this, after knowing that it was Zeppes that he pursued, Xi Sugu immediately realized that as he approached the edge of the Bucharest Plains, perhaps the time for the decisive battle was approaching.
And Sue Valley ’s guess is undoubtedly correct. When the army entered the town near Slobozia on the edge of the plain, Zepes finally gave orders to pursue his determination with the chasers behind him.
At noon on May 11, Zepez's army advanced to the outskirts of Slobozia, where he was ready to meet the Ottoman army.
At the same time, a team is slowly coming east of Slobozia.