eastern european eagle

Chapter 654: The Overall Situation Has Been Decided (Complete Book)

Peter narrowed his eyes, and his sharp gaze penetrated the soldiers fighting in front of him, and through the dense dust and fog. He saw the Romanian flags fluttering in the wind gradually getting bigger in his field of vision, and he couldn't help but smile.

This is the army of Janku returning, with the sword of Hashem in his hand.

"Your leader is dead, why don't you surrender!"

Such shouts echoed on the battlefield, and the fierce fighting gradually subsided. The enemy soldiers looked at each other, and their weapons dropped involuntarily. They looked in the direction of the fluttering flags, and saw Iancu riding on a warhorse, holding up Hashim's sword, and behind him was the mighty Romanian army.

"Put down your weapons, those who surrender will not be killed!" Yangku's voice was loud and majestic.

The enemy's morale collapsed instantly, and the soldiers dropped their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy. Peter breathed a sigh of relief, as the war that had lasted for months was finally coming to an end.

However, many people still insisted on resisting. It was almost dusk when the Arab army completely collapsed. The only ones who fought to the end were the devout believers and some mercenaries. As a result, they were surrounded and unable to escape.

This major battle caused heavy damage to the Arab troops. The generals and tribal leaders were either captured or killed in battle. Even Hashem was finished. What was the point of their resistance?
Some deserters ran back to Mecca. When they learned about the situation on the battlefield, they knelt down and prayed to the Kaaba, asking Allah to bring down divine punishment on these pagans. Unfortunately, it was of no use.

After capturing the Arab army, the Romanian army immediately began to attack Mecca. Artillery bombardment took turns, making Mecca, which already had weak defenses, look even more shaky.

The walls of Mecca trembled under the bombardment, and stones and dust kept falling off the walls. The residents in the city were terrified, and the cries of women and children were heard one after another. The elders gathered in the mosque and anxiously discussed countermeasures.

“We must surrender,” one elder said tremblingly, “or the whole city will be destroyed.”

"No!" another elder retorted excitedly, "Mecca is a holy city, we can't let it fall into the hands of infidels!"

As they were arguing, a shell hit the minaret of the mosque, and the top of the minaret collapsed. The elders fell to the ground in fear, and dust filled the entire hall.

Outside the city, Peter and Yanku stood in front of the command tent, observing the situation in Mecca.

"If this continues, the whole city will be destroyed." said the person next to him.

Peter pondered for a moment and said, "Send the order to stop the shelling. Send people to the city to persuade them to surrender. Tell them that as long as they surrender, we promise not to harm civilians and respect their beliefs."

His men immediately went to convey the order. Soon, the artillery fire stopped and a messenger holding a white flag walked towards the gate of Mecca.

The elders in the city finally made up their minds when they saw the bombardment stop and the Romanian envoys. They sent representatives to negotiate with the envoys and finally agreed to surrender. The next day, the gates of Mecca slowly opened. Peter led his army into the city, and the residents stood on both sides of the street, their eyes full of fear and anxiety.

Peter rode on his warhorse and scanned the crowds on both sides of the street. He could feel their fear and hostility, but he also saw a glimmer of hope. He raised his hand and signaled the army to stop. Then, an Arabic translator began to read the emperor's order.

"Residents of Mecca," Peter said loudly in Arabic, "we are not here to destroy your homes, but to end the war. From today on, you will be protected by Romania. Your beliefs and traditions will be respected."

There were whispers among the crowd. Some people looked skeptical, but many were relieved. As long as there was no war, everything was fine.

Peter arrived at the location of the Kaaba, looked at this black marble house, and lamented that as an Orthodox Christian, he had now entered their holy place, and how unpredictable life was.

He convened a rally in front of the mosque. Facing the gathered residents, the translator read out a series of policies:

"First, Mecca will enjoy autonomy, and its daily affairs will be managed by a council of elders elected by you. Second, the Kaaba and all religious sites will be specially protected. Third, we will exempt Mecca from taxes for one year."

There was a cheer from the crowd. The other party continued: "We believe that through cooperation and understanding, Romanian and Arab peoples can create a prosperous and peaceful future together."

Peter stood on the platform and looked across the crowd. He saw doubts in some people's eyes, but also hope on the faces of more people. He knew that these policies were just the beginning, and the real challenge was how to make two completely different civilizations coexist harmoniously.

An older elder stepped forward and bowed deeply to Peter, "Thank you for your kindness and wisdom. We believe this will have a peaceful and prosperous future."

After the meeting, Peter, accompanied by the elders, visited the Kaaba. Standing in front of the Black Stone, Peter felt the solemn atmosphere around him, and his heart was filled with awe and wonder.

"This is such a magical place," the general beside him whispered, "I can feel its power."

Peter nodded. "Yes, this is the power of faith. We must remember that although our beliefs are different, we all share the same reverence for the sacred."

In the days that followed, Peter worked to consolidate Romania's rule in the Arabian Peninsula. They established a new administrative system and appointed local prestigious people to important positions. At the same time, Romania also helped improve local infrastructure and agricultural production. Jeddah was rebuilt and the construction of the local Romanian Avenue began.

Peter stood on the city wall, looking at the busy streets, feeling a sense of accomplishment. He knew that this was just the beginning and there was still a long way to go. He had done something that no one had ever done before, but it was just the beginning. The next step was to ensure that this peace would last, so that future generations could live in a better world.

He continued to look at the distant horizon, where the sun was slowly rising, heralding the beginning of a new day and symbolizing the new future he had created.

(End of this chapter)