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Chapter 1123 Sacrificing one’s life for charity
Without any preparation, the first wave of shells almost all fell on the Sipahi cavalry. The design idea of ​​the B-type armor-piercing fragmentation shell is to attack civilian ships with relatively thin hulls, but it also has good lethality against infantry and cavalry.

As long as the high-speed flying warhead encounters an obstacle, such as a horse, armor, human body or land, it will immediately break into nine pieces. Regardless of whether the charge in the cavity explodes or not, it can still cause effective killing power and even a group attack.

What was even more troublesome was that the artillery on the city wall fired at an incredibly fast speed. Before the frightened Sipahi cavalry could react, the second wave of shells whizzed over, sweeping a bloody mist among the crowd and horses.

But standing on the city wall, you can't see the bloody scene, all the coldness and cruelty are covered by the dust raised by horse hooves and shell fragments. When the dust settled, only the corpses of people and horses were left on the ground, some of them were still able to move and make various wailing sounds, but few people could hear them.

The rebels on the city wall were cheering. Thousands of Sipahi cavalrymen who had once terrorized the Ottoman Empire were hit hard by several rounds of artillery fire and fled in panic, without even enough time to collect their wounded.

If you count it this way, it seems that more than 10,000 elite soldiers of the empire are not that scary. It's nothing more than firing a few more rounds of artillery shells. Besides, everyone has thousands of muskets in their hands. Even if they are not very accurate, as long as the enemy cannot successfully enter the city and the time is delayed long enough, they will still suffer huge casualties.

"Now someone from the Royal Gunpowder Factory is going to be promoted again... Open the gate! Get on your horse, raise the flag, and follow me out of the city!" At this moment, there should be only one person in Suez who is not satisfied with the effect of the shelling, and he is Wang Datou who is standing in the city gate.

Oh no, it should be five people, and there were four men of different appearances, skin colors, and ages following them out of the city. They were originally ship slaves, who had made different mistakes or were sick, and were about to be punished or abandoned by the ship owner, and then they were redeemed by Wang Datou.

In these years, they followed him all over the country, not only did they save their lives, but they also enjoyed a life they shouldn't have. Now that the master was going to take risks, they had no choice but to follow him, whether they were happy or not.

I guess he was not happy about it deep down. He didn't even know why his master wanted to leave the city, but he was willing to take the risk of losing his life by following him. No one would be happy about that.

In fact, Wang Datou was not happy about it, but his belief left him no choice. According to the plan of the emperor and the general staff, there was no need to defend Suez City to the death, just pretending to defend was enough.

As long as the Ottoman Empire openly used force to destroy the contract between the Ming Empire and the Lord of Piyali, the navy could enter the Red Sea with justification, hold high the banner of justice, and fight to maintain commercial reputation.

However, Wang Datou realized another possibility during his interactions with the locals. The Ottomans were not particularly concerned about their rule over Egypt. They did not even set up the most basic government, and completely followed the structure of the Mamluk dynasty.

It is better to call him co-lord than management. As long as the local nobles pay taxes on time and nominally recognize the Sultan as the boss, they can basically do whatever they want.

In this case, the city of Suez seems to have a new way out, limited autonomy. This thing is not taught by anyone, nor is it original, but it has been more in contact with Europeans in recent years and has been influenced by their culture.

There are many similar territories or countries in Europe, some are very big, some are very small. But no matter how big or small, as long as they recognize a king, they are allowed limited autonomy.

If the Ottoman Sultan could agree to limited autonomy for Suez City, it would definitely be more cost-effective than sending troops to capture it. The emperor knew his intentions very well and did not intend to go to war with the Ottoman Empire directly, at least not at the moment. At this stage, as long as the trade route from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea can be opened, it will be a victory. Other problems can be solved slowly with the help of the Persians and Turkmen. The Ming Empire only pays the money, and the casualties are all borne by others. In the end, no matter who wins or loses, they are all exhausted and easier to manipulate.

But now the chance to take Suez without bloodshed has come. It cannot be said to be 100% successful, but it is necessary to try. But time is running out, and it is impossible to send the news back to the capital and wait for the emperor's decision.

What should I do? If it were someone else, there would be nothing I could do. To change the battle plan formulated by the General Staff without authorization is second only to treason, and it is enough to make me dig coal in the mines for the rest of my life.

But Wang Datou was different. He was the director of the Imperial Advisory Office and a close minister to the emperor. Due to the nature of his job, he had the power to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. Although it was not enough to change the overall plan of the General Staff, he could make some additions without affecting the overall situation.

However, the consequences of doing so are very unpleasant. There is at least a 50% chance that you will be detained or even killed by the enemy. Even if you succeed by chance, you cannot publicize your achievements to the outside world. After returning to Beijing, you will still have to face the emperor's inquiries. If you answer inappropriately or are not well-thought-out, you will still be punished.

To put it simply, he was neither a good person nor a bad person. He took all the risks by himself, but did not gain much credit. But Wang Datou did not hesitate and chose to do what he wanted. He was not indifferent to fame and fortune, nor was he ready to die. He was repaying his gratitude.

Like most of his fellow apprentices, he was also an orphan. If he had not been selected into the Haihu Division, he would have starved to death, frozen to death, or died of disease on the streets before the age of ten, and would have had no chance of growing up.

His Majesty the Emperor is not only a lifesaver, but also a mentor. It is precisely because of the skills learned in the Sea House Division that I was able to rise to prominence, not only with a prominent position and a rich life, but also with the knowledge that ordinary people would never be able to reach in their lifetime.

But how can I repay such a great favor? Loyalty is just the most basic bottom line, there is no question of reward. Working hard is in line with the emperor's instructions, but the results are too slow, and there is a possibility that I will live a dull life and not be of much help.

Daring to stand up at a critical moment is the most appropriate way to repay the emperor's kindness. Your Majesty has been working hard for state affairs, and every progress I make in state affairs is to share the emperor's worries.

Danger? Nonsense. If there is no danger, it will not be my turn. The one who is close to the water gets the moon first. Such opportunities are rare and I must seize them.

If every graduate of the Haihu Division can exchange themselves for a city or a trade route for His Majesty and the empire, the day when there will no longer be an orphan beggar wandering the streets in the Ming Empire will not be far away.

There is certainly reluctance, but honor is more important. As long as one can carve his name on the stone tablet outside the Meridian Gate, his wife and children will be supported by the royal family.

As long as he thought about being on par with Li Zhi, Yuan Keli, and Wang An, being worshipped by Ming officials and people, and being treated the same as gods, his fear disappeared without a trace, and all that was left was longing.

(End of this chapter)