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Chapter 1143 Seeing flowers in the mist
"Your Majesty, do you think that Murad IV is being directed by Europeans?"

Du Wenhuan and Zhu Haiou had already been in the General Staff Headquarters for a week, and had been thinking about where there were omissions in the battle plan all day long, but they had not thought about this aspect. Upon hearing this, their faces immediately became serious.

This possibility cannot be ruled out. Once it becomes a reality, the deployment should be replanned or at least designed according to the needs of fighting on two fronts. It would make too much noise.

"After receiving the war report, I have been wondering why Murad IV suddenly turned against us. Judging from his past actions, he was indeed a bit cruel, but not reckless. He did not hesitate to negotiate when he was not in an advantageous position, and he also maintained long-term exchanges with some European countries.

Suez was not part of the core territory of the Ottoman Empire, and was not even considered a first-class city in Egypt. It would be too hasty to go to war with the Ming Empire directly for the trade transit rights of such a small city.

Even if he thought the negotiation conditions were too low, he could send envoys to negotiate with Wang Datou, or even come directly to the empire for higher-level consultations. This is what a normal monarch should do.

"Things that are out of the ordinary must be demons! No matter how powerful the enemy is, as long as you can see clearly, there is nothing to be afraid of, and you can always find a way to deal with it. Enemies hiding in the shadows are like poisonous snakes, attacking when you are least prepared, and a bite from them is enough to be fatal, so you have to be on guard."

As to why the Ottoman Empire took the initiative to provoke the Ming Empire, the ministers expressed their opinions in several imperial meetings, and there were different opinions. Due to the lack of necessary intelligence support, no reliable conclusion was reached.

But Hong Tao has his own opinion in his heart, no evidence, just a feeling. In recent years, the power of the Ming Empire has continued to expand in Asia, and the pace of westward expansion has become faster and faster, infringing on the interests of many countries, including European countries.

As religious wars intensify, Europeans are currently unable to fight for Asia, but that doesn't mean they have resigned themselves to their fate. If there is a chance, they will definitely find a way to fight back, even if it doesn't play a decisive role, it's good to stir up trouble.

Looking at the Asian countries, there are only a handful that can compete with the Ming Empire, and the Ottoman Empire is the most suitable one. Its territory spans three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa, but its essence and center are in Europe, and it has closer ties with European countries.

As for how the two sides could suddenly become united after fighting for hundreds of years, this is actually a misunderstanding. The Ottoman Empire was not hostile to all European countries, but was only fighting with the Holy Roman Empire because of geo-economic and religious differences.

The Holy Roman Empire, or the Habsburg family, was the boss of Europe, a powerful faction. But wherever there is a boss, there must be a second and third. In order to prevent the boss from infringing on their interests, the second and third usually don't like the boss to be too powerful.

As a result, supporting the Ottoman Empire in its war against the Holy Roman Empire became a daily routine for some European powers, such as Britain and France.

Many years ago, the Anglo-Spanish fleet suffered a disastrous defeat at the Cape of Good Hope. It seemed that it was defeated, and Britain even took the lead in signing a trade agreement, tacitly acknowledging the reality that the Ming Empire controlled Asia.

But Hong Tao didn't think the British were sincere. Given the country's usual character, they would definitely not give in easily. They didn't have the strength to do it openly, so they played some covert tricks.

"I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not..." Regardless of whether the emperor's guess was right or not, Du Wenhuan believed it firmly, and then began to feel uneasy.

"Then don't talk about it." "I think we should send more troops and strive for a quick victory."

"That's really not right. Since the General Staff has drawn up a battle plan and I've approved it, it's the final decision. As a soldier, you should resolutely execute it. If you think there's something wrong, you should submit a petition in accordance with the regulations, instead of whispering in private to disturb the morale of the army."

"I know my crime... but I can't take the risk of being alone in deep territory without the advantage of time, place and people. The enemy is several times more numerous than me. Your Majesty should not take the risk. I dare to ask for your order to lead the army. The Ming Dynasty cannot leave Your Majesty for a day!"

Facing the blame, Du Wenhuan humbly accepted it but refused to change, still trying to persuade the emperor not to land. It was fine for the emperor to lead the army in person, but it was enough for him to stay on the ship and command.

This expedition was different from the usual ones. In addition to the long journey and the lack of reinforcements, the Ottoman Empire was much stronger than the Yarkand Khanate. In the past, they had used 8 guards, but now they only brought 6 guards, which was too arrogant.

"If you had this ability, I would not even leave the capital. You have no luck in the right time, right place, or right people. I think your brain is getting dumber as you get higher and higher in power. Just one big boss like Wang Datou can turn the Suez Port upside down. 4 people are more than enough."

Are six guards enough? Hong Tao had no idea, but this was already the limit of the navy's ocean-going transport. If there were more, the logistical supplies would not be guaranteed.

It doesn't mean that the Ming Army can't fight without sufficient logistical supplies. As long as the ammunition is supplied, they can still get enough food and drink by killing, burning and looting along the way.

But Hong Tao didn't want to do that. This was just a battle of interests to determine the dominance of Asia. It had nothing to do with survival. There was no need to be so cruel and unscrupulous.

In addition, after winning this war, a new force must be added to the sphere of influence ceded by the Ottoman Empire. If the soldiers are allowed to kill, burn and loot along the way, and create too much hatred with the locals, it will be difficult for them to come back in the future and make decisions as saviors.

"Hehehe... Governor, do you think you are getting more and more frightened as you grow older?" Seeing Du Wenhuan being humiliated, Zhu Haiou could not contain his inner joy and even made a few teasing remarks in front of the emperor to satisfy his own pleasure.

The navy was completely defeated in this expedition to the Ottoman Empire. Since Huang Nanping was far away in the Hawaiian Islands, he was the only one who could make decisions at home. Facing two more senior army generals, Du Wenhuan and Ding Shun, he really felt like he was alone and powerless.

"Your Majesty, can you consider transferring one or two Marine Commanders of the Guard as a reserve force to be stationed on Hormuz Island? Even if they are not used in the front, it is a heavy burden to stay behind to guard the port, clean up the waterway, and ensure the smooth flow of supply lines."

Ding Shun did not argue, but he partially supported Du Wenhuan's suggestion. Since sending more land forces could not guarantee supplies, using the Marine Corps would be much less of a problem. Even if they had to buy food and drink from the Persians, they would not dare to say no.

"You..." But Zhu Haiou really didn't think this was a good idea. It was too much of a bully to let the Marine Corps clean up the army's ass and serve as a logistics team! But he couldn't say he didn't want to in front of the emperor, so he could only look at the emperor pitifully.

(End of this chapter)