I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1152 The Conquest of Egypt
"quick!"

"Row! Let's go out to sea!"

"Everyone else, burn all the ships!"

"Not a single plank should be left for those Han people!"

At the port of Alexandria, Flavius ​​stood at the bow of the ship and shouted loudly.

As the governor of Egypt, Flavius ​​was well aware of the importance of the fleet in the Mediterranean. The greatness of the Roman Empire was not only due to its invincible legions, but also to its unbeatable fleet that dominated the seas and secured its hegemony in the Mediterranean.

Now that those conquerors from the East are so aggressive and unstoppable, if they were to seize our navy in Egypt, the Mediterranean coast would likely never have peace again.

So even in his hasty escape, he did not forget to immediately order the fleet stationed there to evacuate. At the same time, for the ships that could not be evacuated in time, he made a ruthless decision to set them on fire and burn them to ashes.

The raging flames engulfed the docks of Alexandria, thick smoke billowing into the sky. Flavius ​​stood at the bow of the violently rocking speedboat, taking one last look at the port engulfed in flames and chaos, his face a mixture of despair, resentment, and a hint of ruthless relief.

"Han people... Su Yao..." he growled through gritted teeth, "You will never easily gain control of Rome's seas! This sea is ultimately Rome's inland lake!"

He ordered the ships to sail at full speed to open seas, their target the still-loyal province of Cyrenaica. He needed to bring back to Emperor Severus as quickly as possible news of the disastrous defeat on the eastern front and the terrifying new warfare tactics of the Han army. The fate of the empire might hinge on its ability to respond promptly to this unprecedented challenge from the East.

Inside the port, towering fires and explosions (the fires on some ships that couldn't be moved in time ignited the stored oil or ballista shells on board) became the most tragic backdrop to the fall of Alexandria. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led their troops to control the port area, but faced with a sea of ​​fire and a large number of sunken and burned shipwrecks, they could only organize manpower to do their best to extinguish the fires and salvage any ships and supplies that might survive.

"This Roman governor is quite a ruthless character," Guan Yu said coldly, stroking his beard as he gazed at the sea of ​​fire. Burning down their own fleet certainly prevented the Han army from immediately acquiring a powerful navy, but it also severely damaged Rome's naval power in the eastern Mediterranean, a lose-lose situation.

"Pah! They ran fast! That bastard got off easy!" Zhang Fei spat as he watched the departing ship, then glanced at the wrecked harbor before turning back to the city. "Second Brother, the Roman bastards in the city are almost all cleared out. Those Egyptians were a great help!"

As Zhang Fei said, the fall of Alexandria was decisively caused by the uprising of the Coptic and other oppressed peoples within the city. At this moment, cheering Egyptians could be seen everywhere in the streets, along with the rebel forces, under the command of the Han army, assisting in maintaining order and clearing the battlefield.

A few days later, Alexandria was initially stabilized. Guan Yu convened a meeting of his generals in what was formerly the governor's mansion, now the headquarters of the General Who Conquers the West of the Han Dynasty.

"Alexandria has fallen; the gates of Egypt are wide open." Guan Yu unfolded the map, his eyes sweeping over the generals:
"However, Egypt is vast and not limited to just one port. Along the Nile, there are many towns and fortresses that are loyal to Rome. Although the false governor Flavius ​​has now fled, judging from his words and actions, he will surely plot a counterattack. The Roman false emperor Severus will certainly not sit idly by and watch Egypt be lost."

Then, Guan Yu pointed to the Nile Delta and valley on the map: "Although our army has won, our forces are insufficient to defend various places. Moreover, the Roman navy still controls the sea, and their reinforcements can come from the sea at any time."

"What are your thoughts, General Guan?" asked a Jewish general who had surrendered, whose troops had played a significant role in sieges and intelligence gathering.

Guan Yu pondered for a moment, then said, “His Majesty’s divine might has already terrified Egypt. Our army should seize this opportunity, using Alexandria as a base, advancing by land and sea to sweep through the Nile Delta and force the cities to surrender. At the same time, we should send envoys south to pacify the various regions of Upper Egypt, granting them autonomy and enticing them to rebel against Rome.” He looked at Zhang Fei: “Yide, you will lead an army westward along the coast to pursue the remnants of Flavius’s forces, intimidate Cyrenaica, and prevent it from looking eastward.”

"Understood!" Zhang Fei clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell.

"The rest of the generals will follow Guan Yu to clear the delta, stabilize the supply lines, and requisition ships in preparation for naval warfare."

Guan Yu continued, "Furthermore, immediately draft a proclamation in His Majesty's name, declaring the liberation of Egypt. All who submit shall be subjects of the Han Dynasty, their taxes halved, and their corvée labor reduced; all who aid Rome shall be severely punished without mercy on the day the city falls!"

"We will obey the general's orders!" the generals replied in unison.

In the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era, in late autumn, the Nile River experienced an unusually high water season. The turbid river water, carrying fertile soil, nourished the boundless farmland on both banks. However, the joy of this year's harvest was overshadowed by the shadow of war.

News of Alexandria's fall spread through Upper and Lower Egypt faster than the Nile flooded. Panic ensued among Roman citizens and Greek nobles, while the long-oppressed native Egyptians—the Coptics—and the large Jewish community harbored their own anxieties and secrets.

Guan Yu, stationed in Alexandria, did not rush to advance inland. He knew that although the Han army was invincible in open battle, its forces were limited, and its naval strength was almost non-existent (after the fire in Alexandria, only a few small ships with minor damage were salvaged). To truly control Egypt, the "breadbasket" of the Roman Empire, he had to proceed cautiously and win the support, or at least the tacit approval, of the local powers.

The first thing he did was to fulfill Su Yao's promise of being a "messiah" and, with the assistance of the Jewish community, swiftly issue a "Proclamation for Peace and Reassurance":
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Egypt has long suffered under Roman tyranny, with its oppressive taxes and people living in misery. I have now dispatched heavenly troops to relieve the people's suffering and to punish the strong and help the weak. From this day forward, all Egyptians, regardless of whether they are native, Greek, or Jewish, who abandon the false Roman name and submit to the Great Han, shall be my children."

"The heavy taxes previously levied by Rome will be reduced by 30%; all slaves who wish to serve in the army or in river works or city defenses for five years can be released and become free; temples and synagogues throughout the land will be protected as long as they behave themselves, and they only need to honor the Emperor as their supreme protector..."

This proclamation, written in Greek, Coptic, and Hebrew, was copied hundreds of times. A mission composed of local officials who had submitted to the mission, Jewish merchants who volunteered, and Coptic elders traveled by boat down the Nile and posted it at the entrances of markets and temple colonnades in towns and cities along the way.

The news caused a huge reaction wherever it reached. The lower-class Egyptian serfs and urban residents were overjoyed; the promise of tax cuts and citizenship was like a godsend to them. The Jewish community was further strengthened in their belief in the "coming of the Messiah," actively assisting the Han army in maintaining order and providing intelligence.

Greek and Roman citizens, on the other hand, were deeply anxious. Many of them had lived there for generations and owned vast amounts of land and slaves. The Han Chinese policies clearly affected their fundamental interests.

Thebes, a major city in Upper Egypt, is located on the east bank of the Nile.

This area was the center of ancient Egyptian religion, boasting a vast complex of temples dedicated to the god Amun, where the priestly class held immense power. Although the political power of the temples was significantly weakened during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, they were preserved within the context of the Roman Empire's polytheistic traditions and continue to exert a considerable influence on the local spiritual and economic landscape.

At this moment, in the deepest chamber of the Temple of Amun, the flickering lights illuminated several solemn faces.

"High Priest, the Han envoys have arrived outside the city, bringing the 'Emperor's' edict and gifts. What... should we do?"

(End of this chapter)