I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1162 The Han People Have Arrived
"No, Your Majesty, you absolutely must not!"

When Protina saw that his emperor was about to go all in, he was immediately alarmed and hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Why not?!" Severus's eyes were bloodshot, like a trapped beast. "Are we going to let this Eastern barbarian ride roughshod over Rome?!"

“Your Majesty, please calm down!” Protinus knelt on one knee, his tone urgent. “Antioc is not a simple port city. The Orentis River and the Silpius Mountains provide it with natural barriers. Even with thousands of ships, our army cannot deploy freely here.”

"Now that the entrance to the waterway has been fortified by the Han army like an iron barrel, and since their weapons have easily destroyed the combined fleet led by Marcus and Tiberius, sending more ships will be futile and will only result in our deaths."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"Am I supposed to just watch him leisurely build ships and then wait for them to land in Italy?!"

Severus clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "If the safety of the seas cannot be guaranteed, how can I persuade the Senate to support our eastern front?! If the safety of the seas cannot be guaranteed, how can we ensure a stable supply for the army we have sent to Asia Minor?"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

Protinus took a deep breath and explained, “Although the Han Chinese achieved a great naval victory at Antioch, this battle also exposed their fatal weakness—their naval power is still in its infancy and can only rely on coastal artillery for defense. Although those dozen or so strange fast ships are swift, they are not suitable for long-range operations. This means that the vast Mediterranean Sea still belongs to Rome.”

He strode to the map and traced the route between Antioch and Italy with his finger:
"Your Majesty, please look, the sea route from Syria to Italy is long. If the Han army wants to threaten the homeland, it must establish supply points along the way. At present, strategic locations such as Crete, Cyprus, and Rhodes are still under our control."

"Besides, they only built a dozen or so strange ships in two months. With that number, let alone seizing naval power, they can't even transport many troops, yet they have the audacity to say they're going to attack Rome?"

"The reason their arrogant leader dares to provoke us like this is because he has no ability to dominate the seas. That's why he's deliberately trying to provoke us and make our fleet perish on the coast of Antioch. Your Majesty, you must not fall for it."

Upon hearing this, Severus realized it made sense, and gradually calmed down.

“You’re right, but we can’t just do nothing.”

“Your Majesty is right.” Protinas breathed a sigh of relief and quickly added, “The most urgent task is to immediately strengthen the defenses of the islands along the route, especially Cyprus Island, which, as a forward outpost ‘fortress’ facing Antioch, must be impregnable!”

"At the same time, we must also take advantage of the navy's mobility and use these islands as bases to frequently harass their coastlines, preventing the Han army from defending both ends! I don't believe that every port of theirs can be as well-defended as Antioch!"

Soon, the Romans, with their naval bases in Cyprus, Rhodes, and Crete as the core, devised a whole set of sea wolf-style harassment tactics, taking advantage of the Han army's small number of strange ships, their difficulty in attacking fortifications, and their powerful firepower that prevented them from moving.

Thus, under the emperor's decree, a total of three hundred Roman fleet ships were quickly assembled in various ports in Italy, North Africa, and Greece, and successively headed to the Cypriot naval port of Famagusta.

For a time, the sails and oars of the Roman fleet filled the azure sea, obscuring the sky.

But what they didn't know was that at almost the same time, a fleet of fewer than twenty ships also set sail from Antioch, heading towards Cyprus.

The leading ship, with its huge sails and crimson dragon flag fluttering in the wind, was none other than the newly launched flagship of the Han Dynasty, the "Dingyuan".

Its long hull cut through the azure waters, and its three huge sails made full use of the Mediterranean monsoon, making it far faster than those Roman warships that relied on human oars.

This small fleet was not going to engage the massive Roman fleet in a direct confrontation, but rather to carry out a daring "decapitation" operation: to eliminate the Romans' outpost base—Cyprus—before their ships could assemble in large numbers.

"Are you all ready?"

“Let’s give the Romans a surprise.” Su Yao stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the gradually clearing outline of Cyprus on the horizon, and said to Zhou Yu and Guo Jia beside him.

Zhou Yu put down his binoculars, glanced at the detailed map of the Cypriot naval port he had captured from Tiberius, and said:

"Your Majesty, please do not be careless. This Cypriot naval port is a fortress built by the Romans for a hundred years. The port is crescent-shaped, with hills on both sides. The entrance is narrow, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"Although we have annihilated the Cypriot fleet brought by Tiberius, there are still 5,000 defenders on the island, the port is well-fortified, and several stone towers provide a commanding view, with heavy crossbows on them having a range of over 300 paces. If our army rashly launches a direct attack..."

"A mere three hundred paces, and you dare to sit at the table and talk?"

Su Yao waved her hand and laughed heartily:
"Gongjin, you've just arrived at the front lines. Today, I'll show you what truth truly means!"

The port of Cyprus is experiencing another calm day.

Although a dozen days ago, after learning that General Tiberius's navy had been wiped out, there was a serious riot in the port area, as time went on, they quickly determined that the Han army had no ability to conduct long-range operations. Even if a dozen or so small fast ships were stronger than their galleys, they could not threaten their heavily fortified naval port.

Later, upon learning that Emperor Severus had ordered increased military preparedness and mobilized the Mediterranean fleet to Cyprus in preparation for a major raid, the soldiers in the port of Cyprus were even more invigorated, eager to avenge their previous defeat once the army arrived.

Inside and outside the port, craftsmen worked day and night to repair and reinforce the fortifications. Newly delivered heavy ballistae were installed on the towers, and the patrol ships increased their frequency. The entire base was filled with a tense and excited atmosphere as a great battle was about to begin.

"Eh? Why is the captain in such a good mood today?"

On the patrol boat, a sailor saw his superior humming a tune and asked in surprise.

The officer immediately beamed: "Haha, how did you know I got the mission to raid the Egyptian coast?"

"Looting Egypt?" The sailor's eyes lit up. "That's a lucrative job! I've heard that the wealth of Alexandria is enough to last several lifetimes!"

The officer stroked his beard smugly: "The Han people are arrogant on land, but at sea they rule the world! Once the large fleet arrives, I'm going to snatch a few Eastern beauties!"

Before he could finish speaking, the lookout on the ship cried out in alarm:
"Look ahead, look to the east! What's that?"

The officer looked up impatiently and saw several dark dots rapidly growing larger on the horizon. At first, he thought they were his own patrol fleet, but soon he realized something was amiss.

Before he could even make out the small boats, the enormous sails of the sailing warships had already stunned him.

"Oh my God!"

"What kind of monster is that?!"

The enormous, oarless sailboat overturned his understanding.

Faced with this absurd reality, the captain made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life—to stay on duty and scout for the approaching enemy.

Then, at what he considered an absolutely safe distance, he was blasted into the sea by a single shot from that unprecedented behemoth.
(End of this chapter)