I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1165 Western Protectorate

With the surrender of Salamis without a fight, the will to resist across the entire island of Cyprus quickly crumbled.

In the following three days, other towns on the island, such as Paphos, Limassol, and Kyrenia, followed the example of the capital and sent envoys to surrender to the Han army.

In this way, the Han army controlled this strategic stronghold in the eastern Mediterranean without bloodshed.

The battle yielded not only a large quantity of timber, canvas, grain, and military equipment stockpiled in the port, but also more than thirty ships of various sizes, greatly enhancing the Han army's water transport capabilities.

The greatest gain, however, was the nearly ten thousand skilled sailors and shipwrights familiar with the Mediterranean, as well as surrendered Roman auxiliary soldiers on the island. These people were a more valuable asset than gold to the rapidly expanding Han navy.

Standing on the bridge of the "Dingyuan," overlooking the vast expanse of Salamis Bay, Su Yao smiled at Zhou Yu and Guo Jia beside him:

"Cyprus has fallen, and the key to Rome's eastern Mediterranean is now in my hands. From this base, I can deter Syria to the east, and target Rhodes, Crete, and even mainland Greece to the west. The Romans' plan to trap me with a chain of islands is doomed to fail from this day forward!"

Guo Jia clapped his hands and chuckled: "Your Majesty is wise. With this island, our navy can attack or defend, and we can also replenish our personnel and supplies. This is truly a battle that turns the tide. The Romans will probably have a sleepless night."

Zhou Yu, his gaze fixed intently on the captured warships undergoing intensive repairs and modifications in the harbor, advised, "Your Majesty, this island boasts numerous shipwrights, an excellent harbor, and strategically controls the east-west shipping lanes. I believe we should immediately establish this place as the new forward base for the Han Navy, accelerating the construction and modification of warships. When our fleet is fully formed and dominates the Mediterranean, that will be the day the Roman Empire falls!"

“Excellent!” Su Yao nodded. “We will follow Gongjin’s advice. Immediately issue an order to elevate Cyprus to the ‘Great Han Western Ocean Protectorate,’ and Gongjin, you will temporarily assume the position of Protector, overseeing all military and political affairs of this island and the surrounding waters, supervising the construction of warships, training the navy, and paving the way for the western expeditionary force to sail smoothly across the seas!”

"Your subject, Zhou Yu, obeys the decree! I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust!" Zhou Yu clasped his hands excitedly, his eyes filled with the pride of creating history.

Just as Su Yao established himself on the island of Cyprus, and Zhou Yu was busily preparing defenses, expanding shipyards, and reorganizing surrendered troops, several fast horses carrying the shocking news of the fall of Salamis City, boarded small boats that had not been captured by the Han army, and under the cover of night, desperately broke through the thin fog at sea, heading in different directions.

One route headed towards Rhodes Island, while the other went straight to Byzantium.

.........

Almost simultaneously, in the delta region of the lower Nile River.

Guan Yu, who was granted the title of "Protector-General of North Africa," launched a series of victories. After subjugating Thebes and stabilizing Upper Egypt, he personally led a large army by land and sea to sweep through the Nile Delta.

Major cities such as Memphis and Heliopolis surrendered one after another. Zhang Fei's detachment also advanced westward along the coast, its forces approaching the Cyrenaica border, where it confronted Flavius, who was gathering his remaining troops and still in shock.

With the exception of some oases in the western desert and the southern border regions, the entirety of Egypt was now under the control of the Han Dynasty. Grain from Egypt's granaries began to be transported steadily to the Antioch front via the Nile and the Mediterranean Sea, providing solid logistical support for the Han Dynasty's continued westward expansion.

.........

In the winter of November, the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era, Byzantium.

Emperor Severus finally received devastating news from two directions simultaneously, news that nearly made him vomit blood. To the east, Cyprus, the island on which he had placed his hopes, the core of his fleet's assembly, along with its garrison, supplies, and the dozens of advance ships that had just arrived to participate in the blockade, was completely annihilated. Governor Desimus surrendered, and the East gained a perfect springboard for attacking Greece.

To the south, Egypt had completely fallen. The five legions of reinforcements led by Anulinus, the governor of Africa, had just arrived in Carthage when they received this devastating news, shaking their morale. Even more terrifying, according to the accounts of fleeing soldiers, the Han army's fearsome "thunderous warships" had already appeared in the Mediterranean!

Severus, holding two parchment battle reports delivered almost simultaneously, trembled violently. His face turned from red to white, then from white to blue, before he finally coughed up a mouthful of blood and roared to the sky:

"Defeat on both land and sea, the gates wide open... Heavens! Why have you treated Rome this way?!"

"Your Majesty! Please take care of your health!" Protinus and the generals rushed forward to support the swaying emperor.

The council chamber was deathly silent. The once confident Roman generals and senators now wore faces etched with despair and fear. Their eastern enemy was not only invincible on land, but now also possessed a mysterious and terrifying naval power.

If this power is not contained as soon as possible, the Romans' centuries-long rule over the Mediterranean will likely be destroyed very soon.

At that point, not only Greece, but even mainland Italy itself might no longer be safe.

Upon considering this, some even began to whisper among themselves, suggesting that the strategy of a decisive battle in Asia Minor might not be feasible, and advising instead to focus on the defense of Greece, or even retreat to the Italian mainland.

The proposal of the "abandon the soil" faction immediately shocked everyone.

"Abandon the land? Retreat to Italy?" Severus abruptly shoved aside the guards supporting him, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the whispering generals. His voice was hoarse yet chillingly cold. "The land of my Rome was won inch by inch with the blood of my legionary soldiers! From a small village on the banks of the Tiber to a vast empire spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa, every inch of land was the result of our ancestors' bloody battles! Now, having lost only a few cities and a few fleets, you're going to hand over the Eastern provinces, Greece, and North Africa to those Eastern barbarians?!"

He slammed the two battle reports to the ground, the parchment scraping against the stone pavement with a screeching sound: "Cyrenaica is still here! Anulinus's five legions are still here! General Letus of Asia Minor is still fighting desperately! You think you can escape? Let me tell you, even if I fight to the last man, I will never give up an inch of Roman land! Anyone who dares to speak of abandoning the land, don't blame my sword for not recognizing you!"

The council chamber fell silent instantly. The generals, terrified by Severus's fury, lowered their heads and no one dared to utter the word "retreat."

Seeing this, Protinas quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, please calm down. The generals were just extremely worried and misspoke. The most urgent task is to readjust our strategy and deal with the critical situation of the Han army's attack from both land and sea."

Severus took a few deep breaths, suppressing his surging blood, and focused his gaze on the map, his finger slamming into the border between Asia Minor and Syria: "Although the Han army has captured Cyprus, their main force is still in Syria and Egypt. That barbarian Su Yao is personally leading his navy to Cyprus, which must be his way of containing our army from the sea and coordinating with our land forces to attack Asia Minor."

"Fortunately, they only have one of those strange giant ships, and they are not yet capable of engaging in a full-scale battle with the Imperial Navy."

"Therefore, as long as we can retake Antioch and seize their shipbuilding base before they build more of these monsters, not only will those Eastern barbarians' plans be completely ruined, but their powerful weapons will also be at our disposal!"

An old minister asked tremblingly, "What does Your Majesty mean?"

"Decisive battle! A swift and decisive battle! A quick and decisive victory!!!"

(End of this chapter)