I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1171 Rome, the escape route cut off

News of the Han army's great victory in the Strait of Artemisia quickly spread throughout the Aegean region, sweeping through Roman towns like a storm.

Few Roman warships survived, and most were damaged, fleeing in disarray to the nearest port. Horrific details of the naval battle spread at an alarming rate along with the fleeing soldiers and merchant ships.

"The Han Chinese's giant ships can spew thunder; our ships were blasted to pieces before they even got close!"

"Their artillery fire was as dense as Zeus's lightning; the sea was ablaze!"

"Governor Emilius's fate is unknown, and the fleet... the entire fleet is wiped out!"

Panic, like a plague, spread rapidly from the Aegean coast to mainland Greece and even the Italian peninsula. The Mediterranean Sea, once considered an inland lake of the empire, was now seen by many as a perilous place filled with unknown fears. The massive silhouette and devastating firepower of the Han army's "Dingyuan-class" warships became the protagonists of countless Romans' midnight nightmares.

A few days later, Byzantium.

Upon receiving the battle report, the local governor was so shocked that he sprang from his seat like a spring, his face drained of color.

"quick!"

"Report to His Majesty the Emperor at the front!"

"Byzantium is in danger, Asia Minor is in danger! We urge him to withdraw his troops and return to defend it immediately!"

The Great Han destroyed their fleet, and there's no doubt they'll target this place next.

Meanwhile, their emperor is leading the main force of the empire deep into the mountains of Asia Minor, seeking an opportunity for a decisive battle.

If Byzantium were to fall into chaos and the Bosphorus Strait were to be cut off, the hundreds of thousands of troops on the other side would be completely isolated! With their supply lines cut off and their rear cut off, even a million-strong army would be doomed to annihilation!

"Spur the horse on! Even if it kills ten horses, get the military report out!" the governor roared hoarsely, his nails digging deep into his palms.

But no sooner had the messenger rushed out of the city gates than ominous sails appeared on the horizon. The cries of alarm from the soldiers in the watchtower ripped through the air:

"Han ships! They're the Han people's devil ships!"

Four massive "Dingyuan-class" warships, like mobile castles, led dozens of modified warships, approaching Golden Horn Bay on the northeasterly winds. Under the rising sun, the crimson dragon flag fluttered in the wind, and the cannons on the sides of the ships gleamed with a cold, sharp light.

"Pull up the iron chains! Prepare the crossbows!" the commander shouted hoarsely, and the soldiers on the city wall ran around in panic.

But all these defenses were rendered useless in the face of this artillery fire that was ahead of its time.

The flagship "Dingyuan" fired a salvo from its broadsides, the thunderous roar shaking the city walls. Solid shot, each weighing twenty-four pounds, whistled as it crashed into the harbor's defenses, causing wooden towers to collapse and creating huge breaches in the stone fortresses.

Even more terrifying, ten specially designed fire ships emerged from the Han fleet, their hulls laden with sulfur and oil, and propelled by the wind, hurtling into the harbor like arrows. Despite the defenders' desperate attempts to intercept them with rockets, six ships successfully rammed the Roman warships. Towering flames instantly engulfed half the fleet, and thick smoke obscured the Byzantine sky.

"The city gates have fallen!"

"The Han army has landed!"

In the chaos, someone shouted, and the morale of the defending troops completely collapsed. The governor, escorted by his personal guards, fled in panic to the inland, and the ancient city, trembling amidst the cannon fire, fell.

Meanwhile, far away in the heart of Asia Minor, Emperor Severus was completely unaware of the impending doom of having his rear cut off. He was leading his army deep into the Salde Valley, intending to encircle and annihilate the main Han army force, as planned. Several days later, in the Salde Valley, war clouds gathered.

This place is located in the heart of the rugged mountains of Cappadocia, shaped like a giant pocket with steep, easily defensible ridges on both sides and a relatively flat valley floor that can accommodate a large army, but with a narrow exit that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Severus stood on the makeshift platform, gazing at the endless Roman army before him, his eyes filled with pride. This army, with its forest of banners and cloud of spears, represented the pinnacle of Roman military might accumulated over centuries.

"Your Majesty, as you instructed, we have burned the last water source outside the valley." The guard bowed and reported, "General Letus said that if the Han army wants to penetrate deeper, they either have to take a long detour and delay their battle, or they have to force their way into the valley entrance—that is exactly our trap."

Severus's lips curled into an arrogant smile as his gaze swept over the neatly arranged legionary banners below. Fifteen full-strength legions, plus auxiliary troops from vassal states, totaled nearly two hundred thousand men—four times the size of the Han army's central force. He didn't believe Su Yao's "Thunder Cannon" could be effectively used in this narrow valley, nor did he believe that those Eastern cavalry, reliant on horseback speed, could break through the Roman heavy infantry's tortoise formation on a rocky hillside.

"If the Han people know what's good for them, they should retreat; if they dare to invade, today we'll let them taste how the anvil and hammer of the Roman legions crush arrogance!" He drew his sword and pointed it at the valley entrance. Sunlight shone on the blade, reflecting the shouts of the soldiers—"For Rome! For Augustus!"

For this battle, he staked almost all of the empire's resources in the East, and the Han army clearly cooperated fully with his actions.

In recent days, although the Han army has moved slowly, it has gradually fallen into their trap. The time for the final battle has come.

However, just as the Roman legions were on high alert, eagerly anticipating the Han army's demise, the tranquility of the valley was shattered by the dense hooves of horses from the rear, and Emperor Severus's belief in victory was also crushed.

A group of messengers from coastal cities in Asia Minor nearly tumbled off their saddles and collapsed at the emperor's feet:

"Not good!"

"Our army has been defeated! Byzantium has fallen!"

"The Bosphorus Strait has been blockaded by the Han Chinese fleet!"

--"What did you say?!"

Emperor Severus's triumphant expression froze instantly, as if doused with ice water. He grabbed the messenger by the collar, nearly lifting him off the ground:
What do you mean by "Byzantium was lost"?

"The Han Chinese only have a few dozen ships, don't they? I'll give Emilius a full four hundred warships!"

"Even if he can't retake Cyprus, can't he at least hold Rhodes and the Aegean Sea?"

The messenger, tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse as a broken gong, cried out: "Your Majesty! Governor Emilius's navy... has been completely annihilated! The Han Chinese had more than one giant ship; they laid an ambush in the Strait of Artemisia, and our fleet... our fleet was powerless to fight back!"

Trembling, he pulled a blood-stained parchment from his robes: "This is the last news before the fall of Byzantium... The Han fleet has bombarded the Golden Horn, and the landing forces have captured the city. The Bosphorus... is now filled with crimson dragon flags!"

Severus snatched the battle report, his eyes glued to the words, his hands trembling violently. His meticulously crafted decisive battle plan, the naval forces he had placed his hopes on, the lifeline he relied on to sustain his army's supplies—all had vanished in just a few days!

"Impossible...this is impossible..." he muttered to himself, his face turning from ashen to deathly pale. "How could the Han people...how could they all..."

Just then, a deafening horn blast suddenly echoed from outside the valley. A scout cavalryman galloped in, tumbling off his horse in a panic:

"Your Majesty! The Han army... the main force of the Han army has suddenly turned around and is launching a fierce attack on General Quintus's position on our left flank! Their cavalry have emerged from the mountain pass!"

As if to confirm his words, thick smoke suddenly rose from the southeast—that was the location of the Roman legions' supply camp where they stored provisions!
Severus suddenly looked up towards the valley entrance and finally realized what kind of trap he had fallen into.

(End of this chapter)