I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1177 Full Encirclement
boom!
Boom boom boom——!
Upon receiving Su Yao's instructions, Cao Cao immediately accepted the order and mobilized his troops. He ordered the newly manufactured Great General Cannons, which were not yet ready for field battles, along with a large quantity of gunpowder and bullets, to be transported day and night by surrendered Roman auxiliary troops and packhorse caravans to the city of Metropol.

These "thunderous might" tactics, which had once caused countless Roman fleets and port defenders great suffering, were now skillfully used by the Han army for conquering cities and fortresses, displaying their divine power as soon as they appeared!
"what?!"

"what happened?!"

Valerius was astonished to discover that their sturdy city walls, which they were so proud of, were as fragile as a child's sandcastle under the attack of this weapon, which was like divine retribution!

The first test shells slammed into the main city gate tower on the west side of the city. With a deafening roar and billowing dust, the upper half of the magnificent stone gate tower, which had withstood a century of wind and rain and was carved with the Roman eagle emblem, was completely sheared off! Gravel rained down on the heads of the guards behind the battlements, causing a chorus of panicked screams.

"Stay calm! Don't panic! That's Han sorcery, it won't last long!" Valerius shouted hoarsely, protected by the shields raised by his personal guards, trying to calm the troops.

However, the Han army's artillery bombardment was not a fleeting moment. Under the guidance of observers, more heavy artillery joined the chorus. Scorching solid shot, like heavy hammers, relentlessly bombarded the walls of Metropol. A section of the ancient wall, built during the Hellenistic period and considered indestructible, finally groaned under the weight of the concentrated fire, collapsing with a gap several meters wide, sending dust billowing dozens of feet high, as if the city had opened a bleeding wound.

"A breach! The city wall has collapsed!" The defenders' cries were filled with despair.

"Cavalry, prepare! Trapped Camp, advance!" Cao Cao calmly issued the order.

Gao Shun led his "Trap Camp" heavy infantry, like a moving steel forest, advancing with orderly and heavy steps towards the breach. Clad in black armor, wielding long halberds and ringed swords, their shields linked together, they formed an impenetrable assault formation amidst the ruins. Zhao Yun's White Horse Cavalry, like two sharp blades extending from the flanks, protected the infantry square and suppressed the defenders attempting to hold them off with precise mounted archery.

"For Rome! Stop them!" Valerius personally led his most loyal guards to the breach, attempting to block the deadly passage with their own flesh and blood.

However, courage seemed so pale in the face of absolute power. The soldiers of the Vanguard advanced steadily like a rock, mercilessly reaping the Roman soldiers who dared to stand in their way with their halberds. Zhao Yun seized the opportunity, charging ahead with his silver spear like a dragon, heading straight for Valerius.

"You old scoundrel, prepare to die!" Zhao Yun's fierce shout was like a thunderclap.

Valerius, a seasoned veteran, raised his sword to parry, but felt an irresistible force emanating from the blade, his hand splitting open and his sword flying from his grasp. The next moment, the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear pierced his throat like a venomous snake.

With their commander dead and the city walls breached, their greatest morale had collapsed. The remaining will to resist of the Metropol defenders vanished instantly.

"The governor is dead!"

"Run away!"

"The Han Chinese have broken in!"

Panic spread like wildfire throughout the city. Soldiers abandoned their weapons and scrambled to escape into the narrow streets. Citizens frantically shut their doors and windows and hid in cellars. In just half a day, this "last bastion of Rome," on which so much hope had been placed, fell to the new owner.

As punishment for Metropol's stubborn resistance, Cao Cao ordered the city to be razed to the ground.

Soldiers were executed, civilians were looted, all their possessions were confiscated, and buildings they couldn't take were burned to the ground. The towering flames and thick smoke lasted for days, turning the once-prosperous metropolis into a charred ruin, leaving only silent crumbling walls to tell the story of the price of resistance. This severe punishment, like the coldest north wind, quickly swept across Asia Minor and beyond. Those who had been observing or even secretly plotting rebellion were extinguished completely in the face of this reality of blood and fire.

The envoys from major cities such as Nicomedia, Pergamon, and Ephesus practically prostrated themselves outside the Han army camp, offering not only the keys to their cities and lavish tributes, but also utter humility and submission. They vied to express their loyalty to the "Great Emperor," fearing that if they were even a step too slow, the tragedy of Metropol would befall their own city-states.

Thus, the resistance movement throughout Asia Minor suffered a major setback, large-scale resistance ceased to exist, and the vast Anatolian Plateau, the rich eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, and both sides of the strategically vital Bosphorus Strait were all incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

However, after Sinop surrendered, Su Yao did not rush to march west and strike at the heart of the enemy.

Although the Mediterranean winters are mild, the campaigns over the past few years have stretched the front lines extremely long. The hundreds of millions of people in the newly conquered Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor and other places need time to be assimilated, appeased and truly integrated into the Han Dynasty's ruling system.

Therefore, Su Yao made certain strategic adjustments during this "winter break":

Firstly, in terms of domestic affairs, he promoted Cao Cao to General Who Conquers the West, established his own government and headquarters, and together with Jia Xu and other accompanying civil officials, oversaw the military and political affairs of the former Roman provinces of Asia Minor, responsible for suppressing the remaining enemies, restoring order, and promoting Sinicization.

Their primary task was to repair the towns ravaged by war, restore production, and gradually implement fundamental national policies such as the Great Han Law and the equal-field system in these regions. At the same time, they vigorously supported the local elites who had surrendered, establishing a new ruling class led by Han officials and assisted by local virtuous men, so as to draw nourishment from this newly conquered land and support the empire's even grander expeditions.

Following this, regarding the oceans, Zhou Yu, the Grand Protector of the Western Ocean, also concurrently held the position of "Admiral of the Western Ocean Fleet of the Great Han Dynasty," overseeing the construction and operations of the Mediterranean Fleet.

Cyprus, Antioch, Alexandria, Sinop, and the newly captured Byzantium became the five major shipbuilding and naval bases of the Han Dynasty in the Mediterranean.

Utilizing the countless Roman craftsmen and sailors captured, as well as the high-quality timber resources along the Mediterranean coast, the shipyards of the Great Han Dynasty were operating day and night. The keels of the new "Dingyuan-class" and even the larger "Zhenyuan-class" sailing warships had been laid, and the size of the navy was expanding at an unprecedented rate.

Su Yao's goal is to build a powerful navy within six months that can defeat any remaining Roman fleet in the Mediterranean without his personal involvement and can carry out large-scale amphibious operations.

Next, Su Yao did not neglect North Africa.

While Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and other generals were being rewarded, the fighting in North Africa continued, unlike in Europe where the conflict had temporarily ceased and was allowing for rest.

Guan Yu, the Grand Protector of North Africa, was ordered to consolidate his power in Egypt, unite with the Numidian and other tribes who had submitted, and march into the former territory of Carthage (the Roman province of Africa) to threaten Italy from the south and tie down the remaining Roman forces.

Finally, on the vast grasslands of the north, Su Yao even made a move.

Ma Chao, Yan Xing, and others, along with the former Xiliang army and leaders of nomadic tribes such as Yufuluo, did not participate in the battles in Asia Minor. Instead, they had already crossed the Armenian mountains and were ordered to head north into the Caucasus region, even venturing further north into the Eastern European steppes.

Their mission was not to directly attack Roman territory, but rather, like Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, to carry out a more ambitious strategic detour and exploration mission.

(End of this chapter)