Continental Warriors Yoo Ma

Suddenly, a loud noise broke Diego's reverie.The whole building trembled with such a loud noise that the wine glasses were poured on the table, and the wine spilled all over the floor.

"What's going on? Is it a pirate?" Diego immediately stood up.

Since Ceuta was occupied by Portugal, the Mulholland pirates have frequently harassed the port.

But then, he denied this guess.

On the pitch-black sea, fires flickered continuously, followed by roars.

The flashing flames reflected the silhouettes of warships in the darkness, covering almost the entire sea surface as far as the eye could see.

What a huge fleet that is!It can't be those poor Mulholland pirates.

In the looming flames, Diego could clearly see the flags hoisted by those warships.

There is the fleur-de-lis flag on a blue background representing the French royal family, the Duke of Bar flag embroidered with two golden catfishes, and various other French noble flags, as well as the most conspicuous Crusader flag.

"Those damned Frenchmen, how dare they!" Diego was furious.

The other party clearly used the banner of the Crusaders to attack a city belonging to a country of the same religion. This kind of behavior should be punished by God!

But what made Diego even more terrified was, why did the French come so quickly?

Didn't King Joao say that the French Crusaders would take at least July to reach the Maghreb because they were dragged down by the surviving souls of Corsica?

The Crusaders of Portugal and Castile are scheduled to depart from Seville on May 5, arrive in Ceuta one or two days later, and then attack westward before June to occupy Tangier .

This was the speed at which the Iberian Crusaders had an absolute geographical advantage.

Why are the French so fast?

The preparations for the crusade and the preparation of materials all started at about the same time.All countries officially launched the Crusades, all after the Tiber Conference.But I don't know why, the French fleet came first, arrived at the coast of the Maghreb ahead of schedule, and then brazenly launched an attack on the territory of Portugal, which is theoretically an ally.

After being furious, Diego also calmed down and quickly entered the role of commander.

He dragged the two screaming female slaves down the balcony, so as not to encounter the shells unexpectedly and be bombarded to death.At the same time, he summoned guards and ordered to ring the alarm bell to prepare for the enemy.

Although the enemy's artillery fire was very fierce, Diego believed that he would be able to defend it.Ceuta has a special terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and after more than ten years of operation, Portugal has built a strong fort here.It is impossible for the French to defeat the Portuguese defenders with artillery alone.In the end, the two sides will inevitably fall into a hand-to-hand offensive and defensive battle.At that time, Diego can use the favorable terrain to inflict heavy damage on the enemy.

As long as you persist for a few more days, the reinforcements from Seville will arrive in time, and the victory will eventually belong to the Portuguese!

Thinking of this, Diego ordered that, except for a few defenders defending the Mulhollans, all other soldiers should gather in the fortress on Mount Jacho.

No matter how indiscriminately the enemy bombs, the defenders will not be able to fight back.Diego wants to keep the limited number of cannons well, and wait for the enemy to start landing before attacking the landing troops condescendingly.

"The distance between the enemy's battleship and our fortress on the mountain is too far. When the shells flew up from below, they were not powerful enough to destroy our strong fortress built on the rocks! Never mind! Soldiers, hold on, victory will belong to the great Kingdom of Portugal!"

Diego was waving his long sword, cheering on the newly assembled soldiers on the school field.

At this moment, a soldier suddenly raised his head, and the expression on his face gradually changed from doubt to fear.He trembled and exclaimed: "My God, what is that!"

Chapter 430

Hearing this, Diego looked up and saw the most spectacular and terrifying scene in his life.

I saw hundreds of orange flames rising from the sea level.They flew higher and higher, crossed the pitch-black sky, and then gradually descended, flying overhead with piercing screams.

"This... this is..." Diego was speechless, and even forgot to order the soldiers to evacuate for a moment.

The Portuguese didn't know how to describe the splendid and terrifying scene they witnessed, but on the Rouen, which was moored three kilometers away, Ma Youfu praised the spectacular scene of the rocket launch with a Chinese poem: "Dongfeng night releases thousands of flowers Trees are blown down, and stars are like rain."

Next to him, the young Bayard and fleet commander Andre, listening to Huaxia, which they don't understand at all, are still obsessed with the cadence and emphasis.

"My lord, what does your poem mean? It sounds as beautiful as the singing of a goddess."

"The east wind blew away the flourishing flowers on thousands of trees, and then blew the fireworks down like raindrops..." Ma Youfu roughly explained in French.

"I see. No wonder you named the rocket 'Dongfeng'. It's such a beautiful name that can make people feel peaceful and romantic." Bayar, who has a bit of literary gene, looked intoxicated.

"Yeah, Dongfeng is very flat, very flat..." Ma Youfu nodded with a strange smile.

Who would have thought that in this battle to attack the fortified port of Ceuta, how many people would still be free to discuss poetry while watching countless Dongfeng II rockets land on the shore, setting off endless explosions and flames?

Fortunately, there is a lack of wood in North Africa. Most of the buildings in Ceuta Port are built of sand and clay bricks. This round of carpet bombing will not cause a fire that destroys the entire city.

Ma Youfu is not interested in COS Tokyo BBQ King Li Mei.

After this round of firepower that far exceeds the imagination of soldiers in this era, while the enemy is in a state of awe, they can launch a landing operation and take Ceuta Port in one fell swoop.

Perhaps Ma Youfu chose a good day, and the rocket salvo actually achieved an additional result.

boom--

Only a deafening explosion was heard, coming from Montejacho.Ma Youfu blessed himself with "Light Vision". Looking into the distance, he found that the fortress on the mountain was almost overturned by a third of the big explosion just now, and a mushroom cloud was rising.

The Dongfeng-[-] rocket is not so powerful. Ma Youfu guessed that the enemy's gunpowder warehouse must have been ignited, and then the big explosion was triggered.

It was impossible for Ma Youfu to miss such a good opportunity, and he immediately ordered to start landing.

"My lord duke, I'll take a step ahead. The enemy's commander is named Diego da Costa. He is an excellent knight. Maybe he will gather the remaining troops and take advantage of the terrain for the final resistance. We need to send The commando team composed of the most elite fighters captured Montejacho Mountain as quickly as possible." Bayar saluted Mayouf and was ready to go into battle.

He will lead the grenadiers on the assault.

"May the Seven Saints protect you." Ma Youfu patted Bayar on the shoulder, "Remember, throw a few more grenades if you have something to do. Don't be stingy. I can make hundreds of these grenades a day. It's not uncommon. And it's specially made The grenade workshop is about to start officially."

Bayar is the young general that Ma Youfu focuses on training. He doesn't want this flawless knight to die accidentally at a young age and lose his bright future.

Facts have proved that Ma Youfu's worries are completely unnecessary.

After the heavy rocket bombardment, Mayouf's fleet continued to support the landing force with naval guns.

Under the cover of such firepower, with the grenadier company led by Bayar as the arrow, the landing force landed on the coast of Ceuta without hindrance, and quickly approached the city, defeating and capturing a large number of lost organizations along the way. Portuguese soldiers scurrying around like headless chickens.

Two hours later, among the crowd who were shuttling back and forth to put out the fire, Mayoufu met the guard of Ceuta, Diego da Costa.

The knight's face was black and gray, half of his hair was burned off, and he was wearing a tattered armor suit. The shiny full-body plate armor outside had been taken off and thrown away long ago.There's no way, if he doesn't want to turn into a teppanyaki Diego, he can only do so.Otherwise, in the fire caused by the Dongfeng II rocket, there is no way to escape.

"Mr. Diego, do you have anything to say?" Ma Youfu looked at the Portuguese knight with an aggrieved face and unconvinced eyes, and asked with a smile, "By the way, give this poor gentleman a pot of water. He must be thirsty."

Immediately, a guard handed Diego a leather water bag.

Diego took the water bag, took a gulp, and then glared at Ma Youfu: "Duke Bar! Ceuta is the territory of the Kingdom of Portugal, and it is also bathed in the glory of the Seven Saints! As a cross Army, you attack the city of your allies of the same faith, this is a shameless betrayal!"

Compared with the angry Diego, Ma Youfu seemed much calmer.He smiled and shook his head, and said slowly: "No, no, you are wrong, Cavalier Diego. I did not attack Ceuta. I just found that the Portuguese defenders in Ceuta were too weak to resist the attack of the Moroccans. I was worried This strategically important place in the Maghreb fell into the hands of the enemy, so they had no choice but to take it over."

"You're talking nonsense!" Diego yelled.After a while, he came back to his senses and suddenly realized, "So you ordered the Mulhollands who attacked Ceuta these days? You actually colluded with the heretics!"

"Diego Knight, your EQ is too low. What is collusion with heretics? It is obvious that someone in the Moroccan Sultanate was inspired by the Seven Saints, so he offered to cooperate with me. This is the saying of high EQ." Ma Youfu said , "The fortress on Mount Anjela, west of the city of Ceuta, should have been captured by the Moroccans. Tomorrow, I will send troops to recover the fortress, and formally gain control of the city as the savior of Ceuta."

"Impossible. The artillery of Mulholland's army is almost exhausted. I have left enough defenders in the fortress of Monte Angela Mountain, and it is impossible to be captured overnight."

"Is there a possibility that the Moroccans still have a few cannons that are useless, and deliberately waited until tonight when you have mobilized your troops and the defense is empty, before launching an attack?"

Diego was stunned for a moment.He was speechless for a while, looking at the Siris in front of him, he felt that the other person was the embodiment of all cunning and treachery in the world.

The Portuguese commander remained motionless, engaged in a long period of inner battle, and finally sighed, saying: "I surrender to you, Lord Duke of Bar. I demand that during the period of captivity, I will enjoy the benefits due to a nobleman. Decent treatment."

"No problem. I will let you eat and drink well. Of course, I will also set a suitable ransom for you. After your family collects the ransom, you can be free." Mayoufu said.

"Uh..." Diego looked embarrassed.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Diego?"

The Portuguese knight sighed, and said: "Your Excellency, my parents have passed away, and I have never been married. The property at home in Portugal has never been taken care of. I am afraid I can't afford a ransom of several thousand livres." Come."

"Well... Mister Diego, are you familiar with the situation in the Maghreb?"

"Of course! I have been in North Africa since Portugal occupied Ceuta in 1415, and I am very familiar with this land and the pagans who ruled this land!" Diego heard Mayouf's voice, Immediately sell yourself hard, just like a fresh graduate meeting the HR of a major IT company.

"Very good. We first set foot on this strange land, and we are in need of intelligence and advice from consultants who are familiar with the situation." Ma Youfu nodded, "I am now hiring you as a special consultant. In addition to the monthly salary of 150 livres , I will give bonuses based on whether the suggestions you provide are useful. Of course, these bonuses will not be sent to you, but will be used to offset the ransom."

"No problem, I accept your proposal." Diego nodded.

Later, in order to pay off the ransom as soon as possible, Diego quickly entered the role of the Duke's advisor: "My lord, after you occupy Ceuta, what do you plan to do next?"

"I plan to divide my troops into two groups. The main force along the way goes west to occupy Tangier, and then goes south along the coastline to continue the attack until Anfa is captured."

Anfa is the Casablanca of the later generations, the Moroccan city known by the older generation in China because of the movie of the same name.

Ma Youfu continued: "The other army will go south to occupy Tetouan first, then attack eastward along the coastline, and finally join forces with the Burgundian Crusaders in Oran in Melilla."

"You...you also launched an attack on Oran?"

"Yes, just tonight. The leader of that crusader is Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, with Marshal Richmond as his deputy. Although they couldn't end the battle within a few hours like me, they were on the naval ship With the support of the cannon, we were still able to win with certainty."

Diego rolled his eyes and recalled Ma Youfu's attack plan.

He exclaimed: "Master Duke, do you want to occupy all the large ports along the coast of Tlemcen and Morocco, so as to block the attack routes of other Crusaders?"

"That's right." Ma Youfu admitted unceremoniously, "Since the meeting on the Tiber River did not reach a consensus, and finally decided that everyone should rely on their own abilities, then I will not be polite. Of course, adults want to choose everything!"

Diego gasped.He didn't expect the Duke of Bar to have such great ambitions, wanting to swallow half of the Maghreb region!

"My lord duke, your plan is too bold and unrealistic. Facing the armies of the three sultanates of Morocco, Tlemcen, and Tunisia, as well as the huge Mulholland Jihad army coming from afar, you can only rely on France and Burgundy, plus Brittany, Provence, and Genoa at most, can't win at all!"

Chapter 430 Six Daying is a Role Model

"Who said I want to deal with all Mulhollan forces?" Ma Youfu spread his hands, "The Sultanate of Tlemcen is weak and can quickly force it to surrender. The Moroccan Sultanate has serious internal turmoil. The Sultan's Marin family and the vizier's The Watass family is vying for power, and we only need to fight with one faction to ensure the fruits of victory. The real opponents are only the Tunisians and the Mulholland coalition forces stationed in Tunisia. However, they also face quarrels and internal friction. Decisions could not be made in time. We have plenty of time to consolidate our victories."

The Mulhollan monarchs who are now staying in Tunisia fighting all day for the right to speak, and trying to monopolize the prism magic cannon, have no regard for the safety of Morocco and Tlemcen at all.

Otherwise, why did no one send troops into these two countries to help brothers of the same faith defend themselves against pagan invaders in the north?

Whether it is the prince of Ottoman, the sultan of the Aries, or the general of the Mamluks, they only have three things in their eyes: the city of Tunisia, the magic prism cannon, and the holy mountain.

I am afraid that only after the Crusaders invaded the Tunisian Sultanate, the Mulholland monarchs would wake up and respond.

After listening to Ma Youfu's words, Diego pondered for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "Your Excellency, those collusion... No, those Mulhollan believers who cooperated with you are the Vatas family?"

"That's right, Mr. Diego, you really know the situation in the Maghreb very well." Ma Youfu nodded.

Through Valentina's matchmaking, Ma Youfu got on the line with the Watas family, the most powerful opposition force in the Moroccan Sultanate.

The Wattas family, which has monopolized the positions of viziers (that is, prime ministers) for several generations, obviously wants to go one step further and become the new sultan of Morocco.To this end, they are even willing to cooperate with pagans.

The current Sultan of Morocco, Abdul Haq II, is only 14 years old this year.When he succeeded the Sultan at the age of one, he had lived under the shadow of the powerful Vizier. Now that he was getting older and had gained some power, he was naturally ready to attack the Vatas family.

Historically, the Sultan Haq II launched a massacre against the Vatas family in 1459. Only two brothers in the entire Vatas family escaped.

After that, Huck II was killed in the rebellion in 1465, and the Marin family became extinct.The two remaining brothers of the Vatas family staged a scene of the return of the Dragon King and established the Vatas Dynasty in Fez.

There is a blood relationship between the Marin family and the Watas family. Although this big drama of brothers fighting against the wall has not yet started, the root of the disaster has long been buried and it is inevitable.

At the helm of the Wattas family, the current regent and vizier of the Moroccan sultanate, Abu Zakaria, also sees the family's future in jeopardy.But he can neither give up the power in his hands, nor immediately seek to usurp the throne openly, and he is now in a very embarrassing situation.

The olive branch thrown by Ma Youfu gave Zakaria hope.

The greatest legitimacy of the monarchy is to be able to lead the people to resist foreign humiliation and protect national security.Now that the European Crusaders may invade at any time, at this precarious moment, Morocco needs a strong monarch to lead.Zakaria saw the opportunity, and quickly returned the military and political power to the still young Sudan, allowing the other party to take the blame in advance, while negotiating terms with Ma Youfu.