Chapter 254 Ansela

"Hurry up, everyone, go, we must occupy Ankara before the pagans."

To the east of Ankara, an army was advancing westward quickly. Their goal was Ankara, which was vacant after Suleiman's death.

Musa was determined not to give up until he took Ankara. He had had enough of being sandwiched between his two brothers. Now that his eldest brother was gone, he naturally had to inherit his legacy.

But he heard that Rome also wanted this place, how could this be possible, so he asked the army to advance at full speed. As long as they entered the city of Ankara, they had no choice but to go back.

The continuous high-intensity march made the soldiers tired and thirsty, and Musa was also anxious. He didn't let the soldiers rest at all, which made many soldiers slip away.

On the other hand, on the Roman side, Constantine's strategy of letting the cavalry go first was desirable. Because the infantry and artillery moved slowly, if they wanted to take the lead, they had to let the cavalry go first. Fortunately, the training of the cavalry was also qualified.

"General, we are almost at Ansera." A herald said to Woick.

"Order the soldiers to hurry into the city. I think the Ottomans will be here soon. Be prepared."

"Yes"

Woick only has 3,000 cavalrymen under his command. They are all Cossacks recruited from the north. They are familiar with both horseback archery and close combat. I hope they can withstand the attack of the Turks.

Soon, the walls of Ansela were seen. In order to resist the enemy, the city defense here was once as solid as a rock, but it is obvious that the Turks did not maintain it well after occupying it, and some places are even falling off.

Some Ottoman soldiers who were still on duty looked from afar and found that it was the Roman army. They immediately ordered the people to flee for their lives. After all, they were only a few hundred people and could not stop the enemy.

Soon, the news of the arrival of the Roman army spread throughout the city. The people who were able to run all gathered at the east gate, and those who were unable to run could only pray for Allah's blessing. And dozens of defenders wanted to resist the Roman army, but they were soon gone. Because these defenders had also suffered from opium, their bodies were no longer as good as before.

The city gates were broken and the people fled for their lives, but Wojcick had no time to collect spoils. He first ordered the army to guard the city gates and then control important public places to avoid internal and external cooperation.

"Get out of the way, don't block the road."

"The general ordered that all residents must not go out, and those who violate the order will be put in prison."

Although the city was initially marked with a notice to reassure the people, it is better to impose martial law in this case. If Musa arrived at this time, there would still be a chance to capture Ankara, but because he had been marching too long, he could only announce a day of rest, and it was this day that made him miss Ankara.

Before the enemy came, Wojcick began to strengthen the city defense and sent people to send letters to the rear, requesting more reinforcements.

The pagans entered the city, and many Turkic immigrants all stayed at home and dared not move. There were no people in the surrounding villages, and even if there were, they were moved into the city to prevent them from being guides for the enemy. They also collected food, demolished buildings outside the city, and blocked water sources. In short, everything they could do was done.

Musa was still resting at this time. His men had just captured a few nomads and used their cattle and sheep as dry food. They also found a few wells nearby, so they rested here.

"Your Highness, eat something."

"No, tell them to rest quickly, and we will set off tomorrow when the sun rises."

Musa was anxious. If it weren't for the soldiers' need for food and rest, he would have whipped them forward like driving cattle. At this time, he just wanted the night to pass quickly. He tossed and turned in the tent several times and couldn't sleep. He could only look at the stars outside.

Finally, the sun's rays shone from the east. Musa quickly ordered the soldiers to get up and march. They should be able to reach Ankara today.

However, due to the hasty walk. Their drinking water reserves were insufficient, and the temperature that day was also high. They soon became thirsty and the water was quickly consumed. However, there was still half a day's journey to the destination, so they could only bite the bullet and move forward.

The defenders of Ansera were ready, with food, water storage, and weapons all ready. Wojc also stood on the wall with his son Jan and looked east, hoping to see the enemy, but there was none yet.

However, soon, the dust was flying in the distance, and the shadows of people and horses could be vaguely seen. When it got closer, the pagan flags could be seen, and the enemy was coming.

"Finally here" Wojc looked at the approaching enemy and immediately ordered the whole city to be on alert. They could only rely on 3,000 troops to defend this city of 13,000 people and wait for reinforcements.

Although Musa was mentally prepared, the thing he least wanted to see still happened. The pagan flags were erected on the walls of Ankara, and they had already taken the lead.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!" Musa burst into an unwilling shout. Since picking up the leaks didn't work, he would change to a strong attack. He felt that the other party had just taken Ankara and was not yet stable. As long as he attacked fiercely, he would definitely be able to take it down.

Musa drew his sword, pointed it at Ankara, and issued an order to attack. His 10,000 soldiers rushed forward, including many of his elder brother's soldiers, which also contributed to the fighting force.

Because Woick's side was a quick army, they only had 100 muskets and a small amount of gunpowder, but there were still many bows and crossbows left in the city. They relied on bows and arrows to offset the huge crowds of people under the city.

Wojc's cavalry also sent the news of the capture of Ancyra back to Kutasia. After Constantine received the accurate news, he immediately ordered the whole army to advance and must arrive in the shortest time. One day late means that Ancyra is more dangerous.

Even if Constantine wanted to provide quick support, the traffic and weather conditions in the interior of Anatolia still made it difficult for them to travel. Due to lack of maintenance and destruction by nomadic peoples, most of the roads built during the Eastern Roman Empire have been damaged and can only be barely walked now. As for the hot weather, the vanguard can only wait for the logistics troops to catch up after consuming water, unless they are willing to not drink water or find a village on the road of more than 200 kilometers. This is still good. The real trouble is the artillery unit. The heavy artillery is difficult to transport, so it was abandoned. Some light artillery takes more time to transport to Ancyra by cattle, horses and manpower. This makes the army, which has been suppressing with firepower, prepare for the first time when the firepower is insufficient.

With the departure of the army, Anatolia, which has been quiet for a short time, once again faces a reshuffle of territorial forces. In the collision between the cross and the crescent, the Orthodox cross has the upper hand. The Latin cross and the crescent seem to be on the decline in the East, but their foundations are deeper than those of the Orthodox Church, and they still have a long way to go to gain a foothold.