I Am Louis XIV

This city is called Kochevi, which can also be called a big city. It is not that there are no people in the city - even hundreds of years later, there will still be stubborn people in the face of such terrible things as volcanic eruptions or floods. People who do not change and are overconfident are unwilling to leave - of course, such people will inevitably receive harsh lessons, now and in the past.

When they were brought to Ahmed, these Christians still held some illusions. They were as naive as children and actually believed those lies - that the Ottomans would treat all infidels kindly - but they Why don't you think about it? If so, how could the Ottoman Turkish soldiers, who had no pay whatsoever from the three main armies down, those huge cannon fodders, willingly sacrifice their lives for the Sultan without any reward? Woolen cloth?

This is why Ahmed allowed them to plunder and massacre at will. Raising these Azaps was like raising a group of dogs. Before the war came, he would use the flesh and blood of Christians to inspire their greed and Cruel, so that they can fight without fear of pain or death - as soon as the Grand Vizier heard about such a thing, he immediately became vigilant and ordered the erection of sharp wooden stakes - not only Only Christians use piercing.

This order is of course something that every Ottoman Turk here is happy to see. Some Azaps go to chop down trees. Of course, spears can also be used, but a rough branch can prolong the pain of the tortured person as much as possible. The Grand Vizier's soldiers quickly stripped off a Christian's clothes. He was naked and exposed to the sun, trembling desperately, like a piece of milky white fat. He was better than the others. Young and strong, this is why Ahmed chose him. As soon as he realized what these Ottomans were going to do to him, he was so frightened that he pissed and couldn't say anything except screaming, but something else A guy who looked like a mercenary wanted to say something, but was immediately stopped by another person. He immediately stepped back without saying a word.

His choice was correct. Ahmed did not need to show his mercy in front of a group of Ottoman Turkish soldiers at this time and place. He waited until the victim was placed on a saddle by the soldiers, which was not so sharp. After the pointed wooden stake was driven bit by bit between his legs with a hammer, he began to ask what happened in the city with a hoarse howl.

The Christian who was left behind was a fool. He was a businessman and a member of the city council. He had done business with many Ottoman Turks. He had also been to Istanbul and even hid the flag of the Sultan in his home. He was unwilling to give up. His own property and goods refused to leave Kochevi as requested by the allied commander's envoy. He thought that even if the Ottomans came, as long as he swore to convert to their faith, he could still enjoy freedom and power, and he might even become this The master of the city.

Among the few people around him, one is his loyal servant, and the others are mercenaries. These mercenaries are not so much to ensure his safety as to ensure his style. He had previously thought about it, like A governor walked into the Ottoman camp with such majesty.

He probably didn't expect that Ahmed didn't even bother to say anything to him, if it weren't for the fact that the former was worried about the language issue - he was able to speak Hungarian, French and some dialects of the Holy Roman Empire, so what he wanted to know If something went wrong during the transmission of the information, he would not even appear in front of these Christians.

When Azap was fussing about erecting the wooden stake - in the process, they accidentally made the victim fall off the wooden stake, and he had to do it all over again. It's hard to say whether they did it intentionally or not. Anyway, not even the most loyal servant dared to look at him. All the answers Ahmed needed to know were clearly and completely placed in front of him in a few minutes.

Is it true that no one has had similar ideas to Sebastian Vauban before? Of course there is, but the bad thing about any country, principality or county that fights against the Ottoman Turkish Empire is that there is no unified voice. The king or lord in the highest position is unwilling to give up his own interests. Their ministers and Are the knights willing? Not to mention, some areas have not even pledged allegiance to the king or lord, and are only alliances with each other. It is too difficult to gather all the forces together to fight against the Sultan's army.

Even in this battle, if King Louis XIV of France had not led the expedition in person, Spanish Navy Minister Juan Patiño, who provided the same force as him, also agreed to this approach after long consideration, and other reinforcements They also expressed their approval to varying degrees. The tactics of strengthening the walls and clearing the country can still only remain on paper. Even so, the power of the Catholic coalition can only ensure that some cities in the Sava River Basin can bow their heads and obey orders.

Extending further, it is not a matter of strengthening the wall and clearing the country, but that they must fight the local lords of Slovenia before the Ottoman Turks.

The lord of Kochevi was inclined towards the Habsburgs, and he also promised the citizens that if they were willing to leave, Leopold I of the Holy Roman Empire could give them some compensation in taxes and labor, here Partly out of fear of the Ottomans and partly out of trust in the lord, the people left Kochevi with their families. When they left, they took away almost all the food and harvested wheat in advance. The potatoes were dug out, and the horses, cattle, sheep, and all their savings were taken away. The elderly, children, and women were all gone. They may have gone to other cities to wait for the war to pass, or they may have hid in Hills and forests - the Ottoman Turks could certainly follow their trail, but it would be of no use to Ahmed's army - they could not waste time and deviate from their march just to find the Christians who had fooled them .

After confirming that the empty city was not an unconscious escape of people, but a deliberate attempt by the Catholic coalition to impede their progress, Ahmed waved his hand and asked his soldiers to deal with the Christians - he did not forget that there were still thousands more Thousands of "hounds" are waiting to be fed. If there is not enough blood and flesh supply, it is not impossible to be eaten by these hungry beasts.

The Crimean Tatars also returned to his camp at this time. They reported that not only was the city like a gnawed rib, but even the previous roads were destroyed, and this damage The method is different from the past. Instead of digging traps and knocking down trees, the road is piled with huge rocks.

"Stones?" Ahmed asked in surprise. Is there a quarry nearby?

"Exactly, great Pasha," said the Crimean Tatar: "Organized like the masonry in castles and palaces, each block can accommodate a giant bear, they line the road, It is so heavy that only the venerable gods can remove it.”

Ahmed only thought that the Tatars were exaggerating, but when he went there and saw it in person, he knew that the Tatars were not lying, but he also recognized that the "stones" were not "stones." "This is cement." He said that cement was also one of the important materials purchased by the Ottoman Empire from France. As the Grand Vizier with real power, he could certainly recognize it, and...he reached out and touched the road. The cement block on the cement block may be the quick-setting cement that is banned from export. Their scholars have been studying it, but they have never developed a similar product.

It is very easy to make cement become a roadblock. The cement powder is not as heavy before it sets as it does after it sets. Water is everywhere. As for how big it needs to be, it depends on how big the mold is made of wooden boards. These cement The blocks lay across the road and could be dragged away by horses and azapu, but this would undoubtedly greatly slow down their march.

Ahmed looked over and saw that there were at least a hundred cement square bricks here. Even if it was quick-setting cement, it couldn't be done in a day or two. In addition, the Christians also said that those people might have done it. For several nights, the question then arises - how did the Catholic coalition forces know their marching route?

Those cavalrymen who were thrown out like nails also ensured that no one could get close to them. Of course, the general direction cannot be concealed, but the defense and obstacles that are so accurate to the city are very confusing.

Ahmed thought about it for a while, then turned back to Kochevi. Although Kochevi was empty, the building was still there. He went straight to the cathedral. Kochevi's cathedral is also in this city. In the only church, Ahmed saw a group of priests' servants dismantling the stained glass of the cathedral - these were blasphemy to the Ottomans who believed in the true God, but these stained glasses could still be sold to other Catholics . Others were moving out seats, crosses, icons, etc. one after another... These holy objects that could not be taken away by the Catholic priests are now the trophies of the Ottomans.

When Ahmed walked into the nave, there was nothing there except the pillars, walls, floor and dome. The sunlight shone in from the slender window with the glass removed, illuminating the black robes of the priests. , as soon as they saw the Grand Vizier, they crossed their arms and saluted him, and Ahmed returned the salute with the same gesture.

After the priests retreated to both sides, Ahmed saw the imam, the religious commander of the army. He bowed respectfully to the imam, "I have come to seek your help," Ahmed said. De said bluntly: "Priest, I suspect those Christians are colluding with the devil."

"Yes." said the dean. He is an old man who is easy to impress, because most people become gentle after aging, but he is just the opposite. His white hair and beard are like strands. The sharp and shiny iron thorns, the eyes are deeply sunken into the eye sockets, and the nose is like a sharp hook, just a little bit able to hook the upward curved chin.

These priests are the power in the world of the Ottoman Turks. Although their ancestors are also wizards, their history of decoupling from wizards is even earlier than that of the Roman Church, and it is more thorough. They still appointed Merlin as their prime minister under King Arthur. When they were young, they already believed that their power came from the true God. Their hatred of wizards was far greater than that of the Roman Church. In Istanbul, both werewolves and vampires could have a chance to breathe, but wizards could not get it from priests. Be a little tolerant.

Although he had already guessed it, Ahmed still had a look of hatred on his face, as if he had seen a swamp exuding a rotten smell.

"There is nothing surprising about this," said the Patriarch: "The reason why we are here, fighting for the true God, is to rid ourselves of these depraved pagans and their devilish masters."

He nodded to Ahmed and waved to summon the priest beside him. Although Ahmed was the grand vizier, when he saw this scene, he immediately backed away until he reached the side hall and leaned against the pillar.

In the empty nave, a dozen priests once again made a gesture of folding their hands, their heads bowed deeply and humbly, almost touching their chests. The dean stood among them, raising his hands, Like the stamens in a flower, after pausing for a few seconds, the old man looked at the falling sunlight and began to recite sacred scriptures loudly and make complicated gestures.

After he finished this prayer, the priest took off his black robe with him, revealing the white coat underneath, the long skirt, the black belt around the waist, and the yellow hat on the head - in their teachings, taking off the black robe The robe means getting rid of the troubles of the mortal world. The black belt left behind shows that they cannot get rid of the mortal body for the time being. The white coat and long skirt mean their sacred gods. As for the yellow, tall hat, It represents the grave.

At this time the drums sounded, and then the flutes sounded, and the priests walked three times around the place and saluted each other.

Then, amid the monotonous and steady music, they turned one hand to the sky, praying to the true God for protection, and the other hand pointed downward, which meant distributing this gift to believers. They rotated with their left foot as the center to symbolize the world. All things are born again and again - they will continue to spin for a long time, dozens of minutes or even hours, to get close to the true God and pray for favors.

Even the Grand Vizier, Ahmed, could only watch them silently and piously while reciting scriptures in his heart. But where he couldn't see, there were flocks of ravens, doves and falcons. , falling like hailstones.

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Varro Vesalius heard a scream. He immediately ran to the next room and saw Hood lying on the ground. His crystal ball was broken into countless small, bright pieces. He pressed his face and blood flowed from his fingers. Flow out from the cracks.