Chapter 884: Wild Ambition

"Where did they go?"

Kuma, leading his men, had already filled Hamid's entire residence.

The people were gone?

The people were gone!

Did they fly away!

Did they vanish into thin air!

Kuma's expression was very ugly.

"Search! Search for me!"

"Yes!"

However, after searching high and low, not a single hair was found!

How strange!

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Kuma looked at the surrounding environment; he truly had no clue how they had escaped, but he could guarantee that they definitely did not leave through any proper path. At this moment, more and more Janissaries were coming to reinforce the area. With over ten thousand people outside, even with the public causing trouble, it would be very difficult to escape from here smoothly.

Underground?

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind.

Continue searching.

The kitchen, the guest rooms, and then the backyard.

"Find it for me, see if there is an underground passage!"

"Yes!"

This was the only possibility.

"Captain, this..."

But this entire residence had no cellars or anything of the sort.

Consequently, everyone's gaze became focused on the well in the backyard.

The bystanders spoke all at once.

"Go down!"

"That can't be, right?"

"I know this well; the water is very deep!"

A group of people looked grim.

"Bring a rope!"

Kuma said coldly.

"Huh?"

A cry of surprise came from below.

Kuma's expression changed.

Kuma quickly called for someone to bring a rope, then tied it to a man and lowered him down.

Very quickly.

A flash of inspiration struck Kuma's mind.

The sewer system!

"Found it, the opening, the opening!"

"It's a passage, an underground passage!"

It was bustling with activity.

At this moment.

Soon, an order was disseminated: everyone was to enter from every sewer passage throughout the city of Istanbul to search for Hamid!

Several thousand people, ten thousand people.

Everything was a matter of time.

Jiang Xuan had calculated this time perfectly. Because even if these people found out that they had come out of the sewer system, it would still take a certain amount of time to retrieve the maps and the data for every exit.

Jiang Xuan had already appeared outside the city gate. Because he knew that once Hamid successfully entered the underground passage, others would definitely not be able to catch him. A while ago, he had already obtained the entire City Defense Map, as well as the map of these underground water channels. As a thousand-year-old city, Istanbul's underground water channels were quite developed. Twisting and winding, he had long since designed a path that would allow them to occupy an absolute advantage in terms of time, so that even if those people discovered the mystery of the well, they would hardly have enough time to catch up to them.

Time.

Finally.

A sound came from a haystack in the place where Jiang Xuan was waiting.

Finally, arrange for people to come and catch them.

There was absolutely not enough time.

Naturally, there was also Hamid.

Having seen the light of day again, Hamid was exceptionally excited.

Jiang Xuan smiled and walked over.

Several Dark Night members had already crawled out of the passage.

Hamid was streaming with tears.

This lovely Longyan face, one look and he knew it was someone sent by the idol!

Jiang Xuan smiled slightly and reached out his hand: "Hello, little Viscount."

"You, you, you, thank you, thank you!"

Pitter-patter.

At this moment, some Cavalry had already arrived, which gave Hamid another fright, but after seeing clearly who they were, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Too strong!

Worthy of being his idol!

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, you have finally come out!"

Sipahi!

The people who arrived were several Sipahi generals, the first wave of people to respond to Hamid!

Hamid's appearance instantly boosted the confidence of the Sipahi Cavalry. Because Hamid represented the legitimacy of their mutiny this time. This is the case in any country. Previously, the Sipahi Cavalry came aggressively, but in reality, they lacked legitimacy. Although they held up the banner of "protecting the king," the Mustafa regime at the time did not recognize this set of claims at all. Thus, Ahmed was still able to make an issue of this!

He called these Sipahi rebels!

When the two sides met, their eyes were filled with hot tears.

They, the Sipahi, finally had a backbone!

Once Mustafa was dead.

Hamid successfully escaped, and following that, he appeared within the camp of the Sipahi Cavalry.

They were rebelling against the Sultan, rebelling against Istanbul.

But now.

"Crusade against Ahmed!"

"Seek the glory of the Ottoman!"

"Your Highness!"

"Protect Your Highness!"

The situation had truly changed.

The previous Sipahi Cavalry were actually all fighting on their own; the Sipahi Cavalry from various towns had no organization at all and were fighting in a chaotic mess. But after Hamid appeared, it was suddenly different. He, this person, was the Flag of the Sipahi. Legitimacy, spiritual leader—all at once, the Sipahi side had high morale, while Ahmed, who was holding onto Istanbul, suddenly became an illegitimate existence.

Ottoman.

Pursue!

For these people of the Ottoman, he had not the slightest sympathy.

Tabriz.

Suleiman was frantically celebrating the victory here.

Nadir Shah was very hesitant; he suggested waiting a bit longer. But Suleiman could not wait. The Safavid Dynasty had already been bullied to this extent, so what was there to wait for? The Longyan Army had just suffered a great defeat, and here the Ottoman had been beaten down by the Safavid; if they didn't take advantage of the situation to pursue now, when would they?

Amidst the hesitation, news of the Sipahi mutiny within the Ottoman Empire was transmitted over.

Pursue!

Take back all the territory they had lost.

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.

The mutiny within the Ottoman Empire was, of course, the best opportunity for them to take back their lost territory.

This instantly solidified Suleiman's determination to pursue the Ottoman Empire!

When Nadir Shah saw this situation, he felt that it was indeed possible to pursue.

Indeed.

Next, their conquests began to achieve successive victories; all at once, the Safavid Dynasty felt that it had stood up again.

Therefore.

Nadir Shah waved his hand, and an army of one hundred thousand set off immediately.

At this time, the most capable troops of their Safavid Dynasty, the troops of Nadir Shah, had already traveled further and further away, further from Tabriz, and naturally further from Mashhad.

Just at this moment.

However.

They did not realize it.

Caught off guard.

No one expected that the Longyan Army, which had just experienced a great defeat, would become full of vigor and high in morale in such a short time. Moreover, their marching speed was extremely fast, not at all like a decadent defeated army.

The great army that Ling Chen had long prepared finally set out.

With the force of a thunderbolt.

Everyone was shocked.

In fact, when Ling Chen's troops were retreating, they were intentionally putting on a show, dragging their feet and looking wretched, but in reality, they had already hidden the majority of their forces along the way. The "great army" that the Scouts saw was only one hundred thousand men; another one hundred thousand plus were already resting and building up their strength along the way, just waiting for a signal from Ling Chen!

Three days!

In three days' time, the Longyan Army, which was thought to have retreated, appeared once again outside the city of Mashhad.

Attack!

General assault!

Panicked.

All at once, the entire Mashhad was in a panic.

"Damn it!"

"How did they come back again!"

Ling Chen did not waste words; once he arrived, it was an all-out attack.

The city walls of Mashhad, which had been on the verge of collapse from shelling a while ago and had not yet been repaired, were now met with a new round of shelling.

Notify the general?

At this time, their general, the national hero Nadir Shah, had already reached the border of the Ottoman, and if he wanted to return, it would likely take at least a month!

"Quick, quick, quick, notify the General! Notify the General!"

The defending troops in Mashhad at this time numbered only one hundred thousand; resisting was naturally extremely arduous.

This Shia monarch, whose vision was clearly much more limited, fell into a state of conflict.

You must be joking.

Seek reinforcements from Tabriz!

Soon, the military report was delivered to Tabriz, into the hands of Suleiman.

Besides.

If I take troops to support you in Mashhad, and meanwhile, if Nadir Shah returns, can I still hold onto this position of Sultan?

Request reinforcements?

My own situation in Tabriz is uncertain! Where would I have the military strength to go and rescue you in Mashhad!

Faced with a partner's plea for reinforcements, he could not refuse directly.

Therefore.

Tabriz is the true capital of the Safavid Dynasty!

However.

The tactic of delay.

Go back, reinforcements will arrive immediately.

He used a masterstroke.

Delay.

Again.

Go back, they will arrive immediately.

Thus, the Messenger returned.

After waiting seven days, they still hadn't arrived.

Half a month.

That was enough for Ling Chen to take Mashhad.

To hell with "right away"!

Half a month has already passed!

"Charge!"

The Longyan Army began to charge toward Mashhad, beginning to hunt down those Safavid soldiers.

On the day the city fell, the entire city wall of Mashhad had been almost razed to the ground. This battle was truly too difficult.

"Kill!"

Enter the city.

Take control of the city, pacify the common people.

Finally, it has been taken.

Ling Chen let out a long sigh of relief.

That fierce general, Nashadier, would find that he had nowhere left to go, and the conflict between him and Suleiman would naturally escalate.

The Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Dynasty were already in complete chaos.

As long as Mashhad was taken, then what followed would be easy to handle.

Then just wait for the Safavid Dynasty to fall into chaos itself.

This was also what Liu Zheng wanted.

Why was Liu Zheng so fixated on the Safavid Dynasty? The Middle East is naturally of paramount importance; in reality, what he was eyeing was actually the Suez Canal of the Ottoman Empire. In Liu Zheng's global hegemony plan, this place was too important.

This was what Ling Chen wanted.

Of course.

He would not hesitate to bear the name of an aggressor to ensure it was taken.

The Suez Canal can connect the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, Europe, the Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific; it is also the boundary line between Asia and Africa.

It can be said that the Suez Canal connects the entire world.

As long as this place can be firmly held in his hands.

Liu Zheng can truly look down upon the entire globe.