"Less than a third of a pule rong, what's wrong?" Manuel responded.
"Have the Tatars been surveying this 'moat' all day today?" Tukharovsky continued, somewhat uneasy.
"That's right," Manuel answered smoothly, but he quickly realized something was amiss and immediately jumped up from his seat, "Wait, wait, don't tell me… Tukharovsky, do you think nomads can dig tunnels?!"
"Your Highness, to my knowledge, yes, but not many."
"That's good…" Manuel was about to relax and sit down, but after recalling his knowledge from his previous life, he immediately jumped up again, "By Satan! There are Janissaries from the Ottoman on the other side!" Manuel clearly remembered that in the Siege of Constantinople recorded in history books of his previous life, the Ottoman had used tunnel warfare tactics.
Thinking of this, he first felt agitated all over, then calmed down: "Holy Mother above, quickly mobilize a batch of defenders to keep a close watch on the movements above and below ground. Have the sappers prepare to connect with the surrounding waterways now, and prepare more torches and firewood. Phew," After giving these orders, he let out a long breath, having figured out how to trap these ignorant Tatars, "Tsk, they don't even know who expanded the underground fortress of Cappadocia. You like tunnels? Then I'll give it a try, 'long line, big fish.'"
Meanwhile, the Crimean Army was completely unaware of the Theodoro Army's countermeasures, instead reveling in joy. Beijin Xilin Darhkan, the chief of the Shirin, even gathered his tribal members, Klier, and Khan Giray to celebrate with them.
"By Allah, rest assured, Khan, for the glory of Your Highness and the Khanate, tomorrow I will personally lead my brave tribal people and be the first to break into the Kafir's positions." At the banquet, Shirin, emboldened by drink, made this request.
"No need, no need. Tomorrow, I still need people to share the joy of victory with me on the battlefield. So the three of you, not one of you can be missing then."
"Of course, since Shirin Darhkan is so considerate of the Khanate, I will respectfully obey. Tomorrow, the warriors of the Shirin will lead the charge." Giray smiled, hugged him tightly, and finally made this decision.
"Thank you, Khan!"
All participants seemed to be immersed in the joyful atmosphere, but one person, however, held his wine glass in front of him, un-drunk, with a worried expression.
Looking at the Crimean Tatars who were celebrating victory before the battle had even begun, Mahmud Kelir, the Janissaries reinforcement, tried to approach the two central figures of the banquet, warning anxiously: "Khan, we haven't even started fighting yet. You should know, the Greeks are cunning, I suggest…"
Before he could finish, his mouth was stopped by a Tatar's wine glass. "General Klier, there's no need to worry. The warriors of my Shirin are devout, wise, and courageous. If the Greeks are so foolish as to dare to attack this underground offensive, they are sure to suffer a great defeat." Shirin laughed triumphantly.
"As long as you're happy, Your Excellency…"
From the sixth to the tenth day, besides routine military standoffs, both sides did nothing on the surface, as if that was all there was between them.
But secretly, in the Crimean Army's tent, Giray received good news from the sappers with great satisfaction.
"Hmm, looking at this, we should be able to pierce through the Isthmus defense line set up by the infidels by the second week of our army's southward advance. Hahaha, these ignorant Kafir are ultimately foolish fellows who cannot understand the way of Allah." Thinking of this, Giray was already looking forward to the surprised expressions of the Theodoro Army when they saw the Crimean soldiers.
That evening, on the tenth day, after the sappers reported that the tunnel was about to break through the Tatar Isthmus defense line, approximately 1 pule rong away, Giray, believing the opportunity had arrived, discussed it with the Darhkans and decided to launch an attack tonight. The attacking force numbered around seven hundred men, all of whom were elite tribal members. The three hundred men forming the vanguard, as previously agreed, were entirely from the Shirin.
That night, under the cover of darkness, this Crimean Army, led by the sappers, entered the tunnel through an opening in the camp and advanced rapidly towards the Theodoro's positions. As they tunneled, some were already fantasizing about the panic and confusion of the enemy when they suddenly appeared among the Theodoro Army.
However, the tunneling time was not short; it wasn't until midnight that these Tatar soldiers reached the "exit" dug by the sappers over the past few days. Although called an "exit," in reality, compared to the true exit, it was actually the predetermined exit that the sappers had planned during their digging, lacking the final step: the last opening to the surface.
When the leading soldiers reached the "exit," they all became tense. After the sappers broke open the soil and mud layer above, the vanguards swarmed forward to peek out. For them now, earning merit and breathing fresh air were equally important.
But when they peeked out, they found a group of fully armed, burly men who seemed to have been waiting for them for a long time. "Oh, you're awake?" The leader of the opposing side smiled at the bewildered Tatars.
Subsequently, these emerging Crimean soldiers, like moles, became living targets for the long-waiting Theodoro soldiers. With long swords and spears hacking or thrusting down, these first Crimean to emerge lost their lives either with shocked expressions or in utter confusion. It should be noted that many Tatars had shed their armor midway to move more quickly.
At this moment, Manuel, who was supervising the battle from the watchtower by the light of torches, watched this bloody yet somewhat comical scene with a calm expression, a gentle smile appearing on his face, "Wow, is this playing 'whack-a-mole'? I really want to go down and play myself." He rubbed his fists, eager to try, but out of concern that going down might hinder his own soldiers' progress, he ultimately suppressed the urge.
Although the Tatars were initially caught off guard, they were not brainless. Seeing the unfavorable situation, they immediately pushed out some cannon fodder targets to act as human shields, covering the retreat of the remaining main force. And when Manuel, who was supervising the battle, received an immediate report, he let out a cold laugh: "Hmph, trying to escape? Let the troops prepared at the 'moat' take action."
The Tatar soldiers fleeing at the front were celebrating their escape from death, only to discover a large amount of water appearing in the tunnel behind them, or rather, in front of their escape route, and the water level was still rising!
"What exactly…" Before he could finish, the mouths of the last batch of Tatars fleeing were tightly sealed by this unknown water. After witnessing the tragic state of their comrades, several extremely panicked soldiers actually fled forward, only to be killed by the Theodoro Army.
Thus, under the absolute disadvantage of having ambushes in front and a deluge behind, all seven hundred Tatars, with the exception of a very few who surrendered, perished. In other words, these seven hundred Crimean elites were completely annihilated.