The Venetians who cause trouble

"Constantinople."

Earlier than the Venetian and Genoese informing Mumoona, Constantine XI had already sealed the gaps.

"Phew, finally sealed them up."

Even though the repaired walls couldn't compare in strength to the real western walls, Constantine XI still wore a worried expression.

"I wonder how long we can hold out."

Those supreme cannons, sooner or later, will completely destroy our walls."

"It seems we'll have to endure a difficult street fight in the end."

"Suna," Constantine XI said to his companion Madam Mati, who had been by his side the whole time.

"Those supreme cannons will probably collapse our walls in no time."

"It looks like we're going to have to fight a tough urban battle."

"Ah, I regret letting that engineer slip away."

The engineer who could produce the supreme cannons actually applied for a position with Constantine XI first.

Unfortunately, although Constantine XI valued him highly, the empty coffers of Noma couldn't afford to pay the engineer's salary, let alone forge the terrifying cannons.

So the engineer went to Mumoona's aid, helping her forge the supreme cannons and then turning them against his former boss.

"...I'll go ask him and see if there's anything we can do," Madam Mati said after thinking for a moment.

"All right," Constantine XI nodded slightly.

The prophecy seems to be gradually coming true.

Even the Emperor of Noma, who once thought it was just a boring platitude passed down by word of mouth to comfort oneself, couldn't help but feel a bit shaken at this moment.

Maybe the prophecy really came from some prophet?

"This is quite simple!" Shu Yichao exclaimed after listening to Madam Mati's gestures. "A night raid!"

When he was grinding monsters in the Mohai before, he noticed that the night battle penalty of this MOD seemed particularly severe.

Night battles often resulted in enemy forces collapsing after just one round of arrow rain followed by a charge.

So, attacking at night it is.

However, Shu Yichao and his men didn't notice that not far away, a mercenary was listening intently.

Not long after, this mercenary found an excuse to leave his post and disguised himself before sneaking into a small courtyard in the residential area.

"The Khitans plan to launch a night raid on the Esman camp?"

A girl wearing glasses, braided hair, and exuding an air of scholarship, put away the ledger in her hand.

"Interesting intelligence."

"If that poor Emperor sends out his troops to attack the Esman people, they might collapse halfway there."

"The incompetent and arrogant Noma people don't have the courage to leave their walls."

"But if it's the Khitans leading the charge, that's a different story."

"I have to admit - those Khitans are the most powerful warriors I've ever seen."

"Even compared to the Sultan's new army, they're like fireflies in the moonlight."

"So, Mr. Councilor, what should we do?" a bewildered soldier asked.

The girl with glasses didn't speak but looked at her desk.

Under the dim oil lamp, a small bag of fragrant pepper, a plate of sparkling white sugar, and a roll of soft and shiny silk seemed to emit a faint glow.

"I really didn't expect the Khitans to have such good goods." The girl sniffed the fragrance lightly, intoxicated.

"I only spent less than one percent of my usual expenses to buy so many treasures."

"If someone could take them back to Venezia, they'd immediately become famous rich men far and wide."

"So, Mr. Councilor?" the soldier asked, puzzled.

"Go and tell the Admiral this news," the girl said. "Let him pass this information to the Esman."

"What?" The soldier almost dropped his jaw in shock.

"What's so surprising?" The girl glanced at him. "Only in desperate situations do people bring out the best things they have."

"The savages outside the city need to be pushed a little harder."

"Then we can get more benefits, right?"

The soldier looked puzzled.

"So, I hate you stupid people," the girl puffed up her face.

You see, her reasons for doing this were very sufficient.

First, she could use this opportunity to collect luxury goods scattered among the Khitans in the city, which would be an amazing fortune.

Second, by weakening the Khitans' strength, she could force the Noma people to rely more on Venezia' aid, thus gaining more privileges for the city-state.

Third, after the war, she could take the opportunity to win over the heavily damaged Khitans. If she could harvest a stable trade route from them, she'd hit the jackpot.

Fourth, the Genoese must be doing the same thing already, and if she didn't act fast, this information wouldn't sell for much!

"Just do as I say."

"Yes, Councilor," the soldier retreated with a confused expression.

"Hmm, speaking of which," the girl leaned back in her chair, murmuring to herself.

"Are those Khitans really human?"

She had secretly observed Shu Yichao and his soldiers, and although they ate, drank, fought, and brawled like the Khitans, she just felt that every move they made exuded a terrifying evil aura!

It was as if they were monsters wearing human skin, stiffly imitating human actions...

"Phew - it must be just my imagination," the girl took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes.

And so, under the calculations of the two commercial city-states, the news of Shu Yichao's plan to night raid the Esman reached Mumoona's ears in just a few hours.

"It's not a bad piece of news."

A glint of excitement flashed in Mumoona's eyes.

She knew those two city-states were probably scheming something, but even so, so what?

Mumoona already considered the Khitans a major threat, and if she could use this opportunity to annihilate them, that would be even better.

So she gave the order, and the entire Esman camp began to mobilize secretly.

First, Mumoona had people dig a long trench near the city wall, cover it with wooden boards, and send soldiers to hide in it.

Then, she dug a second trench near the Esman camp, placed caltrops in front of it, and erected spears in it to ensure the Khitans couldn't cross it.

Next, she quietly ambushed eight thousand elite troops near the flanks and deployed small cannons.

They only waited for the Khitans to cross the first trench before launching a barrage of cannon fire and cutting off their retreat.

Mumoona didn't believe the Khitans could break through under these circumstances.

And then, the nearly ten thousand hidden soldiers waited from dusk until midnight, from midnight until late at night, and then...

"Only two hours until dawn," a somewhat weary Mumoona's eyes turned bloodshot.

"Why is there still no movement from the western wall?"

I couldn't have been deceived by those shameless merchants, could I?

Just as Mumoona was muttering to herself, doubting whether she had made a wrong decision.

The night raid began.

But it didn't start in the way the Sultan had expected.

"Boom!" A huge explosion, like the supreme thunder descending upon the earth, shook the ground and sent rocks and sand flying.

And the source of the explosion—

"No! My cannon!" Mumoona, identifying the source of the sound, looked at her artillery position in shock.

At this moment, a blazing red cloud rose along with the deafening sound and tangible shockwaves.

At the same time, countless ghostly figures seemed to shuttle through the Esman camp, causing the entire camp to cry out in terror.

The Esman camp was in chaos!

"How is this possible?" Mumoona's vision went black.

How did those Khitans run into her rear army?

Could they fly!?