Chapter 821: Chapter 729: Salem III’s New Army

A month later.

Stanislaw II returned to Warsaw from Saint Petersburg following the ceasefire agreement.

Only Prince Poniatowski and a dozen officials welcomed him, with the roadsides appearing rather desolate.

The King did not return to the Royal Castle but went instead to his small villa in the southern suburbs of Warsaw.

The next day, Stanislaw II officially announced his marriage to his mistress, Izabela Hidroszawa.

In reality, the two had been in love for years and had already borne two children.

However, to avoid provoking the King’s nominal mistress–Catherine II–they had never dared to make their relationship public.

Now, he no longer needed to worry about displeasing the Tsar of Russia.

Or rather, she was already extremely displeased, so a little more wouldn’t make a difference.

At the end of the month, Prince Poniatowski, at the King’s behest, was appointed Regent of Poland through a unanimous vote in Congress, taking full charge of state affairs.

After the King’s engagement banquet, rumors began circulating among Polish nobility and high-ranking officials that the King had merely feigned subservience to the Tsar, buying precious preparation time for Poland. Many flocked to the King’s villa to sincerely express their gratitude or offer their apologies.

Among the populace, however, this was met with skepticism; the outrageous anecdotes of the King and the Tsar remained the crowd’s favorite topic.

A month later, the 3,900 soldiers who had followed Kosciuszko into the depths of Russia and lived to tell the tale returned home through an exchange of prisoners and an 800,000 Ruble ransom paid by the Polish Government.

Among them were 2,800 soldiers captured after the final battle in Crimea, as well as 1,100 soldiers led by Swiechczyk, who had continued fighting through central and northern Crimea.

Indeed, the Tsar’s ultimate agreement to relinquish most of the territory of Minsk was due to Swiechczyk’s relentless disruptions in Crimea.

On the day of their return to Warsaw, the city emptied its homes as all its residents lined the streets, welcoming their heroes back.

Everyone remembered that when they departed Mozhili, there were 17,000 of them, yet now fewer than 4,000 had come back alive, with hundreds among them permanently disabled.

It was these men, who sacrificed their own lives without hesitation, delivering a strong blow to the invaders and securing a glimmer of hope for Poland.

As Warsaw residents failed to see their two generals, Kosciuszko and East Brovsky, among the survivors, cries of grief enveloped the entire city.

The next day, thousands gathered in front of Royal Castle Square, voluntarily participating in the construction of the “Polish Victory Monument.”

This monument, funded by donations from over a dozen Polish nobles and factory owners, was erected to commemorate the heroic deeds of Polish warriors in their daring raid in Crimea. Its height would reach an astonishing 50 meters.

…

Northeast Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula.

To the north of Tur City, Ottoman Commander Mustafa Pasha, gazing through a telescope at the clouds of dust rising in the distance, could not help but adopt a stern expression.

He was well aware of the formidable power of Mamluk Cavalry.

These cavalry, rulers of Egypt for centuries, maintained rigorous training and, supported by generous rewards, exuded remarkably high morale.

To be truthful, despite the smooth outcomes of several previous skirmishes, he still viewed the Sultan’s decision to invade Egypt as an exceptionally risky endeavor.

Indeed, following the outbreak of the Russian-Polish war, Selim III quickly seized upon Russia’s preoccupation as an opportunity, using the claim that the Ottoman-appointed governor in Egypt was being curtailed by the Mamluks to decisively send troops into Egypt.

What emboldened him to challenge this entrenched warlord faction ruling Egypt for centuries was his reliance on 2,000 Topiyesi New Order troops fully equipped with French weaponry.

If this battle could be won, he would gain the resource-rich region of Egypt, greatly improving the Empire’s finances.

This, in turn, would permit the smoother implementation of his reforms and the organization of new armies.

A military officer briskly approached Mustafa and reported with a salute, “General, the enemy cavalry has mounted an attack.”

Mustafa nodded slightly and instructed the messenger, “Order General Omar Agha to advance.”

Omar Agha was the commander of the Topiyesi New Army.

More than 3,000 Mamluk cavalry charged ferociously at the Ottoman lines from the west and north.

Although the Ottoman army boasted a numerical strength exceeding 36,000, their overall combat proficiency paled in comparison to the Mamluks.

Indeed, on the northern front, 6,000 Ottoman infantry, supported by 1,000 cavalry, were firmly entangled by just over 1,000 Mamluk cavalry, with several critical breaches appearing at times.

On the western front, 2,000 Mamluk cavalry formed the main assault, striking directly at the Ottoman left flank.

In prior battles, this area had already sustained significant breaches from repeated Mamluk infantry attacks.

Now, should cavalry punch through here, Mustafa’s command post would immediately fall within the cavalry’s line of sight.

However, as the Mamluk cavalry began to discern the outlines of the Ottoman formation through the dust clouds, a rhythmic drumbeat suddenly rolled forth.

Soon, a solid wall of white emerged from within the dust haze, bayonets glinting uniformly as they were raised.

The Mamluk cavalry commander roughly estimated the enemy’s numbers–fewer than 2,000–and decisively ordered his troops to divide into five triangular formations to charge the infantry line.

Based on his prior skirmishes with Ottoman forces, he calculated that it would take at least 5,000 Ottoman infantry to barely hold back his 2,000 cavalry.

However, events unfolded far beyond his expectations.

Cannon fire began to ring out from the Ottoman lines, where three cannons had been deployed.

The artillery fire was tightly concentrated, and within just four volleys, the central cavalry formation had been scattered.

In truth, the cannon operators of the Topiyesi army lacked significant skill, but even a 12-pounder cannon wreaked substantial havoc upon firing several rounds through densely packed cavalry units.

The psychological resistance of the Mamluk cavalry to artillery fire proved far less robust than expected.

Nevertheless, the remaining cavalry reached the infantry’s vicinity, only to encounter bayonets shining coldly in a triple-layered formation before them.

Unyielding, the infantry stood their ground without so much as flinching.

The warhorses instinctively hesitated, their riders urgently tugging their reins to steer around the infantry’s line, only for the Ottomans’ muskets to resound.

The genuine Charleville 1763 flintlock guns had far superior firepower and accuracy compared to those manufactured by Ottoman craftsmen.

After several disciplined volleys, the Mamluk cavalry pressing against the infantry line were reduced to chaos, trampled underfoot in disorder as those attempting to retreat collided with freshly advancing riders.

Observing this scene, Mustafa finally sighed in relief.

He had feared nothing more than the elite Mamluk cavalry.

Now that the cavalry had been routed by the Topiyesi infantry, the rest would be far simpler.

He immediately ordered a full assault by the Imperial Guard stationed in the center.

Without their cavalry’s protection, the Mamluks’ central army was swiftly overwhelmed by over 10,000 Ottoman Imperial Guards.