"Our Zheng He was assigned to the 'blocking fleet' and was about to head to the Aegean Sea to occupy Thenedos Island, with the goal of blocking the exit of the Dardanelles and preventing the Constantinople fleet from entering the Mediterranean. Together with us were two ironclad ships, 16 armed sailing ships, and 19 galleys. The two ironclad ships are Huo Qubing and General Fubo."

Zheng Chenggong announced the arrangements of the Navy to the crew of the Zheng He.

"The front line!" The crew members of the Zheng He cheered.

Thenedos is located at the exit of the Strait of Dardanelles and may encounter the Constantinople fleet at any time.

The Ottoman Empire had shipyards in Constantinople and the Mediterranean Sea. The goal of blocking the fleet was to watch the Dardanelles when the main navy's shipyards were destroyed in the Mediterranean Sea and not allow the Constantinople's fleet to enter the Mediterranean Sea.

This means that Zheng He has the opportunity to make military achievements in participating in the blockade fleet that guards the Dardanelles!

"Don't be too happy too early. Although the shipbuilding technology of the Ottoman Empire is a bit outdated, they have a lot of manpower and material resources to build hundreds of sailboats within half a year. We must be careful to block the Dardanelles and not be greedy for merit." Zheng Chenggong also wanted to make military achievements, but reason told him that he could strive for the opportunity to make meritorious contributions in daily life. If he was greedy for merit on the battlefield, it might lead to very bad consequences.

"The quartermaster checks whether all kinds of supplies are complete. The sailing cable leader brings people to check the sails and rigging. Now it is a real battle." Zheng Chenggong mobilized everyone.

The 50,000 coalition infantry and sailors gathered on the island of Malta began to mobilize urgently, and all ships were ready to go.

When the kingdoms involved in the anti-Ottoman alliance realized that they could defeat the Ottoman Empire that threatened them all the time, they were full of fighting spirit and wished they could capture Constantinople as soon as possible.

The commanders of the blockade fleet were Sun Xu and Black, and they were divided into four teams - Sun Xu, Black, Zheng Zhihu and Castella each led a team.

The Zheng He was under the jurisdiction of Zheng Zhihu's squad, and they still only played the role of a reserve team.

"This is your second time to go to the battlefield, but the scale and danger of this battle are far above the battle in the West Indies. It is also your first time to be a captain. Don't let down the trust of the army leader in you." Before setting off, Zheng Zhihu had high hopes for his eldest nephew Zheng Chenggong.

Zheng Chenggong is the second generation of the Zheng family. After the three brothers Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Zhihu and Zheng Zhibao retreat, of course, I hope Zheng Chenggong can take over.

"I will try my best to fight...if I have a chance," Zheng Chenggong replied.

The huge coalition forces began to operate. Their first stop was Crete, which was besieged by 50,000 troops of the Ottoman Empire. The local Venetian defenders were huddled in the fortress and were in danger.

The coalition's naval fleet was too large, and the Ottoman ships in the waters near Crete did not dare to stop the landing of the coalition's fleet.

Chu Yun chose to follow the army to operate in Crete instead of following the Navy to play cat and mouse games with the Ottoman fleet in the Mediterranean.

The Imperial Guard Brigade, the Far West Expeditionary Force, and the Royal English Army successfully joined forces with 5,000 Venetian soldiers from the Canthian Fortress in Crete.

"The reinforcements have finally arrived!" Konal, the defensive commander of the Kandia Fortress, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the dragon flag and the rice flag on the island.

"There seems to be a bit too many reinforcements."

"There may be 7,000 people, no, 10,000 people!"

The Venetian defenders walked up to the city walls one by one, looking at the hundreds of ships that appeared on the sea, sending soldiers and supplies to the island of Crete with their galleys and boats.

"Is this the strength of the Anti-Ottoman Empire Alliance?" Konal saw soldiers and war horses ashore, the Yellow Dragon Flag and the Rice Flag were roaring in the sea breeze, and steamships even further away were rolling black smoke.

There has never been such a powerful army in the Mediterranean!

"Open the fortress gate and welcome reinforcements!"

The defenders of the Kandian Fortress cheered gladly, and the gate was opened by the excited Venetian soldiers.

After Chu Yun personally led 10,000 reinforcements to the land, he asked Nelson and other naval fleets to follow the scheduled plan. In addition to the logistics fleet still staying in Crete, the main naval force went to blockade the Dardanelles and wipe out the Ottoman warships in the Mediterranean.

"In the lower Venice Crete defensive commander Konal, we are grateful for your generous and selfless assistance!" Konal was full of gratitude for these saviors.

If Chu Yun hadn't appeared with a group of reinforcements, the fortress on Crete might have been trapped in the Ottoman Empire for years!

"There are 50,000 Ottoman troops in Crete. Their commander is Yusuf Pasha, the son-in-law of the Ottoman Emperor. He brought the emperor's personal soldiers and swept over half of the Crete. Only the Kaneya Fortress in the north and the Kantia Fortress in the south can hold their hands under the army. They tried to break the gap by digging cannon fodder to bury explosives. But every time they exploded the gap, our Venetian soldiers and civilians would quickly fill it up, and they had no way to shake our city defense for the time being." Konal explained to Chu Yun the current situation of Crete.

"There are 50,000 people outside the fortress, and there are 15,000 people in our joint army, which is enough to defeat them." Chu Yun gradually became excited.

He really hasn't been to the front line in person for a long time, and this time he is fighting the powerful Ottoman army.

If his subordinates had not experienced modern training and equipped with rear-mounted muskets, it would be difficult to defeat the Ottoman army when the number of people was at a disadvantage.

However, now he has the elite Imperial Guards Brigade, two armies of the Far West Expedition Army, three English infantry regiments and one Royal Cavalry regiment, and 5,000 Venetian soldiers...

"We can give the war letter to the other party's commander, insult them in the war letter, and demand a battle with them on Crete. If they don't know our strength, we will be able to win in one battle." Prince Rupert suggested.

Chu Yun looked at the 25-year-old young prince. Prince Rupert was nominally Sophia's nephew, although the actual ages of the two were not much different.

Prince Rupert is now the hottest existence in England except Sophia.

"Then follow your thoughts and provoke the opposite Yusuf Pasha." Chu Yun affirmed the young man's thoughts.

When Venetian garrison Corner heard that he was going to provoke the Ottoman Empire, he quickly volunteered: "I will curse them in the most vicious language. When they see the book of Zhan, they will definitely jump into anger and fight us in a decisive battle."
Chapter completed!