After two months of fierce fighting, even the mighty theodosian walls suffered multiple irreparable breaches, and the constant roar of cannons and continuous barrage from trebuchets hurling projectiles at the walls severely hindered the defenders' efforts to repair them.
Each day, as Crusaders pushed numerous siege engines close to the walls, engaging in a desperate struggle with the Ottoman defenders, the most experienced Serbian and Hungarian miners, under their cover, continuously dug tunnels beneath the walls.
The Ottomans had once used this method to try and destroy the walls of Constantinople, but their plan was quickly foiled by Eastern Roman Empire engineers.
Now, the Ottomans were employing the same tactic, digging tunnels from inside the walls; once two tunnels connected, they would block the entire tunnel or flood it to destroy it.
However, the Ottomans were not as fortunate as the Eastern Romans had been; although they destroyed most of the tunnels, some bunkers still managed to reach beneath the walls.
With the burning of large quantities of combustibles and the astonishing explosions of gunpowder barrels, the defenders on the walls even thought an earthquake had occurred, when in reality it was the vibration caused by the collapse of the walls.
Whenever such a sight occurred, it would greatly demoralize the defenders within the city, while simultaneously boosting the confidence of the siege forces.
But a collapsed wall was still a wall, providing protection for the city within, only that the defenders could no longer easily defend these breaches.
Both sides continuously contested these breaches along a battlefront several kilometers long, leading to incredibly fierce engagements and heavy casualties.
As the situation gradually slipped in an unfavorable direction, the Ottomans also began to experiment with more aggressive defensive strategies.
Whenever the attackers showed even a slight decline, they would send out small cavalry units from side gates, launching desperate raids on the besieging forces. This method helped them successfully repel many Crusader offensives, and also made the battle even more brutal.
As night fell, both the Muslims within the city and the Christians outside would do their best to collect the remains of their comrades, burying them to allow them to rest in peace.
During this time, the Ottomans seized the opportunity to repair the broken walls and create more obstacles below the city—though these efforts might very well be undone by morning, they spared no effort in creating more impediments for the Crusader siege.
The fleet and land forces on the Golden Horn side were also busy; after the sea walls suffered significant damage, William and Dujam jointly commanded several landing operations, and they actually succeeded in capturing a weakly defended section of the wall, but in the subsequent battle for the city gate, they were driven back to the beach by Ottoman reinforcements who arrived a step ahead.
Under the cover of artillery fire, the Crusaders retreated to the opposite bank, while the Ottoman defenders temporarily secured their rear, avoiding the fate of being attacked from both front and back.
Time came to a Sunday at the end of November, and the battlefield was unusually quiet that day, as it was a day of rest Laszlo had set for the Crusaders.
The Crusader warriors in the camp began a massive celebration, indulging in abundant food, including flour-based flatbreads and loaves, as well as plenty of meat and fine wine.
The second autumn harvest had just passed, and not only did the defenders within the city receive a timely supply of grain, but the besieging Crusaders were also able to obtain large quantities of military provisions and other supplies from as far as Sicily and as close as the areas surrounding Constantinople.
Due to their aversion to the taste of salted meat, some soldiers even chose to slaughter horses for fresh meat, though killing warhorses was strictly forbidden.
Regardless of whether these soldiers came from the Empire, Italy, or Hungary, the Balkans, they could all sit together, sharing food and drinking wine, with bursts of singing often echoing through the camp, accompanied by the melodious tunes of flutes, war drums, or lutes.
Bards, priests, acrobats, prostitutes, and other such figures, as long as they could make the warriors temporarily forget the fear of death and the torment of war, were free to play their part in the various camps.
Of course, Laszlo was not so foolish as to completely relax his guard; he assigned vigilance duties to each Crusader unit to guard against a possible Ottoman surprise attack.
However, the Ottomans did not choose to risk a sally; although Bayezid had once considered such a plan, the Ottoman defenders' fatigue even exceeded that of the Crusader warriors, so they also needed this rare opportunity to catch their breath.
Seven grueling weeks of brutal fighting finally found a moment of peace.
Yet, even as the rank-and-file warriors remained engrossed in the festive atmosphere, the high command of both armies knew well that this brief tranquility was merely the calm before the storm.
Outside the city, in the Crusader camp.
Laszlo, having just completed a round of inspection, dismounted with a weary body; his thick clothes shielded him from the howling cold wind, but his face was already somewhat stiff with cold, now only able to maintain a serious expression.
It was now early winter, and fortunately, the Balkans would most likely experience another warm winter this year, as if blessed by heaven, which greatly boosted Laszlo's confidence in capturing Constantinople.
In fact, the winter climate in the Balkans had been quite mild in recent years, which was undoubtedly good news.
Although this winter might not be very cold, it did not mean Laszlo intended to spend the winter outside the city with his large army; he hoped to end this brutal war of attrition before Christmas and celebrate a wonderful holiday with his warriors inside the city.
This sounded like something a five-star general might say, and it wasn't very auspicious, so Laszlo ultimately chose not to use it as a slogan to boost morale.
After two months of fighting, Laszlo saw that the initial passion of those who joined the Crusaders had long faded, leaving only endless fatigue, pain, and fear and confusion about the future.
The daily casualty figures now accumulated to a terrifying extent; Laszlo always needed to mentally prepare himself before daring to open the reports sent from the various camps.
Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? Such casualty figures were not easily borne even by a Crusader army with a total strength of over one hundred thousand.
But having come this far with great difficulty, Laszlo would not give up no matter what; he had made so many efforts before for this very moment.
Laszlo entered his tent, and the warmth that greeted him slightly improved his mood.
Inside the tent, Ulrich Fugger, the Crusaders' chief logistics officer, was waiting for Laszlo's return.
"Your Majesty, the donations from the rear and the logistical supplies collected and purchased from the surrounding areas have been tallied in recent days. According to our estimates, our supplies can last until the end of January next year at most. After that, securing sufficient supplies will require a large amount of money and will be quite difficult."
Ulrich reported the current situation.
The new round of supplies was enough to last for another two months, and there might be some additions during this period, but there would not be the large quantities of supplies seen during the autumn harvest.
This was good news for Laszlo; at least in the short term, he didn't have to worry about the logistics of the grand army.
"This is already enough; this siege will not drag on until then," Laszlo sighed softly. "At this point, we have no other choice but to fight the Ottomans to the death."
Ulrich nodded; in truth, he couldn't quite understand the Emperor's choice.
As a merchant who had received professional training and education since childhood, he always tried to make choices that maximized profit.
And the Emperor's grand mobilization of Crusaders and forceful attack on Constantinople seemed rather irrational to him.
If he were to command this army, he would now send someone to Bursa on the other side of the strait to negotiate with Sultan Mehmed II.
Instead of desperately fighting the defenders within the city, who were making a last stand, and suffering heavy casualties for it, it would be better to use them as leverage to extort another sum from the Sultan.
Half of the Ottoman Empire's military forces, along with Prince Bayezid, the legitimate heir of the Ottoman Empire, were now gathered in the city. Using these as bargaining chips to confront the Sultan, see if Mehmed II, known for his recklessness, would dare to gamble.
Before the war truly ended, even those in the midst of it could not predict its outcome, let alone those observing the situation from the sidelines.
"Your Majesty, have you not considered another round of peace talks with the Ottoman Sultan?"
Ulrich still couldn't suppress the confusion in his heart and voiced his question.
Laszlo looked at the court merchant, who had already been designated as the next Minister of Finance, with a surprised gaze. For a moment, he even considered the possibility of him being an Ottoman spy.
However, Laszlo quickly understood Ulrich's thoughts.
The siege warfare was still incredibly intense, with both sides locked in a test of endurance, waiting to see which side would break first and reveal a weakness.
Even Laszlo could not guarantee ultimate victory, let alone anyone else.
In such a situation, instead of gambling the fate of the Crusaders in a high-stakes game with the Ottomans, it would be better to take advantage of the situation to negotiate peace with the Ottomans and extort another sum from them.
Needless to say, the most anxious person right now must be Mehmed II. Half of the Ottoman Empire's army and Bayezid, the heir to the Empire, were all in the city. If the Crusaders breached the city, the fate of the defenders and the prince would be self-evident.
Losing Constantinople, a large army, and most importantly, the heir, such losses, though not fatal to Mehmed II, would be enough to cause him great distress for a long time.
If Uzun Hasan were not currently busy eradicating the remnants of the Kara Koyunlu and preparing for an expedition against the Timurid Empire, and if the Mamluk Sultanate had not experienced successive internal strife and was currently unable to threaten Anatolia, then the Ottoman Empire's eastern front would also be in a precarious situation.
Currently, only the Karaman people on the eastern front were still constantly harassing the imperial borders, contesting every inch of land that originally belonged to the Karaman Bey with the Ottomans. Mehmed II could still withstand such pressure.
Although he could withstand it, the constantly looming uncertainties made him immensely eager to achieve peace on the western front.
Laszlo had, of course, considered the feasibility of peace talks, and he demonstrated his attitude through his actions.
During the two months of the siege, the Ottoman Empire had sent three waves of envoys, but all were turned back without even meeting the Emperor.
"Ulrich, a merchant's mindset can help people profit, but sometimes our vision should be more long-term.
This war is not about profit; it began with faith. We came to this distant East, to the walls of Constantinople, in the name of God, not to extort money from infidels, but to fulfill the great ideal of expelling infidels and restoring Constantinople.
If I were to make peace with the Sultan today, how would the world see me? A perfidious man with hands stained by avarice, a misnamed 'defender of the faith,' a deceitful hypocrite—this is not the outcome I desire."
Ulrich opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the disrespectful words that almost escaped him.
"Your piety is moving, Your Majesty."
"It's just that this greatness is built upon the corpses of countless believers and warriors."
Ulrich silently added this thought in his heart.
"You still do not understand me, Ulrich," Laszlo saw the intriguing expression that flashed across Ulrich's face, and he didn't mind it. "Nor do I intend to expect understanding from others.
But you must know that as long as the infidels occupy Constantinople for a single day, they will not abandon their covetous gaze on European territory; they will seek every possible opportunity to make a comeback.
The reason I organized and led this grand army to capture this great city is not because I crave it so much, but to live up to the title of Emperor, to shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending the faith and protecting my subjects.
My people, who obey my rule, should not have to live under the threat of infidels indefinitely—this is what I truly desire."
"Then I am honored to contribute to the realization of your great ideal."
Ulrich was convinced by Laszlo; after all, in his opinion, the Emperor had no reason to lie to him.
In fact, as the Emperor's personal merchant, he shouldn't have offered opinions on these matters; perhaps it was because he was still too young that he was so impulsive.
This war would not bring him or the Fugger Family any harm.
The grand army commanded by the Emperor required a large amount of liquid capital for logistics, military pay, and pensions; these funds mostly passed through the hands of Jacob and Ulrich, father and son, who were efficient and skilled in their work, earning the Emperor's deep trust.
In the process of completing these tasks, they could also seize the opportunity to make some profit, which the Emperor tacitly allowed.
Even when funds were tight, they could provide loan services to the Emperor or other Crusader monarchs, which was also a highly profitable business.
If the Emperor wished to continue fighting, then so be it.
After leaving the camp, Ulrich, having received the latest orders, immediately began allocating winter supplies to the army, aiming to minimize attrition due to seasonal changes.