When Tang Tong received intelligence of a massive Turkish attack on Suez, he was shocked. The Suez Canal had cost him considerable effort. If it were lost, the loss would be enormous. He immediately emptied out nearly all his forces from Southeast Asia and India. A combined army of 120,000 men rushed to Suez. Upon arrival, the Turkish army was utterly annihilated. Seeing the colonial army assembled by these Ming merchants, Tang Tong was also startled.

Tang Tong hadn't imagined that the colonial forces he'd been leading would now possess such formidable strength. Combined, these people possessed the power to overthrow an entire nation. It was clear that the Ming people were simply too numerous. It was also clear that these Ming merchants were incredibly wealthy, each capable of fielding a formidable force.

Speaking of which, over the years, these Ming merchants have not only made a lot of money from trade, but also plundered a large amount of property through colonial activities. With all the money in the hands of these Ming merchants engaged in overseas trade and colonization, Tang Tong actually has more than enough. Equipping these armies is a piece of cake. If Tang Tong did not have the most advanced weapons, his army would probably not be greater than the combined strength of these people.

Because this battle was largely won by these colonial forces, Tang Tong issued a decree that all colonial forces that participated in this battle would own everything they gained on Turkish territory. Those colonial forces that did not participate in this battle would still receive a share according to the previous rules.

He ordered the colonial troops to wreak havoc on Turkish soil, with the more than 100,000 troops led by him in the rear. These colonial troops, who were so bloodthirsty and robbing, were no longer afraid of the Turkish army.

Tang Tong could not let the Ottoman Empire off so easily. At this time, the Ottoman Empire had a population of approximately 15 million, with its capital in Istanbul. Ibrahim I had recently ascended the throne. This period in history marked a turning point for the Ottoman Empire, as constant rebellions ravaged the country. However, the Ottoman Empire was much more fortunate than the Ming Dynasty. Despite the threat of European powers, the rebellions within the Ottoman Empire were relatively small, not draining the nation's vitality. Furthermore, and most importantly, while power struggles persisted within the Ottoman Empire, the bureaucrats were not as corrupt as those of the Ming Dynasty. This allowed the Ottoman Empire to survive for nearly two hundred years longer than the Ming Dynasty.

Tang Tong and Li Dingguo targeted the major Turkish cities along the way. The smaller towns refused to fight Tang Tong and his men. The colonial troops swarmed like locusts, leaving no town vulnerable for even a day. Seeing Tang Tong and his men's formidable advance, the rebels within Turkey graciously surrendered to Tang Tong, acting as his guides. Tang Tong made generous promises to these men, encouraging them to work diligently.

The Turks' greatest strengths were their navy and Sipahi cavalry. But by this time, the Turkish navy was inferior to that of the Europeans, and even more so than that of the Tang Empire. The Sipahi cavalry, once a formidable force, was rendered vulnerable by the Tang Empire's muskets and artillery. The Jiannu cavalry was the strongest in the world, yet they were defeated by the Tang Empire. What about the Sipahi cavalry? From the fifth to the sixteenth century, the Sipahi cavalry was a nightmare for Europeans. But starting in the mid-sixteenth century, the rise and improvement of the musket led to the gradual decline of the Sipahi cavalry.

By the early 17th century, Turkish power had begun to decline, and the Sipahis no longer posed a threat to the Europeans. Now, facing Tang Tong's army, the Sipahis were completely helpless. The Mongol and Jurchen cavalry brought by Tang Tong, equipped with muskets, became a nightmare for the Sipahis, making escape impossible.

Faced with Tang Tonglai's fierce offensive, the Turks regretted their decision and had no choice but to seek aid from their former enemies, the Europeans. This time, the Europeans were united. A 100,000-man army from various countries entered Turkish territory. Upon hearing this news, Tang Tong did not continue his attack on Xiayang, but instead ordered a withdrawal. This place was too far from Tang Tong's main camp in Nanyang, making it difficult to resupply weapons. Confronting the European nations at this time was not an option.

Although the Ottoman Empire had a population of approximately 15,000, Tang Tong's strength wasn't a concern. However, Tang Tong lacked the strength to conquer several European countries. Furthermore, this region was too close to Europe. In terms of supply, those Westerners had the advantage of location and timing. A conflict would be a war of attrition for Tang Tong, and would be detrimental to its development.

After Tang Tong ordered the retreat, the colonial forces organized by Ming merchants quickly followed suit. This time, they ravaged half of Turkish territory, plundering over two million Turkish people. This was a devastating blow to Turkey. When Tang Tong withdrew, he left behind 3,000 men to mingle with the Turkish rebels, allowing them to continue their attacks on Turkish territory.

The Western coalition didn't immediately pursue Tang Tong and his men. Instead, they seized the opportunity to extort money from the Ottoman Empire, adding insult to injury. After retreating to the Suez Canal City, Tang Tong's army undertook even larger-scale construction projects, transforming the area into a complete military fortress. By the time the Western coalition arrived, the area had become impenetrable, and Tang Tong's weapons were far superior to theirs. It was a pipe dream for a 100,000-man Western coalition force to overrun a position held by 100,000 Tang Tong soldiers.

For the Western Allied forces, true unity was ultimately impossible. Each nation had its own agenda, and no one would submit their own army to death. Although the Westerners later received over 100,000 reinforcements, and the Ottoman Empire, eager for revenge, mobilized another 500,000 troops, the battle ultimately failed to materialize. The Westerners were unwilling to compromise their own national strength, while the Ottoman Empire, frightened by the Tang Dynasty's defeat, dared not initiate the attack.

The Westerners had once planned to surround the Su-Island Canal city and deplete its food supplies, but they later discovered they were powerless against Tang Tong's navy. Their artillery fire was simply not something they could withstand. Several attempts to intercept the warships carrying supplies were met with overwhelming bombardment, leaving them defenseless.

The combined forces of the Western coalition and the Turkish army outside the Suez Canal gave the Ming merchants' colonial armies an opportunity. Taking advantage of the troop shortages elsewhere in Turkey, they regrouped and once again wreaked havoc within Turkish territory. The remaining Ottoman forces were largely stationed outside the Suez Canal. The improvised conscripts were ineffective and no match for these colonial armies. By the time the Ottomans could no longer hold out and recall their troops outside the Suez Canal, several months had already passed.

The colonial armies of these Ming merchants reaped a huge harvest. Not only did they plunder vast quantities of property, but they also abducted over 30,000 people. Meanwhile, Tang Tong's 100,000 recruits had already been trained. As early as when Tang Tong had supported the Turkish attack on Suez, he had ordered the recruitment of over 100,000 new soldiers. After more than six months of training, they were ready for battle.

After seeing the Tang reinforcements arrive, the Westerners realized that continuing to besiege this place was no longer a good idea. Thus, these Western countries began to make their own plans.

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