"Your Majesty, why have you summoned me?" Janos was somewhat confused by Laszlo's process of selecting generals just now, but he didn't voice it, as it didn't concern him much.
Laszlo leaned against the armrest of the throne, covering his face with his hand, and said with some helplessness, "Janos, I've made a decision I regret."
"Irreversible?"
"Irreversible..."
"Then we should find a way to remedy it, Your Majesty, what exactly is it?"
"I promised the Pope to participate in the newly launched Crusade against the Ottomans."
Janos was stunned at first, then overjoyed, "This is good news, Your Majesty.
With the help of the Crusade, we might be able to completely drive out the Ottomans!"
Laszlo let out a "heh heh," and said lifelessly, "The problem is that this so-called Crusade will likely only include ourselves and the Duke of Burgundy."
Janos's recently excited mood immediately calmed down; it was difficult for the old man to experience such ups and downs at his age.
Janos suddenly understood why Laszlo wanted to employ that Hussite general.
"Is this why you are so eager to reform the army?"
Laszlo affirmed, "I cannot go to war with the Ottomans with a broken, patched-together main army."
Janos agreed deeply; it seemed that despite His Majesty's words of regret and worry, his fighting spirit was actually quite high.
Laszlo looked eagerly at White Knight and said, "Janos, if we're talking about who knows the Ottomans best, it's probably you.
I heard that in your early years, everyone called you 'the Bane of the Ottomans'?"
"Just an exaggerated, empty title circulating among soldiers."
"Whether it's an empty title or not, you are undoubtedly an expert at dealing with the Ottoman.
Janos, you are almost 70 years old; do you still have the spirit to win new victories for me?"
Janos's eyes were like torches, and he patted his chest, replying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I can still move!
It is my duty to achieve victory for you and drive out the Ottomans."
Very spirited!
Laszlo would not leave such a good general unused, though he felt a little sorry for Janos.
However, compared to re-enacting the story of "Lian Po is old, can he still eat?", continuing to fight on the battlefield against the Ottomans might not be a bad thing for Janos.
If he could see the Ottomans driven out of the European continent in his lifetime, it would be fulfilling his long-cherished wish.
"That's truly great.
I summoned you today to ask you, what kind of enemy is the Ottomans exactly?
Are they truly as invincible as the legends say?"
Janos smiled, "Your Majesty, I am still standing here, which is proof that the Ottomans are not invincible.
Over the past few decades, I have fought the Ottomans hundreds of times; although I have lost more than I have won, I have also figured out the trick to defeating the Ottomans."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
Laszlo became interested; Janos's many years of experience fighting the Ottomans were extremely valuable; in all of Europe, no one understood the Ottomans better than him.
He had been defeated many times; at one point, his expeditionary army to the Balkans was ambushed and completely annihilated, with only a few attendants by his side.
He escaped the Ottomans pursuit in the mountains of Serbia and, upon returning to Transylvania, reassembled an army in just one month and cleared all Ottomans strongholds north of the Danube River.
He also achieved several brilliant victories; just a few months ago, he and Albrecht II defeated an 80,000-strong army led by Mehmed II in Belgrade.
He himself even led a charge that broke through the Janissaries' lines, giving the young Sultan quite a scare.
Thanks to Albrecht's philosophy of safeguarding the military front, Hungary possessed an elite border army, financed by the combined resources of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia, numbering around 40,000.
Its core consisted of well-trained Hungarian light cavalry and elite mercenaries from the German and Bohemia regions.
They were stationed in a series of border fortresses stretching from Visegrad (Bosnia) to Timisoara (the tripoint of Hungary, Wallachia, and the Ottoman).
The main force of the border army was permanently stationed in Belgrade, the center of the border line.
Albrecht and Janos jointly formed this army, with Janos serving as Governor of Transylvania and military commander of Belgrade.
It was with this strength that they gave the Ottoman no opportunity.
Even a formidable figure like the young Sultan, during Janos's lifetime, repeatedly broke his spear under the walls of Belgrade, sighing at the city, almost earning the "nickname" of "Mehmed the Hundred Thousand."
The Balkans were truly a tough nut to crack.
Janos eloquently recounted his years of accumulated experience: "The Ottomans are the most formidable enemy in open battle.
I have to admit, in open field skirmishes, the Ottomans are almost invincible."
"That exaggerated?" Laszlo's eyes widened.
If anyone else said this, he would just listen and think it was bragging, but when Janos said it, it was different.
"Yes, Your Majesty, they have too many people—the scale of the Ottomans army is unprecedented for all of Europe.
They often have a three to tenfold numerical advantage, and their fighting spirit is generally higher than that of our armies.
Sometimes I wonder, is our faith in God truly not as firm as their faith in their pagan gods?
However, later I found that it is basically a purely military problem; the passion and fervor of soldiers can be aroused through words and rewards, and in terms of combat effectiveness, extensive military training is most crucial."
"So, in these aspects, we can't catch up to the Ottomans, is that right?"
"Unfortunately, yes.
Our soldiers often lack a strong offensive spirit, but the opposite is true when defending."
"Defense? How can one achieve victory by merely defending?" Laszlo was a bit displeased; no one likes the feeling of being beaten down.
Janos laughed heartily and explained, "This is precisely my next point, Your Majesty.
I have always adhered to the tactical concept of 'offense as defense,' with an emphasis on active defense.
If an army is trapped in a fortress, waiting until ammunition and food run out and the walls break, then all is lost.
When fighting the Ottomans, one must dare to think and dare to act!"
Laszlo was confused; the Ottomans were invincible in open battle, and holding strong fortresses could only sustain for a while.
Wouldn't actively attacking be seeking death?
"Although the Ottomans are skilled in open battle, they are weak in siege warfare.
Although they possess siege weapons like the Urban Cannon, as long as the defenders are resolute and fight tenaciously, they can heavily deplete the Ottomans's forces and morale—the Ottoman Sultans all have one major flaw, which is that, apart from their personal guards, their armies are always squandered recklessly, without regard for casualties.
"Heavy casualties from continuous assaults will greatly diminish the enemy's morale and fighting will.
Then, seize an opportune moment, such as dusk when the Ottomans are unprepared, or early morning, and lead an elite force to surprise attack the Ottomans camp.
Many units will collapse at the first touch, and the sole target of the raid is the Sultan!
"As long as the Sultan can be threatened, the Ottomans will retreat very quickly.
During the Siege of Constantinople, the Ottomans army lost tens of thousands of men, and the young Sultan actually deluded himself into thinking he could capture Belgrade with this crippled army, which led to his defeat.
Coupled with the setbacks the Ottoman Sultan suffered in Albania, I estimate that within these two years, the Ottomans will not be able to organize an army exceeding 100,000 men.
Therefore, Your Majesty, this Crusade is indeed a golden opportunity."
"Oh? If that's truly the case, I suddenly feel capable again."
The more Janos spoke, the brighter Laszlo's eyes became, and his confidence gradually swelled.
However, Janos poured cold water on him at this moment.