Let me introduce you, this is my girlfriend, the Israeli boxing champion

"Okay, okay, okay, okay!"

He was so angry that he almost lost his temper.

With the help of the Venetians, Constantine looked at these ministers who had worked diligently in the past and actually laughed in anger. These people were all trustworthy people promoted by him after he took office. The scene of that afternoon was still vivid in his memory, but now it was completely different.

Oh, what an irony.

"...There are five Caesars in the current dynasty, and I had to dismiss four of them. Of the six chief nobles, I had to dismiss three. Look at these seven people, each of them is fifty years old, each of them is a pillar of the empire, and each of them is my son or daughter and in-law. They are rotten, and my heart is broken. The God Ancestor handed the empire to me, but it turned out like this. I am deeply distressed."

"I have sinned against the country, I am ashamed of the previous emperors, I am ashamed of heaven and earth, I wish I could dismiss myself! And you, although you all stand on the dry shore with high-sounding words, are you really that clean? I know that some of you are more corrupt than these seven people!"

"I advise you to take out your hearts, lungs and intestines and dry them out in the sun! Now I am more and more clear that the empire's main concern is not outside, but in the court. It is in this Golden Palace! It is among the flesh and blood princes and ministers in Constantinople."

"If we are rotten a little, the whole empire will be rotten! If you are all rotten, we will die without a burial place! Think about it, how long has it been since Erdogan was killed in his own palace? Forget it! The Ottomans are still standing on the other side of the strait, staring at you every day!"

Palaiologos originally wanted to continue to reprimand, but at this moment, a palace eunuch quietly walked to the door and indicated that the two men had arrived. Constantine then shook his head with a little regret.

Pity.

"I haven't slept for three days and three nights. I've been thinking about what to say to everyone, but I have to finish my words...Palace Supervisor!"

"exist."

"Take these men to Bracknell, where Pyrrhus lived, and let them do their penance. I am going to rest."

When Constantine XI changed into casual clothes and walked out of the side door of the Golden Palace, Alvin's expression seemed a little...wrong?

This isn't a filming set for a TV show or movie!

"It's hard to guard against thieves within your own family..." The Imperial Archon sighed helplessly. "Such a thing actually happened."

"Let's deal with the messenger first, Archon."

"That's exactly what we're going to do," he said. "That person is still at Charisius Gate, probably waiting for our reply. In fact, everyone knows that there is no reply."

"As long as we can save Constantine Castle, I will give you whatever you want."

"That's probably what the errand boy thinks. He's really just taking advantage of the power of his master." Constantine XI said disdainfully.

"If that's the case, then it's much simpler." Alvin whistled. "Your Majesty the Archon can just write the declaration of war, and I'll give this blind guy a lesson on the first day of school..."

A day later, in Bursa, the Sultan received a reply from Constantinople. The letter he sent, no, the content of the declaration of war was very simple.

Either surrender the city or prepare for battle.

"Sultan, the messenger went mad after delivering this letter to our men and killed several people."

"I see."

He waved his hand, and after his men withdrew, one person opened the letter. "

......Since you have abandoned peace and chosen war, no amount of oaths or entreaties from me can bring you back to the path of peace, so follow your own will.

God is my refuge. If He has determined to give the city to you, who can resist Him or prevent this fate?

If God wills peace in your heart, I will gladly grant it. For now, since you have broken the contract I swore to, let it be void.

From today on, I will close the city gates.

I will do my best to defend the citizens. You can do whatever you want until the final judge of justice decides between you and me.

From: Constantine Dragaces Palaiologos

"call......"

After the Sultan put away the letter, he also called his military pasha.

"Sudan."

"Spread the word that we are going to war with Byzantium."

PS1: The title of "Caesar" was once used for co-emperors and heirs to the throne in the late Roman Empire. During the Eastern Roman Empire, although its status had been declining, Caesar still maintained a very important position in the court. It was only granted to some powerful and talented imperial ministers, and rarely to foreigners.

"Noble" - At the end of the 11th century, Alexius made it an independent new title granted to his brothers and close relatives.

"Palace Supervisor" means the person in charge of the palace. This title first appeared during the reign of Justinian I. Originally, it was an official in charge of directing the operation of palace affairs. However, the enormous power and wealth brought by this position, as well as the status of a close minister who often served the emperor, made it synonymous with great honor, and thus gradually became a title of honor awarded to the most important members of the royal family.

PS2: I'm going back to continue my activities...

Chapter 102 The Red Apple of Constantinople

A black eagle soars in the wind in the sky above Constantinople. It circles lazily around the Hagia Sophia, seemingly tethered to the dome. From here, it overlooks the city, watching the light pass by with a calm demeanor.

The city is in a very peculiar shape, roughly triangular in shape, with the eastern corner tilted upwards, like the sharp horn of a fierce rhino. The north and south sides of the triangle are protected by the sea. To the north is the barrier-protected deep-water port of the Golden Horn; to the south is the Sea of ​​Marmara, which rushes westward through the Dardanelles and into the Mediterranean. From the air, it is easy to identify the endless fortifications on both sides of the triangle's coast. The tide rushes past the tip of the rhino's horn at a speed of 7 nautical miles per hour. The city has both natural barriers and artificial defenses.

But the most extraordinary thing about the triangle is the western base. It is a complex system of three walls, with closely spaced towers and a formidable trench outside. Stretching from the Golden Horn to the Sea of ​​Marmara, the walls sealed off the city from outside invasion. This was the Theodosian Wall, the most impregnable defense system in the medieval world, which stood for thousands of years.

For the Ottoman Turks in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was a "bone stuck in God's throat", mocking their ambitions and acting as a psychological shadow that hindered the realization of their grand ambitions. For the Western Christian world, it was a bulwark against Islam, protecting them from the invasion of the Islamic world and making them feel proud.

If you looked down on the city in the spring of 1453, you could make out the fortified Genoese town of Galata, a tiny Italian city-state on the north side of the Golden Horn, where Europe’s borders were. The Bosporus slit the continents, cutting through forested hills like a great river to the Black Sea. On the other side was Asia Minor, or Anatolia, a Greek word meaning “East.” The snow-capped peak of Mount Olympus shone in the sun, 60 miles away.

On the European side, the land was flatter and more undulating, stretching to the Ottoman city of Edirne, 140 miles to the west. Here, something extraordinary was happening. On the rough road that connected the two cities, a huge army was on the march. A great mass of white hats and red turbans moved; bows, javelins, muskets, and shields gleamed in the low sun; columns of vanguard horsemen kicked up dust as they passed; mail mail rippled and jingled. Behind them came long trains of mules, horses, and camels, carrying all kinds of military supplies and the corresponding personnel - miners, cooks, armorers, mullahs, carpenters, and adventurers attracted by the spoils of war.

There was something further back. Large herds of oxen and hundreds of laborers were struggling to drag the cannons across the soft ground. The entire Ottoman army was in motion.

A group of galleys were coming slowly and laboriously against the wind from the Dardanelles, like something out of a medieval painting. High-sided transport ships were bringing wood, food, and weapons from the Black Sea. Groups of nomads, citizens, farmers, merchants, camp prostitutes, and vagrants were coming from Anatolia, heading straight for the Bosphorus to respond to the call of the Ottoman Empire. These motley crews would form a coordinated and powerful army, and this army had only one goal:

The Queen of Cities, the City Longed for by the World, the Red Apple Passed Down by Words of Mouth among the Ottomans - Constantinople.

Conquering this city has been a fervent Muslim dream for 800 years, even dating back to the Prophet himself. There are many legends, prophecies and apocryphal statements about this city.

The red apple had a specific place in the imagination of the Ottoman soldiers approaching Constantinople. On a stone column outside the door of Hagia Sophia stood a bronze equestrian statue of Justinian the Great, a monument worthy of the might of the early Byzantine Empire and a symbol of Byzantium’s role: a Christian bulwark against the East, a beacon of Christendom.

At this moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka was riding on a horse and was shocked from the bottom of his heart when he saw this huge marching army.

"Is this your first time seeing a real march like this?" Nero stopped to ask Ritsuka. "Maybe there will be other opportunities in other singularities in the future."

"No, this is really the first time I've seen such a scene..."

"In Bursa, when Mr. Fatih issued a notice declaring war on Byzantium, people actively participated when they heard that the target this time was Constantinople. Those people were as active as being invited to a wedding, not to a war."

Mashu described the situation vividly, and Lixiang frowned as she listened to her narration. She turned around and saw that the 400 people and 60 cows were at the end of her sight. Although they traveled day and night, it would take another half a month to reach the city of Constantinople.

And today is February 4th.

"Lixiang." Ophelia rode after her on horseback and called her. "You're going the wrong way. We're not going to Constantinople this time."

"Then where are we going?"

"Anatolia Castle and Rumeli Castle."

On the stone pillar outside the door of Hagia Sophia stands a bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Justinian. The prototype of what the Ottomans called the red apple is here.

It is a monument befitting of the might of the early Byzantine Empire and a symbol of its role as a Christian bulwark against invasion from the East.

The equestrian statue faces east, with a noble demeanor. The emperor on horseback is fully armed like Achilles. The breastplate is in the style of a hero, and the helmet on his head seems to swing up and down, which is very dazzling. He looks at the rising sun in the east and gallops on his horse, as if he is rushing towards Persia. In his left hand, he holds a ball, and the whole earth and sea are under his rule. Although he has no sword or spear or any other weapon except a cross on the ball, he has gained his empire and won the war by the power of the cross alone.

"You look really excited, Alvin."

Romulus walked to a position alongside Alvin, who was looking up at the statue.

"Yes, what was supposed to come has finally come." He sighed and pinched his eyebrows with his hands. His tiredness was hard to hide, but excitement could still be seen in his eyes.

"That Attila must have come along as well."

"I......"

"Go, God-Ancestor." He said without hesitation. "That is destiny."

"But what about you? When Leonidas I took part of the army to defend the two fortresses——"

"We will fight until only the last soldier is left. Besides, the collection of books in the Great Library has been almost completed by Da Vinci in the past few days, and they will continue to be passed down."

As if seeing Romulus's final worry, Alvin reminded him.

"...Although many people may have asked this, I still want to ask you, Alvin."

"Why do you do this?"

reason?

Bells rang in the distance, and the children who were playing with pigeons in the square ran back home. There seemed to be a hint of fragrance in the air. I thought that the family from which the fragrance came must be sitting together happily.

"Someone will always come back, why not me."

On April 1453, 4, the two empires collided violently in a siege that also involved other aspects of a world that was undergoing major changes: the development of artillery, the art of siege warfare, naval warfare strategy, and religious beliefs.

and the final epitome of the epic story of the Middle Ages.

PS1: The Middle Ages are over. We have forever lost the ancient technology that can cure cancer and regenerate severed limbs. Humanity has ushered in a dark Renaissance (CK3 does not agree)

Meanwhile, the era of well-trained doctors has arrived (Ding Ding Dong)

PS2: The hell on the Japanese server is really outrageous... I guess I won’t even want to play it by then.

Chapter 103 They have the Sultan, we have the Emperor!

It's a change of seasons, everyone please be careful (don't fall to your knees like me)

"Those who love me, come with me."

Accompanied by his retainers, he rode across the great plains and on his way to Edirne he was met by a large crowd of vichis (staff and officials), mullahs (clerics), governors, and civilians who came to greet him.

When the welcoming crowd was a mile from his procession, they dismounted and walked in dead silence toward their new master. When they were half a mile from Mehmed's procession, the crowd began to wail and mourn for the dead.

The young man and his attendants jumped off their horses and joined the mourning crowd. The winter land was filled with mournful cries. Many people who looked noble bowed to him, and then everyone got back on their horses and continued on their way.

The next day, the civil and military officials formally met with the young man. It was a tense occasion, as the older generation of officials awaited their fate. The man sat on the throne, flanked by his trusted advisers. Khalil Pasha hid behind, waiting to see what Mehmed II would decide.

"Why are my Father's viziers not coming forward? Tell them to come forward and let Khalil take his accustomed place..."

The young Sultan slowly opened his eyes after waking up from the dream, and there was some confusion in his eyes. What he had just seen was undoubtedly an illusory dream, but judging from the reactions of those people, it was so real.

This was the first dream Fatih had after becoming Sultan again. It looked so strange, yet extremely logical.

"Sudan!"

A Yericheni stood outside the big tent and reported to him. He remembered this man's voice and appearance. He was among the ten people who had "absent from their posts" in Ankara at that time.

If there is nothing important, they will not come to report to their own accounts.

"come in."

After hearing the Sultan's reply, Nayericheni drew aside the curtain and walked in.

"It's so late, do you have something to report?"

"Sudan......"

Yericheni in front of him had a look of shame on his face, which made the Sultan himself very confused.

"The army has already set up camp and is ready to rest. Is there anything else?"

"Our heavy artillery is stuck in the mud."

"Are you sure?" The Sultan was skeptical, but he still left the camp with Yericheni, rode his horse and headed towards the transport team.

The transport team was not too far from their location, but it took a long time to get there. The Urban heavy artillery, which the Sultan had high hopes for to break through the Theodosian Wall, was now stuck in the mud along with its road wheels, while the slaves and livestock used for transportation were still trying.

The Sultan took a torch and lit up the ground under his feet. He saw that the ground under his feet had been dug and renovated once. He reached out and found that the ground was dug more than two feet deep.

"The land has been renovated..." The Sultan looked unhappy. Although the battle had not officially started yet, he knew that he had already lost the first round.

For roads that are traveled on all year round, even if it rains, the soil will remain hard and will not affect the march. However, if the road has been plowed and is exposed to rain, it will become muddy and impossible to walk on.

But this muddy road is more terrifying than a trap.

Today, the road to Constantinople is like this, muddy and impossible to walk on. When the soldiers walk in, their feet will sink into it. Although there are no traps on this road, it is impossible for the army to pass through, let alone this huge transport team.

Moreover, there are only two ways to repair this kind of road. The first is to lay a layer of dry soil to cover the muddy road. The second is to wait for it to dry naturally.

The Sultan looked up at the soldiers, all of whom were covered in mud below their knees, not to mention the teams responsible for carrying the heavy artillery.

The Sultan sighed and said, "There are only two ways to make this muddy road passable. The first is to cover it with dry soil for rest, and the second is to wait for it to dry naturally."

"How is the weather these days?" He called the astrologer who was with the army.

The astrologer who came over hurriedly replied: "It has been a cloudless and starry sky these days. If we wait for it to dry naturally, it will take about three days."

"Yeah......"

Although he was mentally prepared, the Sultan's expression was still not very good.

"...I have had the soil renovated and dug two feet deep for the 100-foot road outside the camp. This kind of soil will become muddy if it encounters water. All we need to do is have the soldiers fetch water to irrigate the road, and have the horses and men trample on it, and the road will become like a swamp, which will greatly hinder their progress."