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

But anyway, both soldiers and civilians were tired of fighting, repairing, burying the dead, and counting the enemy's corpses.

After the Black Death, both sides of the war paid great attention to the sanitation in the camps and always carried away their dead for burial, but the trenches were still filled with rotting corpses. The fierce slaughter threatened the safety of drinking water, and the blood in the rivers and streams polluted the water source, emitting a disgusting stench.

The citizens of the city became more and more obsessed with church services and the miracle-working power of the holy icons, busy with thoughts of sin and theological explanations of the situation. All over the city, mysterious processions of all the people, men and women, could be seen going to the Church of God, with tears in their eyes, praising and thanking God and the Most Pure Virgin.

This was something that Constantine and the Ecumenical Patriarch had not expected. The old and steady Ecumenical Patriarch gradually became flustered. If it were not for some novice monks who volunteered to participate, the Patriarch would probably have died of overwork by now.

Compared with the chaotic Constantinople, Fatih was much more well-trained in this regard. The call to prayer would be heard at regular intervals in the Ottoman camp to tell time. Aksem shuttled back and forth among the soldiers, admonishing the believers to have firm faith and remember the prophecy in the Hadith: "In the holy war against Constantinople, one-third of the jihadists will be defeated, which is unforgivable to Allah; one-third will die heroically and become great heroes; and one-third will win in the end."

Although Basilius remained determined that he would win in the end, the increasing casualties of the defenders was a problem that could not be ignored. Although these brave warriors tried their best, the size of the Ottoman Empire was still a problem that could not be solved in a short period of time.

To this end, Grand Duke Lucas, Prince Orhan and Giovanni proposed a third night attack plan, while the Venetians continued to advocate their retreat strategy. Longapis and Halfdan, as the commander of the Palace Guards and captain of the Varangian Guard, stood firmly on the side of the emperor.

On the morning of May 5, Hagia Sophia convened again and voted to remove the weapons from the five large Venetian galleys and transfer their crews to the city walls.

On this day, the Ottomans continued to bombard the land wall, while Constantine was debating with the scholars in the church. Finally, under his insistence, Gabriele Trivisano, the commander of the three long galleys, agreed to unload the weapons on his ships. When John heard the news, he breathed a sigh of relief. Venice's "sinking in the Golden Horn" behavior greatly alleviated the problem of overheating of the artillery.

It was against this backdrop that Fatih decided to implement a bold plan.

Although he concentrated his guns mainly on the St. Romanus Gate, some of his guns were bombarding the area near Blachner Palace, where the Theodosian Walls joined a separate wall. By May 5, the artillery had destroyed a section of the outer wall here, so he decided to launch a concentrated night attack on this point.

PS1: Spread the word, the Roman emperor only has one good week to live.

Chapter 183 You Anatolian goat!

Late at night, inside Hagia Sophia, Basilius and his commanders were already discussing the new day's battle arrangements; after Constantine returned from Thrace with his knights, everyone understood that the Ottomans would not be able to hold out for long, so the theme of the meeting was more about discussing the direction of the second phase of the counterattack than defending Constantinople.

Therefore, Alvin simply did not attend the meeting tonight and pushed the matter to his dear teacher, El-Melloi II.

"This brat..."

El-Melloi looked at the empty seat next to him and could do nothing but roll his eyes.

In fact, El-Melloi II himself was also very clear that under the premise that Fatih could not hold out for long, the merchant republics gradually became active and began to think about business and trade. Compared with these merchant republics, the two knightly orders were the easiest to deal with. The Knights Hospitaller had Rhodes, and the Teutonic Knights chose the Aegean Islands.

In short, they had entered the political stage that the teacher and student hated the most, so based on the principle of picking the tallest among the short ones, El-Melloi II was "naturally" chosen to represent Chaldea.

Well, it's really just a representation.

As for Alvin, after successfully selling out his teacher, he headed excitedly towards the Blachnel Village, no, Blachnel Palace; as a temporary palace built by Alexius, he hoped to gain something there. After all, when he came here again after 500 years, what he saw was really just a village.

After Alexios was crowned Basileus, the Blachernae Palace became the emperor's main palace. This was not only a symbol of his establishment of a new dynasty, but also emphasized that Basileus was a symbol of God's representative. Regarding this matter, the Holy Roman emperors who fought wits and courage with the Pope every day called it an expert.

Not only that, it was also here that the Crusader Kings who shone brightly in the First Crusade met each other for the first time.

As the water source for the entire city and the location of the prestigious St. Mary's Cathedral, the Blachen Palace is located at the highest point in the entire city. At the same time, the Purple Palace not far to the south is where Constantine rested.

But when Alvin arrived at Blachnell Palace he was greatly disappointed. If the Grand Palace was like a luxurious version of a monastery, lacking the brightness and joy of the world, then the Blachnell Palace now was really like what he saw later, a village, and its former glory had disappeared just like St. Mary's Cathedral destroyed by fire.

Well, after all, it serves as a frontline fortress.

With this thought in mind, Alvin walked in.

.......

Nearing midnight, a large team began to advance towards the breakthrough. They chose the right time because the commanders in charge of guarding the Blachen Palace, Barto and Minotto, were attending a meeting in Hagia Sophia. Although the city defense work was handed over to the adjutants before leaving, it was obvious that the adjutants' abilities were far inferior to theirs.

The lieutenants seriously underestimated the Ottomans' aggressiveness and thought that the Ottomans focused all their attention on St. Romanus Gate and ignored the importance of Blachernae.

The leader of the assault was Mustafa Koprulu, the standard-bearer of the Fatih Yericheni Corps, who happened to have the same name as the descendant of the Great Vizier who was beheaded in Vienna in 1683. The defenders were obviously caught off guard by his lightning-fast offensive. The panicked defenders immediately called in reinforcements from other city walls, but the Ottoman army that continued to reinforce them repelled them one by one. After hitting a nail in the Lykas River Valley for several days, Fatih finally made substantial gains. Compared with the tough guys on the other side of the valley, the Greeks who had lost both their command and the protection of the city walls were no match for the battle-hardened Ottoman soldiers.

Soon, some of the Yericheni did not try to seize the tower, but instead attacked the city. When Mustafa Köprulu planted the crescent-shaped flag on the tower, the people in the alleys around the Blachner Palace became panic-stricken at that moment. Many people fled from the city walls, and most of them desperately believed that the city had fallen just now. Ironically, they hid in their homes and kept praying, but were unwilling to join the ranks of the defenders and take up arms for the last fight.

At this moment, a solemn combat meeting was being held on the porch of Hagia Sophia, five kilometers away. Although the theme of the meeting was still combat, it was increasingly leaning towards the post-war division of spoils.

"The war is not over yet. You still need to work hard. If we continue to ignore the enemies outside the door, we will all die, and they will occupy the city sooner or later."

With Basilius's persuasion, the theme of the meeting finally returned to its original purpose. Constantine pinched his nose bridge. He finally understood the desire of Ioannis II to get rid of Venice as soon as possible.

These merchant republics are a real headache, well, with the exception of Florence.

"What Basilius said is correct. Perhaps it is because of the lack of logistics that the Ottoman attacks are getting more and more fierce. Even if our food reserves are sufficient, they cannot withstand such consumption."

The words of the Venetian Archon Minotu were not alarmist. For them, having 3000 men facing off against a Constantinople with people was a huge challenge. But if he knew that there were less than people in the other world line, he probably would not be able to say anything.

Unlike the problems on these other fronts, Giovanni, as the leader of the river valley position where the fighting was most intense, put forward a different point of view.

"Compared to the bombardment some time ago, the current Ottoman artillery has not only become more numerous, but their gunners' skills are also constantly improving. The outer wall of the Theodosian Wall will not hold out for long."

"Even though we have the ultimate advantage, if the situation continues like this, we will be the first to fall."

Faced with this harsh reality, Constantine XI bluntly proposed a series of options for the commanders to consider:

1. You can rush out of the city at night and try to defeat the Ottoman army through a surprise attack;

2. Hold on to the end, wait for the northern expedition of the Varna Crusaders and the Venetian army in the Morea region, and at the same time wait for the inevitable disaster.

Regarding Basilius' two choices, Grand Duke Lucas Notaras suggested continuing to defend. For Constantinople, which was already at a disadvantage, leaving the city for a decisive battle now would be tantamount to seeking death. It would be better to hold on to the end and wait for changes in the situation.

As for the others, they turned into defeatist counselors and begged Constantine to transfer the pieces to Cork...Morea to continue fighting.

Just when both sides were hesitating, a message came.

"The Ottomans have breached Blachernae Palace."

"Fatih you Anatolian goat fucker!"

Chapter 184 Constantine at a Turning Point

Constantine left angrily. Judging from his expression, he was probably very angry. The commanders present had their brains collectively shut down for three seconds because of the swear words. It was not until the commander of the Imperial Guards, Longapis, reacted that the first thing he did was to slam the table in front of him.

"?"

"What are you still standing there for? If you continue to stand there, His Majesty will personally lead his troops to attack Blachner! Come with me to stop them!"

For a moment, almost all the commanders in Hagia Sophia took action in a mighty manner. No one was more united than them in this matter.

El-Melloi II looked at the excited petitioners, but there was some nostalgia in his eyes.

"Whether in the East or the West, they are all the same in this respect."

So, when Constantine, who had been prepared for a long time, was about to lead his troops to his purple noble palace, he was stopped by his own men halfway. For the first time, he felt that these people under his command could be quite troublesome if they were annoying.

"Either let me pass. Or pick up your weapons and follow me!"

Following the principle of joining if you can't beat them, several people soon joined the emperor's team, while the others rushed to their own defense zones first. Since Blachenell had failed, the situation on their side was probably not much better.

Well, apart from the Golden Gate, you can always trust our new Aetius - Lord Romulus!

He has returned like lightning!

In the darkness, the Emperor encountered some civilians and soldiers fleeing from the breach, and waving blue and white flags, he tried to get them to join the team and return to the front line, but unfortunately, all this seemed to be in vain.

The situation was getting worse by the minute. The Ottoman cavalry had begun to charge into the city, and fierce fighting had broken out within the city walls.

But things took a turn for the better at this moment. Constantine had gathered a group of fleeing soldiers and rushed to the front line with his loyal Varangian Guards and the Imperial Guards. The brave emperor rode his horse and broke through the Ottoman formation several times with his lance raised, and shouted loudly to the soldiers who were still fighting, encouraging them to continue fighting and to move closer to him.

"Warriors of Blachner, I am your Basilius! Raise your weapons and fight with me! Defend our homeland!"

Under the moonlight, Basilius in purple was shining. He had given everything for this aging empire.

So with the emperor personally arriving on the battlefield and leading the troops in a brave charge, the defenders gradually gained a foothold, and the defense line at the city wall was rebuilt by the Venetians who came to support, blocking the Ottomans who were following closely outside the city.

As for the cavalrymen who rushed into the city, they were like a hammer hit in quicksand, trapped in the maze-like alleys. After losing the direction of charge and massacre, they became turtles in a jar.

The experienced Barto also stopped a part of the fleeing enemies. As these experienced commanders came to the battlefield, the originally disorganized army gradually re-formed and formed a solid phalanx, advancing steadily in the alley.

As early as when Constantine the Great designed this city, he had already taken street fighting into consideration. I don’t know whether it is lucky or regrettable, but this is the first time in more than a thousand years that Constantinople has experienced street fighting.

But now that the battle has entered the harvest stage, even if they have no experience in street fighting, they can slowly erode them with their familiarity with the city.

In this way, under the emperor's constant charge, cutting off, and Minotaur's division and encirclement, the Ottoman cavalry was trapped in a maze of alleys, resisting in vain. The Yericheni, who were surrounded by enemies on all sides, fought desperately, launching raids again and again in an attempt to kill the emperor. However, the emperor became more and more courageous, and his lances broke and his swords cracked, driving the enemy to the breakthrough point, where he cooperated with the long-awaited Knights Hospitaller to annihilate all the enemies.

"The rise and fall of the empire depends on this battle! Brave warriors, charge with me and capture that Anatolian goat-fucking bastard alive!"

The passionate emperor called the remaining soldiers and prepared to continue charging out on horseback to attack Fatih's camp. There was no doubt that he was already excited.

Regarding the fact that kings and emperors personally led their armies to charge, Portugal in the Iberian Peninsula suffered greatly. In the not too distant future, Sebastian I, the king of the Portuguese Avis dynasty, who was bent on completing the reconquest of Morocco, personally led nearly 30,000 Portuguese troops and mercenaries from many European countries to fight the War of the Three Kings in Morocco, trying to support a Moroccan leader and puppetize Morocco.

The battle was going very smoothly for the Portuguese side at one point, and they were about to defeat the Moroccan army. However, they were accidentally outflanked by Moroccan cavalry and eventually their entire army was wiped out. Sebastian himself disappeared and no one found his body.

Two years later, the Avis dynasty, which opened the Portuguese Age of Exploration, died out. King Philip II of Spain sent Alba to invade Portugal. After defeating the Portuguese army and navy, he established the Iberian Union and implemented a union with Portugal. This was the first time that the Iberian Peninsula was unified after the fall of the Visigothic Kingdom.

Although the people around Basilius did not know about this, their choice in this regard was extremely consistent. The commander of the palace guards and the captain of the Varangian Guard hurriedly grabbed the emperor from the left and right, and finally grabbed Basilius.

The next day, the simple-minded citizens of Constantinople once again dragged the bodies of the captured Ottoman soldiers onto the city wall and threw them into the trench below, asking their comrades to drag the bodies back. As for whether they would contract any disease during the journey, it was not their concern.

But what happened last night is not over yet.

In fact, during the Battle of Blachnel, Basilius was missing for nearly ten minutes.

According to Constantine himself, he rushed into the ruins of the Blachen Palace alone, and rushed out again when he found no one there.

This was half a truth. He had in fact been at the old Blachnell House during the ten minutes of his disappearance; but the fact that no one was there was a big lie.

......

"Alvin? Why are you here?"

"Before you speak to me, two persons wish to see you, Your Majesty."

He smiled bitterly and gave up the seat that did not belong to him.

He was stunned.

He had seen the image of that middle-aged man not long ago. His portrait was still there on the wall of Hagia Sophia.

"Hello, Constantine of Palaeologus, descendant of Michael VIII, please introduce yourself, my name is Justinian."

Chapter 185 This is him, the last hope

The attack on May 5 was Fatih's last large-scale offensive against the Blachernae Palace wall. Although the final result was not ideal, he was full of confidence. Now, he was 12% sure that he could capture this world-desired city before withdrawing on June 6.

Well, it did nothing except break the myth of Constantinople's invincibility and greatly inspire the jihadist warriors.

Well, okay, a little bit.

Facts have proven that under the cover of artillery fire, the Ottoman army can quickly capture the city walls by means of surprise attacks, and in face-to-face combat, their own size can completely crush the enemy.

Now, Fatih made up his mind to concentrate all firepower on the weakest section - St. Romanus Gate.

In fact, he had no choice but to withdraw his troops in June. Since the Eastern Roman Empire lost Syria and Egypt in the Arab conquest, its eastern border instantly shrank to the plateau mountains in eastern Anatolia.

Thus, a dilemma was placed before the emperors of the Roman Empire: having their land occupied by the Crescent conquerors and losing a large number of people, or simply having their land taken away by the invaders.

One of the two bottles of poison had to be drunk, but the Roman emperors chose to open the lid of the second bottle and start drinking it.

And so, the hollowing out of Anatolia occurred.

This was also one of the reasons why, in the first internal strife of the Seljuks after Sultan Arsalans, the future Sultan Suleiman of Rum fled with his people overnight, and as a result, after breaking through the mountainous positions in eastern Anatolia, they pushed all the way to Nicaea.

And now, the Mamluks are doing this, and they were also defeated by their opponents in Manzikert. Although Fatih still doesn't know why Uzun Hassan, as a minority, chose to unite with the majority Mamluks, history has told him that if he doesn't retreat, he will really have to repeat the heroic deeds of the two Dukas heroes.

On May 5, he learned from the Genoese spies in Galata that the fleet in the Golden Horn had removed the weapons from some of the galleys, and that Venetians who looked like sailors were seen guarding the city walls.

"My oars, prepare to go—"

After a brief moment of excitement, he instantly became depressed.

What fleet? It doesn't exist at all.

There was no choice but to move the last few artillery pieces to the main gate. He originally wanted to repeat the old trick and continue to bombard the walls near the palace with artillery, but because Minotto kept Barto this time, the Venetians, with their leader, no longer had the poor performance of that night, and the Ottomans' continuous offensive attempts were thwarted. Fatih could only transfer them to the St. Romanus Gate and carry out concentrated artillery bombardment there.

As the gunners became more and more skilled, they gave up the combat method of spreading the cannons across a wide front and instead concentrated all the cannons to fire at one point. The effect was immediate, and the artillery fire was more fierce than before. These cannons bombarded the Theodosian Walls day and night. Although large sections of the low walls and outer walls collapsed and fell, the inner walls still stood upright on the ground, as if mocking the Sultan's incompetence.

The defenders worked day and night, using whatever they could collect to repair the destroyed walls. The sailors who temporarily joined the battle were stationed here, equipped with high-quality muskets and light artillery, as well as a large number of crossbows and other equipment.

Elsewhere, the more the Muslims survived, the more distressed the defenders became. On May 5, the Ottoman engineers, who were highly expected by the Sultan, finally found a way out for themselves. A floating bridge appeared on the Bosphorus, connecting the Balkans and Anatolia.

This is another masterpiece of Fatih. The pontoon bridge is made up of 5000 large wine barrels. The nameplates on the barrels show that they are from the city of Galata. Every two barrels are connected end to end, and wooden boards are nailed on them with iron nails to form a lane wide enough for five soldiers to walk side by side, and strong enough to carry the weight of a cart.

Fatih's purpose in building a pontoon bridge was simple. If he really failed to capture Constantinople, he would retreat decisively along the pontoon bridge and return to Anatolia to deal with his brothers who shared the same beliefs.

So from the beginning, he had no intention of hiding. All these preparations could be seen clearly from the Theodosian Walls. The declining empire was once again shocked by the huge manpower and material resources invested by Fatih.

One cannot help but sigh at how much a great empire could fall into depravity due to the changes in the world. The Romans were best at various field fortifications during their hundreds of years of expansion. When they besieged Jerusalem, which was controlled by the Jews, they actually built a wall around the city and attacked it by defending it, thus killing the Jews. It is amazing that they are shocked by a floating bridge now.

The war had reached this point, and although the Sultan had tried his best, his defense line was still intact. Now that the three key techniques of medieval siege warfare - raid, bombardment and blockade - had not produced much effect, he could only play his last card.

After the fall of the Serbian Empire, the wealth brought by Kosovo's gold mines became the original capital of the Ottoman Empire. Now, in the Slavic troops besieging Constantinople, these skilled miners from New Brdo are ready to take the stage.

They were masters of the art of digging and tunneling, and to their tools marble seemed as soft as beeswax, and the dark mountains were nothing but a heap of dust. Early in the campaign they had attempted to tunnel under the middle of the city wall, but the plan was abandoned because the terrain was unsuitable.