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

Soon, when Fatih rode through the St. Romanus Gate on horseback, he looked at the street that was more than half destroyed, and his heart was bleeding.

"I'm sorry, Sultan, I'm still late."

"At least it's better than not coming at all. Uncle Khalil, after the entry ceremony, I will return to Anatolia to fight a decisive battle with the Mamluks; I'll leave it to you to take charge of the negotiations in the Balkans."

“Is there any bottom line for the negotiation?”

"It would be best if we could keep the Thrace region. If that doesn't work, we can give you anything except Constantinople. At worst, we can fight back later."

Despite the catastrophe, the most magnificent monuments of the Roman Empire that have survived stand here - the equestrian statue of Justinian the Great still faces the rising sun; the Mileion, the cornerstone for calculating distances throughout the empire, also stands here. To one side of the equestrian statue of Justinian the Great is the hippodrome and some of the trophies of Constantine the Great, which link the city to a more ancient antiquity: a strange three-headed bronze snake from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, a souvenir of the Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC, and even older columns from the time of the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III.

In Hagia Sophia, the morning prayer ceremony had already begun at this time, and the nine huge wooden doors were tightly closed. Before Fatih could say anything, the Yericheni soldiers rushed into the inner courtyard and found that the main door was closed, so they began to hit the middle door, which was the royal door for the emperor and his entourage to enter and exit. Under the continuous blows of the axe, the 4-inch thick wooden door finally shook and banged open, and the Ottoman army poured into the magnificent church.

In front of Fatih, the blue and gold mosaic statue of Christ stared at the invaders expressionlessly, with his right hand raised in a blessing gesture and his left hand holding a book with the words "Peace be to you, I am the light of the world" written on it.

"It looks like you guys are done, can I come in?"

Fatih got off the horse and stood at the door and asked Lixiang.

"Sure, why not."

When she saw Fatih standing at the door, she felt relieved from the bottom of her heart. After all, the story was finally coming to an end.

Maybe...How could it end so abruptly?

"Hey, you look really miserable now, Constantine."

PS: It’s another day to become the uncle next door on Chinese Valentine’s Day.

Chapter 218 That's where the story begins

Without Fatih, there would have been a howl of fear from the cowering crowd as the soldiers broke through the doors. People prayed to God, but to no avail. They were wiped out in one fell swoop, with little bloodshed. The few who resisted, perhaps a few old and infirm, were killed, but most surrendered like sheep.

The Ottoman army was after booty and profit. Each soldier struggled to control his captives, turning a deaf ear to the cries of captives of different sexes and ages. Some young women were nearly torn apart in the struggle for the most valuable slaves. Nuns and ladies, young men and old men, masters and servants were tied together and dragged out of the church. Soldiers bound the women with their own veils and tied the men with ropes. The soldiers were divided into groups, each leading his captives to a specific location, handing them over to someone else for custody, and then returning to the church to capture a second or even a third batch of captives. In less than an hour, all the believers in the church were tied up. The endless procession of captives, like herds of cattle and sheep, poured out of the church and the temple, and the miserable sounds of wailing echoed in the early morning.

Without Fatih, the soldiers would have stormed into Hagia Sophia, hacked the icons to pieces, tore down the precious metal frames, and in a flash seized the precious and sacred relics, gold and silver utensils and other valuables kept in the temple. Then there were all kinds of other devices and utensils that the Muslims considered both offensive idols and legitimate spoils of war - gold chains, candelabra, oil lamps, icon screens, altars and their decorations, church furniture, and so on.

Soon, everything was either looted or destroyed, and the holy site of the Orthodox Church became empty and desolate. The cathedral became a shell. This decisive moment for the Greeks also gave rise to a legend that typifies their age-old superstition of miracles and their longing for the Holy City.

According to the legend, as the soldiers approached the altar, the priests took up the sacramental vessels and approached the temple, at which point the wall opened to let them in, then closed again. The priests would remain there until a future Orthodox emperor restored Hagia Sophia.

But there was one very gratifying event. The Ottomans opened the tomb of Enrico Dandolo, the much-hated Venetian governor who had sacked Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade 250 years earlier. Finding no treasure in the tomb, they dumped Dandolo’s remains in the street, to be gnawed by wild dogs.

Fortunately, there was Fatih, but unfortunately there was also Fatih. When Fatih ordered the door of Hagia Sophia to be cut down, the ancient Roman Empire was completely dead.

Hagia Sophia witnessed many of the imperial capital's dramas. The original church on the site stood for 1100 years, and the great church built by Justinian the Great lasted another 900 years. This magnificent building reflected and witnessed the city's turbulent spiritual and secular life. Emperors, including Constantine XI, were crowned here.

Many fateful events in the history of the empire took place beneath this huge dome, "suspended from heaven by a golden chain." Blood had been splattered on its marble floors; riots had broken out; patriarchs and emperors had taken refuge from mobs and conspirators, or been dragged away by force. The dome itself had been destroyed three times by earthquakes; its awe-inspiring portico had seen the papal legate rush in with a bull of excommunication in 1054; its walls had been scribbled with graffiti by Dire the Strange; and it had been ruthlessly looted by the barbaric Fourth Crusaders.

It was here that Russian visitors were so struck by the otherworldly beauty of the Orthodox liturgy that the entire Russian nation converted to Orthodoxy. It was here that religious differences were quarreled and the floors were smoothed by the feet of ordinary worshippers. The history of St. Sophia is a reflection of Byzantium - holy and secular, mysterious and beautiful, beautiful and cruel, highly irrational, divine and human.

Finally, after 1123 years and 27 days, its history is coming to an end.

"Don't you have anything to say? The end of an era, 'Uncle' should have a lot to say."

"You are in such a good mood that you can still laugh even when encountering such a thing."

The man he called uncle put one hand on his shoulder and walked slowly forward. Judging from their clothes, they did not look like the well-equipped Crusaders before, but more like ordinary citizens who were instigated by Basilius to join the battle.

"But you are right. He was dead in 1204, but he was only buried now."

The conditions of both men were not much better. The younger one had a bruise on his hand, and that hand could do almost nothing except bleed. The older one was even worse off. Not only did he not have a helmet, but the wounds of varying sizes on his body were so shocking that people wondered how he managed to survive.

"How did you end up at the Golden Gate? When I couldn't find you at the St. Romanus Gate, I almost broke it down."

Of course, there are those blind guys.

"It's just a fight and retreat, not worth mentioning."

"We won't retreat to the Golden Gate if we fight and retreat. That's the farthest place from the port. As the mayor of Constantinople, you don't necessarily have a poor sense of direction."

This conversation, which both of them knew very well, did not last long, and they soon turned the content of the conversation to reality.

"How do you feel about yourself?"

"Not so. You should have buried me with the dead warriors. That would have been better for both you and me. How long can your hand hold up?"

"The answer to the first question is: Do you think it's possible? If I put you down here now, all the efforts made by Grand Duke Lucas Notaras will be in vain; and the second question..."

Both of them looked at his right shoulder. The color of the cloth strip had changed, and the hand was hanging straight down, but it did not fall directly according to the law of free fall, but just hung there.

"I was too harsh."

"That's good to know. We were supposed to take you to Hagia Sophia, but now we have to change our minds."

Alvin raised his head. His vision was a little blurry, but he could vaguely make out the way forward.

"Let's go, starting from here, crossing the central avenue, over Osman Yericheni's blockade, at the end of our sight, that's where the story begins."

Please accept my last gift, Constantine. I will make you a saint of the Orthodox Church.

And legends.

Chapter 219 Death of the Emperor

"According to the original plan, I will remain in the military camp outside the city walls all morning today, waiting for reports on the surrender and looting of the city."

"To be honest, the more I read the report on the looting, the more heartbroken I became. You say that the prophet is such a wise man, why would he come up with this doctrine that looks so uncomfortable?"

"Then I heard about the war on the Danube River. Poland and Hungary defeated our army head-on from two directions. I had to enter the city ahead of time, and I didn't even have a ceremony to enter the city..."

Vlaunos was defeated, the war was over, and everything was over. Everyone thought so. Fatih was able to stroll in Hagia Sophia with the Chaldeans and exchange information with each other.

"As a result, the affairs of the Balkans will be greatly delayed, but it will be just like what the sultans did in the past. How they took control of the Balkans back then will be repeated now."

"As long as Constantinople remains, everything will be fine. Fatih, where are you going next?"

"Across the sea, Nicaea. I will regroup my troops there and then march towards Ankara - just like I did at the Battle of Manzikert."

Soon their communication was interrupted again, and this time there was a reason for the interruption:

"Constantine XI", found it.

Even before entering the city, Fatih cordially received several trembling citizen delegations. Among them, the envoy of the mayor of Galata presented gifts, hoping that the Sultan would guarantee that Galata's neutrality treaty would remain valid, but the Sultan did not give a clear answer.

In Hagia Sophia, the Yericheni offered Orhan's head, but he simply took a red cloth, gently covered it, and waved his hand to give orders.

"Bury his head with his body."

What he wanted to see most was the head of Constantine XI, and now, there was finally news about him.

"The emperor's ultimate fate and confirmation of his death have always remained unclear and uncertain. For a long time, there were no reliable reports of the emperor's end. Fatih may have ordered a search of the battlefield to find his body."

“Perhaps, we can witness the truth of history with our own eyes.”

Surrounded by the Guards, Archduke Lucas Notaras and the remaining few people saluted Fatih. Behind them was a wooden cart with a person covered with a purple robe on it.

Fatih took a deep breath, walked to the side of the cart, and gently lifted the extremely noble purple robe. "Constantine XI" in armor was lying peacefully inside. His body was covered with scars, and a bloodstained helmet hung on his hand, but these were not the wounds that killed him.

What actually killed this "Basilius" was a small wound on his neck. Judging from the expression of Grand Duke Lucas Notaras, Fatih probably knew the truth.

According to doctrine, the Sultan had to personally cut off his head and hang it on the Justinian Column opposite the Hagia Sophia to declare to the Romans that their emperor was dead; the skin of the head was then peeled off, stuffed with straw, and sent to the major courts of the Crescent World to be displayed to the world in magnificent ceremony as a symbol of authority and conquest.

But he didn't want to do that.

"Bury your emperor in Hagia Sophia, as he deserves."

"I think that question may have been answered."

Romani looked at Fatih's lowered hand, which was like lowering a curtain, or letting go of the past.

Prior to this, there were no reliable eyewitnesses to the emperor's true cause of death, so there were many different opinions, and various theories refuted each other and were not credible. "

Ottoman historians all gave derogatory but very detailed accounts of the emperor's death, many of which were written long after the event and may have been based on earlier records.

According to their account, the dull and blind emperor saw that things were not going well and tried to flee. He led his entourage along the steep streets towards the Golden Horn or the Sea of ​​Marmara to find ships, and encountered a group of looting Turkish infantry and guards on the way. A desperate battle broke out. The emperor rode his horse to attack a wounded Turkish infantryman, but his horse stumbled, and the infantryman stood up and cut off the emperor's head. The other Byzantines saw that the emperor was dead, and their fighting spirit collapsed. Most of them were killed or captured. A large amount of money and jewelry carried by the emperor's entourage was also robbed.

The Greek version generally stated that when the front collapsed, the emperor led a group of loyal nobles to charge the enemy at the city wall and finally died heroically.

The emperor turned to Cantacuzenus and the few who were still with him and said, "Then let us all rush together and kill these barbarians!"

The brave Cantacuzenus was killed, and the Emperor Constantine XI was repulsed, pursued mercilessly, wounded in the shoulder, and subsequently died at the foot of the city walls.

There are many versions of this story, in which the emperor was killed either on the massacred body at the St. Romanus Gate or near a locked side gate, but all of them provided the Greeks with an indelible legend about the emperor.

But in any case, the emperor of Constantinople died. Some say his head was cut off, others say he died in the crowd that stormed the city gates, and after he was killed, his head was impaled on a spear and presented to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Strange legends abound. As the emperor's fate was uncertain, the Greeks wove more and more legends around him, using ballads and elegies to express their longing for past glory:

Weep, Christians of the East and West, weep for this terrible destruction. On Tuesday, May 1453, 5, the descendants of Hagar took Constantinople... When Constantine Dragases heard the news, he grabbed his lance, girded his sword, jumped on his white-hoofed mare, and struck hard at the Turks, those impious wild dogs. He killed 29 pashas and 10 guards in a row, but his sword was broken, his lance was broken, and he was alone, isolated and helpless...

A Turk struck him on the head, and poor Constantine fell from his horse. He lay in the dust and blood. They cut off his head, put it on the point of a spear, and buried his body under a laurel tree.

Yes, now almost everyone thinks Constantine XI is dead.

Of course, it’s “almost”.

PS1: Sometimes plans really can’t keep up with changes.

PS2: CR7 returns to Manchester United, a wanderer returns home.

Chapter 220 We Have No Way Out

“The unfortunate emperor died at the age of 49. Whatever his fate may have been, it is certain that he fought to the last moment to maintain the incense of Byzantium. The monarch of Costantiniya was brave and fearless and refused to surrender until his death.”

"At least in the public consciousness, you are already dead. This is a good thing. It means that our actions will be much easier."

The chaos in the city gradually subsided, and the chaotic order had been restored. The young man looked up at the other side of the city. As expected, it was the Sultan who rode through the Charisius Gate, and the Grand Vizier, the Senior Bey, the Ulema, the Command Palace, the elite troops, the guards and the infantry marched on foot, surrounding him like a star. This was undoubtedly a grand scene, and this grand scene would be described in legends in the future.

As the great procession clanged through the arch, the standard-bearers unfurled the green crescent and the red banner of the Sultan, and the sight of Fatih riding into Constantinople became the most famous image in the history of the Crescent Society, destined to become the subject of countless poems and paintings and passed down from generation to generation.

The bearded Sultan rode his horse straight, moving forward with great pride, his face turned to one side. On both sides of him were the tall and strong Yericheni with small beards, carrying muskets, spears and battle axes on their shoulders, and the imams with white beards. In the background, large and small flags fluttering in the wind and spears as dense as a forest obscured the horizon. On the left side of the picture is a black warrior, symbolizing the black guard of the Prophet, Bilali, who later grew up to be the first muezzin in history. His significance is to welcome the Jihad warriors to accept the legacy promised by the Prophet.

The Yericheni's scimitars were pointed at a pile of Christian corpses at the Sultan's feet. The enemy's shields were marked with crosses - a memory of the Crusades and a symbol of the Crescent's victory over Christianity.

According to legend, Mehmed II paused to give thanks to God. He then turned to congratulate his 8 jihadists, shouting: "Stop, warriors of God! Praise be to God! You are the conquerors of Constantinople!"

At this representative moment, he officially adopted the title "Fatih", and at this moment, the Ottoman Empire's hegemony was officially established.

This year, he was 21 years old.

"So as Fatih's biggest rival in conquering this city, they will show respect to the remains. Ottomans rarely respect their enemies in this way, and you are indeed a formidable opponent."

"According to you, is this the Turkish version of the 'Norman Conquest'? It's all about accomplishing great feats in the name of the conqueror..."

"They didn't take Sicily."

"Ok."

They moved slowly along the wall, for it was the only path on which they could place their feet.

"Go on, what are they doing now?"

“Fatih rode his horse into the center of the city to see the buildings he had clearly imagined from afar—past the Church of the Holy Apostles and the magnificent Valens Aqueduct, toward the Hagia Sophia.”

Perhaps he was not deeply shocked by what he saw, but became serious. Constantinople was more like a Pompeii destroyed by human hands. If he did not stop it in time, those barbaric guys would forget the edict not to destroy buildings. They would swarm like locusts, like fire or whirlwind, and the whole city would be empty and ravaged, just like Rome was in the fire; the remaining houses were all severely damaged and completely in ruins. This huge destruction made everyone who saw it terrified.

Fatih rode on, stopping to inspect landmarks along the way. He passed the Serpent Column at Delphi, where he smashed the jaw of one of its heads with his mace. He passed the equestrian statue of Justinian the Great, and dismounted at the front door of Hagia Sophia.

He prostrated himself on the ground, dumped a handful of dust on his turban, and expressed his humility to God. Then he walked into the looted church. The scene seemed to shock and horrify him, as he walked through the huge church space, stared at the dome, and saw a soldier smashing the marble floor.

“Why smash the ground?”

“For faith.”

Since someone really disobeyed the order to protect the building so blatantly, Fatih did not hesitate at all. He drew his sword and started chopping. Finally, he kicked the guy who was half-dead by him to his guards.

“Although the Sultan promised his army three days of looting, the city was plundered in one day. To prevent further destruction, the Sultan broke his promise and ordered the looting to stop at sunset on the first day. The fact that the heralds were able to ensure that the officers and soldiers obeyed this order shows that the Ottoman army was very disciplined, and it is true now.”

"——Although it was done through extraordinary means."

Compared with those young girls, Aku Hinako had experienced more and seen more, and she quickly understood the truth hidden behind these words.

"I think Ritsuka knew these things from the beginning. Now, Ophelia, you have witnessed it all with your own eyes. In the end, Mashu... I hope she will never know."

After getting rid of the white chimeras, as agreed, they headed along the path towards Hagia Sophia. During this time, Aku Hinako was sharing her experience with Ophelia.

"Now Fatih, as his spirit ascended to the fourth heaven, climbed up to the roof of the church through the gallery. From there, he could look down upon the church and the ancient heart of the Christian city. He could clearly see the decay of an empire that had once been so glorious and proud. Many of the buildings around the church had collapsed, including large parts of the elevated seating area of ​​the hippodrome and the old royal palace."

"In Khosrow's palace, the spider is now the curtain-twisterer, and in Afrasiab's castle, the owl gives the order for a changing of the guard."

"This is a poem written when Sassanid Persia fell."