Eagle Byzantium

On the first Sunday in mid-April, Pella, the "city within a city," surrendered.

Ten thousand Venetian expatriates, including nearly three thousand regular citizens of San Marco, had to face the ruthless execution of the new emperor in Constantinople.

In the Great Circus of Constantine, all the prisoners, including Consul General Molitor Russell, as well as many women and children, were surrounded by brutal soldiers. Many of these women were originally Roman women in the capital. They lived with the Venetians because they were greedy for their wealth. They were the first to be unlucky - the citizens threw stones at them, and some were killed. They tore their clothes, cut off their hair, and cursed loudly. The ground was shaken, and they and the young Venetian children were wailing in terror. The crowd in the capital soon forgot the blood stains on the Hippodrome, the Polo Grounds, and the St. Paul's Almshouse, and vented their bloody anger on the ground. On the suffering foreigners.

The businessmen of Amalfi and Pisa were proud and gloating. They wore festive silk cloaks and stood on the buildings in the nearby streets, as if they were watching a grand comedy and toasting each other. Two of the city-states actually abandoned their old grudges and concluded an alliance and trade relationship with the city of Bari on the coast. They "swore to protect each other under the siege of powerful enemies and relied on the power of Basileus Gawain" and hoped to win the war. Serve hot bacon and join in. Although Pisa is also traditionally a papal city, the wealth contained in the East has already given up its loyalty and faith, and it is so satisfying to be able to squeeze out a strong competitor in Constantinople. matter.

Of course, the enemies in the eyes of the two city-states were the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and the Holy See of Tuscany and the League of Lombard Cities.

And Amalfi hopes to squeeze out the Venetians in Egypt too!

The scorching sun shone on the square, which was full of chaos and mourning. The soldiers were impatiently waiting for the order from the Gallipoli Palace: if the emperor asked them to start a massacre, then the canals around the square would be filled with blood. .

Molitor showed great courage. He called on all men to keep women and children behind him, and argued angrily with the besieging citizens. The consul general was covered in sweat from exhaustion, and he almost lost his voice while standing under the scorching sun. But he still sticks to his duties.

Half an hour later, Gawain, who was spending time with his family in the palace, sent the "Senior Gate Officer" Muzafi Adin (who was then in charge of the keys to the palace and the gate tower, which can be said to be a very trusted official position, although his rank was not high) An edict was sent:

"Henceforth in our decrees and the Empire's decrees, the Venetian Consul will be deprived of his title of Dalmatian Grand Noble, John will be called 'Despot of Crete', and Constantine Bertin will be called 'Slav rebels', the King of Hungary will be reduced to a 'Turkic chief', and Sicily will be regarded as a 'Syracusan bandit', all the expatriates captured by the Dalmatian rebels in the city of Pella. All property would be confiscated, deprived of all security and legal guarantees, they would no longer be protected by the Roman civil law, and the church of San Marco in the neighborhood of Pella would be razed or used for other purposes. Half of the three thousand Venetians would be distributed. The military workshops in Seleucia were used as slave labor, and half of them were sent to work in the silver mines of Greater Armenia. The rest of the women and children were all sent to the silk weaving workshops, leather workshops, and shipyards of the imperial capital as slaves.

Consul General Molitor, I have been on good terms with him and admire his dedication to his duties, but I cannot forgive him because he will bear the responsibility for the failure of the Empire's negotiations with Venice. I will deprive him of his freedom, but give him a The rank of the sword-bearing nobles was high and rich, so that they could have enough food and clothing, and they were exiled to the port of Media and imprisoned. "

After the edict was read out, the entire square was filled with thunderous cheers and howls of hell.

"Saint George!"

"Consecrated Nicholas!"

Seeing this scene, the two city-state merchants who were watching contentedly were even more satisfied. They collectively toasted each other, "Go to hell, you pigs of Venice."

After drinking, they walked to the gorgeous round dining table made of Indian teak wood, and each put on their red blouses that symbolized their status. These two city-states are now in the "Red Party Order", which shows that the new Emperor Gawain does not regard them as Outsiders, but there are strict restrictions on the routes and categories of business: Pisa can take the Theroponnesian route, Amalfi can take the Samos and Cyprus routes, and the hot duck, which will join soon, enjoys the views of Tarsus and the Gulf of Alexandra (Tartsus, Adana to the bay between Antioch), they were placed under the supervision of Billione. Zhao Zhao, who is in the Red Party, oversees the land and sea trade routes of Ikonium, Trabzon and Fasis, and prepares to open up the Khazar Sea (Caspian Sea) in the future.

As for the Blue Party, Gawain assigned to them several important river trade routes between Thrace and future Macedonia, as well as the ports in the entire West Uxen Sea, and the entire Danube navigation route, and called on them to actively engage in business and shipbuilding. , reviving the business climate of the former empire.

After nightfall, Gawain stood quietly in the porch of the Monastery of the Savior in Pantpoptus.

The hooded nun Darasena was sitting opposite, looking at him coldly.

The hatred between the two is inevitable. Dalasena has devoted her life to building the Komnenos Empire. This is her commitment and responsibility to her son. When Alexios was still young and had not ascended the throne, this energetic woman Women with superb skills continue to travel among the various families in the empire, like the best weavers, weaving the most appropriate and stable network for the Komnenos family. Therefore, during the Four Caesars Civil War, no matter how the positions of other families changed, the Komnenos family would always reap the benefits.

However, this ingenious "Comnenus conspiracy" was mercilessly pierced and torn apart by Gawain's flaming sword (cannons, muskets, new field siege tactics, and the new military system in the territory) - Alexios was defeated on the battlefield of Philomelon, and the conspirator who had played all his life finally died in vain in another shameful conspiracy.

Dalasena's dream was completely shattered when her life was about to end.

"You Varangian barbarian, your rule will not last long." The old woman gritted her teeth, "You killed my son now, and got the support of Irene and Anna, two traitors, and you think you can keep the crown? No, you have offended the Holy Church."

A correct version at 16-9 Book Bar!

"I can establish a new church." Gawain paced a few steps and interrupted her, "A new type of church that can persuade the people, promote faith, and boost the spirit and morale of the people." Then he looked at Dalasena with some contempt, "Perhaps this is difficult for you to imagine, because you are always afraid of offending the church and causing your soul to not be saved, but I am not afraid at all. I only care about my achievements in this world, not my place after death."