Eagle Byzantium

Anna, wearing a small purple crown, stood in front of the Brachna Palace. She looked at the bright gold and silver emblems and flags of the emperor's team, winding through Sarabria with countless captives and trophies. Returning from the blue-black forest and dense market towns in the suburbs.

"Big Manzi, you're back..."

In the setting sun, Gawain walked into the palace and was the first to hug his wife who was coming towards her. "The army has been handed over to my lieutenant general."

The two then realized that the location they were in was in the Our Lady's Monastery in the Brachna Palace. The pavilion where the Virgin's veil was stored was still there. It was even more covered with green vines and shone with a little gold. The sunlight is like a mosaic.

Gawain and Anna walked into it unconsciously and looked at the suspended patio in the center.

Anna suddenly burst into tears. Of course she knew what time it was, so she summoned all the emperor's children in the name of participating in the triumphal ceremony.

Twenty-seven years ago, it was in this pavilion that she never thought that she would meet the man in front of her. At that time, he still had a dirty beard and wore the robes of a Turkic barbarian, but his light blue eyes His lustful eyes made her unable to look away from him.

Then Anna, who was crying, was suddenly lifted up. Gawain was like a shepherd holding a lamb, and he lifted the still petite Basilisa high again, laughing. Although his hair and beard were a little whiter, But those eyes were still so blue, and everything seemed to have returned to the moment twenty-seven years ago, when she first met this Varyag barbarian.

"Remember, take good care of our children. I will go to Hell to conquer the war first." Gawain looked up at Anna and continued to smile heartily, just like a pirate who wanted Yang Fan to go on an expedition.

Anna, who was lifted high, cried happily. She frowned, bared her little tiger teeth, and her tears dropped like pearls...

There was a grand banquet held in the New Palace that night. The emperor held a cup full of ice pomegranate juice, and it was said that it was rarely mixed with some alcohol. He gathered with his officials in the Saffron Palace to celebrate the victory in Sicily. This was The Emperor of the Night was in a particularly cheerful mood and talked more than before. He toasted to the generals who had made meritorious deeds, and talked to Yin Yong for his bravery. Cheers to the sergeants who dared to qualify for the banquet. He also met Mato, who had gone to Sindh with him to eat skinks. Mato had now obtained trophies worth 80,000 new imperial gold coins in the war. Although he did not General Decius is so rich and powerful, but he is ready to immigrate his family to Port Zela to become a rich man there.

"I have said before that if you can eat skinks, you will become famous sooner or later." The emperor said, holding Mato's shoulders.

Then the emperor and his wife stepped forward to clink glasses with the Dalmatian censor Darkconinus. The emperor clearly told the other party, "After the fall of Sicily, there is no need for Venice to stay. I originally planned to lead the army to the city of Rome (completely). pop (to live in the declining Holy See), but then I thought it was not the time, and it would be left to Christopher Darkconinus in the future, and the various military and diplomatic actions against Venice in the Adriatic Sea. It’s up to you to take full responsibility.”

"No problem at all, Your Majesty, I have been planning for this flag-raising expedition for ten years." Darkconinus had a numb and profound expression on his face, and replied after taking a sip of water.

Next, the emperor clinked glasses with his close ministers such as Giovanni, Mikhail, Muzafiadin, Andodat, Macianias, etc. He and Anna then went to the Brenus couple and Ka Next to Lincia's lady in purple, Ingrina.

Gawain specifically looked at Inglina with apology and said, "In my life, you are the one who feels the most guilty."

Before Ingrina could answer, the servants opened the bronze door to welcome the guests. The former governor of New Nicaea, Kossos, walked in dusty and walked directly to His Majesty's location. He kept apologizing and said, "I am still here." Late.

"Emperor Li Hui of the Tang Dynasty has passed away." When the emperor heard the news brought by Kossos from the far east, he announced to all the guests at the banquet with a heavy heart. People suddenly sighed, Helena, Helis Toph, Tulivinus and other children all stood up and expressed their sorrow to the emperor because he had lost his "Eastern friend" who could dominate the world's peace side by side.

The emperor's hand held the stem of the cup and slowly rotated it, pondering for a few moments. Then the mechanical clock in the palace rang, echoing throughout the hall. The musicians changed to sad music, but the emperor shouted loudly. Stopped them, "How can a hero be immortal? Let those who continue to live be happy!"

After hearing the emperor's order, people, including his children, began to rejoice in a controlled manner. Helena came to Macianias specially, "My guard knight congratulates you, you and the high family of the empire." The woman is married. I have entrusted a servant to deliver the gift to your lovely and beautiful wife to your mother’s Agallon Palace.”

"Thank you, Your Highness, for always being so kind." Markianias replied with a complicated but polite expression.

"Sister, look at me, I am about to go on an expedition as the Prince of Carinthia as my father's vanguard!" Calleadeos, who was wearing a mighty military uniform over there, shouted to Helena.

In the corner, only the smart widow looked at Gawain who was silently holding a cup in the crowd. She had a premonition of something and sat slumped on the ivory armchair by the wall, secretly wiping away tears.

Hertomia and Wen Ruomingna left the banquet. Under the guidance of the servant holding the candle, they walked quietly through the corridor full of pillars, preparing to go to their office study to write an urgent letter to the Gaotang Embassy in Constantinople. Since the other party was not as fast as the governor of Kossos, the envoy reporting the funeral was still on the way.

"Your Majesty sent it here." After a while, Wen Ruomingna, who sat down and held a reed pen, took the sealed document sent by the palace maid, and then she opened it, thinking it was Basileus and Baselisa. Remind her what wording to pay attention to in the document.

But slowly, after Wen Ruomingna read the words on it, she began to shake in fear and uneasiness, and the ink on the pen tip dripped.

Hetomia, who felt strange, came closer and soon turned pale. This document, stamped with the seals of the two co-ruling emperors, was actually "a letter of condolence from His Majesty the Imperial Majesty Basileus Yan Jia."

Who would announce and issue such a document in advance while they were still alive? This made the two palace officials froze in place and did not say a word for a long time.

At this time, the mechanical clocks in the palace started ringing one after another, from far to near, like the sound of human footsteps...

After the banquet, in a small room in the Lion Hall, a fine cloth was hung that could see through the light. Gawain and Anna sat side by side. In the northwest corner sat three musicians from the Tang Dynasty and a flute player. One is a drummer, the other is a lute master, and behind the fine cloth are two puppet masters from the Tang Dynasty. They want to perform for Basileus and Basileus. Lisa performs various plays that are popular in the Tang Dynasty. The "Tang Shadow Puppet Show" has been extremely popular among the people of the empire recently. Many people will walk more than ten kilometers to go to a place called "Wasi" in the "Song City" on the outskirts of the imperial capital. Going to the theater, of course, the two emperors of the empire did not need to do this at all. They had dedicated rooms and people to provide such entertainment services.

Gawain and Anna each held a grandchild in their arms. The other grandchildren were dressed in gorgeous and lovely clothes, waddling and playing on the large carpet. An interpreter stood by the seat to provide explanations, but Anna stopped him. He said, "Basselius and I can just watch, we don't need your voice to disturb us."

The accompaniment of music started, and the puppeteers were hidden high up. They were holding several strands of thread in their hands, pulling the two little figures made of oil-soaked camel skin behind the shadow cloth, moving like flying. Go, and soon all the children stopped playing and stared at the shadow cloth, giggling non-stop.

Gawain also watched with interest. Slowly he felt sleepy and his eyelids gradually drooped. Finally he pressed Anna's hand and whispered to her, "Thank you for giving me ten more years." , allowing me to see my children and grandchildren being born and growing up.”

Anna calmly held her husband's arm with her backhand, and sat there motionless until the shadow puppet show ended...

The emperor's coffin was placed in the newly completed "Invalides" next to the Holy Apostles Monastery. After his body was transported from the new palace, 150,000 citizens and soldiers attended his funeral. At that time, the mourning messengers from the Eastern Tang Empire also arrived. People generally felt incredible: the dates of the two emperors Yan Jia in the East and the West were as close as agreed upon. Could it be that the Lord had some arrangements.

In the dark night, the emperor's coffin was placed in the hall of the Invalides surrounded by pillars. In the outer courtyard, three hundred veterans who had followed the emperor throughout his military life came from all directions in the empire to guard the coffin for His Majesty, waiting for the moment of burial. .

A crow silently flew over the high roof and stopped in front of a statue of a mythical beast. Its red eyes were imprinted in the cold moonlight. After a while, it opened its wings again and circled, nimbly passing through a tree. A pillar turned into a ball of flying black energy. After circling the emperor's coffin several times, it transformed into a human being. Shape - Artiehe in a black robe, holding an astrolabe with sparkling scales, like a bird with folded wings, smiling proudly, her sheep's hooves clicking on the floor With a sound, his fingers touched the coffin greedily and excitedly, "Gawain, your soul will finally belong to me."

Then she pushed open the coffin, which was extremely easy for her. The corners of her mouth were almost overflowing with joy. She loved Gawain's soul so much, and how unhappy it was to wait until the end of the contract. Easy. If that person hadn't hindered her, she would have embraced Gawain's soul ten years earlier.

The coffin moved quickly with the sound of Sisi's voice, "Gawain, if you wake up and don't feel any pain, then it will be me, Ajiehe, who took you to another world."

Surrounded by bright candles, in the large coffin, Gawain's body lay there, covered in mighty armor. His eyes were closed peacefully, his hands were folded in front of his chest, and the sword of phosphorus was standing straight in it.

"How wonderful, come with me to hell, and your achievements will be my most glorious achievement." Ajiehe's eyes shone, and he couldn't help but reach out to Gawain's face.

Suddenly, Gawain opened his eyes and stared at Ajiehe.

Ajiehe screamed, and she suddenly felt dizzy, "There is no human being in the coffin, it is a mirror reflecting Gawain!"

She turned around quickly and raised her head to find Gawain's true form above.

But what she saw was another mirror floating in the air.

A white light exploded, and Ajiehe was caught between two mirrors at the same time. Amidst the whistling sound, another Ajiehe flew out from the mirror with his claws extended. The Ajiehe who also stretched out his claws stabbed each other. It struck the opponent's heart, and the devil's shrill cry filled the entire hall where the coffin was placed, but was bounced back when it hit the wall.

The veterans of the Invalides heard nothing. They were still patrolling and guarding the courtyard dutifully.

The weak Ajiehe fell to the ground together with the astrolabe in her hand. She looked back in horror with her black hair disheveled.

There was a pleasant sound, and Gawain held the hilt of the sword of phosphorus and walked towards her step by step with a mocking face. Behind him was a girl in white clothes holding a mirror. The sound just now came from her clothes. The girl lowered her eyelids and smiled viciously at her.

"Asshole, Kabirna, Lord of the Seven Stars, you actually violated the agreement between the Lords of Hell and helped my 'sacrifice' deal with me!" Ajiehe's face was full of resentment and resentment.

"Shut up, Ajiehe, you human-headed dog! You actually have the nerve to accuse me. Stephen Gawain is not enough as a sacrifice, and you actually interfered in my affairs in Gaotang. Zhao Ji, Tong Guan and Yelu Dashi should have It's Gaotang's performance, but you But you helped Zhao Ji in his western expedition, and allowed Gao Wen to gain merit, and his head was transferred to your merit book. Now the Lord's request for support is becoming more and more urgent. You are preparing to step on me to please the Lord, and go up. Climb?" Cabirna yelled angrily.

Seeing that she was being plotted and at a disadvantage, Ajiehe suddenly changed her face. She stood up and smiled charmingly and said to Gawain and Cabirna, "Let the past be in the past. Let's move forward together towards our dreams. Because everyone Suffocated by dreams! If not, I will give you this astrolabe, Kabirna..."

As a result, before he finished speaking, Ajiehe's feet were lifted up by Gawain, the black skirt fell, and his snow-white legs were shining, "Gawain, Gawain, what are you going to do!" Ajiehe said Embarrassed and desperate, like a jumping fish, struggling with his hands tightly grasping the gap between the stone slabs.

"The sheep's hooves have turned into the shape of human feet. Your devilish power is gone. The fast and slow lenses have killed you. The next step is the complete finishing stage." Gowen, who had taken off his armor, said this. , "Ajiehe, I think I haven't forgotten the ability you gave me back then, right? I'm not willing to just be the gatekeeper of Hell."

Ajiehe understood immediately, and she screamed in despair, "No, it can't be like this, Gawain, I'm so good to you."

"You have taken Anna's life and soul, but you still don't want to abide by the contract. You tempted Macianias to plot against me. You are a profiteer who needs to be punished and a treacherous devil who does not keep your word." As soon as Gawain finished speaking, Ajie He suddenly felt that her vagina had been blasted to pieces by artillery. She put her hands on the ground, her legs were being pulled like a bowstring, her hair was flying back, and her begging voice became weaker and weaker, "No, no, no." .....!”

Under the huge and shaking black shadow on the wall, Kabirna looked at Li Hui's astrolabe that she had collected, and then at Gao Wen's astrolabe that Artiehe had dropped on the ground. She listened to Artiehe's screams and moans, and then It turned into a breathless gasp, and she suddenly felt extremely happy. She shouted to Gawain, "Hurry up, your contract must be abided by. In half an hour, the Lord will separate you and Li Take away the soul of Hui's astrolabe."

Before he finished speaking, Ajiehe let out the longest cry, and then his human form was completely destroyed, turning into a black crow again, wailing and flying away, disappearing into the night outside the tower.

Then Kabirna felt that Gawain's shadow became bigger and bigger. She was a little scared and hugged the astrolabe - Gawain's body and hair on the other side of the wall seemed to be burning with flames, and he slowly turned his head. It was originally light blue. His eyes turned red gold, and he suddenly said, "I have completely robbed Ajiehe of his power, and now I am the real Lord of Hell."

"Yes, yes, please give me the astrolabe, thank you." Kabirna whispered.

"But now I am eager to conquer your Hell. You should have heard this Eastern proverb in Gaotang. There should be only one leader and one creed in Hell. You and Ajiehe are just a few noobs. What's the point of pecking each other in there? Just let me rule the hell. , you no longer have to work hard to pay tribute to the Lord, I will defeat it and liberate the entire oppressed Hell." Gawain said, surrounded by terrifying fireworks, he had grown eight arms. Breathing a dragon-like breath, he stepped on the floor towards Kabirna.

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"Don't be like this, don't... you can't defeat the Lord, even if it is weak now, ah, ah!" Kabirna, Lord of the Seven Stars, was clamped by Gawain's stretched out arm, and was pulled to the She fell into the air. It took a lot of strength to defeat Ajiehe, but Gawain took advantage of her.

With a clang, the astrolabe carrying Li Hui's soul fell to the ground, and the pointer on the scale moved upward a certain distance due to the vibration. Then the astrolabe cracked, and Li Hui's soul poured out of it, a ball of colorful matter, laughing loudly, bypassing several colonnades, and rushed straight into the night sky before disappearing as well.

"The astrolabe, you destroyed the astrolabe. Li Hui's soul will be displaced in time and space!" Cabirna still had time to worry about the astrolabe, but soon she was attracted by Gawain's eight arms like kites. Pulling and wedged into Gawain's body, the hall was quickly filled with Kabirna's wails, but Gawain actually sang a song, which was Satan's war song in Milton's Paradise Lost:

“Come horror, come Hades!

And you, the deepest hell, come and welcome your new master!

I want to be king in hell and make great achievements. It is better to be king in hell than to be a slave in heaven. "

"Defeat the Lord who ordered the female demon to manipulate our destiny. He is now weak and needs support. This is why he is eager to push the world's needle. That's good - give me some time until my wife comes to the fire. In prison, I will get the best helpers and counselors. I will regroup the ancient gods and demons who were expelled by the Lord and sink in the hell, kill them in heaven, and break all the shackles in this world..."

Kabirna's last scream even penetrated the barrier of the coffin hall. The veterans in the courtyard heard the huge sound. They looked up and saw continuous thunder and lightning on the roof tower of the Invalides. In the sparks, a white viper swam down from the wall and quickly burrowed into the hole in the courtyard wall. Some veterans dug with pickaxes, but found nothing.

The other veterans were worried about the emperor's coffin, but everything in the palace was as safe as ever.

A few days later, in a stormy and dark night, the emperor's coffin was buried, but that night a resident of Constantinople still claimed that he saw the dead emperor covered in armor, sitting on a chariot that erupted like fire and brimstone, patrolling the sky for several days. Suffered, and then walked into the dark clouds and could no longer be seen.

After that, the imperial government was jointly run by Basilisa and her son Christopher. Basilisa took the lead in poisoning the builder David, who had always been imprisoned, and judged that the builder David had colluded with the cave monks in an attempt to overthrow The throne of Christopher is directed at the Queen Mother of Carinthia, who is closely related to the monks of the cave. The keen widow immediately donated all her property and begged Basilisa for mercy. Finally, Anna forgave Calleadeos and retained his throne, but stipulated that his mother and children should be allowed to live in Constantine. The castle was taken hostage - Inglina later died in a secluded manor outside Constantinople.

Twelve years later, during a thunder and lightning storm, many guards and maids of the palace saw the flaming chariot suddenly descending from the sky on the sundial. That night, the Imperial Baselisa Yan drove, and The Queen seemed to have foreseen her own death Yes, she had arranged everything before she passed away: many people saw the previously dead Basileus taking her soul and driving away in the flaming chariot. It is said that at Olympus on the other side of the strait All the monks meditating on the mountain saw this scene.

This absurd legend has always been circulated in the streets of the imperial capital.

Half a year after Basilisa arrived, a wheel ship was launched in the royal dock of the Golden Horn, attracting thousands of residents to watch. People stood on the high seawall and kept cheering, and the wealthy rented many rowing yachts. , lights and decorations were displayed around the ship to watch closely - the ship installed the chimney of the house on the deck, and carried a device that sprayed thick smoke in its belly, which could drive the paddle wheel without human power and allow the ship to sail in the water.

The new emperor Christophe later personally awarded generous bonuses to the engineers and crew members and awarded them titles. The emperor also established his own merits - he destroyed the city-state of Venice. For this purpose, the imperial capital A nine-day carnival festival was held.

The whole capital is in a state of excitement. In recent years, the "citizen politics of Dajing" have become active again. New and luxurious gadgets from all over the world, including some brand-new results constantly published by the Imperial Academy of Sciences, all stimulate the nerves of the citizens: of course, the greatest impact. Yes, or "Axum Coffee Ball" "With the introduction of ", people soaked this ball in boiling water to make cups of hot drinks full of "power and enthusiasm". First, the Oghuz people who banned alcohol (in name) went out to drink it, and soon Constantine The streets and alleys of Dimburg are filled with cafes, which have become the most popular drink among the people. There is also tea produced in the Gaotang Empire, which is especially loved by noble women at gatherings. In this way, citizens began to discuss worldly affairs in cafes, while noble women drank tea in elegant pavilions. They also began to discuss the gains and losses of state affairs and palace secrets. The spies of the Imperial Postal Service shuttled through these places and listened with their ears pricked up.

A crow passed through the flowing clouds and the glittering roof of the Holy Wisdom Cathedral, and then angrily pooped on the bronze statue of Gawain holding the two swords of Jesus (symbolizing the secular and spiritual), and then flew like a projectile. It descended, passed through the cafes, wine shops, and markets on the streets. Finally, it flew over the Theodosian walls and forests of the imperial capital, waving its wings, and arrived at the "Song City" twelve kilometers away in the western suburbs.

In a house, a painter in his fifties, wearing traditional Song Dynasty clothes, was sitting on a mat, lighting light incense and painting exquisite and beautiful birds. He and others Like all Song people, they were all killed in the battle of Mofu City twenty years ago. He was captured and named "Huang Yifu". He later married a wife and had children here. He is now a top "paint artist" in the empire. His works are deeply loved by the court of Constantinople, but Huang Yifu is a reclusive person. People rarely go out except for painting.

The crow landed on the window lattice of the studio and clucked a few times. Then Huang Yifu raised his head with a smile and said, "Why don't you go watch more of the gas ship's trial run?"

As a result, the crow spat out in anger, and actually started talking like a human being, "Ji, back then Tong Guan and I tried our best to keep you alive, but who would have thought that you would be nesting here in Songcheng for the past twenty years?" Being a prisoner, have you forgotten the shame of subjugating your country?"

"Country? Country is just a passing dream for you. No one will run forward for the sake of the past. Isn't that the opposite? Compared with country, painting is more suitable for me." The painter bowed his head again and started writing calmly. She said, "Are you still hating the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady? Because everything of yours was taken away by the previous generation Basileus. Don't worry, you might as well spend a life without dispute with me in this studio." "

"Soon, Pharmacist Guo will be defeated at Balakot, and Liu Guangshi will take the opportunity to annex his team to restore the Song Dynasty, and go north to the Khazar Sea to establish a country; although Christophe destroyed Venice, when Anna died, her sister He and his brother-in-law will try to take the opportunity to annex Egypt, and there will be a war between the empire and Jerusalem that will last for several years... And Li Hui's soul doesn't know where it will fly to by accident, but the silver plate is advanced a quarter of an hour. , I'm afraid someone is going to a certain previous era. Hey, hey, did you hear that?" The crow was jumping around anxiously on the window lattice, but the painter never raised his head again, and just sighed in a low voice. He finished, "I, by nature, still like peace and prosperity. A foreign country is my hometown, and my hometown is also the end of the world. Why bother with mortal troubles again... Jiutian Xuannv, you can't return to your former glory, give up."

At the same time, compared with the bustling racecourse, Cuju field, polo ground, the Grand Place of Metz and the Grand Palace Market, a study hidden deep in the New Palace seems particularly secluded. It has devoted almost all its life to the palace. Wen Ruomingna, who has become a veiled nun, sat there quietly, holding a pen with one arm and writing a memoir in memory of Emperor Gawain.

The Emperor's official chronicle, written by Andodat Nicetus, Lord Privy Seal;

But court women like Wen Ruomingna still have the freedom to create, which is permitted by the laws of the Roman Empire, so her memoirs are more personal.

Next to her were a group of young female officials who had just arrived from aristocratic families from various places. Some were looking for manuscripts in the cupboards, while others were whispering at the coffee table. Suddenly one of the girls with bright eyes asked about Wen Ruomingna. The old man in the palace asked, "Your Majesty the Imperial Ink Officer, what do you think of the magical legends of Basileus and Basilisa of the previous generations?"

"It's so scary, but also so romantic..." Another fatter female officer sighed involuntarily.

"I believe this is not a legend." Wen Ruomingna put away her pen, turned her back to the girls, looked at the falling petals outside the window, and said softly, "There are many comments about Basileus in the world. But I have followed him for so many years, and I just feel that his biggest characteristic is that he is incredible.”

"I heard and heard criticism from the Holy See that Basileus and Basilisa went to the crater of Sicily and became devils in Hell."

Wen Ruomingna couldn't help laughing. Although she was a nun, she was still beautiful. "So what if I went to the hell in the crater? As long as they are together forever, they must be the same now when they are alive, doing our work With incredible achievements that are beyond the reach of ordinary people, do they still care about heaven or hell?"

"Then, Your Excellency the Imperial Ink Officer, please tell us more about the past of this palace! Especially the relationship between Your Excellency Agnes and Basileus and Basilisa." When the other female officials said this, they immediately looked at each other. Then he screamed with excitement - this was even more exciting than attending a celebration in the capital market.

Wen Ruomingna shook her head, "After my death, I will be buried in the palace cemetery, and then continue to serve the two emperors. Such rumors are better for me to be taken to the eternally silent grave."

The female palace officials immediately expressed their regret.

The sunshine through the window lazily shines on Wen Ruomingna's tea cup and manuscript. Next to it is the exquisite cover page of the memoir, which is engraved with this book in the round and graceful "Aksum Gilded Font". Memoir title:

"He Changed Rome".

(Complete book)

Thanks to the readers who have been with Sulla for two years, the story of Gawain and Anna has finally come to an end. This fatal couple will probably not stop laughing even if they go to Hell together. It would be trivial to start a fairy revolution. of.

According to the clues left by the unlucky Ajiehe, some friends may have guessed that the guy who filled Li Hui's vacancy and lost the devil's gift will join the Tang Dynasty in the middle and late stages of the Tang Dynasty some time in advance. , what kind of struggle will he go through?

In the next book, Sulla will write about a person's struggle in the Tang Feng era.

Three months later, we met again and again.