A group of clergy with icons and paintings hurried to the center of Constantine Square, where Patriarch Athanasius held a large cross and was guarded by several armored knights, step by step on the high platform. Stand in the center of the other four empty patriarchs.

The curtain of the Great War has been opened, and after the liberation of the Aegean Trade Route, the lords of the Eternal City always seem to be the first to know every move of the Empire. The era of the Ottomans ravaging the Roman homeland may come to an end after this war.

"God's people, the empire beneath your feet is no longer the weak fireflies it once was, on the shores of the Marmara, on the Balkans, the empire's homeland has returned to its pocket. The Lord has sent down a revelation that the splendor of the new Rome will once again make the heathen and heretics tremble! ”

"The Great Eternal City has stood here for thousands of years, and countless barbarians who have tried to spy on the empire have been reduced to bones under the walls of Theodosius! And Muhammad will be no exception......"

……

"His Majesty John is too risky." Old Agrippa sat down at the long table, rubbing his brows, "The empire is tied to a path from which there is no turning back, and if we are not careful, we will be crushed......"

"Separated by the entire Aegean supply line, even if the Bosphorus looks calm now, sooner or later Muhammad will send a fleet to face off or even fight a decisive battle. His Majesty did not have any reliable bridgehead or supply staging post in Asia, and the only Cutthroat Fort was now besieged. If there is any problem with the food and salary of the soldiers on the front, then all the legions in Asia will probably have to ......" Kinchi obviously did not have the heart to think about the surplus of the treasury, according to the current development of events, it has become inevitable to seek aid and loans from the West, and how much loss can be recovered, can only hope for how much profit can be made from John's desperate decision.

For the Empire, defeat was absolutely unacceptable. Even if it were only a few years of peace agreements with a few reparations, the empire would likely be constrained by debt and economic pressures for a long time. What Rome needs today is a victory that can be called epic, enough to be remembered in the annals of history.

But what the odds are, even Constantine XI, who is now sitting on the Holy See with a calm face, cannot guarantee it.

"So far, all the decisions made by His Majesty John cannot be considered by common sense. This was an order copied by General Giovanni, and His Majesty John did not send them to Fort Cut Throat to concentrate their forces to defend the counterattack, but scattered all the dispositions of all the legions and scattered them like meteors in Asia Minor...... Considering only tactically, this is definitely not the judgment that a normal commander should have. Agrippa said weakly, "The empire simply does not have the ability to guarantee the absolute security of the Aegean Sea, and the deployment of troops is so scattered, Your Majesty, as the commander of the army, cannot give orders to all the troops at the first time, and all combat orders are only given by the commander of the legion with experience, which will definitely give the Ottomans a chance to break through one by one." ”

"Do you have a better solution? With the Trabzon garrison almost reduced to zero, and the Cutthroat Fort a candle in the wind...... Is there any way to reclaim a way out of the cracks for the Empire? Constantine XI calmly retorted from the Holy See, "I certainly know what the risks are and how precarious the situation is. But if the empire loses the Cutthroat Fort, we lose the last bargaining chip against the Ottomans. After the Cutthroat Fort was lost, along Anatolia to the Near East and Khorasan, who could stop the expansion of the Ottomans? ”

"Your Majesty......"

"Trabzon will be annexed in the first place, and Ducasse-Komnenos will be reduced to history? And then? Is it the Mamluks, who are already terminally ill, or do you think that Timur can still wrestle with Muhammad now? Shaharu is dead...... It's been over a year, right? Who else is in the east? How long could Tabriz of Aries hold out under the onslaught of the Ottomans? ”

"At least they're able to keep each other at bay...... Even if the Ottomans occupied almost all of Anatolia, they would not dare to face so many ...... at the same time" Agrippa sat up straight and swallowed, "Your Majesty, His Majesty John's talents are well known to the world, and His Royal Highness Sophia is also the perfect assistant. But you are the Basilius of the Empire. It was the supreme ruler of Rome, and in such a battle, do you really want to let go and give it to John? ”

Every word Agrippa could be heard in the empty council hall, and Constantine sat on the Holy Seat with his eyes closed, not interrupting his statement. As Epirus became more prominent in the Empire, and John's military power grew, there was always a chorus of discord around the Holy See.

The co-emperor had almost all the military power of the entire empire, including the Holy See Guard, which was in the nature of a forbidden army, and rushed to the front at the mercy of the command, which was unheard of under the empire. "Basilius in the attic" has even become a new term. Some point the finger at Baselisa as the witch incarnation of the West, while others believe that John is obsessed with trying to take control of the empire in advance.

"Muhammad is more than twenty years younger than me, my dear Agrippa." Constantine smiled, "When he followed Murad and learned how to govern in battle, I huddled in the court of Morea and watched the Ottoman warships show off their might in the Aegean Sea. Ever since I took over the imperial robe, I have never imagined such a thing as the defeat of the Ottoman Sultan, and a few lame defensive battles are by no means enough to be remembered in the dust of the empire's vast history. And my John, a proud disciple of Giovanni, is a commander who can be affirmed by Angelo. It's John who is now asking me for the whole empire......"

"Your Majesty......"

Being a monarch is definitely not what Constantine XI should have said, and even if it is not in public, it will definitely shake his rule. As Basilius, he had devoted all his energy to government affairs. The dispatch of the army was entirely up to John, and to outsiders, John, who even rode on the imposing body of Fabris, was more like the leader of an empire.

Finally, after a suffocating silence, Constantine XI avoided the topic.

"This year's autumn harvest in the south has only barely filled the bottom of the granary, and tax increases are inevitable. Every amount of money that has been transferred to the treasury, you have to look at it. The winter of 1448 is not destined to be so quiet......"

"Yes, Your Majesty......"

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