The Imperial Council was like going through the motions.

Clearly, John's undivided roar in the palace of Constantine shook Constantine XI completely. Except for Giovanni, who was a little mentally prepared and hid on the sidelines of the authorities, the other ministers were surprised by the decision made by His Majesty the Emperor on the impromptu basis.

Everyone's first reaction was surprisingly unanimous: the garrison could not be disbanded.

In the end, it was Constantine XI who became John's lobbyist and put the bill for the reconstruction of the garrison on the agenda.

In the initial plan, after the disbandment of the garrison, a new legion would be re-established in Constantinople, with an undecided name. The soldiers who were reinforced to Greater Greece and Thrace were no longer reorganized and were directly included in the battle sequence of the local garrisons. 、

The new Legion Commander will be chosen from the original members of the Garrison Legion, so Giovanni's nominated Commander Publius will also have a chance to compete.

Such a high-stakes decision ended in a farce-like form. The entire council hall fell silent.

This kind of restructuring is no less than an earthquake. Not only will the forces in the army be reintegrated and shuffled, but the future direction of the entire empire will also be very different.

"Giovanni, did you make it?" Old Agrippa looked at the former commander of the garrison with suspicion on his face, "You didn't say a word just now, and your expression seemed to be very happy." ”

"Huh? I don't know...... I don't know. Giovanni hurriedly got up and left the council hall.

"In the long run...... For this empire, it doesn't seem to hurt. Jin Qi, the new head of finance, touched his very distinctive little beard and muttered, "The problem of corruption within the garrison is also very serious, and after the reorganization, the pattern has been completely disrupted. The new legion will certainly have new military discipline and initiatives. The combat effectiveness of the new legion can really be expected. ”

"My dear stranger, your Greek still needs to be learned." Old Agrippa shook his head, "The garrison was originally the face of the empire, and there are some things hidden under the undercurrent, which cannot be analyzed by a few of us chatting. ”

Although this proposal was passed by the efforts of Constantine XI and the sluggishness of the Imperial Council, the plan to be implemented put a lot of pressure on John.

There were many voices of resistance in the garrison. As we all know, the treatment of the garrison legion is the best in the entire empire except for the Phoenix Legion. But this treatment is very different from the combat effectiveness of the garrison corps. After the army is restructured, even if it remains in Constantinople, there will definitely be a gap between the military salary and the daily training amount given by the empire and the current one.

Vested interests will always be on the side of opposition to reform. This is an irrefutable truth. If the whole reform program continues, the garrison will not repeat the mistakes of the Praetorian Guard and carry up the traditional Roman succession......

"Giovanni, what would you do if it were you?"

John's purple shoulder coat rattled in the cold wind. It was a reform that would do no harm to the empire, but John, who was well versed in history, knew that almost all reforms were accompanied by rivers of blood.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty has promulgated a new law, so reform is imperative, no matter what the cost...... From that moment on, it wasn't a child's play. Giovanni stood behind John, looking at this not so solid back, this man, will carry the future of the empire," His Highness. Three days have passed since the enactment of the bill, and if it is not implemented soon, it will become less and less binding. Now in the garrison, some people already regard this sudden bill as a farce. ”

"Is it a farce......"

"Giovanni, tomorrow at noon, assemble the Phoenix Legion. Let all the soldiers of the garrison, go to Constantine Square, and assemble. ”

"Your Highness, I hope you have already figured out a solution to the problem. Violent repression is always a last resort...... If the empire loses thousands of troops in vain, then even if the restructuring is successful, we will be the losing side. "When Giovanni lived in Genoa, he had heard of the horrific effects of many military riots, so he was not too strict with his men as a commander.

He is very smart, and of course he can analyze the benefits that the restructuring will bring to the empire. But if he were put in the position of Constantine XI or John, he would not dare to say that he would initiate such a reform.

"I will not be stingy if violence solves the problem, my dear General Giovanni Giustiniani." John walked down the lookout with firm steps.

He promised Constantine XI that he would solve all the troubles caused by the reorganization of the garrison. How can you choose to give up when you take the first step?

……

Until Giovanni stepped down as commander of the garrison, he still had to stand in front of his soldiers. Even if there is silence the whole time.

The Phoenix Legion, led by Vasika, has surrounded Constantine Square. John stood at the top of the square, and beside him, ten dismounted knights led by Morey were waiting for him.

The dome of Hagia Sophia is right in front of you, watching all the living things in the square.

But there was still some smell of blood in the air.

After a brief silence, a voice quickly came from the crowd.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, even in the past year alone, we have defended nearly ten sieges and sieges by the Ottomans, large and small, and even recaptured large swathes of Thrace for the Empire. We don't ask for praise, but to disband our formation, that would be an insult to the garrison. ”

A veteran of the garrison legion, and it seems that he is also a general with some prestige in the legion. His remarks immediately elicited a large number of responses.

They are keen to sing the praises of their exploits.

"Your Highness, the garrison must not be disbanded!"

"Constantinople needs us!"

The whole square was filled with people in an instant, but John still didn't say a word.

This undoubtedly gave the soldiers of the garrison a hint and made them feel that the crown prince was not capable of facing such a large-scale resistance. In the end, the restructuring of the garrison was nothing more than a joke.

Even Giovanni, who had always been silent, couldn't see through John's thoughts.

It was a full hour before the soldiers of the garrison slowly recovered from their euphoria, but their position did not change in the slightest.

"I have gathered you here, of course, and I already know the attitude of the vast majority of you." John's voice was not loud, calm as a pool of stagnant water.

"But I'm curious. Throughout, the Empire has not been publicly about what it would do with the reorganized legions. What are you guys against? ”