"Father, I still stick to my choice."

Although Constantine XI initially disagreed with the decision to transfer Giovanni to recommand the Phoenix Legion, at present, he is the best general of the Empire, and the Phoenix Legion is the elite of the Empire.

"The garrison of Constantinople was not child's play. What's that Publius...... How could a young man in his twenties be allowed to assume the command of the garrison? ”

"Then, disband the garrison."

John, who was in front of the Holy See, suddenly made a shocking suggestion, and not only Constantine, but also the chamberlains in the entire purple palace could not believe his ears.

"You just ...... What do you say to me? ”

"Disband the garrison."

"The garrison has defended Constantinople for hundreds of years, and its achievements are impressive! How can it be said that it will be dissolved! John, this is not child's play! Constantine XI was obviously a little annoyed, "If there is no garrison, will the heart of the entire empire be exposed to the Ottomans?" If you want Giovanni to return to the Phoenix Legion, when the pressure on Constantinople is less, I will naturally agree! But don't mention such jokes again! ”

"No, Father! The bloated organization and loose discipline of the garrison were no longer enough to take on the task of defending Constantinople! Nearly 10,000 soldiers, just to defend an already impregnable city wall, this is the funniest joke in the empire! John had no intention of shutting up. As the only remaining legion in the empire with a complete and ancient structure, the combat effectiveness of the garrison is really a bit worrying, because the soldiers in the army will hardly change anything in their lives, and most of them are just gangsters.

In addition, in recent years, the number of inferior mercenaries in the legion has been increasing, which has further reduced the combat effectiveness of the garrison of Constantinople to a higher level.

"John, shut up!"

"Father! Think about it! If the empire is still a city for now, then the existence of the garrison is understandable! But at present, the Great Greek garrison was outnumbered, Thrace was weakly defended, and Constantinople was still complacent, defending the walls of Theodosius with tens of thousands of troops, which was the most foolish decision. John was arguing with Constantine XI almost head-on to revoke the decision of the garrison, and Sophia and Giovanni did not support it at first, after all, everyone had the impression that the garrison had indeed ensured the security of Constantinople countless times.

But John's firmness and toughness made Constantine XI slowly calm down. In Constantine's memory, his own son was rarely willing to have such a conflict, and his suggestion at this time may not have been out of nowhere.

"I need a reason. It is impossible to disband the formation of a legion simply by your words. ”

"The reason is simple, Constantinople simply did not need troops of this size to take on garrison tasks. There was no need for the Empire to incur additional expenses for such a legion. According to the strength of Theodosius' walls, as long as the Ottomans are not overwhelmed by a large army, the defenders can be completely one as ten, plus the Phoenix Legion itself is stationed in Constantinople, and the overly bloated military structure is just putting unnecessary pressure on the imperial finances! ”

John casually picked up the cup on the table, drank the liquid inside, and continued: "Now that Great Greece and Burgasburg have opened up the tactical width for the Empire, splitting the garrison corps to supplement the military strength of Great Greece and Thrace, which is more conducive to the defense of Constantinople. The garrison is just a symbol, and when the Empire is faced with such a choice, it is time for him to be abandoned! The strategy of the empire since ancient times has been to focus on border defense, and never deploy too bloated troops in the capital. ”

Constantine XI was silent for a while, and then asked: "The risks brought by this choice are quite large, Constantinople must not fall, even if the number of troops exceeds the due needs, it is just insurance." Could it be that the capital has fallen, and the other legions can still be combative? ”

"It is this kind of thinking that has caused the empire's army to be defeated again and again!"

"John!"

"Forgive me, Father, but that's the way it is." John said unceremoniously, "The Empire's decline in attack is too obvious. Although the short-lived benefits of several expeditions were made, the frothy gains were soon swallowed up by the infidel armies. Blindly superstitious defense will only invite destruction! ”

John ...... Pay attention to your words. Constantine rose up, "Countless warriors of the empire gave everything in the war against the infidels!" ”

"But the outcome of defeat cannot be changed." John shook his head and said, "Father, I still want you to disband the garrison and reorganize this nearly 10,000 soldiers. ”

Constantine took a few deep breaths and sat back on the throne: "Say what you think, if it is not realistic, never mention this matter again in the future." ”

"Disband the present garrison, and keep the remaining 4,000 men in Constantinople, while the rest of the soldiers are to be supplied to Great Greece and Thrace, respectively." John had been prepared for this question for a long time, and replied confidently, "Burgasburg in Thrace is a military stronghold, and the Ottomans have only sent 3,000 men to defend it, so we can temporarily increase the garrison to 2,000 men, and the rest of the troops will be replenished by local recruitment, so that the pressure on the Western Front will be significantly relieved." And the most important region of Greater Greece is not Athens, but Thessaloniki. Athens did not need to send any additional troops, as long as the troops of Thebes and Thessaloniki were replenished, and the defense of Greater Greece would be very easy. As long as these two places were not easily recaptured by the Ottomans, Constantinople would not face such great pressure. The necessity of the existence of the garrison is gone. It was impossible for Muhammad to risk being flanked on three sides to besiege Constantinople, which was extremely difficult to capture! ”

Although Constantine XI was eager to find an excuse to refute John's point of view, he also had a vague feeling that the existence of the garrison no longer seemed so necessary.

"I'll discuss this matter with the Imperial Council, and you go back first. If there is a need for restructuring, Giovanni's position will be assigned separately. And the Publius you mentioned, I'll also examine his abilities. ”

"Father! The garrison regiment must be restructured! ”

"I said it, I'll think about it!"

"Father's ......"

"Get out!"