Chapter 92: St. Mark's Determination
Gawain didn't mean to be hungry at all, "It's okay to send it, it's okay not to send it." Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info I have a way to restrain Venice, after all, there are still 10,000 Venetian expatriates in the palm of my hand in the city of Pera. ”
"Then slowly fight Venice to the end, and see how it drains in the end." Anna understood Gawain's thoughts very well, "It's just John, because of his crimes, I'm afraid we really can't forgive." ”
"It's good that a new country has a weak enemy that can be confronted for a long time." Gawain looked meaningfully at the icons and decorative panels on the walls, "Otherwise, in the future Hristopher will lose a rival, which will not be a good thing for the vigor and unity of the country." ”
"Egypt, East Silvan, Two Sicilies, Dalmatia, Moria, Thessalonica, Crete......" Anna muttered these geographical terms, and indeed felt that the burden she was carrying now was actually easier than that of her father, and she couldn't help but think of the map room where she and Gawain often met in the court of Tarsus, and the two of them watched the change of colors of the small flags above, and often fought for a long time.
Thinking of this, Anna's tears suddenly flowed out, and Gawain, who turned his face, asked what was wrong.
Anna's brown eyes stared at him, teary eyes, "There are still so many roads, you have to go down with me, big brute." ”
"Of course, in the past, we lived in the old palace of the Seleucian Acropolis in such a cramped and simple way, and there were only a few handmaidens, but now don't they all come over? Now that we're in charge of an empire, we have bigger goals and more powerful enemies, and it's just a pleasure to face. Gawain took her little hand.
Anna continued to sob, and only then a terrible thought suddenly occurred to her: what if Gawain died too much earlier than her? Her ruthlessness, her wisdom, and her decisiveness are all because in her heart, she always thinks of "the big barbarian is behind me, supporting me".
"What if you hadn't been able to get me out of Brachna Palace?"
"That's a stupid question, wait until you go to the Lord or the Hellbringer."
A few days later, the city of St. Mark, which received the news of the fall of Constantinople, the flight of John, and the siege of 10,000 expatriates, was immediately plunged into a panicked frenzy.
Archon Pierrot. Kona was questioned and attacked like a storm, and more city-state nobles surrounded him, asking him how he could clean up the situation, "The detachment that besieged Tyre has been devastated, are we going to war with the Pisa?" ”
"Gawain issued a notice that all ships of our state that appear in the waters of Tripoli and Cyprus will be sunk indiscriminately as pirates. But without these two springboards, we would not be able to sustain our interests in Egypt. ”
"What about the 10,000 trapped diaspora, Your Highness the Consul! I have two sons in the meantime, and I need you to keep them and all the citizens safe! ”
"Do I still want to support John, or do I send him to Gawain to salvage the relationship with Gawain?"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen." Pierrot, wearing the tricorne hat of the consul, kept waving his palms, asking the noisy people around him to calm down as soon as possible, and then he answered all the questions in one breath and promised, "I will send an envoy as soon as possible to verify the so-called." 。 ”
"How to review!" There was a lot of anger in the crowd.
"Little Roger, we will not hand over to the new emperor of Constantinople, but John can, he is worth ten thousand expatriates." Pierrot was also a little anxious, he had completely lost his previous sharpness, and he was a little confused.
"Are we going to lose all our rights in Constantinople?" Someone in the crowd roared and howled, "If you lose that place, a hundred years of hard work will be wasted!" After this person shouted out, many of the old nobles present hid their faces and cried loudly.
Pierrot's face was dripping with sweat, and the only cards he could play in his hand now were John and Crete and Rhodes, "Damn, who would have thought that John would collapse so quickly?" And that Theodoro, David the Builder, is all scum. He grumbled inwardly.
At this moment, a sturdy old man pushed through the crowd and stood in front of him with a half-cloaked mantle.
None other than Fellaier. Mochenigo.
But the old man did not say anything mockingly, but looked around in a hoarse and resolute tone, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the peaceful trade has ended, and the previous contracts with the Komnenos have become a foam of disillusionment floating in the ocean. The Venetians can only survive on their own, and the sea is the wall that protects us, but it can also be a way for the enemy to attack us. Abandon any unrealistic ideas, concentrate on the whole munitions industry, gather all the warships, and henceforth all the citizens cease to be merchants but warriors, and we will have to spend all our money to recruit a strong army - to prepare for war with Gawain. ”
When these words were spoken, everyone fell into a terrible silence.
Fellaille patted Pierrot on the shoulder, "Don't believe Gawain's trap, I knew he was a treacherous and shrewd merchant when he came here, and now that he has ascended to the throne as a barbarian, he is definitely going to destroy the city-state of Venice as his first priority." We can't hand over John, we can't hand over Little Roger, we can't hand over Crete and Rhodes, join forces with Sicily, Dalmatia, Hungary, and the Holy See to fight Gawain to the end, so there is still life. ”
Pierrot lowered his head slightly, his eyes widened, and then asked Fellaier, "What about the 10,000 expatriates?" ”
"Spend money to redeem and tell Gawain to abide by the rules of the game." Feller whispered, and then he sadly explained the most pessimistic prospect in advance, "The worst-case scenario is that these 10,000 people will be abandoned, captured and killed by Gawain. ”
Then Feller raised his voice again, "But there are no more than three thousand Venetian citizens inside, and the remaining two or three thousand have returned to Crete with the fleet beforehand, and the rest are Greek concubines and illegitimate children." We can afford to lose - the Venetians, under the banner of St. Mark's lion, fight the enemy to the end, our city is very precipitous and safe here, Gawain is not our opponent at sea, and can also continue to support the remnants of the Comunens and the lords of Dalmatia and other places by clever diplomacy, providing us with a barrier and an insurmountable obstacle for Gawain to overcome and solve. ”
Soon after, in front of St. John's Cathedral, when Gawain stepped on the bronze horse of "Agthius" in full armor, the Secretary of State Firactos handed over a credential from the city of Venice, which was full of delays and bargaining, and Gawain immediately said to Philaktos on horseback, "Send the Apshkin brigade immediately to besiege and monitor the city of Pella." Then he looked at the countless spears and halberds in the streets, "When I get rid of the mob, I'll raze all of Venice." ”