Of course, Durazzo's predicament soon spread across the ocean to the Holy See in Italy, whether it was Tuscany, Rome, or Bari. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

As for the Pope of Ravenna, he probably overslept in the courtyard garden and did not make any noise at all.

Anselm of the city of Bari was overjoyed, and asked the clergy to organize a celebration for all the citizens, and called on the wealthy merchants to donate one-thirtieth of their wealth, while the common citizens gave one-fiftieth of their fortune to the great local banks to support the emperor's military pay and logistics.

The papacy in Rome wavered again, openly softening their rhetoric, saying that they were willing to make peace with the new Roman Empire, and that they would live in peace thereafter, as long as Gawain did not harm the many ecumenical properties on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, and promised not to incite the many Slavic kingdoms on the eastern shore of the sea to follow the Roman Catholic Church.

The Tuscan pope fell ill at once, a mixture of anger and disappointment, but he nevertheless instructed his palace deacons to concoct a large number of edicts full of gunpowder, some calling for reinforcements from all countries to Durazo, others demanding the confiscation of the "great Seleucian hospital", and some persistent spiritual attacks on Gawain and Anselm.

But these are like mist, and they can't resist the sharp spear blades stretched out by the emperor's cavalry in reality.

In mid-October, neither the rebellion of the remnants of Dukria in the newly conquered territories nor the frequent feints of the Sicilians in the Epirus region could deter Gawain's determination, and his three brigades were stationed in Leknidus (Ohrid's ancient name, now restored) for three days, and then arrived at the Citadel of Peterlai (now Tirana, the capital of Albania), only thirty-two girubs from the seaside city of Durazo.

At the same time, even though a brigade was left to contain the Epirus, General Akro Borites led his Ophkin brigade and advanced to Petleter in time to join the emperor's army.

Gawain sent emissaries inviting letters to the decisive battle, but they were rejected by the Venetians and Sicilians in the city.

"I'm just four brigades, plus some cavalry and forbidden troops, and artillery troops, and the total number is on par with yours, so why are you reluctant to fight?" The emperor expressed great incomprehension of the other party's fear and caution.

After a pause, the Emperor added, "Then I'll attack them." ”

So the forbidden soldiers and servants at the emperor's tent were the first to be dispersed and sent out to find out the best place to attack Durazo. The final location of the camp was determined on five plateaus to the east and northeast of the city of Durazzo, from which the water of the Ishmi River flowed between the five hills, and crossed the headland where the castle was located and emptied into the Adriatic Sea.

The river is crossed by a bridge, and the southeast side of the bridge leads to a large wilderness suitable for warfare, which is also the seaside starting point of the ancient Egnumdia Avenue.

That's right, Emperor Gawain's camp was the same place where Emperor Alexios had been stationed sixteen years ago.

Because the enemy forces in the city did not dare to go too far from the fortress, they did not put up any large-scale resistance to the emperor's military campaign to advance there, but only engaged in a few small outpost battles, and Gawain immediately stood on the most central hill of the Five Terraces, looking down on the wilderness below.

At that time, the Normans were deployed here, they had died nearly 10,000 soldiers due to shipwrecks and plagues, and the city of Durazo was still firmly controlled by Alexios's generals, threatening the back roads of Guiscart and Bohemond, so that after the arrival of Alexios' army, Guiscutt ordered the bridge to Durazo to be demolished to avoid being attacked by the city soldiers on the back road. Moreover, they were arrayed in the wilderness, and Alexios was arrayed on the mountains, and the terrain was also at a disadvantage.

At that time, the Normans were really an out-and-out "mourning soldier".

But even so, Guiscut's skilled Calabrian archers and brave Norman knights charged Alexios with their spears, and the emperor suffered the second greatest disgrace of his life when he was hit by two flying spears and fled back to Ohrid, a wilderness soaked in the blood of Roman soldiers and nobles (the first, of course, Philomeron).

"Sixteen years later, I want to make Durazo known to the world again." Gawain took Agthius's bridle, and the purple cloak he was wearing soared, and he muttered in his heart.

On the large circular seaside tower of the city of Durazo, all the generals of the Crusade army also stood on the battlements, and looked with horror at the army of the Roman emperor who had begun their campaign last year, and had swept through Isaac after a full five hundred centuries. Komnenos, Constantine. Berdin and the Moses rebels, now in front of all the enemies:

On the central terrace, riding a bronze steed is the usurper of the throne, he is covered in the blood of the Varyag barbarians, but he is now the husband of the empire Barcelissa, and now he is wearing a purple cloak that symbolizes status, surrounded by white and blue robes of noble attendants, and a group of forbidden soldiers holding heavy and bloody long axes to defend him, standing under the banner of the empire's two-headed eagle. On both sides of the terrace and in front of them, the emperor's cavalry soldiers roared loudly and spread out in a fan-shaped shape across the entire high place, holding gorgeous, sharp weapons and banners.

There are two terraces on each side, on which many soldiers are already busy setting up camps, and the light artillery has been the first to be arranged, and the muzzles of the guns have been measured and aimed to block the passage of passing. The passage between the mesa, many chariots are pushed and filled to control it.

It seems that this bloodthirsty emperor is determined to destroy Fang Xingan's army.

Then there was great fear among the people.

"Fill the city with spears of fire, and if Gawain dares to cross the river in front of him to attack the city, shoot all the spears and destroy his army." The Venetian officer said to the crowd, then he turned to the pheasant by the sea, and pointed to the sails that were constantly flowing on the sea, "The food and supplies are completely sufficient, and they are constantly being brought from behind our backs, and what is lacking now is the fighting spirit to take up the sword and fight the enemy." Ladies and gentlemen, if we fail to hold on to Durazo, our homeland will be poisoned by a tyrant, and our faith will be trampled on by a tyrant, and his iron hooves will soon be able to penetrate deep into Italy! ”

So the people plucked up their courage, and the Venetians defended the castle, while the Hungarian garrison and the Sicilian Normans advanced to the other side of the bridge, digging up the camp and forming a corner with the castle.

And they also had more than a dozen cannons of various colors, which rumbled towards the hills where Gawain was camping.

Gawain was not passive at all, and when his artillery position was set up, he quickly launched a return fire.

On the flat ground between the city and the plateau, smoke and white fog that had been kicked up by shells rose from the ground all day long.

The Emperor was not in a hurry to attack, and Gawain certainly knew that he was not strong enough at sea to trap Durazo to death, because there was the most powerful Venetian fleet floating on the sea behind him, but his purpose was not to trap the city, but to trap the ship - as long as I did not withdraw from the siege, the Venetians would have to float here for me to obediently float on the sea!