Volume 1: Chengguan's Strategies for the Americas Chapter 31: God-Given Miracles
February 14, 1453, is the Christian Day of St. Valentine.!
Looking at the abundant booty that flowed from outside the city, the whole of Constantinople was plunged into a sea of joy.
In the current situation, the bad news of the Ottoman Turks is good news for the military and people of the Eastern Roman Empire.
At first, when the spies heard the great news that all the 140,000 Turkish troops outside the city had died violently and that Sultan Mehmed II had been killed, the soldiers and civilians of the Eastern Roman Empire who were holding on to Constantinople first scoffed at the matter, thinking that it was the whispers of a madman, and then gradually became suspicious, and privately discussed that although the statement that the 140,000 troops died violently overnight was too terrifying, the Turkish military camp did not have any movement, and the seemingly powerful Super Chapter 31, The miracle-level cannon given by God has never sounded even once.
On the other hand, because the poisonous gas that stained the surface of the tent and the corpse had not dissipated in just a few dozen hours, the first few scouts of the Eastern Roman Empire who climbed the rope to reconnoiter outside the city were more or less infected with a little remnant of the poisonous gas. Some people died of poison on the way back, and some barely made it to the city, but they foamed at the mouth and convulsed and fell to the ground in full view of everyone, as if they had gone mad......
Faced with such a terrible situation, the people of Constantinople were all in shock for a while.
They tried many ways to save the warriors, but whether it was the emetics and enemas prescribed by the doctors, or the Orthodox priests who held the cross to recite the exorcism incantation, or sprinkled holy water on the sick, none of them did anything to inflict the nerve gas, so Zuihou had to leave the scouts in bed to their fate.
And in this panicked ideological confusion, all kinds of bizarre and absurd rumors and rumors have also spread rapidly in the city, from "God casts spells to punish infidels" to "Shijie doom is coming", and there is actually quite a market.
Emperor Constantine XI, who knew all the ins and outs of Chapter 31 and the miracles bestowed by God, snickered and tried to appease the people, and perfunctorily greeted the Venetian reinforcements, who were equally frightened and suspicious, and waited patiently for a few days, during which time he ordered the soldiers and civilians of the city to pay attention to the safety of water, and forbade the drinking of water directly from the Licus River, which flowed in from outside the city, but only to use well water or the reserves of the underground cistern of Constantinople to prevent drinking poisoning.
It wasn't until a cold spring rainstorm fell from the sky and basically washed away the poison left in the enemy camp that Emperor Constantine XI ordered the demolition of the earth and rocks that had blocked the gates, so that all the soldiers and civilians could walk out of Constantinople and witness the tragic death of 140,000 Turkish troops. He also put the head of Sultan Mehmed II on a bamboo pole, and together with many of the Sultan's royal honor guards, robes, and utensils, he organized an exhibition parade throughout the city, which made the citizens of Constantinople, who were like frightened birds, truly believe that the enemy had been destroyed and the war was over.
At this point, Constantinople finally turned the corner, and it can be said that it was temporarily freed from the crisis of collapse.
And the Eastern Roman Empire, which was struggling to survive and suffered many disasters, finally barely escaped this catastrophe.
Since no one could explain how the 140,000 Turkish army died in one night, it was only natural that the devout Christians of Constantinople, after their initial horror and bewilderment, attributed the incident to "a miracle from God......
Curse... Woo woo woo ...
A deafening sound of a trumpet, accompanied by cheers reaching into the sky, sounded everywhere inside and outside the church, even the Hagia Sophia, which was built of huge stones and stood for hundreds of years, seemed to be trembling slightly by the sound.
In this church, which was the most luxurious and full of all kinds of most beautiful works of art at that time, in this great treasure house that inherited the heritage of countless Greco-Roman civilizations, under the most spectacular hemispherical dome of Shijie at that time, a little candlelight was lit, as if countless stars in the sky had fallen into the earth, and the faces that were haggard and joyful were reflected by the candle flames.
Inspired by this great miracle, the tens of thousands of remaining residents of Constantinople all walked out of their homes at this moment, holding candles fluttering in the wind in their hands, silently chanting prayers, and slowly gathering towards Hagia Sophia.
And on the podium in the middle of Hagia Sophia, Patriarch Gregory also put on the most splendid robes and preached aloud: "... Only by returning to the glory of God, O innocent lambs, and seeking the refuge of His power, can you be liliang and glorified in life, and after death may your souls go to heaven surrounded by angels, where they will live forever......"
Only ,.........,those believers who have no distractions and give everything to God with all their hearts will receive God's most generous blessings, and those brave and courageous warriors who died on the battlefield for the glory of God, both in life and after death. will enjoy the praise and praise of the angels, and those old and young, women and children who are powerless to fight,
Your prayers will also reach the Lord, making the Lord's light shine brighter, shining on every inch of darkness and chaos. The only thing you have to do is to believe, to revere, to follow the Almighty......"
In the eyes of the believers, Patriarch Gregory waved his hand and shook the bell with a crisp sound.
“… O innocent lamb, if you believe in God, fear God, and worship God, you will know at once that neither your body nor your soul, whether in your life or after your death, you will receive the happiest satisfaction, the most generous reward, even though the enemy has countless cannons, infantry, and cavalry. But as long as we have the blessings of God and the Savior, as well as our hands and the Liliang given by God, then this great city, which has been appraised by the Virgin Mary, will never be conquered by the infidels! Today's miracle is the most haode proof! Those devils who seek to offend the majesty of God and desecrate our city will be punished most severely under the power of God......"
Emperor Constantine XI stood in a dark corner of the Hagia Sophia, watching this holy and fanatical retreat. Looking up from the floor of the church, the high circular vault shimmers with a charming shimmer against the backdrop of ornate mosaic mosaics, and the soft curved lines extend from the dim to the bright, giving people a sacred and solemn visual enjoyment.
This temple of God is filled with all kinds of luxurious ritual utensils, including gold incense burners, silver candlesticks, precious stone offerings, silk and sandalwood.
And the incense burned in the incense burner is also the top high-end goods. Although the Eastern Roman Empire was in its most declining era, Hagia Sophia, as the Lord of Faith, was still so jeweled and luxurious.
Even in the midst of the poorest of times, devout believers gave God what little good they had.
One is not the Roman Empire I imagined, nor is it the Roman Empire I want to see!
Looking at the serious and pious faces of the citizens of the city, Emperor Constantine XI sighed and thought.
In his mind, the spiritual core of the Roman Empire should be self-confident and proud citizens, disciplined legions, a critical academic atmosphere, and a high-spirited spirit to conquer shijie: the appearance of the Roman Empire is the vastness of the territory, the magnificent buildings, the majestic statues, the bloody and cruel gladiatorial performances, the luxurious and comfortable public baths, and the hedonistic and promiscuous life.........
However, in the Eastern Roman Empire at this time, these basic elements that formed the image of the Roman Empire in the Golden Age were almost none of the territory of an empire, only an isolated city and a few enclaves, and the remaining citizens only knew that Emperor Xiangshang prayed, neither proud nor confident. Most of the Eastern Roman army in Zuihou were foreign mercenaries, and their own people were not willing to join the army at all. Since the Izulian Iconoclasm, the sculpture of the Eastern Roman Empire has deteriorated due to the ban on the production of religious statues. At the same time, with the rapid decline in the population and financial resources of the empire, the academies of Constantinople were being closed, and scholars and professors were fleeing to Italy to serve as guest secretaries. As for the bloody gladiatorial performances, they were no longer held centuries ago, and there were still a few public baths, but because of the lack of fuel in the city, they could only take cold baths, and the unbridled life of pleasure did not exist, even he, the emperor, lived like an ascetic, and it would be nice for others to drink and prostitute!
No way, times have changed! Today's Europe is no longer the world of the Romans!
Emperor Constantine XI sighed helplessly, hastily stretched out his hand and made a cross on his chest, then turned to his state secretary Franz, "How is the battle to seize the castles on both sides of the Bosphorus going?" Is there any news from Lucas? ”
“… Report Bixia, the battle to capture these two castles is going very well! ”
State Secretary Franz replied with a smile: "By the miracle of God, in the castle of Rumilichisar, on the European side of the strait, all the pagans have become dead, except for a few prisoners who are half starved to death in the dungeon!" Our army took it there without any effort!
As for the castle of Anadoly Hisar on the Asian side, although there are still enemy soldiers stationed there, after Grand Duke Lucas singled out the heads of the Sultan, the Grand Viqi and the eight Turkish Pasha with spears to display, the enemies in the castle were immediately frightened, and then they opened the city gates and fled without a trace. ”!!!
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