In the eyes of Emperor Constantine XI, who was possessed by the Travelers, it was unreasonable for his subjects to rather die than change their faith in the slightest, digging their own graves - Orthodox and Catholic Christianity were only different branches of Christianity, while the Turks outside the city were real infidels - and if the Pope of Rome refused to organize reinforcements, Constantinople had no hope of surviving.

Of course, the pope himself did not have much army, but he could mobilize the liliang of the church, call on the European nobility to organize another crusade, and he could also use the righteous name of defending the Christian faith to persecute Genoa and Venice, so that these two maritime powers would support Constantinople with their blood.

But the problem is that the Middle Ages in Europe was a very religious age, and everyone was proud of their faith and tradition, and ashamed of the slightest deviation. This was true even in the relatively civilized Eastern Roman Empire. For devout Orthodox Christians and clergy, earthly life is but a prelude to life on the other side. Even the destruction of the nation is God's punishment for the sins of the world, and people must take it lightly.

What's worse is that as far back as the heyday of the Roman Empire, Christian prophets had long been rumored that the Roman state could not last forever. This Christian eschatology was so deeply rooted in the Middle Ages that it was believed that the "Antichrist" would one day appear and that the Last Judgment would not be avoided. In the early days, the subjects of the Eastern Roman Empire were probably convinced that Constantinople would not fall into the hands of the infidels under the blessing of the Virgin Mary. And now that belief has been shaken. In the eyes of devout believers, surrendering to the "heretical" church of the Latins of the West is neither a salvation of souls nor a reversal of the fate of Shijie's destruction.

-- Even if you ask for reinforcements from the West at the cost of betraying your faith this time and lift the siege of the Turks, what will you do next time?

Therefore. Suppose the emperor asked them to sacrifice their faith and defile their souls for the sake of the temporary stability of the world...... This is absolutely unacceptable!!

On the other hand. In the memory of the Eastern Roman aristocracy, the Fourth Crusade of the Westerners in 1204 was a vile act of treachery and vile - instead of fighting the Islamic infidels, they turned around and captured Constantinople. The Eastern Roman Empire disappeared from the political map for more than half a century - it is still vivid in our minds, and the expropriation, burning and plundering of the Eastern Roman Empire by these European knights were even more barbaric and cruel than the Turks. If they had to choose, they would really prefer to be conquered by the Turks rather than see the Western Crusaders invade again.

Therefore, even if Constantine XI was hungry for reinforcements, even at the point of quenching his thirst, he could not go against the wishes of the vast majority of his subjects, and insisted on selling the Orthodox Church to the Pope in exchange for a Western reinforcement that might not arrive in time......

The only thing that made the emperor feel relieved was. In such a desperate situation and a bleak future, there were no traitors in the city who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country. Moreover, the overwhelming armies of the Turks had instead contributed to the unity within the miniature empire, albeit hopeless. But at this time, the soldiers and civilians who still stuck to Constantinople were worthy of the Romans who were on this shijie. Even the Orthodox Church, which was suspected of being a traitor in the eyes of the emperor, summoned up the courage of zuihou in this time of danger and threw himself into the preparation of the city's defense.

Encouraged by the full encouragement of the imperial court and the Orthodox Church, and taking advantage of the fact that the main Turkish forces had not yet arrived, the inhabitants of the city, both women and children, were mobilized. Concerted efforts were made to maintain and strengthen the city walls and clear the moat. All the men of Constantinople who were able to fight were organized for military training, and the defense zones and reserves were carefully divided. In order to raise the necessary military expenses, not only Emperor Bixia himself was already smashing pots and selling iron and ruining his family for the country, but also the Orthodox Church, nobles and wealthy merchants, ordinary citizens in the city, and even foreign expatriates from Genoa and Venice, all contributed generously to defend the "eastern gate of the Christian Shijie", and Zuihou raised a considerable amount of money. However, the costs of preparing for a war were so great that Constantinople's defenses were still stretched. Moreover, the blockade of the Turkish army was imminent, and even if the Eastern Roman Empire had collected the money, it might not be able to buy enough ordnance and supplies before the war began.

In short, compared with the bleak scene of Emperor Chongzhen's hanging of the coal mountain in 1644, when all the powerful relatives in Beijing were busy looking for a way to join Li Zicheng, and the officers and soldiers defending the city opened their doors one by one to meet the thieves, Constantinople in 1453 could be called a united city

So, despite his frustration at the uncooperation of the Orthodox Church, Constantine XI barely bothered to brace himself and gave an impromptu speech in this New Year's pre-imperial meeting.

“…… Dear warriors, loyal ministers, the fate of the Roman Empire has reached its most dangerous time!

This offensive and defensive battle against the Turkish Sultan was no small feat, and the day the city was broken was the end of Roman history!

Although the great city beneath our feet, blessed by the Virgin Mary, has withstood numerous sieges by Germans, Persians, Arabs, Bulgarians, and Turks, never has the situation been as bad as it is now!

However, let's not forget that we are Romans! It's the Romans of this shijie on zuihou! We inherit the glorious legacy of Caesar, Augustus, Trajan, Constantine and other great emperors! We guard this shijie on zuihou a piece of land that belongs to the Roman Empire!

Since ancient times, the Romans have valued honor above their lives! Even if the outcome of Zuihou cannot be changed, I am determined to end my life with the most glorious death of the Romans, which is to die in battle! God will not allow me to be an emperor without a land! I want to live and die with this city! ”

Speaking of this, the emperor couldn't help but burst into tears, and at the same time stretched out his hand and drew a cross on his chest, "...... May the star of victory shine on us! ”

――――――――――――――――――――――

When the door to the council chamber closed behind it. The cold evening breeze blew in his face, and despair and exhaustion returned to the emperor again.

-- The ornate and passionate and tragic speeches of the Imperial Council could not hide the panic and helplessness in the heart; The unity and unity of the army and the people of Constantinople could not change the strength of the enemy, the weakness of one's own side, and the desperation of the situation.

He paced slowly down the empty hallway, silently counting the poor chips in his hand.

On land, the Turks not only forged the most powerful urban cannons, but also expected to gather between 100,000 and 150,000 siege troops.

The Eastern Roman Empire, on the other hand, had only a handful of small artillery. and several very old "Greek fires" (ancient flamethrowers). Moreover, the walls built for the city by Theosido the Great and Constantine the Great a thousand years ago did not take into account the need for artillery on the walls. The recoil of each cannon shot caused great damage to the wall, and the engineers of the Eastern Roman Empire have not yet found a solution.

Of the entire standing army of the Eastern Roman Empire, only about 500 men remained.

And according to Secretary of State George W. Franz's report. About 2,000 to 3,000 militia could be conscripted among the citizens, and although they were all useless rabble, and going out of the city to fight in the field was simply sending them to death, but at least they could defend the city walls.

Despite the ambiguity of the governments, more than 500 Venetian, Genoa and Catalan expatriates who were currently living in the city temporarily because of trade relations volunteered to fight because of their religious callings.

In addition, in the next month or two, a small number of volunteers from Genoa, Venice, Naples, France and Sicily in the west may arrive in Constantinople, but definitely not in large numbers. Being able to have about 1,000 is already the limit.

Therefore, the number of troops that Emperor Bixia was able to muster before the war was no more than 5,000 - this number is a little less than in real history, mainly because the Emperor Bixia, who was possessed by the time-travelers, forcibly changed history and fought one more battle for the castle of Rumili and Hisar. As a result, not only did hundreds of lives take them, but more deserters appeared, and the prestige of the emperor and the morale of his subjects were further weakened.

What's more, the defeat of this outpost battle, as a major "bearish news", was amplified by rumors and propaganda of the Turks. It further shook the confidence of European investors in the "junk stock" of the Eastern Roman Empire.

At this time, Constantinople was a bit similar to Singapore in the future on the political and economic map of Europe, and belonged to the kind of free port that choked the choke point of traffic. Moreover, the entrepot trade in the city is controlled by Western merchants, and there are many concessions from various countries, which is a bit like the old Shanghai in the Republic of China era.

Therefore, none of the Italian trading city-states with strong industry and commerce wanted the city to be annexed by the Turks. But if they were to completely tear their faces with the powerful Turks for the sake of this little commercial interest in Constantinople, I am afraid they would be hesitant and hesitant.

For example, the mentality of Europeans towards this war is basically similar to that of Britain, France, and the United States in the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression -- although they sincerely oppose the annexation of the Japanese army invading China, they are reluctant to provide any support to Chinese free of charge, let alone personally help in the war......

Had it not been for the defeat of the battle for the castle of Rumili Hisar, Genoa and Venice might have invested a little more - the merchants had traditionally run the war as a business - but in the face of the emperor's unfavorable initial war, even fewer Westerners were willing to continue investing.

As a result, Constantine XI had to rely on fewer troops than in history to defend against the Turkish army, which was as large as it was in history.

At sea, the Turks have also gathered more than a hundred ships of various types, although most of them are small boats, but after all, there are many people. The navy of the Eastern Roman Empire currently has only ten ships left, which is only enough to line up behind the barrage chain in the Golden Horn. As for the Genoese and Venetian warships, which were still anchored in the capital's harbor at this time, they had not yet expressed a clear attitude towards the war, and it was likely that they would remain neutral and watch from the sidelines.

After thinking about it, this emperor Bixia's heart was desperate or desperate.

-- The building will collapse, and it will be difficult to support it alone. It's too hard to challenge an empire with a city.

Even sadder, from the map. The entire territory of the Ottoman Empire today overlaps with the old territory of the Eastern Roman Empire three centuries ago. In a sense, the Eastern Roman Emperor was using his capital against his own empire......

In the face of the imposing Turkish army, the only thing he could rely on was the tall and solid walls of Constantinople.

However, in the face of the artillery of the new era, the walls of Constantinople, which have endured thousands of years of ups and downs. It's no longer so indestructible.

“…… The king is not the king of the dead country, and the minister is not the minister of the dead country! But this empire is already hard to return!! ”

Emperor Constantine XI raised his head and looked at the moon hanging in the sky. In the Chinese language of this era, which no one in Constantinople understood, he lamented miserably, and then walked down a narrow spiral staircase. Carrying the candlestick to the top floor of a tower, he took the key out of his pocket and opened a small door at the end of the stairs, and Zuihou entered his own private prayer room for the emperor.

The pale and cold moonlight, shining through the narrow window openings, illuminated the icons of the Virgin Mary and the crucifixion, forming a spot of light on the ground. The rest of the prayer room was shrouded in a thick darkness that seemed to be solid.

As a time-traveler from the era of harmony in socialist countries, as an amateur priest, monk, imam and priest at the same time, Emperor Constantine XI had a very weak belief in religion and gods. It can even be said to be so thin that it is close to zero.

-- Through the reports of various cults in the modern media, he knows very well what a miserable fate he will end up with if he entrusts everything to the gods.

So, since he had traveled to this era, he hadn't set foot here for a whole year, praying for the blessing of that non-existent God.

But. As the situation gradually deteriorates, especially at this end of the road, even the most staunch materialist atheist cannot help but feel the emptiness and helplessness in his heart, and cannot help but hope in miracles.

He bent down to place the cup-shaped candlestick on the floor, allowing the candlelight to illuminate the six-pointed star pattern carved on the floor along with the moonlight.

It took Emperor Bixia a full half a month. Alone in the prayer room, a magic circle carved out of hammers and chisels.

After repeatedly praying to God for blessing to no avail, the emperor finally couldn't help but rush to the doctor to try to summon the demon!

In the pale moonlight, the Emperor pulled out a tattered pamphlet from his bosom and carefully placed it in the center of the magic circle—something that the occult former Eastern Roman Emperor John VIII had accidentally bought from a gypsy woman who called herself a witch. It is claimed to be an evil book that records the forbidden knowledge of many ancient evil gods before the birth of mankind - the Luoyan City Textbook copied on human skin! (also known as the Lārayer text)

It is said that the French Marshal Gilles. Morality. Ray, who had tried to summon demons twenty years earlier, resurrected Joan of Arc with a sacrifice to the living. Zuihou scandal was revealed, arrested, and executed on charges of heresy, blasphemy, and murder.

It is a pity that Emperor John VIII studied this evil human book for many years, and until he died, he did not study anything famous.

When Constantine XI stumbled upon this thing and the research notes left by the previous emperor, he immediately wondered if he had traveled to some Japanese author's fictional anime shijie, and even thought about finding vampires and magic associations, but unfortunately found nothing - Dracula, the most famous vampire ancestor of later generations, was still in good profanity as his Romanian duke, and even wrote a letter to the emperor......

However, when the Turks approached the city, the poor emperor Bixia still regarded it as a life-saving straw regardless of etiquette.

Now, it is the middle of the night, and according to the records in the textbooks of Luoyan City, this is also the time when the magic is the strongest in the world.

Emperor Constantine XI was a little nervous inside, but quickly pressed down.

“…… Whether it's a god, a heroic spirit, or a demon, please show up! As long as the city can be saved, everything is negotiable! ”

He muttered to himself as he folded his hands over his chest, staring intently at the magic array, and then began to chant loudly:

"Declared-

Thou shalt be under me,

My destiny bestows you with the sword,

If you follow the destiny of the Holy Grail,

Whoever obeys this will, responds!

I swear by this:

I am the one who accomplishes all the good works of the world,

I am the one who preaches all the sins of the world,

Seven days that entangle your three great spirits,

Descend on the wheel of restraint!

O Guardian of Libra!! ”

……

- The lengthy proclamation spell has been recited, but the magic circle in front of him has not changed in any way. There was no flash of bright light, not a single heroic spirit jumping out, nor a howling wind suddenly erupting and blowing everything around it away.

The emperor stood dumbfounded for a long time, and Zuihou had to sigh in disappointment.

“…… Failed...... Is it? He shook his head self-deprecatingly, "...... Alas, sure enough, there is no way to count on such a thing as magic! ”

However, at this moment, the emperor suddenly felt a chill rise in his back, and then a bright bright light shot from behind.

“…… Hehehehe, it's hard to say! I don't know where to come from! Need me to call you master? ”

With a long-unheard Mandarin Chinese, a figure quietly emerged from the dark corner of the prayer room, smiling and teasing the emperor.

The surprised Emperor immediately turned around, put his hand on his forehead, and squinted at the uninvited guest.

- Well, a large-brimmed hat and a gray uniform, about 20 years old, holding a thick black baton in his right hand and a flashlight in his left hand...... On the chest and upper arms of the gray uniform, there is an insignia in the shape of a shield, and four bold characters "Comprehensive Law Enforcement" are written on it......

Huh? Isn't this just a living chengguan?

Could it be ...... This is the Heroic Spirit I summoned? A Chinese urban management in a harmonious era?!

My God! Are you playing with me?

…… But...... The Eastern Roman Emperor, who now has only one city left, summoned a city manager...... Seems quite commensurate?

- You only have one city to manage right now, anyway, don't you?

Emperor Constantine XI couldn't help but feel entangled for a while, and he was almost about to bend forward in frustration on the spot...... (You are welcome, your support is my biggest motivation.) )