Three days later.

Early morning in Constantinople.

Crusader knights, dressed in black cross robes on a white background and wearing a double-headed eagle emblem cape, led a group of hoplites dressed neatly dressed in black eagle robes on a white background towards the bridge.

"This is the wall of Theodosius?"

They stood under the walls of Theodosius, looking up at the massive wall, which was as majestic as a mountain and took on the shape of a three-step staircase.

On the periphery of the city walls, there is an extremely wide moat, at least fifty feet long, but now there is no water, and it is conceivable that in wartime, this is definitely an impassable moat.

The outermost wall was a little shorter, perhaps less than twenty feet, the second layer was about twenty-five feet, and the innermost layer was steeply raised, at least forty feet high.

At regular intervals, a square tower stands sixty feet high.

With enough archers, ballistas, and trebuchets stationed in these towers, Lothar felt a sense of despair just by imagining his army attacking the walls.

"Welcome to the Eternal City, another city of seven hills, Constantinople."

Anna's face was filled with pride.

Frigila's face was as usual, and she snorted softly, "In the past, the walls of my royal court were much higher than this. ”

Lothar said to herself, isn't this nonsense.

When the Blood King was repairing the city walls, the ordinary people who were levied were all blood slaves with a certain amount of extraordinary strength.

Cellinina bowed slightly: "I have seen more magnificent walls in New York. ”

"What are you talking about?"

"On another continent, the so-called Wenlai, Atlantis."

"Is there such a place?"

"Sailing west from Portugal, you should be there in a few months."

Anna said with great interest: "If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely go there to see, but unfortunately I can't get out now." ”

"It is recommended not to go, the danger is too high."

Anna was stunned: "Oh yes." ”

In the long life of a wizard, you must know how to restrain your curiosity.

The team crossed the drawbridge and came to a city gate covered with golden tiles, and the heavily armed guards wanted to step forward and scold, but when they saw the only woman in the group dressed in purple, their expressions immediately became respectful.

The Eastern Empire's respect for purple has reached the extreme, and even the royal palace has to be dressed in purple, which is why there is a saying that "born in the purple room".

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"Which noble highness is it?"

Anna sat on the back of the horse, did not even take off the veil, and said lightly: "I am Anna." ”

The guards said respectfully: "It turned out to be Her Royal Highness the eldest princess, please come in quickly, do you need us to send someone to escort you and your subordinates?" ”

Anna glanced at Lothar and smiled and refused, "No need, it's enough for me to have them." ”

"Follow me, servants."

She waved her hand and walked at the front of the line.

Jeanne smiled and said, "Lady Anna is also a very interesting person, my lord, I suggest you think about it." ”

Fringira pinched the horse's belly lightly: "I'm going to go ahead too." ”

Enter the walls of Theodosius.

It was a jumble and dilapidated place, with houses and shops nestled next to the walls, tinkling in the blacksmith shops and a disgusting smell coming from the tanners' shops.

A woman dressed in shabby clothes sits outside the door with a child on her back with a big belly on her back, weaving straw baskets.

Horse-drawn carts laden with goods squeaked across cracked stone pavements.

In some places, the slabs have been hollowed out, and when the wheels run over them, a large puddle of sewage will be splashed.

Like any ordinary city, if they were full of longing before coming, Lothar and his soldiers showed a look of "nothing more than that".

As if seeing through Lothar's heart, Anna said confidently: "Don't worry, this is not the real Constantinople yet. ”

The team moved on.

Along the way, Lothar saw caravans, dressed in different garments and speaking in various accents, even more "inclusive" than Jerusalem.

Lothar was a little puzzled: "Along the way, I saw Saracens, Turks, Persians, Varangians, Latins, Moors, Cumans... but the Greeks were rarely seen. ”

Varangian originally referred only to the Norsemen, but as they mixed with the Rus' from the south, over time they became a general term for the northerners, including the Rus' of Kievan Rus' and even the Anglo-Saxons of Albion.

The "Varangian-Greek Trade Route" from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea enabled the Norsemen and Rus' to sell cheap local furs, slaves and other goods to Constantinople.

It was also an important trade route, bringing Constantinople a lot of money every year.

Anna explains: "The area between the walls of Theodosius and the walls of Constantinople is called Sanchianian, and most of the people who live here are mercenary families or merchants. ”

Lothar suddenly said: "No wonder people say that the empire can only rely on Gentiles to fight, just looking at so many military dependents, I am afraid that there are tens of thousands of mercenaries in Constantinople, right?" ”

Maintaining a standing mercenary army requires a lot of money, and no one except the Eastern Empire has the financial resources to do so.

Combined with the cavalry of the Pronian landlords and the peasants under their command during the war, Constantinople's military strength today is definitely not weaker than that of Greater Germania, Gaul, or Albion.

"Not all of them were mercenaries, such as the Vadaritai Praetorian Archers (early Hungarian and Turkic mercenaries, but later gradually Hellenized), and the Thracian Guards Brigade that I formed... Well, it's a little bit more. ”

Anna wanted to make a difference.

But if you think about it, several Greek companies other than Vadaritai, such as the Aguntoplai Regiment (a heavy cavalry of generals and heirs), were all honor guards.

I was cowardly on the battlefield before, wearing the best equipment, but I was rushed and crushed by the enemy, and it would be even more humiliating if I said it.

"But it's better to have more mercenaries than to have your head cut off by the Praetorian Guard."

Lothar remembered the so-called "Praetorian Guard Succession System" on the Internet in her previous life, and couldn't help but smile.

The Eastern Empire reused mercenaries in the same way that the Saracens reused Mamluks and Ghulam slaves, and only an army that relied on the emperor's salary to support them could prevent rebellions from happening to the greatest extent.

Anna rolled her eyes, "I sometimes don't know if you admire the Empire or if you are prejudiced against it. ”

The neat and tidy veteran brigade did not attract much attention.

There were not many Latin mercenaries in the Empire, a group of blonde and blue-eyed "barbarian" soldiers, even if they were neatly groomed, in the eyes of the people, they were just a mercenary similar to the Varangian Guard.

Few learned people can discern the retained veteran brigade, which is like the iconic square shield of the Imperial Legion after the reform of the Marian Army.

At most, they would have felt that the flag bearer at the front of the line, holding the golden eagle emblem, was a little familiar.

"Look, this is the wall of Constantine, and if you enter here, you will be the real Constantinople."

Anna said.

They walked into the city gates.

It felt like the world had changed color abruptly.

The darkness outside the walls, and the colorful, solemn city inside the walls, are almost as if they were located in two different cities.

Huge elevated aqueducts rise along the edge of the city walls, transporting sweet spring water from the mountains to the world within the walls.

Houses painted with various graffiti are lined up one after another.

The outermost layer is the place where the commoners live, and they are said to be commoners, but they are considered to be a wealthy middle class in any of the other cities, and the further they go, the more luxurious the mansion becomes.

The mansions, or manors, where dignitaries lived, were located along the walls of the imperial palace, where the emperor lived.

The white-walled sea-view villas near the sea, standing high in the garden, are private territories, guarded by private guards, and no outsiders are allowed to offend.

The three strata, from the inside out, form a structure that not only looks like a pyramid in appearance, but also has a core that is indistinguishable from a pyramid.

Lothar's expression was inexplicable.

He had a special affection for Constantinople, as he would defend against the invading Turkic armies as the city's last emperor, Constantine XI of the Palaiologos.

It's so prosperous that owning Constantinople is like owning half an empire.

Unfortunately, by the time it was time for me to take over, it was in a dilapidated state, in ruins, people had even opened farms in the city, and the population had shrunk to only a few tens of thousands.

"Well, do you want to stay here?"

Anna's tone was as seductive as the devil: "As long as you can impress my sister who wants to revive the empire, it is possible to be appointed as the Caesar of the empire, or even the co-emperor, the empress of ten thousand cities, will prostrate at your feet." ”

"I'll help you, Lothar."

Lothar was slightly stunned, and subconsciously looked at her subordinates.

Prajna frowned slightly, but did not express any opinion.

Jeanne smiled brightly, and there seemed to be a hint of encouragement in her eyes, as if she was telling Lothar to agree to cooperate with Anna.

Frigila glared.

Cellinina looked solemn, she didn't think she was qualified to dictate Lothar's choice.