The three sons of "Roasted John", Alexios, Isaac and Manuel, finally chose to leave under the persuasion of the Patriarch and the Steward of the Holy Palace.
The current situation is obvious. It is impossible for these three brothers to leave!
Constantinople was originally a place where the strong lived. Almost every founding emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire was a professional in killing people, and almost all of them were foreign military leaders. Of course, they were all Christians, and the founding emperors after the schism were all believers in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and they were all officers in the Roman army before seizing power.
"Priest John" is indeed different from them. He is not a Roman military leader, but a foreign tribal leader. So far, he can't even speak Greek. And his army is not an imperial mercenary, but a tribal army.
But his knife is really sharp! When attacking the Eighteen Rakshasa princes and the Crimean Peninsula, it already made the people of Constantinople tremble. In fact, when the Rakshasa Eighteen princes were violently beaten, "Baked John" had already Reinforcements were sent to the Roman cities in the Crimea.
But those reinforcements were completely vulnerable to "Prester John's" army!
And now, he used a miraculous method to defeat the Greek fire, which was regarded as the trump card of the Eastern Roman Empire, and also seized control of the Black Sea and the Black Sea Straits.
This not only means that "Priest King John"'s army can directly fight to the outside of Constantinople through the Black Sea and the Black Sea Strait, but also means that "Priest King John" can get more loyalty from the eighteen Rakshasa princes. . In fact, those Rakshasa people have always coveted the wealth of Eastern Rome. During the reign of Constantine IX, Grand Duke Yaroslav I of Kiev organized thousands of warships to launch an expedition against Constantinople. The result was a disastrous defeat in Under the Greek Fire Now they have the opportunity to follow "Priest John" to plunder the territory of Eastern Rome!
Therefore, no matter whether at sea or on land, the Roman army could not fight the army of "Prester John". Even in terms of army size, the Eastern Roman Empire could not match its opponents.
If the Eastern Roman Empire refuses his accession now, even if it can desperately defend Constantinople, the city outside Constantinople will be ravaged. The richest area of Greece in the empire will also be looted by the army of "Priest King John", and then the losses will be huge!
In addition, "Prester King John"'s navy will block the Black Sea Strait, and the empire's territory in Asia Minor will soon be divided between "Prester King" and the Turks in the east.
Therefore, this "Priest John" is now willing to join Rome and enter Constantinople in the name of Caesar of the Roman Empire. This is a very good result for the bureaucrats and nobles in Constantinople.
Therefore, the Komnenos family can only choose to leave with dignity
Of course, the Romans would not let them leave empty-handed. Instead, they would take all the treasures in the Holy Palace's treasury and leave the majestic Constantine under the protection of eunuchs loyal to them and part of the Varangian guards. Dinburg.
After leaving Constantinople, the three brothers divided into three groups. The eldest brother Alexius fled to Trabzon, which is the hometown of the Komnenos family and there are many supporters of Komnenos. The family members can be relied upon.
In addition, the Georgian Kingdom next to Trabzon is still in its heyday. In the Battle of Didgli more than ten years ago, the Georgians, led by their British Lord David IV, defeated the same enemy. Great Seljuk in its heyday, and thus opened a prosperous Georgian age.
Of course, Alexios did not want to rely on the support of the Georgians to fight his way back to Rome. In fact, when "Priest John" passed through the Kingdom of Alanya on his western expedition, the Kingdom of Georgia sent troops across the Caucasus Mountains to support the Kingdom of Alanya, but the result was a complete defeat. However, due to the natural danger of the Caucasus, the Kingdom of Georgia was not attacked by "Priest John", but the feud between the two sides was finally settled.
If "Prester John" became a Roman Caesar, the pressure on Georgia would be unprecedented. So the Kingdom of Georgia would have to provide support to Alexios who retreated to Trebizond.
In addition, Alexios also hopes to seek help from the Peach Blossom Stone Empire, the enemy of "Priest King John" through Georgia. An enemy of an enemy is a friend!
Moreover, such a powerful "Priest King John" was defeated by the Peach Blossom Stone Empire and fled to the West. The power of this Peach Blossom Stone Empire can be imagined.
If we can get assistance from the Peach Blossom Stone Empire, then the Komnenos family can become great again.
Isaac, the second brother of Alexios, will go to Rome with some of the treasures and ask the Pope for help. Although the Pope will probably not agree to Isaac's request, he will still protect the elder of the Comnenos family. Second, be prepared for emergencies.
As for Manuel, the most capable of the three brothers, he will abdicate from Hungary - John II's late wife was a Hungarian princess, and Hungary's blind King Bela II had previously sent troops to support the Grand Duke of Kiev in the Rakshasa Kingdom to resist " John the Prester", so he also had a rivalry with "John the Prester". Manuel might be able to borrow an army from him to occupy some of the Roman lands in the Balkans.
On the twenty-first day after the three brothers Alexios, Isaac and Manuel went their separate ways, the city of Constantinople finally welcomed a new protector-the leader of the Eastern Roman Golden Dynasty. Founder, Prester-King John XXXI.
On the 12th of the month of the month in the Julian calendar, west of Constantinople and south of the Golden Horn, both sides of the wide and respectable road were filled with citizens of Constantinople wearing their most gorgeous clothes. The Golden Gate has been lined up for more than ten miles to the west, and many people were holding freshly picked flowers in their hands.
Tall Varangian Guards soldiers, wearing chain armor and helmets, holding spears and swords, lined up on both sides of the road to maintain order.
The leading figures in the city of Constantinople, including the "Prince" of the Orthodox Church, the senators of the Senate, the eunuchs of the Holy Palace, as well as the various Christian countries in the East and the West who were stationed in Constantinople during the season, all gathered together to spread the word. Holding his neck, he waited to see the true face of Prester John.
Oh, and the Priest King will be one of the official titles of "The Crow's Mouth."
According to the agreement he reached with Leon I, who went to meet him at the entrance of the Black Sea Strait, he would become the Emperor of Heaven, the head of the Roman Empire, the first citizen, the Caesar John Vasilius I, the Grand Duke of the Crimea. , the suzerain of the Eighteen Rakshasa princes, the protector of the Alan Kingdom, the Khan of the Kipchak Grassland, the suzerain of the Prince of Antioch, the Count of Edessa, and the Count of Tripoli, the Priest King of the Peach Blossom Stone Kingdom, and the emperor of the Peach Blossom Stone Kingdom. , what a long title the protector of the orthodox God-worshiping church has! I was so short of breath that I had to take several breaths to finish reading!
But such long titles are not all false.
Among them, the head of state, first citizen, Caesar, etc. of the Roman Empire are all real. If the "big crow's mouth" goes on the road and can sincerely rely on the Orthodox Church and the management nobles of Constantinople, then the Eastern Roman Empire will Some territories will recognize him as the new Caesar.
The Crimean Peninsula is the core territory of the "Big Crow's Mouth", and of course the Grand Duke of Crimea is real.
Of course, the lord of the eighteen Rakshasa princes and the protector of the Alan Kingdom is also true. After the "Big Crow's Mouth" became the Roman Caesar, the eighteen Rakshasa princes and the Alan Kingdom were also convinced, and they still needed to overcome it. The Limu Peninsula and the Black Sea Strait trade with the civilized world!
The titles of Khan of the Kipchak Steppe, Prince of Antioch, Count of Edessa, and Suzerain of the Count of Tripoli are a bit empty.
The tribes on the Kipchak grassland are now dually loyal to the Western Tang Dynasty and the "Big Crow Mouth", and the Western Tang Dynasty has greater influence. After all, they are the "Datang Dynasty"!
As for the suzerains of the three Crusader countries, they were obtained by John II through hard and soft tactics. It seems that the "big crow's mouth" has no qualifications to inherit?
But that's nothing, it's just three sesame-sized pieces of land, and "Big Crow Mouth" also knows that it will soon be attacked by the Tianfang cultists. At that time, not only the entire Eastern Rome will be asking for help from him, but even the patriarch of the Roman God-worshipping Association in the west will send people to ask him to send troops.
By then the golden dynasty of "Big Crow's Mouth" will be stable!
Wanyan Xiebao, wearing a suit of Western Tang Dynasty armor and a white robe with a low red cross, reined in the horse more than a hundred steps away from the Golden Gate, stopped, and then looked up The towering stone city wall of Constantinople is a masterpiece created many years ago. The simple and solid city wall exudes a solemn air that cannot be offended in the sun.
The soldiers following him also stopped, maintaining a neat line, standing outside the city of Constantinople, motionless, just waiting quietly for the order from the "big crow's mouth".
These soldiers were all Jurchen henchmen of the "big crow's mouth". There were about 20,000 people. Everyone was wearing iron armor. They also wore white-on-gold-cross war robes outside the iron-armor, and they also flew flags with the same white-on-gold cross. .
From a distance, it looks like a crusade.
At this time, Wanyan Xiabao suddenly opened his throat and said loudly in stiff Greek, "God brought me here, and I will make Rome great again!"
In response to him, the crowd cheered "Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!"
Make Rome great again!
Isn’t this what the nobles and citizens of Constantinople wanted to hear most? Moreover, after adding the Crimean Peninsula, the Eighteen Rakshasa princes, and the Alan Kingdom to the territory of Rome, Rome already looks very big. I don’t know whether it is “great or not”?
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