Eagle Byzantium

But there are also many people who hold a pessimistic and angry attitude. "I heard that the eyes of the stone statue of Constantine in the Grand Palace bled two days ago. This is an ominous sign. I am afraid that our capital, our faith, and the purple-robed princess will all be affected." Fallen into the hands of the enemy, the last has already fallen.”

Some people also say that the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom once held a divination to predict the outcome of the war, but the horse used for divination actually fell to the floor and foamed at the mouth. The patriarch was so frightened that he blocked the news. However, some monks privately expressed their opinions. Others said, "This is retribution for the emperor's impiety. God wants to punish the city where he lives with the help of the barbarian Gawain."

There were also nobles who resented the emperor's reuse of foreign figures and troops, and some bureaucrats who were also hostile to the emperor who had confiscated their private property, so they began to slander them: Now that Thrace is full of war, the food harvest in the coming year will definitely be poor, and Once the enemy surrounds this place, the capital's supplies will immediately There will definitely be a shortage, because Constantinople itself is located on a very barren promontory and must suck the blood of all parties in the empire to survive. However, the emperor gathered all the good things from everywhere and stored them in that big warehouse. People who reward other countries are not willing to show sympathy to their real people.

The fierce quarrels and debates became louder and louder, and a group of sports party hooligans and refugees mingled in, fanning the flames everywhere and making the noise even more joyful.

John motioned with his eyes to the prophet, telling him to come and maintain order throughout the ceremony.

The sound of shackles sounded, and a group of attendants from the palace came with more than a dozen captives. Most of the captives were sailors under Gawain, who came on ships from Caltarimon, Scutari, Nicomedia, etc. They came to the port hoping to seize control of the inland sea of ​​Marimara, establish a foothold on the coast just east of Constantinople, and transport the "Bitynian Border Army" and the Nika Brigade from this way. .

So these prisoners were deliberately paraded in front of the Holy Apostles Church as a sign that the imperial capital was "safe and sound".

John raised his hand slightly, and taking the emperor's gesture as a signal, many attendants shouted slogans. This was a fixed routine for the emperor's patrol. People of all kinds who were enthusiastic and loyal to the emperor also followed the attendants one after another, shouting Let’s sing: "His Majesty is our morning star and the god of death who is feared by our enemies. Long live, long live, please let us praise him and list him as a holy apostle in this world. Our nation revere him and are willing to bow our heads and worship him. .....”

Such voices sounded like a tide, and John, who reined in the reins, felt a little calmer. In fact, he didn't care about such flattery, but he knew that even if he hated it, this pattern could not be abandoned: the ignorant people and the army wanted to see them. If the leader has the upper hand, they will be willing to submit to him; once the leader is too kind, or fails on the surface, the first to bite him will be his originally docile servants.

In the carriage next to John, Piloska, who was sitting on the cushion, looked at the Patriarch who was walking towards the Virgin's veil box, as if she was extremely frightened and uneasy.

This emotion has been lingering since she walked out of Brachna Palace today.

Feeling strange, John asked his wife, who was about to convert to Orthodoxy in two days, why she felt such a mood.

Piloska's lips trembled, then she closed her eyes with heavy and disordered breathing, then opened them again, her tone was a bit panicked, "Maybe it's because I'm not feeling well? Really, I haven't felt like this a few days ago. "

"Could it be that you are pregnant?"

"No, no." Piloska seemed to be unable to lie at all. She finally said something to John that chilled him, "Please, please go back quickly. My husband, although you are not loyal to me." , but...but I am a devout believer, and the Lord and St. Paul do not allow a wife to deceive her husband...Get out of here quickly, because someone will accuse you soon, and someone will also launch a lawsuit against you! Rebellion, take advantage of days like this.”

Who would have thought that this little wife would suddenly say such words? John was shocked. He looked around the entire Holy Apostles Square. The rotating heads of people all had their mouths open, seeming to be singing hymns to him, but There seemed to be people with clenched teeth, full of hostility and hatred, some people were walking around with gloomy eyes, discussing something, and some were staring at themselves with cold, mocking faces, which made people feel uncomfortable. .

What his wife said just now exploded in his heart. It was obvious that Piloska already knew about his "infidelity", which meant that someone told Piloska about his incestuous relationship with Marlena.

It's mother, it's mother...

"Run quickly, walk quickly!" Among the chaotic hymns, Piloska was still sitting in the carriage, and her cry seemed so weak, being suppressed by all kinds of loud sounds and noises.

There was a noise, and John was so frightened that he hurriedly spun his mount and looked in the direction of the sound. There was a violent chaos in the honor guard - several bearded senators, guards and officials were taking out the engraved nameplates and stretching out their hands. Holding his neck and ignoring the obstruction, he was denouncing and accusing the standing Patriarch.

He saw that the Patriarch's expression was changing obviously, and he soon cast a strange look at him.

John's hands and corners of his mouth trembled. He didn't dare to look at the patriarch's sharp eyes. He just felt that everything was over.

Soon, the palace guards and people in front of the Holy Apostles Church saw that the emperor suddenly ran towards the Brachna Palace with a group of attendants and guard cavalry, but he did not complete the ceremony at all!

At the same time, the Patriarch also turned around and hurried back to the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom.

Such abnormal behavior immediately caused great panic and speculation. After noon, many people who were watching the battle on the Basilica of Holy Wisdom and the Hill of Sphindorn (a high ground on the south side of the Grand Hippodrome where the ocean can be seen) realized that the "prisoner parade" arranged by the emperor before was just a deception that intoxicated people's hearts. Many light ships of the Tarsus side had successfully crossed the sea, and the soldiers on them occupied many villages and open spaces between the coastal defense walls and the cliffs of the strait.

After a while, several large warships coming from the direction of Gallipoli fought fiercely with the light ships of Tarsus, but the former did not dare to fight. They seemed to be in a hurry and soon lined up to cross the location of the Serpent Column, that is, the Bosphorus Strait.

The crew of Amalfi and Pisa who mixed into the crowd began to spread rumors that these large ships were all from Sicily and Venice. Now the emperor overturned his father's policy and allowed them to cross the strait and enter the Euxine Sea. From then on, these foreign ships of all sizes will enjoy unlimited shipping rights in the Euxine Sea and various inland rivers of the empire.

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The people of the imperial capital went berserk.

They had been deeply jealous of the Venetians for a long time.

Although it was Alexius who granted the Venetians the privileges, the people still believed that John had betrayed the previous emperor and sold out the country.

Soon in the evening, all kinds of rumors, true or false, were rampant.

Some well-informed people said that Queen Mother Irene had occupied the palace to protect herself, and publicly announced several of John's unspeakable crimes and secrets!