People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

Chapter 651: The Secret Art of Taming Dragons (Wish you all a Happy Dragon Boat Festival)

Giovanni Giustiniani was a man wearing a full set of plate armor and a white smock with a red cross. His attire did not look like that of a Latin nobleman, but it was also different from those mercenaries with rude manners and philistine faces.

His stature could not be described as majestic, but just standing there, he gave people a feeling of being insurmountable, like a city wall.

"May God bless you, great Basilius."

The bearded man bowed slightly. Behind him was a team of Genoese soldiers who looked quite elite. Most of them were crossbowmen carrying the iconic square shields, and a small number were lightly armored infantry.

As for the Latins' iconic knights, there was not a single one.

"May God bless you, General Giovanni of Chios."

Chios is an island in the Aegean Sea, once the homeland of the empire and now a colony of the Genoese.

The Genoese and the Ottomans never broke off relations. The commercial city-states valued interests more, and the Ottomans granted them commercial franchises, which made many of them inclined to abandon Constantinople.

The Venetians were probably in the same situation. Historically, the three galleys they sent with reinforcements failed to arrive until the fall of Constantinople.

The commercial republic is an oligarchic regime. Although the governor holds a respected position, it is not as high as a proper monarch. Various internal forces are involved and in conflict with each other. Those who have no interests in Constantinople or whose interests are smaller are unlikely to agree to the demands of the war faction.

Giovanni and the Genoese mercenaries around him were obviously the only response that the war faction could make.

"I am willing to give you the island of Lemnos as your fiefdom in return for your devotion to Christ. If you win this battle, I will also crown you Duke of Athens, and the soldiers you lead will also receive generous rewards."

Losa said so.

In the eastern part of Lemnos, there is a large amount of volcanic ash soil, which is very fertile and is considered the only remaining granary fertile soil in the hands of the empire.

In addition, there are several natural harbors on the island, and the people of Venice and Genoa have long coveted this place.

Constantine XI had previously tried to exchange the island for help from Aragon, Venice, Genoa and other states, but this plan obviously failed. It would be better to give it to the Genoese as a reward in exchange for their full support.

The thousand-year-old empire was already in its twilight years. There had been too many traitorous kings throughout the dynasties, and the empire's legacy had been squandered. When it came to Constantine XI's turn, even if he wanted to sell it, he could only sigh at the empty treasury of the empire.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity. Your generosity makes the sun and the moon pale in comparison."

Hearing this promise, Giovanni, who was apparently just a mercenary leader, did not show much joy on his face.

This battle was a life-and-death battle. If he had really come here for the reward, how stupid he would have been to jump onto the Roman ship, which had ten thousand holes in it, and whose cabins had sunk below the sea, with only one mast still standing.

Lothar also knew that this reward was nothing, just a token of his appreciation.

"Please come with me."

Losa led the Genoese people through the city and climbed up the Theodosian Wall of the outer city. A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Constantinople, once known as the "Eternal City", was still magnificent even though it had been conquered by the Crusaders.

He pointed at the mighty city and said to Giovanni, "Although the Theodosian Wall has not been repaired for a long time, it is still strong. There are more than 50,000 residents in the city, and the food reserves can last for a year. If it weren't for the two fortresses, I have the confidence to defend this city until I die."

He pointed to both sides of the strait in the north, where part of the city was the territory of the Genoese. Losa was referring to the fortresses built by the Ottomans on both sides of the Bosphorus, which were like strangling the empire's throat and blocking the transportation route to the Black Sea in the north.

Giovanni frowned and said, "I heard that the Ottomans secretly forged an extremely large cannon that can easily penetrate the stone fortress."

"Urban Cannon?"

Urban was a Hungarian artillery maker who originally served the empire, but Constantine XI was impoverished and could not support his research on casting heavy artillery, so he defected to the Ottoman Sultan and was highly valued.

Lothar chuckled and shook his head: "It can't break the Theodosian Wall. The wall under our feet had many magic arrays embedded in it when it was first built. No matter how dilapidated it is, it can't be penetrated by ordinary artillery."

In the world of giant ships yesterday, before the production of rare minerals such as white crystal and magic stone, firearms could only play an auxiliary role and could not determine the overall situation.

Even in the original history, the Urban Cannon failed to play a decisive role.

What's more, now Constantine XI has been replaced by him, so all he needs to do to destroy the enemy's artillery positions is a breath.

Seeing that Losa was confident, Giovanni did not argue, but said, "Although there are two walls, we are too few in number. We can only guard the outer wall and leave a reserve force. We also need to send troops to guard the sea."

A rough calculation shows that more than 7,000 people are really stretched thin.

Losa asked honestly, "General Giovanni, can you write a letter to ask for the rest of the reinforcements?"

Giovanni shook his head. His arrival was actually a compromise by the war faction of the Republic of Genoa. They were unwilling to completely break off relations with the Ottomans, which would lead to the abolition of the originally signed commercial privileges, nor were they willing to watch Constantinople, which carried many of their interests, fall into the hands of the Ottomans.

Although the Ottomans are now getting along relatively well with the Genoese, everyone knows that the Ottoman Empire is powerful and far beyond the half-dead Roman Empire. The benefits that can be squeezed from such a behemoth must be far less than the former.

"I understand."

Losa smiled and said, "General Giovanni, don't worry about the troops. His Holiness the Pope has promised that as long as we hold on for a while, reinforcements from Europe will surely arrive in Constantinople in an endless stream."

Giovanni smiled bitterly in his heart. If he didn't know the inside story, he would probably be intimidated by the confidence shown by Losa.

"General Giovanni must have been exhausted after traveling all the way here. I will instruct the palace staff to prepare barracks, dinner, and fine wine for you to welcome you in this time of crisis. It's like sending firewood in the snow."

Giovanni nodded and withdrew.

Watching Giovanni leave, Losa sighed softly.

He had just vaguely investigated Giovanni's identity and found that there was a familiar wild power in Giovanni's body. He should be a mixed-blood wolf.

Lothar had no prejudice against dark creatures, but this kind of support meant that the reinforcements were not up to standard and it was definitely not approved by the church. It was most likely done by internal forces in Genoa.

If they were genuine crusaders sent by the church, they would definitely be able to use Holy Light.

Back in his bedroom, Lothar picked up his pen and prepared to write a letter to the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller.

The relationship between the Knights Hospitaller and the Empire was not harmonious. Rhodes Island was also an imperial territory. It was captured by the Knights Hospitaller. The Knights Hospitaller then used this place as a base to plunder passing caravans, including "Orthodox heretics" from the Empire.

But it has been more than a hundred years since the Knights Hospitaller occupied Rhodes Island, and people should always look forward.

When it comes to survival, there is no enemy that cannot be reconciled.

"Your Excellency Jean Bompard de Rustique, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, pious defender of Christ, protector of the Holy Crown of Thorns and other holy relics, please allow me to formally donate the territory of Rhodes to your order as a token of my respect to His Holiness the Pope and your order for fighting against pagans after the unification of the church."

First, in the name of the Emperor of the Empire, Lothar recognized that the occupation of Rhodes Island by the Knights Hospitaller was legal, which had previously been recognized only by the Pope.

Secondly, after reaffirming the unity of the church (in 1439, his brother Emperor Ioannis agreed to the unity of the Eastern and Western churches at the Council of Florence and recognized the supremacy of His Holiness the Pope), Pope Eugene IV called on the Crusaders to support the bull of Constantinople.

The Knights Hospitaller were not Latin merchants who could have secret dealings with pagans.

The meaning of their existence is to fight against infidels, which is their mission.

If they were to betray this duty, they would be torn apart before the enemy even arrives.

"Please think carefully, Grand Master. If Constantinople falls, who in the Eastern Mediterranean can you rely on to help your group resist the pagans? Is it Cyprus, which has been begging for mercy from the Saracens in Egypt who were defeated by your group? Or is it the commercial city-states that are secretly communicating with the pagans?"

Losa began to explain the pros and cons. The principle of lips and teeth being interdependent is something that any intelligent life form would understand.

What's more, Lothar also sent him a handwritten letter from His Holiness the Pope to urge the Knights Hospitaller to send troops to rescue.

The other Christian monarchs might be able to pretend to obey the Pope, whose prestige had greatly declined after the Avignon Prisoner, but the Knights Hospitaller could not do that.

The source of power for this military order was the Pope. Historically, after Constantinople was captured by the Ottomans, accusations against the Knights Hospitaller were rampant.

If the Knights Hospitaller had not fought a brilliant counterattack against the Ottoman invasion, the Knights Hospitaller would have gradually died out even without the foreign invasion.

Finally, a series of unequal treaties were agreed to in return for the support of the Knights Hospitaller.

After writing the letter, Lothar solemnly took off the ring and stamped it with his own wax emblem.

If nothing unexpected happens, when the Ottomans arrive at the city, the only significant reinforcements that may arrive will be the Knights Hospitaller entrenched in the Aegean Sea.

The rest are just like General Giovanni, with a few hundred or even dozens of people.

He was not sure whether a letter could bring reinforcements.

I hope the Knights Hospitaller won't make things too ugly, and at least send out a team of a thousand men led by a chapter captain like the Genoese did.

As soon as he finished writing the letter and waited for the ink to dry, before he had time to send it off, the eunuch entered the palace and said, "Your Majesty, Orhan hopes to be summoned by you."

Losa put down his pen and said in a deep voice, "Let him in."

Orhan was an Ottoman prince and uncle of Mahmud II. He received a full Greek education in Constantinople, but unfortunately, this was not enough to make him a threat to Mahmud II's throne.

Constantine XI once made a big fuss about his status and tried to extort an annual tribute from the Ottomans in exchange for him not sending Orhan back to compete with Mahamu for the throne. Mahamu II also agreed to this request.

But he soon regretted it.

In fact, Orhan had no qualifications to compete with Mahamu. Mahamu's agreement to Constantine XI was just a pretense, and he used it as an excuse for war to persuade the ministers to use military force against Constantinople.

"Orhan, what do you want from me?"

Orhan was not wearing a turban. Apart from his different beliefs, he could hardly be seen as a Turk. He was respectful and asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, Mahamu is using me as an excuse to attack New Rome. If you hand me over, maybe the war can be stopped?"

"Are you worried that I might give you to your nephew?"

Losa ignored Orhan's probing and said bluntly, "Over the years, how many people have secretly sent people to Constantinople to swear allegiance to you? The guards around you, so far, are only a few hundred people, right? Do you think you are really that important?"

Orhan breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty is wise."

"Go back."

Lothar paused and added, "During this time, send your people to receive training from General Giovanni. Although he is not well-known, he has a lot of experience in defending cities and will teach them some new things."

"As for you, you are also from the Osmanoglu family and have the talent of a dragon tamer. You should tame the sharp-clawed dragon in the royal garden as soon as possible. If you fail, don't blame me for killing it and rewarding the soldiers with meat."

Orhan smiled bitterly and nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will try my best, but when my family fled here, they were missing many important secret books."

Although he was a Turk, compared with some Greeks who openly declared that even the Turkish turban was better than the Latin crown, Orhan was undoubtedly the grasshopper tied to the same rope with him.

According to the bloody Ottoman tradition of succession, even a baby brother could be killed, let alone an uncle who was not so closely related by blood.

As long as Constantinople is captured, Orhan will surely die!
Losa frowned and said, "Forget it. I will go to the Imperial Garden tonight to help you."

Capturing this clawed dragon was also an attempt by Constantine XI. He did not intend to use it as a fighting force, but to show the enemy that Orhan was also the legitimate descendant of the Osmanoglu family and to put pressure on Mahamu.

But now that it has been caught, helping Orhan tame it will be a help.

Orhan was stunned, somewhat puzzled.

"Your Majesty, that beast is ferocious and unruly. What are you going to do?"

Dragon taming is the secret of the Osmanoglu family. Our ancestor Osman I was able to stand out from a group of small tribes and build such a huge country by relying on this dragon taming technique. Do you, the emperor of the Palaiologos family, know more about dragon taming than me?
"Don't worry about it."

Sorry, I went home for the holidays and took a night bus back, so the update is late.