When the three Ruriks looked at the super big city, at a port very close to Constantinople, a man returned to the imperial capital that he had been away from for a long time.
Standing on the port, looking at the port where he left back then, Leo was filled with emotions.
He is currently at an unloading port affiliated with Constantinople. There are many such ports in Constantinople, and this is the largest one. He once worked here for a period of time when he was young, and it was during that period that he
During this time, he chose to seek refuge with the orphanage director.
The amount of goods handled by this city every day can be said to be astronomical, so these subsidiary ports outside the city were built one after another. Some ports have a history older than those barbarian capitals.
Speaking of which, Leo was hunted down and had to run outside the city to get on a boat to leave. He met other people here and then headed to the north. At that time, he felt very humiliated.
During the ten years of chaos in the empire, the port was greatly affected. Under the fear of war, many residents of the port left one after another and sought refuge behind the walls of Constantinople as much as possible.
The port was also abandoned.
When the Norman Russell army advanced into the city, it was used as the most complete port outside Constantinople, and many buildings and facilities were rebuilt.
These facilities also saved Russell's life in the end. Russell also escaped through here, but unfortunately he only escaped with his life temporarily. Alexios later went to remove his head.
After Russell was kicked out, the situation in Constantinople gradually stabilized. People thought that the chaos would come to an end, so the residents of the suburbs also returned one after another. After all, Constantinople was prosperous, but it was not a place without jobs and industries.
Where the poor should stay.
Moreover, due to the cessation of the import of many raw materials due to the war, many shops in the city closed down and many craftsmen lost their jobs. Faced with such a bad situation, many people could only choose to leave Constantinople and go outside the city walls.
To make a living.
During that time, there was prosperity outside the city of Constantinople, and various reconstructions were in full swing, as if the empire would be stable next.
But the development of things was not satisfactory. Soon, with the usurpation of the throne by Nikephorus, the fire of civil war in the empire reached another peak.
In Anatolia, the power of the empire can be said to have collapsed. More and more refugees are coming to Constantinople. The Turks have bathed their horses in the Sea of Marmara, and even Turkic pirates have begun to
Aegean sea activities.
In such an unstable environment, the suburbs of the imperial capital that had just begun to be rebuilt were immediately abandoned. Even if people were starving in the city, they were unwilling to go outside the unsafe city walls, so the port was like this
It was abandoned again.
Alexios's rebellion did not have much impact on this port. After all, the young emperor did not have much navy.
This situation did not change until the arrival of the Russians. After Rostislav reached cooperation with Alexios, he quickly focused on this port, so it became a berth for the Russian fleet, which made this port
The port was given a new lease of life.
In Leo's view, the existence of the Ross fleet is really incompatible with this port. The rough-looking, unkempt Ross people, some even wrapped in furs, are so inconsistent with the columns and buildings that contain historical heritage.
and.
Moreover, many of the buildings rich in imperial aesthetics were painted with graffiti by the Russians, which recorded boring things, such as "I fucked a woman today." and "Beagle ate it, but I didn't."
, "When can we fight the Greeks?" and other words.
This gave Leo a sense of déjà vu, and he felt as if he was in a Roman city that was being destroyed by the Vandals, and he was a citizen who could only sigh while watching the barbarians misbehave.
As a Greek and a native of the Eastern Empire, he felt angry about all this.
But what was more refreshing was that when he was forced to go to the north, he had sworn that he would return with the northern army and let those guys see whose turn it was now, and now he did it.
However, almost thirty years have passed since that time, and too many things have happened in these thirty years. It turns out that the bureaucratic group that emerged in the Macedonian dynasty has been dealt a fatal blow by the military nobles.
Although it still exists, its power is actually much weaker than before.
Those who persecuted him and expelled him back then basically died in the subsequent wars and struggles. Leo knew this very well, but the pleasure of revenge was unreasonable. He just liked this feeling, this "bringing"
"The barbarian army ravaging his homeland gave him the strongest feeling.
What's more, after so many years, he recognized Rostislav even more. His perspective has long been replaced by the place where he devoted nearly thirty years of his life. His attitude towards the imperial capital has long been very similar to Zoe's, wishing those people bad luck.
.
Leo knew very well why Rostislav summoned him. The Grand Duke of Russia needed someone who was familiar with the rules of the south to work for him.
The Grand Duke had always been wary of the Greeks. In the letters he sent to Kiev, his favorite words were, "Be careful of the Greeks, even if it is their gift."
This distrust of Leo was clearly visible in the next trip. Rostislav's camp was specially separated from Greece, and the fortifications facing Alexios's camp were no weaker than those facing the city, and the reconnaissance rangers were even stronger.
They were everywhere, and facing Alexios the most, alert to all possible actions of the Greeks.
Leo was happy for Rostislav's choice. Although he was also a Greek, he knew the cunning of the Greeks better than anyone else. Even as an ally, he must be vigilant when facing them.
Leo didn't want Rostislav, who had appreciated him and promoted him, to fall. He was also looking forward to a "return of the king" by using the Ross army to invade the imperial capital. That time would be his most glorious time, and it would be his
The most awaited moment now.
The camp was very tightly guarded. Even Leo, a well-known figure in Kiev, was strictly interrogated after entering the camp. When he saw the scene inside the camp, he knew why.
There are siege engines built everywhere: ramming cars that use the hull as a shield and are loaded with iron sheep heads; siege towers that are as high as the city wall and covered with leather and iron sheets;
A ladder truck deployed directly under the city wall.
As for the things inside the long ladder shield, they are everywhere, as worthless as kvass in Kiev.
The confidence of the Russian soldiers in attacking the imperial capital can be said to be that they are determined to win. In their view, with the existence of Rostislav, it is absolutely impossible for them to fail, even in the face of such a huge city. Rostislav's victory gave them
Strong confidence.
But looking at this scene, Leo couldn't help but worry. It's a good thing to have high morale, but once it's frustrated, then...
Leo thought for a while, but then he put these thoughts behind his mind. Really, what were you thinking about? He could say that he watched Rostislav transform from a down-and-out prince to the current Grand Duke of Kiev, the one who made the
With so many things, what could he be worried about? Rostislav must have his own ideas.
Thinking like this, Leo unknowingly arrived in front of Rostislav's camp, where Justice Rostislav was waiting for him.
Looking at the gorgeous tent, Leo couldn't help but laugh a few times. As a veteran of Rostislav, he knew very well that his Grand Duke would never spend the night in the most gorgeous and conspicuous tent in the Chinese army. He never stayed there.
They are all inconspicuous places in the soldiers' camp.
I think these Greeks who came into contact with him for the first time must have understood themselves as Rostislav's location. Leo wanted to laugh when he thought of those people who thought they were smart being so fooled by what they called a barbarian.
However, he quickly put away such emotions and became serious. The next step was to work.