Chapter 313 Triumphal
Peter arrived at Adrian and rested for two days before heading to Constantinople with the spoils.
On the day of the triumphal procession, the weather was clear and there was not a single cloud. The gates of Constantinople were wide open, and the procession slowly entered the city.
The leader held the Roman double-headed eagle flag, which was retained after Bartlan replaced Palaiologos and officially appeared on the national flag and emblem.
Then came the trophy team, with countless gold, silver, treasures and artworks appearing before the eyes of the people. The symbol of Venice, the flying lion of St. Mark, also appeared in front of them, which was removed from St. Mark's Basilica. The contrast between the gold decoration and the current destruction was particularly ironic.
Then came the captives, the governor of Venice, the councilors, the clerks, and the merchants. They were tied up and paraded. When the citizens saw the enemy coming, they shouted to kill them. And these people could only hug each other tightly and express their fear with trembling.
Next was the main character's appearance, Peter, wearing armor, rode into Constantinople on horseback. There were cheers everywhere. After Justinian held the last grand triumphal ceremony for Belisarius in 543, Constantinople welcomed a grand triumphal ceremony again after nearly a thousand years.
From the walls of Constantinople to the Hagia Sophia, there were cheering crowds everywhere. The emperor waited in front of the cathedral for a long time. Peter and the emperor entered the church to pray together, and the people outside continued to cheer.
Then came the most popular scene. For this event, Mircea specially ordered his men to build a long gallows. It can hang 15 people at a time and is specially built for hanging Venetians.
Doge Steno and other members of the Venetian government began to enjoy this exciting journey. After all, there was only one chance, and then Satan gave them a direct chance, how could they let it go. In their surprised and unknown expressions and the cheers of the people around them, they were taken away with a click.
A total of 180 people were to be hanged this time, all of whom were famous big businessmen. Some madams in the city bought their female relatives and asked them to receive customers directly, and they also had to prevent them from committing suicide. No one could decide who would win or lose.
The living were like this, and the dead could not be spared. The former governor Dandolo was dug up and whipped, and his bones were burned and scattered on the road, and the citizens kept trampling on him.
The envoys were a little uncomfortable with this scene, especially Genoa and other countries that had been against Rome. They were worried that Venice today would be their tomorrow, and they must prevent this from happening.
"You did a good job this time, and you have shown the prestige of the empire. You have also avenged yourself, and the citizens will thank you."
"Without my father's support, I would not have achieved such an achievement. And the Venetian navy took the opportunity to attack Constantinople. Fortunately, my father led the garrison to defend it, otherwise it would be troublesome if they succeeded."
The two evaluated each other's achievements. After all, it would be difficult to continue this war without either of them. The results of this war exceeded any war, and those Roman emperors could rest in peace.
Then the two watched the scene of the hanging of the Governor of Venice together, and there were civil servants recording it. To celebrate this moment, the royal family scattered nearly one million silver coins to the citizens.
Then there was a big banquet for guests, nobles, envoys, and important officials.
"Today is the most important day for the empire. The destruction of Venice is God's will. They have desecrated the sanctuary and deserve such punishment."
"Rome is willing to maintain peace with various countries. This is in the interests of both parties. It is also what God wants to see."
Mircea said nothing more than words to maintain peace, but for some reason, the envoys of various countries felt their backs tighten. Maybe they were too nervous.
The banquet was naturally a diplomatic occasion. Mircea was meeting with the envoys of Naples. The battle with Aragon was intensifying. Laszlo had entered Palermo and proclaimed himself the King of Sicily. Martin had returned to Barcelona and was furious. Unless he could take back Sicily.
To show his support, Mircea ordered part of the fleet to protect the coast of Naples and immediately recognized Laszlo's title of King of Sicily. The two sides benefited each other in this way.
Of course, there was a potential conflict when there was an interview. Count William of the Netherlands bumped into Baron Robert. The Burgundians and the Orleansists disliked each other, and then they quarreled.
"My Lord, I can't believe I can meet you here."
"Yes, this may be God's will. But we are destined to appear on the battlefield."
"It is our honor to charge for the kingdom, not to mention facing the enemy."
The fight between the two factions is already in the open, and the French civil war seems inevitable. The envoys of England are also happy to see it. Despite the peace treaty that has been signed, there will definitely be a war between the two countries. Can France, after the civil war, still defeat them? Henry IV's policy is to provoke the Burgundians to attack the Orleansists to achieve their goals.
As the biggest contributor to the capture of Venice, Peter is also talking to envoys from many countries. As a co-ruler, his words can represent the emperor, and all diplomatic actions of the signed treaty are also recognized by Mircea.
The Grand Duke of Moscow sent the governor of Novgorod to discuss alliance and trade with the Roman Empire. Due to the unified Rus region. Vasily I began to centralize power in order to avoid the tragedy of the disintegration of Rus. But the land nobles in the country did not agree, and repeatedly obstructed the actions of the Grand Duke. Some even colluded with Lithuania and prepared to overthrow him. So taking advantage of this celebration, the Grand Duke sent his confidant Ivan to continue discussing the issues between the two countries.
At present, the common enemies between the two countries are still Poland and Lithuania, and there are conflicts in terms of territory and religion. Moreover, Lithuania also has a kind of convert fanaticism, wanting to bring Moscow under their rule. This is what Vasily I did not want to see.
Peter also wanted to support Moscow to put pressure on Lithuania, and in order to expand trade. A trade route that had almost disappeared was replanned.
About 3,000 years ago, savvy Mediterranean merchants came to the Baltic region to buy amber, and transported it back to the Mediterranean to exchange it for the same weight of gold from the nobles. From then on, the "Amber Road" was opened up, and amber was also called "Northern Gold". The earliest Amber Road started from the Jutland Peninsula in northern Denmark and went south through the European continent to the Mediterranean.
During the Roman Empire, a major trade route ran from the Baltic coast of Prussia to the Adriatic Sea via Bohemia in the south. The Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun used Baltic amber in his burial objects. Amber was also transported from the North Sea to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi as a tribute, and continued from the Black Sea to Asia via another trade route, the Silk Road. The Roman Emperor Nero sent people to investigate the source of amber. This voyage was of great significance in ancient history, as it directly linked Northern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
The opening of the Amber Road enabled the European continent to be connected from north to south, and then developed eastward to connect Persia, India and China in Asia, enhancing trade between Europe and Asia. Europeans presented various "gifts of nature" including amber crafts to the ancient Eastern countries in exchange for the "modern civilization" of the time.