This time, Li Guangyan continued to concentrate his elite troops to attack the weak points of the Eastern Roman garrison's defense, and mobilized sharpshooters with superb shooting skills from the entire army to conduct a roll call on the garrison generals, officers and soldiers at the head of the city.
Snipe.
This move was very effective and dealt a devastating blow to the defenders' defense.
On the morning of the third day of the siege, the Silla army used this move to once reach the city wall and occupy a large section of the city wall.
Leo once Seeing that the situation was critical, he immediately came over personally with the Imperial Guards.
Reinforcement, Leo's arrival brought confidence to the garrison soldiers whose morale was almost broken.
It was like a shot in the arm.
The morale of the soldiers was greatly boosted.
Under Leo's leadership, the Silla army was driven off the city wall.
This kept the defenses of Constantine's city wall from being breached.
After appeasing the garrison soldiers, Leo hurried back to the palace with the guards.
He was very worried at this time.
Judging from the defense and city wall defense just now, he estimated that the inner city could not be defended for much longer, two days at most. will definitely be Breakthrough, and before that, it is very likely that ministers and generals will collude with the Western Qin army outside the city, betray the Eastern Roman Empire, and secretly instigate some soldiers to open the city gates or start civil strife.
At that time, the Western Qin army can easily Fight in.
When Leo V returned to the palace, he sent someone to call the captain of the guard, Mikhail.
Mikhail walked into the hall and saluted Leo V: "Your Majesty, you are looking for me."
Leo V waved his hand and drove everyone else out of the hall.
After everyone else left, he said to Mikhail: "Mikhail, Constantinople cannot be defended.
It will take two days at most." , the Western Qin army will break through the wall of Constantine and rush in."
Mikhail was shocked and said: "Your Majesty, is there no other way?"
Leo V smiled bitterly and shook his head and said: "I'm afraid I can't think of any other way.
The Western Qin Army is different from other barbarians.
The barbarian army cannot attack cities and does not have powerful and sophisticated siege equipment, but the Western Qin Army does.
They have a civilization that is not inferior to ours and can still support it Two days does not take other factors into consideration.
If some officials and military generals who want to surrender to Western Qin secretly communicate with them and negotiate terms within these two days, those pickpocketing guys will open the city gates or provoke civil strife.
The time it takes for the Western Qin army to attack the city will only be shorter. , I have decided to defend Constantinople and coexist with this capital.
You are still young, and you are very talented.
You do not need to die here.
I want you to take the Praetorian Guard to the port of Constantine.
The naval ship left Constantinople, landed in central Greece, and then crossed Go to Macedonia through the territory occupied by the Western Qin people, and lead the army there to continue to resist the Western Qin army's attack.
If Macedonia is also lost, then retreat to Dalmatia.
In short, you cannot give up hope and fight the Western Qin people to the end. , until they are driven out of the Eastern Roman Empire."
Mikhail waved his hand quickly and said: "No, no, no, Your Majesty, we have not reached this point yet.
We can admit our failure.
We can surrender to the Western Qin people and become vassal.
As long as they withdraw, we can agree to some of their conditions.
It doesn’t matter if we cede some more land, all we need is time.”
Leo V shook his head and said: "It's too late to surrender.
This time the Western Qin Dynasty sent a total of more than 350,000 troops.
This kind of troops may not be enough even if the entire Western world's troops are added together.
This number It means that they are not here to ask us to surrender, but are determined to destroy us.
Do you understand?
Others can surrender, but I can't, because I am the emperor, and they will not allow me to become a subject.
Their purpose is To destroy us and occupy the entire Eastern Roman Empire" Mikhail's face turned pale when he heard this, and he immediately reacted and said: "Your Majesty, if this is the case, you are the only one who will lead the subjects of the Eastern Roman Empire to continue to resist the attack of the Western Qin Army, even though the generals of several military regions have previously criticized you.
Ignore the orders, but they have actually acquiesced that you are the emperor of the entire Eastern Roman Empire.
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The emperor of the country, only you have the appeal to gather people's hearts, no one else can, so you must leave Constantinople and go to Macedonia.
At present, northern Thrace, Macedonia and Dalmatia have not been conquered by the West.
If the Qin army captures it, we will be safe as long as we pass through the central area of Greece controlled by the Western Qin army."
Leo shook his head and said: "No, someone must stay in Constantinople to lead the soldiers and civilians to continue to defend the Western Qin Army's attack.
As long as there is a little rumor that I am fleeing, the morale of the soldiers will collapse.
Constantine The fortress cannot be defended, and I cannot leave.
Besides, I am the emperor, so I don’t want to be an emperor who abandons the entire Constantinople and hundreds of thousands of his subjects and flees."
Mikhail said hurriedly: "No, no, Your Majesty, you really can't stay in Constantinople.
Since the city's destruction is inevitable, we can't stay here and wait to die.
If someone must stay, Then let me stay and lead the soldiers and civilians to continue to resist the attack of the Western Qin army, while you lead the ban The Guards left Constantinople in a battleship for Macedonia.
And your departure from here is not an escape, but a strategic transfer.
Dear Your Majesty, all the subjects of the Eastern Roman Empire need you.
You are still very young, energetic and strong.
You There is still enough time to lead the subjects to drive Western Qin out of our land."
"You stay?"
Leo V looked at Mikhail in confusion.
After asking, he shook his head: "No, no, I can't let you wait here to die on my behalf."
Mikhail knelt down on one knee in excitement: "Your Majesty, Mikhail has sworn to God that he will be loyal to you in his life since he started following you.
He will block the attack of the Western Qin army here for you.
Even if he dies, he will be able to do it."
How about it?
As long as you can bring the Praetorian Guards to Macedonia safely and continue fighting against the Western Qin Army, and finally drive them out of the Eastern Roman Empire, it will be worth it even if all the soldiers and I die in battle.
I beg your Majesty to promise me.
Well, if you don’t promise me, I will commit suicide in front of you.”
With Mikhail's persuasion to die, Leo finally agreed.
In order to allow Mikhail to mobilize all the troops defending the city, he immediately wrote an edict appointing Mikhail as deputy commander, so that he could mobilize all the troops defending the city.
After he leaves, he can lead the army and the people to continue to resist the attack of the Western Qin army.
That night, Leo V quietly walked out of the palace with three thousand Praetorian Guards and went to the Constantine Military Port to board dozens of warships that had been prepared.
After leaving the port, the warships turned to the southwest.
All this was done without anyone noticing.
The reason why Leo V was able to leave so secretly was because many noble ministers secretly prepared to open the city gate and let the Western Qin Army enter the city that night, as a token of surrender to the Western Qin Army.
However, Mikhail, who had just been promoted to deputy commander-in-chief, in order to strengthen security in the city and prevent The Western Qin Dynasty made trouble and internal officials and ministers surrendered to the Western Qin Army.
Therefore, martial law was issued and multiple patrol teams were sent to patrol around the inner city to arrest idlers.
These ministers and officials gathered together to prepare to surrender to the Western Qin Army.
They were blocked and a fight broke out between the two sides.
The Eastern Roman officials and ministers who gathered to surrender to the Western Qin army failed.
Their army was annihilated by Mikhail's men, but this also consumed the strength of the defenders in the city.
Two days later in the afternoon, the wall of Constantine finally failed to withstand the attack of the West Qin army.
The soldiers of the West Qin army rushed to the city wall.
An Eastern Roman general who had already negotiated with the West Qin army led people to fight with the West Qin army inside and outside.
After a flanking attack, a city gate was quickly captured and opened.
A large number of Western Qin troops entered the inner city, and Constantinople was captured.
The Silla soldiers who had fought many battles were all very angry.
Ever since they entered the city after the city was broken, they couldn't stop fighting.
The inner city of Constantinople was far more prosperous than the outer city.
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The soldiers They broke into various shops and looted property, broke into houses and insulted women, and some churches and public places were also ransacked.
After the city was broken, Zhao Ziliang got the news immediately.
The news was reported by Li Muchen.
Zhao Ziliang was very happy after hearing it.
"Very good.
Although we have estimated that we can break the city in just a few days, the actual arrival of this day is still disappointing."
Very excited” Seeing that Zhao Ziliang was so happy, Li Muchen poured cold water on him at an inappropriate time: "But as far as I know, after the Silla army invaded the city, they raped, raped, and committed all kinds of evil in the city.
If left unchecked, I'm afraid that Constantinople will be destroyed."
It will be looted.”
Zhao Ziliang frowned and shouted: "Here comes Xuan Li Guangyan" Immediately a eunuch shouted out: "Xuan Li Guangyan comes to the audience" After receiving the summons, Li Guangyan quickly rushed over, entered the tent and bowed to Zhao Ziliang: "Your Majesty, our army has broken the city."
"Has the city been destroyed?
Well, this is indeed something worth being happy about."
Zhao Ziliang said, and his tone suddenly changed: "But I can't be happy.
Do you know why?"
Li Guangyan heard the change in Zhao Ziliang's tone and immediately realized something was wrong.
He immediately clasped his fists and said, "I don't know what your majesty is displeased with."
"I heard that after the Silla army broke into the city, they raped, looted and committed all kinds of evil in the city.
Do you know about this?"
Li Guangyan's expression changed when he heard this, and he immediately prostrated: "What happened?
Just now, I was discussing with several generals about generous rewards for the soldiers after breaking the city, but I didn't expect that such an evil thing would happen.
Please allow me to give you an order immediately."
Restrain the soldiers, and then come back to your Majesty to plead guilty."
Zhao Ziliang waved his hand and said: "When you return, tell me about the situation in the city.
Go ahead."
"Yes, Your Majesty" After Li Guangyan left, Zhao Ziliang asked the ministers in the account: "How do you think this matter should be handled?"
Li Muchen immediately stood up and cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I believe that this matter must be handled strictly and must not be tolerated.
Once military discipline is relaxed, it will be difficult to tighten it in the future."
Li Zongwen immediately expressed his objection: "Your Majesty, I believe that we cannot turn a blind eye to this matter, but we cannot handle it strictly.
If we handle it strictly, I may hurt the hearts of the soldiers.
This battle has been going on for so long, and the soldiers have long been worried about it."
I have been holding back a breath of anger and need to vent it out.
If there is no place to vent it, something will happen sooner or later."
Then some other ministers also made some suggestions.
After hearing this, Zhao Ziliang said: "The situation is not clear yet.
We will wait until Li Guangyan comes back.
I will go down and prepare for the entry into the city."
All the ministers stood up together and bowed their hands and said: "I obey the order":