The twenty-first year of the Jingkang era.

A turbulent era is unfolding in Europe.

The fall of Jerusalem and the failure of Louis VII and Kondra III's eastern expedition shocked the Western European world.

The crusades destroyed many city-states that had been established on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean.

The construction of the Confucius Temple began there, and caravans of merchants from the East set up camp here, building banks, schools, military camps, and government offices.

Soldiers with sharp crescent blades at their waists can be seen everywhere; some wear leather, while others are clad in heavy armor.

Some also carried flintlock pistols, maps, and dried meat.

They are robust and a head taller than the locals, but they have kind faces and are not rude; some are even very polite.

At first, the locals were afraid of them, but gradually, they came to realize that these people from the East were better than the local bureaucrats. They not only brought new technologies, but also established schools and spread more accessible knowledge.

The once turbulent area gradually stabilized as trade increased and food supplies grew.

Gentle cultural implantation is far less costly than direct coercion by force.

While the world in the Mediterranean and the East Sea is being restored in an orderly manner, an unprecedented panic is raging across Europe, like an invisible plague.

The defection of Constantinople triggered a political tsunami in Europe.

The Papacy's allies thus turned to the enemy, and the Pope issued the harshest condemnation to the Archbishop of Constantinople, with letter after letter being sent to Constantinople.

Then the Roman Emperor Manuel threw all the letters into the fire.

He said indignantly: The Pope is utterly shameless! His crusaders are plundering Jerusalem now, and next time it will be us! Compared to the Eastern world, they are nothing but uncivilized barbarians.

No wonder Manuel was dismissive.

The Roman Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) inherited the cultural heritage of the classical Roman Empire. Unlike the small villages of Western Europe, Constantinople always considered itself the legitimate successor, with prosperous commerce, developed handicrafts, and a more advanced political system than Western Europe.

At the very least, the Roman Empire was not a theocratic state, but rather a secular state ruled by the monarchy.

In many ways, they are more willing to accept the cultural ideas spread from the Song Dynasty.

The Pope of Rome was greedy and insatiable, encouraging the Crusades to plunder and pillage. He used the guise of holy war to deceive the ignorant common people, but everyone knew what was really going on.

After the letters were burned by the Roman emperor, that was the end of it.

The Pope of Rome was furious, indulging in self-pity and solemnity. In an attempt to reverse the situation, he sent summons to the kings of all European countries.

Beginning in the 21st year of the Jingkang era, kings from various European countries entered Rome one after another to be received by the Pope and to receive God's blessings.

A large-scale military operation is brewing.

Warriors from various villages climbed out of their humble dwellings and bought cheap swords from blacksmiths.

Their lord told them to go east, to go there to punish the heretics, to wage a holy war, and to let the glory of God shine upon the whole world.

Meanwhile, the soldiers below were excitedly saying: "We've heard there's gold in the East. We can go there and collect it."

In the twenty-second year of the Jingkang era, Yue Fei's 80,000-strong army crossed Constantinople and officially entered Europe, appearing on the European land.

To demonstrate its sincerity, Constantinople also sent an army of 100,000.

The two sides had a total of 180,000 troops, and all their provisions were supplied by Constantinople.

While the kings of Europe were still arguing with the Pope in Rome, the Kingdom of Bulgaria had already been ousted.

The news swept across Europe like a storm.

It was at the end of that year that Zhao Huan received the battle report from the west.

After Yue Fei's army entered Europe, it began to sweep across the continent.

They bombed the walls of Estergóm, the capital of Hungary, directly along the Danube River.

What was Hungary's position in Europe at that time?

It was a kingdom established here by the Magyars. Around the 9th century, the Magyars started their conquests across Europe, beginning with Hungary.

The suffering they inflicted on Europa was no less than the fear Attila inflicted on her.

However, they later turned against the Papacy and began to live in harmony with other kingdoms.

Moreover, they became a bulwark for Western European countries against invasions from the Eastern world.

Both the Mongols and the Ottomans in orthodox history were blocked here.

With them present, the Pope dared to convene a meeting of everyone in Rome.

As a result, their defense line turned out to be as flimsy as paper, and was utterly crushed by Yue Fei.

Moreover, the Hungarians were completely traumatized, the royal family surrendered directly, and the Papacy's cross was thrown into the Danube River.

This event shocked the entire European world, and the shadow of war subsequently loomed over it.

When Zhao Huan learned that Yue Fei had already fought so far, he was momentarily lost in thought.

Zhao Huan was forty-eight years old that year, and he felt that his body no longer had the boundless energy it had when he was young.

Zhao Chun was already twelve years old that year.

Zhao Shen was already twenty-one years old. He had graduated from Tokyo University and entered the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, where he served as a chief official.

He has a bright future ahead of him, and entered the Ministry of Commerce at a young age.

Tang Rui, the then Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Commerce, had a very high opinion of him.

On this day, he went to the palace to pay his respects to the emperor.

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