1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 224: Cuman Rangers
The scorching sun at noon hung in the sky, white clouds floated in the air, and a clear river flowed across the plain, rushing towards the south.

Thick smoke rose from the riverside towns, and the road to the east was crowded with horse-drawn carriages carrying supplies and soldiers supervising prisoners of war. The soldiers were jubilant, while the prisoners were dejected.

This is a small Bulgarian town located on the east bank of the Denza River. It has a population of only 3,000 and a garrison of no more than 500. It has no walls or fortresses. Faced with the attack of thousands of troops, the defenders only put up some symbolic resistance before dropping their weapons and kneeling down in surrender.

The emperor's army arrived, the Turks retreated, the heads of the Turkish nobles were hung on high towers, and the Bulgarian tax collectors were thrown into prison, awaiting their fate.

The Greeks, who were once at the bottom of society, turned the tables and became the masters. They gathered in the center of the town with their families and welcomed the imperial army in Greek mixed with a lot of local accents.

In recent days, the empire's definition of Romans has been repeatedly relaxed. As long as a person can prove that he has direct relatives of Roman descent, can speak some Greek words, and believes in the Eastern Church, he can directly find the local government that is still under martial law and officially register to become a glorious Roman citizen.

Against this background, many Bulgarians began to rack their brains to fabricate a satisfactory life story for themselves. If they could not find Greek ancestors and could not learn Greek in a short period of time, they would scramble to marry Greek people.

Under imperial law, if one spouse was Roman, the other automatically acquired Roman citizenship, regardless of his or her previous race, religion, or language.

At the ferry in the small town, the Carthaginian tribune and commander of the archers, Yergubai, was flipping through the registration book submitted by the local priest, and for a moment he did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"One town, five affiliated villages, a total of 2,800 people, 2,200 of whom are undoubtedly Romans. You are really capable of making trouble!"

The priest standing by was a little embarrassed and nervously touched the cross on his chest.

"This sir..."

"My name is Yelugubai Barsbey. Your Majesty has bestowed upon me the title of Earl. You don't need to worry about where the fiefdom is."

"This Lord Earl..."

"If you have something to say, please say it now! I don't have that much time to waste with you!"

Yergubai interrupted the priest impatiently.

"In fact, our border areas are ethnically complex. The current Bulgarians are the result of the interbreeding and intermarriage between the original Bulgar tribes who migrated south and the Roman civilians. If you insist on tracing their origins, almost everyone has a Roman ancestor."

The priest explained with a forced smile.

The general in front of him had distinct North African features. Although there was a cross embroidered on the strange emblem on his chest, it was obvious that he was not the kind of devout believer who believed in the supremacy of theocracy. He did not dare to put on the arrogant attitude of a servant of God.

"That's easy to say. There are 2,200 registered people, and there are more than 600 people with the last names of Komnenos, Cantacuzenus, and Angelos."

"And these few, with the last name Macedonia?"

Yergubai looked at the priest with disdain.

"No matter how much you try to get close to someone, there has to be a limit, right?"

"My Lord Earl, many of them didn't have surnames before. Isn't this to respond to the call of the empire..."

The priest continued to force a smile.

Yelugubai wiped his face and let out a long sigh.

"I tell you, His Majesty really doesn't care about these things. Logically, you can choose any surname you want. It's your freedom."

"However, many of these big families are high-ranking officials in the central government of the empire, and they cherish their family names very much."

"If you keep doing this and get targeted for no apparent reason in the future, don't blame me for not warning you."

The priest was suddenly startled by the words.

"Sir, we will change it right away!"

Yeer Gubai nodded and pointed to a few names at the top of the roster.

"Also, lock up all of these people at the forefront for the crime of colluding with pagans, and arrest all their family members and friends as well."

"Sir, these are all local landlords, you are forcing them to rebel!"

The priest was startled and spoke quickly.

"Our emperor has an army of 100,000, are you afraid they will rebel?"

Yeer Gubai snorted coldly.

"I tell you, Bulgaria is to be included in the core rule. We don't need so many old landlords who change their minds with the wind!"

"All the lands of the Eastern Empire should belong to His Majesty, and he can give them to whomever he wants!"

"If they are willing to surrender, they can save their lives, take some of their property and leave here to settle in Constantinople. Your Majesty encourages industry and commerce, and they can invest in building factories and caravans at will."

"If they are unwilling to surrender, the outcome will be exile. New Thrace or the Southern Border Region, choose for yourself!"

Yergubai glared at the priest fiercely.

"If we keep so many old landlords and old nobles, what will we brothers eat and drink?"

"I sent you to do this. This is to give you a chance. If you don't do it, when the subsequent occupying troops come, your church's several pieces of land will not be able to be preserved!"

The priest looked around and saw the shooters with fat faces, staring at him with ill intentions, like wolves seeing fat meat, and he was immediately frightened and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Don't worry, our church does have some guards, and I will call on the lower-class people to overthrow them together!"

"That's true."

Yeer Gubai nodded, his expression softened a lot.

"I'm telling you, don't blame me for being ruthless. This is the highest instruction from His Majesty. We need to unite the Orthodox Church in the Bulgarian region and fight against the land nobles and the Turkish colonists."

The priest nodded repeatedly with a bitter face.

The Orthodox Church in Bulgaria has great power. Under the Ottoman rule, the common people united under the banner of the Orthodox Church because of their common beliefs, thus avoiding being assimilated by the Turks and retaining their own traditions.

In these places, the Bulgarian land nobles also relied on the church to improve their own ruling system. The two often joined hands to exploit, play with, and fool the people.

But now, if the priests take action against the land nobles themselves, the bond of interest between them will disappear, and the sense of distrust will deepen. Without the protection of the land nobles, the clergy will have to move closer to the center of the empire and eventually become a tool of rule used by the empire to stabilize the local situation.

Seeing that the first Bulgarian priest he met was so sensible, Yergubai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. His Majesty is preparing to improve the grassroots administrative system, and clergy are an important part of it. If you do a good job, you may be able to serve as grassroots administrative personnel in the future, or even enter the central administration."

"Many senior Western clergy are strong supporters of literary and scientific progress. Some clergy have outstanding military talents and can lead troops in battle. They can all realize their own value in the military and political fields. Are you willing to stay in this poor place forever?"

"Thank you, Lord Count, for clearing up my confusion. I have always been a loyal servant of the Holy Father and I am irreconcilable with the Turkish colonists and Bulgarian tax farmers!"

When the priest heard this, he realized that the emperor had no intention of making things difficult for him, so his worry turned into joy.

"Your Majesty is the protector of all Orthodox Christians, and naturally he is also my emperor. I will definitely complete my mission and relieve the empire of its worries!"

Yeer Gubai nodded and looked at the calm river.

On the river, many soldiers of the shooting corps commanded the civilian laborers to connect small civilian boats with ropes and build a floating bridge for the army to move out.

"The pontoon bridge is almost built. We are about to continue our march westward. This town is now in your hands. You must try to get things in order before the follow-up troops arrive."

As Yergubai was speaking, there was a commotion on the road in the east. A transport team came from behind, and several knights escorted two nobles to the river.

"Count Yergubai, I am here on His Majesty's orders to escort the transport team, which includes twenty Mushkot muskets, fifty plank-door axes, enough gunpowder and lead bullets for you to use for three months, as well as dry bread, bacon and other food, and dried dates, mint, royal camp vodka and other supplies."

Manuel jumped off his horse and bowed slightly to Yergubai.

"This is the military supply list. Please read it and sign it after confirming it is correct."

Manuel handed Yergubai a densely written military supply list.

"Thank you, Your Highness Manuel. I trust you."

Yergubai looked at the supply list with a smile and signed his name at the bottom.

"Yer Gubai, long time no see, it seems you have made good progress."

Alexius also jumped off his horse, holding his sword, walked to Manuel, and looked at the pontoon bridge that had been built.

"Alexius, why are you here too?"

Yelugubai's face immediately turned stern.

"Wouldn't it be better for you to just stay at the back?"

"I got bored of staying in Burgas, so I followed my uncle and came here to bring you supplies."

When Alexius saw Yergubai, a smile appeared on his originally meticulous face.

"But you—"

"Well, you are no longer the captain of the guards. You don't need to worry about my safety."

Alexius walked towards Yergubai and gently stroked the warhorse under his crotch.

The warhorse was obviously very familiar with Alexios and stretched out its wet tongue to lick his hand gently.

"Let's go in a moment. We will soon cross the river and head west. Lord Ibrahim is attacking the city of Yambol. Our mission is to capture several small towns and villages around it and establish preliminary rule."

Yergubai sighed and then turned to Manuel.

"Your Highness Manuel, what are you going to do next?"

"My Lord Earl, we will leave immediately. The next troop is waiting for our supplies."

Manuel said.

"Then I'll trouble you, Alexius."

"Hey, Yeer Gubai, I just got here. When you were a kid, you were—"

Alexius' dissatisfied protest was interrupted by the sound of the messenger's horse hooves. The messenger jumped off the horse, took a few quick steps, and came in front of Yergubai.

"My Lord Earl, we have spotted a group of enemy cavalry in the south, and they are charging towards us!"

"Where are the number of people? Where are the equipment?"

Yergubai grabbed the messenger by the collar and asked loudly.

"The number of people is almost the same as ours, and their equipment is very strange. It is hard to tell who is better or worse for now!"

Putting down the messenger, Yergubai immediately began to arrange military affairs.

"Call the shooting troops and line up to meet the enemy!"

The shooting troops were immediately mobilized, picked up their equipment and came to Yergubai, forming a fan-shaped array.

"Alexius, leave now!"

"I won't! I want to fight alongside you!"

Alexius had already drawn his sword and began to kiss the blade and pray for it.

"Let's talk about it in a few years. Come back now!"

Yergubai slashed at Alexius' neck with his palm, but he dodged it lightly.

"My uncle said that a true noble should not abandon his warriors!"

Yergubai had no choice but to call Alexius' guards over.

"You will protect His Highness and go to the rear to cheer us on!"

The guards knew the seriousness of the situation and ran to the back with Alexios between their legs.

Then Yergubai turned to Manuel.

"Your Highness Manuel, you are not my subordinate. It is up to you whether to fight or flee."

"I have brought 400 Varangian Guards, 100 of whom have been equipped with Mushkot muskets. Let them assist you!"

Manuel shouted loudly behind him, summoning his Varangian Guard to join the formation of the archers.

"Okay! You go to the rear too! You are Alexios' uncle, remember to keep an eye on him!"

Manuel nodded and rode after Alexios.

"Just wait here and raise the double-headed eagle flag! Let the soldiers see us!"

Manuel stopped the guards and stood in front of Alexios.

"Get on your horse! Something is wrong, I will get you away immediately!"

Seeing that Alexios was still struggling, Manuel became angry and slapped him on the helmet.

"I'm your uncle, your superior, shut up!"

Alexius was stunned by this. After a moment of silence, he mounted his horse and followed his uncle obediently.

"Watch carefully and learn well. There are many wars, and you will fight them yourself in the future."

Manuel relaxed and gripped the reins tightly, his hands trembling and his knuckles turning white from the effort.

The sound of horse hooves was heard in the distance, and a group of cavalry appeared in people's sight. Each of them rode a horse, and their clothes, armor and weapons combined the characteristics of both the East and the West. They held sabers and round shields, and short spears and horse bows were hung on their saddles.

They were wearing light iron armor, pointed iron helmets, and strange iron masks on their faces. The masks almost covered their entire cheeks, leaving only dark eye sockets exposed.

"The Cuman cavalry, I didn't expect it to be them."

Manuel gritted his teeth.

"The Cumans? Didn't they disappear?"

Alexius asked doubtfully.

"They did not disappear. After the Cuman Khanate was defeated by the Mongols, some Cumans fled westward to Europe. They were found in Wallachia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary."

"Now, most Cumans are active in the Kingdom of Hungary, living together with the local Magyars, injecting a lot of fresh blood into them, and also allowing Hungary to accept a lot of agricultural and animal husbandry knowledge and military concepts from the East."

"Because the previous Hungarian kings treated them well, the Cumans retained many of their own ethnic characteristics while accepting Christian ideas. The two sides have been separated and reunited for many years, and now it is rare to hear of Cuman rebellion."

Manuel spoke quickly.

"The current King of Hungary is also the leader of the Cumans. The Crown of Saint Stephen includes the title of Cumania-Dominicus, which is the highest title besides the King of Hungary, and even slightly better than the title of the King of Croatia."

"Could it be that Hungary has disregarded the treaty between us and sent troops to help Mahmoud?"

Alexius asked.

"Probably not. They didn't raise their own flag. They are probably mercenaries who accepted Mahmoud's commission to slow down our offensive."

Manuel shook his head.

"How do you know so much?"

Alexius looked at Manuel.

"Professor Basilius said it, and it's also written in many books your father gave me, that knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle."

Manuel stared at the approaching Cuman cavalry and turned his head to glance at Alexius.

"In this regard, you are far behind your father and brother. Your father is naturally knowledgeable, and your brother, although he doesn't attend classes, has read more books than me. If they were here, they could clearly tell you about the major tribes of the Cumans. I don't have that ability."

"I... I can recite the Code of Chivalry... I will also govern my life according to it..."

Alexius whispered, blushing.

"It's not useless. There are still many people pursuing the way of chivalry, and the Peasant Crusaders will still charge at enemies that are several times their size for this spirit."

"Apart from that, at least I know you like to support orphans and refugees, which is a good thing."

"But you can't be kidnapped by this spirit, understand?"

Manuel leaned his head over Alexios' ear and spoke loudly.

"I understand, uncle."

The double-headed eagle flag was raised, and the two men stopped talking and watched the battlefield quietly.

"Everyone listen up, the Cumans are coming with great force. This is the first tough battle since the establishment of our shooting army. We must fight well!"

Yelugubai rode his horse to inspect the army formation and shouted loudly.

"If nothing else, drink! Get ready to meet the enemy!"

The soldiers of the Rifle Corps took out the Imperial Camp Vodka from their pockets, gulped it down, smashed the bottle and roared loudly.

The panic suddenly dissipated, the hesitation and uneasiness gradually disappeared, and the soldiers' eyes were full of bloodthirstiness and violence.

The Cuman cavalry gradually approached, put down their round shields, raised their horse bows and pulled the bowstrings.

"Don't panic, their numbers are almost the same as ours, and the range of the horse bows is very short, not as good as our matchlock guns!"

Yergubai continued to give orders.

"Have you loaded the gunpowder and lead bullets?"

"Everything is ready!"

"Very good, start setting up the axes and prepare to shoot!" The shooting soldiers plunged the Banmen axes in their hands into the soil to form a support, raised their muskets, placed the heavy barrels on the Banmen axes, and aimed at the Cuman cavalry in front.

Three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps.

The Cuman rangers were getting closer and closer, and the soldiers of the Rifle Corps could already clearly see the outlines of the strange masks on the Cumans' faces.

The Cuman cavalry began to draw their arrows and prepare to shoot.

"Fire!"

Yeer Gubai shouted loudly.

The front row of archers and the Varangian Guards opened fire at the same time, and for a moment the air was filled with flames and smoke.

Accompanied by the sound of gunfire and horse neighing, the Cuman cavalry rushing in the front fell down. Their light armor could not protect against the powerful projectiles. The horses and cavalry fell to the ground and were soon trampled into meat paste by their comrades behind them.

The Cuman cavalry seemed very confused and slowed down. The Cuman commander shouted loudly and directed the cavalry to continue charging.

"Front row, move back and reload, back row, move forward and prepare for the second round of fire!"

The shooting soldiers in the front row retreated to the end with their smoking muskets, leaving the launching brackets to the second-line soldiers.

Before the Cuman cavalry could increase their speed, there was another burst of gunfire, another cloud of smoke, and another mass of people and horses falling to the ground.

"Second line, stand back. Third line, move forward. Fourth line, get ready!"

Yelugubai commanded with confidence.

"Shoot the horses first! We're going to leave them here for good!"

The battle continued, and the Cuman cavalry, despite heavy casualties, finally came within the range of the horse bows, and the shooting corps also began to suffer casualties.

Facts have proved that the damage caused by the horse bow is far less than that of the mushkot musket. As long as the slender arrows do not hit the vital points directly, they are not enough to cause sudden casualties. Instead, they arouse the bravery of the shooting troops.

However, once the lead bullets from heavy muskets hit the human body, they would directly form a large bloody hole, causing coma at the very least and death at the worst.

The Cuman cavalry finally could not hold on any longer and gathered their remaining troops to prepare for withdrawal.

"The enemy is trying to escape! Chase him!"

Yelugubai raised his scimitar high and took the lead.

"The emperor sent us a lot of Imperial Camp Vodka. Whoever kills more enemies will get more rewards!"

"For the Empire, for the Emperor!"

"U-la--"

The shooting army roared wildly, tore off their clothes, and rushed forward with their big axes raised. Their eyes were red and their strong muscles were shining in the sunlight.

The Cuman cavalry left behind many wounded soldiers and cavalrymen who had lost their horses. These people spontaneously organized themselves and built a flesh-and-blood fortress for the evacuation of the large army.

"The outcome is decided. We won."

Under the double-headed eagle flag, Manuel loosened the reins and the tension in his heart gradually disappeared.

"These barbarians, why are they making such strange noises?"

Alexius pointed at the archers who were shouting and fighting fiercely.

"In order to be able to control the heavy muskets and plank-door axes, the selection of the shooting army does not consider anything else but physical strength. It is precisely because of this that a large number of Slavic barbarians joined them. They like to shout like this."

Manuel explained.

"This slogan originated from the Mongols and was later widely adopted by the Slavs to inspire fighting spirit."

"You can't ask them to shout 'God willing' like the knights do. They won't buy that."

Alexius nodded.

The battle gradually subsided, the Cuman cavalry disappeared in the distance, and the remaining remnants were torn into pieces by the enraged shooting soldiers, but they were still fighting like trapped beasts.

"The Cumans are really tenacious."

Alexius praised.

"They still retain their original tribal pattern, which is a tradition from ancient times."

“When encountering a strong enemy, the young and strong are given priority, followed by women and children, and the old, weak and sick are left to resist the enemy and preserve the vitality of the tribe.”

"They may not be civilized enough, but their fighting ability should not be underestimated."

Manuel said this and rode his horse towards Yergubai.

Yergubai was directing the cleanup of the battlefield and counting the wounded. The military medical team had already rushed up and bandaged the wounds of the wounded archers and Varangian Guards.

Another batch of royal camp vodka was brought up. The soldiers were all grinning and gulping down the liquor from wooden bowls, not even caring about the bleeding wounds on their bodies.

"My Lord Earl, congratulations on defeating another group of powerful enemies."

Manuel smiled.

Yergubai nodded, looked past Manuel and looked at Alexius who was walking slowly towards him.

Alexius rode over in silence and looked around, seeing broken arms and limbs and shattered internal organs everywhere.

Some of the Cumans were still breathing hard, lying in the mud and groaning softly. Some of the shooting soldiers were patrolling the battlefield with a fierce look in their eyes. When they saw a Cuman still gasping for breath, they approached with a grin and hit them with their axes until they were completely silent.

"My child, war is cruel. The virtues of chivalry do not apply here. No one will let them go just because they have lost their ability to fight."

Yergubai helped Alexius off the horse and gently put his arm around his shoulders.

"Go back, you are still young and have plenty of time to gain experience."

Seeing that Alexios looked pale, Yergubai comforted him.

"Besides, you are His Majesty's son. Even if you do nothing, it will be no problem for you to be an idle prince."

Alexius shook his head.

"I don't want to be an idle prince. I want to build my own career and pursue my own glory like my father and brother."

"Then study more, think more, constantly improve yourself, and hone your mind."

Yergubai touched Alexius's head and sighed softly.

"When I go back this time, I will definitely study hard with Teacher Basilius."

Alexius said.

"Basilius? Forget it. He's an old scholar. He has some courage to take on responsibilities and some administrative talent, but I advise you not to follow him."

Yeer Gubai snorted.

"Everyone knows exactly what he wants. He wants to restore the old system, restore the Senate, strengthen the civil service, establish an education system and a bureaucratic system, limit the power of the emperor, and put the emperor under the supervision of the general public."

"He actually said last time that the emperor was just a consul elected by the Senate, and Rome was not a dynasty, let alone a feudal state."

"Listen to what you are saying! Your Majesty still trusts him and is willing to employ him as a senior official."

"Humph, he has offended the military nobles of the entire empire in one fell swoop. If it weren't for your Majesty's strong support, he would not be able to continue his position as the minister in charge of Carthage!"

"Even so, he often said that his loyalty was not to a particular monarch, but to this country and nation."

"If you ask me, Your Majesty is too indulgent, which leads to them always doing whatever they want!"

Alexius was still immersed in the mental shock caused by his first appearance on the battlefield, while Manuel stood aside with a smile, listening quietly to Yergubai's complaints. Neither of them spoke.

Manuel knew that Jacob's words actually represented the general opinion of the military nobles, and almost everyone had strong objections to the reforms that Basilius was trying to implement in Carthage.

"My brother often says that some talented people just don't want to curry favor with their superiors, and some honest advice makes people very angry."

Manuel spoke up.

"I don't agree with most of his views. The source of my power is also bloodline and feudalism."

"But anyway, it's not bad to listen. At least if Serbia shows such thoughts in the future, I know how to deal with them."

Yeer Gubai nodded and looked at the two young men.

"It's getting late. Let's go eat first. They've been badly defeated this time. We are safe for now."

"I'll take you away tomorrow morning."

It was getting dark, a crescent moon was hanging in the sky, the aroma of food wafted from the military camp, and several people built a bonfire on the ground. The stew pot on the fire was bubbling with steam, and the roasted beef and mutton were sizzling with oil. The three of them sat in front of the fire, listening to Yergubai reminiscing about the past.

"Your Majesty is usually busy with military affairs, and the Queen rarely interferes in your own affairs. I have watched the three of you grow up, especially Alexios, who has been with me the longest."

"I started following His Majesty when I was your age. I have been serving as a guard by his side and have been on many expeditions. It has been nearly fifteen years now."

Yergubai looked at Alexius, a glimmer of reminiscence in his eyes.

"Many people say that I am like His Majesty's half-adopted son. I don't feel disgusted by this at all. On the contrary, I feel very proud."

"I have been without parents since I was a child. My brother imprisoned me and did not allow me to communicate with the outside world."

"It was not until I followed Your Majesty that I gradually saw this vast world, learned a lot, and grew a lot."

"I know that His Majesty has never adopted me as his son because he believes that my father, the late Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Barsbey, is also a great man and hopes that his family name can be preserved."

"Afterwards, I served as his chief guard, and I was also on guard outside when you were born."

"Your Majesty travels around a lot, so sometimes I stay here and serve as your guard, following you wherever you go."

"Justinian is the most thoughtful. I have no worries about him making his way out there. I cannot predict what kind of achievements he will make in the future."

Yergubai handed a piece of roast meat to Alexius, who took it and started to eat it, his mouth full of oil.

"You have the purest mind. I have always advised His Majesty not to drag you to the battlefield too early, but I didn't expect you to come anyway."

"I ran away secretly on my own. I don't blame him."

Alexius said vaguely.

"Manuel loves to study, but he cannot neglect his martial arts."

"This era is ultimately an era of war. If your martial arts skills are not up to par, the generals under you will naturally look down on you."

Yeer Gubai warned.

"Keep it in mind."

Manuel said with a smile.

"I have received great kindness from your family throughout my life, and I have no way to repay you. I can only devote my lifelong talents and courage to serving you loyally to the end."

"Five years ago, under the guidance of your majesty, I married a noble lady from the Paleologian branch, and your majesty personally officiated at the wedding."

“That was my proudest day.”

"Two years ago, my eldest son was born. I named him Zosbafe, which means "sword". I hope he can protect your family and your crown like me."

"I have said so much, but the main point is only one."

Yeer Gubai took a big gulp of wine with a faint smile on his face.

"No matter how the situation changes, no matter what outsiders think, my descendants and I will remain loyal to your majesty and his descendants as always. This has nothing to do with prosperity or decline, wealth or glory. This is just the sincere words of a 15-year veteran."

"You are all important members of the Paleologian family. You should unite and continue to develop and expand this dynasty."

"It's too early to say this. My brother is still very young. We don't need to worry about him."

Manuel took a sip of his wine and smiled.

"But His Majesty Constantine is already very old. When he is called by God to ascend to heaven, His Majesty will officially ascend the throne and become emperor. There will definitely be a bloody storm."

Yeer Gubai sighed.

"The empire is huge, and there are too many things involved. You will all be local lords in the future. You must always remember to keep power in your own hands and don't let outsiders take over your power."

"Especially you, Alexios, you must learn to take care of your own business!"

Alexius nodded silently.

"If you want to continue your studies, I can't object, but when you return, remember to tell Basilius a message."

"What?"

Alexius raised his head and looked at Yergubai.

"Just say that I have always been very dissatisfied with what he did in Carthage. This is the emperor's city, the city of the Palaiologos family. Your Majesty led us to conquer it with swords and guns. What right does he have to change their policies at will?"

Yergubai smashed the wine bottle.

"It seems that you still have some grievances about the previous alcohol restriction."

Manuel said with a wry smile.

"Humph, it's not just this."

Yergubai shook his head.

"I am a retainer of your family and I only obey your orders!"

"Who is he? You want me to meet him on my first day in office?"

"I tell you, I don't care whether what he did was good for the country or the people, I don't care about ethnicity or country, I don't even care about people or common people, I just hope you are all well, I hope you are all happy and blessed."

"If His Majesty wants to sell wine to make money, then let him sell it. If Justinian wants to open a night market, then let him do it! They can attack whoever they want. If they want to march to hell, I will be the first to lead the way!"

"Count, you are drunk. We have to set out tomorrow. Drink less."

Manuel snatched the third bottle of wine from Yergubai's hand and persuaded him with a smile.

"Yes, I'm drunk. Well, you guys should go back and rest too."

Yergubai waved his hand and staggered into the military camp. Soon, thunderous snoring was heard.

Alexios and Manuel continued walking on the road back to the camp, the moonlight shining on them, and the two were silent.

"After listening to his speech today, I understand more and more why Your Majesty is willing to employ Basilius and is willing to make changes to grassroots administrative agencies."

Manuel said suddenly.

"Any questions?"

Alexius asked.

"There are quite a few senior officers who share his thoughts. I know that Grand Commander Conti and Marquis Mikhail have also said similar things."

"Your Majesty pulled the empire back from the abyss and gradually expanded it to its current state."

"They regard Your Majesty as a god, and they extend this respect to you and me."

"I admit that they are indeed very loyal to Your Majesty, but what about their sons? What about their grandsons? In a few generations, these noble children will be the biggest obstacle to the continued development of the empire."

"I can see that both His Majesty and your brother are people who value friendship and loyalty. They are not willing to take action against them at all. The military nobles repay their loyalty with wealth and honor."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty also needs their presence to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, so as to continue to expand and conquer, and create a strong military atmosphere from top to bottom."

Manuel pondered.

"However, the empire still has many wars to fight. After each war, the power of the military nobles will increase. No matter how much preferential treatment they receive, they must be restricted."

"Whether it is establishing an education system, a bureaucratic system or allowing clergy to participate in politics, it is imperative to curb the military nobility."

"If you consider it from the perspective of the country, there is absolutely no problem with your Majesty doing this."

Alexius thought about it and shook his head.

"Speaking of which, when you go to Serbia in the future, how are you going to deal with these things?"

Manuel smiled.

"If it were me, I would never give reformers like Basilius any chance."

"Yergubai said it well. People are selfish. When Rome changed from a republic to an empire, and later on, a dynasty emerged. Wasn't it all due to people's selfishness?"

"I can see these problems clearly, but I will never change. I will definitely put the interests of my family first, rather than the illusory country and nation."

"There are very few monarchs like my brother who are willing to give up their power to improve the system. History will remember him, but it will not remember us."

Alexius sighed, not wanting to think about these distant issues at all. He dismounted from his horse and returned to his tent.

The next morning, as the red sun rose, Alexios and Manuel said goodbye to Yergubai and returned eastward to Burgas with the transport team that had unloaded the goods.

Yergubai led his troops across the Densa River and continued to march westward, approaching the central lowlands as a detachment of the Western Front.

(End of this chapter)