"Mr. Nevsky, we have counted the food sent by the Pisa people, and it is clear that there is still one cart missing. But the other party refuses to acknowledge it, and you have to be there in person. We have no choice but to invite you here."

"Okay, I understand." Nevsky waved his hand and retreated to report to the officials around him. He also showed a helpless smile on his face and looked at his broken right arm with self-mockery. Unknowingly, he had become accustomed to it.

After accepting this kind of civil service job that I didn't even look down on at first, I remembered that if my arm had not been disabled, I should be fighting on the journey of the empire at this moment instead of wasting it now.

Does he still have a chance to go to the battlefield?

Thinking of this, Nevsky still shook his head. He was lucky to be able to survive the Leos Grace rebellion. Thinking that the brothers under his command who had been through life and death were separated from each other, the man couldn't help but tighten his fists.

He took his own fist. And this hatred did not end with the death of Leos Grace. The Venetians behind him would have to pay the price sooner or later.

But at this moment, the person walking towards him made him stop in surprise.

"Why are you here too?"

Salius, who had just left the council hall unhappily, unexpectedly came here, and he looked at Nevsky expressionlessly.

"One cart of beans and grass for the horses is missing, and the people from Pisa asked me to come and collect it myself."

Like the food supply in the city, the feed for the heavy armored cavalry under Sarius was also transported from Nafplio. After all, those are good horses that have traveled a thousand miles. If they are not full, they will be weak, and the amount of fodder is not a small amount.

.It’s just that Nevsky didn’t expect that the Pisa people would be so arrogant that they would come to demand the money in person, just because they owed something. Thinking of this, Nevsky couldn’t help but become irritated.

"So you are like this too, these damn Pisa people are so arrogant!" Nevsky couldn't help but lose his temper and said, ever since Justinian and the Pisa people reached a temporary alliance, the other party has been making every move in Moria.

In Nevsky's opinion, there is no

They are the same as the original Venetians. But unfortunately, Moria now cannot do without these Italian merchants. Whether it is transporting wounded soldiers from Moria to Macedonia or preparing food, troops, horses and equipment, they cannot do without the assistance of the Pisa fleet.

.

The Varangian man who could endure his temper walked into the residence where the Pisa man temporarily lived together with Sarius. Nevsky made up his mind that no matter what, this time if the other party did not have a reasonable explanation, he would never do it.

Give these arrogant guys some good looks.

The door was pushed open one by one, and as soon as the menacing Nevsky came in, he scared the other pizza merchants inside and fled away.

"Where are your people in charge?"

Roaring, Nevsky asked with an unkind expression. Even though he had lost an arm, the Varangian blood made him intimidating to everyone. For a moment, the entire restaurant was silent.

No one answered, no one stood up.

"Let me ask you a question! Are all of them mute?" Nevsky said angrily. He was already unhappy and this time he was completely offended by the arrogance and rudeness of the Pisa people.

But just when he was about to have an attack, a hoarse voice came from behind him.

"Are they your Excellencies Nevsky and Sarius?"

Nevsky and Salius turned around subconsciously, only to see an old man wearing a turban appear behind them at some point. However, he was dressed like a servant and did not look like a manager in the Pisa caravan.

people.

Just when Nevsky was confused, Sarius walked up, nodded and said, "We are right."

"That's good. The gentleman has been waiting for you two in the inner room for more than a while."

The old servant who nodded and bowed stepped forward to lead the way for Nevsky and Sarius. The two also exchanged glances with each other. It was obviously just a small matter, but why did the other party do so mysteriously in order to see them?

.

With doubts, Nevsky and the others walked into the door of an inconspicuous hut with the old man in front of them.

"That adult is inside. I'm waiting outside. Just ask you two to come in." He pointed to the old man in front of the door and said.

In Nevsky's eyes, this was simply too abnormal. It seemed like a trap set by someone. Just when he hesitated, he saw Salius preparing to walk in without saying a word. Nevsky

When I wanted to warn him that there might be a scam, it was already too late, so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk into the small room with him.

And when they saw clearly the person standing in the room, Nevsky and Sarius were both shocked and speechless. Because what was waiting for them in the room was not some dangerous ambush, but a

The young man with pale skin was as slender as before, but he was much more haggard than before. His once deep blue pupils, which were once deep and unwavering, were like a pool of stagnant water in the dim candlelight.

The excited Nevsky took a long time to calm down and take a closer look at the man in front of him. Only then did he realize that the young man standing in front of him had changed a lot.

No longer as sharp as when he first rose to Moria, Justinian stood quietly in front of him at this moment, smiling, but the sense of oppression from a superior person had become natural and integrated.

During the year of fighting in Macedonia, Justinian must have experienced a lot and grown up a lot? In Nevsky's view, Justinian, who was still a bit naive and young at the beginning, is now really far away from the leader.

One step closer, and such a person is more worthy of them using their flesh and blood to win the future together.

The Varangian man rushed forward happily without much thought, and Justinian also happily stepped forward and hugged each other, not shying away from the difference between up and down, because Nevsky was not only

His subordinates are also his comrades-in-arms, and they are existences that can be absolutely trusted.

…

…

…

"Lord Justinian, we finally waited for you to come back!"

"I was delayed at sea for a while. After receiving the news from Arslan, I immediately rushed over day and night. In order to prevent the enemy from being alerted, I came to you in this way."

Justinian's indifferent words immediately calmed Nevsky's mood. It was obvious that Justinian was aware of the current situation in Moria, so he must have been prepared.

But what Justinian said next made his heart skip a beat. Justinian said: "So I didn't bring the new army of Moria, and they can't come for reinforcements."

The new army of Moria is the elite who followed Justinian. Nevsky has seen their power and it is their absolute trump card. But now they cannot come back to rescue. This news suddenly made him feel heavy.

Incomparable.

"Then will Prince Theodore still provide generous support this time?" Salius suddenly asked.

"No, I think you can guess that the supporters behind this rebellion may have something to do with him." Justinian said lightly.

At this point, Nevsky and Sarius nodded slightly at the same time. They were not surprised, but felt that this was more in line with the logic of the behavior of the Roman Empire's nobles.

Dukas himself was involved in the title of emperor and was already preparing to restore the old territory. Moria's position was undoubtedly crucial, and how could Justinian, a commoner who was not in a noble family at all, tolerate him continuing to occupy

A prosperous territory. Not to mention that Justinian himself had a subtle connection with the former emperor Muziphius. Perhaps Muziphius wanted to

Asking the Dukas brothers to give Justinian a fief and title was just to arrange a way out for him, but now Justinian's achievements have made the situation more complicated. At this time, the relationship between them

Nature is no longer an ally, but an enemy of life and death anytime and anywhere. Therefore, stabbing someone in the back is completely reasonable and there is nothing surprising.

It’s just that the Ducasse family has always implemented this rule to the very end. If it’s useful, they’ll bend over backwards to please them, but if it’s not useful, they’ll kick them away without mercy.

"I know your concerns, but I am not unprepared." Seeing what Nevsky and the others were thinking, Justinian immediately revealed his plan. He had already borrowed eight pieces from Nafplion.

Hundreds of people, but he still needs a force to ensure that the plan is foolproof.

"People from Pisa, are they reliable?" After listening to Justinian's arrangements, Nevsky looked suspicious. Most of these Italians were professional soldiers, not to mention that the morale and combat effectiveness of the Italians were always impressive.

Justinian shook his head and said: "They are not the key. Whether the final plan can succeed or not depends on you, Salius. I need to rely on your strength, no matter whether you still have a grudge against me or not."

Since the accident of Archduke Anastasius, the captain of the Grand Duke's personal guard has not said another word to him. Apparently, he believes that Justinian is responsible for the accident of the old duke.

"Grand Duke Anastasius...is he okay?" Justinian hesitated for a long time before asking. Because of the fragments of the Ark of the Covenant, the old Duke, who was already over seventy years old, was already alive.

It was a miracle, but recovery from the sick bed was a complete fantasy.

When the topic fell on Grand Duke Anastasius, Salius, who was as cold as a knife, choked up.

I saw this brave warrior suddenly kneeling in front of Justinian, pulled out his sword and handed it to him.

"There is no difference between the Grand Duke now and his death. I have been standing by his bed. Only a few times did he wake up a little. And the only thing he wanted to order me was to offer my loyalty to the new Grand Duke. The autocratic Duke of Moria

Sarius, captain of the guard, and his bodyguards are at your disposal, Your Highness Justinian."

And Justinian was also surprised by the instructions left by Grand Duke Anastasius. He was silent for a long time, stepped forward and took the long sword from Salius' hand, and lightly tapped his shoulder with the back of the sword.

Three times.

This was originally the allegiance etiquette of knights in Western Europe, but it spread to Rome with the Crusades. Not to mention that Salius and his cavalry were themselves the product of Emperor Manuel's Western-style military reform. Just check

There were no so-called virtues to maintain the relationship between Stinian and Sarius, but only loyalty to this country.

"I accept your allegiance."

…

"So what's the next plan, His Highness Justinian? The Latins are already preparing for a rebellion. It would be terrible if they gain a foothold first, or can they pre-emptively strike?" Nevsky suggested, he had already

He wanted to take the initiative but had always had disagreements with Sarius, who was in charge of the troops. After Justinian came, all the problems could be solved.

However, his proposal was directly rejected by Justinian. "It is not the time yet. Once the army is mobilized, I am afraid that the Latin spies around it will soon notice it. The attack will only alert the snake. Another problem I have here."

This is to prevent Uncle Nevsky from acting recklessly."

"I didn't act recklessly." The old Varangian man blushed and said anxiously: "But we can't continue to let the rebels encroach on us step by step. If this continues, there will be big problems sooner or later."

"The following is my plan" Justinian explained calmly.

"According to the plan, we must capture the castles in the Castania area. The premise is to capture them before alerting the Latin reinforcements to arrive." Castania is located in the Moria area they control and the Latin area in the north.

Between the human control areas, they belong to a group of unruly people who act according to the wind.

The territory of the tame old Byzantine nobles. They once supported the Leos Grace rebellion and were severely punished by Justinian. They have always held a grudge. At this moment, the place where they are is particularly important. As long as Justinian captures this place,

They will be much more relaxed when facing the Latin rebels.

"But even if there are Pisa people in the city, once one castle is lost, the nobles of the other castles will inevitably become vigilant." At this time, Salius revealed the loopholes in Justinian's plan and took

The next castle is not too difficult, but once it is completed, several other castles will be ready to prepare.

Therefore, the success rate of capturing them will be greatly reduced, and eventually they will fall into a tug of war. Salius has followed Archduke Anastasius for many years, and is familiar with the stories of the old Duke's participation in the army. The key to a spy sneaking in and cooperating with the outside is to be unexpected. Once there is no

A single blow will cause the opponent to react and there will be no chance.

But Justinian remained indifferent, looking at the confused Salius and Nevsky and said:

"So we must work together to play a show for the Latin people, and the protagonist of this show is not me but you."

I saw that the person whom Justinian was pointing at with a smile was not Salius but Nevsky, and it took the Varangian man a long time to react, who had not expected this at all.
Chapter completed!