"Didn't I tell you to keep them alive?" As soon as they entered the village, the bloody smell of killing told Justinian that the Albanians completely turned a deaf ear to his instructions yesterday.

"It's enough to take down the stronghold, people from the mountain! Where can we catch you alive in the dark?" The gruff Bogdani didn't care, even though he already knew that Justinian in front of him had an extraordinary identity.

, but he still called him Chief Yamashita as before.

Justinian didn't care about this. He glanced at the messy stockade. It was obvious that although the Alnanians said it was easy, what they experienced yesterday was undoubtedly a bloody battle. Mikhail was stronger than he expected.

Be careful. A squadron of 300 people is actually stationed in a place like this. The mountain people who were able to capture this place have already exceeded their mission. It is unrealistic to force them to capture them alive to find out the truth.

While the two were arguing, a commotion came from behind the crowd, and the mountain men of the Qingshigang tribe who had occupied the city were seen walking towards here with a prisoner in their arms.

Seeing this scene, Bogdani grinned and asked Justinian for credit: "Hey, now you are satisfied, right?"

Justinian was a little surprised when he saw the prisoner who was tied up and brought up. He could only say that this man was really lucky not to be torn into pieces by the Albanians last night.

The captives who were brought up were brought to Justinian, and the two sides faced each other. Both Justinian and the other party subconsciously made sounds of surprise.

"It's you!"

"Are you Simeon?" Even though they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Justinian still thought of him. The prisoner in front of him was the general who received him in Epirus for the first time. The last time the two sides met was

Two years ago he recaptured Corfu and was on his way to Rusnina.

…

"I didn't expect to meet you here." After ordering people to clean the battlefield and arrange a clean room, Justinian entertained the captured General Simien.

"I didn't expect to meet again in this way, Justinian... His Excellency the Grand Duke." As a prisoner, Simien obviously did not expect to receive such treatment, and said with a somewhat reserved expression.

"After all, it's been a long time since I last saw him." Justinian stood up and poured a glass of wine for him to calm his shock. He walked to the window and was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Speaking of Little John, how are you, Your Excellency Simien?

I have never had time to ask, how is he doing with you?" The brief thoughts just now brought Justinian back to the time when he first came to this world, when he escaped with the blind Emperor Muziphius.

When he arrived in Constantinople, he met the rebels and was entrusted by someone to take little John, who was already an orphan, to Epirus to meet his uncle, Ximeon. Although the two sides never met again, looking back on it at this moment,

I can't help but feel emotional.

On the other side, Simien picked up the wine glass and took a sip. After calming down a little, he nodded and replied: "It's been a long time. John has been talking about you. He has been shouting about joining the army before, so I

I arranged for him to join the army and stay in Rusnina, but he did not come with me this time."

"That's it!" After learning this, Justinian nodded, "Then I have nothing to worry about."

Hearing the cold words of the young man in front of him, Simien's heart skipped a beat, and the warmth that had risen in his belly after drinking had instantly dissipated. He carefully raised his head and looked at Justinian's back outside the window, and asked

: "Why do you have to do this, Your Excellency Justinian?"

"What to do?" Justinian asked.

I don’t know where the courage came from. Simien had the courage to say to Justinian: "Resist His Majesty Mikhail! Everyone knows that the blind Emperor Muzfius is no longer fit to sit on the throne, and

As the Noah of Epirus, His Majesty Mikhail, who has the blood of Dukas in his blood, can save the entire empire."

"Really, I don't think so. When did the rise and fall of Rome depend on the blood of one person? If that were the case, Constantinople would not have fallen." Justinian's words were slightly laced.

He retorted jokingly.

"But if His Majesty Mikhail is not worthy, what qualifications does the useless usurper Muzfius have?" Shimien asked unwillingly.

But Justinian shook his head, put down the wine glass in his hand, walked up to the other party with a calm expression, "You are right, but I never said that I would help His Majesty Muzfius restore his power and deal with Michael

Erdukas himself is just repaying a favor." Rubbing the ring on his finger that the other party had given him, Justinian did not hide his true thoughts. If he was still pregnant when he first went to Moria

Out of gratitude to that emperor, Justinian has completely lost his original idea. After defeating Mikhail and annexing all of Epirus, he will give that person freedom, but it is obviously impossible to return power to the other party.

.This is not a question of conscience, but an inevitable choice for a mature ruler. At this moment, Simien in front of him actually thought that he was just for restoration, which made him feel a little ridiculous.

General Epirus, who had just recovered from the other party's words, was stunned for a long time, looked at Justinian in disbelief, and stammered: "You want to fight for the throne?!" In Himi

In my opinion, Justinian's idea is almost crazy. It should be noted that over the past few hundred years, the emperors of the Roman Empire have changed several times and there have been constant disputes. However, those who wear purple are all people with prominent backgrounds, whether it is Dukas or Cote.

Mu Ning, which family does not have a deep foundation. But the Justinian in front of him, although he did gain recognition from the nobility through his status as the Despot of Moria, was essentially nothing more than a rural upstart in the eyes of the great nobility.

It is ridiculous to want to aspire to the throne now without any foundation at all.

From the other party's reaction, Justinian understood what Ximien was thinking, which was completely what he expected. He no longer concealed anything, "Yes. Your Excellency Ximien, your family is actually from a commoner background.

John has mentioned to me before that it was your grandfather's generation who was promoted to the military nobility by virtue of their military exploits in fighting the Bulgarians. So you should know what the shortcomings of the empire are! The farmers who worked hard in Rome during these hundreds of years

All we have suffered is exploitation and oppression, in exchange for heavy taxes and never-ending war. Has God really abandoned us? It’s just that our people hate us. They would rather be ruled by the Turks or the Latins than

I don’t want to be proud of my identity as a Roman. People who were born in a purple house have long forgotten the teachings of their ancestors. Only when the emperor responds to the wishes of the people will he get the call of the people, and never do the opposite."
Chapter completed!