Li Longji's secret letter, of course, came faster than people.

Pei Min received a letter from Li Longji first, and got his full responsibility for the appointment.

Looking at the appointment letter in his hand, Pei Min had a bad premonition in his heart.

Li Longji's willingness to delegate power and dare to delegate power, Pei Min knows and deeply understands it.

Whether in history or now, his temperament has not changed.

Especially those who trust themselves, such as Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong, An Lushan in history, and him now.

But Pei Min didn't feel the need to let him come forward specifically in the discussion with the Byzantine envoys.

Li Longji only needs to be in charge of this kind of diplomatic affairs to the Ministry of Rites, and he is in control behind the scenes. As long as he sticks to the bottom line, Pei Min believes that the situation that Byzantium is facing now will eventually compromise.

"Is it really because of physical discomfort and unintentional treatment, or is it simply lazy?"

Pei Min groaned in his heart, if it was the former, it didn't matter, in case it was the latter, it was a bad omen.

"Pei Shuai, Pei Shuai?"

Seeing Pei Min looking at the secret letter in a daze, Wang Wei, who was talking about something, shouted a few words.

Pei Min came back to his senses, handed him the secret letter and said, "It won't be long before the Byzantine envoy will come to Guzang to discuss the alliance with us, you go to the post house to arrange it." Our allies in the future must not be treated badly in this courtesy. After all, we are the big brother of the future, and it is right to take care of their little brother. ”

Wang Wei responded, then read the letter as well, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty still trusts the Duke of the Kingdom so much. ”

Pei Min said pointedly: "Trust is a good thing, but I'm afraid that trust is too much." ”

After waiting in Guzang for five days, Pei Min also got the news of Justinian's visit.

Despite his reluctance, Justinian came to Guzang to meet with Judas, who hated and feared him the most, to discuss the alliance.

The Tang Dynasty's alliance with Byzantium was an inevitable trend.

But as Pei Min expected, the negotiation did not go smoothly.

The Byzantines also boasted of being a thousand-year-old country, and as descendants of the Roman Empire, their self-esteem was unwilling to become the younger brother of the Tang Dynasty, and they tried their best to promote a mutually equal alliance.

And Pei Min disagreed.

Even if they are allies, there must be a difference between big and small.

Equal relations with allies are not conducive to dialogue.

Because of the equality of the relationship, I will discuss and discuss anything I encounter, and I will quarrel with each other.

When you really need each other, how can you have that time?

The relationship between the alliance leader and the alliance is different.

The leader of the alliance directly gives orders, and the alliance can certainly choose to listen or not.

But there is a way to respond by listening, and there is no way to respond without listening.

Not at a critical time, but also to bother guessing the actions of allies.

Moreover, the matter is also related to the dignity and face of the country and the country.

The dignity and face of a country are his political capital, and in Pei Min's heart, the Tang Dynasty is the most powerful.

Don't say anything about the outdated Byzantium, even if the Arabs want to ally with the Tang Dynasty, they must be the younger brother, otherwise they don't need to talk about it.

If there is a disagreement, there will naturally be a red-faced argument.

Justinian did not learn the Chinese language like Mosley Massa.

And Pei Min is obviously not as important to Byzantium as Arab, and he did not particularly learn the Byzantine language.

Their communication still needs to be translated through.

Justinian pulled his throat and said, "No, absolutely not." Our Roman Empire is sacred, it is a country blessed by the archbishop, it has a long traditional history, we are very strong, our naval army, invincible in the world. We are the same as their Tang Dynasty, we are equal. Moreover, the Arabs and Tibetans, their enemies are you, and the only one of us is the Arabs. By forming an alliance with you, we will inevitably offend Tibet. Originally, we suffered a loss, and we still want us to recognize you as the leader of the alliance, which is impossible and impossible. ”

Justinian's attitude was resolute.

Byzantium is the name of Pei Min, and it is also the addition of later generations.

There were three Roman empires in history. One was the Western Roman Empire, one was the Eastern Roman Empire, and one was the Holy Roman Empire.

In order to better distinguish, later generations called the Eastern Roman Empire the Byzantine Empire.

Byzantium itself has always called itself the orthodox Roman Empire, so Justinian here calls himself the Roman Empire.

Originally, in the records of the Tang Dynasty, the Byzantine Empire has always been called the Whisk Kingdom.

Later, Pei Min couldn't change his mouth, screaming and screaming, and under his influence, now the Tang Dynasty has also changed from Byzantium to Byzantium with Pei Min.

Pei Min listened to the translation and heard that Justinian was showing off the strength of his country's naval army, and he felt a little disdainful in his heart.

Of course, he doesn't deny it.

The Byzantine Empire's naval army was indeed powerful, just like the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period.

Soochow was founded on a navy, while Byzantium was also founded on a navy.

Half of their entire country has a coastline, especially Constantinople, which is located at the eastern end of the Balkan Peninsula and on the western shore of the southern mouth of the Bosphorus. The entrance to the Black Sea is a key point of communication between Europe and Asia, but a giant city across the Eurasian continent.

In the face of this unique environment, Byzantium's shipbuilding and navigation technology was unmatched by any other country in this era.

Pei Min had understood this many years ago, and through trading, he arranged for astute people to learn shipbuilding and navigation technology in Byzantium, so as to improve the shipbuilding and navigation level of the Tang Dynasty.

Pei Min, as a descendant, knows the horror of resting on his laurels.

Therefore, self-confidence but not arrogance, should not learn because of face or anything, without pretending to be a posture.

It's been several years, and from time to time, Pei Min also gets some news.

The people they arranged had successfully learned the skills of Byzantine merchant ships and sent them to the Ministry of Industry.

The Ministry of Industry not only imitated the Byzantine maritime merchant ships, but also synthesized the research of the Tang Dynasty's own craftsmen and innovated them, creating maritime merchant ships with better performance, and started trade with Silla and the Wa Kingdom.

Of course, this is only the first step, Pei Min really likes the warship...... Dromón.

Pei Min knew very well that the naval powers of the future Age of Discovery, such as Spain, Italy, Venice, France and other countries, were all improved by Dromon.

"Let you blow for a while, and then in the future we will improve Dromon and match the battleship with gunpowder, which is not as good as your Greek fire-accompanied battleship?"

Pei Min pondered in his heart, but his face was calm and calm.

With a wave of his hand, Wang Wei handed over a map and hung it on the shelf beside him.

Justinian looked at the map for a moment, it was a very complete topographical map of the West.

Starting from the Western Regions, it reached Turgish, Qarluq, and Tianzhu in the south, and then extended to the west, not to mention Arabia and their Byzantium.

The map did not end until the Visigothic kingdom of the Iberian Peninsula.

Looking at the map, Justinian once again realized the horror of the opponent in front of him.

He always seemed to be so prepared, always looking farther than they did, and once again amazed at the vastness of the Arab Empire.

It is truly terrifying that a country that has been in existence for less than a hundred years has conquered so many territories.

"Look at this map!"

Pei Min embodied his bearing as a big brother, and did not quarrel with Justinian with a red face, but chose to convince people with reason.

"As far as I know, the Arabs have just destroyed the Visigothic kingdom before, almost to the end of the west......"

At this moment, Arabia is indeed a great power straddling the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.

They went westward, almost to the end of the west, which became Spain.

It is well known that Spain was the Atlantic Ocean in the past, and then the future world hegemon the United States.

At this moment, the Atlantic Ocean is almost a moat, and it is impossible for HNA technology in this era to cross the Atlantic.

Therefore, Pei Min calls it "the end of the west" here, echoing the understanding of this era.

"They have nowhere to develop to the west, so they transfer their troops and horses to the east, and the Western Regions will become their next target."

Justinian's face was expressionless, and it was a clear thing.

But Pei Min's next words made him restless.

"I've always been strange about Mosley Massa's attitude towards my Datang. He has always made a gesture of sympathy for me, and more than once said that he would fight with me in a righteous and bright battle. If it weren't for the fact that he had a group of wives and concubines, I would have doubted that he would have thought anything else about me......"

Pei Min made a joke.

But Justinian couldn't laugh.

Pei Min continued: "I have studied Mosley Massa, his fighting style is very tough, he is good at fighting hard battles, fighting hard battles, and he has a natural charm that can make soldiers serve to the death. But he is not a man without a plan, a man without a plan. A reckless man cannot win every battle. ”

"So from the beginning, I felt that all this was an illusion, and that Mosremassa's real purpose was not the Western Regions, but you. He calculated that our DPRK could not expand outward in the short term, so he repeatedly provoked me, the border commander, to create an atmosphere of friction and war between the two countries. ”

"The stronger this atmosphere is, the more you take it lightly. But when you think that Mosley Massa will not attack you, it is only time for Constantinople to fall. ”

"Impossible!" Justinian said toughly: "Constantinople cannot fall!" ”

Pei Min said disdainfully: "There is no city in this world that will not fall, as long as there is a glimmer of opportunity, Constantinople can be captured." ”

Justinian was silent and continued: "According to what you say, Mosley Massa's attack on Tianzhu is also an illusion? ”

"No, that's true! Because Mosley Massa is indeed ready to fight with me again......"

Pei Min pointed to the map and said: "You can hold Constantinople not by Constantinople, but by the naval army." Repeating that sentence, there is no city that does not fall, in the offensive and defensive battles of Constantinople in the past, you can win, not by the city, but by the naval army, by Greek fire. It just so happens that the navy is the weakness of Arabia, and this is the reason why Constantinople is not weak. ”

"Mosley Massa knows how to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, and he knows that even if you form a navy, you can't compare to you. So he set his sights on the Western Regions...... The governor looked at the map again, and if the western regions on the map became the territory of Arabia, what would it look like? ”

Pei Min didn't continue.

Justinian was already eating hard.

If the Western Regions really became Arab territory, then the Arab armies would not need a navy to attack their Byzantine rear.

Especially now that the Turgish are mired in infighting, it is impossible to defend against the Arab armies.

In other words, now it is not only the Tang Dynasty that wants to protect the Western Regions, but they also want to protect the Western Regions.

"You should know about my Datang's situation. Even if we lose the Western Regions, it won't cause great losses, but once the Western Regions become the Arab Empire, will your Byzantium be destroyed? Army, you are definitely no match for the lion, I believe you know this. ”

Pei Min has no fear.

Justinian listened to the translator's words and words, looked at Pei Min with burning eyes, gave a thumbs up and said: "Guogong is indeed remarkable, and his analysis of the situation of Arabic and Rome is incisive. But don't underestimate us, you know us, and we know you. It's impossible for you to give up the Western Regions, which means that no matter what, you'll fight that lion. ”

Pei Min didn't hide it, got up and said: "You are right, we have a saying in Huaxia, it is called those who violate my territory, although they are far away, they will be punished." I'm ready for a big fight, but you know. Arabia has contacted Tibet and intends to gather the strength of the two countries to attack, and the pressure on our side is not small. Faced with this situation, Mosley Massa also gave a way to get rid of both, we let him clean you up, and they indulged me to clean up Tibet. Solve the restless two of you, and then come to a righteous and bright showdown. ”

Pei Min naturally said nonsense, and Mosley Massa didn't dare to make this covenant.

Mosley Massa would rather fight with the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, and would not have chosen it this way.

After all, if the Tang Dynasty repented and directly cut off their logistics, then they would be in for a good time.

The same example of false Taoism is in the book, and Pei Min cannot agree to borrow it.

But Justinian could not disbelieve it here.

After all, it is a matter of life and death for their country.

Justinian had always thought that the Tang Dynasty had attracted the attention of the Arabs, and it was only now that he realized that Byzantium had always been the target of the Arabs.

Pei Min suddenly laughed and said, "Mosley Massa's wishful thinking is wonderful, but he takes me for a fool." The poor place in Tibet, where can it compare with the development and thickness of your country. Let him eat you, and his strength will be greatly improved. And if we eat Tibet, our strength may even decline. I'm not going to do this kind of business. I'm willing to share you with him than to trouble Tibet......"

Justinian's face changed slightly.

Pei Min immediately shook his hand and said: "Joke, joking, my Tang Dynasty is the most friendly, and I will never do such a thing that lacks morality." The topic is far away, let's talk about alliances! Arabia is your old enemy, and its intentions for you are well known. In the same way, they are also extremely unfriendly to my Datang. We don't want to seek skin with the tiger, and our alliance is also the trend of the times. But the snake can't be headless, and taking me as a brother and you as a brother is one of the best ways in the eyes. ”

He will be one of them, biting extremely hard.