Living conditions in the camps were not good, with garbage everywhere on the ground, and Bulgarians living in camps mixed with livestock.

These people were forced to breathe in the foul smell as if they had been locked up in a pigsty, and their mouths were gnawing on black bread like sticks, and their hearts were growing with resentment.

"If it weren't for my children, how could we have surrendered to the Greeks so unproductively, Bulgarian freedom is as worthless as this cheap bread, and the treacherous Roman emperor left us here and left it alone!"

The complaining Bulgarian men were soon glared at by their companions, they were not like they were whipped for a long time by the cruel Roman jailers, didn't this bastard know that we were prisoners of war now!

"Paul, if you say that again, we may not even be able to eat this black bread! You don't want Sylvia and little Joseph to be without their husband and father early! ”

An older veteran lowered his head and whispered a word without raising his head.

The Bulgarian man who had just spoken out was stunned, and then covered his cheek with his hand and began to cry lowly, and the Bulgarians said that they had no grievances against the Roman emperor for such a coward surrender, of course, it was false.

Having not been defeated in a single battle, the Bulgarians still had considerable confidence in their own combat prowess and were convinced that if it had not been for Alexios' machinations, they would have been the victors.

"Get up! Get up! You pariahs! The Roman legionnaires in charge of the guards came over and struck the ground with whips, driving up the weakened Bulgarian prisoners of war.

"What do they want to do? Did the Romans want to trap us? "Many Bulgarians whispered, their already panicked hearts hung at this moment, no one died in obscurity in a foreign land like this.

"What do you say! Go over, His Majesty the Emperor wants to see you! The implicit message in these words made the hearts of the Bulgarians jump and they became even more nervous.

The prisoners of war were driven out of the camp and into the outside world, breathing in the fresh air.

However, the vigilance did not fall, and they all maintained enough determination that if the Romans attacked, they would die and pull one or two cushions.

A high platform had been erected here, around which Riddle, the chief of the new emperor's body, was heavily armed, and the soldiers took up a circle around the meeting place, ready to suppress the Bulgarians who might revolt.

"There is no need at all, I will give them freedom! They'll gladly accept it, Riddle! ”

The nobleman who stood high looked down on all the people of the land, who were prisoners of war of his brother, and now controlled their lives and deaths, and any who resisted would be reduced to ashes.

There were as many as 50,000 prisoners of war in the vast hall, and the children were not brought, and Alexei was confident that he could make these destitute men serve him.

Alexei stood on a high platform and spoke: "I am the new Roman Emperor Alexei!" ”

"I know what Alexios promised you! He destroys your cities, kills your fellow men, and then makes you and your children his slaves. But that's what Alexios does, not me!

I am not here today to kill, the only thing I want to destroy is the throne of Alexios, let him fall to the dust, and at the same time let you be free from the oppression of the despotic king and enjoy the sweetness of freedom.

I grant you the right to choose, submit to me, join my army, and together we will create a new world, and your life will be better than ever, better than before, or choose to reject me, and die! ”

Riddle looked back at his king, and in his haughty eyes, there was no room for anything, only life and death.

The Bulgarian prisoners of war stood still in silence for a moment, and then one by one fell to their knees, they had lost their courage, the torture of their captivity had weakened their bodies, and their children were still hostages in the hands of the Romans, touching the softest part of the Bulgarian heart!

Alexei's eyes froze, although most of the people in the hall had already knelt down, but some of them still maintained a straight posture, their waists were straight, their eyes were fearless, and the tattered prison clothes could not hide their unyielding ambition.

Paul saw his old chief, Wesley, standing there, with gray hair and a proud head like a lion.

Paul trembled, and although he had many complaints about the Romans, he still chose to fall to his knees again, and surrendered for the second time without any discipline, otherwise what would he do, and fight the Romans again?

Alexei looked at the man calmly: "Please step forward, my lord!" ”

Wesley stepped out of the crowd without fear, stood on the grass and looked at his boots, then looked up at Alexei, the man who called himself the new Roman Emperor.

"Aren't you willing to continue fighting for the cause of Bulgaria?" Alexei asked him with a slight tilt of his head.

"I used to be loyal to the Asen family, but unfortunately they have already sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Bulgaria, I am ashamed that I did not choose to die in battle with my master, I am a coward!" The old Bulgarian knight said so.

Riddle looked at his master, and probably no one knew Alexei's temperament better than him!

"My lord, it seems that you used to be loyal to the Roman Emperor, not to the Asen family, right?

You don't have to feel guilty about the fact that it was the Asen family who started this rebellion that affected most of the empire, now you should abandon the darkness and choose a real Roman emperor, I don't think anyone will dare to laugh at you! ”

"Whatever you say! Lord Theodor is my master, the light of freedom in Bulgaria, and we should have fought with him until the last moment! ”

The old man's voice was not loud, but the Bulgarians around him who heard this were all ashamed, and they lowered their heads and did not dare to look at this fierce warrior.

"I remember you, the chief of guard beside the Roman Emperor Alexios, you seem to have a new master! And actively wag your tail and cheer for the Bulgarians to be the vanguard of your rebellion, what right do you have to speak here! ”

The old man suddenly raised his voice, and the audience fell silent, and the Roman warriors around him had already pressed their hands on their swords.

"So are you unwilling to give up your honor and choose to submit to me?" The new emperor stood on a high platform and looked down at the old man, and said lightly, and Riddle knew that Alexei was angry.

"My Majesty, leaving him may be of some help to us in buying the hearts and minds of the Bulgarians, or let him fight the Turks in the future, after all, he has a lot of experience in warfare."

Riddle tilted his head and said this, and Alexei seemed to think.

"You can't drive me, I'm only loyal to Bulgaria! You are not my king! Old Wesley said stiffly.

Alexei stood there and bowed his head, and the Roman soldiers, who had been signaled, stepped forward to push the old man out of the crowd.

"Your Majesty, you can put this stubborn old man in a water prison, there is nothing more convincing than this!" Riddle is still trying to save the life of this Bulgarian.

"I'm not here to take prisoners, as soon as this case is opened, others will follow suit, and I've given him a choice!" Alexei looked at Riddle with gloomy eyes.

"He chose it himself!"

"Your Majesty, if you want to behead him......"

"I didn't say I'm going to behead him!" Alexei directly interrupted Riddle's words.

Riddle was stunned, he saw five horses being brought in from the sidelines, and he swallowed in his throat, and he finally fell silent.

Several Roman warriors stepped forward to put ropes on old Wesley, his head and limbs were tied to the horse, Riddle's expression was uneasy, his master wanted?

"Execution!"

The five horses neighed at the same time and galloped in all directions, and in the frightened eyes of the Bulgarians, old Wesley heard only a scream after a tug, and finally the flesh flew everywhere.

The last few Bulgarians standing had weak knees, and they slowly knelt down!

Riddle watched the scene and fell silent.