At the head of the city of Stara Zagora, Ivanko watched as the smoke and dust rose on the plains, and the Roman legions were overwhelming, and the soldiers standing at the head of the city clenched their weapons, and they were ready to shed their blood to defend their homeland when they received the order.

Alexios' golden eagle flag on a red background swayed in the wind, and his guards led a group of young children towards the city, and the sharp-eyed Bulgarians were already beginning to wonder.

"General, how did the Romans go into battle with a bunch of children? Isn't there something strange? Shall we bring the Romans closer and fight again? ”

Ivanko didn't react at all, he just looked intently at the teenage child in the front, the child was stumbling under the push of the Roman soldiers, Ivanko began to hate why his eyesight was so good!

"My lord, no, my lord, how can there be a child who looks so much like my son?"

Ivanko's bodyguard Kadog's voice trembled, and even the sword in his hand began to tremble, and the eyes that looked at Ivanko were a little more fearful.

"How do I know? But anyone who comes within 500 paces of a bow and arrow will shoot an arrow! Those who hesitate are summarily executed! Ivanko's eyes widened, and his furious gaze swept over the soldiers at the head of the city.

The Bulgarians were not fools either, and many of them had already poked their heads out to look at the children outside, and many began to cry, and then the commotion quickly spread throughout the city, and even the people who were helping to transport the equipment from under the city came to the city to watch.

"General, that's really my child!" Cadog's legs were weak, and if he hadn't leaned against the wall, he would have fallen to his knees.

"General, my son is there too!"

"Shogun......"

"Enough, shut up, we have to sacrifice for Bulgaria, do you understand?" Ivanko was almost crazy, and the soldiers he glanced at avoided his gaze in fear.

"Daddy, I want Daddy!"

"Daddy, I'm here!"

"Daddy, help me!"

There was a sudden cry from the city, and as time passed, the soldiers at the head of the city could no longer suppress the excitement in their hearts, they knew in their hearts that Sophia must have fallen, otherwise the families of the army would not be in the hands of the Romans, and the choice now was to fight for Bulgaria or give in.

"General, please! Please! ”

Kadoge knelt in front of Ivanko and kowtowed vigorously, and the bricks were knocked out, and blood was left behind his head.

The Bulgarians saw that their children were in the formation of the Romans on the opposite side and suddenly lost their fighting spirit, and when they saw Kadoge kneeling on the ground and kneeling down with him, Ivanko felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground, a fishy smell welled up in his mouth, and his heart was desolate and helpless, Bulgaria is finished!

"Come down! Descend y'all! Ivanko waved his hand and laughed miserably, his heart was bored, it turned out that freedom in Bulgaria was such a joke!

Looking at the soldiers pouring out of the city, they threw their weapons and armor to the ground, let the Romans seize them, anxiously looking for their children, and hugged their heads and cried when they found them.

When Ivanko saw the scene under the city, he knew that he was powerless, but he was unwilling! A hundred years ago Basil, now Alexios, why did God favor the Romans so much, and the Bulgarians should be trampled under the feet of the Romans?

Ivanko closed his eyes in pain, and all that flashed in his mind was a figure, Kaloyan, Theodor, Ivan, Fyodor, and Kadog...... Finally, his son's little face, smiling slightly, this is okay, then he should be safe!

Ivanko straightened up his chest, straightened his military uniform, climbed the battlements with great difficulty, stood on the head of the city and stood against the wind, feeling the breath of nature, it turned out that freedom was so luscious, jumped and jumped.

Bye! I love Bulgaria dearly!

……

……

……

Theodosius, who was commanding the soldiers under the city to collect the Bulgarian surrenders, saw such a scene, a figure fell from the city wall, and he was suddenly shocked, who is this person?

Theodosius led the soldiers forward to inspect the situation, where a large area of Bulgarians had formed, low sobs conveying mourning.

Theodosius quickly figured out who this man was, Ivanko, who guarded Staraya Zagora, one of the four important leaders of the Bulgarian rebels.

Theodosius never thought that there would be such a strong person, but today's events silenced him, only heroes cherish heroes, he doesn't know whether he is a hero or not, but Ivanko, who is lying on the ground, is definitely a hero of the Bulgarians.

If the Bulgarians had not rebelled, perhaps they would have served together and fought to restore the honor of the Empire, but it is a pity that now these poor people are easily ravaged by the Imperial army in order to fight for the so-called freedom.

Alexios happened to pass him on horseback, and the emperor looked at Ivanko's body, and was silent for a long time, until Theodosius wanted to ask, and then whispered in his ear: "That Bulgarian is a warrior, so bury it!" ”

Theodosius was a little surprised at first, but looking at the emperor's lonely back thoughtfully, he nodded silently, he felt lost in his heart, the heroes of the world should be lonely, but unfortunately the world is unsatisfactory nine times out of ten, no one can be perfect.

That night, the emperor held a feast in the old city of Zagora, and this time the army lasted more than a month, and it can be said that the road was overwhelming, invincible, and the Bulgarians surrendered to the northern Balkans of the empire, and captured as many as 30,000 rebels.

During the feast, the Bulgarian Archbishop Fyodor knelt on the ground and slowly moved to the emperor's table, holding clay and a glass of water in both hands, his head buried deep in the ground.

"Your Excellency, you don't have to be like this in your old age, please get up!"

"No, Your Majesty, I have come to offer earth and water to Your Majesty!"

Emperor Alexios did not know the significance of Archbishop Fyodor's painting, which is famous for the fact that Xerxes of Persia demanded land and water from the Greek city-states to force the Greeks to submit, but was stubbornly rejected by the king of Sparta and led to the Greco-Persian Wars.

The Emperor stepped down from his seat, lifted Archbishop Fyodor up, took the earth and water from his hands and lifted them high, and sprinkled them again on the ground.

"The archbishop consecrated earth and water to me, and I return the earth and water to Bulgaria, and as long as Bulgaria continues to swear allegiance to Rome and is willing to fight for the Empire, then Bulgaria will always be the territory of the Empire!"

Archbishop Fyodor knelt on the ground again and kissed the emperor's instep, while the city resounded with the shout "Long live the emperor".

Later historians have recorded that Bulgaria's complete submission to the rule of the Roman emperor began.