The dawn sun rose, and after a night of conversation with Grand Duke Ruben of Cilicia, Emperor Alexios was also a little tired, but a trace of joy was in his heart.

Archduke Ruben and Prince Leon did not make excessive demands during this meeting, but the Grand Duke asked for his brother to marry a girl of the right age of the Komnens family, and she would marry Prince Leon, and the Emperor was naturally happy to see it.

As the family marriage gradually expanded, Alexios continued the plan of his father, the former emperor Manuel, and gradually extended the tentacles of the Roman Empire throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.

While expanding the circle of allies, the natural allies of the Roman Church were also uprooted one by one.

When Pope Innocent III is elected, he will find that there is no longer a pro-Roman Church state in the Eastern Mediterranean, except for the disillusioned kingdom of Edessa.

The slightly narrowed eyes were a little tired, and the emperor was full of pride.

Although he despises the girls of his family again, as the supreme of the empire, he can always use reason to control his feelings and use wisdom to obtain the greatest benefits for the empire.

Alexios didn't have the courage to say that world-shaking phrase.

"My family does not need to use women to marry."

Alexios wanted to say that his family was in need of girls to marry, and that the enemies of the empire were surrounded by the in-laws of the family, so that the empire could struggle to survive in an environment surrounded by strong enemies, and each additional ally was an extra strength.

In the midst of his thoughts, the door of the palace bedroom was gently knocked a few times: "Your Majesty, Captain Edmund has come to meet you." ”

Alexios remembered that he had summoned Edmund today, but his nerves were a little numb from the all-night work, and he almost forgot that there was such a thing.

"Your Majesty, you look for me!"

The northerner's sturdy body like a violent bear came into the emperor's sight.

"Sit down!"

Alexios closed his eyes, and looking at the man, he remembered another person, the former of the Imperial Varangian Guard, Aconis Harald.

After Alexei's rebellion, the illustrious Imperial general was captured by the rebels and imprisoned in a water prison, and when the war was over, Alexios was rescued by a dying man on a sick bed.

The difficulty of more than ten days of water prison abolished this once fierce and warlike imperial warrior, and now the emperor can't find a new general to replace him for a while, and the emperor has a real headache for how much combat power the Varangian guard can exert without its commander.

It wasn't until that day that the Emperor saw Edmund, and he was standing alone at the sand table at night to deduce the new battle situation, and then he knew who the new Aconis candidate for the Imperial Varangian Guard was!

However, on the occasion of the great war, the emperor was afraid that the sudden transfer of a military commander to preside over the affairs of another army would cause unnecessary confusion, so Alexios did not give the order immediately.

"Edmund!"

"Your Majesty!"

"When did you start working on the sand table?"

Alexios was a little curious, was this big brute really that studious?

"Your Majesty, since I was appointed by Your Majesty as the commander of the First Legion, I have been recruiting new recruits in Anatolia at Your Majesty's request, but sometimes I can't read some documents.

At this time, Elder Isidore of the church offered that he could teach me to read, so I began to learn the Greek script from the elders.

Elder Isidore also often explained to me some stories of the Empire's wars, and the elder was very knowledgeable, and I enjoyed listening to what he said. ”

Edmund's eyes lit up when he spoke of this, and his expression of excitement was overflowing, and the emperor was surprised that the one who might lead his general on the path of a Confucian general might actually be a priest of the church.

"And I have heard that Elder Isidore was also a disciple of Prudromus, and had studied classical literature under this master for many years."

Edmund rubbed his hands in embarrassment, but the emperor suddenly looked at him with wide eyes: "Prudromus? The pauper's poet who died ten years ago?"

Edmund froze for a moment, then nodded.

Alexios sat up, if this was true, then this Elder Isidore was not just an Orthodox elder, you must know that the Emperor sent the Sword of Damocles to investigate Bertak's background.

But the limited clues suggest that Betak may have studied under the poet Prudromus for a while, and then there were no more clues, which is not normal!

There is only one explanation, there are people with powerful energy who protect Betak, and even the emperor's brilliance is temporarily obscured.

It would be interesting if this man was Isidore, who was also a disciple of Prudromus, because in the complex social interactions of Byzantium, theologians and poets were usually close to the church.

Judging from the political movements of Betak and Isidore, there seems to be a reformist faction within the empire, a group of people from the lower ranks who are extremely dissatisfied with the conservative status quo of the empire and want to change the status quo by supporting the new emperor.

Alexios deduced a lot of things in just a moment, but a lot of it was still his speculation, maybe there was no connection between the two, but who knows?

"Edmund, are you still used to it in the First Legion?"

"Your Majesty, these little cubs are not like our warriors in the north, but it took me a lot of effort to train them to look a little better."

"What do you think of the situation in our war with the Turks?"

"Your Majesty, the situation is very bad, if Anatolia does not have the input of other legions, the First Army can only defend Bursa at most, and everything else may collapse under the attack of the Turks."

The emperor held out three fingers.

"If I give you three more legions, will you be able to hold Anatolia?"

Alexios chuckled and looked at Edmund with a serious face.

"Your Majesty, the mountainous regions of western Anatolia are very dangerous, and if we can hold on to Nicaea, Bursa, and Amasra, and wait until the spring of the next year and the Turks run out of food, we will have to retreat!"

Alexios stroked his smooth chin, Edmund's words were brief, but it was rare for a samurai from a northerner to have such insight.

The emperor could not require every Roman general to be like the protector of the Holy Land, Balian, who could both mount and fight the infidels and dismount and handle the internal politics and keep the state in order.

However, there were times when Alexios was envious of King Baldwin, and there were many outstanding talents among his men.

The Emperor was pleased with Edmund, and the Varangian Guard's Aconis did not need much strategy, as his prowess had been witnessed in the past.

Now Alexios sees the other side of Edmund, a diligent and inquisitive general, who has the qualifications to become a commander-in-chief, which is what the emperor has always done, actively cultivating those who have talents.

Theodosius, Shishman, and now Edmund.