In the summer sun of Constantinople, the scorching sun makes people feel like they are in hell, and in a large camp, knights whip their horses and leap over obstacles, bending their bows and arrows to shoot at a target not far away.

Alexios, holding a knight's sword with a shiny body, looked at his guards with great interest, practicing the skills of the archers, and asked the Turkic instructor Khayyam, who had been invited from the side, "Khayyam, how are these young men doing, and how soon can they go to battle?" ”

The Turkic Khayyam was a minor nobleman of a Turkic clan from Central Asia, who came to Constantinople to trade and was conquered by the prosperity of the Eastern Empire's civilization, and when the Empire recruited mercenaries from the Turks to form a foreign army, Khayyam did not hesitate to join the ranks of the Imperial army, just like King Arthur of ancient Britain.

"Your Majesty, it's still tender, maybe it will be better to see blood on the battlefield." The Turkic Khayyam commented unceremoniously.

"Soon, the Scandinavians are born battlefield killers, born berserker warriors, train them for me, and the Empire is looking forward to your performance."

"I will definitely live up to His Majesty's entrustment." Khayyam bowed slightly in front of his chest with his right hand and returned the salute.

Alexios was about to walk out of the camp gate with thirty Varangian guards, when suddenly the vendors at the gate suddenly drew their swords and pounced, and Nils, the head of the guard, was startled and immediately blocked in front of the emperor, "Fight." ”

Alexios's guards quickly pounced, and one of the guards turned back to the camp at the same time to call for help, except for the guards in the camp, there were not even regular patrols nearby, who would have thought that the emperor would be attacked by the enemy at the gate of his own barracks.

The Assassins, armed with Damascus scimitars, fought with the guards guarding Alexios, screams and sounds of fighting mingled into a poignant symphony. Alexios felt like he was in the depths of hell, and soon an assassin broke through the protection of the guards and killed him under the cover of others.

Alexios didn't have time to think about it, he drew his saber and resisted the scimitar that the assassin slashed over, and the saber in his hand shook open under the force, and the door was wide open, Alexios was shocked, he didn't expect the assassin to be so powerful, and another slash had already knocked his saber away.

Just when Alexios's face was pale and almost hopeless, Khayyam led the guards in the camp to rush out, quickly stepped forward to meet the enemy, and dragged the emperor back to the camp.

Alexios grabbed Khayyam's hand: "Catch one alive." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After a while, the battle ended, and the entrance to the camp was in shambles, blood was scattered all over the ground, and the guards dragged back an assassin whose arm had been severed, and this man was seriously wounded, and if the bleeding could not be stopped in time, he would die in a short time.

Nils stepped forward to report the battle wounds to the emperor: "Your Majesty, twenty-two people were killed in the Varangian guards, and eight were killed in the battle by the guards and pro-guards, all of whom were top-tier assassins. ”

Khayyam stepped forward and opened the corpse of an assassin and took a closer look, "Your Majesty, it's Assasin. ”

Alexios will settle down, but he has only been on the throne for five months, and some people can't wait to pull him down, it's really impatient, but are you prepared to withstand the wrath of the Roman Emperor......

"Assasin is not easy to invite, and only thirteen men were used to assassinate Saladin, and I really look up to me, it seems that someone has offered a large sum of money to find out what has happened to the Venetians, Genoese, and my uncles and uncles lately, and tell my mother about it, and tell her that I am all right."

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That night, Alexios and Mary discussed in the bedchamber, "Mother, it seems that the matter has become clear, and some of my uncles and uncles have begun to become restless, and have even colluded with the Venetians and the Assasin heresy. ”

"My son, don't be so anxious for revenge, once the war starts, we don't know how many people will be on our side!"

"No, the thunder must be dealt immediately, while the news is still blocked, we spread false news to the major military regions, the emperor was injured in the assassination of the assassins, and my mother received the ministers on my behalf, so what will happen?"

"Then someone will jump out, you want to destroy the rebellion, but the mother doesn't want you to shed blood on the battlefield......" Mary wept and worried about the fate of mother and son.

"Mother, the reality is that after the death of my father, there is no one left to protect us, and we choose to fight either to become an emperor like Basil, or to be killed by my own courtiers like Conrad, I hope that at least I will die in battle, and not disgrace the reputation of Manuel the Lion."

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In the governor's palace in Asia Minor, Andronika was entertaining the guests, during which the guests chatted and laughed loudly, and the gorgeous Persian dancers danced to attract the attention of the men, and the flattery of the master was endless, and the grandeur of the princes and nobles was a grand pomp.

Suddenly, one of the guards hurried in and whispered a few words to Governor Andronica, who stood up and apologized to the guests before leaving the table.

Turning into a corner, a samurai was already waiting, "Isaac, you said that my little nephew was seriously injured by assassination?" Is the message confirmed? ”

"My brother, I can guarantee that it is true, now that the rumors in Constantinople are boiling, the Imperial Guards have blocked all checkpoints to prevent anyone from going out, and my people have bribed the gatekeeper to release the news."

"Some time ago, the Venetians came to me and planned to provide me with a comparison of funds, but they wanted to get the trade privileges of Constantinople and reduce taxes, and at the same time, after I obtained the throne, I asked for the port from the Aegean Sea to Thessaloniki, I refused them, these Venetians have too much appetite, even if I become emperor, I can only get an empty shell, I didn't expect them to find someone else, it seems that they succeeded."

"Doesn't this provide an excuse for us to march into Constantinople, to avenge the Emperor and destroy the rebellion, or to clean it up with Mary of Antioch, and if she still wants to resist, gather an army Andronica, become Emperor, or bow down to others!" Isaac shook Andronica, although he was over sixty years old, his longing for the throne never stopped, and the oppression of Manuel when he was alive made the old man's heart like a poisonous snake bite.