The city militia of Limassol, along with the private militia of Turiados, began to take up arms again and patrol the streets to maintain order.

Turiados and his family of "wheels" have been the head of the land that has been rooted in Limassol for almost a hundred years.

The influence in all aspects of the city is immense.

That's why Lothar was willing to recruit him.

With the help of Turiados, in the future, he will not need to spend much energy to grasp the new territory of the Limassol Military Region and turn it into an important source of wealth and soldiers for himself.

That's right, before the war with Isaac began, he already considered this territory his own.

It's just that Isaac is notorious, and although the people of Limassol are willing to help Lothar defend the city, they still can't help but panic.

If Isaac had publicly stated that he would pardon everyone in the city, Lothar and his army would have immediately fallen into a situation of rebellion.

But it is clear that this is not possible.

Because it would have to cost Isaac out of his own pocket to make up for the loss of his soldiers who did not loot.

If he can do this, where is he worthy of the name of tyrant?

The night is getting darker.

After finishing tonight's lesson.

Lothar quite simply accepted Anna's terms, in exchange for the post of general of the Limassol military district at the cost of quelling the rebellion in Cyprus.

This condition is actually quite good.

If it was in the imperial bureaucracy and the peasant and military system had not collapsed, he would definitely refuse, because the empire at that time still had a strong control over the localities.

At that time, the magistrate was really just a magistrate, and he had to be supervised by the inspector.

However, with the introduction of the Pronian system, Lothar was only required to pay part of the taxes on time, and to serve in the military or provide conscription when needed by the empire.

In the Limassol Military District, it can be completely called a soil emperor.

…

Constantinople.

Anna hung up the communication with a smile on her lips.

The regent who was full of majesty between her eyebrows snorted lightly: "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have paid such a big price to win over a vassal of someone else's family." ”

Anna comforted: "Don't worry, it's worth the money." ”

The Empress frowned slightly, her mood was obviously not very good.

In a situation where commercial taxes and customs duties now account for the vast majority of the Empire's revenue.

A strong naval fleet to escort the escort is indispensable.

But such a powerful fleet, equipped with "Greek fire", was so easily destroyed in the hands of the rebels.

How can this put her in a good mood?

The defeat at the naval battle, and the news that Isaac had harnessed a black dragon, caused the political situation in Constantinople to begin to surge.

The Greek conspiracy is well known, and it is not known how many nobles have started a series of secret room talks, and how many intrigues are brewing.

Although she was only a regent in name and never proposed to be crowned empress, the crown prince, the daughter of her and Emperor Alexios, Ira Komnenos, was also a woman.

Many people believe that she, the regent, will soon remove the word regent and regain the throne from the Komunens family.

"The Imperial Army, it's really useless, the Army is like this, and the Navy is like that."

The empress rubbed her brows, her face full of sadness.

Anna sighed lightly: "The strongest walls of the empire in the past, those peasants and soldiers who could arm themselves at their own expense, have been turned into serfs on their own fields by the nobles. Now, the empire really can only rely on a group of foreign mercenaries to fight. ”

A trace of deep exhaustion flashed in Lagaia's beautiful eyes: "How can I not know the dangers of the Pronian system, but I have been sick for a long time, how can I cure it?" ”

In addition to the mess left behind by the successive Komnenos emperors, the Ducasses family is also to blame.

Because the Ducasse family has always been the largest gate lord nobles in the empire, and the Komnenos family are both the closest allies and the biggest enemies.

Several emperors from the Ducasse family are also mostly stupid and incompetent, among which Constantine X and Michael VII are typical representatives.

makes Empress Lagaia, even if she wants to revitalize the empire, she has a feeling of no way to start.

After all.

The imperial ill lies in the system.

But the Ducasse family, from which she came from, and a large number of her supporters, are the beneficiaries of this system.

As a monarch, how can he reform his own life?

As long as she dares to reveal this thought, it will immediately be a situation of rebellion and chaos.

"That's it, let's not talk about it."

"When this Lothar arrives in Constantinople and swears allegiance to me, I want to see what kind of marvelous man can make you so favorable."

Anna smiled: "If he can capture the rebellious Isaac with 1,400 soldiers, won't it prove my vision?" ”

The Empress snorted.

"If you're willing to take action, take my Varangian guards, just Isaac, and won't it be easy to exterminate?"

Anna said helplessly: "Your Majesty, the most honorable Barcelisa, you know me. Moreover, I don't want to use magic to slaughter those ordinary people. ”

"Okay, okay, okay, I understand."

Lagaia carefully examined the witch's immaculate face and sighed, "I know that you have given enough to the Empire, and I shouldn't have asked you to do more. ”

"It's just, that Lothar... Is it really reliable? ”

Lagaia frowned.

Now that the local nobles are too big to lose, even if Lothar swears allegiance to her, she can not fulfill any obligations, is it possible that she can still raise an army against her?

That's the real humiliation to throw home.

"At least more reliable than the mercenaries."

Anna said seriously: "He is a man of credibility, and he is far more worthy of respect than those mediocre people. ”

"Okay."

Lagaia didn't have any aversion to Lothar either.

The empire has long had a tradition of employing barbarian mercenaries, and Constantinople also had many nobles from the European continent, even fiefdom nobles.

These rich people in the countryside were so bewildered by the fine silks, utensils, and wine that they could not open their eyes.

I want to stay forever in Constantinople, the empress of Christendom's largest and most magnificent city.

…

The news of Lothar's defeat of the army of Turiados and the capture of the city of Limassol soon reached Nicosia.

In the palace.

Isaac Komnen's expression was as gloomy as water.

The name of a man, the shadow of a tree.

Isaac, who had been the governor of Cilicia, had apparently heard of the daimyo of Lothar.

He wouldn't have underestimated him just because Lothar had only landed with 1,400 men.

"Turiados, this idiot, can't even defend the city, but he is clever and wants to attack Lothar, now it's okay, give him a place to live in vain."

If the walls are entrenched in all places.

The Crusaders, lacking siege equipment and supplies, would be trapped on the island sooner or later.

Every time he breaches a fortress, he loses at least a few dozen soldiers, and by the time he reaches Nicosia, how many men will he have left?

The black shadow spoke in a flirtatious tone:

"Don't worry, you have a black dragon, and from your vassals, raise an army, just over a thousand crusaders, where will be your opponent."

Isaac's tone was unusually irritable, "This Lothar has witch allegiance like Lagaia, the stinky bitch of the Ducasses. ”

The black shadow said lightly: "It's just a witch, if you are worried that you can't deal with it, you might as well make another deal with me." ”

"What deal?"

Isaac's face suddenly showed a look of vigilance.

The black shadow played with the taste in his tone: "Don't look like this, I'm not a devil, and I pay the most attention to equivalent exchange." ”

It's that sentence again!

Isaac felt the fear in his heart rise up like a prairie fire.

"No need, I'll kill him!"

"No matter how legendary he is, when he meets me, it should end here!"

Isaac feigned composure.

The guards not far away, watching their lords constantly talking to themselves in the garden, looked at each other, and saw a trace of fear on each other's faces, but they did not dare to approach at all.

"Someone!"

The guards came tremblingly: "My lord, what do you command?" ”

"By my command, all the courtiers of Cyprus shall immediately lead their respective armies and gather under my command, and I will command the whole army and conquer the rebellion!"

Isaac didn't mean to underestimate Lothar in the slightest.

He planned to do his best to bring the army of all the vassals, as well as the 4,000 elite troops directly under his command, to gather an army of 10,000 and completely crush Lothar and his army.