"Thank you for your fancy, but I'm still a little confused, why do you want to help me?"

Lothar frowned.

Although he has no intention of getting involved in the turmoil of imperial power, in fact, he does not mind a mutually beneficial cooperation with the royal family of the Eastern Empire represented by Anna.

Like being a mercenary this time.

With the loss of only a few hundred people, you can get the title of general of a military district, which at least means tens of thousands of gold coins per year, in exchange for digging sand on the Sinai Peninsula, when will this amount be collected?

The Limassol Military Region alone, in terms of revenue, will be better than all the remaining territories of Rauf that Lothar wants to take.

"Isn't it a matter of course for someone who has the ability to be favored?"

"There are so many fools in key positions in the Empire, I just want to free up a place or two under their ass for people who really deserve to sit in it."

Anna said lightly.

But Lothar knew that it must be more than that, and that Isaac was alone, though not representative of the entire Komnenos family.

】

But it also proves that the Komnenos are dissatisfied with Lagaia's occupation of the throne.

The two parties may still be able to get along with each other on the surface, but the struggle in private is definitely fierce.

In addition, there is one more thing that is crucial.

Although the empire temporarily fell under the control of the Ducasse family, Lagaia and the eldest daughter of the former emperor Alexios Komnenos were the legitimate heirs of the empire.

According to common sense, when the princess becomes an adult, the queen regent should return to power.

But is she, and the Ducasse family behind her, really willing to hand power back to the Komnenos?

Lothar had a lot of thoughts in his heart, but he only said: "I don't think about Her Majesty the Empress, if you need me to do anything, just exchange it like this time." ”

When we arrived at Theodosius Plaza, the crowd in front of me became more and more congested.

A splendid shoulder with a gauze curtain, and a carriage decorated with gold and silver trimmings.

With hordes of minions, personal guards, crashed head-on.

One of them each sent a dissatisfied look to urge the other to give way, but the end result was a blockage.

The nobleman on his shoulder looked at the carriage opposite with a cold expression, neither surrendering his identity, but also getting involved in the arguments of his subordinates, and had no intention of giving way.

At this moment, he heard the sound of a sword unsheathed behind him, and when he looked back, it was a guard with a square shield, facing his own guard.

Yellow double-headed eagle on black background...

It is a coat of arms which I have never seen before.

Could it be that they still dare to do something to my guards?

The nobleman snorted coldly, and was about to move his gaze back, when he suddenly saw a purple-clothed lady surrounded by these soldiers.

"Ann... Her Highness Anna? ”

He jumped off his shoulder, and his red boots happened to step into a lump of mud, and he didn't care about it at all.

"Get out of the way and make way for Her Royal Highness the eldest princess!"

The name of Princess Anna in purple played a huge role at this time, she rode a horse to the forefront, and even some dignitaries would silently retreat to the side and salute respectfully.

"How's that, isn't it imposing?"

In front of everyone's eyes, Anna passed over with some smugness.

The little girl Frigila was so hot to see that she wanted to be as majestic as Anna.

"It's very imposing, indeed."

Lothar smiled bitterly, although he criticized the Eastern Empire for being a sub-feudal country that was unique to the European continents.

But emaciated camels are bigger than horses.

The imperial power of the Eastern Empire was still far higher than that of Jerusalem, Gaul, and Greater Germania.

At the very least, if it were Lothar who met a royal lady in Jerusalem, if he didn't want to, he wouldn't even have to say a word, and at most it would be regarded as a faux pas.

"Wait a minute."

Anna's expression became much more solemn.

She seemed to be talking to someone, her lips opening and closing silently for a while.

After a moment, she frowned and said, "A group of cultists of evil gods have recently come to the city, and the people of the association have just discovered their stronghold, so I have to deal with it." ”

"Need my help?"

"No, this is Constantinople, and I won't be in danger on a territory that has been run by wizards themselves for many years."

Lothar's expression was a little solemn: "Are there more and more of these gods and ghosts recently?" ”

"There have always been a lot of them, but they weren't as active as they are now."

Anna sighed lightly, her tone a little depressed: "Speaking of which, this matter started with your Germanic king starting to build the wizard tower, and in a total of less than a few years, the world seems to have changed. ”

It started with Emperor Henry?

Lothar silently kept this message to heart.

"Wait a minute, I'll send someone to take you to meet Baselisa, you pay attention to your tone, be a little more respectful, after all, my sister represents the apex of worldly power."

"I will."

Anna was about to leave, when she suddenly turned around and said confidently, "I know you may still be a little disdainful now, but when you see my sister, you will definitely be amazed by her, she is really beautiful, no less than the girls around you." ”

She smiled, her figure gradually changing and disappearing.

"Cut."

Fringilla straightened her chest with some disdain.

"How can an old woman who has given birth to a child compare with us?"

Jeanne whistled: "What does the little girl's family know, a woman of this age is like a ripe peach, the most tender and juicy, sweet and delicious." ”

What kind of tiger and wolf word is this?

Lothar laughed and said, "Where did you hear these words?" ”

"That's it..."

Jeanne's expression was a little nostalgic: "I don't remember, probably which comrade-in-arms once died, right?" You know, those old ** like to talk about these things the most, especially pretty widows, which are easy to use and can also get some benefits. ”

…

The remaining veteran brigade was left on the east side of Constantinople, on a manor on the Corniche.

This is Anna's private property, where she once personally conducted the training of the Thracian Janissaries.

An old eunuch with a wrinkled face, claiming to be the royal treasurer, led Lothar and his group of five to the Brachna Palace.

Get closer to the Brachna Palace.

The guards here are tighter.

Most of the Varangian guards were in their barracks outside the city, and the rest belonged to the emperor's personal bodyguard, responsible for guarding the palace.

Lothar looked at the genuine Varangian Guards, different from the "stereotypical" Varangian Guards under his command who were armed with two-handed axes.

The outlaws were often spears, Danish swords, kite-shaped shields, and they wore round crest helmets, ornately dressed, many even wearing crimson silk robes.

It's silk!

Can even a big-headed soldier wear this kind of clothing?

Seeing Lothar's gaze lingering on the robes of those Varangian guards, the eunuch said with a grim face: "Your Majesty has never treated his own people badly. ”

Walk through the palace gates and the royal gardens.

He walked into the large hall with smooth stone slabs that seemed to reflect his face.

It was several times more spacious than the royal palace in Jerusalem, and the surrounding decorations were something Lothar had never seen before, and the air was filled with the smell of incense.

The old eunuch stepped forward respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, the people have already been brought." ”

Lothar subconsciously raised her head and looked at the throne, this undoubtedly the most noble woman in the secular world, if anything, who the most noble man was, was still up for debate.

She wore a purple tunic with elaborate icons, and on top of her head, a triple crown representing the Emperor.

Under the crown, there is a beautiful face with plump red lips, skin like condensation, eyes like peach blossoms, and a pair of phoenix eyes that are slightly narrow, which adds three points of majesty.

The eunuch on the side immediately reprimanded with a fierce voice: "Bold, without the permission of my emperor, how dare you look directly at the greatest Baselisa, Your Majesty the Regent?" ”

"No problem."

The Empress raised her hand.

The phoenix is not angry and arrogant.

"Anna has great respect for you, and you have done a commendable service in the battle against the infidels and rebels, and she has often said to me privately that you will be my Belisarius."

Her voice is clear, gentle but majestic, and one can't help but feel close, but it doesn't lose its proportion.

"Her Royal Highness the princess has a good reputation."

"I think so too, but whether it's too good or not, you don't count what you say, and what I say now doesn't count, in the future, I will see it with my own eyes."

Looking at Her Majesty's implicit consideration, his expression was very calm, and there was no sincere fear or emotion of gain and loss because he had seen such glory and wealth.

In response to Lothar's humble and arrogant response, the empress frowned slightly and beckoned: "Come on, General Lothar." ”

"I've heard that your subordinates are skilled in using ancient tactics that even the Empire has lost, rather than charging like boars, like the Frankish barbarians or Norman pirates? I'm looking forward to seeing them at tomorrow's parade. ”

This is something that has long been angry with Anna, and Lothar naturally will not refuse.

"I'm honored to be a part of such a ceremony."

"Very well, but I must warn you that tomorrow is a very solemn parade, with foreign envoys and guests gathered in the Colosseum, and you may need to go to war at the right time to show the might of the Imperial Army."

"Your Majesty, do you want me to participate in the team competition?"

In knightly competitions, team fights are often more common than knights holding mounted guns and charging competitions, to put it bluntly, the knights on both sides lead their respective attendants to a weapon fight regardless of life and death.

It is very similar to the style of the gladiators who fought in two teams in the Colosseum in the ancient imperial era, but most of the gladiators in that era were slaves, and in this era they became nobles.

"Yes, but it's just a matter of needing your hand, and if you win this battle, you and your soldiers will each receive a purple silk ribbon as an honor, and the manor property as a reward."

Empress Lagaia's expression was solemn, and from her face, there was no superfluous emotion, as if she had become a special creature called "Emperor", and even her joys, sorrows, and sorrows disappeared together.

Lothar quickly understood the meaning of Lagaia's words.

There is a high probability that this team competition is a competition with foreigners, and he and his remaining veterans will be the finale, or the bottom line - if the empress's own people can win, they will definitely not need to take action.

"I understand."

"Now, you can swear allegiance to me."

She stretched out her white palm with a large ruby.

Lothar hesitated, stepped forward, got down on one knee, grabbed the tip of the Empress's five fingers, and kissed it.

"I swear allegiance to your Majesty, and I will fulfill my duty as a courtier to protect the Limassol Military Region from foreign enemies, to make the common people live and work in peace, to pay the required tribute on time, and to call for battle when you need it."

Lothar's oath was clearly deliberate.

He emphasized the basic obligations that he would only fulfill, and the later call-up to the war was only a piggybacking mention.

The Empress didn't seem to mind Lothar's reservation, and said:

"Traditionally, you have to swear to the Father and Mary in the monastery and keep the vows for a week, but I know that you are a devout Catholic, so I will not be embarrassed for you to accept such rules."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

At this time, the expression on Empress Lagaia's face finally softened: "All the young ladies of the spellcasters, you can come to the Brachna Palace as a guest, I will sweep the bed to welcome you, and Sister Anna will be happy to entertain you." ”

Fringilla rolled her eyes, she had long since seen this old woman who had given birth to a child unpleasant, and even if the Brachna Palace, which had been renovated many times, was gorgeous enough, she did not have the slightest intention of living here.

Cellinina stood indifferently in the shadow behind Lothar, always remembering the position of "personal assassin" that Lothar had originally given her, in addition to her extra tasks.

Jeanne smiled and gave a knightly salute.

"Alright, that's it for today, and tomorrow, I'm looking forward to seeing General Lothar in the Colosseum."

Watch Lothar leave.

Lagaia breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on the velvet-upholstered throne.

The eunuch of the court stepped forward and muttered quietly.

"Oh?"

"Conrad is gone? And said that he divorced the little guy from the Komnenos? ”

There was a hint of schadenfreude on her face.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, this empire is jointly ruled by the two royal giants of Komnenos and Ducasse, but she has never had a good impression of the Komnenos family.

And even - after she succeeded to the throne as Regent and saw such a bad situation in the Empire.

Even with a sense of disgust towards the Ducasse family she was from.

The local aristocracy, led by these two families, is like a parasitic vine attached to a towering giant tree, and their tentacles are constantly absorbing the nutrients from this giant tree.

She often wonders.

If these two parasites were uprooted...

She looked slightly stunned, if this was the case, the empire would be torn apart all of a sudden.

"What's wrong with Branas?"

"He contacted many people in Constantinople, but many did not give a definite answer, and they wanted to take another look and sell at the price—but there were a few who decided to join Branasus in the rebellion."

General Branas's conspiracy could even be received by Conrad of Monferrato, so naturally he couldn't hide it from Lagaia's ears and eyes.

She was even happy to see this happen, and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to recover a large area of the Komnenos family estate and bring it under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family.

Even if remote areas, such as the Trebizond Military Region, were to be left untouched, lest they attract large-scale opposition from aristocratic officials, it would be better for Thrace, the hinterland of Gyeonggi, to be under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family.

"It's a pity that the Varangian Guard can't be used, only Anna's Thracian Janissaries are a hidden force and can be dispatched to cooperate."

Lagaia's face showed a hint of sadness.

If it weren't for the Thracian Janissaries, an army that had taken potions and easily crushed the Bulgarian rebellion, she sent them, why worry about a small competitive tournament.