In 106, after the Bulgarian Roman coalition, which besieged Thessalonika with absolute advantage, successfully burned the Latin warships, it had already taken the initiative on the battlefield. But at this moment, an unexpected thing turned the war.

The death of the Bulgarian Tsar Karoyan Assen made the plan of the joint attack on the recovery of Thessalonika completely put a halt. With no leader, almost most of the Bulgarian nobles stood on the side of Grand Duke Ivan and worked hard to return to the court. The other grand duke, Boriel Assen, was also ambiguous at this moment. No matter how Prince Theodor himself tried his best to lobby, the final dissolution of the coalition was irreversible.

Now the Latins in the city are in desperate situations, and it is only a matter of time before the capture of Thessalonika City. Are the Bulgarians really willing to watch all these efforts give up halfway?

The helpless Theodor himself couldn't help but feel heartbroken, but at this time Justinian's face next to him was still without any fluctuations, and he seemed not surprised by what happened, so that Prince Theodor himself was a little suspicious.

"Do you know the inside story of Karoyang's death?"

"Is this important? He is dead, and the impact of all this is irreversible. That man's purpose has been achieved. Even if you can recover, the army is broken and disintegrating. You should know this best, Your Highness." After answering calmly, Justinian did not directly answer the question of Theodor's question to him. On the other hand, the nobles in the camp of the Bulgarian army were ready to leave with their own troops.

In Macedonia, however, it is not so much that the Bulgarians chose to retreat because they have no backbone, but rather that they are going back to fight for dominance after the power vacuum. Since there is no direct evidence, the murderer who really killed the Tsar cannot be found, and the Iron Crown of Bulgaria, as a national treasure, has disappeared. Today, Bulgaria does not even have a legal heir. So whoever returns to the local area first to arrive at Sofia means that in the future, the fight for the Tsar will gain dominance.

This is why neither Ivan Arsen nor Boriel Arsen became interested in the soon-to-be-break City of Thessalonika.

Looking at Justinian's thick bulb at this time, Theodor always felt something was wrong. Since that day, the boy's face has been very bad, and his body is as if he has had a serious illness and he has always spoken weakly. Now that he has lost the help of the Bulgarians, it can be said that it has been worse. The disappointed Theodor Ducas finally chose to give up.

"It seems that we can only choose to retreat now." The exhausted prince sighed helplessly. When the Bulgarian army evacuated, he and Justinian's army had only 20,000 people, and it was almost impossible for them to capture a city with strong defense. After all, the Roman Empire army was in a state of recession and hard to return, and they did not have many soldiers to use. Staying here would undoubtedly bear huge risks. Other Latin nobles around who had previously been afraid of the Bulgarian army might be ready to counterattack at any time. If Constantinople and Venice also took action, then they might be in a crisis situation.

However, something unexpected happened to Prince Theodor.

Justinian calmly said, "Why should we retreat? Now is the best time to attack Thessalonika City. In a sense, Karoyan's death and the retreat of the Bulgarian army have helped us solve many problems."

"You are not joking with me, Justinian! This is the second largest city in the empire. With our current army, we cannot break through this place. Instead of doing this, we cannot temporarily retreat to Epirus and wait for the reorganization of the army to counterattack." In Theodor's view, Justinian's idea of ​​still insisting on fighting again was simply a crazy move.

"Of course I'm not joking. If I withdraw now, it will be really ruined by all efforts. If I missed the opportunity, it will not only mean that the recovery of Thessalonika City will delay for several years or even more than ten years. More importantly, Emperor Mikhail will take this as an excuse to get a great opportunity to eliminate dissidents. This is the only opportunity for you and me to turn the tables. Your Highness Theodor, now you know this and you are sure to give up."

Justinian, who had a sharp analysis of the pros and cons, revealed the hidden worries of Theodor Ducas in one sentence. After hearing what the young man in front of him said, Prince Theodor, who had already given up on the attack on Thessalonica, was silent at this moment.

This kid is definitely not a sarcastic statement. In fact, with Theodor's understanding of his brother, he knew that Mikhail Ducas would definitely do as Justinian said. By then, even he would be unable to protect himself, let alone separatist. To a certain extent, he and Justinian are really sharing the honor and disgrace of life and death.

However, Prince Theodor was still a little hesitant. After all, with some people, how could this young man in front of him be confident that he could capture the seemingly indestructible city of Thessalonika in front of him?

...

Just as the man was still hesitating, the rapid sound of horse hooves and the roar of war horses interrupted his thoughts. A cavalry in the Bulgarian army suddenly galloped and broke into the barracks of the Roman army. The visitors were majestic and astonishing. For a moment, the Byzantine soldiers, who were shocked and puzzled, hurriedly picked up the weapons in their hands to prepare to organize defense and look at the uninvited guests in front of them with vigilance.

The Bulgarian cavalry officer led by the Bulgarian cavalry shouted outside the camp: "Your Excellency Justinian, you can come here on the order of Grand Duke Borier, please allow me to ask for your opinion if you have something to do."

Grand Duke Borier?! Justinian and Theodor were both a little surprised. They didn't understand why the other party sent people over at this time. However, Justinian finally walked out of the camp alone, looking at the fierce elite cavalry in front of him and asked:

"Do you have anything to do with me?"

As soon as Justinian finished speaking, the Bulgarian riders who were still on horseback suddenly jumped off the saddle and knelt on one knee, "According to the order of Grand Duke Borier, we will stay here and follow Lord Justinian's command. We will all be loyal to you until the war here is over. This is the favor His Highness Borier owed you when he attacked Thessalonika, and it is also the repayment of our first life-saving grace."
Chapter completed!