Eagle Byzantium

Mikhail nodded heavily and stepped out of the gate.

"I'm sorry that I never gave birth to a child for you." His wife's words came from behind. The stable master didn't respond at all, and walked out without looking back, holding the hilt of the knife.

Some of the imperial guards in the palace stayed behind to guard the house.

Similarly, in the entire imperial capital, most of John's palace armed forces were used to monitor important officials and the families of generals going out to war, including Gu Siyun. However, John still had a conscience. He only placed these people under house arrest and restricted their activities at most, and did not persecute them.

In the cold wind, in the Patriarch's Pavilion near the Grand Palace, Masdas summoned all the senior clergy to discuss the issue of the Thracian War. Many people persuaded the Patriarch to withdraw his previous condemnation of Gawain. After all, the other party showed extraordinary cruelty to the Orthodox Church in Lydia. Some people even asked the Patriarch to reconcile with Gawain and leave the dangerous imperial capital to seek refuge in the Holy Mountain of Athos.

At this moment, the Royal Racing Arena outside the pavilion was full of wandering dissatisfied people. When Roger and Tertius set out with their troops, they routinely demanded a large amount of "alms" from the noble elders of Kyoto. John also ordered the opening of the newly built barn, allowing this group of foreign soldiers from Dalmatia, Sicily, and Hungary to freely take away a lot of food, clothing and oil. The people in the capital were already very resentful.

It is said that John also asked the armed Venetians in Pella to "maintain the security of the capital" for him after the army went out.

Under the turbulent situation, Masdas stood by the altar and felt sincerely powerless. He held the scepter and rejected people's worries. He became resolute again. On the one hand, he sent a messenger to the Blachna Palace to condemn the emperor's wanton trust in foreigners, and on the other hand, he announced that he would lead an event for all Orthodox believers in the city to participate in - that is, to take out the holy relic "The Virgin's Robe" from the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom, and take out another holy relic "The Virgin's Veil" from the Holy Monastery of the Blachna Palace. Then the team will tour the city, and finally the robe and veil will be immersed in the sea water by the Patriarch himself in the Golden Horn Bay. Such a prayer event was held when the Varangians invaded in large numbers, and it was believed to have miraculous effects. After that, the Varangians reached a trade agreement with the emperor and retreated from the sea, and the capital was saved.

"And Gawain is also a Varangian, I believe this will also work for him." Masdas said.

While the Patriarch was making intensive preparations, the coalition forces of Roger the Younger and Titius, numbering nearly 10,000, also slowly advanced towards the Vileka River in the raging Black Sea wind. Soldiers from different factions and countries lined up under their respective banners, their eyes full of melancholy and confusion, which was particularly evident in the soldiers of the Empire. On the contrary, the mercenaries of the "Razor Company" were relatively stable because they were only doing it for money.

They walked and walked, and when they approached the confluence of this river and the Evros River (i.e., the Maritsa River), the location of the important Adrianople, the army received news from scouts-the Thracian volunteer army was not far from this throat, about no more than thirty li.

Adrianople has been the most important place in the empire since ancient times. It was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian (in fact, this fortress should be strictly called Hadrianople, which is transliterated as Adrianople). It is located in the core area of ​​Thrace, the gateway to several river systems, and controls the North Thracian Mountains and the Danube to the north. It can also be said that "to defend Constantinople, you must defend Adrianople."

In the military camp, Taitius and Roger the Younger had a disagreement about the next step.

Roger the Younger asked to drive directly to Adrianople, relying on the strong city defense, and repel the Thracian volunteers who were besieging there in one go.

However, Titius believed that this volunteer army came from afar and received supplies from Gawain by sea. Even if they came to Adrianople, they could not easily capture the fortress. Now they should change their route and give priority to recovering the previously captured Vizer and Media (the two places were garrisoned by 800 soldiers under Argili). This would not only save Adrianople from siege, but also restore the eastern route between Constantinople and Thrace. In addition, the sea supply line of the volunteers could be cut off (Media was at the middle node), and then take advantage of the enemy's fatigue and go back and forth, and fight with them with the momentum under control, and completely defeat the enemy.

Both of them seemed to have their own reasons. At the military meeting, Roger regarded himself as the commander-in-chief. In his eyes, Titius was just a servant of the emperor, so he forced the other party to accept the deployment.

At the critical moment, Mikhail Eustace rarely spoke. He agreed with Roger's plan, believing that as long as "a victory of some magnitude in Adrianople, and then advancing eastward along the Veleka River, this would have a greater effect on boosting the morale of the imperial army and civilians", because Adrianople is Adrianople, and its glory and status are far superior to the unknown Vize and Media.

Taitsius glared at the imperial stablemaster, but he could do nothing about it, as the other party was obviously "performing an opera".

What made Taitsius even more angry and disappointed was that a fast horse message came from the imperial capital, and John also agreed with Roger and Mikhail's tactical plan, because the emperor also believed that "repelling the enemy in Adrianople is more significant."

The wind and snow in Thrace started again, and after the entire army "agreed", it stubbornly advanced towards Adrianople.

Everywhere were withered grasslands and river island swamps filled with gravel, all frozen hard.

A few days later, they arrived at Adrianople. The guards on the top of the city cheered, which made Roger the Younger very excited. At the same time, the scouts sent intelligence: the enemy, the "Thracian Volunteers", did not attack any castles after reaching the line of Vikron and Jabo. After learning the route of the coalition forces, they quickly retreated along the river of the Veleka River.

The enemy's commander-in-chief, Earl Melo, learned the lessons from the previous battle of Melitene and never advanced recklessly. Instead, he firmly grasped the initiative: he loaded all the jaeger ships with baggage, gunpowder and weapons, and installed iron shovels on the front and rear ships to break the ice on the river. Then Diogenes commanded the waterway and he commanded the landway. By the way, he looted the area around Jabo and retreated flexibly and maneuverably.

So the many Pronias who came to meet the new His Highness Penipasebastos (i.e. Roger the Younger) told him that the enemy had retreated eastward.

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Roger the Younger then mobilized the entire army and pursued after obtaining supplies, with the goal of recovering Antober and protecting Mesenbria further north.

Seven days later, Antober was successfully "recovered", and Roger the Younger and Taitisius sent another victory report to the Imperial Capital.

But Melo and Taitisius's troops jumped to the south of the Villeka River and appeared in Vizer, where they joined forces with Argili's troops and continued to threaten the northern suburbs of the Imperial Capital.