Eagle Flag of Epirus

"The Eagle Flag of Epirus (

"You can't kill me, I'm the son of Emperor Mikhail!" The sad **** was still screaming loudly when the waving sword fell on his head.

But no matter how madly he roared, his so-called respect status could not save his life. In the end, about seven or eight spears pierced the body of the **** from all directions at the same time. At the last moment of his life, Nicholas only saw The internal organs and flesh and blood flowed all over the ground, and the way he died in the end was so ugly. With the death of Nicholas, the victory and defeat of the decisive battle in Bayland came to an end.

...

Outside the Pindus Pass, the corpses of the war dead can be seen everywhere in the blood-stained river bay. Justinian’s soldiers rely on each other to clean the battlefield. They have indeed defeated powerful enemies, but they have also paid a lot. Big sacrifice.

Thousands of outstanding soldiers were on the **** battlefield in this battle, including the new army of Moria, the Albanian mountain people and the defenders from the Pebble Fort. They dedicate their lives, but they can only settle down in a foreign land, but their bloodshed today will be remembered by history, and they will use their lives to compose the rebirth of the empire.

The soldiers were ordered to camp and rest in the same place, and Justinian and others buried the victims of the war.

"Bury those Epirus people who died in battle too!" Justinian looked at the Epirus soldiers lying down on the river beach with compassion. Although they were the enemies on the battlefield just now, after all, they were the enemies on the battlefield. Still a citizen of the Roman Empire. It's just that the times have forced them to kill each other. Justinian believes that since this is the starting point, the blood of the Romans will not flow in vain.

The silent soldiers did not object, although some people were unhappy about Justinian's burial of the enemy, after all, just now, his comrades in arms died by the opponent's knife. But most people still gave the Epirus people who died in the battle to the ground with the same compassionate emotions-after all, they are not foreign invaders, but people living in the empire just like them. The respect for Justinian also made the soldiers choose to follow his orders to converge on the corpses of the battlefield.

"Is this necessary? It's better to chase and kill those guys in the valley." Bogdani, who was watching coldly, obviously couldn't understand Justinian's intention. In his opinion, the method used by one tribe to conquer another tribe is nothing more than It's fire and sword. Where do you need a mother-in-law like Justinian? Moreover, although the Epirus army was destroyed, more than half of the defeated soldiers fled into the valley. It was not a small danger, so why bother to be so hypocritical.

But Justinian shook his head, "The thieves are dead, they are no longer a threat, let them go." After Nicholas was beheaded, the army of Epirus had been headless, and Justinian believed the remnants. Although the number is large, there is no fighting spirit anymore. Seeing the Albanian mountain people still have a group of Epirus captives at hand, Justinian expressed his hope that Bogdani would release them.

The Albanian man frowned and refused Justinian’s request unhappily, “This is the property of several of our tribes captured by our fight on the battlefield. Even if my Qingshigang tribe agrees, the other tribe warriors will not Will agree. Don't forget, we saved you just now, son of Chief Yamashita."

"I won't let you do favors in vain. I will give you another reward after it's done. Unlike the customs of your hill tribes, we don't have the habit of treating people as objects." Justinian told Bogda Ni promised.

"It sounds good. When the Yamashitas chased us and ordered us to pay taxes and provide troops, I didn't even feel that I was seen as a human being." Bogdani sneered, but he finally agreed to Justin. Ni’s request, after discussing with the stalactites, rock and mud and sand tribes, agreed to release the captured Epirus prisoners and hand them over to Justinian for processing. There are no slave traders and detained soldiers for blackmail. The ransom can't be squeezed out, and the mountain people are too lazy to argue with Justinian, anyway, the other party promised to be paid.

When discussing the deal, Justinian was still reliable in the eyes of the Albanians. After all, the other party really allocated a large number of food and weapons to their tribe in one go. Even though they still had a prejudice against the Greeks under the mountain, the mountain people We will never refuse real money.

...

After being dealt with freely, the Epirus soldiers who were still shivering and trembling still couldn't believe it was true. They sat together, looking at the dense formations of Moriah's new army around them, and no one of Epirus dared to take a long walk.

At this moment, Justinian came to them.

"Don't be nervous, fellow Epirus!" Justinian paused, scanned the restless crowd, and comforted them: "The war is over. I have no intention of holding hands and fighting each other. Both you and me. The people of the Roman Empire used to grow up and live and work under the protection of a banner. I believe that all of you and me don’t want to see the cruel cannibalism before. I am here today just to tell you, I Justinian, the guardians of Moria, Akhalani, and Thessaloniki have never been the rebellion of the empire. On the contrary, I am guarding this country. You and I should not be enemies."

"But this was announced by Emperor Noah, why should we believe you?" I don't know where there was a question from the crowd. The guards around Justinian were about to show off, but he stopped them.

I had already guessed that Justinian did not show any displeasure. After the fall of Constantinople, a large number of refugees from Thrace and Macedonia fled to Epirus and got Mikhail. Dukas' asylum, the people at the bottom love him and call him Noah is also a matter of reason.

Justinian answered patiently:

"I understand why you don't want to believe me. Indeed, His Majesty Muzfius, who is blind, is too far away for most people, even if he has any kind of compassion, isolated in the confinement of his convent, No one can feel it. That's why you will be deceived by Mikhail."

"You are slandering your majesty!"

"This is not a slander at all!" Justinian's words were categorical, causing the hearts of the Epirus captives present to tremble, "May I ask the entire Epirus, what did it do after the fall of Constantinople? After the hundreds of thousands of people in Macedonia and Thessaly fled to the side of the tyrant Mikhail, I only heard slogans sang in the city of Rusny in praise of the so-called co-government emperor, but did not see the clamor of iron bones. To subdue the advice of the old capital. I only see that in the west, in the port, Venetian merchants can swagger into the market, and in the south, the Latins are entrenched in our homeland."

"But your majesty gave us bread!"

The voice sounded again, but this time the other party was not ready to hide anymore. The person who had been opposed to Justinian among the captives finally stood up. It was an Epirus squad leader, obviously compared to others. The frightened ordinary soldier, his loyalty to Mikhail Dukas gave him courage.

Seeing the other party take the initiative to stand up, Justinian still didn't let the people around him take any action. He didn't worry about anyone opposing him. On the contrary, Justinian was exactly what he wanted.

The naked truth is convincing only when all the disguise and blood are torn apart in the rebuttal.

Justinian nodded, and did not deny the words of the team leader, but asked rhetorically: "But are these breads made by your majesty?"

"His Majesty Mikhail is an emperor and not a heretical wizard."

"Yes, even wizard food needs to be exchanged for one copper plate and one copper plate. The flour needed to bake bread also needs to be obtained from farmers’ mills. Your so-called generous emperor never gives you bread, but gives you bread that belongs to you. Take it away and distribute it to you. You need to pay li gold everywhere on the road. In addition to paying taxes, farmers on the land also need to obey military service. Of course, everything is just a dessert before a meal. There are many kinds of taxes. Behind...Yes, these things may seem reasonable to you. I think you don’t know much about farmers in the countryside from your background!" Looking at the clean armor on the opponent, check Steinney believed that the other party should be a wealthy class from Rusnya. But when Justinian went to Rusnina, he saw countless people fleeing in the countryside being mercilessly exploited. Otherwise, Mikhail Dukasian could rely on the barren Epirus to support these numbers. Years of military activity.

"That's just a few cases. You... don't want to slander your Majesty." The epirus squad leader sweated on his forehead, but his voice had become a little weak. Although he was born as a citizen, he I also know that Justinian's remark just now makes sense. At this time, the eyes of the soldiers from the bottom of the ranks gradually changed when they looked at Justinian.

Seeing the other party refuting him in this way, Justinian smiled on his face and continued: "Yes, those who do evil are tax officials who deceive the superiors and deceive them, so how could His Majesty Noah want his people to suffer? But many of you here should be clear that any small disaster in the country is enough to wipe out a food and clothing house. There are only two ways before them, either starving to death or starving themselves to death. The land was sold at a low price to the local nobles. Otherwise, the exorbitant taxes and taxes would kill them alive. Once upon a time, these lands were granted to these farmers by the purple royal family, and the emperors of the Isurian dynasty also made repeated orders. The nobles were ordered not to seize the land, but now there are very few peasants who own a piece of land in the empire."

"You are arguing against reason!" The Epirus officer still stubbornly argued, but his surrounding companions obviously did not stand by his side and walked away silently.

Justinian said calmly: "Actually I didn't have it. I was just stating a fact. The destruction of the empire may have something to do with the Latin invaders, but my fellow citizens, have you not discovered that the plague of poverty is actually early It spread to every corner a long time ago. I'm afraid that even if there are no Latins, the last drop of oil and water in your bones will be squeezed out, and you will lose your home and die silently. At that time, the invaders don't even need to move their swords or guns. It’s time to vacate the cage for a bird."

He stopped answering the Epirus officer who had nothing to say, but turned to other soldiers from the bottom.

"I came to see you not to make you succumb to me, nor to hold any expectation that you can understand me, just to prove that axioms still exist on the territory of the empire, and as long as it exists for one day, someone will do it. Struggle. Maybe a lot of you will find it incredible and think that many things are right for you, but I still want to emphasize that if you think that you are not worthy of the gain, then one day you will all have nothing. I am in Mo Leah has proved that nobles are not powerful and invincible, and owning a piece of land of their own should not be a luxury~www.ltnovel.com~ Today I will release everyone present and the corpse of Nicholas that I beheaded. You can also bring back the Emperor Noah to you. But I hope you can tell what you have seen and heard today to others who don’t know. And tell the tyrant in Rusni, I’m the next one The one who will find him is him."

Justinian completed the final speech and fulfilled his promise in full view. Moria’s soldiers lined up to clear the way, and every Epirus prisoner who was free and released can get back. The family’s travel expenses are already needed rations. At first, all the captured Epirus people couldn't believe what they saw, but after receiving repeated assurances, someone finally took the courage and left Justinian’s barracks towards the mountain pass, and quickly counted. Hundreds of Epirus soldiers scrambling for one another were gone.

"Does this really work? Maybe those people didn't hear what you said at all." Brother Sergius suddenly appeared behind him and asked, watching Justinian's every move. , I’m very curious. If I said the words just now in front of the Thessaly nobles, I’m afraid that there would be an uproar. I have to say that such a young man in the power tree of the empire is undoubtedly an alien. .

"How can I know if I don't try?"

"Relying on the power of the populist to fight will sooner or later, and this is a warning. It is idiotic to hope that the bottom people are worthy of lofty ideals." The monk was obviously dismissive. He was already in the slums of Agrinon. Have tried it.

But Justinian said faintly: "I didn't rely on them. I just lit a hot flame, and I believe that this flame is enough to set off a prairie fire."