Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"Turks..."

If such a title were uttered by people from the Tang Dynasty or even the Central Plains, it would carry a hint of contempt and discrimination.

However, the way this Byzantine guard spoke at this moment conveyed a sense of fear and dread, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Even the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius's expression turned serious at this moment.

He took a deep breath and had the guards bring the man in.

He dismissed the craftsmen and sat on his throne, one hand supporting his chin, his eyes glazed over, a look of inner turmoil flickering within them.

These Turks were terrifying, especially the Turks on horseback. They were said to be a force that had broken away from the former Western Turks and were unwilling to submit to the Tang Dynasty.

He wandered and migrated through Sassanid Persia, and after wandering between Arabia and Byzantium for a while, he entered their Byzantine Empire, where he then engaged in a mercenary-like business.

However, the mercenaries who were his clients a few years ago are now giving him a headache.

While Heraclius was lost in thought, a series of footsteps sounded, and several burly figures, much taller than his guards, entered the hall.

"Your Majesty, the Ashina family sends their greetings!"

The leader bowed and placed his hand on his chest, an attitude that showed he served him but was not loyal to him. This caused a fleeting flash of resentment in Heraclius's eyes, but he hid it very well.

The Byzantine Empire still needs these people.

"Commander Ashina, I am very grateful for your valiant fighting on the Danube defense line. Although it may be a little embarrassing to say this, I must say that if it weren't for your timely intervention, those damned Slavs and Lava people would have caused us even more terrible losses."

Ashina, the Great Commander... If any officials of the Tang Dynasty or Turks of the Western Turkic Khaganate were here, they would definitely exclaim in surprise.

What Ashina the Great Commander?

Isn't this Ashina Dili, the Right Wing Khan of the Western Turks, who was chased like a dog by the retired Emperor Li Yuan and indiscriminately killed with volleys of gunfire?

Ashina Dili is no longer the pathetic, homeless dog he once was.

He wore an outer garment made of expensive bearskin, over which he wore leather armor, and underneath that, a silk lining could be seen.

He wore a sword at his waist, a gold belt, and a gold thumb ring on his hand, among other things.

Behind him stood a group of right-wing core members who had followed him to this day, each exuding an imposing and valiant aura.

Ashina Dili listened as the interpreter beside him translated Heraclius's Greek into Turkic.

He nodded slightly, but without any politeness, he directly stated the purpose of his trip.

"In that case, shouldn't His Majesty also pay us our dues?"

He's here to ask for money!

Chirac took a deep breath, his expression somewhat troubled: "I heard that you have kept all the spoils of war captured from the Slavs and Lava people for your own use."

Ashina Dili narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but sneer after hearing the translation.

“Isn’t this always been the rule for mercenaries? The spoils of war that we kill naturally belong to us. What we sell is security, a complete Danube defense line that still belongs to Your Majesty. Those spoils are rightfully ours. Of course, if Your Majesty feels this is inappropriate and wants to tell us about the new rules of Byzantium, then we can take out the spoils.”

Chiracio: "..."

These shameless and barbaric savages of the grasslands!

They are even more despicable than those Slavs!

He forced a smile and waved his hand in a gesture of feigned magnanimity: "I will naturally abide by the rules of employment. If there were no rules in this world, it would be bad for none of us."

He ordered his men to prepare a reward for Ashina Dili and the others.

Ashina Dili was about to take his leave when a member of his tribe suddenly tugged at him.

He pointed to the clock with its back cover removed, and then to the disassembled telescopes, compasses, and other items.

Ashina Dili's pupils suddenly contracted.

His steps froze as he was about to turn and leave.

"Your Majesty, were these goods purchased from merchants of the Tang Dynasty?"

He pointed particularly to the compass and telescope on the table and asked.

Heracli looked at him with suspicion, but Ashina Dili took a deep breath and forced a seemingly gentle smile on his face: "I once wanted to buy it from Tang merchants, but they said they were not willing to sell it to us."

Upon hearing this, Chirac laughed heartily.

With a meaningful expression, he said, "Commander Siyehu is truly a man who likes to follow the rules. His way of doing things is completely different from what I had heard about the Turks before... Of course, they were unwilling to sell at first, but of course, I have plenty of ways to do it."

Ashina Dili: "..."

His eye twitched twice. Damn it!

This item was a registered military supply in the Tang Dynasty. The few caravans that had it all had serial numbers, and losing or selling it was a capital offense!

What price did you offer that made Tang Dynasty merchants risk their lives to sell this thing to you?

Ashina Dili nodded and smiled slightly, seemingly unintentionally. He then patted his chest in a gesture of respect before leading several of his tribesmen out of the main hall and quickly heading towards the place where they would receive their rewards.

"Great Khan, they..."

His subordinates looked anxious, even showing a fear that Slavs and Byzantines had never seen before.

However, before he could finish speaking, Ashina Dili scolded him in a low voice.

"Shut up! This is none of our business. Our goal is to get our payment!"

However, despite saying that, he clearly increased his speed even more.

That fool who spends all his time dealing with the charlatans of the Vatican has actually messed with the Tang Dynasty and even killed someone!

Ashina Dili could practically guess with his toes what kind of mess the Byzantine Empire would become after provoking those shameless and powerful, powerful and shameless Tang people.

He soon received his reward for this mission: three full boxes of gold coins.

Just as they were about to leave, Chirac was waiting for them at the door. He smiled when he saw that they had received their payment.

"Commander-in-Chief Siye, I will be unable to send reinforcements to the Danube defenses as I have some important matters to attend to. Therefore, I hope to hire you again to assist the local garrison in defending the area for another three months."

"Of course, the remuneration remains the same as we agreed before."

Ashina Dili gave this guy a strange look. Something big?

What you're about to do is truly a momentous event...

He didn't say much and accepted the job directly, but his heart was already pounding as he left the Egyptian province.

Perhaps... this is their chance!

Only someone who had actually fought against the Tang Dynasty could understand just how ridiculous the war between the Byzantine Empire and these Western barbarians was.

Even he, whom the Tang people called a "northern barbarian," wanted to mock these people as "barbarians" who didn't understand the art of war.

He had only two thousand or so remnants of his army back then, but now his force has expanded to five thousand.

"Hehe... Commander Ashina..."

Ashina Dili, who was boarding a ship at an Egyptian port to return to his residence, looked back at the Byzantine guards and slaves on the dock with a strange expression in his eyes.

I'm being relentlessly pursued and attacked by those three generations of madmen from the Li family of the Tang Dynasty, who call me a brainless barbarian. I'm not saying anything more.

You bunch of worthless cowards actually think I'm one of your big shots?

I am Ashina Dili!

But it was the Western Turkic Khan, the Yabghu Khan!

Back then, their army numbered in the hundreds of thousands!