"So, you even lost Erzurum?" Kara Osman demanded with a dark expression, facing his two sons who were fleeing in panic towards Diyarbakir.
As he led the main forces of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty from Diyarbakir to Çapakçur (Bingöl in modern-day Turkey), they coincidentally encountered Sheikh Hassan and Hamza, along with their personal guards and some tribal remnants, who had fled Erzurum during the night.
When he confirmed that his two sons, who should have been defending Erzurum, were actually among these routed soldiers, Kara Osman's heart sank.
Feeling that something was terribly wrong, after settling his two good-for-nothing sons, he immediately ordered the entire army to temporarily halt and then rushed with his attendants to question them, verifying his suspicions.
After learning the full extent of Erzurum's loss from Sheikh and Hamza, Kara Osman was so enraged he couldn't even vent.
Erzurum was a vital stronghold of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty in West Armenia, yet it had fallen to the enemy so quickly.
According to his original plan, this city should have been able to resist the enemy for over a month.
Now they were forced to change their original plans, which was one of the worst possible scenarios.
Fortunately, long before setting out, he had prepared contingency plans for these worst-case scenarios.
After briefly explaining the situation to the tribal leaders who had accompanied the army, he ordered them to change their marching formation as previously agreed upon.
While the main forces of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty altered their original plans, Manuel, after sipping a few small glasses of wine and feeling slightly tipsy, summoned his confidential secretary Badars and asked him how the matters he had previously entrusted to him were being handled.
"The scholars in the city should all be safe and sound, right?" Manuel casually looked up, confirming this with his Commander of the Guard.
Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming war, he intended to bring them under his rule to facilitate the establishment of a university in the near future.
"Naturally, Caesar," Badars respectfully bowed his head, informing Caesar in detail about the handling of the Christian scholars in the city, and then added, "However, when the city fell the day before yesterday, several slaves claimed to be scholars themselves."
"You've been handling such matters for so long, don't tell me you can't even identify a few impostor slaves claiming to be scholars." Manuel tapped the wooden table with a hint of impatience.
After confirming that Badars had handled what he had instructed, he now wanted to discuss how to deal with the main forces of the White Sheep, among other things.
"But Caesar, when one of them was searched, a beautifully written short manuscript was found on him.
And when he was asked to handwrite a comparison, his handwriting also confirmed that the manuscript was indeed written by him," Badars reported cautiously.
"Interesting," Manuel showed a slight increase in interest in this person, "Tell me his name, Badars.
If a true scholar, by unfortunate fate, was sold into slavery and thus endured the Holy Father's test, then that test should now be over.
Before he enters Heaven, he should also enjoy some time on Earth as compensation."
"Yes, Caesar," Badars respectfully reported the man's name, "He is a Greek elder named John Anagnostes."
"John Anagnostes?" Hearing this name, Manuel stroked his short beard, recalling his knowledge from his previous life.
After half a minute, he finally remembered that during the period referred to by historians in his previous life as the "Byzantine Renaissance," there was a scholar named Anagnostes who, solely with his only surviving work, "On the Last Fall of Thessaloniki," occupied an unparalleled position during that time.
If such a historian were to be overlooked in West Armenia right under his own nose, Manuel would not feel comfortable.
"Mr. Anagnostes is indeed a scholar, beyond a doubt.
Treat him well, and bring him to see me after he has recovered," he quickly decided how to handle this.
"Yes, Caesar," Badars bowed, and then asked casually, "By the way, Caesar, why are you so concerned about scholars, even going so far as to say something like 'compensate their suffering on behalf of Heaven'?"
Manuel heard this, and instead of explaining with many words, he stood up and walked to the fireplace with burning charcoal, turning his back to his confidant, raising his arms to shoulder height, "Badars, do you think I am the Emperor of the Romans?"
"Ah?" Badars was a little confused, but at the moment he could only continue to speak as his Caesar had, "Well, Caesar, you should still be the Caesar of the Autocratic State, right?
After all, Constantinople hasn't fallen yet, has it?"
"So you think I'm not?"
"Uh, Caesar.
I didn't mean that…" Cold sweat immediately broke out on Badars' face.
"Anyway, I think I am.
Even if I'm not now, I certainly will be in the future." Manuel ignored his subordinate's flustered expression, smiling to himself, and, in a slightly tipsy state, confided his thoughts to his trusted aide, "As the Emperor of the Romans, it is only right to protect my subjects, isn't it?
Whether from the perspective of property or human rights.
And are scholars not subjects?"
"Ah?" Badars felt his thought process couldn't keep up with his Caesar's at all.
What was "human rights"?
A new word coined by which scholar?
He always felt that although his Caesar had become much more reserved and mature since the civil war in the Principality, he still often uttered some new and incomprehensible things, especially when he had had a little wine but was still clear-headed.
Besides, this statement essentially treated his subjects as possessions…
However, as his Caesar's subordinate, he only needed to do as he was told.
Thinking of this, Badars bowed and replied, "Yes, Caesar, Mr. Anagnostes will soon recover and come to meet you."
"Alright, let's move on from this topic now." Manuel turned around, sat back in his chair, interlaced his fingers, resting his chin on them, his brown eyes filled with seriousness.
"I called you here tonight mainly for a more urgent matter.
Badars, do you think the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty will give up easily?
Don't be modest; as my Commander of the Guard, you are also a military general, aren't you?"
Facing Manuel's question, Badars' expression also became more serious, "Caesar, in my humble opinion: clearly not."
"Since you also see it that way, then you know what you need to do next, don't you?" Manuel released his hands, lightly stroked his short beard, "It's time for the Dark Division to perform their function: cooperating with the scouts in the army to monitor enemy movements, whether it's their numbers or their direction of march, nothing can be missed.
What we will face next should be the main forces of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty."
Badars nodded, and just as he was about to leave to carry out the order, Manuel called him back.
"One more thing," Manuel personally handed him a handwritten letter, "Use all the resources and channels of the Dark Division to deliver this letter to Sultan Kara Iskander of the Black Sheep Dynasty.
And make sure the other party understands that this letter was sent at my behest."
"Yes, Caesar, loyalty!" Badars immediately saluted to show his obedience, "Your will is the Holy Father's only decree."