Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 546 There are no eternal enemies

Samarkand.

Anagui, dressed in a silk robe, sat gracefully in the magnificent garden, enjoying hot soup and beautiful women.

This city, built by the Sogdians, has a history of over a thousand years. Through the Silk Road, it acquired a vast amount of wealth and also became a melting pot of cultures from all over the world.

In the marble bath, Anagui, supported by a voluptuous maid with an exotic face, stepped into the hot water.

One reason why the Rouran people were contemptuously called "Ruanruan" by the Xianbei people was because the Rouran people did not bathe.

The Rouran people did not bathe, partly due to their fear of water, but mainly because there were no bathing facilities on the grasslands.

The Xianbei people were just like the Rouran people on the grasslands back then, so to say that about the Rouran is really a bit of forgetting one's roots.

As Khan, Anagui was deeply influenced by the Sinicization of Luoyang and was not averse to bathing. However, when he arrived in this prosperous city and entered the Roman-style bathroom, he discovered that bathing was actually quite enjoyable.

After years of fighting, Anagui's desire for revenge remained strong, but he found that things had changed and were becoming somewhat out of his control.

Originally, Persia and Rouran were allied to jointly deal with the Hephthalites. Now that the Hephthalites have been defeated, the Persians are wary of the Rouran cavalry on the border and are completely regarding the Rouran as the next Hephthalites.

The cooperative relationship between the two sides is rapidly deteriorating, and they may soon come to blows.

For Anatolia, Persia was not the greatest enemy, nor was it the main crisis at present.

Anagui suddenly realized that, despite ruling such a vast territory, he had far too few Rouran people under his command.

After the Battle of Shuozhou, Anagui was defeated and fled west in disarray. Seeing that he could not return to the southern desert, Anagui decided to launch a western expedition, taking only ten thousand tribes with him.

After leaving Jinshan, Anagui led his army to successively annex the Gaoche, Turkic and other tribes, and absorbed the nomadic tribes from various places, thus gathering them together and having enough strength to resist the Hephthalites.

Now that the Hephthalites have been defeated, Anagui wants to return east, but he finds that many of the tribes that had previously followed him oppose him.

Even Ashina Tumen opposed it.

These tribal leaders agreed to cross the Pamir Mountains and take control of a number of small kingdoms in the Western Regions, just as the Hephthalites had done in the past.

But going further east to attack Dunhuang was not something they wanted.

They prefer to stay in their local area rather than travel to the unfamiliar and unknown East.

After all, they have already occupied fertile and prosperous lands and cities, and should be enjoying them. Why should they risk going on a distant expedition?

Anagui's decision to send Tutujia back the Rouran people left in southern Mongolia was not merely to seek revenge on his brother Tahan, but also to strengthen the Rouran royal court.

However, Anagui himself was unsure whether he would succeed.

Over the years, Anagui had only known fragmented information about the East. That's why he sent Tutujia as an envoy to personally investigate the enemy's situation and bring back firsthand information.

"Khan, the Roman messenger has arrived!"

Anagui knew very little about this kingdom to the west of Persia, but he was still willing to meet him.

Because he had heard that Persia and Rome were at odds.

After stepping out of the bath, the maids on both sides dried Anagui's body and draped an outer robe over him.

Anatolia walked into the courtyard, sat on a tiger-skin stool, and received the envoy dressed in a Roman white robe under the grape trellis.

Anagui naturally couldn't understand Latin, and the other party couldn't understand Rouran either, but the Sogdian translator was proficient in both.

After translation, Anagui finally understood the other party's intentions. Byzantium wanted to form an alliance with the Rouran!

Not long ago, Persek Khosrow I broke the permanent peace treaty signed with Rome and invaded the Byzantine-controlled Syrian region.

Byzantine Justinian I was very dissatisfied with this, but considering that the imperial army had just recaptured Italy and Rome from the Ostrogoths and captured the Ostrogothic king, and needed to recuperate, he wanted to negotiate peace.

However, Khosrow I refused to agree and instead fought with increasing fervor.

Rome then sought to establish diplomatic relations with Anagui, the Rouran ruler who had defeated the Hephthalites, to jointly confront Persia.

After listening, Anagui had no idea where the Roman envoy was referring to the war or the place names, nor did he care to find out.

However, he understood one thing: the Persians were attacking Roman territory.

As long as the war continues to escalate, Anagui need not worry that the Persians will turn against him once his main force embarks on an eastern expedition.

For Anagui, the deeper the enmity between their two countries, the better. Ideally, the war would last for more than ten years, so that he wouldn't have to station too many troops here to guard against Persia.

"I am aware of the envoy's intentions, but I have signed a treaty with the King of Persia. Now that the King of Persia has not broken the treaty, how can I launch a counterattack?"

The Sogdian translator relayed Anagué's words to the Roman envoy.

The Byzantine diplomat looked at the unkempt yet masculine monarch before him and nodded slightly.

"Friends and enemies are not eternal. The Persian king and the Khan can be allied today, but they can also break their promises tomorrow. Persia was once controlled by the Hephthalites, paying huge ransoms every year, like the most lowly servants. But given the opportunity, the Persians still bit the Hephthalites like venomous snakes until they breathed their last. In my opinion, there is only one thing that will never change."

"What's the matter?"

"Territory and borders!" the Roman envoy explained. "Our Roman lands do not border your Rouran lands, and that is the basis for our friendship."

Anagui listened to the translation, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he said:
"I can befriend you, what is your name?"

"John Troglitz!"

The Roman envoy stated his name, and Anagui nodded, saying:

"To tell you the truth, I have no interest in Persian lands. I also have no intention of interfering in your war. However, I do not object to trade. I can bring you fine silk and tea, and even weapons and warhorses for your wars."

The Roman envoy listened with some resignation and finally said:

"What if the Persians want to conquer the east and seize the Khan's territory?"

Anagui dismissed this with disdain, saying:
“They cannot even subdue the Hephthalites, how can they be considered enemies of this Khan?”

The Roman envoy's gaze reflected that of an ambitious monarch.

"Khan, news from Dunhuang says that Ōyesō is going to declare himself emperor."

"When?"

"A letter from Dunhuang in the spring!"

The Roman envoy noticed that the Rouran Khan's demeanor had suddenly changed, filled with uncontrollable hatred. Anagui's current state even made the Roman envoy doubt the correctness of his earlier words.

"Ohno Sou, you still ended up like this!"

……

(End of this chapter)