How could Adam refuse his benefactor's request to enter? Just like that, Rostislav once again walked into the center of Bulgar power.
Rostislav quite liked this palace. The Bulgar Khan's palace was filled with Persian and Arab charm, an exotic style Rostislav had never seen in Rus'. The colonnades, in particular, were quite novel to the Prince, and he would always take a stroll there after meals.
It would have been better without those construction workers, though. They were busy cleaning the prophetic proverbs off the walls, which Rostislav found regrettable. Those proverbs were initially part of the architectural style, and destroying them made the entire building look quite uncoordinated. He only hoped Adam Khan would find good enough architects to solve these problems in the future.
Entering the Khan's court, the Moscow Prince took his usual seat beside the Khan, a place of honor in the Bulgar Khanate, typically occupied by powerful ministers and the Khan's heir.
It was interesting to note that the former owner of this seat was Akad, who had been killed many times over. At that time, his power essentially overshadowed the entire Volga Bulgaria, and not long after, he usurped the throne.
Adam and Rostislav had even joked about this, but those jests also revealed something practical: Rostislav was now the de facto ruler of Bulgar.
After all, the Prince's army was nearly twice as large as Adam's, and the city gates were still controlled by the Rus'.
Because of this, Rostislav wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. As a ruler, he understood another ruler's thoughts better than anyone else. If he stayed here too long, it would be detrimental to their future relationship.
Next, the Prince got straight to the point of today's meeting.
"I assume you have finished reading those reports, Lord Adam. First, I must tell you that the withdrawal of the Winter Army will not change because of this. I will take my army as I said yesterday."
Right from the start, Rostislav stated that the army's withdrawal was inevitable, and Rostislav also wanted to leave here as soon as possible.
Currently, Bulgar's food supply was beginning to face some difficulties, and Moscow was also reporting that the difficulty of collecting grain there was increasing. Therefore, the Moscow Prince needed to return to Northeast Rus as soon as possible and disband this army that was consuming countless resources daily.
After all, they came to Bulgar to support Adam, and now that everything that needed to be done was completed, they naturally should leave.
Rostislav's words made Adam breathe a sigh of relief. He was truly afraid that the Moscow Prince would state that due to the current situation, the Winter Army would extend its stay in Bulgar. If that were the case, Adam would truly have to suspect whether Rostislav intended to use him as a puppet.
"Since you have made such a decision, Lord Rostislav, I have no objection. However, before the army leaves, I would like to use your military strength to do one thing."
"What is that, Lord Adam?"
Adam's words sparked a lot of interest in Rostislav's eyes. He had originally thought he would have to proactively propose the next strategy, but it seemed Adam had already figured out what Rostislav wanted to do and was actively guiding the conversation in that direction.
"The 'Sword of Justice'—this organization must be dealt with and eliminated. We have neglected the Bulgar countryside for some time, Lord Rostislav. We must conduct a comprehensive sweep to root out these traitors and their supporters."
Rostislav nodded slightly. This was also his idea. Rather than letting the Winter Army sit idle while preparing to withdraw, it would be better to deploy them for bandit suppression. Before the Rus' left, they should severely strike the resistance forces in the Bulgar region.
Moreover, doing so had another effect: it allowed for a thorough understanding of the Bulgar countryside, investigating the situation on this land. For a long time, the Adam regime's energy had been too focused on the cities and their surrounding areas, and their understanding of areas outside the cities was truly limited.
"The Winter Army has no issues and can be deployed at any time. However, Lord Adam, a mere sweep is not a lasting solution for such matters, is it?"
Rostislav naturally expressed his agreement, and then he offered some advice, fearing that Adam might not understand this aspect and would only resort to sweeping operations.
To this, Adam calmly stated that he had his own plans in this regard and that his Rus' friend need not worry.
When these words were spoken, Rostislav was momentarily stunned, not out of anger, but surprise. The young man who had always followed him was now actually capable of rejecting his interference.
However, this was precisely how a ruler should act. If he relied on him for everything, then he shouldn't be an independent ruler; the Rus' should simply take over everything.
That also saved Rostislav trouble. He was still confident and at ease with Adam's way of doing things. For so many years, he had been learning by the Prince's side; it was impossible for him to remain a political novice after such a long period of study. He only needed to be prepared to help him with issues arising from a lack of experience.
After this meeting, the armies inside and outside Bulgar city finally began to stir. Troops usually dispersed around the city were concentrated in the barracks, and Adam's vassals also led their armies to arrive.
A calm before a storm enveloped Bulgar city. Everyone saw the massing of troops, and news of the complete annihilation of the Rus' grain collection team had already begun to circulate.
Everyone was discussing when Adam and Rostislav would send out troops, and war suddenly became the most talked-about topic. Unfortunately, no one knew except Adam.
Rostislav, however, had not paid any attention during this period. He had handed over the command of the troops to his subordinates, while he himself was reading the letters sent from Moscow during this time.
These letters were all from Zoe, the mistress of Moscow. However, most of Zoe's letters complained about her two sons being extremely mischievous all day long. These letters all made Rostislav smile knowingly.
Zoe did not describe much about the current situation in Northeast Rus, only mentioning that pagan activities had increased in the countryside at some unknown time. They were spreading through villages, speaking inflammatory words, and some even ran to Moscow to incite people. Fortunately, this idiot was quickly caught and killed.
The Prince was not surprised by this. With him away from Moscow, some demons and monsters were bound to cause trouble. He merely instructed Zoe in the letter to suppress them severely and then paid no more attention, as he still needed to concern himself with Adam's arrangements.
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