Manuel still had that peaceful smile on his face as he countered, "Does Prince Giray not wish to be the Golden Horde?"
"The former Golden Horde is a zombie that should be thrown into the dustbin of history. The order of the Jochi Ulus must be rebuilt with scimitars and iron hooves!"
"Rebuild a brand new Jochi Ulus? I don't think the Grand Duke of Lithuania will support this plan."
"That's why I haven't deluded myself into expecting his full support, even though I was born on the land of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania." Haji's expression grew serious. "Olubey, we can cooperate. With my help, I will free the Principality of Theodoro from its former status as a Golden Horde vassal."
"Excellent." Manuel's smile broadened even more. "Then may I ask, which great power does Prince Giray intend to ally with? Because this great endeavor cannot be accomplished by one person and one nation alone."
"Arslan could conquer all of Anatolia; the greatest Khan could march from the Eastern plateaus all the way to Europe; the lame Timur could establish an empire that shook the four directions. If they could do it, why can't I?"
"But the Russians, the Lithuanians, and the people of the Caucasus—I don't believe they will sit idly by and watch the birth of a new Golden Horde."
Of course, there's also us, Manuel thought to himself.
"There will always be muslims who follow the teachings of Allah." Saying this, Haji Giray's gaze slowly shifted from the map to the now-rising Ottoman Empire. "What do you think of the Turk's country?"
It was the Ottoman Empire again. Manuel's left hand instinctively trembled slightly. He forcibly suppressed his inner unease and replied, "Muawiyah did not tolerate Ali, nor did Cordoba consider the Abbasids legitimate. I don't quite understand the love-hate relationship among you Crescent Sect followers, but I never believe that a single steppe can simultaneously accommodate two young and strong lion kings."
Haji Giray lowered his head slightly, and then finally slowly averted his gaze from the Ottoman Empire, which made Manuel involuntarily breathe a sigh of relief. He then took the opportunity to ask,
"Prince Giray, what do you plan to do with the Bakhchysarai area?"
"Before I build a new Sarai, I will gather the three towns there and make it the most beautiful city in the Khanate, and its temporary capital," Haji said, full of ambition.
"Hmm, so you mean you will never divide that area among other vassals or allies, big or small, regardless of their stance, right?"
"Hasn't that always been the dwelling place of us Tatar nomads?"
"But not since ancient times, and as far as I know, there are still many runaway orthodox serfs making a living there."
"Serfs should be honestly bound to the land, not running wild on our Tatar land! If I encounter them, I will make these infidel Kafir regret the time when they were serfs!"
"What a wise decision." Manuel said with a smile, while also silently spitting at Haji Giray in his heart.
It was then that Haji Giray remembered that a "Kafir" was standing right beside him. He immediately put on a flattering smile and said, "Please don't mind what I just said; it was merely the frivolous remark of a young man. Moreover, Olubey, my plans for the future capital are not a secret, in my opinion." Haji chuckled.
It seems that territorial concessions are out of the question; this fellow is truly a devout Crescent Sect follower. Manuel shook his head internally, while secretly anticipating the fruitless outcome of the secret talks.
Although his face showed no expression, Haji's next question made him anxious:
"Olubey, after all this talk, I just want to know one thing: are you willing to contribute a small effort for the peace of this steppe?"
This is a trap for me, Manuel's left eyelid twitched slightly. He then lowered his head, carefully pondered for a moment, and then replied to him:
"Prince Giray, Theodoro firmly upholds peace in the Eastern European Great Plains, calls for multilateral talks, resolves disputes through peaceful means, and advocates shelving disputes and joint development…"
Now it was Haji's turn for his eyelids to twitch: this Greek's roundabout way of speaking was too practiced, was this a racial talent? After a moment, he gave his reply, "Gavras, I am truly sorry, but we have not reached the consensus we should have."
"I also regret that our insignificant trifles have delayed Prince Giray's valuable military affairs." Manuel said, bowing deeply to him as an apology.
"Although this Mansur is poor, basic supplies are available. Please rest here with your delegation members."
"Thank you for your generosity, Prince Giray." Thus, the negotiations ended without either side reaching any strategic consensus.
"Prepare to be an enemy of Haji Giray." On the way back, Manuel jotted down this small line in his notebook.