However, these problems had not yet surfaced. In front of Theodoro's army, which was tempered by war and not weak in combat, none of the Tatar nobles, currently scattered, dared to take risks. Each gritted their teeth and endured, feigning compliance with Theodoro.
Manuel was more or less aware of the Tatar nobles' hidden intentions, but given the current focus on the war, he couldn't openly expose their deceit. After all, these Crescent Sect Tatars were not refusing to pay taxes. In light of this, he couldn't act rashly, lest these Tatars raise a rebellion in the Northern Crimea region, which had only just managed to stabilize, consuming Theodoro's limited energy.
While Manuel was using his methods to try and integrate Northern Crimea, the messenger he had sent to his father, Alexius, had already arrived in Trabzon, delivering the letter and informing him of the detailed current situation.
Upon learning that his sons had actually withstood a major invasion by the Crimean Khanate, Alexius's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "You mean the Principality, under the leadership of Manuel and the others, successfully repelled the Tatars?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"This child, I didn't expect him to have grown to this extent. This ability and ambition are quite similar to my younger self." Alexius couldn't help but feel relieved, and at the same time, he self-deprecatingly thought, "Back then, I had the courage to offend Genoa itself, taking down the Gothic captaincy, which was forcibly occupied by heretics, by focusing on both internal and external affairs, using both soft and hard tactics. Now, I've become... Forget it, it's better not to think about such sad things."
After composing himself, Alexius began to seriously consider whether to return to the Principality. To be honest, he was currently in Trabzon, being supported by his in-laws and relatives, living a very stable life, and not having to worry about those difficult-to-handle muslims. For example, he was invited to attend a banquet tonight hosted by the Emperor of Trabzon, Alexios IV Megas Komnenos, who shared his name. Although he would likely be sidelined by his son if he didn't return to the Principality soon, Alexius had personally raised Manuel, so he knew his good eldest son's character and trusted Manuel enough. Therefore, he wasn't at all worried about his later years. "Anyway, the Prince's position will eventually go to Manuel. There's no harm in letting him sit in it a bit early." Alexius thought.
Since the war was not yet settled, and he had no worries, he would leave all the follow-up matters of fighting the Crimean Khanate to Manuel. As for the Principality's other potential forces, he believed Manuel could handle them properly. After thinking this through, Alexius got up and indirectly conveyed his decision to the messenger. His answer, repeated over and over, had only one meaning:
"I am happy here and do not miss Mangup."
After confirming Alexius's attitude, the messenger could only return dejectedly. Seeing the messenger's attitude, Alexius did not try to keep him but personally bid him farewell. After seeing the messenger off, Alexius put aside his superfluous thoughts and, with peace of mind, took his wife Zoe to attend the banquet hosted by Alexios IV of Trabzon.
However, Prince Alexius would one day regret not returning to help his son sooner, though that is a story for later.
A few days later, after receiving his father's attitude and intentions from the messenger, Manuel almost lost his composure. After dismissing his attendants and being left alone, he tapped the table lightly with his right hand, shaking his head for a long time before sighing, "Is my cheap old man kidding me? It's bad enough he ran off to Trabzon, but he's not coming back until the war is over? And if he's not coming back, he could at least sort out the succession for me, couldn't he?"
However, Manuel did not dwell in this emotion for too long. Since his father would not return until the war ended, Alexius was essentially allowing him to expand his power. "Then I'll just go for it."
After figuring this out, Manuel took out a map from his room and began to consider his next course of action. After a while, he pointed his finger at the location of Henichesk. "Establishing a mainland stronghold for the Principality is also a good option. But I can't attack rashly like last time. I still need to let Crimea and the Golden Horde fight for a while first."
Having made up his mind, he began to call in his generals and commanders to discuss the feasibility of capturing the town.
As Manuel finished his day's affairs and went to bed, across the Black Sea, in the city of Trabzon, within the Empire of Trebizond, after his wife Zoe had gone to sleep, Prince Alexius, lacking sleep, pondered everything he had seen at the banquet that day.
"The rumors were true, Emperor Alexius and his sons have only an average relationship." Alexius's face was grim as he recalled the rumors he had heard earlier in Mangup about the Komnenos family's internal affairs. He had begun collecting these rumors after hearing snippets of information about the Megas Komnenos family from his wife, and had specifically tasked his most trusted spy master, John Hus, with the job.
"And these old rumors just happen to be useful at such an unhelpful time," Alexius chuckled helplessly.
At the banquet that day, he even witnessed Alexios IV and his eldest son, John, arguing fiercely and coming to blows in front of him, a guest. The intensity was such that even Alexios IV's second son, David, who was also his son-in-law, couldn't stop them. In the end, the banquet broke up unpleasantly.
"Since the rumors of discord between the Komnenos father and son are true, could another rumor also be true?" Alexius became somewhat cautious, because the other rumor he knew, if accurate, was enough to shake Trabzon's recent tranquility.
The specific content of this rumor was that Alexios IV's eldest son, John Megas Komnenos, attempted to assassinate his father in 1429! ①
Although John Komnenos had been designated co-Basileus of the Empire of Trebizond by his father Alexios IV as early as 1417, his craving for power quickly led to conflict with his parents. For example, he once accused his mother, Theodora, of having an affair with a eunuch, killed the eunuch, and made his first attempt to imprison his parents. This farce was eventually ended by Alexios IV's personal guards, and John consequently fled temporarily to the Caucasus, where he married his current wife, Maria Bagrationi, in Georgia ②. Later, in 1427, John was said to have colluded with the Kaffa Consul and the Turks along the Black Sea coast, attempting to borrow several large ships from Genoa's Kaffa consulate to return to the Principality for a coup in 1429. However, this plan was aborted due to the war between Theodoro and Genoa shortly thereafter, forcing him to abandon the plan soon after and obediently return to the Principality to admit his mistakes to his father Alexios IV, in order to prevent his elderly father from stripping him of his inheritance. ③
Finally, at the intercession of his mother Theodora, Alexios IV granted John's request, but the rift that had already formed between father and son was irreparable.
After recalling these rumors, Prince Alexius sighed inwardly, "If these rumors are true, then Trabzon doesn't seem so safe. Fortunately, I am an outsider and don't have to worry so much."