Chapter 1160: Empire, Empire, Empire!

"I respect the strength of your general," said An Yue, the second-rate translator, without thinking twice. Just from the bloodthirsty aura emanating from Li Jue and his men, he could tell how many people they had killed. They were true warriors, and even the Romans couldn't help but respect them.

"Convey my acknowledgment of their fighting spirit as well," Li Jue was surprised that the Romans had been the first to show admiration. But as the saying goes, 'If someone shows you an inch of respect, give them back a mile.'

"Marquis of Chiyang says he recognizes the strength of your fighting spirit, Legion Commander," An Yue translated, though the distance between them was still considerable.

"We want to know, why has the Han Empire attacked us Romans?" Canasius signaled to one of his tribunes to ask.

An Yue translated this question to Li Jue, who paused for a moment before answering, "The King of Anxi came to our empire to request troops. We were paid, so we handle the problem. Besides, I don’t believe we would lose."

Even if Li Jue was a fool, he wouldn’t reveal his true thoughts.

"Marquis of Chiyang says that the King of Anxi borrowed troops from the Han Empire. Since they were paid, they resolved the issue, and he’s confident that their empire is invincible," An Yue carefully organized his words to make sure he expressed himself clearly.

Canasius remained silent. Li Jue had a point; just like how some allies might borrow Roman troops to deal with their enemies, the Romans never cared who the opponent was. After all, they had never known defeat as they swept across the world.

"I am a Duke of Rome, in charge of military and administrative affairs at the borders. While your title differs from mine, it is also a high rank. I invite you to join me in sharing Parthia," Canasius brushed his tribune aside, speaking directly as he rode forward.

Tiridates, who had fought against the Romans for many years as a high-ranking official, could understand enough of the Roman tongue to grasp what Canasius was implying. With a shock, he realized how little Anxi meant to Rome and the Han Empire. If things continued like this, his best option might be to slit his own throat.

"What did he say?" Li Jue and Guo Si both noticed the fear in their Anxi ally’s expression and turned to An Yue with confused looks.

An Yue, now also deeply shaken, suddenly realized that the Anxi Empire, which the Wusun people had revered so much, was not as formidable as he had thought. Canasius had openly suggested dividing the Anxi Empire right in front of them!

"He said he is a Duke of the Roman Empire, in charge of border military and administrative matters. He respects the general's strength and is willing to share the Anxi Empire with you," An Yue explained honestly.

Li Jue was momentarily stunned. After a long pause, he slowly raised his head to look at Canasius. Though he couldn’t understand what the Roman was saying, in that moment, he finally understood what an empire truly was. The ambition in Canasius' eyes told him everything.

Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou all stared at Canasius, their expressions solemn. Before leaving their homeland, they had never imagined a day like this would come. But standing before the Duke of the Roman Empire, they finally understood what it meant to be part of an empire. It was more than just territory—it was a certain grandeur, a certain aura.

"Tell him, thank you for his offer, but no," Li Jue suddenly smiled. It wasn’t that he feared speaking his mind in front of the Anxi guards; it was simply that they weren’t ready. They didn’t have the strength to carve up the spoils of the world just yet.

As for Anxi, Li Jue had already put them to the side. He finally understood the meaning of Emperor Wu’s words to the Xiongnu: The world is vast, but it’s not enough for us to share.

"Marquis of Chiyang appreciates your offer, but it’s not possible," An Yue calmly translated. Even though he was lowly in status, at that moment, he wielded the fate of the Parthian Empire. He finally understood the pride of empires.

The three Roman tribunes were now sizing up Li Jue and his companions, noting their tall, strong builds, the scars on their faces, and the wounds on their bodies. These were the marks of honor and achievement, entirely different from the image of Roman nobility, yet their aura was strikingly similar.

This shared aura, this pride and confidence in their words, was something only a rising empire could display. Despite their different appearances and forms, they carried the same imperial pride. This was what it meant to be an empire!

"Very well, then. But we will return. Next time, I will bring the Senate Guard or even the Imperial Guard," Canasius said, gazing at Li Jue.

Li Jue didn’t understand Canasius’ words, but the stern look in his eyes made it clear that the Roman was issuing a warning. Li Jue laughed heartily and said, "Whatever it is, I’ll take it all on!"

"General, he said he’ll come back, and next time, he’ll bring even stronger imperial guards," An Yue hurriedly translated.

"From the look on his face, I can tell what he means. Imperial guards, huh? Tell him the Han Empire isn’t to be trifled with either!" Li Jue shot back.

An Yue relayed this exactly, and both Canasius and Tiridates' faces darkened.

"Ask him to negotiate a ceasefire with Anxi," Tiridates quickly ordered An Yue, seeing that both sides had fallen into silence.

"General, Anxi hopes we can help negotiate a ceasefire," An Yue naturally interpreted this as Anxi asking the Han Empire to mediate.

"Tell the Romans, we’ll give them two years of peace with Anxi if they agree to leave now," Li Jue nodded, understanding Anxi’s current situation.

An Yue swiftly conveyed the message to the Romans. After consulting with his tribunes, Canasius replied, "If Anxi compensates us both, I can guarantee a one-year truce for Rome."

Tiridates clenched his fists in anger, his veins bulging with rage. His blue-green eyes were filled with killing intent.

In truth, the Romans weren’t trying to curry favor with the Han Empire—they were simply following their usual customs. In their view, any losses should not be blamed on the Han, but on Anxi. Therefore, it was only natural that Anxi should compensate both sides.

Hearing the translation, Li Jue was momentarily stunned. He then told An Yue, "Translate that word for word to the Anxi general."

Tiridates didn’t even need An Yue’s translation—he had already understood Canasius’ words. His eyes blazed with anger, but he restrained himself, stating that a formal negotiation would occur when the Roman envoy reached Ctesiphon.

"Reasonable compensation will bring us peace," Canasius said indifferently to Tiridates, then turned back to Li Jue. "Believe me, we will meet again in battle. As for the bodies of your fallen warriors, they should already be gathered while we were talking."

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