Dear Senator Petrus Taurinus,
I write to you in the hope that you will heed council and break words. I have a plan to discover the true power of the nation to the east. The map we have discovered only tells us how big they are. However size does not prove strength. With your support I would like to fund an expedition, using one of the Tagmata, to discover what this land truly holds in the name of power. If my guess is correct they should be on par with our own military, however this is uncertain. My goal is to discover of this current unknown, and to find out if they would be friend or foe. While Pisa might be in your sights right now, they are little more than a minor nusance, a thorn in our paw if you will, and should be easily subjugated should we honestly enforce our will. Cathay, on the other hand, is a complete unknown in this regard. If we do come to blows I, as I am sure you would like to as well, wish to know the true strength of this future opponent. As such, I hope to garner yours, and your faction's, support in the senate tomorrow.
I eagerly await your reply.
Sincerely,
Quintus Ovidius Mojmirid