, ▁which ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 5 6 8 ▁and ▁offered ▁not ▁only ▁sil k ▁as ▁a ▁gift ▁to ▁Justin ▁II , ▁but ▁also ▁proposed ▁an ▁al liance ▁against ▁S ass an id ▁Pers ia . ▁Justin ▁II ▁agreed ▁and ▁sent ▁an ▁emb ass y ▁to ▁the ▁Turk ic ▁Kh agan ate , ▁ens uring ▁the ▁direct ▁Chinese ▁sil k ▁trade ▁desired ▁by ▁the ▁S og d ians . ▁ ▁In ▁ 6 2 5 , ▁Her ac lius ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁the ▁ste pp es ▁his ▁em iss ary , ▁named ▁Andrew , ▁who ▁promised ▁to ▁the ▁Kh agan ▁some ▁" st agger ing ▁rich es " ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁military ▁aid . ▁The ▁k h agan , ▁on ▁his ▁part , ▁was ▁anxious ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁Chinese - By z antine ▁trade ▁along ▁the ▁Sil k ▁Route , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁dis rupted ▁by ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Pers o - T urk ic ▁War . ▁He ▁sent ▁word ▁to ▁the ▁Emperor ▁that ▁" I ▁shall ▁take ▁reven ge ▁on ▁your ▁enemies ▁and ▁will ▁come ▁with ▁my ▁val i ant ▁troops ▁to ▁your ▁help ". ▁A ▁unit ▁of ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁hors emen ▁fought ▁their ▁way ▁through ▁Pers ian ▁Trans c au cas ia ▁and ▁delivered ▁the ▁Kh agan ' s ▁message ▁to ▁the ▁By z antine ▁camp ▁in ▁An atol ia . ▁ ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Der b ent ▁▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁ 6 2 7 , ▁the ▁Gö kt ür ks