Chapter 126 Hebron and the Conspiracy

On the vast Gobi desert, knights in blue robes and red and white robes formed a long and winding queue.

Climb steep slopes and pass through criss-crossing dry river valleys.

Behind them are the sergeants of the brigade.

The long and arduous trek made the soldiers complain.

What was supposed to be a protracted war turned into a grand armed parade.

But except for those peasants and soldiers who were forced to recruit from the fields, most people did not think this was something to be thankful for.

They just found the two long journeys in succession to be excruciating.

When crossing the Jordan River.

The huge team of nearly 30,000 people when they arrived has shrunk by one-third.

Knights and soldiers from various vassals have followed their lords back to their respective territories.

Serving the lord is an obligation. This obligation is calculated in terms of time. Depending on the severity of the contract, it ranges from one month to three months per year.

In addition, there is often a contract with Jerusalem's characteristics. When the kingdom is invaded by foreign enemies, it must respond unconditionally to the king's call.

This is why many lower-class lords and soldiers are dissatisfied with not being able to fight a battle.

Because only by fighting can you get spoils of war. Whether it is prisoners, war horses, or damaged weapons and equipment, as long as you can exchange them for money, it is always good.

Otherwise, a grand military parade only means one-sided expenditure, and at most it can only obtain a compensation from the royal family that is not enough to cover military expenses. It is equivalent to working in vain and will not generate any profits.

Before his return, Baldwin IV consecrated a large number of cavalrymen who performed well in battle as royal knights enjoying "public fiefs".

Royal knights, in short, are landless knights who are supported by the royal territory and receive wages.

In addition, the fiefs of knights killed in battle will be inherited by their heirs. Only for a small part of the extinct heirs, the territory will be taken back and re-distributed to knights with more outstanding military exploits.

In this war, the one with the most outstanding achievements was of course Lothar.

In addition, Guy led his men to burn the Saracens' food and grass, which was considered a great contribution. Otherwise, the Saracens might not have retreated so simply.

In addition, Baldwin IV confiscated Earl Leonard's title of Earl of Transjordan, resulting in a slight imbalance in the power of the Queen Mother's Party and the Lord's Party led by Regent Raymond.

Therefore, in private talks, Baldwin IV also revealed his intention to canonize Guy of Lusignan as the lord of Mengisa.

Mengisa was a town built by Baldwin IV to commemorate the victory he personally led against Saladin in the Battle of Mengisa. Its population and territory were not large, and it was only similar to Fort Yogurt before the "repair".

Lothar and Baron Godfrey rode horses side by side and walked at the front of the team.

After crossing the Jordan River, there is no longer an endless desert ahead, but a large area of ​​green shade. The river flows happily into the farmland along the canals.

Some manors and villages are scattered in an orderly manner along the road.

The population has also become denser.

People looked at the army. The Christians rejoiced and came forward to chat with the Crusaders and inquire about the war. The pagans generally avoided them.

"Have you seen that grape plantation? This means that we are about to arrive in Hebron. If nothing else happens, this will be your future territory."

Baron Godfrey pointed to a large vine hanging on a support not far away, with a hint of envy in his tone.

He is the lord of Beirut, Assuf and Ibelin. The first two are very wealthy towns, but having three baron titles does not mean that they can be merged into one earl.

There is no promotion relationship between titles in this era.

Baron Ibelin, if nothing else, will always be Baron Ibelin.

Unless, like Count Leopold of the Austrian border, he reached an agreement with the emperor and sought independence from the title of the Duchy of Bavaria to "upgrade" to the Grand Duchy of Austria.

Lothar heard the sourness in the other person's tone.

In fact, if he is named the Count of Transjordan, he will immediately transform into one of the top powerful lords in Jerusalem.

This kind of transformation is so great that it is not an exaggeration to describe it as "reaching the sky in one step".

Even though Lothar, as the Earl of Transjordan, may not have as much territory and territory as his vassal, "Baron" Leonard of Carleburg.

He smiled and said: "If Balian can marry Princess Sibylla, the two territories of Ashkalon and Jaffa under the princess's name will fall to the Ibelin family. When the time comes, let Balian take over the territories. I'll give it to you, and you will be the noble Earl of Jaffa."

The four territories of Ashkalon, Ibelin, Jaffa, and Asuf happened to be connected together, covering the southern coastline of Jerusalem.

This is much more comfortable than a loosely distributed, unmanageable enclave.

As long as it is carefully built, it will be a country within a country like the County of Tripoli. It is not an exaggeration to call him the king of a country.

"Oh, it's just a title. It doesn't change anything whether you have it or not."

Baron Godfrey said inconsistently: "You bet, be careful of Count Leonard, he will not give up. The lords of Transjordan will not easily take sides before you two decide who is better."

"He is no longer a count."

Lothar didn't take Leonard to heart.

This count is indeed powerful, but he is a cheat.

As expected, he obtained the title of "Earl", which was regarded as completing another milestone.

You will definitely get a lot of rewards by then.

Next, it only takes a period of "farming development", and Leonard is really not an enemy worth taking seriously by Lothar.

Hebron is only forty kilometers away from Jerusalem. The soldiers were eager to return home, so they did not propose to rest here. Looking at the speed of the march, they would probably be able to return to Jerusalem before evening.

Lothar was happy to enjoy the scenery of this territory that was probably his own.

Outside this ancient holy city of two religions, apart from the vast plantations, the most unique sight is the endless stream of pagans coming to worship.

Lothar saw with her own eyes some Jews tearing their shirts as they walked. Their clothes were full of patches - which meant that after they tore their clothes, they would sew them up again.

This strange custom made Lothar feel completely incomprehensible.

Mending clothes proves that clothes are valuable.

But you still have to tear them apart to show your worship to the gods. Isn’t this because you are full after eating?

Hebron, a town located on the West Bank of the Jordan River, has a permanent population of nearly ten thousand people. It is not inferior to Montreal, which Lothar covets, and it is even richer.

Because it has more villages and fiefs attached to it.

Baron Godfrey introduced: "Hebron is an important transportation route for many pilgrims going to Jerusalem. In addition, it can also collect high entry taxes from pagans. Leonard had previously paid three-thirds of the tax in a year. I spent most of my time here.”

"Becoming an earl means that you will have your own palace, a mansion with fountains and gardens, marble-paved bathrooms, and groups of beautiful female slaves. It is a completely different lifestyle from that of European lords. But pleasure is important to a As far as the lord is concerned, it is only secondary. You must remember that sweet nectar always contains deadly venom."

Lothar couldn't help but feel fascinated after hearing his description.

He couldn't help but laugh: "If you put it this way, I can't wait to taste this 'poison'."

Isn’t that why power and wealth are desirable?

Baron Godfrey said angrily: "Do you know how many heroes and warriors have degenerated into a group of wastes who only know pleasure in the life of the Eastern court?

Amalric, our Lord Chancellor, was once a military and political minister personally appointed by His Majesty. He also personally led the charge in the Battle of Mengisa and was a famous warrior.

At that time, who would have thought that he would become a villain who only knew how to deduct military pay and hide behind his brothers? "

Lothar suppressed a smile, knowing that this old friend of her father was warning her very seriously.

So he nodded solemnly and said, "I promise you, I will never become that kind of person."

Wine and sex are like bone scrapers, so be careful.

Behind him, in the team of knights.

Amalric sneezed suddenly.

"Who is talking about me behind my back?"

He rubbed his nose and continued to brag to the knights around him: "Do you know how many Saracens I killed that night?"

In these days, he would brag to everyone he met about how he and his brothers burned the Saracens' food and grass. He felt that his contribution could completely offset his guilt of embezzling military pay.

Baldwin IV never had any intention of disposing of him, which made him feel relieved.

Towards dusk, the army finally arrived in Jerusalem.

Bells burst out from the Zoroastrian minaret that had been transformed by the Crusaders - this is also a unique product of Jerusalem's localized Christianity.

The knights and soldiers of the city defense army walked into the city tiredly and covered with dust. The nobles and citizens who came to greet them offered drinks and food. Some wealthy ladies even rode carriages and went outside. A lot of silver coins and copper coins were thrown out.

The news has been sent back in advance, and the "truce" has been exaggerated into a great victory.

The soldiers immediately started looting.

Lothar was riding on a war horse, watching Baldwin IV perform a series of rituals with some boredom.

All he wants now is a hot bath and a good night's sleep in a room with a roof and a bed.

The lady standing on the two-story building next to the road stared closely at the majestic-looking grand leader of the Royal Knights who followed closely beside the chariot.

She licked her soft red lips and said with emotion: "It's so tempting. I like this kind of brave knight best."

Her companion, a woman shrouded in a black robe, sneered: "Stop being so arrogant. If we don't deal with this guy, that crazy woman will definitely expose our identity to everyone."

There was a mockery in the lady's tone: "Oh, it's so simple. Didn't you see the witch following him? That's not easy to deal with."

She paused slightly and then said: "If you ask me, instead of being threatened by that crazy woman, we should turn around and get rid of her - there are as many people as there are in Kalle Fort, and if we kill them all, no one will be able to spread the news. Alright?"

The woman snorted coldly: "Don't say stupid things. Kaleburg has a lot of magic-blocking gold. Just the two of us can't kill them all."

The noble lady's face became a little gloomy: "When will our noble blood race start to be threatened by these humble humans? If you ask me, in the worst case, we will run back to the castle in Wallachia."

Her companion sneered: "Don't tell me that you are used to living in a spacious palace and are still willing to return to that smelly swamp. If you are afraid, you can leave, but I tell you, I am I will never give up my noble status in the human world.”