Chapter 580 The Eve of War

In the Crusader camp outside Damietta.

The fluttering blue-bottomed golden iris flag and the red-bottomed three-golden lion flag are like two distinct torrents.

The news that the Saracens formed a large army to march westward naturally could not be hidden from the Crusaders. Everyone knew that the decisive battle to determine the ownership of Egypt was coming.

The Saracens were unwilling to endure the constant encroachment of their territory by the Crusaders, and the Crusaders also wanted to decide the outcome in one battle, rather than endure the harassment of the Saracen light cavalry that came and went like the wind, and bite the enemy's solid castles one by one.

The news between the Crusaders and the Saracens was not isolated.

Egypt has many cities and is an important window for Mediterranean trade. It receives a large number of Latin and Greek merchants every day.

The business of the Venetians and the Genoese is almost reaching Karakhitan (Western Liao Dynasty). They are also willing to serve the pagans. They can be seen in the courts of many Eastern monarchs.

As important partners of Latin merchants, the two kings from Europe naturally became the most well-informed part of the Crusaders.

After an impassioned speech, the army set out. With the two kings as the link, a mighty army of more than 10,000 crusaders was going to cross the Nile to the city of Semanud to join the crusaders under Lothar.

These crusaders were not all loyal to the two kings. Many of them were new to the Holy Land, and some wanted to join Lothar.

But after Lothar left, they were undoubtedly the most worthy and honorable people in Damietta, and naturally obtained their temporary command.

"How many of these people will choose to continue to follow us when we arrive at Semanud?"

"What do you mean?"

Philip was puzzled: "Do you think the prestige of our two kings is not as high as that of Lothar alone?"

Richard smiled contemptuously: "Don't think too highly of yourself, Your Majesty Augustus."

"Adil led his army from Rashid, the capital of Buhela Province. Calculating the days, when we arrive at Semanud, they can at least march to Manhur City, so the place where we will finally fight is The direction is the middle of the Nile Delta. "

"Our current army has nearly 15,000 people. After joining forces with the Crusaders under Lothar of Semanud, the total force will be at least half of the Saracens."

"Lothar has 10,000 troops under his command?" Philip was puzzled again, "Where did he get so many people? I remember that not long ago, he was just a newly appointed frontier earl?"

Philip has also collected a lot of news about Lothar in the Holy Land these days, but he was still a little shocked when he heard the number of "10,000".

You know, the "army" that can be recognized by Richard does not include those conscripted old farmers who can't even hold a spear steadily. At the very least, they must have undergone certain military training, be able to wear basic armor sets, or be light infantry who can relax the standards as archers.

In fact, in Albion and Gaul, the more powerful lords would not choose to recruit those cowardly and incompetent peasants to fight in battle. They believed that it was better to let the peasants work in the fields to support the knights and soldiers who were in charge of fighting.

Being able to raise such an army of 10,000 people has surpassed most kings in Europe.

You should know that in the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror and the army of Harold, the King of Albion at that time, each side had only 10,000 soldiers.

"Half of them are his own troops, and the other half are the troops of his vassals and followers."

Richard added: "During the Battle of Galilee, he relied on the territory with a total population of only 100,000 to mobilize tens of thousands of troops."

Philip calculated the time and said puzzledly: "He has only been in the Holy Land for half a year."

"People say that Lothar has a unique military training manual that can transform a peasant into a warrior in just one month or even less - I guess it may be the effect of the magic potion."

Although Richard also sent people to inquire about this so-called "drill manual", he did not believe that there was such a magical thing in the world.

Richard shrugged: "Anyway, this is the fact. Lothar's army is there, and both its equipment and combat effectiveness are very good. This has been tested in previous wars."

"Even if you say so, I still don't believe it. This Marquis of Lothar, or the Duke or something, captured a group of peasants, hooligans, and desperadoes to serve as knights for himself. Is this the origin of the famous Winged Hussars, the Imperial Knights, and those armored cavalry?"

Richard rolled his eyes: "I don't believe it either, but this is the fact, Philip, don't look like a country bumpkin who has never seen the world. This is not the demeanor of the most honorable Augustus."

Both kings have a guard that has been trained at a high price and is not stingy with magic potions, but even with the help of magic potions, they were all carefully selected warriors before, not just serfs picked out of the ground.

Nobles have to receive military training since childhood. The biggest leisure and entertainment activity in daily life is to ride horses to hunt wild beasts that may endanger the territory, even low-level monsters such as water ghosts.

This kind of hunting is not the same as the hunting activities held by great nobles like Lothar. It is a very daily activity, equivalent to the later generations opening their mobile phones to play a few games. It is also an important source of meat for the nobles.

Farmers can only work hard day after day, eating grains like cattle and sheep, and cannot get meat.

Even if there are hunters who are allowed to specialize in hunting, they are only good at bows and arrows. When war comes, these hunters are often recruited as light infantry to provide long-range support.

In this case, the gap between people is larger than the gap between humans and monkeys.

To outsiders, Lothar's "miraculous" military training method still seems too mysterious even if extraordinary powers are involved.

Philip spread his hands: "Well, if our Lord Lothar has the ability to turn farmers into warriors, then I am not surprised why he is so keen to please those despicable people."

"Is this why he went to win over those heretics and heretics?"

Philip frowned, thought for a while, and said: "Maybe more than that. Your ancestor, the famous William the Conqueror, used 25,000 Normans to rule Albion, which had 1.5 million people. , As a result, rebellions broke out one after another. The number of Egyptians far exceeded that of the Albionites by five or even six times, but the number of Crusaders was only twice that of the Normans brought by William the Conqueror. "

He glanced at Richard, with a hint of joking in his voice: "It seems that Marquis Lothar is indeed a smart man. If it were you, you would probably have to wait for them to rebel, then raise the butcher knife and kill them all." Bar?"

Richard snorted coldly: "What's the use of winning over those civilians? Do these civilians still dare to take up arms and resist their lords in order to defend Lothar when the local powerful people who rule them rebel?"

Philip chuckled and said: "Is there a possibility that if the common people are docile and obedient, Lothar will not need so many fief nobles to help manage his territory?"

Philip, who preferred to use bureaucrats, had already begun to think about the implications of Lothar's series of moves.

Although enfeoffing nobles saved trouble and effort, it also caused endless disasters.

After William the Conqueror captured Albion, the first person to raise a flag to rebel was the Count of Boulogne who fought alongside him in the Battle of Hastings, and a series of civil strife followed.

There are many examples of vassals carrying the banner, confronting the monarch, or even replacing him.

If all subjects pay taxes to the king, even if there is no knight class, can the lower-level lords, as the king, use the money saved to build a large standing mercenary army?

In other words, only the lower class of knights is retained, but the middle and lower nobles are replaced by self-appointed bureaucratic nobles who cannot be hereditary.

Philip thought freely. He was well aware of the resistance this would bring, but he knew even more clearly that once such a feat was accomplished, he could truly be called "I am the country."

Crusaders from the east marched westward.

Semanud's crusaders were also seizing the time to prepare for war.

Lothar, the Crusader Grand Marshal, left the city of Semanud early this morning, leaving only Coors to coordinate the overall situation.