People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

Chapter 274
When Turiados returned to the mansion, he sent his subordinates to prepare with great fanfare.

"This Earl of Lothar is a person who knows how to advance and retreat. Otherwise, if he insists on sending an army to fight with him, I really don't know how to refuse."

Turiados opened his hands and let the maids come forward to take off his heavy robe and put on a blouse for him.

He exhorted:

"The grain, grass, and luggage he requested should be prepared as soon as possible. It is best to send a batch tomorrow morning to show my sincerity."

"By the way, remember to remind the defenders everywhere to be more vigilant. That Earl of Lothar is not leading the army of the empire, but a group of barbaric Franks.

You've all heard the crusaders' reputation for brutality, don't stop them from marching.

But remember, you must not open the city gates and invite them to enter. "

After dealing with the matter at hand, Turiados fell asleep.

It was just dawn.

An urgent secret letter was sent to Turiados who was still asleep through the courier.

He opened the wax seal on it, and after reading it briefly, his eyes widened, showing an expression of disbelief.

The original drowsiness has long been thrown out of the sky.

"The fleet of the Empire and the Crusaders has been defeated!"

"Losed to the fleet leased from the two city-states of Apennines? How is this possible!"

Turiados felt as if he had been fooled. Even if the imperial fleet was declining, wouldn't there be a Crusader fleet to assist this time?

Adding the two together, even the Venetian or Genoese fleets can fight, right?

He continued to look down.

His face was blue and white for a while.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on the back.

"Isaac rode a black dragon, spit out fiery dragon flames, and defeated the United Fleet. They could only flee far away, and the sea was full of floating corpses."

His heart skipped a beat.

I just jumped back, and I received this kind of message.

"O omniscient father, does this tyrant Isaac really have a destiny, and should the empire continue to be ruled by the Comnenos royal family?"

His heart was cold.

This Isaac is not an easy-to-serve monarch. He has only just ruled Cyprus for a long time, and he has gained the reputation of "tyrant".

If the news about the secret agreement between him and Lothar leaks out... Damn it, it is almost inevitable that he prepared supplies for the Crusade with such a big fanfare last night.

No, I have to fix it!

A cold light flashed in Turiados' eyes.

...

The time when Lothar received the news was almost in sync with Turiados.

He woke up from his sleep, and was shocked by the news: "This Isaac actually has a black dragon, Anna, you don't know such important news?"

Anna said apologetically, "Sorry, Isaac is indeed an ordinary person, and I don't know how he tamed a sleeping black dragon."

"Perhaps some wizards have joined him."

"This black dragon is also a fire dragon?"

Lothar asked.

"Well, it's a pterosaur. It shouldn't be as powerful as the tyrannical dragon you eliminated before, but it's not too bad. When I arrived, I only saw shipwrecks and dead bodies floating on the sea. .”

Lothar quickly calmed down and asked: "How much is the loss of your fleet? When will the reinforcements arrive?"

Anna said bitterly: "The imperial fleet suffered heavy losses, especially the large ships loaded with Greek kerosene—but the Crusaders' fleet obviously didn't suffer any losses, but they didn't want to attack again."

"In other words, we are completely reduced to a lone army now?"

Lothar frowned.

"For the time being, that's it."

Anna's tone was full of apology. She knew this would be the result. She should not have advised Lothar to land in the north of Cyprus while the enemy's ships were concentrated.

If there is a more secure method, the best thing to do now is to withdraw the troops.

Anna was silent for a moment, and said with some difficulty: "It's really not possible, you just ask your subordinates to surrender, I will compensate you for the loss, and do my best."

Lothar's heart warmed slightly.

He couldn't help laughing and said: "It's not your fault, you don't need to worry about it, you just made a suggestion, isn't it me who adopted it?

Besides, if you persuade me to surrender before the fight, am I still Belisarius? "

"Huh? Did you hear that?"

Lothar chuckled and said, "Are you kidding? I'm not deaf. Okay. That's it. Let me know any news."

Hang up the communication.

The smile on Lothar's face gradually disappeared.

The reason why the Crusader fleet retreated without suffering much loss is very simple. On the one hand, the Crusader fleet cannot withstand such a large loss.

A considerable part of the fact that the Kingdom of Jerusalem has been able to survive to this day is due to the fact that the Crusader fleet has an advantage over Saladin's fleet and has gained command of the sea.

Otherwise, port cities such as Jaffa and Acre will definitely suffer frequent looting, and it will be even more difficult for support from the European continent to arrive.

on the other hand.

The bargaining chip given by Queen Lagaia is obviously not enough for the two major knight orders to fully assist.

If there is no common enemy in a mere feudal city, how can the two major knights value it?
In addition, Lothar's relationship with the two major knight orders is also quite general.

First, they poached away the younger brother trained by the Knights of the Hospital, the Teutonic Knights.

In Jerusalem, it also broke up with the radical knights, including the Knights Templar, which is also one of the reasons.

But this is also a helpless move. Those ambitious knights who are new to the Holy Land are both a help and a burden.

It is impossible for him to provoke Saladin endlessly, so what is the difference between him and Leonard?
Moreover, even if Raouf's territory is really captured in the future, at least half of it must be included in his own direct jurisdiction, instead of being entrusted to the new knights who came to the Holy Land in order to satisfy the interests of all parties.

Otherwise, he would have almost no room for expansion. To deal with the Shengsi family in the south is equivalent to slapping the face of the entire Zoroastrian world.

To the east, there is a desert.

With the power at hand, when can we face Adil of Egypt?

Jeanna reminded: "My lord, in this way, Turiados, who originally planned to jump back to our side, will probably jump back to Isaac's side."

"It's not possible, it's certain."

Lothar said firmly: "We only have 400 people, and now the enemy is strong and we are weak—at least, on the surface."

Jean Na sighed lightly: "It seems that the logistics supplies in the original plan are gone."

"No. If he doesn't give it, I will take it myself."

Lothar's voice was cold: "The meeting between Turiados and me is not a secret matter, Isaac is a tyrant, how can he be tolerated.

To remedy it, he has to do something to us.As long as he does not rely on the strong fortress and wipes out his main force in a field battle, Limassol will be in our own hands. "

Jeanne's eyes lit up.

"Then after the war, will the territory we have won be returned to the Eastern Empire?"

"Of course, I'm a man of credibility, but by then, it's definitely not enough to just give me a small town and a few attached castles. I want at least half of Cyprus."

Lothar said in a relaxed tone.

Although the Eastern Empire will definitely not give it, but say, still have to say so.

Only when the price is made, there is room for bargaining.

It's really not possible, we don't want the site anymore, you can exchange it for gold coins for me.

...

early morning.

The baggage carts were escorted by Turiados's servants and drove into the camp of the Crusaders. These were some fresh food, which immediately attracted cheers from the crowd.

Can eat new bread, who wants to eat dry and hard old bread, and those jerky that have no taste at all?
Turiados, who was waiting on the hillside, asked repeatedly: "Are you sure they ate the bread and meat we provided?"

"I cannot be sure, my lord, for they had not eaten when I left."

"However, I have reminded them that the bread and meat delivered this time may cause spoilage if not eaten as soon as possible."

"Those stingy Franks will eat them up as soon as possible."

Turiados breathed a sigh of relief: "According to the original plan, recruit troops from all over the country, and wipe out this crusader who has penetrated into the lone army as soon as possible."

Seeing his master looked gloomy.

The soldier reassured: "Don't worry, my lord. Only a few of us know about the defeat of the enemy fleet. They must not have imagined that His Majesty the Emperor has subdued a black dragon."

"Yes, it is!"

Turiados cheered up: "They go deep alone, and it is impossible to get news from the outside world. At this time, they must think that we are sincerely trying to help."

After all, in anyone's eyes, Isaac is a wreck that is about to sink.

Due to emotion and reason, he jumped back to Lothar's side, which is all as it should be.

(End of this chapter)