People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

"If anyone else is short of military supplies, I will order the quartermaster to make up for them as much as possible."

No one came forward to ask for supplies anymore.

Most of the German nobles are Lothar's loyal confidants.

As for the Gallic nobles, in addition to those who also turned to Lothar's side, some lords originally wanted to take the opportunity to ask for some supplies, but seeing the contempt in the eyes of others, they swallowed their words hard. .

You can't let these vulgar and poor Germanic barbarians look down on you, right?

At this time, the Germans have not yet prospered. Although the Apennine states are wealthy, they are in disarray. Gaul is the core of the entire European continent, and the nobles of Gaul have always considered themselves superior to others.

"Okay, since there is no such thing, please return to the territory this time and seize the time to prepare for the war. We will have another big war with the Saracens in half a month at the latest."

Lothar looked solemn.

"Follow your orders, my lord."

"Do your will."

A group of Crusader nobles spoke out one after another.

Lothar nodded slightly. Although this military meeting required an extra payment for supplies, it was actually a good thing for him to have a say in the army.

At present, the price of food in the Kingdom of Jerusalem is soaring. Even if some Jewish merchants who were driving up prices were executed and various monasteries generously donated part of their money, the supply problem of the Crusaders was still quite serious.

However, after taking the city of Damietta, Lothar and his army immediately sent people to check the grain depots in the city. Governor Iben had occupied all the grain and fodder that he originally wanted to use for defense.

This makes him the only one who can come up with a large amount of supplies and ordnance in a short period of time.

The supplies promised by King Lionheart will take several months to arrive no matter how quickly they arrive.

To be honest, if Lionheart arrived in the Holy Land with an elite group of Crusaders from Europe, Lothar would really be worried that he would take away most of his say. But with just him and a group of personal guards, there is still a long way to go. .

Richard frowned. After all, he couldn't hold back anymore and said bluntly: "Your Excellency, Marquis, I still have a question."

He was not very good at playing tricks and tactics, so he reluctantly tried it, but found that it was neither pleasant nor effective, so he simply stood up and said: "You can't ask a king to obey your orders."

The captain of his earl guard and his staff were speechless. It stands to reason that at this time, Richard was completely at a disadvantage, so he should not speak anymore, because there was no possibility of a comeback.

But he also knew that his master had such a character.

Just like before, if you want the throne, you will directly raise a flag of rebellion against your own father. If you lose once, you will come twice. If you fail twice, you will come a third time!

Just like now, knowing clearly that his brother was colluding with the cunning fox Philip next door and trying to rebel, he still contacted Sebastian, constructed a teleportation array, and without hesitation abandoned his kingdom and became alone. Went to the Holy Land.

"Of course I don't dare to hope so much, your Majesty."

Lothar bowed his head and saluted: "But your Majesty has been in battle for a long time, and he must also know that if every lord goes his own way and makes his own decisions during the battle, it will definitely cause a devastating blow to the entire war situation."

He said seriously: "Our opponents are not a bunch of scattered Saracens during the Eastern Expedition. They have Mamluk cavalry in their hands that have been carefully trained and their combat effectiveness is no less than that of our Frank knights."

"While we were overjoyed that we had taken over the blessed land of the province of Damietta without any effort, Saladin's brother Adil, the governor who had personally appointed him to be in charge of Egypt, was also overjoyed that we had taken over the province without any effort. So that those pagan princes who usually thought they were right and ignored his orders were forced to bow to him and were extremely happy."

Lothar paused slightly and raised his tone: "Everyone, several big victories cannot blind us."

"We must realize that the enemy we face is by no means a vulnerable and lost dog. Indeed, every day, the Crusaders who were inspired by our capture of Damietta embarked on a journey to the Holy Land.

But similarly, the entire Saracen world also sent under the command of Saladin, under the name of Jihad, Ghazi warriors who provided their own weapons and even food. They came from Iberia, Africa, Asia Minor, and the Fertile Crescent. Arabia. In addition, the Saracens' military strength is far greater than that of the away game. If we take it lightly, we are very likely to suffer a disastrous defeat like the late king Amalric. "

A strange nobleman from Gaul sneered: "Your Majesty, the Marquis, said so much, is he afraid?"

His voice was harsh.

Because in the silence, he was the only one who spoke sarcastically, and he was immediately greeted with sharp eyes like knives.

Lothar chuckled and said, "Tell this strange noble gentleman that half a year ago, when I led the Royal Knights to capture Saladin's favorite youngest son alive, when I led the Crusader cavalry into tens of thousands of aliens, When I was in the camp of the teaching army, when I led the inferior troops and pierced through the Mamluk elites that were several times my own, when I faced the pagan devil driving the fire-breathing dragon, was I afraid? "

Immediately, the Crusader nobles responded: "No!"

"And you led us to victory!"

"You are the guardian of the Holy Spear and the miracle itself!"

"Praise Lothar!"

Lothar paused slightly, looked at the stunned Gallic nobleman, and asked with a sneer: "At that time, this fearless nobleman, where were you?"

Richard frowned: "Please stop blaming this ignorant, blind and deaf poor man, Your Majesty the Marquis. I understand your concerns, but I still ask for the same command authority as you, because you have no right to command a person." The King, and I, will also bring new victories to the Father.”

Lothar was silent for a moment and then said:

"Your Majesty, you have to know one thing. As the commander of the Crusades, my legitimacy comes not only from the recommendation of the lords of all parties, but also from the appointment of your uncle, His Majesty the Fourth World of Baldwin."

The late King Amalric was the father of Baldwin IV. His father was Fulk V, Count of Anjou and Count of Mann. Fulk V passed the territory to his eldest son Geoffrey and went to the Holy Land alone. , started the rule of the Angevin royal family of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Geoffroy's son was Henry II, the late king of Albion, the father of Richard the Lion-Hearted.

In other words, Richard the Lionheart is actually the nephew of Baldwin IV, although he is much older than Baldwin IV.

Richard was speechless for a moment.

Although as the head of the main branch of the Anjou family, his status will not be lower than that of Baldwin IV of the Angevin branch of Jerusalem, but as a junior, it is not appropriate to bluntly express his disregard for Baldwin IV's orders. Lothar looked solemn and said: "Your Majesty, I have no intention to point fingers at a noble king, let alone a noble monarch with great military exploits and a reputation for bravery throughout Europe. But what I want to say is that if we can't work together as one, The disastrous defeat of the last Eastern Expedition may happen again in front of us."

Lothar paused slightly and added: "Your Majesty, if you have any opinions about the war situation, you can bring it up to discuss with me. During the war, you and I are in charge of the same army and can cooperate with each other. But in terms of the overall military strategy, , it must be formulated by me, this is beyond doubt, it is related to the success or failure of this crusade against Egypt!"

Richard was silent for a moment, nodded and said, "Okay, you succeeded in convincing me."

It was not so much that Lothar convinced him, but that Richard realized that with the bargaining chips he had now, it would be impossible to seize military power. This Marquis, who was born as a country knight, had a position in the Crusaders. It's not as superficial as Sebastian told him before.

He has truly gained the allegiance of a large number of vassals. As long as these people are closely united around him, Lothar's status will be unshakable unless Richard's Albion Crusade arrives in the Holy Land.

This can be seen from the fact that after Lothar gave the order, the crusaders who had attacked from all directions hurried back for the meeting.

You know, he started preparing for the Crusade more than half a year ago. Until recently, this army of more than 10,000 people has just embarked on the journey. It is not known whether they will go around Iberia and enter the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. How long does it take.

But Richard didn't just bow his head.

On the contrary, he was very confident. Although he only had his own Praetorian Guards at hand and the support of two Crusader lords from Aquitaine, with a combined military strength of less than one thousand, he felt that he could also defeat the enemy. The Holy Land builds its reputation.

After all, although his record was brilliant, most of it was related to countering rebellions, internal fighting among lords, or his own cavalry rebellion. Lothar's records were all real, and most of the Crusader nobles had experienced them personally.

As long as he can win the battles that Lothar won with magic, wouldn't he be able to gain a higher prestige than Lothar?

After the military meeting, Lothar held a banquet here, but he was too lazy to attend such an occasion.

He and his vassals did not need this kind of occasion to connect with each other. As for those who had no intention of taking refuge in him, they would not change their minds and join his service just because they had eaten his banquet.

"Sir, there are many Latin businessmen who want to see you."

Model led Eclipse, walked up to Lothar and asked, "They have given you a valuable gift. Do you think you would like to find a time to meet with these people?"

"There's no rush, just say I'm busy and we'll talk about it later."

Lothar patted the old man in front of him on the shoulder.

Model was the first attendant who followed him. He has been serving in the Varangian Guard (the Duke's Guard). After many battles, he was awarded the title of knight for his merit. This guy designed a wild boar pattern for himself. seal, printed on the shield behind him.

And his good partner "Ryan", after the last decisive battle with Saladin, was transferred to the "Shadow of Darkness" by Coors due to lack of manpower. The coat of arms this guy designed for himself was a male. horse.

They are all quite particular.

The most common heraldry in Europe are generally eagles, lions and crosses, but among the lower nobles, images of wild boars, war horses, bears, wolves, and even sheep are also common.

For example, wild boars represent courage and courage in desperate situations. Many fishing and hunting tribes have a tradition of worshiping wild boars.

The war horse represents obedience and loyalty to the lord. Generally, the courtier families of lords prefer to use this heraldry to show their loyalty and identity.

As for the Latin businessmen's visit to him, it was simply because they saw that even Richard the Lion-Hearted could not defend his position, so they gave up their speculation and came to see Lothar, the Crusader commander who could truly "take charge of his own affairs."

What they are looking for are business privileges, tax-free concessions, leasing urban areas as business warehouses, etc.

Although he can definitely exchange for a large amount of wealth and supplies in the short term, Lothar is allergic to the word "concession". The appearance of the concession of the Apennine City-State Republic in his territory is like a black spot on a white jade plate, even if it is certain in the short term. It's something where the pros outweigh the cons, but he still won't consider it.

Anyway, the current financial problem that needs to be solved urgently is due to the recovery of the Crusaders' loot, plus the several industries under Lothar's control, and the commercial taxes collected by the Port of Ella. In the short term, although his finances are relatively tight, Can also persist.

...

Mount Eclipse and take the guard with you.

Lothar didn't plan to just go back to the mansion, but became interested and wanted to patrol the territories affiliated with Damietta City.

Let’s look at the attitude of the Copts toward his rule. Even after he captured Damietta, local chiefs, wealthy businessmen, and nobles of Coptic origin wanted to see him every day.

But he didn't believe that these people really regarded him as a liberator because of his status as a "Christian brother" - that was internal propaganda!

After the demise of the great Yuan Dynasty, countless Han ministers mourned and died for the Yuan Dynasty. Although the rule of the Saracens is certainly not as easy as that of the Yuan Dynasty to local nobles, so far, there has not been a single Coptic incident. People's rebellion made Lothar feel quite magical.

Of course, it may be that his record is too scary, and he has not yet carried out drastic reforms in the various systems of Damietta Province, and has not touched their core interests too much.

So this group of people is still dormant, waiting and watching.

Once Lothar is defeated, he can guarantee that these Coptic Christian brothers, including the Coptic archbishop who has been bribed by him, will immediately draw a clear line with him and actively attack him. .

The condition of the Duke's new gun is much better than before. At least its legitimacy has increased a lot. It is no longer in an "extremely low" state, but has reached a "lower" level.

This was because most of the province of Damietta was included in his jurisdiction.

But Damietta is just the Duchy of Lower Egypt, part of the Nile Delta.

As for national loyalty and people's living standards, they are still the same. The former is an undercurrent and the latter is a struggle. It has only been a few days and there is no change at all.

He opened his hand, and the silver light gathered, turning into a simple silver spear in his hand. When he waved it, the wind howled, and its evaluation has changed from the initial "unfit for use" to "can be used."

The description is: You have recovered part of the legal territory, which makes the new gun in your hand equivalent to an iron spear that will be recast after being broken, but don't expect it to exert any special effects.

Lothar couldn't help laughing and said: "It's not bad. At least I don't have to use ordinary lances anymore."