In the Middle Ages, people drew cards to be promoted to nobility.

On the distant horizon, dust billows.

On the walls of Kaleburg, the defenders shuttled back and forth nervously.

Saladin's army crossed the border between the two countries this morning without any warning and headed towards Kale Fort.

The holy fire flag and the dust kicked up by the seemingly endless sea of ​​​​people were overwhelming.

The terrifying sense of oppression made everyone in Kaleburg nervous.

They knew very well what the owner of this castle, Count Leonard, had done - plundering Zoroastrian caravans, massacring Zoroastrian civilians, and trying to contaminate the Zoroastrian holy land in Najd.

Once the city is destroyed, there will be no way for everyone to survive.

Although Saladin was known for his kindness, he never lacked for killings with his iron fist.

squeak--

More than a dozen armored sergeants pushed the winch hard to erect the heavy suspension bridge.

He ignored the scattered people who had already arrived not far from the city gate, dragging their families with them to seek refuge.

"Please, open the city gate and let us in."

"Our village has been slaughtered, and those Saracens will not let us go."

"Limur, I am your uncle. These are the relatives and neighbors who have watched you grow up. Please be patient and postpone raising the suspension bridge!"

"Can you bear to watch your relatives and friends die under the city wall like this?"

People crowded under the city walls and begged.

On the city wall, some people showed unbearable expressions, but no one dared to stop the armored sergeants from raising the drawbridge.

Because this is the order given by Count Leonard.

Moreover, the enemy's light cavalry was watching just a stone's throw away.

As long as they dare to lower the suspension bridge, these cavalry will rush up at all costs and seize the suspension bridge.

The sergeants and levies guarding the city were busy like industrious worker ants. They piled round stone balls with polished edges next to the trebuchet.

This small trebuchet installed on the city wall can throw the stone bullets in the net bag at the other end as long as the rope hanging the weight block is cut off.

The Saracens called this trebuchet the Furious, and it was widely used in their armies.

The largest of them is said to be able to throw a two thousand pound boulder and collapse the city wall.

Large pots were set up on the city wall, filled with black kerosene. As long as it was poured down, a siege ladder could be easily burned down.

Others carried wooden barrels filled with sand and water and piled them in front of the battlements to prevent accidental fire damage.

The carts carried the bricks and stones stored in Kaleburg in advance and piled them in the tower above the first city gate.

After the enemy attacks the first city gate, the defenders can hurl stones downward from the tower to prevent the enemy from further opening the second city gate.

It has to be said that Kalle Castle, which Leonard has been running for a long time, is indeed a strong fortress.

It was filled with enough supplies for thousands of defenders for half a year, and it was definitely not something that the Saracens could easily break through.

Leonard, who was covered in armor, had a livid face filled with anger.

He gritted his teeth and said: "Damn it, I knew that Saladin would definitely choose Kaleborg as his target. He hates me and regards me as his lifelong enemy. Even if he gives up Jerusalem, he still wants my life!"

Stephanie's face was full of determination. This female knight was wearing a military uniform, and her tall and strong body was no worse than that of the male knight: "This is our glory, Leonard.

We and the pagans are at odds with each other. The more they hate us, the more honor we should feel. "

Leonard laughed loudly and said: "Yes, Stephanie, let Saladin hate me. I will defeat his army here. By then, the entire kingdom will be shocked by my achievements."

After finishing laughing, Leonard said nervously: "Stephanie, has the letter for help been sent out?"

Stephanie looked helplessly at her somewhat neurotic husband, nodded and said, "Well, it was sent out as soon as the scout finished reporting the letter."

Leonard clapped his hands: "By the way, we need to send people to our little neighbor. I remember that he trained a good group of armored sergeants and asked his guard officer to immediately send all the troops to support Fort Kalle. .”

Stephanie wondered: "Will the defenders of Jorge Castle agree to abandon their castle and come to support them?"

Leonard said with confidence: "They will know the severity. Once Kale Fort is breached, their pitiful and dilapidated fortress that can be blown down by just a gust of wind will not be able to withstand the attack of the infidels!

As long as Fort Kalle is defended, even if part of the Saracens' scattered army leaks in, they can only plunder a few villages at most. "

Leonard stood on the city wall, stroking the cold and rough rocks.

There was a blush on his face due to excitement: "Come on, Saladin, I know you have always regarded me as your old enemy, so let us have a big battle openly."

On the Gobi Desert outside the castle.

White square tents are located in the palm grove outside the city.

The wandering Saracen light cavalry had swept through all the villages near Kaleburg, and the vacant houses were filled with soldiers recruited from various ministries.

On the edge of the woods, the craftsmen and servants accompanying the army were cutting down trees and assembling ladders, siege engines, siege towers and huge counterweight trebuchets.

In the center of all the tents, there is an extremely tall tent.

A king wearing exquisite golden scales and a black turban was sitting on a gold-inlaid throne, listening to the information reported by the leaders of the tribes.

This was the appearance of a man who could not be said to be handsome, but certainly not ugly or mediocre.

One glance can leave a lasting impression.

His cheek was thin, with a scar said to have been left by an assassin raised by the old man in the mountains.

Behind him is a huge map hanging up. On it, two red lines are like sharp Arabian straight swords, penetrating into the hinterland of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Obviously, this is Saladin, the monarch of the Ayyubid Dynasty who started in Egypt and has now unified most of the Arab region. The power of Zoroastrianism is no less powerful than that of the Sasanian Dynasty of the Millennium Empire.

The chiefs and lords of the various tribes gradually dispersed.

Only Saladin and his brother Savoddin were left in the tent.

Saladin suddenly remembered something and asked, "Adil, Kaleborg is the territory of the one who broke the contract, right?"

Adil was Savoydine's real name, and Savoddin was just the abbreviation of his full name among the Crusader nobles.

"That's right, my king."

"Reynard"

Mentioning this person, even a calm monarch like Saladin felt a burst of disgust from the bottom of his heart.

Earl Leonard, after becoming the lord of Kaleburg, once made a big move, which was to organize a navy and plan to go south to attack another sacred place of Zoroastrianism in Najd.

This was used to extort large sums of money from them.

Although his plot did not succeed, his offense against the Holy Land still greatly angered the Saracens.

This greedy, despicable, shameless, and unchivalrous villain is now a thorn in the flesh of many Saracens.

Adil said solemnly: "My king, within three days, I will attack this castle and offer the head of Leonard, the villain who has offended the Holy Land and repeatedly attacked our caravans."

"No, just a feint is enough."

Saladin looked at his younger brother and his beloved general, and said solemnly: "I do hate this despicable and shameful breaker of the contract, but don't forget that our goal is to regain the Holy City."

"The generals and chieftains who gathered under my banner were all invited by me in the name of Jihad (which can be understood as "holy war"). Although there are more than 20,000 soldiers in total, they belong directly to our headquarters. The number of soldiers and horses is less than ten thousand."

"Adil, my empire is not monolithic. We cannot lose too many troops here. Otherwise, we will not even be able to see the walls of Jerusalem and we will have to withdraw in despair."

"The King of Kings who lives in Ctesiphon is waiting to see me return in defeat."

Saladin often boasted that he had hundreds of thousands of troops under his command.

This is true, but it is distributed throughout the Ayyubid Kingdom, including troops stationed in various places, troops loyal only to local lords, and a large number of civilians who can be recruited to serve as cannon fodder.

The expedition was laborious and subject to supply constraints.

Even if the Kingdom of Jerusalem divided more than half of its troops and headed north, Saladin's 30,000 troops (including some military servants) still did not have an overwhelming advantage.