Looking around the room full of officials, Todd nodded, motioning for Huggins to read the latest war report from the East.

"On January 17, the Ayyubid Empire took advantage of the freezing of the rivers and began its march northward the day before the Father's Arrival. The Mamluk dragoons, disguised as merchants, cut off communication between the cities, and the Hedis Legion used towed artillery and throwing explosives to blow open the gates of Meska, Tias, and Mozánlyuk, while the Sabbath Legion's spear and shield formations defeated the defenders of these cities. ”

"On February 5, the Ayyubid Empire approached the Holy City of the East, and the Orthodox Church issued a holy war order. On the same day, the king of the Holy City, Payez XI, recalled all the foreign troops of the kingdom and began to hold the holy city. ”

"On February 19, the Ayyubid Empire troops approached the Holy City, Saladin sent an envoy to persuade the king to surrender, but the envoy was refused, the envoy was killed, and the attack and defense of the Holy City officially began on the 20th. ”

"On February 28, the ninth day of the war, the number of casualties on both sides of the attack and defense had exceeded 10,000. On the same day, the Second Expeditionary Fleet of the Ayyubid Empire, bypassing the Assyrian Peninsula and forcibly breaking into the Bay of Saint-Saor, began to suppress the western part of the holy city. ”

"On 6 March, the Ayyubid army, under the cover of the fleet's artillery fire, built an artillery position on the hills on the west coast of the holy city. Using lifting equipment, the landing force transported 16 heavy mortars from the ship's armor to the hilly positions, and used poison smoke bombs and incendiary bombs to cover the central city of Al-Quds. ”

"On March 11, the King of the Holy City, Payezi XI, led the Royal Guard, the Knights of Kedrola, and the Holy Order, totaling 743 knights and 8,000 soldiers, to attack the mortar position. The battle lasted a full twenty-seven hours, and under the gunfire of the fleet and the defenders of the camp, the attackers of the Holy City fought to the end, no one surrendered, and King Payezy was shot in the neck by a stray bullet, and finally died of blood loss......"

Hearing this, Cumberland sighed deeply: "The fate of the king of the Holy City finally ended on the battlefield, and it was the case for three generations. ”

Todd glanced at Cumberland, then said to Huggins, "Keep reading." ”

"On March 13, Saladin, the caliph of the Ayyubid Empire, proposed a truce to Al-Quds and allowed the defenders to collect the body of King Payezi for a funeral. ”

When Todd heard this, he was secretly shocked in his heart, but an approving expression appeared on his face: "This emperor of the Ayyubid Empire, Saladin, is at least an enemy who respects his opponent. ”

Emerson glanced at Todd with a frown, but didn't speak.

"On March 19, the Holy City formally surrendered to the Ayyubid Empire in exchange for Saladin's three promises of "no slaughter, no enslavement, and no expulsion". ”

As Huggins finished his last sentence, the room fell into a deathly silence.

After a long time, Cumberland touched his silver beard and said faintly: "The city of ten thousand cities, the cross sanctuary that will never fall...... One month, just one month, fell into the hands of the Southern Empire. ”

Emerson followed: "After reading a lot of information about the Ayyubid Empire, I originally thought that I had a clear understanding of them, but now it seems that I still underestimated them. ”

Todd tapped his fingers lightly on the table, thought for a while, and said to Huggins: "I want to know the information about the troops, weapons, commanders, formations and other information of the Southern Empire this time, and you tell the alien association in the city and let them cooperate with you in this matter." ”

Huggins nodded yes.

Returning his attention to the battle report, Todd suddenly said, "Have you noticed a strange place? ”

Looking at the many officials looking at him, Todd said while thinking: "The war between the Ayyubid Empire and the Abbasid Empire lasted for three years, and it was not until last year that the former won and ended. This battle, which involved two empires, was fought for a long time, and the word tragic is not enough to describe it. According to common sense, after the end of the war, the first thing should be to stabilize the domestic environment, accumulate national strength, and prepare the army. But don't you think it's strange that this Saladin did the opposite, and immediately began a siege war against the Holy City?"

Cumberland and Emerson looked at each other, and they exchanged glances.

Cumberland spoke: "As for what your majesty said about this question, I have thought of two reasons. ”

Emerson shrugged: "Three came to mind. ”

Cumberland glanced at Emerson, snorted through his nose, and said to Todd: "First, first of all, from the logistical point of view, the Southern army, which has just ended the war, must have a shortage of supplies to varying degrees. After the victory of the Ayyubid Empire, Saladin incorporated the army of the Abbasid Empire, and although his army expanded to 100,000 people, there must have been problems with the supply of food, cloth, herbs, and funds. There are only two ways before him, one is to use rationing within the empire at the risk of demoralizing, and the other is to start another war before the war machine has completely cooled down, and make up for the logistical deficit of the empire by looting. ”

Todd said incredulously: "But didn't he think about the risks involved? In the case of lack of food and clothing, if he rashly launched an attack on the Holy City, if the war was dragged into a protracted phase, the entire empire would be plunged into complete chaos because of his strategic approach. ”

Cumberland nodded: "If I'm not mistaken, when Saladin launched the Battle of the Holy City, the food and funds in his hands were only enough for the army for a month at most. ”

Todd closed his eyes and let out a long breath, "And what about the second reason?"

Cumberland continued: "The second reason has to do with us. ”

Todd asked, puzzled, "What does it have to do with us?"

"In the late autumn of last year, the Knights of the Twilight West fought side by side with the Holy Guard, defeated the Church Alliance, and completely wiped out the direct forces of the Church of the Father. The outcome of this battle was beyond everyone's expectations, but it was enough to be taken seriously by those who cared about it, and I guess Saladin was one of them. If Saladin was still hesitating about whether to send a desperate expedition to the Holy City in the early winter of last year, the news of the defeat of the Church coalition made him completely determined to go on the expedition. ”

Cumberland touched his beard and said with a smile: "By the way, Pope Alexander of the Church of the Heavenly Father is also in turmoil because of the defeat of the Church Alliance, and he is infected with severe wind and cold. I finally survived this winter, but I was completely cut off by the bad news of the fall of the Holy City. ”

Emerson waited for Cumberland to finish speaking, and then took over: "In addition to these two reasons, Saladin sent troops to the Holy City, I guess there is a third reason, which is civil strife. ”

"Civil strife?"

"Historically, the Ayyubid Empire was a vassal state of the Abbasid Empire, and Saladin for a considerable period of time, in front of the Abbasid emperors, called himself a courtier. Emerson sighed, "Saladin has always been extremely deferential in front of the Emperor, and when he strikes back, almost no one dares to believe his decision. Therefore, after he came to power, the complicated political environment and papal factions in the country gave him great pressure. Hashemites, Umars, Flashfires, Nestorians, ...... Many divided domestic forces intend to set off a wave of rebellion against this person who overstepped his power and claimed the emperor at any time. ”

Todd nodded and said, "So, in order to stabilize the political situation in the country, Saladin used the war in the Holy City to divert the contradictions in the country...... This is a big gamble, a gamble that has pressed all the chips, if the Holy City holds out for another half a month, if the landing is blocked, if it ......"

Cumberland shook his head slowly: "There are no ifs in the war, even if it is a gamble, just look at his tactical arrangements - intelligence, weather, hydrology, terrain, commanders and situation, it is not difficult to find that before the gamble begins, Saladin has already calculated all the possible outcomes, so he won in the end." ”

Emerson said regretfully: "If the guns of the Ayyubid Empire are the claws of the beast, then Saladin, the emperor, has endowed this beast with the wisdom of mankind...... The most chaotic times in the South have passed, and the days to come may be the beginning of the diocesan calamity. ”

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