April 20, 1174, Holy City, Mount Mori Rock Summit.

Elem, the supreme commander of the Mamluk cavalry regiment, looked at the people of the Holy City at the foot of the mountain who were holding crosses and walking towards the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, and clenched his horsewhip in annoyance.

"Prepare the horses! I'm going to the caliph!"

Riding on his steed, Elum whipped up his horse and rode towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the eastern part of the holy city.

When Elim stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Saladin, the emperor of the Ayyubid Empire, was standing in the square, watching the craftsmen remove the cross from the top of the temple.

"Great Saladin the Great!"

Elum's loud voice attracted everyone's attention, and Saladin turned his head to look at the henchman under his command, frowning slightly: "Didn't I ask you to arrange for the release of slaves?

Elum, who just wanted to speak, saw a man in black beside Saladin, and snorted coldly: "How can evil infidels set foot in the holy land of Allah?!"

The throat bone wrapped in the black robe, smiled slightly, and stood back with his hands retracted.

Saladin angrily said to Elem: "You should thank him! Without his help, you and your Kasaji guards may have suffered a devastating blow when facing Payez!"

Elem gritted his teeth and did not say anything to retort, but asked, "Caliph, I don't understand anything about your move to free the slaves. ”

Say. ”

"You did make a pact with the gang not to enslave the inhabitants, but only if they paid a sufficient ransom. Now that the ransom has not been paid, I was told that you ordered all the inhabitants to be released?"

"That's right, I gave the order. ”

Elem's forehead was bruised: "You know, the inhabitants who ordered the release did not have the slightest idea of gratitude to Dade, and in the blink of an eye, they gathered to the Cathedral of the Holy Sepulchre, holding aloft the cross. ”

"I know, it's my acquiescence. ”

Elem looked at his monarch in astonishment and stammered: "Then, those people are infidels! They are the wicked people who do that blasphemous thing at the feet of Allah! They deserve to be punished severely, how can you acquiesce in their pagan worship?!"

Saladin looked at Elem and shook his head helplessly, "If you think so, you should do this?"

"All the inhabitants who cannot afford to pay the ransom will become slaves of the empire! Tear down all Christian churches and shrines in the city! There can only be voices praising Allah in the holy city, and the voices of other religions should be completely stifled!"

Hearing Elum's so-called 'idea', Saladin rubbed his brows with a headache: "Use your brain before you talk and do things! Think clearly about the current situation and where we are! If you can't figure it out, go to the Zaratan military division and ask! Don't use these stupid ideas to challenge my patience!"

Looking at Elium's back as he departed in anger, Saladin turned his gaze to the crosses that the craftsmen had removed, and remained silent.

"The Holy City is an extremely sensitive site, it is the origin of the three Abrahamic religions, and each denomination, according to its own religious legends, worships the city as a holy place, so any action should be done with caution. ”

The voice behind him made Saladin turn around in surprise.

Looking at this pale and bloodless young man, Saladin smiled and asked, "Throat bone, if it's you, how should we deal with the situation in the Holy City now?"

Playing with a shiny knife between his fingers, his throat bone said while thinking: "Right now, stabilizing the hearts of the people in the city is the first task. ”

"And what about after that?"

"I don't know, maybe we can gradually reduce the influence of other sects?"

Saladin smiled noncommittally and changed the subject: "Young man, you and the army under your command have helped the empire to land smoothly and have made great contributions in blocking the offensive of King Payez. Say, what reward do you want?"

"Saladin the Great, before I ask for a reward, I have a question. ”

"Questions?"

"Are you planning to use troops against the North in the future?"

The other party's question made Saladin frown: "What are you asking this for?"

"If you are content with the status quo and have no intention of making progress, then I will turn away from ......"

"But if I give you an affirmative answer?"

Laryngeal smiled and said, "Then the reward I want is to be able to serve under your command." ”

Saladin looked at the larynx bone with some surprise: "Your request is really interesting, and why?"

The eyes of the throat bone gradually turned cold: "Let's put it this way, I have an inextricable grudge with some people in the north. ”

Saladin stared at each other for a long time, and finally patted the other party's shoulder, laughed and said, "I can promise you here, sooner or later one day I will march to the north and let the crescent moon banner of the empire spread all over every corner...... But not now......"

Throat Bone was a little disappointed: "Not now?"

Saladin did not answer the other man's question, but looked at a galloping war horse outside the gate, the messenger on horseback holding up the fire-marked letterhead in his hand, his face full of panic.

Saladin straightened his clothes and said calmly, "Before facing north, I must first pull out the thorns in my back one by one!"

————————————

On the same day, Soul Space, Entertainment Street Bar.

Todd, Cumberland, and Emerson sat at the bar in the tavern, slowly sipping their respective alcohols.

Emerson looked at the colorful wine layer in the glass and sighed: "It's really hard to imagine that in another world, wine can be made like this, and the name of this glass of wine is ......?"

"Genting rainbow. Todd looked at the liquid swaying in the cup and said in a nostalgic tone.

Cumberland first looked at the beer bottle in his hand, then at the small ear glass in Todd's hand, and asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what kind of wine is in your cup?"

Todd said, "This cup of mine is called 'Relief of Worries.'" ”

"Relieve your worries?" Cumberland was happy, "It's the first time I've heard of the name of this wine." ”

Todd pushed the small ear cup in his hand towards Cumberland and said maliciously, "Why don't you try it?"

Cumberland looked at the small and delicate cup, took a sip of the transparent liquid inside, and then coughed loudly with a flushed face, and shouted while slapping the table, "This is the strongest wine I have ever drunk!"

Todd snapped his fingers like a few treasures: "Vodka, two pot heads, Tahiti...... And a few drops of chili oil. This thing is something that a bunch of people make up when they're bored, and it's a thrill. ”

Emerson watched Todd refill himself with another glass and asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, do you have something on your mind?"

Todd looked at the clear liquid in the cup, and suddenly asked the two old men in front of him, "Tell me the truth, what are the chances of winning against the Ayyubid Empire in the south today?"

Todd's straightforward question made Emerson clear his throat with some discomfort.

The latter and Cumberland looked at each other and remained silent.

"This is not a council chamber, and there are no other idle people, so don't worry about the negative impact of your speech on others. Todd turned the cup with his fingers and said calmly, "So, don't worry, if you have any ideas, just say it." ”

After a moment of silence, Emerson spoke: "Actually, we missed a perfect time. In the late autumn of last year, the war in the south had just ended, and the Ayyubid Empire was at its most chaotic and weak. If, during that time, we can use diplomatic means or economic repression to amplify the contradictions within the empire, we may provoke a deadly civil strife. ”

Cumberland followed: "Actually, there is another opportunity, and that is the battle of the Holy City this time. If the defenders of the Holy City can see through Saladin's strategic intentions, or if they are supported by living forces, the Ayyubid Empire may be on the path of retreat by now......"

Todd sighed softly, "Speaking of which, you still haven't answered my question......"

Emerson put down his glass: "Your Majesty, for hundreds of years, the biggest reason why the Southern Empire has been unable to advance north is internal friction. Religious factions, tribal chiefs, ethnic branches, ethnic divisions, ...... Although the Southern Empire was economically developed and militarily powerful, it was hampered by its own shortcomings...... Until the appearance of a man ......"

Todd said in a deep voice, "Saladin. ”

Cumberland frowned, stroked his beard, and said with a headache: "The Southern Empire has an advantage in guns and artillery, and Dusk West City has a xenomorph army, if the two are compared in the same order of magnitude, it is impossible to distinguish who is superior and who is inferior. But the problem is that Twilight City has one of its biggest disadvantages, and that is the strength of the army. ”

Cumberland took a sip of his beer and continued, "The total strength of Twilight City, excluding those incapable peasant soldiers, is less than three thousand. The xenoknights who are really the main force are even only three hundred. In the face of the 100,000 troops of the Southern Empire, this amount of strength could only support a local war. And, to tell you the truth, against any of the generals of the Southern Empire, I don't care at all...... However, the Emperor Saladin alone was a little difficult for me to see. ”

Todd nodded slightly, picked up the "Worry Relief" on the table, and took a shallow sip.

The spicy alcohol rushed into his mouth, but it could not dispel the gloom of the future.

Todd talks about the future of the kingdom with the prime minister and the military commander in the bar while drinking bitter drinks. After three rounds of drinking, his brain became heavier and heavier, but his heart gradually became clearer.

Returning to the dormitory from the soul space, Todd looked at himself in the mirror, slowly closed his eyes, took off the crown above his head, and placed it on the table.

Although the spring night outside the window was warm and pleasant, the cold palace echoed with a silent sigh, which could not be dispersed for a long time.