"This ......"

I can't think of why he should be so nice to himself, and according to the general logic of doing things, rich people have always disdained to associate with inferior people dressed like me, let alone talk face to face in the same car.

Thinking of this, I can't help but be vigilant, for fear that I will fall into the trap unknowingly, he will not be a human trafficker, right? It was said that the Saracens liked tall Frankish slaves the most, and many of them were beaten with smothered sticks, and when they woke up with deep chains, they were already on their way to the pagan land.

Baruch seemed to see through my careful thoughts, and shook his head helplessly: "Don't worry, I'm not a bad person, I just want to try my best to help my down-and-out friends." ”

He patted the back of my hand gently: "I see that you talk decently, and your every move shows good upbringing, not an abrupt person, there must be something unspeakable to be hidden here, especially your skin." Look, although it is stained with a lot of dirt, it is still smooth and white, how can an ordinary farmer be born? ”

"You've thought too much, and I've never doubted your sincerity."

I smiled dryly, trying to hide the awkward moment: "Then thank you for your kindness." ”

I buried my whole body in the hot water, every pore opened comfortably, and let the feeling of ironing wrap my body and mind, refreshing to the bones, I opened my eyes, stared at the broken hole in the roof through the layers of water vapor, my mind was empty to infinity, and my two eyelids involuntarily began to fight.

How long has it been since you had a hot shower?

This question suddenly popped up in my mind, but I can't remember it clearly, but during this time, I have been soaked in water, in the sea, in the river, and in the stinky ditch, I have experienced all the forms of surface water.

"When I was in Rome, I didn't think it would be like this, right?"

I laughed self-deprecatingly, making a bored splash of water, letting the hot water soak my hair, which was congealed in mud and dust, and if I didn't wash it, I would definitely get lice.

What's next? It's a long journey to ******, and the Year of the Monkey has only arrived in the Year of the Monkey and the month of the Monkey so recklessly, I held my breath and sank into the water, wanting to wash away the brain that had accumulated too much Shen Ke, Luo Luo They were waiting quite anxiously, right? Or when you hear the news of the attack on your warship, you're looking for me all over the world? Calculate the time, if everything went well, I should have rushed to Nijmegen in a hurry, but unfortunately the creation made people.

"Sir, have you washed up?"

With a gentle knock at the door, Baruch's servant asked outside the door, "The master ordered me to bring some clean clothes, may I go in?" ”

"Come in."

I wiped my face and turned to look at the servant who had crept into the house, and though he was dressed in our clothes, he had a pagan face.

"This is the master's robe, and the newly made underwear, the master said that if you don't dislike it, it will be his honor."

The servant's Frankish language was so fluent and in such a good tone that judging by his accent alone, he was a native of Saracen.

I nodded: "Please convey my gratitude to the master for me, and you have been running before and after, take the liberty of asking, what is your name?" ”

"Mushaal, sir, this is my name." The servant kept his head down and looked at the ground quietly, as if there was some valuable treasure there.

"Mushaal, there's a question I want you to answer."

I wanted to get closer to each other as soon as possible, so I called him by his name very affectionately: "You lord, I don't know what to call him...... You know I don't want to be rude, according to your habits, should you call Master or Master Ain? ”

"Lord Ain, in fact, the pronunciation of that word is closer to Arne."

Mushar taught me seriously: "As long as you don't call me by name, other titles are more appropriate." ”

"Thank you!"

I motioned to him to get ready to change his clothes, and he took a towel to wipe himself in, and then quietly exited the room.

As soon as I went out I was startled by the sight before me, and the caravan for a while was resting and set up a huge white tent in the open space outside the house, a splendid and elegant Saracen style, with a chic shape of the base of the tent and tassels hanging from the velvet thread, it was like a flowing palace, the size of three or four of my usual marching tents!

"Good girl, rich and rival country......"

I sighed in admiration, trying to keep my mouth under control, not to be too exaggerated, like a dumpling who had never seen the world, so as not to let the infidels see the jokes.

The richest person around me is Leonardo, but the old man has not flaunted his wealth so nakedly, as the saying goes, you don't show your wealth when you go out, you only bury it at home, Baruch dares to show it blatantly, which shows that he doesn't take the possible danger into account at all, so it seems that this Jew either has so much money that he has no friends, or he is so strong that he can cover the sky with one hand.

The two fierce-looking Saracen guards glanced at me condescendingly, the strong hostility and vigilance was quite obvious, as if they wanted to tear me apart with their eyes, Mushar walked in front, waved at them slightly, and the two men who stood across the knife immediately opened the thin gauze door.

"Oh, my dear friend, here you are."

Leaning on the soft cushions, Baruch gracefully gestured to the place beside him, "I have just ordered someone to prepare fresh grapes and figs that I bought along the way, and it is still early for dinner, so I might as well pick up some to soothe my irritable stomach." ”

In fact, I didn't hear a word of what he said, because all my attention was on the handmaidens kneeling around the luxurious carpet, their faces were covered with tulle, but they still couldn't hide the beauty of one in a thousand, it was so beautiful! I stared at this picture of spring in the world stupidly, and I was reluctant to take my eyes off the slightest, and in hindsight, I must have been extremely rude and obscene at that time.

"Sir, sir!" Someone was pulling at the sleeves, and it finally brought me back to my senses.

"Huh?"

I answered half-stupidly, and my voice was hoarse: "What? ”

"Sir, please sit down!"

It was Mushar who spoke, and his waist had bent very low since he entered the tent, and now it was almost ninety degrees.

As soon as he reminded me, I realized my embarrassment: "I'm sorry, Master Ain, I was so rude." ”

Several beautiful women laughed, and I almost sank again: "I want to express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart, but I can't repay you without anything, but I can only pray for all the Lord gods in heaven to bless you." ”

"Your blessing is really different."

Barouch smiled and handed over a glass full of fragrant scarlet wine, in which a piece of ice was about to melt: "Although it is autumn, the midday heat is still scorching, please have some cold wine to quench your thirst." ”

Atmosphere!

I was secretly amazed that this scene was a complete replica of Saladin from "The Heavenly Dynasty", and these Saracen nobles were indeed more adept at enjoying life than the rough Frankish knights.

"Your wealth is breathtaking, Lord Al Ain from Córdoba, don't you worry about being targeted by scheming bandits?" I put down my glass, and the thief-hearted man glanced at the maids who were waiting around him.

"I appreciate your kindness, but don't bother."

Baruch ordered two beautiful women with graceful figures to come and serve me: "Your Majesty the Caliph has sent the best warriors in the country to accompany us, we have been doing business with various places all year round, and we are also familiar with the lords, everyone is seeking wealth, why should we hurt the peace?" ”

He once again showed an extraordinary bearing: "Your Majesty the Caliph is rich in the world, and I am only the tip of the iceberg of managing the wealth for him. ”

Eccentric!

These words undoubtedly raised Baruch's status in my heart to a new level, elegant, amiable, golden, humble, will there be a better gentleman in the world than him?

"Standing in front of you, I am like a weak star on the edge of the bright moon." I don't hesitate to praise it.

"You're wrong."

The Jewish merchant waved his hand but did not accept it: "Speaking of which, my dear friend, I wonder where you are going next?" Will I be able to do my part? ”

Tears poured out of his eyes, it is difficult to find such a good person with a lantern!

"No words can express how grateful I am to you."

My voice trembled with excitement, and I had completely trusted the personable foreign merchant opposite: "I wonder where your caravan is about to depart?" ”

"We have all the goods and are about to rush to the ******, where there is a fleet back to Córdoba, you know that since last year, the Normans have ruled the seas in this area, and they have ambitions to conquer the emirs of Sicily, and they have adopted a strict maritime ban policy, and the merchant ships of the ****** are not as free to come and go as they used to be, and only ****** is left with this port that can come and go freely, provided that the high taxes set by the Duke are paid, of course."

"******? That's just ...... drop by."

The first time I traveled not on horseback but in a carriage, I finally enjoyed the comfort I had not felt for a long time, and the beauty, the wine, the beauty, the beauty, and so on, and the Jewish merchant Baruch graciously invited me to go with me, and by swaying and jolting, I was enchanted by the graceful figure of the maid and the fragrance of the liquor.

"What a land of abundance, you say?" Baruch leaned against the window, half-drunk and half-conscious, staring at the slowly receding landscape outside and muttering to himself.

"What? Do you say here? ”

I rubbed my dreamy eyes, lifted the curtain hanging from the window, and swept the caravan through a low, rocky canyon, and in the distance there were a few figures on the high ground, as if they were busy harvesting the crops, and the village was withered and devastated, and there was no way to see his so-called wealth.

"You're dazzled, aren't you? Is this still called wealth? The iron hooves of the conquerors come again and again, and Canaan, who is full of honey and milk, will also be crushed, how can you look at this place after you have been to so many places? ”

"I have been to many places, England, Normandy, Burgundy, Alemania, and even as far as Constantinople and Egypt, and I have seen a lot more than the fertile land here, the great rivers and the plains, but none of them can catch up with the unique blessings of Italy, and God really favors this paradise of the chosen son."

His pupils emitted a sparkling essence characteristic of a merchant, like a beast aiming at its prey and ready to act.

"Italy is the only center of civilization in the Mediterranean, the jewel at the top of the crown, like the golden funnel of God, which gathers wealth from all directions, and whoever owns it is equivalent to having an inexhaustible treasury, you say, is this not a rich place?"

Baruch's voice is deep and magnetic, revealing the bottomless charm of a middle-aged man, and gradually pulls you into unrealistic visions, and in an instant you fantasize about burying yourself in gold, silver and jewels falling from the sky.

I grinned and couldn't speak for a long time, until the saliva flowed to the back of my hand.

"I'm sorry, that's rude."

I hurriedly wiped the corners of my mouth and apologized embarrassedly: "I was attracted by the scene you depicted, God's golden funnel, hehe, a wonderful metaphor. ”

"There is no one in the world who is not greedy for wealth, from high-ranking officials and dignitaries to peddlers and pawns, you don't need to be shy."

Baruch looked very understanding, and strange to say, these words came out of his mouth to make me feel very comfortable, and the tension suddenly disappeared.

Having dealt with too many scum and being insensitive to the deceitful way of dealing with people, I found myself a little fond of this honest and humble gentleman, even if he was a Jew in the service of the infidels.

"Córdoba...... What kind of country is that? ”

I suddenly wanted to know what he called the mysterious kingdom of his heart: "Forgive me for my coarse ignorance of where it is. ”

"Remember what I said? It's on the other side of the mountain and on the other side of the sea, a corner that you northerners rarely pay attention to. ”

He gently put down the wine glass, as if he remembered something happy, the corners of his mouth unconsciously hooked upward, I believe that everyone who mentions his hometown can't help but bring this expression:

"Córdoba is located in Iberia, where the sun is warm and warm, and the ruler of the Caliph, is wise and open-minded, under which all peoples live together on an equal footing, and all religions spread freely, whether you are a Saracen, a Frank, a Latin, or a Jew, and whether your Lord God is God, Yahweh, Allah, or any other spiritual being."

"Cordoba is like a warm and kind mother, embracing all the injustice and darkness of this world, it is a paradise for peace-loving people, look at me, a humble businessman, can get such a wealth and status, is not it a living portrayal?"

He opened his arms and proudly showed it to me: "It is a pity that Christendom does not like strange people sleeping soundly on the side of the couch, even if it is as gentle and harmless as a kitten, I am sorry, I am not against you and your faith, but only against some bastards who burn and kill and plunder under the banner of sanctimony, and several Christian countries in the north have launched aggressions against us one after another, destroying the hard-won peace of the people, they are like a group of demons dressed in the armor of God, greedy and reckless, defiling their faith and loyalty, Husbands have lost their wives, wives have lost their husbands, children have lost their parents, parents have lost their children, everyone has been displaced, and homes have become hell. ”

"When the honest peasants clenched their steel swords in anger, and the most well-armed knights swayed like catkins in the wind, and the valiant defenders defeated the allied armies of Leon, Castile, Navarre, Aragon, Barcelona and their lackeys again and again, and though we paid a great price, we drove out the invaders once and for all, and made these robbers look away in a hurry, and no longer dared to bully the kingdom of truth, it is ridiculous to think that there are times when peace needs war to defend."

(End of chapter)