Chapter 22: Earl Robert
When William and his soldiers entered the city of Evreux, they discovered that the city did not only have a perimeter wall, but also an 8-meter-high inner wall that separated the outer city from the civilian area.
Entering the outer city, most of the houses here are gray two-story mud houses or even one-story bungalows, and tall buildings with more than three floors are rare. The small vendors on both sides of the road have long since been cleared, but the clutter and unpleasant smell are hard to hide.
Except for a small number of officials and guards sent by the Earl's Court to collect taxes and maintain order, the other aspects of the outer city were basically managed by merchants' guilds, artisans' guilds, and even the Black Society, which was also a major feature of medieval cities, and the nobles basically did not support too many officials to manage the place.
Once inside, the scenery is very different, with the faint fragrance of flower petals wafting in the air, dozens of white three-story villas with gardens, and the fountain pool in the central square where young aristocratic children play together.
Walking through a few paved streets of stone, William and his generals and fellow cavalrymen came to the neat inner city barracks by the city walls, while the poor infantry and light cavalry were placed in the outer city barracks.
After settling all the soldiers and fellow cavalry, William followed Uncle Adolphus to the Earl's Palace with Faller, Sir Hubert, and Steward Osborne, while Captain Geoffrey, Knight Rodrigo, and Captain Daniel's mercenaries could only be placed in the barracks in the outer city with their soldiers.
"Uncle Adolf, the scenery here hasn't changed much in two years, it's exactly the same as when I was three years old." William and Uncle Adolphus walked side by side, talking with each other.
"Yes, your uncle Robert is already an old man in his sixties, and he is very nostalgic and doesn't want to change anything, so Evler hasn't changed much in recent years." Uncle Adolf replied a little absent-mindedly, looking at the Earl's Palace with some fear, probably because he had been reprimanded by his uncle Robert for several years.
Don't look at William's uncle Adolf, who looks tall and talented, in fact, he is an embroidered pillow, cowardly and hesitant personality, and was driven out by a group of rebels organized by merchants if he was not well governed, and he has been married to his wife for more than ten years without any succession, and his uncle and grandfather Robert may be in danger of extinction.
Faced with his uncle Adolf, who couldn't cheer up, his uncle Robert was also completely disappointed, so he thought about passing on the county of Evreux to William to inherit, which is why William was invited by his uncle Adolf.
The two of them walked all the way for a short time to come to the castle gate in the center of the inner city, this huge castle built on the top of the hill in the center of the inner city, covering an area of ten acres and about thirty-three meters high, is the tallest building in the whole of Evre, the towering huge circular main building is the main body of the castle, there is only one passage for entry and exit, looking up at the city wall during the dense battlement towers, it seems that only a small number of archers can suppress the enemies under the castle.
Entering the main building of the castle, the square internal structure is obviously different from the rounded appearance of the main building, and the designers have tried to make the castle more comfortable to live in without affecting the castle's defense, such as the tall open space carefully designed by using domes and buttresses inside, and the numerous mural tapestries inside make the empty space not deserted.
When he came to the study of Robert, Earl of Évreux, William met his dear uncle Robert, who looked much older, with long hair and a full beard that had long since turned gray, a bald head, a thin body, and blue eyes that were still bright, but could not stop the inexorable passage of time.
"I'm here for my uncle, and William has come to see you. William misses you so much. With that, William ran over and threw himself into the arms of his uncle Robert, smiling happily.
"Eh, my dear little William, ahahahaha, I haven't seen you grow so big for two years, let me hug you." Count Robert looked at little William who threw himself into his arms and said happily, and then wanted to pick up William in his arms and be intimate for a while, but unfortunately his thin arms couldn't lift William, who had grown up.
"Hey, I'm really old, I can't accept it. Little William, you've really grown into a strong man. Count Robert shook his head slightly and sighed, then looked at William with a relieved expression.
"Uncle Robert, you don't look old at all, you haven't changed much in the past two years." William helped Count Robert back to his seat and comforted him.
"All right, little William, don't comfort me anymore. Tell me about your experiences along the way, I've heard you've had a lot of trouble. Robert looked at him with a smile and said.
"Okay, uncle, I'll tell you this." William told Count Robert little by little about what had happened along the way and the battles he had encountered.
Earl Robert listened attentively, heard the wonderful places from time to time exclamations, heard the thrills from time to time exclamations, and after William finished telling a battle experience, Count Robert slowly analyzed the gains and losses of this battle with his rich combat experience, and took the opportunity to tell William some of Count Robert's own actual combat experience.
William listened very carefully, nodding his head in admiration from time to time, or taking the initiative to ask questions about things he didn't understand, and the grandfather and grandson looked happy, while his uncle Adolf, who was standing below, was left by the two of them, and no one cared about him.
After listening to William's last commanded battle, Count Robert was very pleased with William's calmness, calm command, and skillful battle, and looked up at his uncle Adolf, who was not angry, and his face looked a little ugly.
"Uncle, don't blame Uncle Adolf, okay?" When William saw Count Robert's ugly face when he looked at Uncle Adolphus, he immediately gently shook Robert's arm and comforted.
"Well, my little William, I'll let him go this time. I have called you this time to make you the heir to the county of Evreux, so that I can inherit my earldom in the future. Count Robert looked at William's caring appearance for his elders and said with a look of relief.
"Uncle, why did I inherit it instead of Uncle Adolf?" William tilted his head slightly and asked.
"It's not that your uncle Adolf is not angry, not only was he driven out of the territory by a group of merchants and mercenaries, but he was also ridiculed by others for not being able to have children for many years, which really disgraced the face of the Evre Normandy family. Now my barons are ready to move, waiting for me, the heir to usurp the county of Evreux of the House of Normandy. Count Robert looked up at his uncle Adolf fiercely, and said hatefully, while the latter bowed his head in shame at Count Robert's face.
"Uncle, is the situation so critical?" William asked, frowning.
"Haha, of course not, I can last a few years with this bone, not to mention that with you, my dear little William will inherit my title in the future." Robert smiled and rubbed William's little head with his long gray beard.