Although the combat effectiveness of the vanguard troops is usually stronger than that of the main army, if all the Normans who rushed to the Holy Land were of this level, then the next battle would probably be difficult.

The outstanding performance of the Norman hussars instantly annihilated Saladin's proud Arab light cavalry of 5,000 men, and while broadcasting prestige in the Holy Land, it also made Saladin more determined his early strategy, holding on to Jerusalem, relying on the walls and defensive system, gradually depleting the fighting power of the Crusaders.

Of course, defending Jerusalem does not mean that he is stupid to sit on a lonely city, after obtaining the Holy Land, Saladin has been strengthening the city defenses of Jerusalem, recruiting other crusader city-states and territories, dividing and disintegrating the power of the Franks, and Saladin has also developed a set of tactics to deal with the Crusaders.

First of all......

Egypt's navy and a large number of hired Barbary pirates would stop the Crusader fleet off the coast of Syria and try to attack Cyprus, which was already occupied by the Crusaders.

But Saladin heard about this crusade again, and it seems that the Eastern Roman Empire also wants to intervene, maybe the Egyptian navy and the Barbary navy may not be able to win, but it is not bad to retreat and make the other side suffer heavy losses.

In the next landing operation, Saladin would send his most elite cavalry archers, together with the Arab light cavalry, to form a joint killing force, roaming the desert, harassing and attacking the Crusaders, continuing to wear down their strength, and perhaps at this time, the Crusaders would retreat and return to their lands.

If, after the failure of this series of plans, the Crusaders still insist on reaching Jerusalem, then Saladin will use the height and depth of Jerusalem to teach them a hard lesson, and continue to send elite troops to attack the enemy's rear supply lines, so that these infidels will die of hunger and despair on the edge of the holy city.

At this moment, the Norman Empire leased the port of Kherson, and on the road connecting the city with the Norman Empire proper, there were two other gathering places for military supplies, Kiev and Lviv were busy, the mule and horse convoys were assembled in patches, the men were running horses and grazing outside, the women were busy at home, packing up things and cooking, sewing clothes, the cubs gathered to play wildly, the old people repaired tools and weapons, and occasionally the merchants who ran the bill came over, and they were warmly welcomed by the whole tribe, and these merchants were usually Normans.

Fights and brawls, and even between whole tribes and tribes, often for water, pasture, livestock, or to learn about old grudges, but often the end result is to add a new hatred.

Like the vast majority of the steppe peoples, there were many who served as mercenaries in Turkey, Constantinople, the Norman Empire, and even further afield, or hired by the government, private nobles, wealthy merchants, private soldiers, or bodyguards.

As a cavalry race, the Cossacks are also famous in this part of the Black Sea, although there are not many pastures and territories, and the population is the same, but relying on cavalry talent and brave and fierce posture, the price of being a mercenary can make the Cossacks live a relatively rich life, and their chieftain, chieftain, or hetman boss, can also live a life of superiority.

And Pugachev, the common boss of the Cossack tribes, you are also satisfied with such a life, at the age of forty he does not have much ambition, and what little ambition he has has disappeared with the defeat against the Normans and the strong rise of the Norman Empire in Eastern Europe.

Such a terrifying empire, even if all the Cossacks are filled in, there is absolutely no way to win, and only by serving this new master is the way to preserve the wealth.

It's just that in recent times, the situation has changed a little.

Pugachev, who was obsessed with old habits and difficult to change, wanted to get a little more benefit for himself, in fact, he had tried this kind of action several times before, and the emperor was also very generous to reward him with this lackey, but this time it was different, His Majesty the Emperor did not know why he was angry, not only punched and kicked him, but also said in public that he wanted to find someone to replace him, which made Pugachev sleep, and after returning to his own Cossack tribe, he hurriedly wrote a large number of letters of guilt to various important ministers of the Norman Empire, whom he knew and did not know, All of them sent generous gifts, hoping that they would help them speak.

But these letters, tributes, gifts, and so on were all lost to the sea, and there was no news of them, much to Pugachev's trepidation.

"Maybe His Majesty the Emperor has already made up his mind to get rid of me! Indeed, I am neither his confidant, nor the one who surrendered after the defeat, and I am not strong, but I occupy such an important place on the Crimean peninsula, and it makes sense for His Majesty the Emperor to want to do something to me, oh my God! What exactly should I do? ”

If it were other Pugachev, he would have led people to rebel a long time ago, but this time the opponent was the Normans, who fought all over Eastern Europe, and it only took more than a year to conquer the Normans in the entire Eastern Europe, Moscow, Zaporozhye, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and these places, such a terrifying army, a genius emperor, even if Pugachev was given ten dares, he would not dare to rebel casually.

But what if you don't rebel?

Wait for the other party to send someone over, tell yourself directly that your Khan title has been revoked, and then arrest yourself and lock yourself up in a small dark room for the rest of your life? It's better to die.

It's different from Randy's recent period of hard work and national fatigue!

It's different from Saladin's recent calculations!

Pugachev was at a loss, at a loss, he couldn't survive and couldn't die, this pain and depression made him lose weight, the originally sturdy Cossack man, now looks like a tuberculosis ghost, so that the people around him are scared enough, ask him what is going on Pugachev didn't say, he asked too quickly and made a big noise, the messengers who originally went with him to meet the emperor were given strict gag orders, Pugachev said cruelly, if the news dared to leak out, he didn't check it, Directly killed all of them who knew about it.

Pugachev was afraid that if this kind of news spread, the hearts of the Cossack tribes would fluctuate, and maybe without waiting for the Normans to do it, their own people would cut off their heads and send them to the Norman emperor as tribute.

But this method of coping is not perfect, even if his subordinates are tight-lipped, but it is not only the Cossacks who saw these abnormal situations that day, there are many pedestrians and businessmen on both sides of the Kherson Palace, which country does not have its own news channels? Sooner or later, this will have to get out, maybe by now.

"Confused! I know that the Norman Emperor is a miser, but I still want to take advantage of him, what a damn thing! Damn it! ”

At this moment, outside his tent, the voice of his henchmen shouted: "Khan, there are guests." ”

"Who!"

Pugachev shouted angrily: "No one is seen, except for Norman envoys, no!" Normans was even less visible. ”

"It's better for you to see him, that man's dress doesn't seem to be ordinary, maybe there is a solution to the Khan's troubles." The henchman walked into the tent, regardless of why Pugachev's face was so ugly, and reported.

"That'...... Then let's see it! When Pugachev heard him say this, he was stunned for a moment.

After a while, the guest walked straight in, Pugachev looked up, and this person was indeed dressed unusually, the white veil, the wide white robe, the black turban, this is an Arab!

Looking at his fleshy face, yellow skin, dark eyes, short nose, thick lips, and a big broom-like beard on his chin, this is an Arab.

Oh, my God! The Norman Empire is on a crusade and is at war with each other! If the Normans knew that they had such an incomprehensible Arab here, they would not be able to tell even if they were full of mouths.

"How can you let someone like that in? Hurry up and send it to Kherson, to the emperor. ”

Now the only way to do this is to send this guy to Kherson as soon as possible and show his loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor.

But Pugachev did not expect that this Arab actually laughed and did not seem to be afraid.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I owe to you Pugachev, the leader of the Cossacks, who lived in vain for more than forty years, crisscrossed Eastern Europe for decades, and was so stupid that he bowed his eyebrows to the tiger who wanted to eat you, and gave him a benefactor who could save your life."

"You!!! What Lao Tzu despises the most is a person like you who plays with right and wrong, pull it out and chop it up, and give your head to Your Majesty, which can still show your heart. ”

Immediately afterwards, the guards on the left and right dragged each other out, and the Arabs were still laughing as they saw that they were going to die, which made Pugachev's heart more and more troubled.

"Come back!"

Pugachev finally stopped the guards from taking the Arabs away, and when he got closer and took a closer look, the Arabs were calm and relaxed, and he couldn't help but secretly admire, and said: "Why did you come to me so willingly to die?" ”

"If it falls into the hands of the Normans, it will naturally suffer endless torture, and in the end it will not escape the fate of death, but in the hands of the Khan, it will be different."

"Ben Khan is a vassal of the Empire, a loyal vassal of His Majesty Randy, what is the difference between falling into my hands and falling into the hands of Your Majesty?"

"Loyalist? I'm afraid it may not be! However, the emperor was not virtuous, and the courtiers were not loyal, and this was not the khan's fault. ”

Pugachev's heart sank: "What is your identity?" What do you want to do here? ”

The Arabs laughed again, which made Pugachev feel extremely uncomfortable and even more uncertain.

"In such a situation, can't the Khan guess what I'm here for?"

"Ben Khan only knows allegiance to His Majesty Randy, and nothing else."

"Hahaha, on the same day, the khan was thrown out of the Kherson palace by the Norman guards knights, his nose was blue and his face was swollen, and it was rumored that the Norman emperor was preparing to annex the entire Cossack tribe, and there was a lot of noise, didn't the khan himself know? It's ridiculous! ”

"What do you say? Who are you? ”

"Who am I? Can't the Khan see it? Nature is my master, the king of the desert, the sultan of Egypt, the Sunni caliph, the messenger of Allah, the greatest hero of all Arabia, the servant of Saladin. ”

"Sure enough, it's the pagan devil's servant! Looks like I really should hand you over to His Majesty the Emperor. ”

"To this day, Khan, do you still believe in that insidious viper? The Norman emperor is worried that there is no reason to punish you, and if you hand me over to him, he will surely say that the Cossacks have long been in collusion with the Egyptians, and this is the evidence. You've been in contact with the Emperor, so you know if you can believe what I'm saying. ”

"And what do you have in mind? Messenger of Saladin, will you let me take refuge in your master? He's not going to be able to protect himself now! ”

"The messenger of Allah will naturally be blessed by Allah, and the fate of my master is not allowed to worry about you, but it is Khan you, the situation is really worrying! Of course, if the Khan can follow my advice, not only can he turn the crisis around, but he can even go further, which is not impossible. ”

"Humph! Then I will tell you now, let me take refuge in your master, it is absolutely impossible. ”

"No, no, no! I don't think it's a matter of surrender or submission, it's an alliance, and you have a grudge against the Norman Empire, and this horrible, conquering, insatiable empire will inevitably have a war with my master, and the enemy of the enemy is a friend, isn't it? Khan, you are a hero, my master likes to make friends with heroes like you, and having a great friend like your master can also help you tide over difficulties, I think Khan should be very happy. ”

“…………”

Pugaccio breathed a sigh of relief, if he didn't surrender, he didn't want another master like Randy, who could control his life and death at any time, and he didn't want to be told by the Orthodox Cossacks that he had taken refuge in a heretic.

"Then tell me why you're here!"

"This time I am here on behalf of my master, I have a deal I want to do with you, this is my token."

When the eloquent Arab had finished speaking, he took out a gold ring encrusted with precious stones from the compartment of his clothes: "You see, this is the treasure that my master Saladin gave me before my mission, and the ring that he always wore on his hand. ”

Pugachev took it and looked at it, and sure enough, on the inside of the ring he saw a circle of intricately carved Arabic characters, as well as a crescent moon emblem representing the religion of *.

"Eighty percent of it is true!"

Pugachev looked at the beautifully carved gemstone ring, and reluctantly returned it to the messenger, and then his attitude began to become more polite.

"So what big deal do you have to do with me?"

The Arab envoy smiled at this time, did not pay attention to Pugachev, but looked to both sides, Pugachev frowned, dispersed a group of henchmen around him, so that only Pugachev and two were left in the camp.

"Can you say it now?"

The envoy nodded with satisfaction and lowered his voice: "The head of the Norman Emperor, and even the kings of most of the kingdoms in the whole of Europe, is this a big deal?" ”

Pugachev had come to his senses at this time, and when he heard the rhetoric of the Arab envoy, he only felt ridiculous.

"What virtue can I have, how can I ask for the heads of so many big people? You can't take the wrong medicine with the organization, right? ”

"Not really! Khan listened to me first. ”

The messenger further explained: "In this holy war, the Egyptian army will be able to achieve victory, but the losses will be heavy, so my lord Saladin has come up with a clever plan, which can wipe out the million crusader army without blood, as long as the main force of the crusaders enters the Near East Syria region, their logistics supply stage, let them die of distress, but if you want to complete this condition, you must ask the khan for help, if the khan can send troops to attack Kherson after the crusader army is dispatched, and destroy their logistics supply base, The Crusaders had no food and grass, and they would surely collapse without a fight, and when the time came, I would follow the Arab army and attack fiercely, which would inevitably cause heavy casualties to the other side, and then we would take advantage of this opportunity to take the life of the Norman Emperor. ”

This book was first published from 17K, the first time to see the genuine content!