Chapter 4: The Knight from the East (II)

As Levi said, when the figure of their group appeared at the intersection, there was also a loud horn in the seaside manor with the flag of the Knights Hospitaller flying in front of them. Immediately afterwards, a pale old knight came out with a few cavalry.

It was a majestic old man, thin as a rocky one, but his gray-blue eyes were always smiling. Like the other Hospitallers, he wore a gray cloak and chain mail decorated with an octagonal white cross on a red background, but he wore a gemstone ring on his hand, a wide-brimmed belt and silver-plated buckle around his waist, and a heavy silver necklace around his neck.

He was Levi's theoretical uncle in this world (arranged by the main god system), Diderot, the senior knight of the Knights Hospitaller. Bacon.

As a military monastic order that has been fighting on the front lines of the pagan war for a long time, the Knights Hospitaller must rely on a steady stream of manpower and material blood transfusions from the rear of Europe in order to gain a foothold in the pagan West Asia and persevere in the long and brutal crusade jihad.

For this reason, the Knights Hospitaller has not only been acting as a trade agent between West Asia and Europe, trafficking lucrative spices, silk, porcelain and other oriental goods to Europe in order to accumulate military spending, but also established a huge "backup public relations lobby" in the rear, trying to recruit European recruits as much as possible to fill the human resource gap caused by the long war: the eastern front of Christendom will always need tall and powerful soldiers. But if you can write and do arithmetic, it's even more popular - the European literacy rate of the era was worrying, and the Knights Hospitaller was always short of competent bookkeepers. Later, even married people can join the Knights Hospitaller, but they have to bring their wives with them - you don't think the Knights Hospitaller only have male members, do you? Don't forget that there are so many hospitals. Of course, after joining the Knights Hospitaller, the old marriage relationship was dissolved, and the man went to war, and the woman became a nun and nurse, and they may never see each other again. Although such a thing sounds stupid and masochistic, in that era of extremely religious atmosphere, many Europeans chose to join the Order in order to embark on the path of martyrdom, and wanted to be martyrs...... It is a pity that with the exhibition of the times, such pious people soon became less and less.

In the 14th century, after the fall of the Holy Land of Jerusalem and the collapse of the Crusader kingdoms, the Knights Hospitaller, trapped in Rhodes, became the last reef in the pagan sea, and the war became more and more tense day by day. In order to gain more support, the Knights Hospitaller's public relations activities in Europe have become more active than ever. Their successful lobbying and dissemination of heroic tales from the Guò faithful made Rhodes a knightly paradise in the eyes of Europe, a garden-like refuge for the holy warriors after a fierce battle with the infidels. However, with the general cooling of jihadist enthusiasm in Europe, the flickering effect of the above-mentioned propaganda and public relations is still worse year after year.

Although God did the Hospitallers a great favor at this time - the Knights Templar, who had been rivals for many years, were secretly exterminated by the Church and the French King, and a considerable part of the property that originally belonged to the Knights Templar was transferred to the Knights Hospitaller's name, so that the Knights Hospitaller, which had become increasingly financially strapped in recent years, was a little more comfortable and was finally able to feed more Catholics. But in medieval Europe, where the commodity economy was not sufficient, money could not solve the problem, and without the support of powerful local people, the knights could not raise enough manpower and material resources even with gold coins.

Because of this, the Knights Hospitaller had been trying to recruit powerful European aristocrats, and many knights were stationed in Europe to actively lobby, similar in form to MLM in modern China. Some of the most brilliant "salesmen" were able to convince a noble knight with a family and business to give up all his glory and wealth to join the Knights Hospitaller's sacred cause, and to donate his entire fortune, including his domain, to the Order.

Of course, such devout and cerebral convulsive fanatical lords and aristocrats are really rare in the whole of Europe - the vast majority of those who can mix in the ranks of rulers are relatively shrewd and pragmatic, and not so easy to fool. Even the Knights Hospitaller itself, under the impact of the wave of Renaissance thought, learned from the Church of Rome and became more and more "degenerate", or secular—the high-ranking leaders of the Order, who were originally forbidden to marry, kept mistresses ♀ in private, produced many illegitimate children, and divided the land and property of Rhodes, which was essentially hereditary...... The Knights themselves are already so unscrupulous and scandal-ridden, how can they coax those well-informed nobles to repay their families?

Coercion by force? The Order's forces were far from the Mediterranean, beyond the reach of the whip, and generally could not directly attack Christians.

Foolishness? These martial artists, whose job is to cut people with swords, can they really compare to the full-time gods of the various monasteries in Europe 6 in terms of flickering skills?

Therefore, in many cases, the high-ranking members of the Knights Hospitaller in the European Grand 6 were recruited through methods such as the exchange of interests, but the local tyrants put a Knights Hospitaller's skin on themselves - such as Livy's uncle in this life, Diderot, the minor lord of Marseille. Bacon, nominally inspired by God, donated all his property, including the territory, to the Knights Hospitaller, but in fact made a deal with the Knights Hospitaller, in exchange for the Knights Hospitaller's status as the "major shareholder of the import and export branch in Marseille", so that he could use the name of the Knights Hospitaller to engage in trade and labor export (that is, to "sell piglets" to Rhode Island and recruit homeless people to be cannon fodder there), and organize French pilgrims to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the East. In order to collect protection and intermediary fees (although the Holy Land has once again fallen into the hands of infidels, the Arabs, who are good at business, will not refuse to allow European pilgrims to come to Jerusalem to send money to revive the economy), and thus reap the benefits that far exceed the cost of digging in the soil.

Of course, the Knights Hospitaller also expanded their network and received a reliable supply of money and manpower - it was not safe to fight with the locals in the East.

According to the main god's setting, Levi was originally waiting to serve as his uncle's trade agent on Rhode Island for a long time after the death of his parents, and of course he occasionally had to have a two-trick relationship with a pagan warrior. But Diderot. Seeing that he was old and had no offspring, Bacon took advantage of the Knights Hospitaller's dispatch of reinforcements to the King of France (the Knights Hospitaller itself could only fight against the infidels, and could not intervene in the internal strife of Christendom, lest it undermine its position). However, due to the fact that the Knights Hospitaller in Rhode Island has changed from an organization to a country, it can change its name and send the secular knights in its territory back to Europe to participate in the war, of course, the combat effectiveness is much worse than that of the genuine Hospitallers, but in order to make a stand, even if it is a weak soldier who has not been beaten, it still has to be sent out), and Levi, the closest junior of blood, has been called back, ready to let him inherit the family's manor and property.

Wait, that seems a little wrong, right? Doesn't it mean that this lord has donated all his property, including his domain, to the Knights Hospitaller, and all of them have become public property? How can it be passed down in your own family?

Alas, if you take some things too seriously, you will lose, and there are unspoken rules everywhere in the young man's world, and many things cannot be taken seriously

So, for the safe return of the knight of Levi, Diderot. Bacon expressed his sincere relief.

“…… I have already heard about the Battle of Cressie, and His Majesty fought in this battle in a disgraceful manner. ”

After exchanging a few pleasantries outside the manor, Diderot reached out and patted Levi on the shoulder, comforting him and said, "...... Don't be too upset, it's not your fault that my child lost this battle. The glory of the Bacon family will not be tarnished by this. I'm glad you'll come back safe and sound. ”

“…… Thank you for your comfort, uncle, but I'm sorry that I didn't get the merit and bring new glory to the family and the Knights. Levi sighed and said a little listlessly, "Our army has lost so badly in this battle, I really don't know what will happen next." ”

“…… What's next? Who but God Almighty, who knows? Anyway, it was impossible for the British soldiers to cross all of France and fight all the way to Marseille in the far south, and that was enough. There's no need to think too much about the rest. ”

Diderot said disapprehantly, "...... After this battle, we have fulfilled our vassal obligations to His Majesty the King, and we have also repaid the love for the Knights all these years. Whatever happens after the war in the north, it's none of our business, my boy......"

Speaking of this, he looked at the girl who was held in Levi's arms, and a kind smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Forget all about war and glory, now, your most important task is to get married quickly, have a few more sons, and let the family's bloodline pass on...... Alright, I've got my meal and bath water ready, hurry in for a hot meal and a hot shower, you must be exhausted along the way......"

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Indeed, because the Battle of Crécy was so ugly, and the king took the lead in escaping, he had no confidence to blame others, so after Levi withdrew to Marseille, he was not held accountable by the French royal family and the Knights Hospitaller, and even with the help of his uncle, he took the place of the captain of the vanished veteran and climbed to the throne of the head of the Knights Hospitaller's branch in Marseille, although there were few minions under him.

But on the other hand, after the end of the Battle of Cressy in one day, the brutal war has not been extinguished from the soil of Western Europe.

After winning the Battle of Crécy, which wiped out the French field forces in vain, the triumphant Edward III laid siege to the port of Calais, the closest European 6 to the island of Great Britain and next to Dunkirk, famous during World War II. However, the city of Calais was strong, the army and civilians fought to the death, and the British army was repeatedly unable to attack, suffering many casualties, and even almost provoked a mutiny.

On the other hand, on the island of Great Britain, King David of Scotland, according to the alliance treaty signed with the King of France, led 12,000 troops and horses from the north to invade England proper.

However, the British army of this era deserves to be regarded as the permanent zài of the golden finger, which can be called lucky, even if the British king and the elite main force are trapped in the French battlefield, the small number of miscellaneous troops left in the country still bravely meet the Scots. In the Battle of Neville's Crossroads, 3,000 British troops defeated 12,000 Scottish soldiers and horses, and even captured the Scottish king, thus completely relieving the troubles of the north.

When the good news came, the morale of the British troops on the Calais front was getting higher and higher, and in addition to besieging the city, they began to wantonly ravage the northern territory of France, burning, killing and plundering all kinds of evil. The French army became more and more depressed, almost did not dare to resist, and occasionally fought with each other and was bound to lose every battle - the flower of the French knight had withered

During the long offensive and defensive battles, the defenders of Port Calais sent several times to risk breaking through the siege and asking for help from King Philip VI of France, but the French royal family was already frightened by the British army possessed by the god of war, and refused to send troops to rescue Calais, and sat back and watched the northern coastal area become a hunting ground for the British.

Eventually, after holding out for eleven months, Calais had run out of ammunition, and the desperate remnants of the army and civilians finally raised the flag at the head of the city, and then sent six of the most prominent citizen representatives, barefoot and with hangings around their necks, out of the city to beg King Edward III for forgiveness. These six righteous men succeeded in impressing the English king and sparing the lives of the Calais, thus becoming the city heroes of the port...... More than 500 years later, in 1884, in order to commemorate the deeds of these six volunteers, the then mayor of Calais raised funds to build a monument to the loyal soul, and specially hired the famous sculptor Rodin to create the immortal group sculpture of "The Righteous People of Calais" in the history of world art, which still stands in the Place de la Richelle in Calais.

At this point, in this great game between Britain and France, the French, who have a good hand of cards and reliable allies to help them, have lost completely. Disgraced in front of international observers throughout Europe. Moreover, the situation in France is getting worse and worse: not to mention the fallen lands and cities, even in the rear far from the battlefield, the death of a large number of lords and nobles has led to the collapse of the ruling order in France - thousands of soldiers have been reduced to bandits after the collapse, countless noble territories have erupted into internal strife due to inheritance disputes, and many skilled warriors and cavalry have since fallen into the grass. The looting and burning of villages and towns by these routs and the English invaders created a large number of dispossessed people who wandered and fled between the countryside and the highways, and swept through the turbulent country like a flood.

Even the port of Marseille, located in the southernmost part of the country, was attacked by several groups of routs, such as the looting or burning of the estate.

Faced with such chaos, the noble knights of the port of Marseille immediately banded together and organized a raiding party to suppress them, and after a siege that was not much more difficult than hunting, the knights easily crushed the rabble and captured thousands of lost and dejected soldiers, many of whom were Italians. However, just as the rich and wealthy nobles in Marseille who had damaged their property stood up in anger and prepared to drag the captured rout to the side of the road, hang them all on the spot, and hang their bodies in public, they were killed by Diderot. The old knight of Bacon dissuaded:

“…… Ladies and gentlemen, it is true that these routs have posed a threat to the city, but their fate also deserves our sympathy.

They were the most modest of commoners, never leaving their houses for even a mile (about miles) until one day, when the call of the lord came. So, dressed in tattered shoes and equally tattered clothes, even barefoot, they went out under the gorgeous banner of the lord. They often carried no decent weapons, only scythes, axes, and rudimentary hammers made of stones tied to sticks with leather ropes. Brothers, fathers and sons, and friends embark on the journey together. Most of them had heard the songs and stories of the knights, and they were in a desperate mood to witness wonders and win wealth and glory. War seemed to them to be a great adventure, a wonderful journey that they could never have dreamed of.

Then they got a taste of war—for some weak-willed people, that was enough to break him. More people continued to hold on, day after day, until they lost count of the number of battles they had participated in, and the younger brother tried to stuff back his intestines as he watched his brother die, his father lost his son, and his friend's belly was split open by an axe. They saw the lord who had led them into battle being cut down, and another lord loudly proclaimed that they now belonged to him. Halfway through their wounds, they were struck with new, more painful wounds. They never had enough to eat in the war, their shoes gradually disintegrated in the endless march, their clothes were rotten into strips of cloth, and many fell ill from drinking dirty water, and their feces and urine were pulled in their pants. Many more fell ill after the rain, their foreheads burning enough to bake bread.

If they wanted new boots, or warmer cloaks, or a full meal, or money for medical treatment, they had to take them from corpses, and before long they began stealing from the living—in the lands through which the army passed, there were the same common people as they had been.

They stole from these people, at first out of necessity to steal chickens and dogs, kill cattle and sheep, but then they took the wives and daughters of these civilians, forgetting God's teachings and enjoying what little war had to offer.

One day, when they looked around and realized that all their friends and loved ones had died, that they were surrounded by strangers and that the flags on their heads were unrecognizable, they had no idea where they were and how to get home. They fought for their lords, but the lords did not know their names, but shouted majestically, telling them to form up and take up spears, sickles, and hoes to hold their positions. Then, the knights attacked, and the knights in iron armor and could not see their faces, and the roar of steel filled the world as they charged...... Then, they finally broke down and became deserters.

They either turned around and fled on the battlefield, or fled with the dead after the battle, or sneaked out of the camp in the dark of night to find a place to hide. The life of a deserter is not known today or tomorrow, he eats the last meal and does not know the next, he lives like a beast rather than a man, and the king, the lord, and the gods are not to them a piece of spoiled meat, at least the meat will make him live one more day; It's not as good as a bag of bad wine, at least bad wine can temporarily drown out his fears.

For those who are not familiar with war, war may mean romance and glory, but in fact, war will always mean hell"

Looking at the deserters in front of him, kneeling on the ground, with tattered clothes and numb eyes, like walking corpses, the pale old knight took off his helmet, and with a kind of vicissitudes that he had seen through the vicissitudes of the world, he said with emotion, "...... Indeed, in the present situation, it is necessary for us to eliminate and eliminate these deserters before they cause more damage, but we should also sympathize with them. Leave aside the proven murderers, and the others who only grabbed a few pieces of bread, they should have spared their lives, there are enough dead people in this damn year......"

After the Diderot knight finished speaking, a deep silence enveloped everyone present. Eventually, the knights and lords agreed that the knight Diderot would be solely responsible for disposing of the captives. And Levi was even more moved to tears, thinking that his uncle was really a noble man, a great man, a man who had detached himself from low-level interests, and a good man with lofty humanitarian feelings......

Then he was stunned to see that Uncle Diderot had loaded the captives onto slave ships and sent them across the sea to Rhodes, where they were used as coolies and cannon fodder for the Knights Hospitaller, and if they were not accepted by the Knights Hospitaller, they would be sold to the slave market in Alexandria, Egypt...... Well, after all, war always means hell, and these captives, even if they are slaves to the infidels, are much better than being hanged on the outskirts of Marseille

Drinking mellow wine, sitting on the balcony of the seaside villa, looking at the slightly bulging belly of his new wife, Lord Levi couldn't help but be filled with a kind of joy that he was going to be a father, and soon forgot about the deserters who died unsparingly.

Soon after, good news reached Marseille that the war was over and that an armistice had been made between the Kingdom of France and the Kingdom of England.

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A year after the Battle of Crécy, and a month after the fall of Port Calais, the exhausted British and French finally signed a one-year armistice. After another half a month, King Edward III returned to London triumphantly with a large spoils of war.

No matter how humiliating and humiliating, the dawn of peace finally shone on French soil for the time being. The people of France, who had suffered so much, finally had a relatively safe environment in which to rehabilitate their war-burned homes, pastures and farmlands.

Unfortunately, for medieval Europeans, this brief period of tranquility was only a prelude to another unprecedented catastrophe.

Because, an invisible and untouchable Grim Reaper has quietly come from the east......

In September 1347, when the Gallic chicken finally bowed its haughty head and bent the knee to make peace with his former courtier, John Bull, twelve merchant ships were sailing from the city of Kaffa on the Crimean peninsula on the northern shore of the Black Sea, at the other end of the Great 6 of Europe.

What no one knows is that these twelve merchant ships full of wealth are actually twelve hideous demons.

It won't be long before the fleet will draw a black path to death in the once-bustling Mediterranean Sea......

And the small happiness possessed by the traveler Levi Knight will also be buried in an instant......

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