Boom.

About a quarter of the nobles in the field raised their hands.

Count Renard spat on the luxurious carpet and said with disdain: "It turns out that our once brave and fearless crusaders have been frightened by Saladin and his lackeys before the battle! ”

Someone immediately replied, "That's right, we can't hide in the city like a shrunken turtle, and we have to fight the infidels to the end!" ”

Roger, the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, said angrily: "Fight, what fight? The enemy has 100,000, 200,000, or even 300,000, how many do we have? Twenty thousand, thirty thousand, or forty thousand? ”

Regent Raymond shouted, "Silence, silence! ”

He repeated "silence" over and over again, until he stood up and slammed the table, angrily scolding: "If you are willing to argue, get out of here now!" ”

"Next proposal."

The nobles in the hall finally restrained themselves, but they still couldn't avoid arguments.

There are many supporters of each proposal, and each proposal cannot win the approval of more than half of the people.

So the nobles divided into small factions and began to attack each other and argue endlessly.

The regent Raymond was overwhelmed, and at this time, he saw Gao Frey, who had been silent, and his eyes lit up: "Baron Gao Frey, do you have any opinions?" ”

The eager atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

The controversy was much quieter.

Earl George Lyn, Earl Renard, Grand Master Gerald, and Grand Master Roger, the four top magnates, all looked over.

It is true that Baron Goldfrey has always had a low sense of existence, but it would be foolish for anyone to really ignore this powerful man in the Holy Land.

This is also the only remaining core figure of the Wang Party, and the relationship with all parties is quite harmonious.

Gofrey pondered for a moment, then motioned for Lothar to answer for him.

"Me?"

Lothar was a little confused.

Baron Gofrey lowered his voice and whispered in Lothar's ear: "It's you, I have to let these old dogs know that the Habsburgs are back on the political stage in Jerusalem." ”

After a little thought, Lothar reacted that this was the stage that Baron Goffrey had specially given him to make a name for himself.

Please, we've just met, is it necessary to trust me so much?

What if I'm a sake bag rice bag?

Lothar no longer hesitated, stood up and said, "Lord Tibilias (Raymond's honorific title), let me express my opinion on behalf of Baron Gaufrey." ”

"Who is this?"

"Werner's coat of arms?"

"That cold-blooded butcher and executioner is back in the Holy Land?"

"It doesn't look like Werner, but this burqa is clearly the uniform of the Royal Knights."

Around, there was a whisper.

They didn't look at him kindly, but unlike what he expected, few people seemed to be confused about whether he was a landless knight qualified to sit here.

Raymond nodded slightly, "Yes, but before that, please tell me who you are." ”

"I am Count Allgäu, the second son of Werner von Habsburg, Lothar von Habsburg, and my father fought for the Holy Land, and now I have come to the Holy Land as my father commanded."

Raymond bowed slightly: "It turns out that he is the son of Lord Werner, and I have fought side by side with your father, so you are qualified to speak here, please speak." ”

Lothar bowed slightly, regardless of the discussion of his identity among the people in the audience, and said to himself: "Needless to say about the proposal of the mercenary group, you should all know that although those mercenaries have their own weapons and equipment and have good combat effectiveness, they do not have the honor and faith of being a warrior at all, and they just fight a good battle, and once they fall into trouble, I am afraid they will not continue to perform the contract." ”

"It was clear that it would be a tough battle against Saladin, and even as far away as Germania, I had heard of his prestige."

"Mercenary mercenary groups, as Count Renard said, might as well use this money to arm the pilgrims, their morale is higher and cheaper."

Hearing this, Renard bowed his head slightly, showing a satisfied smile: "That's right, Werner's son really still has some vision." ”

Lothar smiled at him and continued, "As for the proposal to keep this money in order to prompt King Albion, Richard the Lionheart to gather an army as soon as possible. ”

"As far as I know, Richard the Lionheart is a wise and virtuous monarch, and he will not speed up or slow down his preparations for war because of this money, and he will join the crusade, that is for sure, but it must be after dealing with the Gallic monarch and domestic affairs. This is not something that can be done in a month or two, or even half a year. ”

"Ladies and gentlemen, ask yourselves, will you put yourself in a precarious position on the throne or even be attacked by an old enemy because of a sum of money?"

The nobles shook their heads one after another.

In fact, there are many people who will be tempted by this wealth, but none of them will say it directly.

Greed is one of the seven original sins.

They don't want to admit that they are greedy for money.

"As for the assassins of Hawthorne, the old man of the mountain... I beg your pardon for my bluntness, and how much will it cost the Assassin King, who has hundreds of castles in Iran and elsewhere, to satisfy his appetite? ”

"Moreover, to cooperate with such a despicable infidel who made his fortune by assassination is an insult to the reputation of our crusaders."

"You know, there were many crusader princes who died because of him. In this regard, not only should we not pay for the Assassins of the Old Man of the Mountain, but we should also express our support for the Sassanid and Ayyubids in their encirclement of Hawthorne's Assassin kingdom. ”

Hawthorne had already assassinated Saladin, and it was not once or twice, but it had all failed.

The two are enemies who never die, and if Hawthorne could really succeed in assassinating him, he would have done it a long time ago, and he didn't need the Crusaders to spend this unjust money.

Lothar said this, just to save face for the idiot who made the suggestion.

In fact, there have always been private dealings between the Crusader lords and Hawthorne, the old man in the mountains.

Regent Raymond bowed slightly: "Indeed, for the time being, the only thing that can be relied upon is to strengthen the city walls and arm the pilgrims with this money. ”

The three proposals were rejected one after another, but these nobles did not disagree, but approved very much.

The knowledge of this age is in the hands of theologians.

There were no schools at all in this day and age, except for church schools.

This also makes the vast majority of nobles actually illiterate.

Short-sightedness and stubbornness, which also makes their eloquence really not outstanding.

Lothar's ability to express her views in such a coherent manner is already commendable.

Lothar continued: "We have to admit that the danger facing the Holy Land today is unprecedented. The pagan armies of the Ayyubid kingdom are many times larger than ours. ”

"No matter how brave our knights may be, they will be clumsy in the face of enemies coming from all sides."

As soon as these words came out, they immediately attracted a burst of dissatisfaction.

Someone shouted, "Fart, the knights of the Father are fearless, and most of Saladin's men are from the fields, and the serfs with muddy trouser legs, or the cavalry of slaves." ”

"How can such a rabble be our opponents?"

The speaker was a very handsome knight, although his temperament was a little vulgar, but in this era, there were very few knights who were not vulgar.

The kind of knights who are polite, humble and kind, and who are just and virtuous, the vast majority of them exist only in fiction.

Lothar didn't get angry, and asked in a calm tone, "Who is Your Excellency?" ”

The knight said proudly: "I am Guy of Lusignan, and I have brought twenty-five knights from my hometown to join the crusade, and they are all brave and good warriors. ”

Lothar didn't answer the question, and instead asked, "You're Gaul, aren't you?" ”

Guy nodded, "That's right, my fiefdom is in Lusignan of Poitou. ”

Poitou is located in western Gaul and is currently under the control of Richard the Lionheart.

Lothar nodded, "I know there, I spent some time in southern Gaul, and you must not have been comfortable in Jerusalem, because the climate here is very different from Poitou, it is humid and warm, but it is so hot here. ”

Lothar smiled: "I don't know how much strength you can exert in such weather?" Can your Nisaan horse outrun the native Arabian horse? ”

Knight Guy was slightly stunned and didn't answer.

He's a little proud, but he's not stupid.

"I do not deny the valor of the knights of the Father, for I am one of them, but there is no doubt that the enemy is stronger than we are, and they are more numerous and more familiar with the climate here. ”

"Therefore, whether it is to train a new army or to strengthen the city wall, it makes sense."

Count Renard scratched his red beard and said dissatisfiedly, "All that makes sense? Isn't that what you mean to talking a bunch of nonsense? ”

"Count Renard, as you said, this is just a bunch of nonsense, because it is extremely difficult to decide which of these two decisions is better or worse."

"But I know one thing very well, if we continue to fight and distract our little power, the fate of the Holy Land being taken away from us by Saladin is already predictable."

"So make a decision as soon as possible, my lords."

"Whether it's reinforcing the walls or training new troops, you have to make a decision."

"As for what this decision is, it doesn't really matter, as long as you all agree with it."

Lothar said in a deep voice.

The implication is that you continue to grab, continue to fight, and continue to ruffle.

When the city of Jerusalem is broken, you will still fight for fart.

The party and government are in trouble with the country, that is the Ming Dynasty.

Those civil servants didn't care whether the Ming Dynasty died or not, and their death would not change their status in the new dynasty.

But the crusader nobility was different.

The difference in faith made it clear to them all what a terrible price they would face once Jerusalem was broken.

The infidels, whom they have mercilessly slaughtered, will give back to the Crusader descendants everything they have inflicted on the infidels.

Everyone in the main hall looked at each other.

If reality were a game, then he would definitely be able to hear the system, about the "increased prestige".

In his previous life, the soul of the Oriental always warned him to be cautious and shoot the first bird.

This is a very simple survival wisdom.

But in this era, there are some unsuitables.

Lord Regent, Count Raymond, said in a deep voice, "I agree with the Knight of Lothar that we have to make a decision. ”

…

Eventually, the decision to use this money from Henry II to procure armaments and train pilgrim soldiers was passed.

The Crusader nobles were more offensive than defensive.

This probably stems from their keen nature of robbery, and if the war takes place in front of their own door, it will only cause indelible damage to their own territory, and it will not be profitable.

Coming out of the main hall, Gofrey patted Lothar on the shoulder and said approvingly, "Good job, Lothar." Worthy of being the son of Werner, I will tell you the truth, in the letters I exchanged with your father in the past years, he always praised you for your bravery, but I did not expect that your wisdom and eloquence were not inferior to your father's. ”

"Knight of Lothar, you are indeed very powerful!"

Perriand was also full of admiration.

He could figure it out, but if he was to organize the language and say it in front of so many nobles, it would be completely impossible for him to do it.

So... This kind of look is actually the worship of social terrorists to social cattle?

"It's over."

Gao Frey smiled and said, "Come with me, I will take you to meet His Majesty the King." ”

Lothar wondered, "What about Berion?" ”

"Although he is my heir, I have not canonized him as a knight, and he is not qualified to meet His Majesty."

Lothar smiled at Berian and comforted, "It's also a matter of time, then I'll go first." ”

...

Passing through a dark corridor, Lothar saw the young king at his desk in front of a bright and spacious palace, writing hard.

There was a large amount of gold on the table, which was full of seasonal fruits, but the king did not seem to have touched them.

"Come forward, knight."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lothar was startled by the young king's face wrapped in a turban and mask, but there was no offensive expression on his face.

Baldwin IV looked Lothar up and down, his eyes were a little complicated, and he said for a long time: "You are wearing this robe, it is indeed very similar to your father, I almost thought that I was back three years ago." ”

"How is your father doing?"

This was the first time Lothar had heard that he looked like the Earl of Werner, and he felt that he was much more handsome than Werner.

"He's healthy. Your Majesty, here is a letter from my father to you. ”

Baldwin placed the letter on the table and did not open it, but gave Lothar a deep look: "Your father was my most trusted companion and mentor, and he taught me to command armies and horses. ”

"He was wise, wise, scheming, brave and fearless."

"But what I envy the most is that he has a strong body, as if no injury will work for him."

Baldwin IV pointed to the seat next to him and said with a smile—or rather, it sounded like a smile.

The mask concealed his illness as well as his emotions.

"Sit down, Knight of Lothar, there is some fruit on the table, but I beg your pardon for not being able to share it with you, for I am pregnant with a contagious disease, and if I do, the wizard will not be able to save me."

Speaking of his illness, the king's tone was very indifferent.

"Guy brought back twenty-five Crusader knights from Gaul, who swore allegiance to me, but I did not receive them."

Lothar already had a guess in her mind, but still asked, "Why?" ”

"Lothar, everyone in this world has their own ideas, not clay wood carvings. It's no secret that I won't live long, so there are fewer and fewer people who are loyal to me, to be exact, only to me. ”

Lothar was silent.

He had a good impression of this young hero, and he couldn't help but feel a little sad when he heard him say this.

Baldwin IV seemed to see through Lothar's thoughts and smiled mildly.

His laughter was a little hoarse, and he said unhurriedly: "Lothar, I trust your father, and I trust the Gofrey who introduced you, so I am willing to trust you and take you as a humerus." ”

"But you are too weak, and you have not made meritorious deeds, and even I will not be able to secure a lord for you."

"There are so many knights in Jerusalem that I can't even give you a fiefdom of an estate for no reason. In the main hall before, you must have seen that as a king, I am not a word. ”

Lothar nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I understand your difficulties, please give me a task to prove myself." ”

Trusting doesn't mean everything.

Lothar knew that Baldwin needed someone who could be trusted and talented, so he would be put to the test.

Baldwin IV smiled, "That's what I mean. ”

"Now that you have come to the Holy Land, you know that although the Sassanid Empire of Persia has been united with the Ayyubid kingdom, they are by no means monolithic."

Lothar bowed slightly: "I already know this. ”

He pondered his words and spoke, "The Sassanid Empire, as a thousand-year-old dynasty no less than the Eastern Empire, once had an influence that involved many of the territories that the Ayyubid Empire now controlled. ”

"Despite the decline, the King of Kings of Sassanid will not be willing to transfer the position of Zoroastrian Patriarch to Saladin."

Baldwin approvingly, "Looks like you've done your homework ahead of time. I read you right, you're not one of those stupid knights who have just arrived in the Holy Land and are full of brains fighting infidels. ”

"What I want you to do is to take an elite cavalry, disguise yourself as a Kurd, enter the border between the two countries, burn, kill and loot."

"In short, the bigger the noise, the better."

"If you do a good job of slowing down the infidels for a few more years, the city of Jerusalem will be impregnable when a new crusader arrives."

"In fact, Jerusalem is already in a precarious stage, and the main opponents of the Eastern Empire are the Turks entrenched in Asia Minor and under the control of the Sassanids, who are unlikely to be of much help to us."

"And Saladin of Ayyubid, who has an army of 100,000 men in Damascus alone, once he decides to attack with all his might, unless Gaul, Greater Germania, and Albion organize a large number of crusaders to come to their aid, we alone will have no chance of victory."

Baldwin IV's tone was a little solemn, he did not want the heavenly dynasty created by his ancestors to perish in his own hands.

"I see."

Lothar nodded, "I will do my best to accomplish this task, and try to ignite the eastern frontier of the Ayyubid kingdom with war - I don't think the king of kings in Sassanid will not want to see Saladin succeed in recovering the Holy Land." ”

Baldwin IV nodded, "Indeed, he is missing a reason, and we will give him this reason." ”

He paused in a slight tone and said in a low voice, "This mission is too secret for anyone to know, and when the matter is completed, I will honor you in the name of defeating an army of infidels." ”

Lothar was silent for a moment, then frowned, "Your Majesty, in Jerusalem, is there anyone colluding with the infidels?" ”

As soon as he said that, he realized that he had said something stupid.

There are now countless Gentiles in Jerusalem, like a big sieve, and the inside is absolutely impossible to hide from anyone who wants to snoop on it.

Baldwin smiled noncommittally, then stood up with some difficulty as he propped his hands on the table and said, "Knight of Lothar, swear an oath to me." ”

Lothar answered "yes" and fell to one knee: "Heavenly Father above, I, Lothar von Habsburg, swear allegiance to my lord, His Majesty Baldwin IV, loyal and unwavering." ”

With a sonorous sound, Baldwin drew his sword and put it on Lothar's shoulder: "In the name of Baldwin IV, King of Jerusalem, Grand Master of the Royal Order of Jerusalem, Guardian of the Holy Land, and the only commander of all the Crusaders, Baldwin IV, accept your allegiance, and may the Father bless you, Knight of Lothar." ”

After all this, Baldwin IV breathed a sigh of relief, and almost lost his footing, which was enough to show how bad his condition was at this time.

He sat down in his chair for a long time before he regained his strength, and with some apologies, said gently:

"Lothar, I should have kissed you at this time and granted you a fief, but due to the evil disease on my body and the situation in the country, I could not do either of these things."

"All right, Your Majesty."

Lothar hurriedly shook her head.

"When you first arrived in Jerusalem and needed a place to stay, I gave you the Manor of Constance in the XC district, which was your father's estate, which he gave back to the royal family before he left, and now I give it to you again."

"And I will give you a thousand gold coins of Suledus, where you can recruit pilgrims and train sergeants."

"In addition, I know that you have limited manpower at your disposal, so you can take my token and obtain assistance from Baron Goldfrey in order to accomplish this task. Baron Goldfrey is one of the few people I can fully trust right now. ”

Lothar smiled and said, "As you wish, my allegiance to the king." ”