The place where Guo Kang and the others are located is a platform set up on the square at the entrance of Niangniang Temple.

"Is this to watch the troops?" Zhu Wenkui looked around, looked at the audience who arrived one after another, and asked.

"It's not the same, the soldiers are generally standing there and not moving, and the reviewers come over to look; The triumphal ceremony is to let the officers and soldiers who have won meritorious service march in a procession in the city. Guo Kang said: "This ritual process is very long. Most of the time, in fact, it is just walking around the city to show the results of the war. ”

"Oh, just to give everyone a chance to show off." Zhu Wenkui nodded.

"That's right." Guo Kang thought for a while and replied: "I just won a big battle, of course I want to show everyone." We here, the army and the citizens love this kind of ceremony, so every time it is quite lively. They had to go around the main street so that everyone could see it. ”

"The scale of warfare is getting bigger and bigger, and there is a tendency to approach or even surpass the classical era." He said: "The procession for the triumph was very long, because there were nearly 10,000 people who went into the city to participate. And that's just the people who have been selected to take credit for the battle. ”

"They should have been gone for a while by now. In the morning, I heard a commotion at the city gate, presumably by early risers. Of course, the main part of the sacrifice is still held in this square. That's why we're waiting here. ”

So saying, he beckoned to the servants, brought the chairs, and invited the guests to sit down.

They were located at the very front of the viewing platform, near the center. Nearby, there are quite a few other visitors.

Zhu Wenkui settled the ladies of the palace, and also stopped Jeanne and Captain Jeska from walking around and deliberately showing off their official uniforms to other envoys.

And Monk Daoyan was already silent, and went to other missions with an interpreter to talk to others. Zhu Wenkui couldn't control him, so he simply gave up, sat back on his seat, and rested with his head up.

After a while, a group of musicians set up a few large drums and set them up in the square. Others held musical instruments such as suona and gongs and stood still on the edge of the square.

"It's coming." Guo Kang said to everyone.

Princess Ma only bowed her head slightly, and Princess Jeanne still looked calm. Zhu Wenkui sat up straight with some embarrassment, and turned back to let little Jeanna sit down too, but she was ridiculed for a while by her who was more prepared.

Zhu Wenkui was so angry that he could only teach the two "well-dressed beasts" a lesson and let them be honest, so he was relieved.

In the square, you can already hear the cheers getting closer and closer, and the drums in unison after the voices have temporarily retreated.

"The lead is coming." Guo Kang explained again.

"You seem familiar with this process, huh? How often have you ever been? Little Jeanne, who was sitting behind him, asked curiously.

"Not very often." Guo Kang said: "According to the tradition on our side, it has to be a very important victory to deserve a triumph. According to the tradition of classical times, it is more than 5,000 armor slashers. ”

"This standard is already very high, and it is common for the whole war to get together less than a thousand people. In the early days of our founding, it was also a long time since we had it. ”

"The first time the standard was reached, it was the 'War of Cowardice', General Li Tiance fought with the Magyars, fought 14 times before and after, captured five cities, and beheaded more than 6,000 soldiers. However, this kind of result is rare, and it has not been held again for more than ten years. ”

"What is cowardice?" Zhu Wenkui also asked.

"That's what it means to be a lowly one." Guo Kang said: "When the Mongols marched westward, other countries basically recorded the names of the lords, titles and names of the countries normally. Only the Kingdom of Hungary, specifically called the 'Magyars', and King Béla IV called 'Cowardice'. ”

"I don't know what they've done, so much hatred." Guo Kang shook his head: "Anyway, after that, 'Magyar Master Cowardice' has become the exclusive title of the Hungarian king." ”

"I've heard that the Hungarians are also nomads who come from the east. Maybe your peers are enemies. Zhu Wenkui speculated.

Guo Kang scratched his head and found that it seemed to be possible.

"And after that?" Jeanne Jr. seemed interested in the wars.

"After that, it was the Li family." Guo Kang said: "His son Li Yinglin was in the Prut River, and he achieved the goal of the first battle, and his efficiency surpassed that of his father. At that time, it was felt that the war was a civil strife that could have been avoided, with no commemorative value and no suitable spoils to sacrifice. Therefore, the Khan's court discussed it, calculated his subsequent battle against Lithuania separately, and also determined that it was qualified, and held another time. ”

After that, the Queen Mother Helena held a total of three times. During the reign of Basil III, it was held ten times, three of which were his own. However, over the years, there have been fewer and fewer of them, and now John IX Great Khan has only been held twice. This was his first triumph. ”

"During this time, you are recuperating." Zhu Wenkui said.

"It also has something to do with it." Guo Kang nodded: "But I think it's mainly because the barbarians don't attack much." In the past, we were able to make up enough numbers by annihilating a few large groups of enemies in the field. But now, it is often necessary to actively seek out and force the enemy to gather. ”

"Now, there are many more Europeans than there were back then. They are also improving their processes to produce more armor. The great nobles also followed our example and built a larger regular army. Otherwise, it will probably be even more difficult. ”

"What about the other directions?" Jeanne asked, "Is it okay to fight the Ottomans?" ”

"Not anymore." Guo Kang shook his head: "The last Ottoman triumph was fought by Maimaiticus twenty years ago. When my father defended the city, he didn't make up enough numbers, so he had to hold a small triumphal ceremony on the spot. If you really want to hold it, it is estimated that you will have to invite Uncle Timur to do one for him......"

"He directly disintegrated the Ottomans that time. After that, the Ottomans slipped a lot. Now they also come to harass them, but as soon as our army is out, they hide back in the mountains. ”

"Even if they meet on the battlefield, as long as the situation is unfavorable, they will choose to sacrifice those Catholics who come to the Holy War to avoid confrontation with our main force. Therefore, when fighting, it is often only possible to destroy a large number of cannon fodder, and it is impossible to achieve the results of large-scale annihilation of the enemy's armor. ”

"It's weird. How they sustain themselves. Zhu Wenkui shook his head.

"The Ottomans are not a normal country, and we cannot judge them by our standards." Guo Kang explained: "Their nest is in the mountains next to Bursa. There was a lake in that place, which could provide a stable source of water in the dry and cold Asia, so they set up a stockade there. ”

"How do you sound like a bandit......" Little Jeanne complained.

"It's bandits." Guo Kang nodded: "That stockade was also a literal stockade back then. Later, the Ottomans became wider, and only then did they occupy the city of Bursa as the capital. ”

"Then you don't have to call it the Ottoman Sultanate." Little Jeanne, as always, likes to tease: "Call the water Bo Osman." ”

"This metaphor is actually quite vivid." Guo Kang scratched his head: "The foundation of the Ottoman nation is the 'Ghazi' movement. ”

"The Middle East and Asia Minor have been in a state of secession and chaos for a long time, resulting in endless displacements and gangs. These people have nowhere to go, so they like to look around for opportunities to rob. The Ottoman stockade, on the other hand, was located at the junction of the Celestial Religion and the Worship of God, and was also at the junction of the relatively poor pastoral areas of Asia Minor and the relatively wealthy Roman agricultural and commercial areas. ”

"The so-called jihadist movement, in fact, is the same as the crusaders, the way of organization is religious, but fundamentally, I think it is still an economic problem." Guo Kang said: "The Ottomans are in the border area, so it is naturally easy to gather these people who are trying to participate in the robbery...... Oh no, the people involved in the Ghazi movement. ”

"They have been involved in raiding operations all year round, and they are brave and light in battle, and they are very difficult to entangle. Moreover, because it is located in the border area, the atmosphere of the Ottomans is actually relatively open. No matter which religion you believe in or what ethnic group you belong to, as long as you rob together, you can count yourself as your own people. ”

"How do you say that, it seems like they're not bad either?" Zhu Wenkui asked.

"If they don't have the slightest merit, how can they last so long." Guo Kang shook his head and said, "For a good man who is good at robbing houses and houses, compared to the lords of Europe, the Ottoman stockade is obviously a better place to go. ”

"Although they are said to be brutal, as long as they are good men who can fight, the Sultan is really willing to give money. In this respect, they are much better than the Europeans, which is why there are so many God-worshipping soldiers who have always been willing to serve them. ”

"With these benefits, Osman has been able to maintain an elite family base. Even if Uncle Timur inflicted a devastating blow on the Ottoman army, these people would be able to regroup. ”

"I see." Little Jeanne thought for a while and said, "Therefore, as long as there is another capable leader in the Ottoman family, playing the banner of the ancestors, and re-establishing the village, soon a large number of Gazi heroes will respond to the call to come to gather righteousness." Is that what it means? ”

"yes." Guo Kang said helplessly: "Therefore, the military strength of the Ottomans is not directly proportional to the area of territory he controls on the surface. ”

"That's why they're so hard to eliminate. His land is actually a stockade, but as long as the chaos in the Middle East continues, there will be heroes from all walks of life who will come up the mountain for his fame. This is no longer just a political and religious issue, but an economic one. ”

"Either the Xiaoya Mountains are completely controlled and the passage for outsiders to enter is blocked, that is, throttling; Either the entire Fertile Crescent and the Caucasus will be leveled and a new hero will be prevented, that is, the source will be closed. Otherwise, this Shuibo Ottoman village is indeed very tricky. ”

"I see." Zhu Wenkui thought for a while and said with a smile: "I heard Gongzi Li say that there was a girl from the Ottoman family who often went to look for you. It turned out that I wanted to catch a boss. ”

"Uh......"

"Brother, it's not funny!" Jeanne Jr. said dissatisfiedly.

Zhu Wenkui laughed awkwardly a few times, so he had to turn his head again, pretending to study those banners and golden drums.

(End of chapter)