In addition, Guo Kang also told the priests that if he hoped that they could nominate representatives to join the new army and help with the next various work.

In fact, both Orthodox and Catholic Christians have a tradition of sending clergy to accompany the army. Whether it is to appease the morale of the army, or to personally participate in the battle, there are many examples. In terms of establishment, there is also a tradition of setting up dioceses in the army.

However, due to various constraints, the system of sending clergy and their specific tasks have not been clearly defined in the past, and it basically depends on the level of the priests themselves. When the Purple Horde discovered this habit, it immediately learned it.

Patriarch Zhang's idea back then was that the clergy themselves should be able to lead troops to fight, manage the army, and realize the integration of military and government. However, it turned out that these requirements were a bit too high, so they retreated to the next best thing, encouraging the clergy to participate in training in peacetime and acting as reliable assistants in wartime. In addition, he developed a charter that set up a special department for the additional training of clergy, which was then selected as needed.

Europeans call this model "theocracy".

In Guo Kang's time, people often associated the term with the world of Celestial Christianity, or with the Roman Pope, but in fact, the term was first used to refer specifically to Eastern Rome and the Orthodox Church.

Theocracy comes from the Latin word "Caesaropapism", which is spelled "Caesar" + "Pope". And Caesar was not so much a political office as a military dictator. Therefore, Guo Kang thinks that a more accurate translation of this word should be called "the integration of rituals and rituals".

In this way, the Seris can see at a glance what the meaning is.

It was used by the Catholic Church, generally to accuse the Eastern Roman Emperor of forcibly interfering with the Church. Very often, this "Caesarism" and "Byzantineism", which are synonymous, can be substituted for each other in documents.

It's hard to say that this word is derogatory, or can't eat grapes and say that grapes are sour. Because of the Heavenly Sect and the Roman Catholic Church, on the contrary, there is no such perfect system, and you can't learn it if you want to. Only the "Gallics" of the French have learned a little bit.

However, in terms of rituals, the Seris dynasty was much more complete than the Eastern Romans. The Purple Horde also had a natural advantage in many ways because of this Central Plains habit. One of the effects is the establishment of a group of clergy in the military with clear functions and staffing.

The priests welcomed this.

"I've heard that the target of the Forces nouvelles this time is Alexandria." One priest was very happy and said, "It was one of the five patriarchal districts in the past, but now it has broken away from us and is occupied by the forces of the Heavenly Sect. If I had the chance, I'd like to see it for myself. ”

Guo Kang nodded, indicating that he understood their feelings.

The creation of the new army of the Rus' meant a new formation; And if the intervention in Egypt is successful, it is likely that the reintegration of the Patriarchate of Alexandria will be announced. Given its important religious influence, it is only natural that priests would be happy to get involved.

To be honest, if they have been able to persist in the rural environment of the Ross region for so many years, it is estimated that these people are not focused on selling fame and reputation. However, his subordinates can be morally high enough not to be rewarded, and as the leader of the plan, he can't really ignore all kinds of rewards. Therefore, the possible benefits and the effort required must be explained to everyone first.

Of course, there are still some situations that need to be told in advance so that they can be mentally prepared.

"I know that everybody knows the history of the church, and that Alexandria was rich and important." He said to the crowd, "However, the condition there is not very good, and the facilities are dilapidated. When we land, we may choose a different port. ”

"Huh? Is there a plague? "Some priests really haven't heard of it.

"Yes." "In 1365, King Peter I of Cyprus organized a crusade. According to their own accounts, the predecessor of this country was the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was founded by the Crusaders, and the ancestor of the royal family was the self-proclaimed Crusader lord Guy de Lusignan. Because of this fame, many Catholic countries were willing to help, and he was able to successfully assemble an army, and with the help of the Knights of Venice and Rhodes, he raised convoys to attack Jerusalem. ”

However, this is actually a strategy of deception. Once the Crusaders were on board, the fleet sailed for Alexandria. This trick was not only hidden from the Pope, Venice and other allies, but even from many of his own people. ”

"Alexander's defenders were naturally completely defenseless, and even the local governor went on a pilgrimage, and no one in the city took care of it. The Crusaders quickly defeated the guards and plundered the city. ”

"As with other precedents, as soon as the raids began, the army entered a state of complete disorder. The Crusaders slaughtered the city for three days, killing most of the citizens and capturing thousands of them as slaves. Due to its geographical location, many merchants from Catholic countries also settled in the port, and were also robbed and killed by the Crusaders. ”

"In addition, they are carrying out senseless destruction in the city. The lighthouse of Alexandria had been damaged by the previous earthquake, and when the Crusaders arrived, they smashed it again, and now only a pile of stones remains. Peter I tried to lead his army to continue the attack on Cairo, but the crusaders had enough of it and only wanted to hurry home, so they all left the ranks on their own. This was the end of the crusade. ”

"After that, Alexander never recovered." Guo Kang told them: "The Mamluks later allocated funds to repair the port and attracted some merchants to come and operate, but the whole city was greatly damaged, and a lot of trade was transferred to other new ports." Now, if we go there, we can only see the scenery and monuments. ”

"Well, I know." Father André shook his head and said, "With the Crusaders and Venice, nothing will happen!" ”

"yes. This was preceded by the First Crusade massacre at Antioch and Jerusalem, and by the Fourth Crusade at Constantinople. In addition to this, four of the five patriarchs have already been destroyed by the Crusaders......" Father Mikhail also sighed with some emotion.

The city of Rome was not destroyed much more. Guo Kang thought to himself.

But he thought about it for a moment and said, "I really don't blame Venice this time." Alexandria was the most important port in the southeastern Mediterranean at that time. Venetian merchants invested heavily in the area, and even spent money to contract a large concession to build a large commercial inn. ”

As a result, the Crusaders brought in by themselves robbed their own property of their own people. Coupled with the destruction of important commercial nodes, it is difficult to find a replacement immediately in the short term, so the losses are heavy. The Venetians have poured blood mold this time. ”

"There is no beneficiary of this unfortunate thing." Guo Kang shook his head: "Peter I, who started the war, because he was addicted to war, was either leading his army to fight or lobbying in various European countries, so he didn't care about the affairs of his family all year round. His queen took advantage of this opportunity to commit adultery with her lover. ”

Later, when Peter returned to Cyprus, the queen was afraid that the matter would be revealed, so she took the first step and recruited three mistresses to kill Peter I. It is said that this was not an assassination, but an open and honest operation, and even the guards at the gate did not stop it. ”

"Cyprus can still fight with this one king, and the kings after it have no talent, and they are soon besieged and eaten away by a circle of forces. Finally, when Uncle Timur marched into Asia Minor, we took the opportunity to regain it. This is the end of this country, which has benefited no one. ”

(End of chapter)