Chapter 202: Only... His Highness has only one moon!
In the parliament hall, although the nobles of Irakli's faction still had the upper hand.
But this feeling of being challenged and provoked is not pleasant.
In this case, just when Irakli was preparing to take the people on his side, he planned to weaken some of them on the grounds that the other party did not have the status of the nobles of Jerusalem.
There was a sound of uniform footsteps, and 12 officers from the Standing Army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, together with 8 Paladins, walked into the parliament hall together.
This sonorous and powerful pace highlights their uniqueness.
Indeed, going forward seems to have little meaning in combat.
However, in this kind of demonstration or ceremonial occasion, the 20 people's footsteps rising and falling at the same time showed extreme organization and discipline, and seemed particularly solemn and authoritative.
This is a trait that no other legion in this era possesses.
Iraq briefly admitted that he was so shocked that he temporarily forgot what he was going to say.
He looked at those people indifferently and performed a queue of twenty people as one person in front of them.
Seeing them all sitting on the left side of the council hall, led by the attendants.
Even after these people were seated, they still showed solemn expressions, their eyes contained murderous intent, and their sitting postures were meticulous.
From this, the number of people on both sides is almost the same.
When everyone arrived, the entourage announced the Queen's arrival in a high and clear voice with a majestic tone.
"Quiet! Queen Xuan has arrived!"
Everyone in the council hall, whether they were from the left or right groups, immediately stopped talking, stood up one after another, and saluted Sibylla at the gate to show respect.
The sun shines through the stained glass windows and shines on the crown above Sibylla's head, shining with dazzling light.
Next to her was Isabella, who was a little taller. She was also dressed in gorgeous clothes and held a scepter with a ruby on the top.
When Isabella passed by the seat on the left, the twenty officers and Paladin stood in their respective positions and saluted Isabella with a sudden burst of arms waving through the air.
Seeing this scene, the Iraqi army couldn't help but become more cautious.
In this era, although noble knights were born soldiers, their innate habit was to fight alone.
Such a neat and unified pace actually means absolute obedience to their superiors, and it means that these people are Isabella's staunchest supporters.
In the Holy Land, only those religious knights can show similar style.
Different from the luxury, arrogance, and recklessness of secular knights, the religious knights essentially exist in the form of a Catholic order, and the knights of the Knights Templar are essentially monks.
They are known for their simple living habits and devotion to God.
Because of the monastic system, those religious knights must take three oaths: poverty, abstinence, and "obedience."
Whether it is the Knights Hospitaller or the Knights Templar, although their individual knights are brave, they are not very threatening.
But when they come together and show extremely high discipline, they can have a qualitative change effect.
In the Second Crusade, if it were not for the Knights Templar, they assisted the organization and command of the army in the troops of King Louis VII of France.
Then, nearly half of the 20,000 soldiers under the French King's command may have been lost while crossing Asia Minor.
The people under Isabella's command can show such military qualities, which shows that she is no longer the harmless girl who can be manipulated, but a powerful noble who can mobilize the army.
And when Sibylla brought Isabella to the throne, an attendant immediately brought another throne, which stood side by side with Sibylla's.
After seeing this, everyone present realized what this meeting would represent.
Irakli also realized that Balian moved faster than he thought, and did not know what agreement he and Sibylla had reached.
The transfer of royal power is about to happen so soon!
After making up his mind, Irakli immediately hinted that the people on his side should take the lead and not be led by the people on Balian's side.
So, before Sibylla and Isabella sat down together, no attendant made an announcement.
A noble stood up and said loudly:
"Your Majesty! Please expel the non-nobles from the council chamber!"
Royal autocracy did not spring from the cracks in the rocks.
The Franks still retain a large number of traditions from their tribal days to this day.
In the tribal system, although tribal leaders are often deified, it is almost impossible to be arbitrary in their birth process and handling of tribal affairs.
After conquering the land and establishing a kingdom, the tribal leader became a king, and the warriors under his command also obtained fiefs one by one and became lords or knights.
Although the land of the lords and knights seems to be a grant from the king, without the support of the lords and knights, the king can do nothing.
In order to unify the power of the country, in addition to elevating the autocratic power of the king himself.
Another way is to respect the power of the noble lords in exchange for their strong support.
This situation is actually particularly prominent in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Not only because the kingdom has a Frankish tradition, but also because the Kingdom of Jerusalem, as a Crusader kingdom, is always facing threats from millions of Saracens.
So much so that we must work together from top to bottom to be able to turn into a rock in the waves of Muslims and resist the waves crashing again and again.
The High Court of Jerusalem is sometimes called the General Council or the Parliament of the Monarchs.
The High Court combines legislative and judicial powers.
It was based on the medieval idea of parliamentarism: the monarch wished to obtain the consent of his subjects on certain matters, such as taxation and the obligation to perform military service.
The most special thing about this court and this parliament is that it does not concentrate the voting rights in the hands of some big nobles, nor is it a relationship of personal dependence.
Isabella's father, Amaury I, passed a bill through Parliament called the Fiefdom Act.
The decree prohibited the illegal confiscation of fiefdoms without review by Parliament and required all the king's vassals to unite against lords who did so.
This makes the power and obligation relationship between lords traceable, rather than relying solely on personal likes and dislikes.
The decree also established that all nobles were direct vassals of the king, thus erasing the previous distinction between superior and inferior nobles.
In theory, it achieves the effect of equality among nobles.
At the height of the kingdom, there were approximately 600 Frankish men who could vote in this assembly.
And the king himself was, legally speaking, only the chief among his colleagues.
In other words, he is the "first noble".
What is the difference between such a country and the Republic of Venice? You must know that the seats of members of the Republic of Venice are also born hereditary rather than through election.
The democracy of the minority is actually a kind of democracy.
Nowadays, nobles like Irakli enjoy the benefits of aristocratic democracy and do not want to continue to spread this power.
For Iraq Strategy, this actually also weakens potential competitors.
Although at present, the numbers of both sides are roughly equal, and Irakli and the others are still higher in prestige than the faction on the left.
But most of them have now lost their fiefdoms.
On the contrary, the people on the opposite side are all serious and powerful people who control the army, the city of Tire and a lot of wealth.
When several groups joined together, Irakli began to feel overwhelmed, so he had to quickly find a way to drive out the other side.
After all, most of these people are really not nobles, and how can civilians be on an equal footing with nobles?
This is breaking the tradition and going against the grain. If this continues, the kingdom will not last long!
"I must point out that this is a blasphemy against our ancestral traditions and a great disrespect for our noble bloodline!"
"Civilians are civilians precisely because they lack the qualifications and abilities to serve as state decision-makers."
"Involving them in our vital decisions is dangerous and undesirable!"
“The country will be in ruins and the people’s hearts will be unstable!”
After the nobleman made an impassioned speech, there was a round of applause on the right, and a chuckle on the left.
After all, in the eyes of those Italians, they are just a group of birdies. They don’t have much money and few soldiers. In addition to putting on a show, they can also do some human affairs?
The city of Tire was captured by the Italians in 1124 by Baldwin II of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Venetians.
They Venetians are in the city of Tire, that is the real master! I entered the customs with Baldwin II!
"They all came to Tire to beg for food, and they are so boastful."
A Venetian knight spoke out what many people were thinking.
Immediately afterwards, in response, there was a chaotic flurry of insults from both sides.
Until Sibylla's eyelids twitched a few times, Balian beside him took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "Quiet! The king has something to say!"
Sibylla stood up and glanced at everyone present.
Then he spoke: "My sister, Isabella, stepped forward when the kingdom was in danger. I have dozens of warriors under my command, and I will all be canonized as knights. Don't say more."
Knighthood means a ticket, a ticket to enter the Parliament of Nobles.
When Sibylla said this, the Iraklians made a fuss.
However, in the face of such accusations, before it was Sibylla's turn to reply, Conrad had already taken the lead.
"Do you know where this is?"
Just when the nobleman was about to answer, Conrad continued: "This is the council hall of Tire, not the city of Jerusalem! You landless people talk loudly in other people's places. Don't you know that you can do as you please?" '? ”
As soon as Conrad finished speaking, several representatives of the Italian Commune nearby applauded.
This is a fact. This council chamber belongs to Tire after all. Why should they let its owner give up?
In fact, if Isabella had not brought people to defend the city, many of the people under Irakli would probably still be prisoners of Saladin.
In this case, Irakli's group naturally couldn't argue with the Italians on Conrad's side.
Out of awe of the power of reality, Irakli finally made a compromise. They recognized that all officers under Isabella had the right to speak and vote in the Kingdom Parliament.
Then, Sibylla announced another news that shocked many people.
"Since the kingdom's defeat, I have been disturbed every day and have no interest in government affairs. Now that the holy city has been destroyed, the king's career is relatively safe."
"Under these circumstances, I voluntarily abdicate and be succeeded by my sister Isabella."
A brief sentence, and after a moment of silence, the entire meeting hall exploded.
Even if Irakli and others were prepared, when they actually faced this moment, they still found that they were not ready to handle the transfer of power. Although legally speaking, the king is only the chief among his colleagues.
But the king is, after all, the head of a country and the supreme leader of the country.
In a village, various feudal rights were often dispersed among multiple feudal lords: the first had high judicial power, the second held ownership of serfs, the third received tax exemption privileges and basic judicial powers, and the fourth Then the tithe is collected as a representative of the church.
In this era, it is a common phenomenon that various rights are like fragments and belong to different feudal lords.
However, it is extremely rare for a piece of land to belong to different royal powers at the same time.
The uniqueness and supremacy of royal power symbolized the qualifications for intervention and management of the feudal social system.
Everyone, whether they are nobles, knights, merchants, freemen or serfs, when they raise their heads and look at the top of the feudal pyramid, the royal power is there - unique.
However, Iraq is slightly aware that the abdication of Sibylla and his wife is indeed the general trend because of their defeat.
So he didn't intend to stop it, but directly threw out the backhand.
"Her Highness Isabella, who has not yet been married, should not claim to be king alone. A nobleman should marry Her Highness and then rule together."
"Who?"
"Her Highness Isabella's betrothed, that is, Humphrey."
This is in line with the tradition of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Although a female heir without brothers can enjoy the right of inheritance, she is also considered unfit to govern the country.
Irakli believed that he had compromised on the previous bill, so he also demanded returns that matched the compromise.
During this process, Irakli always looked at Sibylla or Balian.
He never focused on Isabella herself, as if her opinion didn't matter.
Isabella remained silent for a long time.
Finally, when the nobles stood up, shouted Humphrey's name one by one, and walked Humphrey to the center of the hall, Isabella stood up from the throne.
She noticed the worried look on Sibylla's face, but Isabella, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, didn't care.
"Sister, I will solve it properly."
While speaking, Isabella's brows showed an unquestionable calmness and calmness.
The girl took a few steps forward and came to the edge of the steps. She still held the heavy scepter in her right hand, demonstrating her authority.
She hit the floor heavily with her scepter, causing a loud noise that attracted everyone's attention.
"Humphrey."
Isabella called softly, and with just this sentence, the scene was quiet.
"Come here, I have something to say to you."
The girl looked at Humphrey, and after Humphrey swallowed, he noticed Isabella's delicate face.
Today, Isabella's face is as perfect as a Greek statue, and her skin is as delicate as white jade.
As for those clear eyes, they are a pair of gems, revealing cold wisdom that makes people fascinated.
Amid the booing from the nobles on the side, the atmosphere in the council chamber was even a little ambiguous for a moment.
Humphrey walked towards Isabella step by step, and the girl also showed a smile to him.
When he came to Isabella, Humphrey's lips moved and he wanted to speak.
Just when he stared at Isabella and just uttered a syllable.
There was a trace of ridicule on Isabella's face. In full view of everyone, she was caught off guard, and with lightning speed, she kicked Humphrey's lower body hard, hitting the vital point.
Everyone in the venue was stunned, no one would have thought that Isabella could do this.
No one thought that Isabella's way of solving the problem was a bit...too barbaric?
When Humphrey screamed in pain, the men who heard the sound felt a chill in their lower bodies.
That wasn't the end yet, when Humphrey's face suddenly turned pale and his body bent down involuntarily.
But Isabella showed no mercy, her eyes were cold and sharp, and she waved the scepter in her hand, like a bolt of lightning, hitting Humphrey's cheek before he could raise it.
A dull sound.
Humphrey staggered and fell to the ground, with an expression of shock and helplessness.
Isabella stood in front of him, her eyes cold and contemptuous, not hiding her disgust for him at all.
Then, once again, Isabella waved the scepter inlaid with gems in her hand.
The girl's cold eyes seemed to be silently declaring that she would never succumb to any unwilling fate, and even if she was about to bear the crown, she would never let her heart be enslaved by anyone.
"I will seize it for myself and break the destined ending."
There was strong confidence in the cold words.
She can control her body and control her soul. She is her own master and makes her own decisions. This is her decision.
Looking at this "domestic violence" scene, Iraq opened his mouth slightly and didn't know how to respond for a while.
He thought about Sibylla's disapproval, about Balian's firm opposition, and even about Conrad's attempt to steal the marriage.
But he never thought that Isabella could directly kick Humphrey's descendants to pieces. He never thought that a 16-year-old girl could wave her scepter mercilessly and kill people. Li hit.
Listening to the screams, Iraq couldn't help but tremble in his heart.
Humphrey tried to resist, but he had no weapons in his hands, and Isabella took advantage of him. How could he stand up so easily?
By the time Isabella stopped, Humphrey was already covered in blood.
Isabella kicked Humphrey, who was lying on the ground with his face twisted and curled up.
Immediately afterwards, he left the parliament hall.
Just when someone from Irakli's group of nobles rushed to help Humphrey up and planned to say something encouraging.
Isabella shouted to the officers under her command: "Jos!"
"Arrived!"
"Control the situation."
"Yes!"
Without saying a word, Joss rushed into the center of the conference hall with the Paladins and other officers beside him.
These 20 people stood in front of the throne and formed a dense human wall, prohibiting the Iraklionists from moving forward.
Then someone recognized José.
"Joss! Aren't you Lord Leonard's attendant? Why did you side with Balian!"
When he heard someone say that he was Leonard's attendant, Jos's face paled slightly, and he couldn't help but want to look back at Isabella's face.
But he persisted and answered loudly:
"For me, there are no two days in the sky, only..."
As he spoke, Jos's voice became softer. He realized that he seemed to have recognized a sun, so he turned to shout.
"Only...there is only one moon for Your Highness Isabella!"
Joss heard a chuckle and realized that he had passed the test, but he still looked fiercely at the guy who called out his name.
Then, he saw a spittle spitting into his face.
"Bah! You little insect!"
Then, out of nowhere, someone hit Jos with a boot.
This group of nobles did not dare to touch Isabella, but they were not afraid of bullying a former knight squire, Jos.
Bullying the weak and fearing the strong is a true portrayal of this group of people.
But what they didn't expect was that this time, Joss couldn't help it anymore.
Good boy!
Not only did this group of people dare to force Her Majesty Isabella into the palace, they actually dared to spit on him and hit him with their boots!
If I really give you some color, I dare to open a dyeing workshop!
This is no longer an ordinary noble! Must hit hard!
Then, they saw Jos and his group taking out short sticks from their backs one by one, and smashing them head-on at the nobles.
The parliamentary system is not unfamiliar to Europeans.
Similarly, foul language and fistfights in parliament are also traditions for the parliamentary system.
Looking at such an unrestricted fighting competition, Isabella naturally didn't have much interest.
He pulled Sibylla out of the venue early.
One thing to say is that the reason why we had to bring Jos's group of officers here today was to prevent being bullied by Irakli's group who relied on their strength in numbers.
The thing about the parliament is that with fewer people, not only can’t you scold the other party, but in many cases, you can’t defeat the other party.
The weight of voting is one thing, but how many people can be drawn into a fight is another.
Of course, this kind of parliamentary fight is not the same as Isaac's use of force to suppress the "senator" and use a knife to force the "senator" to obey him.
You must know that "Varangi" are all mercenaries, Isaac's lackeys, and they will be killed if they don't obey!
But what are the identities of Jos and the others?
He is a noble and a member of Parliament!
The conflicts between members are internal conflicts within the parliament. Fights between them are called fighting!
Since they are fighting each other, as long as no one is seriously injured, then both parties are at fault.
Putting aside the facts, are the people in Irakli not at fault at all?
Who told the people over there at Irakli to be blind and spit on others!
They went back and gave each other fifty hits, and gave Jos a good scolding, and the matter was over.
But how Isabella inherited the throne really brought more variables to this stormy kingdom.
(End of chapter)