Chapter 223 The Lord is the God of Judgment
Roger is an Armenian, believes in Orthodox Christianity, speaks Armenian, and uses Armenian script, which has 38 letters.
Reynard is a Frenchman, believes in Catholicism, speaks French and Latin, and uses the Latin alphabet, which has 26 letters.
Alexandros, a mixture of Greeks and Turks, believes in Orthodox Christianity and speaks Greek and Turkic, but he is illiterate.
Antioch is a melting pot of nationalities, you can find here: Armenians, Greeks, Syrians, Arabs, Normans, Jews, Turks...
These people have different appearances, different languages, different writing styles, and vastly different cultural customs.
But they just stood here, looking at each other, waving their swords, ready to tear apart the flesh and blood of others.
What distinguishes them is not ethnicity, religion, or class, but each is his own master.
Are they a mob?
Yes, it’s just a mob.
These rabble, gathered under the setting sun, were like puppets on strings, numb and ignorant, listening to their superiors' superiors speaking incomprehensible and incomprehensible orders and obeying mechanically.
Do they have their own thoughts?
Of course there is, but it can only be limited to its own small world and cannot go beyond half a step.
The country is the plaything of the nobles, and national affairs are just the family affairs of the nobles.
How can it be the turn of someone like Roger to comment?
With the sound of several trumpets, and in accordance with the long-agreed order, Roger tightly grasped his spear and began to advance with the army.
In his field of vision, hundreds of meters away, the enemy, just like his side, had set up several shield wall-like infantry formations and slowly advanced towards his side.
Roger felt a little relieved.
He knew that his side was a mob, but fortunately the other party seemed to be a mob like him.
With scattered noble flags, military formations of different sizes are scattered in a messy manner.
Except for the simple sound of the trumpet and the ability to issue orders, there is no more subtlety at all.
Is the other party also a farmer like me, who was pulled out of the field? Does the other person also have a family of his own?
Why did they step onto the battlefield, holding spears and shields...
Just like me, they were forced to embark on a journey that they had nothing to do with because of the lord's family affairs. The battlefield is just to decide who will tax in the future?
With every step forward, Roger felt his breathing become more rapid. When the two armies reached a stone's throw apart, the other side suddenly stopped.
Roger was a little confused as to what was happening, but the infantry formation he was in still had to move forward.
Because this distance is still not enough for the crossbow to cause efficient damage.
However, as the infantry formation on Roger's side continued to advance, he felt that the opponent's infantry formation became a little scattered, and then several carriages were pushed out.
These carriages did not have horses to drag them, they were purely manpower, and then they lay in front of the opponent's military formation.
Because it was too far away, Roger couldn't quite see what was on those carriages, so he saw a group of people operating around the carriages.
Some people were shouting wildly in French from a position out of earshot.
"Charge! 5 ounces!"
"Target! Southwest infantry group!"
"Distance! One hundred steps!"
" Elevation angle! Secret position 1-40! ”
"Light it up! Set it off!"
Where Roger couldn't see clearly, a fuse was lit, and those saltpeter-soaked papers sent sparks into the barrel of the gun.
Followed by maroon gunpowder, burning suddenly.
Amidst several dull sounds, the iron ball was shot.
Roger stood on the position a hundred meters away, holding the spear in his hand tightly.
He hadn't heard the sound of the cannon in his ears, but his eyes were already attracted by a rapidly enlarging black spot.
The iron ball roared from a distance, instantly transforming from an invisible point into a terrifying sphere.
He didn't even have time to react. He only felt that the scene in front of him suddenly blurred for a moment. The iron ball passed by him, carrying the smell of burning gun smoke in the wind.
Then there was a terrible dull sound beside him, and the sound of the whole world was swallowed up by the impact of this moment.
Roger froze in place, his heart beating violently, and there was only a buzzing in his ears.
Perhaps because God heard his prayer before going to the battlefield, he did not die.
But the squad leader who saved his life, but whose name he still didn’t even know, exploded next to him.
The blood mist filled the air, and the thick blood spread out along with the broken bones and flesh, and sprinkled warmly on half of Roger's body.
He looked down and saw the fragments dripping down his clothes slowly to the ground, dyeing the ground under his feet red.
The smell of blood, accompanied by fear, rushed into his nose and penetrated deeply into his lungs.
Roger's eyes became moist for some reason. His throat seemed to be blocked by something and he couldn't make any sound, but tears fell from his eyes unconsciously.
When he returned to reality from fear, those tragic roars, the screams of the soldiers and the neighing of the horses, all the sounds came back like a tide.
When the smell of sulfur fills the battlefield, it becomes more and more like hell.
......
Conrad observed the effect of the artillery strike. Even he was shocked by the appearance of this new weapon.
How could a salvo fired at about a hundred steps cause such outstanding damage? !
Indeed, this round of salvo fire, although there were only 4 cannons, only killed ten people in total.
But this bloody scene has never appeared on the battlefield.
Leonard's military formation even began to shake under such bombardment.
After all, the other party is just a mob.
"Charge! 5 ounces!"
"Target! Southwest infantry group!"
"Distance! Eighty steps!"
"Elevation angle! Secret position 1- 00!”
“Fire!”
The carriage carrying the light artillery over there came with another loud command, and fired four iron balls into Leonard's infantry formation.
As before, not many people died.
But such a fierce attack disrupted the opponent's position.
The originally prepared bow and crossbow shooting became scattered due to the artillery.
For those soldiers who endured the bombardment, they were in hell.
In the absence of restraint and before the battle, some people in Leonard's infantry formation began to flee, and more people began to plead for mercy from God.
In this case, Conrad began to gather all the cavalry and put on a barrel helmet for himself.
His war is about to begin.
Beside him, the captain of the third company was also inspecting the troops. They were different from Roger and different from the conscripts who were forcibly recruited by Bohemond and brought into the battlefield.
Every one of these soldiers from Transjordan knew why they were here.
The Paladin in the company repeatedly preached to them, telling them what they should fight for.
Fighting is not just about destroying opponents, nor is it about loot.
They are trying to reach a new home, they are trying to reach peace.
The reason why they put on the military uniform is to take off the military uniform, and they pick up the weapons in order to put down the weapons.
If they want their hometown to have long-term stability and peace, they don't have to pay various high taxes of more than 50%.
Then they need to establish a greater order, an alliance that can unite to fight against the feudal lords.
They need to subdue Leonard and put this beast in a cage.
In their past lives, many people were beaten to death and hung at the entrance of the village because their families could not pay the heavy poll tax.
In Alhadi Town, the "butcher" went to kill everyone on the 11th.
Perhaps, the original "tax collectors" and "butchers" have been killed, but Leonard is still at ease in this world.
They came here with simple feelings and wanted to make people pay for their debts with blood.
……
Antioch is a terrain of intertwined hills and plains, with many mountain passes.
Accompanied by the sound of click, click, click of horseshoes hitting the road, hundreds of knights walked through the road.
Now the main regiments between Garris and Leonard are on the battlefield not far away, engaged in a life-and-death struggle.
But Leonard didn't appear there.
Relying on his familiarity with the battlefield terrain, and after weighing the strength comparison between the two sides, he decisively chose to lead his knight detachment in a detour.
To put it bluntly, using knights to attack infantry head-on is a fool's errand.
And now all the mobile troops on Gallis' side have been put into the battlefield. Even though there are still some reserves, they are not enough to resist his flank attack.
Therefore, Leonard felt that he had seized the opportunity, an opportunity that was enough to defeat the entire Garris army, reverse the battlefield, and turn defeat into victory.
To be honest, the overall situation on the battlefield was somewhat unexpected by him.
Because the army on Garis's side actually showed greater tenacity despite being smaller in number, while the infantry he assembled showed a rout.
In this case, his knights walked through the mountain roads of Antioch, and did not slow down until they were blocked by someone coming.
The setting sun is like blood, hanging heavily on the horizon, the air is stagnant, and the remaining smoke of the battlefield is floating in the afterglow. .
Under the red sun, Leonard's way was blocked by a figure, a figure that he was slightly familiar with.
Garris stood there, and behind him was a battlefield filled with smoke and littered with corpses, where thousands of people fought and bled. In front of him, there was Leonard and more than a hundred knights under his command, wearing strong armor and fierce momentum.
Gehlis was not wearing armor, only wearing simple clothes, holding a spear in his hand, a sword on his waist, and several short spears on his back.
His image looked particularly weak in front of these heavily armored knights, but there was no fear in his eyes, and there was even a trace of determination.
He said calmly:
"Your clothes are stained with the blood of innocent poor people, and you didn't catch them entering the house to steal."
His words were not loud, but under the setting sun, they were extremely clear, as if every There is a chill in the words, which goes straight into the heart.
Reynard thought this scene was a bit ridiculous.
Reynard looked at Garris in front of him, and a sense of absurdity arose in his heart.
This scene actually made him feel funny.
Controlling trade routes, plundering caravans, and extorting poor and weak farmers, these are what he has always done. This has been the case in the past and will be the case in the future.
And now, there was a person standing in front of him, accusing him of these crimes, as if he was some kind of righteous judge.
If there are thousands of troops behind him, then the words he speaks will be regarded as golden words, and no one can defy them face to face.
But this cricket alone dares to bark?
“You, go and get rid of that person.”
Leonard ordered a knight beside him.
The knight silently arranged his weapons and rode out.
His horses were covered with heavy robes, and he was fully armored. He held a shield in his left hand, a sword in his right hand, and a spear on his back.
The knight felt that it was necessary to teach Garris some lessons, so that this overconfident man could understand that he should remain humble in front of them rather than arrogant.
Horse hooves clacked suddenly, dust flew into the air, and the knight galloped towards the west.
He didn't take Garris seriously, he just raised the sword at will, ready to swing it down gently the moment he got close, and easily kill the man who stood there as if he was frightened.
Although the movement of the knight was very small, the speed brought by the war horse under him gave the slashing unparalleled power.
However, an incredible scene happened.
The moment the knight's sword was about to hit the man, Garris dodged and appeared two steps away from his original position.
The horse was still running wildly, but the knight fell off the horse and fell on his back. A huge wound appeared on his chest, and a sharp spear tip pierced his breastplate.
Garris not only dodged the knight's charge, but also counterattacked with his spear in the lightning flash, piercing the opponent's chest accurately.
“Even so, you say, ‘We are innocent, and the LORD is no longer angry with us.’ Behold, I will judge you because you have refused to admit your guilt.”
Quiet. The voice came again.
This time, the expressions of the knights became solemn, and disbelief gradually appeared in their eyes.
The hands holding the swords of some knights trembled unconsciously, and their eyes showed disbelief and panic.
And he also pulled out a short spear from behind and looked at the other knight beside Leonard.
He slowly raised the short spear, his muscles tensed like rocks, and the veins on his arms became prominent as the strength gathered.
He held his breath and concentrated. The world seemed to have quieted down at this moment, leaving only the rhythm of his heartbeat and the ups and downs of his breathing.
Suddenly, power burst out, and the short spear shot out of the air, accompanied by a sharp scream. The air was torn apart in an instant, and the short spear drew a blood-red straight line under the reflection of the setting sun.
The sonic boom followed closely, shaking the world like thunder.
The mountains knelt down, for this was indeed divine punishment.
The short spear hit the target accurately. The knight seemed to be hit by thunder and exploded instantly. Fragments of flesh, bones and internal organs flew everywhere, covering half of Leonard's body.
This sixty-year-old veteran suffered a cognitive breakdown.
This is impossible for humans to do!
“I will punish the world for its wickedness, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will silence the arrogance of the proud, and humble the arrogance of the violent.”
The cold voice was Garris' announcement.
After making such a throw, his right hand became a little shaky.
Using the uneven levels of time beats, an ordinary throw is transformed into a tenfold increase in speed. For Garris, this is enough to make a throwing spear break the speed of sound.
However, on the other hand, the reaction force it generates also needs to be borne by Garris himself.
It is impossible for an ordinary human body to withstand this kind of force. Even an extraordinary athlete will be pushed down or seriously injured by this reaction force.
But for Garris, it was just a slight loss of strength in his hand and a slight discomfort.
The setting sun is half-set, and in this afterglow, Garris stands on the ground like a statue. He blocks the way of the knights alone, lonely and determined, burdened with the judgment of the wicked.
The knights were stunned, with horrified expressions spreading on their faces.
Some people murmured, praying for Jehovah's protection, while more people couldn't help but retreat, looking at each other with confusion and fear.
They felt an irresistible force. The source of this power was not ordinary people, but some kind of supernatural being.
Those stories about divine punishment and judgment were now vividly presented to them.
They looked at Garris as if they were looking at an angel, and any thoughts of resistance disappeared at this moment.
Fear and despair came like a tide, leaving them unable to breathe.
The knights behind Leonard gradually lost their fighting spirit, their hands were no longer firm, and the fear in their eyes became more intense.
This is not an ordinary war, but a contest between mortals and gods. They know clearly that mortals are powerless to compete with gods.
No one dared to step forward, no one dared to fight, everyone could only stand there, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness and fear.
【Because the Lord is the God of judgment, and those who wait for Him are blessed. 】
……
Antioch is the northernmost part of the Levant, and Transjordan is the southernmost part of the Levant.
In the past two years, one fire after another has been sprinkled on the earth by Garris.
But to say where the flames burn the brightest, there is no doubt that it will only be Transjordan.
In this land that Garris has been cultivating for more than a year, many places are completely different from what they were two years ago.
Take the village of Skar, for example. This river valley village that has been away from Leonard for two years has a completely new look.
Even in August, it is full of vitality.
After the spring harvest in May, this land will usher in another autumn harvest.
The breeze blows, and the entire sorghum field undulates like waves, with the ears swaying in the wind.
Because of the river valley canals, this valley plain can be cultivated all year round.
Skar Village is also an experimental field for the four-plantation rotation system.
In the early days of medieval Europe, the main farming method of farmland was the two-field system, that is, the land was divided into two parts, one part was cultivated and the other part was left fallow.
Beginning in the 8th century, the three-bed system gradually replaced the two-bed system.
The three-bed system divides the land into three parts:
Autumn sowing land: planting crops sown in autumn such as winter wheat or rye
Spring sowing land: planting crops sown in spring such as barley, oats or beans crop.
Fallow land: Let the land rest to restore its fertility.
Every year, these three pieces of land rotate their uses, forming a three-year cycle. This system increased land utilization from one-half to two-thirds, significantly increasing agricultural output.
However, as pulse crops require summer rainfall to be successful, the three-field system operates less efficiently in the Mediterranean than in the north.
The village of Skal is located in the Arnen Valley. Due to the construction of reservoirs and canals, the local water source foundation has been eliminated from the two-pot system.
It’s just that Garris did not proceed step by step, but made a suggestion to directly jump from the two-field system to the four-field rotation system.
First, thousands of acres of farmland are divided into four parts: the first piece is planted with wheat, the second piece is planted with radish or sorghum, the third piece is planted with barley, and the fourth piece is planted with alfalfa and rye.
These crop selections are well adapted to the climatic conditions of Transjordan.
Needless to mention sorghum, alfalfa is a perennial leguminous grass with wide adaptability. It is drought-tolerant but not waterlogging-resistant. It likes light and is suitable for growing in sandy loam or light loam soil.
The most suitable temperature for alfalfa growth is about 25°C. Planting requires the total annual accumulated temperature greater than or equal to 10°C to reach 2800°C, annual precipitation not exceeding 400 mm, and a frost-free period of at least 120 days throughout the year.
It can be said that these conditions are well satisfied in Transjordan.
Among these crops, radish is mainly used to feed livestock, while alfalfa and rye are also fodder crops.
As a result, almost half of the land is used to grow crops unrelated to staple foods.
This farming method does not provide much staple food on the surface, but by converting large amounts of land nutrients into protein, it provides ample meat for the surrounding militia.
As a leguminous plant, alfalfa also has nitrogen-fixing properties and can improve soil fertility.
Four-bed rotation is based on the three-bed system, using the fallow period to plant crops such as clover, alfalfa, radish and hemp.
Although crops such as radish, alfalfa and clover cannot directly serve as human staple food, they can quickly restore soil fertility during the fallow period while providing additional protein output.
Although four-field rotation improves land utilization, it does not significantly increase the total output of farmland. Its real advantage is that it reduces labor requirements while providing a more diverse range of agricultural products, including large quantities of of meat supply.
Assuming that planting 1,000 acres of wheat requires 100 laborers, and half of the fields are fallow, and the yield per mu is 100 pounds, then a total of 50,000 pounds of wheat can be harvested.
If it is changed to a four-bed rotation, different crops have different peak farming periods, and a large amount of land is used for grazing instead of farming.
Only 50 people can manage this 1,000 acres of land, ultimately harvesting 25,000 pounds of wheat, about 20,000 pounds of other crops, and 3,000 pounds of beef, sheep, and pork every year.
It can be intuitively seen that 1,000 acres of pure-bred wheat can harvest 50,000 pounds of staple grains, while four-field rotation can yield about 45,000 pounds of staple grains and 3,000 pounds of meat.
However, the pure wheat method requires the work of about 100 farmers, plus external harvesting teams. At the same time, there is a lot of slack time in the year, resulting in a serious waste of labor.
Using four-field rotation, it only takes 50 people half a year to produce 45,000 pounds of staple food and 3,000 pounds of meat.
In terms of the annual output of a single farmer, it has almost doubled.
And those large amounts of meat output will lay a strong physical foundation for the people of Transjordan.
After all, how can those who eat grass compete with those who eat meat?
(End of this chapter)