Chapter 263 Balian in Acre
Ancestor worship, death as life, worries about blood inheritance, dissatisfaction with social status...
These, etc., actually explain to a certain extent why the ancient Chinese people had a tendency of "involution" that is difficult for other ethnic groups to understand.
If you win in the roll, then you don't have to worry about worshiping within three generations. If you don't win in the roll, but your son wins in the roll, the effect is actually the same.
It also explains why the people of the Celestial Dynasty have a dilemma about whether [adopted son] or [stepson] should inherit the family business, which is difficult for other ethnic groups to match.
On the one hand, I have no "parents", so I have to find a "son-in-law" or "step-son" to inherit the family business. On the other hand, when facing a "step-son", I am often very unhappy and have different worries.
After all, [stepson] also has his own ancestors.
The ancestors of the two people are indeed different. Even if they adopt a brother's son, the [father] they want to worship may not be themselves, so naturally they have to worry.
Even the emperor will encounter the problem of the "Nine Temples of the Emperor". When the nine temples are full, even the emperor will be asked to leave.
Extending further, it leads to an even more peculiar phenomenon. The purpose of many Chinese families buying and selling children is not to use them as slaves...
Instead, they hope that the children they buy will regard them as their biological parents, so that they can support them in their old age, pay homage to them, and even inherit the family business.
Indeed, the sale of children is a global phenomenon, but the purpose of the sale is not to use them as slaves. It is really something that other ethnic groups cannot understand.
But in Abrahamic religious systems, there is a different answer.
The biological fathers cannot be the same, but God can be the same. “Heavenly Father” is not only the father of Jesus, but also the father of all people.
In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, it is clearly mentioned that all people will become adopted sons of the "Heavenly Father".
Once you go to heaven, you don't need the help of your own blood descendants.
Then ensuring that you go to heaven after death is more important than giving birth to a child.
Eternal life after death is naturally more important than raising children.
This also makes the European aristocracy, although they care about the severance of their bloodline, actually far less concerned than the Chinese people.
In fact, according to Gareth.
If the upper class, whether it is priests or noble groups, can have large-scale extermination of heirs, it will actually be a good thing for the stability of society.
Of course the general's son will be a general, but what if the general has no son at all?
Naturally, this leaves an upward channel.
These similar questions have actually been bothering Garris for a long time, and he needs to give clear answers in his order.
Because he was still ambiguous, he actually had a deliberate act of natural contraception.
Gareth not only performed the anointing of the sick on Sibylla, but also chatted with Sibylla for a long time as Isabella's fiancé.
Before parting, Sibylla said a word to Gerys.
"Garys, help me take care of my daughters, can you?"
Gareth hesitated.
"And Guy..."
After all, those children are actually Guy’s blood
Sibylla was silent, her tired eyes revealing her thoughts.
"Stop talking, they are your nieces too."
……
Acre returned, which meant that the urban population of the Kingdom of Jerusalem doubled.
This is of great significance to the kingdom.
The Kingdom of Jerusalem, as a medium-sized country in the 12th century, had a social model that was actually unique in the world.
At the end of the 12th century, few regions in the world had an urban population ratio exceeding 10%. Of course, China exceeded it. In this era, the urban population ratio in the Southern Song Dynasty accounted for approximately 22.4% of the total population.
And what about the Crusader countries?
Although the Crusader countries had a population of less than one million when they flourished, later scholars speculated that the urban population may have reached an astonishing 30%.
There are many factors involved, the main ones are as follows:
First, both the Palestinian area, Syria area and the Nile Delta are food-producing areas that can support a large urban population.
Second, there is a developed handicraft industry that has been continued since the Roman era. As a city, it can produce goods by processing raw materials and obtain currency from surrounding areas to purchase food.
The third reason is that the town can provide excellent protection for the Franks coming from afar. The land under the rule of the Crusader countries was not a peaceful place. Conflicts and killings existed here all the time. The walls of towns could often provide protection for the Franks, a minority group.
With such a large urban population, the Franks' control of the Holy Land was essentially centered on the town and radiating to the surrounding areas.
Rural areas that were difficult to control were granted autonomy to collect taxes.
The city's status is so important that even Gareth can't help but be cautious.
Acre has a unique status for the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
This is the largest city in Palestine, with a large population and an economic center.
In the original history, even if only Acre was left, the Crusader Kingdom persisted in Palestine until 1291 before being completely expelled.
The addition of the city of Acre essentially meant that the financial revenue of the Kingdom of Jerusalem would be doubled.
In this case, even if he did not manage it himself, Balian was appointed to serve as the temporary governor there.
Balian's daily work, in addition to communicating with wealthy businessmen in the city to ensure that the trade between Acre and the Arabs will not be interrupted due to war, also leads people to patrol the city.
Eden also went with him, and they went first through the gate of the outer wall into the gate of the inner wall.
Then they walked from the new city into the old city. The pace of the two people and their attendants was not urgent, expressing to the citizens of Acre a calmness that everything was under control.
Although this is a show, it does have the effect of appeasing people's hearts.
This time, when passing a crossroads, the two of them stopped.
In front of them, a German Crusader was held down by the soldiers on Gairis' side.
A Paladin wearing an equilateral red cross knight's robe was arguing with another German knight.
When Balian and Eden came to this intersection, their argument stopped. Paladin saluted Balian, Balian returned the salute, and the German knight quickly saluted Eden.
"What happened?" Balian asked.
"Sir, my subordinates captured a soldier who was raping women. When we were about to enforce military law on him, his superiors intervened." Paladin explained the process clearly in one simple sentence.
Balian looked at the soldier who was being held down, and could see that his pants had been unbuttoned. Then he looked at the knight who was obstructing the execution of military law, and a pressure suddenly fell on the knight's shoulders.
"As a matter of military law, you should know that the distribution of spoils does not include 'people'." Balian said to the knight.
As early as when Tire was preparing for war, Garris had agreed on some details with many nobles participating in the battle and clarified the distribution method of the spoils.
One of them is that those who rob citizens of Acre and rape women will be sentenced to death.
Correspondingly, as compensation, every soldier who participated in the siege of Acre, regardless of whether he killed the enemy or not, and which army he belonged to, would receive a combat allowance of five dinars.
The spoils obtained from the city were also distributed according to the performance of the armies of each party, and the principle was also established: no one in Acre would be sold into slavery.
It was precisely by relying on such policies and military law that after the Crusaders took control of Acre, there were not many riots and the situation was quickly stabilized.
The soldiers at the lowest level may not care enough about the agreement between the nobles to understand the severity of it.
But the knights must know it. After all, the combat allowance given by Garris to the knights is as high as 20 gold dinars, which is already quite a lot of money.
Because of his understanding, the knight's legs subconsciously felt a little weak after hearing Balian's words.
Balian was not a kind man. Among the many deeds he did in Jerusalem, he included robbing nobles and killing wealthy businessmen. His strict military management was not unfamiliar to the Crusaders. .
Although from a third-party perspective, one would think that what Balian did was not particularly big.
But this German knight realized that he seemed to be in a "victim" position.
Many knights and nobles always feel various discomforts when getting along with Balian.
Balian looked at them as if he were looking at dead bones in a grave. That feeling of indifference and a hint of ridicule made people feel uncomfortable.
Moreover, Balian often talks to himself and seems to be communicating with inexplicable people, as if he is possessed by a devil.
This kind of indifference and ridicule coupled with the rumors of being possessed, coupled with Balian's reputation for killing nobles, brings a different kind of pressure, not to mention Balian has killed people himself, and has killed countless others. Less...
The oppression caused by such a person speaking to him in an unfriendly tone made the knight take two steps back unconsciously.
But sometimes, you can't let it go. At least this German knight is not willing to lose face in front of his Royal Highness.
"That's just a Saracen woman!"
"But she is a national of our country." Franks or Saracens, for Balian, the difference between the two is actually a matter of national sentiment.
But starting from the Leper King, all the way to today's Gareth, they have also given answers.
There must be reconciliation with the Saracens in the country, otherwise the Kingdom of Jerusalem will never be able to normalize.
Gareth had talked with him back then and talked about this matter.
[What do you think will happen if there is a vicious incident in which the Franks attack the Muslim community? What would be the outcome if the trial was based on fairness and impartiality? 】
[The Franks will think that we are not pious enough, or even contrary to God's will. 】
[What if we let the Franks attack the Muslims? The domestic Saracen community will unite to fight, and they will even seek help from the foreign Saracen leader, that is, Saladin. 】
From the perspective of the Franks, the royal government belongs to their own people. If their own people don't help their own people and go to help the pagans, they must have been corrupted by the pagans. In the eyes of the Saracens, they are the victims, and their revenge is just and natural...
"Whether they are Saracens or Franks, they are all my citizens." Balian emphasized again.
Then, Balian looked at Eden beside him and continued:
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"If you want to be king in this land, remember one thing. If you regard the Saracen civilians as enemies, then those Saracen people will also regard you as enemies. Even if you cannot treat them equally, you should not have no bottom line."
"In the old Kingdom of Jerusalem, there was certainly a barrier between the Franks and the Saracens, but it would also protect the legitimate interests of the Saracens."
"But we decided to go further. The Holy City will be the Holy City for everyone, whether Saracens or Franks. They must bear corresponding responsibilities and obligations in our country. I treat them fairly, and they also treat them fairly. Treat me.”
Eden can actually understand this concept, because this is essentially what a universal empire needs to pursue in order to deal with domestic multi-ethnic conflicts.
In fact, Eden's father, Barbarossa, handled problems in the same way in HRE.
Barbarossa sought to establish a universal "Roman Empire". He believed that the German "Rome" was not the real Rome.
In Barbarossa's view, all Germans, Italians, and even Jews should be loyal to his empire and be subjects of his empire.
For this reason, Barbarossa specifically protected the Jews in his country on the eve of the Eastern Expedition and prohibited Jews who had paid taxes from being persecuted.
Since Barbarossa could get Jewish taxes and support from the Jews by protecting the Jews.
Then when he Eden rules overseas, he should also follow suit.
What's more, if his army can directly plunder the Saracens to meet its needs without going through him, then how can he restrain his troops?
Garris had already issued combat allowances before the war started, and the soldiers had received what they deserved.
Although five dinars is not a particularly large amount, it does not allow these soldiers to fight bloody battles, march dozens of kilometers, and stand guard to defend the city wall. If this is not enough, then it only proves that people have endless greed.
Eden doesn't like greedy people, at least he doesn't allow his subordinates to reach out and take things that don't belong to them without his permission.
Looking at the soldier who couldn't control his lower body, Eden showed disgust. He took out his sword and took two steps forward, neatly cutting off the offending soldier's head.
The German knight on the side originally wanted to say something, but when he saw his prince's face, he understood his dissatisfaction with him.
"Tell the other soldiers and knights, the troops of the German Crusade, all those who participated in the siege of Acre, the soldiers can get an extra dinar as an allowance, and the knights can get an extra five dinars, This is a generosity from me, the Duke of Swabia, but any plunderers will be killed without mercy.”
Eden looked at the pale German knight.
Although his pockets were not as deep as those of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the military expenses left to him by Barbarossa were actually quite sufficient.
Especially since most of the original 15,000 German Crusaders have left, and only 6,000 are willing to follow him, then the use of military expenses will be even more generous.
In this siege of Acre, Eden learned two qualities from Gareth, one is justice, and the other is generosity.
Treat your own people fairly and your troops generously.
Of course, generosity is not bottomless indulgence. Rewards and punishments, combined with justice, are meaningful generosity. If you indulge blindly, you will only be implicated in the name of generosity, and then it will backfire.
In fact, there is a clear discussion on the name of generosity in The Prince. Pursuing the name of generosity will inevitably lead to the name of greed, because in order to maintain his generosity, the monarch always has to make up for it from elsewhere, and is often forced to damage and occupy. Most ordinary people in the country.
However, this is not absolute. When a monarch leads his troops on an expedition and supplies are obtained from plundering, extorting ransoms, or relying on thrift to accumulate a large amount of military expenses in advance, generosity is very necessary. Otherwise, the soldiers will no longer Follow him.
At the moment, Eden is trying to truly win over the German Crusaders under his control through the name of generosity.
Balian nodded. He was happy to see Frederick's growth. It was always easier to cooperate with smart people than with stupid people.
Although he felt that what Eden did was a bit extreme, it was not a bad thing.
At this moment, Balian heard a voice from the side.
"Yes...that's right..."
A man wearing a white royal robe and a crown appeared next to him,
Although Balian was somewhat used to it, he still noticed something unusual. This time, the figure of the "Leper King" seemed to be much more solid and no longer illusory.
Perhaps feeling his gaze, the "Leper King" turned his head and pushed his iron mask, allowing Balian to see a smile on the corner of his mouth.
Balian was stunned, because the face under the iron mask seemed completely different from what he remembered.
It was not the rottenness that lepers were accustomed to, but it looked very rosy and vibrant.
Balian seemed to have something, and he realized something.
Just when he opened his mouth slightly, the Leper King completely took off his mask.
Full of vitality, full of vitality, you are all handsome...
These adjectives that should not appear on the Leper King flashed in Balian's mind.
The Leper King he saw now was truly what a young man should look like.
"A few years ago, I was called by the Lord and ascended to heaven. After all the sins of this world were washed away, I was able to meet the Heavenly Father. From that time on, I knew that the Son of the Heavenly Father would come carrying the Holy Word. In this world, we have been shouldering destiny since we were born.”
"This desolate and broken land was originally a majestic country ruled by the Father in Heaven, but now a pheasant sits on the throne. The times are chaotic, and the order has collapsed. The man who died of a knife wound died in order to put the world right. The messenger who returns to the world.”
"Balian, have you ever heard that the wrath of the Father Jehovah is like a consuming fire, burning until the sins of all peoples are purged."
"In the past, the kings and nobles of Jerusalem sinned against the Lord because of their evil deeds. Their steps deviated from the right path, they were intoxicated with power, and rebelled against the destiny, which ultimately provoked the Lord's wrath. The destruction of Old Jerusalem today is just like the Jewish people wandering in the wilderness in ancient times, and like Israel The collapse of the kingdom is due to destiny.”
"However, the Father's will will flow like a river. He has declared that a new nation will rise from the ashes of the people and shine like the dawn of dawn on all nations."
"And now that kingdom is coming."
"It's just that you don't have long left..."
"I'm waiting for you to come over."
Balian wanted to touch it, but the Leper King was blown away in a gust of wind.
For a moment, Balian was dizzy and gasping for air. He could clearly feel that his body was not as strong as before.
Eden on the side quickly came up to help Balian, but Balian did not push him away.
In fact, if it weren't for Eden, he might have fallen just now.
Maybe, it’s really, almost over...
……
Saladin's army is currently gathering in the city of Tiberias on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. It is only 40 kilometers from Acre to Tiberias and 100 kilometers from Tire to Damascus.
The Second Kingdom cannot conduct regular reconnaissance of Damascus, but it can conduct round-the-clock surveillance of Tiberias based on Acre.
Through the Tucpo soldiers recruited from Antioch, Acre could get daily feedback on the situation in Tiberias that day.
When the time came to September 1189, a message was passed from the light cavalry on a reconnaissance mission in Tiberias to Acre, and from Acre to Tire.
"Saladin finally couldn't bear it anymore and decided to take action first." Gellis said at the meeting.
"Then he chose to go south?" Others at the meeting expressed great sympathy for Saladin's unthinkable move.
"He doesn't really think Transjordan is a soft persimmon."
"I'm not sure whether it's a soft persimmon, but the dynamics in Transjordan are indeed more radical and have begun to threaten Jerusalem." Gairis said.
In the past few days, whether it was Tire or Transjordan, it did not mean that they did nothing but repair.
Tire has stepped up its efforts to build the Order of the Order, deepened its relationship with Akka, and converted many preliminary Paladins into regular members. Then it selected a large number of attendants from those who were active in training and brave in combat, and carried out theoretical teaching and also There are various trainings.
While Transjordan was preparing for war, it also stretched out its claws.
The soldiers on the Transjordanian side, relying on the human resources of the Arnon Valley, mobilized the masses to build a wooden fort near the small town of Madaba, and then garrisoned about one or two companies inside.
At first, the Ayyubid Dynasty did not pay much attention to such a small earthen fort, but as time passed,
Due to the convenience of gunpowder in mining stone, the earthen fortress began to expand and build stone walls at an astonishing speed.
(End of chapter)