Chapter 268 Tashan Base
It's nearly December in Palestine, and there's no such thing as crisp autumn air. Instead, it's raining continuously.
On such a day, the sound of camel bells wakes up the village that is supposed to be resting in the dusk.
Everyone in Bandi Village looked southward and saw their old acquaintance Alex, riding a donkey, leading a few guys, and pulling a camel.
Looking at Alex and his men, all dressed in turbans, no one could tell that he was actually the captain of a standing army company under the Second Kingdom.
Now, the camels behind him were loaded with scarce goods from Nablus, which made many villagers in Bandi village cheer.
After the team entered Bandi Village, Alex, who was leading the team, got off the donkey and handed the reins to the young man with a smile on his face.
"Is Charles here?"
"Lord Paladin is not here." The young man who took the reins casually replied.
Alex smacked his mouth.
"I've said it all, just call him sir. Don't be a grown-up. They don't do that in their sect. By the way, he is still in the village, don't go back to Tashan."
There is still a long way to go from Tashan to Bandi Village. Alex, who had just been on the road for a day, really had no intention of climbing a few hundred meters above sea level at night just to get back to the Tashan Monastery.
"Well, Mr. Paladin is over there at the breeding farm."
Hearing this, Alex breathed a sigh of relief. Today he could spend the night in Bandi Village, just in time to tell Charles the latest news.
War is not actually a coloring game. There is no saying that once a grid is filled, it will be seamless.
For example, the Kingdom of Jerusalem's control of territory relied on towns.
When Saladin entrusted Iqta, he also centered on the town and radiated to the countryside.
This means that outside of cities and towns, rural areas are judged by who they pay tribute to.
The Second Kingdom is slightly better, because at least a hierarchical system has been established to regulate conflicts among rural areas.
Saladin's side is not good. It has been more than two years and many fine thorns in the area under control have not been removed.
Alex and the company he belonged to were a thorn in the side of Garris in the area controlled by Saladin.
Time goes back to two years ago, when Garris led Balian and seven companies north to relieve the siege of Tire.
During this period, a Battle of Mount Tabor was conducted to help relieve the siege of the monastery on Mount Tabor.
Due to the special terrain of Mount Tabor and its strategic location, Alex's company was left here, plus five artillery pieces, to strengthen the defense of the monastery on Mount Tabor.
There were only about twenty resident monks in the monastery, and they could have been self-sufficient, but after adding a whole company of more than 140 monks, they were no longer able to be so carefree.
Especially since Saladin's army moved northward, and during the long-term confrontation between Acre and Tire, the commercial activities from Transjordan to Tire have been stagnant for nearly a year.
In order to solve the supply problem for such a long time, Paladin Charles in the company, who had received various technical trainings, carried forward the spirit of Garris and organized the self-reliance and food and clothing movement.
Since the cultivated land on Tower Mountain was limited, Charles not only cultivated cultivated land near the monastery for pioneering.
It is centered on Mount Tabor and radiates to the surrounding countryside.
A small base was established under the noses of the Turkic forces in the city of Nazareth.
Yes, Mount Tabor is just 20 miles southeast of the small city of Nazareth. It only takes three hours to reach the city of Nazareth.
In this case, in order to deceive others, Alex's company, with the permission of Tire, also gave itself the name of a Greek Brotherhood, and its brand name to the outside world was the Orthodox Church.
Saladin was hostile to the Catholic Church, but at the same time he was an ally of the Eastern Empire. Therefore, he was relatively tolerant and lenient towards the Orthodox churches within his territory.
In fact, Alex even found a way to find a position for himself, which was regarded as an employee on Saladin's side.
It is said to be a Greek brotherhood, but it is actually similar to a rural production cooperative. It not only builds breeding farms, but also holds regular rural gatherings to teach agricultural techniques to farmers who are willing to join the brotherhood, but it also requires those farmers to pay membership dues. .
At first, few people believed this.
After all, how can these guys from out of town dare to say that they know how to farm?
Who has been farming for more than ten or twenty years? Who doesn’t know how to do that?
But after Bandi Village heard the call from Paladin on Tashan Mountain, they joined directly without any hesitation.
Of course, this is understandable, after all, Garris personally saved the village.
On that night when the fire was burning, it was Garris who led the Paladins to kill all the raiders who came.
If that is not a miracle, then what is a miracle?
For Bandi Village, Charles' Paladin status was a naked expression of their reverence for Garris.
With such a sentimental bonus, it is very clear what choice Bandi Village will make.
Of course, with Paladin Charles taking the lead, although he collected 20 kilograms of grain from each family as membership fees, he never treated Bandi Village badly.
As the company commander, Alex, along with some soldiers, formed a small caravan in partnership with the farmers in Bandi village to conduct business in various parts of Palestine.
The purchased goods are also sold to the members of the brotherhood at a price close to cost price.
It can be said that this little life was quite happy.
While bringing the output of the countryside near Tashan to the towns to sell, they also purchased various things that were lacking in the countryside of the Tashan base area.
Of course, in fact, it also takes into account the role of probing Saladin's falsehood and gathering information everywhere. The information obtained will also find a way to pass it to Tire or Transjordan.
Alex walked for a while in the village, and it could be seen that there were no traces of the attack two years ago.
Time erased those scars, and the Order and Company lit a beacon of light in the village.
In Alex's opinion, the complexion of the residents in the village is actually significantly better than that of villages in other parts of Palestine.
After all, thanks to Saladin's great kindness and the intensive work of heroes from all walks of life, most rural areas in Palestine have entered a state of near bankruptcy in the past two years.
On the contrary, these villages near Tashan seem particularly special.
Not only are there no tax collectors to exploit them, but thanks to the brotherhood, they can eat meat or eggs every once in a while.
Of course, it doesn't mean that there are no tax collectors. After all, Bandi Village is right under Nazareth's nose. If you don't want to run into Saladin's army, you still need to live a low-key life.
It's just that the tax collector's name is Alex, and they are a group of bandits who occupied Tower Mountain and oppressed the monks of the Catholic monastery. They nominally believed in Orthodoxy, and even organized themselves a Greek brotherhood organization.
This group of Brotherhood bandits is incredible. Not only does it occupy the steep Tashan Mountain, but Alex also has nearly two hundred strong men under his command!
The nearby Greek villages all supported the Brotherhood, and no one recognized the Brotherhood brand.
This Turk came here to make a fortune, not to kill anyone.
Since Alex, as the big leader of the Brotherhood, is willing to be recruited and receive a position as a tax collector to pay taxes to the city of Nazareth, the young and old men in the Turkic tribe are naturally not willing to work hard.
After Alex was successfully recruited under Saladin, the Turkic tribes in the city of Nazareth had to respectfully invite Alex to drink some fermented grape juice when they saw Alex wearing a turban.
This is not only awe of the strength of the nearly two hundred strong men in Tashan Village, but also the respect that Alex never defaults on his taxes.
In these troubled times, if you have money but no knife, you are called a fat sheep, and anyone can slaughter it.
The boss is the one who has soldiers and swords at his command, but if he not only has soldiers, swords and money, then everyone has to give in.
When the tax was first negotiated, Alex was wearing armor, and nearly two hundred bandits under his command were lined up. People from a dozen nearby villages came out in force, and they forcibly surrounded the gate of Nazareth several times. .
The Turkic lords were forced to swear on the Quran that they would continue the tax quota of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and never increase taxes.
In the Middle Ages, there was actually a characteristic. When taxing, it was said that the tax would be collected at 50% or 40%, but in fact there were many things that were fishy.
After all, how can this lord know how much food is grown in a village?
Therefore, except for those lords who are really not afraid of arousing public anger and facing peasant uprisings (such as Leonard), most feudal lords in Western Europe are actually willing to abide by feudal contracts.
In those contracts, whether there is physical existence or not, it is often not a direct agreement on the percentage of tax to be paid, but a fixed share.
For example, a certain village would have to pay roughly 50,000 pounds of grain based on 40% of the payment in a certain year, so this is settled.
Regardless of the specific amount paid, this is really the amount stated in the contract.
Due to the destruction of wars in recent years, most villages in Palestine are no longer able to pay tribute taxes in accordance with the original contracts signed with the "Crusader" lords.
Alex and his hundreds of brothers only asked the Turkic lords not to raise taxes, but at the same time they also ensured that they paid according to quality and quantity, so the Turks actually accepted it with pinched noses.
And you have to know that no matter what the tax collectors around you say, when it comes time to pay taxes, even if you kill them, you won't get much profit.
The farmers really have nothing to rob!
Even if you capture peasants and sell them as slaves, you won't be able to make money from them.
After all, there is a war going on. The slave market in Damascus has long been oversupplied and prices have plummeted...
In this case, the Greek brotherhood, which could pay taxes on time and had the force to "suppress" the peasants, became a particularly eye-catching group of bandits, with outstanding performance capabilities.
The Turkic lord of Nazareth even thought about helping Alex get promoted, so he simply annexed several surrounding tax farming areas, which would save him a lot of trouble.
As for Alex and his group, they can not only pay taxes stably, but also make the villagers look good.
The point is that many of the agricultural techniques promoted by Charles Paladin improved rural productivity near Tower Hill. Although the amount of taxes to be paid has not decreased, the total amount has finally gone up, and everyone can take a breather.
The original tax of nearly 50%, with the increase in grain production, has unknowingly turned into a tax of less than 30%.
Alex walked through the village of Bendy and met Charles near the breeding farm.
Nowadays, Charles is really a farmer. His dark skin and numerous calluses on his hands look particularly tough in the sunset, forming a harmonious scene with the farmland.
Alex waved to Charles, and when Charles noticed it, he couldn't help but smile.
"How about it!"
“Not bad.”
The two people, who hadn't seen each other for almost a month, laughed heartily a few times.
Charles also picked up the pitchfork in his hand, intending to end the whole day of farm work today.
The work I did today was to lead the villagers in Bandi Village to compost.
Composting technology is actually not something unique to China. It can be traced back to thousands of years ago.
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As early as the ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and ancient Rome, people discovered that mixing and accumulating animal and plant residues could improve soil fertility.
Early composting methods were simple. They usually piled organic materials directly and allowed them to decompose naturally without any control.
This method is inefficient and is greatly affected by climate and microbial activity.
The advantage of Tianchao is that through long-term practice, it has summarized methods such as "circulation fertilizer" and "retting fertilizer", which are relatively more efficient.
Naturally, Garis went a step further and used the wisdom "given" by God to determine the nutrient requirements for crop growth.
And according to the "truth", a composting method with more theoretical guidance is summarized.
Emphasis is placed on calculating the carbon-nitrogen ratio, controlling humidity, and avoiding pest infestations.
Of course, this brand-new composting technology is also quite burdensome for manpower. Many farmers would not be happy if Charles did not take the lead in farm work.
After all, this empty talk requires people to do a lot more work. If the food production does not increase, wouldn’t it be in vain?
Of course, it has been two years since then, and everyone has long been convinced of Paladin Charles.
I feel that this Lord Paladin is worthy of having lived with the prophet Garis. He talks about truth clearly and is the best in farm work.
The key is that the agricultural techniques he mentioned are really useful!
There is no reason why everyone should not write to me.
The principle of composting is actually to convert organic waste into stable humus through aerobic decomposition of microorganisms, while releasing nutrients.
Charles, the farm work you led the farmers to do today is to stack carbon sources and nitrogen sources in layers according to a certain proportion.
Bottom layer: Place thick materials such as branches or hay to facilitate ventilation and drainage.
Second layer: add fresh grass or manure.
Third layer: Sprinkle a small amount of soil to provide microorganisms and mask odors.
Repeat the above steps until the compost pile is about 1.5 meters high.
Every time they are stacked, some water will be sprayed to keep them moist but not waterlogged. The material should form a clump when held but should not drip.
Once complete, the compost pile is also covered with straw, burlap, or a thin layer of soil to maintain moisture and temperature and prevent nutrient loss.
Charles had already completed this step with the villagers five days ago.
Today has been a whole day of digging through piles.
The purpose of turning the pile is to evenly mix the materials and introduce air to ensure oxygen supply and prevent the development of bad odors.
Aerobic microorganisms are the core driving force of the composting process. They feed on organic matter, release heat through metabolism and break down organic matter.
However, if it is an oxygen-free environment, the compost pile will produce odor and gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide, which will affect the quality of the compost.
Therefore, turning the pile, ventilation and oxygenation are the key to composting.
Moreover, a large amount of heat is also generated during the composting process. The heat released by microbial metabolism is the main reason for the heating of the compost. Of course, high temperature helps to kill pathogens such as insect eggs and weed seeds, making the compost safer.
However, if the heat is too high, it will also inhibit microbial activity, so it is necessary to turn the pile to cool down in a timely manner.
Under the theoretical guidance of such a systematic "truth" that is in line with God's teachings, we have to work hard to turn the compost every 10-15 days, which lasts for several months.
According to Charles' calculations, fertilizer can be applied just before the wheat in the farmland is about to be filled next year, thus increasing the wheat yield in the farmland.
In addition, Charles also built a systematic chicken farm, duck farm, pig farm, etc., organized villagers to herd sheep, and built collective farms.
Although the farm was small, with Charles as a veterinarian, the animals grew surprisingly well, providing a considerable amount of meat, eggs, and milk.
At the end of the 12th century, if someone could eat eggs every now and then and eat meat at least twice a month, this was not a treatment that ordinary farmers could enjoy.
The villagers of Bandi Village, under the leadership of Charles, basically achieved everything.
When Alex and Charles walked side by side, the attitudes of the people around them and the expressions on their faces could be clearly distinguished.
Although the Turks in Nazareth all recognized Alex as a hero, members within the Brotherhood knew that Charles was the undoubted core of the Brotherhood.
If an ordinary person could achieve such an achievement, he might start to feel satisfied.
But Charles became more pious, humble and humble, trying to blend in with the farmers.
Because Charles knew that he could achieve this step perhaps because of his own efforts, but the most essential reason was because of Garris's presence.
Without the knowledge he received from "God", Charles would have no way of knowing what diseases the animals would get, let alone how to treat them.
In fact, if it weren't for Garris, he would have "miraculously" resurrected that rainy night, and then easily killed those Bedouins.
He, Charles, should have gone to purgatory on that day.
Yes, Charles was actually the original apostle, one of those who witnessed the resurrection of Garris.
Therefore, he never questioned the identity of Garris, and listened attentively to all Garris's teachings.
He was one of the four servants at that time. He was originally the coachman who held the carriage for Isabella, but now he has reached a height that was unimaginable step by step.
In this case, Charles, who knew the source of his knowledge, naturally became more pious and humble, so as to avoid losing the care of Gareth and the favor of God due to pride and complacency.
While Charles has the status of an apostle, Alex is more noble in terms of origin. His father is a knight, but most of the time he is still willing to listen to Charles' opinions.
"How are things going now? How are prices changing in Nablus?"
As the two walked side by side, Charles asked questions from time to time.
"The chicken and duck prices over there have dropped by almost 30% because of us. Many villagers nearby are displeased with us."
Charles nodded. This was also in line with what Garris said about the impact of the new heaven and new earth on the old heaven and the old earth.
When their brotherhood completes a certain amount of agricultural technological progress and has more output that can be sold externally, it will inevitably have an impact on the surrounding rural areas.
Animal husbandry may seem inconspicuous, but it is actually a way for many people to make money, but most people don’t pay much attention to it, so they lack awareness.
When their brotherhood, relying on the strength of their numbers, launched technological reforms and dumped agricultural products abroad.
Those surrounding farmers who still rely on selling agricultural products to make money and pay the poll tax are actually having a hard time.
After all, the amount of agricultural products that this town wants to buy is limited, and if the brothers sell more, the price will be lower.
This means that other farmers cannot sell, which means that it is difficult for them to obtain currency and pay taxes. In the end, their families will be ruined.
Of course, this does not mean that there is no way out. As long as those farmers are willing to join the brotherhood, join the religious order, and practice the correct path of Garris, then there will be a bright door waiting for everyone in the future.
Although his contact with Tire or Transjordan was intermittent, as an apostle, Charles was convinced that he was qualified to preach.
Therefore, the fall in agricultural product prices in Nablus is not entirely bad for him.
Alex also informed Charles of the intelligence collected.
When he heard one of them, Charles' expression changed and he felt a little happy.
"By the way, I also received news that Transjordan launched a counterattack on Jerusalem, and Saladin seemed to have suffered a moderate loss..."
When he heard this, Charles thought of something and said to Alex:
"It seems that both Tire and Transjordan are currently counterattacking Saladin's forces. We should actually be prepared to support the subsequent counterattack."
Alex nodded. The reason why he was anxious to see Charles today was actually because of Charles' words.
However, Charles' next words made him grin.
"Tonight, we will rush to the Mount Tabor Monastery to discuss the battle plan. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we will gather the scattered warriors outside to see what the Turks on the other side of Nazareth will do in the face of Saladin's repeated defeats. What’s the reaction?”
(End of chapter)