kingdom of nations

Chapter 110 Bethlehem (5)

Since arriving here, Cesar has met many Saracens.

From the battlefield to the court, there were figures like Saladin and Shavar, but this Saracen merchant was clearly a third type of person.

He was even considered young, with fair skin, a smooth forehead, and black eyes and hair that made Cesar instantly like him. His demeanor was not like that of a businessman; he was neither servile nor arrogant, but gentle and polite—more like a scholar.

“My name is Emin Asamira. I am a merchant. My family has been engaged in the production and sale of soap in Apol for generations. You may have heard of Asamira olive oil soap. Our goods have been supplied to the Romans and the courts of the Caliphs and Sultans. The Abbasid Emperor, grateful for our loyalty and diligence, bestowed upon us the best olive groves in Apol.”

“Assamira olive oil soap,” César said. “Indeed, I’ve heard of it and used it.” It’s no exaggeration to say that this was the first thing he paid attention to. In the monastery, the monks made their own soap, but Abbot John used Assamira olive oil soap for bathing. He even complained that it wasn’t the Christians who invented it, but the Saracens who made soap—he spent a lot of money on it every month.

"So, what brings you to see me?" Cesar asked.

“I have indeed encountered a difficult situation. I was already in despair and ready to return to Apollo, but then I heard that the city had been granted to you by Amalric I, and I had also heard of your name. You are a just and wise man who would not arbitrarily judge a person's guilt or innocence based on their faith... So…”

"Please say."

“Our family has been doing business with a soap merchant in Bethlehem named Legault for several years, but recently he has withheld a shipment of goods without our consent and is unwilling to pay the price we are demanding…”

Did you draw up a contract?

“Yes.” Emin pulled open his robe and pulled out a copper tube from his lapel, then pulled out a piece of parchment. Cesar took it and glanced at it. The contract was written in Latin and Saracen, which he could read without much difficulty. Moreover, it was an open contract, meaning that the price of the soap was not agreed upon, but rather determined based on the quality of the soap.

“Assamira soap needs to be air-dried for more than ten months. During this time, wind, humidity and main ingredients will affect the quality of the soap,” Jacques explained. “So generally, the merchants set the price after the goods are delivered here and the quality is checked.”

As he spoke, Emin opened the box he carried with him, which contained soap specially presented to the new master of the city. Cesar picked up a bar to examine it. The quality of this soap was even better than the one he had seen at Dean John's. Its surface was like gold, and its interior was like jade. Its texture was warm and delicate, and it was filled with the fragrance of laurel leaves and olives. It was in no way inferior to industrial products hundreds of years later.

The merchant Lego was quickly summoned here, and his demeanor was much more humble than that of Jacques and Emin. He was a merchant of Isaac, and as soon as he saw Emin, he knew why he had been summoned before Cesar. Because of the previous public trial, he also knew that the Knights of Bethlehem were not the kind of fools who could be deceived and manipulated by him, so he did not hide his ulterior motives.

He honestly admitted his conflict with Emin, but he also said that he had not broken the contract, but only disagreed with the price Emin proposed. He brought the previous contract with him, and the price on the contract was indeed different from what Emin said—the latter was at least three times the price of the former. Cesar looked at Emin: "Is the quality of the soap different?"

“I don’t mean to deceive you, sir, but I must admit that the quality of the soap is no different from before,” Emin said. “But if he doesn’t agree to the price I’ve offered, I won’t force him to honor the contract. The problem is, he’s not willing to return the goods to me.”

A sly glint flashed in Lego’s eyes: “Very well,” he said, looking at Cesar as if he had agreed to the Saracen’s price increase because of him, “I can buy these soaps at the price he asked for, since he has already appealed to you.”

Cesar looked at Emin, and strangely, the Saracen didn't seem happy. He seemed about to say something, but held back: "Well... that's settled then." He extended his hand, and Lego shook it, thus completing the deal.

After they left, César glanced at the box of soap, calculated the time, and said to Longinus, "Go and call Jacques back." Longinus went and returned exceptionally quickly; César even suspected that Jacques was standing outside the door waiting for him to call him back.

“Has something happened to Apollo?” he asked.

Jacques smiled.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m being too kind,” Cesar said, stroking his chin. “You’re not afraid of me. If it were someone else, like the Templar Walter, would you dare to do the same?”

“If you’re talking about that one, I guarantee he won’t notice anything amiss,” Jacques said.

“Amalric I hanged many merchants in Biles and Fustat because the information they provided was either wrong or incomplete.” For example, the two bridges that suddenly appeared: “And the king issued you passes and charters not just for taxes—if something important happens in Apollo, and your delays and deliberate concealment cause an unfavorable situation on Arrassa Road, I will not hesitate to use a gallows.”

“We don’t have the guts, sir,” Jacques said hastily. “We can’t be sure either, but judging from Emin Asamira’s reaction, it should be true.”

"Is it Nurdin?"

“Yes, sir,” Jacques stepped forward and said in a low voice, “The goods from Asamira arrived here a week ago, but suddenly the people of Asamira tripled the price, while the quality of the soap remained unchanged. When our merchants questioned this, they even said they were willing to ship the soap back to Apol… This is a bit suspicious, so I sent some people to investigate—”

"What did you find?"

"Nur ad-Din fell seriously ill twice. It is said that the Shirkus he sent to Egypt had become the Grand Vizier of Caliph Atid. Nur ad-Din demanded that they depose Atid and convert the Saracens of Egypt to their respective faiths, but this was refused. He was furious and wanted to raise an army to launch an expedition against Fustat, but..."

“Several of our men have been executed,” Jacques said, not continuing. “But the situation in Apole is indeed very tense—the merchants in Asamira are not only raising prices, but are even willing to ship their goods back, perhaps because Apole will suffer from a poor olive harvest due to the upcoming war—olives ripen only once every two years, and Asamira soap must be made with the freshest olive oil, which will not spoil if stored in warehouses.”

If war really breaks out, their prices will definitely skyrocket.

“Can you be sure of Nur ad-Din’s condition?” Cesar asked. “If Nur ad-Din is dead, the Saracens cannot hide it.”

“We will observe Apollo’s condition carefully, sir.”

“If you can give me a definite answer,” César stared at Jacques, “King Baldwin IV of Arrassa will give you a satisfactory reward.”

(End of this chapter)