kingdom of nations

Chapter 159 White Eagle (Part 2)

He then moved a piece, defeating Saladin's "Prime Minister," and picked up the defeated piece, holding it in his hand and gently stroking it. "I don't know how you view this child, but aren't you really worried that some people might become jealous and hateful because of your special favor towards him?"
And no matter what, he is a Christian.

When I was still in Apollo, I read extensively. In the capital's great library, like sand carried by a river, merchants brought countless books, records, and documents. Among them, I came across a Seres philosophical book translated by an elderly scholar, which contained several concise yet profound maxims that I have deeply memorized.

My lord, one of the rules says that when a precious medicinal herb or herb grows in the middle of a road, even if people feel regret and reluctance, they must still have to painfully uproot it.

I confess that Cesar is the young man whom I have met who is most favored and loved by God. However, he is not a Saracen but a Christian. If he is allowed to return safely to Arazari, he may encounter us on the battlefield in the future. Your mercy at this time may lead to the defeat of the war and the death of countless Saracens.

As you can see, those knights were by no means exceptionally brilliant geniuses. The reason they were able to defeat and devour enemies many times their size with their meager strength was because they had Cesar, a respected and trusted leader with extraordinary power, who enabled them to achieve such brilliant results.

Moreover, I have also heard that during the Battle of the Sea of ​​Galilee, which led to Sultan Nur ad-Din's great defeat, it was he who stood firmly by King Arazarus' side. He was hailed as the Shield of the Holy City at the time, and the doctor also said that the revelations he received were far more than what people saw. It can be said that as long as he was there, King Arazarus would never fall on the battlefield.

So are you really going to let him go back? Why don't you take this opportunity to bring him back to Cairo? Once he's in Cairo, treat him like a son or nephew, give him money, a palace, and power. You could even tell him that you're willing to slow down the offensive against Arazari and other Christian nations, provided he's willing to serve you.”

Hearing this, Saladin finally couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't mocking Kamal; Kamal's words had indeed struck a chord with him, and he could certainly do just that. After all, in the coming years, his focus wouldn't be on the coastal Christian countries, but on Egypt, Syria, and even the lands still held by the Seljuk Turks.

He could even be said to despise the Crusaders; from what he knew, they had long lost their initial vigor and piety. Their rusted swords might still retain some of their former sharpness, but they no longer posed a threat to him.

Moreover, keeping them alive would be of great benefit to his unification cause—he could use this sacred name to unite all the Saracens, binding them together so tightly that they could never be separated again.

“I have indeed thought about it,” Saladin sighed deeply, but unfortunately, “the young man I have my eye on is so intelligent. I once spoke with him outside Caliph al-Atid’s palace, and he saw through my plan at a glance. He would never believe that I was refraining from attacking those Christian countries for his sake, and he knows that I am merely using a meaningless gift to exchange for his loyalty to me.”

Not only will he not listen, but he might even stab me in the back for his brother, the King of Arazarus.

"Will he?"

"Yes, he is the kind of child who is very opinionated, confident, and decisive."

"If your generals heard you say that, they would be even more eager for you to execute him, or imprison him so that he could never return to Arazari."

Saladin closed his eyes and stretched comfortably, though it was barely noticeable. "But if that's the case, King Arazarus alone won't be able to deal with those hungry jackals."

I'm not talking about the Saracens, but the Christians surrounding him who never give up on getting what they want for themselves in anything. Kamal, I don't believe you haven't noticed the oddity—what good would it do those people, whoever they are, the First Lady, Saleh, or those two princes, to kill Count Josephine III of Edessa and his wife?

Joseph III poses no threat to us; he has been a prisoner of Zengi and Nur ad-Din since he was five. He was only able to grow up and marry because Nur ad-Din hadn't completely conquered Edessa, and could use him as leverage if necessary. Such a person returning to Arazarus would only cause them more trouble, offering no benefit whatsoever, yet they still did it. Why do you think that is?

“Someone wanted them to kill Count Josephine III of Edessa—and his heir,” Kamal said. “Something’s definitely not right.” The number of pursuers, and their overly enthusiastic attitude…

“Cesar’s head is worth a thousand gold coins,” Saladin said. Cesar and his knights had indeed killed the first two groups, but since Saladin was also a Saracen, how could he not understand the Turks’ fighting methods? He ordered his soldiers to strangle the pursuers who followed. This information was obtained through torture from prisoners. Don’t think a thousand gold coins is a small amount—when the second prince bribed the Christian knights, he gave each one a thousand gold coins worth of jewels. But to be honest, whether there was an element of wanting to “take it back” later is something only the head hanging on the south gate wall knows.

The First Lady intended to use this weapon where it was most crucial—the fact that powerful emirs and Fatah could spare such a sum of money was already quite a challenge for her.

Moreover, the prices for Christian knights and Turks were different, whether buying or selling.

Saladin reached out and pressed his temple; he too felt a headache. The First Lady wasn't some woman who acted on a whim, which meant that she, or someone she couldn't let go of, had something that Christians held firmly in their hands. He didn't know what it was, but he hoped it wouldn't affect the entire Saracen world.

He slowly exhaled; he still needed to figure out this secret.

Kamal still felt it was a pity. He had grown fond of the young man during their time together. If he was willing to stay by Saladin's side, even if such behavior would tarnish his character, his future prospects would not be limited to just a Fatah or a Vizier. He would at least become a Grand Vizier or an Emir, and might even be sent abroad to become a governor of a region. If he stayed in the court, he might become an "Aita Bak".

This title once belonged to the founder of Zengi, and was later inherited by his two sons. In the Saracen language, it means "royal protector, guardian".

Along the way, he witnessed the Christian knight's compassion and gentleness towards the people. He believed that the knight would become a good ruler, and that his actions would not tarnish Saladin's reputation but would instead elevate his glory.

Saladin gripped his chin. “Don’t be hasty, Kamal,” he said, moving his “King” around. “He is still so young, and we have plenty of time.”

Kamal, as I have said, Arazari Road is not a pure and holy place. Perhaps it once was, but now it has been defiled by those heretics. If one day I reclaim the Holy City, I will surely cleanse every stone and pillar there with rosewater, destroy their idols and crosses, and burn incense for three days and nights to remove this disgusting filth.

And this child—do you really think he can thrive in the court of Arrassa?
Indeed, the King of Arazarus loved him dearly, but no matter how much he loved him, they were still two young men. Cesare's family was practically non-existent and could not provide him with any assistance. Moreover, the King of Arazarus had contracted leprosy and had not yet recovered. His life might end abruptly sometime before he turned thirty.

No, not even until then.

"If Cesare were still that enigmatic servant, it wouldn't matter. But now he's a true nobleman, Count of Edessa, and a cousin of King Arazarus. He can have his hands on the throne—whether he wants to or not," Saladin said, looking down at the chessboard. "He will always be a thorn in the side of some."

Camar felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing these words. They had all witnessed Saladin's affection for this Christian knight; he was even willing to extend that affection to him by releasing all the Christian knights, as well as his squires and slaves. Yet, he could also calmly watch Cesar walk towards the cliff, fall, break his bones, and be covered in wounds.

But he could only sigh. Now he himself was Saladin's prisoner—he was not so naive as to imagine that he could receive the same treatment from Saladin as he had from Nur ad-Din. Saladin treated them so well for two reasons: first, he had just become the Grand Vizier of Egypt and had no one he could rely on; second, it was for legitimacy—Saladin would soon claim to be Nur ad-Din's successor, and if Nur ad-Din's old ministers were by his side, his persuasiveness would be much stronger.

Kamal even changed his mind—he had originally planned to visit Cesar once he woke up, but now he decided against it. If Cesar knew or guessed Saladin's intentions, Saladin might suspect that he had betrayed him. Saladin was the kind of person who would never act rashly until the very last moment, and he didn't want to spend the next few decades in fear.

However, with something on his mind, he indeed made a mess of things in the following steps.

“Forget about it,” Saladin said. “Go see Cesare if you want. He probably understands what I’m saying, but he’s stubborn—just a horned lamb! He’ll be surprised if you don’t go to see him.” He looked up. “Go ahead. You might meet in Cairo or Apollo soon.”

(End of this chapter)