kingdom of nations

Chapter 179 Bohemond is still having bad luck
"Ah, this..."

Queen Mary parted her lips slightly, uttered two words, and then froze. She was not an unlearned person, but at this moment, all the books, poems, and documents she had read over the past ten years seemed to have become a blank, and she could not find the right words to answer Baldwin.

After a brief stalemate, a smile appeared on her lips, one that she herself probably didn't even realize.

“So their situation is very bad now.” She paused, thought for a moment, and then said, “That reminds me of Sultan Nour al-Din of Syria.” Without that last sentence, her previous lament would have sounded like nothing more than a woman’s helpless groan.

But it was precisely because of this one sentence that even Baldwin showed a look of surprise—Nur ad-Din's fate was clear to all. This once-renowned and powerful ruler had fallen in the enemy's territory at the last moment of his life. He had led tens of thousands of troops from Apol with great confidence on a expedition to the Holy Land, and even made a bold vow that he would die on the road to Arazari.

In fact, before he even reached the Holy Land and saw the sacred hill, he suffered a complete defeat on the Sea of ​​Galilee, losing not only many soldiers and almost all of his baggage, but also himself, who fell from his horse and died.

The Saracens also had to pay a great deal of money in order to negotiate and bring his body back to Apol.

But Manuel I is not dead yet, so for Queen Mother Maria to say such things is practically a curse on her great-uncle.

Maria, however, seemed oblivious to Baldwin's gaze and urged, "Go on, I'm listening."

Although there was still some resistance and wariness towards Queen Mary within the Crusades, the fact that she could sit beside Baldwin at any important meeting meant that people did not intend to hide anything from her, whether outside or inside Holy Cross Castle—after all, she was the mistress of Holy Cross Castle before Baldwin's marriage.

Therefore, when the latest intelligence came from the battlefield between Manuel I and Sultan Arslan II, Baldwin did not ignore his stepmother. Instead, he made a special trip to inform her because of her relationship with Manuel I. However, the Queen Mother's attitude really puzzled him.

Whether Amalric I or the Countess of Jaffa had other thoughts in mind, they always presented themselves impeccably when facing Baldwin. Baldwin loved his parents deeply and could not have imagined that in other families, the relationship between children and parents would be like that of enemies rather than relatives.

The relationship between Queen Mother Maria and Manuel I involved even more sordid and dirty matters—intriguingly, Chiraclius warned César about this, but no one told Baldwin—some may have been out of caution and pity, while others may have intended it as a trump card.

"In short, Manuel I was suffering from excessive blood and bile reflux due to the death of his nephew. He was filled with rage and could not control himself. He berated the Turkic envoy and humiliated their sultan. Afterward, he expelled the envoy, rejected Arslan II's ceasefire agreement, and vowed to defeat him so that he would beg for mercy at his feet."

Hearing Baldwin say this, Queen Mother Maria's smile deepened. Of course, she knew about that so-called nephew; there were quite a few nephews, nieces, and grandnieces like them.

Among the children born into the harem in a manner that completely defied ethics, boys were somewhat better off than girls.

Boys could become officials, generals, or priests. They could receive God's blessing and become chosen ones. At this time, having a father who was an emperor was much better than having a father of humble origins. Manuel I was always very tolerant of them and provided them with much support.

While they were still in Constantinople, they had to endure their sordid birth while fawning over their nominal uncles or great-uncles. Their mothers considered them a disgrace, their nominal fathers constantly wished for their deaths, and their brothers, uncles, and aunts... all saw them as flowers that could be easily crushed, after all...

With Manuel I as their predecessor, they were merely imitating him.

Without the protection of Manuel I, they would have been a group of sleek little animals, huddled in the corners of the palace, barely surviving, living one day at a time. What's even more tragic is that they not only couldn't help each other, but also had to scheme against one another.

Manuel I's favor was limited; once one person took it, the other was left empty-handed.

Therefore, whether they were willing or forced, they had to flatter the emperor and even those around him, even eunuchs, without any bottom line. If they didn't do so, their fate would be no different from that of the women in the Sultan's harem who were not favored!
Even worse, because those girls wouldn't have as many enemies, nor such ridiculous and pathetic backgrounds.

She was always the target of everyone's hatred, and the emperor even remembered her name!
But now it seems that the favor Manuel I bestowed upon her was probably less than one ten-thousandth of that of his "nephew".

He was beheaded by the Turks. But what if he hadn't? What if the great battle had ended in complete victory? Undoubtedly, he could have become one of Manuel I's generals based on this achievement, and perhaps within a few years, he would have been sent abroad to become a governor of a region.

In the future, even if he cannot use this identity to return to Constantinople and become the Byzantine emperor, he will inevitably be courted by the new emperor.

Compared to Queen Mother Maria and her other illegitimate children, how smooth and bright his future was!

Baldwin also noticed the strange atmosphere in the room. Queen Mary seemed to be lost in memories of the past, indifferent to, and even somewhat pleased, the potential danger her great-uncle might be in.

Sitting next to him, Cesare pointed to a pure gold goblet placed beside the king. This goblet was in typical Byzantine style and was part of the Queen Mother's dowry. He immediately remembered that Queen Mother Maria had married into Arrassal, but not only was there an assassin in her entourage, her dowry was also unremarkable—the most important part of a Byzantine princess's dowry was certainly not gold and silk, but an army.

However, she was accompanied by only fifty incompetent Byzantine cavalrymen who later proved their incompetence and cowardice on the battlefield.

The Byzantine fleet's performance during the attack on Fostat was also extremely disappointing.

The Byzantine envoy only made a brief visit a few days after the Queen Mother gave birth to Isabella—likely to confirm whether she had given birth to a boy or a girl. Upon learning that it was a princess—in Arrassa, a princess certainly had a right of succession, but the claim to that right was far too weak—the envoy returned hastily, his face filled with disappointment. Presumably, Manuel I, upon hearing his report, would have had the same expression.

This can be seen from the fact that Byzantine envoys never appeared before Queen Mother Maria again, but frequently met with Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch.

Clearly, Manuel I had neither the will nor the energy to wait another decade or so. He preferred to begin supporting Princess Hiberl of Arazarus and his grand-nephew Abigail now.

He might still see their child—Manuel I's suspicions were correct, and Queen Mother Maria didn't know if he had been convinced by herself. In the long run, her actions were reckless and impulsive, without considering the consequences. If you add her hatred for Manuel I, it would just balance things out.

But Manuel I probably never imagined this, just as an elephant can never see the ants at its feet. "And then what?" she repeated her question: "Did the emperor teach those barbaric Turks a lesson strong enough?" The question sounded utterly sarcastic.

Cesar took over the conversation; he was well aware of the matter and could better perceive the malice Maria was harboring in the darkness.

"Manuel I was hesitant at first, but there were too many people urging him to continue fighting the Turks."

In addition to the original Greeks, the emperor was accompanied on his expedition by some new vassals, such as Hungarians and Serbs, as well as some hired Franks who had traveled a long distance and incurred great expenses.

Although Manuel I promised that even if no Turks were killed, they would still receive rewards upon returning to Constantinople, everyone could imagine that Manuel I's rewards would not be very generous. Otherwise, how would he reward the warriors who fought valiantly and achieved great feats in the event of a real war?
"Not to mention those who are hired..." He glanced at Baldwin, who simply waved his hand. Did he not know those Frankish knights? The so-called chivalrous virtues and Crusader laws were nothing more than feathers and silks decorating their armor. Not to mention, they were still in pagan lands, where all their actions, including murder, rape, and plunder, were permitted by God.

They won't go to hell for the sins they commit. So what do they have to worry about?

But if Manuel I decides to return, they might not necessarily storm into Constantinople to burn, kill, and plunder—of course, it's not impossible, but their numbers and strength are not yet sufficient to satisfy their ambitions.

They were among the most vehemently opposed, along with some younger generals who considered the killing of Manuel I's nephew an indelible humiliation, even though they knew he only wanted to gain enough merit in the war, but the reason was indeed hard to deny.

Ultimately, Manuel I rejected Arslan's peace proposal and decided to continue the war with Sultan Arslan II.

As they marched toward Arslan II’s territory, they had to cross a long and deep canyon.

Even though Queen Mother Maria was just a woman, upon hearing this, she immediately realized that Manuel I would suffer a severe blow here.

They may have sent out light cavalry to scout ahead, but they clearly did not play their intended role.

As the 30,000-strong army slowly advanced through the canyon like an elongated swarm of ants, the Turks launched an attack.

This really does resemble the Battle of Galilee. Cesar glanced at the candied fruit on the tray, picked up a few dates and some raisins to demonstrate.

The raisins were lined up in a long row, representing Manuel I's army, while the dates represented the Turks scattered along the ridges and peaks. However, Manuel I's army was clearly more stable than Nur ad-Din's army—perhaps because in Christian countries, Manuel I's subordinates were still generals and subjects rather than slaves. When they could not get a response from Manuel I, they each made the right choice.

And the number of Turks was indeed too small.

Initially, the Turks did inflict some damage on the first half of the army, but they quickly organized a resistance and, with their superior weaponry and numbers, drove the Turks out of the valley, forcing them to flee. However, the sheer number of 30,000 soldiers also brought new troubles.

Among them were capable generals and brave soldiers, but because they were all crowded in the narrow canyon, they could hardly move. César reached out and scattered the raisins—"Some wanted to break out, some wanted to leave, and some wanted to hold their ground, but even now we cannot say that Manuel I's army is bound to be defeated."

Queen Mary wanted to ask, "So where did the problem lie?"

But as a woman, as an outsider, she knew that her best posture right now was to smile and remain silent, as if she didn't understand anything.

“Grand Prince Antioch,” César placed a hand on the rear of the army of raisins, “as the nephew-in-law of Manuel I, his wife’s brother, and a subject, Manuel I entrusted him with a very important task: to guard the siege equipment carried by this army.”

A group of Turks carrying oil rushed down the mountain ridge and charged into the army. However, they did not linger in battle. Instead, they threw burning pottery jars into the center of the wagons piled with weapons. The sky was clear and the wind was strong that day. In an instant, everything—wood, ironware, cloth, and ropes—burned.

The knights and soldiers surrounding the carriage fled in droves. No one could put out the fire, nor was it possible to. After all, where would a large amount of water come from in the canyon? And even if someone dug up sand to try to extinguish the flames, there were still the watchful Turks blocking their way.

The Turks were originally known for their guerrilla tactics, and when faced with Manuel I's army, they never engaged in prolonged battles, almost always making contact and then disengaging immediately.

Unless Manuel I had a legion of slaves willing to die for him, defending his cold, hard machinery with their blood and lives, he would only be able to watch helplessly as a fire consumed all his hard work.

At this point, Cesar and Baldwin, who had witnessed the construction of the engineering machinery firsthand, fell silent—in order to attack Folstadt, Amalric I was able to cut down all the olive groves along the route from Gasarafa to Folstadt.

Manuel I's arrival wasn't just for the purpose of attacking a city; besides the newly forged siege engines, he also brought the entire empire's stockpile. Those tall, imposing siege engines made of oak and olive wood, which inspired fear at first glance, became piles of expensive fuel before even reaching the battlefield and demonstrating any effect.

Manuel I suffered such a blow that he could no longer hold on, and his army did not retreat back to Milaeusefalón Castle.

At this point, the Turks sent envoys again, but this time, the conditions they brought were undoubtedly much harsher than before. Arslan II withdrew all his previous promises and demanded that Manuel I get out immediately and dismantle the three fortresses he had built in the new territory.

"By the way," Queen Maria asked seemingly casually, "has the Grand Duke of Antioch been punished for guarding this shipment of supplies and equipment?"

“Manuel I has not yet made a decision,” Baldwin replied this time, “but I think he has been punished.” Baldwin said helplessly, “Antioct lost twelve thousand men in this battle.”

(End of this chapter)