kingdom of nations

Chapter 320 The Aftermath of Victory and a Letter from Cesar to Baldwin
When later generations studied this battle, they believed that the conspiracy, or rather the open scheme, jointly devised by Bohemond, the Grand Duke of Antioch, Manuel I, the Byzantine Emperor, and Alexander III of the Roman Catholic Church was extremely rare and flawless.

They exploited the customary law, canon law, faith, and the hearts of men of the time, making use of every element imaginable, from Baldwin's political naiveté to Patriarch Heraclius's stubbornness to the victim Cesar's kindness and innocence—in their plan, or rather, after the conspiracy was finally fully implemented, the outcome was obvious.

At that time, many people were excommunicated, some for crimes and others innocent. But even the innocent, after being excommunicated, would almost immediately become devastated, living in constant fear. Even those who had been blessed by God and received the "gift" of knighthood or the "grant" of priesthood would constantly question themselves, fearing the inevitable hell that awaited them. After their mental breakdown, they would either become unconditional puppets of the Church or die of anxiety.

This was under the premise that there were people around them who tried to comfort them, pray for them, and mediate between them.

Some people, unfortunately, are born without a good family, nor do they have a good teacher or a good lover. They are often chosen by the church as "scapegoats," and their deaths come sooner than those who are excommunicated.

But this did not happen to Cesare; he was not even affected in the slightest. On the contrary, the saint's favor became even stronger and more acute—of course, the Roman Catholic Church at the time said that this proved his power did not come from God, but from the devil. Otherwise, how could he have retained his power and become even stronger after being excommunicated by the Church?

Shouldn't he repent? Shouldn't he be frustrated, even despondent? Shouldn't he face his sins squarely and immediately relinquish all worldly power, exiling himself to the desert?
Those around him, whether they were his knights who adored him or the commoners who called him a little saint, should all have left him.

But none of these things happened. On the contrary, he immediately converted to the orthodox church, and with the help of "heretics," he returned to Cyprus and defeated the emperor's army.

The failure of Manuel I has been analyzed by many people.

It can be said that Manuel I's actions were perplexing, especially since after he grew old, the emperor's battlefield shifted from bloody battles to intrigue and conspiracy.

He seemed to revel in the fear and awe people felt, but in the campaign to retake Cyprus, instead of continuing to use his malicious intentions, he sent out a seemingly intimidating and intimidating army that was actually disorganized, unruly, and full of its own agenda.

Needless to say, on the third day of the siege, he recalled the Varangian Guard from the army.

Although this was not the emperor's most foolish decision, it did affect the rest of the army. They couldn't help but suspect that the emperor intended to incite another conflict between the two sides, and they became hesitant in battle and sieges, unwilling to commit all their resources and risk losing everything.

It's not surprising that the generals had this suspicion, after all, Manuel I was a devil who could exploit even his own son and his savior.

This directly led to the demoralization of the Byzantine forces, and once they suffered a setback, they naturally collapsed completely.

Theodora, Manuel I's niece and concubine, bluntly stated in her biography that this was merely a case of the emperor misjudging the capabilities of his allies, believing it would be an easy victory, and thus deliberately sending such a large army—as if he were still the invincible "Great Emperor," and using this to cover up his weakness of not daring to go to the battlefield again.

It's important to know that before him, the emperors of the Byzantine Komnenos dynasty were commanders-in-chief in almost every battle.

However, some scholars have suggested that what deserves more attention is the first awakening of the Cypriot people at that time.

At that time, the lords still regarded ordinary people as cattle and tools, and did not take them seriously at all. But these people, who were thought to only run away, hide, or accept things numbly, and who could only be made to move by whips and fists, or people who were even more lowly than them, were able to spontaneously take up simple weapons and bring enough food to last them only a few days to come to Nicosia to help their new lord defend the city.

Although their actions were clumsy and haphazard, even resulting in some laughable mistakes, they were undeniably effective in cutting off the enemy's supplies.

The lack of supplies for the army ultimately led to disastrous consequences. It wasn't that the auxiliary troops and mercenaries were starving to the point of madness that the Cypriot lord's scheme succeeded so easily.

This statement naturally angered those who revered the "Messiah." However, when the "Messiah" descended into this world, he clearly stated that he was open to any questioning, inquiry, and criticism.

Anyone who uses his name to commit violence against another is someone he cannot forgive—whether the violence comes from words or actions.

Such opinions were quickly suppressed by another group of supporters and researchers. Among them was a descendant of this "Messiah," who even produced a letter written by Cesar to Baldwin, in which he explicitly thanked the Cypriot people for their support.

The following is the content of the letter:
To my dearest brother, friend, and king:

Baldwin, it is now midnight. The stars are bright, the moonlight is dim, and all around is quiet. People and animals have finished their busy day and are now sound asleep.

But I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. So when you read this letter, you may find the wording incoherent and the sentences reversed. Please forgive me—my mind is currently filled with countless things, each of which holds an extremely important place. I cannot eliminate any of them, but at the same time, I also have a strong urge to confide in you.

In fact, when I left the monastery of St. Jerome and arrived in Bethlehem, even without the matter of the teacher and the reminder from Bishop Andre, I knew that I, and we, might have fallen into a long-planned trap.

I don't need to know if he was targeting me or the people around me, but to be honest, I did feel disappointed at that time. I'm not a saint—although that's what people call me, I just thought it was a way of expressing gratitude.

I am just a mortal, with my own worries and weaknesses. I am also made of flesh and blood, and I suffer from fire and water.

I couldn't bear to watch tens of thousands of lives in this small town perish because of me, even though I wasn't the one who started it all. But when some of them came forward, using their own experiences as evidence to accuse me of witchcraft, I was overwhelmed by an overwhelming sense of sorrow. I even hated myself, because I knew that even after being framed like this, I would still throw myself into such a situation again in the future.

You are free to laugh at me, and you are free to scold me. I know it's all because you love me. I also feel guilty towards you and the teacher, because while I helped some people, I also owed you something.

But even I never imagined that their reward to me would be so profound, glorious, and genuine.

I thought that, like Gomorrah and Sodom, I would be content if there was only one person in a city willing to follow me. Even if they did not turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to my efforts and only thought about their own interests, I would be content, both for the church and for me.

But you know, outside Bethlehem I was greeted by a city, and on that empty field stood a crowd of people who had come for me, even though they were all recovering from serious illnesses and were weak. Among them were many old people, women and children. I can say that I wouldn't have been angry even if they had used my traces to exchange for gold coins.

Of course they didn't. They placed me on their shoulders, treating me like a king, and they didn't back down even as the Roman priests and monks were shouting and cursing at me.

They even went to great lengths to buy me a boat, and I don’t know how they managed it—even though some of them were originally residents of Bethlehem, they had abandoned their original homes and cut off all ties with their relatives and friends in order to follow me.

And those pilgrims didn't even have a complete set of clothes.

At that time, I thought that even if I died for them, I would be willing to do so.

Here I would also like to thank the monks of the St. Sabas Monastery. Although they are orthodox, they have given me a lot of help both before and after my excommunication. They did not have much property outside the monastery, nor did they have a lot of land or donations from believers.

They survived in the wilderness entirely through their faith and strength.

So if possible, I hope you can help them, especially after the monastery has taken in four or five thousand people—even if only temporarily.

Yes, I'm talking about those who came from Bethlehem to follow me.

I have repaid the people of Cyprus for their support and help with three years of tax exemption and compensation for the injured and the deceased—though I believe this is far from enough. And for now, I can only entrust these people to you.

Here I attach the formula for Roman cement, which I have re-examined and improved. Formula one can be used to pave roads, formula two can be used to build fortifications and houses, and formula three can be used to make utensils.

Please don't refuse; there's no need for us to back down.

What you give me, I accept with gratitude; what I give you, I hope you will gladly accept as well.

These recipes also relate to another matter.

I know that after you returned, you had a fierce argument with Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch and even banished him from Arrassal. Even when your sister, Princess Hibern, came to plead for him, you did not forgive him.

I don't know if the teacher tried to stop you, but probably did. I want to thank you here, but I can't help but worry about you. Baldwin, we were too young and lacked understanding of this world—they were your uncles and relatives, and we never imagined that our closest friends would be the first to bare their fangs at us.

Perhaps for these people who have been tempered by the ways of the world for many years, neither kinship nor friendship can compare to real interests. But I am still a little puzzled—Bohemond seems to have always harbored strong malice towards me. I originally thought that he and Count Raymond of Tripoli were doing it for their son.

Because I occupied the only place next to you, but now it seems to be much more than that. If it were just me, it wouldn't be worth him gambling with his own honor and foundation. There must be a bigger reason behind it.

However, I believe that now that we have taken precautions and noticed the clues, this secret may be revealed to us soon.

Furthermore, I must solemnly remind you—after all, we have already suffered such hardship, and we must realize that Baldwin may only have me by his side, but the King of Arathi Basin must have many more subjects and supporters, especially for most Crusader knights, for whom Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch and Count Raymond of Tripoli are both worthy heroes of respect.

Without them, you will face fewer obstacles on Yalasa Road, but the same contradictions and threats they once faced will also weigh on you. And since I cannot come to your side now, you will have to face everything alone.

For me, nothing is more important than you.

You were the first person to reach out to me after I came into this world. I will never forget the night we first met. At that time, I was uneasy and full of wariness and fear towards the unfamiliar environment and people. Even if I had to imagine it, I could never have imagined that we would have such a deep bond.

So don't worry that I'll feel betrayed because you have other people in your life. If someone loves another person, they will definitely want that person to get better and better, not worse and worse.

Therefore, give these recipes to someone you trust.

Do not take your anger out on Queen Mother Maria, or your sister Princess Isabella, because of me. I have heard that you have refused to see her, along with your mother, Countess Jaffa, and Count Berion. This is wrong.

Didn't I say before? We shouldn't continue down the same path of mistakes we've already made. You need someone other than me, Teacher, Count Raymond of Tripoli, and Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch, instead of continuing to live as a lone wolf.

As for the Knights Templar and the Knights of the Good Samaritan, you must not act on your emotions.

Although they were forced to comply with the will of the Roman Catholic Church and refuse to associate with me, they still did their best to provide me with some covert assistance, which I cannot put on paper. You can ask my messenger.

On other matters, as long as they don't cross our bottom line, we try to avoid arguing with them.

After all, our real enemy is the Saracens. Merchants will bring us their news and our news to them, especially their future leader, who is very likely to be Saladin, whom I have met before.

Looking back now, the Battle of Damascus was a victory for us. And for him, it was no less. We gained Damascus, while he was able to eliminate the obstacles around him. I heard from merchants that during this time, the Saracens in Egypt were in a state of great upheaval, and Saladin was transforming the entire Saracen world according to his own ideas.

He is in his prime, and when he is finally able to eliminate all opposition forces and unite the Saracens' Fatah, Sultan, and Caliphs into one entity, we will face a most terrifying enemy.

As I write this, I can't help but smile bitterly. Baldwin, I only wish that by then I had exposed the Grand Duke Antioch's conspiracy, laid bare his crimes to the world, and made him despised by the people—that way, at least when facing a powerful enemy, we wouldn't have to worry about being betrayed by our allies.

Perhaps we can think about it the other way around: if Princess Hibernath and Abigail had a child, then he would also be the heir to the throne of Antioch.

Alas… I even had a vile and wicked thought. You spared Abigail, and although he is now a one-armed man and unlikely to go to war in the future, he still has the right to inherit the throne—we don’t even need to wait for that child to be born.

I'm just waiting to find the answer—I already have a feeling that this secret won't be some trivial matter; on the contrary, it might be the poison that could kill him—he painstakingly set up this trap to nip this possibility in the bud.

But don't be too anxious. We are still young, we still have time.

In fact, the one who should be in a difficult position for me is Count Raymond of Tripoli. He may be old-fashioned, but David is a rare good man. He has always longed to return to your side, and his nature means that he will not be as narrow-minded and extreme as his father. You should be able to sense that he has been pursuing and emulating us. Perhaps you should give him this opportunity.

Finally, you eagerly want to know how I am now; I'm fine.

For some, a grand slam might indeed be a devastating blow; they might feel lost, suffer, and fall into despair.

But for me, this was just a minor setback. I even saw new hope because of it. Perhaps the world isn't as bleak and hopeless as people portray it. I hope you think that way too. This might be a good thing for us. Like a traveler carrying a heavy load walking through the desert, when they discard those seemingly important but actually useless things, they may feel a pang of heartache and regret, but more than anything, they should feel a sense of relief.

We only need to keep what is most important to us.

We may not be able to meet or work together for a while, but that's okay. Just know that in a place beyond your sight, there is still a friend and brother who cares about you, misses you, and prays for you day and night.

You must take your medicine properly, rest well, follow your teacher Chirac's instructions, regulate your daily routine, eat more and drink more water every day, and avoid extreme joy or sorrow, or excessive grief.

As for money, you don't need to worry. I have the recipe I gave you, and I also have rock sugar. Moreover, the people of Cyprus have helped me capture almost all the Byzantines and their vassal armies and mercenaries, including many nobles and knights. Their ransom can fill Nicosia's empty treasury.

You also asked about Portia and Lorenz. Lorenz is doing well, very healthy, and changes almost every day. I suspect your silver cradle will soon be too sleepy for her—ah, you said in your letter that you hoped the cradle would soon welcome its second child.

I'm afraid I can't fulfill this request of yours. Portia suffered greatly during her pregnancy and childbirth, and was filled with anxiety. I hope that we can have another child in the third year.

Finally, I also want to discuss something with you. After completing the arrangements in Cyprus, I plan to launch another expedition—you, teacher, knight, and the people have given me enough confidence—and this is a fleeting opportunity… before Saladin's army poses a threat to Cyprus and Damascus.

I want to take back Edessa.

(End of this chapter)