kingdom of nations

Chapter 339 The End of Brest

"The Brest family is finished!"

Upon hearing this cheerful and distinctive voice, Baldwin, who was leaning against the bathtub discussing with Cesar whether they should entrust some of the business to the Countess of Jaffa, couldn't help but press his forehead—just as Cesar stood up from his chair, Richard strode in with his head held high.

Baldwin takes regular baths—to treat his ailments—so those who know this almost never disturb him at these times—Cesar is here to examine him, apply medicine…and also to discuss some less important but still deliberate matters that need to be decided.

The servants dared not stop Richard, for in addition to being king, he was also a friend of Baldwin and Cesare, and one of the commanders of this Crusade. Richard would not take these weak and powerless pleas and entreaties to heart.

He entered the room and saw César busy directing his servants to set up a screen. “My friend!” he exclaimed, “Am I here to see a princess or a king?”

Why be so shy! If it were Philip, he would have even invited me to bathe with him!

It is worth noting that at this time, people, whether peasants or emperors, did not value their privacy much. You could see people urinating and defecating indiscriminately on the streets and alleys. Sometimes, when men and women were having fun, they would just find a secluded corner or cover themselves with a cloak—and this was only after the priests had repeatedly warned them against it.

After all, more than a hundred years ago, even lords who owned castles slept in the hall with their wives and children, along with their guests and knights.

Those in positions of power, like Richard, often met with people in a "frank" manner, even when they were "praying," soaking naked in a bathtub, or even urinating. They would summon officials to speak with them. This behavior was not humiliating; it could even be seen as a special kind of affection and intimacy.

“You know Baldwin is different from others,” Cesar said, personally walking around the screen to stop Richard and half-forcefully making him sit down in a chair. “I’ll have the kitchen bring you cake and wine,” he said, as if coaxing a child.

Richard was clearly unhappy with his way of dismissing him. "I'm no coward," he shouted. "Besides, even if it's a trial given to him by God, he's almost passed it, isn't he?"

Although he was devoted to military affairs and had no interest in politics, leprosy was something every monarch had to be wary of, not to mention that the reason Baldwin was afflicted with this malignant disease was truly inexplicable, and these monarchs would certainly raise the necessary vigilance.

The priests had also taught him about leprosy, and as far as he knew, the disease often progressed very rapidly after symptoms appeared.

It begins with erythema and papules on the skin, eventually progressing to edema in the limbs, followed by numbness. Gradually, the patient's skin develops large patches of unevenness, hair loss occurs, earlobes and lips thicken, and the skin and muscles of the cheeks swell, sometimes even developing growths. Gradually, their bones also become porous, easily broken, and difficult to move freely; ulcers and swelling occur frequently.

Moreover… Richard couldn’t help but glance at the screen. These symptoms also occurred in the organs most important to a man, so having leprosy almost guaranteed that one would not be able to have offspring. This was also why, although he liked Baldwin very much, he could not marry his sister to him.

Joan had already suffered the pain of childlessness, and he really didn't want her to suffer a second misfortune—but Richard disagreed with his repeated advice to stay away from Baldwin lest he contract leprosy.

Aside from his biggest worry, Baldwin didn't seem like a terminally ill man; he was still a hero capable of wielding a spear, leaping onto a horse, and leading his army against the Saracens.

Those who were close to him, from Cesare, who had spent the most time with him, to the nobles and servants who served him, none of them had contracted leprosy. Since it was not a punishment, the only explanation was that it was a test.

Which saint who left their name in the annals of the church did not suffer from illness, injury, and death? It is precisely because they showed boundless courage under such persecution that they are revered and followed.

At this moment, another thought popped into Richard's mind. If Baldwin truly proved his innocence with his piety and purity, could he be the first leper to be cured after Jesus Christ's departure?
Thinking of this, Richard even wanted to run behind the screen to check on Baldwin's current situation, but before he could do so, a gentle force pushed him away.

He heard Baldwin laugh. "Sorry, Richard, you'll have to wait a bit," Baldwin said. He might have been annoyed with anyone else, but with Richard—the guy just didn't care about etiquette and taboos.

The starkly different attitudes of the English and Richard towards Princess Joan's marriage did not anger Baldwin. He was well aware of his physical condition and had been preparing to enter a monastery since he was nine. Fate, however, was cruel; his father ultimately did not have a second son, and when he died, only Baldwin was by his side. He had to take over the authority entrusted to him by his father and ancestors, as well as the entire Crusade and the Road to Arathi Basin.

Even a year ago, he was still hoping for Cesar's son, and if things didn't go as they expected, he might even be forced to accept Hibern and Abigail's child at the request of his ministers.

But why say it was an idea from a year ago?

Baldwin lifted his hands from the bathtub. His left hand was the first to show symptoms; the numbness lingered, though it varied in intensity. At least Baldwin could clearly distinguish—when he was first diagnosed with leprosy, it felt like he was wearing a sheepskin glove, and later, a thick cowhide glove.

His condition fluctuated twice, once when Hibil was pregnant and again when the plague broke out in Bethlehem. During that time, he could hardly sleep at night, having to deal with ministers who were arguing and fighting over their own interests. During that period, he almost lost all feeling in his left hand, and the red spots on his body spread rapidly from a few spots on his back to his waist, neck and face.

Even though Cesar escaped the conspiracy thanks to the support of the people due to his past good deeds, he still fell into a high fever. The excessive heat caused ulceration and swelling, and that was the first time Cesar gave him a drug injection.

The syringe was the name César gave to the instrument he had never seen before.

It looks like a large bloodletting needle, but also like a miniature infusion tool.

After receiving treatment, his temperature quickly dropped, but he had to return to Yalasarwady to recuperate for a long time afterward.

Until the new drug extract was delivered to Fort Sainte-Croix.

It's fair to say that Baldwin never even considered the word "healing" at that time. He felt that it didn't matter whether he had to endure the sticky ointment or suffer the torment of the bitter herbs, as long as he could hold on for a few more years and at least support Cesar in retaking Edessa. Whether or not he could have a son with Portia, his best friend would have a real foothold, and he could wait in peace for the gates of heaven to open for him.

But look at him now. His left hand is still noticeably different from his right, but the original dullness and numbness have disappeared. He even feels that his symptoms are milder now than at the beginning. He can even use his left index finger to identify the subtle relief marks on the brooch and judge what kind of scene or story it depicts.

After a combination of medicated baths, oral herbal remedies, and injections, the ulcers healed, the boils shrank, his body felt lighter again, and the occasional low-grade fevers at night disappeared for a long time. He was even able to fully enjoy the feeling of warm water pattering on his body while soaking in the medicated bath.

“Tell me, Richard,” he called out with interest, “what’s wrong with Brest?”

Richard then remembered that he had rushed over to tell them the good news after hearing about Brest—no, for two kings and an absolute monarch, it wasn't exactly good news, but it could be taken as a joke before dinner.

Brest was indispensable; it was a territory granted by the Grand Duke of Brittany to his vassals.

But there is no one left in this territory who can serve the Grand Duke.

Cesar found it strange: "I remember I should..." He frowned as he recalled that he had not, like some bloodthirsty knights, continued to kill their opponents with longswords and daggers after they fell from their horses—though he had not shown any mercy either.

After all, this is not a performance for entertainment, but a bloody battle like a battlefield, where the losers will not only lose their lives, but also their honor.

Just like the current Lord of Brest and his brother, son, and knight.

"Don't even mention it, there's no Lord Brest anymore."

He died, and died in a most shameful way—people saw his cowardice and incompetence.

"What about the rest?"

“His eldest brother was the first one you threw. He broke several bones, the most serious one being his hip.” Richard gestured, and Cesar immediately guessed that the location was a pelvic fracture, that is, a break in the hip bone structure caused by external injury.

The knight was pierced through the cloak and flung into the air during his charge. Falling backward, he was unable to protect himself, and given his heavy armor and considerable weight—which was indeed possible—he might have survived in his world.

But in this world, priests are undoubtedly only able to treat the symptoms, not the root cause. What they cannot see, they cannot treat even if they want to. Only a few people can understand the location and distribution of human organs and the concept of blood.

Even so, they often confuse blood with the other three bodily fluids—they don't realize that only blood flows in the blood vessels, while the brain (mucus), liver (yellow bile), and stomach (black bile) are simply fluids secreted by organs.

Although they play a very important role in the human body, they absolutely do not exist in the blood, and humans cannot adjust the proportion of body fluids in the body by bleeding.

Moreover, pelvic fractures can cause damage to organs within the pelvic cavity, a situation that would be extremely difficult to manage in another world.

Richard's words proved this point.

"After he was carried back to the tent, he kept groaning and complaining, and his stomach swelled up strangely. Experienced people said that his condition was very similar to that of those who were trampled by horses' hooves—whose bellies would be filled with blood clots, and even the best priests here could not save him—so he died."

The knight who had not received God's blessing was also struck down by Cesar, breaking many of his bones. But the real fatal blow came not from that, but from the spear that had broken earlier. He, and the one who had instigated him to do so, had hoped that the small fragments would fly into the gaps in the visor and cause trouble for Cesar or his mount.

But a particularly sharp and pointed shard, as it flew, pierced straight into the knight's thigh, right in the gap between his chainmail robe and chainmail stockings—a spot only revealed during movement. By sheer coincidence, the shard not only struck him but also severed a blood vessel there.

Although people at this time did not understand what the so-called internal circulation meant, how could a knight not know the location of the vital points?
Richard knew that severing the blood vessels in that area would have a similar effect to cutting the throat, but the fragment was too small and the pain it caused was not severe. The old knight only felt that he had suddenly become weak. With the support of his squire, he staggered toward the tent, but collapsed before he even reached it.

When people removed his armor, they discovered that one of his trousers was completely soaked in blood, and even his boots were full of congealed blood clots. With so much blood loss, he could not possibly survive.

Needless to say, the third challenger died on the spot.

The fourth knight held out for a while, but it is said that his entire face was almost completely smoothed away. The priests who came to perform the sacraments for him couldn't help but make the sign of the cross, saying, "He's like a devil from hell, but even a devil has a nose." This was somewhat disrespectful to the dead, but it also shows how bloody and terrifying the situation was.

“You probably didn’t notice,” Richard said.

Cesar was indeed oblivious; at that moment, his entire focus was on how to defeat the enemies before him. Although he was confident that he could defeat them one by one, it would be a joke to say that he could still achieve an impeccable victory unscathed in a gauntlet of a dozen knights blessed by the saint. Moreover, he needed to protect not only himself, but also his shield, spear, and Castor. As it turned out, his vigilance was not superfluous.

“That old man,” Richard said bluntly, “has three sons, five brothers and six knights, two of whom broke their pact with him before the final battle began because they were unwilling to do such an immoral thing.”

He didn't want his son to go first. "Of course, his brother and the knights aren't exactly innocent either," Richard said dismissively. "They all supposedly got money from that guy, can you imagine?"

Even though they had seen the fate that befell those people, they still couldn't resist the temptation of money and empty promises.

Cesar simply sighed. Although it was difficult to discern the other party's appearance once the visor was removed, the knights had to remove their visors to verify their identities before the duel began.

Lord Brest was an old man, his brother was certainly not young either, and the four knights were not young men either.

Richard was born in a silver cradle with a golden spoon. Even though his two older brothers had not died, he was now the Duke of Aquitaine, a close friend and minister of Philip II, with vast and rich lands. God had not withdrawn His favor towards him. Apart from some shortcomings in politics, he was, by the standards of the time, a perfect king.

A man like him couldn't understand the choices made by those knights and the lord's brother—they could, of course, have shamelessly knelt down in the arena and begged Cesar for mercy, just like the youngest son of the Lord of Brest, thus giving up all the rights and honor of a knight, but he was young and had received a comprehensive education; even as a monk, his starting point was not low.

But his uncles—those brothers who had mocked Longinus—were no better off themselves.

Their brother drove Longinus away, treating them like free cattle. They had no land of their own, no property, and little savings in the absence of war. Even if they could ignore the hundred gold coins and refuse their brother's demands, they would be too old and their surname (they were still members of the family) to find new masters like other knights, and would become wandering knights and bandits.

“Of course, they might have had a bit of luck,” Richard said. “I can’t be sure that they could win against a dozen or so blessed knights by themselves without praying.”

He shook his head: "So there's nothing to sympathize with. It's just that when they were injured and returned to their tents, they needed priests to treat them. Because their injuries were severe, they needed a large sum of money. The Lord of Brest couldn't afford it, nor was he willing to. So they cursed their brothers and masters and died in agony."

They were even worse off than those knights. One of the knights even had enough savings to hire a priest to treat him, but it was unclear whether he had been targeted by the devil—in the middle of the night, he suddenly screamed, uttering terrible babbling, and tore open his wounds. By the time his squire brought the priest over, it was too late for treatment.

Then there were the Lord of Brest's three sons, his eldest son—alas, I must say Castor is a fine horse. He glanced regretfully at Cesar, knowing he couldn't get Cesar back to London, nor could he get Castor back to London.

"And his second son..."

“I remember I just swept him off his horse.” “Yes, you just swept him off his horse, but his squire failed to fasten his neck guard properly. When they carried him back to the tent, they found his neck was broken. But damn it, he didn’t die. He could still breathe and open his eyes, so his father had to finish him off himself.”

Then came their youngest son, who surrendered to you.

As for their father…|” Richard almost couldn’t help but laugh at this point: “He kept saying that he would send his brother, son and knights to fight in his place. He probably thought that the twelve knights would be enough to knock you off your horse, but the opposite is true.”

Even so, he probably didn't expect you to challenge him.

“I’m not a big fan of fighting,” Cesar laughed, “but I can’t just stand there and wait for someone to provoke me.”

You could say his brother, son, and his knight… none of them are truly my enemies—I know where the malice lies, and while many things cannot be accomplished overnight, I think I can still teach them a lesson, albeit a small one.”

"And there's been a lot of debate about what happened after they passed away."

Some say they should be buried here, while others say they are not worthy of being buried in the most sacred place and should be transported back to Brest.

But Brest, as I said before, no longer belongs to them.

“I heard that his eldest son already has several children.”

"Unfortunately, the oldest one wasn't even an adult yet."

Apart from the territories they conquered themselves, any knight or lord who was granted a fiefdom had an obligation to his lord. He was required to serve in the military for his lord, and if he failed to do so, his lord had the right to take back his fiefdom.

This is why, apart from the Holy Land, other Christian countries require that the heir be a son—women cannot fight on the battlefield, so how can they be entitled to own land?
In fact, even in the Holy Land, becoming the husband of a female heir meant becoming a Crusader. That is to say, one would still have to serve in the military, otherwise the territory would be taken back.

“If he hadn’t done such a stupid thing, perhaps his lord would have been more lenient,” Richard said, shaking his head indifferently. “You probably don’t know that Grand Duchess Constance of Brittany was previously engaged to my brother Geoffrey. Geoffrey and I don’t share the same mother, but my father did find him a good match.”

He's currently in Brittany cultivating his relationship with his fiancée, and they might get married soon. Once I write back, he'll know what to do.

Moreover, for him, being able to reclaim Brest would be a good thing, whether he needed it to win over other subjects or to expand his royal domain.

The youngest son of that lord has sworn an oath to become a monk, but he doesn't seem to want to remain unknown. These past few days he's been busy bribing members of various knightly orders, hoping to use this opportunity to enter the Temple's knightly order—perhaps the best path a knight who aspires to be a monk can obtain.

Without exception, he was rejected every time. He had very little money left and was constantly being cheated and betrayed. I think it won't be long before he has to face the fact that he might return to Braxton, but I don't think it's a good idea—if his father or brother hadn't been so stingy and had allowed one of his brothers to become a priest, he might have somewhere to go.

Unfortunately, no.

A knight blessed by God who is destined to become a monk will inevitably face an awkward situation: if he can only be an ordinary monk, it means that he cannot heal others like a monk. Not to mention that he has not received this blessing, he is not even qualified to use herbs and bloodletting needles. So what can he do?

Copying texts, brewing wine, or farming—that's it.

In short, it was the kind of work they used to despise the most. But I think Jeffrey might prefer to see a different, less troublesome solution. Richard put his legs up on the armrests of the chair, a position that made him look like a folded-up cushion squeezed into the seat, looking very uncomfortable, but his expression was very comfortable.

"Now the only one who can continue this family line is Longinus, the one beside you. Someone has already asked him what he thinks—as long as he nods—good heavens, it's so interesting. Those people are so eager for that small territory and castle, but they never expected that... it would end up on the little brother they looked down on the most."

"Longinus refused?"

“He refused, but I think he might get some money from it. Jeffrey isn’t a stingy guy, but if those people knew this in the afterlife, they would probably curse him endlessly and regret it deeply.”

“Oh, right, there’s something else you might want to hear,” Richard suddenly said, his face lighting up.

"whats the matter?"

“Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch.” Richard scratched his head. “I remember the first time I met him was in Bielebalinese, and God, he wasn’t as obnoxious then.” Of course, back then Bohemond was just a subject of Amalric I.

Although he harbored ill will towards Cesar, he concealed it well. Besides, Cesar's identity had not yet been revealed at that time, and Bohemond would not regard him as an equal to himself, just as Patriarch Heraclius would not seriously put the matter of how to deal with Wit on his agenda. Even though Cesar and Baldwin's relationship was growing stronger, to him he was just a small ant that could be crushed at will.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to greet Frederick I ahead of time, he slandered the arrogant emperor. His intentions were certainly not towards Longinus, much less towards a minor nobleman like Brest. However, he did not expect that Cesare would go to such lengths for Longinus.

Longinus was thinking that if all else failed, he would go back with his brother, serve him for forty days, and then return to Arazarus—although he knew his brother probably wouldn't let it go so easily.

Bohemond's original intention was certainly to carry this resentment into the expedition, as many things can happen during an expedition, such as the deaths of Amalric I and Sultan Nur ad-Din—unexpected yet also understandable.

A king or a sultan can die without warning, so why should a young lord be an exception? In the end, whether he is sent as a vanguard or a rearguard, or whether the rescue is not timely, he can help Bohemond get rid of this major threat.

He truly hadn't expected that an idiot would use up the opportunity even faster than him, but there was nothing he could do about it.

After all, the premise of the fox borrowing the tiger's power was that the tiger was unaware of it. After the duel, Frederick I changed his opinion of Cesare quite a bit. Although he was not like Richard, who could gain his unconditional love and support as long as he was a true knight, he did acknowledge that this young knight did indeed possess the wisdom and courage that people praised, as well as the favor of heaven, which was not an exaggeration. Moreover, his personal character was worthy of admiration and praise.

Although he did not immediately regard César as his other son, he no longer prevented his knights from approaching César, including even his son.

The knights' protests have subsided considerably. Previously, these knights were unhappy about being restrained by the inspection team, and some even completely ignored them, while quite a few even took action against the inspection team members who tried to stop them from doing as they pleased.

If the inspectors weren't led by the most respected knights, such as William Marshall, Earl Etienne, Earl Bellion, and sometimes even Richard at the front of the procession, several bloody conflicts might have already broken out. But in places unseen by them, all sorts of heinous crimes continued to occur.

This is why Cesar agreed to this unjust duel.

He was not a subject of Frederick I, nor was Frederick I his emperor. If he went directly to Frederick I and accused his knights of a crime, it would only enrage the arrogant emperor.

He once beheaded thousands of priests at his coronation ceremony simply because the Pope insisted that he lead the horse in the stirrups; he also refused the surrender of the Milanese, even when they made the most humble gesture, he still cut off their heads and kicked them around like a ball—and even towards his former subjects and friends, the Duke of Saxony, he did not hesitate for a moment when he executed him and divided his territory.

This man was perfectly capable of using the lives of an entire city's civilians as a warning to Cesar in a fit of rage.

But if the emperor is convinced, the knights brought by Frederick I will surely obey his will, not only because he is the Holy Roman Emperor, but also because he led them to defeat the Turks and sack Konya, the capital of the Sultanate of Rum.

Even the Byzantine emperor had to bow down and pay tribute to them; now every knight's purse was bulging, and for that reason alone, they would not disobey his will.

“It’s been much calmer at the camp lately,” Richard said.

It was impossible for such a large number of people to enter Yalasa Road directly, so most of them built large camps outside the city and settled down. The most chaotic areas were the large camps and the surrounding areas.

"It can't be said to be completely peaceful, after all, the knights also have their needs. But at least they know how to use money, and they won't force those women too much, since if one doesn't work out, there's always another."

They used to act with impunity because no matter what they did, they wouldn't get into trouble. Now, although restraining themselves is quite a challenge for them, they still joke with each other—"

Richard mimicked perfectly: "If you don't want to abide by the laws made by that prince, then go and fight him!"

Those who are teased will simply laugh it off, saying, "They now have a deep respect for you, and more knights want to follow you."

While some knights were brought by lords and kings, others were free men, mostly young sons of their families who were not valued and only wanted to use the opportunity of the Holy War to gain some property for themselves.

They could almost empathize with Longinus's plight—although they may not have had such terrible fathers and brothers, being neglected and abused in their families was common, and they were extremely envious of the protection that Cesar gave to Longinus.

To be honest, which knight wouldn't want a lord like that?

They neither turned a blind eye nor went along with it, nor did they discard it like worn-out shoes.

Some of the young and ambitious knights were still somewhat unconvinced. After all, they had heard that Longinus received God's blessing very late and that he perceived a thief. Even if he was a saint, he could not compare to great figures like Saint Paul or Saint George. They believed that they could very well have done better than him.

“That depends on whether they are willing to serve a lowly servant who was born a slave,” Cesar replied.

Richard and Baldwin burst into laughter. Baldwin slapped the tub, splashing water everywhere. "...May I get up now?"

“Wait a minute, I’m not finished yet,” Richard hurriedly added. “Unfortunately, Frederick I’s inspection teams—although they agreed to Cesar’s request, Frederick I preferred to supervise his knights himself, so he also formed several inspection teams.”

One of the surveillance teams was led by his son Henry. Then, because the army of Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch was stationed very close to the army of Frederick I, Henry caught the Antioch knights abusing a shepherdess and killing her brother.

So, in accordance with the law, they took the knight away and decided to hang him the next day. Bohemond went to plead with Frederick I, but was instead berated by him.

Now everyone knows that he has lost all reputation and dignity before the emperor.

Cesar sat behind the screen and exchanged a glance with Baldwin. It was indeed a joke, but given Frederick I's temperament and Bohemond's shamelessness, perhaps they would soon become a loving monarch and his subject again.

But it was no longer possible for Frederick I to continue to trust Bohemond as before. A man like Frederick I detested deception and exploitation the most.

Having finished discussing these matters, Richard, Baldwin, and Cesar agreed to go hunting the next day and then got up and left.

As he was leaving, he encountered Patriarch Heraclius outside the door.

Richard knew that Cesar and Baldwin were his students, and it was perfectly acceptable for a teacher to visit his students. But as soon as he saw Heraclius, he was reminded of the teachers who had been so angry with him that they were jumping up and down with their feet... Richard quickly said goodnight and ran away.

Heraclius watched Richard's rapidly disappearing figure with a headache and shook his head. Then he went to Baldwin's room. The screen had been removed, and Baldwin was putting on a loose linen undergarment. Heraclius walked over, unceremoniously lifted the garment, and checked Baldwin's condition.

Although there were red spots, scars, and some blemishes, the limbs were not deformed, and the vital organs did not appear to be damaged. Heraclius nodded in satisfaction and put down his robe. "It's good that you're here too." He said to Cesar, "I have something to say to you two. Be prepared." He said succinctly, "I have sent Abigail and Hebil back from Nareza."

He looked at the two children, hoping to see their surprised expressions, but both Cesar and Baldwin only showed slight surprise before smiling.

"Even a teacher can feel a little frustrated sometimes when he has two overly bright students," Chirac thought to himself—he turned to Cesar and said, "You tell me."

“Abigail has lost an arm and can no longer serve the king, much less fight for God, but Antioch must be in the expeditionary force.”

Baldwin continued, "Since Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch is going on the expedition with us, and Abigail is not going to the battlefield, who else can be the regent of Antioch besides him?"

(End of this chapter)