kingdom of nations

Chapter 89: Attack the City! (9)

The "Tower of David" did not disappoint Amalric I. Just like Baldwin and Cesar, they stood back to back, shoulder to shoulder, and as a pair of young men, they won an unbelievable record in their first battle - they led knights as young as them and tore a tiny crack in the Saracens' iron-clad direction!

It was so small, but Richard discovered it immediately. He immediately abandoned the enemy in front of him and rushed over to consolidate the gap with Baldwin and Cesar. The knight in charge of lookout on the siege tower immediately blew the horn, and the Crusader knights immediately turned to this position and attacked with all their strength.

They climbed up to the top of the Tower of David like a colony of ants, further expanding their previous achievements.

And at the moment when they suppressed the Saracens, the siege hammer at the bottom of the "Tower of David" finally made its first roar.

It was made of a rare piece of olive wood, about nine feet in diameter. People said that it might have grown in the olive groves around Fustat for a thousand years, and if people had not needed it to pry open Fustat's city defenses, it might have existed for another thousand years.

It was also twenty feet long, surrounded by twelve hoops of solid iron, and ended in a huge sheep's head.

This sheep's head has curved horns, a protruding mouth and nose, and exposed fangs. It looks more like a demon's head, which may be the original intention of the craftsman.

Before hanging it up with iron chains, people poured vinegar on it. This practice is the same as soaking the cowhide and sheepskin on siege towers in vinegar. The main ingredient of "Greek fire" is petroleum naphtha, and only vinegar can prevent its spread.

Originally, Amalric I wanted to use a torsion winch to strengthen it, but he gave up because he did not have a leather rope that could control this giant - it still took more than a hundred strong soldiers to push it.

They were all muscular and broad-shouldered, and under the command of the knights, they pushed the battering rams against the city walls again and again - these people also needed to be very agile and careful.

When the siege hammer was swung back by the force transmitted back by the thick city wall, if one was not careful, it would knock someone away. The person who was knocked away would be like those who were unfortunately hit directly by stone bullets or crossbows, with a sunken chest and bloody flesh, and would die immediately.

But at least they were luckier than the previous soldiers, because the Saracens above them had been cleared out, and they didn't have to worry about arrows, stones or even burning feces falling on them, nor would anyone throw bags filled with straw and chaff to weaken the power of the siege hammer, causing them to waste their efforts in vain.

Under the brightest sunlight at noon, the battering ram under the "Tower of David" finally erupted with the most powerful impact, as if in just a moment, the outer wall of Fustat's double wall was destroyed. Suddenly, a huge and terrifying hole appeared on the gray stone brick wall that seemed to be impossible to break through.

The soldiers operating the siege hammers fell down one after another, and before they could figure out what was happening - mainly because they were too tired and in pain in the previous few hours - the siege hammer swung back in a daze like a knight who had lost his target.

They were awakened by the Saracens' cries of terror, and they sprang to their feet, invigorated by the prospect of a successful deed and a reward.

After breaking through the outer wall, the corridors and small caves inside were exposed. Sometimes there were soldiers moving through these spaces or waiting for the enemy.

But before they could act, the small catapults and crossbows that had been prepared on the side threw stones and arrows at them. They immediately fell to the ground with blood on their heads. Then the Christians on the side rushed up, moved the broken stones, and pushed the battering ram further in.

The inner wall was not as thick as the outer wall, and after a while, a crack appeared. Several Saracens on the opposite side of the crack were calling out to their companions. They used a small lit battering ram to hit anyone who dared to widen the crack, and then stood the battering ram upright and let it fall to the opposite side, hoping to ignite the "Tower of David" in this way.

"Hold on, hold on!" someone shouted. The Christians wanted to make a final push, while the Saracens fought to the death. They dumped cartloads of rubble into the cracks and continuously poured oil on them to set them on fire, burning the stones red hot in order to stop the attack.

At this time, more Saracens rushed up to the city wall and fought with the knights desperately. The small catapults and crossbows fixed on the city wall were dismantled and moved here, becoming a new threat.

Baldwin and Cesar had already been replaced. Even if they were blessed by the saints, could they stop a hundred people with their own strength? Could they stop a thousand people? Ten thousand people? Besides, attracting too much attention is not a good thing.

Richard sat beside them, drinking icy wine. Even so, he was as hot as a piece of charcoal. It was not as if the wine was drunk by him, but rather poured into the charcoal and disappeared with a "hiss"!

"Don't mention it," he smacked his lips, "those guys are so useless!"

Baldwin did not agree with Richard's words. He had to say that it was because Richard, as well as he and Cesar's performances were too outstanding - making the subsequent people who came after him look a little pale in comparison.

But what they lack is not courage, but talent.

Furthermore, after the Saracens, there were some troublesome guys, those who also received prophetic revelations and were "sharp blades" different from ordinary people - they were transferred to this city wall because of Baldwin, Cesar and Richard, but they had already left by then.

Although the knights who had just climbed the city wall had also received God's blessing, they were a little mediocre compared to them - so much so that they could not withstand such an impact. They were either killed or fell off the city wall. Only a few of them retreated to the "Tower of David". At this time, the "Tower of David" had already retreated to avoid becoming a trophy of the Saracens.

Even so, some Saracens still jumped into the air and landed on the drawbridge that had not yet been retracted with a calm and fearless attitude, continuing to fight with the knights.

"It's useless, what else do you need to find an excuse for?" Another voice interrupted. It turned out to be the Templar Knight Walter, who was also covered in blood, with torn chain mail, messy hair, and red eyes.

He walked into the tent and Richard handed him the glass in his hand. He nodded, took it, scooped a large glass from the wooden box filled with crushed ice, and added a full glass of wine to it.

"My place is full of cowards too, bah, cowards, rabbits, and mice!" he said in succession.

"I saw the Saracens heading for the King's Gate, so I quickly told them to set up ladders so we could climb the city walls together. We had to fight the Saracens and seize their city. I didn't expect that after I called out several times, they would only hesitate..." He drank the whole thing in one gulp, clutching the cup tightly. "The good opportunity is fleeting!"

The Knights Templar were responsible for the Arch of Victory. Richard felt it was a pity when he heard this, but to be honest, not everyone has the courage to sacrifice their lives just to get God's reward. To be more precise, this reward is of little use to ordinary people.

"But these Saracens lied, and they hanged some men from the walls, and they wanted to make peace with us."

"Who?" asked Baldwin, who was beside Amalric I and seemed not to see the Saracen envoy.

"They have all been killed by me." Walter said, "Although it's a pity that we couldn't take the King's Gate directly, children, we can all see that it will only take a few days to break through the city." The city walls that were broken by the siege hammers were not so easy to repair. Even if the Saracens had materials and manpower, Amalric I had already arranged for ballistae and catapults. The bags filled with straw and husks that they had hung on the city walls were also confiscated and sent to the tunnel entrance near the Victory Gate.

Long before the official siege, Amalric I had arranged for people to dig a tunnel. Now the tunnel has been dug underground near the city gate. People used oak as support and filled the considerable cave with hay, branches and other flammable materials, and then poured tens of thousands of jars of olive oil and lard, waiting for it to be ignited.

When will it ignite? Just wait and see when people start cheering.

The outer wall on the left side of the King's Gate had collapsed and had not yet been repaired, and the wall on the right side of the Victory Gate collapsed in the smoke and heat. This gap connected the outer wall and the inner wall. Every Saracen was howling in despair, and the Christian knights and soldiers could not wait to rush forward. They killed each other frantically at the gap, and the blood flowed more than the olive oil before, and the corpses piled up into a hill.

With victory in sight, Amalric I's authority rose to a new peak. Now he became tolerant and humble. He even forbade Baldwin and Cesar to go to the most dangerous places because they had proved their bravery and piety and should leave the opportunity to others.

This was indeed the case. The Saracens were still resisting, but this resistance seemed to be seeking an opportunity to die together with the enemy. This desperate atmosphere was certainly no match for the high morale of the Christian knights - everyone knew that perhaps at the next dawn, they would be able to possess this beautiful and wealthy lady.

Yes, but not at dawn, but late at night.

Cesar and Baldwin, who had been sleeping soundly, were suddenly awakened and asked to wash, change clothes, and dress as gorgeously as possible. Then, they were hurriedly taken by Amalric I's servants to the huge tent - which was already brightly lit.

Amalric I also looked like he had just woken up from bed, wearing only a loose linen robe and no jewelry, completely different from Cesar and Baldwin who he had asked to be king.

But what clothes or jewels did Amalric I need at this moment? He had already obtained the laurel crown he had always dreamed of. Before him, prostrating himself on the ground in an extremely humble posture, was none other than the Great Vizier Chaval.

Baldwin had never seen him, but he had heard of his appearance. Just as his father had once described him in his resentment and anger, he looked like a cunning, fat pig, bloated and hideous. He had a pair of shrewd little eyes and large ears, but now those eyes were red and swollen with fear and anxiety, and their light was dull.

When he saw Baldwin, he immediately recognized the heir, although he had never seen Baldwin before - he immediately knelt over and accurately pressed his lips to Baldwin's boots. Baldwin almost jumped up and almost screamed.

He had indeed heard that some people would kiss the Pope's toes, but when it happened to him, he didn't find it interesting at all, and even felt a little disgusted.

Amalric I chuckled sarcastically, and as Chavar had guessed, his embarrassment amused the king greatly.

Shawar certainly did not come to chat with Amalric I. He had intended to seek peace with Amalric I before. But by then Amalric I no longer believed him.

He came here today, also facing a huge crisis. After all, he had fooled the victor before - the reward of two million gold coins he mentioned was impossible to be fulfilled.

The Fatimid treasury had long been empty, and he himself might be able to come up with a million gold coins - he had previously tried to bribe Shirku and his nephew with 200,000 gold coins, but failed.

He was now willing to hand over all the money, along with the city, just to be able to leave Fustat safely.

Amalric I remained noncommittal. "I do not wish to bargain with you," he said, "nor do I wish to trade you for something I am certain to receive."

"The Fustatians have resolved to fight you to the death," said Chaval. "I know you are a kind and generous man, especially to your fellow Christians, and now—as you say—the city is yours.

But how much more must you lose before that? If you spare the lives of those brave knights and soldiers, you should at least spare your own money. Besides, will you be satisfied with Fustat?

No, you won't. You need more, Giza, Alexandria, and maybe Damascus later. Your vision is so long-term and your ambition is so strong. Instead of wasting them in this battle whose outcome is already foreseeable, why not let these respectable warriors win more merits in another place?
I don't ask for much. You can even take the Caliph's life or keep him in your palace. You can deal with everyone in Fustat as you wish, from men to women, from the elderly to children. If you want to kill them all, you can kill them all; if you want to keep them as slaves, you can make them slaves; if you want to sell them, you can release them.

And all I expect is this little bit of forgiveness."

"You are truly a despicable man," Amalric I sighed, "but you have already caused me so much loss. If you were willing to surrender, you should have surrendered from the beginning."

"Then I have to see that this city is really hopeless before I can decide what to do?" Shawar said shamelessly, but his words really touched the heart of Amalric I.

He had already seen that the people of Fustat were not those of Bilebais. They were not so docile, nor were they corrupted to the deepest point, to the point of no return.

They still had blood and backbone, and he could continue to order his knights to attack Fustat as planned, but it would be meaningless. Fustat was not the end, and his horse's hooves would trample through more pagan lands in his lifetime.

"So you will open the gates of Fustat for me."

"I open the King's Gate for you. This is where you should have stepped into." Shawar said humbly. He put his hands on the ground and rubbed the carpet on the tent with his face.

"Well," said Amalric I, "if you do this, Shawar, I will spare your life."

"Can he be trusted?"

Heraclius asked after Shawar left.

"What does it matter if it's credible or not? As long as the city gates are opened, it's time for us to make our move," said Amalric I.

(End of this chapter)