I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 226 The Golden Lion Kahn

"Hold on! Hold your shields above your heads!"

"Hold on! We're about to break down this damn city gate!"

The cramped environment and the constant barrage of crossbow bolts from above filled the soldiers in the city cave with dread.

Clovis and Charman, two knights who didn't get along well, put aside their dislike for each other at this moment and roared together to appease the soldiers.

Luke witnessed this scene, put away his heavy crossbow, then picked up the wooden bucket next to him. He glanced at the sewage in the bucket out of the corner of his eye, and couldn't help but smirk, "No wonder it's quicklime that boils when it meets water!"

The already violently boiling excrement was now even hotter. He exchanged a glance with Ryan and poured all the excrement into the murder hole.

"Get back under the thatched roof!"

The familiar sizzling sound appeared again. Clovis darted back into the battering ram, and the other soldiers quickly gathered around, fearing a repeat of the morning's horrific scene.

"Surfers, don't stop! As long as there's thatch, keep ramming!"

Clovis breathed a sigh of relief after noticing that the thatch had absorbed the water. He had just ordered his squires to continue charging when he suddenly heard a barely perceptible cracking sound.

Just when he thought he had misheard, more and more cracks suddenly erupted, eventually merging into a very unsettling sound.

"Damn it, what's going on?!"

As if sensing something, Clovis suddenly looked up and saw that the thick and flexible thatch above his head was visibly brittle and cracking, as if it had been cursed!
Before Clovis’s horrified eyes, a huge gash was torn open in the thatch, and then countless stinking, golden sap rained down from the sky!

"Master, be careful!"

The loyal squire tackled Clovis to the ground, and the next second, the smell of burning flesh filled the air. The squire's agonizing screams echoed through the city gate, and seven or eight soldiers howled like wolves. The area in front of Knightsburg's gate was now like hell.

……

Unlike the fierce fighting at Knightsburg, the battle took place on the River Saône, in County Marcon, at the Earl's mansion.

Count Macon, who looked like a golden lion, buried his entire back in the chair and leisurely grabbed a juicy steak and stuffed it into his mouth to enjoy it.

“Go on, Archdeacon Hugo.”

“I have said all.” Hugo frowned slightly and pushed away the food in front of him. Today was a day of fasting, but the lords other than them did not seem to care.

"Finished? Okay. Let me recall something."

Count Macon finished his meal in a few bites, then licked his fingers, the greasy bits of meat making his two raised fingers somewhat dazzling.

"First, you said that the Cluny Abbey has already received the support of the Duke of Burgundy, is that right?"

“That’s right.” Hugo nodded.

"Oh? But as far as I know, the Duke did not summon your Dean to Dijon for a meeting?"

Count Marcon raised an eyebrow: “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Your Excellency. If it were the Duke of Burgundy in the past, he might have been more tolerant of you. After all, the Church of Cluny was founded by his ancestors. Of course, as you know, he is now the Count of Burgundy.”

As for the current duke

Count Carne the Golden Lion of Macon sneered, “He’s not a lord with a long-term vision. He has no idea what benefits your faction’s reforms will bring to his rule in the future. He only focuses on immediate gains, like a petty peddler. To gain his support, I think you’d have to use a lot of wealth to sway him.”

"Excuse my bluntness, but do you have that many pennies?"

“With God’s protection, there will be devout knights to bring wealth to the church, so Finney is not a problem.”

Hugo remained unmoved, and as the Golden Lion Kahn raised an eyebrow, he said, word by word, "The Duke's birthday banquet has already invited Dean Audiloo and Saint Lynn."

Kahn took a deep breath upon hearing this, his expression complex.

"You mean the devout knight who can bring you wealth? Could it be the knight Luke you just mentioned?" A complex emotion flashed across Kahn's face before he changed the subject.

“I remember him; he built the watermill.”

"Although I also dislike Berry, it is indeed a serious crime to open up a fiefdom without authorization, and Berry's attack on him is not against the rules."

Early this morning, George and Doss arrived at St. Vincent's Church. After handing Luc's letter to Hugo and glancing at it briefly, Hugo immediately headed to the Earl's mansion.

“My lord, Luc did not establish this territory without authorization; it was backed by the Church. I traveled to Cluny from his territory, and there is even a farming tool in Cluny named after Luc. He did not establish it illegally.” “As for violating the rules, please forgive my bluntness, but Baron Berry is also your vassal. Doesn’t his unauthorized contact with the Duke also violate the rules?”

Kahn's expression gradually darkened as Hugo spoke. Just as the Viscount of Auvergne dominated the north, the Count of Macon, who controlled the Saône River basin, was also the de facto ruler of the southern Duchy of Burgundy.

Although it did not join the Count of Burgundy's rebellion, it also did not participate in suppressing it, thus maintaining neutrality.

But neutrality is often a form of betrayal.

Baron Berry seized this opportunity to climb the social ladder at the Dijon court.

Kahn was well aware of what his ambitious subordinate was thinking, but he still shook his head and said, "What are you trying to say? That I should send troops to assist your pious knight?"

"That's impossible. Since you know that Berry is backed by Dijon and that his campaign is legitimate, I cannot send soldiers just because of your few words."

“No, I am not asking you to send troops.” Hugo shook his head again. “The Church of Cluny has always opposed lords fighting each other. I just want to say that if Luc is defeated by Berry and ends up in Macon County, I hope you can protect him and give him a knighthood without a fief.”

Kahn glanced at Hugo, thought for a moment, and said, "Alright, for your sake, I agree."

"Thank you, but there's one more thing."

"Oh? What else?" Kahn thought that was all, but then Hugo cleared his throat and said:

"We were just talking about Luc's exile, but if Luc successfully resists Berry and doesn't go into exile, then I think you can take this opportunity to make him your vassal!"

"After all, you would not refuse an additional territory, tax revenue, and a vassal state to express your gratitude. It would also carve out a niche for yourself in the Berry Territory."

Count Macon straightened his back, staring intently at Hugo. After a long pause, he asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Who is this Luc? What benefits did he give you?"

Could the Archdeacon of Cluny, Maccon, be persuaded to act as an intermediary?
Seeing Hugo smile without answering, Kahn slowly shrank back into his chair and began to think.

Just as Luke was Berri's vassal and was legally inferior to him, Berri was also inferior to Kahn, since Berri was, after all, his vassal.

"Berry is a wolf with fangs. Are you sure Luke can handle him?"

Kahn, the Golden Lion, stroked his swirling golden beard and finally nodded, saying, "Alright, let me think about it."

……

"Damn it, sir, they're here again!"

Nighttime, the walls of Knightsburg.

Ryan stared angrily at the soldiers attacking in the distance; this was the fifth time today.

After seven or eight people were burned to death or maimed at the city gate the second time, and the unfortunate Knight Clovis was captured, it was thought that Berry would give up the attack. Who knew that after sunset, he launched three more attacks on the city.

Unlike the previous two raids, the three night raids were very rhythmic, occurring almost every two hours, and with far fewer personnel. They roared and charged to within a few dozen meters of Knights' Castle, but upon seeing Luke and the others ready for battle, they hastily retreated.

With tired eyes and enemy troops besieging the city, Ryan couldn't go back to his room to sleep. But every time he tried to take a nap, he was interrupted every few days, which made him irritable.

"This is harassing us and preventing us from resting!"

He straightened the guokui (a type of flatbread), his gaze deep and thoughtful.

Berry had dozens of soldiers who could take turns resting, but the dozen or so of them couldn't.

After all, no one dares to gamble on whether the next attack will be a feint.

"Berry is truly a seasoned military aristocrat with years of battlefield experience."

Luc gritted his teeth. In the Middle Ages, where everyone was competing to be the worst, Berry was definitely an outstanding officer.

Realizing that a direct assault was ineffective, they began to surround and harass the enemy, attempting to wear down Luke and his men.

"Since they won't let us sleep, they can forget about taking turns sleeping!"

Luke slapped the top of the barricade and shouted, "Call Little Myman up here!"

(End of this chapter)