Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 196 Pre-battle Mass, morale +20%
There is also a gap between cold weapons.

A chain mail that was made with shoddy workmanship could easily break when hit by a long sword.

The powerful crossbow carefully crafted by the craftsmen can reach a maximum range of 200 steps.

Of course, these well-made weapons and equipment are naturally expensive.

A masterwork spear, costing at least 2 gold dinars.

An iron helmet would cost at least 6 gold dinars.

As for the chain mail, which can be used in the battlefield and withstand the blows of the long sword, it costs at least 15 gold dinars.

As for the longbow and crossbow, although their prices are limited, you still need several shiny gold coins to get them.

Isaac was well aware of the intensity of his taxation. Even with the wealth of Cyprus, with seven officials and three civilians, the peasants would be starved to the point where they would have almost no food to eat.

This was exactly his purpose.

Farmers cannot have enough to eat. If farmers are really allowed to have enough to eat, it will be dangerous.

Even his rule over the countryside did not rely on the administrative system for management, but rather he appointed his own confidants and local military officers to directly impose heavy taxes and tributes on the villages.

His mode of control in the villages was militaristic, sending garrisons or local officials to exercise control over the villages and prevent popular rebellion.

The garrison was not only used to suppress discontent, but also to ensure that the village paid taxes on time, which was actually no different from regularly entering the village to rob food.

But even after all this, those peasants could still pull out powerful crossbows? And equip themselves with large quantities of armor?
Then his garrison troops were defeated and could not enter the rebel base?

God!

No wonder Isaac felt so uncomfortable, something unexpected really happened.

Moreover, Cyprus is an island, and being an island means it has weak connections with the outside world.

Not only is it difficult for the Eastern Empire to recapture the island of Cyprus, it also means that as long as the ports are controlled and the patrols of the maritime fleet are increased, the import and export of any goods should be able to be supervised.

If a large number of weapons were pouring into the island of Cyprus, how could Isaac not know about it?

Isaac, a middle-aged noble with a high nose bridge and lots of white hair, looked around at everyone at the conference table with a fierce look.

In this meeting, apart from his courtiers, the only ones who could come were the mercenary captains and the remaining local nobles.

If there is someone who can get a large amount of weapons from outside the island without anyone noticing, then everyone present would be a suspect.

Isaac, who was suspicious by nature, did not rush to attack, but he was ready to investigate.

Unlike the feudal rule model of the Franks, the nobles present did not strictly speaking have fiefdoms, but were merely members of the Senate under his command.

An honorary title.

The meaning of its existence is to help him organize celebrations and ceremonies on the theater island of Cyprus and to act as the so-called representative of public opinion.

Listening to the whispers of the courtiers and "elders", the weathered Isaac suddenly began to tremble in his heart.

He could feel that there seemed to be a crack in his power.

These successive rebellions are undermining his prestige.

Isaac knew very well that none of these nobles whom he appointed as elders were submitting to him sincerely, and those mercenary captains were just greedy for his money.

Every official he sent down was guilty of embezzlement.

If his military force proved to be no match for a group of peasants, the greedy beasts among them would instantly turn into vultures and come to eat him.

These guys are scavengers.

Isaac turned his gaze to a Turk, a tribal chief named El Said.

"You have half a month. I don't ask you to wipe out all of them, but at least burn down five villages and let those rebels know the price."

Elsaid nodded slightly. Under the current circumstances, they, the Turks, and Isaac would prosper and suffer together.

If they continue to fail, the ambitions in the eyes of those local nobles will sooner or later be unable to be suppressed.

The Turks were pagans in the land and were useful weapons only in the hands of Isaac.

After the court session ended, Isaac, feeling exhausted, met his daughter, a lovely little girl.

It was a typical Greek aristocratic appearance, with fair and healthy skin, a slight wheat color, and a luster given by the Mediterranean sunshine.

Her delicate face and soft features make her look particularly exquisite.

He held her in his arms and sobbed softly.

"Beatrice, you're all I have left."

However, Beatrice was extremely stiff and even panicked when she was hugged by Isaac.

……

Under the blue sky, the dust raised by horse hooves rolled in the air, covering the entire horizon. The raised smoke became hot and blurry in the sunlight, as if the land was burning.

Between the mountains and the coastline, this cavalry was like a black torrent, tearing apart the tranquility of the island.

As black smoke rose one after another, all the villages in the area controlled by the Liberation Front learned of the enemy's attack.

But unlike in the past, this time the Turks were not held back by the outer Tumubao strongholds.

They flexibly passed through the low earth walls and went straight into the base.

These Turks had nothing to fear because they were sweeping the base with absolute numbers and strength.

Under such circumstances, the farmers in ordinary villages, who had just taken up arms a few days ago, did not dare to fight at all.

In fact, there was nothing they could do except take shelter in nearby fortifications with their few remaining possessions.

And if these Turks tried to besiege some individual strongholds, the 2-meter-high earth wall would only delay them for a while, but would also be a trap for them to be killed.

After all, there are too many opponents.

Looking at the black smoke rising not far away, Elsaid had actually expected it.

This was actually the case in the previous small-scale conflicts.

Whenever black smoke rose, it meant that the infantry troops patrolling outside and the militia in the surrounding strongholds would gather together, shrink inward, and then come over to drive out their Turkic light cavalry.

Due to the imbalance in numbers between the two sides, those small teams of Turkic light cavalry had to give up their attacking intentions and retreat.

But this time was different. This time, the troops led by Elseid were large enough, and their attack was intended for the knights.

"Although Isaac asked us to burn the village, to be honest, if we don't deal with those enemies, burning the village will become very dangerous."

"We need to mobilize those gangsters who are staying in their turtle shells."

"Therefore, we first divided our forces to burn the village, then launched a feint attack, and then used our mobility and concentrated advantages to eat up their reinforcements."

"This way, we can tell those rebels who their master is."

Elsaid told his subordinates about his plan. He divided the troops into two waves. One wave was smaller and would attack the empty villages directly to show his strength by showing off his military power.

The main force stayed in a corner to conceal their numbers.

There are obvious differences in spatial perception between cavalry and infantry.

Although horses' endurance is not much better than that of humans, they can run much faster than humans in a short period of time.

This gap in spatial perception directly leads to an absolute difference in the speed of intelligence acquisition and feedback between the two sides, and the outcome of the battle is often based on the exchange of intelligence.

Whoever can obtain more critical intelligence and provide feedback more quickly will have the initiative in the war. This law has been emphasized by countless wise men since ancient times and has been proven in countless wars.

Whoever gains the upper hand in the intelligence war can take the initiative on the battlefield.

Elsaid was well aware of this. He knew that light cavalry were better than rebel infantry in obtaining intelligence, so he sent out a large number of cavalry as spies to obtain information about the surrounding movements.

While his men led the nomadic cavalry to raid a village, El Said stayed put, waiting for feedback from the scouts.

Elsed had sent people to monitor the surrounding earth wall strongholds in advance.

It was precisely this advantage in intelligence and the difference in mobility speed that made El Said believe that he was invincible.

Of course, things would not develop smoothly. Just after a scout reported the situation of a nearby stronghold, a bloodstained scout rushed over on his horse at full speed.

"Due west! Massive army out! One hundred and fifty steps away! I've been hit by an arrow!"

"Were you hit by a stray arrow?"

"No, just one shot."

The scout could not suppress the horror in his words.

Even Elsed was stunned for a moment, because although the crossbow and longbow had a maximum range of more than 200 steps.

But who is a good person who can easily shoot someone at a distance of 150 steps?
However, now is not the time to be entangled. After hearing that the enemy troops are gathering, El Said also has to make some adjustments and prepare to start implementing his own plan of besieging the point and attacking the reinforcements.

……

The number of mobile forces under Garys's command was small, to be exact, there were only three battalions in total.

About three hundred people were all the remnants of Nicholas's uprising that Gailis had collected in these days.

Of course, the number of troops that Gailis could mobilize was far more than this.

These days, both the Palatine group and the Frankish veterans from Tyre were working hard to select adult men who could be used from the peasants.

The number of these people, scattered around, made up to about 400 people, which at least boosted the momentum of the troops.

Unlike the Celestial Empire, to be precise, any nation or society that lacks experience in large-scale military deployment actually tends to be quite dismissive of military discipline.

Most of the time, the scale of combat does not exceed a thousand people.

The battle training that soldiers need to receive can be shockingly simple.

In this era, in this area, as long as the infantry can maintain a good shield wall, it is actually enough to go to the battlefield...

With just a little training, or to be exact, almost any adult who is not mentally retarded, can easily master the trick of shield wall in less than three days, or at most a week. That is, in a four-row battle formation, the space between you and your companions is just right, neither crowded nor loose. When the comrades in the front row die, the comrades in the back row can push forward and disintegrate the enemy with the shield wall.

Of course, that's what I said.

The real difficulty lies not in understanding the shield wall tactics, but in whether you can stand firm on the battlefield where blood and flesh are flying, and whether you can face death.

Garys actually had no idea about the mob behind him.

All he can hope for is that these guys can reach the level of Shangyong.

[Those who flee upon hearing of the enemy are inferior in courage, those who flee upon seeing the enemy are medium in courage, and those who flee upon encountering the enemy are superior in courage.]

——"The Complete History of the Taiping Rebellion"

When Gairis arrived at the looted village, they realized that they were a step too late. For the Turkic tribes, this action was not a looting, but an undisguised demonstration.

They want to demonstrate their brutality and power with the blood of innocent people and intimidate anyone who dares to resist.

Even though there were not many victims in the village, the fire had already started and the villagers' belongings were destroyed.

The several hundred troops brought by Garys were busy putting out the fire together with the nearby villagers.

Andre looked at this scene with a serious expression. This should be the norm in this world.

But his hometown, that peaceful mountain village, has disappeared in the normal state of this world.

"They were aware of our arrival, so they left so quickly." After taking a quick look at the traces left by the Turks, Andre said to Garys.

“Do they know our size?”

Nicholas on the side frowned. It was obvious that something was wrong.

Although it seems that the troops led by Garys are hounds and pursuers, it is a common understanding that the enemy is strong and we are weak.

As the stronger party, they actually took the initiative to give in, which made people suspicious.

Judging from the combat effectiveness of that era, a light cavalry of similar size should be able to kill hundreds of peasants who have just picked up weapons.

"They went southeast. Is this a retreat?"

"They probably think this isn't a good place to start."

Garys's face also looked a little solemn.

In terms of topography, the village is still close to the hilly area.

Although those Turks were able to launch attacks here.

But that doesn't mean this place is suitable for hundreds of light cavalry to fight.

Garys, Andre, Nicholas and others squatted on the ground and drew a simple sketch of the nearby terrain.

"Where do you think they will be?" Gailis looked at Nicholas, who was a noble nearby and was relatively more familiar with the terrain.

Nicholas drew a line to the southeast based on everyone's current location.

Then he pointed to a place which happened to be the junction of the hills and the coastal plains, and also happened to be the exit of a valley.

"I think it should be here. Those Turks might be waiting there to wait for us to tire ourselves out. If that's the case, should we still chase them?"

Pursuit? The enemy was not retreating or fleeing. They were choosing a battlefield suitable for light cavalry and preparing for battle.

If they continue to pursue, one can imagine what kind of bloody battle will be waiting for them.

In battles on the plains, it is impossible to pull the enemy back and forth like in battles in the mountains and hills, and cavalry clearly has the advantage.

"But we can't not go..."

If it is an ordinary war, there is actually no need to take the initiative to go to the battlefield set up by the enemy.

But this was not an ordinary war. Gellis led the nearby farmers to declare war on the "God" of Cyprus.

And that "God" has also decided to punish these rebellious people.

The raging fire of divine punishment burned in the village where Gellis lived.

The food was being trampled upon, and Aixar would rather not collect a single grain of food than let those who dared to resist starve to death.

After all, he controlled the island's villages and cities through a violent and high-pressure style of rule.

His style of governance lacked both systematic policies and broad support, and relied more on terror and plunder.

Isaac Komnenos' rule did not provide much preferential treatment even for the nobles.

Anyone who disobeyed him was either expelled directly with his property confiscated or hanged on the gallows.

This autocratic and centralized style of rule further strengthened his personal authority, but it also made local officials and nobles dissatisfied with his rule, which in turn increased the fragility of his rule.

It can be said that he has become the king of fear.

Terror becomes domination itself.

"Any action aimed at creating terror is contrary to the sacred teachings."

"They are creating a country that worships death and has created a horrifying idol in order to suppress the reverence for life and our Lord in the hearts of the people."

"They are trying to crucify all rebellious lives in the name of eternal order and peace."

"I would say that any order that kills people is sinful and blasphemous, no matter what kind of appearance it gives itself."

“Whether it’s imperial power or divine power…the moment they were made into idols to devour people, they were all guilty.”

"Andrei, Nicholas, remember that no order is eternal. Anyone who tries to kill people is a man-eating monster."

After completing the firefighting operation in the village, Gellis gathered the soldiers and held a brief mass and sermon.

He gathered all the soldiers in front of him and stood on a carriage.

Garys's eyes swept across everyone present, meeting the eyes of those who were eager to try, and those who were nervous and silent.

“Who can separate us from the love of God?”

“Will tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?”

"As it is written: 'For my sake you are being killed all the day long; you are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.'"

“Nevertheless, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Gaillis's words come from Romans 8.

Here Paul declares that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ. Neither worldly suffering, persecution, nor supernatural forces can shake God's love for mankind.

“We do not live in a world of justice and life, but walk in a kingdom of injustice and death, because the kingdom of heaven has not yet come.”

“In this world, as the Scriptures say, you will encounter tribulations, distress, persecutions and dangers, and you will be trapped in the night of terror.”

“Loneliness penetrates deeply into people’s hearts, oppresses their souls, and causes the beast within to grow.”

“Just as the boundless desert stubbornly erodes people’s will, people walking in the darkness feel helpless and fearful.”

"However, neither the 'Apostle' Paul nor I can tell you that neither these unfathomable nights, nor loneliness and weakness, can separate us from the love of God."

“Even if the world drives us to despair like lambs to be slaughtered, we are destined to be victorious in everything by relying on the Lord who loves us!”

“It is this love from God that enables us to persevere and not give in even when faced with the despair and darkness of the desert.”

“We are not alone, for no power, neither death nor life, neither the powers nor the abyss, can separate us from this divine love.”

“Therefore, although the world is full of injustice and death, although we must always be ready to fight and always be vigilant, the hope in our hearts will never be extinguished.”

"Because love has already ignited the light in our hearts, helping us to overcome darkness, loneliness and fear and move towards ultimate victory."

Gellis's preaching was not inspiring, and even a little sad, just like the village beside him, it was a charred wreckage.

But on this scorched earth, life did not die, but turned into seeds and sprouted from the soil again.

Tears welled up in the eyes of these warriors; they could feel the sadness in Garys' words.

Garys cried and grieved with them.

These people are very young. They have just been smoothed out by life and have not yet despaired of the world.

Numbness is the sour wine brewed by suffering, and love is the honey that dissolves it all.

They need love, need to believe in the love of others, and need to be connected with each other through love.

The idol of Isaac, called the "King of Terror," attempted to frighten the peasants with slaughter and fire.

Then Gellis promised everyone present that they would win.

Even if you die, it is not the end, because there is eternal life waiting for everyone.

Massacre and tyranny cannot scare people with true faith. It will only make them explode in silence and become furious!

This has been true throughout the ages.

Gellis took out the crosses he often used and passed them around for each soldier to touch and kiss.

Although these crosses were of different designs, they were all carried by Garys.

It was consecrated by Garys himself.

When Garys sprinkled holy water on these young people, the uneasiness in many of their eyes was replaced by determination.

They already know their place in the shield wall.

　It’s still a long chapter of 6,000 words!
　　It's the end of the month, please give me some tickets

　　
　
(End of this chapter)