Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 202: Only...only one moon, Your Highness!
In the parliament hall, the nobles of Iraklius's faction still had the upper hand.

But the feeling of being challenged and provoked is not pleasant.

In this situation, just when Iraklius was preparing to take his people and intend to weaken some of them on the grounds that they did not have the status of Jerusalem nobles.

A burst of orderly footsteps sounded, and 12 officers from the regular army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, along with 8 Paladins, marched into the council hall in step.

These powerful steps highlight their uniqueness.

Indeed, marching in step seems to have no meaning in combat.

But in such a demonstrative or ceremonial occasion, the synchronized steps of the 20 people demonstrated extreme organization and discipline, and appeared particularly solemn and authoritative.

This is a characteristic that no other legion of this era possesses.

Irakliou had to admit that he was so shocked that he forgot what he was going to say for a moment.

He just watched those people doing nothing while he performed a procession of twenty people as one in front of them.

Watching them, led by their servants, sit together on the left side of the council hall.

Even after they sat down, these people still had solemn expressions, murderous eyes, and sat in meticulous postures.

As a result, the number of people on the left and right sides is almost the same.

When everyone arrived, the attendant announced the Queen's arrival in a high and clear voice with a majestic tone.

"Silence! Queen Xuan has arrived!"

Everyone in the parliament hall, whether they were from the left or the right, immediately stopped talking, stood up, and saluted Sibyl at the door to show their respect.

The sunlight shone through the stained glass windows onto the crown on Sibylla's head, sparkling with dazzling light.

Next to her was Isabella, who was a bit shorter than her. She was also dressed in gorgeous clothes and held a scepter with a ruby ​​on the top.

When Isabella passed by the seats on the left, the twenty officers and Paladin, standing in their respective positions, saluted Isabella with a sudden sound of waving their arms.

Seeing this scene, Iraq couldn't help but become more cautious.

In this era, although noble knights were born soldiers, their innate habit was to fight alone.

Such a neat and unified pace actually means absolute obedience to superiors, which means that these people are Isabella's most staunch supporters.

In the Holy Land, only those religious knight orders can display similar demeanor.

Different from the luxury, arrogance and recklessness of secular knights, religious knight orders actually exist in the form of Catholic orders, and the knights of the Knights Templar are actually monks.

They are known for their simple living habits and their devotion to God.

Because of the monastic system, religious knights must swear three absolute vows: poverty, abstinence, and obedience.

Whether it is the Knights Hospitaller or the Knights Templar, their individual knights, although brave, are not very threatening.

But when they gather together and show extremely high discipline, it can have a qualitative effect.

During the Second Crusade, if it were not for the Knights Templar, they would have assisted in the organization and command of the army of King Louis VII of France.

Then, nearly half of the 20,000 soldiers under the French king might have been lost while crossing Asia Minor.

The people under Isabella's command were able to demonstrate such military proficiency, which showed that she was no longer the harmless girl who could be manipulated by others, but a powerful aristocrat who could mobilize the army.

When Sibyl brought Isabella to the throne, a servant immediately brought another throne to stand next to Sibyl's.

After seeing this scene, everyone present realized what this meeting would represent.

Iraklius also realized that Balian's actions were faster than he thought, and he didn't know what agreement he had reached with Sibylla.

The transfer of royal power is going to take place so soon!

After making up his mind, Irakliou immediately hinted to his people to take the initiative and not be led by Balian's people.

So, before Sibyl and Isabella sat down, and before any servant made the announcement.

A noble stood up and said loudly:

"Your Majesty! Please expel all non-nobles from the council hall!"

Royal autocracy did not emerge out of nowhere.

To this day, the Franks still retain many traditions from their tribal era.

In the tribal system, although the tribal leader is often deified, it is almost impossible for him to have absolute authority over the process of his birth and the handling of tribal affairs.

After conquering the land and establishing a kingdom, the tribal leader became the king, and the warriors under his command also received fiefs one by one and became lords or knights.

Although the land of the lords and knights seemed to be granted by the king, without the support of the lords and knights, the king could do nothing.

In order to unify the power of the whole country, in addition to enhancing the autocratic power of the king himself.

Another way is to respect the power of the noble lords in exchange for their strong support.

This situation was particularly prominent in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

It was not only because the kingdom had Frankish traditions, but also because the Kingdom of Jerusalem, as a Crusader kingdom, was always facing the threat of millions of Saracens.

It is necessary for everyone to work together to become a reef in the Muslim wave and withstand the impact of the waves again and again.

The Jerusalem High Court is sometimes called the General Council or the Monarch's Council.

The High Court combines legislative and judicial powers.

It was based on the medieval idea of ​​parliamentarism: the monarch wanted the consent of his subjects on certain matters, such as taxation and the obligation to perform military service.

The most special thing about this court and this parliament is that the voting power is not concentrated in the hands of certain great nobles, nor is it a relationship of personal dependence.

Isabella's father, Amauri I, passed a law called the Statute of the Landed Counts through Parliament.

The act prohibited the illegal confiscation of fiefs without parliamentary review and required all of the king's vassals to unite against lords who did so.

This makes the power and obligation relationship between lords traceable, rather than relying solely on personal likes and dislikes.

The decree also made all nobles direct vassals of the king, eliminating the previous distinction between higher and lower nobility.

In theory, it achieved the effect of equality among nobles.

At the kingdom's height, there were approximately 600 Frankish men who could vote in this assembly.

And the king himself, legally speaking, is only the chief among his peers.

In other words, he is the "first nobleman".

What is the difference between such a country and the Republic of Venice? You should know that the seats of the members of the Republic of Venice are also hereditary, not elected.

Democracy for the minority is actually also a kind of democracy.

Nowadays, nobles like Iraklius are enjoying the benefits of aristocratic democracy and do not want to further expand this power.

For Iraklius, this is actually a way to weaken potential competitors.

Although at present, the number of people on both sides is roughly the same, and Irakliu and his men are more prestigious than the one on the left.

But most of them have currently lost their fiefdoms.

On the contrary, the opposite sides are all the real powerful ones who control the army, the city of Tyre and a large amount of wealth.

When several groups of people joined together, Iraklion began to feel overwhelmed and could only quickly find a way to drive out the opponents.

After all, most of these people are not really nobles, and how can commoners be on an equal footing with nobles?
This is against tradition and retrograde. If this continues, the kingdom will not last long!
"I must point out that this is a blasphemy against the traditions passed down by our ancestors and a great disrespect to our noble bloodline!"

“The reason why civilians are civilians is precisely because they lack the qualifications and ability to be decision-makers in state affairs.”

"It is dangerous and undesirable to allow them to participate in our vital decision-making!"

"The country will no longer be a country, and the people will be unstable!"

After the nobleman finished his impassioned speech, applause broke out from the right, while a chuckle came from the left.

After all, in the eyes of those Italians, they are just a bunch of useless people with little money and few soldiers. Can they do anything besides showing off?

The city of Tyre was captured by the Italians in 1124 by Baldwin II of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Venetians.

The Venetians in Tyre are the real masters! They entered the country with Baldwin II!
"You've come to Tyre City to beg for food, and you're still so shameless."

A Venetian knight spoke out what many people were thinking.

Then, in response, both sides fell into a chaotic exchange of insults.

Until Sibilla's eyelids twitched a few times, Balian beside her took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "Silence! The king has a word!"

Sibilla stood up and glanced at everyone present.

Then he spoke: "My sister, Isabella, stepped forward when the kingdom was in danger. I will make all of the dozens of warriors under my command as knights. Don't say anything more."

Knighthood means a ticket, a ticket to enter the Parliament of Nobles.

When Sibylla said this, the people of Irakliuna started to make a fuss.

However, faced with such accusations, before Sibylla could respond, Conrad had already spoken first.

"Do you know where this is?"

Just as the noble was about to answer, Conrad continued, "This is the council hall of Tyre, not Jerusalem! You landless people are talking big in someone else's land. Don't you know that 'the guest should follow the host's wishes'?"

As soon as Conrad finished speaking, several representatives of the Italian Commune nearby cheered.

This is a fact. After all, this parliament hall belongs to Tyre. Why should they ask its owner to give up his position?
In fact, if Isabella had not brought people to defend the city, many of Iraklius's men would probably still be prisoners of Saladin.

In this situation, Irakliou and his group naturally could not argue with the Italians on Conrad's side.

Out of respect for real power, Iraklius finally made a compromise. They recognized that all officers under Isabella had the right to speak and vote in the Kingdom Parliament.

Then, Sibylla announced another piece of news that shocked many people.

"Since the kingdom was defeated, I have been disturbed every day and have no interest in government affairs. Now that the Holy City has been destroyed, the kingdom is in tatters."

"Under these circumstances, I voluntarily abdicate and my sister Isabella will take over."

This short sentence, after a moment of silence, set off the entire conference hall.

Even though Iraklio and the others were prepared, when they really faced this moment, they still found that they were not ready for the transfer of power. Although legally speaking, the king was only the chief among his colleagues.

But the king is, after all, the head of a country and the supreme leader of the country.

In a village, various feudal rights were often dispersed among multiple feudal lords: the first enjoyed high judicial power, the second held ownership of serfs, the third obtained the privilege of exemption from rent and taxes and basic judicial power, and the fourth collected tithes as a representative of the church.

In this era, it is common for various rights to be fragmented and belong to different feudal lords.

However, it was extremely rare for a piece of land to belong to different kings at the same time.

The uniqueness and supremacy of royal power symbolizes the qualification to intervene in and manage the feudal social system.

When everyone, whether nobles, knights, merchants, freemen or serfs, looked up at the top of the feudal pyramid, the royal power was there - unique.

However, Iraq was somewhat aware that the abdication of the Sibylla couple was indeed an inevitable trend because of their defeat in the war.

So he didn't intend to stop it, but instead threw out a back-up plan.

"Your Highness Isabella, you are not married yet, so you should not be the king alone. A noble should marry you and rule together."

"Who?"

"Her Highness Isabella's fiancé, Humphrey."

This is in line with the tradition of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Although female heirs without brothers can enjoy the right of inheritance, they are also considered unsuitable for governing the country.

Iraklius believed that he had compromised in his previous proposal, so he also demanded a reward that matched the compromise.

During this process, Iraklius was always looking at Sibylla or Balian.

He never focused on Isabella herself, as if her opinion didn't matter.

Isabella remained silent for a long time.

Finally, when the nobles stood up, shouting Humphrey's name one by one, and surrounded Humphrey and walked to the center of the hall, Isabella stood up from the throne.

She noticed the worried look on Sibilla's face, but Isabella, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, didn't care.

"Sister, I will handle it properly."

As she spoke, Isabella's expression was unquestionable in her calmness and composure.

The girl took a few steps forward and came to the edge of the stairs. She still held the heavy scepter in her right hand, demonstrating her authority.

She struck the floor hard with her scepter, making a loud noise that attracted everyone's attention.

"Humphrey."

Isabella called out softly, and just this one sentence made the scene quiet.

"Come here, I have something to tell you."

The girl looked at Humphrey, and after swallowing, Humphrey noticed Isabella's delicate face.

Today, Isabella's face is as perfect as a Greek statue, and her skin is as delicate as white jade.

As for that pair of clear eyes, they were a pair of gems, revealing cold wisdom that made people unable to help but be fascinated.

Amid the booing of the nobles nearby, the atmosphere in the parliament hall even became a little ambiguous for a moment.

Humphrey walked towards Isabella step by step, and the girl smiled at him.

When he came in front of Isabella, Humphrey moved his lips and wanted to speak.

Just as he stared at Isabella and uttered a syllable.

Isabella had a hint of scorn on her face. In full view of everyone, she unexpectedly and with lightning speed kicked Humphrey's lower body hard, hitting the vital point.

Everyone in the conference hall was stunned. No one would have thought that Isabella could do such a thing.

No one thought that Isabella's way of solving the problem was a little... too barbaric?
When Humphrey screamed loudly in pain, the men who heard the sound felt a chill in their lower body.

This was not the end, as Humphrey's face turned pale and his body bent down involuntarily.

Isabella was merciless. She swung the scepter in her hand with a cold and sharp look, and it hit Humphrey's cheek like a lightning bolt before he could raise it.

A dull sound.

Humphrey staggered and fell to the ground, his expression filled with shock and helplessness.

Isabella stood before him, her eyes cold and contemptuous, not hiding her disgust for him at all.

Then, once again, Isabella waved the jeweled scepter in her hand.

The girl's cold eyes seemed to silently declare: she would never succumb to any unwilling fate, and even if she was about to bear the crown, she would never let her heart be enslaved by anyone.

"I will seize it for myself and break the destiny."

There is a strong sense of self-confidence in the cold words.

She can control her body and her soul. She is her own master and makes her own decisions. This is her decision.

Looking at this scene of "domestic violence", Iraq opened his mouth slightly, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

He thought about Sibylla's disapproval, Balian's staunch opposition, and even Conrad's attempt to steal the marriage.

But he never thought that Isabella could kick Humphrey's offspring directly and destroy them. He never thought that a 16-year-old girl could wield the scepter in her hand mercilessly and beat someone to death.

Hearing the screams, Iraklue couldn't help but tremble in his heart.

Humphrey tried to resist, but he had no weapon in his hands and Isabella had the upper hand, so how could he stand up so easily?

By the time Isabella stopped, Humphrey was covered in blood.

Isabella kicked Humphrey, who was lying on the ground with a distorted face.

Then he left the parliament hall.

Just as someone from Iraklius's faction of nobles rushed forward to help Humphrey up and was about to say something inspiring.

Isabella shouted to the officers under her command, "Jos!"

"To!"

“Control the situation.”

"Yes!"

It happened so quickly that Jos rushed into the center of the conference hall without saying a word, leading the Paladins and other officers beside him.

These 20 people stood in front of the throne, forming a dense human wall to prevent the Irakliona group from moving forward.

Then someone recognized Jos.

"Jos! Aren't you Lord Reynard's attendant? Why are you standing on Balian's side?"

When Jose heard someone say that he was Leonard's servant, his face turned slightly pale, and he couldn't help but turn around to look at Isabella's face.

But he persisted and answered loudly:
"For me, there is only one sun in the sky..."

As he spoke, Jos's voice became lower. He realized that he seemed to have recognized a sun before, so he changed his words and shouted.

"Only...only one moon for Princess Isabella!"

Jos heard a chuckle and realized that he had passed the test, but he still looked viciously at the guy who shouted his name.

Then, a mouthful of saliva was spat on his face.

"Bah! You little bug!"

Then, from somewhere, someone hit Jos with a boot.

These nobles did not dare to do anything to Isabella, but they were not afraid to bully Jose, a former knight's squire.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong is the true portrayal of this group of people.

But what they didn't expect was that this time, Jos couldn't help it.

good boy!
Not only did these people dare to force Her Highness Isabella to abdicate, they even dared to spit at him and hit him with their boots!
If I really give you some color, you would dare to open a dyeing factory!

This is no longer an ordinary noble! We must strike hard!
Then, Jos and his gang took out short sticks from their backs and hit the nobles on the heads.

The parliamentary system is not unfamiliar to Europeans.

Similarly, foul language and physical violence in parliament are also traditions of the parliamentary system.

Isabella naturally had little interest in watching such an unlimited fighting competition.

He took Sibilla away from the venue early.

To be honest, the reason why I had to bring Jos and his group of officers here today was to guard against being bullied by Irakliou and his group who relied on their numbers.

This is how parliament works. With fewer people, not only can you not scold the other side, but in many cases you can't even beat the other side.

The weight of a vote is one thing, but how many people can be dragged into a fight is another.

Of course, this kind of parliamentary fight is not the same as Isaac's use of force to suppress the "Senate" and force the "Senate" to obey him with a knife.

You have to know that the "Varangis" are all mercenaries and Isaac's lackeys. If they don't obey, they will be chopped off!
But what are the identities of Jos and the others?

They are nobles and parliamentarians!

The conflict between the members of parliament is an internal conflict within the parliament, and the fights between them are called mutual fighting!

Since it was a fight, as long as no one was seriously injured, both parties were at fault.

Putting aside the facts, are the people of Iraklius completely blameless?

Who made the people on Iraklius' side so blind and spit on others?

Afterwards, they were each given fifty lashes of the cane and given a good scolding by Joss, and the matter was actually over.

But the question of how Isabella would inherit the throne did bring more uncertainties to this kingdom on the verge of collapse.

(End of this chapter)