Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 221: Bloodless Opening of Antioch
Go north! Go north!
This is a simple declaration, but implementing it actually requires various complicated preparations.

If it was during the ancient Roman Empire, the march of a legion would mean the need to prepare a large amount of logistical supplies, ensure that the roads were clear, and prepare a campsite in advance.

But it is the twelfth century, a time when the High Middle Ages are about to begin.

In this generation, the whole of Europe lacked experience in mobilizing large-scale military units.

The assembly and operation of the army became a layer-by-layer subcontracting system, and the feudal social system itself became a military system.

The knights recruited the free people in their own manors, as well as their own hired followers and servants, to join the lord's army.

The small lords would join the army of the big lord with their own knights, their followers, and the conscripts brought by their knights.

With such subcontracting at all levels, the feudal system is both a personal dependence relationship and a hierarchical system of military construction.

In wartime, if one wants to organize soldiers with different functions, temporary organization will be needed, including cavalry, heavy infantry, archers, etc.

With such a model, one can imagine how tightly the organization is organized.

Therefore, in order to deal with some more urgent and urgent wars, religious knights and mercenaries become particularly important.

Since the area where Gellis is located today is no longer Transjordan, the island of Cyprus, the County of Tripoli, and the remnants of the Second Kingdom have not completed the transformation of their social systems.

In addition, the main force of the kingdom was still confronting Saladin on the southern front, engaging in a large number of limited border frictions, and could not withdraw too many standing troops to the north.

Therefore, the army he assembled actually had a very feudal flavor.

The core force actually consisted of only the two infantry companies brought by Joss, with a total of less than 300 soldiers.

Then it was Conrad, who provided a group of Italian soldiers. In order to mobilize these people, Isabella promised to abolish some commercial franchise monopolies. In total, there were 400 people.

In Cyprus, although Gellis is the head of state, due to time constraints, Cyprus does not even have a basic military system.

Garys directly called for a group of volunteers to join the Garys Army in their personal capacity. This group of volunteers numbered 600 people.

After gathering together 1,300 men, Gairis established a military advantage over the scattered Tripoli princes.

With Gairis's reputation in Tripoli, he gained the obedience of the Tripoli princes and began to gather troops from those small lords.

Four words are enough to describe the troops under Garys's command: a mob.

Of course, this was not only the case with Gellis' own army. In fact, the armies of almost all Frankish lords, including Reynald, were like this.

Precisely because everyone is almost a "mob", so as long as there are a small number of elite cavalry, launching a strong enough and unstoppable charge, these "mobs" will easily collapse.

The stronger the knight's manor fiefdom, the stronger the knight, the easier it is for the infantry to be a small fry, the more the infantry is a small fry, the more they need to rely on the knights to fight, and the more they rely on the knights to fight, the stronger the knight's manor fiefdom will be...

Before completing the transformation of the social hierarchy, Garys actually has no good way to reshape the army, and can only make do with what he has for now.

These mixed forces totaled three thousand people.

Gailis did not ask the Tripoli princes to send out a certain number of people.

Instead, it required these lords or their heirs to march north with the army.

The purpose of this is, of course, to make an example of someone else.

Today, Gairis has not successfully established a unified regime, but is like an isolated oasis, sowing different seeds.

In the Transjordan region, the level of reform is the most profound because Gelis has been deeply rooted there the longest and most of Gelis' early followers stayed there.

In a real sense, the original tax farmers and feudal lords were cleared out and the country entered a social state of parliamentary autonomy and democratic centralism.

After dealing with Isaac, Cyprus was transformed into a church state. Although there were no noble lords, it was not a long-term solution.

As for the Second Kingdom, since the territories of Tyre and Beirut were originally territories directly governed by the royal family, it was still possible to carry out some reforms that were not particularly deep.

In the County of Tripoli, Gairis was completely unable to reform the social system and lacked sufficient work teams to go deep into the countryside.

The only option is to cooperate with the former feudal lords and complete the integration of the power of the Crusader states before considering reform.

One must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. At the moment, the princes of Tripoli are still of use to us, so we can only find a way to subdue them first, and then consider how to reform them.

Unlike other reformers, Gellis' greatest characteristic is not his personal strength.

But Garys can really upgrade the brains of some people in the old society.

Do you believe in heaven?
Do you want to be resurrected?
Then come and listen to what Garys has to say...

Use eternal life in heaven as collateral in exchange for partial concessions from the ruling class.

This was a compromise, but it was also because of this compromise that in just two years, Garys had created a business with a total population of over 2 and a total number of troops in various places exceeding 50.

After Gellis completes the integration of the Principality of Antioch and the fragments of the Crusader states, the population under his control will even exceed 700,000.

This number has exceeded that of the heyday of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

……

Under the cruel trick of fate, Bohemond went from its former glory to its current decline.

A month ago, he led 5,000 soldiers on a journey south, looking forward to victory with full confidence.

However, today, only a few loyal retainers and knights remain by his side, and his former power has become a thing of the past.

The Levant is an adventurer's paradise, where dozens of noble lords have perished and countless knights have risen to great heights.

Bohemond thought about the time he spent with Reynald and what his mother had said:
"In this chaotic world, only by relying on a strong man like Reynard can we protect the safety of our family, even if he is just an insignificant hired knight at first."

Once upon a time, the high-spirited Bohemond was dismissive, and his expression was always full of contempt.

At that time, Bohemond always scoffed at his mother's views. Why should she devote herself to a knight of humble origin?

However, now, Bohemond still finds it difficult to understand how Reynald did it.

How could they track his whereabouts? Shouldn't Reynald be in Antioch?
Or is it that he has a spy around him who informed Reynard of his army's movements?
However, doubts could not stop the pressure of reality. For Bohemond at this moment, his first task was to find an ally who could help him regain power and overthrow Reynald.

Several thick stone pillars stand in the hall, supporting the roof.

In the hall, at one end of the long table was a throne. The seat was inlaid with dark agarwood, and the backrest and armrests were covered with exquisite reliefs.

Garys took the position, unquestioned.

Opposite him, in the audience, Bohemond, who had been so arrogant a month ago, was now smiling ingratiatingly.

Bohemond's clothes were now in a very shabby state, like a dog that had lost its home.

"From now on, there will no longer be the Principality of Antioch, only the Count of Latakia in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the city of Antioch will become directly under the royal family."

Bohemond's charming smile froze. Although he was willing to pay any price to defeat Reynald, the price was too high.

Faced with such a huge sacrifice, he had to weigh the pros and cons again and again.

"Do you still have a choice?"

"Reynald has taken control of the situation in Antioch. Is the kingdom paying such a high price just to help you regain your position as prince?"

"Bohemond, what do you say you are besides the former Prince of Antioch?"

“Just give Latakia, okay? I’ll give Latakia… to the kingdom.”

Gellis couldn't help but chuckle at Bohemond's stuttering words.

"Who has Latakia? Since it's not in your hands, if I want to get it, I can do it myself. Why do I need your support?"

If you are in France, you still need to consider superficial things like legal inheritance.

Then in this fiery land of the Levant, "the one with the strongest soldiers and horses becomes the emperor" has become a truth.

Not to mention that the kingdom itself was the suzerain of Antioch. When civil strife broke out in Antioch, the suzerain personally intervened. It was a blessing for Antioch. How could Bohemond, a stray dog, have the right to interfere?
"Two choices."

"First, if you take Latakia and attach yourself to the kingdom, you can still be considered a noble."

"Second, you hold the title of Prince of Antioch, but you have no land, and no one takes you seriously anymore."

Garys' words just threw out the truth.

Now he really only has these two choices: either surrender to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, take back his fiefdom and become a count with his own fiefdom, or bid farewell to his past power completely.

Could he still expect to inherit the position of Prince of Antioch after Reynald's death?

It’s not like Reynald is without descendants. Reynald’s eldest son, his half-brother, is now working in the Eastern Empire.

Once Reynald surrenders to the Eastern Empire, the Eastern Empire will be happy to take back Antioch.

Under this heavy oppression, Bohemond had no choice but to submit.

He slowly lowered his head, looked at the stone floor, and said in a mosquito-like voice: "I...I promise."

……

There have been more than 50 large-scale wars in Antioch throughout the ages, and it is difficult to say what was right and wrong, but historians have all noticed that it was this ancient battlefield that determined the rise and fall of many dynasties.

When the three Crusaders met in Antioch and marched south, in the second year after they recovered Antioch, the Seljuks saw that the situation was hopeless and abandoned the holy city of Jerusalem.

I don't understand why everyone is talking about Guy being trapped in Harding, as if this ancient battlefield is destined to be a disaster for us.

Now I set out on my journey from Tripoli and begin the Northern Expedition. The land of Levant will finally be unified.

Wherever our religion and our army go, the people welcome us wholeheartedly. We have the best timing. How could this vibrant and flourishing environment suddenly become our burial place? No matter what, the advantage of this battle is on my side!
Antioch (which became Antakya, Türkiye in the 20th century) is located on the east bank of the Orontes River, in the northwest of the Levant, and has an extremely important geographical location.

Its unique geographical features have made it the focus of many wars in history.

It is located on the main road connecting the eastern coast of the Mediterranean with the inland areas. It is an important node of the Silk Road and the spice trade. Controlling this place means controlling the key channel of trade between the East and the West.
The city is surrounded by mountains, with the Nur Mountains to the north, Mount Scipios to the south, and the Orontes River to the west. The terrain is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack, and it has always been a battleground for military strategists.

As the capital of the ancient Syrian region, Antioch was a prosperous commercial center during the Hellenistic Era and the Roman Empire. It was known as the City of God. Its rich resources and developed economy attracted competition from all parties.

The conflict between the Arab Empire and the Eastern Empire over Antioch lasted for about four hundred years!

The once city of God also declined as a result. A magnificent city became a ruined city on the frontier because of the endless war.

In August 1188, once again, someone set out to attack Antioch and march north.

The army had been assembled long ago, and Garys began to prepare logistical reserves after hearing the news from Leonard.

In fact, everything had been prepared long ago, so after Bohemond arrived, the entire army set out.

However, Gellis' army did not go far along the coastline before turning east and entering the mountain pass, heading towards the area controlled by Saladin.

After the first day of marching, Bohemond found Gellis, who was inspecting the camp to ensure that the arrangements of the outposts were reasonable and that there were no problems with food distribution.

"D…Duce."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Aren't we going to Latakia?"

Hearing Bohemond actually ask this question, Gailis felt that the reason this guy could become the Prince of Antioch was purely because his mother was the Princess of Antioch, and it had nothing to do with this person's talent and hard work.

Even if there was a dog tied to that position, it might be better than this guy.

"When did I say I was going to Latakia?"

Bohemond's eyes widened when he heard what Gellis said.

"Then...then where are we going?"

"Go north along the river valley and take Antioch."

Gellis couldn't help laughing when he mentioned Antioch.

Looking at Gellis' smile, Bohemond felt very puzzled.

This guy still hasn't figured out what's going on in Antioch.

……

As the army crossed the wilderness of the area controlled by Saladin and arrived at the river valley east of Antioch, Bohemond felt something was wrong.

The place was quiet and the people in the village had peaceful expressions on their faces, as if they were completely unaware of the name of Leonard.

When Gellis and his army arrived at the gates of Antioch, Bohemond's doubts grew: the walls of this ancient city showed no signs of war.

Gellis walked to the city gate with full confidence. The gate, which had been closed due to the approaching army, opened by itself when Bohemond arrived.

The officials appointed by Bohemond came out happily to welcome him and report to him about Reynald's rebellion.

Bohemond looked at Gellis in disbelief, and Gellis gave him a friendly smile in return.

"Antioch is mine."

At the same time, the troops that had been on standby poured into the city like a tide, holding the agreement signed by Bohemond, quickly disarmed the original city guards, and took over the city's defense.

This is why Gellis was waiting for Bohemond, and why he was willing to take Bohemond north even if he was promised a piece of Latakia.

If Antioch had not fallen from the beginning to the end, whoever controlled Bohemond would have the opportunity to open the city without bloodshed.

This was indeed a gamble, but if you lost there would be no loss, but if you won you could directly take over Antioch.

Now, this "City of God" was opened without bloodshed and fell into the hands of the "Son of God".

It was not until this time that Bohemond finally realized that his city of Antioch had been safe from beginning to end. Reynald had never laid a proper siege on Antioch, but had retreated directly to the hills between Antioch and Latakia to ambush himself.

"Then...how do you know all this?"

Garys pointed to his head, and the implication was self-evident.

From then on, Antioch remained Antioch, but the fate of the city had changed and deviated from the right track.

It can be said that Reynald took Latakia without bloodshed, and Gairis took Antioch without stopping.

Bohemond did nothing but gave away two big cities for free.

All we can say is that the sacred artifact has no owner and can only be owned by a virtuous person.

Bohemond, who had figured it all out, was no longer able to speak.

For Gillis, it was another story.

To be honest, every time he walked into these ancient cities with thousands of years of history, Gailis felt it was unreal, or rather, he was somewhat surprised by the wealth of the Crusader states.

Founded by Seleucus I Nicator in the late fourth century BC, this city has a thousand-year history. It was once an important hub for countless merchants and an important ruling center of the Roman Empire.

Rumor has it that during the time of Augustus, the city may have had as many as 25 people.

Today, the city still has a population of over 30,000 and is still more prosperous than Tyre and Tripoli. Its wealth is even comparable to the income of the English royal family.

If the entire territory of Antioch could be controlled, it would mean being able to support thousands or even tens of thousands of troops.

For this reason, Reynald felt that as long as he unified the three remaining Crusader states, he could assemble an army that was strong enough to compete with Saladin and even protect himself.

Of course, Reynald, who was in Latakia, did not expect that the city of Antioch that he had been longing for had been taken away by Gairis.

He was still training his army, preparing to swallow up Antioch, and then he was thinking about marching south, defeating Gueris head-on, and then having a desperate battle with Saladin.

……

Acre, Saladin finally saw the light again.

Because of the smallpox epidemic in the first half of this year, his large-scale offensive against the northern Crusader forces, which had been planned for the first half of this year, was interrupted.

As for Saladin, he did not leave Acre and flee to Egypt.

But he also locked himself in the palace in Acre, minimizing going out to avoid infection with the plague.

This action was effective, at least he survived safely.

The plague in the city did not cause particularly serious damage because of the timely information received by my friends and the early quarantine.

After making sure that this minor epidemic had dissipated, Saladin also began to handle intelligence work in a hurry.

Information came one after another about the great changes in Cyprus, the change of power in Tripoli, and the rise of Reynald in the north.

Saladin was speechless for a moment.

His general attack on the Kingdom of Jerusalem was like pushing down a domino, and the chain reactions it triggered were beyond his expectations.

He could sense that the remaining Crusaders were uniting and things were becoming difficult.

When the three northern countries and Cyprus were completely united, it became a big trouble for Saladin.

The name Gailis appeared more and more frequently in Saladin's ears, making him pay attention to him.

The first time I heard of Garys was probably when I was in Transjordan.

As for the current situation, Saladin feels that he should pay more attention to Transjordan.

It's time to organize a corps to remove the poisonous snake behind us.

However, it still takes time. After all, most of the volunteers in his army have returned to their hometowns with rich spoils.

After witnessing the benefits of war, those people expressed their desire to participate in the war. They sought wealth and fame.

Secondly, because of the war in the Levant last year, food prices in the Mediterranean region have increased, and the sales profit of wheat produced in the Nile region is better than before.

These news made Saladin excited. At least he was sure that he should be able to assemble a large army again in the second half of this year to continue fighting against the Franks.

What should he do in this situation?

Saladin turned his attention to the north, one was the Roman Eastern Empire, and the other was the Masyaf Castle near Antioch.

Now Saladin and the Eastern Empire have formed an alliance to fight against some Muslim countries in the north.

And in Masyaf Castle, there are the most outstanding assassins of this era.

It's just that I have to ask for help from my former mortal enemy, tsk...

"I hope they can accept this kindness and not be ungrateful."

Saladin had to admit that if he only relied on assassins, he could weaken the enemy's strength by eliminating the enemy's leader.

As a Sudanese leader, he must consider this.

(End of this chapter)