Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 282 Wedding
Even though some nobles were able to remain calm, they all looked very lost. As for Jocelyn, he burst into tears on the spot.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You died miserably!"

"What a shameless thing! This is treason! This is not respecting the face of God!"

"These damned bastards! Do you want to live?"

Such an exaggerated performance made Irakliu look a little embarrassed.

If you didn't know Jocelyn's past, you would really think that this guy was so loyal to Guy.

When Guy came to power, this guy scolded Sibylla for not respecting her oath and asked what kind of bastard was able to get into the famous family of the Holy Land.

As a noble of the Edessa lineage, he was quite proud of his identity as a Crusader noble.

After throwing a tantrum for a while, Jocelyn suddenly stood up and shouted to the nobles beside him:
"Everyone! Isabella doesn't treat us as human beings anyway. His Majesty Guy can kill us just like that. Let's just fight that bastard Garys!"

When Irakliou heard this, he could no longer maintain his expression.

Two days ago, when he asked Gairis whether the rumors about the Tripoli Church were true, Gairis just shook his hand lightly, and a sword appeared in his hand. Then he just squeezed the sword lightly, and a mark was left on the sword.

It can be said that the sword that can cut iron like mud is just like mud in the hands of Garys.

Under such circumstances, Iraklius naturally realized that some of the rumors in Tripoli might, probably, or possibly be true.

Even Iraklius, a priest, slapped Jocelyn in the face without hesitation.

Snapped!
"Jocelyn! If you want to die, go ram yourself into a pillar!"

"Everyone here wants to live! If you lose your life, how can you be rich?"

"If you expect others to work hard for you with your few stinky bucks, then go and have fun!"

The reason why Iraklius wanted to organize this meeting was not because he still had any power ambitions.

In fact, given the situation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, even if the throne was given away for free, no one would necessarily want it.

Isabella's grandfather Fulk was the only one among many people who were deceived. He was a son-in-law who was recruited by offering a kingdom as a dowry.

His current goal is to find a perfect position for himself in the new system of the Second Kingdom so that he can become the most powerful official.

"Everyone! Right now, Isabella and her men have many elite soldiers and generals under their command. Thinking of using force to fight is really a bad idea!"

"What about Richard? What about the Holy See? Is there no one who can deal with those guys?"

"I heard that the group of people here started to interpret the Bible and preach! They led the lower class people to read the Bible!"

"As long as someone can destroy Gailis and protect the manor passed down from my ancestors, I will be at his service and support that person to be crowned king!"

Irak rolled his eyes slightly. A manor passed down from ancestors? This kingdom has only been around for a few generations. Few of the nobles present here have passed down their estates for more than three generations.

I don't even know how my family got those estates and properties. Do I really think they were passed down?

Listening to the speeches of these insects, Irakliu felt a lot more fed up.

But it’s not that there are no irrational people. After all, the Kingdom of Jerusalem has been in war for many years, and there are always many people who can face the reality.

Nolan was one of them. He listened to the speeches of others with a gloomy face and said nothing. Until the group of insects became so noisy that they hoped that the Crusaders would come to quell the heresy, Nolan could no longer bear it. He suddenly stood up and slammed the table hard, shocking everyone present to stop the excitement.

"Stop talking to yourself! Let Master Iraklio explain Master Balian's intentions first!"

Although it was said to be Balian's idea, many people knew in their hearts that it was actually the idea of ​​the young man Gérice de Villeroy.

"First of all, the aristocracy system needs to be reformed."

After Nolan calmed down the situation, Irakliou told everyone about the next reform plan.

Now that the kingdom is about to launch a massive counterattack, some things naturally need to be made clear in advance. On the one hand, it is to prevent some people from having unnecessary fantasies, and on the other hand, it is to motivate the soldiers to fight bravely.

In the early days of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, since the Crusaders came from various European countries, there was actually no very systematic aristocratic system for a long time, so that both great nobles like Reynald and ordinary manor owners were often collectively referred to as lords.

Such a situation is essentially just a recognition of privilege and does not have much significance at the national level.

In Gellis's design, the establishment of a county system for directly governed land meant the complete abolition of the land aristocracy.

But it does not mean that the concept of nobility has disappeared directly. What replaced it is actually honorary nobility.

First, it serves as a way out for those who are attached to the nobles of Gellis, and second, it serves as an honorary reward to open up a channel for upward mobility for those at the bottom.

Honorary nobility can be roughly divided into two categories: hereditary nobility, inheritance by demotion, and lifetime honorary nobility...

The column of lifetime honors actually also includes the military rank system.

In terms of rank, hereditary succession and inheritance by demotion are naturally the well-known five-level nobility system, and Gaillis does not intend to subdivide them too much.

The characteristics of honorary nobility are that they receive different levels of nobility and medals, different levels of nobility pensions, and a certain degree of political privileges.

For the original land nobles, the aristocratic annuity was a redemption in a sense, but for the new aristocratic group, the aristocratic annuity was the price of loyalty.

However, even if it is hereditary, it does not mean that the inheritance of the title is a one-sided decision. One still needs to pass a resume review before the title can be inherited according to the new inheritance law.

As for political privileges, they are more reflected in the voting weight within the House of Lords.

"What kind of title can we be given?" A landless noble could not help asking. To be honest, the annuity offered by Gailis was quite generous.

The lowest baron could earn hundreds of dinars a year, so even if he relied entirely on the annuity, he could still live a relatively comfortable life.

"No title." "All nobles of the former Kingdom of Jerusalem, as long as they are healthy adult males, must participate in the recovery of lost territory and complete three years of military service before they are eligible for title."

"This three-year period starts from the defense of Jerusalem, but one must have participated in enough battles."

This is actually the price that Garys offered to these landless nobles.

For a moment, the nobles began to whisper.

Some people looked pale, while others breathed a sigh of relief.

"In my opinion, this is a great idea. Since the country wants the manor, and it is not in your hands anyway, we might as well donate it."

"Although it was good to look after the manor in the past, it was not without cost. We don't ask for anything else. It is actually a way out to have a position and become an idle nobleman."

People around him didn't expect that after Nolan heard the conditions, he would be so "submissive" without saying anything.

Then some people realized that many of them had been captured by Saladin and then released. After being released, they did not participate in the wars in the kingdom for a long time, but instead fought for power in the city of Tyre.

As for Nolan, he defended Jerusalem side by side with Balian, although they separated later.

But it has been three years in total!
Everyone actually knows whether the manor can be taken back. It's just an excuse to bid higher for themselves. But Nolan has already met the conditions without realizing it!
With Nolan taking the lead, Irakliyo also started to act as a lobbyist.

"Think carefully, everyone. You have worked hard to manage the manor in the past. How much money have you earned this year?"

"According to Garys's annual salary, it's not much less than the rent! If we buy some bonds and invest in some shops, life won't be worse than before, right?!"

"This country is almost destroyed. Do you still want to gain something for nothing?"

Many nobles in the meeting looked at each other. Some of them had already accepted their fate. As for the others who were indignant, Iraklius also wrote down their names.

……

Wedding is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Like all sacraments, it is considered to be established by Jesus himself. In the Middle Ages, marriages between nobles often took the form of family alliances.

In the upper class, marriage is often a means to improve social status and participate in political affairs. And marriage also has a fixed form. According to the tradition of the Palestinian Franks today, usually one of the two families proposes to the other, then there is an engagement of a joint nature, and finally a wedding.

At the wedding, the groom has to give a gift to the bride's family, part of which will be designated by the bride's family to inherit. At the same time, the groom also has to give the bride a gift. In a sense, this gift is to ensure that the bride can live a normal life during the possible days of widowhood.

For the feudal aristocracy, various properties are usually the main source of wealth, supplemented by money.

If it is in England or Norman area, the bride in this era will also bring a generous dowry as a subsidy from the bride's family to the new family.

Gellis naturally had no real estate, and apart from those bonds, he was penniless.

The traditional customs of the Kingdom of Jerusalem were not consistent with those of the Normans, but considering the pitiful amount of cash that Gellis now had, Balian still gave Gellis a sum of money he had stored in Tyre and his own mansion as a dowry in advance, and then the cash part of the dowry was spent completely at the wedding.

As a princess waiting to be crowned, Isabella still followed the traditions of the old kingdom in the proper ceremony, even though the Kingdom of Jerusalem had fallen into decline.

As for Isabella's troubles, they have been almost resolved.

Earlier, to be more precise, when Isabella kicked Humphrey in the genitals, Archbishop Josephus of Tyre had already come forward and cancelled the engagement.

As for Iraklius at that time, he also behaved like a real man.

When the wedding was held, it caused a sensation in the whole city of Tyre and was treated as a grand festival by everyone.

The hero who saved the country and the "Majesty" of the kingdom came together, but it was as if it was a fairy tale, like the stories of a dragon slayer saving a princess.

In this era, people always trust the strong, and the anecdotes after Gairis came to Tyre, coupled with the endless reports in newspapers, made the citizens believe that Gairis was a hero who could protect them and rescue them from the clutches of Saladin.

In such a chaotic world, people's aesthetics are often so simple and plain. The weak can only survive by relying on the strong, which has become a kind of consensus in the feudal social system.

Rather than a cruel king, the people of the Kingdom of Jerusalem feared a weak and incompetent person inheriting the throne, such as the late King Guy.

Under the protection of the Palatine, Gellis walked into the most magnificent church in Tyre, which was used as the venue for the wedding. Patriarch Iraklius would serve as the witness of the marriage between Isabella and Gellis.

In the church, Balian, who was lying on the bed, holding Isabella's hand, had been waiting for a long time. In front of hundreds of invited guests, Balian handed Isabella to Gailis.

While the newlyweds were exchanging rings, Archbishop Josephus of Tyre recited the prayer in his powerful and infectious voice.

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."

"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from danger. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever."

"The two newlyweds came before you and became husband and wife in accordance with your will. Please protect them to love each other and be loyal to each other. Please protect them to obey your commandments and not deviate from your way."

"I pray in the victorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!"

Many guests in the church followed suit in unison: "Amen!"

After this brief wedding ceremony, Garys and Isabella, with the blessings from the church, relatives and friends, became husband and wife under the watchful eyes of the Lord.

Following tradition, Garys took Isabella's hand and walked out of the church to receive blessings from the citizens of Tyre.

Colored paper acted as petals and was scattered into the air. The clever children, with stolen candies in their mouths, threw the gifts into the air to give to the citizens, which attracted cheers and continuous blessings.

Finally, Garys and Isabella returned home, escorted by their closest relatives.

……

【Death can never separate us from one another, for we all finish the same path and will meet again in the same place.】

(End of this chapter)