kingdom of nations

Chapter 168 The Isaacs' New Year (5) Bonus Chapter!
“I remember you,” Cesar said.

The woman's name recorded in the trial record was Nellie, a fairly common name among Christian women, but more often found in the homes of farmers or artisans. The reason César remembered her was because she had received three favors from him.

The first instance was when Cesare first arrived in Arrassa. To compensate for his inferior birth, he spent dozens of days and nights in asceticism at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In order to fabricate a miracle, their teacher Heraclius arranged for a woman and her infant to act as "actors" to prove that his asceticism was being watched by God and the saints, so as to resist the pressure exerted by the Church.

That time, César gave her a date.

The second time was at the market, where she spilled the paint; if it weren't for Cesar, she would have been buried alive.

The third time I saw her was in a court in Bethlehem, and it involved a case that would be decided by life or death.

She and her husband accused each other of being witches, so in accordance with customary law and canon law, Bishop Andrei ordered them to prove their vows by a divorce duel.

The entire duel was, of course, bloody and gruesome. What was even more astonishing was that this petite woman was able to defeat her husband with an inexplicable courage and strength.

Her husband was beheaded on false charges, while she was acquitted and inherited all the property he left behind.

"How are you doing?"

"Thanks to you, sir," Cesar asked kindly, also observing the woman's clothes and complexion. "I'm doing quite well." On the surface, it seemed so; she was fuller than before, her clothes were clean with few patches, and she even wore a brass bracelet on her wrist.

Cesar smiled. Her husband may have lured many homeless women under the guise of marriage, using them as free laborers. Some escaped, some died, but her husband certainly never imagined that a woman he had just picked up from the roadside would be in such danger.

Nellie will inevitably be guarded against, discriminated against, and treated coldly. Even knowing that she was a victim, how many people would dare to approach and befriend a woman who killed her husband in a divorce battle?

But Nellie clearly didn't need such a thing. She was always very practical, and when Cesar asked, she didn't waste each other's time. She simply opened her blouse, pulled out a cloth bag from her loose underwear, untied the rope, and took out the contents for Cesar.

Longinus took it: "It's a loaf of bread," he said, and then handed it to Cesare. Cesare weighed it; it was indeed a hard, solid loaf of bread.

Of course, it wasn't as white, soft, sweet, and fragrant as the bread that kings or queens enjoyed at banquets, but for commoners, it was far better than those fancy but impractical snacks. It weighed a pound and could ensure that a family wouldn't go hungry for a day.

Cesar broke the bread into small pieces and was surprised to find that it really was just a piece of bread, without any sawdust or dirt mixed in. He picked up a small piece and tasted it. Apart from being sour and bitter, it didn't taste strange at all: "Is there something wrong with this bread?"

"Didn't you entrust those Isaacs to distribute it to us?"

“No,” Cesar said. Although he had been granted Bethlehem as a knightly territory, he had been busy with matters on the road to Arrassa these days. If it weren’t for Heraclius’s request, he would have postponed his trip to Bethlehem. However, even if he went, he was not prepared to easily change the current state of Bethlehem.

He will govern Bethlehem, but that will certainly be after Baldwin's court has fully settled down.

Nellie looked relieved. “I knew it wasn’t you,” she said abruptly, but she quickly added, “You really don’t know, sir, that someone in Bethlehem is doing good deeds in your name.”

This was something even César hadn't anticipated. Doing good deeds in his name didn't seem like a bad thing, but everyone has something in mind when they do things. How can one give something for nothing, adding to someone else's reputation while gaining nothing in return?

She wasn't some elegant noblewoman who needed knights and priests to preach piety, goodness, and virtue to her.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Of course I know, sir. It was those Isaacs from Bethlehem who have been sneaking around in their synagogues these past few days, discussing something I don't know. But just yesterday, they suddenly stormed into the area where the common people live, a place they have almost never set foot in before."

They brought out basket after basket of bread, along with ale, salt, and precious sugar, distributing them while saying, "We are acting on your orders; these are for the upcoming September festival."

Longinus gave a cold snort from the side; his words were indeed veiled. September certainly has many feast days, anniversaries, and holidays, such as those for St. Gregory I, St. Rosalia, St. George, the Nativity of Mary, the Day of the Names of Mary, the Seven Sentences of Mary, St. John the Baptist…

But when a group of Isaacs, dressed in their own traditional clothing as if afraid of being unrecognized, and led by their sages and their students, generously distributed alms, others would instinctively regard this September festival as the Isaacs' New Year, rather than a Christian feast day or holiday.

“Their plan is quite ingenious. With just a few baskets of bread, they can make people think you are on their side, even that you have become an Isaac who has not yet converted.” Cesar waved his hand, indicating that Longinus did not need to say anything more.

The deed was already done, and the timing they chose was very clever. It was also because Nellie came to inform on the very first day that everything was settled. Otherwise, by the time he returned to Bethlehem after staying at the Castle of Holy Cross for a while, everything would have been over, not to mention this good deed that impersonated his orders, the Isaacs' New Year might have been over.

Cesar tried to stand up from his chair, but felt a wave of weakness wash over him, and he had to sit back down.

“Longinus, take a few knights back immediately. If necessary, you may also seek the help of Bishop Andrei. First, find the Isaacs in Bethlehem, arrest their wise men, and then order the Isaacs who follow him to take back all the bread, ale, or other things they distributed from the common people who received the charity.”

If anyone has already drunk or eaten, then give them some more holy water.

Longinus understood and gave a sly look.

“Don’t worry, sir, apart from a few devils, most people probably didn’t dare to move,” Nellie said from the side. “Some even threw things back at their heads and beat them up.”

A slight smile appeared on César's lips, but it quickly vanished.

He raised his head: "No, let us arrest all the Isaacs involved in this matter, find out their mastermind, and bring him before me."

Longinus immediately accepted the order and left. Nellie stood there, somewhat at a loss, and was about to awkwardly take her leave like Longinus when Cesar stopped her: "Wait, Nellie, don't go back to Bethlehem. Stay in the Castle of Holy Cross for the next few days. I will instruct the castle steward to prepare a bed for you and give you a job. When you leave, just tell others that you went to work elsewhere."

Nellie came to inform on him, of course, because she had once received a favor from Cesare. But while the first incident might have gone unnoticed, the second one was obvious to all, and Cesare feared that she would face retaliation from the Isaacs upon her return.

Nellie needed to think carefully to understand Cesar's intention—after all, such seemingly casual favors were rare among the lords, not because they were unwilling to do so, but because their minds were never on a commoner. "How wonderful," she said sincerely, "you are still the same as before, little saint."

Longinus was always decisive and efficient, and Bethlehem was not far from the Alassane Road.

That evening, he brought back a group led by the wise man of Isaac, and accompanied by several merchants from the city and his students.

They spearheaded this effort.

The Isaacs' scriptures strongly advocate that people should do good deeds, and this has even given rise to many proverbs.

“Those who distribute wealth to do good are like sheared lambs; only sheared lambs can cross the river”; “The door is not open to charity but to doctors”; “Charity is equivalent to all other laws put together” and so on. One of the wise men even compiled a chart detailing the characteristics of various good deeds and the rewards they deserved.

From the highest level—giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish—to the lowest level—purposeful or reluctant charity, a total of eight levels are listed, and people are strongly encouraged to complete the first and second levels of charity, and ideally the third level.

Some Isaacs even claimed that beggars who receive alms should also do good deeds.

People who don't understand the customs of this people might see these things and think they are a generous and kind people, completely failing to understand why, starting from Egypt, they have been constantly driven away by each ruler, wandering from place to place, unable to find a place to temporarily settle down.

Ladies and gentlemen, no matter how eloquently the Isaacs spoke of charity, their good deeds were not indiscriminate. To be more precise, their good deeds were directed only at one group of people—their own people.

They would regularly give alms to the poor in their community and find work for artisans and scholars among their people.

When an Isaac merchant, having been robbed or whose ship has capsized, finds himself penniless and arrives in a familiar or unfamiliar place, he can ask the local Isaacs for help. He can borrow money from them three times for free, and as the amount he has borrowed grows, he can pay off his debts.

But only three times. After that, even the most foolish Isaac would tighten his purse and refuse to give him a single coin.

As Nellie pointed out, the Isaacs' charity did not earn the trust of Christians. In Christian countries, there were frequent instances of Isaacs using curses or poisoning wells—even if some of these were intentional accusations, it still proved that the Isaacs did not enjoy the trust and gratitude of Christians. There was another reason why Longinus was sent to collect the distributed bread, wine, salt, and sugar: in his world, however, the origin of any food could be traced.

But in this world, Isaac does good in his name, but he doesn't arrange for it, and there's no one trustworthy to watch over it, so the result becomes unpredictable.

If just one unscrupulous person were to poison these foods and kill a few people, his reputation would be utterly ruined—he would rather go back to Bethlehem to deal with the matter than sit here.

Fortunately, the Isaacs were really just trying to curry favor with their new lord.

For the first time, Cesar lost his patience. When the men were brought in, he threw the half-broken loaf of bread at their feet.

He said nothing, nor did he need to say anything. These shrewd fellows could tell at a glance that the matter was exposed before it was even finished—a hint of regret appeared on Lego's face.

He wasn't lamenting the loss of the bread, but rather the fact that their collaborative plan had failed completely before it could even be implemented.

“I’ll give you two choices,” Cesar said. “One: I’ll drag you all out and hang you on the gallows, leaving no one alive, on charges of poisoning the inhabitants of Bethlehem in my name.”

Upon hearing Cesar's words, the Isaacs were horrified: "We are doing good, sir, following our traditions and doctrines. We are not bothering anyone!"

The leading sage even bent down, picked up a large piece of bread, and stuffed it into his mouth. "I don't know which heartless, ungrateful person came here to falsely accuse us without any reason."

But we are doing this with a fervent and devout heart. It is your first Isaac New Year in Bethlehem, and we have received many of your blessings and wish to give back.

The reward was small, not even worth a golden crown, just some bread and water.

You didn't see their faces; they were all incredibly grateful, loudly thanking God and you..."

He spoke with such sincerity that anyone else would have believed him, but Cesar simply raised his hand, cutting him off from the rest of his words. Whether what he said was true or false was of no importance to him.

Importantly, he couldn't allow these Isaacs to freely assimilate him into their ranks. People today have poor discernment and are easily swayed. He didn't want to become, like that Roman governor, a tool for the Isaacs to kill or a scapegoat.

"Second," he said wearily, "when you return to Bethlehem, my knights will be watching over you. You must apologize to everyone who accepted your charity and explain that this act of charity was not at my behest, but rather that you were simply swindling people."

No matter how angrily they accuse you, or even retaliate against you, you cannot escape, much less retaliate or insult them—once this matter is over, you will be led to the largest square in Bethlehem,” he considered for a moment, “and each will receive thirty lashes.”

“But that was a good deed, sir. Our only mistake was not asking for your permission, but you are so merciful…” the wise man of Bethlehem couldn’t help but argue.

Cesar merely gave him a half-smile, "It's like you're offering Saladin 100,000 gold coins to buy me out?"

This statement left everyone speechless. They harbored ulterior motives and knew full well how much malice and deception was contained within it.

They might have wanted to say something more, but Cesar had no interest in listening. He waved his hand, and two knights stepped forward and grabbed the sage's arms.

The other Isaacs panicked and rushed forward to pull their leader back into their ranks, but the knights drew their swords, and the Isaacs immediately released their grip and retreated.

The wise man's eyes widened in fury, and he immediately began to hurl insults. He called his fellow clansmen cowards, and César a hypocrite, foreseeing his own fate.

Sure enough, a gallows had been erected in the square of Castel Sainte-Croix, and some busybodies had even brought a basket of paparazzi who hadn't yet opened their eyes.

They would be hanged along with the wise man of Isaac, and faced with this utter humiliation, the wise man struggled even more frantically. He too was blessed by God—although Cesar did not know whether the Isaacs were divided into priests and knights, he was indeed incredibly strong, and the two knights could barely hold him down.

However, once Longinus joined him, he became weak and powerless.

Longinus grabbed his hair and dragged him out like a dead dog. A crowd had already gathered outside, excitedly spreading the news, especially after hearing that the one to be hanged was a wise man of Isaac.

Le Guerre was deathly pale. He knelt down with a thud, knelt before César, and clasped his hands together, begging for his forgiveness. "You are such a kind person."

You didn't even want to see the woman who betrayed her husband suffer retribution. You once gave alms to the poor throughout the entire city of Arrassa. When the king confronted the Templars in Tortosa Castle, you risked your life alone for those lowly people in the castle. People called you a little saint.

Little saint, why can't you show us some mercy?

Before Baldwin nearly left Holy Cross Castle through deception and betrayal, Cesar might have actually shown mercy, but he now discovers that most people in this era will not be grateful for your kindness.

They will only think you are weak and easy to bully, and then they will take advantage of you. He has already given these Isaacs two paths, but since they are unwilling to choose, he will choose for them. He did not listen to their desperate threats and pleas.

Saladin had hanged several wise men outside Damascus, so it was already very merciful of him to hang only one.

The sage was now bound. Before being hung up, he was still roaring and struggling.

Christians rarely hang Isaacs cleanly and decisively. Instead, they hang them upside down, feet in the sky and heads on the ground, with barking dogs nearby.

This upside-down position would quickly cause a person's head to become congested with blood and their chest to become filled with fluid. It was also because this wise man had been blessed that he endured the torment for a longer time than ordinary people, persisting until sunset.

From a fish-like frantic leaping, to a maggot-like wriggling, and finally to intermittent shouts and pleas.

When night fell, Cesare had Longinus bring back the few Isaacs who had been forced to stand by and question them again. This time, they were almost eager to accept Cesare's second punishment.

When Longinus first went to collect the bread and water that had been distributed, some Isaacs secretly hid it for their own selfish reasons. But when these Isaacs were brought back to Bethlehem and went from house to house, confessing their sins in hoarse voices along the streets, they realized that the charity was not a gift from their new lord, but a trick played by the Isaacs.

They were immediately filled with fear and handed over the food they had hidden. Longinus promised them that the new lord's charity would arrive soon and be distributed on the feast days and holidays in September, and asked them not to be too anxious.

During this time, if anyone is unable to persevere due to hunger or illness, they can seek help from the monastery and church where Bishop Andrei resides.

Of course, all the Isaacs who plotted this conspiracy were insulted and beaten by the residents. It was only because soldiers were supervising them that they were not beaten to death.

But they were still covered in a thick layer of mud and excrement. They were so humiliated that they trembled with anger, but there was nothing they could do.

After all, they were the ones who started the trouble, and the Knights of Bethlehem were merely punishing them according to the law. They were then taken to the pool to wash, as they were about to be flogged.

Although thirty lashes could easily turn a living person into a dead one, without this cleansing, they would likely develop a fever soon and then die of illness.

“You don’t think they’ll be grateful to you, do you?” Longinus asked as he returned to report.

“I don’t need their gratitude, I just need them to behave themselves.” If Cesar had any patience for the Isaacs at the beginning, he had now completely exhausted them.

"Did you bring Haredi?"

"Brought it."

(End of this chapter)