kingdom of nations

Chapter 351 Busy Cesar
When Ibn was brought before César, he was still arguing and complaining, because César had promised that they could use their own lives to redeem the freedom of the Christians in the city.

Cesar didn't even look up; he was very busy, extremely busy.

The table in front of him was no ordinary table, but a long table used to entertain guests, large enough to accommodate eight people sitting around it for a meal. The table was covered with all sorts of documents.

From the records and ledgers of population, goods and land that were already in the Damascus residence, to the pleas and appeals of the city's residents and merchants, and the petitions of the prisoners, some demanding that Cesar fulfill his previous promises, and others claiming that they were not Ibn's allies, but just innocent merchants.

There were also some who were not qualified to participate in the meeting, nor were they among those who signed the covenant—at that time they thought they were lucky, but now they had to beg this Christian knight, known for his kindness, to give them a way out.

Moreover, the line of people waiting outside had stretched from the Governor's Palace in Damascus all the way to the main market.

Cesar has always been very cautious about using stimulants like coffee and tea—for these blessed people, tea and coffee are among the few things that can work quickly. But there are also side effects, because to be effective, the dosage must be large. Although it seems to do nothing wrong now except occasionally keeping them awake, both are new things, and he is unsure whether long-term, high-dose use will cause any damage to his body.

But now he can't care about that anymore. For some people, war is a disaster, death, and despair, but for others, war is a rare opportunity to make money.

Now, Damascus is like a sealed-off little world. The Crusader army has taken over the city's security and external defense. The city gates are tightly closed, and neither the dead nor the living can freely enter or leave. Even if someone tries to take advantage of the situation to enrich themselves, they cannot escape.

But Cesar also knew that this situation could not last long. The merchants who followed the army were already eagerly anticipating this. In the past, once a city was captured, some bold merchants would follow the army into the city. They would buy the treasures of the city's residents or the stolen goods from the soldiers at low prices. Most of the knights' spoils would also be handed over to them for processing.

This time, César refused to let the merchants follow him, citing the city's incomplete order and chaotic situation. The merchants bargained with him and finally managed to agree on a timeframe of three days and four nights.

Now, the merchants wait anxiously outside the city, while the knights inside are also annoyed, because their spoils of war cannot always be carried by their squires, on their backs, or on their horses.

Cesare was forced to requisition the Umayyad temple, or what is now the Cathedral of St. John, to store the knights' spoils of war.

Meanwhile, the knights of Arrasa Road were trying their best to persuade their colleagues that if they hastily sold their good goods to merchants just to lighten their burden, the merchants would definitely try to lower the price. Once Cesar established a temporary but well-equipped market here, the goods in their hands could be worth at least three times more.

This did indeed appease some knights, and even though some knights grumbled about how they hated this troublesome matter, the decree was still largely implemented thanks to the unanimous support of the other kings.

This is also because the knights of Arrassa had already experienced it once before—they had fought many battles with the King and the Earl of Edessa, and in no battle had Baldwin and Cesar kept the spoils for themselves, only giving them a few insignificant scraps.

Baldwin or Cesar might even step in to order merchants not to undercut the prices of spoils too much, and it was from this time that "battlefield markets" became popular.

They were always at ease, unlike the other knights who were constantly grumbling and suspicious—although the latter also received the lists from the Venetians, officials whom Cesar had urgently dispatched or leased from Cyprus and Venice. They were working up a sweat, breaking quills one after another, and their ink bottles were frequently running out.

The once solemn hall was now filled with the angry shouts and curses of these civil officials.

"Paper! Give me some more paper!"

"Get me some chalk!" (At this time, people used chalk to cover up mistakes.)

"Wait, wait! I haven't stamped it yet! I haven't stamped it yet!"

Forms without a stamp are invalid.

Stamping was not Cesare's invention. People have worn rings with engraved patterns and words on their fingers since ancient Roman times, but they did not have ink pads, so the rings were mainly used to press onto beeswax or sealing wax, a custom that continues to this day.

However, the seal could only be stamped on sealing wax or beeswax. The contents of the document—whether it was a contract recognized by secular law, customary law, or canon law—had to be solemnly signed by the presiding officer and witnesses. The presiding officer even had to write a short paragraph explaining why the document was issued. But Cesar couldn't very well drag the patriarch or other archbishops over to help these knights organize their ledgers, so the seal came into being.

The ink was not difficult to mix, and there were many skilled craftsmen here who could easily carve a few large seals. This prevented the knights from falsifying the list or being deceived.

The knight who almost forgot to stamp his seal broke out in a cold sweat. This was something their King Richard I had repeatedly emphasized—because this post-war settlement method was being implemented for the first time, there were bound to be some oversights. So, in case of a dispute, the knights' spoils would not be confiscated. Instead, their spoils would only be reorganized and collected after all the knights had received their payment, and then identified and collected one by one. This was troublesome and might waste another week or even longer.

By then their army might have already set off, wouldn't that add another heavy burden to their minds?
Fortunately, although the Venetians were already busy and dizzy, the final stamping had become muscle memory for them. Without that "tap," they knew something must have gone wrong.

Let's call that knight back first.

Such a list would soon be copied and handed over to merchants outside the city.

Although the merchants could not see the spoils of war in person, and could not determine whether the silk was stained, the utensils were damaged, the jewelry was broken, or the gold leaf on the furniture was scraped off, they could at least estimate the price of some of the goods that interested them. When the city gates opened, they could go straight to St. John's Cathedral to buy the goods they wanted.

However, some merchants still complained – the purchase price of these goods was much higher than their previous offers. They knew very well that it was not difficult to fool those foolish knights before. Sometimes these people could not even understand currency conversion, let alone the true value of the goods in their hands.

Aside from gold and silver coins, they knew almost nothing. If the merchants kept nagging and chattering like old women for a while, they would impatiently wave their hands and tell them to take their things away and leave their money behind.

Using this method, they could earn an extra ten or so silver coins, or even several gold coins, from a single transaction.

But now these goods have been appraised by the Venetians, who have set a price and written it in the document given to the knight. No matter how dull or ignorant the knight may be, he can at least read numbers. He only needs to glance at it to know how much money he should receive.

If the merchant adds to the price, that's fine. But if they subtract from it, they'll have to settle accounts with the knight face-to-face.

They also knew that the knight's stubbornness would probably prevent them from bargaining—although they would still make a profit even if they couldn't drastically lower the price of the goods as before, it would no longer be a huge profit.

However, some businessmen say that this might be a good thing – the pre-sorted spoils would undoubtedly speed up the transaction process.

They could either collect the goods and return to Arrasa, or even travel to ports like Acre and Jaffa to sail back to Frankish, Apennine, or Germania. Alternatively, they could entrust the goods to other trustworthy individuals in the caravan and continue traveling with the main force. In any case, saving some time would always be beneficial to them.

Moreover, this also avoids disputes with the knights. Merchants can manipulate the knights, and the knights can turn on them at any time—forcing merchants to buy things they don't need or that are worthless is also one of the things knights often do.

After these ledgers were compiled, the catalog still had to be handed over to Cesar, who would then pass it on to the various kings. After all, they also needed to know how much they had gained in this battle, and all of this was compressed into a mere three days.

Therefore, to Ibn's questioning, Cesar simply smiled. "So I must arrest you once, Governor of Holmes." He inserted the quill into the ink bottle, then gently lifted it and paused at the mouth of the bottle, letting the excess ink drip into the bottle.

"Alright, you can leave now, with your servants—well, I can give you two men and three mules."

"What about my property?" Ibn asked tentatively, clinging to a sliver of hope.

“Your property?” Cesar finally looked up at him with a gracious glance, a look that pierced Ibn’s heart like a sharp arrow. “How dare you say these things are your property? They originally belonged to the inhabitants of Damascus, to those innocent merchants, to those scholars who upheld your doctrines and laws. They had never committed any wrongdoing, and to Damascus, they were undoubtedly the builders, leaders, and guides.”

But in pursuit of your own selfish desires, you not only branded them as heinous sinners, but also plundered their property, even their wives and children. Now, they may be reduced to bones or ashes, but that doesn't mean greedy vultures and hounds can continue to feast on their flesh.

"What you say is truly righteous, but if you take these properties, isn't that the same as appropriating them for yourself?"

“You could say I’m taking it for myself, because I’m planning to use it to rebuild Damascus, my city.”

"Your city?"

"This is my second time stepping into this place. The first time I stepped into this place, it was so beautiful and rich. Although we have different faiths, the people living here are also living people. They need to eat, drink, pray, and sleep just like Christians."

"And those who share the same thoughts as me..." He sighed softly, recalling the first time he met Lazis. The white-haired beauty stood in a room filled with vibrant patterns, surrounded by smoke and dim lighting, while the dissolute middle-aged man, lying in a woman's arms with an arrogant smile, was waiting for Cesar, holding a problem he had already prepared.

People used to speak of him with regret, believing that he had wasted the legacy and talent left to him by his ancestors—that he was just a mediocre descendant! That's what they said.

But this mediocre man, after Saladin appointed him governor of Damascus, suddenly shone with unprecedented brilliance. It was such a pity... if this appointment had come twenty years earlier or twenty years later.

Ibn contemptuously called him a cowardly coward simply because he surrendered Damascus to the Crusaders in an attempt to save Damascus and its people.

But was this his fault? Of course not. He had no one willing to support him; on the contrary, he was surrounded by wolves who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to get a share of the spoils.

And Ibn was one of them.

Ironically, Ibn branded him a traitor, buried him in a pit, and ordered his relatives and friends to stone him to death.

But from beginning to end, whether it was the Crusaders or Ibn arriving in the city, Lazis never fled. He could have escaped. After all, his family was part of Damascus's history, but he didn't. He held out to the very end, even at the cost of his own life.

What about Ibn? Before the tide of battle had completely turned in favor of the Crusaders, Ibn had already fled with his personal guards and caravan.

The so-called Saracen and Turkic warriors around him scattered like birds and beasts in an instant.

Thinking about this, Cesarton suddenly lost interest. What was the point of talking to a beast about the morality and dignity that humans should have?
"You will be released, but that's all. Three mules and two servants—this is my final act of leniency. Do not test my patience, for your ransom will only be enough to pay once."

Ibn was taken away with a livid face. César shook his head. He was not as principled as the generals of those envoys or mercenaries. They could at least shout a few words. After hearing César's words, Ibn did not dare to say a word in rebuttal.

Longinus sent another box of documents, and Cesar really felt he needed some people who could help him with political affairs. Unfortunately, there were many knights here, but few scholars, and priests were hard to trust—at least not to be given free rein.

If he had to name someone who could fill the position, he thought Portia's grandfather, Dandolo, would be perfect. The problem was, Dandolo was currently vying for the position of Doge of Venice, so he couldn't even have much contact with him, let alone serve him.

"Your Highness, we have intercepted two more carrier pigeons from Holmes."

"It seems Ibn has quite a few fans."

Cesar took the brass cylinder from Longinus, unscrewed it, poured out the note inside, glanced at it, and then, without interest, tossed it into the ink bottle beside him to destroy it.

Ibn probably didn't know that on the same day the Crusaders captured Damascus, his stronghold of Homs was also attacked by Sultan Saleh of Apollo.

That's a really great joke.

While Ibn coveted Damascus, others coveted his Holmes. The Sultan of Apollo had previously written to Ibn a letter filled with praise, even going so far as to bestow upon him the title of heir to the Light of Faith—a letter Ibn carried with him, perhaps for boasting.

Cesar speculated that the Sultan of Apollo, or rather the First Lady behind him, had always had this plan, but they were also waiting for the final outcome.

If Ibn had held Damascus but his strength had been weakened as a result, or if he had suffered a crushing defeat as he has now, they would have immediately attacked Homs. But if Ibn had not only held Damascus but had also gained a great reputation and attracted more allies and followers, they would have remained inactive.

Perhaps Sultan Saleh's first lady will write a long, affectionate letter to Ibn, praising him for setting an example for the Saracens.

Ibn was destined for a fateful end, but Cesar no longer cared. His gaze fell on another secret letter: Had Hama also fallen?
Who shot it down?

It was an unfamiliar name, but César soon learned of it.

This man was none other than Saif al-Din Ghazi II, the governor of Edessa—he was Saladin's nephew, but also one of Nur ad-Din's subjects.

Edessa was originally the territory that this body should have inherited, but it was lost during his grandfather's time and has been in the hands of the Saracens ever since.

His military occupation of Hama could be driven by his own personal desires, or it could be at the behest of the First Lady or Saladin. This is both plausible and not unexpected. After all, just looking at Damascus reveals just how chaotic the Saracen world was.

“Tell…” Cesar paused, then pulled a clean parchment from his desk, cut it into four pieces, copied the message, and had Longinus deliver them to Frederick I, Philip II, Richard I, and Baldwin. At this time, this matter could not be communicated verbally; doing so would not only seem frivolous but could also lead to unnecessary mishaps.

“If they need to hold a meeting, come to me anytime,” he instructed. As Longinus accepted the order and was about to leave, he called him back: “How is the inspection team’s work going?”

(End of this chapter)