kingdom of nations

Chapter 68 Herbs
There was a crisp knocking sound, the flint was struck, and a candle was lit - the person who came did not seem to have any intention of lifting the tapestry, opening the window, and letting people peek - the flickering flame illuminated his face, and it was none other than Heraclius, the teacher of Prince Baldwin and Cesar.

Heraclius turned his head and looked at Cesar, "Close the door tightly." He said, and when Cesar turned around to close the door, he stood up from the chair, walked to Cesar, bent down and picked up the package. The package was small and light. Heraclius put it on a large suitcase without saying a word, opened it, and began to check the things inside.

"What are these?" Heraclius asked.

Cesar hesitated: "Herbs."

"I'm glad you don't think I'm an idiot," Heraclius said. "I thought you were going to tell me these were seasonings and spices you used in your cooking, just like you told those fools."

"You're cautious and careful. You don't make any agreements with anyone, nor do you make a second transaction with them. You wander the market with Damara, a domineering and demanding noblewoman by your side. No one would think you're the one who's passionate about the market. Indeed, most people would think you're buying these things on impulse, or that you were deceived."

He held up a tuber: "Aconitum, uh-huh," and then grabbed a handful of plant bark: "Elderberry, cocklebur, licorice..." He looked at Cesar: "But do you know how many people are staring at Prince Baldwin? Do you know how many people are staring at you?"

"teacher……"

"They really didn't know what it was, and they couldn't get any—you and Baldwin might have thought you were doing it perfectly. If it was for oral use, Baldwin would chew it up and swallow it whole; if it was for rubbing, he would mix it with the lard and palm oil used to polish weapons; if it was for bathing, he would put it in a gauze bag and throw it directly into the fire after it dried."

"us……"

"But they can always find the person who buys and sells the herbs, or write down the characteristics of those ingredients. If one priest doesn't know, two priests don't know, how can three priests not know? Of course, you can say that you just use them to cook delicious food, but... sometimes, many things just need a reason."

Heraclius said sternly, "The king and I have been cleaning up your mess these days." Looking at Cesar's slightly stunned expression, he curled the corners of his lips without a smile: "Surprised? When I discovered that you could use herbs and that these herbs actually worked, I was even more surprised than you!"

"This one……"

"I'm not so surprised by this result. You even have pity on those lowly peasants and courtesans..." Prince Baldwin and Cesar are only related by blood to be real brothers. No, they are closer than real brothers. After all, real brothers would fight for the throne or engage in intrigue or swordplay.

"I can't just stand there and watch..."

"Baldwin is in much better condition now than I thought," Heraclius said. "Your medicine is indeed effective, but it is precisely because of its effectiveness that you are in big trouble."

"Baldwin told me that the Church does not allow anyone other than priests and monks to practice medicine."

"Practice medicine?" Heraclius scoffed. "More than practice medicine, Cesar. You haven't even asked me—even for Amalric I, I wouldn't just stand by and watch Baldwin suffer. But why don't I do it? Just give you some St. John's wort every day? Or do you think I'm as clueless as those dull-witted fellows?"

"I do not have……"

Heraclius simply waved his hand and said, "Baldwin has contracted this terrible disease. Indeed, as far as I know, there may be some herbs that can alleviate his pain and the progression of the disease, but we are still praying, mediating, and negotiating.

Why? It's simple. Even the permission to use medicinal herbs is monopolized by the church. Only herbs approved by the Pope in Rome are holy. Otherwise, they are the devil's bait, and we can't take that risk.

He pointed at the items on the table. "You haven't encountered true malice yet. These are secrets and laws not accessible to everyone—Baldwin only knows a few of them. But if it is proven that you used these herbs, and you are not a monk or priest, you can only be a servant of the devil."

"But aren't you already the Patriarch of Alaska?" Cesar asked.

"Even the Patriarch fears his enemies, especially when they're numerous," Heraclius said calmly. "You're a little naive. It's our fault—back then, we didn't expect you to be capable of this. Could there really be a thousand-year-old demon hiding in this perfect body?" He even managed to crack a joke, "But that's the end of it."

"But!" Cesar whispered.

Baldwin disagreed at first, but the symptoms in his left hand had progressed to the point where they affected his balance and grip. This important limb would sometimes suddenly become a useless burden. He would even forget what he was holding and let it fall or shatter. And then there were those plaques, which began to bulge and crack, or ulcerate. The first time he saw the erosions, which looked like countless whip marks in the morning sunlight, Baldwin almost collapsed...

He had still clung to some illusions, and these illusions shattered so quickly and vividly that he couldn't even deceive himself.

Baldwin couldn't sleep. His whole body was numb and itchy, and his mouth and nose were bleeding. He prayed to the saint again and again. St. George's spear was still bright and sharp, but it could not dispel his fear - his abnormality certainly could not be hidden from Cesar, who was with him most of the day.

Cesar proposed it, but he firmly opposed it. However, Cesar would not rush to force him to agree. He just kept persuading Baldwin.

The left tower was now "very clean", and there was nothing wrong with him using Damara as a cover to go to the market to buy some spices and condiments. Who would believe that a knight who had been "blessed" would know about herbs? Although he was a student of Heraclius, Heraclius never let him cross the line on this point.

Baldwin nodded, but at first he only allowed Cesar to give him a little medicine. It was also when he gradually discovered that people only regarded the relief of their symptoms as the blessing of saints that they became bolder.

"The ancient Greek word ατρ, Latinized as īātrós, means 'doctor'. We have had the word for it for a long time. And in ancient Roman and earlier records—long before the church appeared—doctors were a profession, although many of them were slaves. So when did doctors disappear?"

"Probably in the past hundred years." Heraclius answered the question himself: "It's time for you to know some knowledge beyond books, child. This question has to be traced back to the beginning of the 'Ceremony of Selection' - what, you don't think that the Ceremony of Selection has existed since God created all things." He pointed his finger downwards, motioning Cesar to sit down.

"In fact, the concept of pilgrimage didn't emerge until the second century AD. And those pilgrims weren't to Alaska, but to Rome or the Apennines. The concept of saints didn't emerge until the fifth century. And it wasn't until 800 AD when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne in Rome that the divine right of kings was established. And during these centuries, the miracles performed by priests and monks played an indispensable role. Who wouldn't be afraid of illness and death?"

During these centuries, people discovered that not every monk or priest could perform 'divine magic,' and that some devout warriors and knights, after praying, would also gain powers different from those of the monks, but also worthy of respect. There are always clever people, and as far as I know, some people have long since begun to organize the locations, numbers, and frequency of blessings.

"You said that the more sacred the place, the more likely it is to be blessed."

"That's right. Initially, people focused their attention on churches, monasteries, and saints' tombs. But later, they realized that the key lies in relics. You know, not every relic is authentic, but those with high authenticity can indeed increase the chances of receiving a blessing. So, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the 'Pilgrimage of Atonement' emerged. What is a pilgrimage of atonement?"

Cesar was startled by the sudden question, but he also felt an indescribable wonder. "A penitential pilgrimage is when someone commits a sin. They can atone for their sin through Mass, prayer, or by buying indulgences. They can also make a pilgrimage, traveling a long distance to Alaska Road and bringing a real holy relic to the church as a way of atonement."

Heraclius smiled faintly. "Yes, I don't know which cunning priest came up with this idea, but it's indeed effective. Even though most people brought back fake relics, some brought back real ones—and after possessing the real relics, some young priests were immediately blessed..."

"Wait, teacher, you mean..."

"Well, what else could it be? Alazarus and the surrounding areas have been occupied by pagans for hundreds of years. Their prosperity and wealth are well known to everyone. The pilgrims' route has not been blocked for a short time. Moreover, most sultans and caliphs are very tolerant. Why did it not take until 1095 for Pope Urban II to start inciting the Crusade?

Let alone the Byzantine emperor writing a letter asking for help—the Seljuk Turks did not suddenly wander under the walls of Constantinople one morning…”

"I can only say that action follows demand. Before the Crusaders attacked Alaska, they looted a vast amount of wealth from Byzantium and sent it back to Europe and the Apennines. It was from that time that more and more people began to receive the blessing."

Heraclius raised a finger and said, "You know, before I saw the holy light covering you, I felt that you might not receive the blessing. You are an extremely arrogant person. Don't deny it. I know you don't believe in God. Even if He came to you, you would be as stubborn as a donkey. (St. Paul refused to believe in the resurrection of Jesus until Jesus appeared to him.)"

He muttered softly, "I don't know where you come from—no, I should say, you don't believe in anyone, not Allah, not Islam, not anything..."

"Of course, it's a good thing that you can receive the blessing. Unfortunately, this kind of good thing is still not available to everyone, even if they are priests, monks, the illegitimate son of a bishop, the father of a lover, or the brother. So, how can these people still get a satisfactory position? What is the basis for it?"

"Are they...doctors?"

"Yes, everyone gets sick and injured. Knights, lords, and even kings get sick and injured. Isn't Baldwin a good example? Even with the saint's blessing, he's still a patient—the Roman Catholic Church can still use him as a bargaining chip—not to mention that the profession of doctor is inherently in conflict with monks who have received 'granting'."

Cesar nodded. He understood that not every monk or priest could immediately make a lame man stand up and walk, or cure a leper immediately. These were things that only Jesus Christ could do. Generally, the diseases that monks and priests could treat were only fractures, bleeding, fever, diarrhea, etc. But if doctors were allowed to continue to exist, people might not choose them.

After all, the price of receiving treatment from monks and priests is really not something that ordinary people can afford - sometimes they are threatened to give up a large piece of land or hundreds of serfs, or even a forest and a lake.

At that time, Cesar was able to be cared for by the "ordained" monks at the Church of St. John the Baptist because he only had a slight fever and fainted, but was not seriously injured, and he was indeed pitiful.

Even so, Dean John "inadvertently" mentioned that if this expense was to be calculated, even if Cesar became a knight, he would have to pay off the debt for a full ten years.

"So, do you understand?" Heraclius pointed at the herbs Cesar had brought. "If anyone discovered that you could use herbs to slow the symptoms of a leper, even if it didn't cure him, every monk and priest would want to eat you alive. This wouldn't just be a problem for one or two people, but the entire church would be in turmoil."

"And will the lords and kings think so too?"

"Tsk," Heraclius said, making a "this is terrible" expression. "Even the devil would recognize you as his teacher, child, but you're the only one. Amalric I protected you because you were protecting his heir. Others wouldn't, unless you could suddenly conjure up ten thousand doctors. In that case, they might even try to be friendly with the church."

"And you've hit the nail on the head," Heraclius continued. "The Church doesn't have an army. All they have are priests, monks, and God's earthly dwellings (monasteries and churches). Without these, our previous patriarch is a lesson for all clergy."

Looking back now, it was because the Patriarch had explicitly refused to treat Baldwin and even prevented Amalric I and his heir from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the "Choice Ceremony" that the king decided to turn against him completely.

And those oil lamps with poppy added - nothing was done about it afterwards, as those people had expected. Heraclius' potion was something that could not be made public, and if it was made public, it would cause an uproar.

"But Baldwin..."

"At least not in the future," Heraclius said, "We are about to meet up with other Crusaders, and the merchants will follow us, but who doesn't know that you are Baldwin's close friend? Everything you do is equivalent to what Baldwin did..." He shook his head: "May God bless Baldwin, and you -"

He placed his hand on Cesar's shoulder: "Then, leave these herbs and the rest to me."

(End of this chapter)