Eagle Byzantium

"Joslan even said that to you, bastard!" The Patriarch was furious.

But the person opposite just defended himself, saying that he was always on the right side.

Turning around again, the only heavyweight figure in the Holy City, Count Robert of Flanders, was also standing there, persuading, "Your Excellency, Patriarch, Special Envoy Morris, please allow all soldiers to go out of the city to fight, and fight with Lord Baldwin, please shake hands and make peace. I believe this is the unquestionable decree of His Majesty the Holy See.”

"Please entrust the command to Sir Robert!" At this time, all the lords and knights clenched their fists and roared in unison.

"Of course, of course. It just so happened that I was also going to instruct Sir Robert to make arrangements for the war. I didn't expect you to be so impatient. It's really commendable for your courage." Sam Bell's ability to adapt to the wind is still first-rate. He hurriedly and Maurice simultaneously laugh, Then he shouted with a sharp voice, "Your Excellency, Earl Robert, is the commander-in-chief of the Christian army, and Joceland is the deputy commander-in-chief. The lords and knights of the standard set out to fight from Bethlehem Gate with their war flags, horses and attendants. God's will, This is God’s will!”

Under the heavy leaden clouds, on the huge tower of Bethlehem Gate in the Holy City, Christian soldiers holding spears and carrying shields excitedly raised their fingers and pointed, while some couldn't help but kneel down and clasp their hands to pray for divine grace.

Clusters of sunlight shine on the wilderness below. The white army and golden flags of the Egyptians are withdrawing towards Arsu and Ashkelon; among the continuous valleys and hills in the northwest, from Jaffa The cloud-like army of Gawain, Bohemond and Baldwin who came ashore from the harbor covered the entire land. These three most shrewd and powerful Christians in the world The position of the prince was clearly visible to both the enemy and us. Along the central high hill, they were calmly overlooking the troops commanding each wing - hundreds of fully armored Tarsus cavalry occupying the left side. In the passage, three hundred Norman cavalry carrying spears and square flags occupied the road on the right, with the knights of Adana at the forefront. After the formation was laid out, everyone's vests were decorated with gold and silver decorations and black and silver chainmail and pierced armor. From a distance, it looked like a gorgeous cluster of flowers. The centerpiece was owned by the three princes. The unique flags include the crimson red-handed cross-sword flag, the gold-rimmed and white-backed Apulian holy flag, the golden swan battle flag that Baldwin has replaced, and then Gawain’s Philomene. The "True Cross" of Constantinople captured in the Battle of Longton. The gold and diamond-covered spire is dazzling and sacred in the sun. It is tied with fluttering silk on the left and right, and is surrounded by dozens of people wearing brocade robes. The officers and monks of the Riding Brotherhood and the Renewal Society all wore crimson begging bowls on their arms, carried halberds and maces, and constantly gave out shouts to encourage morale.

"The battle will begin under the city of Arsu." Gawain pulled the bridle and pointed at the retreating Egyptian army in the distance.

"They filled the sea between there and Ashkelon with powerful warships," Baldwin said.

"It doesn't matter, Amalfi, Pisa and Hot Duck have already assembled sixty large galley warships to attack the past. Although Venice did not send warships due to its huge interest entanglement in Cairo and Fulest, it took over the task. All transportation work. We just need to fight the land battle well." Gawain is confident.

"I will lead the right wing and detour from the plain of Ramla, cutting off the passage between Arsu and Ashkelon, so that they can face the enemy with their backs." Bohemond's bowl-like hair kept fluttering, pulling on the reins of the violent horse. , take the initiative to ask for help.

"Very well, Bohemond, you will use your proud surprise attack tactics to cut off the Egyptians' flank retreat, while Baldwin and I will command the left and right wings and advance to the city of Arsu to defeat them."

Then the three messenger cavalry they sent out held the tooth flag and galloped on the barren sand between the vast army formations. They passed like stars and arrows through the side of the steep Josepha Abyss valley and arrived to the west of the Holy City. In front of the gate of Bethlehem, he shouted to the city with all his strength, "Look Well, His Highness Bohemond, the greatest prince of Apulia, has led his thirteen hundred cavalry and is marching rapidly towards Ramla. The pagans will be attacked on the sandy plain in front of the city of Arsu. Our beating. Do you decide to stand by or join our side?"

The city gate rumbled open, and the neatly dressed Earl Robert, Earl Dodo, Earl Miles, Baron Littlehold, Baron Ardan and many other brave warriors shouted "God's will" from there, and filed in. rush out, he They had about five hundred mounted warriors, plus two thousand crossbowmen and shield spearmen. They soon joined forces with the incoming Bohemond army and marched through the villages and fields of Ramla. generally heading in a more southwesterly direction.

In Herod's Tower, Sambel was sitting slumped on the steps with his mouth twitching. He was feeling uneasy and suspicious as he listened to the earth-shattering trumpet sound outside the city. His mood was extremely complicated, because just now the slave came to report, "Gawain , Bohemond and Baldwin's large infantry were still on the ships or in the port of Jaffa. The three of them only led all the cavalry and light infantry to rush here first. "

What if we really fell into the Egyptians' trick of luring the enemy? It would be better if they died or were captured, but it would affect the defense strength of Jerusalem. No, I will suffer even more if they win.

The corners of Sambel's mouth were twisted, and he held the rosary beads in his hands tremblingly.

However, soon panting slaves came to report new news: many Italian city-state ships sailed directly to the shore of the coastal sandbank, and the soldiers of the three princes, on foot or on horseback, trudged ashore in the water and joined the advance. Attacking ranks.

The sun's shadow kept shifting, and the third slave came to report, "A large number of convoys also appeared from the north, with Gawain's soldiers on the top and on the left and right. The wheels rolled over, and the walls of the entire holy city and the ground of the village were shaken."

An hour and a half later, the fourth slave reported: "The enemy and us are fighting in the wilderness southwest of Arsu City. The enemy has its back against the sandbars and mountains in the southwest. The spring winds in the south have rolled up sandstorms, which have completely swallowed up their sight and the direction of the castle behind them, making it impossible for our army to discern their secret actions; the camps of the three princes , with undulating valleys and hills to the east, and rising coastal heights and ruins to the west, and tired soldiers and vehicles joining their ranks one after another. On the westernmost sea, the warships of Italian and Levantine Christians under the order of the Holy See have fought a bloody battle with the powerful fleet of the pagans. The burning nitrate rockets covered the entire ocean and sky, and a land battle might happen soon. The enemy has recovered from the retreat, and they are preparing for a despicable and desperate counterattack. "

In the afterglow of the sun, Sambel waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to continue to inquire.

He decided to let go of his state of mind and just wait for the final news from the battlefield of Arsu.