In the Middle Ages, people drew cards to be promoted to nobility.

Ctesiphon is the undisputed number one city in the Zoroastrian world.

It has a population of more than half a million, and during the heyday of the previous Sasanian dynasty, the number of people settled here, including travelers, reached millions.

An endless stream of caravans from the East and the West conduct trade transit here.

Nomads from the north, princely states from India, Turkic tribes from Asia Minor, and mountain people from the Caucasus all came here to pay tribute every year.

This is also the origin of the title of King of Kings of the Sassanids.

The eunuchs in white robes carried the chariot on their shoulders, and the noble King of Kings was sitting cross-legged on this gilded ivory chariot, overlooking the majestic Tigris River under the city wall.

He threw a crystal clear pomegranate into his mouth, chewed it, and asked, "How is Saladin's offensive going?"

Mustafa, the palace minister, said respectfully: "They are still being blocked at the foot of Kaleborg and cannot advance even an inch."

The Sasanian dynasty was a political country, the king of kings, not only a secular ruler, but also the patriarch recognized by all Zoroastrian believers.

The Sasanian King of Kings, Bahram VI, breathed a sigh of relief: "I also want to recognize the bravery of the Franks. It should be my duty to recover the lost holy land, but"

His face was a little livid: "This Saladin, why does he dare to overstep and launch Jihad? Isn't this the authority given to the Patriarch by the Holy Fire?"

Only the tools and names cannot be passed on to others.

The King of Kings is very conflicted. On the one hand, he is too lazy to regain the holy land far away from Ctesiphon because he cannot obtain real benefits; on the other hand, he does not want others to complete this great deed on his behalf.

Mustafa said solemnly: "My lord, recovering the Holy Land and taking revenge on the brutal Franks is what the people want, and Saladin will follow the trend. If successful, his reputation will be as high as the sky, but it is still impossible to compare with you. And if it fails, the forcibly integrated chiefdoms under his command will rebel again, and such a large kingdom will fall apart in an instant."

Bahram VI snorted coldly: "Not only that, if he loses his troops and loses the battle in front of the Franks, I will personally lead an army to attack him!"

Mustafa whispered: "My king, there is one more thing. The Khan of the Eastern Liao Kingdom (Western Liao) has sent an envoy to invite you to form an alliance to fight against the newly rising Tatars on the grassland."

"Oh, the leader of the Khitan Kingdom is unwilling to surrender to me and pay tribute. A few years ago, he supported my incompetent brother and planned to split the land and divide the territory. How can such a wolf and evil beast be worthy of forming an alliance with me?"

Bahram VI was dismissive of this.

All his eyes and energy were focused on the Mediterranean coast. After taking Jerusalem, Saladin's reputation would be soaring, chasing him as the king of kings.

Mustafa advised: "My king, the rise of the Tatars on the grassland is indeed alarming. It is said that even the Eastern Overlord, the Kingdom of Gold, suffered successive defeats in front of the Tatars."

The Sasanian king laughed and said: "The territory I rule, not counting those fortresses and villages, there are thousands of big cities with names!

The soldiers and horses under my command must be gathered together and throw their whips into the Tigris River to stop the flow of the river.

Didn’t the Tang Empire, which was so prosperous in the past, still be defeated by my ancestors? Just the Tatars, let them fight like dogs with the Liao people! "

This is the northern land far away from Jerusalem, a city in the boundless frozen soil and black forest, the mother city of the Rus' states - Kievan Rus.

A majestic man with his upper body naked threw the head of a giant beast onto the frozen soil outside the palace.

The giant beast's head was covered with black triangular scales, like the branches of spears, and stained with scraped flesh.

The head fell to the ground, white mist suddenly appeared from the broken neck, and the blood flowing out was like boiling oil, making a squeaking sound.

The Patriarch from Greece was startled and stammered: "Father in heaven, Your Excellency the Grand Duke, how can you ignore your own safety and personally lead the troops to defeat the evil dragon?"

Grand Duke Vladimir, Vsevolid III, opened his arms and showed his uninjured chest to the Patriarch: "Haha, it's just a elephant trunk that flew from the north to spend the winter. It is a small animal that is only as big as two cows at most. Guys, my guards nailed it to death in the cave with one shot of throwing spears made of magic gold."

"Tan its head and make it into an ornament. I will take it back to Vladimir to show my bravery to my subjects."

His eyes were sharp, and he suddenly thought of something, and said: "I know that the Greek emperor sent you here to recruit more Varangian guards.

But I warn you, you must follow my wishes and go to the Ross Principality designated by me to recruit people, and you must not bewitch or incite my personal guards.

Otherwise, I don't mind leading my army to join forces with the Bulgarians to attack your city of Constantinople, capture your Greek queen, and serve me wine to warm my bed. "

The Grand Patriarch remained silent and nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, Grand Duke, I will definitely not go against your will."

The so-called Patriarch is actually an ordinary Orthodox priest who was captured by Grand Duke Vladimir many years ago in this bitter cold place. Now he has become the link between Constantinople and the Russian states. It seems that Hun is flourishing.

Transjordan, Montreal.

When the knights walked out of the castle again, their faces were still full of fear and disbelief.

“Father in heaven, is there really an evil spirit at work?”

"Is that lizard-like body we saw underground really Lord Humphrey?"

"This can't be false. I have followed Sir Alex since I was a child. One of his little toes was broken, and there is a deep scar on the back of his neck. It was cut by a sickle when he was playing."

"What kind of person is this Baron Lothar?"

"Have you ever thought that there are only two types of people who can kill the followers of the evil god?"

"One is a saint, and the other is a descendant of another evil god."

"No, maybe the two female relatives around him are powerful witches? Didn't the German emperor build a witch tower?"

The expressions on the knights' faces were wonderful.

They said to their attendants and sergeants: "Everyone, stand down. Baron Lothar is innocent. He is not a murderer, but a hero worthy of respect."

"Sorry, sir, we misunderstood you."

Lothar said magnanimously: "It doesn't matter. No one can imagine that the lord they are loyal to will be bewitched by the evil god. This is a rare thing in the entire European continent."

Someone knelt on one knee in front of Lothar: "Sir, please forgive me for being disrespectful to you."

Lothar said magnanimously: "It's you, knight. I forgive you, but your duel with my subordinate Pepin must still go on as scheduled."

The knight whose face was covered with acne suddenly looked bitter: "Ah this."

"Everyone, my female family member was frightened and is still unconscious. I leave it to you to elect the guard officer. I have to go back early to take care of her."

After saying that, Lothar really left with Prajna, without any idea of ​​getting involved in the dominance of this city.

Looking at Lothar's back.

Someone whispered: "Let me just say that it is a witch. If it is a mistress, he will not be so blatant. If it is a wife, she will not be unknown in the aristocratic world. If she is a maid, there is no need to be so concerned."

"My God, it's not surprising that an emperor, a king, or a grand duke can get the allegiance of a witch, but he is just a baron."

“The top priority now is to immediately elect a guard officer for Montreal. As Baron Lothar said, maintaining the stability of Montreal is the most important thing at the moment.

If there is a riot, or if we are unable to provide sufficient supplies for the Crusaders coming from afar, even if your lordship forgives us for failing to protect our little master, His Majesty the King will not forgive us for our dereliction of duty. "

The knight said sternly: "When the time comes, we will all be hanged on the gallows."