People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

Chapter 170 Hans and the Forty Thieves

Lothar's territory in Hebron is not like Transjordan, which is full of uninhabited and desolate Gobi.

Along the way of the army, there are small farms cultivated by tenants; grape plantations established on south-facing slopes; abandoned lime pits and woodlands that legally belong to Lothar, but he has never organized hunting.

Farmers and soldiers would even pass by the villages to which they belonged, and someone happily introduced to people where the fields, farms, and orchards were allotted to them.

In some places, the villagers would crowd around the roadside to watch the knights in fresh clothes and angry horses, and give snacks such as dates to the peasants and soldiers in their own village.

Although it was the first battle, the morale of the peasants and soldiers was quite high, and from time to time they followed the leader's order to the knights, shouting passionate tunes.

Hans followed Lothar, and this was the first time he saw the order knights under Lothar.

Seeing that they could mobilize the morale of the peasants and soldiers with a few words, he said with some emotion: "My lord, these edict knights of yours are really eloquent."

Lothar was a little proud of this: "Of course, they were all trained by me before going to the fief."

Hans was a little worried: "However, is it really reliable to let these Saracens who have just converted to deal with their former brothers?"

Lothar remembered what he had said to Andreas.

"Hans, the Saracens, like the Franks, are just a regional name."

Lothar said with a smile: "Gaul, Albion, and Germania are the same. Do you think the Normans will regard the Gauls as their own race?"

The Normans were a group of Scandinavian Vikings who settled in Sicily and northern Gaul and established their own rule. To the locals, they were conquerors and robbers, except that they were not own people.

Lothar said in a deep voice: "Besides, just to be on the safe side, most of the people I recruited this time were serfs—do you know what a serf is?"

"Once they become slaves, they are slaves forever. You may think that slaves can also redeem themselves, but where do they get the money? All their work in the land is for their masters."

"Hans, I gave them freedom, bread, land, and a future—do you think they have any reason not to be loyal to me?"

"Could it be that changing the lord will be more merciful to them? Even the lord of Saracen?"

Hans showed an expression of admiration: "No, he will only hang these betrayers on the stake and burn them to death."

Lothar added: "No, Hans, if it was Lord Saracen, he would have chosen to be hanged, earth tortured or something like that, because a betrayer is not qualified to die in the fire."

Hans showed a look of admiration: "My lord, by your side, I can always learn something."

Lothar couldn't help laughing and said: "Hans, it seems that you have been with His Majesty the King for a long time, and your ability to say compliments has also improved a lot."

On the desolate Gobi Desert, a group of pilgrims from Ctesiphon are slowly heading towards Hebron.

They took the northeast trade route, passed through the oasis on the Jowf line, and went all the way south, passing through Kaleburg—this is also an important trade route.

It's just that the passenger flow is far less than the two commercial routes that go directly north from the southern port of Ella via the Red Sea, or go south from the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

A young Saracen pilgrim is sitting on the saddle of a Bactrian camel, playing the reed flute.

"Grandpa Mbach, you can also accompany me to the accompaniment!"

Another old man wearing a white turban laughed and said: "Okay, I will accompany you with a godly song." He carefully picked up the Barbat stored in a wooden box, plucked the strings, and began to play.

"The holy fire is supreme!"

The people in the pilgrim team listened to the music, showed pious expressions, and began to chant in unison.

At this time - a bow and arrow pierced the eye socket of the young pilgrim, and he fell off the saddle with a plop, and the reed flute in his hand was quickly soaked in blood.

"There are robbers!"

The pilgrims uttered high-pitched shouts.

I saw bandits riding on dromedary camels and wearing black turbans appearing under those slopes and sand dunes on the originally empty Gobi Desert.

They held sharp straight swords and round shields, each of them was full of murderous looks, and there were at least 40 of them in a rough count!

"Quick, run!"

"By the holy fire, when did they appear?"

"Samurai with weapons, gather together and prepare for battle!"

The procession of pilgrims was in disarray.

After a while, the robbers were like a gust of wind, blowing into the pilgrims.

Some Persian warriors tried to fight it, but their number was too small and they were scattered in the team. They needed to be distracted from protecting their employers and relatives, and most of them were killed in a short time.

Someone begged: "By the Holy Fire, please spare our lives because we are pilgrims going to the Holy Land."

The one who greeted him was just an ax in the face.

The middle-aged bandit with a beard split his skull in the middle, raised his battle ax high, and boasted of his bravery to his companions.

"The Holy Fire is above, the highest and the greatest!"

The robbers shouted loudly. During this time, they were chased by the damn Hebron inspector and hid in this place. It was the first time after such a long time that they opened meat.

As for what these pilgrims said?
They don't understand at all.

So what if you understand?

Some pilgrims riding fast dromedary camels managed to escape the siege of the robbers, but their faces immediately turned pale.

On the hillside not far away, knights in bright armor were standing there.

Those cavalrymen with feathers on their backs and the cross mark on their burqas are so eye-catching.

"crusader!"

"It's those demons with crosses!"

"By the holy fire, are we all destined to die here?"

The pilgrims looked desperate. These knights wearing the cross coat of arms had long been rumored in the Zoroastrian world as bloodthirsty monsters that could stop children from crying.

This is simply out of the wolf's mouth and into the tiger's den.

At this time.

A knight wearing a horned helmet like a bull walked among the cavalry wearing the cross mark, and let out a terrifying battle cry.

Immediately afterwards, the cavalry on the mountain rushed down the mountain with overwhelming momentum.

The dromedaries under their crotches paced back and forth in panic.

Seeing the "bull rider" who took the lead, straightening out his lance and charging towards them, they couldn't even think of resisting, and just chanted "Holy Fire Blessing" over and over again.

The sound of horseshoes filled my ears.

But at this moment, it gradually went away.

The pilgrims opened their eyes in confusion.

The smoke and dust dissipated, but they were still intact, and those crusader knights, like bows and arrows off the string, rushed towards the distance.

At this time.

A young knight with short blond hair in a black cloak stopped in front of them.

The armor worn by this young knight is more elegant, with gold-edged dragon patterns and the emblem of a double-headed eagle on it. The smooth surface of the armor shines brightly against the sun.

He said something, in a mild tone.

But none of the pilgrims could understand.

A tall, black-haired woman, riding a war horse, stepped out from behind the man.

From under the woman's veil, came a cold, heavenly voice: "This is the lord of Hebron, Earl Lothar. He said that he is obliged to protect all pilgrims who pass here."

"But only if you pay your taxes legally."

The pilgrims immediately said: "My honorable lady, when we passed by the castle with the big oak tree, we have already paid the toll, we promise!"

The black-haired woman relayed the story to the Hebron lord in a black cloak.

He smiled and nodded to the pilgrims, said another word, and left with his cavalry.

The black-haired woman said: "You wait here, and after the robbers are wiped out, you will be able to reunite with your loved ones. I'm sorry, it's our negligence that caused you to suffer bad luck."

The pilgrims returned the salutes with trepidation.

Until Lothar and his party left, they still couldn't believe that they were let go so easily.

(End of this chapter)