king of ros

The departure of Alexios did not cause much disturbance among the Crusaders. Even without the emperor's army, the Crusaders still had a full 10 people, and the emperor also promised to solve the problem in the north and follow them.

After all the supplies were in place, the Crusaders set off again, heading towards the Holy Land.

When the [-] crusaders marched forward, the sky and the earth seemed to be shaking, and the invisible red cross was flying above people's heads. Every Christian who saw this scene would inevitably be touched. For them, This is a holy army.

Proud knights and lowly infantry walked side by side, and civilians joined with them, driving livestock to follow behind the army, and light cavalry could be seen coming and going next to this long line from time to time.

They marched on the land of Anatolia, which has the usual scenery of Anatolia, that is, mountains and hills that can't be seen, and every place is so suitable for ambushes.

However, due to the defeat of the Roma Sultan, the Turkic tribes in this land were all moving eastward, so the Crusaders only encountered some small-scale conflicts.

The casualties caused by these small-scale conflicts were not large. No matter how you say it, the Noble Crusade was an army, more or less what an army should look like.

Knights are the most important combat power of the Crusaders. The reputation of Latin knights extends to the Christian world, known for their superb war skills, and their charge is said to be able to destroy all armies.

Now the knights are fully armed even if they do not encounter the enemy. The short battle in this land has taught them the importance of keeping armed, and they can also display the gorgeous cloaks and colorful decorations.

There are always many attendants behind the nobles and knights. Their equipment is much simpler than that of the knights. These people are responsible for various trivial matters of the knights and nobles to ensure the fighting power of the master.

The sergeants constituted the structural link of the Crusaders. These rich peasants and yeoman farmers from the aristocratic territories were an important part of the war. They were responsible for supervising the mud-legged infantry and civilians and organizing them to advance.

Under the supervision of sergeants, countless farmers, citizens and craftsmen from all over the Catholic world, they were recruited by the lord, or out of pilgrimage piety, or simply wanted to find wealth, these people set foot on this road the way.

They took the weapons and equipment at home—and many people took the whole family directly—to respond, forming teams one by one, and advancing under the management of sergeants.

Their impressions of war all come from poetry. Few people have really seen the cruelty of war, even after the great battle of Iconian. In fact, the battle was over when the infantry and civilians arrived. When I arrived at a wandering battlefield, I then regarded myself as the winner of this war.

These people are regarded by Vasilco as the most unreliable part of the entire army, and they need to be tested and refined before they can become reliable fighters, just like the crusaders under Peter.

Speaking of Peter's Crusade, the team of war monks has undergone a wave of purification and absorption before departure. Now there are many crazy believers in this team, and if they are used well, such people are extremely powerful on the battlefield. horrifying.

The performance of the Condemned Army was also better than those of the ordinary Crusaders, because Peter managed the army with extremely strict means. This monk was very smart. He first made a large part of the Condemned Army atone for their sins by attacking several small cities. , these people resumed their status as ordinary crusaders.

Although so many people left, this actually improved the combat effectiveness of this team. The definition of the condemned army is cannon fodder, but Peter doesn't want pure cannon fodder. In his current view, lack of discipline is a felony.

After reducing the number of people, not only is it easier to manage, but also the sinners who are still in the Condemned Army are the more pious ones. It seems to them that just those wars are not enough to make them atone for their sins.

Moreover, the Condemned Army also has new manpower. After Bishop Admalik endorsed the Condemned Army to join this army to alleviate sins, many newcomers who were eager to atone for their sins joined it.

In Peter's vision, the Condemned Army will become a selection mechanism to select true jihadists and true crusader knights for the cause of the crusaders.

Generally speaking, the morale of the Crusaders is very strong. Sufficient supplies and previous victories make them have no doubts about the way forward. Naturally, the same is true for the Crusaders, but these guys still have to quarrel in their war council every day Yes, fighting endlessly for various matters related to power.

Vasilico felt that his head was big, but he had to go to see it, and he had to accept the boring solicitation. He was also an important member of the War Council, and he also had the same idea as the war monk Peter and Bishop Admalik. They seem to successfully complete the next campaign is important, rather than some struggle for power.

But in private, the relationship between Vasilico and the Crusader lords is still very good, especially the relationship with Godfrey. Godfrey is upright and feels comfortable getting along with him.

When chatting with Godfrey, he once mentioned that he joined the Crusaders out of some necessity. Although he inherited the title of Duke of Lower Lorraine from his uncle, he actually only controlled Bouillon. His rule was very unstable, coupled with the piety he wanted, so he embarked on the road of jihad, hoping to create a cause for God in the East.

Hearing this, Vasilko couldn't help but feel grateful for the luck of his birth. The strength of his father allowed him to freely choose his own life and do what he wanted to do instead of being forced to go out and work hard.

Although he is now walking on a road of conquest that he had never imagined before, in his heart he doesn't dislike it very much, and he is quite happy in it, otherwise he would have left the mission regardless.

He is absolutely capable of doing such a thing. Back then, when he was a child, he even dared to suggest matters related to state affairs to his father. He really didn't want to continue this matter and immediately left his job and ran away.

Vasilico also got to know his younger brother Baldwin because of his relationship with Godfred. After meeting Baldwin, he didn’t know if it was an illusion. He felt a kind of human temperament that his father once said in this young man—— — Adventure Conqueror.

The young knight is quick-thinking, energetic, and has received a complete scholastic education. Whether it is handling things or interpersonal relationships, he is so perfect that no one can find fault. The most important thing is that he can make decisions quickly when making decisions.

Another person who has a particularly good relationship with Vasilko is Edgar Wessex. The relationship with this person is mainly because of his blood origin. The relationship between their fathers is very good, so the relationship between them is also subconscious It's very good.

Edgar has always been very sunny and positive in his work on weekdays. He is rarely heard complaining. He is a very good leader. Alexios is quite sorry for his departure.

Edgar didn't look like a middle-aged exile who had been in exile for decades. The captain once asked him why, and Edgar's answer was very straightforward. He wanted to take risks outside rather than doing nothing all his life. To experience things you have never seen before, to find new careers.

Vasilico once asked him if he missed his father and sisters. They hadn't been in touch for a long time. Edgar's answer was that he would contact his family after he started a new business.

Vasilko couldn't say much when he heard this, it was a matter of their family.

The only ones who had a bad relationship with Vasilko were Bohemond of Taranto and his nephew Tancred. The devotion and enthusiasm they pretended could not fool him.

And Bohemond also remembered the Varangian captain who had done bad things many times, and knew that they didn't deal with each other, so he deliberately kept a distance. As for Tancred, this arrogant young man was in the Crusades. Few people can see it.

However, the relationship was not too tense, and both of them knew that they needed each other's military strength to perform in the next battle.

Although all kinds of troubles have been going on in the Crusaders, the journey went smoothly. They did not encounter any enemies, and they were even welcomed by the people along the way. The Orthodox Christians along the way welcomed the Crusaders and provided them with supplies and guides. .

As for the Turks, they were too busy running on, too busy looking for their sultan.

For the Crusaders, their greatest enemy was their unprofessional organization and material management capabilities, which caused far more casualties than those of small-scale battles.

Under such circumstances, the Crusaders were able to successfully enter the Cilicia region, which is the area where the forces of the Seljuk Empire and the Roma Sultanate intersect.

The army of Bohemond and Robert the Shortsock entered this land in the first wave. They also won the welcome of the locals here, and quickly captured several cities, expanding the occupied area of ​​​​the Crusaders here.

The Crusader Headquarters is connected with the Little Armenian Kingdom in northern Cilicia. This kingdom was established by the local Armenians, and the current king's name is Constantine.

King Constantine was happy to help the Crusaders. If the Crusaders could drive out the Muslims who were dominant in the area, the pressure that had been on the kingdom would be relieved.

With the cooperation of the local snakes, Cilicia was soon restored to the whole territory. There was no Islamic army in this land that could resist the Crusaders.

It was also here that a crusader broke away from the team, and the Armenians from Edessa sent a letter of appeal to the crusaders, asking the crusaders to protect them under the peak of the Islamic soldiers.

After discussions in the War Council and Baldwin's self-recommendation, they decided to assign the young knight 2000 people to carry out this task. Others were unwilling to give up the glory of saving the Holy Land, and only Baldwin was willing to go.

If Edessa can be controlled, then the Crusaders will have an early warning place facing the enemies in the east, which is very important for warning the Muslims in the east, which is very important in the occupation of the Crusaders.

Baldwin, on the other hand, is completely out of the mentality of seeking wealth and risk. He has realized that even if he wins the Holy Land, it will be difficult for him to obtain the career he wants, so he will go to other places and start his own business in places that others don't care about. .

Godfrey cared about his younger brother very much, so he took out another 300 people to strengthen his younger brother. After lobbying and selling favors, other lords also took out some people, so that Baldwin's strength reached [-].

While watching the young man leave, Vasilico looked at his brother who was worried about him, and suddenly had an idea in his heart, a judgment about the future, that is, Baldwin will not only have nothing to do, but he will also create a Fan career.

After all, what happened to Baldwin was an episode of the Crusaders. After the main force of the Crusaders captured the ancient imperial military region of Cilicia, the Crusaders placed a small number of Greek soldiers accompanying the army in the towns of Cilicia, and asked them to guard the city. According to the agreement with the emperor, these areas were to be handed over to the Eastern Empire, and the Crusaders fulfilled their promise.

Then, the goal of the Crusaders was the city of Antioch, which was blocking their way to the Holy Land. If the Crusaders wanted to continue their march, they had to take it down.

The Crusaders arrived under the towering city walls of Antioch very smoothly. The local ruler Yajisiyan immediately gave up the war with the Emir of Aleppo after hearing of the fiasco of Sultan Roma and concentrated on strengthening Antioch. city ​​defense.

Now the city has [-] defenders, and enough food for the defenders and residents for two years, and he also destroyed the villages around Antioch and all the water sources, and then drove out the Christians in the city go out.

His act of expelling Christians saved food for the city, but it also gave the Crusaders a lot of manpower. These Christians did their best to help the Crusaders who came from afar.

The Crusaders who reached Antioch were not bothered by what Yaghisiyan had done. They established a siege camp in an orderly manner and sent cavalry to control the port of Antioch on the lower river so that Cyprus and Cilicia The materials can be delivered smoothly.

The most troubling thing for the Crusaders at the moment is the high wall of Antioch. As the successor Seleucus established himself as the capital, its walls are tall and wide. Over the past thousand years, it has become more and more prosperous and its walls have become higher and higher , which is different from those small and medium cities that the Crusaders once attacked, this is a real giant city.

The Crusaders quickly completed the blockade of the city, but unfortunately, because Antioch was backed by mountains, and there was still an outward road in the mountains, the Crusaders were unable to block it at all, and the blockade could not be completed.

But the Crusaders were not discouraged. They waited for the supplies from the port to arrive, and built various siege equipment to prepare for the siege. Unfortunately, the Crusaders did not expect it at all. They thought it would be a few months at most. The city that can be taken, but let them spend several times more time here...

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