prince of europe in quintiles

The small parchment made him write in the style of short fantasy novels.

"Teacher, stop writing. I just made an apple pie. Tonight, it's time to commemorate the deceased in the same hospital." His apprentice, a young man with a Mediterranean shaved face, knocked on the door with a sallow complexion.

As soon as the priest heard that he could have a good meal, he hurriedly put down his pen and hurried to share dinner with his disciples.

On the dining table, apart from the sumptuous dinner, you can also notice that there is no meat in it, and there are also a few seats that are deliberately vacant, even though no one is there, it looks creepy.

People traditionally believe that Halloween, which is October 31st, is the day when the underworld, that is, the kingdom where the dead live, is closest to the human world. Just Trick or Treat' Hallow's Eve event.Rather, it comes from Celtic legends and folk customs, which were formed after being absorbed and transformed by Christianity.

On this night, people will generally eat vegetarian food, that is, they must fast regardless of whether it is a traditional fasting day or not.When eating, in addition to being rich, candles should be lit on the dining table and empty chairs should be placed to express that the deceased relatives will return from the underworld on this day, and the living and the dead should reunite to enjoy dinner.

It sounds a little creepy, but this is the value of medieval people.Because death is always with life, so death is not so terrible.Very black humor and absurdity.It does not contain the anti-good and evil elements of hell and heaven under the Christian concept, it is purely a folk mourning for the deceased relatives.

Wouldn't there be a fool who suggested at this time, asking whether the relatives will go to heaven or hell after death?

……

On this day, the Rumer River was full of smoke, and suffocated fish floated on the river, but they were covered with asphalt. As a result, only slaves in the army and poor peasants were not afraid of death to pick fish, and secretly threw them into the river. pot.

As for whether he will be poisoned and die, it depends on whether God will show his face.

The hundreds of knights and followers who were choked to death by the thick smoke and poisoned to death in the river have been gradually cleaned up under the long hooks of the people on the shore.

The Göttingen Army and the Saxony Army both sent their men to fish for the dead by the river.Whenever the people of Göttingen pick up a corpse, they put it on a boat and push it to the other side of the river.The Saxons on the other side of the river laid the bodies on the bank and sent the boats back.

The two sides cooperated very tacitly, and the bodies that formed the main body of the terrible scene just now were cleaned up and sent to the bank of the Saxon army at an extremely fast speed.

Here, the corpses were wrapped in gray and white sackcloth, which was widely used in the army, to make their remains less creepy.Walking with the army, or local pastors and priests rushed over to pray for the dead and hold a simple mass to send to the dead.

Huo Teng knew that this was a great victory, but the scene of poisonous smoke choking people to death just now was so terrible that the soldiers of his own army became a little scared.

So even though they won a big victory, they couldn't celebrate wildly; even though they won, they had to pretend to lose, and kept sending supplies to the Saxons on the other side of the river.

"I just sent two hundred rolls of linen, and now I'm going to send some simple coffins, which were originally prepared for ourselves..." Huo Teng looked at the list in his hand, feeling very emotional.

Judging from the consequences, Huo Teng killed too much.

If fewer Saxons died, and most of them just burned their organs due to smoke inhalation, it would actually reduce the morale and combat effectiveness of the Saxons, and it would not particularly affect Huo Teng's reputation.After all, he started his life as a priest, and if he killed too much, he would make himself too vicious.

"We also invited nearby priests and priests to hold mass for the dead on both sides, so that the dead can rest in peace. But... how about this, I heard that the Saxon army is relatively short of food, let the cooks follow the level of entertaining the Earl of Notheim Prepare a grand feast, and send it all... to the other side of the river."

Huo Teng's heart was bleeding, but in order to dispel the hatred of the Saxon people towards Huo Teng and restore his own reputation, Huo Teng could only show off again.

"Then what shall we eat?" Grayb asked innocently.

He also had nostalgia for that day's spicy Roman soup.

Huo Teng took out the hard bread: "Eat this and dip it in white water!"

……

In the evening of this day, short and sad cries slowly sounded in the Saxon barracks.

People in the Middle Ages were not stingy about expressing their emotions. It is normal for the family members and relatives of the deceased to feel uncomfortable standing in front of the corpse wrapped in sackcloth.

These sounds spread into the camp along the wind, but made old Bernard's head hang down even more.

Little Bernard was squatting at the door with his legs spread apart, holding on with a careless look; his daughter Goldis Diu raised her delicate and lovely face, but she didn't know how to comfort her father.

In less than a day, old Bernard was almost withered.

The death of hundreds of core members was not a severe pain for the huge Principality of Saxony, but the wave of opposition against old Bernard caused by it was enough to send him off the throne.

Everyone knows that this battle can no longer be fought like this.

Even if they retreated more than a dozen miles, even if they lured Huo Teng to lead his army northward, they could no longer stay on the banks of the Rumo River, making every soldier recall the scene of Huo Teng roasting the people in the water.

But no one offered to retreat.

Everyone is waiting for old Bernard's introspection.

Due to affection, the old Bernard seemed to use silence as a resistance and silence as a shield.

At this time, a servant lifted the curtain: "Your Excellency... Huo Teng on the other side of the river brought a sumptuous dinner. He said it was... in memory of the deceased, and as a son-in-law... to respect you."

To be honest, for a moment, the Saxon knights thought it was Huo Teng who came to provoke him.

But when Bernard continued to remain silent, and Gottisdiu boldly arranged for the servants to "bring it in." Roman-style spicy soup, toast, stewed lettuce and other sumptuous dishes were served on the table one by one, only the Saxons knew Huo Teng sent the dinner sincerely.

However, compared with the richness on the table, ordinary Saxons can only bite the dry bread like bricks in front of the delicious thick soup.

Old Bernard had already understood Huo Teng's aggressiveness, but his belly was also trembling unconsciously, and his mouth was drooling over the dinner.He couldn't refuse it himself, let alone an ordinary knight?

"Good boy, attacking the heart is the first priority, the Principality of Saxony, will the future be yours?"

Thinking of this, the old prince bit the lettuce hard in his mouth.

This was his last meal at Rumer River.

Chapter 160 VII Huo Teng's Operation

October 11st, Halloween.

Halloween is not a leisurely holiday dedicated to carnival, which is a twist that completely runs counter to the theme of this holiday.

Halloween, also known as All Saints' Day, is a special festival set up by the Christian church to commemorate all Christian saints.This day is a very solemn and religious time, not only to observe the fast, but also to organize a mass for the saints who have passed away.It is probably on this day that many nobles will use various inexplicable reasons to avoid going to church to attend mass.

For every believer, it is okay to believe in Christ, but it is absolutely unpleasant to attend Mass.It's like a school meeting, and no student wants to go.

Just last year, there was a missionary in the famous Cluny Abbey, named Odilau, who broadcast a statement. He designated the day after Halloween, which is November 11, as a day to remember dead church members.This is not a festival, it will take more than a hundred years of transmission to form All Souls' Day on November 2, a festival to commemorate any deceased relatives and friends.

The entire month of November is defined by Christianity as the month of refining spirits.To put it simply, this month is the month of the underworld, and a large number of festivals, feasts, and sacrifices involve the dead.

The main reason why Rory talked so much is because the sorrow of the Saxon people is extremely strong. Looking at the rows of corpses wrapped in white cloths lined up by the river, what they think in their hearts is not to shoot bullets of hatred at Huo Teng. , but why Duke Bernard insisted on forcing them to fight Huo Teng.

A large number of knights deserted and left the barracks, and went hunting nearby in twos and threes.

At this time, there were no serious prey to be hunted, so the knights were mostly unwilling to see so many corpses, so they went out to relax.

Along the way, I heard someone say: "Have you heard? Huo Teng and the old duke have reached a peace agreement long ago, and are even willing to lower their status to cooperate with the old duke, but the old duke just can't swallow this breath and insists on making a fight." Come two or three."

The knight next to him nodded: "Yes, yes, if you want me to say that Godis Diu is married, she will be married. Anyway, she would have been sent to a monastery. In this life... ahem."

In aristocratic families, sending daughters to monasteries is a routine practice in order to prevent excessive disorder and dispersion of inheritance rights.But the problem is that the monastery is obviously not a good place, and spending a lifetime in a poor environment is no doubt like going to jail.But compared to the poorest people, the life in the monastery seems to be like a high-end prison, at least there is no need to worry about food and drink.

Of course, there are also people who still support the old Bernard: "Don't talk nonsense. It must be those jesters who deceived the old prince. For example, the court priest Jugano of Lüneburg, those Greeks, or... Where's Bernard wiping ass?"

But even if he supported Old Bernard, he still had to face the reality of the disastrous defeat in the Rumer River Assault.

Who will bear the blame?

Everyone has not yet reached a unified opinion, but there are generally two opinions. First, the young Bernard must take full responsibility for it; second, some people around the old Bernard are too assholes, such as digging out Earl Val's eyeballs of the Greeks.

The discourse conflict of several knights is the epitome of the conflict of ideas in the current Saxon barracks.

Old Bernard spent his entire life as a soldier, and it was not suitable for him to be directly responsible for the defeat.

But an explanation must be given to the knights who died in battle, and to the families behind them. The old Bernard, who was eager to throw the blame away, pretended to be kind, and was still unable to decide who was to blame.So the main issue now is not how to prevent Huo Teng from crossing the river, but whether to find his own people first.

It's not that no one has mentioned Huo Teng.

After learning of such a disastrous defeat at the Rumer River, Viscount Hamster of Goslar finally couldn't sit still.He was, after all, a loyal subordinate.

Hamster hastily turned his head and ran back to the city to dig out his own granary, and urgently organized a group of people to send them to the front line to relieve old Bernard.At least not leaving this Halloween hungry.

He also reminded all Saxon knights in passing:

"What if Huo Teng crosses the river?"

Really?

The reaction of most knights was unremarkable.

Huo Teng has indeed proved himself in the defensive battle. He has superb defensive arrangements, command art and innovative thinking, but why does he cross the river?

The bridge was demolished by him, which is not suitable for large-scale soldier operations.

What's more, Huo Teng didn't prove himself in the offensive battle!

The group charge that the Saxon knights are proud of is still the frightening Northland edge, irresistible.

After Hamster was questioned by the crowd, he could only take a few steps back. Some suspicious guesses, could it be that he was thinking too much?

……

But on the other side of the river, Huo Teng didn't hesitate at all.

"Bringing meals to the old man may not only express filial piety, but also give sacrifices at funerals. Take action for me and study how to cross the river to deal a fatal blow to the Saxons. I will not allow a complete victory, just slipped out of my pocket like this."

Frankly speaking, a group of knights and mercenaries under Huo Teng didn't really want to cross the river.

After all, the other party was old Bernard, a tyrant in the Northern Kingdom, with a reputation far and wide.

It is also quite difficult to win the defense of the Rumer River. Everyone hopes to negotiate a peace immediately with their advantages and obtain a decent peace treaty.

But who is Huo Teng?

As soon as he saw these guys getting rich and happy, he immediately locked everyone in the tent, and everyone had to provide a solid plan to cross the river in order to eat.

After the discussion of these cobblers, they thought that crossing the river face to face was death.

Had to go roundabout.

How to detour?

This group of idiots actually thought that Huo Teng should lead his army to the east, cross the Harz Mountains to attack the Goslar Fortress, and take control of this strategically important place for producing copper and iron.

Silly.

Huo Teng took the map and looked left and right, but he didn't think he could pass through the surveillance of the Saxons and run to Goslar in the northeast.

But he suddenly became interested in another city on the map.

That is Halberstadt, located behind the two fortresses of Goslar and Wernigerode.

The city has a very long history. As early as 200 years ago, it was the missionary center of the Principality of Saxony. There is the bishop of Halberstadt here, and it is also the seat of the cathedral of the diocese.The city even has the right to open a market.

Including Wernigerode, Halberstadt, the nearby Blankenburg and Quedlinburg Abbeys, which make up the Harzgau (high is the county or county).

The current Earl of Harz is Titmar II, the court earl of the Principality of Saxony, and the family has settled here for half a century.The so-called court count (that is, Paladin) originally referred to the special rank left by the Romans, but at present it mainly refers to those counts who are not in the duke's court, but exercise some power on behalf of the duke locally.They have more administrative and judicial power than ordinary earls.

"Let Jeffrey take his people and try to cross the Harz Mountains, go to Halberstadt to harass, don't stay after the harassing, Wernigerode, Blankenburg, and the plain behind Take care. We must fight with the tension that makes the enemy thorn in the back, and they will be like soldiers of Gottingen in everything."

Horten began to consider whether breaking through the Saxons' southern defense line would force old Bernard to leave the Rumer River as soon as possible.

Once the old guy chooses to withdraw with the army, then the retreat becomes a collapse, and it is only a matter of operational details.

Chapter 160 Changes Between East and West

From the map, the dividing line between the Principality of Saxony and the Principality of Franks is mainly the Harz Mountains on the east side.On the west side are stretches of Black Forest and a few plains.

Among them, Göttingen, Kassel and other counties, like a thorn, caused twists and turns in this dividing line.However, Paderborn is just north of the west side of Göttingen, where there are plains, and Göttingen is hilly. It can be seen that when Göttingen was given as a dowry, it was fully considered.

Send the poor mountain ditch away first.

But whether it is the Black Forest or the Harz Mountains, what does it matter if it is locked in Halberstadt further north?

This ancient city is still immersed in the dream of a regional trade center, like a respectable person with a refined life, overlooking the people who gather here every time at a fixed time, obediently pay booth fees and taxes, and buy and sell some poor rural supplies the poor.

A trading town, this is what defines Halberstadt.

Unlike villages and cities, Halberstadt is a wealthy town. Although it has its own cathedral and a glorious history, its political status is obviously not good enough, and it is always a step behind in all aspects.Ten years earlier, during his lifetime, Otto III had been authorized to hold a regular fair.This authorization put this big town on a rocket of upward development in an instant.

In Europe, the market is to pay taxes.And not every city is eligible to open a market.This is a special right granted by the monarch.Similar to the later imperial city-states, it was the qualifications that the localities paid to the emperor and dignitaries for redemption.Like Huo Teng, the one who opened a market for himself is the first in the world.Generally, feudal lords will assign it to a certain village and town in exchange for a ransom.

Halberstadt's regular fairs give the town wings to fly.In less than ten years, residents here can put on their shoes and express their views of regional discrimination to barefoot farmers from other places.

This naturally also benefited from the bishop's rule to which Halberstadt was attached.

Just in the town, the several-storey domed rectangular main body, obviously imitating a Romanesque church, but vividly imitating a Christian church at the entrance of the village, is the Halberstadt Vice-Cathedral.The priest sent Vicar Arnulf the latest news from the Holy See in Mainz.

"let it go."

Arnulf was still sulking.Just now, old Bernard, the shameful feudal thug, sent an envoy to ask him for a life-saving food to save the army from the plight of lack of food.

This is oppression from shameful feudal lords.

But the letter from the archbishop of the Holy See of Mainz next to his hand is even more shameless oppression from his superiors, and it is a sad product of the extremely unreasonable division of the diocese.

The reason for saying this is to explain the origin of Archdeacon Arnulf.

The vice bishop does not refer to the deputy of the bishop, perhaps it is more appropriate to call it the deputy of the archbishop.He refers to several powerful bishops in the diocese under the jurisdiction of an archbishop who are in charge of the main diocese of the place.