People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

Chapter 879 Hardship
In the city of Homs.

There were more wrinkles on Faruh Shah's old face. He was the son of Saladin's brother and the governor of the Homs region. The fact that he could guard such a strategic place showed Saladin's trust in him.

During this period, the situation in Homs became worse.

The Crusaders' attacks became stronger and stronger, and more than half of the young and strong people recruited to defend the city were killed or injured. They had to conscript soldiers from the residents of the Jewish quarter, who had previously been exempt from military service by paying additional taxes.

Fortunately, these people who betrayed the "Prophet Elsa" believed by the Frankish barbarians in the legend were not accepted by the Franks at all. Now both sides seem to be completely tied to the same boat, each with their own ulterior motives, but have to rely on each other.

"Uncle, Holmes can't hold on for much longer."

Faruh Shah sighed lightly, put on his armor with the help of Nubian slaves, and climbed to the top of the city wall with the Kasagi Guards assigned by Saladin.

The laborers lined up in a long queue, like corpses without souls, staring at the cauldron on the stove.

A thin porridge made of beans and a little vegetables was cooked in a large pot. The raw materials for the porridge were all livestock feed found in the corner of the cellar. Fortunately, the livestock had eaten it all, so it was no longer needed.

In Holmes today, except for noble lords and clergy, all those who do not work are not allowed to eat.

After eating, the laborers continued to repair the damaged city walls.

This job was dangerous, and one often had to brave Frankish arrows and stones, and might even be temporarily pulled onto the city walls to fight against the Crusaders who were armed to the teeth. But even so, many people still scrambled to join every day.

I don't know where the Franks found the craftsmen to build giant catapults. Although there were only two or three of them, they posed a huge threat to the walls of Homs.

Without this siege weapon, he felt that he could hold out until the last grain of food was exhausted, relying on the towers and high walls of Homs.

On the other side, the soldiers guarding the city walls also began to eat. Their food was better than that of the civilians. In addition to porridge made from livestock feed, each person could also get a small piece of black bread mixed with wheat bran and gravel. It had a rough texture but could barely fill the stomach.

As for the most elite Kassaji Guards and Faruh Shah's Mamluks, their food was much better. They had not only bread and cheese, but also figs, olives, and cured meats.

Faruh Shah did not even give such treatment to the slaves and family members in his own mansion.

He knew very well that once Homs fell, his family would have to rely on these Mamluks and Kassaji guards to survive. Not only did they have good food, but their mounts were also never short of food.

You know, during this period of time, almost all living things in the city, except humans, have been killed by the hungry civilians.

If they continue like this, it won’t be long before they turn their murderous hands to their own kind.

Faruh Shah did not want to see such a doomsday scene, so he planned to do something big today, on the premise that the Crusaders would not continue their attack today.

He stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the Crusader camp that stretched for more than ten kilometers below and seemed to have no end, for a long time.

Until noon, the Crusaders still did not launch an attack, and he was convinced that the plan to prepare reinforcements should be successful.

Otherwise, the Crusaders would not have suddenly stopped their attack when Homs was about to be defeated.

Of course, it is also possible that the Franks finally learned of their food shortage and wanted to trap them to death in this fortress.

A Kasaj guard suddenly came up to the city wall and reminded quietly, "Governor, our spies outside the city reported that these Frankish barbarians started an internal fight last night."

Faruh Shah let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, good, good!"

He said "OK" three times in a row.

"Holy Fire!"

Farrukh Shah didn't care how Saladin managed to place his confidants among the Franks and stir up infighting among the Crusaders. He only knew that Holmes could finally take a breath and implement his plan.

"Mahar, bring your men and follow me!"

The civilians in the city had long been out of food, and they didn't have much food. Faruh Shah wanted to collect food, but he couldn't.

Right now, the only people who could possibly obtain food were some big merchants and Saracen nobles in the city.

At this critical moment, food represents life, and no one will give up their life easily, so today in Holmes is destined to be a day of raising the butcher knife.

Just when Farushah decided to turn his back on the city and force the wealthy families in the city to hand over food.

Lothar finally saw the endless Crusader camps along the Homs line.

It took Losa nearly twenty days to walk the 300 kilometers from Jerusalem to Homs, which was less than the baseline of the army of that era.

Because he stopped and walked along the way, and met with local nobles every time he arrived at a place, it was equivalent to a grand parade in peacetime.

Now the size of his team has been expanded again. The source is the Greeks in Cyprus. After Cyprus was handed over to Losa, it has always served as the largest source of sailors for Losa's fleet, but Losa's investment in the sea is limited.

Now, hearing that they could gain benefits on the battlefields in the East, many Greek nobles were tempted.

This is the benefit of winning battles often.

If Lothar allowed it, many mercenary teams would not even need his salary and would be willing to fight for him, but Lothar would definitely not allow these locust-like characters to join his ranks.

In fact, it is very easy for Lothar to end this war now.

For example, Saladin has now lost his powerful enemy Shemail, and the group of spellcasters he hired at a high price have either died or dispersed. Who would dare to stay in Damascus and work for him?

Only Cerinina could storm into Damascus and take Saladin's head.

By then, only the Ayyubid dynasty would remain in disarray. Even if Lothar himself did not give it a push, the power struggle within their family would cause this once-glorious dynasty to collapse like mud and sand.

"So sir, why won't you allow me to go?"

Cherinina asked again, expressing the doubts in her mind.

"Do you know why so many European monarchs and nobles want to come to the Holy Land to participate in the holy war?"

Cherylina frowned and said, "For... legal robbery?"

Lothar shook his head and said, "This is only one aspect. After participating in the holy war, most nobles still have to return to Europe. This is a gilded journey for fame. The fame gained by defeating Saladin and assassinating Saladin cannot be compared at all."

No one likes an assassin.

The same is true when dealing with foreign enemies.

Before Lothar came to the Holy Land, the Assassins, who originated in Persia, continued to infiltrate the Syrian region, leading to a very bad political atmosphere in both Saladin and the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

When someone tells you that you can kill the person you hate the most by paying enough money, and there is no risk of being discovered or punished.

Few people can still keep their original intentions.

On the other hand, the Assassins, who have been active for so many years, have accumulated a lot of negative information on local dignitaries.

Through blackmail, coercion, and intimidation.

The Assassins had become the hidden kings of the underworld in the Levant. This was probably why Saladin attacked them in the first place. It was definitely not just a revenge for their assassination.

"It's fine if the assassination is a last resort, but now that I have won, why should I do this?"

"After I conquer Syria, the first thing I will do is cut off all the tentacles that the Assassins are extending. Only then will it be your turn to display your power."

It is not easy to deal with the Assassins. They are like a drop of ink dropped into the sea among the civilians. Saladin has not achieved much success in fighting the Assassins for so many years. Didn’t Lothar encounter several groups of Assassins assassins in Jerusalem?
"Captain, the Crusaders are here to welcome you."

The Candle Knight riding a white horse is like a white lily in the desert, emitting dazzling brilliance.