After looking around the room full of officials, Todd nodded and motioned to Huggins to read the latest battle report from the East.
"On January 17, the Ayyubid Empire took advantage of the freezing river and began to march northward, the day before the Advent of the Father. Mamluk dragoons disguised themselves as merchants and cut off communications between cities.
, the Hades Corps used towed artillery and thrown explosives to blow open the city gates of Meska, Tiais and Mozanluliuk, and the Parthian Legion's gun-shield formation defeated the defenders of the above-mentioned cities."
"On February 5, the Ayyubid Empire approached the Eastern Holy City, and the Orthodox Church issued a jihad order. On the same day, King Pajezi XI of the Holy City recalled all the kingdom's external troops and began to defend the Holy City."
"On February 19, the Ayyubid Empire's troops came to the Holy City. Saladin sent an envoy to persuade the king to surrender. When he was refused, the envoy was killed. The attack and defense of the Holy City officially began on the 20th."
"On February 28, the ninth day of the war, the number of casualties on both sides of the attack and defense exceeded 10,000. On the same day, the Ayyubid Empire's second expedition fleet bypassed the Assyrian Peninsula, forcibly broke into Saint Sol Bay, and began to attack the western part of the Holy City.
Artillery suppression was carried out in the urban area."
"On March 6, Ayub's army, under the cover of fleet artillery fire, built an artillery position on the hills on the west coast of the Holy City. The landing force used lifting equipment to transport the cargo from the ship to the hilly position.
Sixteen heavy mortars, and the use of poisonous smoke bombs and incendiary bombs, achieved coverage of the central area of the Holy City."
"On March 11, the King of the Holy City, Pajezi XI, led the Royal Guards, the Knights of Kedro and the Holy Army of the Holy Orders, a total of 743 knights and 8,000 soldiers to the mortar.
The position launched an attack. The war lasted for twenty-seven hours. Under the gunfire attacks of the fleet and the camp defenders, the attackers of the Holy City fought to the end. No one surrendered. King Pajezi was hit in the neck by a stray bullet.
Died from excessive blood loss..."
When Cumberland heard this, he sighed deeply: "The fate of the King of the Holy City will eventually end on the battlefield. This has been the case for three generations."
Todd glanced at Cumberland, and then said to Huggins: "Keep reading."
"On March 13, Saladin, the Caliph of the Ayyubid Empire, proposed a one-day truce to the Holy City and allowed the city defenders to collect the body of King Payazi for a funeral."
When Todd heard this, he was secretly shocked, but his face showed an expression of approval: "This emperor of the Ayyubid Empire, Saladin, is at least an enemy who respects his opponents."
Emerson glanced at Todd with a frown and said nothing.
"On March 19, the Holy City officially surrendered to the Ayyubid Empire in exchange for Saladin's three major promises: not to massacre the city, not to enslave, and not to expel."
After listening to Huggins read the last sentence, the whole room fell into deathly silence.
After a long time, Cumberland touched his silver beard and said faintly: "The city of ten thousand cities, the cross sanctuary that will never fall...in just one month, it fell into the hands of the Southern Empire."
Emerson continued: "After reading a lot of information about the Ayyubid Empire, I originally thought I had a clear understanding of them, but now it seems that I still underestimated them."
Todd tapped his fingers lightly on the table, thought for a while, and said to Huggins: "I want to know the Southern Empire's troops, weapons, commanders, formations and other information this time. You tell the Alien Association in the city and let them
I will cooperate with you to do this."
Huggins nodded in agreement.
Turning his attention back to the battle report, Todd suddenly said: "Did you notice something strange?"
Seeing many officials looking at him, Todd said while thinking: "The war between the Ayyubid Empire and the Abbasid Empire lasted for three years, and it only ended last year when the former won. This war involved the two empires.
The battle was fought for a long time, and the word "tragic" can be used
It's not enough to describe it. According to common sense, after the war, the first thing should be to stabilize the domestic environment, accumulate national strength, and prepare the army. But Saladin did the opposite and immediately started an attack on the Holy City.
City war, don’t you think this is strange?”
Cumberland and Emerson looked at each other and exchanged glances.
Cumberland said: "I can think of two reasons regarding the question you mentioned, Your Majesty."
Emerson shrugged: "I thought of three."
Cumberland glanced at Emerson, snorted, and said to Todd: "First, first of all, from a logistical point of view, the Southern Army that had just ended the war must have experienced supply shortages to varying degrees. Ah.
After the victory of the Yub Empire, Saladin incorporated the army of the Abbasid Empire, although his army expanded to 100,000
, but there must have been problems with the supply of food, cloth, herbs, and funds. There were only two options before him. One was to use a rationing system within the empire at the risk of damaging morale; the other was to take advantage of the situation.
Before the war machine had completely cooled down, another war was immediately launched to make up for the empire's logistical deficit by looting."
Todd said incredulously: "But hasn't he considered the risks? When he was short of food and clothing, he rashly attacked the Holy City. If the war was dragged into a protracted stage, the entire empire would be affected by his strategy.
policy and fell into complete chaos."
Cumberland nodded: "If I am not mistaken, when Saladin launched the Battle of the Holy City, the food and funds in his hands were only enough for the army to last for a month at most."
Todd closed his eyes and took a long breath: "What about the second reason?"
Cumberland continued: "The second reason has to do with us."
Todd asked in confusion: "Is it related to us?"
"Last autumn last year, the Muxi Knights fought side by side with the Holy Guards, defeated the church coalition forces, and completely eliminated the troops directly under the Church of Heavenly Father. The result of this battle was beyond everyone's expectations, but it was enough to be noticed by those who were interested.
I guess Saladin is one of them. If in the early winter of last year, Saladin was still hesitant about whether to make a desperate move to send troops to the Holy City, the news of the defeat of the church coalition forces completely strengthened his determination to go to war.
"
Cumberland stroked his beard and said with a smile: "By the way, Pope Alexander of the Church of Heavenly Father was mentally confused and contracted a severe cold precisely because of the failure of the church coalition. He finally survived this winter.
, but was completely cut off by the bad news of the fall of the Holy City."
Emerson waited for Cumberland to finish and then took over: "In addition to these two reasons for Saladin to send troops to the Holy City, I guess there is a third reason, which is civil strife."
"Civil unrest?"
"The Ayyubid Empire was historically a subordinate state of the Abbasid Empire. Saladin, for a long period of time, claimed to be a minister in front of the emperor of the Abbasid Empire." Emerson said with a sigh: "
Saladin had always been extremely submissive in front of the emperor. When he turned against him, almost no one
Dare to believe in his decision. Therefore, after he came to power, the complicated political environment and papal factions in the country put great pressure on him. Hashemite, Umar, Flashfire, and Nestorian factions
... Many divided domestic forces intend to set off a wave of rebellion at any time against this man who has overstepped his authority and proclaimed himself emperor."
Todd nodded and said: "So, in order to stabilize the domestic political situation, Saladin used the war in the Holy City to divert domestic conflicts... This is a big gamble, a gamble with all the chips on it. If the Holy City persists,
Half a month, if the landing is blocked, if..."
Cumberland slowly shook his head: "There are no what-ifs in war. Even if it is a gamble, just look at his tactical arrangements - intelligence, weather, hydrology, terrain, commanders and situations. It is not difficult to find that there are many mistakes in the gamble."
Saladin had already calculated all the possible outcomes before starting, so he won in the end."
Emerson said regretfully: "If the guns of the Ayyubid Empire are the claws of the beast, then the emperor Saladin gave human wisdom to this beast... The most chaotic era in the south has passed.
, the following days may be the beginning of disaster for the parish."