? On the winding mountain road, Saladin, who was riding a war horse to enjoy the scenery along the way, seemed not to care at all about the upcoming battle.
In comparison, the general next to him was not in such a good mood.
"Caliph, I don't understand why you want to give such an important task to Latib?" Ilam, the supreme commander of the Kasaji Guards, looked at Saladin with a distressed look on his face and lowered his voice and said: "
You should know that he is an old minister of the Abbasid Empire and has always been dissatisfied with you."
"I know."
"Then you still...?"
Saladin did not answer this question, but asked Elem another question: "Do you know why I brought you with me instead of letting you take on the task of Latib?"
"have no idea."
Saladin swung the reins of his horse and drove his mount forward while saying, "When you figure out the second question, you will naturally get the answer to the first question."
Elem was stunned, tilted his head and thought for a long time, but still didn't understand.
He urged his horse to keep up with Saladin's pace, and said with a shy smile: "Great and omnipotent Caliph, your wisdom is unmatched, but your ministers are stupid, please..."
Saladin smiled and raised his riding whip, pointed at the Lone Rock City built on the mountain in the distance, and asked: "If I give you seven thousand elite soldiers, how do you plan to attack this city?"
When talking about the war, Ilam got excited: "You don't need seven thousand. As long as you give me five thousand and send me the artillery team, I can make this city surrender at your feet in ten days at most!"
Saladin laughed, shook his head at Elim and said, "Wrong!"
The latter's face was full of doubts: "Wrong? What's wrong?"
"I want you to attack this city, but at the same time I order you not to take it."
"Ah???" Elim thought there was something wrong with his ears: "Attack this city, but you are not allowed to capture this city?! Caliph, are you kidding me?!"
Saladin stroked his beard, looked at the other person and smiled: "I'm not kidding."
"Why?!"
Saladin urged the horses again, leaving only Elem's back.
"When you figure out the first two questions, you will naturally find the answer to the third question..."
Close to the east side of the mountain where Lone Rock City is located, there is a steep off-peak peak. The rock surface here is as smooth as a mirror, and the stone forest is as sharp as thorns. It is difficult for humans and even ordinary animals to climb up here.
However, at the top of this partial peak, a man and a woman stood, looking at the battlefield at the foot of the mountain.
The man said: "Lone Rock City can't hold on for long."
The woman asked: "What's the reason?"
"I went to see the city. There were less than 700 defenders, too few troops." The man looked at the woman and said helplessly: "Mother Goddess, according to your prompts, although the regent successfully prevented the imperial army's surprise attack,
But they still can't face such a huge number of enemy troops."
Eleanor stared at the man and asked another question: "Garcia, when will the reinforcements from Lone Rock City return to the city?"
"The fastest is about two days, and the latest is about four days."
Eleanor shifted her gaze to the battlefield and asked quietly: "In your opinion, if Lone Rock City's reinforcements arrive in time and face the empire's army, what chance does the former have of winning?"
"Fifty percent."
Eleanor looked at Garcia in surprise: "Even if the reinforcements come back, the chance of winning is only 50%?!"
Garcia frowned and replied: "If the reinforcements rush back and Lone Rock City's military strength returns to its peak, their victory rate can roughly reach 80%. However, the caliph of the empire personally visited the battlefield, so for the sake of conservatism, I will
The odds of winning have dropped to 50%.”
Knowing that the other party always had a purpose in speaking, Eleanor pondered for a moment and said: "It seems that what we have to do now is to lend a helping hand to Lone Rock City..."
Above the gate of the outer city of Lone Rock City.
"That's the flag of the Kasaj Guards." Jennings pointed to a heavy cavalry regiment on the battlefield and sighed as he said: "That army is the direct guard of the emperor. Their appearance represents Ayu
The ruler of the Bu Empire is here in person."
Randall looked at Zhannings with a sad face and suggested: "Sir, in addition to the reinforcements in Lone Rock City, if you are willing, there is actually an army that can rush to help here at any time."
Jennings turned his head, looked into Randall's eyes, and said word by word: "Before the death of the late king, he entrusted the kingdom to me and specifically told me two things: First, protect the young queen until she comes of age.
; Second, ensure that Lone Rock City does not fall into the hands of others. Therefore, I cannot agree to anything that may threaten the royal power!"
After saying these words, Zhannings returned his attention to the battlefield and continued: "As long as our reinforcements can arrive in time, the victory of this war must belong to Lone Rock City!"
The Ayyubid Empire army was assembled at the foot of the mountain in Lone Rock City. The soldiers knelt on the ground, with their foreheads on the ground and their palms facing up, listening to the old imam reciting scriptures. After completing a series of religious rituals
, the infantry regiment began to draw weapons and raise
The shields were raised and the final formation adjustments were made; the musketry regiment dug holes in the ground, set up the gun platform brackets, and began to check the match ropes and magazine; the artillery regiment, under the leadership of scholars, calculated the ballistics and calculated the ballistics over and over again.
The ruler and angle have been adjusted.
Looking at the frightening pagan army in front of them, the defenders of Lone Rock City all turned pale and their legs trembled.
The soldiers in Lone Rock City took out the crosses on their chests and began to chant Bible prayers silently. Zhannings found his adjutant and asked in a low voice: "Is there any news about the reinforcements?"
The adjutant shook his head.
Zhan Nings frowned and turned his attention to the enemy troops outside the city, but unexpectedly found a small group of people walking out of the imperial army and slowly walking towards the city gate.
With full of doubts, Zhannings looked at the leader of the team, a stocky imperial official, walked to the city gate and shouted loudly: "The great and merciful Emperor Saladin, is willing to surrender in the name of Allah."
Before the anger comes to your heads, I give you one last chance!"
Persuade to surrender?
Zhan Ningsi clenched his hands into fists and smashed the wall under him hard.
After a while, he said in a hoarse voice: "Let those guys sit on the hanging basket and come to the top of the city."
The adjutant was stunned for a moment, then anxiously persuaded: "Sir, if this matter of negotiating with heretics spreads to the diocese, it will probably be detrimental to your reputation!"
Jennings turned back and glared at the adjutant, and growled in a low voice: "I know! But at this time, pretending to negotiate is the only way we can delay time!"
Looking at the imperial army in front of him, Zhannings gritted his teeth and said fiercely: "As long as we can delay the reinforcements arriving..."
Randall watched everything happening on the city wall, with a vague premonition in his heart.
It is impossible that the invincible emperor of the empire did not understand the importance of speed. He used light cavalry to raid the city gate last night, but today he sent envoys to persuade him to surrender. What kind of premeditation was behind it?
Late that night, in the camp of the Ayyubid Empire.
Ilem, the commander of the Khasaj guards, came to Saladin's tent and asked for a meeting.
After the guard's report, Ilam saw the emperor in the camp who was reading at night.
"Caliph, the envoy sent to persuade us to surrender has returned."
Hearing this, Saladin looked away from the book and saw a stinky face that was darker than the bottom of the pot. He smiled and said: "Let me guess, they neither agreed to surrender nor expressed resistance."
Elem said angrily: "These cunning old dogs are just trying to delay time!"
Saladin's expression didn't look surprised or angry. He put down the book in his hand and said to his trusted general: "The enemy did nothing wrong in choosing to do this at this time."
When Elem heard this, he asked tentatively: "In that case, can we start fighting tomorrow without persuading people to surrender?"
Saladin nodded slightly and said: "Yes, the war can start tomorrow..."
"Great!" Ilam said excitedly as he geared up, "Caliph, as long as you give the order, I guarantee that I can..."
"Don't forget what I said to you before."
"ah?"
Saladin slapped the table and shouted in a low voice: "I allow you to attack Lone Rock City, but you cannot capture Lone Rock City!"
When Elim heard this, his face suddenly drooped.
Saladin ignored him, but turned his gaze to the north, muttering to himself: "Counting the time, it's almost time for Lone Rock City to know the news."
At this time, in the Lone Rock City barracks, Regent Zhannings stood in front of the table, looking at the huge map in front of him. He had not rested for a long time, and he had two dark circles under his eyes, and his face was slightly pale.
"Today is already the second day after the courier set off. There should be news back." Zhannings looked at the map and recalled everything that had happened in the past two days. He always felt that he had missed something important.
The sound of rapid footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
"My lord! My lord! The messenger is back!"
Zhan Ningsi raised his head and saw the messenger standing at the door. His eyes widened and he shouted: "Let them in quickly!"
The sentry who came to deliver the order said with a troubled expression: "Sir, only one person came back from the messenger, and there are also some...other people..."
Zhan Ningsi was stunned for a moment, quickly moved his steps, pushed aside the sentry at the door, and walked out quickly.
Walking outside the door, the first thing Zhannings saw was a knight he had never seen before. He was short and fat, wearing a black armor with a cross umbrella pattern.
On the knight's back, lay the messenger from Lonely Rock City, breathless and unsure of his life or death.
Anxious Jennings ordered his men to take the messenger from the knight and shouted for a doctor to come over.
The messenger who was sent to ask for help was hit in the chest by a musket and was covered in blood. He opened his bloodshot eyes, looked at the regent of Lone Rock City, said just one word, and took his last breath.
"The empire's fleet... landed in the north three days ago..."