Chapter 161: The Isaacites’ Little Scheme
The arrival of this group of Isaacites was indeed beyond Saladin’s expectations.
He had decided early on that, out of his appreciation for Caesar and the courage and loyalty of these knights, he would mercifully forgive these Christian knights; they would be released, return to Ayyarasa Road, take their escorts and servants with them, and not need to pay even a single gold coin in ransom.
So after Caesar fainted, he immediately selected two people from among them and told them to return to Ayyarasa Road at once to report the news.
Damascus is located right in the middle of Ayyarasa Road and Acre, at almost equal distances, which means that a knight, if riding without sleep or rest day and night, could travel between the two cities within a week.
Regardless of others, as far as Saladin could see, the bond between King Baldwin IV of Ayyarasa Road and Caesar was undoubtedly unquestionable; when Caesar was still just an attendant of unknown status, Baldwin IV was willing to vouch for him, treating him as his most trusted companion and future subject.
Now Caesar’s status had been confirmed. He was the son of Count Joscelin III of Edessa, an indisputable noble, and blood kin to the King of Ayyarasa Road; even if Saladin demanded a ransom of one hundred thousand gold coins for Caesar, the King of Ayyarasa Road would surely agree, and those subjects and lords around him would have no reason to object.
But the envoys of the King of Ayyarasa Road had not yet arrived, yet the Isaacites of Bethlehem had already entered Damascus; moreover, they had somehow already raised one hundred thousand gold coins—Saladin was not too concerned about this, as there were Isaacites in Damascus too, and merchants had their own means of communication, which were no slower than those of armies.
At that time, Kamal was by his side and even asked whether this matter should be handed over to him or to Shams al-Din.
Although Saladin was now only the Grand Vizier of Caliph Atid of Egypt, everyone could see that he might soon become the Sultan of Egypt, and in the future perhaps the ruler of even more territory; a man of such status should not have too much contact with those cunning parasites.
However, Saladin was interested in everything related to Caesar; he had seen Caesar in Ayyarasa Road before, when he was still an attendant by Baldwin IV’s side, a young man inexperienced in the world but already with his own ideas and ideals; he had also seen Caesar outside the palace in Fustat, when he was not yet a knight but had already been tempered by blood and sword, a reliable warrior, perceptive and resolute, whom Saladin admired greatly.
Of course, compared to the previous two, the most important quality in him was loyalty, which had never changed.
It was just that in Bethlehem, his status was different again; he was the master of Bethlehem—although he only had rights of use over this land, not disposal. But to the people of Bethlehem, whether Christians, Isaacites, or Saracens, he was a terrifying dragon; a single thought from him could make them lose everything or destroy their families.
So how would he act in Bethlehem? Especially toward those previous people in Bethlehem—those with power and status.
Although Caesar had not stayed long in Bethlehem, no matter what he had done, Saladin believed he could glean some previously unknown information from the Isaacites’ accounts.
The leader of this group was Lego.
When he learned that Saladin—Grand Vizier of Egypt’s Caliph Atid—actually deigned to see him, he was shocked and then overcome by an uncontrollable fear.
After all, he was an Isaacite, and Isaacites were seen as “slaves” or “heretics” by both Christians and Saracens; even if they all died here, no one would investigate or care.
But at the same time, surprise trembled up from the bottom of his heart. He had heard of Saladin’s name, after all; everyone knew that Amalric I’s second expedition had ultimately failed, and this Kurd had contributed to that.
The Isaacites had even mocked the King of Ayyarasa Road for so easily falling for the Egyptians’ trap, losing two cities that had already been captured for nothing, letting a former slave（Kurd） pick up a huge bargain.
Of course, they would never dare say such things outside the room.
But in any case, Saladin had become the Caliph’s Grand Vizier, which meant that in future Egypt, he would be the man below one and above all others.
And this “below one” might end abruptly at any moment.
Whenever Isaacites arrived somewhere, they would inevitably inquire thoroughly about the rulers there and any high officials who might pose a threat or influence to them.
They naturally also knew that Fatimid Dynasty’s Caliph Atid might be the last monarch of this dynasty; Saladin and his uncle were two ambitious men who had served under Nur al-Din but, after being sent to Egypt, these two arrogant generals clearly no longer wished to obey his orders.
Now Nur al-Din was dead, and his three sons（he still did not know that Nur al-Din had only one son） were all incompetents; there were not just one or two claimants proclaiming themselves Nur al-Din’s heirs, so it was predictable that in future Syria, let alone attacking or annexing Egypt, it would be hard even to maintain the status quo.
Given this, Saladin’s position was inevitably unshakable. If they wanted to expand their business to Cairo or Alexander in Egypt in the future, they could not avoid this sultan’s scrutiny.
But conversely, if they could win his favor, their business would surely proceed smoothly and soar. Just thinking of this, when Lego knelt before this Kurd, he did not feel it difficult or shameful; he even crawled forward to kiss Saladin’s feet but was stopped by this lord’s guards.
“You say you want to ransom your master, the Knight of Bethlehem Caesar. Yes, he is indeed here with me now and has received good care; you need not worry.” Saladin tilted his head slightly. “Stand up.”
The Isaacite Lego scrambled up from the ground in fear and trepidation; while Saladin observed him, he too cautiously peeked at this lord. Judging by his appearance alone, Saladin was not the easily flattered type; though his features were regular and his gaze sharp, he gave more the impression of an ascetic than an official or ruler—the very kind the Isaacites despised most.
This meant they could not defeat him with fine wine, gold, and women.
He might need them to do things for him, but he would never be manipulated by them. To him, they were just readily available tools, to be ruthlessly discarded without the slightest hesitation once they lost their usefulness.
You might say other kings are the same, but if a man indulges his desires, the Isaacites can always find opportunities to make him hesitate—but if a man acts for his faith or ideals, he will crush all obstacles before him to dust, leaving them no gaps for appeals or temptation.
This man also reminded Lego of the Knight of Bethlehem Caesar.
Although he had come and gone in haste and not stayed long in Bethlehem, Lego had already noticed that he shared many similarities with the Saracen before him; the Isaacite suddenly hesitated, unsure whether to carry out his original plan to the end.
But he was already standing before Saladin, who was not a Roman prince born in the Purple Chamber; his father had been just an ordinary official, and he had followed his uncle in the army, encountering many Isaacites in the cities—so it could be said most Isaacites had left him with no good impressions.
Their selfishness and narrow-mindedness made them outcasts wherever they went, and not just because of their religious ceremonies and outdated customs—others could hardly understand their ways of thinking and acting—these people always did despicable things, yet thought that as long as they covered their own eyes, others would not see their vile deeds.
Even though in fact they shared the same origins as the Saracens, both descendants of Abraham—and they even took pride in this—they still had few virtues worthy of this sacred bloodline.
But perhaps these Isaacites would be an exception?
Saladin casually asked Lego a few questions, especially about Caesar; when Lego mentioned the soap, he realized that perhaps from that moment, Caesar had guessed that Acre was facing great changes, with a vortex steadily approaching.
This vortex had arisen because their master Nur al-Din was nearing the end of his days, like a large ship sailing on the sea surface; when the helmsman falls due to old age and there is no one to replace him, the ship will inevitably capsize completely at sea, dooming all passengers, crew, and creatures aboard to destruction.
And the merchants of Acre—no, the merchants of the whole world—were the quickest to sense unrest. If he were Caesar at that time, he too could have guessed that Nur al-Din might not spend his final years quietly on his sickbed.
Saladin let out an admiring sigh in his heart and inevitably asked a few more detailed questions. But gradually, his smile faded; Lego’s stammering and even falling silent told him that the bond between these Isaacites and Caesar was not as deep as he had thought.
If so, their willingness to pay a king’s ransom for Caesar was highly suspicious. Though according to customary law at the time, it was not strange; if a knight was captured by another knight or lord, the people of his territory did need to raise money to ransom him. But for these Isaacites to throw down one hundred thousand gold coins right away was intriguing.
Kamal also frowned; if Caesar were a heartless, hot-tempered, arrogant lord, these Isaacites might not even be here. Their appearance here, proposing a ransom with such an astonishing number, was more likely to use this favor to coerce Caesar into concessions on certain matters in the future.
It could even be said that if Caesar did yield to their blackmail—after all, in Ayyarasa Road people called him the Little Saint, and he had always appeared quite generous, humble and simple like a monk—perhaps just to avoid ruining his previous image, or out of genuine gratitude, their plan might succeed.
At first it might be small requests: a letter of recommendation, a charter, a proof of identity, a pass; then it might escalate to asking him to side with them in court, or more subtly positioning themselves as confidants of the Knight of Bethlehem, forcing others to make way for them.
Or even further, they would seek to seize power from Caesar’s hands: like collecting taxes, minting coins, or charging fees for public facilities—do not doubt it; the Isaacites had done such things long ago in Saracen cities.
Even when Ilghazi was Governor in Damascus, he had nearly been deceived by some Isaacites. If Saladin had not seen through it in time and warned his uncle, his uncle might really have made a mistake under their deception that would enrage even the Sultan.
The room had unknowingly darkened, the pale red afterglow vanishing as silently as the joy in Saladin’s heart.
Lego stood there, the silence in the room congealing into a great stone that nearly crushed him alive. He knew he had made a mistake; he was facing not just a general who only knew horse riding and warfare—Saladin’s rise to Grand Vizier was perhaps not solely due to his army.
But now, no matter how much he regretted it, it was too late.
Saladin did indeed have the thought of having these Isaacites hanged outright, but—he smiled again; Lego watched, like seeing a lion yawning, and he trembled, prostrating himself, his appeals stuck in his throat unspoken.
“In the end, you are Caesar’s subjects,” Saladin said with interest, pointing into the void. “How to deal with you should be up to him to decide. But as for the ransom—I already told him I would not take a single copper coin from him or the other Christian knights…”
“You are so merciful… so generous…”
“Only to those who deserve it.” Saladin said in a tone almost of pleasure. “But for certain… others,” he said reluctantly, “I still need to exercise my power, such as a group of Isaacites who took it upon themselves to enter my city.”
He stood up, shadows covering Lego. “These one hundred thousand gold coins as your ransom—how about it? Yes, or no?”
Lego raised his head, mouth agape, eyes full of appeals, but he immediately realized he was going mad—bargaining with someone who controlled his life and death!
He threw himself down again at once. “I accept! I accept! My lord, I accept!”
