Chapter 154: Breakthrough
This is not the end, but the prelude.
Apollonia Castle alone is nine times the size of Ayyarasa Road, and the entire Apollonia City is even more vast and terrifying, especially on a night like this.
When the Christian delegation first entered the city, they felt it was majestic and unshakable, but now it seems like a sandcastle piled up by a child on the beach—shaky as a whole, with cracks and collapses appearing from time to time.
And those soldiers who come from time to time accompanied by shouts and curses are like the inexhaustible seawater seeping through every crevice. Of course, they are not all Saracens; they could also be Turks, Kurds, or Nubians. They have different faiths, different skin colors, different masters, but one thing is the same: taking the opportunity of this giant city falling into chaos to seize benefits for themselves.
If at this moment there were a strong-willed New Sultan who immediately gathered the Emirs and Fatah and ordered them to rally and control their subordinates, the situation might not be so bad. But the facts prove that the collapse of this sandcastle is already irreversible.
Sometimes those who encounter the Christians’ group head-on are not necessarily the bandits taking advantage of the chaos; they could be local residents organized to protect their homes, or soldiers summoned by credible “scholars” to guard the New Sultan.
If the former, they would indeed feel fear toward Caesar and others who are clearly Christians, followed by hatred, but as long as the Saracens around them shout loudly the words Muhammad shouted when he entered Mecca—”Stay at home and you will be safe”—few people are eager to fight these knights with sharp blades and gleaming armor.
And if the latter, it is even simpler. Most of the “scholars” here have met with the ministers; the ministers have listened to their appeals, and the scholars have done things for the ministers—some of them are even friends, often spending time together in the library or hookah lounges.
Kamal did not lie about this. With them around, it indeed resolved many unnecessary conflicts for these Christian knights, except for wasting some time—because once someone recognizes them, they will surely grab their robes and ask about the situation in Apollonia Castle.
The responses from Kamal and the others were equally despairing. An elderly “scholar” stood under the horse, tightly grasping his robe, his face full of grief: “Then where should we go? Tell me, respected Kamal, you are so clever, you must be able to show us a way.”
“What I said is only to ask you to endure for now; I am going to find a wise lord,” Kamal said. “If he truly fulfills what he promised, I will bring him back.”
The Zengid dynasty was originally among the Traditionalists of the Saracens, which means they do not believe that only those with Sultan bloodline can become Sultan; as long as one has talent, resolve, and pious faith, they are willing to serve him as Sultan.
Hearing this, the other let out a bleak laugh. “I believe you, Lord.” He released his hand. “May Allah bless you.”
“May Allah bless us, bless Apollonia, bless Syria.”
Watching Kamal and those Christian knights depart into the distance, the scholar was filled with endless worries, but he soon took a deep breath, turned to look at his students and sons behind him, and said solemnly, “People of our neighborhood,” his face serious, “immediately return home and lock the doors. No matter who comes, even if they claim to be on orders from the Sultan or the Grand Vizier, do not open.”
“…Will this really work? What if the New Sultan is born and demands we pay homage to him?” his eldest son asked doubtfully.
“New Sultan?” The scholar looked up toward the faintly visible Apollonia Castle with thick smoke and flames roiling and rising, as well as the towering city walls on either side of the South Gate, and said in a cold tone, “Wait until two heads are raised there. Then we will talk about the New Sultan.”
He had of course also seen those ministers fleeing in panic.
These ministers were all publicly respected figures. Even if the New Sultan were mediocre in talent, or if the princes were willing to sit down like Sultan Nur al-Din and his brother, peacefully dividing the land left by their father, they would not easily leave. After all, like Kamal, his family had operated in Apollonia for several hundred years, and now he had abandoned everything and fled the city alone—doesn’t that say something?
The facts proved how accurate this scholar’s prediction was. The next morning, on the city walls on either side of the South Gate, two heads with ferocious faces and covered in bloodstains were indeed hung up. However, the eunuchs who hung the heads had carefully wiped their faces clean so that everyone could clearly see who these two dead men were.
Some people had already cried out in alarm: they were actually two princes who had reached adulthood.
The Eldest Prince and the Second Prince were like two starving hyenas trapped in an arena, tearing and devouring each other’s flesh, unaware of the hand hidden in the shadows.
In front of Sultan Nur al-Din, the First Lady was as docile as a flower that could be plucked at will.
But before Nur al-Din’s death—or even earlier—this lady’s heart had already grown sharp poisonous thorns. She indeed had no son of her own, but she had Nur al-Din’s third son Salih. Compared to the already adult, ambitious Eldest Prince and Second Prince, the still childlike Salih was certainly more suited to the First Lady’s needs.
Moreover, she had been the sole administrator of the harem for decades; most of the eunuchs and maidservants were long accustomed to obeying her orders. They led the Eldest Prince and Second Prince into the Throne Hall, forcing their followers to shed their last drop of blood here.
The First Lady watched them like beasts fighting, observing through a peephole as they madly slaughtered each other in front of the Sultan’s throne for their own greed—in the final moment, the Eldest Prince’s scimitar slashed across the Second Prince’s neck, his head fell to the ground, and in his last remaining consciousness, besides his brother’s excited laughter, there was the blade tip suddenly appearing in the opponent’s chest.
No one knew when the Eldest Prince’s personal guard had betrayed him; the Second Prince’s head showed a twisted smile, perhaps because his enemy had finally received retribution, or maybe it was mockery of the Eldest Prince and himself.
At first, they had not taken the youngest brother seriously. Although his birth mother came from a Fatah family, the province where his father was located was far from Apollonia, and their riots had only lasted a day—how could he arrive in time even with an army?
The facts proved that preparations for this day had been made not only by them. The First Lady, who had always appeared impartial to all children and docile to the point of woodenness, struck like thunder when she acted—decisively, leaving no hidden dangers.
As the Eldest Prince clutched his chest and fell, he fearfully saw his own mother and the Second Prince’s mother being dragged out.
The two women were forced to kneel before the First Lady, then two eunuchs pulled their hair, forcing them to lift their heads, and slit their fair necks like killing chickens.
Blood flowed like a red carpet.
The First Lady turned to gaze at the throne and took a deep breath. She turned, extending her hand to Salih nestled in his mother’s arms: “Come, New Sultan,” she said, “come to me.” The New Sultan’s mother hesitated, released her hands, and gently pushed Salih toward the First Lady.
The youngest prince slowly walked over, was embraced by the First Lady and held in her arms. Then, holding him like this, she sat together with him on the Sultan’s throne. Before Nur al-Din had died, she had gazed at this throne, wondering what it would feel like to sit on it.
Now she finally knew, but before she could feel more, an eunuch hurried over and whispered something in her ear.
The First Lady immediately looked at the Chief Eunuch, who had once served at Nur al-Din’s side. He had been captured by the Crusaders along with his master. But in the subsequent negotiations, the First Lady had ransomed him back along with the others, so he was extremely loyal to her, and with him, Salih’s legitimacy could be further confirmed.
Seeing the First Lady’s face suddenly change, the Chief Eunuch quickly stepped forward. “The prison is already empty,” the First Lady said in a low voice.
“Were they killed, or…” The Chief Eunuch paused. “Did someone release them? Who?”
“Kamal,” the First Lady said. “He bribed the jailers and took everyone away.”
“It was our oversight.” The Chief Eunuch frowned. They had left these people until last to grant favors; after what the Eldest Prince and Second Prince had done to them（ not a few of their own had intentionally fanned the flames）.
When they were suffering torment and fearing imminent death, the First Lady would appear before them with Prince Salih, saving them from the filthy prison like angels descending.
Letting them bathe, drink grape juice, enjoy the maidservants’ service, and then promising repayment for their previous suffering… Could there be any doubt they would not serve the New Sultan and his Regent loyally and devotedly in the days to come?
But Kamal’s actions completely disrupted their plan. The First Lady was puzzled: “Why did Kamal do that?” But she soon waved it off; the deed was done, and pursuing the reason now was unnecessary.
She looked at the Chief Eunuch: “Did Kamal’s family give him support? Where did he find the army? Without an army, just a few scholars couldn’t leave Apollonia intact.”
These officials worked for the Sultan in Apollonia’s court; they were neither generals in the army nor governors of provinces. They lacked experience in mounted combat; even with the Prophet’s revelation, it was not something achieved overnight.
“They left with those Christian knights,” one eunuch said, and then the second eunuch returned to report—he had been sent by the First Lady to deal with those Christians—but the orders they received were completely opposite.
The order the first eunuch received: to give those desperate people a chance at forgiveness and survival; the order the second eunuch received was to ensure those Christians died in Apollonia without exception.
Earlier, the First Lady had sent a group of exquisite female slaves through the Second Prince’s hand. She knew these Christians had sworn chastity vows like their monks and would not touch women, especially heathens.
But she did not believe these young, vigorous lads would truly hold to their promises without any restraint or surveillance; she had long heard that some knights of the Knights kept female slaves—for them, female slaves did not count as people, so it was not breaking their oaths.
“When did they leave?” the First Lady asked sternly.
“Before… we found two slaves who said that when the disturbance happened in the King’s Hall, Lord Kamal found them, and…” He glanced at the Chief Eunuch, seemingly afraid to continue—but there was no need to hide it now. The First Lady waved her hand, and he continued.
Only then did the Chief Eunuch learn that the First Lady had poisoned Count Joscelin III of Edessa and his wife. He looked at her with an indescribable expression. Why did she do that? It was completely unnecessary. The struggle among the three princes would not involve this Christian.
Moreover, this Christian knight had indeed performed the “purification” ceremony for their Sultan. According to doctrine, if he were a Saracen, the First Lady would even regard him as a son without blood relation; he would also be Salih’s “brother” in the future.
Of course, since he was a Christian, none of that was possible, but at least… he should not be treated as an enemy.
Moreover, that important verbal agreement was not made by Kamal hiding it from everyone—he had once sent a pigeon message back to Apollonia and received a precise reply from here. In other words, the three ladies and princes had all agreed to regard this Christian as a benefactor.
Yet, the First Lady’s return was to poison his parents.
“I cannot tell you the reason; I can only say I had to do it. Someone wanted them silenced forever, best before they could see any Christian.” The First Lady said anxiously. The Chief Eunuch opened his mouth; he could not reproach her. After all, from now on they were the closest allies, and she had already taken compensatory measures.
This “compensation” was not about trying to undo the hatred after inciting it, but cutting the grass at the root.
The female slaves they sent earlier all carried deadly poison, to be slipped into the knights’ wine during their revelry. But they did not expect Caesar and Geoffrey to not allow them to touch the knights at all, and the Eldest Prince’s coup happened much earlier than planned; by the time Caesar and the others departed, they had not found a chance to approach the knights.
“Talking more is useless now, Madam. You must decide.”
The First Lady knew the Chief Eunuch meant those ministers. “Since they have betrayed the Sultan, whether Nur al-Din or his son, there is no need to keep them.” The First Lady said. “Send our soldiers to pursue them and kill them in the desert outside Apollonia City.”
