Aztec Eternals

"How long can the siege camp outside Basa Mountain last?"

Smoky, Thomas Inquisitor had a cold face, as solemn as the mountains of the Pyrenees.

Hearing this, King Fernando raised his brows slightly and his expression moved slightly. At this moment, there are many thoughts in his heart, constantly changing like smoke. But in the end, when the smog faced the mountains, thousands of ingenious changes were collected, and only two low-pitched responses were condensed, like cold and eye-catching falling snow.

"Dear black-clothed monk, God bless you! Before your arrival, the morale of the besieged camp could only last for more than half a month. And now."

King Fernando paused, his eyes were indifferent, and he replied without emotion.

"As long as the Tribunal's 'Salvation' trial can continue, I am sure that the besieged camp will hold on for another month!"

"one month"

Thomas the Inquisitor pondered for a moment, then asked again.

"So, Fernando, how long can the Moorish mountain city of Barcelona last?"

"."

Hearing this question, King Fernando pursed his lips. He was silent for a moment before replying.

"Basa Mountain City is a strong and dangerous mountain city. It is difficult to bombard the top of the city with dozens of mortars brought in. There is a full year's worth of grain stored in the city, and we have been besieged for half a year. If the morale of the defenders in the city is stable, They have another six months to go."

"Of course, the morale of the Moorish defenders in the city is also very low. They don't have any reinforcements, so it is impossible for them to persist until the end. At most, they will be able to defend for another three or four months! King Habu of Granada, and We had an agreement that we would not come to rescue the mountain city. Another king of Azar was on the southern coast, avoiding the blockade of the Aragonese navy, and contacted the Moorish kingdom on the southern continent to ask for reinforcements. He also has Not many troops can be squeezed out."

"Before the outbreak of the plague, Hassan, the Moorish lord of Basa Mountain City, was already shaken. He once sent envoys to tentatively ask about the conditions of surrender, but he was not sincere. It is impossible for Basa Mountain City to be controlled by him. And after the plague broke out in the camp, he did not send any more envoys."

"Well, Fernando, the promise you made with the heathen is not under the protection of the Lord. As long as it is beneficial to the overall situation of the holy war, the Lord will forgive you!"

Hearing this, Inquisitor Thomas calmed down and promised forgiveness. Then he frowned, lost in thought.

"The siege party persists for one month and the defender persists for three to four months. Fernando's thoughts."

After pondering for a while, Inquisitor Thomas looked at King Fernando and asked in a deep voice.

"Fernando, the Lord has given us firm determination. We must take the mountain city of Basa! The hinterland of the Moors has been desolate, and it is impossible to collect food and grass. The 60,000 jihadists are scattered to the south, and all supplies must be sent from the northern kingdom. In order to supply the army with supplies, Isabella has already taken the Castilian court to Jaen, three hundred miles northwest, where she personally supervised and ensured food and grass for the front line! "

"Under the city of Barcelona, ​​there is a siege camp of 30,000 people, and 15,000 mules are needed to supply supplies! The kingdom's finances have been exhausted. In order to maintain such a huge war consumption, Isabella has already used her own royal territory She even mortgaged the crown on her head, the jewels on her body, and the scepter in her hand to merchants in Barcelona and Valencia."

"And all of this is for the holy war! For you, you can capture the city of Barcelona in front of you! Fernando, you must never have any thoughts of retreating, you must complete your mission!"

Having said that, Justice Thomas conveyed strong emotions for the first time in his stern words. He looked closely into Fernando's eyes. And the king of Aragon tilted his head slightly, avoiding the stern gaze, and his expression showed a little unnaturalness.

A terrible new plague broke out in the camp, the morale of the army fell to the bottom, and the holy war knights from all over the world had either evacuated or were clamoring to evacuate. Facing the still strong mountain city of Bassa, King Fernando already had the idea of ​​retreating in his heart. He has always been a cautious and rational person, he will fully calculate everything, make a decision before making a move.

Regarding the sudden outbreak of the terrible plague, King Fernando judged rationally that the hope of victory in the siege was becoming slim. But to preserve the Jihad army and themselves to the greatest extent, the best choice is to retreat in batches and orderly after stabilizing the morale of the army.

After all, once the plague spreads on a large scale, it will only take a month or two to destroy an army of tens of thousands of people. And in the face of the terrible infectious disease, even if he is a noble king, he will get sick and die just like ordinary soldiers!

Seeing King Fernando's hesitation, Justice Thomas reached into his pocket, took out a rolled letter, and handed it over.

"Fernando, this is a letter from Isabella. Please read it!"

King Fernando took the letter silently and spread his hands. Soon, the queen's powerful handwriting and pious and fearless words fell into his eyes, carrying firm strength.

"Fernando, my husband! Since God promised you to lead your army and push the jihad so far, why do you still despair of God's blessing!"

"You know! God bless us, the Moors were never so weak, and the Christians were never so strong! In this long battle so far, your reputation has never been lost, and you have never had a single defeat ! And you will never be able to act in such a favorable situation like you are doing now!"

"My husband, muster your courage and continue the siege until your objective is conquered! I will ensure your logistics! And if necessary, I will come myself! Remember, the Lord is watching us !"

Seeing the queen's letter, King Fernando was shocked and remained silent for a long time. There were complex emotions surging in his chest, and a rare guilt appeared on his face. A wife who takes Joan of Arc as an example will always act more masculine than a man! But in front of his steadfast wife, he hesitated and flinched a little bit like a woman.

"A letter from the honorable black friars. Isabella her."

"When Isabella wrote this letter, she only knew that the logistics mountain road was washed away by the flood, the supplies of the camp were somewhat insufficient, and the morale of the sergeants was low. She didn't know that there was such a serious disaster in the camp. plague"

Thomas the Inquisitor had an eagle's eye, and he keenly saw what King Fernando wanted to say. He pondered for a while, and then slowly opened his mouth.

"The Lord bears witness! Since the plague in the camp is so serious and the morale of the crusader army is so low, I will immediately write to Isabella and send a messenger!"

Then, under the expectant eyes of King Fernando, the Inquisitor Thomas lowered his eyes and said a shocking decision.

"I'll tell Isabella, it's time... Ask her to come here in person!"

Note: The letters appearing in this chapter are the original words from Queen Isabella to King Fernando during the siege of Barcelona. Reference from the book "Isabella of Castile" by the 19th century American writer Oliver Otis Howard.