< 197. The Egyptian Expedition (2) >
Damascus
“This damn city is disgustingly large, don’t you think?”
Henry II said, gulping down cold water.
“No matter how big it is, it will crumble if hit by a trebuchet.”
Philip said.
Throughout the camp, artisans were busy assembling trebuchets.
‘Nasty Neighbor’ and ‘God’s Trebuchet.’ The soldiers were waiting for these trebuchets to be completed.
“How about launching a large-scale offensive once the trebuchets are complete?”
Henry II said.
“Let’s settle this before other Saracen armies arrive in Damascus.”
“Baldwin said that Saladin is wary and well-prepared. We must stick to the original plan.”
Philip shook his head.
Since besieging Damascus, Henry II had been trying to take the initiative.
French army and English army.
The tension between the two sides continued daily.
But the supreme overlord was, after all, France, namely Philip.
Besides, hadn’t Henry II, Richard, and young Henry all sworn allegiance to him?
The higher authority rested with Philip. But that didn’t mean he could openly assert his authority.
First, he had to complete the mission assigned in Damascus.
‘We need to buy time until Baldwin occupies Egypt.’
Philip said.
“Our job is to keep Saladin busy. Why volunteer for danger?”
“If the situation is favorable, wouldn’t it be okay to move a few steps further?”
Henry II replied with a smile.
Philip stared at him for a moment before turning his head.
Having come all the way to Damascus, he couldn’t have other intentions.
To raise his voice back in Europe, he too had to achieve something.
“According to the scouts’ reports, Saladin is still in Damascus.”
Philip said.
“But his brother, Al-Adil’s whereabouts are unknown. It’s not too late to act after gathering information.”
“If so···.”
Just as Henry opened his mouth, several knights came running.
William Marshal, at the head, said.
“Your Majesty, a large Saracen army is approaching Damascus.”
“Al-Adil must have brought reinforcements. How many?”
“Judging by the number of camels, approximately 70,000···.”
“70,000?”
Philip and Henry II frowned and looked at each other.
A number far exceeding their expectations.
“Tell Count Joscelin to bring his troops down immediately.”
Philip said with a sigh.
“If the enemy has that many troops, there’s no room to carry out deception in the north.”
“I wonder if the Lord will truly grant me salvation···.”
Henry II muttered, looking at the fortress walls ahead.
“We’ll know soon enough.”
* * *
Egypt
Damietta
“Looting civilians is strictly prohibited! All spoils will be gathered in the square and distributed directly!”
“All citizens who have paid ransom are free to leave the city!”
Heralds and officers walked through the streets, shouting.
Damietta citizens either left the city or hid in their homes, watching the streets.
“I didn’t expect the first siege to end so anticlimactically,” Richard said, yawning.
I marched slowly through the streets with him. Alexios and Lallibela were ahead.
“They must have seen the main force being utterly defeated right in front of them. The morale of the defenders must have plummeted,” I replied, pulling on the reins.
The battle in front of the walls ended in our overwhelming victory.
The winner of the bet was surprisingly the Zagwe Kingdom knights.
The Ethiopians captured the most prisoners, surpassing the Franks.
“By the way, those Abyssinians (Ethiopians) also used such cowardly weapons. The bet is void.”
“Didn’t we agree not to specify which weapons couldn’t be used?” I replied with a smile.
In fact, judging by the battle alone, it was a victory for the Jerusalem and England knights.
But the Ethiopians captured prisoners with weapons made by tying two stones to a rope.
From the start, the competition was about who could capture more prisoners.
‘It would have been nice to catch Taqi ad-Din.’
Unfortunately, I failed to capture him. I didn’t expect him to run away so quickly. He disappeared without a trace before I could even chase him.
“By the way, why are you just letting those people go?” I tilted my head, and Richard gestured toward the street.
A procession of refugees leaving the city in droves.
“If we let them go like that, they’ll all go to Cairo. That means Taqi ad-Din’s defense force will also increase.”
“And Cairo’s food situation will worsen accordingly,” I said.
In fact, Damietta’s immediate surrender was a wise decision.
Although I promised not to harm the citizens if they surrendered.
‘If the siege had continued, I wouldn’t have let them go so easily.’
It was customary in this era to allow looting for three days after capturing a city following a long siege.
Richard muttered, “But you can’t just kick out tens of thousands of refugees from Cairo.”
I nodded in response instead of answering. It wasn’t just to satisfy my moral compass that I released the citizens.
The more refugees flock there, the faster Cairo’s stockpiles of food will be depleted.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Richard stopped and asked.
“Now that we’ve taken Damietta, the first step is safely completed. Are we going to attack Cairo?” he said.
“I heard from the informants here that the Nile River will flood around this time. It will be difficult to march with the rising river beside us.”
“The Duke is right,” I nodded in response.
The Fifth Crusade also failed that way. After capturing Damietta, they marched aimlessly towards Cairo, got caught by the Nile River, and were surrounded.
They could only be released after vowing to abandon Damietta.
From the start, Cairo was not an easy city to capture. The walls weren’t that high, but there were too many defending soldiers inside.
“But we can’t just stay here in Damietta. As time passes, supplies and funds will run out.”
When I didn’t answer, Richard shrugged.
“If you’re not going to lead the main force and advance to Cairo, and you’re not going to stay still in Damietta, then what exactly are you going to do?”
“When you don’t like the choices…,” I said. “You can change the premise itself. What if we draw the army of Cairo to this place?”
“…”
Richard stroked his beard with a serious expression.
“Of course, if we could do that, it would be the best. But didn’t you say that Taqi ad-Din is a cautious man? He won’t come out willingly.”
“I have something prepared in advance,” I said in a small voice.
A strategy that I had been preparing under the surface since before the start of the Third Crusade.
‘To be precise, it would be from after Taqi ad-Din successfully retreated from Ascalon.’
The power struggle between Taqi ad-Din and Al-Adil.
The easiest way to win a war is through division, that is, dividing the enemy.
“According to intelligence, Al-Adil’s army came to Egypt a while ago,” I said.
“They must be reinforcements to help defend Egypt.”
“Al-Adil, you mean Saladin’s brother. How are you going to use them?”
“It’s simple,” I said with a smile. “We just have to keep losing.”
“Lose?” Richard frowned and asked back. He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it.
“You’re the only one who says you can win by losing in battle, Baldwin.”
* * *
Cairo
The palace once ruled by the Shia Caliphs was now used as the governor’s office – a place overflowing with gold and all sorts of treasures.
Cairo was crowded with refugees flocking from all over.
“They will surely come straight here to Cairo!”
“Let them come as much as they want! Although we lost Damietta, this Cairo is an impregnable fortress!”
Governor’s office.
All the generals shouted and waved their arms.
“As long as we have Cairo, we can retake Damietta at any time! Time is on our side anyway!”
“Why doesn’t the Sultan bring troops from Damascus?!”
“Damascus is already under attack by the French and Inkita (English) bastards.”
“But isn’t the Inkita Duke in Damietta right now?! The Shaitan (Devil) is in Damietta!”
Silence fell at the word Shaitan.
A crest with a yellow lion engraved on it.
The Frankish Duke, who single-handedly captured Masud Atabeg in Aleppo, was well known in Egypt as well.
That devil had appeared in Damietta.
“Everyone calm down. Getting excited won’t solve anything,” Taqi ad-Din, who was sitting at the head of the table, opened his mouth.
He dabbed the scar on his cheek with a water-soaked towel. It was pure luck that he was able to escape from Damietta.
As the tide turned, he immediately boarded a racing camel and retreated to Cairo.
“First, we must focus on the defense of Cairo. Whether the Frankish bastards come straight here or not…”
He looked at the assembly.
“As long as we have Cairo, Egypt is as good as in our hands.”
The news of Damietta had caused the morale of the defenders to plummet, even with the influx of refugees.
He had to buy time somehow.
“Besides, the Nile River is currently flooding. The Franks won’t recklessly march here.”
“We must not underestimate the momentum of the Franks, Governor,” an old general said.
“Haven’t they always attacked from unexpected places? Even this time in Damietta…”
All the surrounding generals nodded. A ship with siege towers.
No one had imagined that the Franks would bring such weapons.
“There is a possibility that they will go around the Nile and advance to Cairo.”
“We must buy time at all costs! If we stay like this, the refugees will be massacred!”
Taqi ad-Din stood up, and they all closed their mouths.
“First, kick out the Christians in Cairo. Tell them to build defenses on the outskirts of the city.”
He said.
“We can drag them out of the city gates under the pretext of work, and then prevent them from entering. We must not allow a commotion like in Damascus.”
“Of course, Your Excellency.”
“Baldwin may have planned something using them. If you see any signs, immediately control the streets.”
Taqi ad-Din turned his head and looked at the assembly.
“I have defeated the Franks in Ascalon before. They are by no means invincible. Although Damietta has fallen into their hands…”
He added, “Isn’t this Cairo still standing strong? We also have reinforcements from Damascus, so we are not at a disadvantage.”
“…”
The officers from Damascus nodded – those who followed Al-Adil.
It was an open secret that Taqi ad-Din was wary of them.
“I will entrust you with the most important mission,” the governor said, looking at them.
“Delay the advance of the Franks until the defense of Cairo is completed. Can you do it?”
Silence flowed.
A head-on confrontation with the Frankish knights.
No one was unaware that it was a suicidal act. Taqi ad-Din had calmly assigned such a mission.
But if they openly refused, it could be taken as insubordination.
“Of course, Governor,” an officer from Damascus knelt down and said.
“I will do anything to save the Muslims and protect Cairo.”