The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 48

[48. The Foreigner of Jerusalem (3)]

-1186, Kingdom of Jerusalem-

Prince Richard, having accepted his brother John’s request for vassalage, now had him under his command.

A rare, satisfied smile spread across Richard’s face.

He was pleased.

Truly.

Prince John had joined Richard’s faction.

‘John, with this child’s addition, I have become stronger.’

Richard saw great significance in John’s joining.

Considering the Crusades, and even the next ‘matter,’ Richard needed more men.

Thus, he had spent his life recruiting talents, and with their help, he had grown stronger in many ways.

Yes, John Plantagenet was a valuable asset to Richard.

‘John could become a decisive card, depending on how he’s used.’

Richard knew.

John was.

A capable man in politics, military affairs, diplomacy, and economics, possessing all four qualities.

He was a competent brother who had recently made an agreement with Enrico Dandolo, a powerful figure in Venice.

But what Richard liked most was…

Unlike a fool like Geoffrey, John knew his ‘place’ all too well.

John was a true brother who did not covet the crown.

‘Besides everything else, he’s an amusing fellow.’

Of course, Richard hadn’t liked John from the start.

John was also a rival, inheriting the blood of the damned Angevin family.

At one time, Richard had thought John was a more cunning schemer than Geoffrey.

But he understood the meaning of ‘safety’ that John spoke of.

Yes, Prince John.

He was qualified to be a ‘companion’ who could be trusted to watch his back.

So Richard voiced his thoughts.

“Having John under my command is truly reassuring.”

“What’s so good about it? My position is becoming precarious!”

Richard’s most cherished aide, who had been with him the longest, was jealous of John, the youngest whom Richard favored.

“Your position is precarious, you say?”

“Isn’t it? He shares the same blood as Your Highness and receives your love. Isn’t it obvious that my position is in danger?”

“Well, with John’s arrival, your position might indeed crumble.”

He said it jokingly, but it was also true.

In any faction.

There were always people drooling over key positions and those who wanted immense influence within the faction.

The young noble before Richard was one such person.

Of course, Richard, the Duke of Normandy, was well aware of this.

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes, I am afraid.”

The young noble did not hide it.

“Hahaha, usually, such words are kept to oneself, aren’t they?”

“What can I hide before Your Wise Highness!”

“Hahaha, of course. I like honest people.”

Richard, who had laughed so heartily, paused to think, then spoke to his most cherished subordinate.

“John will not rashly take your place.”

“Pardon?”

“You wanted Geoffrey among my brothers. But I liked John the most.”

“Because he’s not dangerous?”

“That’s not wrong. But the real reason is, I didn’t necessarily need ‘Geoffrey.'”

“What do you mean?”

“My only true rival is my elder brother. Geoffrey calls himself a schemer, a viper, and shows all sorts of arrogant behavior, but to Henry and me, he’s just a greenhorn.”

Richard believed that his only competitor for the throne was…

The young King Henry, born as the eldest son.

He was not at all afraid of his younger brother, Geoffrey.

“And John will not covet Aquitaine, a poisoned chalice, nor will he covet your position as my right-hand man.

John, that child, is a Safe John who hates danger.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes.”

With those words, Richard closed his eyes for a moment and then spoke.

“So, John bought Easterners as slaves?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Is that slave a descendant of the Huns?”

“He is said to be Chinese.”

“Chinese?”

**

A sense of war loomed.

But our magnanimous infidel Saladin did not do anything to cause strife after declaring a truce.

He did not pillage.

Nor did he publicly execute infidel prisoners who could not pay ‘ransom,’ a common practice among Muslims and Christians.

Instead.

He proposed exchanging prisoners between the Crusaders and the Islamic army.

‘Either Saladin requesting a truce or Baldwin accepting it is amazing. They could backstab each other.’

Anyway, I was able to get a honey-like rest after a long time.

The truce is the time to build up strength and engage in political activities.

‘I made a vassalage oath with Richard at this perfect timing!’

Anyway.

I swore to devote my body and soul to Richard.

To celebrate becoming vassals of the same faction, I was thinking of getting close to the vassals of Richard.

We have to work together from now on.

A distant relationship is a bit much, right?

So I held a small banquet.

And only invited those who swore allegiance to Prince Richard.

Baldwin IV and Frederick I, who had some experience in ruling, knew my purpose.

They sponsored the venue.

How can there be such righteous people!

Wine, meat, and Middle Eastern beauties’ dance time.

I tried to create the most enjoyable atmosphere possible.

Of course, they were still wary of me, the new vassal of the Richard faction.

To them, I was a special new Dangerous John who suddenly joined the faction.

Of course, there were quite a few people who liked me.

The Count of Champagne was born in 1166, the same year as me, and he was handsome like me.

It seemed like he would get along with me soon?

“Count of Champagne, let’s get along well as young nobles.”

The Count of Champagne nodded with an awkward face.

“That’s a good idea.”

But his expression looked a little strange.

He seemed a little sad?

Could it be that we were friends when I was very young?

As I was making a question mark.

The Count of Champagne came closer to me and said.

“Uncle, you’re too much. Have you forgotten your great nephew?”

Huh?

Uncle?

I had such a nephew?

“I am Henri, the Count of Champagne, born as the eldest son of Princess Marie de France (Capet), born as the crimson daughter of Eleanor.”

“I know that. Isn’t Princess Marie, the eldest daughter of Louis VII, your mother?”

“My mother, Princess Marie, is Prince John’s sister. Didn’t you know?”

“Huh? My sisters are only Matilda, Eleanor the Younger, and Joan?”

What nonsense.

My sisters are only Matilda, Eleanor the Younger, and Joan, three people!

“My mother is Your Highness’s older sister.”

“Good heavens… Did I have a hidden sister?”

“Ah. I. Must. Tell. The. Duke. Of. Ireland. The exact truth. Before divorcing, Queen Eleanor, Your Highness’s biological mother, had two daughters with the late King Louis VII.

The names of those two princesses are Marie and Alix. Princess Marie is my mother.”

“Ahem….”

I cleared my throat.

I was very conscious of others.

Oh my.

I would learn medieval history like this.

Why didn’t I know about the existence of my half-sisters?

More than that, my beautiful mother didn’t even tell me that she had half-sisters.

Did my brothers and vassals know this fact?

Ah, I was really wronged.

**

The rumor that Safe John belatedly realized the secret of his identity spread quickly to Jerusalem.

I was really wronged. All my brothers knew about the existence of another sister.

“Unexpectedly. You didn’t know about the existence of your half-sisters.”

“You didn’t tell me either, brother?”

“I thought Geoffrey would tell you.”

“Geoffrey would have told me.”

That sly brother would never have kindly told me such an important fact.

Half-sister.

The mother is the same, but the fathers are different.

Half-sister is a very uncomfortable truth. The word half-sister is very subtle.

Those sisters are half-sisters to me?

**

-Thud.

“Don’t daydream during a duel.”

“Please be gentle.”

“As the Duke of Normandy, I cannot tolerate my vassal being weak.”

“You’re too much.”

Our Angevin-Plantagenet family is known as a dysfunctional family.

It is also a family with the blood of the Viking warrior race.

Anyway, after the sweaty duel, Richard asked.

“John, so that Chinese slave turned out to be a clever infidel.”

“That’s right.”

In a global society, if you are good at foreign languages, you will be loved.

The Eastern slave showed promise in a good way.

As I was returning with Richard after sword training.

Charles brought the ‘Eastern slave’ to me with a very surprised expression.

“This man is definitely an Eastern aristocrat.”

“What do you mean?”

“This man is as intelligent as the Apostle Paul.”

Of course, I knew that Easterners had excellent language skills.

“The weather in Jerusalem is very nice.”

Seeing the Easterner who perfectly spoke the international common language, Latin.

My heart became as grand as the Great Wall of China.

‘What is his identity?’

That Easterner never said anything about his identity when he was in front of me.

But now that he has been revealed to be a genius in language, I should slowly examine him.

I don’t want him to be an excellent technician.

All I want is ‘knowledge’ from China.

The countries with the best advanced civilizations now are the Eastern Roman Empire [Byzantine Empire], the Islamic Empire, and China.

The current China has been eaten by the Jin Dynasty in the north.

In the south, they are welcoming the era of ‘Woo-hung-hung, I’m Southern Song’ [a playful reference to the Southern Song Dynasty’s perceived weakness].

It is a country that has maintained its national power until the Mongols came.

‘It’s an amazing country that blocked the full-power Mongol Empire for 40 years.’

Now this Easterner has become fluent in our language.

I asked the Easterner, who could speak our language to some extent, about his identity.

Of course, without asking directly, through Charles.

“My name is Yue Buqun, the proud great-grandson of General Yue Fei.”

Yue Buqun (岳不群) [his given name literally translates to ‘Do not regret’].

Do not regret.

He was a brilliant general who defeated the Jin Dynasty, but the name of Yue Fei’s descendant, who died due to slander, was like that.

It sounded very meaningful.

Oh my god! I’ve had many surprising experiences since I was reincarnated.

The development that the descendant of a hero was sold to the Kingdom of Jerusalem was so fresh that it was thrilling.

Anyway, I said solemnly.

“Tell me about your journey in learning the Western language.”

“Yes, I understand.”

He told me in fluent Latin why his life had changed like this.

“The war that broke out in the Western Regions was the problem.”

‘The large-scale Crusades could be a problem for them too.’

The story of loyalty to the country that could not be heard without tears began.

-The Western Liao [also known as the Kara-Khanate] was in a state of chaos because of the incompetent emperors.

-So the soldiers were sucking their fingers [impoverished and without resources].

-But a big war broke out in the Western Regions.

-At that time, the Turks began to recruit mercenaries?

-Senior commanders were gradually leaking out [defecting], and so were horses, and the Western Liao became a mess.

-The Jin Dynasty, which was in its heyday, was thinking of properly plundering and absorbing such Western Liao.

-The Song (Southern Song) Dynasty, which could not stand idly by, made an alliance with the Dali Kingdom and Goryeo to strike the Jin Dynasty from behind, and of course, before starting the plan, they needed a spy to find out the information of the Jin Dynasty.

-Yue Buqun, who had not even married, was selected to go to the Jin Dynasty disguised as a Jurchen [the ruling ethnicity of the Jin Dynasty]!

-While going to get information about the Jin Dynasty. The guide was actually a traitor who was attached to the Jin Dynasty.

-He was lucky enough to escape, but he was captured by the Mongols and started living as a slave!

It’s a life of bad luck itself.

“…. That’s how it happened.”

After hearing the story, I said to Yue Buqun.

“Now you have two choices. Live as a slave like now, or convert and become my aide.”

Yue Buqun, impressed by my fair proposal, said in Chinese.

“I meet the great man.”

But since I am Safe John, who should not know ‘Chinese.’

“In Latin!”

“I will become your vassal.”

Son of a bitch. He adapts quickly.

**

The short and sweet peace ended.

The generous Saladin and the benevolent Baldwin IV.

After formally ending the truce, they entered the war.

Not a surprise attack when they feel like it, but through a regular declaration of war.

So I got a little busy.

“John, what are you doing? Come quickly. We have to cross the river.”

The great Frederick’s strategic weapon is the river.

He originally died by falling into the river in history.

Oh! Senior Frederick!

Seeing Frederick running across the bridge over the river, my heart feels heavy.

“You must be careful when crossing the river.”

“Don’t worry. Even if I fall, I can swim. I’m a good swimmer!”

Ah, he was so confident that he was a good swimmer in the original history, but he fell into the river and died.

Anyway, I, who participated as Frederick’s guardian.

“Fire!”

Showed the Islamic friends the taste of the latest updated longbow.

Saladin would be surprised too, right?

But the Crusaders were the ones who were surprised.

“Oh!”

A strange roar was heard.

“Those are Eastern barbarians.”

“Huns… are they?”

Could it be because of the Eastern nomadic phobia engraved in the Germanic-Celtic-Latin DNA? The Crusaders paused for a moment.

Our eyes went to only one person.

It was Yue Buqun, the Easterner I bought at a high price.

Yue Buqun, who was next to me, said after seeing those eyes.

“Lord, those guys are the Western Liao barbarians called Kitai in the West.”

Western Liao is the remnant of the Liao Dynasty, which was chased away by the Jurchen-established Jin Dynasty!

A new foreigner has appeared on the battlefield.

Huh, why are those guys in the Middle East?

Long live Henry II!