Alien Knights

On the winding mountain road, Saladin, who was riding a horse to enjoy the scenery along the way, seemed indifferent to the upcoming battle.

In contrast, the general beside him was not in such a good mood.

"Khalifah, I don't understand, why did you entrust such an important task to Latib?" Elim, the supreme commander of the Kasaji Guards, looked at Saladin in distress, and said in a low voice: " You should know that he is an old minister of the Abbasid Empire and has always been dissatisfied with you."

"I know."

"Then you still...?"

Saladin did not answer this question, but asked another thing to Elim: "Do you know why I brought you with me?"

"have no idea."

Saladin flicked the reins, and while driving his mount forward, he said, "Once you figure out the second question, you will naturally get the answer to the first question."

Yi Laim was taken aback, tilted his head and thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

He urged the horse to follow Saladin's pace, and said with a shy smile: "Great and omnipotent caliph, your wisdom is invincible, and your subjects are dull, please..."

Saladin smiled and raised his horsewhip, pointed at the Guyan City built on the mountain, and asked, "If I give you seven thousand elite soldiers, how do you plan to attack this city?"

Talking about the war, Yilam came to his senses: "It doesn't need seven thousand, as long as you give me five thousand, and then dispatch the artillery team to me, at most ten days, I can make this city fall under your feet!"

Saladin laughed, shook his head at Elim and said, "Wrong!"

The latter's face was full of doubts: "Wrong? Where is it wrong?"

"I want you to attack this city, but at the same time I order you not to attack this city."

"Ah???" Elim thought there was something wrong with his ears: "Attack this city, but not allow it to be captured?! Caliph, aren't you joking?!"

Saladin stroked his beard, looked at the other party and smiled, "I'm not joking."

"Why?!"

Saladin urged the horse again, leaving only Elim behind.

"When you understand the first two questions, you will naturally find the answer to the third question..."

Near the east side of the mountain where Guyan City is located, there is a steep side peak. The rock surface here is as smooth as a mirror, and the stone forest is as sharp as thorns. Not to mention humans, even ordinary animals, it is difficult to climb here.

However, on the top of this side peak, there are a man and a woman standing, looking at the battlefield at the foot of the mountain.

The man said: "Guyan City can't hold on for too long."

The woman asked, "What's the reason?"

"I went to the city to see that there are less than 700 defenders, too few troops." The man looked at the woman and said helplessly, "Goddess, according to your reminder, although the regent successfully prevented the surprise attack of the imperial army, But they are still unable to face such a large number of enemy troops."

Eleanor stared at the man and asked another question: "Garcia, when will the reinforcements from Lone Rock City return to the city?"

"The fastest is about two days, and the latest is about four days."

Eleanor shifted her gaze to the battlefield, and asked quietly: "In your opinion, if the reinforcements from Lone Rock City arrive in time and face the imperial army, what chance does the former have?"

"Fifty percent."

Eleanor looked at Garcia in surprise: "Even if the reinforcements rush back, the chance of winning is only 50%?!"

Garcia frowned and replied: "If the reinforcements rush back and the troops of Lone Rock City return to their peak state, their winning rate will probably reach 80%. The chances of winning are reduced to 50%."

Knowing that the other party's words are always targeted, Eleanor pondered for a moment, and said: "It seems that what we have to do now is to lend a helping hand to Lonely Rock City..."

On the gate of the outer city of Guyan City.

"That's the flag of Kasaji's guard." Jennings pointed to a heavy cavalry regiment on the battlefield, sighed and said, "That army is the guard directly under the emperor of the empire. Their appearance represents Ayu The ruler of the Bu Empire is here in person."

Randall looked at Jennings's sad face, and suggested, "My lord, besides the reinforcements from Lone Rock City, if you wish, there is actually another army that can rush to help here at any time."

Jennings turned his head, looked into Randall's eyes, and said word by word: "Before the king died, he entrusted the kingdom to me and specifically explained two things: 1. Protect the young queen until she reaches adulthood ; Two, to ensure that Lonely Rock City does not fall into the hands of others. Therefore, I cannot agree to anything that may threaten the royal power!"

After saying these words, Jennings put his attention on the battlefield again, and continued: "As long as our reinforcements can arrive in time, the victory of this war must belong to Lone Rock City!"

The army of the Ayyubid Empire has assembled at the foot of the mountain of Lone Rock City. The soldiers knelt on the ground, with their foreheads on the ground and their palms facing up, listening to the old imam recite scriptures. After completing a series of religious ceremonies, the infantry regiment began to draw out their weapons, raise their shields, and make the final formation adjustments; the musketeers dug holes in the ground, set up the gun stand brackets, and began to check the matchlocks and magazines ; Under the leadership of the scholars, the artillery team calculated the trajectory over and over again and adjusted the scale and angle.

Looking at the frightening pagan army in front of them, the defenders of Lone Rock City all turned pale and their legs trembled.

Soldiers in Lone Rock City took out the crosses on their chests and began to meditate on prayers from the Bible. Jennings called his adjutant and asked in a low voice, "Is there any news about the reinforcements?"

The adjutant shook his head.

Jennings frowned, and turned his gaze to the enemy army outside the city, but unexpectedly found a small group of troops walking out of the imperial army and slowly walking towards the city gate.

With doubts in his heart, Jennings looked at the leader of the team, a stocky imperial official who came to the city gate and shouted: "The great and merciful Salah al-Din, willing Before the anger falls on your heads, I will give you one last chance!"

Persuade surrender?

Jennings's hands were clenched into fists, and he hit the city wall below him hard.

After a while, he said in a hoarse voice, "Let those guys come to the top of the city in a hanging basket."

The adjutant was taken aback for a moment, and then anxiously persuaded: "My lord, once the matter of negotiating with heretics is spread to the diocese, I'm afraid it will be bad for your reputation!"

Jennings turned his head and glared at the adjutant, growling in a low voice: "I know! But at this time, false peace talks are the only way we can delay time!"

Looking at the imperial army in front of him, Jennings gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "As long as the reinforcements arrive..."

Randall watched what happened on the city wall, feeling a vague bad premonition in his heart.

It is impossible for the invincible emperor of the empire not to understand the truth that soldiers are expensive and fast. He used light cavalry to raid the city gate last night, but today he sent envoys to persuade him to surrender. What kind of premeditation is behind it?

Late that night, in the camp of the Ayub Empire.

Elim, the commander of the Kasaji Guards, came to Saladin's tent and asked for an interview.

After the briefing by the guards, Elim saw the emperor reading at night in the tent.

"Caliph, the envoy sent to persuade you to surrender has returned."

Hearing this, Saladin looked away from the book, saw a stinky face blacker than the bottom of the pot, and said with a smile: "Let me guess, they neither agreed to surrender nor explicitly resisted."

Elim said angrily: "These cunning old dogs are totally trying to delay time!"

Saladin's expression didn't look surprised or angry. He put down the book in his hand and said to his confidant general: "There is nothing wrong with the enemy choosing to do this at this time."

Hearing this, Yilam asked tentatively: "Since that's the case, can we start fighting tomorrow without persuading them to surrender?"

Saladin nodded lightly and said, "Yes, we can start the war tomorrow..."

"Great!" Yilam said excitedly, rubbing his fists, "Caliph, as long as you give me an order, I promise to..."

"Don't forget what I told you earlier."

"ah?"

Saladin patted the table and shouted in a low voice: "I allow you to attack Lone Rock City, but you cannot attack Lone Rock City!"

When Elim heard this, his face drooped immediately.

Saladin ignored him, but turned his gaze to the north, and said to himself: "If you count the time, it's almost time for Lone Rock City to know the news."

At this time, in the barracks of Lonely Rock City, Regent Jennings stood in front of the table, looking at the huge map in front of him. He, who has not been rested for a long time, has two dark circles under his eyes, and his face is slightly pale.

"Today is already the second day after the messenger left. There should be some news coming back." Jennings looked at the map while recalling everything that happened in the past two days, always feeling that he had missed something important.

A sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his train of thought.

"My lord! My lord! The messenger is back!"

Jennings raised his head and saw the orderly standing at the door, his eyes were wide open, and he shouted, "Let them in quickly!"

The sentinel who came to deliver the order said with a embarrassed expression: "My lord, only one messenger has returned, and there are some... other people..."

Jennings was stunned for a moment, then moved quickly, pushed away the sentinel at the door, and walked out quickly.

Walking outside the door, the first thing Jennings saw was a knight he had never seen before. He is short and stocky, wearing black armor with a pattern of cross umbrellas.

On the knight's back lay the messenger from Lone Rock City, his life and death uncertain.

Anxious Jennings ordered his subordinates to take the messenger from the knight, and shouted for a doctor.

The messenger sent to ask for help was shot in the chest by a musket and was covered in blood. He opened his bloodshot eyes, looked at the regent of Lonely Rock City, and swallowed his last breath after only saying a word.

"The empire's fleet... three days ago... landed in the north..."