"How long can the siege camp outside Basa Mountain City hold on?"
Light smoke was lingering, and the face of Thomas the Inquisitor was as cold and solemn as the mountains of the Pyrenees.
Hearing this, King Fernando raised his brows slightly and his expression moved slightly. At this moment, there were many thoughts in his heart, changing like smoke. But in the end, when the smoke faced the mountains, all the thousands of ingenious changes gathered together and condensed into two low responses, like the cold and eye-catching falling snow.
"Dear black monk, God bless you! Before your arrival, the morale of the siege camp could only last for more than half a month. But now..."
King Fernando paused, his eyes were blank, and he replied without emotion.
"As long as the 'rescue' trial of the Inquisition can continue, I am confident that the besieged camp can hold on for another month!"
"One month..."
Justice Thomas pondered for a moment and asked again.
"So, Fernando, how long can the Moorish mountain city of Barça hold on?"
"..."
Hearing this question, King Fernando pursed his lips. He was silent for a moment before answering.
"The mountain city of Basa is a strong and dangerous mountain city. It is difficult for the dozens of mortars brought in to bombard the city. There is a full year's worth of food stored in the city, and we have been besieging it for half a year... If the morale of the defenders in the city is It’s solid and they can last another six months.”
"Of course, the morale of the Moorish defenders in the city is also very low. They don't have any reinforcements, so they can't hold on until the end. At most... they can only hold on for another three or four months! King Habu of Granada , had an agreement with us, and would not come to rescue the mountain city. The other King of Azar, on the southern coast, avoided the blockade of the Aragonese navy, contacted the Moorish Kingdom on the southern continent, and asked for reinforcements. He had on hand , not many troops can be squeezed out..."
"Before the outbreak of the plague, Hassan, the Moorish lord of Bassa Mountain City, was already a little shaken. He once sent an envoy to tentatively inquire about the terms of surrender, but there was no sincerity. It is impossible for him to control Basa Mountain City. . And after the plague broke out in the camp, he didn’t send any more envoys..."
"Well... Fernando, the promise you made with the infidels is not under the protection of God. As long as it is beneficial to the overall situation of the jihad, God will forgive you!"
Upon hearing this, Thomas the Inquisitor looked calm and made a promise of forgiveness. Then, he frowned and fell into thought.
"The siege side held out for a month...the defenders held out for three or four months...Fernando's thoughts..."
After pondering for a while, Justice Thomas looked at King Fernando and asked in a deep voice.
"Fernando, the Lord has given us firm determination. We must capture the mountain city of Bassa! The hinterland of the Moors has been desolate and cannot collect food and grass. The 60,000 Jihadi troops are scattered south, and all supplies must be sent from the northern kingdom. . In order to supply the army, Yin Sabella has already led the Castilian court to Jaen, three hundred miles northwest, where she will personally supervise and ensure food and grass for the front line!..."
"Below the city of Barcelona, there is a siege camp of 30,000 people, which requires 15,000 mules to supply supplies! The kingdom's finances have been exhausted. In order to maintain such a huge war consumption, Yinsabella has used her own royal territory to As collateral, she borrowed money from the Church of Rome and the Republic of Venice... She even mortgaged the crown on her head, the jewelry 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, to capture the city of Barcelona in front of you! Fernando, you must not have any thoughts of retreat, you must complete your mission!"
At this point, Justice Thomas's harsh words conveyed strong emotions for the first time. He looked closely into Fernando's eyes. The king of Aragon tilted his head slightly to avoid the stern gaze, and his expression showed a bit of unnaturalness.
A terrible new plague broke out in the camp, the morale of the army dropped to the bottom, and the holy war knights from various countries have either evacuated or are making noises to evacuate. Facing the still strong mountain city of Basa, King Fernando did have the idea of retreating in his mind. He has always been a cautious and rational person, who will fully calculate everything and make decisions before taking action.
Regarding this sudden outbreak of terrible plague, King Fernando rationally judged that the hope of victory in the siege was becoming slim. To preserve the Jihadi Army and yourself to the greatest extent, the best option is to retreat in batches and in an orderly manner after stabilizing the morale of the army.
After all, once the plague spreads on a large scale, it would only take a month or two to destroy an army of tens of thousands. And in the face of terrible infectious diseases, even if he is a noble king, he will get sick and die just like an ordinary soldier!
Seeing King Fernando's hesitation, Justice Thomas reached into his arms, took out a rolled letter, and handed it over.
"Fernando, this is a letter from Yin Sabella to you. 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 with firm power.
"Fernando, my husband! Since God promised you to lead your army and advance the jihad so far, why do you still despair of God's blessing!..."
"You know! God protect us, the Moors have never been so weak, and the Christians have never been so strong! So far, in this long battle, your reputation has never been lost, and you have never suffered a defeat. ! And you will never be able to act under such favorable circumstances as you do now!..."
"My husband, take courage and continue the siege until your goal is conquered! I will ensure your logistics! And if necessary, I will come personally! Remember, the Lord is watching us !”
King Fernando was shocked when he saw the Queen's letter and was speechless for a long time. There were complicated emotions surging in his chest, and a rare look of guilt appeared on his face. A wife who takes Joan of Arc as an example will always behave more masculinely than a man! But in front of his determined wife, he hesitated and flinched like a woman.
"Dear black monk...this letter...Yin Sabella, she..."
"When Yin Sabella wrote this letter, she only knew that the mountain roads for logistics had been washed away by floods, the supplies in the camp were somewhat insufficient, and the morale of the sergeants was low. She did not know that such a serious disaster had occurred in the camp. plague..."
Thomas the Inquisitor's eyes were like an eagle, and he keenly discerned King Fernando's unfulfilled intentions. He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Witness the Lord! Since the plague in the camp is so serious and the morale of the Jihadist Army is so low... I will write a letter to Insabella immediately and send a messenger!"
Then, under the expectant gaze of King Fernando, Justice Thomas lowered his eyes and made a shocking decision.
"I will tell Sabella Yin that it is time... to ask her to come here in person!"
