xymnovel Chapter 152 Surprise Attack on Mecca
Chapter 152 Surprise Attack on Mecca
Chapter 152 Surprise Attack on Mecca (Part 1)
After dismissing those around him, the door to the rear hall slowly closed.
Reinald's straight back relaxed slightly, but the urgency in his eyes was almost overflowing.
Lyon took a sip of his mint tea and said, "Speak, Duke, just say it."
Forgetting all formalities, Reinald lowered his voice and said in a heavy voice, "Your Highness, as you know, I'm in that godforsaken place of Transjordan, guarding Calleburg and Montreal. Every day, my eyes are either on the desert or Saladin's spies."
He licked his slightly chapped lips and continued, "Lately, the Zengid in the north seems to be giving Saladin a headache—I'm wondering if we could make his backyard a little more 'lively' as well?"
Lyon was already seated behind his desk, slowly sipping a sip of cool mint tea, and looked up: "Duke, as I have already said, the kingdom is currently—"
"This is no ordinary plan! It's the Red Sea!" Reynald lowered his voice, leaned forward, and his eyes gleamed with the flames of ambition. "The Mecca and Medina of the Red Sea are Saladin's money bag and the Achilles' heel of his faith!"
It was piled high with Indian spices, Egyptian gold, and thousands of unarmed pilgrims—and his main naval force had been decimated in Beirut, leaving his defenses as bare as a sieve! The Red Sea defense zone was now like ripe grapes, waiting for us to pick them! And with unimpeded access!
"You're still not giving up? The King warned you." Lyon raised his clear eyes, looking directly at the other man. "We both remember the King's teachings. A knight's honor lies in a fair fight, and the kingdom's safety depends on sound and prudent decision-making. Your plan is too reckless. I—sigh!"
Renaud's shoulders trembled slightly, but he immediately tensed up again.
His Highness did not directly rebuke or refuse; is this a signal?
He pondered silently for a moment, then adopted a serious expression and said solemnly, "Your Highness is wise. Loyalty requires me to obey all the decrees of the King and the Crown Prince. Therefore, any personal actions that are not in the interests of the kingdom and may bring unknown risks, I will certainly—never—would cause you or the King any worry."
Lyon's lips curled up slightly, then quickly disappeared.
He picked up the silver cup and took a sip of tea.
"I trust your loyalty and prudence, Duke. So, you've come today simply to share this—an interesting insight about the Red Sea?"
Reinald took a deep breath and pleaded, "Your Highness, wisdom and courage need the right arms to be effective. I have valiant knights and fortified castles under my command, but I lack one thing—"
He paused, then added, "Someone who truly understands the Red Sea, knows how to navigate a ship in unfamiliar waters, and—is absolutely reliable."
"Oh?" Leon showed his curiosity at just the right moment.
"Your Captain Zahir," Reynald finally revealed his true intentions, "that former—naturalized Saracen. He must be familiar with the Red Sea's waterways, its ports, and even the temperament of those Bedouin tribes. Most importantly, he is now your loyal servant. If you could lend him to me temporarily, many risks—would be greatly reduced."
Leon's expression instantly changed to that of a child whose beloved toy had been taken away, a mixture of reluctance and the pain of having his flesh torn away.
"Zahir? This—he is not only my capable captain, but also the Lord's devout servant, my beloved friend and family! Transjordan and the Red Sea are thousands of miles apart, and the seas are treacherous—"
Reinald waved his hand generously and laughed, "Your Highness! Do you think I, Reinald, am one to let my allies do their work for nothing? Just name your price! Dinars, jewels, fine Arabian warhorses, or Damascus steel swords? I've amassed quite a collection of treasures in Caleb over the years!"
Lyon slowly shook his head, his gaze falling on the kingdom map hanging on the wall, his finger precisely landing on a point where Transjordan and the Ayyubid-controlled area met.
"I don't need any of those. What I want is Ageron."
"Ajron?" Reinald was taken aback, his thick eyebrows furrowing. "Your Highness, as you know, although that place is nominally under my jurisdiction, it is practically right under Amman's nose. The Muslims have already infiltrated it. Saladin has even built half of a fortress on the mountain, which is expected to be completed next year. I—I can't give it to you right now."
"You're right, Duke, you can't give it to us right now." Lyon's voice was calm, yet carried a composure beyond his years. "But precisely because Saladin's attention is drawn to Zengi in the north, and the Egyptian navy has just suffered heavy losses in Beirut, now is the perfect opportunity for us to take it back. As long as we act quickly and coordinate perfectly."
He stood up, walked to the map, and traced his finger from Ajron to the Red Sea.
"We can put on a play. A play big enough to grab everyone's attention."
"Duke, take your fleet, which you have been secretly preparing for two or three years, disassemble it, transport it across the desert by camels, reassemble it on the Red Sea coast, and go do what you have always wanted to do. Make a big show of it, plunder trade routes, and ideally shake the entire Arabian Peninsula, panic the garrisons of Mecca and Medina, and make the Egyptians cast all their worries to the south."
Lyon looked at Reinald, shaking his head with a blank expression: "And I know nothing about it. This is your personal action, for your beliefs, or for—wealth. If successful, the glory and spoils are yours."
Even if we fail, it won't implicate the kingdom, right?
Reinald's breathing became heavy; he understood Lyon's implication.
"At the same time," Lyon slammed his finger on Ajron's spot, "I will have Guy act as commander-in-chief, under the guise of inspecting the border and consolidating defenses, to secretly assemble the lords' armies near Jaffa, Ramla, and Nablus. When the fire you set in the Red Sea illuminates the sky and draws all the attention of Adil and the Egyptians, this army will launch an attack on Ajron."
"Our primary objective is the iron mine in the valley below the mountain. If possible, we can also seize half of the castle along the way. But in any case, we must completely occupy the mining area and establish a solid defensive line before Saladin can react and reinforcements march south. With Ageron's iron, the kingdom's farm tools, knights' swords, and castle components can be supplied in an endless stream."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Reynald's chest heaved; the plan was far bolder and more sophisticated than his initial, simple idea of plunder.
His Highness not only allowed him to fulfill his long-cherished wish to desecrate the Muslim holy site, but also elevated it to part of the kingdom's strategy.
After a long silence, he swallowed hard and let out a low laugh: "Ha—Your Highness, the King's choice of you as his successor is truly the kingdom's greatest fortune."
He knelt on one knee: "Renard of Satyrone will follow your plan. I guarantee Captain Zahir will return safely without harm. As for the Red Sea, that is my personal holy war against the infidels, and has nothing to do with the throne of Jerusalem. I swear by the honor of a knight, whether in life or death, in victory or defeat, I will never let your name be associated with it in the slightest."
31
"Duke, what are you talking about?" Lyon chuckled, helping Reinald to his feet, blinking. "I don't understand. Didn't you say you had some interesting books to give me? Where are the books?"