xymnovel Chapter 163 The Roman Empire's Plea for Help
Chapter 163 The Roman Empire's Plea for Help
Chapter 163 The Roman Empire's Plea for Help (Part 1)
Raymond read Baldwin's dictation and his written document aloud again, and after confirming that there were no errors, he nodded to the king.
Baldwin waved his hand, his voice weary: "If there's nothing else, then today—"
"Your Majesty," Raymond stepped forward, "there is one more matter. A messenger from Constantinople arrived this morning with a personal letter from Basilius of the Roman Empire requesting assistance."
A slight commotion.
The Roman Empire was a vital ally of the kingdom, the homeland of Queen Mother Maria Komnina, and also the place where her younger sister, Princess Isabella, was to marry. But at this critical juncture—
"Read it," Baldwin commanded briefly.
Raymond unfolded another scroll of parchment decorated with purple silk threads and gold seals.
"The imperial documents are far too lengthy. I think you, and His Majesty, will not mind if I focus on the essentials."
His tone became extremely solemn, and as the letter had stated, he began to describe the situation in which five forces—Sicily, Venice, Hungary, Serbia, and the Roma Turks—simultaneously attacked the Roman Empire.
"William II of Normandy, relying on the support of Frederick the German Emperor, no longer had ambitions for southern Italy. He was working day and night in the docks of Palermo to build a fleet, his sights set on the empire's core territories on the eastern Adriatic coast—Epiros and Macedonia. If Thessaloniki fell, the Peloponnese would be wide open. His father, William I, had ravaged the empire's Greek homeland ten years earlier, and now he intended to replicate or even surpass his father's achievements."
"Meanwhile, our old friend Venice, under the new Doge Enrico Dandolo, a blind old man more cunning than a fox and more greedy than a lion, is using the trade privileges granted by the Empire to turn his fleet into a dagger hanging over the Dalmatian coast. Their merchant ships roam freely in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, measuring depths and charting nautical charts—their actions are no different from pre-war reconnaissance. Although they suffered a major defeat at Antalya last year and are still licking their wounds, we are not confident of simultaneously defeating these two naval forces that may join forces."
"King Béla of Hungary, leveraging the prestige and wealth gained from his engagement to a French princess, is striving to establish his kingdom as a Central European power. His core objective is the complete capture of all cities along the Dalmatian coast. Since the death of Emperor Manuel the Magnificent, Hungarian cavalry have continuously crossed the Sava and Drava rivers, harassing the Serbian border and advancing towards the fortress of Nessos. They claim historical rights to cities such as Split and Zadar," and have already cultivated pro-Hungarian forces in these regions. If the empire weakens in this direction, it will lose not only its coastline but also its northwestern gateway to the Balkan heartland.
"Then there were the Empire's archenemies in the eastern Anatolia—the Turks."
"Although the great Manuel the Great halted their westward advance after the Battle of Myreosefalon, the Turkic Sultan never relinquished his dream of seizing the remaining rich coastline of Anatolia. Currently, his lords are gathering Turkmen light cavalry on the Konya Plateau. Heaven knows where they intend to target; the Empire has always been elusive in the movements of the Turks. Judging from past experience, their objective is likely to be either Philadelphia or the Meander Valley, the Empire's last granary and vital source of manpower in Asia Minor. If this place falls, the Empire will be forever locked west of the Taurus Mountains."
"Then there is Grand Duke Stefan Nimanja of Serbia, a vassal we once thought to be loyal, who, after witnessing the flames of war on all sides, has finally torn off his disguise. He not only refuses to pay tribute, but also forcibly expelled the empire's appointed administrators and troops in Laška and Kosovo. His ambition is no longer autonomy, but complete independence. Suppressing him would require mobilizing a large standing army, which is precisely what the empire is currently least capable of, as our main forces must deal with more deadly external enemies."
"The letter also mentioned that the governors of Pontus and Cyprus have recently become estranged from the Imperial Central Government and their movements are unclear. Meanwhile, the Armenian lords of Cilicia are wavering between the Turks and the Latin ghetto states, and there is a risk that they will completely side with one side and break away from the Imperial sphere. If the Empire fails to win battles against its border enemies and Serbia within its borders, they are very likely to change their tune and secede from the Empire, which would completely destroy the Empire's strategic layout in the Black Sea, northern Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea around Cyprus."
"Your Majesty, my colleagues," Raymond's voice echoed through the hall, "this is perhaps the most severe test the Roman Empire has faced since the death of Manuel the Great. This threat is unlike any before, coming from all five directions of the empire's territory."
Raymond paused, letting the information settle.
He surveyed the silent crowd and continued, "The empire at this moment is like a bloated bull being torn apart by five wolves, each trying to rip a chunk of flesh from its body. Basilius frankly admitted in his letter that with the empire's currently fragmented military strength and empty treasury, it is impossible to deal with all directions simultaneously."
He concluded by reading the letter's conclusion: "Therefore, after repeated deliberations by the Imperial Military Council, the Empire has determined that while the maritime threats from Sicily and Venice are imminent, their preparations for full-scale war will take time, and given their mutual distrust, they can temporarily be dealt with through diplomacy and limited defense. The Serbian rebellion, though painful, is an internal problem, and the Empire can mobilize its remaining Bar forces in the military regions to contain it. Currently, the most deadly and likely to erupt first and trigger a chain reaction of collapses is the Kingdom of Hungary's land offensive against the Dalmatian region and the Turkic raids into the Anatolian heartland. The Empire urgently needs a reliable and rapidly mobile external force to be deployed in one of these two directions to help stabilize the front lines; even just stabilizing one direction will free up the Empire's resources to concentrate on resolving the other."
The long silence was heavier than ever before.
Balian was the first to speak, clenching his fists and trying to sound righteous, but his voice quickly faded: "As allies, we have an obligation to support you. The alliance was forged when Princess Isabella married into Constantinople. But—this is no longer support, this is almost—"
"It's practically sending our warriors to fill the most fatal hole in a leaky, dilapidated ship," Joslin continued, "and at a time when our own houses are also at risk of being set ablaze by Saladin! Your Majesty, this—this goes beyond the scope of appropriate aid." It forces us to choose between two options: prioritize the survival of Jerusalem, or save Constantinople from its impending collapse?
"Then the alliance is meaningless!" Raymond lamented helplessly. "The Empire understands our predicament. They didn't ask us to send troops to fight the most powerful Sicilian or Venetian fleets, but instead chose two land battlefields! They are begging for a fresh force to give them a respite! If we stand by and watch them die today, when Saladin's army besieges the city, who do you think will remember the brotherhood of Christ? The Hungarians? The Venetians? Or the French and Germans, each with their own agendas deep in the heart of Western Europe?"
"But strength is fundamental!" Reinald glanced at Lyon and shook his head. "Without an army, credibility is nothing but a castle in the air! Where can we possibly spare a single soldier?"
The debate resumed, but it had lost its previous edge and was filled with a sense of powerlessness.
Everyone knows the importance of covenants and credibility, but everyone also understands the current situation of the kingdom.
This is an unsolvable deadlock.
On the throne, Baldwin IV listened quietly, his gaze passing through the mask and landing on Lyon beside him.
Leon lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.
What is this usually mischievous little devil thinking right now?