The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 168 Baldwin's Test

Chapter 168 Baldwin's Test

Late June, 1183 in the Julian calendar, deep within the royal palace in Jerusalem.

Henry was led into the room alone, while Leon was ushered out by Baldwin, the door closing gently in front of him, shutting out all the sounds inside.

Upon entering the council chamber, Henry abandoned his nonchalant demeanor from the journey and bowed to the throne with a standard and solemn knightly salute.

At this moment, he was no longer the eloquent wandering knight, but an unknown soldier standing before a legendary king.

“Alberto da Giuzano, or rather, Henry of Prague,” Baldwin said, looking at Henry with interest. “Lyon speaks highly of you, even entrusting part of the kingdom’s future to you. Before I make my final decision, I need to assess you personally.”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Henry maintained his bow, "but please allow me to correct you, my hometown is actually Scarlitz."

"Raise your head," Baldwin said slowly. "I've read the battle reports about Legniano, though only in fragments and full of contradictions. They say you used an infantry phalanx to hold off Frederick's personal charge of Imperial Knights and ultimately routed them. Tell me, how did you do it? Not in the legendary tone of a poet, but as a commander sees it."

Henry straightened up and met the king's gaze with composure.

"Your Majesty, first of all, the victory does not belong to me personally, but to every Lombard citizen who held the line, and also to the commander who led 700 Milanese cavalry. In that battle, we did not only have infantry, but also deployed 2000 cavalry, although I do not know that commander."

He explained, "Secondly, it wasn't a block, it was an absorption; we absorbed, deflected, and neutralized the German knights' charge."

He walked to the empty space in the center of the room, as if it were a former battlefield.

"At first, I was just a nobody among the infantry. We, along with the cavalry, were hiding in a grove of trees when we came across 500 knights who were completely unprepared and out of formation. Leading this group of knights was none other than Redbeard himself."

"Heaven knows how Redbeard showed up there with such a small group of men. The Milanese cavalry quickly charged out of the woods, catching the German knights off guard, and the German knights quickly retreated."

"But that was just a rout. Redbeard quickly regained his footing and launched a counter-charge against the Milanese cavalry. Although I'm reluctant to admit it, the facts are clear: the German knights were incredibly fierce, and our cavalry, which had initially held the advantage, crumbled in an instant. The cavalry abandoned us infantry and fled on their own. We had no choice but to fight to the death."

"We chose terrain with gentle slopes and flanks restricted by rivers and swamps, forcing the German knights to charge from a relatively narrow front. We dug shallow trenches and laid sharpened stakes. The soldiers in the front row pressed the butts of their lances into the ground, bracing themselves with their bodies and shoulders, while the lances of the second and third rows extended from the gaps in the front ranks—"

Baldwin nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"The first wave of German knights' charge did indeed shake our lines. The Milanese infantry were kind and loyal citizen soldiers, poorly equipped, and no matter what, they couldn't withstand the German knights." Henry's eyes sharpened, as if he were back in that dusty, blood-soaked moment. "Our only hope was our lances. As long as the lancers were determined, even the most elite knights wouldn't dare charge a lance formation. I stepped forward to encourage them and took the lead. The knights' charge was gradually dispersed. Horses instinctively avoided or reared up when injured or facing obstacles, and once the knights lost their speed, they became heavy targets in the dense infantry. Meanwhile, the crossbowmen and light infantry I had pre-positioned on the flanks began attacking the knights' relatively vulnerable flanks and rear with arrows and javelins. When the enemy's momentum was halted and their formation began to crumble, I ordered the last remaining assault troops in the line, armed with halberds and great axes, to press forward and divide them—the rest was a contest of wills."

"The price?" Baldwin asked briefly.

"A heavy loss," Henry answered without hesitation. "Almost all the soldiers in the first rank were killed or seriously wounded. Many spears were broken, and many were trampled by horses. But we did not collapse. Because Milan was behind us, and there was no way to retreat."

"You are very good at commanding infantry," Baldwin said slowly, praising. "You understand terrain, fortifications, and..."

Formation depth and—how to exploit the enemy's arrogance. But this time, you might be facing a relentless onslaught of Hungarian hussars or an endless barrage of arrows from Turkish light cavalry. Their tactics differ from those of the German heavy knights.

Henry pondered for a moment: "I know something about the Hungarian hussars, but the Turks—"

He shook his head: "I really don't understand, please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"Heavy cavalry is like a hammer, aiming to break through enemy lines in one blow. Light cavalry is like a knife, designed to cut and bleed. You will mostly be facing the latter." Baldwin coughed a few times and continued, "Hungarian cavalry is very similar to the Turks, adept at feints, flanking maneuvers, and launching short, simultaneous attacks from multiple directions. They dislike head-on charges, instead seeking out weak points, such as flanks, rear guard, and marching columns. Their weakness lies in the fact that once a feint is discovered and they cannot escape, or are forced into close-quarters combat, which they are not good at, their discipline is often inferior to that of Western knights. Their horses have amazing stamina, but their impact and protection are relatively weak."

"But be careful, I am only referring to the general situation. The current King of Hungary, Béla III, grew up in the court of Constantinople and has probably been exposed to a lot of Roman tactics and strategies. Be sure to be cautious."

"As for the Turkic light cavalry," Baldwin continued, "they are the ghosts of the desert and mountains. Arrows are their primary weapon, and they will fire around you like wolves tearing apart bison. Their weakness lies in their extreme reliance on mobility and firing range. If you can restrict their movement with wagon formations, fortified camps, or advantageous terrain, or—by counterattacking their flanks with faster cavalry, forcing them to be unable to fire freely from their mounts, they will be on the defensive. Remember, they cherish their horses and dislike suffering unavoidable casualties."

"Thank you for your instruction, Your Majesty." Henry bowed solemnly.

Baldwin slowly leaned back in his chair, as if his words had just taken a lot of his energy.

Silence descended once more in the room, but this time the atmosphere was even heavier.

After a long silence, the king spoke again, his voice so low it was almost a whisper: "Henry, what I am about to say has nothing to do with kings and knights, but only with an elder brother—and someone who may not have much time left."

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