The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 80 The End of the Banquet

After the grand military parade, the royal banquet hall was brightly lit.

Although Prince Bohemond III of Antioch stuttered more as he spoke with excitement, he spared no praise for the knights of Jerusalem and the crossbowmen, and at one point he was so excited that he almost couldn't breathe.

Baldwin IV sat quietly in the main seat, showing neither humility in the face of praise nor any hint of pride, making it difficult to discern his true emotions.

The nobles of Jerusalem, their faces flushed, raised their glasses in toast with Prince Bohemond, and the banquet was filled with an atmosphere of pride and celebration.

The only two oddballs at the banquet were Lyon and Bohemond Jr.

Lyon skillfully cut the steak and put it in his mouth. Bohemond sat opposite him, his hand seemingly frozen as he cut the steak, his eyes scrutinizing Lyon with a resentful look.

After a few rounds of drinks, Baldwin raised his hand to silence the noise and said softly to Bohemond III, "Your Highness, now, please tell everyone here about the movements of Saladin's army on the other side of the Orentes River."

The nobles immediately fell silent, their curious gazes all turning to Bohemond.

The truce between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin was about to end, and they needed to understand Saladin's current situation.

Lyon slowed his movements slightly and listened attentively.

Bohemond nodded, put down his wine glass, and said seriously, "Saladin arrived in Aleppo in early June and has been besieging it for more than three months now. During these three months of siege, there has been no progress because Saladin has been besieging the city without attacking, and has not sent a single soldier to the walls of Aleppo."

"Surrounding without attacking?"

The nobles exchanged bewildered glances. Aleppo, a major military stronghold in northern Syria and once the capital of the Zengid dynasty, was fortified, making it understandable that Saladin had difficulty breaching it in the short term.

But why besiege it without attacking? Aleppo is not a weak little castle and will not be affected in the slightest by Saladin's siege without attacking. Saladin would only waste his own supplies by doing so.

Seeing everyone's doubts, Bohemond continued, "Saladin not only besieged Aleppo but also told us that Aleppo merchants passing through Antioch allowed Aleppo caravans and people to come and go freely. Saladin had no intention of conquering Aleppo by force; he wanted to reach an agreement with Imad al-Din of Aleppo. If Imad al-Din was willing to submit, Saladin guaranteed that Imad al-Din would remain the ruler of Aleppo."

"That's in line with Saladin's usual style," Raymond chuckled. "So, Imaddin still hasn't reached an agreement with Saladin?"

Bohemond shook his head: "At least when I set off from Antioch to Jerusalem, there was no news of this."

The atmosphere at the banquet instantly became subtle. Although the toasts continued, a sense of worry and unease began to creep into their hearts.

Lyon pondered the news brought by Bohemond: Saladin's army had not suffered any losses. His strategy of besieging without attacking was undoubtedly a way to build prestige in northern Syria. Historically, he had indeed succeeded in winning hearts and minds by building prestige. Aleppo fell without a fight, and Imad al-Din and the defenders of Aleppo welcomed the king's army.

The banquet soon came to an end. As it was getting late, Bohemond III and his sons moved into a side hall of the palace and would set off back to Antioch the next day.

Leon did not immediately return to his bedchamber with Balian, but instead searched the courtyard but could not find his uncle.

After thinking for a moment, he rode to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Templars at the entrance did not dare to stop him and let Lyon ride all the way to Grand Master Gerald's residence. Finally, he found Jacob and Zahir drunk in a corner where no one paid attention.

Accor, burping and already delirious, held up his earthenware bowl and mumbled to Zahir, "Keep...keep drinking! The Grand Master isn't here...drink as much as you want!"

Zahir's former image as a shrewd pirate captain had vanished completely. Now he resembled an honest and devout believer, shaking his head and raising his earthenware bowl in worship before Jacob, saying, "Father...you know, I've actually...long been a devout Christian for a long time. I've been...a Christian...lying among the Muslims!"

Zahir pleaded loudly, "Father, please preach for me!"

"Alright, alright, Zachary, listen up!"

Jacob was about to make the sign of the cross when he realized it was unnecessary. Instead, he took a swig of wine and spontaneously shouted, "God, bless us and what we enjoy..."

He paused, glanced at the wine in his hand, and continued singing: "...and the wine we enjoy. We thank Him for all that He has given us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!"

Lyon kicked Accord in the backside, right in the spot where Alexius had shot him before, and Accord sprang into motion.

"Are you crazy? This place is full of Templar Knights. Aren't you afraid they'll hear you and use you as firewood?" Leon paused, his tone softening. "Drink less, and come out of town with me tomorrow."

Accord nodded, then continued chugging the liquor: "Mmm...uh..."

Lyon turned and went back to the palace with no other choice.

The next day, Lyon got up very early, but he didn't expect the prince to get up even earlier. They had already left the city and returned to Antioch under the arrangement of Count Raymond.

After instructing Balian to stay in the palace to take care of King Baldwin, Lyon took the cross-handled sword he had bought in Venice, mounted his Andalusian colt, and rode out of the palace gates, where Jacob and Zahir were already waiting.

"Oh, Uncle, I thought you couldn't get up."

Accord, dressed in a Templar cloak of armor and riding an Arabian horse, looked clear-headed, not at all like someone who was hungover: "Tch, who is your uncle? I never let drinking interfere with my work! On the contrary, you shouldn't forget who dragged you out of bed since you were a child."

Lyon's gaze fell on Jacob's Templar cloak, and he asked, "Wearing that out in public is far too conspicuous..."

"With the Grand Commander away, I'm the most powerful person in the world! Who can tell me what to do? If anyone has a problem with me, I'll tell them to talk to the Empress Dowager!" Yage said dismissively, then asked, "But you said 'outside'? Where to?"

Lyon smiled but didn't answer, looking towards the long street in Jerusalem: "He hasn't arrived yet. We'll go together when he gets here."

Soon, a young man wearing tortoiseshell glasses arrived in a hurry on a camel, followed by a convoy loaded with supplies.

Lyon spurred his horse forward: "Theodore, is everything packed?"

Theodore straightened his aching back and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, I have brought them all."

Sigh, when will Master Robert return from Venice? Originally, being an apprentice meant simply doing math and handling orders for the master, but now that he's managing the master's business in Acre, he realizes that this job isn't for just anyone.

"Let's go."

With a wave of his hand, Lyon's royal guards, who had been lined up in the palace and were ready to go, filed out and protected Lyon and his men in the center.

With a light kick to the flanks of his horse, Lyon and his entourage sped through the awakening streets, escorted by guards, towards the outskirts of the city.