Chapter 752: The Autumn of 1489 AD, the overall situation of the siege, and the Queens letter
"How long can the siege camp outside Basa Mountain City hold on?"
The 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 clever changes gathered together, and only
Condensed into two low responses, like cold and striking falling snow.
"Dear monk in black, 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 tribunal's 'rescue' trial 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 Bassa 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 stable and they can last another six months."
"Of course, the morale of the Moorish garrison 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 other hand, was on the southern coast, avoiding the blockade of the Aragonese navy, and contacted the Moorish Kingdom on the southern continent to request reinforcements. He had on hand
, we can’t squeeze out many troops..."
"Before the outbreak of the plague, Hassan, the Moorish lord of Bassa Mountain City, was already 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 did not send any more envoys..."
"Well... Fernando, the promise you made with the pagans 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, Justice Thomas looked calm and made a promise of forgiveness. Then, he frowned and fell into deep 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 Moorish hinterland has been desolated and it is impossible to collect food and grass. The 60,000 jihadi army dispersed southward, and all supplies must be sent from the northern kingdom.
.In order to supply the army, Yin Sabella has already taken 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 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 stern words conveyed strong emotions for the first time. He stared closely into Fernando's eyes. The king of Aragon tilted his head slightly to avoid the stern gaze, and his expression changed.
It looks a little unnatural.
A terrible new plague broke out in the camp, and the morale of the army dropped to the bottom. The jihad 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 heart.
Thoughts. He has always been a cautious and rational person. He will fully calculate everything and make decisions before taking action.
Regarding the sudden outbreak of the terrible plague, King Fernando rationally judged that the hope of victory in the siege was becoming slim. To save the Jihadi Army and himself to the greatest extent, the best choice was to calm down the morale of the army and proceed in batches in an orderly manner.
retreat.
After all, once the plague spreads on a large scale, it will only take a month or two to destroy an army of tens of thousands of people. And in the face of a terrible infectious disease, even if he is a noble king, he is no better than an ordinary sergeant.
Same, same will get sick and die!
Seeing King Fernando's hesitation, Justice Thomas reached into his arms, took out a rolled letter, and handed it over.
"Fernando, this is Yinzabella's letter to you. Read it!"
King Fernando took the letter silently and opened 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 has promised you to lead your army and advance the jihad so far, why do you still despair of God's blessing!..."
"You know! God protects 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
!”
Seeing the Queen's letter, King Fernando was shocked and was speechless for a long time. Complex emotions surged in his chest, and a rare look of guilt appeared on his face. A wife who followed the example of Joan of Arc would always behave like a
A man must be masculine! But in front of his determined wife, he hesitated and shrank 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 were 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 unfinished intentions. He pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke.
"The Lord is a witness! Since the plague in the camp is so serious and the morale of the Jihadi 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!"
