The Governor of Cyprus, who was holding the letter from Everdler, knew very well that although Emperor Komnenos was now in Constantinople, shouting that he had recovered the former territory of the Empire and rebuilt his power and armament, how could the army be difficult to say, but the Emperor's naval power was weak and pitiful, and it would be good to maintain control of the straits at both ends of the Sea of Marmara, but what about Fatima? Although its power has greatly diminished compared to a hundred years ago, its fleet is still the most powerful existence in this sea.

"Even His Excellency Gawain, the Grand Duke of Seleucia, under your Greek Emperor, has reached an agreement with us through the mediation of the Amalfi Chamber of Commerce and a mysterious merchant from overseas. If Your Excellency refuses our request, then the Great Caliphate will express great regret and prepare this crockpot for Your Excellency. "With that, the arrogant Al. Rumi lowered his hand, and the attaché beside him immediately laid out a rudimentary jar on the stone slab, and Apsomatus looked up to see that the mouth of the jar was filled with clear water.

"This crockpot?"

"In the past, when our fleet was on an expedition, when it was successful, it would catch a fish from the conquered land in the water in this clay pot and give it to His Majesty the Caliph to congratulate him. The crockpot I carry today is larger, and it may be able to hold not only fish, but also human hands and heads. "Al. Rumi's blatant insult and intimidation made all the earl commanders and flag officers around the Governor indignant, but Apsomat smiled cautiously, his mental activity was nothing more than this, "In today's world of the Levant, Egypt and Anatolia surrounded by the sea, peaceful trade is the mainstream. I must not offend the two most important monetary companions, Seleucia and Egypt, for the sake of the Emperor, who needs food and medicine for the former and the luxuries of the latter, and how can the Emperor support me if I go to war against both at the same time? With the poor ships of the Komnenos, I am afraid that they will not be able to control the perimeter of Crete. The end result is likely that the emperor felt that the situation was not right, and in his capacity as a 'pilgrim and Western ally', he completely sacrificed and abandoned me, and his loyalty to Constantinople was often the end. ”

Thinking of this, Lapsomatus's heart felt cold, and he shook his head slightly, determined to agree to all the requests of Commander Rumi, but he still wanted face, so he also took up the emperor of Constantinople as a "pergola to cover the goods", "Your Majesty the Emperor of our country is the master of all pilgrim lords who swear allegiance, and I, as the governor of Your Majesty in this province, naturally must be completely consistent with Your Majesty's guidance. Since the chief of the believers of your kingdom is willing to join hands with the pilgrims in the fight against the evil Turks, it is only natural that they will become allies of the empire, so I will first sign the military agreement between the two sides, and then submit a copy of it, and send it to the imperial capital by ship for your majesty to see. ”

Rumi said that it would take about two or three months for the emperor to show his eyes, so there was no need to be anxious, "First of all, Your Excellency is willing to open the port of Latakia for our fleet to moor." ”

"There's nothing wrong with that, it's all about transporting supplies for the pilgrim allies." Under blue skies, sunshine and white clouds, Lapsomatus happily signed the treaty.

A day later, the huge Fatimid fleet sailed into Latakia, south of Antioch, and the local Cypriots did nothing to resist: then, the pirate Winmoha, who had been imprisoned in the tower dungeon by Tetisius, was acquitted as a sign of the sincerity of the "tripartite alliance" and joined the Fatimid fleet and legions.

Then, the disembarking Fatimid army of Egypt, with the most elite "Company of Everdre" and "Company of Sudaniya" in the whole kingdom as the vanguard, one of these two elite soldiers named after the Grand Vizier, the other named after the place of origin of the soldiers, all dressed in white robes, with fine armor inside, armed with a variety of light and fierce weapons, lined up in a majestic procession, waving the banner of the golden palm, and calling the name of the daughter of the prophet, approached the flank and rear position of the Dukaq army.

At that time, the vanguard of the prince of Dukak had already prepared to enter Antioch through the castle of Elgae, on the northernmost hillside of Tripoli, and after receiving such urgent information, he hurriedly ordered the whole army to stop and strengthen the defense in the direction of the west.

Without exception, Turgshmond's views were exactly the same as those of Ridwan's vizier, and he advised the Maharaja to "withdraw to the city of Damascus, and maintain peaceful and friendly relations with the Pilgrim lords by virtue of the interior and the mountains and deserts, and if they do not come, we will not go, and there is no need to go to the burial of the dead Yaji, who is nothing more than a slave who has trespassed on his own self (Tugshmund himself was a court slave), and only a man of military background like Kobuha would willingly sacrifice the interests and well-being of his people for the sake of the same class." ”

Dukak, who was obedient to his own words, also bowed his head and said, "Indeed, if we attack the pilgrims in Antioch City with all our strength now, it will be tantamount to offending all forces. Fatima, in particular, were not only able to use their fleets to threaten our flanks, but they could also send their land forces across the desert of Western Arabia to attack our rear. ”

"His Royal Highness, you are really wise. In addition, if you take the opportunity to sign a non-aggression peace with the Fatimid Caliphate, as long as you avoid war and recuperate for a few years, you will surely be able to claim the throne of power as Sultan. Tugshmund excitedly complimented.

Fifteen attachés were then sent from each side, and after a short period of negotiation with the monk Hezelle, who had been sent from Antioch, quickly reached a peace treaty - and then Ducaq said: "Our army has been attacking from Damascus for several days, and has forcefully pinned down the pilgrims' army, disrupted their pace and disposition, and now our duty to Kobuha has been fulfilled, and we can triumph in Damascus!" ”

Then, all the troops of Damascus raised their spears and battle flags, and after shouting long live, they turned their troops and left, even if they were returning home

Then, in his native Greek, which he knew very well, Rumi wrote a note and pasted it on the letter, and sent it to St. Peter's Church, the central center of Antioch, for the fast horse to gallop all the way.

When Ademar opened the letter, it read, "The incomparable caliph, descendant of the Prophet, greetings to the living God and his warriors. The Turkic peoples are a great scourge to you and me, and they have usurped our territories, so I am willing to return to you the Holy City and Mount Zion, and you will assist me in expelling the power of the Turks, and conclude a strong covenant between the two sides and the Emperor of Romania, and recognize each other's beliefs until the end of the world. (To be continued.) )