"Temper the power and avoid sacrifice. The various lords were then invited to contribute to the creation of siege engines by recruiting engineers and blacksmiths from the entire Pilgrim. In addition, we will strengthen joint operations in the future. "This is the core spirit proposed by the Count of Blois at the conference.

But the many dukes and counts standing around, especially Bohemond, were uncommittal to this plan. Because it costs money to make siege engines, and joint operations, everyone was so conflicted before, and Bohemond could only be grateful for this.

"According to my calculations, it is likely that the army of the entire Konya Sultanate is also approaching the city of Nicaea, and in the past two days, there have been more and more detailed arrests on my side of the siege sentry, although they are all inconsequential and do not know the details of the battle plan, but this also indicates that a large number of enemies are not far away. I believe that the priority is not to make siege equipment, but to concentrate our forces, crush the reinforcements, and completely besiege the city of Nicaea from the shores of the lake. In time, the city will surrender even if it is the strongest. When everyone was silent, Gawain stepped out and said so, which was tantamount to rejecting the plan of the Count of Blois.

The crowd was in an uproar, and Bohemond sneered and said to Gawain, "Defeat the reinforcements, this is the reason why your Dalian army was silent when our men shed blood and died before?" Not only have the emperor's men and horses been co-opted by you, but you have also tried to lend me the Holy Banner Cavalry Company. Grand Duke Gawain, keep a low profile, because you're not the only smart person here. ”

"All I said was for the good of the whole situation. I repeat that it is not a good idea to attack the city with weapons on a large scale now, but to first defeat the enemy's reinforcements, cut off the communication between the city and the city, and then look for weak points. Gawain raised his hand, trying to encourage the others.

"But. It seems very impossible to surround Nicaea from the surface of the lake, unless St. George and St. Michael appear to them. Even Baldwin and the others began to question, while Godfrey, who was sitting in his seat, held his breath.

"It's possible!" In the midst of a cacophony. Gawain was stubborn, "At first, I didn't have any hope, but after careful observation during this time, all I had to do was use a wall that could 'maneuver' on the water, that is, ships equipped with flames and bows and arrows. ”

"Call to your St. Nicholas, and bring all the great ships of the port of Civet to Lake Nicaea with strong winds and clouds! This lake doesn't even have a river to the ocean! Tankred snarled and pointed at Gawain, who looked delusional, and many of the Norman lords laughed in unison.

But Gawain was not annoyed, and he continued. "In the city of Nicaea, the Turks do not have large ships, they do not have such technology and do not bother to fight by boat, so our eyes should not be on the capture of the water gate, but on sinking the ships that blocked their entry and exit, as long as their ships cannot leave the port, the power of the city will soon wither."

"Just tell me your strategy, Gawain!" That's when Godfrey spoke. The lords and lords of the Frankish side stopped arguing and began to look at the priesthood.

"Now I'm in the camp on the east side. With twenty-two Slavic ships, it may be strange to those who questioned me just now, how did I get these ships here? That's right, it was the use of modified ox carts and horse-drawn carts to transport boats and instruments from the land, from Civet to here. Now there are many such vehicles in the pilgrim camp. The Emperor's fleet also had a large number of small ships, such as the Panphilian ships, as well as the Husher boats (ships that could carry horses) and regimental ships (round flat-bottomed boats, suitable for a large number of freight carriers), most of which could accommodate fifty or even a hundred men to fight on them. I have several companies of sailors and have no problems navigating these ships. We have collected and mobilized a large number of men and vehicles, and asked the pilgrims to make a large number of hemp ropes and leather belts in a short time, and transport them to the camp on the west side, and then across the lake, and connect to the camp on the east side of me, so that Nicaea will surely fall into my hands. ”

"There is no problem, the matter of ship scheduling, the contemptible people negotiate with the various fortress ports, His Majesty the Emperor will definitely agree, and will provide some financial support." General Tetisius also came out to cheer up Gawain.

"I used this tactic on the Isthmus of Corinth, and it was very effective to annihilate my enemies!" In the end, Gawain ended with this sentence and fiercely counterattacked Tancred, who had just mocked him, and the other party was about to attack on the spot, but was stopped by others.

Among them was Tancred's uncle, who was squeezed his hand, "Don't go your own way! It is the arbiter who has the greatest interest at all times, and if we Normans are too vehement, we will call the Franks the opportunity to arbitrate," he was referring to, clearly the Godfrey brothers.

Then, before Godfrey could stand up and speak, Bohemond suddenly walked to the center of the council, raised his hands and shouted, "I think that what Archduke Gawain and the priesthood say is quite reasonable!" ”

As soon as these words were spoken, Godfrey sat back on the hilt of his sword.

"It's better to lend the most elite Holy Banner cavalry company, along with my most warlike nephew, to Your Excellency Gawain." Bohemond raised one finger in astonishment, and then he raised another finger, "But what the lord of Blois said is also very reasonable, so I am willing to take out five hundred gold Byzantian coins from the reward given by the Emperor of Constantinople and recruit engineers to make siege equipment." Then Bohemond put up a third finger, but found that he could not stand up with great strength, and a servant next to him came over and helped the prince straighten, "Finally, I am willing to open the passage of the canyon and let the vehicles carry the boats over." ”

After speaking, Bohemond's glass-like cold eyes looked at Gawain standing in front of him, and Gawain also sneered at him, thinking to himself, "Bohemond, the leader of the Normans, is really good at dancing with long sleeves, and now the siege, reinforcements, and ships are all accounted for." ”

"After taking the city of Nicaea!" Then, Godfrey, who was seated, quieted everyone down even more, "Half of the spoils of war are given to the emperor, half to be distributed among the pilgrims, two for the Apulians, two for us, two for Gawain, and four for the rest of the marquis." Do you have any objections to my proposal - if not, so do it! ”

After everyone reached an agreement and left the council's camp one after another, Bohemond deliberately followed behind Gawain, "Congratulations, Your Excellency the Chief of the March, tomorrow Tancred will be under your command with the bravest cavalry company. ”

Gawain looked back, "Thank you for your great support, boss, if it weren't for your kindness and generosity just now, I wouldn't know how to convince everyone." ”

"Then Tanfred and Flag Commander Pache of the Holy Flag Company. Brad, with a hundred of the most honorable and elite cavalrymen, can be entrusted to you, I am sure you will not let them take on useless or menial tasks, right? ”

"Of course not, they will be the sword that will decide the victory or defeat on the battlefield."

"It's best that way, otherwise, look into my eyes and understand everything." Bohemond approached Gawain, trying to look down on the oppression, but eventually found that he could only reach Gawain's eyebrows.

"Last night I kissed a beautiful and lovely girl on the lakeside, and she was in the same state as your honorable princess." Gawain said to Bohemond, who was struggling to look up at him, and at this moment the lords were rushing out, looking at the pair with strange eyes, and the Tancred next to him was full of embarrassment.

"Really? That stupid chick from Respos? That's it! Tancred, let's go. Bohemond turned his head and was about to leave, when Gawain suddenly pointed to the two nephews, "I must say, however, that if the Holy Banner Company acts in any way transgression, sabotage, or disobedience while in my camp, I will kill anyone, including Tancred and Brade." As he spoke, Gawain made a cross-cutting gesture around his neck.

"Yes, but if Your Excellency Gawain is defeated in battle, all the soldiers of the Dalian team who fall into my hands will also be regarded as defeated soldiers and rapists, and they will be hanged." Bohemond made a hanging motion and stuck his tongue out

On the second day of the council, when the sun had risen, Stephen, Count of Blois, decided that the Normans and Franks would continue to attack the city, while the troops of the Dalian and the Greek emperor would be in charge of the outside of the city.

As for the joint attack site, the pilgrim lords also rashly but unobjectionably chose the junction of the west and north of the city, because it happened to be the middle ground between the two large camps, where a siege machine was opened up, and many of the rewarded carpenters, blacksmiths, and several engineers, most of whom said that they had been passed on the skills of the ancient Roman era, began to bring wood, bolts, rollers, iron nails and other things from the camp, and began to work in full swing!

After Gao Wen finished the task, he also came to the northernmost high base of the camp (here you can see the overall situation of the battlefield in the north of the city), and several military servants who were watching here bowed down and saluted, "What are you doing here?" Gawain turned and said to Agnes, who had already brought in his crew to serve as servants and carry the red canopy for her.

"Don't forget, I'm the 'right horn' you call the kidnapper, and if I'm not with you all the time, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide the eyes and ears of the camp over there - not to mention, I'm here to see what ugly siege equipment you fake barbarians who claim to be Roman heirs will make." Agnes spoke eloquently.

Gawain shrugged his shoulders and said that it was up to you, thinking to himself, "Anyway, Anna has already said that there is a way to deal with you and Samuelfa. ”

"Oh, what's that, it's disgusting to the point of making people vomit." By this time, Agnes was already complaining about a huge siege machine that had just been built. (To be continued.) )