Chapter 27: The Situation in the Holy Land
"Knight Lothar, do you intend to join the Knights Templar or the Knights Hospitaller?"
After the friar finished his sermon, he spoke enthusiastically to Lothar, "Listen to , a devout and valiant knight like yourself would be perfectly suited to join the Knights Templar. The Templars are brave and skilled in battle, never compromising with the infidels. Compared to the more conservative Hospitallers, they are more suitable for you to achieve great rit!"
"My apologies, Father Beckett, but I do not intend to take lifelong vows. My father once served His Majesty King Baldwin and participated in the famous Battle of Montgisard, defeating the Ayyubid king. I too hope to continue this tradition, serving the king loyally as a feudal lord."
"No wonder the surcoat you wear resembles the old style of a Royal Knight of Jerusalem! So your father once achieved such distinguished honor. My deepest respects." Father Beckett said thoughtfully. "However, Knight Lothar, please forgive my directness, but you do not understand the situation in the Holy Land. In my humble opinion, choosing to directly serve His Majesty is not a wise move. His Majesty may not even have the mind to see you, let alone grant you a fief."
"The Knightly Orders are indeed a good place to go, especially the Knights Templar. Joining an order does not prevent you from serving His Majesty the King."
Beckett then began to describe to Lothar the prominence of the Knightly Orders in this era and their terrifying influence in the Holy Land.
The Knights Templar, though nominally just a military religious order, possessed thousands of manors and castles throughout the Catholic world, and a dozen or so territories of varying sizes scattered in various places. In addition, they frequently received enormous donations from all quarters. Furthermore, the Templars’ lands enjoyed tax exemption; they themselves were representatives of divine authority and had no need to worry about anyone collecting tithes from them.
Their wealth enabled them to establish the earliest "banks" of this era. Many pilgrims on this very ship had taken loans from the Order to afford their travel provisions and boat tickets.
This was a giant crocodile entrenched in the Holy Land—nominally a knightly order, but in reality, a state. Not only was their wealth comparable to that of nations, but their military strength was in no way inferior to that of any major European monarch.
Although the Knights Hospitaller were considerably weaker, they were still in the sa league, just with a more conservative style, not as aggressive as the Templars. The existence of these two great Knightly Orders greatly curbed the authority of the King of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV, and at tis even overshadowed royal power. However, due to external threats, the King could not expel or suppress them but instead had to court their favor.
There was a common saying in the streets of Jerusalem: "Though the King wears the sacred crown, Gerard (Grand Master of the Knights Templar) is the true uncrowned king."
Lothar chatted with Father Beckett at the bow of the ship. This friar had traveled by sea many tis, journeying across the diterranean, dedicated to fundraising in the Western world and calling for crusaders. He would then bring them to the Holy Land, either as a source of manpower for the military religious orders or as subjects for feudal lords, in exchange for sponsorship.
In essence, his role was very much like that of a broker, though people considered it a sacred endeavor.
Beckett had lived in the Holy Land for two years and had a deep understanding of many matters there.
"The Sasanians and Ayyubids have already united, yet the Kingdom itself is still plagued by internal strife. The Knightly Orders each have their own supporters, attempting to have them marry His Majesty the King’s sister, Sibylla, to beco the next heir apparent." Beckett rarely showed such a pessimistic expression. "I don’t know if ’calling’ so many of Christ’s children to the Holy Land is right or wrong. The iron hooves of those infidels might destroy everything."
’Isn’t that just deception on your part?’ Lothar thought secretly to himself, but said aloud, "I truly did not expect the situation in the Kingdom to be so dire. But according to my father, His Majesty King Baldwin is a very outstanding monarch. How could he allow the situation to deteriorate to this extent?"
"Indeed, His Majesty the King is an outstanding monarch, possessing extraordinary military talent and personal charisma. But suffering from leprosy has made his rule increasingly weak." Beckett’s eyes reddened slightly. "We all know that the spirited young king who defeated tens of thousands of infidel troops at Montgisard is gone forever. What remains now is only a leper, clinging to life, enduring excruciating pain day in and day out."
Lothar fell silent for a mont. Count Werner’s intention was for him to seek service with Baldwin, and he had even brought a letter for him. But now it seed that the King’s great ship was far less sturdy than he had imagined.
However, there were pros and cons; precisely because this ship was not sturdy, it would be easier for him to distinguish himself and gain His Majesty’s trust and regard. King Baldwin, no matter his condition, was still the only legitimate king of Jerusalem; a starved cal is still bigger than a horse. The concept of "legitimacy" was sotis even more crucial in the dieval West.
As for leprosy... if he could draw a healing retainer, it might not be impossible to cure.
He pondered for a mont and decided to stick to his original plan: pledge allegiance to King Baldwin. Even if he couldn’t be granted a fief imdiately, it was more reliable than seeking service with the two great Knightly Orders, which were overflowing with talent. One had to know, many great nobles of comital rank were willing to donate all their property just to join the Knights Templar.
Perhaps piety was a factor, but it also showed how deep the waters of the Orders ran. Moreover, as military religious orders, joining them, unless one made an exception by donating enormous wealth, required taking lifelong vows, renouncing the right to inherit land and to marry. This was an entirely different path from that of a feudal lord.
"I will carefully consider what you’ve said, Father Beckett. Thank you for discussing these matters concerning the situation in the Holy Land with ; it has been a great help. May the Heavenly Father bless you."
"An."
After bidding farewell to Beckett, Lothar was about to return to the cabin when he saw a fat man in fine clothes, brandishing a leather whip, berating the crew mbers who had been listening to the friar’s sermon. "I hired you for ten pure silver coins, not for you to stand around daydreaming! All of you, get moving! Go swab the decks, go air out the clothes, go nd the spare sails! Whatever you do, don’t let see you idling here again!"
The fat man was the owner of this ship, that untrustworthy Venetian rchant. Ryan’s curses from the previous day had beco a prophecy. This Venetian rchant was indeed a Jew.
A Jewish rchant obsessed with money might seem to fit well with Venice, a republic founded on comrce. But in reality, even Venetians looked down upon Jews, confining them to a special district of the city, which they nad the "ghetto." They couldn’t engage in normal comrcial activities and could only act as moneylenders or, like the captain of this cog, work in vaguely defined passenger transport industries. In fact, apart from a few comrcial city-states on the Apennine Peninsula, most regions strictly forbade Jews from hiring Christians.
Discrimination caused the rift between Jews and Christians to deepen. And this rift, in turn, made Jews completely disregard the lives of these "infidels," hiking up grain prices, practicing usury... causing their reputation to worsen further. It was a vicious cycle.
It was worth noting that in Europe at that ti, Jews received relatively fair treatnt only under the rule of Zoroastrians in Iberia.
"They were not idling, you godless Jewish rchant! They were listening to my sermon, which you, clearly, are not worthy to hear!" Friar Beckett retorted loudly.
The man sneered, his fat face full of disdain, but he glanced at Lothar and refrained from arguing further with Beckett. "Lord Lothar, are you satisfied with your cabin? I specially cleared out the most spacious room, perfectly suited for a distinguished knight like yourself traveling with female companions."
Lothar walked past the Jewish rchant, giving the small eyes nestled in the man’s fleshy cheeks a deep look. He nodded perfunctorily and then led his retainers and subjects into the cabin.
There was no trace of anger on the Jewish rchant’s face for being slighted. He watched Lothar’s party disappear, a subtle curve playing on his lips.
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