[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations":3,"chapter-the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-111":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Nation of Ten Thousand Nations",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2333079,4562,"Chapter 111: Bethlehem (6)","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-111",111,"\u003Cp>Jacques stepped out of the mansion that had once been his, and as he looked back, the upper rooms still glowed with light—truly, it was hard to say whether having such a master was a blessing or a curse for Bethlehem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the task entrusted to him by Cesar, Jacques did not feel uneasy—even if he couldn’t claim full confidence, for from the beginning, this had been agreed upon by “them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Bethlehem’s new master were a knight as commonly understood—crude, dull, insensitive—they would never have brought the conflict with the Saracens into the open. But clearly, he was a thoughtful, sharp-witted youth, worth a try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike knights, merchants like them rarely dismissed a young man without cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, elders were often respected and trusted for their experience, but the young possessed decisiveness and acuity that the old lacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For merchants, this talent was vital—they were like gulls soaring above the sea, where war, plague, and famine were storms and whirlpools; the moment they sensed danger in the air, they had to decide instantly whether to flee, hide, or seize power and wealth amid the tempest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jacques returned to his current home, a residence slightly smaller than the previous one, yet no less exquisite, comfortable, or elegant. As soon as he entered the gate, servants brought rosewater to wipe his face, hands, and feet. He changed clothes, slipped on slippers, and slowly walked to the dining hall at the rear of the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Le Gao was dining in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the Isaac merchant who had recently paid triple the price for that batch of soap—and Jacques’s father-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Le Gao differed from the stereotype of Isaac merchants: he was lively, nimble, and somewhat short, a middle-aged man. Upon seeing Jacques, he paid no mind to formalities, merely waved him over to sit beside him. Servants soon brought Jacques his dinner: a duck stewed in oil, some figs, and bread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The duck was flavored with saffron; the expensive spice dyed the broth a beautiful golden hue, with ginger and onion adding rich fragrance—but Jacques had no appetite. He longed to report to his father-in-law about the knight of Bethlehem, but Le Gao interrupted him: “Wait until you’ve finished eating. Don’t rush—we still have time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, “Though many of my people enjoy discussing matters over meals, it ruins the flavor of food, causes indigestion, and dulls the mind when full—leading to poor decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We must follow the teachings of the Saint: devote yourself fully to whatever you do. Now, let us enjoy this duck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ate the entire dish in silence, then casually finished the figs and bread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did they speak of the knight of Bethlehem, of Nur ad-Din, the new king of Arazal, and of Shirkuh and Saladin in Egypt. “If others overheard us, they’d laugh, thinking us mad—we are but two humble merchants, I an Isaac man, you my son-in-law. Yet how many great things in this world began as tiny sprouts, bloomed, and bore fruit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes, when I look at them, I am as ridiculous to them as they are to me, Jacques. Remember this: you may despise any man, but never ignore them—especially those small, lowly, easily forgotten…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if the mighty declare they can stir no storm, sometimes a single nail can ruin a warhorse, a fallen warhorse can kill a knight, a knight’s death may foretell defeat in battle, and a battle’s defeat may bring down a kingdom… Hey!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like our great ‘Light of Faith’ (Nur ad-Din)—he is Sultan, Commander, a fearsome autocrat—but what of it? Even he cannot defy time; the divine light upon him is fading, and now he cannot even escape the chill of winter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough,” Le Gao said, pulling his thoughts back. “Did he say exactly that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Jacques said. “The knight of Bethlehem is sharp—he immediately read the important message in the Saracens’ reaction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A youth like him, with his lineage, and now the new king of Jerusalem his close friend and brother, granted Bethlehem by the grace of the former monarch—if you claim he has no ambition, no desire to carve out his own legacy, no one would believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet I think he is cautious,” Jacques said. “He showed no ecstasy or haste. He told me he needs more concrete information—if I can obtain it and bring it to him—I said, ‘Nur ad-Din’s concrete information,’ ” he stressed the word ‘concrete.’ “He can promise, on the king’s behalf, a fair and reasonable reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha. A generous promise indeed,” Le Gao said, displeased. “But do I not know them? When they need you, they appear kind, generous, reasonable—as if your status and faith mean nothing. But once they no longer need you, or need a scapegoat, they’ll throw you to the ravenous wolves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he soon calmed. He began weighing the truth of the promise. He had heard of Baldwin and Cesar—the latter even called a minor saint, the former famed for his gentleness and fairness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And here lay the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could a gentle, amiable youth control the rebellious ministers and generals beneath him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Le Gao had heard the new king had a regent—his father’s cousin—and his sister was betrothed to Abigail of Antioch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this young couple produced a healthy, lively male heir within the next two years, the new king’s existence would become irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if all say he is favored by the Saint—Saint George’s holy spear, which remained unextinguished for three days and nights, and his fearless charge on the battlefield—this may win him knightly loyalty, but to his ministers and generals, it is no advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for Le Gao and Jacques, it may be an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What we plan may be precisely what this new king desperately needs,” Le Gao said. Jacques knew what he meant—when a young man faces elders older, more experienced, and better known, how does he prove himself superior? Only through achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As king of Arazal and commander of the Crusaders, what better proof could there be than a great victory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fiercer the infighting, the more brutal the power struggles—the more desperately our new king will crave a great triumph. If he can carve a path for Christians, seize territory, those meddling fools will fall silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jacques’s throat moved slightly. He longed for such a future, yet could not help feeling tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this mansion sat only two merchants—they were the king’s hyenas, the lord’s purse, the knight’s steward—yet held no respect, especially his father-in-law, an Isaac man, whom the knight of Bethlehem had always treated with leniency; otherwise, they would not have deigned to speak to him directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he was wealthy, brave, and wise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he had broken Isaac law by marrying his daughter to a Christian—Jacques—because he needed a spokesman who could stand in the open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Jacques was a clever youth, he could not match his father-in-law in experience or boldness; he wholeheartedly revered him. Even though Le Gao’s plan was astonishing, Jacques joined without hesitation, never considering what fate awaited him if the plot were exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1180,"2026-06-20T20:58:34.857Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b221d76a5bd96b7c758bd47a8fc4c73d56bd587b996a1178463439e376825ae8","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-112","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-110",168,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-cover.jpg"]