Chapter 134: What Queen Mother Maria Said

As a Byzantine princess rather than one of Jerusalem, when Maria was still in Constantinople, she did not come into contact with many men, and most of them were her brothers, uncles, or blood relatives such as her father and grandfather. But to say that she knew nothing about the psychology of men would be a big mistake.

Byzantium practiced primogeniture. But at the same time, after the eldest son, the Emperor's brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, daughters, and grandsons also had inheritance rights, which led to constant conspiracies and undercurrents in the Byzantine court. In other places, women might be servants, slaves, and cattle and horses to men, regarded as beasts and children with undeveloped intelligence. But in Byzantium, women were also men's evenly matched opponents.

Just like when Maria was almost killed by a mother bear who had lost her cub at the entry ceremony—her enemies would not show mercy because she was a woman.

And when the people of Jerusalem used the proverbs of saints to mock and warn her, it was also because of this reason.

Since she chose Baldwin, she would, of course, pay extra attention to the best friend beside him.

In the Byzantine court, same-sex relationships were not rare, and the constraints were not as strict as in Jerusalem. Even if discovered, one only needed "light penance" (a way of repentance).

She had once recalled whether the relationship between them was too intimate, but unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, these two people actually belonged to the kind of people who were emotionally indifferent and had shallow desires—Baldwin perhaps because of the chronic illness on his body, while Cesar perhaps because of his background—when his identity was unknown, indulging his desires easily would only bring disaster upon himself.

Not to mention noblewomen like Damara, the maids and servants in the castle could also be the playthings of some noble—not to mention he had no elders who could take him to a brothel.

His connection with Baldwin was so intimate, very likely because although their identities were different, their situations were unexpectedly similar. And there was also the fact that their mothers and fathers came from the same womb, like a group of lambs raised by the same ewe—even if they didn't know each other, they would squeeze together based on the guidance in the dark.

For Maria, this deep emotion mixed with friendship, kindness, and kinship was obviously much harder to deal with than love, or more directly, desire. Love is exclusive; with a little instigation, a pair of lovers can be made to turn against each other completely. Desire goes without saying; it is like the first cup of water when thirsty, the first bite of bread when hungry, and it becomes dull after being satisfied.

Baldwin and Cesar were like a pair of young trees that had once been extremely weak, one scarred by swords, one tottering because of a malignant disease. They stood together unexpectedly, having to intertwine their roots and branches to resist hurricanes, rainstorms, and the scorching sun.

Amalric I's worry at the beginning was not wrong. According to what Maria observed, between Baldwin and Cesar, Baldwin should be the superior, but Cesar seemed never to have yielded. He was not a greedy person. The problem was that when he maintained his independence, it was destined that the person who retreated could only be Baldwin.

Baldwin also seemed to feel it. He was competing with Cesar for this control, and the advantage seemed to be on his side.

He had just become King and won an unprecedented great victory. This great victory was enough to make every Crusader knight willingly follow him, acting while watching the white-bottomed yellow Jerusalem cross flag on the battlefield. The people spread his achievements, his bravery, and his justice, believing he was a holy knight like the first Godfrey. It could be said that even the stain of leprosy on him became a sunspot in the sun, not only unable to cover its light but even making its color more vivid and intense.

And Maria had seen this kind of willful and reckless demeanor in history books and reality many times. To be honest, Baldwin had already been quite restrained just by doing this. It was also possible that the only person who could be recognized by him was Cesar.

If someone said that the King's love and value were not worth mentioning, or even a bit troublesome, others would definitely go and scold him for being ungrateful and forgetting kindness. But Queen Mother Maria, who had seen countless important ministers fall heavily from high places, knew too well—this situation could not continue.

The scorching sun could make a tree's branches and leaves spread, but it could also make it wither and scorch.

And Heraclius first reminded Cesar to inspect his fief, then let Cesar go on a mission to Aleppo, perhaps precisely because of this reason. But analyzing these pros and cons with a young and promising monarch would likely be of no use—he would definitely think that as long as he was still the King of Jerusalem, Cesar could safely occupy wealth and power, and no one could shake it.

Finally, Queen Mother Maria thought for a while and decided to speak from another aspect, "Then afterward, what are your plans?"

Baldwin was prepared to be persuaded by her. But he didn't expect that the first question the Queen Mother asked was this—what are your plans? What else could there be?

The things that once troubled and restricted them had disappeared. Even if Raymond was still his regent, and there were some old ministers led by Bohemond—but as long as he waited until next February, when he turned sixteen, he could take back all the rights and become a true King.

The biggest problem that had been entangled with Cesar had disappeared. He was no longer a slave of unknown origin, but the only son of the Count of Edessa. They might still fight the Saracens, or force some cities to submit to them, and it was also possible to find a way to take back Edessa for Cesar.

Cesar was right. He had never thought of shrinking in the city of Jerusalem for the rest of his life—even if his lifespan would not be very long, perhaps in a few years he would launch the third expedition to Egypt, or perhaps, depending on the situation, send troops to Damascus or other cities in Syria, further bringing the light and glory of God into the depths of this holy land.

Cesar, Cesar would, of course, always be by his side.

He was his friend and his brother. They fought side by side on the battlefield and shared honor and disgrace in the court. He might have a wife, or he might not, but it would not hinder him from finding a more suitable beauty for Cesar.

He had silently raised the conditions for Cesar's wife again.

Baldwin glanced at his stepmother. The Byzantine Princess Maria had won everyone's respect entirely by her own ability and means. If that noblewoman could be on par with her in this regard, and also have a title and territory—no, no, no, he said in his heart, she still had to be more beautiful, not to mention that she wouldn't be compared unfavorably when standing beside Cesar—at least she shouldn't invite mockery.

When Queen Mother Maria saw Baldwin's expression, she guessed that he hadn't thought of the important event she had put on the memo early on—perhaps from the standpoint of a man and a King, it was hard for him to think that once Joscelin III returned to Jerusalem, it would immediately trigger a series of related reactions, and the impact brought by these reactions... Cesar would bear the brunt.

Of course, she was not saying whether Joscelin III and his wife would deny Natiya and Cesar's identity. They might no longer remember the appearance of the children, but they would definitely remember the discovery of the Archbishop of Edessa, and the evidence they left on the birth certificate.

After the "seal-bearer" matter spread, people inside and outside the castle were trying to prove or deny this discovery—they either used servants and relatives around them, or directly used pilgrims or residents of the Holy City to verify it.

Although it was impossible to determine whether these patterns would change after the baby grew up, at least one point could be confirmed now. Indeed. Everyone's palm prints and foot prints were different, as if they were brands stamped by God. So far, they hadn't found even a pair of identical patterns.

It was said that Patriarch Heraclius was already working on writing a thesis, promoting this as a miracle discovered by the Archbishop of Edessa. Perhaps in the future, this Archbishop could also become a saint.

But it was also hard to say whether Heraclius did this to prevent people from questioning this piece of evidence again...

"I think you should already understand that in this world, it is not what you think it is," Maria said in an incomparably gentle voice, speaking quite cruel words: "You have to know—I mean, there are fathers who don't love their children."

Baldwin was a lucky child. He was the only son of Amalric I, which meant he almost didn't encounter any decent competitors during his growth. And after he inexplicably contracted leprosy, Amalric I never wavered—was it out of a father's love for his child? If you are willing to understand it this way, yes, but it was also possible that the enraged King was using his son as a pawn to play against his opponent.

But the current Baldwin couldn't see this point. He became King but hadn't become a father yet. His love and hate were equally pure, and he didn't know what a father meant to a child.

Cesar's unknown identity before was a bad thing, but it was also a good thing. This meant that apart from Baldwin, almost no one could form a constraint on him. But if Joscelin III returned and came to Jerusalem, even if it was to appease his mother, he would inevitably be able to get a prominent position beside Baldwin.

If you ask whether there has been a situation where father and son are in the same court, yes, but it is impossible for both to be high-ranking and powerful. Even if Baldwin was willing, others would not allow him to do so.

She saw Baldwin frowning unconsciously, so she smiled and continued, "And then, there is that wealth worth 200,000 gold coins."

"The Saracens are willing to return Joscelin III without a single gold coin of ransom because Cesar performed a 'cleansing ritual' for Sultan Nur ad-Din on their behalf—this matter should have been done by the blood relatives of the deceased. Even if they are Saracens, they have to accept his kindness, even if he didn't want to seek a reward when he did this."

"But do you think that after Joscelin III returns, he will be willing to return this 200,000 gold coins to Cesar for his free use for the sake of this favor?"

Baldwin pursed his lips. He knew very well that he wouldn't. Even his father, Amalric I, would hesitate. What is the concept of 200,000 gold coins? It is almost equivalent to a year's tribute and tax of a country, enough to support two hundred knights, or launch a war, or repair a dilapidated castle. After he became King, he realized that to govern a country, manage his vassals, and rule his people—every place needs money.

Sometimes he complained to Cesar that he felt like a paperhanger; wherever it was missing or leaking, he would go and patch it a little.

Baldwin could return this wealth of 200,000 gold coins to Cesar without hesitation, and Cesar could fill it into the national treasury of Jerusalem without any hesitation. Would Joscelin III? You know, Joscelin II spent his whole life plotting to retake Edessa. Joscelin III would probably not be the exception. And a landless knight would be mocked, let alone a landless count.

"Don't test human nature," Queen Mother Maria said softly, "Even God's initial creation could not withstand the temptation and testing of the serpent. Having eaten the fruit of wisdom, we are their descendants, and our hearts will only be more fragile."

"We know nothing about Joscelin III. He might be another Cesar, or he might be a madman. Even if he is just an ordinary person—and you also know what ordinary people are like—in the face of sudden power and money—more importantly, he is Cesar's father, and anyone only needs to look and listen to know how deep the feelings between you and Cesar are."

"He might use Cesar to ask you for things. And if you refuse, have you seen how those fathers treat their sons?"

"No need to go too far, child. You only need to look at these companions beside you, David, Abigail... Raymond never allows David to have his own thoughts and actions, and Abigail goes without saying. Even if he is already married, his father will often slap him and whip him. The only thing worth comforting is that his father is finally willing to close the door and beat him."

"And compared to those whips and slaps, what is even more vicious is his words. They are like the sharpest knives, turning him into a submissive, groveling monster. Can you imagine Cesar becoming like this?"

"I am the King!"

"Yes, you are the King. Royal power is greater than paternal power, just like Louis VII could instigate his vassal, Richard of Aquitaine, to attack his father, Henry II, in the name of a suzerain. But can you do that?"

"Can Cesar do that?"

"Even if Joscelin III is an incomparably vicious person, he can't do it. Is he the only Christian saved by Amalric I? Didn't you have attendants and servants beside you before you contracted leprosy? Why aren't they willing to be as loyal to you as Cesar, whether you are a King or a monk?"

"He is tightly bound by his own morality. You should know this better than we do."

"Our ancestors destroyed Rome and also inherited Rome. The father is the head of the family—everyone in the family is his slave. Slaves have no private property, and can even be bought and sold at will—although he won't do it so excessively, do you think he will interfere with Cesar's rule over Bethlehem?"

"He might regard Bethlehem as a storage bag, constantly extracting vitality from it to raise his army and ministers, hoping that one day he can retake Edessa. And you also know that Edessa has fallen. This city is already the property of Sultan Nur ad-Din. If he wants to retake Edessa, it is equivalent to conquering a country again. Can you imagine how much energy, time, and money this will consume?"

"And compared to the loyalty of a minister to a monarch—the loyalty of a son to a father has always been destined by heaven. If Cesar has that innate emotion for his father, but the other party doesn't, that will be... a very terrible situation."

Baldwin's cheeks, which had been flushed by wine and food, slowly turned gray.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 135 =====