[{"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-155":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},2333123,4562,"Chapter 155: Breakout (4)","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-155",155,"\u003Cp>When the fully armed soldiers burst out of Aleppo Castle’s south gate, those who saw this sight were instantly relieved—they thought this was the new Sultan’s force sent to quell the city’s unrest. Unfortunately, these fierce cavalry did not pause within the city but charged straight outside; the First Lady, the new Sultan Salih, and the Grand Vizier had no intention of wasting strength at this moment to aid the impoverished masses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although according to doctrine this was the Sultan’s right and duty, neither Salih nor the First Lady possessed sufficient prestige to command any emir or fatih; this meant they had to pay even a single soldier, and the price was clearly far higher than during Sultan Nur ad-Din’s reign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chief eunuch could hardly intervene or speak out on the matter; his alliance with the First Lady was not yet strong enough to point out her faults, and he also sensed vaguely that these bandits causing chaos and disaster might have received some promise or tolerance—how many people or transactions were involved remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside other matters, the First Lady and the new Sultan Salih could save a great deal of money—if Kamal or any minister still possessing a shred of responsibility were here, he would have fiercely opposed and even accused them, but those with responsibility had already left Aleppo, and among those remaining, even the neutral ones fell silent upon seeing the new Sultan clutched tightly in the First Lady’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army pursuing Cesar numbered roughly fifteen hundred, and on the second and third days, the First Lady added another five hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aleppo was about ninety farsangs (three hundred fifty kilometers) from Damascus; the journey had taken nearly half a month when they came, because they were escorting Sultan Nur ad-Din’s coffin. Now they could gallop as hard as possible, but horses and riders alike had their limits; though the Knights had joked that with Cesar’s blessing they might ride all the way to Arasal, everyone knew this was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, they had faced multiple ambushes along the way—not just from armies, but from Saracens lurking in the dust, belonging either to nearby villages or surrounding tribes, who had fought Christians for nearly a hundred years, and every encounter rarely afforded them time or opportunity to explain themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, Cesar thought of Baldwin far away in Arasal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they could return safely, he would tell Baldwin about this journey—he had never realized the man possessed such extraordinary talent for divination. Had Baldwin not insisted on equipping him with such an exceptionally formidable delegation for a diplomatic mission, he would now be in dire straits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, he had grown very familiar with them; he knew their surnames, origins, ages, personalities—he had cooked for them, hunted with them, fought bandits alongside them. They prayed by candlelight, sang and danced around campfires; these young men bickered, quarreled, nagged, each with their own flaws and strengths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, as people expected, Cesar became the leader of this group of youths and earned their loyalty, but this also meant Cesar bore an irrevocable responsibility toward them. Even in this time and place, death always loomed close, especially for a Crusader knight—even a king like Amalric I had died suddenly and irreversibly during a campaign, without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Cesar dared not imagine the scene if he returned to Arasal with only half—or fewer—of these men. He would be so ashamed he could not face the ground, even without anyone coming forward to blame him. Fortunately, Baldwin’s excessive care had made this diplomatic delegation unprecedentedly large, and size meant they often overwhelmed others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had crushed bandits and tribal warriors more than once, and set two ambushes when the pursuers drew near, scattering them like birds and beasts, yet they could never shake off the relentless pursuit and predation—uneasy words had begun to rise among the Knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most distressed were naturally the Saracens, former ministers of Sultan Nur ad-Din; some were ill, others maimed, and some were extremely aged; this nonstop galloping and fighting imposed heavy burdens on their bodies and spirits. They tried their best not to burden the Christian knights, but the body sometimes defied the mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s an oasis ahead,” Kamal said in a hoarse voice. “We can rest there for the night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, we can rest only half the night,” Cesar rejected his suggestion. They had just wiped out a squad of Nubian slave soldiers; before executing the captives, they had extracted some intelligence—there were still at least two thousand pursuing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nearest pursuers were perhaps only a day’s ride away, yet they had galloped nonstop for two nights and one day; even though his power greatly eased the knights’ fatigue, their spirits were nearly broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would surely be villages around the oasis—this was unquestionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A herdsman spotted them and immediately abandoned his flock, sprinting toward the village. There happened to be a “scholar” there, who quickly rallied the village warriors, mounted their horses, and raced toward the oasis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, Cesar’s delegation was an army capable of annihilating them. As Saracens, they did not fear dying on the battlefield, only the fate of their wives and children. Fortunately, the Christians did not immediately attack but instead sent out a young knight, who rode double with a Saracen—first the scholar thought he was a guide, then realized something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamal dismounted; as his feet touched the ground, his knees buckled and his body lurched forward. Fortunately, Cesar had also dismounted and seized his arm, pulling him upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Kamal’s explanation and guarantee, the scholar reluctantly accepted them. Of course, the man still remained wary; that night, every Saracen in the village would stay awake, weapons at hand, until the strangers departed—but that was no concern of the Christian knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing the clear lake water, they let out a joyful cry; except for the knights on guard, all others dismounted and walked toward the shore. With their squires’ help, they removed their iron gauntlets and helms, dipped their hands into the icy water, and drank deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they filled their water bags and carried the water to their mounts; the watching Saracens grew slightly more at ease. A man’s character often revealed itself in small details—if these Christian knights refused to waste even lake water, there was a strong chance they would honor their promises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar stood by the window. Though others urged him to rest, he only shook his head. He had seen the emaciated Saracens; though he might not recognize their identities, their expressions, movements, and attire revealed they were no ordinary commoners—in the Zengid dynasty, men’s clothing showed no sharp class distinctions, and their Prophet Muhammad discouraged men from wearing jewelry or silk, yet certain details still betrayed power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely, these men all seemed to have just endured punishment—bloodstains, mutilations, and weakness could not be hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long ago, Sultan Nur ad-Din’s coffin had passed nearby; without needing to be told, the scholar guessed something terrible had happened in Aleppo. He pondered long, and when the knights lit a fire and sent squires to buy food from the villagers, he generously agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he summoned his warriors and ordered them to quickly gather essentials: “We must leave temporarily—once these Christians and Nur ad-Din’s ministers depart, we will leave too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Hearing this, the warriors were stunned. “Because of these Christians?” said an impatient warrior. “Are you saying they’ll bring their army? Then let’s go out now and kill them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” said the scholar. “What worries me is not these Christians—will you obey me? If not, I’ll take my family and leave. But I hope you’ll follow my orders, children—the clouds are coming from Aleppo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people hesitated for a long while, but the scholar had always held great authority among these Saracens; though some remained reluctant, they all returned home, gathered their valuables, taking what they could and burying what they couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Christians departed before dawn, slipping away silently under cover of night. The scholar, who had been watching them, immediately gathered the villagers; they carried packs and baskets, moving quietly toward a rocky hill near the oasis, where a natural fissure led to a wind-carved cave—large enough for temporary shelter, though unsuitable for long-term habitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How long will we stay here?” the scholar’s wife asked anxiously. “Until those people pass,” the scholar replied. At this point, they did not yet know who he meant by “those people.” But soon, on the afternoon of the next day, a young man whom the scholar had left to watch the village returned, pale and trembling, drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They gave him grape juice, and only then did he calm down. He told them that at noon, when the sun was fiercest, a group of Oghuz Turks had arrived at their village. They found the Christians’ traces by the lake, stormed in with weapons drawn, looting and shouting—but because of the scholar’s warning, everyone had fled, so they found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, they could only angrily burn a few houses before leaving in frustration. One could imagine what would have happened had the villagers stayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting, Cesar’s party galloped another full day and night; by dawn of the fourth day, they were close to Damascus—but the most formidable pursuers finally caught up and were racing toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knights dismounted and left the Saracens behind a dune; their fate now depended on the outcome of the coming battle. If the Christians won, they might enter Damascus and find refuge. If they lost, the result spoke for itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the First Lady and the new Sultan Salih had sent these pursuers, they no longer regarded them as trustworthy subjects; the only fate for traitors was execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamal gasped twice, his eyes deeply sunken, lips cracked, hair disheveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had to say this—“Next, my lord, if you find an opportunity, flee on your own. We were never your responsibility—you have already done what even a Saracen might not have done. We will forever remember your kindness. If… my colleagues and I have a future, we will repay you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at Cesar, placed his hands over his chest, lowered his knees, and knelt before the Christian knight’s hooves. “All praise belongs to Allah, my lord. May we meet again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar nodded calmly. In truth, as a Christian, he could not command his men and companions to sacrifice themselves for a group of Saracens. They had already done more than enough; once they repelled this pursuing force, it would be time for them to part ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1771,"2026-06-20T20:58:34.857Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bcd3d0d0bec490a63d59e9da9c1645de9565cd1a1f1c07ea5c35de6551025234","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-156","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-154",168,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-cover.jpg"]