[{"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-159":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},2333127,4562,"Chapter 159: White Hawk (Part 2)","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-159",159,"\u003Cp>He then moved a piece, defeating Saladin’s vizier, picked up the fallen piece, and gently rubbed it between his fingers. “I don’t know how you view this child, but aren’t you worried that some might grow jealous and hateful because of your special favor toward him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And no matter what, he is a Christian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I was in Aleppo, I read widely—in the great library of Ducheng, books poured in like sand carried by rivers, brought by merchants in countless volumes, records, and texts. Among them, I once read a philosophical book translated by an elder scholar from the Seres, filled with several brief yet profoundly meaningful aphorisms that I deeply memorized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lord, one of them says: When a precious herb or medicinal plant grows in the middle of a great road, even if one feels sorrow and reluctance, those who travel upon it must still tear it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I admit, Cesar is the youngest man I have ever seen whom the Almighty has most favored and protected, but he is ultimately not a Saracen—he is a Christian. If you let him return safely to Arasal, he may one day face us on the battlefield. Your mercy now could lead to defeat in war and countless Saracen deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have seen it yourself—those knights are by no means extraordinary geniuses. They defeat and devour enemies many times their number only because they have Cesar—a leader respected, trusted, and endowed with extraordinary power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have also heard that during the Battle of Galilee, which crushed Sultan Nur ad-Din, it was he who stood steadfastly beside the King of Arasal. He was then hailed as the Shield of Shengcheng. The physicians also said his revelations extend far beyond what people see—so long as he lives, the King of Arasal will never fall on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So are you truly going to let him go? Why not take this chance to bring him to Cairo? When he arrives, treat him as you would a son or nephew—give him Qian Cai, a palace, power. You could even tell him that if he serves you, you are willing to slow your campaigns against Arasal and other Christian lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Saladin finally laughed. He was not mocking Kamal—Kamal’s words struck true. Saladin could indeed do this. After all, in the coming years, his focus would not be on the coastal Christian states, but on Egypt, Syria, and even the lands still held by the Seljuk Turks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Crusaders, he even despised them. From what he knew, they had long lost their original vigor and piety. Their rusted swords might still retain a trace of past sharpness, but they posed no threat to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, keeping them alive offered him a great advantage in his unification: he could use this sacred pretext to bind all Saracens tightly together, inseparably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have indeed thought of it,” Saladin sighed deeply. But unfortunately, “the boy I favor is far too clever. I once spoke with him outside Caliph Al-Adid’s palace—he saw through my intentions at once. He would never believe I spare the Christian states for his sake. He knows I offer only empty gifts to buy his loyalty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He won’t obey—and might even stab me hard for his brother, the King of Arasal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. He is the kind of boy who is resolute, confident, and decisive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If your generals heard you say this, they’d demand you execute him—or imprison him so he can never return to Arasal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saladin closed his eyes and stretched out a barely noticeable yawn. “But if you do that, the King of Arasal alone cannot stand against those hungry wolves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not speaking of Saracens—I mean the Christians surrounding him. They have never abandoned the chance to seize advantage in any matter. Kamal, I don’t believe you haven’t noticed the strangeness—what benefit did it bring anyone—the First Lady, Salih, or even those two princes—to kill Count Joselin III of Edessa and his wife?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joselin III posed no threat to us. Since age five, he was a prisoner of Zengi and Nur ad-Din. He survived, married, only because Nur ad-Din never fully swallowed Edessa—he kept Joselin as a pawn for political leverage. His return to Arasal brings only trouble, no benefit. Yet they still killed him. Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone ordered them to kill Count Joselin III—and his heir,” Kamal said. “It does seem odd.” The number of pursuers… their excessive zeal…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cesar’s head is worth a thousand gold coins,” Saladin said. Cesar and his knights had indeed slain the first two groups of pursuers. But as a Saracen himself, Saladin knew Turkic tactics well—he ordered his soldiers to hang the remaining pursuers. This intelligence came from interrogating captives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t think a thousand gold coins are few—the Second Prince paid a thousand gold coins in jewels to bribe a single Christian knight. But honestly, whether he intended to reclaim them after the deed, only the head hanging on Nanmen’s wall knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Lady had planned to use this blade at the most critical moment—the powerful Emirs and Fatah. To raise such a sum would strain her greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the price for Christian knights versus Turkic ones differs—whether buying or selling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saladin pressed his temple. He felt a headache coming. The First Lady was no woman who acted on whim. This meant someone—she or someone she could not abandon—held a secret the Christians now gripped tightly. He did not know what it was, but he hoped it would not spread through the entire Saracen world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled slowly. He still needed to uncover this secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamal still felt regret. His time with the young man had made him fond of him. If Cesar chose to stay by Saladin’s side—even if it stained his virtue—his future would not be limited to Fatah or Vizier. He could rise to Grand Vizier or Emir, perhaps even be sent out as Viceroy. If he remained in court, he might become an Atabek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That title once belonged to Zengi’s founder, then inherited by his two sons. In Saracen speech, it means “Royal Master, Protector.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, Kamal had seen the Christian knight’s compassion and gentleness toward the people. He would make an excellent ruler. His deeds would not tarnish Saladin’s reputation—they would elevate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saladin gripped his jaw. “Don’t rush, Kamal,” he said, moving his king. “He is still so young, and we have all the time in the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamal, I told you—Arasal is no longer a pure holy land. It may have been once, but now it is defiled by infidels. When I reclaim Shengcheng, I will wash every brick and pillar with rosewater, smash their idols and crosses, burn incense for three days and nights to purge this nauseating filth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this boy—do you truly believe he can thrive in the court of Arasal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True, the King of Arasal holds him dear. But no matter how dear, they are both youths. Cesar’s family is nonexistent—he has no support. Besides, the King of Arasal suffers from leprosy and has not recovered. His life may end before he turns thirty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, not even that long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Cesar were still the unknown servant he once was, it would be fine. But now he is a true noble, Count of Edessa, cousin to the King of Arasal—he can lay claim to the throne. Whether he wants to or not,” Saladin gazed at the board, “he will always be a thorn in someone’s side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamal heard this and felt a chill run through him. They had all seen Saladin’s affection for the Christian knight—he even released all his Christian knights, attendants, and slaves for his sake. Yet he could calmly watch Cesar walk off a cliff, break his bones, and be covered in wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kamal could only sigh. He himself was Saladin’s prisoner—he was not so naive as to imagine he would receive the same treatment here as he had under Nur ad-Din. Saladin treated them well because, as new Grand Vizier of Egypt, he had few loyal men; second, for legitimacy—he would soon declare himself Nur ad-Din’s true heir, and having Nur ad-Din’s old ministers beside him would strengthen his claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamal even changed his mind—he had planned to visit Cesar once he awoke. Now, he would stay away. If Cesar guessed or suspected Saladin’s intentions, Saladin might suspect Kamal of betrayal. And Saladin—such a man—would never act until the final moment. Kamal did not wish to spend the next decades trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, with this thought weighing on him, his next moves became chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t think about it,” Saladin said. “Go see Cesar if you wish. He likely already suspects what I intend. But he is stubborn—like a little lamb with horns! If you don’t go, he’ll wonder why. Go now. Perhaps soon, you’ll meet again in Cairo or Aleppo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1477,"2026-06-20T20:58:34.857Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f93b6aa5fcbdd911b567d942b1d0885ec4dfe38bb6bb8905a15dbe7dbb0e6a30","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-160","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-158",168,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-cover.jpg"]