[{"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-9":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},2332977,4562,"Chapter 9: The Chosen?","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>The broth in the clay pot had turned milky; the cabbage and onion had become translucent, and the reddish-brown meat slices swirled as they released a rich aroma. Cesar took two large wooden cups, traditionally used for drinking beer, and filled one for Baldwin and one for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baldwin leapt up and rushed to the wicker chest, rummaging through it until he found a bag of white bread—though “white” was only slightly lighter than the coarse black bread commoners used as weapons, still full of bran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar drew his dagger, laid it across his knee, and sliced the bread. They ate and drank their soup together; as Baldwin fished for peas with his spoon, Cesar finished his meal and began peeling an apple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re still the same,” Baldwin said. “Some say you’re no noble—perhaps just a peasant, even a slave.” He pointed at Cesar’s apple. “You don’t drink wine, you prefer water and milk. You boil vegetable soup and eat fruit raw.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because most fruits’ vitamins and enzymes are easily destroyed by high heat; if the gut is healthy, raw consumption is best. The issue with wine was already explained before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for boiling vegetable soup… vegetables could be eaten raw, but in an age without pesticides or food safety awareness, Cesar could never be certain he wouldn’t swallow a frog or a worm along with the leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disgust was secondary; the parasitic diseases carried by frogs and worms could be fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s delicious, isn’t it?” Cesar couldn’t explain to Baldwin a concept that wouldn’t form for centuries. “Milk is sweet, vegetables tender, fruit crisp and fresh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s your skill,” Baldwin said sincerely. Cesar often cooked for them both over the hearth—growing boys were always hungry—and unlike a chef, he needed no heavy spices to make satisfying food; just a pinch of salt and failed wine—grape vinegar—was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps my father was an exceptionally gifted cook,” Cesar said seriously. “Perhaps he now serves the Sultan or the Caliph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baldwin burst into laughter, then grew solemn. “No,” he said. “Your father must be a knight, searching anxiously for you.” He set down his cup and placed a hand on Cesar’s shoulder. “How could a lion be born of wolves? Your virtues and talents must have roots.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said earnestly: “One day, under God’s gaze, you will reunite. Then I will beg my father to join the Crusade, to fight the Saracens, and win countless honors and glory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar imagined his father, a medical master, clad in armor, lance in hand, reins gripped in one fist, galloping across a dusty battlefield toward countless black-robed Saracens. He didn’t know whether to laugh or feel awkward—but for men of this time, becoming a king’s knight and fighting infidels was a great grace. He could only thank Baldwin for his generosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he wanted to know: who was this “someone” Baldwin mentioned? For days, he had scarcely left Baldwin’s side, save for a few occasions when Princess Sibylla—Baldwin’s sister—came to visit, and he withdrew to another room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it Sibylla?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar had only glimpsed Princess Sibylla from afar. She was always surrounded by a crowd of maids and attendants; among the servants, she was spoken of as a noblewoman of striking beauty and commanding dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly set the thought aside. Cesar had never been the type to obsess over lineage or blood. Whether his father was a cook or a knight mattered less than his afternoon lessons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Amalric I had declared he would treat Cesar as if he were the son of a duke, so long as Cesar remained respectful and loyal to Baldwin, he would enjoy the same privileges once granted to Abigail, David, and others—one of which was receiving the same education as Baldwin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baldwin’s education differed from the typical knightly training of the time, which placed little value on literacy; many lords, let alone knights, could neither read nor write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from Baldwin I onward—perhaps influenced by the Saracens (even the Church admitted the Saracens far surpassed the Germans, Celts, and Romans in knowledge and education)—he refused to let his heir be a fool who couldn’t read a contract or sign his own name, requiring a monk to do it for him. His descendants’ education was comprehensive from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prince’s curriculum was thorough and well-ordered: Monday through Saturday, mornings were for literary studies, afternoons for martial arts. Literary subjects included grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, music, and astronomy; martial arts included lance, horsemanship, falconry, archery, swordsmanship, and knightly conduct—proper conduct, terminology, and etiquette for formal occasions. It was said that at fourteen, Baldwin added even more subjects—something Cesar didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Baldwin contracted leprosy, these lessons paused for a time, then resumed after some instructors were replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some subjects were familiar to Cesar, like mathematics; others were not, like falconry. Knights’ falconry was no game—it was for feeding themselves and their retinue. Mistakes or hesitation during the hunt meant being struck with sword scabbards or clubs—even the prince was not spared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether familiar or unfamiliar, Cesar approached every lesson with enthusiasm. Not only was he naturally studious, he knew this was his path to advancement—especially in an age where education was monopolized by the upper class. His opportunity was precious, unique, and fleeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, when they all had their wax tablets ready, the rhetoric teacher Heraclius arrived late—not only late, but without his usual textbook. Instead, he held a Latin prayer book. Cesar felt a flicker of disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If teachers could be ranked in this era, Heraclius was unquestionably top-tier. Most teachers merely needed to be able to read and copy a book to teach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraclius, however, was a theology and history graduate who had studied for years at a university. His texts went beyond the usual hymnals, prayer books, and saints’ lives—he possessed precious works from ancient Greece and Rome: Caesar’s Commentaries on the Civil War and the Gallic War, Cato the Elder’s On Agriculture, Emperor Leo VI of Byzantium’s Taktika, among others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, they had discussed Cato’s Origins—not biblical content, but a historical account of Rome from its founding to the end of the Second Punic War, including histories of other city-states. This book had been lost for centuries, yet Heraclius possessed a complete set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Put away your wax tablets,” Heraclius said. “Children, today we will have our most important lesson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar instinctively glanced at Baldwin. The prince had sensed something the moment Heraclius entered, and now sat perfectly upright, eyes gleaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraclius waited until both boys had set down their tablets and sat properly. He placed his hand on the prayer book, closed his eyes, and silently recited a passage before looking at them again, his voice clear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. All He made was perfect; every creature bore no flaw of sin, no mark of decay, no trace of loss—they were flawless, as God Himself is. God saw it all and was pleased, saying, ‘It is good.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the devils beneath the earth, seeing this, were filled with envy and malice. They sought to destroy all that was beautiful. So they crawled from the abyss onto the earth—they dared not face God!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet they could bring darkness—darkness that obscured spirit, morality, thought, and faith! This darkness could make stars fall from the sky and blind men to God’s light, forcing them to kneel beneath Satan’s scepter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under such conditions, humanity had no hope of salvation. Having broken their covenant with God, even His judgment—eternal annihilation—would be just.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But God showed mercy—vast, boundless mercy beyond our mortal understanding. He sent His Son into this world to redeem us. That light is the true light, illuminating every soul born into this world—God’s compassion, like morning sun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The angel told Mary: ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for the child you bear is the Savior of mankind.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is man? Dust! Imperfect, weak, easily deceived, prone to sin. Why then did God give His only Son to us? Why did He let Him walk among us in flesh? Because we had sinned, and must pay for our sins. God sent His Son to save us—so He took a body capable of death, to atone for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But God’s salvation does not end there. Christ walked among us—both God and man. The bridge between God and man had broken; He repaired it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He attended weddings with others, touched water, and turned it into wine; He molded clay into birds, said ‘Fly,’ and they flew; a man sick for thirty-eight years, He said, ‘Rise,’ and the man stood and walked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the wilderness, people listened to His teachings. He blessed five loaves and two fish, and fed five thousand. He stood before a tomb and said, ‘Open!’ They replied, ‘He has been dead four days.’ But He said, ‘Open!’ And they opened it—and the dead man walked out, as if alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He told His disciples, ‘Walk on water.’ They believed Him—and walked on water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And so more people believed in Him. All who believed were saved and chosen—they bore the light of the Holy Spirit, blessed and empowered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Heraclius lowered his head, his expression grave, and extended his hand to the boys. Baldwin placed his hand in it without hesitation. Cesar hesitated—he was forming thoughts, uncertain. He glanced at the monk, who only tightened his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are of age—perhaps slightly young, but the Holy Spirit tells me you are ready for the Selection.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baldwin turned to Cesar, barely containing his excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Children chosen usually range from ten to fourteen,” Heraclius continued, before formal adulthood. Had Baldwin not contracted leprosy, he would have undergone the Selection at next year’s Feast of the Presentation, alongside Abigail, David, and the others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to unwritten customary law, children chosen together in the same place, if both blessed by God’s grace, become ‘brothers under God’s gaze.’ This bond can grow stronger than blood—more than once, it has.” Heraclius said: “I, and His Majesty, Raymond, and Bohemond—we are such brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In His Majesty’s original plan,” Baldwin said with faint irony, “I was to continue the deep friendship of our fathers. Now, that is unnecessary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Cesar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The value of friendship lies not in quantity,” Heraclius said gently. “You will be with Baldwin, won’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar hesitated. “I will. But I don’t know if I possess this… potential.” If those chosen were virtuous, kind, or exemplified courage, wisdom, or talent, Cesar might have hope. But if men like Wit were chosen too, he had no confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet He makes no distinction by rank, blood, or wealth,” Heraclius said. “An abandoned child—if granted permission—may be chosen and rise to become a devout priest, escaping the mire. A king’s or bishop’s son may walk out of the church empty-handed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And,” Baldwin said calmly, “whether or not you are chosen, as you said, you are the Holy Spirit’s messenger sent to me. You did not flee because of my leprosy. Should I now banish you because you are not chosen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cesar had no reply. Baldwin and Heraclius both laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Baldwin asked again: “What is the Selection like? Will we fight devils? Fast? Confess?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Each person’s trial differs,” Heraclius replied—clearly answering for Cesar. “But in summary, it means following and serving a saint until he is called by God. I was blessed to witness Saint Balas of Armenia, to hear his teachings, to behold his glory—and so I follow him, becoming steadfast and merciful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your father witnessed Saint George,” he added to Baldwin, “a brave and devout knight. That is why friends and foes alike say Amalric I is an army unto himself. He truly is a warrior without equal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baldwin could not hide his longing. “Which saint will we witness?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do not know,” Heraclius said. “No one can fathom God’s plan.” I only hope He does not take you so soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1992,"2026-06-20T20:58:34.857Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0d2ceea7114bff2bb5feaf249fed81785cda4907c11491ff016c7296031dcda5","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-10","the-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-chapter-8",168,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-nation-of-ten-thousand-nations-cover.jpg"]