flstandardbreds Chapter 370 Wheat Juice vs. Dripping Water
Chapter 370 Wheat Juice vs. Dripping Water
John stood in the sun, with the blue sky and the endless desert beside him. He knew that the purpose of this trip was not only for his own benefit, but also to eliminate unnecessary resistance and ensure the safety of himself and the accompanying troops.
The reason why he disguised himself as the monarch of Kushan, "Mamet II", was not only to gain the trust of these enslaved people, but also to eliminate the resistance he faced in this hostile land.
If they confronted the King of Murcia in a direct war, they would be met with angry resistance from all the Kushan tribes, both in terms of religion and interests. In the eyes of the Kushans, John and his army were foreign invaders, and such an identity meant that he could not easily gain a foothold here.
If he led his troops directly into Murcia, he would be exposing himself to the enemy.
In such a fierce confrontation, the King of Murcia could have called on the surrounding Kushan tribes to rise up in rebellion in the name of "protecting the land of the Kushans." In that case, John would not only have to face the joint counterattack of the Kushan tribes, but also the difficulty of water and food supply. This land is a vast desert except for a few oases. If he could not win the battle quickly, John would have to lead his army to eat cacti.
In addition to external factors, there is also the internal factor of disunity among the armies of various countries. The armies of various countries that followed John seemed to belong to him on the surface, but once they went deep into the territory of Kushan, the combat command of the armies of various countries almost returned to the hands of the generals of various countries. After all, some countries sent troops here ostensibly for the Lord and for holy war, but secretly for money. However, looting villages of the same faith would be condemned by priests, but looting heretics was not only not condemned, but also encouraged by those in the French King's Hall.
At this time, the only troops John could really control were his own 20,000 men and the troops sent by the King of Midland. However, after entering the enemy territory, the shortage of water and food would undoubtedly become the biggest obstacle to their actions. Once the army set out, the amount of water and food consumed every day was an astonishing number. With the help of General Reynald, John could only raise enough supplies for his army to leave the city, and the armies of other countries had to go out and rob if they wanted to get extra water and food.
What's worse is that once his disguise is discovered by others, he will not only face external enemies, but also accusations and trials of heresy from within. This is why John only took his own army out for action.
Even so, John only led a team of more than a thousand people each time, and the others were all stationed in the oasis fortress, receiving supplies sent by Leonard while searching for water sources around. John even ordered people to invite local professionals who were good at exploring underground rivers to search for traces of the underground river, and maybe they could even dig a well near the fortress.
Compared to direct attack, John's mind was more far-reaching: he hoped to support the local forces of Kushan to fight against the rule of King Murcia, just as he had done in the war against King Lana.
First of all, John went to rescue people in the identity of "Mameti II", the monarch of Kushan. In the eyes of those Kushan tribal chiefs and merchants, he would definitely be regarded as fake, but those tribesmen who had never traveled far and had no culture did not understand.
When they saw John wearing Kushan clothes and with a Kushan name, and speaking to them in Kushan, and with a large army following him, bringing them water, food, and camels, they knew he was a benevolent monarch of Kushan.
After receiving this information, these people will naturally compare him with the brutal King of Murcia, and then they will find that compared with John, the model of a benevolent monarch, the King of Murcia can only be said to be in the initial stage of human form.
After the gap in their hearts is formed, these tribesmen will be full of yearning for John, and this yearning will turn into trust and admiration as they accept the long-term cruel rule of King Murcia.
Once trust is established, John can speak more inspiring slogans to these tribesmen - to go to war with the brutal King of Murcia and call on them to join the benevolent Kushan monarch "Mamet II". Under the leadership of this benevolent monarch, their lives will get better and better.
This sentence not only told everyone that John was not afraid of King Murcia like other Kushan chiefs, but also made it clear to everyone that he did not come here for the Kushan land or to change the Kushan people's beliefs, but brought his troops here to fight King Murcia.
Even if John wanted to take something away, it would be the King of Murcia, and it had nothing to do with other chiefs and tribesmen. On the contrary, if John defeated the King of Murcia, the threat to the local Kushan people would temporarily disappear.
In this way, the scope of hostility towards John was narrowed from all the local Kushans to the King of Murcia and his close confidants.
Without conflicts of interest, the tribesmen and tribal chiefs would not stop John's army even if they did not help John.
The morale of the Murcian soldiers who had experienced the battle with John's army would undoubtedly drop significantly when facing this army that had defeated them before. They might be intimidated by their past failures and no longer dare to fight against it. This psychological advantage would be a great help to John.
A few days later, the sun rose from the horizon, shining on the streets of Murcia. The city gate slowly opened, accompanied by the creaking of the door hinges, and the crowds of people outside the city poured in, and people in and out of the city flowed in and out. Small shops on the street opened one after another, vendors shouted and sold their goods, and the lively atmosphere swept in like a tide.
In such a bustling scene, under a simple shed, several elderly Kusha elders sat together in a circle, chatting about family matters and the news outside. Their faces were deeply wrinkled by the years, and the calluses on their hands and the dark skin told people how much wind, frost, rain and snow they had experienced.
An old man wearing a Kusha turban, whose white turban was particularly eye-catching in the morning light, asked loudly:
"Have you heard? Outside Murcia, there is a southern monarch who calls himself 'Maimaiti' and has attacked the slave transport team!"
Another old Kusha man sitting next to him nodded and added:
"Yes, I have heard about this incident, but word has been spread in the palace that this is most likely a conspiracy by those pagans in the south to disturb our peace."
An old man with a gray beard curled his lips in contempt after hearing this:
"If you ask me, it's pure bullshit! We have been staying in the city for decades, and we have never seen the heresy that those people in the palace talk about. It's all nonsense! If you ask me, it's just wheat juice against a drop of water, all a scam, just to make us pay more taxes and find an excuse to exploit us."
When the other old men heard this, they couldn't help but echo it, shaking their heads in agreement. An old man with a ruddy face nearby took over the conversation and said indignantly:
"I heard that the monarch not only released the slaves, but also gave them water and food, and even gave them a few camels to take them home! Now think about our king, not to mention giving us things, he even made us pay all kinds of messed up taxes during festivals!"
"Yes!"
A Kusha man passing by joined the discussion and said indignantly,
"It's going up almost every year. It's endless. All the money we worked so hard to earn was used by him to support his mistresses and build palaces. How can we live like this?"
Although these Kushans were very dissatisfied with the current situation, they were full of hope for the future. Perhaps, in the far south, there really was a Kushan monarch who was willing to change their lives, or maybe it was just an unconfirmed piece of news.