The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 114 Earl Reginald of Seton

In early January of 1183 in the Julian calendar, the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem set out from Tiberias and marched rapidly, passing through Hattin, Safed, and Torun. It was five days before they arrived at Befort Castle on the banks of the Litani River.

Bedford Castle belongs to the State of Seton, which is the territory of Reginald, Earl of Seton.

The castle sits atop a craggy limestone ridge, with three cliffs plunging vertically into the Litani River valley.

The castle offers a view of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast to the west, and the sails of Sidon Port can be faintly seen to the northwest. To the north, it controls the main transportation route connecting the north and south of Lebanon, and to the east, it guards the southern entrance to the Bekaa Valley.

When Guy's vanguard appeared on the winding mountain road below the castle, Reginald de Grinier, Earl of Seton, had been observing from the battlements for some time.

Reginald de Sidon, also known as Reginald de Grinier, was born into the Grinier family, a Frankish family in Acre. Lord Walter II of Caesarea was his brother.

Reginald inherited the fief of Sidon from his father and brother in 1180. He was on good terms with Count Raymond of Tripoli and belonged to the same pro-peace faction.

Because he was wounded in the shoulder by a stray arrow during the battle with Ayyubid four years ago, he could not wear armor or wield a longsword with great force. Therefore, when he went out of the city to greet Guy and his men, he wore only a dark blue robe with gold trim and waited quietly in front of the castle gate, surrounded by more than ten knights and servants.

"Your Excellency Guy, you must be tired from your journey." Reginald bowed slightly, his manners polite but tinged with distance.

His gaze swept over the travel-worn Guy, then lingered briefly on Gerald and Reinard, a subtle, complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

As a pacifist, his relationship with Guy and his men had not been pleasant over the years. Although he still fulfilled his duties as a vassal, providing troops, supplies, and protection to the military commander appointed by the king, this estrangement still made the atmosphere somewhat delicate.

Guy was a little embarrassed, and he looked at Gerald and Reinard behind him for help.

Gerald winked and made a face, as if to say, "Go for it, I'll back you up," but his mount subtly took a few steps back.

Reinald squinted, a gloating expression on his face.

Grand Master Roger of the Knights Hospitaller keenly sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere. He rode forward, gave Guy a friendly look, and then broke the silence: "Reginald, long time no see, good day!"

Lord Walter II of Caesarea also rode forward, saying, "Brother, good day!"

"Good day, Roger! Good day, Walter!" Reginald, clearly more affectionate towards Roger and his brother, glanced at Roger's side and asked worriedly, "Isn't Earl Raymond with the army? Hasn't he finished his mission to Constantinople yet?"

"We had no news of Earl Raymond when we set off from Tiberias," Roger shook his head, then changed the subject, "But you, suffering from a chronic illness, why wait here yourself? The army will pass through Seton on its own; you can rest and recuperate in the city."

Reginald smiled faintly, rubbing his right shoulder where he had difficulty moving: "If we take all the garrison of Sidon out, the city's defenses will inevitably be weak. So I simply transported the army, supplies, and provisions to Bedford. There's no profit to be made in Sidon, so Saladin naturally won't plunder it. This will shorten your march and preserve Sidon's defenses, a win-win situation."

Guy astutely cut to the chase: "Where are Saladin's main forces now? Is there any latest military intelligence?"

"According to the scouts," Reginald said gravely, "the Sultan's banner did not pass through the Befort and Litani River line, but instead went through the Bekaa Valley, crossed the Dog River, and headed straight for Beirut. A large number of refugees from villages around Beirut have poured into Sidon, and their homes have been looted. The intelligence should be accurate."

"That cunning Saladin! That hypocritical Saladin! He accused me of robbing his caravan, but didn't he burn our village too?!" Reinald roared in fury. "The Bekaa Valley has always been under their control, with supplies and provisions flowing freely. What reason does he have to burn our village? What right does he have?!"

"I knew it, Guy! This is our chance to make a name for ourselves!" Gerald stroked his sword hilt, turned towards Guy, and sneered, "Protecting our people is a knight's duty. We should finish this quickly and drive these infidels back to the desert!"

Guy nodded: "We've marched so far that our soldiers are exhausted. We'll camp in Bedford tonight and rest. We'll discuss tomorrow's plans at the meeting."

As night fell, the council chamber of Bedford Castle was brightly lit with candles.

Guy and his generals sat around a huge oak table covered with a sheepskin map depicting the Lebanese coast and the Bekaa Valley.

"According to the intelligence provided by the refugees," Guy pointed the tip of his dagger at a mark on the map, "Saladin's army numbers about... 100,000... They are currently encamped in the mountains east of Beirut, guarding the main road to the city."

Guy shook his head: "The latter can be adopted for the time being, but as for military force, the refugees are just talking nonsense."

Reginald sighed, "There has never been any war in the Tripoli and Beirut areas. Most of the villagers in Beirut have never seen any war before. It is not surprising that they report exaggerated numbers when they see an army that blots out the sky looting their homes for the first time."

"So we still have no idea how many troops that son of a bitch Saladin has mobilized to besiege Beirut?" Reinald slammed his fist on the table in frustration. "I know Saladin best. He pretends to be a good guy, but behind the scenes he's full of scheming and plotting! Maybe his main force is lying in wait in the Bekaa Valley, ready to wipe us out!"

"Shut up, Reinald. No one's going to think you're mute if you don't speak." Gerald rolled his eyes at Reinald. "According to you, Saladin wants to divide his forces to besiege Beirut and also ambush in the Bekaa Valley. It's not like there's a narrow valley between here and Beirut. We can just go along the coastline and get away from the Lebanese mountains. Even if Saladin manages to outflank us..."

Gerald stood up, held up two fingers, and laughed, "We have an army of twenty thousand, including over seventeen hundred heavily armored knights. Are we going to avoid their advance?!"

"But the premise is that we can't afford to be exhausted." Guy looked up and analyzed, "I understand, this is Saladin's open scheme. If we want to rush to Beirut's aid as soon as possible, we have to risk being ambushed by him while our men and horses are exhausted. If we march cautiously, we might lose Beirut."

"Beirut can be lost, but the kingdom's main force cannot be lost. I believe Count Raymond will understand!" Reinald sipped his wine, his face serious. "Don't worry, at worst, when His Highness Lyon ascends the throne and I become the Master of the Stables, I'll help him take it back! But until then..."

He couldn't hold it in any longer, spitting out his drink and bursting into laughter: "But before that, he first has to be a proponent of war!"