Eagle Byzantium

Soon, Bohemond raised a golden cup inlaid with diamonds and gems of various colors, filled with crystal clear iced red wine, and sipped it in front of everyone with pride. Tancred behind him stood straight, staring at Diogenes next to Grand Duke Gawain, wishing to devour him with his eyes.

"We can't lose this kind of negotiation venue." Gawain thought, then he shook his head and signaled the military servant Muzafi Adin to take out something from Anna to calm the situation. In the end, the military servant was busy for a long time and found that most of them were manuscripts. He raised and put it down again, and then handed the self-proclaimed Grand Duke an item.

Gawain smiled and held the thing in his hand, and then looked down. It was a small pot made of fine copper with holes in it. He didn't know what it was used for, but he still held it in his palm elegantly and faced everyone.

"Sir, you can burn charcoal here. It is used by generals to warm their hands in winter... but it is already spring." Seeing this, Taitius could not bear to expose it, so he quietly reminded in Turkish.

It turned out that when Gawain was going to war, Anna was worried that he would be cold, so she sent this hand warmer and letter together. However, because Gawain was moving too fast, the gift was always left behind his horse's hoof and was not delivered until now. Last time, Andeodate did not carefully identify it and it was still placed in the box. It was only taken out at this time.

The guard next to him squinted his eyes, watching all this, and tried hard to hold back his laughter.

"Don't say anything, Taitius, just keep smiling at this time." Gawain still put elegance on his face, rubbing the copper pot in his palm. Even Bohemond didn't know what this thing was, so he pointed his hand, and a male servant came over and asked Gawain if he needed to pour wine in it, "Don't worry. There is only sincerity in the wine for the peace talks, no poison." Bohemond said.

"Even if it's not poisonous, the wine will all leak out of the hole. You idiot, what are you looking at? Don't you see it? A stupid servant serving a stupid Norman." Gawain was angry in his heart, and he kept "rebuking" the stupid manservant who was still holding the wine pot with his eyes.

However, Bohemond's words still played a role in easing the atmosphere. Godfrey of Bouillon also raised his glass and proposed that everyone toast to the Lord and the upcoming expedition.

So Gawain also raised the hand warmer.

At this time, Anselm, the former bishop of the Diocese of Bari, walked in from outside the tent with an angry look on his face. He sat on his seat and looked around, and soon locked his eyes and firepower on the hermit Peter. "I heard that someone, for his own selfish interests and desires, stirred up words and changed the original intention of the Holy See. He actually abandoned the Diocese of Bari and let it continue to be under the control of Greek monks, making the efforts of many noble people go to waste."

"It won't go to waste. The Imperial Duke Gawain of Bari has accepted a new baptism. Soon Bari will become the forward sea crossing base for the entire Italian and Frankish expeditionary forces. And Gawain..." Peter turned his eyes to himself.

Gawain understood and said, "The docks in Bari will provide free loading and unloading services for the ships of various city-states and lords, whether you hire ships from Genoa, Amalfi, Pisa, Venice or Ragusa. In addition, Bari will also implement co-management of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. I will protect the land of other Catholic monasteries and will not confiscate them."

"But St. Nicholas Cathedral originally belongs to the Catholic Church!" Anselm was very angry.

"No, it originally belongs to the Orthodox Church." Gawain said in a calm tone, "Even Bari was originally under the jurisdiction of the Roman Emperor."

"You are also considered His Holiness?"

"I am also under the command of the Emperor of the Empire. I can't be responsible for only one side." Gawain insisted.

"That's insincere."

"You are the one who is insincere, the honorable former Bishop of York. Now the Holy See is going to join hands with the Emperor to march east. And the city of Bari of this Archduke happens to be the hub of friendship and cooperation between the two sides. It is also a sensitive area. Don't try to create a fire all over the mountains for the sake of momentary vision. Therefore, retaining the current status of the city of Bari will only benefit both sides. Therefore, I am the Bishop who will not give in. The Archduke will immediately draft a reasonable plan for the ownership of the city of Bari, but I will fully protect and facilitate the pilgrims from all over the world who go to St. Nicholas Cathedral and the soldiers who have passed through the Crusade. This is the Archduke's promise." Gawain then spoke loudly. After listening, Godfrey also felt that it was very fair and reasonable. He also came over and said a few words to Anselm, so the Archduke could only lower his head and remain silent.

"I will return to Lower Lorraine immediately to respond to the Holy See's Le Mans Conference and strive to raise the flag to march east after the end of spring." Then Godfrey looked around and said firmly.

Bohemond put down the wine glass, thought about it for a while, and finally agreed with the Duke of Lower Lorraine with a very enthusiastic attitude, "Give me some time to embroider the cross pattern on the knights and soldiers' smocks. I will do my best to go out at the same time as you. See you in Constantinople."

After saying that, the Duke of Apulia threw the wine glass into the ice box, stood up, and stretched out his finger. Godfrey also stood up and pressed the other's finger. Then the two looked at Peter and Gawain.

"I will also sail from Bari with the Red Hand Company after the fundraising is completed. See you in Constantinople." Gawain said this, stretched out his finger, and leaned against the two dukes, and then Peter's.

Three days later, outside Bari, Bohemond, with dissatisfaction and resentment, ordered the Normans to withdraw the siege and retreat to the Taranto area, gather ships, and wait for the envoy of Emperor Alexius to reach an agreement with the Holy See before crossing the sea.

A perfect version in 16-9 Book Bar!

"Your Excellency, Bari promised us that we can use the docks for free, but the merchants in the warehouses and docks of Taranto will take money without blinking an eye." In the tent, an earl reminded the duke.

"Geoffrey, have some ambition. The hatred between the Normans and Gawain cannot be resolved. We want to kill him all the time, and he is also ready to trap us all the time. It is better to hire a ship and take an independent route. Also, Geoffrey, don't call me the Duke of Apulia anymore. I have just pawned this title and my territory to the Pisa merchant. Fortunately, the other party was generous and paid me 20,000 silver coins as military funds." Bohemond replied with a bit of loneliness and sadness, but soon his eyes were burning with joy again. A faint fire was burning, "It's better to abandon all this, then do a big business in the East, and don't be tied by this false title anymore."

On the road several miles below the city, the Normans' luggage and horses were endless. The guards on the battlements waved their hands, and Gu Siyun came up. She saw her brother Tancred riding on a horse under the city, as if waiting for her. When Tancred gave Gu Siyun another complicated look, he didn't look back and followed the army. (To be continued ~^~)