The Rise of the European Emperor

"Grand Duke Marin, why are you back again? But did you forget to say something?" Seeing Marin go and come back, Frederick III, who was just about to rest, was also a little surprised.

"I have something to say, but it's not that I forgot to say it just now, but it's inconvenient to say it publicly in front of so many people." Marin nodded and said.

"What do you want to say?" Frederick III asked curiously.

"I'm a prince..." After a pause, Marin said this simple sentence.

Elector Frederick III of Saxony was silent for a long time before he said:

"But you are too close to His Majesty the Emperor!"

Marin shook his head and said:

"It's not that I want to get closer to His Majesty the Emperor, but that you are unwilling to accept me."

What Marin said is also true, because of the issue of birth, in this era that values ​​​​blood, most princes look down on Marin and do not want to be with him. On the contrary, Maximilian I, because he faced too many enemies and needed help, did not value blood, but valued ability more.

In fact, Frederick III himself also valued Marin's ability, but he was not a monarch, but the leader of a group of people, and he could not influence the thoughts of the younger brothers.

Frederick III shook his head, and he couldn't change the rejection of the princes. Even the fact that he was elected as the boss by the princes was based on his noble background. Second, is his ability.

After slowing down, Marin continued:

"Your Majesty Frederick, you should be very clear. I am a knight. It was His Majesty the Emperor who gave me a noble status and supported me to become a prince. Therefore, it is impossible for me to openly turn against the Habsburg family. Otherwise, there is no Violating chivalry morality will do a lot of damage to my reputation. I am originally from a low family background, and if I have a bad reputation for being ungrateful, it will be really notorious."

"So, I can only maintain a superficially good relationship with the Habsburg family. But at the same time, I know that I am also a prince, and it is impossible to support His Majesty the Emperor to unify Germany, which will damage my interests. Therefore, I am very happy now. Contradictions. On the one hand, I cannot openly break with the Habsburg family; on the other hand, I will not send troops to support His Majesty the Emperor and harm the interests of the princes..."

At this time, Frederick III suddenly interjected:

"What's going on with that Frundsberg? Isn't it the general you supported His Majesty the Emperor?"

This is an unavoidable problem between Marin and the princes. Marin has explained it before, but the princes don't believe it.

Therefore, Marin was wronged and said:

"Actually, you are really wrong. I swear in the name of God. I really didn't send him to serve the emperor, but this guy himself joined His Majesty the Emperor! You know, I was a little earl at the time, and His Majesty the Emperor was The emperor of the entire Holy Roman Empire seems to be more attractive to him."

"Moreover, he is from the Swabian region. Most of the princes in that region are close to the Habsburg family, and the family of Frundsberg has always been close to the Habsburg family. Therefore, he chose to betray me and join the emperor. Your Majesty is not surprised."

"Because I can't fall out with His Majesty the Emperor, and I can't publicly accuse him of being a traitor, I have to accept his betrayal by default. In fact, I really don't intend to send him to serve the Emperor. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to Beihai Kingdom After some inquiries, Frundsberg's title and manor in the North Sea Kingdom have been withdrawn, and now he only has the fief and title given by His Majesty the Emperor."

"In other words, he has nothing to do with me now. It's just that I can't openly quarrel with the emperor, so I can only keep silent about it."

Frederick III looked at Marin suspiciously:

"What you said is true?"

For Marin, Frederick III didn't really believe it.

"It's absolutely true, I can swear on the Bible!" Marin said excitedly, he really didn't lie.

Frederick III nodded, accepting his statement, but there was still doubt in his eyes.

After thinking about it, Frederick III asked again:

"The reason why the princes are hostile to you is that apart from the issue of birth and the issue of being too close to His Majesty the Emperor,

It is the problem of your violent annexation of the surrounding vassal states. Do the math yourself, how many vassal states have you annexed? No less than 10, right? The princes are hostile to you, and there is also a reason for worrying about being annexed by Beihai. You know, it is against the rules to annex the country after defeating the opponent! "

This is another core issue. According to the European practice in the Middle Ages, in the battle for hegemony among the princes, the winning side will often choose to ask for a huge ransom according to the unspoken rules. Only when the other party cannot pay the expensive ransom will they choose to cede the territory, but generally only part of the territory will be ceded, not all of it will be occupied, and the other party will not be given a way out. Like Marin, if you fight a national war with someone, you will completely annex your opponent. It really broke the rules and caused panic among the surrounding princes. After all, the land is the foundation of the princes, and if you swallow it all, it is true that there will be no way for people to survive.

Regarding this question, Marin frowned and thought about it, and replied:

"It's like this, Lord Frederick, I chose to annex those vassal states, in fact, to intimidate the surrounding vassal states, so that they would not dare to take the idea of ​​Beihai Kingdom easily. As you know, Beihai Kingdom is richer and covets Beihai Kingdom There are more people with wealth. If you don’t act ruthlessly, many people will attack Beihai with luck. Therefore, I chose to annex all the enemy’s land for the sake of gaining prestige. In this way, no one would dare to easily provoked me."

"Also, you should also know that all the vassal states that were annexed by me were the first to attack Beihai on their own initiative. Beihai never took the initiative to invade or annex other countries, and they were forced to fight back!"

Marin did a good job at this point. After all, he came from later generations, and he attaches great importance to excuses. Therefore, it is obvious that he annexed neighboring countries, but on the surface he is always on the right side.

When Frederick III thought about it, it was true, it's so special, those vassal states annexed by Marin basically attacked the North Sea State first. Then, like Brother Long, he was counter-killed...

"Doesn't that mean that others can't provoke you? If they provoke you, the country will be destroyed?" Frederick III said speechlessly.

Marin asked strangely:

"Why do you want to provoke me? I have always been very law-abiding and have never provoked my neighbors! Therefore, those who provoke me have to think about why they provoke me. And I am a very reasonable person .Without a reasonable reason, I will not do it easily..."

Frederick III was speechless for a moment. It sounded like there was nothing wrong with what he said. Well done, why are you provoking this man? However, something always feels wrong.

After holding back for a while, Frederick III asked again:

"Why do you keep such a huge army? There are 40,000 legions in the mainland, and there are two in England, with a total of 60,000. Looking at the whole of Europe, there is no country that keeps so many troops. You know Yes, I, Saxony, only keep a few thousand troops in normal times, and only recruit tens of thousands of troops in wartime. It’s no wonder everyone feels uneasy if you do this.”

Marin sighed and said:

"I can't help it. If I don't keep so many troops, I'm afraid too. I can't sleep because of the fear. You know, I became famous by defeating the French king Charles VIII. So, I offended the most powerful I am afraid that France will suddenly attack me one day. At the same time, many vassal states are also very unfriendly to me. So, as a last resort, I put 40,000 troops on the mainland, just in case. "

After hearing this, Frederick III nodded. Indeed, Marin severely offended France. If Charles VIII hadn't died early, and the successor was not the heir of Charles VIII, maybe France would definitely organize an army to retaliate. As for the hostility of the princes to Marin, in addition to not recognizing his identity and close relationship with the Habsburg family, coveting the wealth of the North Sea State is also an important reason.

Therefore, Marin really has a reason to keep a large army. Otherwise, it is not safe enough. At the beginning, he even sent troops to invade Beihai country.

...

Seeing Frederick III thinking about it there, Marin gritted his teeth and decided to release the last big move:

"Lord Frederick, I actually don't care much about German affairs now, and my focus will also shift."

Frederick III was taken aback:

"Transfer? Could it be the Wild Continent?"

Marin shook his head, thinking that what you said is quite accurate, but I will not admit it:

"The wild continent is too dangerous, and it will be difficult to solve it in a short period of time. It will require a lot of troops. Only after defeating the barbarians can it be truly developed. The shift of focus I'm talking about is actually shifting to England."

"England?" Frederick III was taken aback.

"That's right, England! You should know that my son Caesar has made a marriage contract with Margaret, the only daughter of His Majesty King Edward of England. In the future, my son is likely to become the king of England!" Marin explained.

"England? What's so good over there? I heard it's humid and rainy." Frederick III also knew a little about England.

Marin nodded and said:

"Yes, it is indeed humid and rainy. However, England is elected overseas. As long as the sea power is strong enough, then even a top power like France can't do anything to England. It is safe enough. The reason why I chose to marry Caesar and Margaret , is to consider letting the next generation go to England to develop. It is too dangerous to develop in Germany. Even if the North Sea State is strong, it is in danger of being wiped out by France and the princes."

"And if we retreat to the British Isles, even if France and Germany add up, I can't do anything about it. You know, I can't guarantee that my descendants will be as good at fighting as I am. If they don't live up to expectations, the North Sea country is huge. It is easy to be coveted and seized by others. But if you own England, as long as you do a good job in maritime defense, you can ensure that the family inheritance will be worry-free."

Marin said seriously, this is also his real thought. Moreover, the logic in the words is reasonable, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Frederick III nodded, approving Marin's idea. However, he asked again:

"What if Edward VI gave birth to a son? Then the marriage between your son and Princess Margaret is meaningless."

Marin smiled and said:

"According to my subordinates in England, His Majesty Edward has often had sex with Queen Anna these years, but let alone a son, he didn't even have a daughter. In addition, His Majesty Edward suspected that Queen Anna could not give birth, so he found a few people outside. In the end, none of them became pregnant. Therefore, I don’t think His Majesty Edward will have any more children. As long as Princess Margaret doesn’t get sick and die early, the throne of England will be decided by my Hoffman family!”

"But I heard that someone is planning to replace Caesar and marry Princess Margaret..." Frederick III was talking about the contact between Henry of the Boll family and the Habsburg family and the English royal family.

"Otherwise, do you think I have kept 20,000 troops in England? Do you help protect England for free?" Marin said meaningfully.

Frederick III immediately understood that if Edward VI dared to renege, Marin would be tough. Moreover, he has this ability.

After a brief reasoning, Frederick III found that there was nothing wrong with what Marin said, and it was completely reasonable. Therefore, he believed most of Marin's words for the time being. However, out of caution, I still have some doubts...

And Marin also quietly sent a signal to the princes through this conversation-I have no intention of going to war with you, I am going to plan for the throne of England...

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