While Frenzberg was busy looking for a suitable ambush site, the seven-nation coalition forces against the North Sea were basically in place, gathering in Bielefeld, the capital of Ravensburg, the closest to the Munster area.
Bielefeld is a very strange city. It is not a member of the Hanseatic League, but it has close ties with the Hanseatic League and is also a famous commercial city.
However, Bielefeld's main trading products are a bit strange. Its main trading products are neither hot-selling salt, nor grain, nor wine, nor wool... Its main product is linen...
In fact, flax is not a rare commodity in Europe. Many cities have flax trade projects. But the problem is that it is rare for a whole commercial city to focus on flax. Because the profits of flax business are actually not high. After all, in Europe, linen is worn by inferior people, which is lower than the grade of wool cloth. Therefore, the price of flax cannot be sold, so the profits are naturally not high.
But flax seed oil, a derivative product of flax, is a very popular commodity in Europe. Because flax seed oil is a dry oil and an important raw material for shipbuilding. Because there is no tung oil in Europe, flax seed oil is the first choice for European man-made shipbuilding.
In addition, linseed oil is a very healthy vegetable oil that was praised in later generations. It is rich in linolenic acid and is the best among vegetable oil.
However, in this era, there were very few people who ate flax oil, and only a few poor people were willing to eat it. Because flax oil has a strange smell that makes people feel unpleasant and tastes strange.
Therefore, the nobles still tend to eat olive oil. Only the poor are willing to eat flax oil with strange taste. Moreover, the main purpose of flax oil is to build ships, not to eat it.
Bielefeld is now a "specialized" trading town specializing in flax-related businesses. It has the linen textile industry, which produces linen and sells it to various places, and also produces by-product flax oil and sells it to shipyards. In order to cooperate with the flax industry in Bielefeld City, Ravensburg has planted a lot of flax.
Of course, today the seven princes gathered in Bielefeld, not to buy linen or linseed oil, but to join forces to attack Beihai Kingdom.
Now, under the leadership of the seven princes, 40,000 troops gathered outside Bielefeld City to discuss how to attack the Beihai Kingdom and where to start.
Speaking of Ravensburg, William IV, the Duke of the Principality of Lich Berg, was the prince who had purchased from him the town of Mirheim in Ruhr. He was also the in-laws of John II, Duke of Cliffer, Duke of Marin.
Duke William IV had only one daughter, Maria, and after Marin set out for the Ming Dynasty in 1509, he married John III, the eldest son of John II, Duke Cliffer.
However, because William IV was used to being too busy and loving fine wine and food, the treasury was empty. Then, when he was marrying his daughter, he couldn't afford the dowry...
Great nobles, especially princes, do not want brides like in later generations (there is also a saying in modern times that only enlightened parents do not want brides). As princes and only one daughter, the brides must not be shabby.
Then, William IV, the prodigal son, took out the Ravensburg Kingdom and sold it for 250,000 gold coins...
The buyer, coincidentally, was Antonios, the former owner of Recklinhausen, whom Marin forced to buy.
At the beginning, Marin spent 200,000 gold coins to buy the Recklinhausen area, which made Earl Antonios very unhappy, but there was no way.
Then, Marin spent 50,000 gold coins to buy all the land and mines in the Recklinhausen area of ​​Count Antonios. Then, Count Antonios had to get out completely with the money.
But coincidentally, when Marin left Beihai Kingdom for the Ming Dynasty, William IV, Duke Yulich Berger, was busy marrying his daughter. William IV, who had only one daughter, naturally refused to let his daughter down. But he had no money and could not take out his dowry.
Just so happened that Count Antonios came to visit him. Then the two agreed that William IV would mortgage the most inconspicuous Ravensburg country under William IV to Count Antonios, Earl of Schaumburg, for the price of 250,000 Goulden gold coins.
Then, William IV, who had received 250,000 gold coins, bought a very generous dowry and married his daughter Maria to John II's eldest son John III in a grand manner.
John II was wondering why he had so much money to buy a dowry than his in-laws. When he heard that he sold the country of Ravensburg, he almost vomited blood - that was his grandson's country of...
However, before John II persuaded William IV to redeem the Kingdom of Ravensburg, William IV drifted away. Then, the deal became an ironclad fact.
Moreover, because the Duchy of Cliffer occupied the fertile Lower Gedes area, even the princes in the Imperial House of Princes would not support John II in redemption of Ravensburg--you have the benefits, so what else can you do?
You should know that after John II's son John III married Maria, he obtained the two major priests, the Principality of Elich and the Principality of Berg. If he redeems Ravensburg, he would swallow three vassal states in one go. How could it not be jealous?
In addition, John II's previous collusion with Marin to annex the Lower Gedes area also caused strong dissatisfaction among the princes. Seeing him suffer a loss, the princes were also very happy. Then, Antonios's behavior of purchasing the Bobble of Ravensburg was recognized by the Imperial Court of Princes and confirmed that he was the new Earl of Ravensburg.
...
In fact, this scene was not available in history. Why? Because in history, the Earl of Schaumburg was not forced to buy Recklinhausen. Without selling Recklinhausen, they would not have had 250,000 gold coins in their hands, so naturally they could not afford Ravensburg's country.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! It can be said that it was Marin's forced purchase of Recklinhausen, which caused a chain reaction, which led to Antonios, Earl of Schaumburg, who had a lot of money. He happened to meet Poor William IV, and took the opportunity to spend money to buy the Kingdom of Ravensburg, together with the title of this Earl.
Even William IV was short of money, and Marin had to take the blame. Why? Because William IV liked to eat and drink, Marin recommended various Chinese delicacies to him and also recommended high-priced wines such as "Royal Salute". In the days that followed, William IV spent countless money, causing a huge financial deficit. When he married his daughter, he had no money, so he had to consider selling the country of Ravensburg. Therefore, Marin had no problem taking the blame. If John II knew this, he might have turned against Marin. After all, he was a country of bride!
Moreover, after Marin found out, he was almost depressed and vomited blood. If he had known William IV would sell the Ravensburg Kingdom, it would be better to sell it to himself. After all, the Ravensburg Kingdom is not small, almost one or two thousand square kilometers...
...
Antonios, who was 73 years old, was proud of his ambitions, but even in his territory, facing the two Brunswick dukes of the Welf family, he could only sit below.
Seeing that the seven vassal states gathered 40,000 troops and gathered in Bielefeld, the capital of Ravensburg, the Earl of Antonios was not happy.
Because, in terms of more than 30,000 people are strong, a total of more than 70,000 people eat horses and chew them. In Bielefeld, most of the food and grass have to be produced by themselves, so it would be strange if they are happy.
Therefore, the Earl of Antonios hopes to start the battle earlier. In this way, the army will not need to spend food and grass when leaving the country of Ravensburg...
So Earl Antonios asked:
Chapter completed!