As the training continued, Malin suddenly discovered that there were many problems in the army. The biggest problem was the quality of the officers.

You should know that in the entire army, except for Marin, Schwartz and Frenzberg, three people from the Knights family, are educated, and the others are illiterate.

Although there are many illiterate soldiers, who are smart and are more suitable for being team leaders. However, those of the company captain level are not suitable for these illiterate soldiers.

To give the simplest example, a company with 250 people may be sent to perform separate tasks. Some tasks are more complicated and cannot be fully expressed by verbal messages (the messenger is also illiterate and cannot remember too much), and requires written orders.

However, if the company captain is illiterate, then it will be a stop. It is difficult to dictate the orders of the commanders for too long. In the end, the company captain can only be dumbfounded. Therefore, it is also very important to find a company captain who can understand the orders.

All Marin's army now have a total of 5,000 people (that 1,000 Friesian prisoners of war are not counted), with a total of 20 companies. It can be said that Marin is now in urgent need of talents like the company captain.

Of course, Marin could also organize a literacy class to let his subordinates learn to read and write smartly. However, this was a bit too late. Because, within this year, he would definitely send troops.

Not only Marin was worried, but Schwartz and Frenzberg were both worried. The agent company captains in their phalanx were illiterate and were only suitable for being a sound tube, not as a company captain.

In response, Schwartz and Frenzberg both came to Marin to discuss how to solve this problem...

In fact, the most suitable person to be a company leader are the wandering knights. These people are all cultured, have excellent martial arts skills, and can conquer those big-headed soldiers. Moreover, the wandering knights have basically learned simple military command methods when they are at home, which is considered a professional counterpart.

However, Marin once recruited the wandering knights who came to Texel to visit him, but one of them was not recruited. The literate among the civilians may not be able to be an officer. Because, in addition to literacy, officers also need courage and force, otherwise they will not be able to submit to those big-headed soldiers. Moreover, in the era of cold weapons, the courage of grassroots officers is very important. If the officers take the lead in escaping, the army will definitely collapse...

So, the best way is to recruit those wandering knights...

However, Marin now cannot send people to the inland German areas to recruit wandering knights publicly. Because once he recruits wandering knights publicly, the secrets in the army will be leaked. For example, the information about his recruitment of 5,000 soldiers is easily known.

Once this news is leaked, it will attract the vigilance of countries around the Waden Islands. The most direct consequence is that East Friesland may be more vigilant. If East Friesland is more vigilant, the difficulty of sneak attacking Emden will increase greatly, which is definitely not what Marin is willing to see.

"How can we recruit enough wandering knights without attracting attention..." Marin fell into deep thought...

"Young master, why don't we go and find the eldest master to help?" Schwartz came up with an idea.

"No, absolutely not. Adler hasn't given birth to a son yet, so his father won't agree to him on the battlefield."

"Then let's go to the Teutonic Knights to borrow some people?"

"Borrow someone?" Marin was a little confused.

"Didn't you say that there are many wandering knights in the Teutonic Knights? Why can't we borrow some of them first? When you conquer East Friesland and you become the earl, someone will be willing to join you..."

Marin thought about it, and his eyes suddenly lit up:

"Good idea! Let's borrow people!"

"But, sir, the borrower will have to pay back..." Frenzberg hesitated.

"It's okay, I thought of a good idea. We can find the wandering knights who have just debuted, and then fool them every day, and if they don't believe them, they won't stay."

"Then let's send someone to the Teutonic Kingdom to borrow people?"

"No, I'll go to Cliver City in person..."

"What do you mean?"

"Previously, Chief Philip asked John II to organize the wandering knights of the Principality of Clifford and Markbour to join him. Can I borrow 20 people from John II in the organization..."

"Is John II willing to borrow?"

"We are allies, and it's really not possible. I can give him some salt quotas every year to make him rich." The unbittered salt produced by Marin is very popular. It's no problem to give John II some exclusive distribution in the Principality of Clifford and Markber. Who made him the boss of these two countries?

"How did Manager Wright explain?"

"It's okay, the amount I give to Wright every year is actually not enough to sell. Moreover, Wright has now expanded the market to the upper Rhine, no longer restricted to the vicinity of Cologne. It's just that the Principality of Clifford and Markber will not affect his selling of salt."

The next day, Marin took dozens of thugs, one by one and two horses, and quickly rushed to Clifford City...

John II warmly received Marin, but when Marin proposed to borrow, John II was a little embarrassed because these people should have been sent to the Kingdom of Teutonic to help his brothers.

Although Marin was an ally, he could not compare with his brothers. Therefore, John II hoped to give these people to his brothers so that Prince Philip could control the Teutonic Kingdom as soon as possible.

"Haha, I wonder if the Duke has ever heard of the Wiggins Chamber of Commerce's top-notch salt?" Marin knew it was not easy, so he had to use his big move...

"Of course I have heard that the fine salt is white and crystal clear, and it tastes not bitter, and it is indeed the best salt. Now, my court has switched to this kind of salt and no longer used the bitter Luneburg mineral salt."

"What if I could get a large batch of this salt and let you sell it on behalf of the agent?"

"What?"

So, Marin explained to John II the concept of regional agency sales that was popular in later generations. To put it bluntly, it was to allow John II to monopolize the sales of unbittered salt in the Principality of Clifford and Markle...

At present, the price of unbittered salt is at least 6 shillings per quarter in the Principality of Clifford, which is still a wholesale price. The price Marin gave Wright is only 3 shillings and 9 Finney. The profit is still very large.

Moreover, Marin instilled in John II the shameless means of "salt monopoly" and instigated John II to monopolize the national salt trade...

John II's eyes became brighter the more he heard it. When Marin finished speaking, his eyes had already turned into searchlights...

"What a good idea... Uh... Baron Marin, do you really have a way to find me so much non-bite salt? And it also provides a steady supply of large quantities?"

"Of course, we can produce salt without bitterness on our island?"

"What? Then you also provide the unbittered salt from the Wiggins Chamber of Commerce?" John II stood up in shock. He finally understood why Marin could take out 100,000 gold coins to support his brother as the leader of the Teutonic Group. The unbittered salt transaction is a big profit, and it is a big profit...

"Ahem... that's not. I'm just one of the partners of the Wiggins Chamber of Commerce. The main partner of the Wiggins Chamber of Commerce is actually in the UK. And on my side, because I found a bay with high seawater quality, I can produce a lot of unbittered salt. Well... You know, the quality of salt is related to seawater..." Marin began to fool John II. Anyway, John II didn't understand science...

"Oh... So that's it..." Although he didn't understand, John II was a shameless figure and would not say what he didn't understand. So he simply pretended to understand and nodded... Just like those big leaders who were studying the high-tech development zone, they obviously didn't understand high-tech, but they didn't stop nodding, as if they all understood...

Next, Marin and John II agreed that Marin would provide 50,000 quarts of non-bite salt to John II at a wholesale price of 4 shillings per quart each year. In fact, this amount was not large, but the population of the Principality of Clifford and Markber was not large. Moreover, among ordinary people, some poor people could not afford non-bite salt at all. Therefore, these experiences could cover half of the residents of both countries, which was good. The other half of the poor also needed to import some more bitter Lüneburg mineral salt. However, whether it was fine or bitter salt, John II planned to monopolize the operation according to Marin's guidance...

After reaching the cooperation agreement, John II was happy. So, the second batch of 60 wandering knights who were planning to send to the Teutonic Knights were directly given to Marin by John II, 28 wandering knights from Markbourg, and promised to help keep it confidential...
Chapter completed!