At the end of the Tang Dynasty, it was a feudal town, but in Western Europe

By this time, Feng Sen had already understood the meaning of Ah Fu's arrival. He was Charlie's messenger, and what he asked was exactly what Charlie wanted to know.

Standing up and opening the window to let the heat out, Feng Sen sat down and continued: "Yes, there is no vacuum in power, and moving the town will inevitably lead to some power falling into the hands of some small local nobles.

But the small nobles can cooperate, as the so-called upper and lower joint efforts to control the middle, in this way, suppress the power of the big nobles.

The most important lesson for an autocratic monarch is checks and balances. If the power of the church is strong, increase the power of the nobility. If the power of the nobility is too large, divide it. "

The emperors of the Central Plains stayed in the capital most of the time, but Charlie ran around all over the place, so it was relatively simple to contact and suppress these little nobles.

"While opening up power to the little nobles, we must also open up channels for the little nobles to rise.

For example, a new function is added to the inspector, which is to inspect and recruit talents. It is best to buy horse bones with a lot of money to create a model, draw a big cake for the little nobles, and let them support the Frankish king.

Don't let the small nobles be attached to the big nobles, and the vassals of the vassals must be the vassals of the king.

In order to prevent the dignitaries from being disgusted, my suggestion is: first, draw a clear distinction between professional land and private land. In order to draw a clear distinction, it doesn’t hurt to give the earls a little more land.

The second is to guarantee the rights and interests of the earls, and to ensure that their titles will be retired with the country unless they commit crimes.

Because the earls are already slowly eroding the land of the kingdom, what we need to do now is not to let them spit out the meat, but to cut the meat to stop the loss.

The land that has been rooted by the Earl, let them not develop further, and then slowly boil the frogs in warm water, deprive them of their power little by little, let them exchange their future power for their current power.

Of course, this is not a complete dislike of these military nobles. They did provide enough soldiers for Frank. I believe this is also where His Highness struggles.

Therefore, I propose to implement two teams of the imperial army and the frontier army.

The frontier army is at the border, giving them the title of earl and military power, allowing them to open up and defend against the enemy on the border, while in the interior, except for the capital area, other areas adopt demilitarization, build cities, and only build forts in key locations. "

"Then what if the border troops rebel?"

"That's why it is necessary to establish a recruitment system for the forbidden army, use the resources and money brought by the town to form an elite army that is trained every day, and even some talents in the frontier army can be transferred to the forbidden army, use the forbidden army to suppress the frontier army, and stir up conflicts between the frontier army , Let them check and balance each other, this is the principle of our Siris Datang Changzhi, ahem, Jiuan!"

After coughing, Feng Sen changed the subject with a guilty conscience: "I know you are remembering, and you don't want anyone other than you and my Highness to know, but it doesn't have to be.

I have already written a ten-year reform plan, you can take it back, if the plan goes smoothly, starting from this year and ending in 796, the reform of the frontier army and the imperial army can be initially completed.

But for this plan, His Royal Highness Charles must eliminate all non-border principalities within ten years and suppress the possible rebellion of the earls. I don't know if His Highness has such courage.

Of course, if His Royal Highness Charles is willing to take it easy and realize it in the generation of his children and grandchildren, I can also make a 30-year plan, which will be much gentler. "

Chapter 292 The Conception of the North Sea Crusade

"I will inform His Highness Charlie. I believe that both His Highness and Your Excellency Alcuin will think about these things carefully." A Fu nodded solemnly.

"Huh—" Feng Sen wiped the sweat off his body, and smiled at Ah Fu, "Let's go, it's best not to steam this sauna for too long, let's go out first."

"Hey, wait, you haven't explained what happened in Thuringia yet?" Ah Fu said, grabbing Feng Sen's arm.

Feng Sen reluctantly put on a bath towel and opened the door of the sauna room: "Let's change the location. Although this sauna room is warm, it's too dull."

Under the leadership of the waiter, Feng Sen brought Ah Fu to the bathroom.

The scrub room is also a small open-air cabin, connected to the sauna room through a long wooden corridor, but since this corridor is semi-sealed, it is not particularly cold.

Entering the shower room, Feng Sen waved the servants away again, leaving only two carefully selected deaf scrubbers, and then sat down together.

"Okay, let's continue the previous topic." Changing a comfortable position, Feng Sen turned his head sideways to face Ah Fu, and on the other side, the scrubber also rubbed it for the first time.

"hiss--"

Feng Sen suppressed a smile and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, just keep talking." Ah Fu's cheeks twitched a little.

"Then, according to what I said before, I have to understand one thing, that is, to manage the army through the direct control of the interior and the enfeoffment of the border, and at the same time gather power from the earls.

At this point, we can't beat all the earls to death with a stick. If the earls rebel together, His Highness can't bear it. Therefore, it is best to win over one faction and suppress the other. "

Feng Sen snapped his fingers to attract Ah Fu's somewhat distracted attention: "For example, although we pulled them out of the land and let the royal family manage the land and population, we did not deprive them of the benefits of the land and population.

Then use the income of land and population to mark the size of the public office, and completely separate the title from the official position. For example, the county guard who manages the size of the earldom is [-] food towns, and the prefect who manages the size of the dukedom is [-] food towns.

For those nobles who have lost their titles, we can give them hereditary official positions to appease them for the time being. After stabilizing these core nobles, we will move some marginal nobles to the border. In order to prevent them from having opinions, we need to give them better conditions.

Let me just say that, in order to concentrate the power of the king, it is best not to have any aristocratic families across states and counties in the capital of the king. A solid title.

So where should these nobles who moved the town go?We need a wider territory, a territory that can accommodate them. Where should these white land come from?I think there are two directions, one is north of the Elbe and the other is south of the Pyrenees.

Not to mention the south of the Pyrenees, just from the north of the Elbe River on my side, the surrounding Villetti, Sorbs and Bohemians must be eliminated, so Thuringia, as the leader of the Elbe River Upstream, its status is very important. "

Feng Sen clapped his hands and let the two scrubbers leave: "I don't want to suppress Hadrad, I want to provoke him, let him explode, smash all the old bottles and jars in Thuringia, kill chickens Monkey look.

Thuringia has a lot of land and population, and it's not too desolate. It just happened to move the town first, and some of the earls were moved here to become real earls.

Then use Thuringia and Saxony as bases to launch the Crusades. On the one hand, they will consume the power of the nobles, and on the other hand, they will attack the pagans such as the Vileti and Bohemia to the east in preparation for the town.

Now, you know why I'm working with Hadlard. "

"I can believe you, but His Highness and Paladin scholars may not be sure." Ah Fu sat up helplessly, and was surprised to find that so much old mud appeared on his body at some point.

Feng Sen said with a serious face: "Give me two years, I will prove it, Ah Fu, you just need to express my meaning completely."

"Okay." Ah Fu stood up, only feeling that his bones were a little lighter, and he sat down in a large wooden basin filled with hot water to wash off the remaining old mud on his body.

"One more thing." Feng Sen sat up, "King Offa of Mercia seems to have some opinions on me, and began to impose heavy taxes on my ship..."

"I can't have much influence on Austrian law." Afu shook his head, "I don't even want to go back to Britain. I grew up in Frankish since I was a child. If I didn't have this blood, I should be Frankish."

"Okay." Feng Sen poured hot water on his body, "If you say that, I understand."

………………

"This is Xinye Village." Orion led the young Gauls forward with a smile on his face, "Since the simple Chen Gong Weir was built here, this place has changed from a swamp to a piece of fertile soil."

On the endless fields, the blue rye stalks swayed gently in the breeze, exuding a faint fragrance.

The pine trees on the hills in the distance are like a group of standing guards, protecting the fruit trees on the edge of the field.

Rows of neat fruit trees, most of which are only half a year old, are not tall. Although their branches have not had time to hang fruits, they have already attracted flocks of birds flying around them.

The artificial creek in the middle of the field is crystal clear. By the canal beside the river, a water truck is transporting water to the creek. Walking on the ridge of the field, Kari Ulf grabbed a handful of black mud with his hands. He couldn't put it down because of the sticky feel.

Standing by the creek, Gundolam could occasionally see a few small fish swimming leisurely in the stream. There was a dense reed swaying by the stream. When the breeze blew, the reeds swayed with the wind and made a rustling sound.

A peaceful and serene atmosphere hangs over this field. If it weren't for the gloomy and windy weather, this place would really be a paradise to linger on.

"Since March this year, in more than half a year, Xinye has cultivated a total of [-] mu of fertile land."

Although an average of two slaves are consumed per ten acres, it is already quite a gratifying result.

"As for the yield per mu of Xinye Xintian, what do you guess is it?" Olean proudly reported a figure, "The yield per mu is [-] pounds. This is still a newly cultivated field. The land here is too rich."

"What about the fields around Hamburg?"

"Those are all ripe fields, and they have all undergone soybean rotation and fertilization. This year's average yield per mu is about 120 pounds." Oreo shook his head, "Sometimes it is really hard to imagine that three years ago, if And if he can tell me that he can grow 20 pounds of wheat and get 120 pounds of grain, I will laugh at him loudly, but now... it is amazing."

"My family also had a bumper harvest this year." Gundolam smiled at Caliulf, "These planting methods are indeed miraculous. The highest yield per mu of my family this year is actually [-] pounds. You're bluffing me."

"Isn't this the purpose of our coming?" Carliulf looked at the neat rye seedlings, and couldn't help showing a longing expression, but this longing was soon dispelled by Seerivald who was full of resentment beside him.

Seerivald's absent-minded figure swayed beside him, and Caliulf said to Gundoram, "Maybe we should think of a way to cheer him up."

"I heard that there is a competition called Cuju, which is quite interesting, why don't we take him to have a look."

Chapter 293 Even if I die, I won't watch a Cuju match!

The donkey cart moved forward quickly on the hardened rammed earth road, and the donkey's hooves made regular slapping sounds when they landed on the ground.

Gundoram, Seerivald, and Kariulf were sitting in the donkey cart. The weather was so bad yesterday that many scenery could not be seen clearly. Today the weather is fine. Although it is cloudy, there is no strong wind or rain.

Although such weather is still somewhat unacceptable for the Gaul youth trio from their sunny hometown.

"This terrible weather." Even the always optimistic Cali Ulf was a little depressed. He looked at the bleak cloud in the sky, "Is it only in winter, or is it like this all year round?"

"They said it was like this in winter, and it would be much better on weekdays." Gundoram held on to the guardrail next to the donkey cart and looked towards the distant fields.

As for Seerivald, the many days of travel, the frustrated love scene and the gloomy weather have already made him emo, but he just curled up in the cloak, his eyes hurt the spring and autumn, and he muttered to himself.

Kari Ulf put his arms around Seerivald's shoulders: "Don't be like this, my friend, although this is not our hometown, it is also very beautiful. Look, look at these farmlands."

The donkey cart, driven by the groom, has already driven onto the road leading to the town of Ulster.

On the left side of the avenue is the clear Alster River, while on the right side are stretches of farmland.

Dirt ridges, canals and waterwheels divide the farmland into neat pieces of land, while scattered wooden houses are located in the countryside. Gondolam can also see some high-walled brick houses, which should be local big manors The home of a lord or nobleman.

Along the avenue, there are farmers with hoes on their backs and lumberjacks with axes. Some hunters with their prey are cleaning the blood from their bodies and knives by the ditch.

And there are some semi-enclosed wooden pavilions on the side of the road, two or three country bannermen and archers are taking turns in the pavilions, responsible for the security of this area.

Who would have guessed that this was once a small county consisting of a castle and a desolate land?In the next 50 years, it may become the Venice of the North.

With such emotions, the donkey cart passed the Ulster wooden bridge, and after a short drive, the outline of Ulster town appeared in the sight of the three of them.

The billowing black smoke of burnt oil and the curling white smoke of scalding wool mixed together, which made Syrivald, who saw this scene for the first time, stop complaining and nagging.

The town of Ulster is not big, with a permanent population of seven to eight hundred, most of whom are workers. On both sides of the road in Ulster Town, mills, workshops and docks have shown wooden outlines.

A businessman wearing a felt hat and a loose woolen jacket is standing by the side of the road, facing an open space, arguing with a petty official, while another businessman is standing by the side of the road with a sneer, watching them indifferently quarrel.

Gundoram could see that the clerks and slaves were using white ash and sticks to mark out blocks of land for construction, while some younger teenagers, with wooden boards hanging around their necks, were doing calculations and planning on paper.

As the town of Ulster got closer, the high wooden platform of the arena emerged.

"It's here, it's here." Shaking the shoulders of Syrivald beside him, Kari Ulf reminded him that his destination had arrived.

Seerivald replied full of resentment: "Get out of the car here, and I will accompany you here."

"What did you say?" Gundoram was a little unhappy. He grabbed Silvald's wrist and pulled him off the donkey cart.

And Cali Ulf grabbed his shoulders and forcibly led him to the arena over there.

"I don't like cuju!"

"It's uncertain."

"No, I want to go back." Seerivald shouted loudly, "Let go of me, even if I die outside, jump off the bridge, I won't watch a Cuju match, let me go!"

"It's not up to you." Gondoram laughed, lifted him from the other side, and strode towards the arena.

The Ulster Cuju Arena was built on the edge of the town of Ulster. It used to be an arena for local tribes. Feng Sen expanded and renovated it to become the current Cuju Arena.

The arena is composed of an outer wall and an inner wall. In fact, the real Cuju field on the inner layer is two or three meters shorter than the normal ground to prevent players from bumping into people and causing accidents.

This arena is divided into two floors, one is a two-story wooden building, and the other is a stepped earth barrier and benches on the ground. The budget is tight, and this is the only way to go.

After buying two jugs of beer and some dried fruit and bacon from the peddler outside the arena, Gundoram and others entered the arena.

Entering the arena, he found a fixed place to sit down, and Gundolam looked at it. The entire arena could seat almost 3000 to [-] people. This scale was not comparable to the knight duel arena in his hometown, but it was not too small.

"Hey, Calliulf." Gondolam gave way to the late Calliulf, "Do you know what the rules are like?"

"I got it all figured out." Caliulf slapped his chest loudly, "It's actually very simple, it's just a game of grabbing the ball, each side has a goal, as long as the ball in your hand is brought to the opponent's line, you can score according to different lines.

Once the ball hits the ground, the offense and defense will stop, and the second offense or defense will be carried out. The offense will have four chances. "

"It's boring." Shrinking in the wool cloak, Seerivald said in a muffled voice, "It doesn't feel like a knight's duel."

"This game was proposed by our Duke of Saxony. It was originally used for leisure and entertainment of soldiers. Later, as the soldiers of the Eight Banners scattered to various places, this custom was also brought to all parts of Saxony.

Later, when the duel between the two earls was mediated in Bremen, this game was also used, because it could simulate the fighting of soldiers on the battlefield without harming their lives. Many nobles used this method to resolve disputes.

That's how the game spread. "Kali Ulf looked at the crowded crowd in the distance and introduced to the two.

"Don't be so arrogant, Serivald." Gundoram pulled the hood off Serivald's cloak a little annoyedly, "Don't be like a bitch, chirping crookedly!"

"Trust me, you will like it." At this time, a voice came from behind the three, it was a black-haired businessman, and he said to the three Gaul youths with a smile, "I used to dismiss it too Gu, since I watched it for the first time, I come here every week, and sometimes I even play in person.”

Calliulf nodded to the man: "Hello, sir, I'm Calliulf, the son of the Earl of Abilenburg in Gaul."

The black-haired businessman immediately stood up and saluted: "I salute you, I am Helerio, a shipyard merchant in Hamburg, and this is my friend Odateto, who is a scholar at the University of Constantinople. "

Odateto blushed slightly, and saluted the two with the etiquette of the Eastern Empire.

"Ah, you are from Constantinople?" Gundoram became interested.

Odateto nodded helplessly: "Yes, I am a Venetian, but Constantinople is my real hometown."

"In this case, why did you come to Hamburg? It is not difficult for scholars from the University of Constantine to find a job in Constantinople."

"I..." Odateto replied under Helerio's gaze, "I heard the name of the Duke of Saxony. I think this place will become a place no less than Venice in the future. I would rather be the most beautiful among the chickens than the ugliest among the peacocks."

"It's started, it's started." Calliulf became excited, "There is still dancing?"