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

"The rebel soldiers led by Hedwin should have returned to Schmalkalden or Olamingde, and made peace with Hadrad. If there is no accident, when Würzburg's army entered Thuringia, it should be the time when Hadrad sent an envoy to negotiate." Charlie said softly to Fasterada.

The queen shook her head: "I don't understand military affairs, but at least I know that if you forgive Hadrad, I am afraid that the second Hadrad will appear again very quickly."

"That's right." Charlie chuckled softly, "We need to wipe out all the great nobles in Thuringia, and at least set aside six to eight earls for the interior to accommodate those earls who moved towns.

However, it is not a good idea to completely give Thuringia to the earls. I need to insert one of our forces into Thuringia. "

"Your Highness, I am only a woman."

"But smart enough." Charlie turned over and let Fastrada wipe his chest and stomach, "What do you think we will also form an Eight Banners Army, and put it in Thuringia. You have also seen their assembly, speed and combat effectiveness."

"However, how do we find such a source of soldiers?"

Charlie grabbed Fastrada's hand: "Tomorrow, help me invite those Nosy Cong and Eight Banners to the dinner party."

3 Thirty Chapters The Mysterious Merchant of Venice

As soon as Xiao Agui entered the banquet hall of the castle, a gust of hot wind hit his face. In this hot wind, the burnt gas of charcoal and the aroma of wine mixed together, making him rub his nose involuntarily.

There are more than a dozen long tables in the hall. Beside the long tables, there are precious furniture embroidered with complicated patterns. Flowers are placed in flower baskets and placed on the table to disperse the stench in the air.

On the silver candlestick, the candlelight was also reflected in silver, the maroon sausage was cut into thin slices, and the grapes and apple slices were piled up in a ceramic plate to form a spiral hill.

In the shallow plate, the white cheese soup exudes a sweet smell, and the pepper sprinkled on the fat barbecue raises the style of the banquet food to a higher level.

However, compared to these exquisite dishes, Nuo Siyicong and Banner Banners still prefer roasted pork knuckles and crunchy roasted suckling pigs. Compared with flowers, those half-person-high beer barrels are the most their favourites.

Those servants and stewards who had been dragging their feet in the war before finally showed their due role, arranging the whole banquet in an orderly manner.

Those present today are basically the captain of Yi Cong and some Yi Cong with military achievements and prestige. There are about [-] or [-] of them, and there are only a dozen or so people from a hundred households of bannermen. In the end, there are less than ten Han people. Yabing, Duizheng and general are gone.

These exquisite appetizers were made by Qi Ding and his followers, and they were basically finished, and they didn't pay any attention to Charlie who was giving a speech at the front.

After all, Charlie speaks Chinese-German, and those native Saxon bannermen are better off, but North Yicong basically doesn't understand.

Charlie wasn't angry when those righteous followers didn't listen to the speeches. He also knew that it was a matter of language barrier. As a monarch with rich life experience, he had come into contact with low-level soldiers and knew their virtues.

So these speeches were just etiquette, for the nobles in the front row to see, and later, when Charlie appeared in front of the followers with a glass of wine, and asked questions one by one, this was the real highlight.

Sitting with the team members, Xiao Agui just watched Yi Cong standing up flattered, talking to Charlie, and even hugging, and Charlie also praised them loudly and boasted of their achievements.

Zhenhui followed Charlie with a smile on her face, and from time to time, she would take the initiative to help Charlie meet some righteous followers who had performed bravely on the battlefield.

"Lieutenant Xiao, are we going to watch like this?" A team member who was full of food was asking Xiao Agui softly.

Xiao Agui lowered his voice: "This is what the deputy envoy ordered, don't ask, just eat yours."

"But……"

"Don't worry, the deputy envoy has a sense of propriety. Besides, that Barbarian King Charlie is only talking to followers. Logically speaking, they can only be regarded as mercenaries. It's hard for us to say anything about the guy surnamed Cha trying to win over these followers." Xiao Agui pursed his lips. Take a sip of the sweet and sour wine, "Look, he doesn't even lean towards us or Qi Ding, it's okay, we can't keep those who want to leave."

Yes, although Charlie had the intention of wooing soldiers, he also knew that this was an act of rubbing the edge among the taboos of the nobility. Dare to take a step beyond the threshold, and ran to communicate with the bannermen.

As the biggest beneficiary of the feudal system, Charlie had to maintain it, so he had to make some high profile, even if it was just a pretend high profile.

If Feng Sen were to do similar things, I'm afraid he wouldn't be so secretive.

Charlie quickly turned the servants around, expressing his appreciation and intimacy in a non-salty way. At this time, the roast pork knuckle and roast suckling pig were also served, and some court dancers appeared in front of the servants.

Just when Charlie was mingling with the followers and laughing heartily, he suddenly felt that someone was pulling the hem of his clothes, and when he turned around, it was Malajiji.

Malajiji was wearing a light blue robe and a turquoise smock today. The bright colors were a bit eye-catching, but he still came to Charlie's side, which seemed to be an important and urgent matter.

"Your Highness, I have met someone, you must be very interested." Malajiji's voice was faintly revealed in the melodious sound of the lute, "It is a Venetian merchant."

"Is he worth two quarters of my time?"

"I assure you, if he's telling the truth, it's worth it."

"What is it about?"

"Related to Hadrad and Fort Oraminder."

Under the leadership of Malajiji, Charlie continued to move forward in the dim corridors of Blankenburg. Compared with the lively atmosphere in the hall, this corridor, which was as dark as black mist, was really a bit cold.

Pushing open the door of the prayer room, a businessman in a silk robe and a triangular leather cap was kneeling before the cross and praying.

"Hmm." Malajiji coughed, "Giancarlo, the great Frankish king, His Royal Highness Charles the new King David has arrived."

The devoutly praying Venetian merchant immediately stood up in a panic, walked up to Charlie in three steps at a time, bowed his head and saluted: "Forgive my rudeness, Your Highness, I was too focused on praying, and I didn't notice your arrival."

"I forgive you, my heavenly father and brother, I will not regard prayer as a faux pas." Even though Charlie met for the first time, he already had a good impression of him.

For Charlie, he likes to talk to the Heavenly Father believers. The Heavenly Father believers are indeed more qualified than the Xingyue believers. I'm not praising you Heavenly Father believers.

Giancarlo took off his hat, revealing his Mediterranean hairstyle: "Your Highness, I am here to ask you for one thing."

"Don't be nervous, tell me why you're here."

"Your Highness, I think you should know that the value of Seris paper is very high. We Venetians try to sell these papers, but whether it is the Rhine River or the Elbe River, there are too many customs barriers on it. After one trip, we pay The tax is even higher than the price of the goods themselves." Giancarlo subconsciously rubbed the hat in his hand, "So, I would like to apply to you for a charter to facilitate our sailing."

"Oh?" Charlie found a chair everywhere and sat down, and the Venetian businessman also followed, just one meter away from Charlie, slightly hunched over.

Charlie crossed his fingers and put them on his knees: "Of course I am willing to help my heavenly father and brother, but you have to think about it carefully. I can't grant a charter to someone who has no credit. It's unfair."

"Your Highness, I know where the nobles of Thuringia hide their property. Moreover, I can contact you with a loyal minister who had to submit to Hadrad. With his help, you will definitely be able to capture Olaminde quickly and end this ridiculous war initiated by Hadrad." Giancarlo bent even deeper.

"Without him, I can quickly end this war." Leaning on the fir chair, Charlie said meaninglessly, "It's like that Siris proverb, Malargiji, what Anthony said, oh yes yes, it's like embroidering a flower on the precious silk that has already been woven. Even if you don't embroider it, it won't affect its value."

"Your Highness, that loyal minister knows that you want to move the earls in the fief to the border, so you must clean up the local nobles." Giancarlo took half a step forward, bowed and smiled flatteringly, "He can provide you with all the information you want, including the map of Thuringia, the land and population, the entanglement between the various families, who is poor and who is rich.

Without him, it would be difficult for you to quickly open the gate of Olaminde, and without him, it would be difficult for you to quickly clean up the local nobles. Your Highness, time is ten thousand times more precious than money. "

"So you're a broker? What do you want?" Charlie asked bluntly, without pretending after thinking for a while.

"Duty-free navigation in Thuringia, duty-free navigation on the Rhine."

"No." Charlie shook his head and said, "I can give you tax exemption for [-] ships on the Elbe River and the Rhine River, and you want to help me quickly break through Olamunde and provide me with logistical support. Can you do it? ?”

"Oh my lord, it's a bit difficult. I'm not sure I can meet your request, but I will try my best."

"Well, that's settled then."

Giancarlo regained his energy in an instant. With a smile on his face, he exaggeratedly gave a chest salute: "Thank you for your gift, the great King Charles."

Chapter 331 Fastrada's waist is weak

On the evening of the third day after the banquet, Feng Sen, who had gone out to chase the enemy, finally arrived late and returned to Blankenburg.

It's just a pity that Charlie has already gone to Schmalkalden to join the noble army who came to King Qin. He did not bring any of Feng Sen's soldiers with him this time.

There were even many volunteers who took the initiative to apply for follower combat, but Charlie still declined their request, and only brought his own guard army, and handed over the guarding work near Blankenburg to these Saxony Eight Banners and righteous followers.

In this situation, Feng Sen is also happy to be at leisure. He has been too popular recently, and he doesn't want to stir Charlie's nerves anymore.

During this time, although Charlie didn't say anything on the surface, judging from his words and deeds, Feng Sen found that his ptsd of being betrayed had aggravated again.

In the original timeline, when Charlie was almost captured by Hadlard and then raised troops to suppress him, Hadlard hid in the Fulda Monastery. When Charlie asked him to surrender and condemned him for betrayal, the reason Hadlard gave was - I never swore allegiance to you, I was not your subject at all, why did you say betrayal?

Since then, Charles has required all nobles in all territories to lead all men over the age of 14 to swear allegiance to him.

This kind of head-to-head allegiance hurts the rules of the game for the nobles. In the circle of the nobles, promises are very important. Everyone is your vassal, not your slave.

But once the pledge of allegiance was made, the two sides changed from a vague relationship of superficial submission and actual cooperation to a clear relationship of internal and external submission. Once the water was clear, the space for the nobles to move around was greatly reduced.

Once this kind of thing is done, what if one day Charlie forces his courtiers to send troops when they don't want to send troops?

For the courtiers, loyalty is a quantum state. You can’t observe it. Once you observe it, it will collapse. It can only be talked about. Charlie must believe that his courtiers are indeed loyal. The courtiers must believe that Charlie believes that he is loyal, so that the ruling relationship can be maintained.

However, Charlie wants to fulfill the loyalty through the nobles' promise. In essence, he no longer believes in the verbal loyalty of the nobles. If they have to express their opinions, the trust has collapsed.

It's no wonder that Feng Sen's reputation is going from bad to worse, and many nobles are going to shout "Zhu Fengsen, the Qing emperor's side". In their view, Feng Sen is the guy who picks up the bowl to eat and puts down the bowl to scold his mother.

You are also a powerful man, why is your ass tilted towards the monarch?

This is what most powerful people think of Feng Sen.

However, with the news of the frontier embargo plan (the medieval court without a sense of secrecy), Feng Sen's description in the eyes of the middle and small nobles began to improve a little.

After all, the big aristocrats objected, because the big aristocrats really had a cow, and the small and medium-sized aristocrats didn't. In addition, Feng Sen's move opened up the channel for promotion, and naturally the reputation improved a little.

At least those little knights and barons didn't scold them much in private except to express their position in front of the big nobles.

In any case, Charlie was sensitive, and Feng Sen didn't want to provoke him. After arriving in Blankenburg, Feng Sen took the queen and servants to Brunswick, and sent some Eight Banners and Yi Cong to assist Charlie in the battle, and brush up his experience by the way.

For the rest of the time, Feng Sen seemed to be invisible.

It's a pity that Feng Sen can't really be invisible. Obviously, Frank's Queen Fastelada still remembers this loyal minister named Feng Sen.

No, it was only after noon today, and Feng Sen received an invitation from Queen Fastrada to go hunting with a few accompanying nobles nearby.

"Whoosh—" The arrow pierced through the hare's eyes in an instant, and shot a double shot. A flagman rushed over and brought the hare, whose body was still twitching, in front of Feng Sen.

"Your Excellency is good at archery." Theodoric's son William, riding on the horse, applauded the teacher.

Feng Sen smiled slightly: "These are just small ways. The real way is the ability to mobilize troops and plan wars. In this regard, our Highness Charlie is a genius."

"Your Highness is indeed a talented fighter, but his swordsmanship is also invincible." Little William said with admiration.

"Military affairs are a complicated matter. People in different positions have different ways of fighting. Your Highness's way of fighting is the way of kings, but what you have to learn is the way of ministers." Today Fastella Da wore a hunting suit and sat sideways on the saddle, "In this regard, you should learn from the Duke of Saxony, which is why His Royal Highness wants you to learn from His Excellency Anthony instead of him."

"His Royal Highness, the Queen praised you." Feng Sen said modestly.

"Hehe." Fastelada laughed, unable to tell whether he was being sarcastic or teasing, "Little William, go and play with those royal children, they are all your cousins, I I have something to discuss with the Duke of Saxony."

Little William turned his head and glanced at Feng Sen, said his farewell and left. Only Feng Sen, the queen and some private attendants were left on the sunny plain.

"Your Highness appreciates your Eight Banners Legion, they are loyal and brave." Fastelada shook the reins lightly, and the horse began to move forward slowly, and Feng Sen walked slowly beside her.

"This is given to me by my heavenly father. They all believe in the faithfulness of Confucianism, which is also the wisdom of my heavenly father."

"For this Thuringian campaign, I believe His Highness has already told you that he will cut off the earls and knights who are related to Hadrad one by one, and it may even last for a year or even two or three years." Fastelada did not answer Feng Sen's words, but continued.

"Having wiped out the nobles of Thuringia, Charles will require the earls and all free folk in the Frankish territories to swear allegiance to him collectively, and will make this an institution in the future.

At that time, those disloyal nobles will appear, and His Highness will move them to Thuringia. However, these disloyal nobles must have resentment, so we need an army stationed in Thuringia for a long time.

Your system of the Eight Banners Legion is very good, but Charlie has no intention of seeking loyal soldiers, so we are going to form one ourselves. "

"That's really great." Feng Sen helped the slightly crooked head, "Actually, I have long wanted to implement this system to the whole country, but there are too many fief lords in Frank, and it is impossible for a hundred households under the eight banners to do so." Concentration, that's why the trip didn't take place, if His Highness is willing to try it in Thuringia, it would be great."

Fasterada still didn't answer, just coughed: "His Royal Highness intends to set up a thousand-man team in Thuringia in the form of the Eight Banners Legion, that is, every 25 soldiers share a knight collar, and set up forty knight collars.

However, His Highness did not like the name of the Eight Banners Legion, so His Highness named this new legion the Paladin Knights or Templar Knights.

It's just a pity that only some of those free civilian soldiers are willing to leave their hometowns and join the army on the border of this kingdom, which makes it very difficult for His Highness's plan to be implemented. "

As he said that, Fasterada sighed heavily, and Feng Sen also sighed: "The soldiers below don't understand His Highness's painstaking efforts."

Afterwards, the two fell into silence, and they walked around the hunting ground for two full circles. Finally, Fasterada couldn't help it anymore, and she pretended to care: "I heard that those North you hired People are paid with land, do you have enough land now?"

"It's really difficult. Your Highness promised me to give me the land that I can pay for. Your Highness, what do you think?"

There was an imperceptible smile on the corner of Fastelada's mouth, and he finally took the bait: "Your Excellency Anthony, I'm just a woman, and I shouldn't be involved in these things, but I see my husband is distressed by it every day, and my heart aches.

I don't understand politics, so I would like to make a suggestion, you give us some of the North's obedience, they are landless people, they fought bravely, and they also have experience with the Eight Banners, they can help us build the temple Knights.

And His Highness will help you pay a part of the land as a reward. In addition, we can also provide you with glory and rewards. Of course, if you disagree, then pretend that I didn’t say it. This is a wife who doesn’t want to see her husband have a headache. It's just an unreasonable request. "

Feng Sen didn't answer, the expression on his face was indeed getting uglier, even the wind around him was a bit cold, he was silent for a long time, and then asked in a muffled voice: "I accept this proposal, but I also have a request, I will provide the list of North's obedience to you."

Fastelada frowned slightly: "You don't want to pretend that those serfs are Norse, do you?"

Feng Sen's face was instantly livid: "Are you questioning my credibility?"

Fastelada is also a donkey. When she saw Feng Sen's face collapsed, she also burst into anger: "I say bluntly, I have to fight for the interests of the royal family, even if I want to tear my face or even fall out with you."

Feng Sen and Fastelada stared at each other for a long time before they said: "I have carefully selected and cultivated these servants, each one has my hard work, enjoys the benefits of my territory, and I have invested in them.

At least, I want to leave a group of people to enrich my army. I am still facing pressure from the Veleti and Sorb. "

Looking at Feng Sen's handsome face, Fastelada suddenly remembered his righteous words when Hadrad's army came, and his straight waist softened a little: "Well, Your Highness needs at least 100 followers. I will personally select [-] people, and you will provide the rest."

"As you wish, Your Majesty the Queen."

When he lowered his head, Feng Sen had an imperceptible smile on the corner of his mouth, and finally took the bait.

Chapter 332 His Royal Highness Charlie insisted it was an accident

The house Feng Sen lives in is a newly built two-story attic. The whole body is made of waterproof fir and occupies a small area, only more than 200 square meters.

Originally, according to the original Central Plains system, the construction of this kind of attic should be extended with long brackets. This is because the Tang Dynasty often liked to build pedestals of rammed earth, and the walls were also rammed earth. The purpose of extending the eaves was to prevent the rain from wetting the walls, which would cause the rammed earth walls to collapse due to moisture.