King of German Mercenaries

Marin is a small-minded person, not a broad-minded person. Therefore, in later generations, it will be difficult for him to get ahead. Because he does not know how to forbear, does not know how to unite all possible forces.

Of course, that was in later generations, the age when talents were born in large numbers. Because of universal education, there are too many scholars in later generations, as many smart people as crucian carp crossing the river, and the competition is also very fierce and cruel. Any shortcomings may be magnified in such an environment. Because your competitors are all strong.

However, in the Middle Ages, this shortcoming of Marin was greatly reduced. Because he is a traveler, he has vision and insight far beyond this era, and he knows a lot of advanced technologies. Moreover, in this era, there are very few scholars, and there are not many smart people. So, it's not a big deal if you have a small mind. Besides, in this day and age, there are many nobles who are younger than him, and they can still get along.

Because of his small mind, Marin resented the Duke of Saxony and Emperor Maximilian I. Marin decided to take revenge on the two. Of course, because of limited strength, revenge has to be carried out in secret. Better yet, Marin retaliates against them, causing the two to lose a lot without realizing it.

As for how to get revenge? Revenge for what?

Marin thought about it for a long time and decided to do two very big things...

The first thing is to destroy the good thing that the grandson of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, is also the emperor of Hira and the king of Spain.

Because of the huge supply of gold and silver from the Spanish American colonies, as well as the fighting power of German mercenaries, Charles V was rampant in Europe.

If it wasn't for the unfortunate power of France, which attracted the firepower of Charles V in front, and the powerful Ottoman Turkey in the east, Charles V would have truly unified Germany long ago. The fully united Shinra and Spain in France were beaten to the core, and even King François I was captured. In the end, France had to turn to Ottoman Turkey and form an alliance with it, allowing the Turks to contain a lot of Shinra's energy on the eastern front.

Maximilian I's son, Philip, who is the same age as Marin, married Juana "Mad", the second daughter of the Spanish king and his wife, last year. At that time, Marin also sent a valuable gift. Of course, as a little baron, Marin is not qualified to attend the wedding, only the courtesy is not enough.

Originally, Marin was very fond of Maximilian I. However, on the issue of Friesland, Marin was very angry and began to be a little alienated from the emperor.

Moreover, Marin himself did not want to see a too powerful Habsburg family. You know, after all, Marin also wants to become a powerful prince. But the princes are naturally opposed to a strong central government. Either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind.

Therefore, a Charles V who inherited the fierce Germany and the wealthy Spain is not what Marin wants to see. Before, Marin was reluctant to destroy because of Maximilian I's appreciation for him. But intellectually speaking, that tyrannical Charles V, it is better not to appear.

Charles V was not too ambitious, and Marin even despised him. You know, this guy controls the golden mountains and silver seas of the Spanish Empire, and also holds a large number of German mercenaries, as well as the Flemish Legion with good combat power. However, this product failed to complete the real reunification of Germany in the end. It can be seen that the ability of this product is actually not too strong. At most, it's okay. Moreover, when this guy finally abdicated, he failed to leave the crown of the Shinra Empire to his son, which led to the separation of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. Although Shinra and Spain are both in power of the Habsburg family, after all, they are not managed by one person, and it is difficult to make concerted efforts. In the end, the two countries are no longer one, and Germany has lost the possibility of true unity. Otherwise, if it were replaced by a heroic master like Li Shimin, he would have poisoned his younger brother Ferdinand I long ago.

Cleared the way for my son.

Of course, even if Charles V was not very talented, he was born so well that all monarchs envied him. As soon as he was born, his grandfather Maximilian I had paved the way for him to ascend to the throne. Then, when he was born, he was also a natural heir to the Spanish throne.

When he was born, the Spanish American Empire had not yet been established. But when he grew up, the Spaniards just conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico and began to acquire local gold and silver. Then, it also acquired the Inca Empire and developed the Potosi Silver Mine, the largest silver mine in the world at the time.

It can be said that he was born to enjoy supreme authority and vast wealth.

However, Charles V was born until 1500. In the current year of 1497, there are still two people alive who are higher in the line of succession to the throne than the mad daughter Juana, the mother of Charles V.

For example, Prince John, first in line to the Spanish throne, is still alive. However, Marin had read history books in his previous life and knew that on October 4th this year, Prince John would die. Moreover, this unfortunate young prince died in a very funny way. Although it is officially said that Prince John died of lung disease, folklore has it that Prince John died of excessive sexual indulgence.

Prince John and Marin are the same age, only 19 years old this year, when the official young man was full of energy. In addition to marrying a beautiful and noble princess (daughter of Maximilian I), then it is inevitable to be greedy...

But the problem is that the prince was born thin and his body was not good, and then he worked too hard on the princess, resulting in a weak body. Then the disease took the opportunity to invade, causing the frail prince to develop a high fever, and finally died.

Marin is more willing to believe this statement, because, in the history books, there is such a detail. That is, when the prince was seriously ill with a high fever, Ferdinand II, the king of Aragon, who loved his son, hugged his only son, and was in great pain.

If it was the official lung disease, then Ferdinand II, who hugged the prince, would hardly be spared. Because lung disease is a highly contagious disease. In addition, his son was seriously ill and dying, Ferdinand II must have been exhausted at that time, his resistance was inevitably low, and he could not avoid the infection of lung disease.

However, Ferdinand II had nothing to do and lived to 1516. Therefore, Marin felt that it was impossible for the prince to get lung disease, but it was more credible that the folks died of physical weakness caused by greed.

You know, in Europe in this era, there is no effective way to deal with a cold. In the East, there is at least one way to boil ginger and brown sugar in water. In Europe in this era, the mortality rate is very high when encountering a cold. What's more, because of his physical weakness, Prince John's resistance to colds is even weaker. As for what kind of lung disease, that's just what the royal family promotes to cover up their ugliness.

Thinking of this, Marin had a mature idea in his heart——

His solution was very simple. He rushed to Spain and took advantage of Prince John's illness to cure the prince. As long as Prince John survives, then whether it is the mad woman Juana or the princess Isabella who is married to Portugal, they must say goodbye to the throne.

Because as long as Prince John is around, the princesses have no chance of inheriting the throne. After all, Spain is also heavily influenced by the Salic law, which prioritizes male heirs. Unless there is no male heir, it will be the female's turn.

For Prince John's illness, Marin thought it was easy. As long as you have a packet of ginger, a packet of brown sugar, boiled water and drink it, cover it with a quilt and sweat, then everything will be OK. As for the high fever, the protagonists in countless novels have offered Marin a solution - rubbing his body with alcohol or soju. After the high fever subsides, use ginger brown sugar water...

Unless, the prince has really some kind of lung disease. But even so, Marin has a recipe. It is to use 500 grams each of aloe vera fresh leaves, white vinegar and rock sugar. Boil white vinegar and rock sugar first and let cool. Then put the aloe vera leaves in a jar, put it in the mixture, and store it in an airtight container for 7 days. Then, take a small bowl each morning and evening.

This recipe has little effect on severe lung disease, but it is very useful for mild patients. Prince John had never heard of lung disease before, and if he had, it would have been mild. This recipe, if Prince John really had a lung disease, even if he couldn't cure it, he could stop Prince John from dying. As long as Prince John perseveres, there is also a way to save Prince John from Marin, who has learned Chinese medicine with the old man in the village. I don't dare to say much, but there is no problem in persisting until this kid has a baby.

As long as Prince John survived, or left the baby. Then, the Spanish Empire has nothing to do with Charles V...

And Marin, quietly revenge on Maximilian I's plan, also quietly succeeded. Moreover, if the dying prince is really cured, the Spaniards will also accept their own love, and it is a great favor. At that time, if you go to the Americas to occupy the land yourself, there will be discussions.

And even if the treatment fails, there is not much to lose. Because if it was an "incurable disease" such as lung disease, Marin failed, and the Spaniards couldn't blame him. If it is a cold caused by physical weakness, it is even better, and the cure rate is very high.

Anyway, Marin made up his mind to quietly sabotage Charles V's future as well as the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. This is also to clear the obstacles for himself to participate in the feudal hegemony in the future.

...

As for how to target the Duke of Saxony? That's a big deal too...

Marin had studied European history and learned that next year, the youngest son of the Duke of Saxony, Frederick, would be elected as the Grand Commander of the Teutonic Knights and become the supreme leader of the Teutonic Knights.

This is a very important event. Frederick became the head of the Teutonic Knights, so the strength of the Duke of Saxony will also increase greatly. Because the Prussian and Livonian business circles where the Teutonic Knights are located are the third largest business circles in the Hanseatic League!

If the youngest son of the Duke of Saxony becomes the head of the Teutonic Knights, it means that the Wetting family has reached the third largest business circle of the Hanseatic League. At that time, the Wetting family, who control the Saxony business district and the Prussian and Livonia business circles at the same time, will not be able to go to heaven?

The Duke of Saxony robbed the Friesland he was aiming for, so how could Marin let the son of his enemy become the chief of the Teutonic Knights?

Marin knew from books in his previous life that the current chief of the Teutonic Knights died around the end of August. Then, in the second half of the year, the Teutonic Knights were busy electing a new Grand Commander.

The country of the Teutonic Knights is a very strange place, where the local Prussians have little status. In fact, it was knights from all over Germany who controlled the area. The main force among them are those wandering knights from the German knight family.

Marin's uncle, Jules, originally went to the important destination of the German wandering knights - the Teutonic Knights, but now his life and death are unknown.

The Teutonic Knights were actually a colony of the Germans on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. Every year, a large number of German wandering knights go to the country of the Teutonic Knights to add fresh blood to the knights.

In the country of the Teutonic Knights, there are five major forces, which are very powerful. They are - Saxons, Swabians, Rhinelanders, Westphalians, and Franconians.

As for knights in other regions, the strength of the Teutonic Knights is too small, and some are not ranked. The country of Mark, where Marin's hometown is located, belongs to Westphalia. The Westphalians, in the state of the Teutonic Knights, belonged to the fourth largest power.

Moreover, within the Teutonic Knights, Franconians and Swabians were basically opposed to Rhinelanders and Westphalians.

Saxony, on the other hand, has many people and does not need to form alliances with people. This time the Grand Master election, the opposing Franconian-Swabian alliance, obviously would not agree to the election of a knight from Rhineland-Westphalia as the new Grand Master. Similarly, the Rhineland-Westphalia Alliance will not agree to the person of the other party to be the leader.

The Saxons are already numerous and powerful, and the Saxons are also reluctantly acceptable objects for both factions. Therefore, Frederick, the youngest son of Albrecht, Duke of Saxony, was successfully elected as the new Grand Commander. Speaking of prestige, Frederick, who is only 23 years old, has the prestige of a hairy egg...

Of course, the Teutonic Knights are not limited to these five groups. There are also many knights from other regions. For example, Johnny von Tiffin, the still-dead chief, came from Switzerland. In other regions, such as Austria, Bohemia, Silesia, Pomerania, and even the Netherlands and Switzerland, there are wandering knights mixing with the Teutonic Knights.

However, the wandering knights in these areas have not yet formed a climate in the Teutonic Knights and cannot influence the overall situation of the Teutonic Knights.

As far as Marin knew (Old Hoffman went to the Teutonic Knights because of his brother, he had inquired about things there), the chief of the Teutonic Knights was voted by more than 800 core Teutonic knights. Among them, the Saxons have 180 seats. The Franconian-Swabian League has 230 seats, and the Rhineland-Westphalia League has 210 seats... As for the remaining 200 seats, it will be divided among wandering knights from other regions. .

Among them, the status of the Saxons is detached. As long as they win the support of either the Franconian-Swabian alliance or the Rhineland-Westphalia alliance, and a few retail investors, they can be elected firmly. The two alliances, in turn, would have to gain the support of the Saxons if they were to launch their own candidates. And if it is an opponent's candidate, they will definitely fight their lives to block...

Marin's plan is actually simple and rude...

His solution is to throw money at it!

There are 200 retail investors from other regions, and they are not a small force, and they are all votes. As a Westphalian, Marin must have supported those on his side to be elected chief. And the votes of the knights of this alliance will definitely go to their own people.

At that time, as long as Marin spends money to buy those retail investors, he can barely reach half. As for the candidates put forward by the Saxons, the Saxon knights definitely support them fully. However, the Franconian-Swabian alliance would not necessarily support it all.

At that time, Marin does not need to bribe the knights of the Franconian-Swabian alliance to vote for their own side. As long as they don't vote for Frederick, that's enough.

To do this is actually quite simple. Just come up with one more candidate who is not from the Rhineland-Westphalia alliance or Saxony.

Then, Marin can send someone to help this person to spend money canvassing votes in the Franconian-Swabian alliance. As long as a few dozen of the 230 Franconian-Swabian knights voted for this person, Frederick's votes from the Franconian-Swabian alliance would certainly not be able to make up half of them. And then buy enough retail investors to support the candidates of the Rhineland-Westphalia alliance. Beating Frederick, then, is not a big deal.

Moreover, he paid his own money to help take down the post of the chief commander of the Teutonic Knights. The new chief will certainly be grateful to himself. Even, in the future, it will open the door for him to do business in the Teutonic Knights.

You know, the Teutonic Knights is also a famous business circle, which belongs to the third largest business circle of the Hanseatic League - the Prussian and Livonian business circles.

Because it is on the coast of the Baltic Sea, the ocean with the lowest salt content in the world, the price of salt here is very expensive. As it happens, Marin is a big supplier of salt. As long as there is a big leader to help, it is not difficult for me to make a lot of profits in the Teutonic Knights...

So, this plan is also a good plan without loss...

All in all, whether it is to save Prince John of Spain, or to support a candidate in the region to become the new Grand Commander of the Teutonic Knights, it is not a loss-making business. Moreover, of these two plans, the first one is not only beneficial to him, but also prevents the emperor's grandson from becoming a European hegemon; the second one can make his rival Duke of Saxony lose huge benefits, both of which can be said to kill two birds with one stone...

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