King of German Mercenaries

At the beginning of May, Maximilian I gathered an army of 12,000 people in Innsbruck, the capital of the Duchy of Tyrol where he lived.

According to the method discussed with Marin before, the army walked very slowly after leaving Innsbruck. Along the way, when encountering a town, the emperor will invite all the local nobles to have a "pepper feast" together. It is to make all kinds of grilled meat and let the nobles eat it with pepper. In front of each nobleman, there is a plate filled with pepper, cinnamon, cloves...

Spice spending alone is enough for the emperor to drink a pot. Fortunately, because Marin helped the emperor earn more than one million gold coins a few years ago, he still has a little balance. In addition, the Duke of Saxony also sent 300,000 gold coins to the emperor in order to get Friesland. Therefore, the emperor's spice money is still available.

Departing from Innsbruck, in Tyrol alone, was delayed for many days. However, this is foreplay and it is necessary. Because, the emperor needs time to let the people in the Graubünden area of ​​Switzerland know his name of "frankness". At that time, I will hold a banquet in Switzerland, so that no one will not come because of fear.

Moreover, the Münster Valley is actually in the southeast of the Graubünden area. If the emperor really went to Italy at once, he would not be able to "pass" Chur, the capital of the Graubünden region in the northwest.

But this is not a problem, this was included in Marin's previous advice to the emperor. The emperor can go to the Swabian area first, on the pretext of not having enough troops in the name of the number of troops.

The conflict in Swabia and Zurich also entered a truce in the spring. Because, Zurich and Swabian have to be busy in the spring...

Right now, everyone's spring ploughing has just ended, and the war has not yet resumed. In fact, even if the emperor went to the Swabian League, he could not borrow any soldiers. Because, the Swabian League is still preparing to continue fighting with Zurich.

But the emperor's original intention was not to borrow troops, but to "borrow the way". Only in this way can the emperor have an excuse to "pass by" the northern part of Graubünden...

The emperor threw money all the way to treat guests to dinner, and when he arrived in the Swabian area, he did not borrow many soldiers. The Swabian Alliance was very tight because of the war, but in order to give the emperor face, the entire alliance only collected 1,000 old, weak, sick and disabled people to give the emperor to decorate the facade.

The emperor was "very helpless" and had no choice but to go south, but at this time, the emperor's army was already north of Chur, the capital of Graubingen, and it was only natural to go south through the city of Chur.

However, in order to pretend to be a bit more like, the emperor also specially sent forward troops to go south ahead of time and advance in the direction of the Mistyr Valley, as if "playing the front line".

At the same time, the emperor continued to lavishly entertain the nobles along the way. Not only that, the emperor also sent a letter to Chur, asking the locals to gather some men and horses for him to help him "strengthen his courage".

After all, "March to Rome" is a political gamble that requires enough troops to support the scene. The emperor is also a wise politician, which was not included in Marin's plan before, but the emperor's temporary play added this point.

At that time, when the emperor's army arrives outside the city of Chur, it is completely possible to use "borrowing soldiers" as an excuse to invite the local nobles to come over and discuss important matters...

Because the emperor made a lot of momentum this time, the shameful deeds that he did not borrow any soldiers from the Swabian League spread all over Switzerland. The Swiss did not realize that the emperor was deliberately embarrassing...

Although it was really embarrassing to borrow only 1,000 old, weak, sick and disabled people, but relying on this "borrowing soldiers", the emperor successfully pulled the army to the preparation direction of the capital of Graubünden, which facilitated the emperor to go south, "just passing by" Kuhl . And the appropriate "humiliation" can also make the Swiss relax their vigilance...

Sure enough, most of the Swiss who did not deal with the emperor were discussing the ridiculous deeds of Maximilian I's failure to borrow troops.

But no one realized that the real purpose of Maximilian I was not to go to Rome, but to go to Chur...

Moreover, the emperor publicly stated that he would borrow troops from the Graubünden people, and he also wore it out. Everyone thinks that the emperor may be planted this time.

Because, 12,000 troops (not counting the people) plus a thousand old, weak, sick and disabled, are really not enough to enter Rome. Because, this year, in the war in Italy, only 12,000 people are not enough. This is not the early Middle Ages, 10,000 people are enough to "enter Rome". For example, Conradin, the son of Conrad IV, the emperor of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty, became the king of Germany. He was defeated by Charles of Anjou because he only brought 7,000 people to Rome, and he was also beheaded. The Taufen dynasty died out, and even the Principality of Swabia died with it.

Because of social and economic development, the monarchs of various countries can support more soldiers and horses than in the early Middle Ages. Therefore, the emperor only took 13,000 people to Italy, which was actually very dangerous. If nothing else, as long as the Pope "invites" the French to "assist", the emperor is easily defeated. Because, the French are now sending out 20,000 or 30,000 troops at every turn.

You must know that the one who defeated Conradin, who had brought 7,000 people, was also a Frenchman, Charles, Count of Anjou, and the younger brother of the then King Louis IX of France.

Many people are discussing whether the French will send troops to stop Maximilian I from going south to Rome this time. Also, if Maximilian I were defeated and captured by Louis XII, would he be beheaded like the young King Conradin...

When Maximilian I heard these remarks, he was very depressed. Because the outside world is not optimistic about his behavior of "bravely entering Italy" with 13,000 people. Even compared him to the most unlucky Conradin.

But while he was depressed, he was also very happy. There is a lively discussion about whether he will fail again in Italy, and no one realizes whether he will occupy Graubünden...

In order to make the world relax more vigilance, Maximilian I even sent his own people to preach everywhere, saying that Maximilian I went to Italy to be dangerous and attract the attention of the people.

At the same time, in Paris, France, Louis XII also heard that Maximilian I was going to march into Rome and wanted to be officially crowned emperor.

Louis XII suddenly couldn't sit still. At present, Maximilian I is only the king of Germany, on an equal footing with the king of France. If Maximilian I did go to Rome to be crowned, then he, the French king, would be a head short of Maximilian I in name. After all, after his coronation in Rome, Maximilian I became "Emperor of the Roman people." The Roman Empire in the traditional sense actually included the French region. Because the early Holy Roman Emperor was actually the Emperor of Charlemagne. France is the western region of Charlemagne.

In addition, Louis XII intends to seize the Duchy of Milan. So, regardless of whether Alexander VI was happy or not, Louis XII simply raised the banner of "supporting the Holy See" in Paris, and also waved his troops south to Italy...

However, Louis XII brought a full 20,000 troops, and there were 10,000 heavy cavalry alone. The other 10,000 are fierce Swiss mercenaries...

If Louis XII and the emperor were to meet, the emperor might be defeated like the hapless Conradin. But it is a pity that the emperor did not want to go to Rome at all, nor did he want to enter Italy, he just wanted to capture Graubünden. Therefore, the good show that the kings of Germany and France are looking forward to, which is expected by the outside world, will not happen...