King of German Mercenaries

Ferdinand II cried and laughed for a long time while holding his son who was gradually recovering, and then he remembered Marin who was waiting eagerly beside him...

"Cough cough - Baron Marin, I will honor my promise. By the way, I want to ask, what do you want to do with the colony in the Wilderness Continent?"

"Cultivation..." Marin said innocently.

"Farming?" Ferdinand II almost didn't recover in one breath. Isabella I, who had been playing soy sauce for a long time, also burst out laughing.

"Yes, Your Majesty, you know, the fief of the minister has only a few small islands. The land is barren and lacks fresh water, so it is not suitable for farming..." Marin blinked his eyes and continued to pretend to be stupid.

"So you are going to the wild continent to farm? Aren't you afraid of being hacked to death by those savages?"

"It's nothing, I can choose a small island, or the location of the estuary, where there are few barbarians nearby, cultivate tens of thousands of Eugram's arable land, and grow a lot of grain..." After speaking, Marin still Showing an intoxicated expression.

Both Ferdinand II and Isabella I had a chill, and even Prince John on the side had a cold war, thinking that he was afraid of the cold again...

"Aren't you authorized by the Pope to go to India to buy spices? You make huge profits from that business, why do you still farm?" Ferdinand II knew that Marin had bought the right to buy spices in India.

"Your Majesty, you also know that this minister is just a little baron. I was hot-headed before, calm down and think about it. I'm just a baron who is fighting for food with the Portuguese. Isn't that courting death?"

"This time, I sent four ships to explore the way, and the Portuguese also sent four ships. Of course, they can't do anything about me. However, once the Indian route is determined, the Portuguese will see the huge profits, and the next time I will definitely not allow my ship to participate in it. Maybe, next time the Portuguese will send a fleet to intercept a few of my ships. At that time, I will not be able to continue this business..." Marin lamented, but also made a lot of sense.

Spain's most distinguished couple nodded and agreed with Marin's statement. After all, Marin, a small barony, cannot compete with the Kingdom of Portugal.

"So you went to the wild continent to farm?" Prince John asked curiously.

"Mmmm, I will strive to reclaim 100,000 Eugrams of arable land in the wild continent and become a big landlord!"

"Hahahaha..." Everyone was amused by Marin's words.

Then, after obtaining the consent of his wife, Ferdinand II, who was happy, issued a document allowing Marin to open up 5 colonies in the wild continent (America).

Of course, in order to stop others from making irresponsible remarks, Ferdinand II decided to confer the title of "Country of the Wild" in Marin, who had surrendered to Spain. In this way, Ferdinand II not only repaid Marin's kindness for saving his son, but also ensured that the wild continent still belonged to Spain in name, and the best of both worlds.

"However, Your Majesty, I live in the northernmost part of Germany, and as a count of Spain, I can't come to the Iberian Peninsula to pay tribute to Your Majesty..."

"I don't need you to pay tribute, and to make you an earl of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile is actually blocking other people's mouths. I will be famous in the document. Although you have been canonized as an earl of the wild, in these five Colonial sites have all rights, and do not need to pay taxes to the kingdom, as long as they belong to Spain in name. The descendants do not need to be re-canonized by the royal family, and they can do the enthronement ceremony themselves..."

"Then thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Don't be too busy, I'll send someone to find a "Bible", first press the "Bible" to swear allegiance to us. For the first canonization, you still need to swear allegiance to our husband and wife."

"Okay!" Marin knelt down on one knee without hesitation, pressed the Bible in his hand, and swore allegiance to Ferdinand II and Isabella I. Anyway, it's just acting. Moreover, there are huge benefits when the performance is over...

"How much do you plan to expand each colony point?" Ferdinand confirmed again.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will only draw a circle on the map with the port as the center," Marin replied. Marin didn't say, though, that it was a 1:30 million world map. If you draw a small circle on it, there are hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, which is much bigger than Portugal...

"Okay, I believe in you, come, write this sentence into the document..." Ferdinand II was proud of himself, thinking that he had restrained Marin, but he did not know that the small circle they wanted was bigger than Portugal. a lot of. Adding up the 5 small circles, it is definitely much larger than the mainland of Spain...

After the two sides signed the document, they thought they had taken advantage of it, and they all laughed. Naturally, Marin knew that he had taken advantage of it, so he smiled brightly.

On the other hand, Ferdinand II thought that he had paid off the kindness of saving his son's life by using five small places the size of palms, which were still uncultivated and uncultivated. …

...

After the simple allegiance ceremony, Ferdinand II and Isabella I returned to the capital, Toledo, with the prince, his wife and Marin.

In the royal palace of Toledo, Ferdinand II and his wife warmly entertained Marin, and Prince John, who is already in good condition, also personally accompanied him.

Although Prince John was born to the cunning and cunning Ferdinand II and Isabella I, who was also not a fuel-efficient lamp, this child grew up in the palace and had never seen the cruelty of the world. Therefore, this child is still a little ignorant and a little shy. The prince blushed when Marin reminded him to be prudent in sexual intercourse.

However, regarding the dishes of this court banquet, Marin was so depressed that he wanted to die...

Marin never imagined that at this banquet, Ferdinand II prepared so much pepper...

During the whole banquet, Ferdinand II estimated that dozens of pounds of pepper were taken out. That is, there are not many people present. If there are many people, it is estimated that Ferdinand II will give out several hundred pounds of pepper.

You know, in medieval Europe, the price of pepper was extremely high, so high that the average person could not afford it. In the early Middle Ages, the price of pepper was staggeringly high, at a point where a pepper bean was exchanged for a gold coin. Of course, it was the time of the Crusades when Europe and the Middle East went to war. The price is so high because it is out of stock.

At this time, the Venetians can still find a way to buy pepper, Turkey has not yet controlled Egypt, and the European land trade routes have not been cut off. Therefore, the price of pepper at this time is only about 10 shillings a pound.

And in India, where pepper comes from, a pound of pepper can cost a penny or two at most. And 10 shillings is equal to 120 pence, so Da Gama's profit in buying spices in India is as high as 60 times...

Now, because of the scarcity of pepper, spices such as pepper, cloves, and cinnamon have become privileged materials that only aristocrats can enjoy.

Generally speaking, today's great nobles are embarrassed to call themselves a great noble if you prepare a lot of pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc. for a banquet.

For example, when the King of Scotland visited Richard I of England in 1194, Richard I, in order to express his enthusiasm, let the King of Scotland eat 2 pounds of pepper every day - why didn't Nimad get angry?

...

Right now, Marin has encountered such an embarrassing thing-Ferdinand II brought a lot of pepper in order to entertain Marin. Grilled meat is eaten with pepper, bread is, cheese is...  

Seeing the king couple and the prince eating bread or roasted meat dipped in pepper with relish, Malin felt a chill in his heart...

In fact, Marin didn't really catch a cold with pepper, a spicy condiment. It's okay to put a little bit in the meal, but I can't stand it with more Marin. What's more, eating bread or roasted meat directly with pepper like these perverts at a banquet...

So, in order to save face for the king and his wife, Marin just dipped in a little pepper and ate it...

Unexpectedly, this caused the misunderstanding of the king and his wife——

"This child, who comes from a poor family, is not used to delicious pepper, hey—" Ferdinand II and Elizabeth I discussed in a low voice.

Queen Elizabeth I nodded her head in agreement, and then looked at Marin with some contempt for the country people, but also with a little sympathy—this child, who usually can't eat pepper, has a miserable life...

...

In fact, a large part of the reason why the nobles of this era in Europe spent money like water was on the purchase of spices.

Often, a large nobleman would consume hundreds of pounds of expensive spices such as pepper, cloves, and cinnamon after holding a banquet.

And these spices are not cheap, so often after a banquet, the cost of the spices alone will cost hundreds or even hundreds of gold coins.

Therefore, those big nobles who like to hold banquets are in poor economic situation, but most of them are gritting their teeth. Whoever hosts a banquet will be embarrassed if there is no table full of spices for the guests to dip into. What if you don't have any money? Loan. Hanseatic merchants like to lend to these nobles, charging super high interest of 15%, or in exchange for business privileges...

...

After eating a pepper banquet, Marin felt that he was about to get angry. So he asked the maid to ask for a lot of honey, soaked in honey water to drink, so as to reduce the fire. For this meal, although Marin used less pepper, he still felt a little numb in his throat, and his sense of taste was almost destroyed. He really couldn't understand why the European aristocrats of this era were so heavy-mouthed. Even, many nobles are going bankrupt in order to buy spices...

Fortunately, Marin has no such hobby. Otherwise, he will have to go bankrupt...

Moreover, what makes Marin laugh or cry is that since Marin cured the prince with ginger syrup. Now, Ferdinand II and Queen Elizabeth I have begun to officially upgrade the previously unattractive mid-range spice-ginger to one of the main condiments in the daily food of the Spanish court.

For this, Marin agrees. Eating more ginger is indeed good for health. Of course, eating too much is not good, and it also depends on the season...

In order to escape the "pepper banquet" prepared "kindly" by the happy Ferdinand II and his wife, Marin excused that there was something wrong with the territory. After signing the appointment document of the wild earl, he fled the Toledo Palace in a hurry and began to rush back...

Before leaving, though, Marin worried that Prince Juan would die prematurely in the future. Therefore, he, a Chinese medicine doctor who can't be considered a half-baked or two knives, took Prince Juan's hand and taught him a secret of health preservation - "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer, no need for a doctor to prescribe!"

This sentence was actually seen by Marin on a health program in his previous life, and he used it to warn the frail prince. At the same time, Marin repeatedly told the prince to eat less things like ginger and pepper that are easy to get angry in winter, but you can eat some in summer.

In addition, he also told Prince Juan to exercise more to maintain health, and to limit his X life...

In fact, Marin didn't have any good intentions. He was just worried that the appearance of the mighty Charles V in the future would leave him, a little prince who wanted to be king and hegemony, with nowhere to go. He was not really good to the prince. But in the view of the prince couple and Ferdinand II couple, Marin is really good for the prince. So, they looked at Marin even more differently...

This seemingly random reminder from Marin really played a big role. Prince Juan (although it can also be translated as Prince John, but Prince Juan has more Spanish characteristics) listened to Marin's reminder to pay attention to health, and he lived a long time. Of course, this is something……

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