The Rise of the European Emperor

John II laughed. Indeed, even if Marin wanted Duisburg, he would not give it. After all, Duisburg's location at the corner of the Ruhr and Rhine rivers is very important. In addition to the economic development of the city itself, it is also an important collection point for road tax on the Rhine. All boats coming from the upper Rhine, and those who want to go upstream from the lower river, have to pay the toll.

Speaking of which, even if the section of the Rhine River between the Ruhr and the Lippe was given up, John II would not have lost much. Because, what he lost, at most, was the toll for the passage from the Ruhr to the Lippe.

There are very few countries on the Ruhr River, only a few countries such as the County of Mark and the Principality of Berg. On the other side of the Lippe River, there are only a few countries such as the Bishopric of Münster, Recklinghausen, and the Earl of Lippe.

In fact, on the Ruhr River and the Lippe River, the two imperial cities Essen and Dortmund really account for the bulk of the toll tax for boats. That is to say, these two imperial cities with developed commerce only have so many ships to set sail. In an agricultural vassal state like the Earl of Mark, there are basically no ships at ordinary times, and there are only more ships to transport grain after the autumn harvest. Usually, it is rare to see some boats pulling coal. Therefore, the ship traffic of the two Rhine tributaries is far less than that of Duisburg. After all, Duisburg can tax ships from many upstream countries.

Moreover, whether it is a boat from the Ruhr River or the Lippe River, as long as it wants to go upstream or downstream, it will inevitably be levied by the Principality of Clifford toll. Because, leaving the Ruhr and the Lippe, to the south there is Duisburg, an unavoidable tax collection point. To the northwest, the main territory of the Principality of Clifford is there, and there is absolutely no shortage of tax collection points. As soon as you leave the Lippe and go northwest, you will pass the tax point of Wesel. It should be pointed out that Wesel is also an important commercial city in the Principality of Clifford. Its economic status in the Principality of Clifford is second only to Duisburg and higher than that of the capital, Clifford.

However, because of the opening of the Münster Canal, John II felt a crisis. Because, if you take the Münster Canal into the Ems River, and then arrive at the North Sea, the journey is much closer than detouring to the mouth of the Rhine. In particular, ships from the Rhine to Hamburg and Bremen, the important Hanseatic port cities, can save a lot of distance and save time. Therefore, John II was worried that those ships going to the northern German coastal areas such as Hamburg or Bremen would be diverted to the Münster Canal in the future. In this way, he will save a lot of toll tax.

Marin didn't really care much about the land he wanted to buy on the east bank of the Rhine. Because the amount of land on the east bank of the Lamarck family is actually not much.

However, John II knew that in the Duchy of Clifford there were fiefs of two barons and five knights. Moreover, these two barons have always been the important old families in the Principality of Clifford. Even John II usually respects their opinions. As for the five knights, they were also important members of the army.

Therefore, although the land on the east bank of the Rhine is not as important as Duisburg and Wessel, John II cannot easily give up.

In fact, John II almost encountered a rebellion after exchanging the Earl of Mark. Because this touched the interests of many nobles in the country of Mark. But in the end, because the land in the Lower Geddes area that John II exchanged for them is more fertile, and they also know that they can't beat the army of the North Sea Kingdom. Therefore, the nobles of the former Mark Country finally compromised.

To be honest, John II had no feelings for the country of Mark. Because, most of his time, he stayed on the side of the Principality of Clifford. As for the country of Mark, he generally sent representatives to manage it and seldom intervened. Therefore, he didn't feel bad about exchanging the country of Mark.

But the Principality of Cliff is different, this is his fundamental place. John II did not want a civil war to break out because of his reckless decision.

And, to be honest, the piece of land at the western end of the southern part of the Bishopric of Münster proposed by Marin, not to mention the question of whether the inland transport is developed or not,

But the land is completely incomparable.

Why? The reason is the same as Marin had noticed before—irrigation technology was underdeveloped in this era, and the nobles were reluctant to spend huge amounts of money to dig trenches. Therefore, the characteristic of German agriculture in this era is that agricultural irrigation mainly relies on natural rivers...

Therefore, those lands on the banks of the Rhine, the Ruhr and the Lippe are the real good irrigated land - the river is next to it, and the irrigation is extremely convenient...

And the piece of land that Marin wanted to exchange, there is no river, and the natural irrigated land near the big river is not a star and a half. The two barons and five knights on the east bank of the Rhine would not agree to change places unless their heads were kicked by a donkey.

After all, the irrigated land by the big river can grow wheat. In the inland areas without natural rivers, only rye with tenacious vitality like weeds can be grown...

What's more, the land provided by Marin is still under the control of the church. Even if he changed hands, John II did not have the courage to challenge the authority of the church to grab the land...

In addition, John II was also worried that after the land on the east bank of the Rhine was exchanged for Marin, the ownership of this section of the Rhine would not belong to the Duchy of Clifford. In this case, what should I do if ships traveling between the core area of ​​the Principality of Clifford and Duisburg are taxed in the future?

...

John II expressed all these concerns at once, and said that if these problems are not solved, it will be difficult for him to exchange the land for Marin.

After hearing this, Marin felt very troubled. At least, it's more complicated than he imagined.

But Marin knew better that once industrialization began, this waterway would definitely become a very busy traffic hub. Not to mention, there are also several large coal mines within these hundreds of square kilometers.

So, Marin finally decided to continue the deal. As for the problems raised by John II, he will solve them one by one...

...

First, there is the issue of water transportation.

John II was worried that after exchanging this land to Marin, the Rhine would no longer belong to the Duchy of Clifford, which would affect the connection between Duisburg and the mainland.

In this regard, Marin's solution is - even if the exchange is completed, the two sides will sign a formal treaty, declaring this section of the Rhine waterway (mainly the eastern half, the western half is the Archbishop of Cologne) as the North Sea State and Kerry Commonwealth of the Principality of Virginia. In this way, the ships of the Principality of Clifford will not have to pay toll tax if they pass through this channel in the future.

At the same time, Marin also promised that the Münster Canal will not be open to ships from other countries for the time being, except for ships from important strategic partner countries of the North Sea country.

For this promise given by Marin, John II was very satisfied. In particular, the Münster Canal treatment method can make the collection of road tax on the lower Rhine unaffected. In this way, John II was naturally satisfied.

...

Second, there is the question of land ownership in the western area of ​​South Münster. At present, the cultivated land there is mainly in the hands of the church. If the church is not fair, even if the nobles on the east bank of the Rhine are exchanged, they will not be able to get the land. Therefore, Marin needs to take the land from those local monasteries first.

For this, Marin felt that although it was difficult, it could still be solved. To others, the church is a huge existence that cannot be challenged. However, for Marin, the priests in the South Munster area were nothing but the subordinates of his Pope's father-in-law. Moreover, it is still a low-level subordinate.

Therefore, solving the problem of local land ownership is actually very simple - directly through the relationship of the Holy See, transfer the local abbots to other places.

There are monasteries all over Europe, and every year a large number of old abbots die, and many new abbots take office. Marin only needs to move the Pope's father-in-law and use the relationship of the Holy See to transfer the local abbots to other monasteries and continue to be abbots, and then he can solve the problem.

The western area of ​​South Münster is not very fertile, with a lack of natural rivers and low development rates. Therefore, as long as the abbots choose a monastery with a recently deceased old abbot and a very wealthy monastery, and let them continue to be the abbots, these people will definitely be happy.

And those ordinary priests under the abbot don't have to be so troublesome. As long as Marin gives some favors, Bishop Conrad, who currently controls the South Munster area, can arrange those ordinary missionaries. After all, the status of bishop of a diocese is not given for nothing. Bishop Conrad may have some scruples in dealing with those abbots who are equivalent to local bigwigs. But for those ordinary priests, Conrad is a god-like being who can easily decide their fate.

With those abbots and priests out of the way, Marin and Bishop Conrad could change the ownership of the arable land on that land.

In fact, Marin and Bishop Conrad have long agreed that once Bishop Conrad dies, the South Munster area will belong to Marin. Moreover, most of the cultivated land in the South Münster area originally belonged to the church will also belong to Marin. For the local church, only the cultivated land near the church is reserved, which is enough for the local priests to live a prosperous life. Proportionally, when Marin controls the South Munster area, it will get three-quarters of the original church land...

When Marin told John II that he could get three-quarters of the local arable land to compensate for the replacement of the former nobles of the Duchy of Cliff, John II was also surprised:

"What? You can get three-quarters of the land from the local church? Really?"

John II obviously didn't believe it, the church was like a shabby existence. Only they have always taken advantage of others, and others have taken advantage of them?

Marin shrugged and said indifferently:

"Master John forgot? The Holy See gave me the Bishopric of Münster before. Moreover, the Pope and the Roman Cardinals also tacitly agreed that I could take most of the land from the Church of Münster. After all, Münster The land of the Episcopal State is basically in the hands of the church. If I don’t ask them for land, why would I come to the Bishopric of Munster? Watch the church make a fortune?”

"It turns out that..." John II suddenly realized. At the same time, he was also in awe of Marin's ability to take most of the farmland from the church.

Marin smirked inwardly - if you also have a father-in-law who is the Pope, you can do it too...

...

Finally, there is the issue of farmland irrigation that the seven vassals and nobles of the land on the east bank of the Rhine are concerned about...

After thinking for a while, Marin made a decision - to send someone to help the nobles dig rivers on the new fief...

Coincidentally, the 15,000 people who were originally sent to the Parson concentration camp in the Principality of Brabant to pretend to be Swiss mercenary prisoners of war will also come. These people were originally the soldiers of the electorate of Saxony and the electorate of Brandenburg who were captured by Marin in Lübeck. But after the war, Saxony and Brandenburg simply gave them to Marin because they couldn't pay the ransom for these people. They even agreed to send the spouses and family members of these strong people.

So, they are now Marin people. Originally, Marin planned to arrange for these people to return to China. After all, places such as West Frisian and North Münster still lack a large number of laborers.

However, now, in order to satisfy the nobles of the Principality of Clifford. Above all, to satisfy the two barons. Marin decided to continue to send the 15,000 strong people to dig irrigation rivers on the exchanged territory in the western region of South Munster. At the very least, the new fiefs of the two barons should be irrigated with the same area as the previous fiefs... After the irrigation rivers are dug in the territories of the two barons, the 5 knights will continue to dig... …

This project is not big, because the purpose of the irrigation river is to divert water, and it does not need to be wide or deep. Therefore, its engineering volume is far less than the Münster Canal. Marin sent 15,000 people to dig the river, and the problem can definitely be solved within a year.

...

After solving these three problems, Marin also proposed that a large amount of compensation can be given in addition. For example, John II could be given food worth 100,000 gp as compensation. As for the two barons and five knights, compensation will also be given. Certainly not as much as given to John II. But it must add up, which is also a small sum.

As for why they should be compensated, it is because Marin needs to buy the castles, houses and other real estate they left behind. These they can't take away, but it's a loss if they don't. After all, the previous construction cost a lot. Moreover, when they arrive at a new fief, they have to build it. Therefore, Marin needs to buy the real estate and compensate them for their losses. At the same time, it also gave them money to build new houses in new fiefs.

...

After paying such a high price, Marin believes that this transaction is almost complete. John II has already promised, and things are half done. Next, as long as the two barons and five knights are settled, everything will be done.

And Marin's goal of coming to Clifford this time has finally been basically achieved...