Chapter 420 Excessive Demands
While Frederick was enjoying himself in the hot springs, in the royal palace of the Rhine League in the city of Cologne, several important palace ministers were waiting in the conference room, feeling a little upset.
The Grand Duke of Mainz now serves as the Minister of Agriculture in the palace. A great feudal lord like him usually acts as a local emperor in his own family, but the country trembles when he coughs. No one dares to ignore his voice. The palace official position was just a window dressing to qualify him to attend various occasions.
Today is a regular palace meeting that handles daily government affairs of the country. It is held once every ten days. Also present are the Minister of the Interior, Earl Rank, the Minister of Military Affairs, Earl Pisto, and the Chief Minister of the Academy of Heraldry, Earl Shakespeare. people.
The Grand Duke of Mainz took out his ceramic enamel case pocket watch and looked at the time. He had a meeting at three o'clock and it was now four o'clock. He turned around and asked Count Shakespeare in a deep voice: "Rudolf is always like this now. ”
Count Shakespeare didn't say anything, just answered with a wry smile.
Count Pistol shook his head and said: "Now His Royal Highness is determined to imitate Duke Wesson in everything, but in the end, he only learned the idea by improving the number of lovers."
Count Rank looked at Main Looking at Grand Duke Ci's beautiful pocket watch, he thought that Frederick had come up with some new tricks. He sighed and said, "Let's stay the same. If there is anything we need to discuss first, His Majesty the Prince will come and ask him to sign directly."
There hasn’t been much happening in the Rhineland recently. The main reason is that winter is coming again, and a “poor relief fund” needs to be allocated to buy firewood for the poor in the city for the winter.
In previous years, money was distributed. Not long ago, Rudolf proposed that it would be better to distribute firewood directly when the price of firewood rises in winter. The gentlemen in the conference room who were not worried about heating in winter thought it made sense, so they passed it.
Also, Earl Shakespeare reported that several nobles had poor harvests in their territories this year and applied for exemption from this year's exemption.
Such things happen from time to time. According to the procedure, we will send people to verify on the spot, and then we will do as we should.
When preparing for five o'clock, the trivial matters were discussed. The Archduke of Mainz said: "The Helvetic Federation has signed neutrality treaties with the Osmaga Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia respectively. The treaties are related to You all already know the content, and I think we should become the third country to sign a contract.”
The Grand Duke of Mainz has been promoting this matter since he came to Cologne. Communicated privately.
In recent years, thanks to Frederick's leadership effect, the Rhine League seems to be on the rise. This year's occupation of Linden City by the coalition of nobles has given many people a taste of the sweetness, and it has made all nobles full of confidence.
The Rhine League will next expand across the Elbe River to the east. It must first stabilize the western region. If it can sign a treaty with the Helvetia Federation, it will naturally be excellent to eliminate a security risk.
From a political point of view, no matter how hard Frederick tried to avoid the limelight, this multinational treaty was his first, and no one would ignore his ability and status in international politics.
Frederick was from the Rhine League, and his awesomeness meant that the Rhine League was awesome.
Everyone had no objection to the signing, but Count Ranke said listlessly: "I have no objection. Let's wait until His Royal Highness the Crown finally approves it."
The Archduke of Mainz sighed and said : "The prospects were unclear last time, but now Wesson has set the tone. All we need is a letter of appointment."
He turned to look at the clerk on the table in the back row and said: "First write a letter of appointment as a diplomatic plenipotentiary envoy, and then sign it directly when His Royal Highness comes."
The clerk is just a handyman. , do whatever the leader tells you to do.
He asked the trainee clerk to get a blank letter of appointment. He wrote a letter of appointment in strict printing, leaving his name blank, and finally handed it to the Grand Duke of Mainz.
The Grand Duke of Mainz read it over and found that there was no problem, so he put it in the pile of documents and waited for Rudolf to come.
At ten minutes past five, the office door was pushed open anxiously. Rudolph walked in quickly and said nonchalantly: "Sorry, I'm a little late."
The Archduke of Mainz frowned slightly, and the smell of several perfumes came to Rudolf as he walked by.
Count Rank asked the clerk to hand the documents just discussed to Rudolf.
The Grand Duke of Mainz was mentally prepared to argue if Rudolf had objections to the signing and appointment.
But he charged up and punched the air.
I saw Rudolf sitting down without even looking at the contents of the documents. He directly swiped his signatures on the signature places, including the letter of appointment, and then handed it to the clerk behind him to seal it with fire paint. Follow the process.
The Grand Duke of Mainz didn't understand what was going on, and suddenly found that other ministers around him suddenly became serious. Even Count Rank, who was listless just now, was on guard.
Count Shakespeare wrote a small note to the Grand Duke of Mainz, which said, "Be careful that every time he does this, he will make some excessive demands."
The Grand Duke of Mainz was confused. He thought about what was a "a bit too much request" and almost jumped up the next moment.
Rudolph said to the ministers: "I want to confer the Linden City to Antonia."
There was silence in the conference room, even Count Rank and others who were prepared I was stunned for a moment. "How is it possible!"
Count Pisto, the Minister of Military Affairs, suddenly jumped up from his chair. The chair was brought down by his legs and hit the feet of the clerk behind him.
Rudolph said categorically: "Nothing is impossible. Antonia is my beloved concubine, and she has no territory with us yet."
"I originally promised her that I would serve her They wanted to build a palace, but due to financial reasons they could not start construction, so they decided to use Linden Tree City as compensation."
The faces of all the ministers present were darkened.
When Linden City was captured, everyone had the money and strength to contribute. For example, Count Ranke formulated the strategy of marching south on the pretext of attacking the Principality of Franconia and then used moldy grain as an excuse to attack the city. Count Shakespeare's son arrived. Linden Tree City bribed local nobles to replace normal grain with moldy grain. Count Pisto lost several pounds in order to raise grain and transport it. Even Frederick activated Linden Tree City's "Steaming Bun Bureau" to transmit information through the radio.
Now that Linden Tree City is a free city, everyone has divided the cake and is preparing to use it as a base to expand to the east of the Elbe River. But His Highness the Crown Prince actually wants to seal it to the Crown Princess? !
This operation costs a lot, and many people are waiting to get their money back with land and money. If it becomes the fiefdom of the crown princess, wouldn't they lose everything?
Earl Ranke said solemnly: "Your Highness, this matter is too important and needs to be discussed by everyone at the court meeting."
Rudolph shook his head and said: "This matter is something I I have already promised Antonia that I have broken my promise regarding the palace. What will she think if I deceive her again?”
Count Pisto said expressionlessly: "Your Highness, have you ever thought about what the nobles participating in this battle think?"
Rudolph's face suddenly darkened, he patted the table and said : "I commanded this battle, and of course I have the right to decide the ownership of Linden Tree City."
All the nobles present were speechless for a moment.
Rudolph just signed with his eyes closed from beginning to end. Later he was going to get married, but in his early years, he first defeated the war with the Kingdom of Gaul in the lowlands, and was later defeated by Frederick. Things are falling apart, so if you want to make some achievements to decorate your appearance, everyone will accept it for the sake of the country.
Okay now, this happens.
The Grand Duke of Mainz picked up the thermos cup and unscrewed the lid and took a sip of tea. Then he placed the cup heavily on the table and said angrily: "Your Highness, please take the time to review the Treaty of the Rhine League. ”
The Rhine League itself is a loose alliance formed by the remaining nobles after the fall of the Second Pulan Empire. It can only be united when it is external. The original treaty of the founding of the country stipulated that the joining nobles can come and go freely. .
It’s just that the previous generations of kings were good and strengthened the royal authority, so this clause in the treaty was forgotten.
But the Archduke of Mainz has been thinking about joining forces with Archduke Byrne for independence in recent decades. Ten years ago, he planned to support Frederick as king to show his appearance. Naturally, this clause will not be forgotten.
His words are very serious and can be seen as a threat.
What's more important is that he really has the motivation and ability. If they finally break up and their upstream cooperative organization declares independence, the Rhine Alliance really has nothing to do.
If nothing else, whoever gets kicked in the head by a unicorn will challenge Wesson's army.
Not to mention, many people’s second sons and daughters who have no inheritance rights are now developing in Weisen State, and there are recent rumors that Weisen State will open up investment, and everyone is welcome to make a fortune together.
So after the Grand Duke of Mainz got angry, all the ministers began to study the lamps on the ceiling or the pens in their hands, which made Rudolf's face darker.
Earl Shakespeare has been coordinating the relationship between the royal family and the nobility all year round. Seeing that there will be big problems if he continues, he said to Rudolph: "Your Highness, why don't we donate money to build a building for the Crown Princess? Beautiful palace.”
"The construction workers under Duke Wesson will build the house quickly and well. They are guaranteed to satisfy Her Highness Antonia."
The others nodded together. Lime Tree City is a chicken that continues to lay eggs and cannot be lost.
In recent years, due to the increase in grain production, everyone has more money than before, so it is acceptable to pool some money together to build a palace to protect this chicken.
Everyone felt that after the Archduke of Mainz gave a stern warning and Count Shakespeare handed him the steps, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince could just step down.
However, Rudolf shook his head: "What I promised Antonia was a palace, not a palace."
Everyone was embarrassed. The palace was simple, but the palace was complex. The cost of building a palace was at least three or four years of the royal family's income, and they couldn't afford the money.
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became silent.
At this moment, a knight from the Royal Knights hurried over and brought unexpected news to everyone.
“His Majesty the King is awake!”
(End of this chapter)