Continental Warriors Yoo Ma

Charles VII wanted to negotiate peace with England, which Ma Youfu had known in advance.

He didn't have the obsession to break into Paris and capture little Henry alive.It's just that as the supreme commander of the battle to recover Paris, he failed to achieve the final military victory, which obviously harmed his own interests.

Let's see how His Royal Highness can make up for his loss.

Prime Minister George first said: "I have already gone to the barracks outside Paris. From Marshal Richmond to La Haile, all senior commanders have approved of His Royal Highness' decision."

"It seems that His Highness paid a lot of money to persuade those marshals and generals. I heard that His Highness has already started borrowing money to support the Parisian army. Where can he get the extra funds to 'persuade' the nobles?"

"Uh..." Palace George said to him, "Jacques Cole will solve this kind of thing, I don't know very well. In addition, the saint also expressed her approval for the peaceful recovery of Paris. This noble lady, Have a truly merciful heart."

"Okay, my fat friend, what you said so much is nothing more than suggesting to me that the whole of France is in favor of peace talks, and if I insist on fighting, I will be isolated."

George's palace minister looked embarrassed: "You are still so difficult, Mr. Marquis, it reminds me of the scene when we met for the first time in Chinon..."

After sighing, he entered the topic: "His Royal Highness is willing to grant you the position of Chief of the Royal Family of Normandy and hand over the entire duchy to you. You only need to pay [-]% of the tax every year, and the royal family will never interfere with your governance. Except that it cannot be hereditary, Without a nominal title, you will become the actual Duke of Normandy. How about it, are you tempted? To be honest, our King may have many shortcomings, but stinginess is definitely not one of them. He is very generous to his heroes. "

Duke of Normandy...

In the entire French cultural circle, there are only ten duchies, namely Normandy, Aquitaine, Brittany, Burgundy, Bourbon, Orleans, Anjou, Berry, Alençon, and Touraine.

Among them, the three duchies of Normandy, Aquitaine, and Touraine were concurrently held by the king or heir.

In other words, there are only seven dukes worthy of the name.

Among them, the title of Duke of Alençon was only promoted from the Earldom in 1414, and its weight is far less than that of other dukedoms with a long history.The three duchies of Brittany, Burgundy, and Anjou are now independent countries.

If Mayouf controls the Duchy of Normandy and then acquires the Earl of Beaumont from the Duke of Orleans, he will become the No. 1 French nobleman under the king!

Chapter 260 Four Map Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Although he was already tempted by Charles VII's proposal in his heart, Ma Youfu had to hold back and see if he could get more benefits in exchange.

He ordered a servant to bring a map of North France, and spread it out on the dining table.

After looking at the map carefully, Ma Youfu said something that made George Palace puzzled: "My friend with a round stomach, I have some unfortunate news. I have recently suffered from a serious illness called 'map obsessive-compulsive disorder'. Once I see that my territory is not connected together, or the shape is not good-looking, I will feel chest tightness, panic, and even insomnia and night sweats..."

In this day and age, saying that others are fat is actually a compliment, because when most people generally have insufficient nutritional intake, a chubby body often means wealth and a comfortable life.Some nobles even weigh themselves first thing in the morning. If they gain weight, the servants and subordinates will cheer in unison, making the master happy all day.

When Prime Minister George heard Ma Youfu calling himself a "friend with a round belly", he touched his belly with a lot of fat and fat quite proudly, but what the other party said next made the well-informed George The palace minister was also confused.

What the hell is "map obsessive-compulsive disorder"?

Does looking at a map make people sick?

He was about to ask a few more questions, but Ma Youfu had already left the restaurant on the pretext of being unwell.

Prime Minister George had no choice but to walk to Ma Youfu's seat with his short legs, and picked up the map left by the other party.

All night, Prime Minister George struggled with the map.He originally planned to go to the famous Rouen port area to see the difference between the girls in Normandy and the girls in Paris.

"The so-called 'map obsessive-compulsive disorder' should be fabricated by Mayoufu. But the request he wants to make should be on it. Hmm...do all people in Seris like to do things in such a roundabout way?"

While complaining, Prime Minister George went through all kinds of news about Ma Youfu in his mind, trying to find the answer.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly jumped up from the chair like a bouncy ball, with a heavy burden on his face: "By the way, it must be like this!"

His gaze stayed on the Earl of Beaumont.

If this place also becomes Ma Youfu's fiefdom, then the area he ruled will look like a wolf kicking its hind legs and howling, which is indeed much more beautiful than the previous map.

After the Duke of Orleans became the joke of the French court, many of his "glorious deeds" during the siege of Paris were also known one by one.

The Prime Minister of the Palace of George also knew about the fact that the first prodigal son of France mortgaged the Earl of Beaumont to Ma Youfu.

"With the current financial situation of the Duke of Orleans, it is impossible to pay off Mayouf's loan within the time limit. The Earl of Beaumont will definitely be taken away by Mayouf. If this is the case, it is better to complete this process earlier. In this way, the Duke of Orleans can save less money. By paying some interest, Ma Youfu can also own another earldom ahead of time, and both sides are winners. This is simply a good thing blessed by the Seven Saints!"

Prime Minister George thought he had found Ma Youfu's needs, and was about to write a letter to Charles VII when he glanced at the map from the corner of his eye and found that the Mann area seemed to be drawn with a light red circle.

"Almost forgot, and Mann!"

The Mann area was ceded to Ma Youfu during the peace talks between Britain and France last winter.Although Ma Youfu does not yet have the official title of Earl of Mann, according to the terms of the contract, the land was indeed given to him by England.

But now, Mann has become an enclave for Ma Youfu.

Because the Duchy of Alençon in the north of Maine separated this land from the whole of Normandy.

In fact, the enclave is not a big deal.Among those dukes and earls, there are not too few people who own land all over the country, and even all over Europe.

However, didn't Ma Youfu say that he has "map obsessive-compulsive disorder"?

If Mann is counted, there will be a duchy of Alençon in the middle of Ma Youfu's territory, which is really ugly.

If this problem is not solved, Ma Youfu's "map obsessive-compulsive disorder" may not be cured.

Prime Minister George wrote all Ma Youfu's demands, his own speculations and suggestions in the letter, and then sent it back to Bourges immediately.

Because it was not an emergency, he did not use the messenger technique, but chose an ordinary messenger.

Four days later, he received a response from Charles VII.

His Royal Highness readily agreed to persuade the Duke of Orleans to transfer the Earl of Beaumont to Ma Youfu in advance.In addition, he can also persuade the Duke of Alençon to transfer the title of Duke of Maine.

Alençon used to be just an earldom, which belonged to the duchy of Normandy. It was originally a new title created by the Valois royal family to take care of relatives. It didn't exist for a long time, and there was little resistance to transfer.

Moreover, the area of ​​Alençon belongs to the hilly terrain. In terms of wealth, it will be overwhelmed by the flat terrain and abundant water resources in the Mann area.

Charles VII wrote a letter to test Jean II, Duke of Alençon, and there was only one attitude revealed between the lines: wish for it.

Of course, Ma Youfu was at a disadvantage on the face of this move, and Charles VII had to give him some compensation.

This year, due to the huge cost of the war, a large sum of money was spent to appease the military nobles. Now, how can His Royal Highness use the extra livre to compensate Ma Youfu?

However, with the advice of Jacques Cole, a financial expert, Charles VII still found a way.

He was going to confer on Ma Youfu the post of "Paris Construction and Planning Special Envoy" and hand over all the reconstruction projects of Paris after the war to the Seres people.

In the future, Paris will hold exhibitions for a while. In order to demonstrate his great achievements as a king and make the nobles all over Europe envy him for having a great city as his capital, the transformation of Paris is absolutely necessary.

With the wisdom and insight of the people of Siris, they must be able to complete this work perfectly.And how much benefit the other party can take advantage of this opportunity is his own ability.Charles VII only looked at the results, and could turn a blind eye to other things.

"Your Excellency the Marquis, after careful consideration, His Highness has decided to make up for your loss as much as possible. This is the condition he set out. Please see if it can cure your strange illness?"

After receiving the letter from Charles VII, Prime Minister George Palace immediately went to meet Ma Youfu.

After Ma Youfu read the contents of the letter, he raised his eyebrows. Although his expression didn't change much, his heart was filled with surprise.

Originally, he just wanted to exchange Mann for Alençon, but he didn't expect Charles VII to give more, which made people a little embarrassed.

Chapter 260 Negotiation, Argument

Although Mann is richer than Alençon, after so many years of war, the population of the two places is actually about the same.Even, because Alençon is a hilly area, it is easier to build underground shelters, so with the hidden farmers, the population may be even larger.

Without the enclave, there will be fewer constraints on the circulation of materials and personnel, and the entire Normandy region will be more closely connected, which is also beneficial to development.

It was an unexpected surprise to be able to obtain the Earl of Beaumont in advance.This allows Ma Youfu's strength to be further enhanced.

As for the position of "Paris Construction and Planning Special Envoy", it is like chocolate sprinkles sprinkled on donuts. Although it is delicious and looks colorful, it is actually not full.

Ma Youfu gained a lot, but Charles VII didn't pay much.The role he played in it was to rely on the king's influence to lobby his relatives, and met Ma Youfu's needs without cost.

After getting Ma Youfu's affirmative answer, Prime Minister George Palace immediately set off to return happily.The idea of ​​persuading Ma Youfu to agree to the peace talks was proposed by him, and he personally managed it. Now that he is done, he is naturally happy to be able to record a mark in Charles VII's credit book.

Later, Charles VII personally wrote a letter to Ma Youfu, inviting him to come to Bourges and settle the matter together.

Therefore, Ma Youfu temporarily handed over Rouen's affairs to Zhu Wennier, leaving Jean Bro and others to assist him, and then took An Wen to the south.

After arriving in Bourges, Ma Youfu and Charles VII were as close as before, and there was still a harmonious atmosphere in which the monarch and his ministers get along well.After a night of earnest talks, Charles VII announced on the second day that Mayouf was awarded the two positions of "Normandy Royal Family Director" and "Paris Construction and Planning Special Envoy".

Then on the fourth day, when the nobles accepted the king's invitation and gathered at the court, Charles VII personally witnessed the transfer process of the Earl of Beaumont and presided over the transfer ceremony of the Duke of Alençon to the Duke of Maine.

The nobles envied and admired Ma Youfu, who had suddenly risen in power, and there was also a little jealousy in it.

The war is not over yet, and the other generals have only received some monetary rewards, while Ma Youfu of Siris has already received the reward in advance. This kind of grace and trust is really unparalleled!

Of course, Ma Youfu also reciprocated. At the banquet in the evening, when Charles VII publicly announced his intention to negotiate peace with England, he was the first to stand up and express his support.

Among the nobles, there are many people whose parents, brothers, relatives and friends died at the hands of England.They did not agree to make peace with the enemy from the bottom of their hearts, and they wished to kill all the more than 1 British troops in Paris, and then kill a group of traitors in Paris to relieve their hatred.There are also the little king Henry VI, the Duke of Bedford and others, who also have to suffer.Why do you want to be a prisoner in France for more than ten or twenty years?

But the Marquis of Lamanche, the Count of Rouen, the Count of Beaumont, and the Steward of the Normandy royal family supported the king's decision, and no one dared to stand up to oppose it.

After Charles VII decided to negotiate a peace, the English envoy who had been waiting in Bourges for a long time was covered with cobwebs, and immediately rushed back to Paris to report the great news.

The Duke of Bedford immediately replied to Charles VII, inviting the French to send envoys to Paris for negotiations.

Ma Youfu had already reaped enough benefits, so naturally he could not participate in this peace talks—although many nobles counted on the Sirisians, known as the "Master of Wise Words", to win more benefits for France at the negotiating table with their tongues.

Charles VII sent Prime Minister George and the Archbishop of Reims to Paris as the principal and deputy envoys.

Negotiations between the two sides went very smoothly at the beginning.

The bottom line for France is to recover the Île-de-France, including Paris, and Normandy, which is now under military occupation.

The bottom line for England is to allow the English nobles headed by Henry VI and the entire army to safely withdraw to the mainland.

There is no dispute between the two parties on these two conditions, so the atmosphere at the negotiating table is relatively harmonious.

But soon, the two sides began to quarrel.

France, as the winner, naturally demanded more.In addition to the land already acquired, Charles VII also wanted England to cede the Aquitaine region.

Who doesn't covet the fertile land rich in high-quality wine?Who doesn't like a rich city like Bordeaux?

But unlike the British-occupied areas of northern France, in Aquitaine in the southwest, England's rule has lasted for nearly 300 years, no different from the mainland.The residents there have long recognized the rule of the Plantagenet dynasty, and have remained loyal in the war with France, which is completely different from Normandy, which is full of twenty-five youngsters.

It is difficult for the English nobles to accept the cession of this core territory.

Among other things, if Aquitaine is really lost, the price of Bordeaux wine on the tables of London nobles may increase several times.

Faced with this request, the Duke of Bedford naturally argued hard and refused to budge.But France is not vegetarian either.Prime Minister George even put forward an even more excessive request: if Henry VI wants to leave Paris freely, he must give up the title of King of France, and from now on, the Plantagenet royal family can no longer claim the French crown.

Of course, the English categorically rejected this unreasonable request.In their view, Henry VI's title of King of France is in line with the law of succession and is evidenced by the "Treaty of Troyes" in black and white.How could it be possible for those who had undergone a formal coronation ceremony and been recognized by the Church and the Seven Saints to give up?

The two sides just quoted scriptures and classics, fought with each other, and fought with each other until early September.

Then, finally, the argument stopped.

The reason is also very simple.

For the England side, most of the supplies in Paris have been consumed.If this delay continues, not only the army will not be able to persist, but the citizens will also riot because of hunger.If Paris cannot be controlled, the last bargaining chip in the hands of the Duke of Bedford will be gone.

And life on the French side was not easy.

First is the question of money.In order to maintain the more than 2 French troops outside Paris, part of the military expenses had to be paid for the more than 1 Burgundian guest troops. Even after Jacques Cole's tax reform, the state's finances were approaching their limits.

There is another point, which belongs to Charles VII.

In order to completely tarnish the reputation of the Duke of Orleans, Charles VII did not hesitate to follow the example of Yuan Gonglu and cut off the supply of military pay to the frontline. As a result, tens of thousands of mercenaries collapsed under the attack of the Duke of Bedford.