Continental Warriors Yoo Ma

She is not so much her own sister as she is a teacher and half a mother.

Through his sister's blunt awakening in the letter, Albrecht realized that it turned out that it was a test when he went to Ghent to seek marriage.

Test whether he can have independent insight and decision-making ability, instead of always relying on the blessing of His Majesty the Emperor and the guidance of his sister.

The family sent him to the Lowlands for the birthday celebration of the little princess of Burgundy, which was the first test.

In helping Emperor Sigismund to suppress the heresy of the Hussites, Albrecht performed well and took the initiative to participate in the German Crusades against the heretics many times.

Although the Czech people shouted "Jan Hus knows the truth", smashing the German attack again and again.But in a series of major defeats, Albrecht always achieved tactical victories, and fought alongside Sigismund many times to save His Majesty the Emperor from peril.

Sigismund had long publicly expressed his favor for Albrecht, and even hinted that he was willing to marry his only daughter Elizabeth to her.

Habsburg and Sigismund had maintained a close cooperative relationship from the early years, and they were happy with the marriage.Even the younger sister used prophecy spells to calculate, believing that this marriage will become the rebirth of Habsburg and become a turning point for European power.

But Albrecht was fascinated by the beauty and wealth of the little princess of Burgundy at that time, and he forgot that as the heir of the Austrian duchy, he could only have a political marriage.

Then, when faced with difficulties, Albrecht's first thought was to ask his sister for an idea.But he never thought that the method given by his sister had been misleading himself.

So that he went wrong step by step, and finally fell into paranoia, betting everything, not only let his good friend die, but also made himself a prisoner.

"As a leader, the most basic quality is 'be skeptical'. I hope you can learn this profoundly after this trip to the lowlands..."

Albrecht couldn't help but smile when he saw his sister's handwriting on the paper.I really learned a lot this time.Only one hundred thousand gold coins and Wolf's life, such tuition is too expensive.

He continued to read the letter.

The second half introduces the problem the Habsburgs are facing today—a sudden civil unrest.

Today's Habsburg family is not monolithic, but three branches of Austria, Styria, and Tyrol.

Albrecht was of Austrian descent, and his father was also the head of the Habsburg family.

The Austrian branch has the rightful name, while the other two branches control the Tyrolean silver mines, and the days are also very good, and everyone is at peace.

But not long ago, the Styrian and Tyrol branches elected a man named Leopold, who should be Albrecht's uncle according to his seniority, and publicly challenged the authority of the Austrian branch, demanding Hold patriarchal elections.

After being rejected, Leopold began to use the proceeds of the silver mine to recruit troops, and a civil war was about to break out.

As for the military capabilities of the Austrian branch, most of them are in Albrecht.Therefore, in order to eliminate this civil strife, the duke needs to redeem his son as soon as possible and let him lead the army to fight.

"Your Highness?" After seeing Albrecht read the letter, he fell into a long silence, and Marcus asked tentatively.

"I'm fine. After returning to Vienna, I will help my father to pacify the family's civil strife as soon as possible. Let me learn from this civil war how to be a qualified ruler." Albrecht's eyes flashed with frost like. light.

……

At this time, a grand banquet was being held in Longquan Palace.

It is not only to celebrate the quelling of the textile workers' rebellion, but also to appease the wealthy Ghent merchants who have suffered disasters.

Youf Ma and Philip III were sitting on the throne together, whispering at this time.

"Yofi Ma, I got news just now that the Austrian bastard has already left by car?" Philip III gritted his teeth.

Naturally, the Duke did not like this guy who pursued his daughter while secretly doing things.

"Yes. The Habsburgs are very efficient, the ransom has been paid, and there is no need for me to provide free meals."

Philip III said with regret: "The Habsburg family is so urgent, it is estimated that they have encountered some difficulties. If you can delay a little more time, maybe these vulgar Germans will be retributed."

"Don't forget, Lord Duke, our biggest enemy is England. There is nothing wrong with getting the ransom earlier to strengthen ourselves and end a matter."

Philip III nodded, with some worry in his eyes: "That Albrecht is not only a powerful dragon warrior, but also has excellent military talent. I am worried that he will cause us trouble."

After all, Burgundy bordered the Swiss territories of the Habsburgs, and he had to consider the future military threat of the other side.

If I spoil it, this Albrecht is not only a brilliant young general, but will also inherit "King of the Roman People", "Kingdom of Bohemia", "King of the Roman People" from his father-in-law Sigismund in the future. The three crowns of the "Kingdom of Hungary" and the beginning of the Habsburg family's century-old monopoly on the number of emperors in the Holy Roman Empire, will Philip III be scared to send assassins to solve the other party immediately?

Youfu Ma thought about it all in a funny way.

However, he still comforted his mouth: "Don't worry, Your Excellency. The Austrian headquarters of Habsburg is facing the intrusion of Hussite heresies and semi-nomadic barbarian Magyars, and the Swiss region is also uprising constantly. Even if Albrecht is capable Excellent, you have settled these troubles one by one, and then we will not be on the same page. You must have completed the integration of the territory and ruled a powerful and prosperous principality. And France, has also completely driven the British into the sea. "

"I hope so." Philip III, whose confidence was shattered after the Ghent uprising, smiled at Yoof Ma's relief.

Chapter 160 The Emperor Is a Wonderful Man

Philip III raised his head and took a big mouthful of red wine. The fragrance of Pinot Noir grapes spread in his mouth, which made him feel better.

This winter has been really bad for him.The attack on Calais was unsuccessful, and it was a waste of money and food.Another uprising of textile workers, in which cultists and demons fanned the flames, caused heavy losses to Ghent, the most important textile city in the Lowlands.

However, through this series of events, the relationship between him and the important French minister, Youfu Ma of Seris, has gone further.Maybe they were wary before, but now they have almost become back-to-back allies.

Of course, one of the main reasons is the Duke's lovely, beautiful, powerful, adoring but awe-inspiring daughter.

According to the eyes and ears of Philip III, the little princess, who is still recuperating in the monastery, is inseparable from the Seris person in every day she chats.

It seems that even if this marriage is not helped by himself, it will eventually come to pass.

As long as Yofu Ma can become his son-in-law, the situation in France will basically be stable, and he can free up his hands and continue to encroach on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire eastward.

At this time, Youfu Ma, while Philip III was drinking, was looking at Mrs. Anne who was sitting not far away.

It has been a long time since the expedition to Ghent, the beautiful Duchess.She was still the delicate, dignified, orchid-like demeanor she remembered, and she was the most striking lady at the banquet.

But his face seemed a little pale.

It seems that Mrs. Anne still needs to continue treatment in order to maintain her health.Of course, there may be some intimate contact in the process, and it may not be.

Yoof Ma is used to living with women around him. After Vera went to Switzerland, he felt a little lonely every night.

Just when Yofu Ma turned into Ma Mengde and thought something was wrong, he suddenly felt a real gaze, as if he was warning himself fiercely not to act rashly and get involved with the wife of the Regent of England.

He looked over and saw that his gaze was coming from a cardinal sitting beside Lady Anne.

After the eyes of the two sides met, each showed a performance smile and toasted each other.

"He's John Beaufort. He was Archbishop of Winchester, and he was made a cardinal by the Pope. A tough guy. This time he came to Burgundy as the King's envoy because there were people in London. I am dissatisfied with the progress of the Anglo-French peace talks, so I sent someone to urge my sister." Philip III curled his lips, his tone full of displeasure.

Before the reorganization of the wife-killer Henry VIII, the Diocese of Winchester was second only to the Diocese of Canterbury and the Diocese of York in importance in England.As the Archbishop of Mainz is to the Kaiser, the Archbishop of Reims is to the King of France.The Archbishop of Winchester also often holds important positions in the British court and manages the country.

And the Archbishop of Beaufort, in addition to being in an important position, his blood is also very prominent, is the uncle of King Henry VI of England.

The Beaufort family originated from the illegitimate children of Edward III's eldest son, John, and later obtained legal status, but in order to distinguish it from the gorse royal family, the Beaufort Castle in the French fief was named after the family.

Politically, the Archbishop of Beaufort now forms a tripartite relationship with the Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, and the Duke of Gloucester, Regent of England.

Of course, because of the basic principle of being far and near, the Archbishop of Beaufort is now mainly fighting against the Duke of Gloucester, who is also in London, and has a good relationship with the Duke of Bedford in Paris.

Moreover, the archbishop also had some intersection with Joan of Arc.

In history, when Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, some of the British who watched the execution shed tears.And this man is said to be Archbishop of Beaufort.

Even in later generations, in order to express repentance, someone placed a statue of Joan of Arc in the place opposite the Bishop of Beaufort in Winchester Cathedral.

Of course, on this timeline, the Archbishop of Beaufort probably won't have the chance to cry for the suffering saint.

The happy village girl of Orleans will only realize her ideal step by step with the help and protection of Yoof Ma.

Just as Mayouf and Philip III whispered, Archbishop Beaufort got up and left his seat, walking towards him step by step with a glass of wine.

Ornate cardinal dress with a gold cross studded with rubies dangling from his chest.Such an appearance naturally attracted the attention of most people in the banquet hall.

"Salute to you, nemesis of the devil, Your Excellency Mayuf from Sirius." Archbishop Beaufort took a toast.

Youfu Ma had to stand up and drank the red wine in one gulp.

A battle of words starts with a small thing.

"Lord Marquis, I heard that the 'rich' Marcus of the Fugger family visited you not long ago?"

"Yes. He came to negotiate the redemption of Albrecht as a messenger between Emperor Sigismund and the Grand Duke of Habsburg."

Archbishop Beaufort raised his eyebrows, showing regret: "It's really a coincidence that I didn't meet Marcus."

Before anyone else could ask, Archbishop Beaufort took the initiative to introduce the relationship between the two: "Four years ago, I was appointed by the Pope as the papal envoy in Germany, Hungary, and Bohemia to deal with those Hussite pagans. Question. At a banquet in Vienna, I hit it off with Marcus. By the way, at that banquet, I also met His Majesty Sigismund. That was a pious and brave mortal shepherd, nobleman example."

"Yeah, Sigismund is indeed a wonderful person." Yofu Ma agreed.

Archbishop Beaufort praised Sigismund for his firm stand against the heretics of the Hussites and for bridging the schism between Avignon and Rome.

Ma Youfu said that Sigismund was a "wonderful man" because the emperor gave Brandenburg to the Hohenzollern family with his left hand, and found a Habsburg son-in-law with his right hand, who personally worked for the North and South Germany The rise of the two great powers laid the foundation.

It is no exaggeration to say that he was the person who had the greatest influence on modern European history.

Of course, the German emperor was only a background board in the confrontation between the two powerful figures in Britain and France.Archbishop Beaufort has prepared so much just for the appearance of the next person.

"In addition to His Majesty the Emperor, I also met many outstanding people at the banquet. Among them was Prince Pedro of Portugal. He also responded to the Pope's call to join the Crusades and crusade against the Hussite heresy. I forged a relationship with him on the battlefield. We have developed a deep friendship. Having recently heard that our country is in a difficult situation in France, Prince Pedro has persuaded his father to provide England with an interest-free loan of up to £[-]!"

Chapter 160 Five The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance Is Unbreakable

Archbishop Beaufort, with a half-show, half-smug look on his face, picked up the bottle from Philip III's table, filled himself with a glass, and drank it in one breath.

He admired the expressions of everyone at the banquet after hearing the news of "[-] pounds", whether they were shocked, or surprised, or shaken, or fearful.

It seems that the power of England with its elite longbowmen is still deeply imprinted in the hearts of the French.

One hundred thousand pounds is timely rain for the now financially stretched Duke of Bedford.That meant swords, longbows, armor, horses, cannons, gunpowder, and a steady stream of other war supplies, as well as mercenaries flocking from all over Europe, smelling gold.

In addition, King Joao I of Portugal also reached an agreement with England, allowing the English to recruit mercenaries at discounted prices in Portugal - however, these Portuguese soldiers had to be used to fight the French and defend Paris.

In view of the long-standing good relations between England and Portugal, these Portuguese mercenaries will become a fairly reliable armed force in the hands of the Duke of Bedford.

After being shocked by the news revealed by Archbishop Beaufort for several seconds, Philip III raised his glass and took a sip to hide his gaffe.

"The friendship between England and Portugal seems really long and reliable."

"Yes. At least for now, the Portuguese are more reliable than the Burgundians." Archbishop Beaufort let out a mockery without hesitation.

Philip III had enough shrewdness, and his expression did not change.The other Burgundian nobles were indignant. If it weren't for the identity of the other party's cardinal, they would have cursed and even rushed to do it.

The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance Treaty was signed in 1373. Not only did the royal families of the two countries intermarry, but England also sent troops many times to help Portugal resist the invasion of powerful neighboring countries.Even into the 21st century, this alliance treaty is still valid.

However, Yoof Ma believes that the so-called friendship alone will not allow the Portuguese to help England so much. There must be other reasons.

"A toast to the generous and merciful King Joao. In today's world, there are fewer and fewer people like him who are willing to help friends selflessly. Even if he takes a hostile position, I have to express my admiration." Yofu Ma was very generous. Raise your glass.

Archbishop Beaufort smiled proudly: "Portugal is willing to help England, not only out of morality, but also because of you, Your Excellency the Count of Lamanche, who is in the limelight. Amber sugar is very sweet, it can bring joy to people, and it can give you Bringing wealth. But with that comes competition and repression.”

Yofu Ma did not expect that with a little bit of rhetoric, Archbishop Beaufort revealed the Portuguese's motives.

Of course, this is not a secret, even if you ask yourself, it will not take much effort - Philip III's wife is the Portuguese princess.

It turned out that the problem was with the sugar.

Portugal is a rare white sugar producer among European countries.The sugarcane industry in Madeira is in full swing, earning huge fortunes for the royal family.

In addition, when the third son of Joao I, Prince Henry, occupied Ceuta in North Africa, the Portuguese also began to transfer the white sugar of North Africa, as well as the ivory, spices, slaves and other valuable goods produced in the south of the Sahara from the Mulholland. In the trade route sent to Europe, a considerable profit was shared.