Chapter 1106： 1st Cologne Wool Trade

Baudouin, Count of Flanders, was a slippery fish in the eyes of the three Frankish kings.

This guy is more tactful than his deceased father. He clearly has no clear position, or the biggest position is his own interests. He can kneel to any noble nobler than himself, and it seems that he doesn't care about his face, as long as he maintains his interests and the wealth of his family.

It is precisely this kind of flexible diplomatic relations that made him exercise restraint in the border town of Brussels, confronting King Lothair of the Middle Kingdom but never taking the initiative. On the other hand, he actively did business with the Rus, selling wool in exchange for wealth, and even the military protection of these Normans.

He also has third and fourth moves.

Due south of the Country of Flanders is the Country of Paris, which has a good relationship with Count Gerard II. The Gerrard family, who occupied Paris, were Frankish nobles since ancient times, and today the Civil War family is allegiance to the Middle Kingdom. Although the counties of Paris and Flanders are now at odds with each other, it is impossible for a war to break out.

Attacking Flanders in the north would yield nothing at all, and to the south of the Counties of Paris was the huge and populous Aquitaine.

Now in 841, Charlie the Bald has yet to get his loyal Paris. Others were in Orleans, surrounded by a large number of great nobles from the south who were loyal to them, and actively expanded their army, but the army of the West Kingdom had not yet had a decisive conflict with King Lothair.

Baudouin resolutely sent a messenger to negotiate with the young Western king. He bluntly claimed that he would not be loyal to the Western Kingdom, but they could maintain military cooperation with each other and even do business quietly.

Charlie the Bald was put under house arrest by his brother a few years ago, but now he is released. It is a sad reminder that he has a fief and no direct control of the standing army. If it weren't for this noble status to gain the support of a group of local nobles, the only way to use the power of these nobles to ensure their own power. He is young and vigorous, and in the face of a bad reality, what he wants is to follow the rule of three points of the world formulated by his father before his death, and take down the large fief that belongs to him alone.

Every noble has his own position, and his position can be changed suddenly.

The wife of Gerard II, Count of Paris, is the daughter of Adalbert, Count of Metz, and it is no surprise that this woman's son will inherit the title of Count of Paris. Because of this affinity, Paris stands in the Middle Kingdom's position.

However, according to the rules of the previous king, even if the two counts were married through this, the bald Charles, who was not bald, had to get his loyal Paris.

Apparently, the Gerald family thought that King Lothair would definitely promise to completely rule all Franks in the civil war, so they reneged on the treaty and went to Lothair allegiance.

The eldest, Lothair, the second, Pepin, the third, Ludwig, and the fourth, the bald Charlie.

Originally Aquitaine was the fief of Pepin, the second child, but unfortunately the prince fell off his horse while hunting and died, and the fief was handed over to the fourth child, Charles, by the former king. The old king's preference for the younger son made Pepin's only son, Pepin II, extremely furious, and this brought the Provence forces to stand firmly in the position of King Lotaire. After all, only after winning the civil war, Pepin's family lineage to become a duke.

The three living kings plus their nephew, the three-way melee and the Normans intervened.

Charlie the Bald learned of the "quake of the situation" in the north through contact with the Flanders messenger. The result of the severe shock was that the strength of King Ludwig the Great was severely thwarted, but the Norman forces had made a historic invasion of the Frankish hinterland.

Normans? The group of savages who were critically attacked by the grandfather the Great?

He didn't care that the Norman's axe hadn't hit Charlie's head yet, after all, his brother Lotaire Chen Bing from the northeast was extremely unavoidable.

The West Kingdom and the East Kingdom have secretly formed an alliance. As for launching a joint operation to launch a double attack on Lothair, not only is the time immature, but the opportunity is gradually fading.

"Can he still take advantage now? The army in his hand is buried in the north, can he really win?" Charlie is full of worries about the future of his third brother, so his current measures are becoming more conservative.

No matter how large-scale decisions are made, even if Lothair really dominates the Franks in the future, most of the nobles will still live their lives as usual.

But Baudouin felt that once the Eastern Kingdom was defeated, his country of Flanders would be settled by Lothair in the future.

No Frankish country was more actively involved in the civil war than he, and the wool is now piling up in the port of New Antwerp, which is now taking shape. And here, a large number of Viking ships have also gathered.

Since the blue fox left, the red fox who stayed in Rotterstad has devoted himself to running his Ross shop. A military stronghold has been erected, and the trestle built is enough for twenty long ships to dock at the same time, and there is even a large trestle along the way. The direction of the Lai Yin River is inserted in the river, where a large boat can be parked on each side.

The small Rotter River in the Netherlands, the banks of this small river are full of Danish colonies, they are more willing to call this place "New Durist", and build the altar of priest Odin, and restore the Viking ceremony , even if not far from the cathedral of Utrecht.

The Bishop of Utrecht was half-dead with anger, while Henry Nassau, Count of the Netherlands, was indifferent.

However, due to the bitterness of the long past, the fishermen from Sweden, Götaland and even the old Rus who came from the Baltic Sea, rushed out of the Denmark Strait and went south along the coastline, first of all to find the location in Rotterstad claimed by King Rurik Ross Store.

They came with their own longboats, and after completing the reconciliation with the red fox, they immediately used the shops here as their home port to frantically hunt for Atlantic herring in the fertile estuary area.

History has entered its inevitability! 20% of the population of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands depends entirely on herring as the staple food, and it is precisely because of this that the extremely rich fishing resources in the nearby waters can support a very large population.

The northerners who came with the trawling technique were shocked that they could catch more than the rich South Baltic Sea, which was saltier, and that the traditional fishing industry from the various Viking tribes could be made again.

Fishing, pickling, drying, eating as a reserve grain, and then selling it to the brothers in the north to make money is so fun.

As a local lord, although he has converted to God, just like the red fox who lived as a Viking for more than ten years, he still believes in jingle silver coins.

It was those subjects who legally belonged to the Rus Kingdom. They went to the mouth of the Lai Yin River to fish, and the long boats they brought just made up for the lack of Red Fox's boats.

He had already negotiated with the steward of the Country of Flanders, and it was time to collect wool!

The red fox was desperate, he checked all the funds on hand, and with all the silver coins on hand, organized a fleet to rush to Antwerp, which had been burned by King Rurik himself, in a peaceful manner.

Baudouin had been waiting here for a long time, and after some detailed negotiations, a joint commercial operation was launched.

"No matter what you believe in, money doesn't change. The total value of my wool is far more than your funds. You can buy some of it. I will borrow the rest of the wool from your fleet. Let's go to Cologne together! This time, I I have to go there in person!" Baudouin was on a whim, because he thought of a possibility, so-called that he directly got in close contact with the Archbishop of Cologne. So is there a possibility that one day, the fleet of the Rus can be bypassed, and Flanders finds a way to organize an effective fleet to achieve direct sales of materials with Cologne.

This idea is not yet practical, but the first step is to be done. It is also leading by example to convince the Rus that they are really fulfilling their obligations under the peace treaty signed in Hamburg at the beginning of the year.

A batch of wool paid for the freight, and Red Fox and Baudouin reached a price alliance.

As a result, the mighty Norman fleet rushed into the Lein River, and many longships were towing a large ship. This armed cargo ship still retained the torsion slingshot position on the deck, but there were few passengers, and its cabin was full. Hessian pockets containing preliminarily washed, degreased wool compressed to a very solid porcelain.

The mighty fleet hoisted the cross flag high, and in order to earn a fortune and quickly regain its strength, Baudouin personally went into battle.

It was also the count who went out in person, and the people of Cologne, who once remembered the fear of being plundered by the Normans, quickly put down their guard.

Archbishop Hardbold is eager to see wool. After all, a large number of handicraft workshops in the city have entered a state of closure, and the 11th tax collection in the parish is already quite bad.

Just as the wheat harvest was approaching, the wool from Flanders came in the big ship of the Rus, creating a first in history.

Is Cologne poor by paying the war reparations of five thousand pounds of silver? This extremely ancient parish, which has collected 11 taxes for four hundred years, has amassed an astonishing wealth. There was still a lot of silver coins buried in the parish's silver vault. After hearing the total amount of wool and the quotation from the two nobles, Hadbold readily planned to use the money to buy it.

It's just that there are some minor "nature issues" here.

The city of Cologne is mighty and mighty. After all, it was an important town in the north of the Roman Empire. The stone wall was the thickest wall that the old Rus had ever seen! Red Fox also has to admire its sturdiness.

In the fleet that arrived in Cologne this time, one or the other has been converted legally. Even though many people are still dressed in Viking style, the witty Red Fox has prepared a new outfit for his subordinates. A robe made of plain white burlap is wrapped around the outer body, with a "cross" sewn from black cloth strips on the front and back.

The crusaders don't exist yet, and this classic crusader outfit is just a spontaneous disguise by the red fox, who still holds the Ross flag high to declare his true identity.

After all, it is Cologne, and the church with a strong Roman flavor in the city stands upright.

"Is it a magnificent temple? Well, the first temple in New Rose Fort in Ross is bigger, but it is not decorated with gems." Looking at the church, the red fox sighed with emotion.

He also looked at Baudouin. This elderly nobleman really did not leave the fief. He had nothing to do with Cologne in his life. Only this time he had to personally sell his wool before arriving in Cologne for the first time.

Now that they have converted to their gods, even if they are acting, they must do it all.

To be fair, because the red fox has learned Latin, Ross has also seized several Gospels in the past ten years, and even the parchment book "Exodus" inherited by Ross. He was able to understand for himself what was said in the tree book, without having to listen to the nonsense of the priest, he could understand it himself. Justified by faith and missed the red fox, but the story inside is quite interesting just to pass the boredom.

In the final analysis, what the red fox knows best is the book of "Exodus" that Ross has mastered.

Coincidentally, the fleet arrived in Cologne in August, and the 15th of this month is the annual Mass of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Participate in the Mass as a devout to win the favor of the local "High Priest", which will pave the way for closer trade in the future.

The red fox easily compares what he saw in Cologne with Ross. The cathedral is the great temple, the mass is the great sacrifice, and Hadbold, who is not young and bald and covered his head with melon rind, is the great temple. priest.

Hardbold, Red Fox, and Baudouin, the three of them deliberately had a secret business talk in a building in the Cathedral of Principles.

According to the precepts, with the noble status of Archbishop Hardbold, this top priest in Western Europe who is qualified to be promoted to the Patriarch of the West should keep himself clean, not interested in war, let alone in business.

According to the precepts, war and business are both blasphemy of belief, one is the crime of killing, the other is the crime of getting something for nothing.

However, Hudderbold holds the right to explain, and he can have a variety of reasons to justify his actions. Anyway, the huge people in the city rely on the textile industry to make a living, and it is good to have a pure belief, and no one is willing to be an ascetic.

So Hadbold had to make a false statement: "In my noble capacity, I would not be suitable for negotiating with merchants. Unless you are not merchants. So, are you merchants?"

The red fox sounded inexplicable, but he was really serious, his identity was indeed not a businessman.

He didn't know the old man's plan, so he said: "I am the governor of Rotterstad appointed by King Ross, according to your Frankish knowledge. Probably... an earl."

Baudouin came with his mouth open: "I am the count! I am not a lowly businessman."

"Very well, so we're not blasphemous..." Then came Hadbould's complicated and boring explanations based on scriptures.

In any case, if the other bishops, especially the Archbishops of Reims and Worms, heard that they were acting as big businessmen in person, their hopes of being promoted to the Patriarch would collapse.

It must not be for nothing! Unless barter.

Can it be bartered? sure. For example, silver coins are interpreted as a kind of goods. To play with word games, why is the most precious metal silver coin not a commodity.

Things couldn't be done so straightforwardly and ridiculously, he proposed a plan: "The wheat harvest season is just around the corner, I want to exchange grain for a batch of your wool, and buy the remaining wool with silver coins. You can also buy directly from us in Cologne. Supplies, and even buy our sewed garments on the spot. I want to avoid direct cash transactions as much as possible, so that is the purity of faith.”

I really don't understand why this group of Franks are so focused on red tape on this front, whether or not the "nature" of something is contrary to belief. Red Fox thinks this guy is stupid!

just forget it! Anyway, a strange feature of their beliefs is an almost instinctive rejection of bargaining.

The Red Fox and Baudouin actually partnered to inherit the final offer of the traveler who transported wool by land in the past as it was, and to inform Bishop Hardbold with a little more. Although the latter was unhappy, the natural price was not outrageous, so he accepted the offer.

Commodity trade is a part of life, but how exactly can two commodities be exchanged for equal value? It's hard. Even if it is explained by the clergy as "earning for nothing", it is the driving force behind Cologne's economic prosperity because it is possible to profit from it.

In this way, buyers and sellers are reluctant to bargain directly, the sellers make public the price, and the buyers will lower the price if they do not buy.

This is very surprising to the Viking World. After all, the North World has a very strong commercial meaning. The price negotiation has even advanced to the signing of a written contract, which is to avoid one party's remorse for the price...

The exchange of wool for various goods in Cologne has begun, and silver coins are still irreplaceable as a general equivalent. Even if the archbishop wants to change its role The occasion of the wheat harvest coincides with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and the red fox also participate in this Mass.

The mortals did not notice the red fox, the fat man. Everyone learned that the Count of Flanders came to Cologne and attended the mass, which made this year's mass significant. Ordinary people have steelyards, and they think that the count was actually the one who brought the wool, and the Normans just provided the convenience of the boat. It will take time for the mortals to wear off their grudges against the Normans, and they are grateful to the old Frankish vassal Baudouin for his unsuspecting and even this woolen delivery.

Men harvested wheat in the countryside outside the city, and new wheat was continuously brought into Cologne, where it was taxed and traded. The city's once-closed textile workshops have been revived, Flemish wool is stuffed into human gins, and mass knitting has begun.

Although the red fox is young, his eyes are sharp.

"This Frankish city clearly has a commercial atmosphere no less than Novorossburg and Novgorod. I have made a lot of money by buying a lot of local new wheat, and I will make a lot of money every year! The king is really A good errand has been arranged for me! So I can send a messenger to the capital to announce the good news."

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