Chapter 2182： banquets and fights

Remember [New] for a second,! "How about we attack the Netherlands and force the Habsburg family to divide their forces?" At this time, a French general who did not deserve to be named suggested.

Francois I immediately shook his head:

"No, there is a need for a legitimate reason to send troops. The Habsburgs have an excuse to attack Switzerland, because Switzerland was indeed their family's fief, and Berne was established by other families. When we attack the Netherlands at this time, we must also Just have a good excuse."

Actually, this is not absolute. If a strong country bullies a very weak vassal state, the reason is far-fetched. But the problem is that the Habsburg family belongs to the foreign powers, so they can't just make excuses, they have to have sufficient reasons.

Earl Duarte, who had fallen out of favor, thought for a while and suggested:

"How about we send elite men, pretending to be bandits, to attack the Netherlands?"

Francois I's eyes lit up, but John Lafite retorted:

"Lord Durter, I'm afraid not. I heard that Duke Philip, the ruler of the Netherlands, is a ruthless man. He doesn't even care about his own father, but would he care about the Dutch civilians who were attacked by 'bandits'?"

"Moreover, if you are pretending to be robbers, you can't carry artillery and engineering equipment. After all, robbers can't have those things. But in this way, it is impossible to break through the city of Ghent, and it is difficult to threaten the safety of Duke Philip. It can't reach the point of distracting Maximilian I. I can hear that Maximilian I is very determined this time, and vowed to take Switzerland. It is difficult to divide his troops by ordinary means."

"Even, because of the large number of people in the Austrian army this time, even the grain and forage were escorted by a large army. The small-scale team was unable to successfully attack the Austrian army that was escorting grain and forage."

Hearing John Raffi's explanation, everyone fell silent. After a long time, Francois I sighed and said:

"That's it, send more elite warriors, put on Swiss clothes, and enter the city of Bern to participate in the defense. In addition, we are mentally prepared for the failure of the Swiss resistance. Therefore, we need to send troops to Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. French-speaking people as an excuse. Then, build forts and lines around Vaud to prepare for the retreat of the Swiss resistance here.”

In the face of the menacing Austrian army, the French monarchs and ministers had no hope of defeating them. However, they will never watch Austria annex Vaud and Frim, two regions that did not belong to the Habsburg family. As for how the French army publicly sent troops to Vaud? Wouldn't it be enough for the bishop of Lausanne in the canton of Vaud to invite him publicly? Even, you can send troops first, and then force the bishop of Lausanne to reissue an "invitation letter"...

…

In addition to the French monarchs who were worried about the situation in Switzerland, most of the German princes, that is, the princes of the anti-Habsburg faction, were also worried about the situation in Switzerland. However, they have less excuse than France to get involved. After all, in name, they are still the subordinates of His Majesty the Emperor.

They had planned to secretly support the Swiss resistance, but the emperor had already sent people to block the mountain roads in eastern and northern Switzerland. To the south is the Alps... Therefore, they sent people to support Switzerland, and they had to detour to France first, which was very inefficient. However, they had no choice but to take a step by step.

…

In Beihai Kingdom, just when the French and German princes were attracted by the Swiss war situation, Marin began to frantically prepare for the war. In addition to transporting various materials to Murmansk and Petersburg in advance, "agent recruitment" in the southern mountains is also in full swing.

This time, one of the people sent by Beihai Kingdom did not show up publicly, but secretly hired local people to come forward to form various mercenary groups. However, because Poland and Lithuania have not yet been defeated, these agents have no reason to recruit people aggressively, and can only slowly build the framework of the mercenary group. As long as the backbone is in place, and when the "bad news" comes, you can recruit people on the basis of these backbones.

Only Shi Beier, the leader of the "Straw Shoes Mercenary Corps" who originally joined Marin, would openly recruit soldiers because he was the leader of the mercenary group, plus he was a local. However, because there is no sufficient reason at the moment, that is, there is no suitable battle, he cannot recruit troops on a large scale, and can only recruit troops on a small scale. As for the war on the Swiss side, everyone knew in their hearts that the princes opposed the emperor, but they could not openly recruit troops under the banner of anti-emperor, so they could only do it quietly.

Of course, although we cannot openly recruit troops at the moment, we can do some preparatory work. For example, contact a lot of young and strong mountain people who want to go out in advance...

…

This is a solution that Marin and his direct descendants have discussed for a long time before coming up with a solution. Specifically, although we can't recruit mercenaries right now, we can contact feelings first!

How to get in touch with feelings? Of course it's a banquet!

Marin is from the East and understands wine table culture very well. And the German side is not bad, everyone also likes to drink. The only difference is that Orientals drink white, and here they like to drink beer. In addition, the Chinese cuisine of the East is much stronger than the German cuisine of this era. Even in the future, it is still too strong.

Marin sent people flying pigeons to pass on the book, and asked his subordinates to instruct the agents who came forward to hold extended banquets every now and then, entertain heroes from all walks of life in the mountains, drink big bowls, eat meat, and communicate with each other. At the same time, they brag to each other at the wine table, saying that they will do something big in the future. That posture, just like the heroes on Liangshan agreed with each other to act for the sky. During the banquet, under the hint of the "envoys" in the shadows, the agents veiled that they would form a mercenary group and go out to "do something big".

The mountain people are already poor, and they have nothing to eat. If you can come to eat, don't be too happy. With gratitude, he naturally agreed. And the timid ones will hesitate. After all, going out to the mountains to be a soldier is hard work. And these people will be recorded in the small books by the "Messengers" who peep in the dark. At the next banquet, they won't have their share. After all, wine and meat cannot be wasted, and it is also an expense.

However, the mountain people are generally agile, and few are afraid of death. Among the serf groups in the plains, those who were timid and afraid of death would be in the majority. Mountain people are different, they are relatively free. Although it is inevitable that he will be exploited by the lords, he will not be forced to do farm work by the lords all day long, and he will not be sharpened by the whip of the overseer.

These mountain people who still have edges and corners often hunt in the mountains and fight against the jackals, wild boars and bears in the mountains. Many people are very brave. Otherwise, Marin wouldn't have hit their minds.

Of course, the mountain people are invited to eat, and the dishes they eat cannot be braised pork and stir-fried vegetables from Beihai Kingdom. Because this is too representative. When others see it, they will know that it is the handwriting of Beihai Kingdom.

Therefore, at these banquets, ordinary beer produced in the vicinity was drank in wooden barrels. And eat, mostly boiled meat and barbecue, that is, more salt. After all, Marin is a big salt lord, not bad for salt. And this is very good for the mountain people.

Because the people in the mountains are poor and cannot afford salt. Because they often hunt, they are not short of meat, but they are short of salt. Many times, they cook meat with a pinch of salt. And the boiled meat with enough salt flowers is delicious here.

It is very interesting to say that the agents invited guests to dinner, but many mountain people in southern Germany who were invited to come here did not come to eat empty-handed, but came with their prey. Like, a hare, or a wild boar leg, a big piece of venison or something. There are also wolf meat and bear meat, and they bring their own meat. The agent mainly provides cooking utensils and seasonings. And, a lot of firewood cut in advance. Of course, it's still beer. After all, cooking utensils, firewood, etc. are not uncommon in the mountains... Well, that's not right, iron pots are also very precious in the mountains... And the beer was carried in from outside the mountains by the agent and a group of friends.

Therefore, it is said that it is a large-scale extension, in fact, it does not cost much. It is the main beer money, plus some salt expenses and iron pot expenses. But salt doesn't actually cost money, and iron pans are nothing in Beihai. There is a lot of beer in Beihai, but it will not be shipped over long distances. Because beer is very cheap, shipping from the northernmost North Sea country to the southern mountainous areas, the freight alone far exceeds the value of the beer, it is better to purchase locally.

After eating and drinking, in addition to bragging and looking forward to the future, everyone is engaged in activities, that is, competitions.

After all, they are all men in the mountains, and they all know some superficial fighting, which are all trained during the hunting process. An hour after the banquet was over, the agents would propose a fight with each other when everyone's stomachs digested a lot. It is usually a fight with fists and feet, and if you can use weapons, you will fight with wooden sticks. Do not use weapons, so as not to hurt people.

At this time, the "Messengers" who have been hiding and peeping at the side will be busy again. What are you busy with? Record Bidou's evaluation!

The same as Beihai Kingdom's army selection standards, the "envoys" do not record victory or defeat. com only records victory and defeat and bravery. Even if you fail in a fight, as long as you have a strong will to win and are not afraid of getting hurt, you will be a good soldier. In the competition, even if they win, they are afraid of being injured and show timidity, which is not a priority. If you obviously show timidity, you will directly make a cross and will not consider it in the future. Even, the next banquet will not be invited again, and will be kicked out of the "circle" directly.

…

In this way, through frequent banquets and competitions, the "envoys" sent by Marin used up a lot of notebooks, and the notebooks were densely populated with lists and evaluations of each person, which would serve as a reference for future recruitment.

And through banquets and competitions, the number of young and strong mountain residents who have reached an oral agreement with the agents to "go out together" has reached more than 40,000, and they are still increasing in the banquets and competitions again and again. Presumably waiting for the news of the defeat of Poland and Lithuania, the number should be able to reach 50,000.

However, an oral agreement is an oral agreement, and it does not count. Perhaps, some people are just polite. After all, if you eat and drink for free, you always have to say something nice. Although the mountain people are simple and honest, it is inevitable that some people will be like this. Therefore, through Kohler, Marin instructed the spies who carried out the mission, money and wine and meat to clear the way, continued to develop the number of agents offline, continued to entertain and compete, and increased the number of candidates. In this way, when the actual recruitment begins, there will be more choices. Even if some people eventually choose to back down, it is guaranteed that about 50,000 people will be recruited in the end.