Chapter 1290: Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii

After clearing his throat, John asked Louis twelve:

"Your Majesty should have heard of the legend of the Sicilian Golden Basin?"

Louis nodded at twelve:

"Yes, of course I know. The land in the Golden Basin is fertile, the climate is warm, and it is rich in wheat and oil olives. It is said that the yield of wheat in the Golden Basin is astonishing per Bonniers, a unit of land area in medieval France, about 1 Hectares (15 acres)) 3000 pounds (French pounds, more than 489.5 grams), which is twice the yield of wheat in other regions! However, what does this have to do with the secret you said? "

John smiled:

"Of course it is, and it is a great relationship! Because, the former Grand Duke Marin of the North Sea State discovered this secret and applied it to the agricultural production of the North Sea State. The cultivated land of not less than 100,000 Bonnies in his name (actually more ), Basically applied the method he learned from the Sicilian Golden Basin, so that the rye produced by each Bonnier arable land can reach more than 3000 pounds. And each pound of rye is worth 1 fenny, 3000 pounds of rye is 3000 Finney, equivalent to 50 gold coins. 100,000 Bonnies is 5 million gold coins ... "

"What?" Louis XII was so scared that the wine glasses fell to the ground. However, the wine glass is made of gold and will not break.

"5 million gold coins ... 5 million gold coins ... No wonder, he can pull up the standing army of 6 million people's army! I can't do this financial resources ..."

This year, the most financially strong country in Europe is Venice, with annual revenues of about 1.65 million Ducat gold coins. France followed, with annual revenues of about 1.2 million gold coins.

However, Venice relied on the taxation of maritime trade, while France relied solely on the output of the king ’s land and few commercial taxes and import and export trade tariffs.

But what did Louis XII hear? In a great Principality of the North Sea, Marin's output of the fiefdom reached an amazing annual income of 5 million gold coins ... No, I have to drink a sip of wine and suppress it ...

So, Louis XII picked up the wine glass, poured a glass of Burgundy wine, and swallowed it ...

"Your Majesty, 5 million gold coins are only total output, but only half of them are actually available ..." John reminded.

In fact, it's not quite that. John's statement is the standard for peers in other European countries. This is because all the royal territories are managed by nobles loyal to the royal family or nobles of the royal family. These nobles naturally want their geese to pluck their hair and squander their pockets. Therefore, it is good to have half of the output in the hands of the king.

The North Sea State is different. The predecessor of the North Sea State, East Friesland, was built on the premise of Marin's blood-washing of old nobles. There are not many nobles in Beihai. Therefore, Marin generally employs a large number of civilians as estate managers. But Marin did not trust them completely, but sent Kohler's spies to monitor them and avoid corruption. Therefore, most of Marin's land production can be safely stored in the warehouse, avoiding corruption by his people. Although corruption cannot be eradicated, at least there is no big problem overall. Unlike those in the old countries, there are many intricate personnel relations in the territory, and many people are greedy for ink. In the end, half of what went to the monarch was good.

Louis XII, slightly calmed down, exclaimed:

"Even if it is only half, it is 2.5 million gold coins, which is more than twice the income of the French King's Court! No wonder, every North Sea country dares to pull up 60,000 troops and make waves. People with grain and grass are wayward. ! "

"Now I dedicate this secret to your majesty. Does your majesty still think that there is more baron?" John asked with a smile.

"It's not much! However, I really can't give you Viscount, otherwise, those nobles will be upset!" Louis XII said seriously.

John nodded and said:

"I understand, so I hope that Your Majesty will take care of my winery business in the future. Also, I will give my subordinates more opportunities to enter the court and make great friends!"

"This is nature!" Louis nodded twelve, and then said:

"Now, can you tell a specific secret?"

"Follow your orders, Your Majesty!" John saluted before continuing:

"This is the case. The late Duke Marin of the North Sea Kingdom, while leading his troops to Italy to fight, chatted with a mercenary from Sicily and accidentally learned a secret-the volcanic soil on Sicily is very fertile. Farming on it, the yield is high! "

"So he germinated a whims-since the volcanic ash soil is fertile, why not dig it back and use it as fertilizer to fertilize the cultivated land? Then, he sent his subordinate minister Kohler and sent someone to buy a volcano in Naples, Italy, there Dig volcanic ash and transport it back as fertilizer to sprinkle it in the field. Later, it really got a high yield ... "

"Volcanic ash? As fertilizer?" Louis XII was stunned ...

"It's that simple?"

John nodded:

"Yeah, it's that simple ..."

Louis XII suddenly felt fooled and wanted to refund the ticket:

"I feel cheated by a baron to go ..."

"Your Majesty, the prince did not lie to you. You think, the prince said it simple, but, for thousands of years, who could have thought of this? Only the wizard of the former North Sea Grand Duke Marin would make this A wonderful attempt. In the end, he succeeded! And, if the minister does not come to tell your majesty, your majesty will never know! "

After Louis XII listened, it was true that if John did not come to tell him, he would not think of it if he wanted to break his head.

Suddenly, Louis XII raised his head and asked suspiciously:

"So, how do you know this secret? As far as I know, you are a wine merchant in Münster City, and South Münster City is not subject to the jurisdiction of the North Sea State. By reason, you should not know this Confidential ... "

John had expected this question long ago and replied unhurriedly:

"Your Majesty did not know that this time the seven princes jointly sent troops to the North Sea Kingdom to seize this secret. Later, John Count Ritterberg also joined in under the introduction of his brother Bishop Conrad. Bishop Conrad has a very good relationship. He overheard the princes discussing the secret. Eight princes shared the secret that was robbed, and the minister was fortunate enough to hear ... "

"Then you came to tell me?"

"Nature, in Europe, who can be more powerful than the Kingdom of France? Moreover, France has a lot of cultivated land. With this secret, it is naturally even more powerful. If there is enough food, the French iron ride can be dispatched indefinitely. Just ask, who can withstand the world? ? "John flattered.

"You understand it ..." Louis XII said proudly.

Because, John is right. If there is enough food to feed those war horses, the plate armour that France can touch is not 10,000, but more than 20,000. Because, the total number of French plate armoured knights definitely exceeds 20,000. However, once the plate armor heavy ride is dispatched, the food consumption is huge, especially the war horse is too much to eat. The food is so expensive that the Dharma King cannot afford it. Therefore, France would rather recruit Swiss mercenaries to fight rather than easily use the nation's plate armour to remount. Because, even if the Swiss double the commission, the cost is much lower than the cavalry. After all, Swiss mercenaries are mainly infantry. The two horses of the heavy armored cavalry can eat 10 people's food a day ...

To understand this, Louis XII has already begun to look forward to the French future of Tieqi pushing the European continent. However, he suddenly remembered-no, the seemingly volcanic kingdom of Naples and Sicily are in the hands of the enemy Spaniard ...

So he raised his doubts ...

John had a countermeasure:

"This is simple. Your Majesty can arrange for his merchants to go to the Kingdom of Naples to buy a volcano, and then send someone to dig volcanic ash and ship it back to China as fertilizer! It is said that this is how the Beihai Kingdom does it."

"It's a good idea. Do you have any volcanoes you recommend buying? Also, will the locals we dig volcanoes object? After all, you also said that volcanic ash is fertile soil, and they will let you dig up the fertile soil?"

John replied:

"Volcanic ash is fertile soil, but it has to be sprinkled on the plain to become fertile soil. And those rugged mountainous areas, even if there is volcanic ash, can not be farmed. Can not be farmed on the mountain? We are not digging those plains Volcanic ash is fertile soil, but it is sending people to dig the volcanic ash in the mountains, and nobody cares. "

"It makes sense, which volcano do I buy, do you recommend it?" Louis XII was satisfied.

John spread the map directly and pointed to a volcanic path along the Gulf of Naples in the Kingdom of Naples:

"Your Majesty, this is Mount Vesuvius, have you heard of it?"

"I really heard that it is said that during the Roman era, this volcano erupted and buried several cities."

The ancient city of Pompeii has long been forgotten by Europeans. It will not be until 1594 that no one will dig out the stone with the word "Pompeii". In the 18th century, archaeologists dug up the ancient city of Pompeii, and then made a sensation all over the world. Before the excavation of Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius was less famous. Louis XII could know it, and it could be considered learned.

John nodded and said:

"When the minister had done business in Italy, he heard an Italian scholar say that the great eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD buried a total of three ancient Roman cities-Pompeii, Herculaneum and Staby. Asia. It is said that before being buried by volcanic ash, Pompeii was the second largest city in the Roman Empire, second only to Rome, with a population of 25,000 ... "In fact, this was all Marlin told John. Of course, these are common sense in later generations.

"What? Is there such a city?" Louis XII was taken aback. You know, the population is 25,000, and it will be considered a big city by 1512. You know, there are only 20,000 people in Vienna, the capital of Austria.

"Yes, I think that if you excavate the area under Mount Vesuvius in the name of archaeology, would it not be noticeable to dig volcanic ash? And ~ www.wuxiaspot.com ~ If you excavate the ancient city of Pompeii ... that is ancient In the prosperous city of the Roman era, there are probably many treasures ... "

"Okay, that's it! I'm going to dig out the ancient city of Pompeii!" Louis XII has already seen a lot of antiques from the Roman era ...

But he didn't know that this was the big pit that Marin left him ...

The ancient city of Pompeii naturally exists, and the antiques inside are also valuable. But the problem is-that's the territory of Spain ...

If the Spaniard knew that the French were digging the ancient city of Pompeii on their site ... nothing to say, fight first and say ...

Once the fight started, the French's plan to use volcanic ash to fertilize the field would be defeated. In order to capture enough volcanic ash, the French had to send troops to **** the kingdom of Naples again. And Spain will not show weakness ... Let the two countries play their brains ...

Of course, Marin will not intervene in the early stage, so the French must always taste something sweet. Wait for them to enjoy a wave of welfare, and then invite the Spanish to come to them ...

In order to trigger a full-scale war between France and Spain, Marin was also out and sold the news of Pompeii to the French. You know, originally he was planning to secretly dig up the ancient city of Pompeii to embezzle those antiques. However, letting the two strong competitors of France and Spain continue to be in war is more important than appropriating those antiques. Therefore, Marin endured the French to buy Mount Vesuvius and dig Pompeii ...