This mission to the Crimean Khanate, Marin can be said to have completed the task honorably. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoJust as Marin left Bakhchisala, the capital of the Crimean Khanate, with his guards, the first batch of about 4,000 forward cavalry of the Crimean Khanate, was already roaring northward.

This group of 4,000 Tatar cavalry, each with three horses, was the vanguard. Moreover, a large number of sacks and ropes were placed on the horseback. Marin inquired curiously, and the Tatar officer told Marin that the sacks were used to hold the looted goods, and the ropes were used to tie people......

Marin looked at the 4,000-strong professional bandit team with admiration, and felt that the other party was really professional. Moreover, it is a country that is very professional and familiar with the business of kidnapping and robbery......

Seeing that the temporary allies of the Crimeans (robbery) were so professional, Marin was finally relieved. As long as the Crimean Khanate attacked the Ryazan Principality, which had become part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Crimeans and Maozi would definitely turn against each other. And because Ryazan is the southeastern gateway to the city of Moscow, the army of the Crimean Khanate is pressing, and the elite sent to Finland by the Grand Duchy of Moscow will also have to be temporarily retreated. Because, on Moscow alone, those armies left behind were no match for the Crimean cavalry. Only the elite of the 20,000 standing army dared to say that they could stop the cavalry units of the Crimean Khanate. Other levies, on the battlefield, were estimated to have been crushed by a single charge by the Crimean cavalry......

After entering the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Marin first went to Vilnius with his troops and returned the 500 cavalry sent by the Lithuanians. In fact, these 500 cavalry did not enter the territory of the Crimean Khanate at all, but were only arranged to wait at the border. However, Marin went to Vilnius, not only to return the cavalry, but also to urge Archduke Alexander to complete the return of his credentials to Möngkegire Khan. In this way, the status of allies between the two sides can be considered on paper.

In the palace of Vilnius, Grand Duke Alexander and Prince Sigmund were also overjoyed when they heard that Marin had successfully moved the Crimean Khanate to send troops. If nothing else, as long as the Crimean Khanate and the Grand Duchy of Moscow turn their faces, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will not worry about being caught between Moscow and the Crimeans.

If it faces the Grand Duchy of Moscow alone, Lithuania can not say that it can beat the opponent, but at least when it focuses on defense, it can still withstand the attack of the Muscovites.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Grand Duke Alexander and Prince Sigmund, as long as the alliance between the Crimean Khanate and the Grand Duchy of Moscow can be broken, it will be considered a great success. As for sending troops to the Crimean Khanate, they had no extravagant hope.

However, what they didn't expect was that Marin said that he wanted to persuade the Crimean Khanate to send troops, and it really came true......

Although it is said that the Crimean Khanate sent troops to attack the Ryazan principality, both the Grand Duke Alexander and Prince Sigmund understood that the Ryazan principality was the gateway to Moscow and an important granary of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Moreover, on the surface, the Ryazan principality was already a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The attack on Ryazan, although not a direct attack on Moscow, is almost the same as attacking Moscow.

In this way, the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Crimean Khanate will definitely turn their faces. From then on, the Muscovites would have to waste a lot of their forces on the southern steppe to guard against the invasion of the Crimeans. Even, in order to facilitate the defense, the Muscovites had to spend a lot of money to build a large number of fortresses on the southern border as a basis for resisting the invasion of the Crimeans people.

There was no problem in exchanging credentials and concluding an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, and Grand Duke Alexander quickly signed a document ordering Viktor, the deputy envoy who had just gone to Bakhchissale, to deliver the credentials.

However, on the issue of whether the Grand Duchy of Lithuania sent troops when the Crimean Khanate sent troops this time, the Grand Duke of Alexander and his younger brother Prince Sigmund had a dispute.

Prince Sigmund believed that this was a great opportunity to send troops to recapture several cities in northeastern Ukraine that had been ceded by the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

But Grand Duke Alexander seemed to be frightened, and he was a little afraid, saying that it was better to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight......

The brothers quarreled in front of Marin. Marin shook his head, feeling that Grand Duke Alexander was really cowardly. If it was in the past, it would be fine. The Crimean Khanate sent troops at this time and concluded a formal alliance with Lithuania. Not sending troops at this time is a complete waste of a great opportunity......

However, who called the Grand Duke of Lithuania at this time the Grand Duke of Alexander, and not the more scheming Sigmund I. Marin could not influence the decision of the Grand Duke of Alexander, so he could only drink the "Earl Grey Milk Tea" that had become popular in the upper echelons of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania depressedly, and while drinking it, he thought about things......

Thinking that this time I would go back this time, I would have to pass through the Teutonic country, and I would have to return the borrowed horses to Grand Master Philip...... Marin suddenly screamed and put down his teacup......

The arguing Grand Duke Alexander and Prince Sigmund were interrupted by Marin's exclamation, and then they looked at Marin together in confusion......

Marin suddenly remembered that his allies, the Teutonic Knights, seemed to have a hostile relationship with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland. Moreover, Lithuania and Poland, although they were packed up by the Muscovites, faced with the weaker Teutonic states, Lithuania and Poland, still had the upper hand and kept cleaning up the Teutonic states.

Now, since Marin and the Teutonic state had established such good relations, Marin decided to help the Teutonic state make peace, and persuaded Alexander, as the Grand Duke of Lithuania and the king of Poland, to give up the suppression of the Teutonic state and concentrate on dealing with the Grand Duchy of Moscow......

Therefore, Marin first said that this time in order to let the Crimeans send troops and turn against the Grand Duchy of Moscow, he was bleeding heavily, and decided to let a chamber of commerce under his command sign a trade agreement with the Crimean Khanate to buy 10,000 cattle and thousands of war horses from that country every year. These cattle will pass through the Lithuanian border, and it is hoped that Archduke Alexander will cooperate.

Both the Grand Duke Alexander and Prince Sigmund were a little unhappy, because the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which controlled the Ukrainian steppes, was also rich in cattle and sheep. Marin and the Crimean Khanate bought cattle and horses, apparently to send money to the Crimeans if they gave the order to Lithuania......

However, both Archduke Alexander and Prince Sigmund understood that this was an important condition for the Crimean Khanate to agree to an alliance with Lithuania. If the Grand Duchy of Lithuania obstructs this deal and prohibits the passage of cattle and horses from the Crimean Khanate, the Crimean Khanate may turn around on the spot and become an enemy of Lithuania again.

Therefore, despite his reluctance, Grand Duke Alexander agreed to Marin's Chamber of Commerce, which, after purchasing the cattle and horses of the Crimean Khanate, passed through the territory of Lithuania and paid only a small transit tax, meaning that.

Marin then raised the issue of the salt trade......

Lithuania is an Eastern European country, and the majority of it is located in the Baltic Sea region of northern Eastern Europe. Obviously, this is also an area with high salt prices.

Lithuania has a population of several million, and with such a high price of salt, it would be strange if Marin was not greedy for this large market. Moreover, Marin has always believed that the alliance of interests is the strongest alliance between countries.

Previously, Marin sent people to inquire that although the Jagiellonian Dynasty was powerful and monopolized the thrones of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, this family was not rich.

Because, although these four countries are all powerful countries, they are not very developed in commerce. Speaking of which, the most developed region is the Kingdom of Bohemia. So, the eldest brother of the Grand Duke Alexander and Prince Sigmund, chose the thrones of the smaller kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungary, and gave up the thrones of Poland and Lithuania.

The main reason for this is that although the Kingdom of Bohemia is small, its commerce is relatively developed. When commerce is developed, business taxes are collected more. The more taxes you have, the happier your life......

The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, despite their large size, also seem to be very powerful. But in fact, Poland and Lithuania are two countries with developed agriculture and animal husbandry.

However, in the developed agricultural countries, there were many feudal nobles. A lot of interests were divided among those feudal nobles. In the hands of the royal family, there are not many benefits.

Therefore, don't look at Archduke Alexander as the Grand Duke of Lithuania with a population of several million, and the king of Poland with an area of several million, but the actual benefits are not as good as the elder brother Vladislav IV, who won the throne of the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Seeing that Archduke Alexander was so precious to a tea brick worth a horse, Marin could imagine that the other party's life was not rich.

Marin first asked Archduke Alexander and Prince Sigmund about the origin of the merchants who currently monopolized the salt trade in Lithuania......

Archduke Alexander didn't know anything about it, but Prince Sigmund did. He told Marin that the monopoly on the salt trade in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was mainly Danes and Hanseatic merchants from the Livonian Order......

Speaking of which, the Livonian Knights are a vassal state of the Teutonic Knights. However, since the Battle of Tannenberg, the Teutonian corps was defeated by the Polish-Lithuanian coalition, and with the covert support of the Lithuanians, it has gradually become self-reliant. However, it still maintains the status of a subject state of the Teutonic state on the surface. But in reality, they are completely self-reliant. The Grand Master of the Livonian Order, who is elected every term, will not go to Königsberg to take the oath.

All this is done by the Lithuanians in secret. Therefore, the Livonian Order, after its independence, had a good relationship with Lithuania. Although it belonged to the Hanseatic League, its relationship with the Hanseatic League was somewhat inseparable.

Previously, because the Teutonic Knights were the most important allies of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic region, even the Lithuanians and Poles were not very interested in the Hanseatic League, the allies of the Teutonic State.

Therefore, the Lithuanians and Poles handed over large orders for salt to the Danes, the rivals of the Hanseatic League......

The source of salt for the Danes was mainly from the British, who had good relations, and was transported by merchant ships. After all, the British already knew how to use coal to boil salt at this time. In addition to not knowing how to use energy-efficient stoves and wash away salt brine to reduce bitterness, the British also made a fortune selling salt. Most of the salt produced by the Hanseatic League came from the salt mines of Lüneburg, and the cost was very low. It's just that the mineral salt in Lüneburg doesn't taste very good.

Marin was naturally very unhappy when he heard that most of the salt trade between Lithuania and Poland had been monopolized by the Danes. In addition, Denmark was his enemy, so Marin decided decisively to steal business......

As a result, Marin told Archduke Alexander and Prince Sigmund about the fact that the Danish fleet was completely destroyed and many Danish merchant ships were looted by the allied forces. Obviously, after the loss of merchant ships, the Danes also temporarily lost the ability to transport salt......

"Count Marin, don't you return those captured merchant ships to Denmark after the war?" Grand Duke Alexander was somewhat incomprehensible. According to the unspoken rule among the European aristocracy, any captured people and property should be returned as long as the ransom is paid. And if Marin and the Hanseatic League rob Denmark of all their merchant ships, Lithuania and Poland will have to consider stopping trade with Denmark and switching agents. Otherwise, trade will not be able to continue.

"Yes, Your Excellency, you do not understand that even if I were willing to return the merchant ships, Lübeck and Hamburg would never agree. Because the purpose of this war was to comprehensively crack down on Denmark's maritime trade and seize the share of maritime trade. I dare say that Lübeck and Hamburg, even if they burned those merchant ships, would not have returned them to the Danish ......"

Archduke Alexander and Prince Sigmund were silent, apparently they also figured this out. In recent years, the Danes have vigorously developed maritime trade, making it clear that they want to seize the interests of the Hanseatic League. Therefore, the people of Lübeck and Hamburg must have hated Denmark as a trade rival.

Originally, the trade markets of Lithuania and Poland were monopolized by the Hanseatic League. However, since Queen Margrethe I established the Kalmar League and began to compete with the Hanseatic League for maritime trade, the Hanseatic League's trade interests in the Baltic region have been greatly affected. Even, because of the problems of the Teutonic Knights, Lithuania and Poland had bad relations with the Hanseatic League. To this end, Lithuania and Poland also handed over large orders for salt and other commodities to the Danes......

However, that was before, and it was clear that through this war, the Danes were finished. Their warships, as well as many merchant ships, were robbed by the ruthless Lübeck and Hamburg. Later, the Danes wanted to engage in maritime trade, and it took many years to recover.

But the salt trade of the Lithuanians and Poles can't wait! After all, people have to eat salt every day. The Danes can take many years to recover, but the millions of people in Lithuania and Poland can't wait. If you don't eat salt, you will get sick......

So, from the moment the Danish fleet was completely annihilated, Lithuania and Poland were doomed to exchange salt merchants......

Moreover, Marin expressed his willingness to hand over the right to sell salt in Lithuania and Poland to Archduke Alexander and give up some profits.

Thinking of the salt consumption of millions of people in the two countries, Grand Duke Alexander was really moved...... As a result, Archduke Alexander and Marin signed a super order for the salt trade of 500,000 quarts (a total of 6.35 million kilograms, 12.7 kilograms per quart) per year.

Marin sold it to the Archduke of Alexandria at a "preferential price" of 9 shillings per quart, and the average profit per quart of salt was about 8 shillings. 500,000 quart salt, the profit is as high as 4 million shillings, or 800,000 gold coins......

In fact, this large amount is less than half of the salt consumed in Lithuania and Poland. However, Grand Duke Alexander did not dare to ask for any more shares. Because, those big nobles at the bottom also want benefits. The Danish salt trade is abolished, and the salt trade between Lithuania and Poland will definitely have to be reshuffled.

That is, before everyone could react, Grand Duke Alexander dared to take the opportunity to sell and grab nearly half of the salt share. The other more than half of the share must have been reserved for those big nobles to divide up. Otherwise, if he dared to eat alone, Grand Duke Alexander was not sure that he would be hacked to death by those angry nobles......

By the same token, the salt trade markets in Lithuania and Poland were empty. It wasn't just Marlin who came up with the idea, but also Lübeck and Hamburg. If Marin dared to monopolize this market, he would also be hated by Lübeck and Hamburg. Therefore, he dared to swallow less than half of the market. For the rest, we had to give Lübeck and hamburgers.

Even, even if he swallowed less than half of this share, Marin didn't dare to play his own banner. In the future, when it comes to transporting salt, Marlin will have to be secretive, and even under the banner of the British, so as not to provoke the wrath of Lübeck and Hamburg......

In fact, because of the super high price of salt in Eastern Europe, Marin even made such a huge profit. When the salt came into the hands of the Grand Duke Alexander, it could also bring the Grand Duke Alexander a profit of hundreds of thousands of gold coins per year. It is worth mentioning that this is not a fiscal revenue, but a private income of the Jagiellonian royal family......

It wasn't until I finished negotiating the super contract for the salt trade that Marin suddenly remembered that I was obviously trying to intercede for the Teutonic country, so why did I go to the salt trade crookedly while talking? However, this building is crooked, and it is a super large order with an annual income of 800,000 gold coins......