Although in line with the idea of extorting money, Otto did not dare to really go too far when he really put forward the conditions.

Considering the thoughts of the surrounding lords, and the reaction of all parties who later took the Basel area.

Otto gave up the idea of claiming some more territory, only to get the other side to admit that the territory that had been taken from him belonged to Otto, and instead sought more economic benefits.

Since the Bern region had already begun to collect commercial taxes and profited a lot from it, it was only natural that Otto was eyeing this lucrative income.

Originally, Otto's idea was to establish a rudimentary customs union with the Bernese territory. That is, the two parties jointly collect the commercial tax according to the ratio of thirty taxes and one tax, and then the merchants can pass through the two territories without paying more fees.

Every year, the two sides share the profits of the commercial tax according to a certain proportion, and the nobles of the two regions also have a share.

Otto's original intention was to use the means of economic penetration through the Customs Union to gradually control and encroach on the Bernese territory, and finally realize the bloodless control of the Bernese territory.

At the same time, it can also greatly promote the development of trade between Aargau and Bern, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

This proposal was also supported by some nobles in the Bern region.

However, Adar disagreed.

He would rather give Otto the lion's share of the lucrative commercial taxes collected by the Bernese Lords today than agree to any offer of "one tax and common prosperity".

It's not that Adar saw through Otto's idea of using the Customs Union to control Bern, it's just that the short-sighted Adar didn't want to share profits with the other nobles of the realm.

If a merchant and tax alliance is formed, according to the situation, Otto will undoubtedly take the lion's share, and the income that Adal can get will be divided by other nobles.

Since the tax is only levied once, the apparent income figure must seem larger than that of a single territory, but it is definitely not as much as the current two territories combined.

What's more, the prestige and strength of the Grodonning family have been severely damaged after losing this battle, and if the vassals below can get a share of the commercial tax, it will be difficult to make the vassals obedient in the future, and it will shake the rule of the Grodunnin family in the Bern region.

Anyway, he has been exposed to aristocratic education since he was a child, and Adar has seen this very thoroughly, so he resolutely refuses to agree.

Otto also gave up on the idea after several unsuccessful attempts to convince him.

Eventually, Otto signed a treaty with Adal that first demarcated the border based on the territory that both sides now effectively controlled. It was then stipulated that over the next five years, 60 per cent of the revenue from the Bernese conquest would be paid to the Aargau collar as war reparations.

Looking at the back of Adar and the nobles leaving, Otto looked at the unfinished treaty in his hand and shook his head.

Sure enough, he is a stupid person, it seems that it will not be a few years before the Berne Collar falls into his own hands.

Adar seems to have continued to maintain the dominance of the Grotonin family in Bern by refusing to allow the vassal of the realm to share the profits of the commercial tax, but in fact he has greatly offended the vassals, and the Bern domain is not far from the situation of centrifugal detachment.

As the saying goes, cutting off someone's wealth is like killing your parents.

Otto's proposal was to allow the nobles of Bern to also make money and enjoy the dividends of commercial taxes, but Adar refused, which would undoubtedly make the vassals below even more resentful of the Grodonnin family.

In this war, the Grotonin family suffered huge losses, so isn't the loss of the following vassals small, and doesn't there need to be reincarnated?

If I win over the nobles of Bern at this time, I am afraid that I will really have a chance to have more titles of Earl of Bern.

Now that the war with Bern is over, it is time to respond to the call of the Duke of Holland and lead his troops to "King Qin".

However, given that the kingdoms of East and West Francia are still officially sending troops, don't be too anxious at this time.

It's about to enter the end of winter, and the new Eagle Castle will be completed, and after the completion of the new Eagle Castle, it will be completely too late to start again in the spring.

Cold weather will undoubtedly bring more non-combat attrition, and I believe that no one wants to fight in this weather.

Just as Otto was counting on his fingers when the new Eagle Castle would be completed, and when Lothair II had a few days to live, Madame Kaelin arrived at Lafite Manor.

With her came the progress of the news of Otto's marriage.

"The Sighard family said that they could be engaged to Miss Sophie this year, if you wanted.

The generous Earl of Ansbach offered to give a barony's land as Miss Sophie's dowry, and that the family would be able to take it over as soon as you were engaged to Miss Sophie.

As for Austria, I have not found a suitable marriage partner, and several of the earls there are not interested in marrying our family, but a few of the barons have expressed interest, but their family strength and prestige are too weak. ”

Mrs. Carylene introduced the general situation, she was really very concerned about Otto's marriage, and after hearing Otto mention Austria last time, she spent a lot of time inquiring.

Otto frowned, it seems that the dream of entering Austria by taking the opportunity of marriage is shattered, so now the two territories on hand of the family will be managed.

To be honest, the three marriage families that Lady Kailin was looking for before, except for the Welf family, which is famous and Otto is more familiar, the other two families are completely unheard of, and it is estimated that they will all decline in the future, and there is no difference who they marry with.

"Then ask Madame Kaelin to write me a letter to the Sighards, and prepare a gift to send to her, and invite that Miss Sophie and the important members of the Sighard family to come to the Allgau Collar, where I will be betrothed to Miss Sophie.

By the way, I would also like to invite everyone from the Sighard family to visit the Eagle Castle that I am about to complete. ”

Madame Kaelin nodded in agreement, and was about to discuss with Otto what gifts to give and what guests to invite to the engagement banquet, when Otto asked again.

"By the way, is there a Babenburg family in Austria?"

"The Babenburg family?" Lady Kaylin repeated, then shook her head. "There doesn't seem to be such a family in Austria, Babenburg, the family with the name of the castle is not difficult to find, do you need me to help you contact them?"

"Not really." Otto just asked a whim, and he didn't want to deal with the family.

He didn't know the history of the Babenburg family, but he remembered that Austria was a fief of the Babenburg family for a long time, and he thought that Babenburg was a small family in Austria that gradually grew and grew.

Now it seems that this is most likely not the case, and it should be the Austrian region that only became the owner later.

Since they are all outsiders, why can the Babenburg family do it and not do it themselves?

Otto was once again confident of winning Austria.