"So, why do we buy prisoners? What are the benefits for Venice?" asked a MP in confusion.

"Good question, that's what I want to ask."

"I think I know how to answer..." said Agostino Barbarigo, Governor of Venice.

"I wish to listen to the Governor's opinion..."

"Venice is rich, everyone knows..."

"Hahaha..." Everyone present laughed heartily.

"But we lack fame and prestige. Many people and many forces regard our Venice as a fat sheep..."

Everyone present was a little silent, and Argstino's words really made sense.

"So, I plan to buy a batch of French prisoners of war with this greedy Shinra Empire Legion commander, claiming to be jointly captured by Venice and Shinra Empire..."

"How to ensure that there is no leak? The commander of the legion can control his subordinates, but the French. After they return to their country, they will reveal the matter."

"This is a problem. I went to the west to talk to the legion commander in person, and both sides will make the same speech..."

The next day, Venetian Governor Agstino Barbarigo quietly took 50 guards to Marin's station...

"Governor, are you worried about being exposed? This is simple, I will tell the French that half of the troops I led were Venetians..."

"Is this OK?" Argstino Barbarigo hesitated.

"No problem, I'll cover it with me. At that time, I'll ask 1,000 subordinates who participated in that battle to go back with you, and they are all Italians."

"Really?" Argstino Barbarigo was a little surprised.

"certainly!"

In fact, Marin was talking about the first Italian peasants near Fornovo who were confiscated. They did join the war, although they were used to scare the French.

And the French did regard them as reinforcements... Until now, Earl Freir thought they were reinforcements sent by the Italians...

After solving this headache, Argstino Barbarigo quickly talked with Marin to the conditions. In fact, Marin had only 2,000 prisoners outside. He hid the other 2,000 people in another station.

Moreover, the Venetians did not lose money in their business. Because Marin wanted cash, while the Venetians wanted fame. Moreover, the Venetians could also get ransoms from the French to get this prisoner, so they did not lose money. At most, they would bear some of the food expenses for the prisoners, but compared with fame, this amount of money was simply drizzle.

After negotiations, Agstino Barbarigo and Marin reached a 500 gold coin agreement for one captive. But Governor Argstino Barbarigo asked for more...

"Captain Marin, please tell me honestly, how many prisoners do you have?"

“Uh…4000…”

"Then why are you willing to sell only 1,000 people? Don't you know, your poor emperor wouldn't give you a few dollars? Will you still have your share of the ransom when captured in his hands?" Argstino Barbarigo was a little angry.

"Uh, actually, I want to exchange a title with His Majesty the Emperor. Now, I'm not even a baron..."

"This..." Argstino Barbarigo was speechless. As the emperor, the most advantageous thing about Maximilian I was to grant other people's titles. As the governor of the Republic of Venice, Argstino Barbarigo could not catch up with Maximilian I. Although there were nobles in the territory of the Republic of Venice, they were all titles passed down a long time ago. Now, the republic generally no longer grants new titles.

"Okay, you can sell me another 1,000 people. I don't want nobles, I want ordinary knights."

"That's a total of 1 million gold coins, Governor! Do you have that much cash?"

"Hmph, Commander of the Marin, don't underestimate Venice's financial resources. Venice is not short of money!" Argstino Barbarigo's face was full of arrogance, like Uncle Benshan who was wearing a hand behind his back...

"Uh... the deal!" Malin also made a sacrifice for 1 million gold coins...

"By the way, Governor, I have a group of excellent French war horses and plate armor that I have captured..."

"How many?" Governor Argstino Barbarigo's body turned back, his eyes fixed on Marin.

He almost forgot that Marin captured French knights, and everyone carried war horses, armor and weapons...

The Republic of Venice is a very ambitious country, and they are not short of money. Therefore, they are also ambitious. The French invaded Naples, which allowed him to see the weakness of the Italian countries. Therefore, they were also a little ready to move. Otherwise, the Cambre Alliance War would not have happened 13 years later. That war was because Venice wanted to expand, which led to the rebound of the states, which led to the group beating of Venice, which was about to expand.

Venice is not short of money, sailors, and infantry. But they have severely lacked cavalry, because Venice is a country that started on the water and has always attached importance to sea.

But if you want to participate in the land battle, you must have a large number of cavalry to support the formation. Otherwise, it is difficult to say that infantry alone is powerful.

Now, Marin said that he had a large number of war horses and armor, and Argustino Barbarigo was immediately tempted...

"Give it to me, I'll want it all!" Argstino Barbarigo's eyes were a little red.

"Governor, I can't give it to you all, otherwise I can't explain it to His Majesty the Emperor..." Marin did not dare to agree to Argstino Barbarico. Otherwise, his reputation in the Shenluo Empire would immediately fall into hatred. In that case, Marin might not be able to survive in Germany.

"Okay, I want half!"

"Governor General, war horses and armor are also very expensive!" Marin reminded kindly.

"How many war horses and armor do you have?"

“2000 war horses, 6000 sets of plate armor…”

"Hiss..." Argstino Barbarigo was so scared that he was frightened.

War horses and war horses are also different. The load capacity of the knight's war horses is much stronger than that of the informal light cavalry. Not to mention anything else, the full set of plate armor alone weighs 50 kilograms, and the weight of the horse armor is about 100 kilograms. Therefore, the load capacity of the knight with war horses is much better than that of the light cavalry's war horses. At least, in terms of load load, it is hundreds of kilograms more than the light cavalry's war horses.

"1,000 war horses, 3,000 sets of armor..." After gritting his teeth, Argstino Barbarigo decided to spend a handful of blood.

"Then this price..."

"Marin, I can't give you too much price. The French will pay for those prisoners. And I don't know the opinions of the members of the parliament. So, my proposal is to have 100 Ducats per war horse, 50 Ducats per plate armor..."

The price given by Argstino Barbarigo is not high, probably the lowest price. Because the heavy war horses used by the knights are generally more than this price. However, as he said, he is not sure whether these armors will be smashed into his hands.

After the talks, Argstino Barbarigo immediately rushed back to Venice through the developed post road in Venice, and discussed the business with the congressmen.

"What? So many war horses and armor? Let's take it, Governor, this will soar the combat power of Venice!" An army general shouted excitedly. With these war horses and armor, Venice will have an additional "tank force" covered in armor, which can attack the enemy formation head-on on the battlefield. Except for the Swiss spear formation, there are few troops that can withstand the charge of thousands of heavy armored knights.

"So much armor, why don't we steal him, Governor?" A scammer suggested.

"I'm afraid it's inappropriate. They have 4,000 soldiers and strong soldiers. Can they defeat 8,000 French heavy cavalry, can we beat them? Moreover, if the matter is exposed, we will become enemies with the Holy Roman Empire." The Venetian army had tens of thousands of people, but they could not defeat 4,000 Swiss mercenaries. Marin was also "4,000 people". It was not easy to mess with if they could defeat 8,000 French knights. In addition, the Shenluo Empire also had tens of thousands of troops in Venice. Once the German army is angered, Venetians might be looted. Therefore, the Venetians could not afford to bet.

"Okay, then I agree, but the price of war horses and armor is going to be suppressed..."

Then, Argstino Barbarigo rushed back and bargained with Marin...

In the end, Marin sold 2,000 ordinary prisoners to Venice, with a discount of 1 million Ducart. In addition, he sold 1,000 war horses with horse armor, with a discount of 100,000 Ducart. The money of horse armor was also included. Marin suffered a little loss. But Marin was also eager to "sell the stolen goods" and could not take care of that much. The plate armor was sold at an affordable price of 50 Ducarts per piece, with a discount of 150,000 Ducart gold coins...

In this way, Marin instantly earned 1.25 million Dukat... However, he immediately remembered the three nails placed by the emperor and the earl in his army...

In order to keep the secret, Marin thought of silence the three of them. Anyway, it is the war period, and even a few people can be killed... But considering that their 15 subordinates were all eliminated, they would definitely alarm the emperor and the earl...

As for the others, they were basically illiterate serfs, and they didn't know the meaning of Marin's series of actions. In addition, they were used to obeying Marin's orders, so they were not worried about their big mouths. Only those three knights and their servants were a bit difficult to deal with.

Argustino Barbarigo knew Marin's concerns and laughed, saying that it was not a problem at all...

"How should I do it?" Marin had a headache.

"This is easy. We Venice pay the money and give each of the three of us a large sum of money, which is used as a hush fee..."

"So rich..."

That night, Argstino Barbarigo personally took action and gave the three people a bonus of 30,000 gold coins each. So the three people knelt... As for their entourage, the master knelt, but the entourage still knelt with them?

You should know that the three knights, their families' territory, earn up to two or three thousand Dukats every year, and 3,000 Dukats were still in the harvest year, which was enough for their manor income for more than ten years. Therefore, the three of them signed a confidentiality agreement, held the Bible and made a poisonous oath, and received a benefit fee of more than 10 years more than their manor output. As for the poor emperor, can he give so much money? Even now, the emperor still owes them part of their salary...

Moreover, Malin knew how to behave and left half of the spoils for the emperor, which was enough to explain. This was also their confidence...

However, Marin was worried about how to take away so many gold coins. Because the weight of 1.25 million gold coins alone reached more than 4 tons. If someone knew that he brought more than 4 tons of gold on the road, many people would probably come to rob him together...

In the end, Marin decided to believe in the business reputation of the Venetians, and only had 500,000 gold coins in cash. The remaining 750,000 gold coins were temporarily stored in the bank in Venice, and the notes were issued and then withdrawn.

Then, Marin took out 100,000 gold coins and gave them to his 1,100 brothers. Each of them received an average of eighty or ninety gold coins, which made the group of guys very happy.

You know, the group of people in Mandova and Milan who dismounted and picked up gold coins each picked up an average of twenty or thirty gold coins, which was far inferior to them...
Chapter completed!