The fleets of the three southern giants of Weisen, the Principality of Mainz, and the Principality of Bayern sailed down the Rhine River together, end to end, for miles. When they passed the city of Cologne, they attracted countless curious people.
Watching on the shore.
Many well-dressed people had complicated expressions when they saw the Weissensee fleet passing by. Last spring, their relatives and friends set out from here, full of hopes of making great achievements, and boarded the ship to the south. Who would have thought that what awaited them back in the end was cold?
's corpse.
The army did not disembark in the city of Cologne. Firstly, the king did not dare. Secondly, it was troublesome for so many people to get on and off the boats and station, so they continued down the river, preparing to transfer to sea ships in the lowlands.
Frederick took his escort ashore south of the city of Cologne, first went to the royal manor outside the city to meet with the king, and then went to the city of Cologne to show his face.
King William arranged the place where the two met at the edge of the field, where farmers were picking soybeans.
The farmers picked the pods one by one like picking fruits, put them in baskets, took them to the field and opened them in front of His Majesty the King and Duke Wesson.
Frederick sat on the recliner and remained silent.
He had already planned out what he was going to say during this meeting, but when he saw that the left side of the king's body was already paralyzed, he didn't bother to say anything else. If the king got angry and blackmailed him, he would be in trouble.
Although it is possible to make the king heal from anger, it would be worse, so don't try it.
William didn't speak either, because he couldn't speak, so he could only write with his right hand to communicate with others.
The soybeans in the field were grown by Frederick who originally dyed them golden, and the planting scale was expanded after last year's harvest.
He had his own considerations in arranging the meeting place here, to expose Frederick's little trick, and at the same time to show weakness and admit defeat.
The establishment of the Upstream Regional Cooperation Organization is enough to shake the foundation of the Rhine League. For this country, the Rhine River is an important trade channel. Now the lowland areas at the mouth of the sea have been lost. If it is stuck upstream again, the entire country's commercial trade will
was hit hard.
In order to break this alliance, it is difficult for the two old foxes to start, but Frederick, who is too young, seems to be much easier to deal with.
William had experience in dealing with the young man. If he was not strong enough, he would be soft. He would raise him to a level that was not his own, letting vanity and power erode his heart. He was used to giving orders from a high place, and at the same time he planted the seeds of conflicts with his allies, and then quietly
Just wait.
The purpose of this arrangement of sending troops this time was to cause conflicts between the three families and sow the seeds.
The king was certain that he would not live long, so he needed someone to maintain this policy.
The paper used by the royal family was specially supplied by the paper mill in Weissensee. It was made from insect-proof medicinal plants. It was light yellow with a hint of fragrance. After purchasing it, it was moistened and pressed out one by one with molds to form rows of fingernails.
Large and small royal coat of arms.
William picked up the dip pen inserted in the ink bottle and wrote with the king's special black and gold ink: "You are very smart, I am very envious. It is foreseeable that you will have the ability to govern a country in the future."
Frederick took the note and read it and said calmly: "Your Majesty, thank you."
William also wrote: "As a brother, I want to ask you something, please agree to it."
After looking at it, Frederick thought for a moment and replied: "As long as it is within my ability, I will agree."
Although he doesn't know what it is, he can just follow the topic. If it's not a good thing, he can excuse it by saying "his abilities are limited."
William heard what he meant, didn't take it seriously, and continued to write: "I hope you can be Rudolph's teacher."
Frederick frowned slightly, shook his head and refused: "His Royal Highness is smart. I haven't even finished the course of Rhetoric. Your Majesty should hire someone else."
He became alert in his heart. Could it be that the king wanted to keep him under house arrest in Cologne in this name?
William wrote: "This kid Rudolf is not stupid, but he is not smart enough to be a king. And he is too timid, like a quail."
Frederick didn't say anything after looking at it, but just shook his head.
Being a teacher to the prince is an honorable job. It can be said to be the core team of the future king, but the king is a quagmire. Everyone knows that the king's time is short, so they are crowding around the prince. Frederick does not want to waste time here.
Wrestling with pigs.
Seeing his refusal, William wrote: "As a father whose life is not long, I beg you to agree to this matter."
If you want to praise someone, you must give him a higher and broader stage. It would definitely not work if Frederick just stayed in the south, so for him to come to the royal capital, the most indispensable thing here is a master of flattery.
Praise him to the point of overinflated self-confidence.
But Frederick refused to accept the offer, and William thought that it was because he wanted to harm his family before that he felt hurt, so he could only put down his dignity and lead him into a trap.
"When people get old, what they care about most is naturally the things they cherish most. I will give everything for the treasures that I value most in my life."
"I know I did something wrong, and I'm sorry for you and your father. I want to kneel down and admit my mistake, but my legs no longer allow me to do so. I hope you can accept me in other ways to compensate you and the Wesson family.
"
"I love this country so much that I love it so much."
"I don't want the country to be destroyed in my hands, and I don't want it to be destroyed in Rudolph's hands."
"I beg you to teach Rudolph and at least train him to be a king who can protect the country."
"After I leave, if Rudolph does not do well, as an uncle you can scold him, beat him, or punish him in any way."
Frederick took the six notes written by William one after another, pondered for a long time, and finally said helplessly: "Okay, I will take this job. But let me tell you first, I am still young.
, I definitely won’t be able to convince the public, let’s wait a few years before talking about it.”
William saw that he had fallen into a trap, so he wrote: "I am very happy that you can agree. Do it well. This is the honor you deserve."
Frederick looked at the note and asked, "I think His Royal Highness already has other teachers."
There must be more than one person to teach the prince, and William didn't hide it, so he wrote down the names of several important ministers and famous scholars in the kingdom, including the finance minister and swordsman Duke Hegel, the military minister Count Pisto and the chief of the Heraldry Academy.
The minister, Earl Shakespeare, and other great nobles that Frederick had heard of.
William wrote at the end of the list, "They are all nobles who are loyal and reliable."
After reading it, Frederick said: "I will visit them."
"By the way!" He seemed to suddenly remember something, "What if there is a cultural conflict between a certain kind of teacher and I when teaching His Highness the Crown Prince?"
William thought for a while, and he needed some stepping stones to lift Frederick up, and these ministers and scholars were of sufficient importance, and they only needed to secretly explain and compensate the victims in advance.
So His Majesty the King wrote: "You can replace him."
After taking the note, Frederick immediately shook his head and said: "This is too sentimental. I will use academic methods to solve academic problems. Your Majesty will just promise that they will not beat me."
With the expression on his face, he looked like a child who was worried about being punished for doing something wrong. The right corner of William's mouth curved slightly, so he wrote: "I will let them help you and won't beat you. Don't worry."
Frederick breathed a sigh of relief and said to the king: "Thank you."
William also wrote: "There is no need to be polite between our brothers."
At this time, Frederick saw an elderly lady in the distance carrying a medicine bowl. He also saw that the king looked a little tired, so he said: "Your Majesty, you want to take medicine? Then I will not disturb your rest."
Already."
William seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps it was because of Frederick's enticement that he actually complained about the medicine: "The medicine Rudolf found is very hard to eat. Every time I take it, it is a kind of torture. I feel very sleepy after eating it and can't stop."
I had to sleep, and the feeling made me feel like I was dying."
After reading it, Frederick smiled and said: "There is a proverb in Peach Blossom Stone, which means that although good medicine is bitter, it is good for curing diseases; although good advice may sound unpleasant, it will help correct one's shortcomings."
William seemed like a child having a tantrum, and wrote: "No matter what, the medicine still tastes terrible. I don't want to take it, but I can't do it without taking it."
At this time, the lady who was serving the king after dinner arrived. After the two parties introduced themselves, Frederick discovered that she was actually Mrs. Hegel, the king's first love.
Frederick was no longer here to be a light bulb. He said goodbye to them and slipped away with all the notes the king had just written.
William suddenly felt vaguely that something was not quite right. He couldn't think clearly for a while, but the unpleasant medicine interrupted his train of thought.
He was about to raise his right hand to pause, but Mrs. Hegel looked angry and said: "You are not a child anymore, don't make excuses not to take medicine!"
William had no choice but to take the medicine obediently, but after taking the medicine and sleeping, he forgot about it.