The Rise of the European Emperor

This time, Marin still chose to bring about 300 cavalry escorts. Kahn and Sauer also accompanied him. Kahn brought 100 master guards as the main guard. Sauer accompanied him with 100 of the best scouts, exploring the way for the team and scouting the enemy.

As for the other 100 people, they were all black-shirted knights who professionally shot and killed knights who intervened. After all, a powerful team of 300 people like Marin's belt can't be stopped by the infantry, only the knights will pose a threat. Even if Kahn goes shopping with elite guards and encounters the knights of the brigade, there will be huge casualties. But the black-shirted knights can kill the chasing plate knights without any casualties. As for the hussars, Karn and his 100 plate guards will take care of that.

In order to speed up the journey, Marin and his party consisted of three horses, one war horse and two pack horses. Soon, the team arrived in the city of Münster and was warmly received by the Bishop of Münster, Conrad.

Although this year's autumn harvest still belongs to the original owner of the land, after the autumn harvest, the original land of about 80,000 Ugrams in the South Münster area will be temporarily managed by the Rietberg family. The annual income of hundreds of thousands of gold coins, Bishop Conrad is heartbroken. Therefore, when receiving Marin, he was also very warm.

Marin passed by this time, but he had something to discuss with Bishop Conrad. Specifically, it was the construction of a canal that Bishop Conrad had mentioned before to connect the Lippe River and the Ames River.

Seeing that winter is coming, the farmers will be very leisurely until March of the next year. But Marin remembers that in China, apart from the bitter cold in the north, winter has always been a good time to build water conservancy. Therefore, taking advantage of the slack in winter, it is better to dig canals.

Moreover, in winter, in addition to the coastal wet areas, the inland areas are generally dry and the water level is low, which is also very suitable for deep digging of river channels. In summer when the water level is high, it is not suitable for digging too deep river channels at all. Because the underground seepage is too great. Moreover, if it rains a lot, the excavated ditches are also prone to flooding.

Therefore, the best season to dig river trenches is actually winter. Of course, not in high latitudes. Because those areas are too cold, the soil is frozen, and it is impossible to dig at all.

Marin's meaning is to hope that Bishop Conrad, in the winter, organizes the serfs in the South Münster area to start digging the canal. During the process of digging the canal, Marin will provide food all the way, and there is enough brown bread. Also, shovels will be provided.

After the excavation was over, those serfs could take the shovels back to their respective estates.

Bishop Conrad agreed without hesitation. Anyway, such a thing would do him no harm, only good. Moreover, this canal passes near the city of Münster. In the future, the city of Münster will become a water transportation hub, which is very beneficial to the local economy. Why not?

Although, the excavation of this canal may take several years, and then Bishop Conrad may not be able to live to see the benefits it brings. However, the cost of digging the canal was not paid by him, but by Marin. Therefore, Bishop Conrad has no reason to object to this matter.

As for why Marin asked Bishop Conrad to do this? It's very simple, Marin has already promised that Bishop Conrad will manage the South Munster area while he is alive. If you want to dig a canal in the South Munster area, you can only ask Bishop Conrad to do it.

Moreover, the canal that Marin wants to dig is not a super grand canal like the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in later generations, but a small canal that is only slightly larger than the irrigation river.

Its width, Marin is set at about 15 meters, and the depth is only a few meters deep. In this way, the amount of engineering is greatly reduced. That is, the level of a larger irrigation river.

The reason for making such a choice is because of practical needs. After the canal was dug, the ships that passed through and the goods carried, probably the most important ones were grain and coal.

However, limited by the current industrial level and economic level, in general, the inflow and outflow of goods cannot be too large. Therefore, an inland ship with a displacement of 100 tons is sufficient. And a 100-ton inland ship, the width is not 7.5 meters. Digged to a width of 15 meters, it is definitely enough for two 100-ton ships to meet.

Moreover, inland water transportation may not necessarily use such a large ship. Probably only for the transportation of grain and coal, a 100-ton ship is needed. General small merchant ships, dozens of tons of ten-ton class is enough. Even a rocking boat with a displacement of less than ten tons is very suitable for sailing on such a small canal. Get a mast on the scull and hang a stiff sail that can take advantage of the wind. When the wind is blowing, the sail is used to drive the sailing. When there is no wind, move forward. Although the speed is a little slower, the cargo capacity of the ship is also several tons, which is equivalent to the cargo capacity of a small truck, but the speed is slower.

When Marin took control of the Ruhr area, the steam engine could be loaded onto a hundred-ton transport ship, making canal transportation more convenient. Or, when the time comes, we will directly engage in trucks and transport them by rail.

But in any case, water transportation is the most economical mode of transportation. In later generations, Germany built several canals in the country for transportation. Of course, those are all large canals that run large cargo ships of more than a thousand tons. Unlike the canal created by Marin, it is only larger than the irrigation river, and can run up to 100-ton cargo ships.

The reason why Marin wanted to dig this canal was because he felt that it would be too inconvenient for coal ships and iron ore ships to pass through several other countries. Moreover, it is easy to be intercepted by people and delay things. If a coal or iron ore ship is seized, it could delay the operation of the steel plant. You know, the blast furnace of a steel plant cannot be stopped casually. If you stop the furnace, it will damage the furnace.

And once the canal is built and the Ruhr area is annexed, the coal ships will go on their own borders. Buying iron ore from Luxembourg, although it has to pass through other countries, is not a big problem. Because the countries along the way are basically friendly. Even if it is not friendly and dares to intercept the iron ore ship, it doesn't matter, beat him - isn't this just an excuse for Marin to send troops...

The meeting with Bishop Conrad went very smoothly. Bishop Conrad was also very attentive about the excavation of the canal, which made Marin very satisfied.

The only thing that worries Marin is that Bishop Conrad is too healthy and flushed. Marin originally agreed to let Bishop Conrad continue to govern the South Munster area on the basis that Bishop Conrad only lived to 1508. If Bishop Conrad lived an extra ten or eight years because he was happy, Marin would cry...

So, Marin thought about it and decided - just wait until 1508. If by the end of 1508, Bishop Conrad was still alive and kicking, he would have sent someone to quietly kill the old fellow. Of course, the method has to be hidden. Otherwise, the impact will be too bad...

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