strictlysupreme Chapter 904 Engagement
Chapter 904 Engagement
Chapter 904 Engagement
Europe, Eagle Castle in Allgäu.
The wedding of Otto and the second daughter of the Duke of Lower Lorraine has entered the final stage of preparation, and Eagle Castle has also ushered in a large-scale renovation.
Craftsmen from Milan, Prague and Aachen came together to repair the castle and built a giant arena in the manor at the foot of the mountain that could accommodate thousands of spectators.
Count Werner had not planned to make a big scene at first, but with the news that Lothar was crowned king overseas, the Habsburgs had become the new prominent family in Europe. Distant relatives, vassal colleagues, and even the Hohenstaufen royal family, who might not visit in the past even if they received invitations, at least not in person, would all come by then, and the wedding would be of higher and higher standard.
To this end, Werner almost emptied his wallet, including the property that Lothar had previously sent back with the caravan.
"Gottfried is a vain old man who only knows how to brag about his royal marriage all day long, but when asked to pay a little money, he cries about being poor."
Werner was a little annoyed. If it weren't for the Duke of Lower Lorraine's big mouth, this wedding wouldn't have attracted so much attention.
Otto sat on the side, responding to his father's chatter in a disjointed manner. He knew that his father was "in pain and happiness" now, and if anyone tried to persuade him to have a simple wedding, the old man would be the first to get angry with him.
At the right moment, a knight walked into the lord's hall excitedly and handed over a letter: "Sir, young master, this is a letter from His Majesty Lothar."
This is the latest news that was specially sent after the merchant ship from Cyprus arrived in Lower Burgundy, also known as Provence.
Due to the limitations of the way information is transmitted, the news that Lothar was crowned King of Egypt and stopped a tragedy of Christian infighting is still the most talked-about anecdote in Europe at this time.
This was actually two months ago.
Seeing the news on the letter, Otto was so shocked that his mouth couldn't close. After a long while, he put down the letter under his father's urging eyes and said absentmindedly: "Lothar is the emperor!"
Werner was stunned: "Didn't Losa stay in Constantinople?"
Some time ago, almost every tavern in Europe was talking about the romantic affair between his youngest son and the Queen of the Eastern Empire. Many people believed that Lothar would bring his Crusader Kingdom under the rule of the Eastern Empire, and rule this ancient empire together with the Queen as Basileus.
He was not that surprised that Lothar became emperor, but he was a little worried about whether his wise and brave youngest son, who had made great achievements, could handle the conspiracies and tricks of the Greeks.
"He is not. It is hard to explain in a few words. You can see for yourself!"
Otto handed over the letter with a look of surprise on his face. He felt that when he first went to the Holy Land and saw Lothar, he already felt that Lothar's promotion was fast enough. Who would have thought that he had been back for just over half a year and hadn't even gotten married yet, but Lothar had become the emperor!
"Father, will we also be a royal family from now on?"
He couldn't help swallowing.
If he was recognized as a member of the royal family, even if he was just a descendant of a side branch without any territory, it would be enough to win the respect of other nobles. What's more, Lothar only had one brother, so his value was much greater than that of any side branch.
Thinking of this, Otto could no longer sit still. He stood up and said eagerly, "Father, why don't we go overseas to Losa!"
Otto also visited the Holy Land. Although he said with disdain when he came back that the nobles of the Holy Land had become corrupt and decadent and no longer had the bravery of their ancestors, he actually had great admiration for it in his heart.
In his eyes, no, it should be said that in the eyes of most European nobles, going overseas to be the lord of a city is better than staying in Europe to be a country earl.
Werner finally finished reading the letter and looked at his excited eldest son. He couldn't help but scold him, "You are about to get married, but you are still so unstable."
Otto was so proud: "We are already royals, why do we have to marry that whore from Lower Lorraine? Don't you think that old man Gottfried is a decent relative?"
Then Losa would have been emperor in vain.
Werner snorted, "Without the coronation of His Holiness, he is usurping the throne."
Otto could not help but say: "Lothar defeated Saladin several times, lifted the siege of the Holy City, and recovered Egypt and Damascus. Now he holds three crowns in his hands and has obtained the legal rights of half of the empire from the Eastern Empire. How can he be considered usurping power?"
"Besides, if Lothar really rode his dragon to the Papal City, would His Holiness dare to let him wait in the snow?"
The Shame of Canossa brought the Pope's authority to its peak, but the revenge from Henry IV that followed clearly demonstrated what "imperial supremacy" meant.
Moreover, in Otto's view, Henry IV of the Salian family was not qualified to be compared with Lothar.
Werner hesitated for a moment. He and other old-school nobles grew up under the authority of the emperor and the Holy See. Their greatest vision in life was to expand the Habsburg family territory from Aargau to Schilgau. In his eyes, bringing Zurich under his rule was a luxury.
As for bringing the entire Swiss Plateau under the rule, creating a "Duke of Switzerland" title recognized by the emperor, or obtaining the title of "Vice Prince of Burgundy" like the Zähringen family, those were all fantasies that came to mind when one was seriously ill and drank too much "belladonna wine".
The news that Lothar had worn three crowns in succession overseas and was going to establish an overseas empire was really something he couldn't handle.
Needless to say, the value of the Egyptian crown is enormous. Jerusalem is also the most sacred crown in the Christian world. When Losa wears these three crowns, it means that three of the five major Christian patriarchates are under his rule.
He frowned and snorted, "Even if that's the case, what does the empire founded by Lothar have to do with you?"
"I don't expect him to make me a duke. With my ability, I should be able to manage a city alone!"
Werner said unhappily, "What about the ancestral land? Don't we want it?"
Otto rolled his eyes and thought, this is just a remote place, if it is lost, it is lost.
He thought so in his heart, but he dared not say it out loud: "Of course we can't lose the ancestral land, but why don't you appoint a trusted person to take charge? The output of these territories combined is not as much as the tax revenue of any city under Lothar's control."
"Humph, you were not there when Lothar was conquering the world, but now that he is on the throne, you are rushing to join him. Do you have the nerve to do that?"
Otto said indifferently: "Why should I be embarrassed? We are blood brothers. He has to appoint many officials anyway. Am I not more trustworthy than those irrelevant people?"
Werner sneered, "If you want to use this as an excuse to escape the marriage, I advise you to give up the idea. The marriage has been signed, examined by the church, and approved by the Lord. There is no room for change."
Otto couldn't help but howl at the top of his voice: "Father, I know you feel guilty for driving Lothar out of the house, and you don't want to accept his kindness and go overseas to enjoy life, but you can't push me into the fire pit. What kind of person is Gottfried's daughter? She is simply a mare who mates casually in the stable and lays eggs in other people's nests. Does the reputation of the Habsburg family need to be reflected by marrying such a woman?"
"Shut up! How dare you humiliate your future wife like this!"
Werner was furious. It would be fine if Otto said this in private, but once it got out, it would likely turn the two families into mortal enemies and a feud.
"But father, can this marriage still bring any benefit to the family now? I don't know how many people are laughing at you for arranging my marriage too early, so that the brother of the King of Egypt is going to marry a whore."
Otto's eyes were filled with tears. He had never imagined that as a son of a noble family, he could decide his own marriage, but the reputation of this marriage partner was too bohemian.
Werner didn't know what to say for a moment.
Just as Otto said, the prestige of the Habsburgs no longer needed to be demonstrated by a marriage with the Duke of Lower Lorraine. The family of "marrying high and marrying low" had completely transformed into "marrying low and marrying high".
Originally, for practical benefits, in order to establish a relationship with the Duke of Lorraine, a powerful ally, he had accepted the woman's bad reputation, but what was the point of accepting it now?
Just to avoid being seen as a "defaulter" and to protect the family's reputation?
Given the current status of the Habsburg family, marrying a woman like this would be a real disgrace to the family's reputation, right?
Werner thought for a long time, trying to convince himself.
Although he was an old-fashioned noble who followed traditions, the breaking news of Lothar's coronation as emperor made him realize that he should not be so stubborn anymore.
for a long time.
The old earl finally said, "Forget it. If you want to go overseas, it's up to you."
Otto, who was wiping his tears with his head down, suddenly widened his eyes. He never expected that his "hard-hearted" father would make such a big compromise.
Werner sternly warned: "I have made a promise. You must never criticize your fiancée's chastity again. I will ask the church to cancel this engagement on the grounds of 'blood relationship within seven generations'."
Gottfried, this cunning old man, must have anticipated that there would be some changes in this side's thoughts, so he made the engagement between the two known to everyone.
"Well, it's nothing more than returning the other party's betrothal gift and paying them some money as compensation."
In this era, the cost of breaking off an engagement was very heavy. If one party refused to give in and went before the feudal lord or the bishop of the diocese, their inheritance rights might be restricted or even part of their territory might be taken away as punishment.
But Werner thought to himself that as the emperor's trusted minister, such consequences should not occur.
Besides, if a lawsuit really came to this, Werner would not be afraid. It would only mean a complete break-up between the two sides. The fact that Gottfried's daughter was not chaste before marriage and had a chaotic private life was not a big deal. Once it was on the scale, it would become a huge matter.
Otto was overjoyed: "Great, father, let's go pack our things now, and then Lothar will give each of us a city to be the lord of!"
Werner snorted coldly, "You can go by yourself. There must be someone left at Eagle Castle."
Seeing that Otto was trying to persuade him again, he waved his hand impatiently: "Get out of here before I change my mind!"