At the beginning of May, Maximilian I gathered an army of 12,000 in Innsbruck, the capital of the Principality of Tyrol, where he always lived. After the official oath, he raised the banner and officially began to "march into Rome."
According to the method discussed with Marin before, the army walked slowly after leaving Innsbruck. Along the way, whenever he came across a town, the emperor would invite all the local nobles to have a special "pepper feast" together. It is to let the nobles eat all kinds of barbecue with pepper. In front of each nobleman, there is a plate full of pepper, cinnamon, clove powder...
The expenditure on spices alone is enough for the emperor to drink a pot. Fortunately, because Marin helped the emperor earn more than one million gold coins a few years ago, there is still some balance. In addition, the Duke of Saxony also gave the emperor 300,000 gold coins in order to get Friesland. Therefore, the emperor's spice money is still affordable.
Starting from Innsbruck, it was delayed for many days just in Tyrol. However, this is foreplay and it is necessary. Because the emperor needed time to let the people in the Graubünden region of Switzerland know his name of "bold". At that time, I will hold a banquet in Switzerland, so that no one will not come because of fear.
Moreover, the Mistel Valley is actually in the southeast of the Graubünden region. If the emperor really went to Italy at once, he would not be able to "pass through" Chur, the capital of the Graubünden region in the northwest.
But this is not a problem. This was included in Marin's previous idea to the emperor. The emperor can turn to the northwest direction first in the name of insufficient number of troops, and go to the Swabian League to borrow some soldiers, and go to the Swabian area first.
The conflict in Swabia and Zurich also reached a truce in the spring. Because, the Zurich people and the Swabians have to be busy with spring plowing...
Right now, everyone's spring plowing has just ended, and the war has not yet resumed. In fact, even if the emperor went to the Swabian League, he would not be able to borrow any soldiers. Because the Swabian League is still preparing to continue fighting with Zurich.
But the emperor's original intention was not to borrow troops, but to "borrow the way". Only in this way can the emperor have an excuse to "pass by" the northern region of Graubünden...
The emperor threw money to treat guests to dinner all the way. After arriving in the Swabian area, he did not borrow many soldiers. The Swabian League was tight due to the war, but in order to save face for the emperor, the entire alliance only collected 1,000 old, weak, sick and disabled and gave them to the emperor to decorate the front.
The emperor was "very helpless" and had no choice but to go south, but at this time, the emperor's army was already in the north of Chur, the capital of Graubingen, and it was only natural to go south and pass through the city of Chur.
However, in order to pretend to be a bit more like, the emperor also specially sent forward troops to go south ahead of time and head towards the Müstair Valley, as if to "stand in the front".
At the same time, the emperor continued to feast on the nobles along the way. Not only that, the emperor also sent a letter to Kuer, asking the local people to gather some troops for him to help him "embolden".
After all, "March into Rome" is a political gamble that requires enough troops to support the scene. The emperor was also a brilliant politician. This was not included in Marin's plan before, but the emperor added it temporarily.
At that time, when the emperor's army arrives outside the city of Chur, they can use "borrowing troops" as an excuse to invite the local nobles to come together and discuss major issues...
Because the emperor made a lot of momentum this time, the shameful story that he didn't borrow any soldiers from the Swabian League also spread throughout Switzerland. The Swiss didn't realize at all that the emperor was deliberately humiliating...
Although it is really embarrassing to only borrow 1,000 old, weak, sick and disabled, but relying on this "borrowing troops", the emperor successfully pulled the army to the preparation direction of the capital of Graubünden, which made it easier for the emperor to go south and "just passed by" Chur . And a proper "shame" can also make the Swiss relax their vigilance...
Sure enough, most of the Swiss who were at odds with the emperor were discussing the ridiculous story of Maximilian I's failure to borrow troops, but no one realized that Maximilian I's real purpose was not to go to Rome, but to Chur...
Moreover, the fact that the emperor publicly stated that he would borrow troops from the Graubünden people was revealed. Everyone felt that the emperor might be killed this time.
Because 12,000 troops (not counting civilians) plus 1,000 old, weak, sick and disabled are really not enough to march into Rome. Because, these years, in the war in Italy, only 12,000 people are not enough. This is not the early Middle Ages, when ten thousand people were enough to "enter Rome". Like Conradin, the son of Emperor Conrad IV of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty, after he became king of Germany, he was defeated by Charles of Anjou because he only brought 7,000 people into Rome, and he was beheaded, causing Hohens The Taofen Dynasty died out, and even the Principality of Swabia died out together.
Because of the development of social economy, the monarchs of various countries can support more soldiers and horses than in the early Middle Ages. Therefore, the emperor only took 13,000 people to Italy, which is actually very dangerous. Among other things, as long as the pope "invites" the French to "help", the emperor can be easily defeated. Because, the French now send 20,000 to 30,000 troops at every turn.
You know, the one who defeated Conradin, who brought 7,000 people, was also a Frenchman, Charles, Count of Anjou, the younger brother of King Louis IX of France at the time.
Many people are discussing whether the French will send troops to stop Maximilian I going south to Rome this time. Also, if Maximilian I was defeated and captured by Louis XII, would he be beheaded like the young king Conradin...
Maximilian I was very depressed after hearing these remarks. Because the outside world is not optimistic about his behavior of "bravely entering Italy" with 13,000 people. Even, compare him to the most unlucky Conradin.
But while he was depressed, he was also very happy. Everyone is talking about whether he will fail in Italy, and no one realizes whether he will take Graubünden...
In order to let the world relax its vigilance even more, Maximilian I even sent his own people to publicize that Maximilian I's going to Italy was extremely dangerous, attracting the attention of the people.
At the same time, in Paris, France, Louis XII also heard that Maximilian I was going to march into Rome and wanted to be officially crowned emperor.
Louis XII couldn't sit still for a while. Right now, Maximilian I is only the king of Germany, on an equal footing with the king of France. If Maximilian I really went to Rome to be crowned, then he, the French king, would be shorter than Maximilian I in name. After all, after his coronation in Rome, Maximilian I became "Emperor of the Roman People". And the Roman Empire in the traditional sense actually included the French region. Because the early Holy Roman Emperor was actually the emperor of the Charlemagne Empire. And France is just the western region of the Charlemagne Empire.
In addition, Louis XII intends to seize the Duchy of Milan. So, regardless of whether Alexander VI liked it or not, Louis XII simply raised the banner of "supporting the Holy See" in Paris, and sent troops south to Italy...
However, Louis XII brought a full 20,000 troops, and there were 10,000 heavy cavalry alone. The other 10,000 people are all ferocious Swiss mercenaries...
If Louis XII and the emperor were to meet, the emperor might really be defeated like the unlucky boy Conradin. But it is a pity that the emperor didn't want to go to Rome at all, nor did he want to enter Italy, he just wanted to capture Graubünden. Therefore, the good show that the kings of Germany and France have just faced each other that the people who eat melons are looking forward to will not happen...