Chapter 890

After leaving lottel, it took the dark haired wizard and his party nearly a week to cross the border between El mans and Bain and go from the avenue of loyalty castle in the north to red blood castle.

Looking at the bustling, lively and prosperous red blood castle in front of him, Loren had only infinite emotion in his heart.

The spacious streets were clean and tidy, and there was little to see except ruts and footprints; But this is because there is nothing else on the street except pedestrians; The original vendors on both sides could no longer find one, leaving only a pile of fences and ragged tents.

Outside the door of a closed shop is a lonely wooden sign with red paint that reads "our bakery actively follows the instructions of the Holy Cross, closes on weekends and afternoons, and will not engage in any trading activities".

Several farmers carrying grain bags passed the store door, shook their heads with a sigh, and turned away.

People come and go under the gate, which is very crowded; But in fact, only a few businessmen are trying to shout, and the vast majority are just passers-by in a hurry, as well as caravans leaving with a sad face in a carriage.

There was a lot of excitement outside Bain Cathedral, but in addition to the priests who tried to preach the doctrine and some "reformed" believers, most of the rest were still "watching the excitement", and it seemed that they didn't even know what happened.

Only the inner city behind the city wall is as prosperous and stable as ever, except that things are a little more expensive; Salt is twice as expensive, fine fresh meat is three times more expensive, fresh vegetables and refined flour are five times more expensive... Lauren glanced at the shop and found that the price of fresh eggs is almost the same as that of equal weight aged wine.

Prices are falsely high, public resentment is rising, there is no vitality, and the atmosphere is heavy

I made up my mind to return early... I did the right thing!

"It must have been young Joad of the United Chamber of Commerce." glancing at the pawnshop with "booming business" and the bakery with few people, Lucian said with some hatred:

"I remember a similar thing happened in El mans before... Falsely raising prices and hoarding goods. These profiteers can do anything for money!"

Dark haired wizard smiled and did not answer.

"Why didn't anyone stop him?" the little wizard's expression was equally confused and blinked. "The round table Council can't ignore this situation. Won't it make Byrne very dangerous?"

Behind her, Harlem van achamay wanted to stop talking, but silently looked at his favorite student with a confused face and didn't make any explanation.

Some things, it's better not to explain

A quarter of an hour later, the palace guard Knight came to meet the returning delegation; After a brief meeting, master achamei took ayin back to the wizard Union first, while luzen must go to the barracks of "wings of the sky" as soon as possible to hand over the work with the acting head during this period.

Loren alone followed the knights to the round table.

Holding down the court Herald who wanted to inform when he entered the door, the lone black haired wizard went straight into the door, through the garden in the vestibule and towards the hall.

Charles glenwell, the serious court steward, found him before he went up the stairs, and stepped forward to meet him. He looked stunned and a little flustered:

"Your Excellency, why did you come back so soon? And... Why didn't you hear the announcement from people outside..."

Bang -!

A dull noise came from the hall.

The inexplicable black haired wizard and pale Charles turned back at the same time and turned to the direction of the voice in the hall - the countess who clapped her hands on the table suddenly got up and glared at little Yod sitting in front of her.

The red faced Charlotte may be too excited. Her shoulders fluctuate and her pupils are killing;

Little Joad, who sat opposite her, was very quiet, with an indifferent expression, as if the guard knights in the hall behind him did not exist, and was calm in his seat.

This is really... A rare sight.

"Dear treasurer, you are the most trusted confidant of the Duke and the president of the United Chamber of Commerce. You have a reputation in the whole principality... No! You are a businessman of half the Empire." Charlotte clenched her teeth and stretched her cheeks very cold:

"But you have to tell me that you can't do anything about the current situation of the red blood castle...!"

There were only two people in front of the empty round table. They were clearly unarmed, but the atmosphere was tense, as if both sides would pull their swords out of their scabbards and splash blood five steps at any time.

"To be exact, there is no effective solution." with his hands crossed on the table, little Joad raised his head and looked at the angry Countess with surprising calm:

"I must remind you, Countess; I am the tax official of the principality, but those businessmen and caravans are not my vassals; I am the president of the United Chamber of Commerce, and behind them are the dignitaries and giants from all over the Empire; they are our partners and customers, and I have no right to order them to stay or control the price of goods."

"In fact, just to maintain the price stability in the inner city and ensure that the principality's finance will not collapse, you and the Duke's humble servants have done everything they can."

As he spoke, little Joad, with an indifferent expression, deliberately showed a meaningful smile.

Unfortunately, Charlotte didn't notice at all.

"Price stability - are you telling me that the bakery is closed and the price of salt doubled is price stability?"

The countess sneered, and her excited expression was slightly ferocious: "this is Bain, the richest, most prosperous and most fertile Bain in the whole empire!"

"I'm sorry, but the price of goods is only related to market supply, demand and cost, which can't be controlled by a small tax official." little Yoder shook his head again and shrugged calmly:

"If I force them to cut prices, the businessmen who flee from red blood castle will only close more shops - because it will make them unprofitable."

"So you and your Chamber of commerce took the opportunity to raise the price first and make a profit at the most critical moment of red blood castle?!"

"This is a very common business trick. If the increase reaches a certain level, it will tend to be stable, and everyone can earn money, so we will no longer consider the price increase; as for why it is the United Chamber of Commerce, it is certainly for the sake of the principality; after all, if you think about the result of other people's price increase, the people's savings of the principality will be lost and robbed by others!"

Little Joad's righteous words: "rather than let foreign businessmen search for the wealth of our people, we should search for it ourselves; in this way, in any case, these wealth will still be in the money bag of the principality!"

The countess with tight cheeks took a deep breath.

"What about the merchants of the country, the grain merchants, the bakers and the vineyard owners? Will you also tell me that you can't do anything about them?"

"Of course, there's nothing I can do... This is also to follow the Duke's support policy for the church before he leaves!" little Joad nodded seriously:

"They took the initiative to follow bishop Byrne's orders, did not carry out any loan business, did not carry out business activities on weekends and afternoons, and refused to make too much profits, so they decided to close the door - this is a manifestation of their piety. How can I scold them?"

Little Joad's expression was natural and full of grievances: "you know how terrible the price of goods outside is now, but the United Chamber of commerce still bears the high price and uses the past parity to supply the red blood Castle army and all the needs of the court."

"Why? Because the United Chamber of Commerce and your humble servants regard this as a dedication and obligation to the principality. They would rather bear the losses themselves than ensure that the principality's finances will not collapse - we have done our best to do this alone!"

"Is it your risk to the principality to blackmail the subjects of red blood castle at a high price?" Charlotte gnashed her teeth.

"Of course!" little Joad nodded solemnly. "As you know, bishop Byrne has stopped all high loan business, and our chamber of commerce is also trying to support it."

"But this raises another problem, namely, the lack of financial resources - you know, the development of the principality in the past few years has depended on a large amount of low interest or even interest free debt of the United Chamber of Commerce; if the chamber of Commerce has no money, how can it subsidize the Principality's finance?"

When the voice fell, little Joad saw that little Joad in front of him raised his head slightly and his body trembled instinctively.

This expression... That means she's really angry.

"Of course... There's nothing we can do." little Joad, who noticed something wrong, immediately turned the conversation and smiled a little flatteringly: "if the round table Council can provide some help and cooperation, the United Chamber of commerce can still find a way."

"Speak." Charlotte didn't mean to be polite to him at all.

"The reason for all this is very simple, that is, businessmen's fear of the Byrne Church... Mainly the recent reform of bishop Byrne." little Joad smiled brightly:

"In fact, we have no fear of the new reform of the church itself, but the speed and process of the Bishop's implementation is too fast and too sudden; we will inevitably have some fear of this sudden change."

"We are just ordinary people. We don't like to see too many changes different from the past; when they appear, it is inevitable to be afraid, and fearful people... Often do things that are not very rational."

"So..." Charlotte tried to hold back her inner anger and said calmly as much as possible: "how can we make your 'noble' businessmen no longer so afraid?"

"Simply, let the round table Council and the court no longer support bishop Byrne - I mean, no longer so unequivocally assist the bishop in carrying out his new reform." the more flattering young Joad became:

"The affairs of the church should be left to the church, and the round table Council should not participate in it. This is bishop Byrne's wish... What do you think?"

"Of course, these are only the next side of the story. Whether they can succeed or not is not certain; maybe they can, maybe not... But if the round table Council refuses to even express its position, I think it is difficult for those businessmen to be persuaded by the next few words."

He is blackmailing himself and forcing himself to make an offer

The countess, who was angry, felt more and more murderous in her chest.

No, you can't be angry; Be calm and don't be affected by his words.

We have to find a way to reach a compromise with the United Chamber of Commerce behind little Joad without appearing weak in front of a group of businessmen.

What should I do?

Is there any good way to end this dilemma

"Dang --!"

A guard Knight guarding the door accidentally bumped the scabbard against the door; Just a slight bang, but the harsh metal sound spread all over the hall.

The two of them almost instinctively raised their heads. The black haired wizard who also looked back outside the door collided with Charles' eyes and looked at each other.

For a moment, the four people were stunned.

Finally, the first to react was still Charles, the court steward.

"Lord of the thirteenth Lord of Byrne, Duke Loren Turin!"

The loud and clear voice broke the silence of the moment; The expressionless Lorraine crossed the gate and entered the empty hall.

He was stunned for only a second, and the expression of little Joad, which was reflected in an instant, was hard to see at once.

He was just outside, that is to say... He, he just forced the countess to blackmail

All, all seen by him?!

In an instant, little Joad suddenly recalled the fear that many years ago, the sailors on the returning ship were slaughtered and completely dominated by Loren Turin

The man who was covered in blood and smiled at himself in the sunshine on the deck... I can remember it so far!

He's coming, he's coming towards himself!

He, he will kill me, right; He will kill me. He and the countess have not already

Huh?

Little Joad suddenly opened his eyes and saw the figure of the dark haired wizard passing by.

I didn't even look at myself!

By the time he recovered, the dark haired wizard was standing in front of the countess.

With her head held high, Charlotte stared at some reddish eyes and bit her lower lip with some stubbornness and inexplicable fear in her eyes.

The expressionless Lauren raised her right hand and pressed her trembling right shoulder.

"I remember... An earl said he would return the intact Byrne to me when I returned." looking at the countess with a stiff expression, Loren raised her eyebrows:

"But what I heard seemed a little different from what she said."

"It's just a small situation. It's no big deal." Charlotte, who didn't bow her head, suddenly pressed the palm of her shoulder, and her slender fingers pinched Lauren's pulse:

"Give me another half day and I'll make everything back."

"... can I take it that you refuse to admit defeat?"

"Whatever you think, punish me. Although I'm punished, I'm willing to admit defeat."

With a slight hum, the proud Charlotte turned her cheek and glanced at some frightened President:

"Before that, I have to deal with some bad servant of the Turin family!"