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GOR Chapter 264 "Such Conditions"
In the evening, Du Wei had Mard decorate the small banquet hall and had the kitchen prepare some exquisite dishes. Thus, the servants were already waiting for the Marquise's arrival.
When the servant pushed open the door and led Mrs. Lister inside, Du Wei couldn't help but be dazzled for a moment.
With an elegant smile on her face, Mrs. Lister wore a red evening gown that accentuated her beauty like a blooming rose. The well-tailored style of the dress accentuated her slender waist. Her elegant bearing, coupled with her youthful face, seemed to perfectly blend the two different charms of purity and maturity into her body. Such a devilish figure coupled with a perfect face and a charming demeanor, Du Wei was momentarily entranced.
Moving her eyes around, Mrs. Lister looked at Du Wei and smiled: "Duke, am I late?"
Du Wei gently coughed and stood up to personally pull out a chair for her: "No, no. It's just that I lost my composure when I saw Madam's charming demeanor. "
Mrs. Lister faintly glanced at Du Wei, her eyes full of hidden bitterness: "I'm afraid Duke Du Wei doesn't mean what he said. I've been in the Northwest for so long and this is the first time you've invited me to dinner alone."
Du Wei tilted his head and pretended to pick up the wine bottle on the table. Avoiding Mrs. Lister's gaze, he then waved his hand to dismiss the servants in the room.
By the time the door was closed, Du Wei was already standing by Mrs. Lister's side. Personally pouring her a glass of wine, he smiled: "Mrs. Lister, you're blaming me for neglecting our guests. If word gets out and the nobles in the capital find out that I dared to neglect the number one beauty of the Roland Empire, I'm afraid I'll drown in their spittle. "
Then Du-Wei walked back to his seat and sat down. Raising his glass, he motioned: "I'll first propose a toast to the lady. Just take it as my apology for neglecting the beauty."
Mrs. Lister smiled and the two raised their glasses. Du Wei drank it in one gulp while Mrs. Lister only took a small sip.
Du Wei then poured himself a second glass of wine and smiled: "This second glass is to wish the Madam's eternal beauty and the Lister Family's eternal friendship."
The Marquise giggled and drank a little more in the second glass.
After the second glass, Du Wei raised his glass again and said: "The third glass is to thank you …. Dadaneier told me …."
Not waiting for Du Wei to finish, Mrs. Lister interrupted him. Gently covering her mouth, the beauty gave Du Wei a half angry and half resentful look. Her eyes were charming and her voice was as soft as water: "Duchess, you're not trying to get me drunk, are you?"
"Of course not!" Du Wei's expression didn't change as if he wasn't affected by the other party's beauty: "The third glass is to thank you for giving me such a good idea. Well, you don't have to drink this glass, I'll drink it myself. "
After drinking three glasses of wine in a row, Du Wei couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Putting down his glass, he looked at the Marquise and said: "Actually, in addition to my gratitude, I also admire the Madam's talent. If it weren't for your idea, I don't know how long I would have a headache. "
Pursing her lips into a smile, the Marquise then faintly said: "Your Excellency the Duke is so smart, what could possibly be difficult for you? I'm afraid my idea was a mess and made a fool of myself. I only hope you won't blame me for being talkative. I know I'm a woman, how much knowledge can I have? So I can only ask Sir Dadaneier to do it for me. "
"I'm grateful for the Madam's kindness." Du Wei solemnly said such a sentence.
The Marquise suddenly stared at Du Wei with her pair of eyes. Those eyes were hazy and full of meaning, causing Du Wei's heart to feel somewhat uncomfortable. But this time, before he could change the topic, the Marquise had already opened her mouth with a smile: "I think the reason the Duke invited me to dinner tonight is because of this matter. Could it be that without this matter, you would ignore me? "
Du Wei coughed and smiled. Just as he was about to speak ….
"Yes, Your Excellency the Duke." Tilting her head to the side, Madam Lister thought for a moment. One has to admit, this action of hers is really charming. Du Wei spent a lot of willpower to move his eyes away. "Your Excellency the Duke ….. If you still want to thank me, then there's no need. If you really want to express your gratitude, then I want to ask you a favor. I don't know if you can agree?"
Du Wei's heart skipped a beat ….. It can't be another marriage request, right? Hmm, it shouldn't be.
"As long as it's within my power." Du Wei sighed, but he didn't say anything.
The Marquise giggled and charmingly glanced at Du Wei. There was a hint of playfulness in her eyes as if to say: I knew you would say that.
"Rest assured, my request isn't difficult. It's definitely something you can do."
Du Wei's heart was perturbed. Suddenly, he felt a bit regretful: Why did I invite this woman to dinner for no reason? My brain must've been muddled during the day.
It was only when he was alone with this woman that he could feel her compelling beauty and captivating charm.
"Presumably you also know. My Lister Family is a merchant family. Although I ….. Hmm, although my life was hard and my husband died early, His Majesty took pity on me and gave me the title of Marquise. But this title is only for life and not hereditary. " The Marquise softly said: "My Lister Family is not a noble lord, so we don't have our own territory. Before, my temperament didn't like to be lively, nor did I get tired of the headaches in the capital. So I've been living in my home in the north. Although my Lister Family doesn't have a territory, but after all these years, we still have some foundation. In the north, we have a castle manor and two farms. Usually, it's just a cover. The farms are also used by the White Feather Knight to train the soldiers. "
Hearing her suddenly talk about her family, Du Wei couldn't help but feel relieved. It's just that his heart was filled with doubts.
"… … Duke, you know, my Lister Family started out as a merchant family. But in recent years, the Empire's military budget has been reduced, and the expeditions to the southern seas have not been carried out for several years. From what I can see, Prince Son's policy will also reduce the military budget. I'm afraid the Empire will not send troops to the southern seas in the short term. In the southern seas, there's not much potential for trade profits. Without the support of the Empire's expeditionary force, I'm afraid there won't be any profits in the next few years. Thus, I've decided to gradually reduce the maritime trade. " Speaking up to here, she paused for a moment and deliberately glanced at Du Wei. Then she slowly picked up the wine glass and gently took half a sip. Her originally white jade-like face was immediately dyed with a layer of rouge after being steamed by the wine. Her eyes became even more blurred and intoxicating.
I'm afraid this is what the so-called "seductive gaze" looks like.
Du Wei cleared his throat and slowly said: "It's admirable that Madam has such a decision. The southern seas trade is huge, but Madam is able to look at the future and know when to stop. This is already beyond the reach of ordinary people. "
The Marquise giggled and then glanced at Du Wei: "Duke, don't praise me too early. I'm afraid you're going to frown when I say the rest. "
Du Wei pondered for a moment and then took a sip of wine: "Madam, you said you have something for me to do … … Does it have anything to do with the family business you mentioned?"
"Exactly." Madam Lister deliberately sighed: "I'm a woman. Although I'm the head of the house, I've lived up to my father's trust. But as the days go by, I'm also feeling very tired. My brother and sister are still young, and I've been supporting the family all these years. Only a few people know the pain in my heart … … Alas. But no matter what, I can't bear to see the Lister Family fall. I can't bear to see the foundation left behind by my father fall. I can only do my best step by step. "
Duwei didn't interrupt. He realized that what the other party was going to say next was the meat of the show!
"The sea trade is shrinking with each passing day. I've thought about it … … During this trip to the Northwest, I've seen the Desa Province prosper under your governance. Although the relationship with the prairie people is still a bit tense, it's still stable. And with you overseeing the border, all the trade with the prairie has to pass through the Desa Province. There's a lot of business opportunities here. Hmm … … So I've thought about it for a long time before making this decision. I only hope you can support me. "
Du Wei's heart suddenly moved. Faintly guessing the Marquise's intention, he couldn't help but blurt out: "You mean … …"
"I plan to move the Lister Family to the Northwest!"
Listening to the Marquise's serious tone, Du Wei couldn't help but stare blankly.
Looking at Du Wei's expression, the Marquise suddenly chuckled: "See, I wasn't wrong. You frowned as soon as you heard it."
Du Wei couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. Fortunately, the Marquise didn't intend to pursue the matter. Chuckling, he continued: "There will be a lot of business opportunities in the Northwest in the next few years … … Also, I'll say something disrespectful. Even if the empire wants to attack the prairie in the future, the Desa Province and Nurin Province are important places to prepare for war. Whether it's weapons, provisions, or tents, my Lister Family is involved in all of these businesses. It's better to plan early and take root here. That way, we'll be able to take advantage of opportunities in the future. "
Du Wei pondered for a moment. The reasoning is correct. But for Mrs. Lister to make such a request, it's not just for business!
"Duke, the Desa Province is under your control. Since I've decided to move my family here, I'll have to rely on your support."
"That's only natural." Du Wei readily agreed. In this case, it's not up to him to refuse.
"Hmm, I believe in the Duke's words. However, there are still some things that I'll have to trouble you with. "The Marquise thought for a moment and smiled:" I have a few small requests that I hope you can agree to. "
Du Wei sighed: "Please speak."
"First of all, I want to set up a residence in Loulan City as a residence for the family. My Lister House may not be too big, but there are still three to five hundred people in the house, including the stewards, attendants, and coachmen. Hmm, it's best if it's close to the Duke's Mansion. The streets are wide and the security is good. I can offer to buy the land from the Mayor's Mansion. As for the price, it'll be the official price. "
"Second, since I'm moving my family here, the White Feather Knight Regiment will naturally follow. Although the White Feather Knight Regiment has five hundred people, you and I both know that it's just a cover to avoid the empire's laws. Including the Knight Regiment's' retainers', there are about two thousand people in total. These two thousand cavalry can't be stationed in the city …. And …. "At this point, Madame Lister smiled:" Since I'm willing to join forces with the Duke, I naturally have absolute trust in you. In the past, when I was in the north, I naturally needed some military force to protect myself. But from now on, I'll be entrusting the Duke's land to me so there's no need for the White Feather Knight Regiment to exist. In any case, I'm sure the Duke will protect my family in case something happens. So, after thinking about it, the two thousand White Feather Knight Regiment don't need to be stationed in the city. I'll ask the Duke to set up another camp outside the city. I'll have the White Feather Knight Regiment wear the armor of the Tulip Family from now on. I'll leave thirty to fifty people by my side, the rest will be under the Duke's command from now on. As for military expenses …. From now on, the White Feather Knight Regiment's military expenses will be borne by my Lister Family every year. "
"There's a third …. I know the Duke's Tulip Family private army is currently under your command. Their weapons and armor were all purchased from the Demonic Beast of Delan Mountain. Although my Lister Family's weapons business isn't as big as that fatty's, but it's still a small scale. From now on, I'll take advantage of you. In the future, the Tulip Family's weapons business will be handed over to my Lister Family. I think the Demonic Beast of Delan Mountain has a good relationship with me, so he shouldn't resent me for stealing his business. As for the price, it'll be half of that fatty's price. "
"There's a fourth …."
The more Du Wei listened, the more shocked he became. He couldn't help but show an expression on his face!
This …. This woman!
How is she asking me for a favor? She's clearly selling at a loss …. No! She's simply giving it away at a loss!!!
One by one, although it's nominally moving the family to the Desa Province, it's actually giving me money (The arrival of such a business family is bound to stimulate business and increase taxes) and people (The White Feather Knight Regiment was given to me!). Finally, she's even providing military equipment at a low price!!
Such a good thing, I'm afraid any local official or lord of the Empire, as long as they're not an idiot, would never refuse!!
This Mrs. Lister sure has a lot of courage. She's so determined to stick the Lister Family to me?!
"Madam." Not waiting for the Marquise to say the fourth condition, Du Wei already waved his hand and looked at the other party with a smile that isn't a smile: "The conditions you mentioned …. I think as long as you're not a lunatic, you'll naturally be able to ask for it. However, this way, I'll be taking too much advantage. My heart is a bit uneasy. "
"It's only business." Mrs. Lister faintly smiled: "Although it seems like I'm paying a lot, but I believe that your Excellency Duke is a man of great foresight. My payment can only be considered as an investment. With a big tree like you, I think the Lister Family will definitely take root and sprout in the Northwest. In the future, there will naturally be returns. "
"If that's the case …." Du Wei pondered for a moment, "I can't accept it all. Otherwise, I'm afraid others will scold me for being too greedy. If Madam moves to the Northwest, then for one year, the Lister Family's business will be exempt from taxes. For three years, the tax will be halved! After three years, the tax will only be 80%! "
As soon as he said this, the Marquise's face darkened instead. Staring at Du Wei for a moment, she then sighed: "You …. You just don't want to accept my good intentions, is that it?"
In such a good night, with wine in front of a beautiful woman, Du Wei's heart can't help but waver. Looking at the resentful face of the Marquise, he couldn't help but take a sip of wine to cover it up. Changing the topic, he smiled: "Tonight's main dish is the best cook in the city that I had Mard invite over. In a moment, I'll have to let Madam taste it."
Mrs. Lister's eyes didn't change, but she lowered her head. After a long while, she lifted her head and drained the wine in one gulp. Looking at Du Wei, she suddenly said: "I ….. It's very stuffy here. Duke, please accompany me for a walk in the garden."
(There's one more chapter in the evening ~!
Tonight is the time for me to straighten out my relationship with the Lister Family. This beautiful woman, should I marry her or not? Hmm, Loli is what I want, and Big Sister is also what I want ….. Let's wait and see. Since I'm playing this ambiguous game, I might as well play it to the end!
By the way, I'm only a thousand votes away from breaking the monthly vote record. There are only a few days left in the month, so if you have a monthly vote, please support me! The time for the final push has come!)
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