Author's Note: Looking for guaranteed monthly votes!
Romantic Guest Adabe had been feeling good about himself recently.
Even though the dwarves were seeking revenge and the arrival of Laing and the others, Romantic Guest had pretended to be calm on the surface, but he was actually very uneasy in his heart. He was afraid that someone would find trouble with him. Adabe knew that he was often a dishrag. If the princes of the business world felt that he was useless, he would very likely be abandoned.
Thus, when the dwarves arrived, Adabe had already made a series of arrangements so that he could escape from this whirlpool.
Originally, everything had been planned, but in the end, the emperor was suddenly attacked. The entire Marienburg was shaken, and everyone cursed Hugmans for his recklessness and carelessness, especially the citizens of Marienburg. They had never felt that they were people of the Empire. They thought that if you wanted to carry out an assassination, you should have planned it more carefully and in detail!
However, Adabe suddenly realized that this incident had already removed the danger he was in! Everyone in Marienburg, including the dwarves and Brittany, had already focused their attention on the emperor and the two houses of parliament.
I'm fine!
Hugmans is amazing!
He sacrificed himself in exchange for the safety of Alphonse and me!
Adabe sat in the attic on the top floor of the Seagull and Trident Inn and secretly looked down. His eyes were focused on the beautiful Knight Queen, Sulia. Adabe suddenly felt that he didn't have no chance at all. Let's wait for this storm to blow over first, then we'll take our time to come up with a plan!
"Alphonse, have you sent out the gift I asked you to prepare?" Adabe asked his son, Alphonse.
"They've all been sent out. Two gifts worth 20,000 gold marks, one for the Brittany and one for the Ashes Corps." Alphonse nodded. "Including dozens of good dwarven plate armor, more than a hundred muskets, and a large number of military logistics items. They've all been sent out, and the other party has accepted them."
"Good, very good. Next, let us take the lead and donate the fine of Marienburg," Romantic Guest said confidently. "We'll donate first, we'll donate … 15,000 gold marks! Alphonse, go and gather the entire city to donate. Mobilize everyone, especially the members of the upper and lower houses. "
"But Father, will those councilors be willing to donate?" Alphonse was still a little hesitant. He said in a low voice, "After all, this is a direct donation. There's no benefit to it, and it's not as reputable as charity."
"Hey, stupid brat, what do you know?" Adabe couldn't help but chuckle. The underground emperor who had been in Marlin Castle for decades reached out his index finger and tapped on the table. He tapped the wooden table lightly with his fingertip. "Only when those councilors take the lead in donating will the citizens be willing to follow suit. This is a necessary condition."
"Yes." Alphonse nodded. His son also agreed with him. He leaned back and slowly leaned against the armchair. "But that's the problem. How do we convince the councilors to donate?"
"It's very simple. We have made an agreement with the Councilors beforehand. After we receive all the donations, the Councilors' money will be returned in full. As for the citizens' money, we will split it 30-70." Adabe drew a cross on the table. "Do you know what to do now?"
"Understood." Alphonse immediately understood. He picked up his wide-brimmed gentleman's hat and left immediately.
"Yes." Adabe watched his son leave. He thought for a while and looked down from the attic. King Laing, Queen Suria, and Berliat were sitting there discussing something.
Romantic Guest knew that they were probably discussing something important, but Adabe didn't dare to eavesdrop no matter what. How strong was Laing? How strong was he? He only had one life. If he wasn't careful, it would be over.
Hopefully, by doing this, he could leave a good impression on Laing and the others. Adabe thought deeply. This way, no one would focus on him.
This was the concept of retreat and change.
While someone was thinking in the attic, Laing also gave Berliat the task on the balcony below the attic.
Brittany didn't have the right to interfere with the internal affairs of Marlin Castle, but Grand Duke Schultz hiring a private consultant was something that couldn't be criticized. Laing arranged for Berliat to be by Schultz's side after careful consideration. Berliat's current role was a completely secular bureaucrat. His identity wouldn't arouse the disgust of the merchants.
"At the same time, send the letters immediately!" Laing took out a few letters. "Berliat, in my name, immediately hand these letters to the Church of the God of the Sea. Use the transmission function to send them to all the Kurfürsten in the Empire except for the Emperor's faction. Also, send them to Archbishop Wickmar and the White Wolf Pope Emil Wager. Archbishop Wickmar's letter, in the name of the Patriarch of the Western Brittany Diocese, Alfred Frey. Remember."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Berliat stretched out his hands and took the thick stack of letters from Laing. Then, he stood up, bowed, and left.
"Since we can't stop it, then let's muddy the waters!" Laing looked at the sea in the distance and smiled. "How can our Emperor Karl eat alone? Has he forgotten that his Empire is a scattered Empire? "
"Let's go, Suria. We'll go find Little Sol Green immediately."
"Okay!"
… I'm the dividing line that muddies the waters …
Sure enough, two days later, the city council of Marlin Castle had to hold another meeting. In the meeting, the High Elves stood up for the first time and complained to the Emperor and his Cheka Committee. "Marlin Castle is Assur's only designated trading port with the Old World. It's also where our embassy is located and where our last enclave is located. The Empire's establishment of the Cheka Committee has seriously affected Assur's interests and freedom. We can't be sure if the Cheka Committee can guarantee that Assur's interests will not be affected. Therefore, we demand that the High Elves occupy more than one-third of the seats in Marlin Castle! Otherwise, the High Elves will not accept the existence of the Cheka Committee! "
The High Elves' attack caught the Emperor off guard. However, if the High Elves were to participate, wouldn't the Cheka Committee's power be greatly reduced?
In the VIP seats, the Dwarf Envoy and Belegar's eldest son, Little Sol Green Ironhammer, carried a few books and sat beside Laing. He listened attentively to Laing's words and asked, "His Majesty Laing, isn't Marlin Castle part of the Empire's territory? Aren't the people here also citizens of the Empire? Why does the Emperor want to do this? Also, why do you want me to stand on Marlin Castle's side? Aren't we enemies with the business princes of Marlin Castle? "
"Your Highness Little Sol Green, please listen to me carefully," Laing said with a smile. "Calm down first and let me analyze it for you."
"Oh, of course. Before I came, my father told me many times to listen to Brother Laing and not make things difficult for him." Little Sol Green naturally admired his father, who had successfully completed the impossible task of taking back Eight Peaks Mountain, the true king of Eight Peaks Mountain, Belegar Ironhammer.
"We are different from the Emperor. We came to Marlin Castle this time to teach these business princes a lesson. We are here to cause trouble, but we are not here to flip the table." Laing said gently. "We are only forcing these merchants to spit out a sum of money, but the Emperor is different. The Emperor plans to take the wealth of these merchants for himself and take away their autonomy."
"Yes, yes, yes, I know. This is the difference between a clan's alliance and a clan's loyalty." The mustached man nodded. "Sometimes, when a clan makes a mistake, we will make them hand over enough ransom or meteoric iron, and the matter will be over."
"Yes, but if the Empire takes back Marlin Castle, without this free port, the goods market of the old world will be controlled by the Empire. The prices of raw materials and various goods will be controlled by the Empire, and the market and prices will be under the Emperor's control." Laing nodded and continued to teach. "Moreover, the Emperor is short on money now. He will very likely 'expropriate' Marlin Castle's wealth. Once this precedent is set, it will be impossible to stop it. In the future, when the Emperor is short on money, he will subconsciously expropriate Marlin Castle's money. This way, Marlin Castle will completely lose its status."
"Oh, I know. It's just like what all the dwarves are worried about. Will the King of Haimen Pass, Bernov, change Haimen Pass' tradition of openness and trade? I get it, I get it. We really can't let the Empire control Marlin Castle." The mustached man was a quick learner, which surprised Laing. This mustached man was worth training!
Knight King suddenly felt that Bellegar had sent his eldest son to him with a hidden meaning: Brother Laing, I'm not good at teaching children, so I'll leave little Solgreen to you.
To put it simply, just like in Laing's previous life, Dongluo fell, and the Ottoman Empire rose to control the Silk Road. The European merchants had no choice but to try to open up a "new route". For Laing, if Marlin Castle was controlled by the Empire, then the Knight King's trade in the old world would be completely dependent on the Empire. He could only turn to the new world to do trade, and then he would be controlled by Gao Jing again.
It was needless to say how much profit he would lose if he lost the initiative in trade.
From another point of view, Marlin Castle was a natural buffer zone between the Empire and Brittany. In the history of the Empire and Brittany, the two sides had not always been allies. There were also many conflicts and wars. This was what it meant to have a distant fragrance and a nearby stench.
Now, at least Laing still had the initiative in trade. Just like Adidas and Nike, he at least had the initiative to choose.
"Understood!" Little Solgreen understood Laing's meaning.
Thus, after a long discussion between the Empire and the High Elves, they finally agreed to give the High Elves two to three seats in the Cheka Committee. At that moment, the Dwarf Special Envoy Sol Green Jr. stood up and said, "I don't agree! Your Majesty, son of Charlemagne, Karl-franz, I don't understand your decision. On behalf of all the dwarves in Marlin Castle, I disagree! You have seriously infringed on the interests of the dwarves by including the high elves in your Cheka Committee. On behalf of all the dwarves, I demand that there must be dwarven seats in the Cheka Committee! And they must be equal to the elves! Otherwise, we can't trust you to protect the interests of the dwarves from being infringed! "
“？？？！！！” Karl-franz felt a heavy blow to his brain, and his vision turned black. As the most reliable ally of the Empire, the dwarves actually stabbed him in the back at such a crucial moment?!
Elves and dwarves had joined the Cheka Committee. How could the committee have a peaceful day?
The Emperor immediately understood who was the mastermind behind the scenes. He noticed Laing sitting in the VIP seats, smiling but not saying anything. The Emperor really wanted to smash the head of this Knight King, who he regarded as a close friend and confidante, with his warhammer!
Damn it, I can't beat him! The Emperor was fuming, but he couldn't ignore the request of the dwarves. They were the dwarves, the dwarves of the Empire's Sacred Alliance!
The Emperor instantly went from being in an advantageous position to being in a passive position. He had no choice but to stall for time. He planned to discuss with his courtiers what to do next.
However, this matter wasn't over yet. Two days later, as Tegris's Advanced Phoenix Warship approached Marlin Castle, the entire Old World knew about the Cheka Committee.
Because of Laing's letter, the Kurfürst and the Kurfürst candidates all jumped out after receiving first-hand information.
The Grand Duke of Midden, Kurfürst Boris Todbringer, expressed that Marlin Castle belonged to the people of the Empire. Midden would also send three knights to join the Cheka Committee!
The Duchess of the Empire, Emmanuelle, expressed that order in Marlin Castle was very important. The legal scholars and professors of the Nur University were ready to join the Cheka Committee and provide legal guidance!
The Grand Baron of Hocke, Kurfürst Edbrand Rudenhoff, expressed his willingness to share the Emperor's burden. Two Master Hunters of Hocke were already on their way to Marlin Castle, ready to join the Cheka Committee!
The Chancellor of Oostermark, Elector Wolfram Hertwig, expressed that the Emperor would definitely need the help of the Vampire Hunters of Oostermark! The two Vampire Hunters were ready to set off for Marlin Castle!
The Grand Duke of Steyr, Albrecht Haute Anderson, also announced that the security of Marlin Castle couldn't be done without the participation of the Steyr people. Their experience in dealing with the undead would be a valuable asset. Two veteran Battle Priests and an ascetic monk were willing to share the Emperor's burden!
The Grand Duke of Tarabak, Kurfürst Helmut Feuerbach, was shocked when he heard the news. The Emperor's behavior was too strange. Karl-franz was going to eat people! I'll also send people over!
The Elector of the Halfling Mutt Territory, Xi Simei Fatheart, weakly expressed that the Halflings were also citizens of the Empire. The Cheka Committee needed two Halfling chefs. Your Majesty, we'll arrange it immediately.
Following that, the Pope of the White Wolf Church, Emil Wagger, also expressed that a team of White Wolf Monks were ready to set off. The Archbishop of the Church of Justice, Vicmar, even said that he would send a whole regiment of Saint Samurai to Marlin Castle to assist the Emperor in the Cheka Committee!
Finally, the King of Nords, Kurfürst Theodoric Geisel, announced that Marlin Castle had been the territory of the Kingdom of Nords since ancient times. Didn't you see that my Rune Teeth came from the Wester Territory? He wanted to personally lead an army to the South, join the Cheka Committee, and take over Marlin Castle!
Even in the end, Boris Todbringer also said that the Emperor's energy could be focused on Marlin Castle. It's fine, Brunswick can be handed over to Midden Territory to manage! We can also help to manage the security. For example, the Vampire lady named Genevieve, wasn't she given permanent residency by the Emperor himself? We'll help Karl solve the problem!
"I'll solve the problem!" Karl-franz completely lost his composure after hearing the news. The Emperor roared angrily in his temporary residence, "The Cheka Committee has actually come to me! What are Boris and the others trying to do? "
"Bulk Empire." Laing laughed after hearing the news. "There's still a difference between your control over the country and mine. Karl, I'm sorry."
The Cheka Committee could still operate under the Emperor's guidance with so many people? It had basically become a replica of the Parliament of the Empire that argued all day long!
But he had no choice. The elves had already joined, the dwarves had to join as well. Naturally, every Kurfürst and every major church in the Empire had to join as well. Once this matter was opened, it couldn't be stopped. Before the Emperor could settle the matter, the Kurfürst had already arrived one after another. The Emperor had already lost the opportunity to control the situation and form a fait accompli.
Just like that, the Emperor had tried his best to achieve his goal. The so-called Cheka Committee hadn't been established yet, but its structure had undergone a huge change, and it was difficult for it to fulfill the original plan.
At the same time, Laing and the others also received compensation from the merchants of Marlin Castle from the two Parliaments. The compensation was paid in two installments. The first installment was 50,000 gold marks, and the second installment was paid 62,000 gold marks when Laing and the others returned from Ossouin. The remaining 4,000 gold marks were considered as interest. Little Solgreen also agreed. Then, the mustache man loaned the money to Emperor Karl-franz.
Then, with the arrival of Tegris, the two ironclad warships were ready to set sail.
A new journey was about to begin.
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