Chapter 198 Business Alliance
In the cold winter in the North, the sky is covered with thick quilt-like clouds, without any sunlight.
The biting cold wind blew the snowflakes down in layers, almost confusing the difference between the sky and the ground.
This weather with water turning into ice is not suitable for travel.
But at this moment, hundreds of carriages are passing through the streets of Eagle Town, crossing the bridge over the Jinsha River, and embarking on the trail leading to Eagle Castle.
The lanterns hanging on both sides of the trail emit a soft light, illuminating the snow and making the Eagle Castle at the end of the light look as warm as home.
Excluding Raven, there are thirteen nobles in Xuefeng County, and with the move of Viscount John, there are still twelve.
The nobles brought their spouses, family members, and a large number of servants. Each family brought at least six or seven carriages.
Broca Horta Leon is one of them.
His father was Viscount Fisher. During the war with the Order of the Hand of Death, Fisher not only killed himself, but also killed six barons in order to compete with Viscount John.
If not, Broca would have taken over the position of Sheriff after Viscount John left.
Now that the position of Sheriff fell to Raven, Broca was quite dissatisfied, so he had some bad thoughts. This time he pulled fifteen carriages, intending to fight with Raven is competitive.
But when the carriage arrived at Eagle Town, his mentality began to change.
Although he had heard about the prosperity of Eagle Town, when he actually saw it, his feelings were completely different. What surprised him the most was the arena.
The scale of the building is huge, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people, but his duel venue is only one acre of land, which is incomparable.
In addition, there is an oil painting of Raven hanging above the gate, which depicts the moment when Raven defeated Wessazin!
Broca even sneaked out quietly in the middle and walked around the arena several times, becoming more and more enthusiastic as he went around.
How happy would it be to be able to have a knightly duel in such a venue in front of everyone's attention, and then hang your image at the door for everyone to admire?
In comparison, the enjoyment of flying eagles and running dogs, eating, drinking and having fun on weekdays is simply not worth mentioning!
However, after silently calculating the cost in his mind, Broca sighed and completely withdrew his thoughts on competing with Raven.
His carriage was the first to arrive.
At this time, Lei Wen was standing at the door to greet guests. There was no trace of arrogance on his face as he suddenly ascended to a high position, and he was so calm that it simply did not match his age.
Broca is already thirty-seven years old. At Raven's age, he is still looking at people with his nose and eyes.
Walk up to Raven, the two of them saluted each other, Broca smiled and said: "Baron Raven, congratulations on your appointment as county commissioner."
In the news that Raven received, Broca has always been critical of his role as county commissioner, so he had long been prepared for tit-for-tat. Unexpectedly, Broca's attitude would be so mild, and all the responses he had already prepared turned into scraps.
But Raven was not stuck: "We still need a lot of help from Viscount Broca. The entire Xuefeng County cannot do without the Leon family!"
The so-called fancy sedan chair was carried by everyone, even Broca. All the viscounts were polite to Raven, and the other nobles, not to mention the other nobles, came up to say congratulations one by one.
Even Vesazin and Sereva, who had had conflicts with Raven, had smiles on their faces.
Mrs. Doreen had changed out of her mourning clothes and was wearing a bright green dress. She walked to Raven's side and said, "The lighting objects on both sides of the road are really unique. Baron Raven always surprises people." "
Lei Wen smiled slightly: "Those are called 'lanterns', just for fun. If you like them, you can take some with you when you leave."
"I'm afraid I can't take my favorite thing with me." Doreen gave Raven a meaningful look, then covered her giggling lips and walked into the door.
The next person who arrived was Baron Hugh Otta Vernon. He was born as a commoner and was lucky enough to inherit the title. He is the lord of Hololand. His territory is just south of Eagle Territory and he has a close relationship with the Fox family. .
As soon as they met, Xiufu showed great enthusiasm: "Baron Raven, you are so famous that it is better to meet him!"
"I have wanted to visit for a long time, but it has never been suitable. It’s so easy to see the opportunity today, we have to have a good communication!”
“After all, we are all working for the Governor of Montreal.”
As he said this, he winked at Raven.
Raven was quite repulsed by the attitude of asking him to be a dog for the Fox family. Before he could speak, another baron came up.
Mos Ota Tanbek, the lord of the Ek Territory, is adjacent to the southeast of the Eagle Territory.
He walked over and saluted generously, and then said: "Although it is a pity that I can't fight alongside you, Viscount Hyde told me about your heroic appearance. I am still wondering what you are like. I didn’t expect such a young and promising person!”
If you care about it, it is a bit rude for a third person to suddenly intervene in a conversation between two nobles.
The reason why Moss did this was also hidden in his words - he was a close confidant of the Slater family, and of course he didn't want to see Xiu Fu, who had a background in the Fox family, chatting too enthusiastically with Raven.
Raven didn't want to show any inclination, so he said a few words to send the two people through the door and continued to welcome the guests. Although Viscount John did not arrive, Baron Kate, who was working together to deal with the Hand of Death, did. Coming.
The two talked about the situation at that time, and they were both quite happy.
The last one to arrive was Judra, who was nearest. As he gained weight, he looked more and more like Angel.
Seeing Raven, Judra took off his hat and saluted, said a few polite words, and then walked into the hall.
To be honest, Judra felt a little sad. As early as two years ago, Eagle Town was still a dilapidated scene, but now it has undergone earth-shaking changes. His Ironforge Town cannot be compared with this place.
And Raven himself, from a baron who had no firm foothold, became the most dazzling star in Xuefeng County.
But what’s so great about this? From the time Raven started his business to the present, which success has not been caused by human lives?
Horse thieves attacked Eagle Castle. Raven watched the people being ravaged by the horse thieves. He didn’t dare to fight until they reached the castle. After that, he attacked the bloody highlands and became famous. But after more than 120 people left, he didn’t dare to fight. Come back more than thirty!
Thinking of this, Judra felt much better, but she immediately felt something was wrong.
In terms of wasting lives, he did more than Raven, but he didn't have the achievements like Raven!
Blushing with embarrassment, Judra walked into the hall and immediately found a seat.
Behind him, Raven's figure attracted the attention of all the nobles as soon as he appeared.
Raven enjoyed this feeling.
At Donald's funeral, Raven also received the attention of the nobles, but at that time they regarded him as a clown and an object of fun.
Now, they have to face themselves.
Walking to the high platform at the end of the hall, Lei Wen glanced across the audience and saw a pair of attentive eyes. He said softly: "Thank you everyone for coming to Eagle Castle and attending my inaugural reception."
“It’s the beginning of a new year To begin with, we will only talk about private matters today, not official matters.”
“Since you have come from afar, I won’t say much. I hope you can enjoy this reception!”
These words. It was simple, but it made the nobles present sigh in relief.
What the nobles fear most is change. Raven doesn't plan to issue any new decrees, which is the best thing in itself.
Before the official start of the reception, there was a hand-cleaning session, and of course the Angel's Embrace was used. Nowadays, through iterative upgrades of technology, the wax in soap can be separated and made into candles. This makes the feel of Angel Embrace more lubricated, which brings a little surprise to the nobles present and makes them look forward to the future content. .
The reception officially began, and the servants brought everyone wine and food on plates.
Originally, in a normal drinking party, not many people will focus on eating and drinking. Most of the time, they will still communicate and laugh with each other, which is often noisy.
But in today's hall, apart from music, there is only the sound of knives and forks clinking on plates. Even if there are people communicating with each other, their voices are lowered.
Because today’s dishes and drinks are really exquisite.
The Angel's Tears themselves were within their expectations - it would be strange if any noble in Nord Province had not drank Angel's Tears.
But this time, in addition to the classic styles, there are also other newly developed styles that have never been sold to the outside world. Each dish is accompanied by an exclusive style of Angel Tears, giving them a completely different dining experience from the past. experience.
The lavender flavor is slightly astringent, cool and refreshing, and goes well with pre-dinner desserts; the classic flavor is smooth, sweet and dense, which can effectively dissolve the greasiness of the dinner meat; the citrus flavor is slightly sour, which makes people feel relaxed. The tongue is full of fluids, which is a perfect match with that seafood dish!
Among them, the one who had the most fun was Baron Hugh. He was also born as a commoner, and unlike Raven, who was taught etiquette in an orphanage, all the etiquette was learned after inheriting the title. He had to always Remind yourself to pay attention.
Now that I am so happy about eating, I immediately forget about etiquette and eat and drink in big gulps!
Especially the two seafood dishes, sea cucumber and abalone. If it hadn’t been introduced by the waiter, he wouldn’t have known what they were, but the deliciousness was really unforgettable for him, even the soup on the plate He didn't want to let go of the juice and licked it clean.
After doing this, he felt a little embarrassed himself. He quickly wiped his mouth and looked to the side. The result made him very relieved - not only himself, but also the plates of other nobles were clean, but others Not licked, but dipped in bread.
"How about I say that this person is a true noble?" Xiufu said in his heart: "I learned another trick today."
When the last dessert disappeared from the plate and the nobles took a short break, the music changed.
The nobles stood up one after another, and servants came forward to remove the tables, chairs, and plates. The hall turned into a dance hall. Several long tables were placed on both sides with cold food and drinks for people. Take as you will.
Amidst the melodious music, the nobles started talking freely.
Judra, Vesazin and Sereva gathered together, each holding a cup of angel tears.
Seleva looked unkind: "Baron Vesassin, it seems that the two of us will have to endure it for a while."
"It won't be long." Wessazin looked at the Angel's Tears in his hand and took a sip: "I originally thought that Raven still had some ability, but now I see that it's just that."
"Just now To be so extravagant and wasteful as soon as he took office is simply corrupt, decadent, Fall!"
Judra nodded: "Yes, even the reception between Viscount Fisher and Viscount John was not such a grand event before!"
For Jude! Both Vesazin and Sereva were aware of La's dissatisfaction.
As Thousand Needles was taken back by Raven, Judra's Iron Furnace Collar was short of fuel, so that its production capacity was greatly reduced. Obviously, the prices of weapons and equipment on the market are high, but he can't afford it. It was a mouthful, but he lost a lot of money because of the breach of contract!
Judra continued to complain: "And recently I heard that the Principality of Eivor among the Feton city-states is about to make a move. It is likely that he was instigated by the barbarians from the north and wanted to harm us. In the end, he was addicted to such trivial matters. You really have no ambition!”
Vessasin and Sereva looked at each other and felt that Judra was a bit extreme.
Snow Maple County is located in the northwest of the Nord Province, and the Principality of Eivor is in the northeast of the Nord Province. Not to mention that the news itself is just a rumor and cannot be trusted. Even if there is a war, nothing will happen to Snow Maple County. ah!
Not wanting to continue listening to Judra's complaints, Vesazin and Sereva each found an excuse to leave, while Judra continued to drink his own wine.
After a while, Judra suddenly heard a commotion, turned around and saw that Raven was talking about something, and the nobles were gathered around him.
Even Vesazin and Sereva, who had yelled at Raven before, were no exception, and they still had smiles on their faces!
"Spineless thing!" Judra spat.
But seeing that it was getting more and more lively over there, Judra walked up holding the wine glass.
Seeing him coming, Vesazin and Sereva looked a little embarrassed, as did Judra herself, but nobles are nobles after all, and the three of them quickly adjusted and focused on Regarding the content of Raven's words.
"...Actually, this is just an idea for the time being." Raven was holding a glass of wine and talking: "Since everyone is interested, I will talk about it in detail."
"Next, I want to unite our nobles in Xuefeng County to form a business alliance."
Judra now knows why the nobles are gathering around.
Currently, Raven is the most successful nobleman in business in Xuefeng County. The alliance he took the lead in proposing to form is undoubtedly very attractive.
But Raven is so kind and helps everyone make money for free?
Lei Wen's next words answered his question: "Our Xuefeng County is located in a remote area. The profits of the things we sell are low and the prices of the things we buy are high. The bulk of it is actually paid for by the freight. ”
"Business alliance, the first thing is to cancel our internal tariffs. Except for the one-time tax on foreign goods entering Xuefeng County, other taxes do not need to be levied."
"Of course, I am the one who gains the most. territory, but I don’t intend to take advantage. Everyone should know that my aunt, Mrs. Denise, is currently in the lower town of Meng City. Served as the president of the Chamber of Commerce.”
“The goods of our business alliance can be transported directly to Meng’en City and sold centrally there; the various materials needed can also be directly shipped to Meng’en City Chamber of Commerce. Buy.”
Judra was immediately shocked by Raven’s generosity, and he was even willing to share this channel.
He didn't know much about it before, but now that he has completely taken over the iron furnace collar, he has realized the importance of purchasing and sales channels.
The dispute between Lady Doreen and Baron Wessassin is an example. Wessassin sent troops to pretend to be horse thieves, and Doreen begged Raven.
Isn’t the reason why the two of them have such a big conflict just because of a low-cost channel for shipping goods overseas?
Even Judra himself is seriously tempted. If he joins this business alliance and has a stable source of fuel, his Iron Furnace collar can regain its strength and reach a higher level!
But the cost made Judra hesitate.
The so-called person in power is the person who distributes benefits.
Once the business alliance is successfully formed, Raven must be the leader. In this way, Raven will have the power to distribute the interests of Xuefeng County and truly be superior to every noble.
Not to mention that he still has the advantage of being the county chief. Even if he steps down from office in the future, as long as this alliance lasts for one day, Raven will be able to firmly hold Xuefeng County in his hands and tie up the entire Xuefeng County. His chariot!
Mrs. Doreen smiled lightly: "Baron Raven's idea is really thoughtful. On behalf of the Simpson family, I would like to join your alliance."
"As early as when we were fighting side by side, I You know that Baron Raven has extraordinary vision.” The Lord said: "I am also willing to join your alliance."
Viscount Broca also expressed his position: "Baron Raven can run the poor Eagle Town to what it is today, and he will definitely be able to make it happen." This alliance is heading towards glory, and I will join it.”
Now that the only viscount in Xuefeng County is like this, others naturally follow suit, first Xiu Fu, Moss, and in the end, even Vesazin and Sereva relented.
Everyone’s eyes fell on Judra who didn’t speak.
Seeing this, Judra sighed in her heart and squeezed out a smile: "I am also willing to join!"
Raven clapped his hands: "Okay, in that case, everyone will stay for a few more days. .”
“Let’s discuss a charter together.”
……
(End of this chapter)