Chapter 341 The pie of industrialization... Oh no, blueprint
It was dark at night, Marshal Aiberg's manor was brightly lit, and melodious palace music echoed in the banquet hall decorated with crystal chandeliers.
Silver tableware and wine glasses shined in the candlelight, and the guests in luxurious clothes were in groups, chatting in low voices, and occasionally laughing.
As the protagonist of tonight's coming-of-age ceremony, Arthur Aiberg, the youngest son of Marshal Rako Aiberg, is undoubtedly the most eye-catching focus of the audience.
This young knight not only inherited his father's tallness, handsomeness and bravery, but also won the championship at the just-concluded Knights Conference, winning cheers and applause from the citizens of the city, and was canonized as the "Chief Knight" of the Knights Templar by His Highness Colin!
Although this honor is partly for the sake of his father, but... which of the gentlemen and ladies present has not received the care of his father's generation?
Even the waiter who served tea and water got this enviable job only by relying on the shadow of his ancestors.
The rules of this world are like this.
The girls in the banquet hall cast admiring glances at Arthur, or whispered about his heroic performance, or boldly and enthusiastically came forward to talk to him with wine glasses, or invited him to dance... which made the young knights who were also winners envious.
"I feel like we are like the pendant on His Highness Aiberg." A young man who also got a place in the Knights Conference muttered, trying not to make the jealousy on his face look too obvious.
The older knight on the side looked at him and said in surprise.
"You just found out? I thought you knew."
"...I heard that His Highness Colin has no children. I wonder if I have a chance." A young man with freckles on his face looked eagerly in the direction of His Highness Colin.
"What? You still want to be his adopted son?"
"Why not? What if-"
"There is no chance, as long as he wants, the girls who are willing to help can line up from the dance floor to the door of the manor. I think you might as well imagine that he likes to go through the back door."
"Get out of here!"
"Haha!"
Listening to the other boys talking and laughing naturally, Jasper did not make a sound, maintaining a stiff smile on his face, but his toes were already clasped.
Standing here, he only felt that he was out of place with the surroundings. Even the dress on his body was competing with him, causing pain in his ribs and sore arms.
Saint Sith is above, he would rather fight the devil on the battlefield!
Having never attended such an occasion, he was so nervous that he had no energy to think about anything else.
There are things that everyone is not good at.
Not only Mr. Jasper, who was born as a citizen, but also Arthur, who was surrounded by boys and girls like stars and the moon, was no exception - obviously he was not as good at everything as riding a horse.
Handling the fiery gazes gracefully and gracefully, the handsome young man's gaze was always searching the dance floor, and finally fell on a solitary girl.
That girl is Ophia Castellon, the youngest daughter of Duke Andrei Castellon, who is slightly younger than him.
She was wearing a light purple dress, with delicate silver embroidery falling on the skirt like stars, and her slender neck as elegant as a swan... which made a certain adolescent boy hold his breath involuntarily.
Although people always say that the Earl's children have never seen anything, Arthur is not old enough to be a woman after all, so he really has never seen anything like this.
When he saw His Highness Colin holding her hand, he felt his heart stop for a moment - even though he knew that it was a normal etiquette.
This dance was as torturous as a century for him, but fortunately they finally finished the dance, and His Highness Colin did not do anything to her.
At this moment, the girl is standing alone on the edge of the dance floor, with a hint of sadness on her fair face, beautiful and pitiful.
Arthur took a deep breath and walked over quickly with a blushing face. He stopped beside Ophelia, leaned slightly, and spoke politely and nervously.
"Miss Ophia... I am Arthur Eberg. We... have met before. Although you may not remember me, I always remember you... It is an honor for you to come to my coming-of-age ceremony."
His voice became more and more awkward, and his face unconsciously turned the color of liver.
Hence "Would you be honored to invite you to dance with me? I would like to dedicate the glory of today's knights meeting to you."
Ophelia came back to her senses, glanced at the young man in front of her, politely raised her skirt and bowed, but her expression was a little indifferent.
"Mr. Eberg, you must have many dance partners tonight, right? I must be one of them. I think, rather than wasting your precious time on someone who is not worthy, how about you go find the girl you really like?"
Ophelia's rejection was very tactful, but Arthur, who was directly above him, obviously didn't hear it, and he actually comforted her out of hesitation.
"Please don't describe yourself like that, you are definitely not that kind of person... You are the only dance partner I expect."
As he spoke, he straightened his back and continued enthusiastically, "Miss Ophia, I was able to win the Knights Championship today only because of your encouragement! This honor... I want to dedicate it to you!"
The moment he finished speaking, there were small exclamations from around him, which soon turned into whispers and snickers.
In the tradition of the Austro Empire, presenting the honor of the Knights Conference is equivalent to confessing.
I didn’t expect the youngest son of the Aberg family to be so brave.
Hearing the whispers around him, Arthur's face turned redder, but his eyes did not flinch at all, and he still looked at her with bright eyes.
Humbling Ophia's words, her face did not show the joy and shyness that Arthur expected, but she frowned slightly.
She looked away awkwardly, but her eyes unconsciously fell on the other end of the banquet hall - His Highness Colin, who had just danced with her but then left gracefully.
She doesn’t dislike little Aiberg. To be fair, he is also very handsome, polite and gentleman, and his family background is equally impeccable, but... he is too young.
Especially compared to His Highness Colin, he is like a child who has not grown up. She really cannot have any admiration for him like this.
In contrast, she wanted His Highness Colin to stay with her and tell her more about his adventures in the jungles of Janna continent.
That was much better than the bard's story, and she wished she could lie on the edge of the pillow and listen to him.
Thinking of this, Ophia bit her lips unconsciously, and her eyes that were about to drip with water became increasingly resentful.
By coincidence, Arthur followed her somewhat sorrowful gaze and happened to see Luo Yan walking towards Duke Castellon.
That handsome face suddenly lost its color, and his eyes dimmed.
If the opponent is someone else, he will definitely not have the courage to fight with him, but if the opponent is someone like His Highness Colin... he knows very well what his chances of winning are.
His steel-like shoulders slowly sank, Arthur left Ophelia in a depressed mood, as if he had fallen out of love.
At this moment, Luo Yan, who was walking towards Duke Andre Castellon with a wine glass, did not know that he had inadvertently deeply hurt a brave and upright young man.
However, considering that the number of people who have been indirectly harmed by the Demon King can be counted on two hands, even if he knew, he would probably only smile and pat Arthur on the shoulder and congratulate him for growing up.
Noticing Luo Yan walking towards him, Andre had a hearty smile on his lips and said in a teasing tone.
Why do you come to accompany me, a bad old man? |
Of course, this may also be related to the fact that the nobles of the empire often have many children, and it is more difficult to have children in hells where "Cross-species Hybrid Ascension" is clicked.
Luo Yan gently swayed the red wine in the glass, smiled slightly, and said calmly and calmly.
"Actually, there are some things I want to talk to His Excellency the Duke alone."
"Is it about the Knights Templar?" Andre asked subconsciously.
"No," Luo Yan shook his head, with a somewhat mysterious smile, "It's about the Bailu District project. I believe His Excellency the Duke must have heard about it... Isn't this a place to talk about serious business, so it's convenient to take a step to talk?"
Andre raised his eyebrows slightly, with a strong interest in his eyes, and said with a smile.
"Of course, I think Marshal Aiberg won't mind that his distinguished guest disappears for a while."
… ...
Leaving the noisy hall, the two of them moved to a secluded lounge in the manor.
The indoor layout is elegant and comfortable, with soft lights shining on the expensive carpets and a light fragrance filling the air.
The waiter bowed and served each of them a cup of steaming black tea, and then quietly left the room, thoughtfully closing the heavy oak door to isolate the noise from the outside world.
As the oak door closed, the room immediately became quiet, leaving only the crackling sound of wood burning in the fireplace and the scent of tea rising from the teacup.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Duke Andre Castellon picked up the teacup and took a sip, with a knowing smile on his face.
Looking at His Highness Colin sitting across from him, he spoke in a pleasant manner.
"I knew that the "Dantes Group" that had caused quite a stir in the Bailu District recently was indeed the handiwork of Your Highness."
The Castellon family, as a long-established aristocracy in the empire, has a profound background and has many eyes and ears in the Holy City.
Such a big change happened in Bailu District, especially involving the land. Naturally, it was impossible to escape the eyes of this shrewd family head.
"Yes." Luo Yan admitted frankly. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, his eyes calmly facing Andre's inquiring eyes.
Prince Andrei tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, as if he was considering his words.
After a while, he couldn't hold back his curiosity after all, and took the initiative to ask: "I don't understand. The Holy City is vast and there are many places worthy of investment. Why did His Highness choose Bailu District?"
Luo Yan did not answer directly. He just smiled and mentioned another matter: "It just so happens that I discovered an interesting thing when I was wandering in the market of the Holy City during the day. I wonder if Your Excellency the Duke has noticed why most of the red wines that can be easily purchased on the market, whether high-end or low-end, come from the wineries of the vassal countries around the empire, rather than the Holy City itself? "
Duke Andre Castellon smiled upon hearing this and replied without thinking, "Your Highness observes carefully. Indeed, as you said, most of the red wine 'available' in the Holy City is produced in vassals of the empire, especially the Kingdom of Lane. As for the reason, apart from water, soil and climate, it is nothing more than cheap."
Looking at His Highness Colin's interested eyes, Andre continued.
"Your family has been away from this land for too long. A lot has happened in the past five hundred years. The empire is no longer the empire it was back then. However, most of the nobles and their subjects in remote areas are still living in the past to this day. For example, the Kingdom of Lane, known as the "Land of Knights", I heard that the most primitive feudal laws are still followed there, and there are even serfs."
"As for the Aussie Empire, its backward system has been abolished long ago, and the cost of manpower and land is much higher. Naturally, it is difficult to compete with those feudal vassal states on price. However, in the true aristocratic circle, the empire's local wineries are still very famous. The wine produced by these wineries often does not enter the market, but appears at the banquet just now... As for the price, that is not a factor we consider."
At this point, Andre changed the topic and looked at Prince Colin with interest.
"His Highness suddenly mentioned this, does it have anything to do with our previous topic?"
Luo Yan nodded slightly, the smile on his lips not diminishing.
"Of course there is. The reason why I chose Bailu District as the entry point is naturally because it is cheap. Not only the land, but also the people. With the same convenient transportation conditions, it is currently the most cost-effective option around the Holy City... Of course, besides this, I also have several other alternatives, but they are not as "suitable" as Bailu District, and they are even further away from your port."
Duke Andrei smiled when he heard this, and reminded him in a gentle voice.
"Your Highness, I don't know whether to say it or not. Sometimes things that seem cheap are often the most expensive. The land composition in Bailu District is complex and there are many historical issues. Even the Castellon family is not willing to easily interfere with the affairs there. After all, you don't know much about the Holy City and you may easily get involved if you get involved rashly."
Luo Yan smiled slightly and responded in a gentle tone.
"Thank you for the reminder, but I am mentally prepared for this. Your Excellency, the Duke, don't worry about me, I have my own way to deal with it."
Duke Andrei glanced deeply at Luo Yan, as if he wanted to see something from his calm expression.
After a moment, a smile appeared on his face again, he leaned back slightly, and continued in a pleasant tone: "So... His Highness specifically asked me for a private meeting, what exactly do you want to talk to me about?"
Luo Yan's body leaned forward slightly, his eyes were sharper, but his tone was still gentle.
"It's very simple. If I can solve the land problem in Bailu District and turn it into a barony under my control... I would like to cooperate deeply with you, the Duke, who controls the nearby port, on the future management of Bailu District."
The firelight of the fireplace danced slightly, reflecting Andre's surprised expression.
After a while, he raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the young prince in front of him with interest.
"Turn Bailu District into a barony under your control... His Highness has a big appetite."
Luo Yan chuckled lightly, without avoiding his gaze, and said calmly.
"After all, the land there is complex, and it is better to deal with one baron than a group of barons."
Andre understood his hint - the prince did not intend to hold this barony himself, but planned to let his vassals manage it on his behalf.
This is actually nothing. Many big nobles in the empire do this. Only the small nobles without titles will hold every piece of land tightly in their hands.
What surprised him was not the issue of land, but that he did not understand why the prince wanted to do this.
The Colin family is obviously not short of money, there is no doubt about this.
"Seriously, I'm curious, why are you so interested in this business, Your Highness? You give me the impression that you are not very interested in money." Andre finally asked about the confusion in his heart, looking at the young and unfathomable prince curiously.
He rarely met people who could not understand at all, and the prince from Janna continent in front of him was undoubtedly one of them.
Money, women, land, power...things that can captivate the eyes of mortals seem to be unable to enter this guy's heart.
It would be fine if this guy was the same age as me, but he was only in his early twenties, the same age as those brats who "can't even speak when they see their own daughters."
Andre suddenly became a little convinced.
This guy might really be the chosen one.
No wonder the Sylfen family wanted to paint for him!
Luo Yan smiled slightly when he heard this and said calmly.
"Your Excellency, the Duke, is very discerning. I am indeed not just for money... in fact, it is just an incidental goal."
After pondering for a moment, he turned his gaze to the night outside the window, his eyes far-reaching and long.
"With my father's ashes and last wishes, I finally set foot on the homeland of the Colin family. And here, in addition to witnessing endless prosperity, I also saw many things that made me worried."
“One thing that touched me the most was that in just five hundred years, the quality of the empire’s gold coins had dropped so much... that at first I thought the gold coins in those people’s hands were fake.”
The expression on Andre’s face froze for a moment when he heard this.
Of course he knew what Luo Yan was referring to, but it was inconvenient for him to comment further.
Every year, the Royal Mint secretly mixes some other metals into gold coins, and "watering down" has long been a routine operation. Perhaps this was unacceptable in the eyes of the Colin family, but in his eyes it was nothing to make a fuss about, let alone worth mentioning.
After all, it is not gold that backs the empire's gold coins, but the empire's invincible fleet and its unshakable imperial power.
Of course, Andre also knew that this model was unsustainable. After all, the fineness of gold had a threshold, and a gold coin could not contain no gold at all. The Senate had had headaches over this matter more than once.
In the final analysis, the colonial system of the empire has lagged far behind the current era.
Hence long ago, when the colonies and vassal states were not yet developed, the sages of the empire designed the post-war order of the Second Era. The holy city could feed the entire empire's residents solely by relying on the minting power of gold coins, and even liberate them from the land and make them decent citizens.
However, if the serfs are liberated without major changes in productivity and living standards, the position of serfs will not disappear out of thin air, but will just be transferred from the empire to vassal states and colonies.
As time went by, the colonies did not develop much because of the war with Hell, but the vassal states of the empire gradually developed because they were far behind.
The nobles not only planted grapes, but also began to make wine, and they gradually made wine better than the nobles in the empire.
Not just brewing, but also other manufactured goods, from furniture to textiles to the empire's most critical technology - steam turbines for ocean-going freighters.
· The goods produced by these vassal countries were continuously transported to the empire, and even formed a "reverse dumping" on the empire, and imported raw materials and finished products at the same time, plundering the empire's gold.
The empire has already been unable to make ends meet with the gold coins it exports. Faced with the continuous flow of goods from vassal states and colonies, it can only make a fuss about the gold content of the gold coins.
But Andre still believes that this is at most an itchy skin, far less painful than a cut. After all, at least for now, the empire's fleet is still very capable, and no vassal country dares to deny their gold coins.
Furthermore, the empire also has some methods to balance the trade balance - such as tricking the nobles of vassal countries to go to the empire to learn magic, such as using priests to control the real estate of vassal countries, such as adventurers' guilds, etc.
Although these are "small means" and cannot change the overall situation, they can still maintain the good days in front of us.
Seeing the expression on Andre's face, Luo Yan knew that he was a sensible person, so he happily said the words that had been prepared for a sensible person.
“To completely solve this problem, we must improve the outdated rules. And if we do not change the rules of trade, we must change the rules of production... We must reverse the surplus that the vassal countries have had with us in the past five hundred years and let the gold flowing out return to us. Xinliu returned to the Holy City. ‖
Andre frowned slightly, his curiosity completely aroused, and asked, "Oh? What's your highness's clever plan?"
Luo Yan smiled slightly and told everything about his plan.
"The Bailu District is an experimental field. I plan to use the cheap syrup produced in the Janna continent to complete the "large-scale production" of sugar and rum on the land on the outskirts of the Holy City. This is the advanced experience I learned from the Gutav Kingdom. The lizard nobles there found that as long as the logistics can keep up, the denser the industrial workshops are built, the higher the efficiency... whether it is production efficiency or raw materials. The utilization rate is like this, and this will ultimately reduce the cost of finished products infinitely. "
"They call it, industrialization."
"Industrialization..." Andre muttered the word silently, and a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes. Although there were still many things that confused him, he probably knew what His Highness Colin was planning to do.
「That’s right!」
Luo Yan did not stop, and continued to describe the unfolding blueprint in an exciting tone - or in other words, the pie that was almost baked.
..."The rum and sugar products produced by large-scale industries will be dumped to the entire Whirlpool Sea coast at very low prices through the ports controlled by the Castellon family! We can drive the products of the vassal countries away from the kitchens of the people of the empire in an instant!"
"Not just rum and sugar products. Sugar products, the experimental field in Bailu District is just the beginning! As long as this road works, we can quickly promote this model to various industries! "
"We don't even need to promote it ourselves. As long as the people of the empire see that this road can work, they will naturally participate in this wave of "industrialization"!"
"In this way, the manufacturing industry of the empire will prosper again, and the market of the Holy City will once again be filled with goods manufactured by the empire! And all the gold that the vassal states of the empire have stolen from us in the past five hundred years will flow back to the Holy City in a steady stream!"
After a pause, he softened his tone, restored his gentlemanly attitude, and said with a smile.
"As for why we chose sugar and rum, it is mainly because it is closely related to the lives of the people of the empire and the interests of the continent of Janna."
Andre listened to the last moment carefully and almost forgot to breathe. He took a slow breath until he was about to start holding his breath.
Even though his family background supported his waist, there was still a sense of excitement and excitement in his heart.
Although the Castellon family is already very wealthy, who would think they have too much cake?
What's more -
∣ This is also for the prosperity of the empire and the prosperity of the descendants of the Castellon family!
However, after all, this Duke is not the captains and sailors who can't walk when they see a little gold, nor is he General Hamelton who doesn't feel sorry for spending the emperor's money.
He did not express his position immediately, he just smiled and leaned back in his chair and said meaningfully.
"Your Highness, the blueprint you showed me is indeed tempting, especially for the Castellon family...even more attractive than the Knights Templar. I am honored that you chose us."
After a pause, he continued.
"But with all due respect, too many things in this are based on assumptions... Just saying it is not enough, you have to let me see it and believe that it can be realized."
It is not easy to get a barony from the suburbs of the Holy City, even for Prince Colin who owns a continent overseas.
And after all, this is a cooperation between the Castellon family and the Colin family, different from the "public fundraising project" like the Knights Templar.
As the head of the Castellon family, he had to first see if the prince's methods were worthy of his further investment.
Luo Yan smiled slightly, with a calm expression on his face, as if everything was under control.
"Then please wait and see."