In the city of Beaune, a border fortress on the western border of Saône Province, a heavy snowfall a few days ago covered an area of dozens of square miles with a snow-white coat, and the cold wind blew.
More than a month ago, the soldiers of the Welsh Legion, under the personal supervision of the legion commander Art, were in a tense confrontation with the principality's army here. After all parties reached a reconciliation in Dijon, the capital of the Principality of Burgundy, both parties withdrew their troops and returned to their camps. Thus another disaster of war was avoided.
According to Art's previous deployment, after the war, Odo, the deputy commander of the Wells Army, selected fifty officers and soldiers to stay in Bonne City, and recruited a five-hundred-man Western Guard Corps with these battle-hardened veterans as the core. The court of Besançon was responsible for all supplies and weapons.
Angus will lead the rest of the Welsh Army southward to the Saône Province, cross the border of the Saône Province and reach the city of Codor, where they will join up with the remaining troops of the Welsh Army originally stationed in Codor. Then we headed to Fort Marcy, which is now a direct territory of Ater, to join the original garrison. By then most of the garrison at Fort Marcy followed the main force back into the valley. Thirty people were left behind to form a standing army of 150 people, responsible for the city defense and public security of Marsiburg.
This was the plan, but everyone's return home plan was postponed due to a heavy snowfall a few days ago. Most of the Welsh Army had to wait until the weather improved and the ice and snow melted before setting off.
After months of fighting, the soldiers were already exhausted physically and mentally. Now, the war is finally over and everyone is free.
In their free time after the war, many soldiers took part of the military rewards just issued a few days ago and wandered around the shops in Bonne City, hoping to buy some leather goods and bacon for their families in the valley. After many days of fighting abroad, their family members in the valley became an important source of strength to support them. Of course, there are also the high military salaries and bounties of the Welsh Legion.
Those soldiers who were alone hung out in small groups in the Moulin Rouge and taverns throughout the city, comforting their tired bodies and empty hearts after months of fighting.
Because they are in a rest period, the soldiers are relatively free. Soldiers from the Welsh Legion can often be seen on the streets, and the residents of the city don't have much resentment towards these military-paid soldiers. Now that the war is over, the owner of Bona City has also changed its appearance. It belongs to a newly promoted border count, and its territory is far away in the remote valley in the south of the prince country.
To the residents of Beaune, it didn’t matter who ruled the land. What they pursue is a quiet and peaceful life.
As early as when Art was granted the title of Bona City, a series of proclamations were issued in the name of the lord of Bona City. It is stipulated that the garrison garrison must not disturb the people, bully the weak, burn, kill or loot... Once military law is violated, military pay will be confiscated at the least, and the head will be thrown to the ground at the worst.
So far, no such incident has occurred in the city. This is not only due to the serious and efficient military law system of the Welsh Legion, but also inseparable from the sense of discipline of the soldiers of the Welsh Legion. Unlike other mercenaries and peasant soldiers, the soldiers of the Welsh Legion enjoyed high wartime military pay, and part of the captured trophies could also be put into their own pockets. Therefore, any soldier with some brains would not take risks and would not dare to hide larger belongings. Therefore, the looted property may not be worth one month's salary, and it is really not worth risking his life and future.
………
The time has entered late December.
The snow around Bona City has begun to slowly melt under the sunlight, and a road from north to south has gradually become clear, winding like a black belt over the vast plain.
After several days of waiting, the soldiers returning south from the Welsh Army were already a little uncontrollable and homesick.
Since it is almost the end of the year, if we don't break out of camp while the weather is clear, it will be even more difficult for the army to move when the temperature gets lower and lower.
After Angus and Odo discussed it, they decided to take this opportunity to leave Bonachen and try to return to the valley before the New Year so that the soldiers could reunite with their families as soon as possible.
On the third Sunday of December, after careful deployment and arrangements, most of the Welsh Army, led by Angus, the deputy commander of the Army, left the city of Beaune and walked eastward. Follow the trade road to the Saône Province and then go south, back to the valley.
A group of people were walking on a commercial road where the snow had just melted, and it was very muddy. As the snow melts, the temperature also drops rapidly. Fortunately, the soldiers received winter clothing in advance, which was enough to withstand the biting cold wind.
Even though the weather was cold and the wind was raging, everyone still had a smile on their face. When I thought about seeing my family in the valley soon, I felt warm in my heart~
As the army went south, there were also some special trophies, which were enough to fill five carriages. When passing through a muddy road, it is inevitable that the wheels will get stuck. Whenever the soldiers were pushing the cart, they could always hear the sound of metal colliding in the locked wooden box on the carriage...
While most of the Welsh Army was heading south back to the valley, a group of fifty carriages belonging to the European Trading Company under Art's name were already less than a day's journey from the city of Besançon. This time, in addition to transporting grain and grass baggage for the palace, the caravan also purchased a large amount of southern goods that were urgently needed in the north from Provence and Lombardy.
With the end of the succession war, the business of the prince country also began to show signs of recovery. Commercial firms in major northern central cities are in urgent need of a stable supply of southern goods to provide goods for sale to their shops in the city.
Previously, due to the war, many caravans supplying goods to major trading houses either died or fled, causing shops everywhere to face the dilemma of having no goods to sell. If it weren't for the European trading houses that transported grain, grass and baggage to the palace to supply major trading houses, I am afraid that half of the trading houses in the Hou Kingdom would have gone bankrupt.
Half a month ago, as soon as the twenty carts of southern goods delivered to Besançon by European trading companies arrived at the city gate, the heads of the major trading houses hurriedly surrounded them and demanded high prices to buy them. If it weren't for Salt, the head of the Chamber of Commerce of the Hou Kingdom, those southern goods would have been robbed long ago. In addition to the southern goods specially ordered for the palace, the price of southern goods this time increased several times, allowing the European trading house to obtain a net profit of more than 200,000 pfennigs.
At this time, Continental Commercial Bank has grown from an inconspicuous small commercial bank to the largest and most powerful commercial bank in the Hou Kingdom. In addition to the resounding name of the palace chartered trading house, this is also related to the fact that the European trading company monopolized the entire southern goods trade during the entire succession war.
Taking advantage of the favorable winds of the war, European trading companies not only provided grain, grass, baggage, weapons and armor to the Liberation Army, but also provided essential daily necessities to Besançon and other places where supplies were in short supply. Made a fortune out of it.
With the end of the war and the revival of business in the princely states, the role of European commercial banks became more and more important. More and more gold coins entered Art's pocket.
Looking around, the fifty horse-drawn carriages traveling on the trade road were quite impressive. In addition to a driver, each carriage is also equipped with two attendants. The accompanying caravan guards numbered more than 150, and all of them were well-equipped with armor and weapons. If they hadn't been following the caravan, others would have regarded them as a powerful army. No bandits dared to approach the caravan along the way, and they would stay away when they saw this large group of people. In addition to being afraid of the large number of guards, more importantly, these things belong to the new frontier earl who became famous in the first battle - Art Wood Wells.
"Hurry up and follow us. We must get to the manor in front before dark~"
It was almost dark, and the leader of the caravan who was riding in the middle of the team loudly ordered the group of people.
"Lord Salt, the value of the southern goods we transported this time is much more expensive than last time, and we will definitely increase the profit by 20% based on the last time~"
A steward who followed the caravan leader had a little excitement in his tone.
As the profit of the trading company increases, everyone from the head of the trading company to the driver and handyman can get a lot of rewards. This is Art's technique of controlling people.
"Okay, stop talking nonsense, hurry up and ask the people behind to follow!"
Sart finished speaking and rode towards the front of the team.
This is the cargo distribution center of the European trading houses in Besançon. After all southern goods arrive, they are first put into storage for inventory, and then major commercial banks are notified to send people to pick them up. The grain, grass, baggage and other items belonging to the palace were delivered to the palace's warehouse for storage by a dedicated person.
After arranging the inventory and storage of the southern goods, Salter didn’t even have time to take a sip of water before he rode towards the south of the city accompanied by two guards~
……………
"Sart, you are here, take a seat."
"Thank you, sir~"
In the residence of the palace's military deputy in the south of Besançon, after Sal took his seat, the servant brought the wine that had been prepared.
“How many southern goods have been brought from Provence this time?”
At asked with a smile after putting down the silver wine glass he had just taken a sip from.
Sart glanced at the servant next to him, and then at Art. Silent.
"You should step back first, and do not come in without my order."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Earl."
The servant turned around and slowly retreated.
partiesdiedie’s face is full of smiles, and he almost laughed out loud.
「Three hundred thousand?」
Matt was shocked. In just a few months, the Continental Trading Company under his name has gone from basically maintaining no losses to now making a net profit of 300,000 pfennigs in one trip. This really made him a little unbelievable.
"Yes, sir, three hundred thousand."
Sart emphasized again.
"Now that the business of the Hou Kingdom is beginning to show signs of revival, there is a shortage of southern goods. Apart from the European trading houses, there is no other company that deals in southern goods trade. Therefore, the price of southern goods has increased several times. Even so, the southern goods transported by the caravan to Besançon were sold out early the next morning by the large and small merchants in the city. "
Matt was overjoyed. He had been running the business for many years, and Continental Commercial Bank had finally turned into a money tree.
「Sir?」
Sart saw that Art didn't respond and shouted softly.
, and completely control the southern goods trade in our hands. Once you succeed, you will become the richest person in the entire kingdom~"
Sart told Art about his views on the current situation, his eyes fixed on Art.
Art looked at the former down-and-out businessman in front of him. Since Salt followed him, he has played an important role in building the Continental Trading Company from a small caravan with only a few carriages into the largest trading house with influence throughout the princely states. If the current development momentum of the European Commercial Bank is followed, Art will not have to worry about the huge amount of money it will cost to support the gold-swallowing beast of the Wells Legion.
Once the European trading houses control the economic lifeline of the princely country, their status will definitely rise~
"Okay, Salt, I will do as you say. The cost of expanding the size of the caravan is I will give you the full authority to draw from the profits currently earned by the business. After the work is completed, I will give you a generous reward."
Sit down and talk.
Yes, sir.”
Bring these things back to the valley and give them to Cooper. I have already written a letter back to the valley, and he knows what to do. "
"Don't worry, sir, I will deliver this batch of supplies safely to the valley."
Matt nodded and continued.
"In addition, you should not bring other goods to Provence for trade this time. Purchase some materials that are urgently needed for the future construction of the valley. They will be used when gradually expanding to the south."
"Sir, I understand~"
…
On the second day, Art and Salt went to the Continental Trading Company's warehouse in Besançon to inspect. After rewarding the store's clerks, he took Ron and a few accompanying guards and walked towards the Moulin Rouge~
"Hey "Ah, sir, I haven't seen you for a long time, please come in. The girls are waiting for some big gentlemen inside~"
Moulin Rouge in Besançon, this romantic place became more and more prosperous after the war. The woman with her breasts exposed at the door kept greeting the guests coming in and out.
As business was getting better and better, Emery bought two surrounding properties together, more than doubling the size of the Moulin Rouge. Even so, it still cannot meet the needs of customers who come for entertainment every day, and it is often difficult to find a room.
Emory, who was standing at the door greeting guests, saw Art and others coming from the crowd from a distance, and hurriedly greeted them.
"My lord, you are here."
Emory bowed and saluted.
h "It said inside."
h "Yes, sir."
h Then the group of people came to a secret room on the second floor near the backyard. Several guards followed behind him to guard the door.
"Sir, if you have any instructions, you can just send someone to inform me, why do you have to go there yourself?"
Amory was pouring wine for Art as he spoke.
"I came here this time just to ask in person how the task I assigned you last time went." Art got straight to the point.
Emory thought for a moment and touched the red beard on his chin.
"My lord, do you mean our people in the palace and Earl Baldwin's residence?"
Att stared at Emery and nodded lightly.
"Don't worry, sir, I have made all arrangements. As long as there is any trouble, I will send someone to inform you immediately."
Yat nodded with satisfaction and said: "You have done a great job in this matter. Okay. From now on, you will be my eyes in the North. In addition, one-twentieth of the profits of the Moulin Rouge will be yours, and the remaining expenses will be deducted from the remaining profits. "
"Thank you, Sir! Thank you, Master!"
Emory was extremely excited.
"Remember, you are shadows, nothing can be seen from the light. Once the news leaks out, not only your head, but everyone here will die."
"Don't worry, sir, I will remember it!"
Hence, the group of people left in a hurry. Amory, who was standing at the door, touched the cold sweat on his forehead, then turned around to greet the guests inside...