Imperial Crown

July 7, 1193 in the Guangming calendar.

Although it was not yet six o'clock, the merchants in the town of Goldshire had already gotten up, put on their best clothes, and waited at the entrance to the east of the town.

Because today was the day when Baron Raven officially took back Goldshire.

The first ray of sunlight fell on the earth, and accompanied by a neat step, an army appeared on the road east of Goldshire.

Everyone held their breath at this moment.

Two majestic blood-eyed war horses walked in the front of the team, with a shoulder height of two meters, wearing heavy and solid chain mail, only blood-red eyes were revealed from them, and the bowl-sized horse hooves collided with the floor tiles, bringing up fine stone chips like smoke, leaving no doubt that once they rushed up, no one could stop them!

The person sitting on the leading war horse was undoubtedly Raven.

Under the baron's crown, there is a head of thick black shoulder-length hair, a high forehead, three-dimensional facial features, a cold white skin, and an elusive cold temperament in his deep eyes.

Although he is wearing the flashy dress of the current nobles, his upright posture reveals a kind of pride and majesty in his bones, like a king visiting his own land!

Eric behind him is wearing a heavy plate armor, and his height is even taller than Raven, but he can't take away the former's limelight at all.

Led by a man with a red beard, the merchants bowed together: "Welcome to the Baron!"

"Get up." Raven stopped his horse for a while, and his calm eyes swept over everyone: "Come to the government center to see me later."

He gently squeezed the horse's belly and walked away with a crisp kick.

The merchants stood up, and before they could catch their breath, they held their breath again!

This is Baron Raven's personal guard! ?

The team of more than 20 people was divided into two columns, walking on the road of Shanjin Town.

They were wearing heavy chain mail, their heads were held high, and their faces were covered by the shadow of the iron helmets, but those pairs of eyes of different colors exuded a frightening light!

That was not the greed in the eyes of the Xuefengling soldiers that merchants often saw, nor was it the cruelty they deliberately pretended when extorting money, but a murderous aura that pierced people's hearts, and the indifference after wandering on the edge of life and death.

That look made the merchants tremble, and at this moment they clearly realized.

These soldiers really dared to kill! And they would kill!

As the clock-like neat steps approached, the long spears in their hands reflected a cold light, making people almost think that they were going to rush into the crowd to start a killing!

A short minute seemed as long as a lifetime for these merchants, until the steps of the private soldiers disappeared at the end of the street, and the panting sounds that came one after another finally sounded.

"Oh my god, it's so scary... I didn't believe they could deal with the bandits before!"

"From Mon'en City to Xuefeng Territory, this is the first time I've seen such a... such a fierce army. Are they really not bandits in disguise?"

"Stop it, how can bandits have such good military discipline?!"

"It's over... Baron Raven was young, so I wanted to get the money back. Now it seems that there is no hope..."

This sentence reached the ears of a middle-aged man with a red beard. He hugged his chest and snorted coldly, saying: "You are so timid, you might as well go back to farming as soon as possible!"

The man who spoke before was about to retort, but when he saw it was him, he immediately showed a flattering smile: "Mr. Carl, I was scared by those troops. Of course, we have to listen to you about what to do later."

This man named Carl is the leader of the Shanjin Town Chamber of Commerce. He is backed by the Fox family and does a lucrative business such as arms trading.

Relying on the name of the Fox family and his excellent business skills, for more than 20 years, no matter who the town of Shining Gold nominally belongs to, he is the head of the Chamber of Commerce here, and actually controls the lifeblood of the town's business.

Now that the merchants are unsettled, he must of course take everything back under his control.

"Just listen to me." Carl raised his voice and scanned the whole place: "Look at yourselves, this boss, that gentleman, they seem to be big shots, but in the end, only twenty or so private soldiers scared you like frightened rabbits!"

"So what about Raven? Even though he took back the town of Shining Gold, we still have the final say here! Without us merchants, this place is a worthless dead place!"

Carl stroked his beard and said proudly: "There is no war now, why should he pull all his troops here, just to give us a blow!"

"As the old saying goes, unilateral courtesy does not last long.

Since he dares to do this, we must also return the favor. No matter what kind of request he makes, he must first make him repay the debt owed by Donald!"

"Whoever covets temporary benefits and makes shameless betrayal, then don't even think about doing business in Shining Gold from now on, understand!?"

A group of merchants looked at each other and bowed their heads: "Yes, Mr. Carl!"

"Let's go!" Carl waved his sleeves and walked at the front of the team with his head held high.

Although the population is more than four times that of Xiongying Town, the scale of Shanjin Town is not very large, and the merchants soon arrived at the entrance of the government hall.

With the evacuation of Xuefeng's bonded people, this place has become completely empty. Now it is occupied by Lei Wen. More than 20 private soldiers are lined up on both sides of the gate, and their silver scales are shining in the sun.

Karl led people into the conference room of the Government Affairs Hall.

There was an ancient long table in the conference room, with an oak chair painted black on both sides. Raven was sitting at the end of the long table, smiling and spreading his hands and said: "I have saluted before, now No need to bother anymore, everyone, please take a seat."

This was not the first time the businessmen came here for a meeting, and they all sat down skillfully. Karl sat on Raven's left side, while Vice President Fili sat opposite him.

Raven clapped his hands gently, and maids poured in from the door with plates and placed glasses of red wine in front of the businessmen.

"You guys have worked so hard to get up early to welcome me. Come and have a taste of these angel tears."

Tears of an angel!

As soon as these words came out, the eyes of the businessmen present lit up.

Of course they had heard of the name of this fine wine, but almost no one had tasted it.

The first batch of more than 300 bottles of Angel Tears were all bought by nobles, and they had no chance to taste them.

"Then we have to thank the Baron for his generosity." Karl was the first to pick up the wine glass. Seeing what he did, the businessmen present raised their glasses.

After clinking glasses and tasting the wine from a distance, compliments came out naturally.

"Angel's Tears is truly a gift from the Lord of Light! This is simply the most wonderful red wine in the world!"

"Too bad I always brag about my good wine. I also think that the [White Mountain Ooze] I collected is a treasure. Compared with Angel's Tears, it should be poured into a swill bucket!"

"It's so wonderful, so wonderful! Even if it's the fountain of youth that the bard calls it, it's probably nothing more than this, right?!"

An easy-going smile appeared on Raven's face: "I know that you are a little uneasy about me taking back Gold Town. You are worried that I am greedy and extortionate; you are worried that I do not understand economics and will meddle indiscriminately; some are also worried that I am greedy and extortionate. , I will support Denise to suppress the power of the local chamber of commerce.”

"This cup of angel's tears is to tell everyone that I, Raven, am not a solitary eater, nor am I a greedy lord."

"As long as you can pay taxes and run the business honestly as before, then you don't have to worry about anything. I can even release some of the Angel's Tears, sell them in Goldshire, and share the profits with you. ”

There was a low discussion, and many businessmen's eyes showed light of expectation - the profit of Angel's Tears itself was still secondary, but if it became famous, it would definitely increase the population flow of Goldsmith Town significantly.

The more people there are, the easier the business will be!

"Sir Raven's eloquence is really impressive!" Karl stroked his beard and said, "But I don't think you will let us take advantage of it in vain, right?"

Regarding such a question, Raven was well prepared and immediately talked about it: "Of course, I also have my own needs - in order to expand the production capacity of Angel Tears and enrich the diversity of products, next I will build a new store in the west of Eagle Town. Build a brand new workshop.”

"So, I hope that everyone at the Shining Gold Town Chamber of Commerce can give me their full support - building materials, workers, as well as equipment and raw materials that will be used in the future."

"As long as the quality is up to standard, I guarantee that your interests will be fully protected."

Raven looked at the businessmen present with expectant eyes, but they who were originally very enthusiastic turned their heads away at this moment, not daring to look at Raven. For a while, the conference room fell into an eerie silence.

"Your Majesty the Baron is so generous." Karl's voice broke the silence: "But have you forgotten one thing?"

"Your uncle, Baron Donald, owed our Goldshire Chamber of Commerce 937 gold coins ten years ago!"

Raven maintained a polite smile: "Of course I will not forget this. 937 gold coins, calculated at an annual interest rate of 30%, then the total amount today is 3748 gold coins."

"My proposal is to extend the loan period for another two years, so that the total is 4310.2 gold coins, and the Eagle Territory will pay in installments over the next two years, 179.6 gold coins per month."

This is the amount arrived at after careful discussion between Raven and Old Gordon. It will not put too much pressure on the Eagle Territory's economy, and it is enough to show Raven's sincerity.

"The Baron is really shrewd, but profits are not calculated that way." Karl stroked his red beard as if to catch Raven in the palm of his hand: "Baron Donald's loan period is five years, but now it has exceeded five years. Year."

A dark cloud flashed across Raven's face.

Karl continued to talk: "The principal plus interest for five years is 2342.5 gold coins. After that, on this basis, the interest will be compounded by another 30% every year, and the total will be 8697.7 gold coins. It is cheaper for you, 8697 gold coins. How about gold coins?”

As soon as these words came out, the air became even quieter, and you could even hear a pin drop.

The businessmen present all lend money more or less, and this profit amount is not outrageous, but that is for ordinary people and other businessmen!

Putting this kind of profit calculation method of beheading and destroying families on a real noble is something they can't even think of.

Eric, who had been standing silently behind Raven, roared: "You are blackmailing!"

Karl glared back righteously: "This is a business behavior that complies with the laws of the empire, and it is also my legal right as a businessman!"

"If Lord Raven insists on breaking the rules, then from today on, the Chamber of Commerce of Shining Gold Town will refuse all orders from the Eagle Territory, refuse to pay taxes, and refuse to cooperate!"

"You're looking for death!" With a clang, Eric suddenly pulled out the scimitar at his waist, and a strong smell of blood began to permeate the venue.

But the next moment, Raven held his hand and said with a smile: "Well said! As the old imperial proverb says, without rules and standards, nothing can be done. Mr. Carl is indeed a model of businessmen."

This is undoubtedly a surrender. For a while, the businessmen looked at Raven with a little more contempt, and looked at Carl with a lot of admiration.

Carl showed a complacent smile, which was exactly what he wanted.

Forcing Raven to accept the high profits, as long as Raven bowed his head, then from now on, Shining Gold Town will still be his!

He Carl is still the uncrowned knight of Shining Gold Town.

"I'm glad to know that Lord Raven is also a person who respects the rules." Carl said condescendingly, "I know you can't come up with so much cash, so there is a better plan."

Raven rested his hands on his chin and said with a smile, "Please speak."

"You mentioned Angel's Tears before, which is indeed a treasure bestowed by the Lord of Light." Carl waved his hands and began to point out the way: "In order to repay this debt, why don't you share its formula?"

"Our Shimmering Gold Town Chamber of Commerce will produce Angel's Tears, and you can avoid trouble and count the gold coins we hand in happily. Merchants' gold coins belong to merchants, and barons' gold coins belong to barons. Isn't that good?"

Raven clapped his hands and said with a smile, "This is really the best idea!"

He raised his glass: "Then, let's drink another glass for this proposal?"

Carl paused deliberately, and was satisfied to see that no merchant dared to move, so he raised his glass, clinked glasses with Raven, and drank it all.

Angel's Tears, as mellow and sweet as the legend, and such a fine wine will be held in his hands from now on!

The aroma of grapes, the aroma of citrus, the faint smell of burnt, and a fishy and salty... bloody smell! ?

The air was so quiet that it seemed to solidify. The merchants saw that Raven, who was drinking, smiled and put a dagger into Carl's throat. This unexpected development made them even forget to scream!

Clang...

The wine glass in Carl's hand rolled onto the table, and the bright red wine splashed.

Seeing the sticky blood spurting out of his nasal cavity, he finally realized what happened. He raised his hands to grab Raven's wrist, but the latter had already retracted his wrist.

Raven... want to kill me! ?

How dare he! ?

He broke the rules like this and openly killed merchants. Isn't he afraid that Shining Gold Town will become a piece of white land! ?

The cold feeling disappeared instantly, replaced by unspeakable pain and suffocation. He covered his throat with both hands, but could not stop the air from being squeezed out of his lungs bit by bit. The strength of his body was drained bit by bit, and he fell on the table with a bang.

"Kill, kill! Kill!"

Amid the sound of broken wine glasses, the venue suddenly became chaotic. The braver businessmen rushed to the door, the smaller ones sat in their seats and trembled, and some of them had weak legs and slid to the ground!

But as soon as these businessmen ran to the door, they saw the Eagle Army in full helmets and armor. Those who wanted to force their way out were kicked back by their big feet!

"Quiet!" Raven's voice rang in the conference room. The businessmen finally recognized the situation and sat back in their seats trembling.

"Mr. Carl, the president of the Shimmering Gold Town Chamber of Commerce, was shot dead on the spot because he coveted the formula of Angel's Tears." He picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe the dagger, and then gently wiped the blood splashed on his face. A stern murderous aura swept across at this moment: "Am I right?"

At this moment, in the eyes of many businessmen, Raven's handsome face covered with blood was as terrifying as a demon!

Looking at Carl on the table, who was still struggling like a dead fish with his eyes rolled back, these businessmen dared not say a word and could only nod.

The businessman sitting on Raven's right nodded frantically: "Yes... Carl is crazy and attacked Baron Raven! He deserves to die!"

"Your name is Philip, right?" Raven asked with a smile.

Philip nodded blankly.

"Very good." Raven nodded and looked around the room: "Then from today on, Fili is the president of the Shining Gold Town Chamber of Commerce. Do you have any other opinions?"

A short merchant with obvious dwarf blood jumped up and said: "But this is not in line with the tradition of the Shining Gold Town Chamber of Commerce..."

Swoosh.

A crossbow arrow flew out of Raven's sleeve, pierced through his throat, and nailed his body to the chair.

Smiling and taking a sip of the red wine in the glass, Raven asked with a smile: "What now?"

The air began to be filled with a strong smell of blood, and even a hint of smell. Some merchants were frightened and incontinent!

"I, I agree that Fili will be the president!"

"I agree, I agree too!!"

"And I, I agree too!"

Raven smiled with satisfaction: "Then about the arrears..."

Fili showed a smile on his face that was uglier than crying, and a big golden tooth shone brightly: "All free, all free!"

Raven shook his head: "This won't work."

Fili was already confused: "Ah? But, but this..."

"I, Raven, am not a person who doesn't pay back debts." Raven said calmly: "Just as I said before, the total amount is 4310.2 gold coins, which will be paid off monthly in 24 months."

"Ah?" Philip was stunned.

Not only him, but all the merchants present were stunned!

He turned against me and killed me before, and now he has to repay on time. What's going on?

Raven's voice echoed in the quiet conference room: "I am a person who values ​​rules, but not your rules as merchants, but my rules!"

"Carl and his accomplices who conspired to assassinate me, the shops they own will be handed over to the Chamber of Commerce of Shining Gold Town for joint operation, and the profits will belong to all of you."

"And as long as you can complete the tasks I assigned, my previous promise will still be valid-Angel Tears can be partially shipped in Shining Gold Town, and you can enjoy the right to buy the goods produced by Eagle Territory at a discount."

As he said, Raven clapped his hands, and Eric lifted the box behind Raven's chair and slammed it on the table!

The yellow gold coins flowed on the table, and even though they were stained with Carl's blood, they looked even more dazzling!

Raven's clear voice sounded: "I have a lot of needs - daily necessities, building materials, weapons, armor, food, and each of you can benefit from it."

"This is the payment for the first batch of goods, a total of 800 gold coins. Now, those who don't want to trade with me can go out and automatically withdraw from the Shining Gold Town Chamber of Commerce. I will never pursue it; those who stay will be my own people from now on!"

The eyes of the merchants present were no longer simply fearful, but began to be filled with greed and desire, and their breathing began to become more and more heavy.

As smart people, they have seen Raven's routine - give a slap, and then give a sweet date!

Now that the slap has killed someone, and the sweet date is so tempting, how can they not be tempted?

"Lord Raven, what do you want? As long as it's building materials, I'll take care of it!"

"And me! Daily necessities, from coal to salt, as long as you need them, I'll have as much as you want!"

"I have the best leather armor in the entire Nord Province, even enchanted armor made of monster leather! I'm willing to give you a 20% discount!"

Amid the lively petitions, Carl's body convulsed and twitched, he exhaled his last breath, and fell under the table with a thud.

But no one cared whether he lived or died.

"Very good!" Raven said with a smile: "Then, I will need the following supplies next-"

...