Free Web NovelChapter 1123: Chapter 1060: Let’s Go
As Bradak’s footsteps faded at the end of the corridor, Horn leaned back in his chair.
Rubbing his temples with his fingers, Horn couldn’t help but sigh, "It seems the waters of Leia are about to get muddied again."
Jeanne, who was tidying the manuscripts and account books on the table, paused upon hearing this, "Who knows how many people will be displaced this time..."
"Displacement is good," Jia Li said with a disdainful smile as she organized the lists, "Once they’re displaced, they’ll appreciate the Holy Alliance and come running to us.
Just look at Bradak and the others, they think their broken city is worth so much gold."
Jeanne raised her head and glared at Jia Li, "How can you be so selfish? They’re living, breathing people!"
"People?" Jia Li raised an eyebrow, a cold smile on her lips, "Are they people of the Holy Alliance now?
When they hold the Holy Alliance’s household registration and farm its lands, I’ll naturally consider them our people.
Why do you have to flaunt that holy virtue of yours?"
"Ugh!" Jeanne glared at Jia Li in anger, "You’ve already lost your humanity!"
Horn quickly stepped between them, spreading his hands to separate them, "Alright, alright, it’s all for the Holy Alliance, do me a favor and stop arguing."
The Saint’s Grandson’s influence worked elsewhere, but in front of these two, it was of no use at all.
Jeanne and Jia Li glared at him in unison, "Are you taking her side?"
Horn choked for a moment, just about to call Qianqian and A Fangsu for help, but when he turned his head, Qianqian and A Fangsu were already nowhere to be seen.
After all, they’ve seen this scene many times and didn’t want to get involved.
Horn was left helpless; Catherine was too soft-hearted, and Hilov was only focused on research, having practically given in.
Having the Angel Candle brought about a way to capture Angels in exchange for newborns, eliminating the fundamental conflict of interest.
Currently, it’s just Jia Li and Jeanne holding a grudge, neither willing to yield to the other.
It seems like they want to compete to be the first to take Horn’s virginity.
Marrying four Saintesses, outsiders might see it as glorious, but who knew it was actually to unite the different factions?
After all, just like the Holy Seat Mansion wasn’t built for Horn, he had to use it nonetheless.
Marrying four Saintesses wasn’t for his personal happiness, but for the harmony of the Holy Alliance.
In any case, the senior monks spread it that way in private, as for the truth, Horn honestly couldn’t say.
On one hand, it was indeed to consolidate political resources; on the other, he had some selfish desires.
Eventually, he would have to account for these four Saintesses; it’s better to address it sooner rather than later.
As for the issue of offspring, taking proper precautions, children could be born at fifty or sixty years old.
Late marriages and childbearing lead to better birth outcomes.
And it’s uncertain whether his children would want to be the next in line.
The argument grew louder, and suddenly Horn had a flash of brilliance, slapping his forehead, "Jeanne, how about you go to Dawn Island?"
Jeanne froze, "Me?"
"Yeah," Horn seized the moment, "The Five-City Alliance needs guidance, and you’re the most knowledgeable about uprisings.
Besides, your visit would be a gesture to show the world what a Saintess of the Holy Alliance is like, showcasing how the Holy Alliance supports its people."
Jeanne frowned, the anger in her eyes slowly subsiding, replaced by some hesitation.
Seeing Jia Li suddenly gazing at him with sultry eyes, Horn quickly spoke up, "You should also take a trip to the new Five Counties to assist Jeanne with logistics."
Jia Li’s face immediately fell.
After sending off these two Saintesses, Horn breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back in his chair, staring at the wood grain on the ceiling in a daze.
The leftover issues from the double-dealing back then, in hindsight, he should never have done it.
He took out his pocket watch, opening and closing it.
Inside was a small portrait of the four Saintesses; at this moment, Jeanne’s portrait was facing forward, as if silently glaring at him.
"What a headache..."
...
Tobias, the silverware merchant, drove his carriage over the cobbled streets of Changge City. The wheels clattered into the cracks, making a thudding sound.
His grip on the reins tightened slightly, but he didn’t dare get off to check.
The district near the city gate was no longer what it used to be.
Beneath the sign adorned with arrow marks of the Hatter’s Guild, seven or eight lean but fierce figures could always be seen.
They wore coarse linen clothes underneath and a thick black knee-length cloak with a hood over them.
Once seated on the ground, what they were doing under the cloak, sharpening a knife or nesting pipes, was anyone’s guess.
Don’t think of them as beggars and vagrants, assuming they’re pushovers.
In fact, the Silverware Guild’s self-published "Changge City Trade Guide" clearly noted a case.
A certain count and his personal guards were ambushed and stripped bare by these beggars and vagrants, left to run to the Heraldry Institute with nothing but their dignity.
As for the reason, Tobias sighed, for he knew it, and everyone else did too.
The beggars and vagrants of yore were mostly bankrupt or fleeing farmers.
Today’s beggars and vagrants, however, included many former soldiers of the Leia Kingdom!
If he were to stop his carriage and they realized it was stocked with silverware,
the beggars, vagrants, and deserters would likely swarm in, seizing the precious silver utensils and candelabras.
It’s known that more than a year ago, when the regent came to power, several districts in Changge City experienced uprisings and unrest.
Men in coarse cloaks with silver-plated rings hid short swords and daggers within their voluminous robes, randomly killing tax collectors in the streets.
The scene resembled the early uprisings in Rapids City and Xiaochi City and appeared frequently in recent months in the Five-City Alliance on Dawn Island.
Those notorious nobles or bishop’s aides were always the first to be eliminated.
There were even several Robber Knights who, under the guise of "robbing the rich to feed the poor," wantonly plundered merchants and travelers.
Though this was blatant criminal activity, not a single commoner would truly scrutinize it.
They might even help hide these Robber Knights, which, in turn, restored a sense of past honor for some knights.
While they were breaking the law, the kingdom’s citizens supported them.
Perhaps it was the regent who was at fault for the crime.
"This Leia, in my view, is going to end sooner or later," Tobias’s nearby apprentice grumbled with a satisfying vent.
"Shut up," Tobias gave the apprentice a sharp knock on his skull, "If someone hears you and holds a grudge, they’ll stop the carriage for inspection, and we’ll be doomed."
This trip to Changge City was Tobias’s gamble of a lifetime; he invested heavily to forge a batch of Mithril tableware.
In the past, the local nobles would clamor for such utensils.
Now, with the economy in decline and consumer spending down, only in Changge City could he fetch a decent price for the Mithril ware.
As for where these cheap Mithril came from, that’s not your concern.
Coincidentally, a friend of Tobias introduced him to a contact in Changge City who had channels to bypass the guild for sales.
However, Tobias owed them a favor in return, needing to help with smuggling some items or transmitting certain messages.
Tobias’s unease stemmed from this part of the equation.
Crossing a small bridge within the city and paying the guards at the bridge, they entered a comparatively stable district.
It seemed like a different world from the declining neighborhood on the other side of the bridge.
Apprentices in coarse short-sleeved robes carried rolls of cloth, calling out their wares in the street.
Women selling hot bread lifted the wooden covers, releasing a sweet and slightly stinky aroma mixed with the scent of manure. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Several conventional beggars crouched under the market’s stone pillars, stretching out their emaciated hands in supplication, "Sir, spare a bite..."
The stone houses on both sides were arranged irregularly, though the paintings on the walls were already peeling, revealing the dull gray rock beneath.
This district, known as Fur Street, was home to numerous fabric merchants and tailors.
The most imposing building belonged to the Garment Guild Church, resembling a fortress, with oak doors intricately carved with twining floral patterns, and door knockers polished to a shine.
The modest carriage passed by the Garment Guild’s doors, with Tobias’s envious gaze following.
Several merchants in velvet waistcoats were chatting and laughing, emeralds and sapphires between their fingers, with pearls and gold necklaces around their necks.
But looking a few more times into the alley, there were the decrepit straw huts that left only enough room for one person to sidle through.
The thatched roofs were haphazardly tossed about by the wind, with several women crouched in mudded water, scrubbing clothes.
Every noon, relief officers would fling handfuls of wheat bran and bread into the plaza, letting the refugees scramble for them.
Ten or so years ago, Tobias might have lamented the decline of the realm, but now he’s become accustomed to it.
"Let’s go, let’s go."
