"Soon, really soon, Lady Catherine's negotiations with the city alliances are coming to an end, just be patient for a few more days."
To appease his biggest supporter and financial backer in Windmill Land, Armand cautiously stood up and handed Lupher a cup of tea.
Lupher stared at Armand for a long ti, making him sowhat uneasy, before finally taking a seat, lifting the cup from the table, and drinking it in one gulp like a Norn Pirate.
"Soon, you always say soon. Do you know I'm using the credit that 'Art Forest' painstakingly accumulated to vouch for you?"
"You've read the Truth Newspaper, and you have personally inspected the Sugar Workshop. Do you still not believe?" Armand carefully put away the confidential docunts on the table, strictly separating public and private matters, ensuring Lupher wouldn't see them haphazardly.
Lupher picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup, downing it again: "If it weren't for Catherine's face, and if it weren't beneficial to as well... hmph!"
Don't be fooled by Catherine's frequent setbacks in Thousand River Valley as if she has no presence.
In Windmill Land, among the El people, especially in several city alliances, Catherine is a renowned figure.
She is the inventor of the stock exchange and cos from a banking background, with exceptional professional skills, specifically exemplified by her always correct predictions of the Empire's financial market.
Although now it seems it might be due to her employing Astrologers on a large scale to assist her calculations, even so, if she went bankrupt and beca a consultant, many oligarchic families would still offer substantial sums to hire her.
This ti, Catherine's financial offensive in Windmill Land was naturally targeted, mainly to help local El people drive out the Leia people's influence. Otherwise, if a cut misses and hits Windmill Land, and the Leia people benefit, it would be a joke.
Luckily, these Leia comrcial nobles and oligarchs are honest enough, as Catherine digs a hole, they genuinely jump in.
With the help of Windmill Land's El people, Catherine has already manipulated the overall opinion in Windmill Land to shift towards unchanged sugar prices.
Previously, it was 'Art Forest' stating unchanged spice prices, but in the sa place, how could spices remain stable while sugar changes? Surely, it's due to receiving speculators' pounds.
Lupher's consistent disagreent with the oligarchs wasn't without reason.
On one hand, it avoids harming the innocent. With 'Art Forest' and tabloids sparring, ordinary citizens sense the deep waters and dare not intervene, but if greed overwhelms, don't bla Catherine's ruthless grass-cutting knife.
On the other hand, Catherine is preparing to cast a golden image for her good sister, establishing 'Art Forest' as the leading newspaper in Windmill Land for future use.
Prior, Lupher could endure, but today, for so reason, he suddenly rushed in angrily.
"What's wrong with you today?" Armand, looking at the calendar on the wall, tentatively asked, "Is it... ti?"
"Tch!" Lupher swiftly jabbed Armand's shoulder, "Talking about this with a lady? Where are your manners?"
Clutching his shoulder, Armand circled back to face Lupher, "What's really happening? Maybe telling could let help you?"
"My 'Art Forest' might have to suspend for a few issues..."
"Why?"
Lupher, squeezing words out through his nose, replied, "Earlier I heard your nonsense, always promoting sugar price drops. My readers started shorting sugar.
But those Windmill Land oligarchs and nobles deliberately hoarded, causing significant losses among citizens, forcing them to sell borrowed sugar at a loss, so even went bankrupt.
Several oligarch families, especially those running dogs of the Leia Royal Family, deliberately incited citizens bankrupt from shorting sugar to burn my printing house last night, then run to the Guards to surrender. Now I'm a pariah inside out."
"How do you know they incited it?" Armand, frowning, picked up a rchant's Necessity Handbook from the bookshelf (essentially a list of nobles and oligarchs) and grabbed a pen.
Lupher, staring at him hostilely, said, "Because this morning, several editors and contributors under didn't show up.
Once I inquired, I found out they all went to the newly established 'Mast Newspaper' news agency, whose boss is one of those damned oligarchs hoarding sugar.
The two of us can't produce 'Art Forest' alone, thanks to you, I have to compensate shipowners' advertising fees and penalties."
Stunned initially, Armand pondered briefly before handing Lupher the 'rchant's Necessity Handbook' and feather pen: "Circle the ones targeting you, I'll send it to Lady Catherine."
Seeing Lupher's confused eyes, the young Bishop Richelieu smiled again: "Rest assured, you're one of us, we won't let you suffer."
......
"Did the 'Art Forest' company shut down?" Fan i'er asked his brother Wolfhardt.
Wolfhardt chuckled, "Rest assured, the job was done ticulously. This morning she signed a forgiveness letter at court, releasing those arsonists. 'Art Forest' has been shut down for a week now; it can't rise again."
"That little girl still wants to fight with the Bastian Clan; we've been living here for nine generations while she's a Nao River native coming to beg at our Dam City's gates." Clad in a patched silk robe, Fan i'er joyfully sipped poor quality red wine from a gilded flask.
The Bastian Clan was originally knights on Dam City's outskirts, but after the Blood and Flesh Royal Court's cheap grain arrived, their estate quickly went bankrupt.
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