"Let's have another round, one more round."
"Take a break." Looking at Lupher, whose face was covered with paper slips, Armand reluctantly put down the cards, "Besides, we'll have to et with Master Quivarin later, so pull yourself together."
"He's an old man with one foot in the grave, does he care about such formalities?" Lifting the door curtain's fringe of paper slips, Lupher glanced at the pendulum clock but still insisted on having another round with Armand.
Armand had no choice but to signal to the maid beside him, asking her to let Lupher win a few rounds.
Otherwise, Lupher, being both poor at the ga and fond of playing, wouldn't be satisfied unless he won.
However, before this round could start, a servant knocked on the door: "Master Lupher, Chief Justice Quivarin is arriving soon, do you need to freshen up?"
Lupher, having played cards all night, had dark circles under his eyes and disheveled hair, making it impossible for him to et Quivarin in such a state.
Thus, Armand had no choice but to et the esteed Chief Justice of the El people before Lupher.
Standing at the iron gate of the riverside villa, a black oak carriage slowly ca to a stop, and a short elderly man draped in a luxurious beaver fur robe stepped out.
He seed to be over seventy, with white hair and beard, wearing a fur hat longer than his face.
The wrinkles on his pale face were interspersed with age spots, and his eyelids drooped over his eye sockets, covering half of his pupils.
Yet the remaining half of the pupils were dark and sharp, matching the damp and chilly sea breeze that swept through.
"You people from Thousand River Valley made quite a fortune in our Windmill Land." Quivarin naturally extended the hand that wasn't holding a cane toward Armand.
"Oh, we Thousand River Valley People don't like making money off the poor, we only profit off the rich, especially the wealthy from Leia." Armand naturally supported that arm.
This was no empty boast; after all, the El major rchants in the sugar business had mostly received advance notice.
Only a majority of Leia oligarchs and a few Falan wealthy rchants suffered big losses, while the El people's comrcial territory not only remained intact but even expanded significantly.
This wave, according to Catherine's report, is expected to yield a total harvest of up to 500,000 gold pounds in cash and quality assets from the oligarchs.
At least half of the Leia oligarchs went bankrupt or defected.
According to a prior agreent, the cash portion was Catherine's share, while the quality assets went to the El people.
Even so, they could secure about 200,000 gold pounds worth of precious tal currency.
Horn fought tooth and nail for over half a year at Black Snake Bay and only managed to recoup 160,000 gold pounds, with not much left after spreading the warti costs and the initial funding for Black Snake Bay.
Although the Falan people would charge a substantial handling fee from the 200,000 gold pounds, the final amount wouldn't be less than 160,000 gold pounds.
"Isn't it ti for you to stop?" Quivarin whispered while walking.
In fact, this financial warfare was nearly over by the end of the year.
As the price of white sugar dropped to 18 dinar, Mitney and Catherine were already cutting back on sugar distribution.
They were trying to stabilize the price at 18 dinar, even slowly pushing it back up to 20 dinar.
After all, their main goal was to reap profits, and if the sugar market collapsed, no one would fare well.
Armand replied with a smile, "Of course, by tomorrow at the latest, the sugar price should rebound..."
Just as Armand's words were falling, the lattice window on the villa's second floor swung open.
Lupher, wearing a light silk nightgown, with a disheveled head, poked out halfway: "Teacher, Armand and I played all night last night, you two chat first, I need to freshen up."
Looking at the disheveled but rosy-cheeked Lupher, the frostiness in Quivarin's eyes increased exponentially.
"Armand."
"Hmm?"
"Do you have my ivory comb?"
"How would I know where your ivory comb is?" Armand broke out in a sweat.
"Oh, I thought it was with you." Lupher withdrew into the room.
"We were playing cards, playing cards." eting the dagger-like gaze, Armand hurriedly explained, "I observed all protocols, absolutely no improper conduct."
"If you were observing protocols, you wouldn't have spent the whole night in a room with an unmarried lady in her nightwear." Quivarin's tone was unfriendly.
"I really didn't, I'm still a virgin." Armand replied rashly.
After staring at Armand for a few seconds, Quivarin turned away: "You'd better be... I'm not worried about Lupher, even if she were with child, there would still be a million n wanting her."
"Yes, yes." Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Armand restored his courteous smile.
Quivarin did not enter the villa but instead turned around: "Since Lupher is freshening up, walk with this old man for a bit."
"It would be an honor."
The old and the young crossed the marble corridor, reaching the end where the villa's rose and gold thread chrysanthemum garden lay.
"This King Jiji is no easy opponent." Walking along the path, Quivarin looked straight ahead, "After finishing with the two dukes' territories, he will likely rest for at least half a year before regrouping, which should be in the spring of the year after next."
Assisting the old man from the marble steps to the garden, Armand smiled silently.
Even entering December, even the usually warm Dam City couldn't escape the chill.
Pure black swans flew back and forth under the cold, overcast clouds.
A layer of white frost congealed on the flowerbed's fences, and the autumn golden chrysanthemums wilted, slumping in their pots.
Most of the flowers in the rose garden had fallen clean off, the vibrant petals turning a dark red.
The damp, cold sea wind blew against Master Quivarin, and despite wearing a robe of precious fur, the Chief Justice shivered.
"If you believe you can rouse us into forming a federation in Windmill Land like you did in Black Snake Bay, you are gravely mistaken." Seeing Armand didn't respond, Quivarin simply laid it out directly.
"This is the Holy Father's choice, and just because Windmill Land won't do it now, doesn't an it never will." Armand smiled faintly.
"What, are you all that confident?" Quivarin turned his head, his dark pupils tightly staring at Armand's profile.
"You don't trust us, so whatever I say is futile." Armand helped the old man to sit on a long bench.
"Trust?" Quivarin heavily tapped his cane, making a "thud" sound on the ground, "Trust that a small place like Thousand River Valley can resist the entire Leia?"
"If you must ask, I can tell you."
Armand straightened his back, his tone steady yet powerful: "Currently, the Holy Alliance has 8,000 Holy Gun Infantry, 12,000 Long Spear Infantry, 4,500 Foot Knights, and 4,000 Light and Heavy Cavalry... the total army exceeds 30,000.
Every soldier is rigorously trained daily, every Long Spear Infantryman at least practices breathing techniques.
The border has been fortified with 45 fortresses, equipped with 1,800 Spring Cannons.
You've heard of Spring Cannons, instantly destructive, in the Black Snake Bay war, they devastated dozens of miles with a single shot, one fortress can hold back 50,000 n.
Even if Leia invades, what's the use? They abandon their borders, empty their nests; can they muster 2.25 million?"
"Do you think I'm senile?" Quivarin glared unhappily at Armand, "Thousand River Valley can barely support 20,000 soldiers, you say over 30,000.
Claiming a single shot can devastate dozens of miles is sheer fantasy, do you think I've never read 'Artistry'?"
"Perhaps the Spring Cannon claim is exaggerated, but who says 30,000 soldiers isn't possible?" Though exposed, Armand showed no embarrassnt. "Your so-called 20,000 soldiers is just from agricultural taxes, but you forget Shattered Stone Plain's wool, Black Snake Bay's sugar and spices.
They bring us at least 100,000 gold pounds annually, equivalent to an extra 3 million farrs.
Though Leia has Windmill Land, Eagle's Beak Bay, River Island, Dawn Island, Thorn Garden, Shattered Stone Plain, Immortal Stone Field, with a population of tens of millions, seemingly strong.
Yet Windmill Land is autonomous, Thorn Garden disobeys orders, Dawn Island's nobles join two dukes in rebellion, Shattered Stone Plain's nobles are double-faced.
All of grand Leia, King Jiji can only command River Island, Eagle's Claw Bay, and Immortal Stone Field, rely ten million people.
Even if they have twenty million, can he really mobilize thirty percent?
For us, the Holy Alliance can mobilize at least seventy percent.
Because this war is one that every Holy Alliance person wants to fight, and must fight, while only the King and Pope of Leia wish to.
Why do I say Leia is bound to lose? Because Leia people can't see the situation clearly.
Lord Quivarin, the grand situation of the Empire is that Knights and Priests are exiting the stage, while new comrcial powers and citizens are rising.
All wise people can see that besides Knights, Priests, and Farrs, the power of the citizens is erging conspicuously.
Nowadays, in the Empire's coastal regions, which of those land nobles doesn't live by borrowing from rchants and bankers?
I've heard, in the end, so had no choice but to sell their daughters in marriage to rchants and newly rich nobles.
The Falan Kingdom accepted the new comrcial powers, the Norn Kingdom, though chaotic and backward, equally treats rchants and citizens as honored guests.
Only the Leia Kingdom clings to its old Knighthood crown, stagnant, stubbornly holding onto ancient systems, dreaming of the Third Aier Empire's revival.
"Watch your words, boy." Quivarin's lower eyelids creased, "I'm an El.
"But you don't believe in the revival of the El Empire anymore, do you?" Armand sharply retorted, "You're an El of Windmill Land now, not of the El Empire."
Glaring at Armand for a long mont, Quivarin slowly said, "You're quite bold, boy. You angered , I could easily have soone throw you in a dungeon, earn a 2,000 gold pound bounty."
"But you won't do that, will you?" Armand stood his ground, "Because you also hope Windmill Land can truly be autonomous, otherwise you wouldn't have supported Her Highness Catherine in this sugar war."
"Youthful overconfidence turns into arrogance."
Armand stood tall: "We have the courage and confidence for victory, and even more a compelling reason to win!
The independence of the Thousand River Valley people is earned through countless blood and sweat, we've raised our heads with great difficulty, even cutting them off, they'll never bow again!"
Narrowing his eyes, Quivarin silently watched Armand for a long mont, while Armand stood unwaveringly, locking eyes with him.
Staring for a long ti, Quivarin finally rose slowly, lackluster, "I'm old, the first half of my life I saw nothing but failure, I really find it hard to believe your ideals can be realized.
The best I can do is ignore the spread of the Holy Path; should you lose, I'll imdiately arrest them.
Lupher and Leonardo might bet on you, but we cannot, at least not until you've proven you can truly be independent."
"You will see it," Armand said, supporting the old man, as they slowly walked toward the villa together.
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