Chapter 149: Seventeenth Episode: Chapter 4 (2/2)

”If... we got rid of them?” Oscar gritted his teeth, cursing.

”Your Highness, you still don't understand” Master Geo shook his head. He once again took the quill pen from Baron Messier's hand. ”You've paid ten golden Tis, but both the money and quill pen still exists. Well then, the infuriated you sent the ones who earned the money and the one who received the pen to the guillotine. However, that money and quill pen still indeed exists. Someone will inherit this money and once again acquire quill pens! The cycle will repeat itself!”

”You're saying that... there'd be newcomers to take the places of the old members!”

”Exactly!” Georgio finally nodded, ”Titan not only has one huge merchant, you can't kill them all! They will assemble even more capital before the downfall of the financial leaders and annex everything before!”

”Enough, enough! I can't understand. Give me the key points! How will they annex the properties of those people?” Oscar waved his hand impatiently.

”Yes Your Highness!” after a moment of pondering, in the end, Georgio Verones could only say, ”the circulating capital is attached to the goods while the goods are sure to have a destination. So the circulation of the capital will also have an endpoint. The new rise of great merchants or chamber of commerce can purchase the goods and resource locations from those who have fallen. These are the properties of those you have gotten rid of. When the newcomers throw these things into the circulation, they will naturally be the new kings!”

”No!” Oscar shook his head. ”This is an abnormal circulation! These bizarre circulations were the things that led to the ruin of the five southern provinces!”

Georgio heaved a sigh, ”Your Highness, this is something that cannot be helped! You're against merchants. They only value profits and wouldn't care about what the south becomes, but only how to turn over a larger capital during the circulation of the goods.”

”There's nothing that can be done at all?”

Georgio deliberated but in the end, shook his head. He even suspected that if he himself possessed such a huge capital, he would work together with those old fellows because they were merchants by nature!

”Unless….. you control the Vielonna Trading Hall!” Geo finally answered. ”The Vielonna Trading Hall is where the capital circulation starts and also its end point! Now it seems that... the black market trade's financial center is also a hell of a place! Only by controlling the capital in there, can the bizarre production and marketing domain be turned around from its roots.”

”I can deploy Guards to occupy that place under the name of capturing swindlers, but... what comes after?” Oscar was again in a dilemma, having completely no idea what to do after taking hold of the trading hall.

”The Titan Codex protects the nobles' private properties. It's the same for the free citizens. So, you can only supervise the Vielonna Trading Hall, but can't take the massive savings in the treasury of the trading hall as your own...”

”Hold on! Aren't you just talking rubbish?” Oscar bellowed. ”If I can't do anything about that capital, then why should I still occupy that wretched place? Moreover, if the Vielonna Trading Hall were to close down... won't the southern economy be doomed?”

”Uhh... uhh...” Georgio responded evasively. Oh gosh, he wasn't a great financier like the Manzonola brothers. Could it be that His Highness Prince still hoped for him to become the savior of the future market?

”Let... let me think again!” Master Geo wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.

”Very well, how about this; we will all dwell on it,” Oscar waved his hands at the young financier. He suddenly felt glad. It was fortunate that the southern strategy drawn up by Dulin wasn't made public. That absolutely wouldn't solve the problem because the state of society in the five southern provinces is completely deformed!

”Mes, what do you think?” Oscar only thought about consulting the Division Head of the Military Intelligence's opinion once he has seen him out.

”Your Highness, we are soldiers!” Messier spread his hands helplessly and could only return a bitter smile to the prince.

”Yes, we are soldiers!” Oscar slumped into the sofa, his sudden great ambition whittling away. He has been staying at Serevan Palace for half a month, but aside from adopting a girl, he didn't accomplish anything amazing. Although he didn't want it to be that way, the facts were evident. The societal order of the five southern provinces was like a beehive, riddled with holes, but from certain aspects, it was like a watertight iron bucket. Our prince simply has no way of dealing with it.

A timely knock on the door sounded and Oscar sat upright at once, ”enter!”

”Your Highness, a reply from the Empire's Imperial Secretariat! His Majesty III even stamped it with his private seal!” the Confidential Secretary of the Military Intelligence, First Lieutenant Muktha Singh offered the document respectfully using both hands.

”Ola, just the right time!” Oscar took it excitedly. Using a side of his teeth, he tore open the wax and envelope, but his face instantly fell after scanning through it.

Messier edged closer in consternation, ”Your Highness, could it be that His Majesty has rejected our...”

”Look for yourself!” the prince roared and cast the letter aside. He sprang up from his seat and ran aimlessly around the study like a fly.

Messier picked the letter up from the ground and read the beginning of it. Not bad, the Emperor agreed and moreover officially authorized it! But... the Division Head of the Military Intelligence's face changed as well!

”What is meant by personally resolve the land compensation?”

”It means that Alfa III, this miser is unwilling to fish out this money!” Oscar shouted in a stern voice, ”for the nobles who lost a part of their profits in the new plans of the land, they have to be compensated with gold coins! This is what I've promised! But now? Our Majesty has approved but won't provide any funds!”

Messier tilted his head to the heavens and sighed. ”What is Our Majesty doing? Where does he expect us to find this amount of money?”

”His Majesty III wouldn't play with me like this! Check it! Go check it out! Who is the one who suggested such a cruel idea to His Majesty III? I will kill him!” Oscar paced back and fro ceaselessly while letting out a string of curses. If the southern nobles were unable to receive compensation accordingly during the land inventory... Oscar couldn't think of anything else. He only wanted to pack up and get his ass back to Dulin. Otherwise, the nobles who lost their lands will maul him!

Messier nodded grudgingly at the prince's commands. His Majesty III has stamped it with the official Imperial seal. Even if he dug up anything, what could that change? He knew that the young prince was just saying it in the heat of the moment.

The Military Intelligence's Confidential Secretary, First Lieutenant Muktha Singh took the Emperor's authorized letter from Baron Messier. His eyes widened, ”Your Highness, there isn't a need to check it right? Haven't you noticed? The document even has the Cabinet Minister's seal at the very end!”

Oscar snatched the document violently! Sure enough, he found Kachev Drakas Ferdinand's signature at the very end.

”Curse you!” Rounds of abuses escaped from the prince's lips without giving a thought about his status. He even flung the document onto the ground and then stomped on it forcefully.

”Send our best agents on their way to return to Dulin. Shove Kachev Drakas Ferdinand's head into the chamber pot and don't return if it isn't done!”

Messier's grimace intensified. He suspected that his master's fury has almost seared a hole through his skull.

”Your Highness, let us still think of a way!”

”What way?” Oscar shrieked. ”The compensation for every acre of land is sixty-nine golden Tis. I've discussed this with the few large patriarchs of the south! This is also the bottom line that the southern nobles are able to accept! But now I don't even have a single copper coin. What can I use to do business with others?”

Mes' eyes flew wide open. ”Yes, I know right! Sixty-nine golden Tis for every acre of land. We need to pay a compensation of more than ten million at the very least. Really, His Majesty! Is he asking for us to go rob it?”

”What did you say?” Oscar suddenly scuttled over, grabbing onto the collars of the Military Intelligence Division Head.

”I said... I said we have to pay a compensation of ten million!” Messier gazed at the young prince's eyes in alarm.

”No, after that!”

”I said... His Majesty III is asking for us to go rob it!”

”Robbing?” Oscar released the Baron's collars and started pacing like a fly as before, his lips muttering repeatedly. ”Robbing... robbing... robbing...”

”Who is the most well-off in the south?” Oscar suddenly stopped in his tracks.

”It's, of course, those huge merchants!” Messier wiped his sweat.

”Where do they usually store their money?”

The Military Intelligence Division Head seemed to have been struck by a wave of apprehension. ”The Vielonna Trading Hall!”

Oscar slumped back into his huge sofa awkwardly. His Highness looked as if he was about to make a huge decision.

”Have you heard about that enormous treasury built underneath the Vielonna Trading Hall?”

”Yes, I've heard!” Mes nodded.

”If one day the contents of the treasury went missing, what consequences do you think there'd be?”

”Those big merchants will be broke. Furthermore... the largest snowballs that monopolize the financial market will melt away and cease to exist!” The eyes of the Military Intelligence Division Head gleamed with excitement.

”That's right!” Oscar nodded. Oh God of light, he really thought that he was a genius. ”Not only that, those bankrupt huge merchants won't have a single thing that the people can purchase from them! They will be utterly finished! So those who come after can only allocate resources from scratch and build another snowball! When that moment comes... I will use the initial snowball to swallow up their snowball. Thus... the Vielonna Trading Hall will be ours!”

”I understand! You want to rob the Vielonna Trading Hall's underground treasury! The gold in it is said to be able to compete with that of the national treasury. We can not only obtain the compensation for the southern nobles, but also the rob the most important resource in circulation!”

”You're not so dense! However, I never said that!” Oscar smiled sinisterly.

Messier nodded with intuitive understanding, ”Oh that's right Your Highness, I have almost forgotten! I've long since received the secret report. It's the bandits in the mountains who did it.”

”How about you Muktha! What are your thoughts?” Oscar suddenly spun towards his Confidential Secretary.

First Lieutenant Singh abruptly came back to reality as if just waking from a dream, ”I apologize, Your Highness, I just dozed off and didn't catch anything. Please punish me.”

”Hahahahahahahaha!” Oscar burst into laughter that was close to a screech. ”It seems that you're pretty tactful. I won't go after this matter further!”

”Thank you for your kindness My Highness!”

A knock once again sounded and Oscar returned to sitting upright. The manager of Serevan Palace, Sir Rowel carried a tea set and strode into the room. He respectfully arranged the tea set onto the prince's study table.

”Both of you, leave us!” Oscar waved his hand towards his Military Intelligence Division Head and his Confidential Secretary and then smiling, turned his attention towards Rowel who had a flattered expression. ”What's up my palace manager? Did you come to present a treasure?”

Oscar noticed that the tea set on the table was not of ordinary ceramic, rather... do you still remember the jade dragonfly on Sasha's head? It's a jade tea set! Oh gosh! The easterners were a little too profligate, weren't they?

”Hehe! Your Highness, you really know your goods!” Rowel praised while pouring the young prince a full cup of dark-orange black tea. ”Have a taste; its flavor is excellent!”

Oscar took the teacup but suddenly froze as soon as the cup met his lips. ”Is this part of Serevan Palace's collection of treasure?”

Rowel shook his head. ”To prevent theft, the Imperial Household will not allocate any treasure to the temporary residence in the outer provinces. This is a gift from a huge, forthright merchant. I've taken the liberty to appreciate it for you.”

Oscar nodded while taking a small sip.

”Ola! The flavor is indeed exquisite! May I know who wanted to send me this gift? I'd like to...” the prince's voice suddenly caught in his throat. His hand already flung the teacup aside. Both his legs were stepping aimlessly and his hands were clawed frantically around his throat as if trying to catch hold something.

”Arghh... arghh... poison... it's poison...”

”Your Highness! Your Highness!” Rowel was already by young Oscar's side as soon as his conditions developed. His eyes were red and his young master was already convulsing fiercely!

”How can this be? How can this be? I've already tested both tea set and tea!” Rowel screamed like mad while holding the prince. ”Help! Anyone! Doctor! Doctor!”

The guards outside the huge doors practically burst in immediately.

”Find the doctor! Find the doctor! Hurry! His Highness has been poisoned! His Highness has been poisoned!”

Just when the guards had turned around and were about to speed away, Oscar's calm and composed voice rang out.

”Forget about it!”

”Your Highness...” The Palace Manager eyed the young prince in his arms in disbelief.

”It's just a joke. Hurry and let go of me; I don't like being in the arms of a man.”

With a stoic face, Manager Rowel promptly released his hands, but he already came to a realization that the prince wasn't fooling around; this was a test. If he didn't scream away like a madman a while ago, perhaps the prince will kill him without hesitation; he couldn't say for sure.

”Is this very fun? You could have just asked me directly!”

Oscar dismissed the guards who have surrounded the room. He patted his clothes and then resumed his original seat.

”Don't be like that my Palace Manager, I'm merely testing to see if my sense of humor is still as wonderful as before! It seems that I did pretty well considering you were so frightened you almost wet your pants.” Oscar made an excuse for his actions, bored. Anyhow, he has calmed down.

”Rowel, you know? I detest those who are used to acting on their own initiative. There are only two outcomes for this kind of people by my side. First is to vanish without a trace, like my previous manager and second, like you. I haven't decided how I will punish you!”

”Punish?” Rowel let slip a faint laugh in disbelief, ”Your Highness, I can also say that this tea set is given by an outsider to the palace. I don't think I've done anything wrong. Why should you punish me?”

”Why? Why you say?” Oscar shot another question back at him. ”Why did Lady Elizabeth appear in Serevan Palace. Can you explain that to me?”

Rowel's eyes leaped like a panicked bunny, not knowing what to do.

”Let me answer for you! Lady Elizabeth's ancestral property has all been placed under your name. So that's why you've so diligently arranged for me to have that meeting! Isn't it like this, Mr. Palace Manager?”

Rowel suddenly heaved a sigh, ”Your Highness, I am only a servant of the Imperial Household. Once my term of service is over, I will be nothing! Is planning for myself once in a while considered a sin? Besides, I must help Lady Elizabeth with this; she's a pitiful girl.”

”Don't describe yourself as a saint!” Oscar abruptly averted his head away in disgust. ”What about RuPaul Roy? He is the Manzonola Family's number one loyal dog! What is the relationship between you and him? During the past two weeks, both of you have already met up in secret four times!”

”Your Highness, I've known RuPaul Roy for more than ten years. Our meetings are merely on the sentiments of old friends. Besides, I've rejected all his requests!”

”I know you've rejected them, and so you're still alive,” Oscar's eyes were so icy that it made one shudder.

Rowel wiped the beads of sweat that rolled down from his forehead. He really believed that His Highness Prince wanted to have him punished.

”Rowel, although you're the kind who loves taking advantage of things even just a little, that's harmless, and there aren't any evil intentions towards me. However, I hope that this will be the last time!” Oscar pointed towards the tea set on the table. ”Return it to whoever sent it here. One more thing, tell RuPaul Roy so that he and his master keep their distance from me. Otherwise, I will piss on them!”

The Palace Manager burst into laughter but immediately stifled it.

”Yes Your Highness, but you really should accept this tea set!”

”Why?” Oscar was suddenly skeptical.

”Because a financial crocodile that is like the Manzonola Family exists in the south. Besides that, tycoons like the Boustead Family believe in free trade and impartial honesty”

”The Boustead Family...” The prince muttered the name. In his heart, he couldn't help but laugh coldly. He hasn't even done anything yet and these top-ranking southern figures were already anxious!