The backer behind Baron Duncan is Razer Grande, which should not surprise Jane Joe at all.
In fact, he had already guessed it. Only the second son, who is eager to compete for the right of inheritance, will amass wealth, because without wealth, he can't do anything. When the old duke dies, he will lose everything.
On the contrary, his eldest brother can instantly become the richest man in the entire Totes Continent. This is the power conferred by the primogeniture law.
Jian Qiao's heart was full of pity, but her eyes were as calm as water as she watched the great nobleman. He knew that the other party's aggressive approach would definitely be for a showdown, and the legendary Lei Zhe was not a mean-spirited person.
Sure enough, Lei Zhe stared at him for a long time, and then said in a strong tone: "We will cooperate to open a store, and the profit will be fifty-five cents."
To say that it is cooperation is actually just wanting to obtain Jian Qiao's incense making technology and gem processing technology. However, for a great noble like Lei Zhe, being willing to give up 50% of the profit is an extremely generous move, because as long as he wants to, the Knights under his command can level the city of Desolate.
At that time, he can take everything that Jane Qiao has now.
In the past five years, the city of Desolate, which has gradually become rich, has also encountered attacks from other city lords, but they all survived tenaciously. However, this is not because they are strong enough, but because the enemies around them are poorer and backward than them.
But Grande's Knights are different, it is a hero who helped Charles III to lay down a country. In front of this heroic division, the rich city of Desolate is just a piece of fat that can be taken away at any time.
The two male servants hurriedly looked at their master and blinked repeatedly to signal him to agree.
Jian Qiao opened her thin lips and spit out two short words: "No."
Lei Zhe, who had long regarded this wealth as his own, raised his eyebrows unexpectedly.
Jian Qiao said firmly: "I must get 80% of the profit, otherwise there is no talk."
Twenty-eight cents, this is his bottom line, because the profits from those shops will not only support the servants and army of the Earl's House, but also help to build the entire city of Dessolette.
The support of the widows and the elderly, the placement of abandoned children, the popularization of schools, the establishment of hospitals, the cleaning of streets, and the repair of private houses, all these huge public expenditures have to come from Jane Qiao's private treasury.
Without 80% of the profits, he cannot let his people live a stable and prosperous life, which is unacceptable.
However, his idea was really unacceptable in this age when life was as cheap as weeds, so he didn't need to explain anything to Lei Zhe.
Lei Zhe stared at him with a cold tone: "Mr. Count, you know, I have never been so generous to anyone. Your greed is beyond my expectations."
Lei Zhe had never done such a loss-making business by giving up 50% of the profit. What he wants, others will offer with both hands, and it is all.
Jian Qiao nodded slightly and accepted this "appreciation" with pleasure.
Lei Zhe laughed angrily, raised his chin, and asked, "Aren't you afraid of my revenge if you offended me so much?"
This sentence is on point, and Jian Qiao is really not afraid.
He leaned down, slowly approached the Lord Lei Zhe, and said softly: "Although I have never seen you, I have heard of your deeds from the bard. You are a great knight, and you have your principles. . As long as you don't break Grande's laws and don't do anything to hurt you, you won't take revenge on anyone. You're not like other nobles—"
He stretched out his slender index finger, tapped Lei Zhe's chest from a distance, and continued, "You still have light here."
Yes, Lei Zhe is rare, and there is still a bright noble in his heart. The man whose arm he had cut off in the street was a deranged robber. If the other party loses both hands, the sins created will inevitably be greatly reduced.
Lei Zhe was by no means the kind of murderer who would wantonly mutilate others for no reason.
Jane Qiao has seen nobles who kept their youth with human blood, nobles who made lanterns from human skins, and even more nobles who slaughtered entire villages just because they were depressed. Even Charles III will fight with several bishops at the funeral of his uncle over the ownership of a set of golden candlesticks. What else can they do
The vast majority of nobles in this era are a group of beasts with no moral bottom line. For the sake of profit, they can ignore anything decent.
But Rachel is different. He has his own principles, he knows what can be done and what cannot be done. He upholds the style of a gentleman that is rare in this era, and even if he is calculating others, he always has to find an upright reason.
In Jane Qiao's original world, this was a famous teacher.
At the same time, other city lords were able to order soldiers to kill all the people who had migrated from another city for a trivial reason. Many cities are hostile to each other, and merchants who come and go in these cities will lose their lives if they are not careful.
This is also the reason why Jane Joe dared to open his shop in Grande. If Desolete is the capital of flowers, then Grande is the capital of freedom, and all of this depends on the management of Lei Zhe.
"So, why should I be afraid of someone with a light heart?" Jian Qiao asked softly.
Lei Zhe lowered his head and looked at the slender fingertips hanging on his chest. Although there was no skin contact, he felt that his heart was stabbed.
This feeling was not pain, but itching, numbness, swelling, and heat, which made him restless. The drizzle of early spring poured on Lei Zhe's body with a coolness, but a layer of sweat was quietly soaked on the tip of his nose and forehead.
In his chest, where the earl of Huadu had pointed straight at, a fire was burning.
He opened his mouth and forgot what he wanted to say.
After a while, he issued a stern warning: "Don't let me catch you, and don't break the law of Grande, or I will take all your wealth."
He disdains to cover up his plundering intentions, yes, he is here for Jian Qiao's 10,000-strong family wealth.
Jane Joe nodded earnestly and replied gently: "Don't worry, when I arrive in Grande, I will definitely hide in the hotel and not go out. I will leave immediately after attending the king's banquet."
Lei Zhe: "..." He should have been angry, but the anger in his heart couldn't be ignited at all. Obviously being provoked, rejected, and offended, which great noble can tolerate such humiliation? However, he not only tolerated it, but was moved.
Just now, the earl of Huadu touched his soul with just a few words, causing his emotions to fluctuate and unable to calm down for a long time.
Without saying a word, he gave him a warning glance, then turned to leave.
Jane Joe stuck his head out and asked gently and politely, "Are you going back to Grande? I wonder if I can have the honor to take you on a ride?"
Lei Zhe waved his hand without looking back: "You don't have this honor."
As long as he pulls himself into the carriage, the Earl of Huadu does not have to turn the front of the car to give way, which can not only avoid a trouble, but also step on Duncan's face.
How cunning!
Lei Zhe wiped off the raindrops on his face and deliberately ordered in a cold tone: "Let all your carriages stand back!"
Baron Duncan, who led a group of knights to the front, even showed a smug smile. Ha, he finally won today!
Of course Jane Qiao knew that Lei Zhe would not accept his invitation, but he always had to try everything. What if there was a surprise
However, this world has never been a surprise, only the helplessness of conforming to the power.
Jian Qiao sighed, "Give way."
His valet, coachman, and a group of knights hurried to dismantle the horse's reins, and together they pushed the carriage. The path was very narrow and full of mud, and after a while, everyone fell one after another into the muddy soup.
Baron Duncan and his knights watched the scene cheerfully.
Lei Zhe grinned, as if smiling, but his eyes were dark.
Jian Qiao disregarded every kind of dissuasion from the footman, got out of the car, and stood on the side of the road to watch. Everyone else was busy, and he couldn't sit comfortably in the car and put on weight.
A valet hurriedly opened an umbrella for him.
Jian Qiao took the umbrella handle and said in a low voice, "I'll hit it myself."
"Let me fight for you. You just had a serious illness, and you have no strength in your hands and feet!" The servant's face was full of worry.
Jian Qiao clenched the umbrella handle, looked at Lei Zhe not far away, and said in a low voice, "I will fight by myself, so as to prevent accidents from happening."
"What unexpected situation? What are you talking about?" The servant didn't understand the words at all.
Jian Qiao shook her head and turned to look at the subordinates who were struggling in the mud, her expression gradually becoming gloomy. Turning the front of the car in such a narrow place is a dirty, tiring and troublesome thing, and what the Baron Duncan did was not vicious, but it was very sinister.
I don't know how many times they fell, and the knights finally turned the heads of several carriages. At the same time, they were all dirty.
Baron Duncan pointed at the group of people made of yellow clay, and snickered with schadenfreude with his knight.
But Lei Zhe couldn't appreciate the fun, and urged impatiently: "Get in the car, go!"
So after a few hours of confrontation, this narrow road encounter was finally decided. Baron Duncan got into the carriage at once, and gave a few high-spirited laughs. This matter is enough for him to get a big talk in the business field and in the aristocratic circle. At that time, the earl of Huadu will definitely be disgraced!
"How about I invite you to take a bath? It is said that there are some beautiful new bathers in Arian's baths. We can also have a good dinner there." Baron Duncan proposed enthusiastically.
Lei Zhe ignored him at all, just stared at the side of the road for a moment, holding a black umbrella, with black hair and black eyes, and wearing a black cloak, as if the whole person was integrated into the night. The Earl of Huadu.
Half of the man's face was hidden under the umbrella, only a little of his lower jaw was exposed. The hand holding the umbrella was slender and long.
He did not remove the umbrella cover, revealing his full face in order to watch Lei Zhe go away. Even if it's just a perfunctory, he should take a look and then nod his head. This is the demeanor that a gentleman must maintain.
It can be seen that the tossing just now also aroused anger in his heart, making him forget to maintain etiquette.
What is he thinking at the moment? Is his heart cursing
[Thank goodness, damn Lei Zhe is finally gone, not having to face his annoying face again is a gift from God! Get the hell out of here, asshole!]
The above is Razer's imagination. He felt that the Earl of Huadu must be complaining in his heart.
And this kind of imagination made him annoyed for a moment. He slapped the car window hard, and ordered the driver: "Let the horse run faster when passing the count of Huadu!"
The more bored the Earl of Huadu is, the more he has to show his existence. Isn't the other party unwilling to look up at him? Well, he made this man have to look at him.
At this moment, Lei Zhe didn't realize how strange his thoughts were.
The coachman whipped the horse and rushed over quickly. The wheels ran over the mud pit, splashing a row of thick yellow slurry.
Jane Qiao said quickly, "Be careful!" Then she put the umbrella in front of her to prevent the invasion of the water.
Obviously, he had expected this to happen.
His two servants reacted a beat slower, and now they have turned into two chickens wrapped in yellow mud.
The three masters and servants all looked at Lei Zhe's carriage with expressions that were indescribable.
Although Jane Qiao kept her upper body, her pants and boots were splashed with mud. He lowered his head, looked at the yellow mud on his legs, and asked in a deep voice, "How old is that Mr. Lei Zhe?"
The red-haired valet recalled: "It should be twenty years old. My lord, why are you asking this?"
"Twenty? Are you sure?" Jian Qiao took out a snow-white handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the rain off her face lightly, her voice full of mockery: "I thought he was only two years old this year."