"Sir Xiao Chen, this is too much!" Viscount Brahms's hands were shaking as he held the list, which clearly stated numbers ranging from 1,000 to 50 golden axes. For a baron, 1,000 golden axes might be his income from his territory for several years. "The ransom you asked for is too high. Normally, the ransom is agreed upon. The ransom for a baron will not exceed 100 golden axes! When we were at war with the Empire a few years ago, 50 or 60 golden axes could redeem a baron!"
Xiao Chen shrugged and said, "Then you don't have to redeem them. These nobles will be useful to me."
Brahms thought of the parade he saw yesterday. These nobles were shackled and had their fighting spirits sealed. They walked back and forth in the town. The militiamen escorting them held signs with their names and crimes written on them. There were also special preachers around to introduce the identities of these people to the illiterate people. The nobles who were originally high and mighty had to face the ridicule and mockery of the poor around them, and some even threw stones and clods of earth at their heads.
He even saw one of the representatives, Baron Antunes, confessing his sins in the square. His voice was spread throughout the town by the amplification magic circle, and Brahms believed that even the passing caravans and farmers working outside could hear his trembling voice.
The nobles have lost face because of them. Viscount Brahms feels that even if Julio or some other nobles come back one day, it will be difficult for them to rule these people as before. Because they have lost their due respect for the nobles. Yesterday, he saw many emotions in the eyes of those common people that he had never seen before: contempt, disdain, ridicule...
This should not be the emotion that common people should have towards nobles, but now it has been planted in their minds by the people in front of them.
Brahms came back to his senses and said, "Sir Xiao Chen, when the God of Nature created all things, he made everything in order. So the politics between lords is the same. Rules are not so easy to break. What we abide by is like a pool of water. Whether you throw stones into it or you slap the surface of the water, all of these will at most create a few waves, and in the end everything will return to its original state."
"A pool of stagnant water." Chen Hansheng said, "Xiao Chen, it seems that Mr. Brahms wants to test you on how to solve the problem of stagnant water."
"I don't think it's difficult. As long as we evaporate the water, all the strange things underneath will be revealed." Xiao Chen said easily.
Xiao Chen's answer left Brahms speechless. He warned: "The Duke will never agree to such a price. If you insist on your own opinion, you will get nothing in the end."
"The Duke won't get what he wants either." Xiao Chen stood up from his seat, moved closer to Brahms, and spoke with a sincere look. "He will even lose a lot of things, such as the support of his vassal states, the loyalty of his army, and some upcoming opportunities."
Obviously, Xiao Chen had hit their weak spot this time. Viscount Brahms's face was uncertain. He hesitated for a long time, counted the list and finally said, "The total is nearly 6,000 golden axes. This is not a small amount of money. The Duke does not have that much cash."
"That's not a problem." Xiao Chen smiled. It seemed that the other party was finally going to take the bait. All the prices for redeeming slaves were obtained after careful calculation based on the output of the other party's territory. Although the prices were definitely high, they were still within the range that the other party could afford. "You can use a lot of things to pay off the debt, such as magic materials, minerals, food, weapons and equipment, and even slaves."
"I need to discuss this with my assistant before I can give you an answer." Viscount Brahms said coldly.
"That's no problem." Xiao Chen knew that this matter was almost certain, "But Mayor Chen still has some small problems here."
Chen Hansheng was still a little weak. He coughed twice and said, "It's just that the Duke still owes me some compensation."
"Compensation? This is not one of the requirements that Mr. Xiao Chen gave us." Brahms had a bad feeling.
"That's not a matter of Green Garden Town, but when Matos attacked our Alano town, he caused a lot of damage. When you came in, you must have seen that many roads and walls in the town were damaged. Not to mention, the community center alone, which is our former Baron's Mansion, needs repairs. The big hole at the front door has not been filled yet." Chen Hansheng said slowly.
Brahms almost lost control of his emotions: "But this has nothing to do with the Duke. It is the result of Matos's unauthorized actions."
"Don't forget, Matos was a vassal of the Duke of Green Forest City. Now he's dead, and his brother is with the Duke. Who else can we turn to if not the Duke?" Chen Hansheng paused and said, "However, we also have a backup plan. If you can't pay the compensation, we can only let the captives work to pay back the money. They can't be redeemed before they have paid off all their debts."
"If I don't redeem them, you will use them as slaves?"
"Of course not. They will work with our people, but the hardest and most dangerous work will fall on them. They are stronger than ordinary people, so good steel should be used where it is needed most."
"How much?" Brahms didn't want to listen to the nonsense of these two people anymore, so he asked directly.
Chen Hansheng held up a finger and said, "I only want one thousand golden axes, mainly for repairing facilities. You can also pay with stone and wood."
"I will give you a reply after discussion."
———————
After Viscount Brahms left, Kalanda, who had listened to the whole process, said, "It seems that you have no intention of resolving the conflict with Green Forest City. It seems that you are ready to keep the feud alive?"
"It seems that you have figured it out." Chen Hansheng glanced at Xiao Chen and said, "You come and explain it to Kalanda."
Xiao Chen nodded and said, "Green Forest City has no meaning for us to make peace. Because Green Forest City is in a very special location, with a suitable area, rich resources, and is a marginal city, it is of great significance to us. So this will not be our last battle. Before we completely determine the ownership of this area, we will definitely continue to have conflicts with them, and even go to war."
"That's why we have to squeeze as much money and material from them as possible and take out every penny we can from their pockets. This is also to weaken their logistical strength so that we can gain greater advantages in the future," Chen Hansheng added.
Xiao Chen smiled and said, "The best thing is that even if Viscount Brahms knows this, he has no choice but to follow our pace. He will definitely be the transport captain!"