"Uncle... Lord Earl!"
Arnold saluted and greeted cautiously, suddenly an ominous premonition rose in his heart.
Colin came to Knight Weber, patted him on the shoulder with a smile, and said:
"Knight Weber, I didn't expect you to have so many merchant friends in the northern border!"
"Actually... I actually came to the party at the invitation of Mr. Arnold, and I don't know anyone else." Knight Weber responded with a stiff face.
He suddenly realized that he was probably being used by Arnold, and he also underestimated the importance Colin attached to this Northern Merchants Gathering.
During the time he came to the northern border, Knight Weber felt the power of Colin more and more. Unlike Yulong City, this place is completely Colin's home field.
The warning from Governor Sebastian surfaced again, and Knight Weber finally made up his mind to get out of this quagmire.
"Lord Earl, I just thought that there is one urgent matter that needs to be dealt with, so please allow me to leave now!"
Colin looked at Knight Weber with a smile. Seeing that the other party was timid, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful, but he didn't make things difficult for the other party, but nodded.
Knight Weber, as if he had been pardoned, left in a hurry without looking at Arnold, who was hesitant to speak.
The atmosphere in the tavern suddenly changed.
The merchants saw some clues from the embarrassing escape of Knight Weber, and immediately realized that Arnold did not really get the support of the St. Hilde family.
At least, the current real ruler of the St. Hilde family, Count Angelet, did not side with Arnold.
Arnold is also distraught at the moment, not knowing what to do.
It's not that he didn't take Colin's attitude into consideration.
As a big businessman who has stood in the business world of the North for decades, Arnold is of course well aware of the changes in the situation in the North.
Colin's rise was so rapid that many people were a little caught off guard, but Arnold noticed early on this upstart in the north who was deeply appreciated by the Duke of St. Hilde and the Marquis of Garcia.
It's just that the trade terms of the troll empire and the suppression of food prices made Colin unconsciously stand on the opposite side of the major merchants in the north.
Arnold also gritted his teeth against Colin for a while, secretly hating him for cutting off his fortune.
But after Vera succeeded in inheriting the Duke of the North, especially the bowing of the Consul Sebastian, Arnold had to recognize the reality and began to move closer to Colin.
He first presented Colin with a pair of expensive enchanted armor through Consul Sebastian as a temptation.
It turned out pretty well.
Colin accepted the armor and wore it many times in public.
Therefore, Arnold took it lightly, thinking that Colin had no malice towards the North Wind Chamber of Commerce.
Who knows, the other party suddenly came today uninvited, and he still looked menacing. Now, Arnold is a little bit blind.
"Mr. Arnold." At this time, Colin turned around and looked at Arnold who was standing aside with a smile, "I came here uninvited this time, and I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not! It's my honor to have you come to the Butter Tavern!" Arnold felt bitter in his heart, but on the surface he could only pretend to be flattered.
Ke Lin smiled faintly, and then said in an anticlimactic manner: "Actually, I just came here to say a few things briefly, and I will leave after I finish speaking, so I won't disturb your party."
"Okay, okay, please speak." Arnold had to sit down obediently, and handed the podium to Colin.
Of course, Colin would not be polite, and said loudly: "Everyone, I think you have already heard the news from Oliver that the St. Hilde family is going to collect food from you by means of loans.
I know that you have hoarded a large amount of food in your hands, and you are going to take advantage of the rising food price in this famine to make a fortune.
To tell you the truth, I originally planned to expropriate these grains for free. "
As soon as this remark came out, the audience was in an uproar.
But immediately, under Ke Lin's cold gaze, the group of businessmen closed their mouths again.
They knew that if they really wanted to annoy the person in front of them, "free expropriation" would really happen.
After all, the entire northern border is now in the hands of the Ke Lin couple, and the major lords dare not speak out. What would they dare to do with merchants without an army
Ke Lin took everyone's reactions under his eyes one by one, and didn't pay too much attention to these businessmen who dared to speak out.
By saying this, he just wanted to lower the expectations of businessmen so that the subsequent measures would not cause too much backlash.
"However, the benevolent Duke is merciful and unwilling to take such extreme measures." Colin pushed Vera to be a good person, while he himself played the role of a villain.
Sure enough, the merchants immediately praised the Duke of the North.
Ke Lin stretched out his hand to press, and the audience immediately fell silent. He continued: "However, you don't want to use this method to make black-hearted money. I can tell you frankly that in a few days, I will go to the bank in person. Yuecheng purchases food.
At that time, a large amount of grain will flood into the northern border market like last year, and even if the grain price wants to rise, it will not rise!
Don't even think about going to the Half-Elf Kingdom to buy food, hoarding it and selling it, because I have reached an agreement with Queen Aisha that the food in the Half-Elf Kingdom will only be sold to the St. Hilde family! "
The merchants looked at each other in blank dismay, beating their hearts.
However, they still believed what Colin said.
After all, last year the food of the Half-Elf Kingdom was covered by Colin alone, and Queen Aisha also sent the Silver Moon Guards to help Colin guard Ice Rock City, so there is no doubt about Colin's control over the Half-Elf Kingdom.
Ke Lin looked at the anxious businessmen, his tone softened a little, and said:
"So, if you don't want the food stockpiled in your hands to rot in the warehouse, seize this opportunity.
This time, the St. Hilde family will publicly collect grain, and everyone who is willing to lend their grain to the St. Hilde family will receive a bond of equivalent value. "
Having said that, Colin clapped his hands.
Immediately, a group of attendants filed in and distributed the prepared bond samples.
Arnold also got a copy, and discovered that the so-called "bond" was made of an unknown material, somewhat like papyrus, but thinner, whiter, and smoother.
The value of the bond was written on the paper, ranging from one pound, five pounds, ten pounds to a thousand pounds, and it also stated that the bond was due in three years and the interest rate was eight per cent per annum.
In fact, this is the bond that Colin designed with reference to the banknotes on the earth to be used as a shadow currency.
After Ke Lin and everyone got the bond samples, they emphasized: "Anyone, pay attention, anyone who holds these bonds and comes to Lion's Roar Castle after the maturity date, can exchange them for equivalent grain. Interest accrued during this period will be attached."
The businessmen took these bonds and began to whisper and discuss.
Paper money has not yet appeared in this world, so when businessmen look at these bonds with various denominations, they don't think of the real function of this thing.
Now they are just attracted by the 8% annual interest rate, and feel that this is indeed a good deal.
If the price of grain in the north continued to rise, the merchants would of course not be willing to lend the stored grain to the St. Hilde family, but Colin had clearly expressed his determination to stabilize the price of grain, and of course the merchants began to calculate the gains and losses.
Instead of betting that the St. Hilde family can't control the price of grain, it is better to exchange grain for these bonds.
At least it's a surefire deal.
And if he continued to fight against the St. Hilde's family while clutching his food, he would definitely offend the murderous Earl Angelet in front of him.
They also all knew that the young earl's title was not obtained by marrying the Duke of the North, but by killing him with a knife and a gun. The road to nobility can be said to be paved with blood and corpses.
"Please rest assured, Earl, our North Wind Chamber of Commerce will definitely take out all the stored food in exchange for bonds!" Arnold was the first to express his opinion. This guy is only thinking about how to please Colin, not to mention that this transaction will not let him He loses money.
With Arnold taking the lead, the rest of the merchants also raised their voices, expressing their willingness to lend food to the St. Hilde family.
Colin nodded in satisfaction. In fact, he also knew that although it was profitable, it was impossible for these merchants to take out all the stored food. It is estimated that many people wanted to take out part of it and wait and see the development of the situation. , and then consider whether to continue to exchange grain for bonds.
However, Ke Lin is not in a hurry, the establishment of bond credit also needs a process.
It is believed that after the first batch of bonds expires and is successfully exchanged, businessmen will believe and recognize the value of these bonds, and eventually equate bonds with grain.
At that time, Bachelor Sonny's new farming and animal husbandry system will gradually roll out, and the demand for currency in the market will also surge. Colin can also take the opportunity to announce that bonds can be used to pay taxes.
In this way, the bond will truly have the function of money.
Moreover, businessmen will gradually discover that these paper bonds are actually easier to carry and trade, so they are more willing to accept bonds as an alternative currency.
In this way, the St. Hilde family also possessed substantial coinage rights.
Perhaps the royal family will gradually react, but by then, the northern border has been fully developed, and Colin will not need to care about the royal family's questioning.
Thinking of this, Colin felt more comfortable, and said again:
"Thank you for your support! Now, let me talk about the second thing."
He looked around the field for a week, and finally his eyes stopped on Arnold's face, and he said with a smile:
"I am going to set up a Northern Foreign Trade Company. If you are willing, you can contribute and participate."
(end of this chapter)