After a moment of conversation, he continued: "But the Count's promise to you is still valid, and the gates of Nijmegen are always open to you, and no taxes will be levied on all your commercial activities in this land, including the use of the bridges and roads owned by the lords. ”

"I'm sure you all know that the Earl's new home, Nijmegen Castle has been built, this is no less fortified than Utrecht, there is great potential for development, the walls of the outer city can protect your commercial warehouses and shops from robber attacks, and the tax exemption policy will allow you to save a lot of money in the turnover of goods."

"In addition, the departure tax collected a few days ago will be used to build a trade club, which will provide free accommodation and cheap storage of goods for all merchants who come to do business. Of course, in order to ensure the normal operation of the Chamber of Commerce, all goods leaving the port of Nijmegen Castle are subject to a very low exit tax, and I believe that if I had not been the Prime Minister of Nijmegen, I would have re-entered the competition with you, this is a golden opportunity to make a fortune! ”

Leonardo was excited, like Isaac, an old liar when he was secretly counting money, this is also for the merchants present, and through them to all the merchants on the mainland, half seductive and half coercive, tell them where is the new business paradise.

Speaking of the old liar, this guy took my investment, and I don't know where to go, since the last time I sent someone back the news, there has been no news for more than half a year, although there is a giant of Leonardo's level as a financial backing, I no longer worry that my money bag is always empty, and I can always make money like a trick, but compared to his maturity and stability, the old liar has a stronger drive to open up new markets, and has the courage to try distant markets to find business opportunities in the legendary country, It is a benign complement to Leonardo's commercial power.

In addition, the most important thing is that in the face of the reality that I am becoming more and more dependent on Leonardo, I have a heartfelt worry and rejection, especially his unauthorized actions on the secret front, and after the fact, I have a nasty expression of helping you solve the obstacles with foresight, so that I can't tell who is the master, and I can't control the Enides organization that belongs to me in name.

In fact, the fact that my uncle's fleet disappeared into the open sea in an unclear way made me wonder if the old guy had done something in private, and once again cut off the competitors who were higher in the succession order, Leonardo was like an octopus with teeth and claws, penetrating the soft soft body into every corner of Nijmegen, and of course my life.

At the same time as I was leaving Utrecht with my army, news came from far away in Rome that His Majesty the Emperor was about to leave for Germany to inspect the Reich and finally to Berlin to pay homage to Charlemagne's coffin.

In view of the deterioration of the remnants of his younger brother of the Pope, who became more and more disobedient, it can be said that the dark clouds of intrigue over Rome finally turned into an irreversible thunderstorm, and the choice of the next pope was already an open secret on the streets.

But the influential nobles of Germany, especially the dukes of the four duchies, were disgusted by the appearance of a French pope, especially Gerbert, who was born in the Duchy of Auvergne, a commoner family in Aurillac, which seemed to them to be tantamount to desecration of the throne left by St. Peter on earth.

But in my few dealings with him, I had a good impression of this half-hundred-year-old man who was always humble and his eyes were full of wisdom, at least much purer than those godheads who opened their mouths to call themselves God.

He persevered in the life style of poverty and poverty, always adhered to the rules and precepts of the clergy, and dedicated himself to God, unlike other courtiers who were favored by the emperor's side who used power to accumulate wealth and luxury, he can be described as an irreproachable model of life style, a saint who lived in reality, and secondly, this old man can be called an academic all-rounder, not only a senior mathematician, but also made a lot of achievements in rhetoric, astronomy, music, philosophy, etc., and even invented several simple celestial instruments and monochords, A free-spirited pragmatist, I have had several conversations with him as a traverser, and his elegant cultivation and insightful insight are admirable, leaving off the barbaric and greedy so-called social elite of his time.

The most important thing is that his purpose of approaching the emperor is very simple, but to use His Majesty's youthful creativity and supreme imperial power to help him realize the ideal of universal harmony and turn the emperor into a tool for teachers.

The emperor and the clergy were completely reversed, His Majesty Otto became a second-class vassal of Bishop Gerbey, and the young emperor did not learn anything useful from the religious policies of his great ancestors, but only indulged in the illusion of the world's top and fell deeper and deeper.

His Majesty the Emperor's purpose of this tour can be seen by anyone with a discerning eye, which is to touch the bottom of the various nobles, appease the floating people's hearts, and strengthen the foundation of the somewhat shaken ruling edifice, after all, Germany is the foundation of the empire, and Rome is just the icing on the cake, and Aunt Mathilde, who governs the state on behalf of the emperor, is also getting older, and her ability and energy are declining.

The Vatican's upcoming change of power needs to obtain the understanding of the nobles, especially the four dukes, his famous grandfather Otto I, who also relied on the strength of the German archdukes to build a glorious empire, Saxony is no longer a powerful prince who once overwhelmed the crowd, and those who want to challenge authority can't hold back their wildness, and Duke Henry of Bavaria in his family has always been eyeing the emperor's throne.

This is also the reason why His Majesty Otto, by acquiescing in Nijmegen's annexation of the wavering Friesland, secretly fleshed himself out.

The Saxon royal family was in great need of a wolfdog to guard the house, and behind this wolfdog, with the equally ferocious Flender and Lower Lorraine, became an increasingly important weight, though not the decisive one.

"An incomprehensible fate......"

Riding on a bumpy horse, I sighed as I reminisced about the bumpy experience of wanting to stay out of the situation, but now I couldn't help but be swept into the maelstrom of power.

"Then try to be the little fulcrum that moves the earth!"

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How do you describe your current mood?

It's like working hard to save a lifetime of money, finally paying the down payment for the house, and happily changing from a cramped two-bedroom to a single-family duplex......

A high-spirited young lord, riding a horse and running before and after instructing the driver to be careful of the objects on it, a bit of a self-cherished old lady posture, surrounded by a large group of subordinates, the fox and the tiger scolding those clumsy attendants, the mistress of the carriage behind yawned, put down the curtain on the window, disdainful to see this group of country nobles who had never seen the world live in the new house, eager to engage in the whole world known to the earth bun face, only a silent old man, Calmly give orders at the end of the team to ensure that the team is still moving in an orderly manner under the many nonsensical interferences.

I rode on a horse, and the bumps on the horse's back at this time would no longer cause any burden on the waist of the old injury, because the sensory nerves of the cerebral cortex had been completely replaced by the excitement of moving to a new home.

"Wangcai, are all the things in order?"

I don't know how many times along the way, I found Wangcai to ask about the preparations for the housewarming banquet, I may be at the excitement point, and there is only this one thing that can make me care, and I am verbose like a worried mother.

"To ensure the high standard and scale of the banquet, and to show the richness of Nijmegen, tomorrow's banquet will be attended by the Grand Duke of Swabia and the Count of Flanders, as well as countless nobles of Rausch, can not be disgraced to me, understand?"

Wangcai has become accustomed to his master's mindless state like a child from time to time, and he takes the trouble to explain to me what he has reported more than a dozen times, and he memorizes more than elementary school texts.

The old guy is this very heartwarming, always obedient to the master, but several times on a whim, I was called from the carriage at the back of the line, and it was really difficult for him to be rusty and machine-like body, somewhat unbearable and out of breath.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, the preparations for the feast began a month ago, whether it was meat, bread, or wine, the warehouse was already filled, the silver cutlery was provided by Lord Leonardo, and the seasonal mushrooms and vegetables, including the fresh fruits to be used, were also collected from all corners of the country and delivered by hand, to ensure that nothing went wrong."

Wangcai said as he adjusted his breathing, and beat his sore back with the support of his youngest son Luo Luo:

"The castle is set up according to your request, and the servants have cleaned the banquet hall a few days in advance, just waiting for the lady's things to be brought over to-day. A welcome must have been arranged at the castle, and tonight you will enjoy your first night at the cosy castle, and have a good night's sleep, Lord Count! "Wangcai owes a little to show his obedience and blessing to me.

(End of chapter)