Owen's weak appearance pleased the boy, and he was accustomed to raising his eyebrows and frightening the majesty of others, and his vanity was greatly satisfied.

"Mother-in-law's nonsense, get out of here!" The boy scolded and waved his hand, looking triumphantly at the next prey.

According to their speed, it didn't take a meal to eat, and the caravans that were originally crowded outside the door rushed in one by one, and through Martini's pass, the pockets of money in front of the soldiers became more and more bulging, and it was estimated that the income was good today, and the eyes were almost gone.

"Haha, I'll invite you for a while, don't grab anyone!" Bruni accompanied a few ruffians who finally showed a smile, and spared no effort to get close.

Crossing the simple trestle bridge, and further into the heart of the town of Martini, the spring water that originates from the top of the hill flows into the stone pool, which supplies the needs of the whole city, and around the pond there are several small inns and taverns, the thatched eaves are low, the foyer is dilapidated, and it is quite subgrade, which just shows the depression of the local trade, if it is not saved by the opportunity of the great war in the north, it will be closed nine times out of ten.

I paced slowly, seemingly idling but attentively observing the deployment of troops in the town, four at the door, six inside the door, three women teasing and washing clothes by the pool, two drunk outside the tavern, and four wandering around the streets......

Seventy-seven-eighty-eight is a configuration of up to twenty people.

"Find a place to settle down first, pay attention to their change of guard time, and meet before dinner after figuring out the situation."

I raised an eyebrow at Owen, who understood and led a few people away, pretending to be on the street to do business.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way, Lord Baron is here, get out of the way!"

A few strong soldiers punched and kicked through the crowd, escorting a horseback nobleman wearing half-body chain mail, muscular monsters, beards, old scars, I glanced at Owen, and basically matched Otto, the Baron of Leman, whom he had introduced.

The man on horseback grinned triumphantly at the crowd who were either evading or saluting in obedience, while his own soldiers opened the way more and more brutally, the old man with inconvenient legs was rudely pushed down, the woman with the baby coaxed the crying child in her arms, and in short, the baron went with pomp and pan like a street fighter in the country, making chickens and dogs jump everywhere.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency!"

Bruny's shrill voice sounded again, and only his raised hands could still be seen in the rubble of rubbing, and Baron Otto frowned, as if he was not happy that someone had interrupted his rounds.

"Lord Baron! Lord Baron! ”

The roar of the soul was endless, and the old crook walked through the crowd, bounced directly into the muscular pro-soldier head-on, and fell on a funny big horse, but this also made Baron Otto see who was shouting, and the corners of his eyes immediately pulled high, and the two pro-soldiers each took one of Bruny's arms and dragged him to the master.

"The greatest knight of the world, the supreme lord of Lemons, the hero praised by the bard, blessed by God, my dear baron, you are much more handsome and heroic!"

The golden tongue searched the intestines and scraped the belly to make a bunch of words that were numb to the extreme, and the waist was bent so much that it almost plunged into the mud.

"Do you know how long I have prayed to God day and night just to see this unique true knight again?"

He carefully watched his words, his little eyes dripping: "Every moment of life, every minute of breathing, can not stop, oh God! ”

"If you get it, your mouth is sweet."

Baron Otto was praised comfortably, pretending to reply coldly, but in fact, the pride and usefulness in his tone could not be concealed.

"I don't know how long you've prayed to God, but I can count how many big fish you've brought, if you dare to lie to me......"

"You threw me in the stove and started the fire!" Bruni swore and patted his chest.

The soldiers standing guard carried pockets full of newly collected gold coins and squeezed forward, flattering to their masters: "Your Excellency Baron, this is this morning's income, a total of nine gold coins, not a penny. He straightened up imperceptibly, hoping to be praised by his lord.

Who knew that Baron Otto's eyebrows were high, and he hummed a sentence from his nose and eyes dissatisfied: "Nine gold coins? So little in the morning? ”

The war horse felt the anger of the master on his back, and he also dug the ground with a fake tiger" "I saw more than a hundred hawkers alone, and you want to pay for nine gold coins?" Didn't you embezzle my money! ”

As soon as the words fell, several pro-soldiers rushed up to hold him down, punched and kicked, and no matter how he told him to spare.

At first, I could still hear the wails of the soldiers standing guard begging for mercy, and after a raindrop of fists, I saw that he was silent, his head was bloody, and he couldn't live.

"Pull up the wooden shackles at the door, let those bastards who eat inside and outside take a good look, dare to steal the things of Lord Baron, there will definitely be no good end!"

The audience was silent, and even the child's crying stopped abruptly.

The violently beaten soldier knelt on the wooden flail with a dying breath, the wound on his forehead had condensed, and several skinny wild dogs excitedly surrounded him sniffing and licking, as if waiting for this rare feast of human flesh.

Baron Otto was satisfied with the effect of his deterrence, and human life was not as valuable in his eyes as a few cold gold coins, just like other cold-blooded lords and nobles.

"Farmers are like weeds in the field, one year they cut a stubble, and the next year they will grow even more luxuriantly."

"All the caravans have come back to re-enter the border, and I will personally inspect the condition and value of the goods."

Otto jumped off his horse and sat upright on the chair prepared by the squire, with his waist straight, and he looked like a stern knight.

"Examine them one by one, and don't let go of any clues."

Bruni stood beside him with a dejected expression, avoiding a few caravan owners who were in a hurry and frantic, there was no way, Baron Lémans was in charge himself, even if he had a thousand means, it would be useless.

Owen nervously touched his psoas muscles again, as if he might draw a knife at any moment, I patted him on the shoulder and comforted, "It's okay, let's wait and see." ”

The first to come up was the merchant who had received the leather goods from Larma, and when he passed through, Bruni had quoted him a customs fee of fifty silver coins, and he was so frightened that his whole face was bloodless, and his teeth chattering were clearly discernible from so far away.

"Only fifty silver coins for the leather goods?"

Baron Otto glanced at the furs scattered on the ground, and the two soldiers were grossly examining them.

"Leather goods are everywhere in the north, and the purchase price must be very low, and then they are sold back to Italy for tanning and processing, and shipped by ship to the land of the Saracens, where this thing is quite popular, and the profits must be profitable!"

He stared at the sweaty leather merchant with a smile: "Want to get away from me?" Hehe, take me for a fool? Thanks to the good mood today, how about charging only one thousandth of your future profits, ten gold coins? ”

"Ten gold coins! My God! ”

The fur merchant's pale face was slightly rejuvenated with excitement, and what could make a timid peddler suddenly not afraid of death be anything but the benefit of making people take risks.

"Please, my lord, you can't earn back ten gold coins at all, after Martini's journey, there are many checkpoints, how much of that meager profit can be left?"

"Oh, are you being sarcastic about me?"

Baron Otto raised his voice sharply, and the surging murderous aura immediately surged.

"Come on, hang him up for me!"

The fur merchant opened his mouth to defend himself, but the strong attendant punched him in the mouth, smashing his mouth with broken teeth and dirty blood, and the crowd of onlookers fell silent as they watched the poor vendor hang upside down from the torture rack with his hands and feet tied.

"This fellow has contempt for the authority of his lord and insulted the justice of a knight, and according to the law of Leyman, I have the right to confiscate all his goods as an example!"

Everyone silently held their breath, wondering if the inventory in their pockets was enough for the greedy lord Lion's mouth, as if waiting for the call was not to check the goods, but to call from the god of death, as for life and death, it all depends on personal creation.

"Honey sellers?"

Baron Otto put his fingers dipped in honey into his mouth and sucked it, smacked the taste seriously, and nodded with satisfaction: "The purity is very high, and it is just right to use it to make wine, how much customs clearance fee did you pay just now?" Five silver coins? In this way, I will return the money to you, and the honey will remain. ”

As he spoke, he waved his hand and motioned for his soldiers to do as he was told, and the latter counted out five silver coins and threw them on the ground, two of which rolled far away.

The honey seller was much smarter than the leather merchant, and understood that no matter how much money he earned, it would be useless to spend it, and without waiting for Baron Otto to speak, he immediately picked up the silver coin on the ground and respectfully returned it:

"Since the lord likes it, it is the honor of the villain, please be sure to take back the silver coin, and I will honor the baron." The peddler peeked at Baron Otto's smug expression and replied flatteringly.

"Are you sincere?"

"I'm willing to swear to God!"

He swore that he patted his chest, and the slogan shouted sky-high:

"Next time there is a good thing, I will definitely be the first to honor you, the most just and brave knight in the world, the model of true bravery, and the Baron Léman, admired by all people!"

Sure enough, the truth of wearing thousands of sycophants is applicable in ancient and modern times, and the honey vendor's property was successfully passed, but he finally saved a small life.

"Next!"

Otto took another sip of honey, like a tiger in a safari park, comfortably waiting for the keeper to feed the new game.

"Hey, guys, go over!"

The soldiers crossed their waists and urged impatiently, as if they thought that our hands and feet were not good, and they neglected the call of the Baron.

Owen looked at me, anxiety all written on his face: "This guy is quite difficult to deal with, what if he is discovered?" ”

His eyes seemed to say, I caressed the knight's back with relief, and shook my head gently" "Calm down, the other party is just asking for money, there is nothing to be afraid of." ”

Otto's aura was too strong, and a few timid people couldn't raise their heads, which made me instantly have a feeling that Jing Ke Xianyang Palace was meeting King Qin, if it wasn't for Qin Wuyang's bad deeds, it might not have fallen short, my eyes swept over Bruni who was crowded in the crowd, and he spread his hands apologetically, saying that he couldn't do anything.

"I heard you're from ******?" The baron spoke.

"Yes, my lord, as you know, the road is not very peaceful, we are all small businesses, and we have to travel for five whole days to get here."

I tried my best to put on the face of a peddler, nodding and explaining with a flattering smile, and my tone was very well controlled.

Otto's eyelids frowned slightly, and he asked quietly: "Your accent is not like a fur rabbit with a yellow skin, and you speak Frankish quite fluently." ”

Danger, I broke out in a cold sweat, and my brain was running fast: "Doing business, going south and north, my hometown dialect is a lot more alienated." ”

"Well, I don't care how you speak."

Otto turned this over lightly, and squinted at the attendant who opened the box and inspected the goods: "The wine of the Lombard estate, even if it is placed in the court of Paris, can be called a high-quality product, and the trade is quite large, friend." ”

"There are old and young, just mixed food, if you like it, please pick whatever you want, and give it to you to taste fresh."

Hearing his words, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and said that money was not an issue: "I am willing to pay taxes on my goods, noble baron." ”

"Cheerful people! Understands things better than that unlucky bastard. ”

Otonou pointed to the moaning leather merchant hanging a few steps away, and rarely smiled: "I will detain this batch of wine and taste it first, even if I buy a familiar face, and next time I will clear customs from Martini, no matter how much the goods are, I will order my subordinates to collect only ten gold coins from you." ”

He stretched out his hand, and his eyes finally met me, "Wine is highly profitable, I hope to come and go more often in the future......"

I hesitated for a while, then I carefully touched the palm of the other party with my finger, and muttered in my heart:

Unexpectedly, this greedy ghost who saw money was a bit open-minded, and the nobles had always disdained any physical contact with the ninth-rate merchants, let alone high-fives.

"May God bless you, merciful lord!"

“………………”

Otto's face suddenly turned to the side, and he held me with his backhand, and the soldiers next to him saw him draw their weapons one after another, forcing a few of us in the middle: "You are ****** merchants?" ”

I frothed at the mouth with difficulty and pretended to be calm, not knowing what he had discovered: "We came from ****** to sell wine at the old man's castle." ”

I vaguely swapped ****** merchant for someone from ******, hoping to dispel the other party's suspicions.

"Your hands ......"

Otto pulled out my palm with a smile and rubbed the rough lines on it: "The calluses are very thick, did you get it by leading the donkey?" ”

My heart tightened, and it was over!

"Tie me up!"

He gave the order sharply, and the superior personal soldiers kicked Owen a few times in three strokes and divided them by two, and tied them with hemp rope in minutes.

"Such calluses can only be left by hands that have used swords, and they will never be like this unless they have been dancing with swords for many years."

Otto's hand gradually increased his strength like an iron tong, and the joints of his bones creaked: "Friend, you are a knight, right?" ”

I stood there with a blank face, in fact, my head was quite chaotic, and I could hardly organize effective rebuttal language.

The sudden change made the crowd silent again:

"Let me guess who you are......"

Otto sat back in his place, pinched his chin and muttered:

"****** is the territory of the Normans, and for several years we have maintained remarkable calm and restraint in spite of constant friction, and there is no reason for the Yankees to take the risk of destroying a peace that is beneficial to each other...... If you want me to say, you are deserters from Nijmegen, right? ”

"Nijmegen!"

"It's a deserter, tsk!" The crowd was talking in a noisy manner.

"The recent rumors have spread that the Duke of Nijmegen is missing, and I was skeptical at first, but now that I see you, everything is clear."

Alto confidently put his hands behind his back and continued proudly: "Want to escape back to your hometown? It's a pity that Nijmegen has ruined the two-faced Flemish people, and you have become lost dogs, you know? Without a home, the owner is dead, and the mourning dog is a hundred times stronger than you! ”

I lowered my eyes, acquiescing to his guess, in this case, I can only take one step at a time.

(End of chapter)