Muddy streets, dilapidated houses, crowded alleys, shantytowns and coarse cloth clutters - even in the middle of summer, the appearance of Dongcheng District has not changed in the slightest, but there is more anger and anxiety on the faces of the crowded people on the streets.

The bakery, which was supposed to be open for business, closed its doors early, and the crowded bazaar was full of empty stalls, not even a piece of meat, a single water spinach or potato in sight, only a few tattered wooden signs creaking, and the crowd of people was like a torrent of anger, constantly surging, and then leaving in disappointment.

There was a long queue outside the door of the almshouse, crowded with people waving cloth bags, desperately squeezing forward to get less than a pound of unhulled wheat, and then rushed in the direction of home as if holding some precious treasure.

Obviously, it is still in the most prosperous summer, and there is a bumper harvest of grain in the south again, but no bakery is willing to open its door, and the large and small markets are like hens that have been stripped of their feathers, and even a leaf of vegetables can no longer be seen.

The famine, like a plague, soon spread throughout the city - bakeries, butchers, taverns, restaurants...... All sorts of places, all the places that sell food are either closed or crowded, and the shouting citizens are squeezing their heads just for a piece of cheese or even a beer.

Soon, Dongcheng District, which was not very peaceful, became more and more chaotic - theft, robbery, extortion...... Everyone seems to be slowly returning to their wildness, and a human life is less than half a piece of dry and hard bread. A burglary can be made for two potatoes. Then he scuffled with the equally hungry master of the house. and even more terrible atrocities......

"The whole of the Eastern City is starving, His Excellency Berion Marcherus, Minister of the Seals. ”

In the hall of the Imperial Council, the Marquis of Holard Minest looked at the irritable Berion in front of him with a numb expression: "It should be said that there is a problem with the food supply in the entire Turin City, not only the supply in the East City has been drastically reduced, but even the West City has a similar situation, there is a famine everywhere, shops are closed, and merchants are closed. Little by little, the supply of the market is collapsing. ”

"Two potatoes can be sold for a silver coin, a ten-pound bag of wheat can be exchanged for second-hand jewelry, and a cow can even be exchanged for thirty candles and two velvet horses—and that's just for the East Quarter, and the West Quarter will only cost more than that. ”

"The grain trade is the lifeblood of the whole city of Turin, and if it goes on like this, it will not only be the price of food that will jump, but also the security of the city - it will probably not be a jump, but a cliff jump, and the whole city of Turin will ...... together."

"Enough!" Berion slammed the table angrily, "What the hell is going on, and when did it start to appear?!"

"Five days ago, more precisely, five and a half days ago. Holard was still expressionless: "That is the day you took the treasury key from me." ”

"Are you hinting at something?!"

"Nope. I just want to say, keep going like this. It's only a matter of time before the whole Dongcheng riots take place - now they're just fighting each other for food, and then it's cannibalism, and maybe even started. When they start to slowly turn from normal people to beasts, the whole city of Turin will become a hell on earth, maybe we should consider whether to block the gates of the east and west cities now, just in case it ......"

"That will only make them more insane!" Berrion snorted, his eyes bloodshot, "I guess you'd like that, Lord Hollard, I wish you could see me make a fool of myself and let those mobs tear me alive!"

"With all due respect, Lord Berion, when the entire Xicheng District is finished at that point, I won't be able to get it. The old man's face was still unwavering, and he was numb to the extreme: "Please don't forget, the poor people in the city of Turin are more than ten times more than the number of rich and nobles. ”

"I know, but I need to know why?!" Berion roared hoarsely, "I've only reduced my supplies by a third, why is this happening-why is it that in the past five days, the whole city of Turin is about to starve to death?!"

"Because...... It's complicated, but it's simple to say – in short, it's chasing the up. Holard shook his head: "For a long time, the food supply in Turin City has been maintained by the grain trade and large and small chambers of commerce. When there are fewer sources of goods, merchants have to raise prices to reduce losses, while ordinary people are afraid that food prices will continue to rise, so they will step up their purchases, but this move will make prices continue to rise. ”

"At the end of the day, more merchants will choose to hoard goods and wait until the price rises to the top – and then they will make the most money. It's just that they buy low and sell high, but it just so happens that they are selling grain. ”

"Then go and settle all this, and let the thugs settle down once and for all - do what you have to do, Home Secretary!" Berrion stared at the old man deadly, "Otherwise you know what will happen - I know that the Minest family has always had a good relationship with those lowly merchants, tell them that I will restore the food supply as soon as possible and bring down the price, or I will hang them one by one!"

"I'll do my best, but please don't give in any hope. The old man stood up slowly: "A businessman loves money more than he fears death, especially when faced with threats. ”

"Are you afraid of death, Lord Horad Minest?" Berrion sneered.

"Don't be afraid yet—you can't kill me yet. The old man spoke slowly, "At least for now, you still need me to keep the entire city of Turin from collapsing. ”

"Yes, for the time being—soon I won't need you, and then I want you to understand who you are, and how respectful a courtier should be to His Majesty, who is about to succeed him. ”

"When the time comes, I'll do everything I can to learn how to be respectful. The old man, still expressionless, turned to leave, until the door closed, and Berion, who had long been unable to hold back his anger, immediately grabbed the wine glass on the table and slammed it against the door.

"Bang-!!!"

Heavy sounds echoed through the Imperial Council chamber over and over again, and Barrion, who was holding back his anger, didn't even bother to glance at the scrolls on the table again.

There is no doubt that this famine was caused by this old immortal thing - he took away the key to the treasury, and he used the famine to make himself unable to step down, and had to beg him in a low voice!

Who doesn't know whose faces those chambers of commerce are looking at, who doesn't know that the Mineste family controls the trade of the entire city of Turin - in order to destroy himself, he is willing to starve to death even a thousand, and ten thousand civilians without blinking an eyelid!

Cruel and ruthless, how could Horad, who could sacrifice everything for the sake of his goal, care if a few civilians could eat?

But the more times like this, the more you can't admit defeat -- the more difficult it is, the tougher you must be, and the enemy will bully when you see it, so the more difficult it is, the more you can't compromise!

"Lord Berrion, something is wrong!" Kane Durant pushed open the door and broke into the hall like a rabbit with his tail stepped on, his face covered with beads of sweat: "Dongcheng District, those untouchables in Dongcheng District have begun to riot, and they are rushing towards the gate of Xicheng District, they, there are too many of them!"

"Riot? That's so interesting. The corners of Berion's mouth curled slightly: "Go and invite our Grand Master of the Knights of the Sacred Tree, Lord Gaio Valens, I have a task to give him." ”

"Knights of the Sacred Tree?" Kane Durant was stunned for a moment, and then stared at Berion with a frightened face: "You, do you want to ......?"

"How is it possible, I am the Minister of the Seals, and my mission is to maintain peace throughout the city of Turin, not to be a butcher, or a cold-blooded demon. A playful smile appeared on Berion's face.

"Tell him that the opportunity for revenge has come. (To be continued.) )