I'm working on infrastructure in Xihuan

The winter is getting deeper, and for the civilians who are short on time, the days are getting longer and harder.

They worried about whether the new lord would bring disaster, and they also expected that the new lord would bring some hope to the poor life, but except for a few manor owners who donated bean soup for two days, everything was heading deeper. winter slide.

The stewards of the manor were arrogant, pointing to the watery bean soup and proclaiming that this was their new lord's "great kindness". For this reason, they will pay an extra [-]% of the poll tax next year in return for the benevolence of the lord who paid for the relief. kind and generous.

This news was like a bolt from the blue, hitting the people who were exhausted from living.

The harvest in the fields this year is not good, and the small business is losing money. What will happen next year is even more uncertain. The common people who are barely getting by can't afford an extra poll tax.

And the tax they can’t pay will be passed on to the manor owner. If the manor owner pays it on his behalf, then their arrears of tax will become a debt owed to the manor owner. I also sold it to the manor owner.

After becoming a slave...maybe just lingering on for another two years in endless toil and suffering.

But they dared not and could not resist. The stewards in the manor could easily crush them to death, and the one who decided to increase the tax was the more superior duke. Any disobedience by them might bring even greater disasters to the family and the village.

They can only pray desperately, and some would rather starve to death and freeze to death in this long winter.

——If there is one less person in the family, one person will pay less tax, and maybe those who can survive will have a chance.

The common people's thatched huts are full of gloom, but the Rollers Manor is planning a banquet.

The floor was wiped to a bright spot, crystal wine glasses and silver dinner plates were laid out on the long table covered with velvet tablecloths, and the smell of meat and wine from the kitchen from time to time from two days ago attracted the passing servants to swallow it desperately. saliva.

Lucien was lying by the window, watching the carriages coming in and out. The front door was a luxurious carriage for the guests attending the banquet, and the servants at the back door were busy unloading the banquet ingredients from the carriage.

Fresh vegetables and meat are purchased locally, and the rare ingredients that are necessary to support the scene at the banquet come from his settlement expenses.

The commoners in the territory struggled to survive on thin bean porridge, and a dozen or so chickens, chunks of cured meat, and expensive seafood scallops were boiled for a pre-dinner soup at the lord's banquet.

"This should be called..." He thought for a while, and the smile on the corner of his mouth was mixed with sarcasm.

"The rich man's wine and meat stinks."

The verses of the previous world read out in the language of the previous world were blown away by the cold wind in an instant. Lucien sneezed a little and sniffed again.

Because of his intentional indulgence, the urban construction rate has dropped to a new low in the past few days, and his body has appeared in some unoptimistic minor conditions.

As soon as Anna entered the door, she frowned because Lucien opened the window in winter, but the words of advice lingered around her lips, and finally she said: "Master, the guests have arrived."

It was difficult for her to get used to the title of master, and many times "His Royal Highness" uttered half a sound and then turned temporarily.Lucien didn't seem to be used to this address either, "It's like how old I am."

Lucien would complain to her like this, and mutter to himself, "You can live forever if you scream."

The crystal chandelier illuminates the banquet hall like daytime. The thick red velvet tablecloth is set against the golden candlestick. The flickering lights conceal all kinds of thoughts.

The table was more complete than Viscount Norbert's banquet. Lucien sat at the head seat, and on the left was Mr. Levin Furner, the Consul. Union president.

Archmage Andasi was dissatisfied with being overwhelmed by others, so he had a gloomy face and didn't speak much.

On the contrary, Viscount Norbert, sitting next to Lucien and sitting first on the right, looked smug, as if he was determined to have the upper hand in the game surrounding Lucien, stroked his short beard and raised his chin, as if he This is the style of the host of this banquet.

The waiter held the plate and served delicious food one after another, and the maid held the wine bottle and poured wine into the glasses one by one.

Only Lucien poured fruit juice similar in color to wine. His health was not good, and the doctor ordered him not to drink alcohol.

According to the normal banquet process, at this moment Lucien, as the host, should raise his wine glass and give a speech to start the banquet, but he didn't realize it, smiling and looking at the consul beside him.

"Mr. Levin Furner." He said, his brows and eyes curved softly, "I heard something interesting recently."

"They said..." he recalled earnestly, looking at Levin Furner without blinking, "They said you took my money, but didn't do what you promised me."

"Can you tell me if you have deceived me?"

His voice hit the air, and the air was suddenly so quiet for a moment.

But in the next second, Levin Furner realized, "Who is lying in front of you?" He showed a bit annoyed, "There is a record of how every broken corner I took from you was used. If you don't believe me, I'll ask someone to get the account books."

As he spoke, he was about to call his attendant, but Lucien shook his head to stop him, "I'm just asking..." He seemed not expecting such a big reaction from his consul, and murmured, "Of course I still believe you .”

Archmage Andasi watched coldly, and suddenly interjected to Lucien: "Then you'd better ask more." He leaned back on the chair, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth, "I heard that some people are so hungry that they eat dirt as food." Bread to eat."

Lucien flinched from his stab, and couldn't help but look at Levin Funer questioningly. Levin Funer retorted quickly and firmly: "It's just that it's too cold, and some old people and sick people couldn't survive it. , if it is really as pitiful as you said, Master, which of the gentlemen here is still in the mood to sit here?!"

He looked at Lucien, with a sincere and annoyed expression on his face, and it was a natural reaction after being framed, "You can check the account books at any time, and everyone in the master's manor can testify for me! By the God of Light, I have never touched half of the ill-gotten gains!"

"The god of light is on top?" Archmage Andasi continued to output, ignoring the lord sitting on the throne, with a mocking and arrogant tone, "I don't even dare to say how I will be punished if I really touch it, the god of light What can you prove?"

"Master Andasi," the Priest Elaine had to jump out to stir up trouble when the God of Light was involved, "Mr. Levin Furner has always been loyal and sincere, and he never lied to the gods. You should know it."

"Your Excellency, I can assure you," Priest Eleanor turned to Lucien again, "every one of your people has been relieved, and Mr. Levin Furner is an extremely competent consul. He loves the land of Velvet more."

Seeing that Lucien seemed to be persuaded by Elaine, Archmage Andasius snorted coldly, and immediately began to dig up old accounts. It's not a day or two since Levin Furner has favored Viscount Norbert's faction. Open your mouth and you can say a lot.

Just saying this made Viscount Norbert and others involved again. Viscount Norbert himself put on airs and did not take the initiative to take the initiative. The little nobles attached to him have already started to refute at length, which provoked the trade unions on Andasi's side. The elders couldn't help but open their mouths to help their families.

While yelling at you for misappropriating relief funds, oppressing civilians, and collecting miscellaneous taxes privately, at the same time yelling at you for being rude, making out of nothing, and spitting blood.

——The arrangement of the seats at this banquet is perfect, the enemy is sitting opposite, if it is more wild and shameless, you can even pounce on it and grab the collar and slap your face.

"Crack!"

"boom!"

The sound of the wine glass breaking tore apart the noisy and absurd scene, Viscount Noble wiped his hands, "Hands are slippery." He said, looking around at the people with different expressions at the table, he reprimanded, "The lord has not spoken yet, How noisy it looks like."

Almost at the same time, Andasi raised his hand, and there was a dull cracking sound in his palm, and his eyes swept aside, suppressing the quarreling presidents on his side who were not only above but also quick to get started.

"I was agitated, please forgive me." He said dryly to Lucien, and then followed up, "You are the lord, and this matter should be decided by you."

Viscount Noble also nodded in agreement: "It should be so, we should all obey the Duke's decision."

Look at this pale little face, I'm afraid I'm scared out of courage, what else can I decide.

Lucien looked to the left, then to the right, and said hesitantly, "Then... just look at the account books."

After speaking, he quickly added to Levin Furner: "Of course, I believe you." He looked at Mr. Consul with trust, "We have pulled the hook."

After pulling the hook, he thought there was no deceit or betrayal. While asking the attendants to fetch the account books, Levin Furner ridiculed and pitied the childlike innocence.

Of course he has an account book, and no matter what he has taken the money, he will prepare a copy. After all, children are unpredictable. Who knows if one day Lucien will have a whim and want to know where his money is spent.

The large resettlement fee brought by the lord from the imperial capital was only a small fraction, how could he satisfy his appetite? This is just the beginning, and the cultivation resources exclusive to the royal family in the innermost part of the warehouse are what he wants to get a share of. real purpose.

Anyway, the little lord's waste is useless, so it's better to give it to those who need it more.

The account book was brought back quickly, and Lucien opened the account book half-pushed, not forgetting to emphasize again: "We hooked it."

He stared at Levin Funer, as if he wanted to get some encouragement from him - Levin Funer did indeed give him encouragement, and nodded to him calmly, with a candid appearance of being checked by others.

The brat in Lucien's head panicked because of this reaction, causing Lucien to look down and almost misread the numbers on the first page.

……

He paused and read it again.

……

Oh, read that right.

So he turned another page, and another page, turning the page so fast that people doubted whether he had read it or not. On the contrary, it further confirmed the guess that he couldn't understand the account book.

……

or...

After a long silence, Velveer's young new lord said quietly:

"It turns out that the beans of the gentlemen are sold for two gold coins per catty."

The young man raised his head from the account book, looked sideways at the manor owners on the right, and paused when his eyes fell on Elaine the Priest, suddenly realized, "Ah, no, it was Mr. Priest who negotiated the price for me. It should have been more expensive. Gui, thank you very much for your generosity and kindness.”

He was smiling, with a piercing gleam in his blue eyes.