Iron Powder and Spellcaster

A respectable Mrs. Venetta is woken up late at night and learns that her daughters have disappeared, and there are two of them. How will she react?

It’s unimaginable.

In the past, the common tool used by Venetans to deal with such situations was daggers coated with poison.

In recent years, the methods have become more civilized, and the poison-coated dagger has been replaced by a spring gun hidden under the cloak.

Putting himself in his shoes, Winters asked himself, what if a gangster dared to kidnap Ella?

The result of thinking is: After repeatedly confirming to Anna that she has no brother, Winters feels particularly relaxed.

All in all, he had no desire to meet Mr. Leo.

But considering that Mr. Leo came to Tiefeng County with his adoptive father, Winters had a vague feeling that Mrs. Navarre's attitude might have softened.

Winters had only met Mrs. Navarre a few times, and he could not even remember Mrs. Navarre's face. He only remembered that she was a very gentle, kind, and kind lady.

The situation...maybe not so bad?

Extending one's head is a knife, and shrinking one's head is also a knife. Winters delayed until he could no longer delay, and finally bit the bullet and met Mr. Leo.

The meeting was private, held around the fireplace in a small living room, with only Winters, Antonio, and Leo present, because Winters thought Leo wanted to talk about "family matters."

But soon the atmosphere turned serious and formal.

The reason is simple - Leo is not here to find a daughter for Mrs. Navarre at all, and he didn't mention a word about Anna.

"Your Excellency, Tribune." Mr. Leo's tone was formal and straight to the point, directly setting the tone of the entire conversation: "Can you provide me with the tariff collection standards of Tiefeng County?"

When faced with sudden questions, especially on unrelated topics, people usually cannot respond immediately.

To keep the conversation going, most people subconsciously pronounce a one-syllable word:

"ah?"

or "Huh?"

Or "What?"

This is a normal human reaction, and it is also the reason why many people ask the other person to repeat the question even though they have clearly heard the question.

However, this performance also means that it is in a weak position in negotiations.

Although Winters has no idea what Mr. Leo is talking about, he has a unique way of dealing with situations like this.

He said nothing, staring calmly into the other person's eyes, waiting for Leo to take the initiative to explain.

Leo did not intend to continue the confrontation. He explained the purpose of his visit very happily: "We have a batch of wool that we want to transport back to Veneta via Tiefeng County."

…

Wool, the walking white gold mine, is Plato's largest export commodity.

Compared with the wool trade, horse trading had become a tasteless little business.

Many, many years ago, it was the merchants of Piedmont (note: today's United Provinces) who first started the wool trade.

Merchants from the Piedmont traveled thousands of miles and trudged to Plato. They first purchased wool from herdsmen, and then bought wood from nobles to make boats. Finally, they drove a large ship loaded with wool eastward along the Jinliu River, reaching the inland sea and returning to the mountain front.

The wool is sent to the weaving workshop. The boats would be dismantled and sold for lumber.

After calculating their profits and paying off their debts, the merchants took their capital and headed to Plato again, embarking on a new year's journey.

This kind of circular trade is called "buying a boat and going eastward". I don't know how many businessmen rush between [Piedmont-Plato] like this day after day, year after year.

The continuous supply of wool fed the wool textile industry in the Piedmont, and the prosperity of the wool textile industry created more demand for wool.

In the era when Veneta commercial city-states such as Hailan and Baihua City monopolized inland sea trade, the cities in Piedmont earned their first pot of gold through the wool textile industry and continued to accumulate wealth in the following days.

It's interesting to say that because the re-export trade is firmly controlled by the Veneta people, the merchants in the Piedmont area have to find another way if they want to become bigger and stronger.

In desperation, the businessmen in the Piedmont area opened up a development route of "combination of handicraft industry and commerce".

They were often both workshop owners and traders. And because they have a common enemy, the merchants in the Piedmont are far more united than the merchants in the Veneta city-states.

However, there is a huge difference in size after all. If nothing unexpected happens, Qianqian will continue to be suppressed by the city-states of Veneta, and will be ranked second in the world.

However, the goddess of fate gave Piedmont an opportunity. Entering the golden age, the city-states of Veneta seemed to think they were omnipotent, and then all city-states unanimously launched a resolution - to compete for hegemony.

The city-states of Veneta were fighting endlessly, the fortress offensive and defensive technology also developed greatly during this period, and the Piedmont ushered in a beautiful spring.

When the city-state war ended, the victor - the noble Sea Blue Republic - was shocked to find that the originally submissive merchants of Piedmont had already turned into giant sharks, tearing off most of the inland sea trade that was originally monopolized by Veneta merchants.

The city-states of Veneta declined, and the Piedmont officially entered its golden age.

At that time - that is, half a century ago, the Dukedom of Piedmont was the richest land in the entire empire and the most dazzling diamond on the emperor's scepter.

In terms of area, the Dukedom of Piedmont is simply insignificant. But this small delta provides one-third to one-half of the empire's annual tax revenue.

However, the story that follows is familiar to everyone.

The Sovereignty War broke out, and this time it was the turn of the Piedmont—the Republic of the United Provinces—to be beaten to the ground.

Hundreds of years of accumulation by the people of the Piedmont were all turned into fuel for the war.

At the same time, what were the city-states of Veneta doing?

Answer: The Veneta people were watching, and they made a fortune by the way.

In order to escape the war, a large number of commoners and nobles from the United Provinces fled to Veneta with their families - taking their wealth, technology and manpower with them.

While Ned Smith and the Butcher Duke fought bloody battles in the United Provinces, Veneta's woolen industry flourished.

What the people of the United Provinces call "every time the United Provinces fights a war, Veneta becomes rich" refers to this period of history.

All in all, after the end of the Sovereignty War, the wool textile industry was no longer a monopoly industry for the United Provinces, and the newly born Veneta Republic could already compete equally with the United Provinces.

Veneta and the United Provinces, the rivalry between comrades and enemies continues to this day.

…

What does having sex have to do with Winters?

In fact, it does matter.

In addition to sales and looms, another major bottleneck restricting the wool textile industry is the raw material-wool.

Without wool, the loom will stop spinning; without wool, the weaver will starve to death.

With the development of buying a boat to the east, it is no longer the original form of "hawkers harvesting wool from herdsmen according to the pound".

Competition drives the development of business models. Woolen merchants with strong financial resources are no longer limited to buying wool, but simply buy shares in sheep flocks and even purchase pastures.

Even so, the Venetians and the Confederates would fight over the wool every year.

Wool was continuously transported from the plateau to the shores of the inland sea, where it was turned into cloth and sold throughout the continent.

Fine wine, precious metals, steel, and handicrafts continued to flow into Plato against the route of wool.

If the Senas Alliance is a giant, then the [Ember River/Running River] carrying the wool trade is at the same time the artery and vein of the giant.

However, the problem arises here: the main artery of the alliance is cut off.

After the Bloody Night in the Castle of Kings, Arpad's military government occupied the "Jiangbei Province" in the northwest of Plato, and the remaining land south and northeast of the Jinliu River was controlled by the Second Republic.

After several rounds of attacks and defenses by both sides, neither side was able to break through Jinliu River.

As the proverb goes: If the city gate is on fire, the fish in the moat will suffer.

The Second Republic and the Third Republic faced each other across the river, but the Veneta woolen textile merchants were devastated.

The wool trade was unlike any other business. If crops decline, planters can switch to planting or not plant; if bottles and cans are hard to sell, workshops can stop producing.

But not wool.

Sheep don't care who wins or loses, they just eat grass, grow wool, and bleat. As long as it doesn't die, the sheep will grow wool.

Some of last year's wool still had not had time to be shipped back to China. Because shipping on the Jinliu River was completely strangled, this year's wool was all blocked in Plato.

When next summer comes and the new wool season arrives, there will be no place to store wool.

No, the more likely scenario is that the Veneta wool textile industry will not last until next year.

"Since we can't take the water route." After hearing this, Winters asked Mr. Leo for the first time: "Can't we take the land route?"

"You asked about the most interesting point." Leo opened his eyes slightly, paused for a moment, and turned his head to look at Antonio: "Your Excellency, General, could you please help explain."

Antonio sighed: "The territory of Palatine bordering the United Provinces and Veneta is controlled by the Second Republic, and the Second Republic has a strong pro-United Province tendency."

"This is also the most infuriating." Mr. Leo said a wisecrack: "It was Plato who was fighting, but only the Venetians were injured."

"You mean..." Winters cleared his mind: "The Second Republic implemented some kind of trade embargo. Wool sent to Veneta was intercepted in Plato, while wool sent to the United Provinces could go Is the land route smooth?"

"Exactly." Mr. Leo nodded.

"Why don't you just check your wool?" Winters frowned slightly.

"You have to do enough to save your face." Mr. Leo smiled self-deprecatingly: "In my opinion, my colleagues from the United Provinces are waiting."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait until we surrender," Mr. Leo said lightly. "Wait until we beg to sell them our shares in the flock."

Seeing that Winters didn't quite understand, Leo patiently explained: "The wool business is very risky. It costs money to shave wool, it costs money to transport, and it also costs money to raise sheep. The land can also be put up for sale. If the sheep dies, Then you can only sell meat. Therefore, it is said that "the wealth of the family is tens of millions, and the hair is not counted".

Instead of keeping the sheep and losing all their money in the event of a major epidemic, it is better to sell the shares of the sheep to collect funds. The gentlemen of the United Provinces are not in a hurry. Time is on their side and they can wait slowly. "

Winters' eyebrows deepened: "But based on the location of Tiefeng County, what help can it provide? This is the southwest end of Plato, and the entire Plato is separated from Veneta."

"The caravan transporting wool needs to enter through the buffer zone, please allow it. As for the next part, you don't have to worry about it." Mr. Leo smiled politely: "Everything has been cleared."

Have you all been connected? Winters felt strange.

Leaving Tiefeng County to the east is Baishan County, then Bianjiang County, and further east is Xilin Province, and then you have to pass through Donglin Province to reach Veneta.

This route spans three entire provinces. Can it be opened?

But another word in Leo's words suddenly woke Winters up - "buffer zone."

The buffer zone refers to the 100 kilometers of no-man's land west of the Plato border. Further west, that is the territory of the Hed tribes.

The hair on Winters' back suddenly stood up. He wanted to stand up suddenly, but in the end he still sat firmly: "You want to enter through the buffer zone? Where did your wool... come from?"

From Mr. Leo's chubby face, Winters could see many emotions: curiosity, admiration, worry...

Leo met Winters' gaze and his smile became brighter: "It comes from where you want it to be."

If any company commander dared to speak like this, Winters would have kicked him away with his boot. He wanted to grab Leo by the collar and force him to speak clearly.

However, due to many, many reasons, his body movements were limited to leaning back slightly, leaning on the back of the chair, and staring at Leo with slightly narrowed eyes.

"You still smuggle wool from the Hurds?" Winters directly poked the window paper.

"Except for the Platuan people, who else in the world is better at raising sheep?" Mr. Leo put down his smile and his attitude became respectful and restrained: "Besides, Veneta did not impose a trade embargo on the Hed tribes, and How about smuggling? Last year's wool is currently stored in the warehouse of the Kings' Castle. It is not cost-effective to move it directly, and it will also alarm the gentlemen of the United Provinces."

"Buy wool from the Hurds." Winters asked, "Isn't it easy to move it?"

"Please listen to me explain - a considerable part of this year's wool is still on the sheep." Leo finally revealed the tip of the iceberg of his plan: "If possible, it is more cost-effective to move the sheep."

Winters blinked: "You may not know that I have burned down all the meadows within at least a hundred miles west of Tiefeng County."

Mr. Leo said without changing his expression: "It doesn't matter, the sheep have to be sheared in the summer, and the grass will grow back by then."

Winters thought about it for a moment. Since Leo claimed to have opened the joints, he didn't need to do much, just let the wool enter the country.

He had no reason to refuse by helping the Veneta people and by the way currying favor with Madame Navarre.

"Is it just wool?" Winters waved his hand and smiled for the first time: "Forget about customs duties and transit taxes. Agree on a time and place, and I will send someone to build a pontoon to take the caravan across the river."

Mr. Leo showed a strange smile: "No, you'd better provide the tariff collection standards. Because... you will understand by then."

…

…

Winters neither saw nor sheared the wool. Mr. Leo only came to play the front position, and the rat pulled the wooden wedge-the big head was behind.

But the fat Mr. Leo really helped Winters solve a problem.

The problem of the old man, the wolf, the sheep and the turnip.

[One more chapter is due, one more chapter is owed]

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