126 – War Preparation (5)

The apprentice heard me, blushed, and said:

“This is nonsense! No matter how much your Excellency exerts great influence over our Habsburg, that is recognized only when His Excellency respects our coexistence forever. By the way, if you give an important trade item like sugar to just one family… ”

Their precarious coexistence is shattered, and a powerful family emerges that dominates the city through the sugar brokerage trade.

If that happens, the current system of coexistence between the five superior families and the rest of the citizens will no longer be able to be maintained.

Also, because this system continues now, they have been able to protect the autonomy of the city and their own interests…

“Yes, as you said, it could disrupt the sugar deal that has already been concluded. If one family exclusively buys sugar at the current price, those belonging to other families will buy it at a slightly higher price.”

The apprentice didn’t say anything, as if he was dumbfounded that the words came out in a completely different direction from what he had said.

“But don’t worry. Now that I can make more sugar… Because the family that exclusively supplies sugar will sell it cheaper and more. Then even those of you who don’t have an exclusive supply can buy it at the same price as now.”

“no… That… ”

“I now export thousands of tons of sugar to Hamburg every year. I’ll double this, although the price will go down as sugar becomes more common… Isn’t selling a lot a surplus business?”

The apprentice finally blushed and said in anger.

“We are outraged by your Excellency’s word to break the oath of the five great families of Hamburg! The Will of the Republic! The act of establishing a monarch in a land where no monarch reigns is truly filthy!”

“No, it’s a republic. Peace where one leader and everyone under him are in harmony.”

“I mean that… ”

“I have no intention of interfering with the apprentice elections or your elections for the Council of Ten. I swear to God this.”

At the end of my speech, the apprentice glanced at the senators, and they all stood up at the same time and accused me.

“Habburg trades with anyone who pays a fair price, even if he is the devil. However, those who break the commonwealth, even those who pay a fair price, are only our enemies.”

“Hamburg is a beautiful golden castle supported by five pillars. There’s no way you can keep that castle with just one! It is only a road to destruction.”

“Considering that you have never failed to pay a fair price, I will carry on with all transactions so far. However, next time you will have to pay more fees.”

And at the same time, they didn’t even tell me to leave, but they got up all at once and tried to leave.

To them, I spoke with a mix of bluffs, false information, and truth.

“As our county expands, we plan to establish free cities like Hamburg in Nantes, Blueport and Hellsmann. You won’t get any customs fees there, and you’re thinking of selling a bunch of better stuff than you’re selling here.”

Upon hearing that, their feet stopped.

“Then all trades with Elaine in the northern direction will be cut off sooner or later. At the same time, aren’t we friends for a long time anyway? So let me give you a piece of advice on the way to parting one last time.”

Rather than advice, these words were meant to completely destroy the mutual trust between those guys.

At the same time, it will be a chance for the guy who is the first to kneel to me.

“Soon, the pickled herring trade will be stable. In other words, what was sold only inside Creutel and in the north

I plan to sell it to serfs all over Europe. If so… You could earn tens of thousands of gold coins every year from brokerage fees alone. So, if you have an idea, don’t hesitate to jump in. Thank you for your hard work, I will give you wine and presents on the way, so please take them.”

**

After the apprentice and councilors had left, Chris came up to me and asked.

“Your Excellency, can I send them like that? It is especially painful that the wine trade has collapsed.”

“I am very worried. However, you don’t have to worry. ”

Chris said in a disgruntled voice.

“And aside from the wine trade, they are beings that can do some damage. And soon, we will gather at the apprentice’s house and come together to devise a plan to keep His Excellency in check.”

“I guess so. Because they know very well that if they do not resist or check in front of an absolute strong like me, they will be bound in chains of slavery.”

“Then why did you send them? rather… Wouldn’t it be better to kill one of them first and let them succumb to fear?”

In order to rule the people most efficiently and effectively between being loved by the people and being feared by a certain monarchist who insisted on omnipotence…

I’d rather be an object of fear.

Because it is said that a ruler who becomes the object of love will not follow the people if he does not like it, but if he becomes the object of extreme fear, he will fight on the battlefield even at the risk of death.

So why are you fighting?

“Because fear grips him that if he does not fight, he will be decapitated, and that his family will be miserably killed by the monarch in an unimaginable way.”

But what Chris said doesn’t make sense in this situation.

“Inspector Chris, they are actually like one family, only with a slightly different family name. In fact, among the new members, the one with the long beard is the apprentice’s cousin, and the bald one is the apprentice’s brother-in-law. They are very tight-knit.”

“marriage… If that’s even a marriage alliance between people living in the same city, it’s already practically the same as one body… ”

“Yes, and they have a place to escape fear. So threats using fear don’t work. Such threats are a ploy used against those who have no way to escape.”

At those words, Chris opened his eyes wide as if he was moved, then nodded and said.

“I learned a lot, sir. So what can I do now?”

“Leave it to the platoon under Lieutenant Short. They’ll figure it out soon enough to spread rumors. Everything you and I have to do is done.”

“All right. But then, how do you intend to subdue them?”

“Among the words I know, there is a saying like this. ‘Divide and Conquer’ is a foreign proverb… It means divide and conquer. From now on, I intend to make them suspicious of each other and divide them into five groups. “

Chris asked in an unusually excited voice, as if he was waiting for my next words.

“What do you plan to do next?”

“Once it is divided into five chunks, it can be easily disposed of. because that’s how weak it is. ”

“but… ”

I met Chris’ eyes and started talking.

“And you know that too. As long as there is a possibility of collapsing trust in each other, you have already lost the driving force to fight against me. ”

Even in real history, most of them are painful ones, but there are several cases where people ruled by dividing and conquering in this way and then preventing each other from uniting.

The reason is that, in a way, this extremely cruel method was a method that allowed the winners and losers to shed the least amount of blood, and at the same time, it was a sure rule method.

Chris nodded, sat down, and spoke in a serious voice.

“According to the report of the Medica family merchant who just visited us… the duke of Architel is persuading the emperor of France and other dukes and marquesses. We will not send reinforcements, but we will use war reparations as collateral for goods and supplies. I think you will be offered money.”

As our territory became richer, the Duke of Architel did not miss this opportunity and made a war plan assuming that he would enter our territory.

And in order to weaken their strength in the war, they tried to destroy their biggest source of income, the export of wine.

But, I guess I haven’t even started planning yet…

Reports have already come in that other lords have already planned to receive supplies and money…

“You must have already prepared a huge amount of weapons, armor and materials. This war will not be easy.”

**

For several days, Balt, I, and Chris continued to spend time in the dorm.

In the meantime, we gathered as much information as possible from each other and reviewed the strategy to attack Architel.

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Just as the inspection was heating up, a messenger came in from outside the door and said,

“The head of the Margherita family, who occupies one of the five Hamburg families, wants to see the Count.”

The seeds of doubt I sowed seem to have taken root. very good…

“Let me in. Chris now go into the room and wait, Balt watch over the attendants. “

As soon as they received my order, they immediately left the door.

Then I sighed and laughed and whispered.

“As you wish, let it be as you wish… .”