industrial lord

Chapter 788 A Simple Overt Scheme
The newly fallen snow blanketed Carlsbad, and the snow on the main road was melted by the bull and horse magicians hired by the town hall in the early morning. The hot water flowed into the sewers and then into the river.

A cordon was set up near the sewer drain. The ice here is thin and skating is prohibited, but that didn't stop the anglers from breaking the ice.

Since the railway was built here, the town has been designated by the Duchy of Wesen as a sanatorium for military and political departments and an art capital, and has been completely transformed in a short period of time.

Today, the streets are lined with shops, displaying treasures from all over the world. Merchants, travelers, officers, and artists come and go, and the streets echo with the sounds of different languages.

Count Marchin stood behind the heavy velvet curtains, slightly lifting one slit. His gaze pierced through the cold glass, first landing on the clown performing on the street below, then sweeping over the crowd of onlookers, and finally settling on the door of a teahouse in the distance.

Madame Wessen escorted Grand Duke Wessen into the teahouse, followed by several officers from the guard regiment.

One of them made eye contact with Marchin, and for the next few seconds, the officer would glance over in their direction.

Two minutes later, a man who looked like a tourist entered the hotel and left a moment later.

Marcin paid no attention to the guards of Grand Duke Wessen investigating his background. After watching for a while, he left the window, sat down on the sofa, and pondered a question.

"Is Grand Duke Wessen an idiot?"

he asked suddenly.

Behind him, his butler replied, "Master, how could you have such a ridiculous idea?"

Marchin remained silent, replaying his conversation with Mrs. Bibian in his mind.

Is this plan really feasible?
Right under the nose of Grand Duke Wessen, they're discussing a plot to swindle him out of his money?
Marcin found the whole thing ridiculous, and a thought grew stronger in his mind: this was very likely a trap set by the big boss, Wesson.

Archduke Wessen was known for his foresight, which he demonstrated time and again, from the Tulip Mania to the development of the southern continent.

Even regarding last year's battle at Hongshuiche Village, some recently believe that he had foreseen the defeat and withdrew from the battlefield in order to eliminate dissidents.

So, could the food problem in the Kingdom of Piast become the pretext for one of his schemes?
Marchin thought about it more and more and it seemed very possible.

Some things are better believed to be true than not.

He began to consider the premise that this was a conspiracy by Grand Duke Wessen.

What will happen if this plan continues as it is?
Marchin believed that the Duchy of Wesen's "Maria Project" had invested a great deal of manpower and resources in the Bohemian region, which did not decrease even after the Battle of Redwaterwheel Village, and even additional food was invested to alleviate the crisis caused by reduced production, indicating that he was determined to obtain this place.

If the Duchy of Wessen wants to annex the Bohemian region, it must deal with the local forces properly.

The problem lies in the fact that the local power structure is too complex, with the Piast Kingdom faction, the Osmarca Empire faction, and the local faction all intertwined and impossible to unify.

Marcin quickly realized that for Grand Duke Wesen, the past of these factions was not important; the key was how to choose sides in the future.

Therefore, this is an open conspiracy. The Kingdom of Piaster cannot be without food, and the nobles who are close to Piaster must choose their positions carefully. Everyone can see this, and no one can stay out of it.

At this point, the local nobles faced a choice between two options; there was no third option, and they had no choice but to make a decision.

The original Piast faction, this time, as long as they make a choice, will forgive and forget what happened before the arrival of Grand Duke Wessen.

Through the grain sales network, one can identify all the nobles who are loyal to the Kingdom of Piast, even if they only have a slight inclination towards it.

Marcin himself had sold out his country, so he knew very well that once such a thing started, it was hard to turn back. Time passed slowly, and the surroundings were extremely quiet.

Marcin believed that this was Grand Duke Wessen's purpose.

Regardless of what will happen to the local nobles involved, it seems that Grand Duke Wessen is not a bloodthirsty person, so there's no need to worry.

However, it is foreseeable that when Grand Duke Wesen launches his attack, the pro-Piast forces will be wiped out and disappear in a short time.

When that time comes, who will fill the power vacuum?

So, the most important thing is, what benefits can I gain from this?

Marchin began to think.

Some things are better to be seen than spoken.

Marcin believed that if he showed that he understood this open scheme and cooperated without being explicitly told, he might be looked up to by Grand Duke Wessen.

At that time, whether I join them or act as their agent in Piast, I will reap enormous benefits.

Marcin had made up his mind, but how to do the specific work required careful thought and research.

While he was deep in thought, Frederick was spending a warm and leisurely time with Maria in a teahouse.

There were many shops in the town, so Frederick had a lottery box made, and he would go to whichever shop he drew.

The weather was a bit colder today, so Susan went into hibernation mode, and Lilu caught a chill last night, so only Charles and Maria came out.

The owner of this teahouse comes from southern Sardinia. It is said that he used to be a baker in the household of a big shot. He suffered heavy losses in a fire when he opened his shop at the beginning of the year. Later, he was persuaded by a salesman from the Black Claw gang and borrowed a large sum of start-up capital to come here and start over.

It must be said that the teahouses with their southern flair are quite popular with northern guests; when Frederick arrived, there were almost no seats available.

Frederick let the boss pick his best dishes, and then chatted with Maria.

Soon the owner himself brought over hot tea and snacks with the waiters.

Frederick smiled and asked the shopkeeper, "You seem to have a particular fondness for almonds."

Among the desserts served were almond cookies, almond biscuits, almond cookies, and almond cream cake, as well as a type of round ball that Frederick and Maria had never seen before.

These round, egg-sized balls have a crispy outer layer, a fluffy inner layer, and a hollow innermost layer. They are drizzled with honey and sprinkled with toasted nut pieces.

“Your Excellency, Your Highness, Your Majesty, this is a popular snack in our Sardinian Kingdom recently,” the shopkeeper introduced enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling with pride. “We call it ‘hollow egg with puff pastry,’ and it is said to have been created by a royal baker in a moment of inspiration.”

"Its interior is hollow, which further enhances its crispy texture. Before enjoying it, you can sprinkle it with snow-white icing sugar, drizzle it with sweet honey, or add various freshly made jams, depending on your personal preference. All of these taste wonderful."

Frederick ate one and thought it tasted good.

Suddenly, a memory that had been dormant for many years was awakened.

(End of this chapter)