Imperial Crown.

Chapter 227: Bride Gift and Dowry (300 monthly tickets plus more)

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……

The nobles have different degrees of broad-mindedness, but no one ever thinks of themselves as narrow-minded.

For example, Gul'dan felt that he was broad-minded enough.

At least he wasn't angry because Raven didn't come out to greet him.

This is the cultivation of nobility!

He was wearing a formal dress, riding a tall horse, and walking slowly on the streets of Eagle Town. The civilians and serfs on both sides took off their hats and bowed to him.

Gul'dan was no longer surprised by this. He was more concerned about the current construction of Eagle Town.

The last time he came here was nearly two years ago. At that time, the construction of Xiongying Town had not yet been completed. In the past two years, he had always heard about the prosperity of Xiongying Town, but for some reason, he had never been here in person.

In his opinion, no matter how well Eagle Territory was built, it was just a rural place. Here, a two-story building might be considered a "building".

Only those poor nobles in remote areas who have never seen the world would stick together for warmth and bring fame to this place.

But now that I have really seen it, the previous stereotypes have collapsed in an instant.

The roads were even smoother and wider than those in Hovey City. The glass curtain wall of the Wallace Hotel was stunning. The houses on both sides were not tall but bright and clean. Most importantly, there was no stench on the streets that was common in towns of this era.

Even in Hovi City, outside the core circle, in the lower city where most civilians live, the smell of excrement is enough to make people cover their noses.

"I got the answer, young master." Knight Townsend rode up to Gul'dan and reported, "It is said that Baron Raven has sent people to collect excrement from every household and manage it in a unified manner."

"Besides that, there is a building called ... a public toilet. If someone throws dirt on the street, they will be fined."

Gul'dan asked, "When did it start?"

"It is said that it has been a long time. It seems that Baron Raven issued the relevant decree shortly after he ascended the throne."

Undoubtedly, Gul'dan is arrogant, and he has the capital to be arrogant.

Because he is the first in line to the Fox family, he is a future earl and will inherit the title of governor.

He doesn't need to work hard, these halos will fall on him naturally, so he indulges himself, enjoys himself, and doesn't take anyone seriously.

But now, his father's title of Governor of Montreal was stripped, and he had to pay a fine of more than 200 million gold coins in one go, almost emptying the family treasury!
This made him realize for the first time that his future was not so secure.

When I woke up from a dream that lasted more than 30 years, the first thing I saw was the precarious situation of my family.

Gul'dan's mentality is quietly changing. In the past, he would never care about details like the smell of the road, but now he is unwilling to miss any key points.

He wanted to understand why, when the Earl's family was gradually falling into crisis, Baron Raven was able to get the best of both worlds and become increasingly powerful.

He visited the Wallace Hotel, the Pride of Lion, the Crystal Palace, the Paramount Hall, and the Colosseum, and gained some insights.

To sum it up, it can be summed up in two words - innovation.

Gul'dan was not interested in history, but in the more than 30 years since he could remember, the city of Hovi had hardly changed. It was the same as it was 30 years ago.

But every building and every initiative in the Eagle Territory is changing and innovating, not to mention Raven's business alliance and the Sky Eagle platform based on it.

The convoy arrived at the gate of Eagle Keep. Gul'dan saw the monument erected outside the castle and read the contents on it with a hint of sneer on his face:
"All the warriors who sacrificed their lives for the peace and tranquility of Eagle Territory will be immortalized?"

To exaggerate the importance of a group of soldier ruffians to such an extent is simply heresy among all the nobles.

It seems that no matter how much he achieves, Raven still can't get rid of his untouchable background!
"Welcome, Mr. Gul'dan." Raven was waiting at the door and saluted with his hand on his chest.

This time Gul'dan was not arrogant. He immediately dismounted and returned the greeting: "You are so polite. After a while, you can call me brother."

Lei Wen said, "Thank you for your kindness, brother. I am ashamed to say that I am too busy to come and meet you, but I will definitely prepare a meal that will satisfy you."

Gul'dan said: "I have long coveted the Angel's Gift, a specialty of the Eagle Territory."

The two returned to the castle, chatting and laughing, and had lunch in a friendly atmosphere. During the lunch, they basically did not talk about business, but just talked about their experiences.

Raven also asked about Nancy's recent situation, and Gul'dan naturally praised her.

After lunch, Raven took the initiative to suggest that Gul'dan have some fun in Eagle Town, but Gul'dan, contrary to his usual behavior, suggested that they talk about business first.

"Actually, I came here for two main reasons. One, to confirm the wedding date for you and Nancy; and two, to discuss the betrothal gifts and dowry."

Raven was prepared for this, but he still asked first: "What does the Fox family mean about the wedding date?"

"The sooner the better." Gul'dan said, "...it would be best if we could get married before April this year."

"So urgent?" Raven showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

According to his original plan, he was going to set the date for July this year, when the weather would be best and the new castle would be completed, so the wedding could be held in the new castle.

It's already the end of February.

It took Gul'dan nearly a month to get here, and when he set out on his return journey, it was already the end of March or the beginning of April.

Even if the wedding date is set at the end of April, the Fox family only has one month to prepare, which seems too hasty for a wedding of the Earl's family.

Raven asked directly: "Is the Fox family already in such a difficult situation?"

Gul'dan sighed, "Our two families are about to get married. I won't hide something from you. Marquis Anthony came with great momentum this time. I'm afraid that reviewing military merits is only the first step."

"Although our Fox family has paid the fines for most of our vassals, it is not so easy to win back their hearts and minds. Many people have begun to waver. At this time, we need a strong external aid to calm their hearts."

"The sooner the better for the wedding."

In fact, according to Gul'dan's idea, Fox is a count's family after all, so the marriage process does not need to be so hasty, but his father Montreal insisted on getting married as soon as possible.

Raven tapped his fingers on the table.

Exposing weakness is a signal of goodwill from the beast.

It seems that Montreal has realized the inappropriateness of releasing the news and putting pressure on itself before, and is now deliberately trying to bring the two families closer emotionally.

Raven would not refuse the kindness of someone who came to his house on his own initiative: "In that case, how about setting the wedding date on April 4th?"

Gul'dan nodded: "No problem, the next thing is about the dowry."

As he spoke, he took out a document and passed it to Raven through Old Gordon: "This is the dowry catalog we have prepared."

There are many details to pay attention to when attending aristocratic weddings, especially those of great nobles. The betrothal gifts and dowries are not only about money, but also require a lot of thought.

For example, the dowry prepared by the Fox family was very varied.

20 gold coins.

100 million silver coins.

1 pieces of silk.

5000 war horses.

Together with various other magic spices, magic props, servants and craftsmen, the total value has exceeded 30 gold coins.

The highlight of this betrothal gift is a complete barony adjacent to the Eagle Territory!

Gul'dan looked at Raven who was lost in thought and explained, "We will use a piece of territory near the city of Hovi to exchange for Baron Shufu's Holo Territory. After that, it will be incorporated into your territory along with Nancy."

This gift is a bit too expensive.

Indeed, the net income of a barony is usually around 1000 gold coins a year, and the wealthier ones only get 2000 or 3000 at most, which is far less than 30 gold coins in cash.

Territory means not only gold coins, but also population, resources and strategic depth.

No noble would refuse the expansion of his territory.

"In that case..." Raven frowned, took out the gift list he had prepared, took the charcoal pencil from Old Gordon, wrote a few lines on it, and then asked Old Gordon to hand it to Gul'dan. Even though his mentality had changed, human nature and habits developed over the years could not be changed overnight, so Gul'dan did not have too many expectations for Raven's betrothal gift.

But when he saw the contents of the gift list, Gul'dan took a breath of cold air!
This word is so ugly!

However, the following content also really shocked him.

20 gold coins.

1000 bottles of Angel's Tears.

Angel's Kiss 50 bottles.

30公分天使之耀30面、50公分天使之耀15面，70公分天使之耀5面。

Two kinds of Angel's Gift, 1000 cans each.

All in all, these alone are worth more than 30 gold coins, no less than what the Fox family paid.

If the engagement gift of Angel's Glory is included, the betrothal gift would be even more generous than the Fox family's dowry.

Gul'dan was a little scared. Fortunately, his father added that territory, otherwise it would have been crushed by Raven!
The above items were originally on the gift list, and the following items were newly added by Raven to correspond to the territory, which made Gul'dan even more frightened.

That's the recipe for Angel's Tears.

Today, Angel's Tears are marketed throughout the Nord Province, and have gradually opened up markets in surrounding provinces and countries. Even though the Eagle Territory can maintain an output of 10000-12000 bottles per year, it is still in short supply.

It is said that in the black market of the southeastern province of Molinier, the price of a bottle of Angel's Tears has been driven up to more than 8 gold coins.

With the Fox family's production capacity, if they could obtain the formula of Angel's Tears, it would be enough to produce at least 4 to 5 bottles. Based on the selling price of 2.88 gold coins, even if the profit is only 30%, the profit will be around 3 to 4 gold coins.

This is much more profitable than a barony!

For a moment, Gul'dan actually felt a bit of admiration for Raven.

Because if it were him, he would never share such a cash cow with others!

Raven still hasn't changed his gangster's moral habits.

"Raven, I was wrong for my poor attitude before." Gul'dan sighed, "From today on, no matter how your relationship with Nancy develops in the future, I will treat you as a brother!"

Raven's lips curled up into a sincere smile: "That's your fault - I have already regarded you as a brother."

Although they said so, both of them knew that it was just polite talk. Anyone who took it seriously would be digging a hole for themselves.

In the following days, although Raven intended to arrange entertainment, Gul'dan seemed absent-minded even when he was enjoying himself, and obviously wanted to go back and hand in his mission as soon as possible.

So after only staying for 4 days, Gul'dan set off.

"My Lord Baron, do you really want to give the formula of Angel's Tears to the Fox family?" asked old Gordon.

Wine is not only a luxury but also a necessity. There is never a shortage of people who want to drink at any time.

It can be said that Angel's Tears are the most stable source of income in Raven's territory besides crops.

"Since you promised, of course I have to give it to you." Raven teased Xiaobai with the meat strips: "But whether you can make money from it is the Fox family's own business."

At present, Angel's Tears is no longer just a wine, but a brand with a complete upstream and downstream industrial chain.

Glycerin is used to remove the astringency of wine and increase sweetness, and glycerin is only produced by Eagle Territory.

There are also glass bottles containing angel tears.

Although there are other glass merchants in the Nord Province, the sales of this product are always limited. Some people may be able to produce hundreds or thousands of bottles, but only the factory in Xuefeng Town can supply tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands every year.

Not to mention, its iconic silk label has become more exquisite than the original version after more than two years of iteration. Even if someone wants to replace it, it cannot be done on such a scale.

All three of these are in Raven's hands, and he'll give us whatever price he offers!

Even if they got the formula, the only thing the Fox family could be self-sufficient in was the production and processing of the raw liquid, which had the lowest threshold.

In other words, under the premise that Raven has mastered the core technology, it would be fine for the Fox family not to produce it. But once they decide to mass-produce Angel's Tears, they will become Raven's OEM factory and can only earn a tiny bit of profit at the bottom line.

As for how many there are exactly, that all depends on Raven’s mood.

The wedding of a noble has always been a major event that concerns the entire territory. Now that the date has been set, everyone in Raven's territory has become busy preparing for the wedding.

But this does not include Raven.

Most of the chores were left to old Gordon to handle. The only time-consuming thing was tailor-making a wedding dress.

Speaking of this, Raven frowned.

Just one dress, from design to completion, takes nearly two months, and the price is as high as 3378 gold coins.

Even if you string the gold coins together with thread to make clothes, you won’t need that much!

It hurts, but as a noble, he lives in style, so Raven had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept the expense.

In addition to this matter, Raven also has to deal with the magic plant matter himself. After all, there is only one Petty around him, and she is an alchemist.

Once again, he used the second-level magic nourishing rain to irrigate the magic field, and Raven shattered the magic core to provide the magic plants with the corresponding elements as nutrients.

Nowadays, the most planted thing in the magic field is the life-attributed green peach, with a total of 2100 plants, including 2000 Bigenbao plants and 100 life essence plants. In another half a year, the total output of Bigenbao is expected to reach about 4 pieces.

Raven did not intend to strengthen them all into life essence. No matter what it was, if there was too much of it, it would become worthless. It would be better to keep such good things for his own use and continue to use Beacon Ball for the cans.

Anno previously said that these life essences may continue to evolve, but there is no sign of this at present.

Raven estimated that if he wanted to evolve again, it would probably not be possible with just a second-level magic core, and it would probably require a third-level or even a fourth-level magic core.

Raven can't afford that much for the time being.

In addition to this, there are 100 bloody-attribute green peaches and 100 red mist fruits. These two types of magical plants seem to have reached their limits and no further changes have occurred.

The fruits of these two kinds of output were basically handed over to the alchemist Buggy, who used them to produce "Fighting Soul Potion" that could replenish fighting spirit after mixing. Most of them were placed on the Sky Eagle platform by Raven for sale, and a small part was kept for his extraordinary subordinates for their own use.

After finishing all this, Raven returned to his secret room to take care of the only magic plant that was not planted in the magic field - Congyun Kumquat.

As time went by, this Kumquat tree began to bear new fruits, and Raven also spent a lot of energy on it during this period.

Through the Eye of Truth, Raven observed that its demand for magical elements was very strange!
Ordinary magic plants, such as the red mist fruit, can only accept the element of fire; although the green peach has two options, life and blood, it will be fixed after accepting one and cannot accept the other element.

But Congyun kumquat is completely different.

So far, Raven has supplemented it with 6 different elements, including the six basic elements of earth, water, fire, wind, light and darkness, but every once in a while, it will have new needs, as if they are endless!

The same thing happened today. After digesting the light element last time, it began to crave the lightning element again.

This is the last elemental magic core that can be found in the world. The only others are legendary elements such as "Holy Spring", "Chaos" and "Time".

Activating the Eye of Truth, Raven shattered the second-level magic core in his hand, and the purple lightning element was infused into the Congyun Kumquat.

Lightning began to flow on the six orange-yellow thin branches that looked like bamboo joints.

Raven was no longer surprised by this. Every time he infused different elements into it, it would produce similar performance, but after the infusion, it would remain the same.

Thinking that this time would be different, Raven stayed to observe for a while, but seeing that it was still the same as usual, he took a shower and went to rest.

The next morning, Raven woke up from the soft mattress and found that Patty, who served him, was quite depressed. She didn't dare to look him in the eye. He couldn't help but be curious: "What's wrong?"

It would have been fine if she hadn't asked. But when she asked, Patty's tears suddenly welled up:
"My Lord Baron, I'm sorry. I was too careless..."

Seeing her like this, even someone as calm as Raven was startled:
"You...are pregnant?!"

……

(End of this chapter)