It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

Moreover, the textile industry was a pillar industry of Britain, accounting for more than half of the country's foreign trade, making it of paramount importance. The most crucial aspect of the textile industry was weaving, a process that was extremely complex and laborious, requiring little to no skill.

Clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Clothing is of utmost importance. Even someone who is so poor that they can't afford to eat will at least have some clothes to cover their body.

Having mastered such a crucial industry, Li Cheng's influence will gradually expand over time. After all, although nobles nominally have boundless power, they also have enormous expenses. Just maintaining the size of their household servants and covering daily expenses is a considerable sum.

Since honor couldn't replace money, some poorly managed nobles gradually began to cooperate with merchants.

Far away.

After witnessing the astonishing efficiency of United Textiles, Veronica finally began to understand the power of capital and gradually began to accept Li Cheng's previous ideas.

......

Li Cheng's conversation with Veronique was quite ordinary, like two old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time greeting each other.

But to those around him, it was simply unbelievable.

On one side was an unknown, ordinary red-haired small businessman; on the other was a renowned princess. Yet, the two chatted as if they were friends, their atmosphere quite harmonious.

'How is this possible? That's Princess Veronica!'

More than one person was shouting this in their heart.

They couldn't understand why Ronie would appear at Lincoln's party, let alone to see this unremarkable 'small businessman'.

Meanwhile, Leon, who had been standing silently in the crowd, drinking and watching the show, was filled with deep regret.

Isn't he a small businessman from out of town?

How did you come to know Princess Veronica?

If I had known, I wouldn't have just stood by and watched; I would have gone up and said a few words to help!

Just then, Leon suddenly remembered a conversation he had with this man earlier. He had seen the man drinking alone and kindly asked him a couple of questions.

Lyon: 'There are so many beautiful noble ladies here, don't you find any of them appealing?'

Li Cheng: 'I don't like any of them.'

At the time, I just thought he was bragging, but since someone who could chat so easily with a woman of Princess Veronica's caliber must look down on these noble ladies, it's clear he'd only be interested in women like Miss Anne, who are truly unique.

This is pretty much the same mindset among most people.

As for Kevin, he was extremely frustrated.

In this era before the development of the coal industry, Lincoln was ultimately just a relatively underdeveloped city in England. If it were his father, he might be able to meet Veronica and talk to her, but as for him... well...

Originally, he had planned to send someone to teach this small businessman who dared to humiliate him in public a lesson as soon as the banquet ended, and also to arrest Annie, who dared to refuse him, and give her a lesson she would never forget.

Since this kid can chat and laugh with Princess Veronica, I probably won't be able to make a move.

What can I do? Do I just have to keep it to myself?

So that everyone in Lincoln could laugh at him for having his woman stolen?

It seems... that's the only way.

That's Princess Veronica! A figure standing near the very center of British power, dealing with truly important people on a daily basis, and having served as ruler for a year and a half.

Thinking of this, Kevin felt a sense of powerlessness, and the green in his hair seemed to become even more vibrant.

Although Veronique has not yet brought this matter to trial, it is likely to be dropped, and he can only suffer in silence.

As for Smith, he was also shocked to see Veronica talking to Li Cheng.

He only knew that Veronica was coming to the banquet, but he didn't know why she was coming. He thought she was curious about Miss Anne, who was currently very famous, but he didn't expect that she was just there to meet Mr. Banana.

Smith couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

Regardless, Lincoln will now have another figure he cannot ignore.

Chapter 192 Is there any problem with your wine?

The banquet hosted by Smith was from the beginning a lively event unlike any other, but the unexpected twist that occurred midway through was something many people hadn't anticipated.

Veronica symbolically judged who was right and who was wrong, and announced that Kevin needed to drink three cups of wine as punishment and apologize to Miss Anne, which was considered to give this unlucky guy who had been humiliated from beginning to end some face.

After doing this, she left the banquet directly, leaving the guests with a bellyful of questions that had nowhere to be vented.

But Veronica ran too fast, and they couldn't find the main target, so they all turned their attention to Li Cheng.

Li Cheng was already surrounded by a number of onlookers, but now a group of people who wanted to ask questions had arrived, and in no time he was surrounded by a huge crowd, overshadowing the popular Annie and the original center Kevin.

Anne didn't care at all. After saying goodbye, she happily led the theater crew away—she already knew that Li Cheng and Veronica had a close relationship, so she wasn't curious.

"I'm sure many of you have questions in your hearts, but Princess Veronica has her own reasons for making this decision."

Facing the crowd surrounding him, Li Cheng remained calm. He raised his voice and said, "So everyone, please be quiet and stop asking me about Her Highness the Princess. I'm just a small businessman; I won't know the answer even if you ask me, and I won't answer even if I do."

Small businessman?

Do you think I'd believe that? What kind of small-time businessman could be chatting and laughing with Princess Veronica?

Everyone rolled their eyes, but then fell silent.

Once everyone quieted down, Li Cheng continued, "As for my purpose in coming to Lincoln, I don't have any complicated intentions. I'm simply attracted by Lincoln's future development potential and want to invest in building a factory here."

Lincoln's growth potential?

Everyone was puzzled, thinking that Lincoln was a poor and barren place with infertile land. Even raising sheep was not possible because the land was too flat. They could only cultivate small plots of land to grow some food and barely be self-sufficient. What development potential did they have?

"People may wonder what development potential Lincoln has."

Li Cheng didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "That's coal! Lincoln has a lot of coal, including many open-pit mines, which have great development value. That's why I chose to come to Lincoln."

Upon hearing about coal, some people immediately lost most of their interest, thinking it was nothing special. What was so great about developing something like coal that suffocates when burned? But out of curiosity about Li Cheng, they still persevered, thinking they should listen a little longer to see what this Mr. Banana could say.

Li Cheng noticed the disappointment in their eyes and smiled, "Please don't be uninterested. I have made many new inventions related to coal, but they are still being implemented slowly."

"Leaving aside other things, at least we have successfully developed a product called a coal briquette stove. It is not only much easier and more durable to burn than firewood, but it also produces very little smoke, takes up little space, and is very convenient to use."

"If you are interested, you can ask Chairman Smith. He already has finished coal stoves and has even started selling them in small quantities in Lincoln."

When coal stoves were mentioned, some well-informed businessmen finally remembered that they seemed to have heard of them before, but hadn't paid much attention to them. Now they suddenly realized what they were talking about and wanted to learn more about them.

They then turned their attention to Chairman Smith.

Li Cheng was very satisfied with what he saw.

Having taken the opportunity to expand his business, Li Cheng left the problem to Chairman Smith and was satisfied, wanting to continue his meal. He had been a popular figure earlier, with guests constantly coming to talk to him, making it almost impossible for him to find time to eat. Now, he could finally continue.

So those interested in the coal stove went to Chairman Smith, but others, not getting the answers they wanted from Li Cheng, gathered together to ponder it.

Why did Her Highness come to Lincoln without saying a word?

Is it really just a whim to come here for a stroll, just to see Mr. Banana?

Do you believe it? I certainly don't.

Perhaps that's part of the reason, but it's probably more than that.

"Do you think... it might be at the behest of Prince Edward?"

An older businessman stroked his beard and began to ponder: "The Garcia family's interference in Lincoln's internal affairs can be a big deal or a small deal. At worst, it's just breaking promises and betraying trust, but on a larger scale, it's an attempt to seize the king's power."

Conspiracy theories always have a market.

Another debonair middle-aged gentleman added, "I've heard that the incoming Edward is facing a lot of skepticism from councilors. If he intends to take action against the Garcia family for interfering in Lincoln City in order to win the support of the free people and solidify his throne, it's not entirely incomprehensible."

The last fat merchant, who hadn't understood, patted his belly and tentatively asked, "So...we've won big?"

"I'm so tired of winning."

"I'm so tired of winning."

Everyone echoed this sentiment.

Aside from Kevin, who had already slunk away, eliminating the Garcia family's influence in Lincoln was beneficial, not detrimental, to them. Merchants didn't want the Garcia family to continue collecting heavy taxes, and the other nobles also wanted a share of the profits.

A brief explanation is needed here.

England's administrative model was quite interesting, with the fertile lands in the southeast serving as royal domains, while the lands in the west and north were allocated to various nobles.

Above all the nobles, the king would appoint a Count of the Imperial Household, which was essentially another way of saying a county magistrate, responsible for managing a region, including the nobles and serfs.

Simply put, a region includes the territories of nobles and the territories of free people. In theory, nobles can only manage their own territories, but official counts can manage both the territories of free people and the territories of nobles.

I want them all.jpg

While the king's actions ensured his rule, they inevitably strained relations between the nobility and officials in England. They also made the English nobility feel insecure and distrustful of the king, believing that the king's officials frequently oppressed them and regularly exploited them.

The King of England originally intended to be a joint king for both the nobility and the free people, but the conflicts between the nobility and the free people were difficult to reconcile, often resulting in offending both sides and being caught in the middle.

The accumulation of these contradictions ultimately led to a large-scale rebellion by the English nobility and the signing of the Magna Carta.

The Magna Carta, also known as the Magna Carta of Liberty, was signed in the 13th century by King John of the Plantagenet dynasty under pressure from a coalition of feudal lords, clergy, knights, and urban citizens. Its main provisions guaranteed the privileges of feudal nobles and the church, as well as certain interests of knights and citizens, while limiting royal power. It stipulated that no additional taxes could be levied without the approval of a council of nobles, among other things.

The British king originally intended for his appointed officials to manage both noble and free territories, using the contradictions between the two sides to create a balance of power and shift between them (this has been a long-standing British tradition; the balance of power between France and Germany on the continent was also created by them, letting the two sides fight each other, but in the end, the French high command objected during World War II and directly sided with Germany; those interested can search it on Baidu).

As a result, both the nobles and the free people disliked him and joined forces to restrict him, truly digging their own grave.

However, it must be mentioned that the achievements of the Magna Carta did not last long before being torn up by the newly enthroned Henry III.

What does the Magna Carta that you, King John, signed have to do with me, Henry III?

LOL, they have no intention of following the rules.

------

Li Cheng was about to continue eating, but before he could even take a couple of bites, a clear female voice rang in his ears again.

"Hello, Mr. Banana."

Li Cheng looked closely and noticed a short figure with brown hair standing next to him—well, it was Chairman Smith's daughter, Agnes.

Why did Agnes come?

The matter is both simple and complex. In short, the male servant inadvertently revealed that the reason she was being confined was related to a certain red-haired man. Agnes then threw a tantrum and acted pitiful, and her mother, taking pity on her, agreed to let her stroll around the banquet.

At this moment, Agnes was holding an open bottle of wine. Her expression and posture made her look very well-behaved, completely different from the bear-like way she used to hop around the ground the previous times.

Li Cheng was a little surprised: "Huh? Weren't you put in solitary confinement by your father? Did you pretend to go to the toilet and escape?"

Agnes: (╬￣皿￣)

She recalled the sound of running water she had heard in the toilet that time, and felt a surge of anger.