Isabel's past few days can be said to be quite busy, but on the other hand, she is extremely fulfilling. As the girl expected, the group of businessmen from several major chambers of commerce who had contacted her in advance a few months ago were indeed very optimistic about the goods she brought this time, and even the usual bargaining was obviously refreshing. A lot.
This new type of wine brewed by Mr. Malone from the far east can undoubtedly be said to have transcended the barriers of race and civilization. Although it was the first time for the brewers to try it, the expensive alchemical stills that Isabel spent a lot of money on and the puree used for blending were not comparable to the samples that Malone made in his own small-scale experiments at home. . Therefore, under the guidance and supervision of the newly appointed family manager, the quality of the first batch of large-scale brandy production was indeed quite good.
On the way from Fubo Castle, due to the bumpy carriage caused by the bad road conditions, even though good protection measures were taken in advance, a small part of the cargo was inevitably damaged. Although she knew that this situation was unavoidable during transportation, in the girl's eyes, the drops of golden liquid spilled into the soil were undoubtedly the shining gold coins that disappeared from her hands.
From the beginning of the journey, Isabel had already considered from afar whether it would be necessary to move the brewery to Sorens City in the coming year. However, after a little calculation of the land price and labor issues of today's precious land, she could only give up with regret. . After all, the well-informed freedmen living in the towns are not as easy to satisfy as the tenant farmers in the fiefs. Hiring professional workers requires a lot of gold coins, and you also have to deal with the old antiques of the Brewers Guild first. Just apply some skin. Of course, what's more important is that without the protection of family power, it would be even harder to preserve this little business secret.
In the end, Sebastian saw that the girl was a little depressed, so he intervened and suggested that this kind of strong wine should not deteriorate in wooden barrels as easily as light wine. Maybe next time he could try it directly. The oak barrels that store the wine are transported to the city for bottling. Soon after Isabel nodded in agreement, she fell into other thoughts. To this. The young man could only smile bitterly.
The negotiation on the price of the goods did not last too long. After all, both parties had already reached a basic consensus before and both were interested in continuing the business. A mature market that has existed for a long time has its own way of existence. The well-established businessmen in Solens City could not help but raise their heads but not look down. There was no vulgar deliberate price-raising competition. Several major chambers of commerce tacitly agreed to take all the goods brought by Isabel at a fixed price of 100,000 gold coins based on the already agreed upon shares.
The existence of an item itself determines its value. This new type of wine has a pure taste and full strength, although it is still far behind the legendary Elf Four Seasons wine that has reached an artistic level. However, the well-informed businessmen asked themselves after tasting the wine. With the novel added value, this thing is indeed a good product that can rival even the best craft beer. Coupled with the current shortage of production, this determines that this kind of wine can only take the high-end route and be supplied to those noble nobles, wealthy businessmen, and priests. It's not like those people in roadside taverns who can drink enough for a whole day with just a few copper coins. Therefore, neither the seller nor even the buyer wants the price of the wine to be too low, otherwise everything will go wrong, right?
It¡¯s interesting to say that when discussing how to pay this huge sum of money, several people in the conference room actually discussed it for a longer time. Although 100,000 gold coins may sound astonishing at first, but to share it among several companies, for these large chambers of commerce that operate in several provinces and even more than half of the kingdom. But it's not an astonishing amount. To know. Although it is not common, even a powerful earl will borrow money from these businessmen with a lot of money when their money is a little tight. Of course, despite this, it is unrealistic for these businessmen to immediately take out large sums of cash from their pockets. Most of their wealth exists in various tangible and intangible forms. Gold placed in a treasury will not produce more gold when it comes to wealth. There is a decisive difference between shrewd businessmen and traditional nobles.
"Miss Isabel, we think your proposal is quite reasonable. There won't be any trouble. We will get the goods on the list together as soon as possible." A bald middle-aged man wearing a dark embellished dress turned a slender hand in his hand. The lacquered wooden cane said with a smile, "Architectural designers and craftsmen are readily available in our chamber of commerce. As long as you ask, they will be able to set off to your territory early tomorrow morning, and the materials will be set off soon. I have to say with admiration , your people are blessed to live under a merciful lord like you."
"You are too flattering, Sir Bordeaux. I just followed the path that a normal noble should follow." Isabel said modestly.?He nodded and thanked the other party, "I'm just a little worried. As you know, that territory has never been a very safe place, and it has never been seriously developed. The information I have learned It's just information from the past, and I haven't had time to personally inspect it thoroughly. You still need to ask your manpower to worry more about this aspect. In addition, if conditions permit, the progress of the project will be as fast as possible. Please don't worry about funding issues. No matter what, I will find a way. As long as it can be completed before next year's harvest festival, our brandy production will be more efficient next year. Before competitors have time to appear, we can seize more of the market. I think It also has more advantages for both of us.¡±
"Of course, what you said is absolutely correct, my young lady." As the public recommender of this temporary alliance, Sir Bordeaux, who is highly respected by people in the industry, cannot fail to consider the message conveyed in the girl's words, his eyes flashed After a flash of light, a faint smile appeared on his lips, "Among the large and small unions in Saurons City, I dare to guarantee you that there will not be any fool without eyes who dares to reach out to a person." The private pocket of the distinguished magician. However, once this wine spreads, and when some distinguished big shots realize its value, I am afraid you will soon begin to feel the pressure from all parties. Forgive me. I would like to remind you briefly, if you are not willing to hand over this benefit to others, then please pay more attention to the safety of the territory."
"Thank you for your concern." Although she knew that the goodwill expressed by the other party towards her was not entirely directed at her partner's identity, but was probably more about the invisible power brought by the mysterious magic, Isabel was still quite grateful. , pondered for a moment and then asked for further advice. "I think you have seen my determination to build the territory. Sir, you once served as the family advisor to Viscount Carrot, and you are a wise gentleman. Please be sure to give me some advice."
"Don't dare, Miss Isabel, you are too polite." Sir Bordeaux seemed a little flattered by the request of a girl who was undoubtedly above him in status. He bowed politely in the spacious armchair and returned the favor. He didn't think for too long before speaking. It was obvious that he had a sufficient understanding of his partner's situation in advance, "Then let me just say something simple. Your family and The grudges of the Grabo family for several generations are well known to Sorens. Being divided around the conflict area is undoubtedly an unfortunate thing for the knights of other families to be involved inexplicably. In the long run, this kind of chaos will create It is an actual gray area. You should be well aware of it. That piece of land is converted into five fiefs in official documents, but the actual area is much larger than the knight's territory."
"You are right," Isabel did not mean to hide anything on this point. "According to the measurement results, if that piece of land were placed elsewhere, it would be enough to enfeoff two or even three times the number of knights. It's a pity. I want to Reorganize. For me now, it takes too much time and energy."
"As long as we can obtain enough population, all problems will be solved." Sir Bordeaux smiled and stroked his beard, and said meaningfully, "You see, for a capable noble, in fact, the development of the territory is not that simple. Difficulty. You already own enough land for the foreseeable future. You will also have a large and continuous income, so the only thing you lack is people, right?"
"Yes, but living people can't be transformed out of thin air, not even by magic. Please tell me, what can I do to increase the population of the territory as quickly as possible?" Isabel seemed to be aware of something, her eyes flickered. Mi chuckled and said, "Don't tell me that you are buying slaves in large quantities. I don't have that much money."
"Of course not, you are really good at joking." Sir Bordeaux smiled, rolled his eyes and lowered his voice, "It seems that you already know it. Yes, we all have some mortgages in our hands. The death certificate fief. If you are interested"
Gently tapping the armrest of the seat, Isabel closed her eyes slightly and quickly thought about whether she should accept the other party's recommendation. The businessmen on the side did not dare to disturb the girl, and they were all waiting quietly for her answer.
A small number of knights who were poor and in urgent need of a large amount of money would sometimes mortgage or transfer their fiefs, usually together with the tenant farmers on the territory, to merchants who could afford high prices and were willing to invest in the land. Of course, given that this behavior actually violated the enfeoffment system itself, the feudal lords were often not happy and would not formally approve this behavior. But theory and reality are often far apart. Even the most stringent prince cannot watch his knights die in poverty or be unable to pay his ransom. If he himself is not willing to pay for it himself, then in addition to What else could we do but turn a blind eye to the sale of fiefs? ???Once the monarch acquiesced at that time and the knight died later, this fief would become a complete mess in the official records. Generally speaking, as long as it is not sold to a hostile force, the person who purchases it will legitimately become the owner of the territory after a little care.
Her eyes suddenly opened, and Isabel seemed to have made up her mind.
"So, gentlemen, how many do you have in total?" the girl asked softly.
"No more, no less, the forty-eight knightly fiefs are all the land investment we have made over the years. Of course, they are all scattered throughout Sorens. Otherwise, if they are gathered together, they will be a pretty decent baron." I took it" Sir Bordeaux shook his head regretfully, "Haha, just kidding, Your Majesty the Earl would never want someone to do this. Having said that, if it weren't for you, I really wouldn't dare to suggest that you take it all at once. It rains so much.¡±
"Yes, I think so." Isabel's eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly restrained herself and said simply, "Make a price, gentlemen, if the price is right, I will take them all."
"We are old friends. The discounted price is 50,000 gold coins, including all tenant contracts. As an additional service, I am willing to go out and handle all the required procedures for you. When the time comes, you can just send someone to take over. "Another huge deal, Sir Bordeaux couldn't help but smile. "Of course, we understand your financial situation. You can pay this money in installments, or you can directly deduct it from next year's brandy payment. As for the interest, it's all No need. What do you think?"
"I have no objection." Isabel said calmly, "Then, it's a deal." To be continued. .
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