Lady of the Lord From the East

Just when Wei Wei was vigorously developing soy products and looking for brine or gypsum to order tofu, Felix's deworming water was also very successful.

So successful that someone tried to buy a formula for deworming water.

In this era when business is mostly barter for ordinary people, if they need to exchange money for deworming water, they may not be able to pay for it, but basically everyone can afford cheap beans.

Their daily staple food is all kinds of stewed beans, there are not too many, but they can basically make up a handful or two.

They may be hesitant to buy deworming water, but as long as they look at the Count's clean and well-growing fields, and then look at the growing number of insects in their fields because they are too late to catch them, they grit their teeth, Gotta buy some and try it out.

And the farmers who bought the deworming water will soon find that it is absolutely worth the money. The insects of this era have no resistance to the deworming water. The insects are basically dead and run away, and the effect is extraordinary.

Such a good deworming effect has never been seen before. After confirming that the insects were really killed, many people shouted miracles and prayed at the field side and praised the good deeds of the Count. Soon, the effect of the deworming water was discussed. As more and more people used it, it spread to the territories of neighboring nobles.

Sardinson County is the territory of the Earl of Williams, but it does not mean that there is only the Earl as a noble in the entire territory. In fact, here, in addition to the knight town that was subdivided by the Williams family, there are also five barons. , they are all nobles who have existed for a long time. The titles of the three families were first promoted by the knights who were entrusted by Felix's ancestors. Of course, not all their territories were entrusted by the former Earl of Williams. Most of them were stolen by them.

When the Prady Empire was established not long ago, there was no peace among the noble territories in various parts of the country, and there were always conflicts with each other. Either I beat you today or you rob me tomorrow, and the winners received compensation and ransom from the losers. To strengthen oneself, and then continue to fight, basically, knights rely on this method of **** to expand the land for their lords in exchange for opportunities for promotion.

The Williams family also expanded the land of Sardinson County in this way. At that time, the area of ​​the earldom was twice as large as it is now, but there were one or two prodigals in the middle, which caused the family to weaken day by day. His father's generation, through his efforts, only got better again.

When Felix inherited the title of earl, five barons also came to participate in his succession ceremony, but after that, the barons were immersed in it, and there was almost no communication except a monthly friendly letter with little content.

"They're waiting to see if I qualify for their continued allegiance."

Felix is ​​very clear about this, even if the barons are his direct vassal nobles, they are not completely his own.

As long as they are not afraid of retaliation by the original superior lord, they can even switch to other superior lords.

Of course, this kind of transfer is not open, and the laws of the empire do not allow them to do so, otherwise the aristocratic class will be in chaos sooner or later, and the so-called transfer is basically carried out in secret.

At present, the five barons in Sardinson are still in a wait-and-see period. If Felix's performance does not meet their expectations, it is difficult to say what these people will do next.

—So, why is she sitting here listening to Felix complain about his vassal nobles? Even a lot of what he said should not be said to outsiders whose relationship is unknown.

Wei Wei drank expressionlessly, worrying about Felix's IQ again.

Emotionally, she could accept that Felix couldn't help but do some stupid things because of her feelings for her, but she still wanted to say that he was stupid.

Wasn't he afraid that he was a spy or a conspirator? And Wei Wei felt that if she was really that kind of person, as long as she nodded and married Felix, the whole of Sardinson County would be in her pocket.

...but it seems a little silly and cute.

When Felix started complaining again, Wei Wei had to interrupt him: "So, you called me here early in the morning just to tell me this?"

They were in a pavilion in the garden at this time, and Dolores and the other servants who were supposed to walk with them in Japan were sent away by Felix because they had something important to talk about, so there were only the two of them in the pavilion. .

Felix, who finally realized that Wei Wei didn't really want to hear this, stopped complaining and said with a little embarrassment, "Oh, of course not."

He took out a box and handed it to Wei Wei: "I want to give this to you."

Wei Wei glanced at the box containing jewelry or other precious items, but didn't answer: "I think you know that I won't take over any precious gifts."

She can accept gifts such as flowers. Of course, it doesn't mean that anyone can give it. It's just that she doesn't reject Felix from giving it, but she doesn't accept other gifts.

"It's not a gift," Felix said, "it's a reward."

Wei Wei stared at him with "I'll just watch you fooling around".

"It's really a reward, about deworming water."

Felix opened the box to reveal a pair of gold-backed, slightly exaggerated and gorgeous drop-shaped pearl earrings.

The pair of earrings Wei Wei had seen before Felix tried to give her as a gift, said to be his mother's former collection.

"Deworming water sells very well. It brings me a continuous income, but it is unfair to you, so please let me use this pair of earrings as a reward for buying the formula."

Felix also had no choice. He always wanted Wei Wei to accept even a gift that he had carefully prepared, but Wei Wei had an incomprehensible persistence on this point, knowing that when European men pursue women Giving gifts is the most common method, and women basically choose to accept them as long as they don't particularly hate men. This can be regarded as a kind of social etiquette.

But Felix was sure that Wei Wei didn't hate her, but she didn't want to accept his gift.

This made Felix, who has always been influenced by the social etiquette of the aristocratic circle, frustrated, and made him more obsessed with allowing Wei Wei to accept his gifts.

Otherwise, with his character, when Wei Wei showed that he didn't like expensive gifts, he would not continue to give them.

Wei Wei still refused, she shook her head disapprovingly: "It's just an ordinary formula - it can't even be called a formula - you didn't get much benefit from it, and this reward is not appropriate."

Originally, the deworming water is simple to make, and the materials are sourced locally. Felix needs to invest manpower and material resources to sell the deworming water, and the exchange is only some worthless beans. I am afraid that he has exchanged it so far. Those gains were not enough to buy a large pearl like this on an earring.

Felix said it was a perfect fit: "Actually several barons have written to me, they want to buy me the formula for the deworming water, but the formula is not mine, so I want to buy your formula with these earrings."

This is true. After hearing about the effect of insect repellent water, several barons in the territory who were also suffering from insect pests invariably asked Felix to buy insect repellant water, and hoped that he would be able to sell the formula on the grounds that it was inconvenient to transport. .

This is actually a test. If they were themselves, they would never sell such an easy-to-use deworming water formula. After all, as long as the formula was kept under control, they could always sell the deworming water for profit.

Knowing this, they still demanded this, but they were just testing Felix's reaction.

Felix was also reluctant to sell the formula at first. On the one hand, he felt that the formula belonged to Wei Wei, and he couldn't sell it as soon as he said it. way to make money.

But when he received the letter, Father Matthew was also talking to him at this time. Although he didn't say it explicitly, the latter also expressed his intention to hope that Felix could hand over the formula to the church.

Note that it is not sold, but handed over, that is, given to the church for free.

On the surface, it looks a lot like Matthew is putting pressure on Felix in the name of the church to give up his own interests, cheap Father Matthew himself, if he can convince Felix to give up the formula , then the credit will naturally go to Father Matthew.

But in fact, although the intention put forward by the priest is not lacking for his own sake, there is also hope that Felix can gain the support of the church with this, so that his position will be more stable and his rights will be greater.

At this time, the church had great power in Europe. Although it did not reach the top of the emperor two hundred years later, it had already made the pope and the emperors and kings of all countries on an equal footing.

So it would be very good for Felix if he could get the support of the church.

But Father Matthew's words reminded Felix that he could also dedicate the recipe to the king!

This is probably where Father Matthew miscalculated. Compared to the church, Felix, who was awarded a knight by the king, naturally preferred the latter.

Regardless of being a lord of a border county, the Williams family is actually a direct vassal of the king, just like the baron in the county is his direct subordinate, and the king is also his direct superior.

So here in Felix, the king's face is bigger than the church.

"So you want to dedicate the recipe to the king?"

"Yes, that's what I intended."

Felix told Wei Wei about his little abacus. He wanted to give the formula to the king in exchange for the king's favor. At the same time, he would also sell the formula to several barons, and when selling, he could ask the baron We don't sell deworming water to the outside world, but he can continue to sell it himself. At the same time, because the formula is given to the king, others who want him can justly refuse to sell it and push it to the king. Now that the royal family is still strong enough, I want to come. No one would do irrational things for such a small gain.

Just like the church, he can let them go directly to the king to talk about it. I think the king who has never been very good with the church will be happy to fight them.

"Aren't you afraid that the king won't allow you to sell deworming water after he gets the formula?"

Felix said in surprise: "Of course not afraid, this formula belongs to us from the beginning, we can sell it if we want, and we don't need His Majesty's permission."

Wei Wei was habitually thinking of the emperors of the Chinese dynasties. She thought that the kings of Europe also had the same rights, similar to that "the king wants his ministers to die and the ministers have to die".

But in fact, because of the difference in the system, the power of the European kings in this period was not as large and concentrated as that of China. The church could share a part, and the powerful nobles could also share a part. What remained in the hands of the king was actually not not much.

Even when a kingdom is destroyed many times, only members of the royal family will be overthrown, and they have nothing to do with other nobles, because they can choose to be loyal to the new king and continue to be their own nobles, and they may not even have territories. what a loss.

From this point of view, the relationship between European kings and nobles is a bit like the relationship between emperors and aristocratic families before the Tang Dynasty, that is, the so-called "iron-beaten nobles, flowing water kings".

The European aristocracy has a strict hierarchy, but under this hierarchy, it also has a very casual side.

At this time, the relationship between the noble classes can be summed up in one sentence - "My vassal's vassals are not my vassals." That is to say, the orders of the upper-level nobles are only useful to the lower-level nobles directly under them, and cannot be ordered. The vassals of the nobles, even the king is no exception.

And if the power of the king cannot be suppressed by other nobles, then the nobles will not be so obedient.

Of course, if the king is strong and powerful enough, that's another story.

But obviously their current king of the Prady Empire is not so capable and strong.

Wei Wei doesn't know about rights. If she was in China, she would be able to give Felix some advice based on the history known to later generations, but in Europe, let alone the Middle Ages, she has no information about modern times. Is helpless.

So she wouldn't rashly express her opinion on what Felix was going to do.

In fact, Felix didn't expect her to give any advice. He actually wanted to take this opportunity to give the gift he had always wanted to give.

The beautiful pearl earrings shone with a warm and bright light in the box, and Wei Wei really liked pearls more than gems.

To accept or not to accept?

Wei Wei looked at the pair of earrings, as if standing at a fork in life, looking at the road ahead.

She knew that she had always had a cocoon in her heart that had appeared because of her parents' divorce, and it had become thicker and harder with time.

It was the hard barrier she built for herself, the isolation and resistance to love in the depths of her heart.

She has always firmly believed that no one can break it, not even herself.

She is not a butterfly, she doesn't need to turn a cocoon into a butterfly, she stays quietly in the cocoon that protects herself, isolates the outside world, and enjoys the security of being alone.

But the person who tried to walk into her didn't try to break it, he just tried his best to find the thread hidden in the thick cocoon, and then, bit by bit, stripped the cocoon.

The cocoon that was caught at the end of the thread is no longer unbreakable. As long as the hands don't let go, one day, the thick cocoon that tightly wraps her will be completely stripped away, revealing the soul that is no longer guarded inside.

Finally she slowly raised her hand and took the pair of pearl earrings.

For Felix, she was finally willing to admit that she was indeed a little moved.

There is nothing like liking and love, just pure heartbeat, as if someone clicked on the calm lake, so the whole lake began to ripple.

It's more like, when you are about to marry on a blind date, you meet someone who has the same willingness, meets your requirements in all aspects, and has a little interest in each other. I feel like you can try to get along with each other.

"This person may be very suitable," a voice in her heart whispered to her.

Suitable to be a future spouse.

So why not give each other a chance, good or bad, there will always be an answer in the end.

As her hand took the pair of pearl earrings, Felix's eyes became brighter and the smile on his face became wider and wider, and finally settled into a smirk that was about to reach his ears.

Really silly.

But looking at Felix, who was actually not stupid at all, he naturally knew the meaning behind Wei Wei's move.

Wei Wei was so resistant to accepting expensive gifts before, and told him that in her excesses, women can't accept things from men casually.

But now she accepted it, and after careful consideration, she accepted it "not casually".

Even if there is a transactional implication, Wei Wei can ask Felix to change to another transaction method if she doesn't want to, but she doesn't.

So Felix knew that the pair of pearl earrings she accepted was not just a deal, but also a signal, a signal to Felix.

She was telling him that she was trying to accept his quest, starting with this gift.

This was really a start that made him want to jump up and shout, even holding her in a circle.

But he couldn't, he didn't want to let his beloved girl who had just had a further possibility be scared back by him.

So restraining his conflict, he looked at the girl opposite him with bright eyes: "Can I wear it for you?"

Wei Wei, who had just accepted the gift and couldn't help but smile because of the other party's smirk, twitched her smile and almost didn't hold back.

This guy really doesn't miss any opportunity, he's really good at taking every inch.

But why does it feel so cute?

Wei Wei pushed the box back, Wei Wei turned her cheeks sideways, revealing small and delicate ears with a hint of pink.

Needless to say, Felix already understood what she meant.

He leaned over in surprise, carefully removed the tassel earrings originally worn by the girl's ears, and replaced them with the pair of pearl earrings.

After changing, Felix said with admiration: "It really suits you."

Wei Wei was slightly uncomfortable with the sudden increase in weight on her ears, but Felix's compliments still made her feel good.

Immediately afterwards, Felix suddenly said, "Would you like to be my dance partner?"

Wei Wei, who didn't know why the topic suddenly jumped here, looked blank: "What?"

Felix explained: "It's like this, the letters from the barons reminded me that I need to hold a ball, invite them to the castle, and declare my new identity in front of them."

I thought of this because, in their letters, in addition to requesting the purchase of the formula for deworming water, several barons also mentioned that in order to celebrate Felix's succession as earl, he should hold a grand ball and invite all the nobles in the territory to participate. of the kind.

If it wasn't for an appointment, he wouldn't believe that there would be such a coincidence, and everyone would mention it together.

Therefore, several barons have actually contacted in private, and they have achieved certain cooperation, which is impossible to escape.

But their letter reminded Felix that he really needed to throw such a ball.

In fact, the idle nobles like to hold various balls. When Felix was in the capital, in addition to participating in the competition in the arena, he went to various social balls. Of course, he did not appear at the ball very often. More often than not, he stayed outside as a member of the Royal Knights waiting for orders.

After all, he was only the second son of an earl's family at that time. Even if he had great potential, in the eyes of the real nobles, a knight was not worthy of their invitation.

Fortunately, this was exactly what he wanted, because he didn't like balls.

One of the most interesting things about the aristocratic class is that although they are monogamous, the fact that both husband and wife have lovers in private is an open secret, which is the norm for most aristocrats.

Felix's appearance is very popular among noble ladies, and even those noble ladies with high status are also fascinated by his appearance, but they basically only want a lover who can't see the light, and very few people will want to. marry him.

Felix, who was born in the Williams family, saw that his parents were very loving since he was a child. After his mother passed away, his father remained the only child, and he did not want to be the secret lover of a married woman or a future married woman.

As for those who are willing to marry him, I'm sorry, he has never had the same affection for Wei Wei.

So, thank you for not being sensitive.

In terms of feelings, Felix is ​​not at all like a man who grew up in the aristocracy of this era, and he is even more innocent than Wei Wei.

"When is the dance?"

"The time has not yet been determined, but I think it will be in half a month at the earliest." Felix said: "The castle needs to be prepared, and it also needs to give the guests time to prepare."

Speaking of the dance, Wei Wei's first thought was the images of men in tuxedos and women in gorgeous tutu skirts dancing under bright lights in the resplendent hall in later movies.

Of course, that is a sight that will only appear hundreds of years later, and it is impossible to see it now.

Wei Wei agreed to Felix's invitation. Now that she has made a decision, proper cooperation and contact are necessary.

"Then I'll have the tailor come and make you a dress tomorrow. Oh, Dolores also needs a few suitable dresses, and this time she can't stay in her room all the time."

Obviously, Felix is ​​not ignorant of his sister's past behavior at the dance, but before his father didn't like Dolores, the little girl had a low sense of existence, and she was not old enough to enter the social world, so Felix S didn't even care about her.

But it's different now. He feels that his sister is more liked by Wei Wei than he is, which makes him want to marry Dolores sooner!

Of course, this was just a thought he had when he felt sour sometimes. In fact, he didn't really want to do that, she was still young.

—Why is she not fourteen or fifteen years old, or even older?

The author has something to say: Felix: I'm just jealous, but I don't admit it!