Lord of Industrialization

There is a place in the mountains north of Bern with beautiful scenery and green waters. It is a summer holiday resort. Many families and big businessmen bought land here to build summer holiday villas.

After several days of negotiation and land exchange, the Montechi family and the Capuletti family gathered land within a radius of four or five kilometers and gave it to Frederick as a gift to repay him for "saving" Mariodo and Gianozza.

They had previously planned to give gold, silver, treasures, fertile land and shops, but Frederick declined. It was a bit unkind to take away someone's food for this matter.

The holiday estate is different. It is just a plaything of the rich, and it can also be used as an emergency real estate, so Frederick accepted it with a smile.

Frederick held several banquets and tea parties, inviting representatives of various families and other forces in Bern to participate, and talked about the future when the railway is completed, they can eat fragrant scallion pancakes bigger than the table.

Suddenly one day, Frederick stopped holding banquets and said he was going to go fishing in the mountains.

The original villa of Baron Lanzaro in the manor is located not far from a waterfall. It has a beautiful environment, but it is a bit noisy at night.

Aleppe took people to clean up the two-story building and told Frederick the story of the building in the living room: "Five years ago, Baron Lanzaro was deceived. The seller said that this villa has many advantages, but he didn't say that the sound of the waterfall on rainy days would make people unable to sleep."

At this time, a woman's voice came from behind him: "This is not a problem. Just find a magician to set up a soundproof barrier."

Aleppe was sure that the voice was not from the person he brought. He turned around suddenly and the dagger slipped from his sleeve into his hand.

The man was wearing a black-bottomed bright red rose leather armor, with two swords hanging on his waist, a helmet tucked under his armpit, and his gray-white long hair tied into a bun behind his head.

Aleppe shuddered and exclaimed: "Her Highness Mary, the 'bloody rose'?!"

The city of Venice and the neighboring Osmaga Empire have had many conflicts, and that is Mary's territory.

The two sides fought for many years, and Mary abruptly strangled the Venetians' coastal expansion. Many people in the Kingdom of Sardinia had heard of the pattern on her armor.

Aleppo not only knew armor, but also knew people.

Frederick asked Mary curiously: "Do you have such a nickname?"

Mary said proudly: "Those Venetians are not good at fighting, but nicknames are pretty good."

Then she turned to Aleppo and asked: "I have a question I have always wanted to ask you. How much did you get for assassinating me that year?"

Aleppo answered with a cold sweat: "Two thousand ores."

Mary nodded, looking quite satisfied.

Before she could say anything else, she was immediately picked up by Frederick and walked to the bathroom, and her helmet fell to the ground.

An afternoon and a night passed, and the book does not elaborate.

In the morning, the early birds sang in the mountains, and butterflies fluttered among the flowers. Frederick and Mary sat on the boulder at the top of the waterfall and talked about business.

"I didn't expect you to come." Frederick said, "I thought Anna would send other messengers."

Mary was wearing a white dress today, took off her boots, and kept kicking water in the cold river with her feet. She supported herself with her hands and looked up to count the lemon fruits on the lemon tree above her head.

She said as a matter of course: "If you want to deal with the Venetians, I will definitely do it myself."

Frederick thought so too. There was an irreconcilable blood feud between her and the Venetians. The Venetians left her with extremely serious injuries on the battlefield. This time, if she wanted to attack Venice, she would naturally have to do it herself.

Mary urged: "Tell me quickly, how are you going to deal with the Venetians?"

Frederick said: "My plan will take a long time, many years."

Mary said: "I can understand, they are very powerful, it will be difficult to defeat them in a short time."

Frederick nodded and said: "They also have fatal weaknesses."

"Venice's strength comes from the wealth of merchants. Political forces with merchants as the main body can indeed have huge economic power, but it is very different from traditional political forces based on land."

"The wealth of the landlords comes from the land. The land has clear boundaries. It is easy to cross the boundaries. Easy to judge. "

"Merchants' wealth comes from commodity trading. The boundaries between commercial activities are very vague. The same business can be done by not only one person, but also by others."

Mary agreed with this view and said, "That's true."

"Land disputes between landlords can lead to wars, disputes between merchants can also lead to violent conflicts, and many of the assassination businesses of the Free Society are struggles between merchants."

"Venetian merchants have many conspiracies and tricks in secret. In your opera, only cutting meat is considered kind."

"You mean, you plan to provoke internal struggles among merchants?"

Frederick nodded.

Merchants' goal is profit. For profit, they can fight each other to death. They are the easiest to divide and disintegrate.

Many people understand this principle, but the specific operation is difficult.

Frederick said: "The art of politics is the art of dividing the cake. A piece of cake is so big, and no one will be willing to get less than others."

If it is aimed at three or five merchants, for political creatures at the level of Frederick and Mary, it is enough to just let a little benefit slip through their fingers.

But the target now is the behemoth Venetian Merchants. The cake used as bait cannot be satisfied with just a little bit of profit, and national-level interests must be mobilized.

Mary understood this truth, lay on the stone and thought about it carefully, and then said: "This is a good idea. Even if it cannot cause civil strife among the Venetians, it can still win over some allies who are on our side."

"Are you planning to use Ferdinand Port and Ferdinand City and the railway between them as bait?"

She will not look down on the Venetians and is prepared not to win them all.

She thought about the bargaining chips in the hands of the Osmaga Empire. Only the new industrial city of Ferdinand City and the railway connecting the city to Ferdinand Port were attractive.

Frederick said: "Ports and railways must be able to transport goods to be profitable, which requires businessmen to operate."

"Nowadays, the construction of Ferdinand City requires a lot of materials, and you have some problems in raising them."

"This is something that can be used openly and openly. It can be used as bait and can also solve practical problems."

If you want to fish, you must first build a nest, offer some benefits to gather Venetian merchants, and then slowly attract big fish. When there are more fish, it is the turn of the new energy fishing rod to come on stage.

Mary stretched out her hand and pinched the soft flesh of Frederick's waist, and said with a very angry look: "You are so greedy, you want to take advantage of it before destroying it, will you do the same to us?"

Frederick used his backhand to pinch her soft flesh, and at the same time replied with a smile: "Yeah, are you scared?"

Mary slapped his hand away. The main business was not finished yet, and there would be no way to talk without stopping him later.

"I have an idea." Mary said after pressing Frederick's paw on the stone. "If we do it too deliberately, the Venetians will be suspicious. The hatred between me and them is too great. There is no reason to suddenly show off." good."

"So you have to use your brain and let them take the initiative to ask me, and I will reluctantly agree."

Frederick nodded and said: "This is easy to handle. I am selecting some businessmen, and there are a few who are on the verge of bankruptcy. They can use them as examples."

"When the time comes, you first sternly reject them, then find someone to suggest that they come to me, and I will convince you."

Mary nodded, and these were the first fish to eat the bait.