Infrastructure Throne

This sharp whip hit not only Berg's face, but also everyone's hearts. The reverberation was so violent that everyone present trembled.

That's right, these aristocrats usually don't care about the untouchables at the bottom, but now they suddenly changed their minds and jumped out to speak for the miners. How could they have any good intentions?

It is basically avoiding the important and taking the light, and shirking responsibility by retreating!

For a moment, Berg's mind went blank, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

Shen Qingze really dare to hit herself? !Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he dared to whip a nobleman? !

Berg didn't realize that he was really humiliated by Shen Qingze in front of all the untouchables until the severe pain on his face was burning and his whole face was red and swollen!

The muscles on his face kept twitching, and he could hardly control the distorted expression. He covered his face subconsciously, looked down at his blood-stained fingers, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

When the old city lord was alive, he would not have treated him like this. Shen Qingze was only a blacksmith once, and he was lucky enough to sit on the position of officiant. After all, he was just a lowly background, so he deserves it? !

"You..." Rage and shame alternately emerged, Berg's face flushed, and the blue blood vessels bursting from his neck were clearly visible.

He clenched his back molars tightly, raised his eyes fiercely to stare at Shen Qingze, but when he met Shen Qingze's cold and contemptuous eyes, it was like a basin of cold water poured on his head.

This is the look that is not afraid of killing people.

Shen Qingze was waiting for him to resist in a fit of anger, and then justifiably kill him on the spot!

Aware of the other party's sinister intentions, Berg's mind stunned by shame and anger suddenly woke up. He trembled his lips, lowered his body, tried to show weakness, and opened his mouth to defend himself:

"Your Excellency, I don't understand what your words have to do with me."

"Some workers are used to cheating, cheating, and have to be punished a little bit. Is it wrong to urge them to work hard?"

"We have always paid the wages of the mine on time, but since the opening of your iron factory, the income of the mine has been decreasing. Everyone has to tighten their belts and live on a tight schedule. The wages paid to the miners are less. There is no way."

Berg carefully watched Shen Qingze's face from the corner of his eyes, and his tone was humble, but he carried a gun with a stick in his words, and ambiguously pointed the finger at the iron factory.

Shen Qingze folded the whip in his hand little by little, raised the opponent's chin, and asked slowly: "What do you mean? It's because of me that the miners can't get the pay they deserve?"

The corner of Berg's mouth moved: "The subordinates dare not..."

"Then tell me." Shen Qingze suddenly raised his voice, "Why are everyone hungry, but the supervisor is fat and strong, and only the miners are skinny?"

The plump figure of the overseer lying on the ground flinched, and everyone's eyes made him feel like a light on his back. He couldn't help but curse secretly, is it wrong to be fat?

Shen Qingze didn't give the other party a chance to argue, and asked in a deep voice: "Tell me again, how much is the monthly salary of each miner? How much is the ration?"

Berg choked, how did he know about such a trivial matter?As long as these untouchables have a stutter, don't starve to death, can continue to work, occasionally die from exhaustion, drag them away and bury them quietly, what else does it have to do with me?

Berg was full of resentment, bowed his head and said: "The subordinates don't know. These things are all the responsibility of the subordinates. Is it possible that the master priest even cares about the food and drink of the ironworkers?"

The steward of the construction team has arranged for the seriously injured to be treated. Hearing his rhetorical question, he endured his anger and answered for Shen Qingze first:

"My lord doesn't just care? It's so small and detailed! All the craftsmen and farmers in our production and construction team signed the contract, and the salary and food are clearly written!"

"Wages are paid at the beginning of each month, and the supervisor directly distributes them to everyone according to the standard of professional title. The canteen has a big pot of food to keep them full. There is a simple dormitory behind the factory building, and a toilet is built. You are right, it really takes care of 'eating and drinking' !"

There was a burst of exclamation and commotion in the crowd, seeing the envious eyes of the miners, and the ridicule and pride of the ironworkers.

Berg curled his lips slightly, this slight movement involved whip wounds, and he was so painful that he couldn't speak immediately.

Shen Qingze waved his hand to stop the words of the construction team manager, and turned his gaze to the head of the miner: "Tell me, how much is the miner's monthly salary?"

The head of the miner glanced at the overseer who bowed his head and felt guilty, and then looked at the welt marks on Berg's face. He felt very relieved and snorted heavily:

"Reporting to the Lord Priestess, we originally had ten copper coins and ten catties of grain per month, and the mine managed one meal a day. Recently, there are only five or six copper coins left, and all the grain has been replaced with chaff. The amount is still small, and lunch It's rotten!"

"Where is this for people to eat? If you don't have enough to eat and don't have the strength to work, you will be whipped, and some people will be beaten to death and dragged to mass graves to be buried."

After the miner's words, he glared at the supervisor, who turned blue and red, and pointed at his nose: "You are not allowed to talk nonsense...be careful with your tongue!"

Shen Qingze flipped his wrist, and the whip slapped across the off-white ground, leaving a whip mark, which made the supervisor tremble in fright.

"Luoxin." Shen Qingze put his hands behind his back, "In the financial and tax accounts of the City Lord's Mansion, how much is the money and food allocated to the mine every month?"

Berg didn't expect Shen Qingze to be so ruthless, to dare to reconcile accounts on the spot!

With his complexion changed drastically, he squinted his eyes and glanced at Luo Xin: "Officer Luo, don't forget."

If it was the past, Luo Xin might not have punctured the account's hands and feet face to face, but now he would tear his face anyway, immediately opened the sidebook that he carried with him, and answered truthfully:

"The number of people on the roster reported by the mine is about 1000, and the city lord's mansion allocates a total of about 1000 silver coins and 5 catties of grain every month. You deserve twenty copper coins and twenty catties of grain."

The miners exploded on the spot, and the noise of the crowd became more and more loud. If Shen Qingze hadn't been too deterrent, they would have rushed to tear Berg and the supervisor alive right now!

"Why is half of it missing! And there are not so many miners! These old people are dead, where did they get a thousand?"

"Now it's less than a third!"

"Where did our money go?!"

Shen Qingze said in a low voice: "One thousand silver coins are one hundred thousand copper coins, and after one year, it's 120 million."

He squinted his eyes like a knife, shaving Berg's face little by little: "So, Mr. Berg, where did all the money and food that disappeared out of thin air go?"

His voice was very soft, far lower than the roar of the miners, but it weighed heavily on Berg's back like a huge boulder, almost crushing his trembling spine into a thin sheet of paper and tearing it to pieces.

Bean-sized sweat trickled down Berg's cheeks drop by drop, forming a puddle of water on the cold ground.

Shen Qingze's voice became colder and harsher: "You guys are really brave!"

"Drinking the blood of the miners and eating the meat of the miners is what feeds you people!"

"It's not a pity for you to die a hundred times!"

The supervisor's face was pale, and before Shen Qingze could send him off, he was already on the verge of collapse from the anger of the miners. He turned his attention to Berg for help, but the latter was already in danger.

The iron factory is now blocked by the people brought by Teng Changqing. Those outside can’t get in, those inside can’t get out, and there’s not even a messenger. Maybe Earl Yan En is still immersed in the joy of suppressing the iron factory. Don't know what happened.

"You can't kill me! I... I didn't swallow such a large amount of money..." The supervisor had collapsed, lying on the ground crying for mercy, "I just obeyed orders..."

"Shut up!" Berg came back to his senses, fixed his gaze on it, turned his eyes slightly, and turned to Shen Qingze, "Is the Lord Officiant going to convict us with just one-sided words? We are nobles, and nobles have the dignity of nobles." , even if you are the officiant, you can't send it to us privately."

Having figured this out, Berg slowly straightened up and said slowly: "What's more, the income of the workers is closely related to the income of the mine. The mine produces more ore and sells more, and the mining tax paid is also high. The workers Get more, and vice versa, it will decrease.”

"Master Officiant took so many mines from the mine for nothing, and all the money you earned went into your own pocket, and you didn't share a single copper coin with everyone. You might as well ask yourself what you said just now."

Berg's eloquent sophistry successfully transferred the conflict to Shen Qingze and the iron factory, and he was completely wiped out. Even the supervisor, who was sweating coldly, had to admire his witty words.

Everyone quieted down, looking suspiciously at Shen Qingze again, only to see him slowly shaking his head: "You really don't shed tears when you see the coffin. Forget it, I'll let you die to understand."

Shen Qingze pulled out a rolled parchment from his sleeve, Luo Xin took it with both hands, untied the string and unfolded it, and the golden seal that belonged to the Moti family in Pearl City immediately came into view.

Luo Xin squinted and stared wider and wider, opened his mouth again and again, and stammered and read again:

"... On behalf of Mingzhu City, I signed a long-term ironware transaction order with you... The total price is [-] to [-] gold coins! The rest is equivalent to grain!"

The astronomical figures in Luo Xin's mouth directly stunned the eyes of everyone present. Most of them would never see so much money and food in their entire lives.

Under everyone's shocking eyes, Shen Qingze slowly said word by word: "This money will be divided into three parts, one part will be turned over to the City Lord's Mansion as a commercial tax, and the other part will be used for the development of the iron factory and the construction of new factories."

"The other part, as your labor income, will be distributed to you through the city lord's mansion's tax treasury. I will double the income from the ore allocated from the mine back to you!"

There was dead silence everywhere, only Shen Qingze's loud and clear promise echoed in the sky.

For a long time, the iron factory was crowded with people, and the sound of breathing was almost inaudible.

When they first heard the order amount, everyone was shocked, but the concept was vague due to the huge amount.

Whether it is the miners or the ironworkers, they have never thought that such a large amount of money has anything to do with them. No matter how much they earn, it is also the private property of the priest. Which nobleman would distribute such a huge wealth to the lowly people? ?

The workers were stunned, unbelievable, even Berg had a look of hell, he even suspected that Shen Qingze was crazy, or possessed by a devil, otherwise, how could he say such nonsense!

2 gold coins! !Two full ships of food!He didn't do everything possible to keep it in his pocket? !

Not crazy, what is?

A bit of bone-chilling chill suddenly fell on the back of Berg's hand, and he looked up at the sky in a daze——

In the gloomy sky, there are things flying one after another, falling from the thick clouds, like rain and snow, and the chill is pressing.

Winter is finally here!

※※※

Yuanliu City, the residence of Earl Yan En.

There was an open fire in the fireplace, and the warmth was harmonious, and the candles flickered on the dining table, and the lights were clean.

All the aristocrats in the city who had a close relationship with Earl Yan En gathered here, sitting around the table, and the banquet was very lively.

Earl Yann's wife cut a lamb chop and put it into her husband's mouth, and poured him another glass of wine.

Earl Yan En was absent-minded in coping with the boring conversation of the nobles, and asked Viscount Boya with a frown, "How is the situation at the iron factory? Why hasn't Berg come back yet?"

Viscount Boya said nonchalantly:

"I heard that the city lord's mansion dispatched a lot of guards. I guess they must have gone to the iron factory to suppress the miners. People in the city are in panic. If those untouchables clash with the city lord's mansion, as long as we spread some rumors and discredit the prestige of the surnamed Shen, Things will be better for us.”

Earl Yan En nodded, still a little uneasy:

"You send someone to the iron factory to check the situation. As long as there is bloodshed, oh no, there must be bloodshed! Berg can immediately protest to the city lord's mansion. We, together with the nobles and nobles, take this opportunity to report to the city lord The government exerted pressure to close down the iron works..."

"My lord!" The butler hurried into the dining room with a chill in his body, and bent over to the owner, "My lord, look outside—"

As he spoke, the housekeeper pushed open a corner of the window, and the drizzle mixed with tiny snow seeds immediately drove the cold wind into the room, making all the nobles in the room shivering.

"It's winter!"

Earl Yan En stood up, laughed heartily twice, and raised his glasses to everyone: "Everyone, winter is coming, the promise that our Lord Priest made at the induction dinner, isn't it, it should also come When will it be fulfilled?"

Viscount Boya has been suffocating since he was rectified by Shen Qingze. At this moment, he hummed twice with a smile on his face, and said in agreement:

"Even the 'hero' of Abyss City has to be responsible for what he said. When he returns from Pearl City and faces the corpses of those pariahs who froze to death and starved to death, I think he still has the face to sit in the position of the officiant." superior!"

※※※

The sudden rain and snow floated on the wide surface of the Chiyuan River, creating a mist of white mist.

Yan Zui was dressed in a black cloak, independent of the bow, holding a one-size-fits-all duck in his arms. The fluffy duck seemed not afraid of the cold at all, and kept opening its beak to catch the rain and snow, enjoying itself.

Yan Zui looked into the distance, and in the cold wind, the flag waving fiercely on the wall of Yuanliu City was already faintly visible.

"It's finally here..."