CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 108 CATHERINE’S PATH

"Beixi Path has been destroyed again."

"Those damn nobles!" A bear-like strong young man slammed the table, "Don’t let me catch them, I’ll show them what a charge means, send them flying!"

Stretching her shapely figure, Catherine checked the accounts in her hand with a blank face, "Carl, stay calm in situations."

"President, it’s not the first time, right? Last time we just clashed with them, healed their wounds and forgot the pain."

"Look, you’re anxious again." Mitney smiled, pressing down his shoulder, letting the fierce Imperial Knight sit down, then leisurely poured a cup of black tea nearby.

"Is black tea okay?"

Carl didn’t reply, he took the cup of black tea and drank it in one gulp.

Catherine closed the account book, made two entries, and then picked up the brief from the heart-shaped mahogany desk.

Adjusting her crystal glasses, Catherine silently read this message from the construction site.

They are located at the headquarters of the Meigedi Commerce Association.

This turret in Rapids City, built entirely of red bricks, occupies about two acres.

The orange-red walls are covered with gray-green ivy, and the highest corner tower is even taller than the local church.

But no priest has any objection.

After all, Rapids City is one of the only two Imperial Free Cities in the Thousand River Valley, and the priests can only hold grudges and plan to retaliate.

"It’s quite a big move this time, dozens of our guards were killed or injured." Catherine swept her reddish-brown hair behind her ear.

"Say it’s done by bandits, who believes that?" Carl was still resentful, having gone through great lengths to fix some roads, only for them to be destroyed again.

"Once Beixi Path is repaired, cheap grain from the coast can continuously flow into the Thousand River Valley, isn’t that just poking the lungs of the local nobles?" Mitney laughed and said, "Even if the Imperial Council decides, let alone the Pope himself, they would feign compliance."

As long as Beixi Path is completed, everything will improve.

Catherine sighed helplessly.

Unfortunately, just at this time, floods came, throwing the entire Thousand River Valley into chaos, giving those nobles the opportunity.

It’s known that cities profit from secondary and tertiary industries such as metal manufacturing, crafts, and banking.

The major assets of feudal lords lie in primary industries like agriculture, forestry, mining, and livestock.

After the cessation of the century-old war, cheap grain, lumber, herbal medicine, and minerals from the Blood and Flesh Royal Court entered the Empire market, changing the situation.

Due to the Blood and Flesh Royal Court’s almost non-existent low-end labor costs, whether mining, farming, or logging, it’s practically a costless business—all done by skeletons and zombies!

Skeletons and zombies need no food, no water, possess no intelligence or opinions, apart from complex labor and craftsmanship, they’re practically god-chosen livestock.

How can the Empire’s old farmers withstand such powerful livestock?

Thus, in the Empire market, especially in coastal areas, the Knight Lords are overwhelmed by the price wars of the Vampire Dukes, forcing the Empire to hastily enact the "Grain Law."

But the Grain Law is useless, even blamed by many nobles and merchants as the Empire Council’s major nobles pursuing their own interests.

Because after the enactment of the "Grain Law," the most rampant smugglers were the very major nobles who legislated it.

I wrote the law, can it violate me?

A "Grain Law" turned the once free import grain market of the Empire into a monopoly market of the grand nobles.

However, those most affected are the coastal feudal lords.

In inland areas like the Thousand River Valley, under road issues and private tax barriers and robber knight raids, Western grain arriving inland is similar in price to local.

Beixi Path is the Leia Royal Family and several coastal Imperial Free Cities’ attempt to penetrate the inland market.

With this path, it can shorten the winding small roads and tax barriers along the way, directly leading to the Empire’s hinterland.

The construction project of the Beixi Path Thousand River Valley segment is contracted by the Meigedi Commerce Association from the Crossing Armor Wood Territory.

Once the path is completed, high-quality wool and cheap grain from the Western Continent and Shattered Stone Plain can be imported into Thousand River Valley.

Paired with the local flourishing dyeing industry, according to Catherine’s plan, the integration of weaving, printing, and dyeing can begin.

By then, Free Cities will emerge like mushrooms after a rain in the lands of Thousand River Valley.

Thousand River Valley migrants entering Free Cities will become workers, alleviating the previous tense human-land conflict.

With the existence of Free Cities, the lords fearing farmers escaping would not dare to be too harsh, and ordinary farmers’ lives will improve.

As for the inevitable wars with Knight Lords, Catherine has long prepared.

Backing her are two powerful dukes—Duke Kush Danai and Duchess Hemashi Moliat.

Duke Kush’s ancestors had their crowns snatched by the Leia people, lost titles for many in the family, swallowed grievances for centuries, planning uprising since his great-grandfather’s generation.

He is Catherine’s first choice for collaboration because of his soft, amiable character, profitable in post-war benefit distribution.

The problem is, with his woman-like kindness and indecisive character, he may not necessarily win the small scale civil war in Thousand River Valley.

Duchess Hemashi Moliat, although Catherine’s bosom friend to the extent of bathing together, Catherine is still uneasy handing the Thousand River Valley to her.

Because she knows this kindred spirit too well.

This old girl has always been ruthless, power-obsessed, with a crew of desperately hungry knights, belonging to the iron-blooded type monarch.

For her to defeat these internally aggressive little Kalami from Thousand River Valley is naturally easy.

But post-war benefit distribution is the challenge, Catherine’s people can only be subordinates or leave, no other choice.

"Can we seek the Imperial Council or the Royal Family to pressure those nobles?" Carl irritably asked Catherine.

"This time, secretly scheming is already the result of pressure, now with the Leia Royal Family vying for the throne, who has the heart to bother with us?" Catherine filed all the documents, then stretched her body as if relieved.

"Go borrow some people from Duke Kush, defend firmly, prevent the already built roads and bridges from being destroyed, that’s a success."

"Those shareholders in our Commerce Association, especially those southern bankers, have continuously expressed dissatisfaction about our current situation, they’ve written multiple times."

"Stall them, with Moliat around, they won’t dare touch me with a hundred guts." Catherine waved courageously.

"Speaking of, lately Duchess Hemashi seems inactive? According to the original plan, she should be pressuring the Archbishop of Constans."

Shrugging, Catherine leaned back in her chair, massaging her throbbing temples.

This madam always acts as she pleases, who knows where she’s gone.

Perhaps, seeing circumstances unfavorable, she’s already dispatched troops to intercept the execution ground, who knows.

Mitney pulled out a sheet from the pile of documents like a mountain: "Regarding the Ruo’an Dam, the two from the Church have reconciled, after all, the chaos in Thousand River Valley has been quite big lately."

"How did they reconcile?"

"Under the reign of Johnny VIII, a neutral Falan was appointed as Cardinal."

"Would Johnny VIII just back down like that?" Catherine took off her glasses, her long eyelashes fluttering lazily, she picked up a handkerchief, and began wiping the glasses.

Mitney immediately laughed: "Impossible! We’ve investigated, he’s preparing to appoint a Johnny faction Cardinal, has already leaked the news."

Wiping the crystal glasses meticulously, Catherine put them back on: "Continue investigating the Holy See’s actions, whatever the cost, arrange designs for Feiliu Castle.

Let’s prepare, we’ll soon sail across, my teacher’s stubborn temper, I’m still uneasy."