"Bizan, have you really met the high officials of the Northern Empire?"
In the central city of Vaegirs, in an open space on the outskirts of the city, a group of local farmers surrounded the bard and asked.
Bizan held a harp in his hand and casually plucked the strings. After a string of notes, he nodded and said seriously, "Of course."
What he said was half true and half false. This guy was originally a wandering singer. Unfortunately, he had nothing and was not famous. Every day, his clothes were ragged and he did not have enough food to fill his stomach. Whenever he was hungry, Bizan would choose to sleep to resist the hunger in his stomach.
Later, one day, Bizan did not know whether it was because he was so hungry or because he had slept for too long. In a trance, he saw a man in a black robe with a black claw pattern embroidered on his cuffs. The man handed him an apple, and Bizan swallowed it without hesitation. Later, Bizan found that he gradually mastered a shallow trick called "Confusion."
In order to do a good job of intelligence, to inquire about various news, and to integrate into various groups, the Blackwing Empire's intelligence department was trying to expand their external staff as much as possible. Caesar's strategy was to sneak into various countries through the shapeshifting monsters, and then use it as a base to develop the underlings. Bizan was one of the numerous underlings in the trading city who had been seduced by the shapeshifting monsters.
He appeared in the city of Vaegirs, not because he was staying there, but because he had deliberately come here. In addition to investigating the intelligence situation in the city of Vaegirs, Bizan also shouldered the important task of establishing an intelligence station and doing a good job of public opinion. He had to promote the ruthlessness and toughness of the empire, and also satirize the selfishness and weakness of the head of the trading city to prepare for the Blackwing Empire to win over some city-states in the future.
"I heard that the Northern Empire is not as fierce and unruly as the rumors say. Instead, they are very friendly?" A townsman asked.
"Whether they are friendly or not, I am not particularly sure."
Bizan did not know how many times he had said similar words in front of countless people. "But I can guarantee that after traveling to so many countries, the territories with the Blackwing flag are the most peaceful and orderly places I have ever seen. The laws of that country are strict, just, and without bias."
"If this happened in the North today, I don't know how they would deal with it." A farmer sighed.
Another farmer said hatefully, "In any case, they would not let it go like this. These nobles not only want to tax us, they also want to rob us of our food. What's the difference between these lords and bandits?"
The situation in the trading city was getting more and more complicated. on one hand, the leader Tashanmu and the Empire had signed the "Airadia Trade Regulations" and the Military Assistance Regulations "to cut off all contact with the North, and dropped the Airadia Iron curtain across the Airadia..
On the other hand, thanks to the unremitting efforts of the Blackwing Empire and the local tyrant, the Clyde Merchant Group, the central region and the north had successfully established the seventh secret trade route. There were four city-states that had relied on the secret trade with the north to obtain huge profits. They were Nisto, Olse, Prin, and Sarin.
Given the scale of the trade, it was impossible for the local city lords to be unaware of it. This could only mean that nearly half of the city states had already disobeyed Tarshamus's agreement. The rulers of Nissous and Orsay, Duke Brubrun and Duke Cain Ciri, had even secretly gone north to sign a secret agreement with the Northern Emperor.
Bizan had been active the moment he arrived in Vaegirs. The situation of this city was relatively special. Because it was adjacent to Nisdu, the people of Vaegirs had seen Nisdu's economic situation deteriorate day by day because of the trade with the North. The economic development was rapid, and the living standards were rising.
In order to find a chance to make a fortune, many people had begun to migrate to Nisdu. The local people's voices for overturning the trade ban became louder and louder.
The intelligence department of the Blackwing Empire had investigated and found Vaegirs to be a worthy target. So, they sent a large number of "Bizans" into Vaegirs to guide public opinion and control as many people as possible to pave the way for what might happen next.
Bizan put down the harp in his hand and pretended to casually mention, "I heard that Myrnen is going to open up a trade route to the North."
The townspeople were stunned. Someone asked curiously, "Myrnen is right next to Pudatheus. Under the eyes of Tashanmu, how dare they defy the ban of the ruler of the entire territory?"
"It sounds a little unbelievable, right?"
Bezan said with interest, "But smart people would have expected that the ruler of Myne, Enfa Shirui, and the ruler of Orse, Cain Shirui, are brothers from the same father and mother. Since Orse has already sided with the North, it's only natural that Myne would follow suit. It's an open secret.
Tashanmu's words are no longer useful. Since the Unfallen Empire can't give us anything, why should we listen to them? "
·
After listening to Bizan, one of the townspeople suddenly thought, "Since everyone is doing this, why can't we follow suit?"
"There's no need to think about it."
His companion next to him seemed to have seen through everything. "Our lord is Duke Fay Aonan. He is the adopted son of the previous ruler and a staunch supporter of the Guardian of the Territory. Duke Fay Aonan strictly forbids us from having any dealings with the North. I heard from a friend that this lord even sent troops to build passes, block trade routes, and interfere with the affairs of the Inner Sea City. Even Nice doesn't allow Vaegirs to enter the city."
After he finished speaking, the atmosphere became a little gloomy. Most of the townspeople stopped talking. The man looked at the people around him and said, "But I heard that Marquis Jole has been running around trying to persuade Duke Fay Aonan. This lord's words carry a lot of weight. Speaking of which, Marquis Jole should be the original …"
"Stop talking!"
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a frightened townsman interrupted him. He turned around and saw a look of unease. "May the gods bless us. If the guards and soldiers hear what you just said, we're all done for."
These words were like a basin of cold water, drenching the people who were talking about the world back to reality. They realized that they were just some small characters at the bottom of the city-state, such as farmers, craftsmen, and servants. A single word from those big shots could take their lives. The whole scene suddenly became cold, and no one spoke anymore.
"Sigh."
After a long while, Bizan sighed and picked up his harp. "I should go to the tavern. If I don't get the reward tonight, I won't have anything to eat today."
As he spoke, he gave the person opposite him a subtle look, indicating that they should stop here for the day and prepare to leave separately.
However, at this moment, a figure rushed out of the town and shouted while panting, "Something big has happened!"
"Slow down, what's new?" someone asked as he approached.
"Duke Fay Aonan was assassinated in the theater this afternoon!"