All the city lords looked at Chai Bao, remaining silent.
In such moments, it was best for no one to speak. Hindering Fengqi City's development was a shared responsibility. Anyone who spoke up now would essentially owe Rocca a favor.
Rocca expected their silence.
"Esteemed lords, Chai Bao has a close relationship with my son. Is it alright to consider me responsible for burning the granary?" Rocca spread his hands with a smile. "If anyone doubts this, you all have contacts in Hurricane City, and a little investigation should make things clear."
"We'll need to wait for the investigation before making any conclusions."
Aro, a burly man with explosive muscles, leaned back in his seat. As soon as he finished speaking, he received nods of agreement from many city lords.
"Burning the granary was never something we discussed. If it's already burned, isn't it too late to bring it up now?"
"Baron Aro thinks I was too quick with my actions," Rocca sighed lightly, stroking his stubbled chin, his one eye narrowing slightly. "Alright, let's not talk about the granary fire. I didn't call you all here to show off, nor to seek rewards from those behind us. I called you here to do business together and make some profit."
"Make profit?"
Baron Aro placed his hand behind his seat, leaning sideways to look at the one-eyed Rocca.
"With Hurricane City's granary burned, they are bound to be short on food. We've been holding onto the grain we seized, waiting to sell it at a good price after winter. Don't you think now is actually better than winter?"
Carro, who had been supporting himself with his seat, stood up and looked at the city lords before him.
"If we wait until winter, some grain might spoil due to improper storage. Taking advantage of Hurricane City's current shortage, we can sell the grain to them directly..."
"Rocca, you'd better retract what you just said."
Aro narrowed his eyes and said sternly, "The people above want us to incite unrest in Hurricane City, which is why we burned their granary to cut off their supplies. And now you want to sell them grain?"
"I think I understand Count Rocca's intentions."
Earl Miyee's eyes revealed a smile, his voice remaining gentle.
"Count Rocca's idea is to spread the word that we have grain. The food-starved city lords of Hurricane City might take the bait to solve their city's food shortage. Although he bought grain from merchants before, he might not have their contact information. Even if he does, as long as we price our grain slightly lower than the merchants, anyone would know how to choose."
"Managing a city is all about pursuing profit."
"If they can acquire grain in a more cost-effective way, no one will choose to buy it at a higher price. After the grain is delivered, we can then secretly send people to seize it. If the city lord himself goes, we might even make a substantial profit and resolve the issue once and for all."
Rocca, his eyes filled with satisfaction, couldn't help but snap his fingers.
"As expected of Earl Miyee, you've articulated my thoughts exactly. Does this mean Earl Miyee is prepared to participate in this collaboration?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not interested."
To his surprise, Rocca, full of smiles, was met with a refusal. Miyee, with a look of tenderness, slowly rose from her seat and bowed apologetically to Rocca.
"The grain I have is enough for my own needs, so I won't participate."
"Relatively speaking, I am more interested in Baron Heiloss's border city. After I return, I will consider a feasible plan to visit Baron Heiloss's city."
"Please, Baron Heiloss, take good care of my citizens before I arrive."
As soon as Earl Miyee finished speaking, she turned and walked out. She didn't even bother to glance at Heiloss.
Heiloss, clenching his fists, found his initial pride gone.
"Someone's about to be in trouble," a playful laugh came from among the city lords. "Who else could you provoke but Miyee? The fact that she could seize the position of city lord from her father proves how ruthless she is. You just had to brag and show off. Now, Miyee is going to send troops to attack you."
Heiloss, being mocked, remained silent, his fists still clenched. He kept his head down, his expression hidden from everyone.
"Everyone, let's continue discussing business," Rocca said, not dwelling on Miyee's threat to Heiloss as she left. With a smile, he looked at the city lords. "Earl Miyee has revealed my intentions. Are you all interested?"
"Who wouldn't want to make quick money? The question is, who do we hand the grain over to, and how do we sell it?"
Hearing this, Rocca frowned slightly.
He had made his intentions clear. The sale of the grain should be handled by him, and these city lords should have understood this. Yet, they still asked such a question, indicating their distrust of Rocca.
Despite feeling a little displeased, Rocca could understand this.
There was no real camaraderie among these city lords. They were all brought together by those behind them.
They shared a common goal, but they were also competitors.
They couldn't entrust the grain to anyone, as who could guarantee that after handing over the grain, it wouldn't be embezzled? Fortunately, Rocca had thought of this long ago and had already devised a plan.
"I have a plan."
"I will purchase the grain you have at a price of 9 copper coins per unit. Whether it sells for more or less will be my concern, and it will have nothing to do with you."
"Alternatively, the grain remains in your hands, and I will take a 2 copper coin handling fee for whatever you sell."
"What do you all think?"
Rocca looked at the city lords with a smile. Perhaps he was too lazy to waste more time with these people, so he winked at Roma behind him. Immediately, several tightly bound merchants were dragged in.
"These are merchants who have recently been trading with Hurricane City."
"They were apprehended a few hours ago."
"The sale of grain will be facilitated by these merchants to trade with Fengqi City. If you don't trust them, you can each assign a person to monitor these merchants, one of them acting as an observer."
"The granary was burned by me, and the merchants were captured by me."
"For a 2 copper coin handling fee, I don't see any problem. What do you all think?! After doing so much, I should at least make something."
Upon hearing this, the city lords frowned and began to ponder.
They all had eyes on Fengqi City, and these merchants were indeed traders with Fengqi City, something they all knew.
"For a profit of 2 copper coins, the granary being burned is the result we all achieved together."
Aro knocked on the table. Rocca nodded with a smile without hesitation, "No problem, as long as you are willing to participate, you will all share in it."
"If that's the case, I accept."
Aro pushed himself up with one hand on the table, stretching lazily with a creaking sound.
"We'll contact each other for specific arrangements. In the future, if there's nothing important, don't organize meetings that require us to come to your city."
With that, Aro left the room.
After Aro confirmed his participation, the other city lords also agreed one after another and took their leave from Rocca. In the entire room, only Heiloss had not yet expressed his opinion.
"Baron Heiloss?"
"Count Rocca, aren't you... aren't you going to do something about it?" Heiloss finally looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He pointed to the seat where Miyee had been sitting, and said with fear, "You must have understood what she meant just now, right? She wants to cross the border and attack my city. This woman is insane. If she says it, she will do it."
"Knowing she's insane, why did you provoke her?" Rocca frowned.
Among these city lords, no one was not afraid of that madwoman Miyee. Despite being a gentle deer clan and female, her temperament was even more ruthless than theirs.
After she grew up, her father gave her a small city. In less than two years, she had taken her father's city.
After that, she conquered all the towns and city-states around her.
This firmly cemented her status as a city lord.
Even Rocca, who was also an earl, was very wary of Miyee.
"Doesn't she know my relationship with you?" Heiloss shouted, clenching his fists. "I'm your nephew. For her to threaten me so openly in front of you, she doesn't respect you at all..."
"Don't speak carelessly."
Rocca interrupted Heiloss sternly.
"Provoking Miyee is your problem, and you should find a way to resolve it yourself. It's true that she might know you're my cousin's son, but among the city lords, big and small, within Hurricane City, aren't we all related in some way? If you put it that way, I'm friends with Miyee's father, so Miyee can be considered my niece. You are my niece, and she is my niece. As an elder, it's really difficult for me to get involved in matters between you two."
"Count Rocca!"
"Enough, Baron Heiloss. Are you going to do business with this grain or not?"
"I..."
"If we do business, we might be in the same boat, and some issues..." Rocca said, then stopped. Heiloss, as if grasping a lifeline, said, "I'll do it, I'll do it. I'm willing to sell all my stored grain. Count Rocca, please save me."
"Once we do business, then we are friends on the same side."
Rocca smiled and put his arm around Heiloss's shoulder. "Your situation, though troublesome, is not unsolvable. Even if Miyee wants to attack you, her city is at least ten days away from your city for her army to march. During this time, she must borrow passage from me. If I just find an excuse to not let her pass, her detour will take tens of days. Such a long period is not insignificant, so she probably won't continue to force an attack on you."
"Yes, yes, you're right!"
"The problem is, I'm also taking a risk," Rocca said, his eyes narrowing. "Miyee is a madwoman. If I don't lend her passage and she gets angry, she might directly attack my city. Even if she can't conquer it, the wear and tear on my city walls, the casualties among my soldiers..."
"I don't want any profit from the grain; it's all yours."
"Hahaha..."
Rocca threw his head back and burst into laughter. Heiloss fell silent for a moment.
"No, I'll give you all the proceeds from this grain. I don't even want the 6 copper coins. Consider this grain as your payment for intervening on my behalf..."
"Heiloss, are you too naive?"
Rocca, still laughing, suddenly raised his hand, grabbed his chin, and said coldly.
"How much can this broken grain sell for? Are my city's damages and casualty compensation worth so little? You want to dismiss me with a little grain?"
"Then I..."
"I want one of your subordinate cities."
Rocca narrowed his eyes, staring into Heiloss's eyes.
"Agree, and I'll help you. If you don't agree... then you're on your own."