The issue of participating in the election was left to the second prince to deal with. After the discussion, Mavey was not idle and went to King's Cross Station, intending to take the train and see the situation in the small town of Beaconsfield.
Although the investiture ceremony was held in the morning, the church that decided to assign the town of Beckensfield to the Manstein family had made preparations in advance a few days ago. After the formal document was signed, Beckensfield
The town and the surrounding 20 kilometers of land became Levin's territory.
At noon, the train left London and headed northwest. As soon as it left the city, the gray fog covering the sky dissipated. Under the bright sunshine, the sides of the railway were lush and full of spring.
Soon, the train arrived at the small town of Beckensfield, located in the northwest suburbs of London. This is a small town established in the Middle Ages. The houses are still old stone houses with red chimneys standing. There are only a few thousand residents, and it has a rather pastoral scenery.
Woo——
Woo——
Thick steam was rising as the train pulled into the station. There was only one platform in the town, located on the southern outskirts of the town. The only conductor lay dozing behind the glass window, snoring occasionally.
Taking a deep breath, the fresh air that was completely different from London filled my lungs, and my mind suddenly became clearer.
"Let's go and have a look at the town."
Without saying hello in advance or making any big announcement to disturb the sleeping train conductor, Ma Wei and the others walked out of the platform and walked along the country road towards the town not far away. On both sides were khaki farmlands, and several farmers were sowing seeds. They noticed the horses.
At the figure of the Weiji people, a farmer stopped wielding a hoe, straightened up, and cast a curious look.
Compared with the farmers wearing linen shirts, the well-dressed Maweji people are very unique, especially Levin, who is also wearing the count's red dress when he was awarded the honor, with golden epaulettes and medals on his chest.
Exudes invisible nobility.
Mawei and the others had no intention of concealing their identities and walked into the town naturally. Although there were only a few thousand residents, the town inherited from the Middle Ages exuded an ancient charm.
There are weeds, the walls of the stone house are covered with moss, and smoke drifts from the chimney...
Wow!
The door to the left suddenly opened, and a woman wearing a brown and red flannel skirt took a basin of dirty water and poured it into the street. Some water droplets splashed on Ma Wei's shoes and trouser legs. She lowered her head and looked at the quilt.
With dirty clothes, Ma Wei and the middle-aged woman looked at each other.
After looking at the outfits of Ma Wei and others, and then at the clothes splashed by dirty water, the middle-aged woman's expression changed, she closed the door with a bang and hid in the house.
When she stuck her head out of the window and carefully observed the situation outside, Ma Wei and others had already walked away.
The ground in the entire town is paved with cobblestones. Such smooth stones are not difficult to find. There are many near the river beach. They are a little bit harsh when you step on them, but they look very beautiful.
As they walked, Yunia suddenly raised her nose and sniffed in the air: "Dad, it smells so good!"
There was a faint scent of milk in the air, like a bakery baking bread. Following the scent, I saw a bakery at the corner of the street. Unlike other stone houses, the bakery was newly built and the roof was still there.
It was not completely sealed. When Ma Wei and others arrived, two bricklayers were squatting on the roof, smearing mud and making the final seal.
"Be careful! I heard that the new lord likes snacks! The bakery must be ready!"
An old man with gray hair and formal clothes pointed at the workers on the roof, followed by several young and strong young men, carrying tools on their shoulders, and walked towards the center of the town without looking back.
"Mayor, when will the new lord come?" A young man asked: "We are just running to repair the castle now. Is it too late?"
"What do you know!" The gray-haired old man stared: "Our new lord is not short of money at all! Do you know who he is? The second son of the Manstein family! I heard that the walnut cane in his hand is
It’s made of gold! If you’re happy, you might be able to get tax exemption directly!”
After hearing that the new lord was very rich and happy that he could get tax exemption, several young men immediately became eager to give it a try. Without complaining, they happily followed the mayor towards the center of the town, where there was a medieval castle.
It is said that it was left by a knight, and it has never been abandoned. Every new lord will repair it, and the church will regularly send people to inspect it. It is already regarded as a kind of 'cultural relic'.
"Mayor, what does the new lord look like?"
"I don't know." The mayor shook his head: "I have only seen the photo of the new lord's eldest brother in the newspaper. He looks like he is in his twenties. He is not from Windsor. He is originally from the Kingdom of Frederick. He has a special liking for pickled vegetables and pork knuckles.
....The two fat pigs I selected two days ago must be kept and slaughtered as soon as the lord arrives!"
After hearing the mayor's description, a young man who spotted Ma Wei and the others swallowed his saliva and whispered: "Mayor...Mayor!"
The mayor said impatiently: "What are you doing! Time is running out! The new lord may come to our town at any time, so don't wait and fix the leaky roof of the castle. That's the main business!"
"No, Mayor, you..."
The young man was a little anxious, and was about to grab the mayor. Suddenly, he saw Ma Wei put his index finger on his lips, making a silent gesture towards him, and then followed him. Levin, who was wearing a count's dress, ran with Yunia.
After entering the bakery, he came out soon with a bag of freshly baked cookies and followed behind him while eating.
Other residents also realized that something was wrong. The costumes of Ma Wei and others were incompatible with the town, and they could be identified at a glance. However, the mayor was in a hurry to repair the castle and never looked back. Ma Wei and others followed silently and signaled to the surroundings.
Don't make any noise.
"Let me tell you, I have kept my eyes open these past few days. When I see a stranger with extraordinary temperament, I must report it to me immediately. Although our town is close to London, it has never been able to develop. This time the new lord is rich and wealthy.
Network is an opportunity for our town! When the opportunity comes, we must seize it. If you seize it, you can turn around!"
The mayor walked at the front, talking and lecturing the young people in the town, but no one responded to him.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear...I heard..." A weak reply came from behind.
In the mayor's thoughts, everyone came to the center of the town. A magnificent old castle came into view. The castle was surrounded by a moat, with a suspension bridge at the front and back for passage. The mayor took out a long set of keys and opened the iron gate.
, enter the castle first.
As soon as we entered the castle, the surrounding temperature suddenly became much colder. Goosebumps appeared on the exposed skin, as if we had fallen into an ice cellar, and the cold air hit us from all directions.
"This is no place for people to live!"
The mayor cursed in a low voice: "You have to get sick to live here! I hope our new lord is not a vain guy!"
"Mayor..."
"What's wrong? Am I wrong? The castle is not suitable for living at all! It's cold, wet, and too gloomy! Those who live here are short-lived ghosts..."
As he spoke, the mayor heard the chattering of his upper and lower teeth. He glanced at his trembling nephew who was livid and trembling. Seeing that he had been staring behind him, he suddenly understood something.
"He...is behind me, right?"
Seeing that the mayor finally came to his senses, the young man nodded heavily and almost stopped crying.
“Actually, it’s quite nice here.”
The mayor changed the subject: "Look, this hard stone, this emerald green moss, this Renaissance door and window layout... They are simply tailor-made for the new lord!"
"Don't make it up, we don't live here." Ma Wei said.
"Who is speaking?"
The mayor looked back blankly, and his eyes lit up when he saw Mavey's appearance: "Mr. Nicholas! Why are you here?"
Ma Wei smiled and did not expose the mayor's poor acting skills, nor did he dwell too much on the issue about the castle. He asked straightforwardly: "How many permanent residents are there in the town currently?"
"There are 3522 people in total." The mayor replied fluently: "Among them, 517 are elderly, 811 are young and middle-aged men, and the rest are women and children."
"Is there a school?"
"Children in the town will go to Father Fran's Sunday school, two days a week."
"Not enough." Ma Wei shook his head and said: "Two days of study time a week are too little. The children in the town should get a better education. Since Father Fran is usually busy with church affairs, I will give it in my own name.
Let’s open a day school in the town and invite teachers from London to teach here.”
"Really?!"
The mayor said excitedly: "Mr. Nicholas, do you really want to spend your own money to build a school for the town?!"
"This is a joint decision of the Manstein family." Mavey said calmly: "Felix is the lord of Beaconsfield Town, and you are all residents living in his territory. To improve the lives of residents, this
That’s what a lord should do.”
"But mayor, do girls also have to go to school?"
A resident who followed Mawei and others to the castle said: "Girls don't need to go to school, right? They just need to learn tailoring and cooking skills! The clothes they sew can also supplement the family income!"
"Yes, yes!" Some residents echoed: "Children over seven years old can already help the family make money. What will happen to the family if they are allowed to go to school?"
The mayor rubbed his hands and looked embarrassed.
Hearing the complaints from the residents, Daniel frowned. He felt that these residents didn't know the importance of education. Even if they didn't know, it would be better to let their children give up the opportunity to receive education and waste the most precious time in learning.
Isn't this a kind of ignorance when it comes to subsidizing family income?
Perhaps this was a helpless move, but when they raised it in front of Ma Wei, I am afraid they were not saying that building the school was wrong, but that they wanted Ma Wei to provide more benefits.
From a human perspective, this is very possible.
"Quiet!"
There was a loud shout from behind the crowd, and everyone moved aside. A middle-aged man wearing a priest's robe came over and said apologetically to Mavey: "Mr. Nicholas, I'm very sorry. Please forgive them. They don't know you at all."
What a great thing you did..."
The residents looked at each other and closed their mouths.
Father Fran has lived in the town for more than twenty years. He has watched many people grow up, and his prestige is very high, second only to the mayor, or even surpassing the mayor.
"You are Father Fran, I heard Archbishop Brandon mentioned you." Ma Wei said: "Building a school for the town was something we had considered before we came. As for the troubles caused by the children going to school,
, I also have a solution."
"What method do you have?" Father Fran was a little curious.
"In the next two days, the church will open up the collection, planting, and breeding of raw materials for potions, establish a potion exchange, and open up the potion market."
Ma Wei said loudly to everyone: "This is an opportunity for the town! It is also an opportunity for you!"
The open potion market means that civilians can also participate in the potion trade. Before the market reaches a balance, every entrant can earn dividends. Ma Wei wants to take advantage of this to improve himself in South London.
Support ratings for Lambeth borough.
Just shouting slogans is not enough. The small town of Beaconsfield is the best pilot. As long as it succeeds here, many people will rush to join in. By then...
Are you still worried that you don’t have a high enough approval rating?
"You mean, let the residents remove the previous crops and plant magic potions?" Father Fran asked.
"That's right."
"But everyone doesn't understand magic potions at all, let alone relevant planting experience, and they plant them rashly..."
"Don't worry about this. The employees of Manstein Potion Company will teach you how to plant potions, and I will also ask relevant personnel from the church to come and inspect." Ma Wei replied: "In the next three years, all planting
No magic potion farmers need to pay taxes, and the first batch of seeds will be distributed free of charge by the Manstein Magic Potion Company!"
If it were anyone else, perhaps the residents would still not believe such generous conditions, but it was Ma Wei who spoke. The residents in the town all knew more or less about the Manstein Potion Company and the huge Manstein.
Because there is no need for the company to deceive them on this matter.
"Okay!" The mayor made a prompt decision and agreed: "Mr. Nicholas, we listen to you! We will do what you say!"
"Relevant personnel will come to investigate and conduct preliminary training in the next two days, so there is no need to worry."
After saying that, Ma Wei raised his head and looked at the castle: "This castle can be simply repaired. We won't live here."
"Yes, Mr. Nicholas, your lordship."
"Go ahead, let's walk around the town by ourselves, and you can do whatever you want."
The mayor dispersed the onlookers, and Mavey took Levin and others around the town. They found that the fields around the town of Beaconsfield were fertile and the transportation was convenient, making it very suitable for growing potions.
"Brother, do you want to become a member of the Liberal Party?" Daniel suddenly asked: "I remember you said before that you wanted to form a Labor Party..."
"Members can change the party they support at any time. Now I am apparently from the Second Prince's camp. How can I form the Labor Party?"
Standing on the ridge, Ma Wei looked at the farmland in the distance: "It should be the fourth prince who founded the Labor Party. What I want to do is to disintegrate the Liberal Party from within and subtly reverse the parliamentary structure!"