Tellossi.
The palace that once belonged to the Bluebeard Maharaja has now changed owners.
The hall is still magnificent, with tall marble columns supporting the dome painted with the legend of the Three Gods of Telossi, and sunlight casting colorful columns of light through the stained glass windows.
Liu Qian sat on the gorgeous high-back seat that originally belonged to the Maharajah.
The chair was inlaid with ivory and gold and upholstered in deep purple velvet.
He was dressed in a well-tailored dark narrow-sleeved robe with a belt inlaid with black jade around his waist.
Below, stand two messengers.
One from Mir, dressed in a lilac silk robe with intricate patterns, her eyes flickering.
The other is from Reese, wearing more gorgeous golden red silk, embroidered with silver thread with male and female patterns, exuding an atmosphere of extravagance and debauchery.
When news of the fall of Telosi reached Reese and Mir, the city-state's top officials gave instructions to send emissaries to visit Telosi.
The messenger of Reese took the lead in bowing, his posture respectful, but his words were imperceptible and tempting: "Noble lord of the Stone Steps Islands, I have come on the orders of Governor Reese to clarify some questions about the future order of this archipelago with you in person. "
He paused, as if considering the words, and his eyes quickly swept over Liu Qian's uneventful face.
"You know, Salado Thorn has been protecting the safety and interests of our Reese merchant ships on this route in the Stonestep Islands, and now Salado is history, and you are in control of this sea.
We at Reese are looking forward to working with you.
As long as you can continue the previous mutually beneficial model, we at Reese will naturally give you a corresponding and satisfactory remuneration. "
Liu Qian's fingers tapped lightly on the smooth ivory armrest, making a slight "click" sound.
He said calmly:
Since his rule over the Stonestep Islands, he has implemented a policy of equal treatment for all merchant ships traveling in the narrow sea, and freedom of navigation is guaranteed, but subject to the required toll tax, and Reese is no exception.
As long as taxes are paid in full, the safety of your merchant ships is the responsibility of my fleet. "
Reese's face instantly sank, as if covered with a dark cloud.
He went around just now, and the core thing he wanted to talk about was the amount of this "toll tax".
After Liu Qian defeated Salado, the tax rate imposed on Reese merchant ships was much higher than that of Salado's period, and it was non-negotiable, which made Reese merchants who relied on maritime trade complain, and their profits were greatly compressed, and the core demand of this mission was to reduce the tax rate.
Liu Qian's response at this moment is equivalent to directly blocking the way for him to negotiate tactfully.
"My lord."
The envoy of Reese tried to maintain a superficial respect, but his tone was obviously much stiffer: "Can we discuss further about the specific amount of toll taxes and fees?" After all, maintaining a good trade environment is beneficial to both sides.
At present, the amount you levy on Reese merchant shipping is indeed a bit high, which greatly affects the enthusiasm of our merchants. "
"High?"
The corners of Liu Qian's mouth curled up with a cold arc, his body leaned forward slightly, and his eyes were pressed on the messenger of Reese.
"Reese provided Salado Thorn with warships and supplies, and supported him when he plundered merchant ships in the Stone Steps and confronted me, why didn't he feel too high? I haven't settled this account with you Reese yet.
The tax collected now is already very kind, and you should be glad instead of bargaining. "
The Reese messenger turned pale with fright from this undisguised threat and revealing words, and a fine cold sweat instantly oozed from the corner of his forehead.
His visit this time was not only to negotiate tax rates, but also to test the new overlord's temperament and attitude towards Reese.
The previous funding for Salado has always been a heart disease for Reese's senior management, but now it has been broken by Liu Qian in person, as if the last fig leaf has been stripped away.
What's even more terrifying is that the other party not only has a strong force, but also captured Tai Luoxi, completely controlling the Stone Steps Islands, and choking the throat of trade in the Narrow Sea.
This made Reese's top brass feel deeply uneasy.
While the Reese messenger's heart was turning upside down, the eyes of the Mir messenger on the side flashed.
He smiled professionally, took a step forward, and said in a low but clear voice: "Your Excellency, please forgive my offensive interjection, on our way to Telosi, I heard some very interesting rumors that they flew like a monsoon from the direction of Westeros. "
He deliberately paused and observed Liu Qian's reaction: "More than ten days ago, the Seven Kingdoms sent a powerful fleet to prepare to invade the Shijie Islands, but that frighteningly huge fleet was completely wiped out in the sea off Bloodstone Island.
Rumor has it that it was not defeated by a storm or a naval battle... Instead, it was destroyed by the dragon.
It is also said that those noble lords of the Seven Kingdoms in the fleet are now imprisoned in the depths of your dungeon... I don't know about these... Is there a hint of truth in the fascinating story? "
His words seem casual, but in fact they are naked temptations, trying to dig out the truth from Liu Qian's reaction and find a basis for Mill's future decisions.
Faced with the temptation of the Mir, Liu Qian smiled instantly.
He swept his eyes over the two messengers and let out a sarcastic snort:
"Dragon?
The Seven Kingdoms are making excuses for their failures.
They gathered a large army to attack Bloodstone Island, but marched in a storm.
The fleet was destroyed by a hurricane wandering in the narrow sea, and in order to cover up the defeat, it was ridiculous to weave such a clumsy and ridiculous story.
Look at Telosi, where is the trace of the dragon? "
Reese and Mir's messengers quickly exchanged glances.
Listening to Liu Qian's categorical denial, they became suspicious in their hearts.
Could it be that those people of the Seven Kingdoms were really swept away by the storm?
Liu Qian looked at the complicated expressions of the two and smiled: "Emissaries, in two months, I will hold a coronation ceremony in Telossi, I hope that Reese and Mir can send envoys to watch the ceremony, which will be an important moment for us to establish a new order." "
Because of the invasion of the Seven Kingdoms, the coronation ceremony has not been held.
This time to capture Teloxi, Liu Qian did not plan to wait any longer.
When Reese and Mir's messengers heard this, their bodies shook at the same time.
Coronation!
This meant that he was no longer content with the status of a pirate leader or warlord, but rather a formal regime with territory and legitimacy.
This will have a profound impact on the political landscape of the Narrow Sea and the entire west coast of Essos.
The two hurriedly bowed, hiding the turbulent waves in their hearts, and said in unison: "Don't worry, my lord, we will report to the governor as soon as possible for such a grand event." "
After the messengers left with mixed feelings and heavy news, silence returned to the palace.
Mezzo Maher's figure walked in through the side door and saluted respectfully: "My lord, according to your orders, those children in the city who behave abnormally and have mysterious whereabouts, especially those who have no parents and are wandering the streets, have been arrested by our people. "
As soon as Liu Qian captured Telosi, he did not issue orders to appease the people or count wealth, but to arrest all the children, especially orphans, who shuttled through the alleys, rooftops, and chimneys like spiders in the city.
Mezzo's execution is unquestionable.
He took advantage of the local surrender forces and quickly locked on the target.
Through threats and inducements, some children who are not fully mature in their minds fail to withstand the pressure and choose to give in.
They not only explained their identities and tasks, but also confessed the intelligence network nodes that Varys had deployed in Telosi.
Mezza followed the clues and uprooted Varys' "little bird" system in Telosi by thunderous means, and the intelligence node was destroyed.
People are either under control or have disappeared.
Liu Qian's face showed a hint of satisfaction.
He knows the importance of retribution, especially in this world full of intrigue.
Varys' intelligence network is his potential major threat.
"Well done, Mezzo."
He praised, and then gave an order: "Let those little birds who choose to submit to us continue to pass on our news to their masters as before, and I want to see what the hell Varys is up to." "
This is a dangerous move and a brilliant move.
He wants to use Varys' web in reverse to weave a poisonous web full of false information for spiders.
"Yes, my lord! I know what to do. "
Mezzo's eyes sparkled with excitement, and as an intelligence officer, there was nothing more exciting than manipulating the enemy's intelligence sources. He bowed again and exited the palace.