Chapter 313
“What are your plans, Lady Eliza? Do you need me to purchase more farmland?” Malaki asked from the side.
He had rushed over to Saint Grace Nunnery with Lawrence after hearing the news, wanting to see what Eliza intended to do.
Eliza shook her head and replied, “No, don’t bother buying any. If they want to buy it, let them. We can’t beat them on this front.”
Hearing that, Malaki felt a sense of relief and thought, ‘Our lady truly is wise.”
But Lawrence didn’t understand and probed, “Hm? Why? If you let them buy it all, what will you do?”
Malaki warmly explained on Eliza’s behalf, “Powerful forces back the farmland and manors near Hasen City. The tangled interests are as complex as those in the imperial court. Every manor is likely tied to a government official–more than likely, a civil official. And who do civil officials align themselves with Naturally, no one other than the Duke of Mowbay.”
As soon as Lawrence heard that, he understood and thought, ‘Her Grace’s father is the top–r
Most of those civil officials work under him.
top–ranking civil official
Although the Duke’s estate had taken a hit recently, even getting chastised by the young king, chopping off a few branches didn’t topple
the tree.
Unless it were uprooted entirely, it wouldn’t fall so easily.
the civil officials under the Duke wouldn’t leave his side just like that.
And th
With just a word from him, the officials backing those manors would never agree to sell their land to Eliza.
Those civil officials are full of dirty tricks!” Lawrence exclaimed.
At this point, Lawrence stood fully on Eliza’s side and thought, ‘She’s such a kind, generous woman, and she has so many precious herbs.
“Who could compare with her?”
He even helped her scold that whole faction of civil officials.
But soon after, he couldn’t help feeling worried again and asked, “Then what will you do? Judging by the Duke’s estate, they clearly plan to get into herb cultivation too. If they buy up all the farmland, can Your Grace really beat them with just the fields
you have?”
Eliza chuckled and replied, “Why wouldn’t I be able to? Hasen City isn’t the only place with farmland. Just because they won’t sell here doesn’t mean others won’t elsewhere.”
Besides, she had already picked two perfect locations where no one could compete with her.
Lawrence suddenly caught on, his eyes lighting up as he asked, “Are you talking about Plutonville and Noganlul?”
But
as soon as he said it, he frowned and added, “But those places are so far away?”
It took seven or eight days to reach Plutonville from Hasen City, and about ten days to get to Noganlul,
Lawrence wondered, Won’t that be too much of a hassle to go all the way out there to buy farmland for herb cultivation?
“It is a bit far, but distance comes with its own advantages, Eliza said with a gentle smile
If she operated only in Hasen City, then everything she did would be under the Duke’s constant watch.
But in Plutonville and Noganlul, she could act freely, Setting things up there would completely escape the Duke’s surveillance.
Of course,
that didn’t mean she had to go there herself.
Eliza definately needed to remain in Hasen City–at Saint Grace Nummery
First, she couldn’t go wherever she pleased, and second, she had to stay visible.
She needed to use all her movements in Hasen City to keep the Duke’s estate focused on her.
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Chapter 213
That way, no one would notice what was happening elsewhere.
Once the time came, she would select someone to go to Plutonville and Noganlul in her place.
That would be her trump card
Lawrence thought about it for a while and eventually understood Eliza’s plan
He raised his brows in admiration and praised. That’s a brilliant move, Your Grace.”
Malaki chuckled and added, “Given our lady’s reputation in Plutonville and Noganlul, things will go even more smoothly over there
And with Eliza’s plan centered around using medicine and agriculture to solidify her status as the Holy Lady, starting directly in those two repons was the most fitting arrangement..
Seeing that Malaki understood her intentions, Eliza said. The only problem is that I don’t have the right person for the job at the moment. I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Padilla, to keep an eye out. It’s best we find someone suitable as soon as possible.”
Growing medicinal herbs took time.
If they delayed too long, and something went wrong. Plutonville and Noganlul wouldn’t be able to supply herbs in time.
Malaki immediately nodded. “Don’t worry, Lady Eliza. Tve made a note of it.”
And so
this matter was entrusted to Malaki.
Their discussion had nearly wrapped up by the time Eliza finished her final acupuncture stroke. She withdrew the needle slowly and exhaled in a calm, steady breath
“Alright, that’s the end of today’s third technique, Lawrence said.
Thank you, Lord Lanon,” Eliza replied.
She put away the needle she had been holding, opened her medicine box, and placed it inside.
Off to the side, Lawrence happened to catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He let out a curious sound and asked, “Huh? Do you have another set of needles? Why aren’t you using those… hmm?”
The needle pouch looked fairly new. Lawrence was just about to ask why she didn’t use it when he suddenly noticed something on the pouch and wondered, “Was Spirit embroidered on it?‘
Just as he leaned in to get a better look, Eliza quickly snapped the lid of the medicine box shut with a loud clack.
“Ah, those needles aren’t quite right. They weren’t crafted properly. I plan to get them reforged in a few days, so I didn’t use them,” she Explained.
“Wait, hold on–did I just see the word “Spirit on that pouch?” Lawrence probed.
“What Spirit character? No way. You must’ve seen it wrong, Lord Larson,” Eliza replied nervously, clearly trying to deny it
