Chapter 362: Chapter 239: Conquest, Part 3

The Zambein Kingdom had not yet developed any services similar to a bank.

While the people here understood the concept of interest, and a very small minority even grasped usury—that is, compound interest—most lacked any knowledge in this area.

Within the Zambein Kingdom, the value of gold and silver coins was relatively stable. The one-to-twenty-four ratio was stipulated by law and also reflected the reality of current circulation.

However, Fang Zhen was now proposing to exchange twenty-five silver bricks—worth two thousand five hundred Silver Coins—for one hundred Gold Coins.

With this exchange rate, they would receive one extra silver brick.

In this era, with production technology long stagnant, agricultural output was virtually fixed—and could even decrease due to factors like weather or war.

The exchange rate Fang Zhen offered yielded a return of over four percent, which was already a remarkable profit.

Moreover, if they could actually make the exchange, it was virtually risk-free. It seemed to be a guaranteed profit.

Even without any real financial knowledge, Count Quentin and the others could instinctively smell the profit in this deal.

"Are... are you serious?"

"You really want to make this exchange?"

Count Quentin asked, still finding it hard to believe.

"Of course," Fang Zhen affirmed. Then his tone shifted. "But I have conditions."

"Please, state them," Count Quentin said, his expression turning very serious.

Fang Zhen looked at the nobles, who were hanging on his every word, and said, "As you can see, there is a profit in this for you."

"This isn’t a free handout. It is a right, and the counterpart to a right is an obligation."

"The ability to exchange silver bricks with me is a right I am granting you—a privilege, if you will. The obligation you must fulfill in return is to be loyal to me, obey me, and swear an oath of fealty to me."

"Of course, the privileges I’m offering you aren’t limited to just this."

"The real privilege is a long-term contract that my legal advisor will draft. It will contain a comprehensive package of corresponding rights, benefits, and the obligations you must fulfill in return."

"You will obey me, cooperate in my military campaigns, and enforce the laws of the Duchy that I promulgate within your fiefdoms. In return, you will receive corresponding benefits."

"The exchange of Gold Coins for silver bricks is merely one part of these benefits—a very small part."

Upon hearing Fang Zhen’s words, Count Quentin and the others—who had been suspicious and incredulous because the terms seemed too good to be true—suddenly showed expressions of dawning realization. At the same time, their faces grew calm.

Several of them fell into deep thought.

Fang Zhen watched them and laughed to himself.

He was already set to gain enormous benefits from the exchange of Gold Coins for silver bricks. Even at a rate of one hundred Gold Coins for twenty-five silver bricks, the profits he would reap far surpassed those of Count Quentin and the other nobles—by more than an order of magnitude.

The extra silver brick was, in fact, merely bait to entice these nobles and make them serve him willingly.

In truth, there were only a few ways to persuade others to do his bidding: appealing to emotion, explaining with reason, or enticing with profit.

Count Quentin and his peers seemed far more interested in profit than in reason or emotion, so Fang Zhen focused on the last of these methods.

With profit as an enticement, Count Quentin and the others would actively follow his will, allowing him to achieve his goals.

Simply handing out profit, however, was unreasonable and would easily arouse suspicion. After all, something like that just didn’t feel right. Who in the world does business at a loss?

But by framing it this way, Fang Zhen had packaged a transaction that was advantageous to him as a right and a privilege. By linking it to his political objectives, he actually put Count Quentin and the others at ease, making the whole affair seem more logical and reasonable.

Strictly speaking, Fang Zhen had won twice over.

He gained an economic advantage, and he gained a political one.

Count Quentin and the others were growing more and more tempted.

It was no wonder. As the saying goes, wealth stirs the hearts of men, but profit touches their very souls.

Back when Tarrenno ruled the Duchy, vassals like Count Quentin had simply held their noses and endured. They fought his wars but reaped no profit. Instead, they fell deep into debt traps, unable to even pay the interest.

Tarrenno hadn’t fared much better. He appeared powerful, but he had lent out real gold and silver only to receive a pile of IOUs in return. His subordinate counts would play dumb and refuse to pay, forcing him to threaten them with an army just to collect his debts—a costly and draining affair.

All of Tarrenno’s fierce maneuvering had ultimately resulted in a lose-lose—or even a lose-lose-lose—situation. It was pure internal strife, where nothing changed. Well, that wasn’t quite right; some things did change.

After all, everyone became poorer.

In contrast, Fang Zhen’s actions not only settled the nobles’ bad debts but also offered them tangible profit—real gold and silver—all without much coercion.

It seemed everyone was satisfied and had gained something.

Between the two rulers, it was immediately obvious who was superior.

Count Quentin might have been a man of mediocre ability, but he wasn’t a fool. He could still make such a simple judgment.

This brief contact was enough for Count Quentin to realize that Lord Fang Zhen Augustus truly understood the hearts of men and human nature. He was a ruler of a much higher caliber, at least far superior to Duke Tarrenno.

Count Quentin suddenly thought, ’Becoming a vassal to Lord Fang Zhen Augustus... doesn’t seem so bad, does it?’

Fang Zhen took in the reactions of Count Quentin and the other nobles, their mental calculations completely within his grasp.

He decided to add more fuel to the fire.

A smile appeared on Fang Zhen’s face. "I just mentioned that the exchange of Gold Coins for silver bricks is a privilege."

"And since it is a privilege, the supply is not unlimited. There is a quota."

"Whoever is first among you to acknowledge my authority and status will receive priority for that quota."

"These silver bricks before you are a small down payment, an appetizer. But the main course is limited."

"It’s first come, first served. We’ll see who among you gets the first taste."

The moment Fang Zhen finished speaking, the eyes of the nobles across from him began to gleam with a feral, green light.

Several hands shot out at once, reaching for the silver bricks on the table.

Suddenly.

Count Quentin suddenly threw his arms wide and lunged onto the table, shielding a large stack of silver bricks. He then turned and glared at the other vassals whose hands were outstretched.

Having secured all the silver bricks, Quentin turned to face Fang Zhen, his eyes now filled with utter submission.

"My Lord, I am willing to acknowledge your authority and status! Please, grant me the right to this privilege!" Count Quentin declared.

Fang Zhen smiled faintly.

Count Quentin had been completely won over by this maneuver.