Chapter 300 - 224: Gold or Brothers (Part 2)
In the past, the Prince would provide a lump sum for expenses. As long as the mission was completed, he wouldn’t ask how much was spent.
Therefore, any money that could be saved was his and his subordinates’ to keep!
’Fine, fine, fine, so your army is loyal? What about the Militia? The Militia can’t be loyal too, can they?’
As it turned out, the intelligence chief never expected that all of Henry’s combat units received treatment on par with the emperor’s own men.
’Turn them against their master? Bribe them? Dream on.’
With no other choice, he had to switch targets: the Civil Servants!
It was said that civil servants were the easiest to corrupt. Money, women, mansions, fame—whatever you desired, they could provide.
In the end, aside from a few low-level Civil Servants who happily took their money in exchange for some worthless, semi-public information, they made no progress.
The intelligence chief was baffled. ’Is Henry’s domain really this impenetrable? The army and the civil servants are like a fortress—wind can’t get in, and rain can’t seep through?’
’Hah, I refuse to believe it! I’m taking you on! I swear I’ll turn this iron-and-bronze Westwood Laine into a sieve!’
This was the first time the intelligence chief had encountered such a difficult opponent, and his competitive spirit was instantly ignited!
’I must win!’
The intelligence chief reported the news back to the Prince’s camp truthfully: the situation in Westwood Laine was far more difficult than anticipated.
Despite having invested considerable resources, their efforts had not yielded the expected results.
The Prince was displeased and clearly surprised by this news, but he did not show it too overtly.
’After all, if Henry were as mediocre as any other noble, would he still be Henry?’
Moreover, his intelligence chief also requested increased funding and a more aggressive approach, vowing to plant spies throughout every level of Westwood Laine.
The Prince waved his hand without hesitation. "Do it! Ask for as much as you need."
"This matter is of great importance. You must succeed!"
The Prince also refused to believe it. ’There’s no way we can’t handle a mere Baron, is there?’
Soon, a new wave of immigrants suddenly appeared in Westwood Laine.
Large numbers of outside merchants, Minstrels, painters, and other upper-middle-class people flocked to the area.
They brought capital and talent, hoping to put down roots and flourish in this vibrant land, teeming with life and opportunity.
As the Governor of Westwood Laine, Tommy extended a warm welcome to these new immigrants.
These people could bring a great deal of revenue to the fief and help stimulate the local economy.
But Tommy was no fool. He had received reports earlier that someone was trying to bribe the army and the Civil Servants, so he was already on alert.
This time, he could see at a glance that there was a major problem with this batch of immigrants.
’I don’t know if the other party is just fearless, not caring if I see through them, or if they’re just treating me like a complete idiot.’
’In any case, my old mantra holds true: Come one, come all! As long as you bring money! Once you’re here, you’re a person of Westwood Laine!’
Tommy sent people to enthusiastically welcome each new immigrant, providing them with necessary assistance and guidance.
Tommy was, of course, a huge proponent of these new immigrants’ desires to buy land, property, furniture, and the like.
Tommy was secretly overjoyed. ’No matter what their real purpose is, the economic benefits they’re bringing to Westwood Laine are tangible.’
’This is a solid political achievement!’
Tommy even hoped more people like this would come to settle, even those who wanted to buy land and become minor landlords or local leaders.
From his perspective, if any trouble really arose in the future, it wouldn’t be difficult to reclaim the land that had been sold.
After all, Westwood Laine and Ximira Castle had vast tracts of farmland held as estates, all of which could be sold.
He could even sell them the land being developed beyond the border, let them spend their own money to cultivate it, and then take it back later.
’That way, a single piece of land could generate revenue twice. Isn’t that just delightful?’
Tommy wasn’t clear on the new immigrants’ true intentions, but he trusted his own judgment.
’It’s most likely the same as last time—someone’s targeting Henry again. I just don’t know who. It’s probably a new enemy the lord made during his time in the Northern Lands.’
With the massive influx of new immigrants, the town of Westwood Laine rapidly changed.
All sorts of shops sprang up like mushrooms after a spring rain, from exquisite craft stores to lively taverns, from elegant bookstores to fashionable clothing shops—they had everything.
These shops not only greatly enriched the cultural lives of the town’s residents but also gave them more places to spend their savings.
Residents could pick out a lovely little lute at a new instrument shop and experience the charm of music.
They could admire works by artists from all over at the art gallery to cultivate their taste, though they couldn’t really tell what they were looking at and just thought it looked nice.
They could read the latest literary works and historical classics at the bookstore to increase their knowledge, but most of them just looked at the storybooks, as they couldn’t read.
The intelligence chief stood at his office window, looking down at the increasingly prosperous town with a smug smile on his face.
He had already succeeded in placing his spies in many key locations; these shops, taverns, and inns would all become his territory.
His intelligence agents hid in these places, continuously gathering all sorts of information and silently passing it on to him.
However, the intelligence chief had not yet obtained any valuable information, but he wasn’t in a hurry. As long as his network was cast wide enough, he was bound to catch something eventually.
He had even considered cooperating with the officials at the imperial office in Westwood Laine, but he had been politely refused.
The intelligence chief didn’t press the issue. He was certain that with his own methods and resources, taking control of Westwood Laine’s intelligence network was only a matter of time!
What the intelligence chief didn’t expect was that his every move had long been watched by Bogdan, the official from the imperial office.
As an official of the royal family’s Blade Department and a member of the empire’s most powerful clandestine agency, Bogdan’s duty was to protect the interests and security of the empire. He had to remain highly vigilant against any action that could threaten its stability.
So, what happens when a man like that ignores his emperor and pledges his loyalty to the Dinar?
When the intelligence chief found a way to approach Bogdan and proposed they team up to steal intelligence from Westwood Laine, while also attempting to divide, dismantle, corrupt, bribe, and turn its army and officials, Bogdan sneered inwardly.
He pretended to consider the offer on the surface, but in reality, he had already told Tommy everything and received a large sum of Dinars in return.
’Are you kidding me? Work for you, make some money, and risk my life? Even if we succeeded, I wouldn’t get a promotion. All the positions above me are filled, one man to a post. There’s no room for advancement.’
’So why should I take the risk? If it’s all about making money, I’d obviously rather help Henry!’
When Tommy learned of this, he sneered inwardly as well, while also appreciating Bogdan’s quick-wittedness and loyalty.
’There’s probably a bigger conspiracy behind this incident. We have to handle it carefully.’
Tommy immediately tightened surveillance on the new immigrants and secretly investigated the backgrounds of the shops and spies, just in case.
There was nothing else to be done. With Henry away, there were many things he had no one to discuss.
The intelligence chief was still gloating in secret, unaware that his plan had already been exposed.
After Tommy and Bogdan made their preparations, they used the intelligence chief’s own plan to lay a trap for him.
When the intelligence chief once again sent his men to contact the shops and spies, they were all captured in one fell swoop!
A huge amount of property and wealth was confiscated and sent to Henry’s castle. Only then did the intelligence chief realize he had failed, but it was too late.
He had lost a massive amount of funding and manpower, and his face turned deathly pale.
But he was thankful that it wasn’t a total wipeout; many of his spies still remained.
’Hmph, a Governor from some minor, local family. What makes him think he can fight me?’
The intelligence chief’s arrogance made him overlook one possibility: the other spies who hadn’t been rounded up were all ones Tommy had intentionally left in place.
’They’re a source of revenue, and we can monitor the enemy’s movements. An enemy in the open is far easier to deal with than one who’s still hiding.’