Chapter 40: Trouble Again

  Late September.

  The warm Constantinople has finally cooled down, time really flies. Since discovering that the two artistic young men had something going on, I've been avoiding them, but every time Pennywise finds me with some urgent matter. Then, inevitably, I get goosebumps again from the two artistic young men. And meeting Wendy a few times hasn't made much progress either.

  As Thanksgiving Day on November 24th is approaching, the national inspectors and tax officials wearing red woolen cloaks are dispatched to Constantinople. It's time for the second of two annual collections of taxes from rural towns, but this year's taxes have been reduced. This should be a good thing, but compared to last year's Thanksgiving Eve, this year, due to France unilaterally and recklessly raising grain export taxes, as soon as the news was confirmed, various districts in the city were thrown into turmoil.

  Rumors are flying everywhere, and the security situation has deteriorated. The number of thefts and fights has increased several times in a short period. If Louis XIV only wanted to give us a small gift before the Roman holiday, he succeeded. We were indeed disgusted. But it was just disgust. Many judges who were on vacation at home were called back to work, and more people were dispatched to maintain order. In just a few days, my cheap old dad had a talk with the families behind the major chambers of commerce in the city, and then severely cracked down on several foreign grain hoarders who didn't understand the rules and wanted to take advantage of the trend to raise grain prices during this period. The price of grain was maintained at a level that both nobles and citizens could accept.

  However, the unrest in the streets and alleys still exists, even the United Front Department can feel the tremors from below. What's more, news from Anatolia indicates that the harvest there is not good this year. The empire's financial revenue will inevitably be cut off by Kolbell. But I believe our counterattack is near. And the plan I set up on Dion Street has also reached its final stage; if we don't make a move soon, others may benefit from it.

  I sent someone to Big Fatty's elder brother's house with an invitation card the day before, so that this guy wouldn't sneak out during my visit. I only visited his house at noon on the second day.

  No phone and no mobile is really inconvenient, everything has to be dragged on. And today at Big Fatty's house, I ran into Bridget from Jimmy Ski's family, which was unexpected. But soon I understood the reason why she came to Big Fatty's mansion - she was very interested in that greeting card scheme and willing to invest 50,000 Solis. Who knows what kind of deal they made, but that has nothing to do with me. Actually, I didn't come today for anything important, just to tell Marcus to get the proof of 330,000 Solis ready, we'll need it in a few days.

  Now that I'm here, I naturally can't just finish my business and leave. Marcus kindly took me and Bridget on a tour of his home's collection, after which someone brought out jasmine water as a drink. This so-called jasmine water is made by putting jasmine fruit into a cup of water, waiting for the jasmine to infuse into the water and make it taste sweet. You drink the water first, then use a small spoon to eat the jasmine. This stuff is just too sweet for me, no matter what, but many imperial nobles who like sweets often choose to drink this after or with their coffee.

  In the afternoon, a flustered servant of the Jimiski household knocked on the door of Marcus, the fat brother. Bridget from the Jimiski household was summoned to the middle of the courtyard, and after exchanging a few hasty whispers with him, her face suddenly changed color, trembling all over, she came over to apologize to us before leaving the mansion.

  "Did something happen at his house? Is it that his wife had a difficult childbirth or did someone set fire to their home?"

  "Has there been any news about Mrs. Jimski being pregnant recently?" I couldn't help but ask.

  "That's not it. Is the house on fire at home?"

  "If it were really like that, their family's servants wouldn't be so evasive."

  Not long after, someone else came, this time it was someone I knew, Konstantin.

  He beckoned me over with a very anxious expression in the courtyard.

  I put down what I was holding and handed it to the fatty, who gave me a suspicious look as he walked to the door. Konstantin whispered in my ear, "Something big has happened! Taissa, something big has happened!"

  "Who is Taeyeon?" I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before.

  "Isn't that the girl who's with Jimmy Skee's daughter? The one His Highness introduced us to? Don't you know?"

  "Many things are literary, Pennywise arranged, I don't know about the noble lady you met called Tais. How? They wouldn't be the ones who ambushed us, would they? Just them, and we'd be at a disadvantage?" If that's really the case, then it's no joke, those noble ladies... wait, it seems they can also scare people to death, dozens of them appearing together, and it's possible someone might even have a heart attack. "Who got hurt?! Not dead, right?!"

  "It's not us! It's the Holy Spirit Purification Institute from the Church side! Those fanatics are on the move! They say they're going to purify the entire Elyse Club! And throw all the blasphemers into the religious prison!" Konstanz exclaimed in a panic.

  The Holy Office, a place that boasts of protecting the spiritual purity of mortals, is actually engaged in a most unglorious activity - burning and destroying books. In plain words, it is a vanguard of religious forces, consolidating the authority of the church. As long as they feel that certain books harm the authority of the church, they will try every means to erase the author and his works!

  I couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "How did they offend the bunch of psychos at the Holy Spirit Institute? Ah, what is the Elysee Club?"

  "The Elysée Club seems to be the club that Miss Penniwiss and Ta?s took over from the former noble lady a few years ago. But I'm not quite sure how they got involved with those crazy people from Saint-Esprit Institute. Ta?s said she was going to take me to their playground today, but when we arrived, I saw a large group of people from Saint-Esprit Institute coming and going, making a big commotion. I didn't have time to ask questions, so I immediately went to your house first, and then rushed over here." Constans replied.

  "It doesn't matter how they got involved. Hmph, those neurotic people are really good at taking advantage of the situation, inching their way forward! I let out a cold snort, this time it's more obvious than ever, just a few days ago, that cheap old man had just drafted a bill to not cut church expenses, and then the church's opportunistic flies caught wind of the smell."

  "Your Highness, Caesar has always been on good terms with the church. In the future, you will also have... " Konstantin didn't finish speaking, he looked a bit uneasy, "What should we do? Taisa and the others were suddenly attacked by people from the church, this may be misunderstood as our revenge after the conflict!"

  Constantine didn't finish that sentence, I'm clear about it. In the future, if our Seofano family wants to usurp the throne, we must win the support of the church!

  "I thought for a moment and said: 'Let's not say anything else, let's go there and take a look at the situation first.'"

  I had two horses ready in front of the building.

  Constans led the way in front, and the two of us rushed all the way to the university district. On the road, we successively met several of our own people who had also received the news.

  The outer woods surrounding the Elysian Building were quiet, and as I gazed at the elegant buildings inside, I drove my horse closer, only to hear occasional sounds of objects being moved around.

  "Oh God, those are my gold and silver plated vase, blue and white peony shield-shaped badge plate, Far Eastern blue and white gold-plated tea cup, these are all my personal belongings, they belong to me! You, you can't take them away!"

  "Silence! The bishop suspects that this is a vessel used for your wicked rituals! It must be taken back to the church for examination! If it's guilty, it will be destroyed!"

  "You're talking nonsense! Even if it's an evil ritual, where would these things be used?! These are cups and plates, we use them to drink coffee and tea! And that vase! What could a vase possibly be used for in a ritual?"

  "Exactly! Bloody hell! That mural was just bought from an auction! What does it have to do with the ritual, return it to me at once!"

  "Oh, you're so familiar with the evil ritual tools! Come on in! Have these two ladies used them before? Come on in! I suspect that these two so-called noble ladies have been possessed by an evil spirit. Take them both back to the religious prison and let the Cardinal use the ritual tools to exorcise them!"

  "Don't come over! We haven't had that kind of ceremony! Really haven't!"

  "Take whatever you want and leave..."

  "Don't touch us!!!"

  I stepped out of the path and saw a monk in black and gold robes scanning the chests of the noble ladies embracing each other, his eyes flashing with excitement as he spotted brooches and other small ornaments. He shouted to the stout priests on either side: "I sense an evil aura emanating from these brooches! Everyone put down your work and come take them off!"

  "Alright!"

  Several priests quietly put the heavy objects in their hands onto the large cart pulled by Mala, rubbing their hands as they approached the group of more than a dozen noble ladies, while behind them, many precious items were already piled up on the cart.