Chapter 50 The Right to Buy and Sell Wheat
Six grain merchants were led to the gallows, where the executioner placed nooses around their necks.
The grain merchants had pale faces. Who knew what they had experienced the previous night? As for the noose around their necks, they felt it was a kind of release. They would rather die than return to that dark, damp punishment room.
There are three types of execution in this world. One is hanging, also known as death by suspension.
Another is burning at the stake, where the person is tied to a cross and then burned alive. Of course, the last one is beheading.
"Deserved! You heartless grain merchants, you actually have today."
"That's right. You dare to plot against Henry when you can't even earn a penny, and you deserve to die."
The common people cursed in anger, and those who were brave and willing to part with their possessions threw their shoes.
In fact, what killed the grain merchants was the last point - they wanted to plot against Henry.
If it had been merely a case of overpriced wheat, Henry might have looked the other way. After all, they were selling their goods at a higher price, and in a world without price controls, those who controlled the food supply held power.
But their greed had sealed their fate. Even without the charge of murder, Henry would have made sure they could no longer thrive. It was the merchants who had chosen to conspire against him.
Wyatt held a scroll of parchment. Now, the Eldora had started using paper, and parchment scrolls were only used for major decisions or occasions like today's trial.
"…These six people, judged by Lord Henry, here are their charges: first, disrupting the market order; second, plotting to kill nobility; third…fourth… Accordingly, they are sentenced to death, to be carried out by hanging."
This was the otherworldly version of a public judicial verdict. However, if the merchants chose to speak, the trial might not have been so quiet.
The obese merchant's eyes were filled with endless fear, tears streaming down his face, and his nose running uncontrollably.
'Why was this happening? I don't want to die!' They screamed in their minds. Their lives had just begun, so why did it have to end like this?
The merchants glared at Henry with hatred. It was all because of this mad nobleman. If it weren't for him, perhaps they wouldn't be facing death.
Wyatt shouted, "Execute! Execute! Execute!"
The three commands, each louder than the last, signaled the end for the six-grain merchants.
Henry calmly watched as the executions took place.
He understood the look in the eyes of a few of the merchants. Would Baron Omar seek revenge for them? After all, the wheat belonged to him. He wouldn't let Henry off so easily.
It would be more accurate to say that he was now hoping for Omar to come. His soldiers needed a real battle, and he lacked enslaved people for mining. Those bandits would make perfect enslaved people.
The death of the merchants instilled fear and awe in the eyes of some commoners as they looked at Henry.
This was exactly the effect Henry wanted. Stepping forward, he shouted, "Everyone, in order to prevent the tragedy of overpriced wheat, I at this moment declare, as the Lord of the city, that the right to sell wheat belongs to the official department. All wheat trade must be conducted with the official department."
Henry added, "In other words, after your autumn harvest, the surplus wheat, apart from the twenty percent tax, if you are worried about improper storage or spoilage, and you want to sell the wheat, you can only sell it to the official department.
"Private sale or purchase of wheat is prohibited. The official department will purchase everyone's wheat at market price. Of course, if you want to buy wheat, the official department will also sell it to you at market price."
This was the crux of Henry's plan today. By monopolizing the grain trade, he held the market's order in his hands, ensuring that there would be no more incidents of overpriced wheat.
Most importantly, he now held the lifeline. In this era, filling one's stomach was the commoner's greatest desire, and Henry, who controlled the food, had the most say.
"Henry, how many copper coins for a pound of wheat now?" someone shouted boldly.
The commoners below the platform looked at Henry with anticipation. They had been frightened by the high-priced wheat. If it weren't for the job wages that Henry had introduced, paid in wheat, they might have left Eldoria to seek a living elsewhere.
"A few days ago, the market price of wheat was two copper coins per pound. Therefore, the wheat sold by the official department naturally costs two copper coins per pound," Henry said with a gentle smile, affirming the price.
The atmosphere suddenly quieted, and some people even shed tears of excitement, followed by an unprecedented outburst of cheers.
"Long live, Henry!"
"Long live, Lord Henry!"
This chant made Henry's mouth twitch. It felt like he was being hailed as an emperor.
Wyatt, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow. He subconsciously scanned the crowd and noticed a few familiar faces among them, shouting "Long live" with all their might.
Well, these were the few pawns that Wyatt had arranged as soon as he learned of Henry's plan. After all, nobles often used this trick to incite the ignorant commoners.
The phrase "Long live" was something Mila had mentioned to him. It was said to describe a great person from Henry's hometown, expressing the hope for a long life.
So, the second step of the plan was completed. Only the final step remained, which was also the most dangerous one.
Wyatt looked at Henry with concern.
Mila stayed close to Henry, with two more daggers in her hand, making a total of five, all ready for action.
