Chapter 56: Cut off cash flow, can you please stop thinking about your job...?
"What!?" Sophia and Isolde were both shocked when they heard the news.
Padua was the first northern Italian town Lilith and Heinrich visited on their journey to Zurich. From the early 15th century, it had been a land territory of the Venetian Republic. Prior to this, Padua was controlled by the Cararesi family, who, to avoid annexation by the covetous Duchy of Milan, sought refuge with Venice, ultimately losing their sovereignty and becoming one of Venice's territories.
The rebellious old nobles Heinrich spoke of were likely referring to the remnants of the Cararesi family, who were attempting to overthrow the monarchy. However, it remains unclear whether the Duchy of Milan, which they relied on, was truly an ally or, like the Doge of Venice in the past, merely sought to reap the benefits.
"The ten-person committee's idea is to not release the news to the public yet, only to say that the fireworks malfunctioned and could not be lit, so as not to arouse public anger and cause any trouble," Heinrich said in a low voice, glancing at the huge crowd below the balcony.
“We should leave here immediately,” Sophia said decisively. “If Paduan spies have infiltrated the crowd and want to disrupt Venice’s internal affairs through a riot, the Doge’s Palace will be the first target. We need to evacuate now.”
“Where to evacuate to?” Isolde took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. “There’s been fighting in Padua, which means I won’t be able to go home anytime soon…”
“I can take you to my estate in Ferrara for a while. Ferrara is south of Venice, and Padua is north of Venice. No matter how much they fight, they can't reach Ferrara. I used to go there for refuge when the Black Death struck Venice. Let's go back and pack our things quickly, and we'll set sail tonight. The estate has all the necessities you need, so don't worry.”
After saying this, Sophia took Isolde and Lilith's hands and prepared to go downstairs.
“No.” Lilith suddenly shook off her hand, her whole body trembling. “I can’t go.”
"Why?!"
“The outbreak of war means that trade routes have been cut off. If trade routes cannot be passed, remittances cannot be paid, and future contracts cannot be fulfilled…” Lilith lowered her head, her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her nails almost pierced the skin of her palms.
“Liliana,” Sofia rarely called her by her first name, “when lives are at stake, can you please stop thinking about your job?”
“I’m sorry, Sophia, but I can’t go.” Lilith thought for a moment and made a decision, telling her firmly, “Thank you for your concern. It would be best if you could bring Isolde with you. She is my guest, and now I would like to trouble you to take care of her for me. I will pay you accordingly.”
"Liliana!" Sofia could barely contain her anger. "Do I care about that little bit of money? I'm worried about your safety!"
“I don’t think the war will spread to the lagoon anytime soon. The old Paduan nobles are already finding it very difficult to overthrow the government, and they won’t have the resources to attack the main island of Venice. Of course, there is a risk of spies starting a riot on the island, but I have to stay here to keep the bank running.” Lilith’s tone was unwavering. “Let’s leave here together now. Tata, when we get home, help Isolde pack her things.”
“Lily… now that you’ve made your decision, all I can do is pray for you. May God protect you.” Sophia took a deep breath and made the sign of the cross. “Let’s go.”
Lilith took Sophia's hand again, and led by Heinrich and Tata, they passed through the crowd oblivious to the devastating news, through their cheers and jubilation, as if in a bizarre dream. The blood-red sunset on the horizon seemed about to open its gaping maw, devouring the boisterous singing and dancing on the stage, and crushing the tiny people in the square.
Just moments ago, she felt so distant from them, so far that she could converse with the powerful in the opulent governor's mansion, and enjoy a tranquil retreat on the high viewing platform, far removed from the chaos. But now, she felt her heart pounding with the crowd, her breath rippling with their fate. The mirage-like splendor was more fleeting than fireworks, more illusory than the crudely made costumes on stage. Yet this was the reality Lilith faced. She had to fight with all her might to make her fleeting dream a reality.
More than the exquisite jewels and endless balls, more than the dazzling silks and rare fragrances, what she truly cherished in this dream was a rare sense of ease, the fulfillment of her mission to deliver more interest when meeting Sophia, the security of not being beaten up by her brother when she talked with Isolde all night in bed, and the smugness of being able to truly fulfill the promise she had made before and "celebrate" Heinrich's birthday with a spectacular fireworks display—instead of frantically packing her bags for her good friends, wondering when they would reunite, and the dark and lonely nights without fireworks.
Sophia didn't understand Lilith's decision, but before leaving, she repeatedly reminded Heinrich to take good care of her friend. Isolde, fearing Lilith would feel guilty, repeatedly told her how happy he was to be invited and how grateful he was for Lilith's hospitality. Despite this, Lilith still looked dejected, watching with tears in her eyes as they boarded the ship to Ferrara, surrounded by servants.
By the time she watched them leave by boat, it was completely dark. Lilith dragged her exhausted body home and sat alone on the messy carpet in her bedroom, blankly pondering what to do next.
Despite having very little information at hand and the veracity of the news still needing verification, she still believes that the greater risk to her from this rebellion of the old nobility lies in market fluctuations than the threat to her personal safety.
This was not because she underestimated war, disregarded human life, or was overconfident. First, the Republic of Venice was the most powerful nation in Western Europe in terms of wealth. Besides the islands surrounding the lagoon, it controlled several important ports in mainland Italy and even the Aegean region of Eastern Europe. Although the Duchy of Milan was also a powerful adversary, since the war was triggered by the overthrow of the Paduan nobility, the Duchy of Milan was likely playing a role in stirring up trouble and would not go all out unless its own territorial security was threatened.
Secondly, wars were frequent in Italy at that time. Nations hired mercenaries to fight for them, but most of these mercenaries were lazy and incompetent, just doing their jobs for money, and had long lost the magnificent grandeur and tragic heroism of ancient epics.
Wars became an economic tool for lords to vie for power, the splatter of blood and flesh became a backdrop for the powerful to plunder more resources, and the death and destruction of commoners were reduced to renewable money.
Lilith suddenly recalled the history she had been so proud of when she learned about it at the convent school—the "heroic" feat of Venice's unwavering and stubborn resistance during the Fourth Crusade. She belatedly realized that it was essentially all plunder, naked plunder. There was not a trace of faith or glory, only profit. In this struggle for profit, those in power used the lives and dignity of the common people as chips on the table; the winners amassed fortunes, and the losers lost everything.
So who will be the winner in this war?
With too little information and no clear outcome, Lilith couldn't draw a conclusion. But she knew all too well that if she didn't take any countermeasures now, she would become the first victim crushed by the gears of history. The war had severed the trade route from Venice through Padua to the north of the Alps, and it was unclear when it would be restored, meaning her foreign exchange accounts would be flooded with defaults.
Moreover, as the official currency of the Venetian Republic, the value of the ducat gold coin would fluctuate with the war. Although it was one of the most reputable and stable currencies in Europe, its exchange rate could not be guaranteed to fall if the war continued. The Canaro Bank, a large exchange bureau headquartered in Venice and holding a significant amount of ducats, would bear the risk of incurring huge losses.
But none of this was Lilith's worst fear. The worst-case scenario she could imagine was that if the war continued to escalate and the worsening situation caused panic, all the former savings customers would rush to withdraw their money, resulting in a bank run, which would completely cut off the bank's cash flow and drag her carefully nurtured children into the abyss of bankruptcy.
No, that won't happen anytime soon. Lilith took a deep breath. What she needed to do now was gather more reliable information and then work with her team to find ways to minimize the damage.
“Heinrich,” Lilith said quietly, “I know you’re at the door. Come in.”
Heinrich responded by pushing open the door and walking to Lilith's side, kneeling on one knee so that Lilith could look him in the eye.
Lilith was about to start assigning tasks, but when she looked into those icy blue eyes that were gazing at her with such affection, she suddenly couldn't speak. She threw herself into Heinrich's arms and hugged him tightly. Heinrich lost his balance and was knocked to the ground by Lilith, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him.
Lilith said nothing, but buried her face in Heinrich's chest and sobbed. Heinrich struggled to suppress a morbid and dark possessiveness and a sense of satisfaction at being relied upon, and simply reached out and held her tightly in his arms, gently patting her back as if comforting a child.
"No matter what happens, I will be with you." He whispered comfortingly in her ear, "I will always be with you."
“I asked you not to make promises you can’t keep, but I broke my own promise first.” Lilith wiped large tears on Heinrich’s shirt, wetting the entire collar. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t deliver on my promise of a birthday present.”
“You know I don’t care about these things, and besides, didn’t you already give me a gift before?” Heinrich carefully sat up, supported Lilith’s waist and lifted her up in his arms, then took her right hand and placed it on his chest to find the ring. “I’ve always worn it with me.”
“One thing at a time.” Lilith gripped the ring tightly through the fabric, her nails digging into Heinrich’s skin like a cat guarding its food. “I will definitely make up for the fireworks.”
"You have given me so much, I owe you so much kindness, I can never repay it."
“You have to work for me, repay me with your work…” Lilith said in a coquettish tone, “Those wretched ten-person committees…they forcibly requisitioned the fireworks I bought to fight the war, and they don’t intend to repay me in any way. Are they so short of money that they have to cut back on such a small expense?”
"During wartime, the price of [unspecified substance] will skyrocket, so people probably think they should stock up in advance just in case. It would be very uneconomical to buy it after the price goes up."
“They’ve never reduced their tax collection before… so where has all the money gone?” Lilith muttered, her eyes lowered. “A bunch of hypocritical old men, they don’t have much money in their pockets, but they act like they own the place. Wait, if this war continues… they’ll probably be even more short of money.”
"That's inevitable. Not only the military, but also steel, weapons, and provisions—everything costs money. Even if we successfully quell this rebellion, we still won't avoid a huge expense."
“Heinrich,” Lilith suddenly grasped Heinrich’s hand tightly, her emerald eyes sparkling, “I know what to do.”
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The author notes: "Lagoon" generally refers to the main island of Venice, which is the city of Venice that you can see on the map today.
More updates tomorrow!
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