xymnovel Chapter 62 Setting a Trap
Chapter 62 Setting a Trap
In mid-May of 1182 (Julian calendar), the Mediterranean sun was scorching. Five deep-draft round ships, heavily escorted by ten Venetian galleys, were sailing towards Venice. Inside the cabins of each ship, goods that stirred Daniel's heart were piled high—the finest silks from the East.
Inside the spacious cabin of the main ship, Daniel personally filled Lyon and Balian's glasses with wine, his face beaming with impeccable enthusiasm.
"My lords, please have another drink. When we return to Venice, I will certainly host a grand welcome banquet for you both."
Balian waved his hand slightly, signaling the servant beside him to remove the wine glass and replace it with a glass of citrus juice.
"Sir Daniel, you are too kind. It's just..." A bitter smile appeared on his lips, "Our family has fallen on hard times, and we no longer dare to indulge in alcohol. Now, being able to drink a glass of Jaffa citrus juice is a rare comfort for us."
Just then, a servant brought out a plate of freshly baked honey cake, its sweet aroma filling the air. Leon, who had been sitting quietly to the side, playing the role of a down-on-his-luck young master, was instantly captivated. He unconsciously straightened up slightly, his gaze fixed on the plate of pastries, and he subconsciously swallowed.
Balian immediately gave Daniel a slightly reproachful yet protective look, then said apologetically, "Please forgive me, Mr. Daniel. My young master... has been traveling a long and arduous journey and hasn't seen such exquisite pastries in a long time."
Daniel's face showed sympathy and understanding at the right moment. He sighed and said, "This child has really suffered... Your Excellency, rest assured, as long as the fleet arrives in Venice safely, I guarantee with the reputation of the St. Mark's Merchant Guild that you and the young master will have no problem living a life of wealth and worry-free.
"Wealth and freedom from worry?" Balian repeated the word, his face devoid of joy, instead revealing a deeper weariness. "If wealth cannot be held onto, it is nothing but a death warrant. This was true in Trabzon, and in another new place... who knows if it will be another Trabzon? Without a powerful backer, my servant and I are nothing more than fat sheep to be slaughtered in another place..."
"If it weren't for true despair, who would be willing to leave their homeland?"
Daniel's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't reply immediately. Instead, he picked up his glass and slowly sipped, his gaze lingering on Balian's face, etched with weariness and despair. For a moment, only the sound of waves crashing against the hull filled the cabin.
Barian shook his head and sighed deeply: "If...if we had enough leverage..."
Leon, who was munching on a honey cake, glanced at Balian in surprise—how could he recite those lines with such genuine emotion?
Yes, this is the episode where Barian's acting is at its best.
"Oh?" Daniel put down his glass, leaning forward almost imperceptibly, like a hunting dog that has caught the scent of its prey. "What kind of bargaining chip are you referring to?"
"The Turks." Balian took a sip of citrus juice, his voice low and seemingly devoid of hope. "If they could promise us commercial exemptions, our workshops might be able to survive in the cracks. But..."
He shook his head with a wry smile: "This is nothing short of wishful thinking. Why would those Turkic nobles bother to meet with two homeless dogs like us? They're more used to negotiating business with scimitars."
Daniel's heart skipped a beat, and a vague yet audacious thought flashed through his mind.
But he revealed nothing of this; instead, following Balian's lead, he asked in a probing tone, "Indeed difficult. I wonder how the war between the Turks and Rome is progressing? Is Marshal Cantostefanos also unable to hold them off?"
"The Turks were skilled on horseback. Even Marshal Cantostefanos could only win a few small, local battles by sheer luck, which could not change Rome's defeats on the vast Anatolian plateau. The specific details of the battles were beyond the knowledge of small merchants like us."
Hearing this, a glint flashed in Daniel's eyes. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table. "Perhaps... it's not just wishful thinking. What if the ones contacting the Turks weren't two exiled merchants, but two Venetian merchants? If Venice were willing to cooperate in the West, to tie down Rome's attention, could this bargaining chip... perhaps secure 'special consideration' from the Turks for your future business—or rather, for ours?"
"What?" Faced with Daniel's sudden offer, Balian seemed somewhat incredulous, stammering, "But, Your Excellency, how could exiled merchants... suddenly become citizens of Venice? We haven't... haven't met any of the conditions!"
“I have a past relationship with Lord Mastropile, the Doge of Venice, and I also have connections among the councilors. I can help you make this happen.” Daniel looked into Balian’s eyes and smiled calmly. “You only need to make contact with the Turks and bring us some tokens from Turkic nobles…”
Daniel suddenly changed the subject: "But remember, what Venice can do is facilitate a purely commercial dialogue. Your representatives can discuss with the trade officials of the Sultanate of Rum the establishment of an unofficial, secure trade route in the Trabzon region. Ideally, all of this should appear to stem from your family's prestige and efforts in the area."
"And Venice, as you know, our fleet recently needed to adjust its deployment to deal with new maritime threats. This is entirely for the needs of self-defense and escort, and these two matters must not be involved in any way at the official level."
"Communication with the Turkic tribes is highly unpredictable. If... I mean if, the Turks misinterpret certain completely independent and unrelated events and take unilateral action based on that, that would be absolutely not Venice's intention, and we cannot be held responsible for the resulting losses and consequences. After all, errors in communication and understanding are inevitable."
"In short, a stable environment around Trabzon is objectively beneficial to everyone's business, but this is only the result of a virtuous cycle, not the goal of any written agreement."
Daniel gave a shrewd smile: "I'm sure you understand, sir?"
Balian abruptly raised his head, his face filled with disbelief: "Your Excellency... if you can truly bring this to fruition, you will be the only savior for us, master and servant, and indeed for our entire family!"
Daniel watched the other party's reaction with satisfaction. He could already see that after this deal was successful, not only would there be endless wealth, but it would also be transformed into political capital, just like his gamble in the Battle of Legnano, that would allow him to truly step into the core of Venetian power.