Chapter 678
Due to the strength of the country and the prosperity of trade, the currency of Diónia (Hades) was not only popular in the country, but also in the allied states and the entire western Mediterranean Sea. Due to its exquisite design and high purity of silver, it had also become a popular commodity. The people of other cities liked to exchange other coins for the Hades silver coins as a collection and would not use them unless it was absolutely necessary.
As a result, the silver coins that were circulated could not be fully recovered, and the new silver coins that were reforged with the silver coins of other cities would be damaged. This cycle continued year after year, and the total amount of silver coins circulating in the country decreased. The silver coins of Hades became more valuable, and this worsened the vicious cycle. Therefore, in order to maintain the credibility of the silver coins of Hades and promote the prosperity of trade without lowering its purity, they must have their own source of silver mines. This was why the Ministry of Commerce had been supporting Enona and Poseidonia to secretly trade with the people of Sardinia.
Now, there was a new channel to obtain silver mines in front of Aonis. If he could seize it, what would it mean? Wealth! Power! Even — Aonis imagined that the King of Diónia would personally receive him and reward him.
Therefore, he was tempted, but he still maintained a little caution. "Diónia and Carthage have an agreement, we can't trade here —"
"Definitely not in Gaddis. The people of Carthage here are too strict! But in Huerva, my master has considerable influence there. He can quietly avoid interrogations and trade at the uninhabited beach near Huerva … "
This person obviously came prepared. His plan was quite thorough, but after all, it was the first time he had dealt with him. Is he trustworthy … Aonis hesitated again and again. In the end, he could not resist the temptation and decided to take the risk.
After Ionis' merchant ship was temporarily repaired, under the warning of the officials in Gaddis, he led his crew and smoothly sailed the merchant ship out of Gaddis. They first sailed east, and when the Carthaginian patrol ship returned, he made the merchant ship turn around again and sailed a big circle along the coast of the African continent. They went around Lissus and Gaddis, and arrived near Huerva, which was further west.
Huerva was located near the mouth of the Odier River. Before the rise of Gaddis, it was the metal-processing center of the Phoenicians in the entire western Mediterranean. Large amounts of ore from the mines in the interior were transported downstream through the Odier River to Huerva. There were hundreds of smelting furnaces in the town, and even the ore from Sardinia was transported here to be smelted. Even after Gaddis took over some of the smelting tasks, the metal smelting output of Huerva was still very shocking.
Aonis saw from afar on the ship that countless pillars of smoke rising into the sky along the coast.
Under the guidance of the Huerva who was lurking among the crew, the merchant ship anchored at a remote, deserted beach.
But while the Huerva went to inform his master, Aonis was nervous and a little uneasy. He thought to himself that if he found out that he had been tricked, he would immediately sail away. It would only be a delay, and he would have already made a loss on this voyage anyway.
Unexpectedly, things went very smoothly. After waiting for a long time, the owner of the mine appeared. He brought many slaves and a pack full of silver bricks.
After a discussion, the two quickly reached an agreement. Aonis used a ship of Turií wine that he had originally intended to sell at Saganto in exchange for nearly 500 pounds of silver bricks.
It was obvious that Aonis had profited, but it was obvious that the mine owner had also given Aonis a sweetener for future transactions.
Aonis suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and agreed with the mine owner on the time, place, and goods for the next trade. Only then did he board the merchant ship contentedly and prepare to sail away from the deserted beach amidst the cheers of the crew.
At this time, several Carthage patrol ships suddenly appeared and completely surrounded him. Once again, Aonis and his crew were all captured.
When the dejected Aonis was escorted onto the patrol ship, he saw that the man who had persuaded him to come to Vila, who had previously tried to curry favor with him, was now sneering at him.
Aonis' heart immediately sank to the bottom. This was a conspiracy …
… …
Sexi, a Phoenician colony in southern Iberia, was located east of the Pillars of Hercules and near the city of Malaka. It was the residence of the governor of Iberia appointed by Carthage, and the governor was the patriarch of the Magonid family, Mago. A few years ago, he had moved most of the family members (including his daughter, Dido) and supplies here. Sexi had actually become the private territory of the Magonid family. The waters near the city were rich in mackerel and one of the main producers of Phoenician fish sauce.
In the study of the governor's mansion, the main members of the Magonid family were having an important gathering.
Sitting in the middle was the patriarch of the Magonid family, Carthage's governor of Iberia, Mago. This old man, who was almost 55 years old, had white hair and beard, and his face was full of wrinkles. It was a series of setbacks that had been carved on his face over the years, including the fiasco of the attack on Syracuse, his brother's suicide, repeated defeats under the attacks of Dionysius, the loss of the Magonid family's dominant position in the Senate … and so on. Only when he came to Iberia, with great power in his hands and no one holding him back, did he recover his former lofty aspirations, and his authority grew with each passing day.
On his right was his brother Himilco's eldest son, Hasdrubal. After more than ten years of tempering, this young general who only knew how to charge and attack had become somewhat steady and reserved. Only, his pair of slightly fierce eyes were filled with heroism.
On his left was Himilco's second son, Hakkar. Before coming to the Iberian Peninsula, he was still a thin and childish youth. Now, he was almost thirty years old. His figure was slender, and his physique could also be considered strong. Only, his face was a bit pale, and there was a bit of exhaustion between his brows. He had already become Mago's most indispensable arm. Nowadays, he was mainly in charge of the internal affairs of the Iberian territory, and the stability of the Magonid family's rule here could not go unnoticed because of him.
Sitting next to Mago was a member of the distant branch of the Magonid family. In the process of expanding the territory and fighting with the indigenous people, he stood out and was highly regarded by Mago. He was careful in his thinking and steady in the use of troops. The indigenous people had raided the rear of the territory several times, but they were all seen through by him and eventually repelled, ensuring the safety of the Iberian territory.
"Uncle, there is news from Huelva. What we planned has been successful. The greedy Diónia merchant and his merchant ship full of silver bricks have all been captured. Next, should we send them to Carthage?" The wooden chair Hakkar was sitting on was specially made. The back of the chair was tilted back, so he could lie down and talk. As soon as he spoke, the exhaustion on his face disappeared, and his eyes shone.
A smile finally appeared on Mago's serious face. His eyes shone with the excitement that he had been waiting for for a long time. He said in a deep voice, "Let's follow your plan. At the same time, inform Pretacuba and let him spread the news. Let everyone in Carthage know that Diónia is not only eyeing our silver mine, but has also begun to take action!"
"Will that old man really give in and support Rome to fight against Diónia?" Hasdrubal did not have much confidence in the Senate of Carthage, so he asked with uncertainty.
"Brother, right now, Carthage is full of dissatisfaction with Diónia. Be it the people or most of the senators, they all want to teach Diónia a lesson, but Hanno has not made a decision yet …" Hakkar laughed coldly, "It's just his pitiful pride as the person with the highest authority in Carthage. This matter will be like pouring oil on a burning stove. If he dares to delay, then his Sophie's time will come to an end!"
"I hope that old man continues to obstruct the passing of the Senate. I want him to taste the pain of being kicked out of office by the people!" Hasdrubal said, taking pleasure in Hakkar's misfortune.
"Don't underestimate Hanno. He will not easily give up the leadership of the Senate of Carthage! We need to continue to be vigilant and pay attention to the development of the situation in Carthage! " Margo reminded. He knew how powerful Hanno was. Otherwise, he would not have reluctantly chosen to leave Carthage and go to Iberia.
"Once Diónia and Carthage go to war, Uncle, when should we send out our troops?" Hasdrubal looked at Margo with an eager expression.
"I think it's best if we send out our troops when Carthage's army is defeated, and the people remember and appeal to the Magonid Clan. The Senate pleads for us to send out our troops!" Hakkar suggested.
Hakkar's words lifted the spirits of the other three. The Magonid Clan had been preparing for this operation for a long time. Their goal was to restore the clan's glory and regain control of the Senate.
"What if Diónia retreats because Rome is supported by Carthage?" Kisego asked cautiously.
Margo and Hasdrubal were stunned, but Hakkar said with certainty, "Diónia will not retreat! The King of Diónia has always claimed that he is a man who keeps his promises, and he has done so since the establishment of Diónia. Therefore, the people of Diónia and its allies have always trusted him. If he chooses to retreat this time and allows Rome to annex his ally, Wolsey, not only will it disappoint the allies of Diónia, it will also cause the people of Diónia to lose their trust in him. The King of Diónia is a wise man, he will never make such a mistake! "
Margo nodded and sighed, "Although the King of Diónia is young, he has had to fight many powerful enemies in order to fulfill his promise. He actually won in the end. How admirable!"
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