Chapter 164: The Taxpayer System

Chapter 164: The Taxpayer System

TL: Etude

The minor dispute that had occurred during the meeting had come to an end, and the attendees continued to discuss other matters.

So, Hansel, does the kingdoms army have any interest in our canned goods, salt, and such?

Uh my lord, due to limited time, I only had contact with the quartermaster under the Princesss command. However, from his attitude, it seems that canned goods are very much in line with their needs.

How many cans can they buy?

We didnt get into such details at the time, but with around 8,000 people under the Princesss command, their demand should be quite substantial.

Paul, a bit puzzled, asked, What do you mean by saying you only contacted the quartermaster under the Princess?

Hansel explained, The troops currently stationed at Crystal Shine Fortress arent all directly commanded by the Princess. Each generals troops solve their logistics independently.nove(l)bi(n.)com

Understanding dawned on Paul. Although these troops were loyal to the same leader, they didnt have a unified logistics system, which was also common in the armies of the old era.

So, we have to talk to those generals one by one.

Lord Grayman, I have a suggestion. Please organize a trip for merchants and factory owners to the capital, and let them find their own markets.

A trade delegation?

A trade delegation? Good name. If its organized under the name of the Lords House, I believe the merchants and factory owners will be eager to participate. After all, its much easier to do business under the banner of nobility.

Paul was very supportive of the suggestion, nodding continuously.

Thats a good idea. We should cultivate the wolfishness in these merchants, letting them seek opportunities and fight on their own. Otherwise, constantly supporting them from both sides will never lead to anything significant.

Hansel agreed, Wise words, my lord.

Paul slapped the table, Alright, then Ill leave this task to you, our Agriculture Director, haha! Oh, and not just canned goods, but also things like porcelain, papermerchants manufacturing these should also be included. Once the sea routes are open, we can directly ship them south, no need to let middlemen skim off the top.

Hansel, placing his right hand over his chest, assured Paul, Ill start organizing this immediately.

But Hansel quickly raised a question, Can our production keep up?

I visited several factory owners in Lakeheart Town after I returned. Not just canned goods, but also paper mills, porcelain factoriesthese are all popular products. According to them, just to meet the current orders, their capacity is already stretched thin.

That is a problem. So, I plan to have the newly arrived refugees work in factories, instead of farming. You need to inform the factory owners in Alda and Baylding to recruit from the refugee population. I dont want to feed these refugees for nothing; they need to start working and creating value.

Yes, my lord.

An idea suddenly struck Paul, and he addressed the group, Gentlemen, to address the issue of insufficient production capacity, I have another thoughtfreeing a batch of serfs from the Grayman family. My thinking is this: with the use of machinery like harvesters, given the current extent of our familys farmland, we dont need so many hands. Its better to free them from serfdom, letting them choose their own professions to support themselves, and incidentally alleviate the labor shortage in the factories.

This proposal seemed reasonable, and no one voiced any objections, especially since this involved the lords own property.

Not only that, but I also intend to issue a decree encouraging landlords and gentry to voluntarily release their serfs, letting them become workers, and to invest their own money in various emerging industries.

For a moment, there was silence in the room, and as the people present seemed about to be rendered speechless, Paul quickly added:

Of course, its just encouragement, just encouragement, just encouragementimportant things must be said three times. Im not planning to set any specific targets or indicators to avoid lower-level officials misusing their power for personal gain or causing local disturbances just to show off their achievements.

The attendees finally recovered from their surprise. Paul sighed in relief and continued, For those who voluntarily free their serfs or invest in emerging industries, I will offer certain tax reliefs.

Ford, the steward, twirling his beard, commented, The idea of replenishing factory labor through the release of serfs is quite good. However, I fear the effectiveness of promoting this through tax relief might be limited.

By the way, everyone!

Paul suddenly had an idea and asked those present, Many of you own a lot of land and serfs in your families, right?

The attendees exchanged glances, admitting, Uh yes, my lord.

People like Steward Ford, Bryce, Cecil, and many heads of the Administration Council belonged to the landowner class and naturally owned many serfs.

A wave of tension ran through the room, fearing that the lord might expect them to set an example.

Paul laughed and waved his hand, Dont worry, I wont force you to free your serfs.

Everyone relaxed a bit.

However, if you decide to voluntarily release your serfs, it wont just be a tax relief. After all, having served the Grayman family for so many years, youll receive much more in return.

Their eyes lit up at the prospect of benefits.

Paul raised his voice, I declare! Anyone serving me who voluntarily frees their familys serfs can receive a corresponding share of the Grayman familys enterprises.

Excitement filled the room.

The high profits of the factories established by the Count were well known, and his current financial strength, including tax revenues, was enough to sustain an army of over two thousand regular troops, something unimaginable in the past. The ancestors of the Grayman family would have been astounded.

Now, the Count was offering them a share in these enterprises? It was like a pie falling from the sky.

Although it required the release of serfs, they had heard Paul talk about his promoted model of farmingemploying agricultural workers.

This meant that after releasing their serfs, they could hire some people for a small amount and continue farming their land while earning substantial profits from the Counts factories.

They were just unsure how much of a corresponding share the Count meant.

Seeing their eager eyes, Paul smiled satisfactorily.

Everyone, go back and think about it, and come to me if youre interested.

Indeed, it needed some consideration, including for himself. He needed to find some time to ponder how much of a share to offer for how many serfs. After all, too high a price could also be painful for him.

In any case, the meeting continued in an enthusiastic atmosphere.

Hansel stood up and said, Count, I have a proposal. According to the information I gathered in the capital, the kingdoms main army is planning to head south to suppress a rebellion next spring.

Hmm, and your proposal?

Once the war starts, their demand for ironmore specifically, weaponswill surely skyrocket. Shouldnt we seize this opportunity?

Paul had previously mentioned increasing steel output, but there seemed to be no recent plans in that regard. However, Hansel had been keeping this in mind, as it related to his future prospects.

Youre right, Paul agreed. With the iron mine in Baylding, we can indeed start increasing our steel production. But manpower is also an issue.

Hansel suggested, Then Ill write to our office in the capital to specifically recruit blacksmiths and miners, how does that sound?

Good idea, Paul approved. And we should use new smelting technologies.

New smelting technologiessuddenly, he had quite a few ideas in mind.

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