Chapter 478 The overnight meeting of the kingdom's envoys
Chapter 478 The overnight meeting of the kingdom’s envoys
"...How is it possible! The territorial war zone still owes a huge debt of nearly four million gold crowns?" Viscount Angelink slapped his palm on the conference table angrily.
General Skerry looked at him sarcastically: "Mr. Special Envoy, then how do you think two legions of 130,000 troops in our directly controlled war zone defeated more than 700,000 troops sent by the Kingdom of Hicks? You can take a look at our war zone.
The financial account books clearly indicate the detailed list of various expenditures.
We have clear financial records on the daily military expenditures of the two legions, the ammunition consumption in each battle and the wartime subsidies for the soldiers. Even the medical compensation for the disabled in combat and the pensions for martyrs who died in battle, we have a lot of records.
Clear personal file records. You can check every file, and you can even investigate it yourself to see if we have made any fraud..."
"I'm not interested in dead people!" Viscount Angelink immediately interrupted General Skerry's statement, and his eyes turned red. He originally thought that by taking down General Bolognik and General Skerry, he would seize the power of the war zone.
You can put some money into your own pocket.
Unexpectedly, when I returned to the theater headquarters, I checked the account books and found that the theater headquarters was actually empty. Such a large theater headquarters that manages eight overseas territories did not have any financial balance reserves, leaving seven kingdoms who wanted to enrich themselves immediately.
The envoys were greatly disappointed.
(Note: The Kingdom’s envoys did not consider the newly acquired Rocky Mountain Territory in the Direct Territory War Zone as a new Direct Territory of the Kingdom. The reason is that there are no immigrants from the Kingdom there, and they are all mountainous with barren products. General Skerry deliberately
The seventeen gold and silver mining bases were concealed, and there were no large plains except mountains on the new map. In the eyes of people of this era, mountainous areas like this were not good colonies.)
"Who knows whether these account books and financial files of yours are true or false..." Viscount Angelink slapped the financial account books and records and files of the Logistics Department neatly piled up to half a person's height around him with contempt: "You
Since it is said that the territorial war zone defeated the 700,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Hicks, then I would like to know about the trophies captured in your war zone and the enemy's military expenditures?
I think the Kingdom of Hicks can’t send more than 700,000 empty-handed and hungry soldiers, right? Although I don’t know much about military affairs and don’t know much about war, I can think of a very basic common sense. More than 700,000 soldiers need to eat and drink.
and clothing, as well as paying them salaries. This is not a small amount of money. So if you can annihilate these more than 700,000 enemies, you should gain something more or less, right? So where are all these properties and trophies going now?
Already?"
"You really don't understand military affairs and war, Mr. Special Envoy." General Skerry mocked unceremoniously: "No army of any country will go to the battlefield carrying their wallets full of gold coins, and the same goes for the Hicks. You
Do you see the blue-covered account book over there? What is recorded there is the spoils we obtained after defeating the Hicks.
Dozens of warehouses in the war zone are filled with weapons and ammunition such as muskets and artillery produced by the Hicks Kingdom, as well as military uniforms, coats, underwear, socks, gloves, leather boots and other messy things, as well as dried bacon, grain and grass. As for Hicks
Regarding the kingdom's military expenses, I can only say that you are overthinking, Special Envoy. The Hicks did not directly bring their gold and silver coins to our war zone to use as military expenses.
We asked many captured Hicks logistics officers and learned that the Hicks Kingdom directly opened an account at the Colonial Union Bank of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands, and all purchased materials were transferred from this account to complete the transaction.
Even if our territorial war zone is short of money, we cannot attack the cities of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands to trigger a war between the two countries."
Baron Foglie strode over to the large pile of blue-covered account books, pulled out one and looked at it carefully. He was the most proficient in financial accounting among the envoys of the seven kingdoms. After a while, he pulled out another one.
After reading a few pages, he threw the account book on the table. He nodded to the envoys from the four kingdoms in the conference room, indicating that what General Skerry said was true.
Viscount Gregory, who had been tasting black tea, finally put down his tea cup. He was one of the two kingdom envoys who belonged to the established noble families this time. He raised his head and looked at General Skerry: "I remember an ace in the kingdom.
The daily military expenditure of the field corps is only about 500,000 gold crowns a year. The establishment of the two legions in the directly-administered theater area are second-line corps and belong to the local garrison armed forces. The military expenditure is only about 300,000 gold crowns a year.
.....
The annual military expenditure of the two legions is only 600,000 gold crowns, and the annual tax paid by the overseas territories directly before the war was nearly 400,000 gold crowns. And along the way, we have seen the situation of several territories directly under the Central Government.
It is not as depressed as we imagined. It is conceivable that there is still a lot of room for tax collection. Even if a tax of 500,000 gold crowns can be collected a year, the difference in maintaining the two legions will be 100,000 gold crowns.
I want to know how the huge debt of more than 3.8 million gold crowns in the war zone was owed?"
"The reasons for all this can be found in the account books, Mr. Special Envoy." General Skerry replied coldly: "Since our wise and great King Stirling XI declared his accession to the throne, the directly-administered war zone has lost people from the mainland of the kingdom.
With the support, we need to deal with this colonial war with the Kingdom of Hicks alone. And then the rebellion of the White Deer City Storm Fleet caused our war zone to be directly cut off from the mainland of the Kingdom.
The governors and admirals of the three direct territories are preparing to defect to the great prince, and our theater needs to send troops to suppress the rebellion. The Kingdom of Hicks has also leased the Rodex Bay Colony of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands and is preparing to transport ten standing legions with more than 700,000 troops.
Come to continue this colonial war, our theater is facing extremely huge war pressure and needs to do all pre-war armament work.
Before the war, the theater needed to build workshops for producing grenades, build defensive positions on the front line, transport weapons and ammunition, set up defensive fronts along the coast to prevent the two Hicks fleets from attacking from the sea, and form local garrison forces. All of this required
Huge costs and expenditures. During the war, the mobilization and marching of troops, the consumption and supply of weapons and ammunition also require military expenditures.
Even after the war is over, the casualties of our soldiers will need treatment and compensation, supplies will need to be replenished, and prisoners will need to be comforted. All of this will require a large amount of military expenditure. Even Lanhu City, where you are now, was besieged by the Hicks last year.
It was reduced to ruins. Our war zone needs to help the kingdom residents here rebuild their homes so that they will not be homeless. This is why our direct-administered war zone owes a huge debt..."
"Haha, your war zone is kind-hearted and built new houses for these untouchables for no reason. Who knows if there are any shameful activities in it!" Viscount Angelink sneered: "But let these go first, I would like to ask.
You, why did your direct-controlled war zone build a workshop for the production of grenades without the permission of the royal capital? Did you take His Majesty the King's order seriously? I remember that His Majesty the King clearly issued an order to throw grenades.
This kind of military weapon can only be produced in the kingdom's four major military industries..."
General Skerry looked at the smug and self-righteous Viscount Angelink in shock. Before he could answer, Viscount Gregory next to him coughed violently: "Ahem, cough, there's no need to mention this, Angelink."
Viscount, you don’t know the inside story. This, this grenade was invented in the territorial war zone, and then it was handed over to the kingdom for local production..."
Viscount Angelink was in disgrace.
Viscount Oribut closed the general ledger of the territory's financial affairs and asked calmly: "Then what I want to know is who owns this huge debt of nearly four million gold crowns owed by the territory's territory.
How are the daily maintenance expenses of the territorial war zone arranged?"
General Skerry replied: "This debt of nearly four million gold crowns is not owed to anyone, but is mortgaged with the tax revenue of the war zone in the next ten years, pooling the financial resources of the people in the entire territory, and establishing an overseas people's livelihood bank. Issuance
Paper money is used to replace gold and silver coins for commercial turnover, and the credibility of the war zone among the people is used to guarantee the paper money. Now that the colonial war is over, the war zone is preparing to vigorously develop commerce and production among the war zones, so that within ten years
Pay off this huge debt owed because of the war..."
"Are these banknotes?" Viscount Oribut placed several banknotes of different colors and denominations on the table. You can see the face value of one pfennig and five pfennig, the face value of one sunar and five sunar, the face value
One and five riyals, the lowest denomination being five blackpence.
General Skree nodded.
"You are very clever..." Baron Foglie said, picking up the banknotes on the table and looking at them carefully: "Why don't you issue banknotes with denominations of silver thalers and gold crowns?"
"Because there is no need." General Skerry replied: "When anyone's banknotes are worth one silver thaler and one gold crown, they can go to the Overseas Minsheng Bank to exchange for one silver thaler and one gold crown. Only in this way,
Only in this way can we truly maintain the credibility of banknotes and circulate them among the people."
Baron Foglie and Viscount Oribut looked at each other, their eyes shining brightly. Both of them are emerging business aristocrats who are proficient in finance, so they naturally understand that issuing banknotes is used to replace those low-denomination copper coins and small silver coins.
It contained great business opportunities. Perhaps this could be manipulated when they returned to the kingdom to obtain large profits for their family, so the two of them tacitly ignored the matter.
"Well, let's stay here for today." Viscount Oribut stood up: "Colonel Skerry, although His Majesty the King has allowed you to retire with honor, some things in the war zone have not yet been handed over clearly, so you can only stay here.
Stay for a while. When we sort out all the affairs in the war zone, we will naturally let you and General Bolognik leave.
However, His Majesty the King has another decree. He does not want to see you in the Kingdom, so you can only spend the rest of your life in the territory. Think carefully about which territory you plan to live in in the future. After thinking about it, you need to report to us.
It also makes it easier for us to find you at any time. By the way, if you need anything, you can tell the guard outside the door..."
In another room at the war zone headquarters, Count Davarnel and another kingdom envoy slammed the door angrily.
"That's unreasonable! This old Bolognik man is simply a stubborn man. He actually refused to obey His Majesty the King's will and always used the King's will to pressure us. Why did the King allow the tax revenue from overseas territories to be transferred to war zones to prepare for colonial wars? How could the King be so kind and exempt from it?
The tributes that went to the overseas territories have all been announced and announced in the overseas territories. All the kingdom immigrants in the territories know this...
How can we complete the tasks entrusted by His Majesty according to what he said? His Majesty has made it very clear that he will collect all the unpaid taxes and tributes from the overseas territories over the past few years and impose ten times the fine. This
The old man knew how to use the decree of the late king to suppress us, and refused to allow us to levy additional taxes and tributes. Moreover, this direct-administered territory seems to be very wealthy for us along the way, but not as poor as we thought. Without levying taxes and tributes, we
How can you make a fortune out of it!"
For the sake of future and money, the seven kingdom envoys also worked hard to fulfill the decree issued by Sterling XI. They held a meeting overnight to discuss what they had learned after taking over the power of the territorial war zone, and what to do next.
schedule.
"...Although the territorial war zone owes such a huge debt, the financial situation is still very good in real terms. According to our statistics, the reserve warehouse of the Logistics Department is filled with food, weapons and equipment and
All kinds of military supplies. If these things are transported back to the kingdom, they will be robbed by the three ace field legions. The quantity of these supplies alone is enough to sustain the consumption of the three ace field legions for two years and carry out a three-four legion battle.
There is a war of confrontation between them.”
Viscount Oribut held the folder he had recorded in his hand and made a preliminary summary of the financial report to the six kingdom envoys present: "In fact, the Hicks' belongings in the dozens of warehouses seized in the territorial war zone
Military supplies, weapons and ammunition, etc. are also worth two to three million gold crowns. There are also more than half a million Hicks prisoners, all young and strong laborers, but at present we have no way to cash them in.
If it can be converted into gold crowns, the debts in the war zone can be lifted. But unfortunately, we can't find such a big customer in the overseas territories. We can only wait until we transport these materials and prisoners back to the kingdom.
Carry out transactions slowly. Of course, we will also transport the weapons, ammunition and other military supplies stored in the directly-administered theater area back. At that time, we can discuss whether to trade with the three ace field legions of the kingdom or to form our own legion.
All this can be considered good news, but there is also bad news. I really don’t understand why these five generals in the directly-administered theater have gone crazy. On the surface, there are only two regular second-line legions within the kingdom’s establishment, but they have formed additional
Twenty local garrison regiments. At the same time, after capturing the Hicks Kingdom's combined fleet, an ocean cruising fleet in the theater was formed. In the troop establishment of the directly-administered theater, there are already 250,000 to 60,000 troops. This gives us an answer.
The continued work of downsizing and reducing the number of troops in theaters has brought great difficulties..."
Viscount Gregory put down the black tea cup in his hand. He was very addicted to tea and almost never left the cup: "The situation in the war zone directly under the direct jurisdiction is very complicated. Although the war zone's finances are in deficit and there is no extra fund reserve, it can rely on the war zone
With their reputation and credibility, as well as the tax pledge for the next few years, they were able to borrow a large amount of funds from private banks to support their daily military expenditures for these 256,000 troops.
Although we have now taken over the power of the territorial war zone, in fact no one is willing to believe us who have just arrived. What I regret most is that we cannot bring a division of troops from the kingdom itself, so that we can easily use force.
Suppress all opposition voices in the directly-administered war zone. Unfortunately, we only brought one Marine Corps battalion to protect us. Their performance, I don't tell you but you know well, will not be of much use.
So what we need most now is time. We must first find a way to control the two legions in the war zone, use His Majesty the King's will to order the senior officers in those legions to be demoted and retire, and then select and promote reliable people from the lower-level officers and the Marine Corps battalion.
Hold the troops. Then use the strength of these two legions to disband twenty local garrison regiments, and finally reduce these two legions to local garrison armed forces. However, in this way, it will take at least half a year to complete this task.
In this process, we also need to select those who trust us and form our trusted guard. Only with our trusted guard can we arrange tax collection, fines, liquidation and accountability. Of course,
We also need to issue an order to collect the muskets from all residents in the directly governed territories, so as to prevent these untouchables from taking risks and causing harm to our manpower with the muskets in their hands..."
Earl Davanel shook his head. He is a representative of the emerging commercial aristocracy, and Viscount Gregory is a member of the old aristocratic family. Even though they are both special envoys of the kingdom, there is still some gap between the two, and they both look down on each other: "
What the distinguished Viscount Gregory said is true. It is indeed a mature and prudent statement. According to what he said, we can indeed completely control the entire overseas territories, but it will only take a little longer, one or two years.
But he should not forget the fact that before we set off, His Majesty only gave us half a year. If we subtract the time spent on the round trip, then we only have two months at most. In other words, we have at least
We need to collect a huge sum of more than one million gold crowns for our Majesty within two months, transport it back to the royal capital and hand it over to your Majesty to fill his increasingly empty royal treasury. And this is how the seven of us came overseas.
The true purpose of demesne.
So we don't have time to take it slow like Viscount Gregory said. The first priority is to get the money His Majesty needs first, so that we can keep our mission. Originally, I thought that this war zone did not have hundreds of thousands of gold crowns in reserves, so
It should have been around a hundred thousand. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be nothing but a huge debt. This has added a lot of trouble to us in fulfilling His Majesty's instructions. We need to find a way to get a million gold crowns first.
Of course, there is good news. This overseas territory is far richer than we thought. We have to admit that the five generals in the war zone have done a good job. They have developed the economy of the overseas territory to the point where it can now collect more than one million yuan a year.
The taxation of gold crowns is really indispensable. I remember that the taxes and tributes required to be paid by the overseas territories originally recorded in the kingdom only totaled about 400,000 gold crowns, which means that the extra part will be paid by us.
Personal sharing......
Viscount Oribut and Baron Foglie, didn't you say that the daily military expenditures in the war zone are all obtained from the Overseas Minsheng Bank? Tomorrow you will go to this bank to find out and see if you can get what we need from this bank.
Funds. If possible, it will be considered a great help to us. In the future, we can be more lenient with them, and perhaps we can reach an agreement with them that is beneficial to us..."
"Okay." Viscount Oribut and Baron Foglie replied.
"I'll go take a look too." Viscount Angelink said beside him.