The five giants of the overseas autonomous military regions gathered together again.
This was the second day after Claude led the Thunder Legion to the royal capital. As promised, Prime Minister Blancart sent all the parliamentarians and representatives of the promoted officers, as well as the deacons from the royal capital office, as well as the disarmed guards.
The entire brigade was sent to the camp of the 4th Thunder Division. Claude refused to go to the royal court to meet King Frederic I, for which Prime Minister Blancart expressed deep regret.
There were more people attending this gathering, including Speaker Bennett and President Hindman. Like General Bolonik, both of them had escaped unscathed during the more than twenty days of imprisonment. General Skerry's face had more people.
He had a scar and a bandage on his left hand. Like most representatives of the promoted officers, he had suffered a lot. Because he refused some unreasonable demands, he was tortured two days before he was captured.
The good Prime Minister intervened early and prevented his injuries from worsening.
Claude threw the folder he was holding on the conference table: "Let's take a look. This is the so-called compensation agreement given to us by His Majesty the King sent by Prime Minister Blancart."
The folder was thrown in front of President Hindman. He picked it up and opened it. He looked at it for a few times with a happy face and read aloud: "Overseas Minsheng Bank is allowed to open branches in the Kingdom, and it needs to be submitted to the National Bank every year.
A management fee of one million gold crowns. As long as a deposit of 10 million gold crowns is reserved in the National Bank, low-denomination banknotes with a total value of less than 20 million gold crowns can be issued in the Kingdom. The banknote designs need to be reviewed by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Finance.
approve......
Allowing railway companies from overseas autonomous territories to jointly operate railway transportation business in the Kingdom, and to open the Ovelas Royal Railway Operating Company, with the Kingdom providing 40% of the shares in the land, and the overseas autonomous territories providing financial resources, manpower and technology to account for 10%.
60 shares to build and operate railway transportation lines covering the Kingdom, with a total operation period of 50 years. After the 50-year period is reached, the Kingdom will invest in repurchasing all the shares.
This grant of the title provides a 50% discount on promotion fees and site selection fees for overseas autonomous territories. Those injured in this conflict are exempted from site selection fees. This is to express the apologies of the King and the Queen to all of you.
I am not taking this seriously, and I again ask for your understanding..."
"I'm sorry, Prime Minister Blancart is a difficult negotiating opponent. We negotiated all night and only reached these three compensation agreements," Claude said.
Speaker Bennett and President Hindman were both very happy. Speaker Bennett said excitedly: "It would be great to reach these three agreements. Originally, the Kingdom only allowed us to open an overseas Minsheng Bank in Bailu City. Now,
We can open branches in the capitals and towns of various local counties in the Kingdom, which means that our banknotes can also be issued to the Kingdom."
Claude took out a cigar from the cigar box on the table and lit it: "Actually, the kingdom has not suffered a loss. Didn't it require our Overseas Minsheng Bank to hand over one million gold crowns in management fees every year? This is equivalent to the national
It is as if the bank has opened another branch system. I remember Viscount Gooditch once mentioned that the total annual revenue and profit of all the branches opened by the National Bank in the local counties of the Kingdom is less than one million gold crowns.
....
In addition to collecting this management fee from overseas Minsheng Bank, the Kingdom's Ministry of Finance actually intends to introduce our low-face value banknotes to replace metal physical currencies. After all, there is not much profit in casting these low-face value metal physical currencies.
There is also the danger of losing money. That’s why Prime Minister Blancart asked Overseas Minsheng Bank to pay a deposit of 10 million gold crowns, issue another 20 million gold crowns of low-denomination banknotes, and use our bank to test the waters of the Kingdom."
President Hindman asked: "But the banknotes written here are not the ones we issue in overseas autonomous territories, right? Do we need to redesign new currency patterns and anti-counterfeiting marks?"
Claude nodded: "Yes, the low-face value banknotes issued in the Kingdom need redesigned patterns and anti-counterfeiting marks. Prime Minister Blancart should have decided to use this kind of banknotes to replace the low-face value metal physical currencies issued in the Kingdom.
, but this does not prevent the banknotes issued by our overseas dominions from being circulated in the Kingdom. The only difference is that the National Bank of the Kingdom does not recognize the banknotes issued by our overseas dominions, but only recognizes this newly issued banknote."
Speaker Bennett was relieved: "That's okay. It doesn't matter if the National Bank does not recognize the banknotes we issue. Our Overseas Minsheng Bank will recognize it itself. As long as we open Overseas Minsheng Bank branches to various local counties in the Kingdom, I believe it will soon be
It can surpass the National Bank and become the first bank in the Kingdom of Ovelas."
President Hindman pointed to the second item on the document and said with a smile: "I didn't expect Wang Ting to leave this railway to us as compensation. This sincerity is sufficient. I remember that Wang Ting originally sent someone
We asked our overseas autonomous territories to hand over the technology for railway construction and train production to them free of charge, saying that it was to support the kingdom's local railway construction, but we refused. The second time was to prepare to pay for the purchase of railway and train technology from us.
Production technology, but they only offered a price of 300,000 gold crowns, and we were driven back again..."
General Skerry laughed: "It seems that they have also realized that railways and trains cannot be achieved just by talking about it. Just like our current railway companies in the Dominion, although they have gained a lot of money in operation,
However, large sums of money are still invested in technological improvements every year. Today's locomotives are already fifth-generation steam engines...
Without our participation, the Kingdom would have to invest a lot of money in the research, development and production of steam locomotives. But now that we are operating together, I don’t know how much money and time has been saved. Now Wang Ting only needs to pay for the land, and he can get a road covering the entire
The Kingdom's local railway lines can also obtain 40% of the net income from us in the next fifty years. This is really a very cost-effective agreement."
"Prime Minister Blancart is a smart man. He knows how to cooperate and share, and he also knows how to win-win." Claude slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "We once calculated that if a railway line covering all local counties was built in the Kingdom,
, at least more than 3 million gold crowns can be obtained every year. The total investment amount of this railway line covering all local counties in the kingdom is about 20 million gold crowns, not including the land acquisition required to build the railway.
Prime Minister Blancart said that in the past, the preparation for the construction of railway lines and the operation of railway companies were in the hands of those aristocratic families. However, they had disputes over the amount of shares and investment, and they were unable to obtain railway and train production technology from overseas autonomous territories.
Even the plan to build a railway line in the kingdom's mainland has only existed on paper.
Now that the attention of these aristocratic families has shifted to the hereditary family territories they obtained, Wang Ting has regained the leadership in railway construction, and only then can he reach this railway cooperation agreement with our autonomous territory. If there is sufficient labor, we can completely
By building several operational railways within two years and constructing them while operating them, we can probably build a railway line covering all local counties in the kingdom within seven or eight years.
If you invest 20 million in railway construction funds, I estimate that it will take 15 to 20 years to recover the total investment cost, and the remaining 30 years will be pure income. So this time the 20 million gold crown railway construction funds
, I suggest that Overseas Minsheng Bank issue bonds to raise funds. This railway construction bond can be transferred, or you can hold it in your hands and receive dividends every year, and it can also be passed on to your descendants, and then sold to after the fifty-year operation period is reached.
The kingdom gets back the principal and interest.”
"It's a good idea." Speaker Bennett praised: "Marshal Claude made a good suggestion. What I mean is to set the face value of this bond at one hundred gold crowns, and let the people of our overseas dominions subscribe for it.
It is stipulated that one household can only subscribe for one bond, and it will be credited to the bank account of the head of the household, and the annual dividends and income will be transferred to this account. And we, the parliamentarians and nobles, should not get involved in this bond. How can I say this?
, I think it’s time for the people of our Dominion to get some dividends from the war. We eat meat, and we should also let others drink some soup..."
Bonds with a face value of one hundred gold crowns and railway construction funds of 20 million gold crowns can benefit 200,000 households in the autonomous dominions, which is of great help in rallying the people of the autonomous dominions. Today, the economies of overseas dominions are developing rapidly, and people's lives are improving.
Increasingly wealthy, there are many families with savings of more than one hundred gold crowns. Storing all the gold coins in the bank can only earn meager interest, but if you buy this railway bond, you may be able to save one hundred gold crowns in ten years.
It can be doubled.
Claude knew very well that Speaker Bennett's proposal was mainly to appease the people of the Dominion. After all, all the members of the Overseas Dominion Parliament this time have become honorary nobles of the kingdom. As long as they pay the promotion fee and the land selection fee, they can
Obtain a hereditary family territory in the eastern region of Farea continent.
If the news spreads to the overseas dominions, it will make the people of the dominions feel abandoned. It may even be used by people with ulterior motives and may lead to farce and turmoil demanding the re-election of dominion members. Therefore, some benefits must be given out to reassure the people and show that they are
Even if these members become hereditary nobles of the kingdom, they have not forgotten the interests of the people of the Dominion. Railway bonds are the best choice at present. One hundred gold crowns, the benefits can reach 200,000 households...
Everyone here tacitly ignored the topic of the railway and acquiesced to Speaker Bennett's proposal. Next was the last compensation agreement, a 50% discount on promotion fees and site selection fees. This was already a grant of title.
The order was discounted by half. Except for those nobles of the kingdom who have the blood of the Sterling royal family and a few nobles of the kingdom who have made great contributions to the kingdom, that is, who strongly recommended His Royal Highness Prince Frederic to the throne, they are all exempted.
The lowest discount is available.
In addition, representatives of parliamentarians and promoted officers who were injured for various reasons after the conflict that night were exempted from site selection fees. Even General Skerry said with a smile that he was tortured and injured, but he was exempted from the fee.
For the site selection fee of 200,000 gold crowns, the beating was really worth it. The injured parliamentarians and military officer representatives were very satisfied with the sincerity of the apology from the king and the queen...
Speaker Bennett and President Hindman were also very satisfied with the discount offered by His Majesty the King and the treatment of the injured. Just as Prime Minister Blancart revealed to Claude, the noble ministers of the royal court were determined to
The parliamentarians and military officers who opposed the overseas dominions enjoyed the same discounts and preferential treatment as them. As a result, Her Majesty the Queen dispatched the palace guards to arrest the parliamentarians and military representatives of the overseas dominions, took away the huge sum of 30 million gold crowns, and sealed the deal.
After the Wangdu Office, all the noise in the royal court disappeared...
Especially after the news came that the Thunder Legion was marching towards the royal capital, the noble ministers in the royal court were in chaos. Some people began to accuse others of not discriminating against members of the overseas dominions and honorary nobles, and that they should be given the same discounted treatment.
Some nobles and ministers of the royal court simply asked for leave and left the royal capital to avoid the deterioration of the situation from affecting themselves. Some honorary nobles wandering around the royal capital even added fuel to the flames by spreading rumors and accusing the king of mishandling things...
To be honest, if it weren't for Queen Christie's reckless instigation of the conflict between the palace guards and the representatives of the overseas dominions, His Majesty the King would really have no excuse to give discounts and benefits to the representatives of the dominions. This conflict actually brought both sides to a higher level.
However, His Majesty the King compensated with discounts and benefits, and the parliamentarians of the overseas autonomous territories were also very happy that they did not take advantage of them and received a half discount...
Claude could only smile bitterly in his heart, glad that he did not really go to war and use force in the royal capital. Even these injured councilors and promoted officers could forget about the conflicts they had with Queen Christi and forget about themselves.
The injuries suffered from the severe beatings by the palace guards were satisfied with His Majesty the King's compensation to them, so Claude really had no reason to stand up for them and take revenge on the King and Queen...
..
Just like last night, Mrs. Maria visited Claude's camp overnight. Claude knew the purpose of Mrs. Maria's visit. She only came to intercede for her daughter. And Mrs. Maria also knew that Claude
With his current weight, he alone controls the military power of the overseas autonomous territories and is a victorious marshal of the kingdom. He has the ability to influence or destroy the entire kingdom.
No one expected that the master and apprentice who met in the small White Deer Town would undergo such earth-shaking changes. Their identities seemed to have been reversed. Back then, Madam Maria was the noblewoman Claude looked up to.
This woman is the adopted sister of the late King Sterling. And now Lady Maria is the mother of the queen, so her identity has not changed much.
But Claude has grown from an ignorant boy to an invincible commander. He can even decide the future of the Kingdom of Overas and the survival of the Sterling royal family. When the master and apprentice met again, they did not say a word.
The purpose of Lord leading the Thunder Legion to the royal capital was just to recall the scene when they met in White Deer Town.
Mrs. Maria was very concerned about the situation of Claude's sister Anna. When she heard that she had become a mother, she couldn't help but sigh that time passed so fast. The sensible and well-behaved little girl back then was now a mother. She lamented that fate had played a trick on people. Originally, she was a mother.
She wanted to regard Anna as her direct disciple, and even wanted Anna to be her daughter-in-law, but it was a pity that her precious son ruined everything.
Lady Maria did not mention her daughter Queen Christi, nor did she plead to Claude. She just left a thick notebook before leaving and asked Claude to give it to his sister.
Anna. This thick notebook contains Mrs. Maria’s pharmacy experience and research reports as a senior pharmacist. It can be said to be a priceless treasure.
Claude could not tell Madam Maria that her sister had been led astray by him a long time ago, from a junior pharmacist to an expert in arms research. Madam Maria said that her sister Anna was the most talented girl she had ever seen.
As a pharmacist, I left this notebook containing my lifelong research to her. I hope Anna can make further progress in pharmacy in the future...
Since these victims of parliament and military representatives had no intention of holding Queen Christi accountable, Claude naturally ignored it and ignored it. He did not look at the monk's face but the Buddha's face, just for the sake of Mrs. Maria's face.
, Claude will also let Queen Christie go this time.
President Hindman closed his eyes and pondered for a while, frowned and said: "Even if His Majesty the King gave us a 50% discount and waived the site selection fees for the injured representatives, our 30 million
The gold crown is still not enough to pay everyone’s promotion fee and land selection fee. I calculated it, and we still have a difference of 17 million gold crown..."
"Otherwise we just say we have no money. Just these 30 million gold crowns, do you want us or not? Let them give us a few more discounts..." Speaker Bennett still wanted to play rogue.
Claude was so angry that he laughed: "Turn over this page. Prime Minister Blancart also wrote two requests at the back, asking our autonomous military region to provide the kingdom with new rifles and an armored fleet to fill the gap.
The difference is 16.4 million gold crowns. It should be noted that these two requests were agreed to by our Marshal Bolognik..."
Marshal Bolognik, who had been silent all this time, suddenly blushed: "Yes, I agreed. Now the kingdom's military industry has produced the same new rifles as ours, and several shipbuilding workshops have joined forces to produce iron armor.
The development of battleships has also made great progress. It’s just that the price they quoted to the Kingdom’s Ministry of War is too outrageous. A new rifle costs forty-five gold crowns, and one bullet costs one silver thaler. An armored battleship
The asking price is 680,000 gold crowns.
I feel that rather than letting the kingdom’s military industries controlled by established aristocratic families earn this arms money, it is better for our overseas autonomous territories to earn it. So I agreed to the request of His Majesty the King and Prime Minister Blancart, and our overseas autonomous territories will provide the money.
The Kingdom's Ministry of War will provide 400,000 new rifles and 40 million rounds of new ammunition. We will then build an armored fleet of sixteen armored warships for the Kingdom. This transaction can be used to cover the remaining one thousand
There are tens of thousands of insufficient promotion fees and land selection fees..."