No matter how low-key Sean was, wartime policies had affected everyone.
Including Sean himself.
Kang's shipbuilding and Kang's power production are prosperous, but Kang's Textile is in trouble. The latter mainly produces silk fabrics and also produces high-end ready-made clothes. It once made a name for itself in the Holy City, but unfortunately, the war broke out and the people because of
Pessimism about the future began to reduce unnecessary expenditures, so Kangshi Textile had to turn its attention to those workers in the mining areas and produce those durable and cheap work clothes.
This change is a bit big.
Tea has become a national monopoly. According to normal market supply and demand, all the tea garden owners in Genoa could have made a fortune this year. However, it has become a national monopoly, and tea garden owners or tea farmers have to sell tea to the state at a low price.
As the largest tea plantation owner, Sean lost a lot of money.
Compared with farmers who grow grain, the situation of tea farmers is pretty good. Thanks to local policies in Genoa, the burden on grain farmers has been greatly reduced, but this year they have to bear a heavy burden again, and even their rations have been reduced.
It will decrease again because the remaining grain is taken away by the state.
Not only that, because Genoa will pay 20% more taxes to the state next year, a considerable part of these taxes will eventually be passed on to farmers.
Overnight, everyone returned to 1830. The situation of the rich was also the same. Although they would not be unable to eat, they would definitely lose a lot of money.
Qingliang Villa, Audrey is looking at the account book.
She was calculating how much she would lose this year, and judging from her expression, she was distressed by the loss.
As one of the largest landowners in Genoa, the surplus grain in her hands was also on the list of tax collectors sent by the state.
The redemption price the government is willing to pay is the same as the market price of grain in the same period last year. It is said that this is a special preferential treatment for the nobles.
In fact, most of the grain in her hands was bought by Sean, because Sean was worried that the price of food would be more expensive next year. If necessary, he could use grain distribution instead of distributing metal currency to his more than 100,000 workers, which would benefit him in one fell swoop.
Sean didn't even want to spend manpower transporting the grain. He sent someone to put a seal with his family's emblem on the door of the Robinson family's warehouse, claiming that it was military rations for the 101st Guards Brigade or the future 101st Guards Division.
The tax police didn't even dare to trouble him.
Sean's bid was 10% higher than the national levy price, and the huge amount of food almost wiped out Sean's available funds.
But Sean still thinks it's worth it, because the food on the market in Poitou has increased by 50%.
In Audrey's opinion, Sean was taking advantage of the situation.
"I will go bankrupt soon!" Audrey put down the pen in her hand and said exaggeratedly.
"It doesn't matter, I will support you." Sean smiled and said, "According to my experience, the more people cry about being poor, the richer they are."
"Sean, what do you think?" Audrey asked.
"What do you think of your wealth? I still can't figure out how much wealth you have." Sean asked deliberately.
Audrey rolled her eyes at him: "I'm asking about wartime policy!"
"Audrey, this is just a temporary difficulty for the empire. As a noble, I am willing to work with the country to overcome the difficulties." Sean said, "We must believe in the strength and bravery of the imperial army. The enemy will eventually surrender, and Europa
We will eventually win. But before victory comes, we must scrimp on food and clothing and devote all our resources to the war."
"Sean, you should be the prime minister!" Audrey said angrily, "At least you still have the ability to tell lies."
Her delicate eyebrows were very lively because she pretended to be angry. In Sean's eyes, Audrey's every smile moved his heart.
"I believe that His Excellency Prime Minister Fidel Kahlon would be more willing to trade places with me." Sean said, "I heard that within a month, the window glass of his house was smashed five times by unknown persons, maybe more."
"However, the more this happens, the more stable his position becomes." Audrey said, "No one else should like that position now."
"Yes, for His Majesty, he is very competent. At least this humanoid shield is very easy to use." Sean said, "He blocked too many arrows and spears for Your Majesty, because many people regard this policy as
Who calls him the prime minister when the stage is put on his head? He himself claims to be the first loyal servant of the royal family."
"Don't you have any objections?" Audrey asked, "If I didn't know you, I would have thought you were an admirer of the Prime Minister."
"Frankly speaking, if I were the Prime Minister, or from the perspective of His Majesty, I would do the same thing." Sean said, "The empire's system and unequal tax policy should have been changed long ago. A farmer and a nobleman face each other.
There is a natural inequality when it comes to tax collectors. The tax collectors will bankrupt a peasant, but they dare not treat a noble's steward rudely.
But implementing such a radical wartime policy at this difficult time not only offends everyone's interests but also exacerbates this inequality."
Sean paced: "The empire is facing internal and external troubles. To maintain the country's survival, this expedient must be adopted, but it requires a strong central government and a team of officials who are loyal to their duties to implement it and minimize its negative impact.
, rather than letting some even profit from it.
Fortunately, our Genoese bankers are not very interested in land, otherwise they would seize their last land in the name of providing loans and using traps of terms that farmers will never understand.
What I'm worried about is that once the foreign troubles are reduced or even disappear, all the accumulated conflicts will explode. That's when I'm most worried. As for now, let's make do with it."
"I'll do it?" Audrey asked doubtfully.
"Yes, let's do it. Audrey, isn't that what happens to those civilians at the lowest level in their lives? They also have dreams, but the pressure of life makes them always repeat yesterday's life. As long as they can still survive, they will do it.
Just live a lifetime." Sean said, "The people's requirements are that simple. As long as they are given a reason to live, they will always make do with it, just like weeds.
Just like you give rent reductions to the tenants of the Robinson family, they are grateful to you and praise you as the goddess of kindness. However, they have never thought about why they have been tenants for generations. When they wake up or are deceived, it will trigger a
A tsunami will destroy everything."
"What do you want me to do? I can hear you are so scared." Audrey said worriedly.
"Reducing some of the burden on your tenants will be considered as doing good for the Robinson family." Sean said, caressing her beautiful face and kissing her lightly, "Then wait and see what happens."
"Okay, I listen to you."
Sean's worry was not without reason. Civilians were fleeing in several provinces north of the Otter Mountains. They faced double oppression from the government and local nobles and landlords. They were unable to survive in their hometown and had to travel far away.
Brigadier Wells of the 101st Garrison Brigade was worried that he would not be able to recruit enough soldiers because the native Genoese were not willing to serve as soldiers because their lives were not bad.
Sean asked him to wait, because when the refugees can't find a way to make a living, serving as a soldier may be the only way out.
The Military Command did not stipulate that they must recruit soldiers from the local population.