Werther woke up in the early morning, opened half the curtains, and found that all the leaves on the nearby trees had fallen off, and the bare branches seemed to be welcoming the coming winter snow.
Winter was coming soon, and Daybreak Town seemed very peaceful today, but he saw a scene outside that made him nervous: a royal team walking neatly on the desolate flat ground near the castle. Very soon
Obviously, someone from the royal family came again, but this time it was not the top guards, but more like an envoy with twenty of his attendants.
Werther was leaning against the window, his face facing outside, his eyes calm and lazily looking at the team, showing an expression that had completely lost his temper.
"I wonder who my father has sent here this time." He smiled helplessly, preparing to straighten his collar and go downstairs to greet these distinguished guests from the palace.
After tidying up, he went downstairs and happened to see the leader being greeted by Tom from the gate with the edict in his hand, while the other attendants were standing outside the castle.
Last time all the top guards entered the castle, but this time they all stood politely at the door. It seemed that the father did not want to use force against him this time. What could that be? Witte felt in his heart
Confuse.
Wile stood next to Werther and whispered: "Your Highness, I have a bad feeling. Maybe they are here to embarrass you again."
"Judging from my current status, most of the people coming from the palace are here to cause trouble for me."
"Your Highness, I'm so nervous."
"There is nothing to be nervous about. The soldiers will come and cover up the water and earth."
"Huh? Your Highness, what are you talking about?"
"I mean, no matter what, we have to find a way to solve it."
The leader looked at the scene where Werther and Wile, the master and servant, were walking over and whispering, and showed a disgusted expression.
"Ahem, Your Highness, I am the envoy from the palace." He stood upright, looking straight at Werther, but with a look of contempt.
"Ah ha, it's really the messenger." Werther looked at the man in front of him carefully and felt that his expression was very similar to the way the queen looked at him.
"Your Highness, please behave like a member of the royal family. You are really acting like a commoner by whispering to your servants. What are the servants? They are just the property of the royal family. If you treat the servants as equals, it will only make you
The price has dropped even more." The messenger's expression was very exaggerated when he said these words.
After all, Werther was a prince, but he was accused like this by the envoy. The servants beside him couldn't stand it. But Werther was not angry at all. He just stood still, put his hands behind his back, and tried his best to smile: "Envoy, please sit down first.
I'll ask someone to make you a cup of black tea."
Then he turned to Wile and said in a normal voice: "Why don't you go make tea."
Wile's face turned into sour lemon at this time, and his tone was awkward and sad: "Yes, Your Highness."
Werther pulled him and whispered: "Just pretend to go to make tea and don't come over. The provincial envoy will belittle you again."
"Well, Your Highness, you are so kind to me, so be careful yourself." After whispering, Wile sighed and slipped away.
Werther smiled and put his palms upward, stretched out toward the seat, and said to the messenger: "Sir, please sit down quickly, standing is so tiring."
"No need, Your Highness, I came here today specifically to inform you of something. The king ordered me to bring the edict.
You also told me that I must inform you personally."
Werther thought to himself, at first when I saw him bringing twenty attendants, I thought he was coming to my castle to move things, but now I know that he was just sending me a message! He can bring so many attendants with him, it seems that he is a messenger
His status is not low, he must be from a noble family.
Werther asked expressionlessly: "What is it that requires you to come in person?"
The envoy said: "Of course it is a big event. The king is going to collect taxes from Dawn Town. This time, you have to collect all the taxes from the previous twelve years from the people.
What I need to tell you is that the taxation in Notland is like this: the city of France is personally managed by the king, so the taxes in France are collected by the king himself; and the taxes collected by each fiefdom are collected by the lords.
The lord could only keep 80% of the taxes collected each year, and the remaining 20% had to be handed over to the king.
You must make up the portion of the taxes that have been handed over to the king in the past twelve years as soon as possible. Tomorrow there will be guards coming to Dawn Town to transport those taxes to the palace."
After hearing what he said, Werther was stunned for a moment, and there was a buzzing sound in his head. No taxes were collected for the past twelve years, how come I have to pay all the taxes just two months after I came here as a lord! And!
The deadline is tomorrow! Did this idea come from his father or was it given to him by someone else?
"Sir Messenger, this is really unreasonable. Why do you want me to collect so much tax?" Werther unconsciously took a step forward with his left foot and put his right hand on his chest, his expression was shocked and a little angry.
The messenger curled his lips and said: "Originally, the king really wanted to wait until next year for you to collect taxes from Dawn Town, but Duke Duke thought that this would bring great losses to the palace, so he proposed to the king that you should collect ten taxes this year.
Two years of tax payment will be made up.”
"Sure enough, it was Duke Dark who did it." Werther said angrily, "Since it was him who suggested it, it would be better to let him provide the money and goods."
The messenger raised his head arrogantly and said: "What your Highness said is unreasonable. Dawn Town should have honestly paid the royal palace's part of the tax. In the first twelve years, the king did not collect taxes from Dawn Town just because during this period
There is no lord in Daybreak Town. Now that there is a lord, of course the new lord must pay all the taxes accumulated over the past twelve years.
The Duke of Darke pays 20% of his fiefdom taxes to the palace on time every year, fulfilling his duties as the lord of Darke City. Not only that, the Duke of Darke also assists the king in handling affairs in Frank City all year round.
, I have nothing to criticize, and I have no responsibility to help you with the money and materials from Dawn Town."
Werther suppressed his anger after listening to the illogical words of the envoy, and he also knew that the envoy belonged to the king. The king was too fond of the Duke of Darke, and the envoy would inevitably turn to the Duke of Darke. Werther had no ability to resist at present.
Although he couldn't resist, he could always fight for himself, he thought.
"Sir Messenger, even if you ask me to collect taxes, the people don't have that much money and food for me to collect. Is it possible for me to snatch all their food and property?" Witte showed anxiety.
His expression said, "Now the people are not rich, and many people are still living in poverty. I don't think my father can bear to treat them like this."
"This is indeed a problem." The messenger thought for a moment and said, "But there is nothing I can do about it. My mission is to convey to you that the king
As for how to solve this problem, you can only think of it yourself."
"Huh? That's not true!" Werther was shocked and angry, and almost couldn't help but point at the messenger's nose and scold him.
"Also, Your Highness, no matter how you complete this task, it has nothing to do with Duke Dark. I hope you will not be malicious towards him. This is what the king said."
What the messenger said seemed to be another stab at Werther. It was so heartbreaking! It was always Duke Dark and his group who framed Werther, but they still couldn't make Werther hate him!
Witte was now a little anxious: "Your Majesty Messenger, although no lord has collected taxes from the people of Daybreak Town in the past twelve years, the daughter and grandson of Duke Duke have collected double taxes from the people, and they have hidden it from their father.
The king collected most of the taxes into his own pocket, and distributed a small part to his associates. Duke Dark must also know about this."
The messenger instantly showed a surprised look: "His Royal Highness actually talked in his sleep during the day. To be honest, although you are a member of the royal family, I think you also know who is less important than Duke Dake in the king's heart. King
It is well known to everyone in Notland that you favor Duke Darke, and it is true that the king hates you. You see, the king will not even give you a title."
"Damn it..." Werther clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He was so angry that he couldn't speak.
The messenger smiled contemptuously and said: "So, don't do the false accusation you just made a second time, because no one will believe you."
"Is this a false accusation? It's all true! And you are forcing me to do so, so I can only tell you this."
However, the messenger no longer listened to Werther's excuse, but turned his head away with a smile on his face. This contemptuous look was really uncomfortable.
At this time, Werther also realized that he should not have said that directly. Indeed, as the messenger said, no one would believe him. Not only that, if the messenger spread what he just said, it would make others think that
It is Werther who is being unreasonable, and this will only be detrimental to Werther.
On the other hand, Werther was in dire straits.
If he does not collect taxes from his people, he will not only have to sell off the fields and workshops that he managed to manage, dismiss knights and servants, but also borrow money from everywhere. Everything he has worked hard for during this period will be in vain, and he will be able to run a small business from now on.
The town is difficult to move forward, and over time the king will deprive him of his title of lord, and his situation will be very bad.
If he ruthlessly seizes property from the people to fill taxes, it is certain that most of the people in Dawn Town will find it difficult to survive. This winter will definitely be a scene of starvation. By then, Dawn Town will
It will collapse completely, and he will not be able to escape the blame.
If he simply refuses to pay the king twelve years of taxes, then he is disobeying the king's order. The king will be more suspicious of him and will still look for opportunities to punish him. At that time, his fate will only be more miserable and he will be locked up.
It is possible to be exiled or assassinated.
I have to say that Duke Dark's move was really fast and hard, and it was fatal in one blow.
The envoy looked at the dazed Werther with contempt, slammed the edict in his hand on the table, and said: "Your Highness, the specific taxes you have to pay and how much tax you have to pay are all written in the edict. Take your time and read it yourself.
,I go first."
After saying that, the envoy walked out of the castle with his head held high, got into the carriage, took his twenty attendants and drove towards the city of France.