It was dark and cloudy, and outside the city of Kislev, there was a scene of depression and chaos.
The golden sunlight pierced the clouds, forming several beams of light, illuminating the black earth. Riding on the war horse, Rhodes and his daughter Dennis came to an abandoned manor. A large area of wheat and various crops and fruits were originally grown here.
.Nowadays, no one is picking and planting, the land is deserted, overgrown with weeds, and the abandoned villas are like haunted houses, lying quietly under the setting sun, allowing time to corrode little by little.
"The home of the late noble Ivanoka."
Dennis dismounted, looked at the messy lawn, and said sadly.
She once had official business with this nobleman at a cabinet meeting, but now she is gone. During the civil strife in Kislev, Ivanoka died in a mutiny and the entire family was massacred. The mansion in Kislev became a temporary
The armory. The villas and manors located in the suburbs were abandoned in time, almost forgotten by people. They became temporary shelters for a few beggars and homeless people.
"It's such a pity that he was an upright man who relied on his ancestral business to run his business with integrity and did not participate in too many political disputes. However, he was targeted because of his wealth and was killed."
Dennis sighed with emotion and pushed open the door of the villa. Inside the manor were several starved domestic dogs, and dusty furniture lay scattered in the hall, recording the past glory of this wealthy and wealthy family. Now, there are only
It can become an insignificant event in history.
"There are many nobles who died in civil strife like this..."
Dennis continued. His eyes were full of sadness.
But the tall and stalwart father behind her had an indifferent expression.
"Natural selection, survival of the fittest. The world is so cruel."
Rhodes said. He looked at his daughter. Although she had become a queen, she still had a long way to go before she could become a true king. Of course, he would always be behind her and silently support her.
.This time, I will not indulge her again and let her take on such an important responsibility.
"Yes, I just pity these people who have nothing to do with the world. They all died miserably in the end."
Dennis sighed——
"There are many abandoned and semi-abandoned manors and farms like this in Kislev."
"So, what are you going to do with them?"
Rhodes stared at his daughter's face and asked seriously.
"Auction it off, and the proceeds will be collected into the national treasury. Other than that, I really can't think of what to do with these things."
Dennis answered calmly. Obviously, she had not thought too much about this issue.
This is a common practice. Besides, these lands and manors have been abandoned, no one cultivates them, let alone manages them, and their value is not great. They are like ruins.
"My advice, don't auction it."
Rhodes said coldly——
"Although some land has been abandoned, there are still heirs. This part of the land and assets should be returned to the heirs. The people's support is still the foundation for our rule of this kingdom. The king cannot plunder the land of the lords and nobles in the territory at will. This is the law.
, is also a prerequisite for the nobles and lords to support us. There are also some lands and manors, like the ones we see today, that have no owners. So, my suggestion is not to sell them at a low price, but to collect them.
It shall be managed by the central government.”
"We don't have the manpower to manage these lands and estates, and we don't have the energy to pay attention to them."
Dennis tilted his head and returned.
"There is no need for the central government to allocate manpower, just hire the original owner's people to run it."
Rhodes stepped forward and looked at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling of the hall and the still intact circular corridor. Obviously, this was a beautiful suburban villa.
"Most of the people who died in this civil strife were wealthy businessmen and nobles, but not all of their subordinates were massacred. In fact, these people did not have much wealth, but they escaped. Let these people run these businesses again.
The income from the land and estates goes to the treasury. We will pay them salaries. These people are very familiar with the places where they worked. Let them return to their jobs and these 'ruins' will soon be operational again."
Rhodes thought for a while and then said——
"This is an opportunity, my daughter, we must take advantage of it. There are many abandoned and semi-abandoned territories like this in Kislev. Some are mines, some are farms, and some are factories and operating sites. No one goes there.
Management is very wasteful. Instead of selling them at low prices, it is better to bring them to the central government and manage them uniformly. Just like you set up the ministerial office, set up special functional departments to manage and control these assets - state-owned assets, I call them state-owned enterprises."
"State-owned enterprise?"
Dennis blinked.
"Yes, the factories, farms, manors, and mines operated by the state are all owned by state-owned enterprises. All income goes to the national treasury. It is distributed uniformly and arranged uniformly. We have a quantitative advantage and can form economies of scale and monopolize certain industries through peaceful means.
.”
Rhodes said with confidence. Dennis quickly reacted. She had heard her father once talk about economies of scale, which means that the concentration of certain industries can significantly reduce production costs, thereby forming a strong competitive advantage. Indeed,
Putting all these resources together will exceed the assets of any lord in Kislev. With central support, the treasury can directly allocate funds and turn waste into treasure, which is a shortcut.
"We must expand our department, daughter."
Rhodes said with a smile.
"So, these managers are directly employed by the royal family. Do they need to be given any titles? At least they should be made knights?"
Dennis asked rhetorically.
"No, it's not necessary."
Rhodes shook his head, remembering some sad past events.
"The title and honor of knights must be earned by themselves. This kind of taking over inheritance and managing things on their behalf should not be given the title and power of knights. They are just employees, but the employer is the central government, us, that's all.
Don't give them any privileges. On the contrary, put pressure on them. Hire them on a contract basis. If the management is not good and targets are not met, personnel can be replaced at any time in accordance with the contract."
Rhodes said firmly. In fact, this series of ideas had been formed in his mind a few days ago. The reason why he took his daughter to the countryside today was to tell her about this. One day in the future,
These industries directly affiliated with the central government and the royal family will become so huge that no one in the country can compete with them. At that time, corruption will breed. If managers have privileges, the income flowing into the national treasury will be greatly reduced in the future. This
This is something Rhodes absolutely cannot tolerate.