Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 422 Agricultural Tax Reform, Integrating the Land Tax and Labor Tax

The mage bent down for a closer look and saw a castle emblem on the mountain, located in the northern part of the territory, some distance from where they were currently encamped.

And Münster went on to say:

"Many villagers chose to abandon their original farmland and head south to escape the chaos, which is the area where we are now, to reclaim wasteland or cultivate land abandoned by others to make a living."

"But this presents a problem: most of their former properties have been abandoned and lost, and the ownership of the land they currently occupy is in question. These fields..."

Münster gestured with his arms as he spoke:
"It's either something left behind by former fugitives or it's unclaimed land."

"You're wrong about that. Where did this abandoned land or no-owner land come from?"

Before Zhang Yuan could speak, Nancy, who was standing next to him, had already stood up with a cold smile and stomped her foot down hard:
“No matter which noble city-state it is, once commoner farmers choose to abandon their industries and flee their territories, then the industries are no longer relevant to them, and the so-called unclaimed lands naturally belong to the lord who rules over them. They are quite good at finding advantages for themselves.”

The female thief was about to say something when she was interrupted by the mage's cough:

"Alright, alright. The former lord himself failed in defending the territory, so there's no reason to force the common people to abide by the rules. Survival is the primary consideration most of the time."

Patting the female thief on the shoulder to comfort her and get her to sit down, the monk rose and paced around the round table, looking at everyone present as he spoke:

"I don't care what happens in other territories, but for us, the most urgent task is to restore the population and productivity, not to dwell on these old grievances."

Outside the makeshift council tent, the night was vast and the stars hung low. Tents stood like haystacks in a field. Most of the new leaders, who had been busy all day, had already fallen asleep. Only the large tent where the Canaanites were located was brightly lit, with specks of light shining through the curtains, accompanied by the sounds of conversation carried on the evening breeze.

"I think the demands of the remaining people of Gaoya are reasonable. They want to exchange land, that's fine! But we can't make a mess of things. We need to have accurate data on how much land they originally owned and how much they own now."

The monk continued speaking, explaining his plans in detail:
"High Cliff Fortress, we must conquer it! And we must reclaim the abandoned territories!"

"According to Münster's report, the territory has now basically returned to calm, and at least in terms of security, it is safe. With the presence of our team members and dwarf warriors, the land planning and allocation work can be started as soon as possible."

"We must treat all people, old and new, equally. The remaining residents of Gaoya can exchange their land deeds for twice the original area of ​​cultivated land, or keep their existing land, or choose to relocate to the land that will soon be recovered for cultivation. At the same time, all of them will be exempt from taxes this year."

"However, there is one thing: the buying and selling of grain must be under the direct jurisdiction of the lord. If anyone wants to sell surplus grain, private transactions are strictly prohibited. We will purchase it based on the stable market prices in recent years, which can be considered as providing a safety net."

After stating his point of view, Zhang Yuan looked at everyone with a questioning look in his eyes. Most of the team members below did not react much, or looked at each other blankly, obviously this matter was not within their understanding.

The only two who showed clear emotions were Jady and Nancy; the former looked delighted, while the latter frowned.

"Feel free to speak your mind," the monk encouraged.

Nancy didn't stand on ceremony and simply stood up to look at the other person:
“Chanem, kindness is a noble virtue, and I’m not saying you should abandon it, but…”

“Excessive kindness is often misinterpreted as weakness by the ignorant. Have you ever thought about what they will think after receiving such a generous gift in one go?”

The monk nodded slightly upon hearing this. Nancy's question was not unexpected, so he responded calmly:
"Human nature can indeed be like this at times, which is truly lamentable, but we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. The key is to restrain and guide it." "This kindness is not given for nothing. In addition to the food monopoly law, land transactions and mergers must also be prohibited. In case of emergency, you can bring your land here to sell or mortgage it, but it must not be allowed to flow out."

"Furthermore, I also plan to implement another bill, the 'equalization of land tax and poll tax'."

"Employment...employment of land tax?"

Upon first hearing this completely new term, Nancy's tongue almost tied in knots.

"Well, that's not hard to understand. I plan to abolish the poll tax in the territory."

The mage gently lifted the female thief's nearly dislocated chin and explained with a smile:
"For farmers, this part of the tax will be transformed into a land tax, which will be levied based on a comprehensive consideration of the area of ​​land owned by each household and the condition of the land."

"It sounds alright, but it's a bit complicated. Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"

Nancy barely understood the new concept.

"It is a bit complicated."

The mage nodded, then looked at Jadi and the others, his tone becoming lighter:
"Fortunately, with the help of several beautiful druid ladies, handling such a small matter is no problem."

Leaving aside the few jubilant little sirens, Jady smiled and began to carefully consider the new bill, which seemed quite feasible.

“This extra work is worthwhile.”

The monk's expression was resolute:

“I have said that my kindness is not an excuse for others’ greed. You have to give something to get something.”

"Those who acquire more land should pay more taxes. If you don't want to be overwhelmed by taxes, then do what you can afford."

"Let's leave it at that for the first year, but starting from the second year, I hope you can come up with a reasonable plan to ensure that the land tax and harvest tax do not harm the interests of ordinary villagers, while also curbing those greedy guys who are grabbing land."

These words were spoken to the female druid, who nodded solemnly but still had some doubts:
"But what about the double land you promised beforehand? Some people will inevitably give up the land compensation out of concern for taxes, and they will regret it afterward, and even feel jealous and resentful."

"If you are truly unable to cultivate the land, you can temporarily mortgage it for compensation and redeem it when you are able to do so in the future."

"If you're still not satisfied with this and start complaining..."

As he spoke, Master Zhang's expression turned cold, and his tone was no longer as gentle as before:
“Then I think the soil in the mountains in the northeast of the territory is quite good, and we are just missing a few guys who are willing to go and explore it.”

This…

Not long ago, I heard Münster introducing and analyzing the situation of his territory. The northeastern region is close to the hilly area, with rugged and harsh terrain, and many remnants of monsters and wild beasts appear. It is basically a useless area, and it is best to let ordinary farmers cultivate and reclaim it.
Aren't you afraid of overfeeding the monsters?
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(End of this chapter)