The Knight's Journey to the Empire

"I know everything you said, and I still remember this common sense of the kingdom's laws!" Soran calmly explained to them patiently: "Do you think I did this out of kindness and goodness?"

"No, no, no, how is this possible? This is absolutely impossible!"

"Would I be a kind and benevolent person? How could I be a kind and benevolent person!"

"If I were a kind and benevolent person, I wouldn't go to the battlefield to kill the enemy and gain merit!"

Sauron is indeed not a kind and benevolent person!

If he must be categorized, he can only be considered a "sophisticated egoist."

"Let me tell you, the people in our White Bear Territory have a lot of money in their pockets!"

"Then I will definitely not waive all those exorbitant taxes, and I won't even waive those usurious debts for them!"

"I will definitely pay all the extra money they have and put it into my own little treasury!"

"But the key point now is that my subjects have no money! All their money has been taken away by Sir Jacques and his bastards!"

In fact, Sauron forgot to say one sentence, which is: All the money extorted from the people is now in my pocket!

"So, if they don't have money, how can we have taxes? Don't you agree?"

Everyone nodded in agreement!

Because they all understood that at this time, the people under the White Bear Leader were really "no money and only their lives".

"And you have all seen their current living conditions: ragged clothes, hunger and cold, broken houses, poverty and destitution! I estimate that if it goes on for a few more days, some people will starve to death or freeze to death!"

"We only have so few people in our territory to begin with, and now we are developing and constructing it. We are already short of human resources. If more of them starve to death or freeze to death, it will be a huge loss!"

"The people are the source of the lord's wealth. Without the people, how can the territory create wealth? Without wealth being created, where will the taxes come from for me, the lord? Don't you agree?"

Everyone nodded in agreement again: What the young master said makes a lot of sense!

"Also, Adam, didn't you say you wanted to develop the territory's business?"

"If the people in your territory don't have money, who will buy your products? How can business develop? If these foreign merchants can't make money, how can they be attracted to our territory to do business?"

"If business cannot develop and merchants from outside do not come to do business, then what is the point of talking about developing business and increasing tax revenue here?"

Adam's face froze!

Because Soran's series of questions made him a little overwhelmed!

"You must always remember that the people are the foundation of a territory's survival and development. Only when the people have money in their pockets can the lord have more tax revenue!"

"If you only know how to plunder the wealth of the people, it will only cause the territory's economy to fall into a vicious cycle, making the territory poorer and poorer!"

"Only by leading the people to create wealth, or allowing the people to create wealth on their own, can the territory grow and develop!"

Soran taught his brothers earnestly.

"Finally, do you think my policy is merciful?" Soran asked everyone proudly.

"That's definitely mercy! The people are recruited by the lord to build roads, and they not only have food to eat, but also money to get! This is the first time I've heard of it! Master, if you are not merciful, who else can be merciful?" Ramos was outspoken and spoke directly.

Others also nodded in agreement!

"Yes, but where can we find a lord who can formulate such a benevolent and kind policy?"

"It must be Baron Soran's White Bear Territory!"

"So you think, by then, as the lord of White Bear Territory, the one who formulated and initiated this policy, I will not only have a good reputation for being benevolent and kind, but also win the support and love of the people in the territory!"

"Moreover, if this reputation spreads, it will invisibly attract more free people to come to the White Bear Territory! Settle down in our territory and become citizens of our White Bear Territory!"

"Tell me, if there are more people in the territory, should we still be worried about not having tax revenue?" Soran's voice was full of persuasion, but it was true.

"And think about it again, what did we lose? Just some food and some gold coins!" This last question had the final say.

Pay less and get more in return.

This is the result that everyone dreams of.

But in fact, he lost nothing!

He had already put the three years of taxes collected in advance from the people of White Bear Territory into his own pocket.

Moreover, he said that the "treatment" given was not high: for the conscripted subjects, only one meal was provided each day, and the currency was only three or four copper coins per day.

Three or four copper coins were definitely not a lot, but they were enough for a family of five to have a decent meal.

Standard? At least not worse than what they eat every day.

Sauron definitely didn't know what the people in his territory ate every day.

But he could guess based on what he saw that it was definitely not good.

What Sauron did was actually borrowing from the "work-for-relief" method of his previous life, allowing his subjects to earn money and support themselves through labor!

Instead of waiting for relief, begging, or asking for charity!

This is actually just returning the money to the people in another way!

Of course, this is definitely not as much as what we collected!

In addition to this, the territory has built new roads, developed new industries, the lives of the people have improved, the lord has won the hearts of the people, gained a good reputation, and so on!

This is really a great way to kill two birds with one stone and benefit all parties!

A word to wake up the dreamer!

After listening to Master Sauron's explanation, everyone present felt as if they had suddenly been enlightened.

It was as if my mind understood everything in an instant.

As the saying goes: A single leaf blocks your view of the mountain!

What they saw before were mostly just some immediate benefits, such as gains and losses of gold coins!

That's why they would remind or admonish Sauron!

But in fact, behind every policy or method made by those in power, there are some hidden benefits or special meanings!

And these are not easy to detect!

Only when it happens at a certain critical point, you will know that it has existed for a long time!

[You can look up the story of "Feng Xuan buying righteousness for Mengchang Jun"]

But now, since we know that this method has so many benefits, maybe we can do it in advance to maximize the benefits!

For example, we should strengthen publicity efforts, not only within the territory, but also outside the territory!

After Sauron's advice, everyone present became more active!

After all, who can't use divergent thinking to make associations?

What's more, this is a matter related to one's own interests!

Because they are now also part of the White Bear Territory.

If the White Bear Territory grows stronger, given their status in the territory, the benefits they gain will definitely be much greater than those of ordinary citizens!

Isn’t this obvious?

So there is no choice but to make their minds active!