King

There was a bumper harvest of food. While promoting new agricultural technologies, a celebration banquet was naturally indispensable.

Compared with previous celebration banquets, the Royal Government was obviously much more generous this time.

Not only was Warcraft meat served on the table, but spices that were rarely seen on ordinary days were also provided in unlimited quantities at banquets.

It is said that His Majesty the King was in a good mood after hearing the news about the harvest, and he generously contributed the spices collected by the royal family.

Had he not known that the Near East Development Bank distributed a large amount of spices to shareholders when it distributed in-kind dividends, Hudson might have believed it.

In terms of price, these spices are much more expensive than gold. The same weight of gold cannot be exchanged for the same weight of spices, even if multiplied by ten.

There is no way, the origin of these spices is not in the Aslant continent, but comes from far away overseas.

No one knows exactly where it comes from except the Iliban Kingdom, which monopolizes the spice trade.

Anyway, what is sold is processed and formed powder, so there is no chance to try growing it.

The most critical thing is that these spices cannot be stored for a long time and will deteriorate after a year and a half.

Delicious and rare, these spices from overseas are very popular in mainland aristocratic circles.

Of course, this does not include the "bumpkins" of the Alpha Kingdom.

Except for the big nobles, the small and medium-sized nobles rarely consume these luxury goods.

Especially in recent years, everyone's pockets are not rich, and these luxury goods are rarely seen at banquets.

It can be seen that physical dividends are still very beneficial and will directly improve the quality of life of shareholders.

But this good mood did not last long for Hudson. As a great hero, he received a "generous reward" from Caesar IV.

There are a bunch of antique works of art, and it is said that there are also cultural relics from more than 8,000 years ago.

In the extraordinary world, time is worthless. Nobles can pass it down casually for hundreds of years, and things from hundreds of years ago cannot be called cultural relics.

Without the accumulation of thousands of years, it is just an ordinary commodity.

Antiques from more than 8,000 years ago would be priceless if they were kept in peacetime.

At this time, it only has the value of window-dressing.

In theory, it is still valuable, but it is impossible for everyone to spend a lot of money to buy it.

Maybe there are some nobles in the Southern Continent who really like these things, but in the Kingdom of Alpha, there are really not many nobles who can appreciate these things.

If it weren't for the gregariousness, Hudson highly doubted that the nobles of the kingdom would dislike these things taking up space.

After all, preserving these antiques requires consuming manpower, financial and material resources.

It was not only Hudson who received the reward, but also a group of important ministers from the reform faction, all of whom received rewards. It was just that Hudson received more rewards.

When everything is in the hands of the powerful, there will naturally be no shortage of buyers, and the value will go up.

Of course, selling is definitely out of the question. The most valuable thing about these rewards is not their own value, but the honor given behind them.

Facts have proved that there are no waste products in this world, the key lies in whose hands they are.

Antique works of art are slow-moving items for the Near East Development Bank. But once it is distributed to shareholders, it immediately becomes valuable again.

In an instant, Hudson understood that perhaps when distributing dividends in the future, there would be no need to give out honest cash.

There is no need to sell the unsalable goods in warehouses at break-even prices, they can just be distributed directly to shareholders for disposal.

Not only did it clean up inventory and reduce losses in the accounts, it also ensured that huge dividends were paid to shareholders every year.

With his mind open, Hudson suddenly became enlightened.

Slow-moving goods can be used as dividends, and overdue debts can naturally be transferred.

If there is collateral, but it is not convenient to liquidate it, it can also be put into dividends and left to shareholders in various places for processing!

According to the new routine, it is estimated that the books of the Near East Development Bank will be very clean for a long time to come.

Not long after the banquet started, Hudson was surrounded by a group of noble ladies again.

There is no way, the young generation of elites in the country are now divided into two groups.

Some of them followed their fathers to fight in the Papal States, and the other part were the main force of the reformists, scattered throughout the country to promote the cause of reform.

The kingdom's decision-makers who attended the celebration banquet were all old guys. When mixed with them, Hudson immediately stood out.

As for the young men from various families who showed up at the banquet, they were simply ignored by these noble ladies.

In the Alpha Kingdom, no matter what level of second generation they are, incompetent rice borers will not be welcomed.

Of course, they haven't been idle either. The top aristocratic ladies look down on him, and there are also a group of widowed ladies who like his brother.

Hudson was helpless at the envy and jealousy of everyone. Others hunt for beauty at the banquet, but he becomes the prey first at the banquet.

Relatively speaking, it is relatively safe to infiltrate the circle of young aristocratic ladies. At least everyone is very reserved in front of everyone.

Those noble ladies looked like they wanted to eat people.

Especially those who have been married for several years and have no children, their eyes are even more intense. Hudson didn't want to get involved in "borrowing seeds".

Different from the ordinary world, the extraordinary world has many ways to detect blood. Once discovered, it would immediately cause an uproar.

But the bloodline scandal that was exposed has never ended.

These are all forced out!

Extinction is a major blow to any noble.

However, the Alpha Kingdom has been fighting for years. Although there are few accidental injuries to vital parts, it will always happen if the number is large.

For these nobles, they had to either accept the reality of extinct heirs or risk borrowing seeds to continue the family inheritance.

Especially families with a small population are more likely to take risks in order to preserve their family heritage.

Anyway, as long as you hide it well, the outside world won't know. If no one finds out, then it can be passed down as a biological inheritance.

Except for feeling uncomfortable when I'm alone in private, it's not affected at all during normal times.

They are all reduced to borrowing seeds, so they must choose those with high-quality blood. Hudson, who was excellent in all aspects, became the target of many noble ladies.

As long as the plan is successful, subsequent problems will not be a problem. Even if it is accidentally exposed, everyone will pretend not to know.

As far as Hudson knows, there are also some small nobles who have lost their functions and deliberately marry the mistresses of big nobles for the sake of personal development.

In terms of private life, the aristocratic circle is indeed in chaos. But Hudson didn't have the time to interfere with other people's mutual consent.

A simple joke got the laughter of all the aristocratic ladies. Sure enough, people are most charming when they are successful.

Without warning, Princess Madeleine actually took his arm and leaned directly against him.

If a noblewoman did this, he wouldn't find it strange at all, but it would be different if it were a princess of the kingdom.

As far as Hudson knows, Princess Madeleine is not a woman who is dissolute, and even scandals are rarely reported.

Vaguely, Hudson noticed something was wrong. There has been talk of marriage a few years ago, and considering her age, Princess Madeleine should have gotten married a long time ago.

According to the popular saying in the Aslant continent: a thirty-year-old prince is still very young, and a twenty-year-old princess is already an old girl.

For a political marriage, it is nothing new for a prince to wait ten or eight years to get married, but this is not the case for a princess!

It is okay for siblings to be in love, but the gap cannot be too big. In addition to political needs, royal marriage must also consider the reproduction of the next generation.

In Hudson's impression, Princess Madeleine was already over twenty years old, and the wedding should have been held long ago under normal circumstances.

Today is different from the past. The Alpha Kingdom is at its peak and its influence on the mainland has increased dramatically. The probability of the other party regretting the marriage is almost zero.

The members of the royal family are all precocious and have a thorough understanding of many issues.

If he were not married yet, Hudson felt that it was really possible to charm Princess Madeleine and stage a private life-long drama.

Even if it causes embarrassment, the royal family will most likely recognize it. Winning over him as a marshal will help consolidate the royal power, and its value is no worse than marrying with other royal families.

"Your Highness, please pay attention to the occasion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hudson realized something was wrong. The noble ladies who were surrounding him suddenly dispersed, leaving only the two of them in the corner.

If one or two retreated, it might be a misunderstanding. With so many people leaving together, they obviously came prepared.

"Your Highness, aren't you afraid that if the news spreads, your reputation will be damaged?"

Hudson said in a low voice.

The same thing happens to married people and unmarried people, and the impact is completely different.

"It seems that Your Majesty the Marshal doesn't know yet!"

"Reputation, can my reputation get any worse?

The two princes I was previously engaged to died in accidents. The third prince contracted a serious illness just as he was engaged to me, which frightened the other prince into hurriedly breaking off the engagement.

What's even worse is that as soon as the engagement was terminated, the other party miraculously recovered, and it was said that he was misdiagnosed!

Now my reputation in the royal circle has long been feared, and I don’t think I will ever get married in this life! "

After hearing this resentful answer, for some reason, Hudson suddenly wanted to laugh.

I have seen unlucky people, but such unlucky people are rare. Not to mention in the extraordinary world, even on Blue Star, such an experience can scare away a large number of people.

Of course, given Princess Madeleine's status, as long as the royal family is willing to lower the threshold, there will still be warriors who dare to propose marriage.

"Your Highness, don't take it to heart, these are just accidents!"

Hudson comforted while suppressing a smile.

"snort!"

"It's okay if there are only three unlucky people. The problem is whoever approaches me now will be unlucky.

Half a year ago, the heir of the Hoyle family started pursuing me. When I was out hunting, I unfortunately shot a wandering sacred monster. I was beaten to a pulp by the opponent on the spot.

Five months ago, the heir of the Taylor family pursued me. I was about to agree to go on a date with him, but he died in a demonic disaster.

Four months ago…”

Before Princess Madeleine could finish her words, Hudson realized that this was not pure bad luck, it was clearly a walking curse.

So many things have happened, even if it is all a coincidence, no one would believe it.

If nothing else goes wrong, Princess Madeleine was not only blacklisted in the royal marriage list, but also the big nobles collectively blacklisted her.

If the person who originally pursued him can still persist, it will definitely be true love that transcends life and death, because it really will die!

"Your Highness Princess, we have no grudges, right?"

Hudson asked uncertainly.

Although his existence poses a certain threat to the royal power, the benefits he brings are greater, far from the point where the rabbit dies and the dog is cooked.

Sending out this big killer early would be a bit excessive.

"Hudson, what do you mean?

Could it be that this princess..."

Before Princess Madeleine could finish her words, Hudson hurriedly reached out and covered his mouth. Although this place is slightly remote, there are still many guests nearby.

If they yell like this, the two of them will die together. Princess Madeleine can break the rules when her mentality breaks down, but Hudson doesn't want to accompany her.

"Your Highness Princess, what do you want to do?

Don't forget your identity. Once you bring shame to the royal family, your future will be difficult! "

After hearing Hudson's warning, Princess Madeleine's face turned pale when she came back to her senses.

Her current situation was already very embarrassing. If something happened again, it would be a real tragedy.

"Please rest assured, Marshal, I have no ill intentions towards you. I just want to prove to the outside world that I am not some misfortune goddess and dispel those unfavorable rumors.

The Patriarch checked it for me and there was no curse on him.

In order to avoid encountering another unlucky person and causing another accident, which will make my reputation worse, I can only come to you for help.

Anyway, with your strength, even if something happens, it will be someone else's misfortune! "

While speaking, Princess Madeleine's two pairs of murder weapons were already attached to Hudson's body, as if they were ready for him to pick.

Although the beauty was good, Hudson was also murmuring in his heart. If this is really the "Goddess of Misfortune", wouldn't it mean that she would die under the peony flower?

"Your Highness, we should discuss this matter later. It's getting late now. There will be an important meeting to be held later, so I will take the first step."

After saying that, Hudson hurriedly stepped out of the way. He had to avoid it. He didn't want to put himself in danger for a long time before confirming Princess Madeleine's lethality.

The agreed time for the meeting is not now, but the meeting can be brought forward. Anyway, Hudson had already made up his mind to leave as soon as the meeting was over.

As for the issue of Princess Madeleine, let’s leave it to the royal family to handle!

If that doesn't work, you can also go to those wizards, cursers, diviners, arcane masters...

…

In the palace hall, the ministers who were dragged over by Hudson all had the smell of alcohol on their faces, which had nothing to do with their usual serious image.

Some of the drunkards were already dizzy at this moment. But it doesn't matter, they are only qualified to observe anyway.

At this moment, there are only eight people in the court who are qualified to participate in decision-making.

Except for Hudson and Caesar IV, the other six people were all old men, and all of them started to maintain their health.

"I'm sorry everyone, I just received news that something happened in the Orc Empire. I have to go back and deal with it as soon as possible, so I can only move the meeting time forward."

Hudson has used this snake oil excuse countless times, and it has been very effective every time.

When it comes to orcs, everyone has been cautious for three hundred years, and their mentality has not changed for a while.

“Marshal doesn’t need to do this, it’s all for the sake of the kingdom.

Prime Minister, come and preside over today's meeting! "

While speaking, Caesar IV cast an apologetic look at Hudson. It was obvious that he had received the news about what happened at the banquet just now.

After all, she is his biological sister. Even though he is usually very afraid, he still hopes that someone can break the "curse".

Looking at the Alpha Kingdom, and even the entire Aslant continent, Hudson is the one who can withstand thunder the most.

Whether you encounter a sacred monster while hunting or happen to encounter a demonic disaster, it is a trivial problem that is not worth mentioning.

Nodding to the king, the prime minister, Marquis Delgado, stood up and said: "We are calling everyone together today for tax reform.

Although the previous reforms achieved certain results, they had no immediate effect on the kingdom's finances.

What needs to be considered now is to add subdivided taxes, such as taxation on banks and other financial enterprises.

Count Linares, you proposed the motion. You have the deepest research on this aspect, so let’s talk about it first! "

In politics, blame-shifting is a required course. The king threw the trouble to the prime minister, who in turn threw the problem to the unlucky Count Linares.

It's not that they lack responsibility, it's that the interest groups involved are too large, and the risk is no less than the abolition of the tax farming system.

We all made a collective decision and shouldered the pressure together. Now that the fight is within the reformist faction, naturally we can't play like that.

"Since the Prime Minister mentioned it, let me say a few words!

Regarding the issue of taxation of financial companies, the tax department has actually discovered it long ago. However, because there were many emerging industries, I couldn’t figure out the operational logic for a while, so I was delayed.

After a long period of observation, we found that financial companies are relatively profitable, and their profits can even exceed those of profit-making industries such as casinos and brothels. Therefore, simply levying an opening tax is somewhat outdated.

Considering that it is too difficult to calculate specific profits, I personally feel that it is safest to directly tax loan interest. The specific tax rate will be trialled at three points of the total loan amount. "

As soon as Count Linares finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Hudson. Unfortunately, he didn't show anything.

Deep down in his heart, Hudson had already greeted Count Linares' family. Directly create a three-point loan tax, this is a pure financial novice!

According to this tax rate, either loan interest will rise by another three points, or all small and medium-sized banks will close down.

Other industries involving lending will suffer even greater impacts. When it comes to calculation difficulty, there is a high probability that it will be used across the board and statistics will be directly based on turnover.

In addition to loan sharking being unaffected, normal borrowing business will also be affected.

It is obvious that Count Linares only saw the huge profits of the Near East Development Bank, but ignored that these huge profits were mainly due to leverage.

As a first mover, it has established business reputation early and can use golden tickets to play leverage and make huge profits. This does not mean that other financial companies can follow suit.

It is estimated that Count Linares thinks that the bank's funds have no cost, there will be no money spent in the operation process, and there are no risks in loans, so he can make a lot of money just by lying down.

If the interest rates of the Near East Development Bank are not raised, other small and medium-sized banks will have no choice but to hold on in order to retain high-quality customers.

Whether it can be profitable depends on everyone's risk control and cost control capabilities. If the operation is not good, blood loss is not surprising.

"Don't look at me like that!

Everyone knows that the Koslow family is involved in banking business, and as parties involved, one must avoid suspicion in such matters.

You can just discuss the specific tax rate formulation and collection. As long as it is fair and just, I will support it! "