"Master, those pesky ghosts are here again!"
Sylvie knocked on the door outside the room.
Linn called her in.
As soon as the cat-eared maid walked into the lord's room, she saw the two beautiful female knights beside Linn.
She suddenly became nervous.
These two pictures How did a completely unfamiliar face come in?
Sylvie's pupils were dilated, and her white hands had already exposed sharp claws.
Lin En made her the intelligence manager, and at the same time made her a personal bodyguard.
Now there are two strangers Someone broke into the lord's room.
Sylvie didn't notice it at all.
This was a serious dereliction of duty!
Just when she was about to make up for it, Linn smiled and said:"Don't be nervous, I'm on my own"
"One of our own?"Sylvie tilted her head in confusion, and her ears twitched a few times. Her face suddenly turned into an ambiguous one, and she gave a thumbs up unconsciously:
"The master's body is indeed strong... It seems that I came at the wrong time.
Lin En's face darkened:"Tell me, what's the matter?""
"Those merchant nobles who have asked to see you many times have come again this time, saying that times are difficult and asking you to lower their taxes."
Lynn paused.
Not long after Gordon ruled the Mons region, he learned that the tax rate levied here was much higher than that of Portia.
It was as high as 50%.
In other words, all the income of these territorial residents in a year was Half of it needs to be handed over to the local lord.
This winter is particularly difficult.
In addition, many people have inquired about Lynn's benevolent rule in Portia.
He even exempted local taxes.
So the merchants in the Mons area and the local small nobles united.
Hopefully, the benevolent new lord can also reduce the tax rate in Mons.
Of course, it would be best if he were exempted like in Portia!
They have mentioned such a proposal to Linn many times.
Linn The reaction to this is also simple and clear: Dream!
The matter of lowering taxes can only be decided by the lords themselves, not by your opinions.
Lynn originally exempted Portia from taxes in order to stimulate population growth.
Mons This area has complete industries and a large population.
There is no need to be a bad guy and rely on lowering taxes to appease the people.
Responding to requests will only make these people more greedy.
Lin En received visitors in the Lord's Hall.
This time there were three men in total. Seek an audience.
One of the thin men is a representative of the local chamber of commerce, wearing fine clothes and looking very shrewd.
The other two are small nobles in the Mons area, that is, knights with land.
They have no titles, but they are in charge of their own estates.
Like Such small nobles are actually very valuable.
During peacetime, they pay more taxes than ordinary residents, and they can also provide more troops for the lord during war.
The manor owner himself will often go to war as a knight.
But once trouble occurs, these locals will The nobles are also an absolute thorn in the side.
The businessman's name is Eden.
The two minor nobles are named Red and Wells.
As soon as they saw Linn, they immediately saluted the lord:"Dear lord, it is an honor to see you again. you."
Lynn nodded indifferently and sat in the lord's seat.
Two female knights were guarding him on the left and right.
How enthusiastic they were when facing Linn, how cold they were when they looked at this group of people.
It seems that as long as Linn nods, the female knight will immediately make their blood splatter on the spot.
The little nobles and businessmen can't help but feel scared.
But because of their appearance, they can't help but take a second look.
At the same time, they sigh in their hearts: After not seeing each other for just a few days, where did Earl Linn find such a beautiful female knight to serve him?
"If you have anything to say, just say it and don't waste my time."Lynn got straight to the point.
"Lord, prices are soaring now, and we are so poor that we can't even afford food.
If the winter is still as long as it is now, I'm afraid everyone will starve to death.
And according to the pastor of St. Gore Church, this winter is probably far from over."
Lynn's eyes turned cold.
The church?
It turns out that the reason why these people come to him again and again is because the church is behind them?
"So when you come here this time, you also hope that I will lower taxes?"Lynn said
"Just like this, maybe you can raise taxes again after this winter."Eden said.
Lynn ignored him.
It's easy to lower taxes.
If you want to raise them again, I'm afraid it won't be that easy!
Gordon also relied on brutal methods.
He didn't know how many times he had to suppress the rebellion bloodyly before lowering the tax rate. Mentioned to such a high level.
Lin En doesn't want to go through such a process again.
Especially he needs money now. He needs a lot of money to recruit the most loyal soldiers.
Lin En shook his head:"I'm afraid I still have to reject this proposal this time."
The little nobleman Reid continued to persuade:"Looking at the fact that now because of hunger and cold, many people have begun to flee to the parish of St. Gore Church.
If we continue like this, when winter is over, there won’t even be anyone working in our fields."
The Mons area ruled by Linn was divided into seven parts.
In addition to the castle he directly ruled, there were three villages, two towns and a parish.
This parish directly belonged to the Church of St. Gore.
Many people were unwilling Being ruled by the nobility will fall into the arms of the priests.
They occupy the land in the Mons area.
But they do not need to pay taxes to Linn or fight for the lord.
Since the winter, these wealthy priests have been hoarding food in large quantities.
In such difficult times, you really have to go there to have enough to eat.
But for the noble lords, this is really not good news.
But Linn knows it well.
Lowering tax rates cannot solve the problem.
The root of the problem lies in food shortage
"Don't worry, they will come back."Lynn confidently said that after he used the agricultural prosperity policy card this time, he would stabilize the climate around the castle to ensure a sufficient growing environment for crops.
In addition, he also obtained an additional 10,000 kilograms of high-quality wheat seeds.
These seeds The germination rate is high, the birth and death speed is fast, and the yield is more.
The two combined, the gain is huge!
There are many large estates around the castle, which were originally Gordon's private property.
Now they are all owned by Lynn Take charge.
The number of serfs alone is as high as more than 2,000.
The total land that can be used for farming is more than 30,000 acres.
It is absolutely suitable for cultivating and cultivating wheat.
According to Linn's estimation, there are policies With the help of cards and high-quality seeds, wheat that originally took several months to mature can be harvested in a very short time.
With this guarantee,
Linn naturally would not agree to their proposal:
"Even if this winter lasts all year long, I am confident that the food supply here will be ensured."
Lin said with a smile, and then asked Sylvie to ask them to leave.
Of course these people were reluctant.
But after seeing the sharp sword-like eyes of the two female knights, they showed a look of horror. They had no choice but to leave. Lynn's castle.
Arriving at the town.
The heated discussion between these three people is not over yet.
"They say Earl Linn is a smart man, why didn’t I see that?
Now that the entire Principality of Valencia is running out of food, what method can he find to ensure food supply?"Eden said.
As a businessman, he is always very sensitive to information about goods on the market.
Naturally, he also knows more about the goods in other areas.
But Red and Wells are not businessmen.
As small nobles, they only care about their own manors. The situation.
Affected by the severe cold, their manor has long been difficult to maintain.
Not only is there a lack of income, but they also have to support a large number of serfs.
The free craftsmen in the manor have fled early because they cannot get food. (Read Baoshuang novels. Go to Feilu Novel Network!) and escaped with many serfs.
Just the escape of the free people was enough to give them a headache.
Now, even the serfs are running away!
This is their private property! But who dares to ask the church to get it back?
"If this continues, there will be no one to work on our manor!"Red complained:
"I thought life would at least be easier if I changed to another lord. I should have known that these lords are the same.
It doesn’t matter who comes to rule! Wells even suggested:"It seems that Pastor Adam was right... We should have listened to him a long time ago."
According to the pastor, this winter is divine punishment, and it will last at least half a year.
If the lord cannot reduce or reduce taxes on the territory, I am afraid we will not even be able to maintain the manor.
It would be better to go and live in a parish as soon as possible, at least there don't have such high taxes!
At the end, he added:"Anyway, Pastor Adam has invited us many times."……"
Three people and one total.
He planned to go to St. Gore's Church overnight.
The Pastor Adam they called naturally welcomed the three of them very warmly.
But when Adam learned that the three of them had not persuaded Lynn to lower Mons' taxes.
A look of displeasure immediately appeared on his face
"Why can't you even do this?"Adam asked:
"Isn't the church using so much food to absorb the population just to put pressure on that guy Lynn?
He watched his people flee, didn't he want to remedy the situation?"
Early when Lin En first ruled the Mons area, the bishop of the diocese sent him a warm invitation, inviting him to come to the church to worship the gods as a sign of surrender.
Lin En naturally knew the rules of these games.
Although he did not believe in these things, He still planned to cooperate with the other party to avoid unnecessary trouble.
However, due to too many affairs, he postponed it for a few days.
In addition, he had no experience in dealing with priests, so he unintentionally offended the bishop. So much so that the other party felt hurt. humiliated
"There is no bold nobleman in the world who dares to be so disrespectful to the Church of St. Gore!"
The bishop was very dissatisfied with Lynn's behavior, which is why he took this targeted action.
Pastor Adam got the instructions from the bishop and took the opportunity to beat Lynn.
So that he would understand that secular lords are in front of the servants of God. , should know how to be humble and respectful.
Whether it is absorbing the population of his territory through food or forcing local merchants and nobles to put pressure on him to lower taxes.
It is just one of the methods.
The purpose is to reduce Lin En's status as a noble The strength of the lord.
0 Asking for flowers, it is convenient to weaken his power.
The weaker the noble's strength, the more submissive he will be in front of the divine power.
What Adam didn't expect was that
Linn would be so stubborn?
"Then let's see, how tough can you be? Adam told the businessman Eden:"Continue to purchase a large amount of food from surrounding areas, and be sure to raise the price higher. It is best to cause a shortage of food!"
You might as well be bolder, our St. Gore Church has no shortage of money!"
………………
This wave of operations.
The truth gave both Earl Norton and Duke Wilson a headache.
In fact, they are not the only ones.
Now almost the entire principality's nobles are wailing.
The lords saw that their food reserves were about to be exhausted, and they would no longer be able to eat.
The Diocese of Mons purchases large quantities of grain.
This resulted in food shortages throughout the principality.
Even if the roads are not easy to walk in winter, no one can resist the temptation of huge profits.
Some nobles even issued temporary decrees in their own territories - strictly prohibiting the sale of food to outsiders! certainly.
The biggest reason, in the final analysis, is the damn weather.
The crops that could have been planted in winter were all frozen to death this year and there was no harvest!
Duke Vincent looked out from the balcony of the castle gloomily all day long.
Everywhere you can see is a vast expanse of white, lifeless.
He looked dozens of years older:"If this continues, there will be a great famine next year... and famine often brings war. My son... I really don't know if I can survive." How long to hold on……"
………………
One month later.
As expected, winter is not over yet.
Snow is still falling all over the principality.
At this time in previous years, the weather had already warmed up again, and farmers were already busy planting seeds in the fields.
And now?
Still don’t even dare to leave the house!
Situations like this.
It's not like it hasn't happened before.
But it has never been this serious!
Now everyone has to believe what the pastors say - this is indeed a divine punishment!
The happiest person is of course Pastor Adam:"Lynn can't hold it anymore, right? I think you should try to persuade this young noble again.
If this cold winter is about identity, what kind of sinners will be punished?
Of course it's Lynn, an unbelieving sinner!
You'd better tell him these exact words and ask him to come to church to confess."
Eden, Reid and Wells had stayed in the parish until now.
There is plenty of affordable food to buy here.
There is also a sufficient supply of firewood for warmth.
They had no intention of leaving the parish before the end of winter, but at this time they had no choice but to do as Pastor Adam said.
It has been nearly a month since I last met with Earl Linn.
Presumably the food in Mons Castle has long been exhausted.
When one is hungry.
For the sake of a bite to eat, they often agree to anything.
Their carriage traveled in the cold wind for several days.
Wait until you return to Mons.
But I was surprised to find that there was no snowy scene here?
The ice and snow have long since melted, and the climate has become pleasant!
The lord's manor was harvesting wheat one crop after another.
Bundle after bundle of grain was loaded onto wagons and transported to the warehouse.
The grains of wheat are full and more brilliant than gold!
"What the hell? Reid couldn't believe it:"Is it possible that the winter has ended during the few days we were delayed on the road?""
"How could it be that fast? Even if the snow melts, it will take at least half a month." Eden couldn't believe all this:"We only walked a few days' journey!"
They came to the towns near the castle with suspicion.
The food on the market has obviously returned to normal supply, and the price is much lower than in the parish!
Where is the desolate and urgent scene a month ago?
Now here The people all had enough to eat and no longer had to endure the biting cold wind.
It was completely opposite to the picture imagined by the three people.
"Then... do we still need to go to Earl Linn to discuss tax issues?……?"Iden asked the two knights tentatively.
Red cursed loudly:"It's a waste of discussion! Tell Pastor Adam the news quickly, this is really a hell!""
"No! no! Wells said:"Don't tell anyone, we have to go back to our manor and start sowing!"
Now that food prices in other places are still very high, we can still take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune!"
…………
Linn listened quietly to Old Billy's report in his castle.
The harvests at various estates were really good.
The first batch of grain solved the territory's supply problem, and there was even excess grain that could be sold.
And this only took less than a month.
No one expected that the wheat seeds given by the lord could grow so fast.
No one expected that the climate in the Mons region would undergo such strange changes.
The people of Mons attributed this miracle entirely to the lords who ruled them.
They now call Lynn a man favored by the gods.
If not for a miracle.
Definitely not while other places are still suffering from the cold.
Mons is already as warm as spring..
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