The ensuing meeting went more smoothly than expected.

Perhaps stimulated by the events of the previous night, all the delegates agreed to a revised list of taxpayers and the calculation of wealth, and to pay 5 per cent of their annual income by the end of March 1831, which would be a huge figure far greater than was necessary to form a civil defence regiment.

The tax was not allowed to be diverted for any other purpose and was deposited in a special account at the First Bank of Poitou. The Estates-General set up a special committee for the review of military materiel to consider the use of each shilling. It's quite pleasing to all the rich.

As a big tax payer, Posey-Robinson was given the position of vice chairman of the committee, which comforted Posey's wounded heart a little.

The chairman was Siyes, and as a banker, it was beneficial to keep this large sum of money in his own bank.

Sean, who is the military adviser to the future Civil Defense Corps and keeps a low profile at meetings, also has a committee member position in this committee, and is also authorized to prepare military budgets and procurement plans.

Probably because other representatives felt that he was one of the few people who had experienced war, and that he had nothing to do with anyone else and was neutral.

In fact, de facto control of the Civil Defence Corps was taken over by this committee.

Governor Byrne struggled for a moment and gave up, for his purpose had also been achieved, and not many people at this time understood the various methods he had adopted to levy the 1/20 tax on the rich.

Sean also wrote his name into his little black book, ranking ahead of Daley.

Governor Byrne promised to exempt the security tax for the next three years, and that if it was to be levied, it would have to be approved by more than 90 percent of the delegates.

At the same time, the distraught Viscount Brandon strongly demanded that the budget of the Civil Defense regiment be raised, armed with the best rifled rifles, and at least one company of artillery.

This proposal was also unanimously adopted, anyway, the total amount of security tax they had to pay was enough to equip a division, and they would not be returned if they were not used up.

Almost everyone got the results they wanted.

So Sean took advantage of the break in the meeting to write a letter to Bes, an arms dealer who was far away in the Holy City, where there was a lot of money and a quick come.

Sean owns 10 acres of land and is estimated to have an annual interest of 500 gold louis, in addition to the woodlands and mountains of Rocky Mountain, which are worth 45,000 gold louis, according to the notarial records he bought back from the Robinson family, and because Sean has never logged or quarried for sale, he pays half of it.

All in all, he had to pay a total of 1,400 louis. He can still afford the money. At the same time, Sean's rights to tax exemptions and tax benefits in Vichy were officially confirmed at the same time, as a reward for his past relief to the victims.

But compared to the wealth of the Robinson family, Sean felt that he still needed to work hard, otherwise he would not even be eligible to pay taxes.

After the meeting, Sean was invited by Viscount Brandon to visit Whale Castle.

Viscount Brandon, who was about to take office, was full of spirit, and in addition to scolding Daley for his incompetence, he seemed to have become a general who wielded a knife immediately, and his blood was boiling.

The Whale Castle is just north of the city of Poitou, so close that you can see it from the city walls. It is a medium-sized kasbah, slightly smaller than the Robinson family's.

According to Viscount Brandon, it was originally a fortress with the remnants of Mount Rocky to the west and the river to the east, which guarded Poitou's avenue to the north and was guarded by the Brandon family for generations.

The Viscount spoke about the Brandon family's long history and achievements.

"The Ancestor rode a white horse and held a sharp sword, galloping at the forefront of the charging procession. He swung his sword and cut off the enemy's head, raising it aloft in the air, and the people shouted, Brandon, Brandon!"

The Viscount said proudly, whether Sean wanted to hear it or not.

Sure enough, as legend has it, the corridors of the Whale Castle were full of armor, chain mail, iron leaf armor and plate armor, some of which were of primary color, some of which were deliberately gilded with silver or even gold, and the golden one—said to have been worn by a famous king—perhaps because of this splendor, he attracted a large number of knights to frenzied attacks.

All the armor was draped over the bronze warriors, and there were a variety of matching weapons, and even more than a dozen sets of armor for war horses, each of which represented the outstanding craftsmanship of a certain era.

Viscount Brandon was a rather stern man, and Sean could tell from the servants who were trembling and trotting all the way.

Even at a lavish dinner, Brandon ordered his two sons to recite the ancestral precepts before they could eat:

"We are thankful to God, who made us noble and wise, and we are grateful to our ancestors, who made us brave and passionate. Between heaven and earth, there is a proud surname, and that is Brandon ......"

The Viscount also asked his wife and daughter to come out to meet Sean, but Sean thought that this was only because he was also a Viscount, perhaps for the sake of being a recipient of the Great Dragon Medal.

Because when it comes to the formation of the Civil Defense Corps in the future, the Viscount speaks to himself:

"I want to build an army that is brave and good at fighting, daring to face the bayonet, to charge, to charge, and to charge. Such a force should have absolute obedience and iron discipline, and those who were lazy in training would be whipped in public, and those who deserted would be stripped naked and paraded through the streets, and then cut off their crotch things, because it would be redundant. ”

"My command style is going to be ......," said this, and the viscount paused, "Sean, what kind of command style do you think is a truly outstanding soldier?"

"Viscount, I haven't been an officer for a few days, and I'm just an empty second lieutenant, and I really don't know how to command. Sean could see that the other party only needed a compliment.

"Forward, forward, kill!"

The Viscount suddenly jumped on the chair, startling Sean.

The viscount clenched his left fist in front and the knife in his right hand in the back, like a cuirassier sprinting, and then slashed forward with his right hand.

His face was hot with excitement.

Sean was stunned and hurriedly took a large sip of wine to suppress the shock.

Sean glanced at his two sons and saw that they were both drinking soup, and both of them showed embarrassed expressions on their faces.

"The Viscount is mighty!" Sean praised duciously, "but our Civil Defense Regiment is still a blank slate, its military establishment, soldier recruitment, equipment procurement, as well as barracks site selection, soldier training, and especially the recruitment of instructors should be the first thing to do, which requires your wise leadership." ”

"No, no!" Brandon shook his head, "a true general who belongs only to the battlefield and not wastes time on these trivial things, which are precious. Viscount Sean Connery, from this day onwards, I authorize you to have full authority over all matters within the Civil Defence Corps. As for directing operations, this will be my only duty, and I have been waiting for it for a long time. From tonight onwards, I will be reading by candlelight and studying the art of conducting excellence. ”

When Sean heard this, he almost collapsed.

What an unreliable commander this is. But in an instant, Sean also thought a lot, if there were any bad results in the future, this civil defense regiment would have to bear part of the responsibility no matter what he said, so he reluctantly responded:

"Yes, sir. ”

"No, it's the general. Brandon said, thought for a moment and added, "Because it is a local civil defense regiment, it does not accept the direct personnel appointment, dismissal and appropriation of the Military Command Department, so I am a major general, and you, as my deputy, will be a colonel, below me, the only colonel!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

"Very well, Colonel Connery, the Genoa Civil Defense Regiment will be an army that will bring us so much glory!"

"It is my pleasure, Your Excellency!"

(There is a chapter after 19 pm)