Sean cordially received Gregory Baker in his office.

After listening to Beck's intention and "whistleblowing", Sean's expression was very rich.

The slick guy in front of him sharpened his head and wanted to drill up the camp, wanting to do something, but he was afraid of offending himself. At both ends, I want to please both sides.

"Thank you, Mr. Baker, for your explanation. In fact, I have no problem with paying taxes according to the law, and every citizen should pay taxes commensurate with his or her earnings, otherwise the state will not have the financial resources to provide protection for every citizen. "But there is obviously no convincing basis for me to pay my taxes on the basis of a mere order from the Chancellor of the Exchequer." As far as I know, the tax package contract signed between the company and the cabinet is signed every five years, and it is clear that the contract that is being implemented does not include the tea tax. If new taxes are introduced, this is not a good start, and it shows that authority can be abused. ”

"Having said that, Viscount, Mr. Cohen is determined to be taxed, as far as I can see. "For him, it means not only a big prize, but also the appreciation of the Holy City, and he has always wanted to be a 'treasurer.'" ”

At the beginning, Baker and Sean went south on the merchant ship "Swan", so they were able to get acquainted with Sean. It's just that compared to that time, Sean is already a big man who makes him look up, although Sean showed a cordial gesture, but Baker did not dare to do anything disrespectful.

So, Baker instinctively shifted the blame to Cohen as a sign of goodwill. But he is also very entangled, because he has just been appointed as a tea tax commissioner, and if he completes his task by then, I am afraid that there will be no good fruit to eat.

Sean laughed at this, of course, and he kindly exchanged views with Baker, and when he left, he gave Baker a jar of the best tea, and promised not to disappoint his friends, and would definitely find a way to get the best of both worlds.

This made Baker feel that it was a clever move to take the initiative to meet Sean.

After sending Baker away, Sean sat in his office, pondered for a while, and then left the University of Poitou and returned to the Rose Garden.

To tell the truth, the government's tea tax was all in his expectation, and once tea spread to thousands of households, it would be an important tax comparable to salt and iron. Unless every official in the empire is blind, it is only a matter of time before when and how to collect it.

It's just that the levy starts now, and the performance is a little impatient, which is intriguing. Sean smelled conspiracy.

As soon as he returned to the Rose Garden, he summoned three of his own directors: Albert Pierre, Paul Feige and Tommy Wesley.

To Sean's surprise, Wesley listened to Sean's narration and immediately provided an important message:

The wife of Cohen, the tax collector of Poitou, and the Countess of Coval are cousins.

"You know, Viscount, I'm a regular visitor to those salons in Poitou. Wesley explained, "Cohen's wife was very snobbish, and in the noble lady's circle, she didn't have a good reputation. The reason why people tolerate her, apart from her husband, is more important because she is a relative of the Koval family. ”

Sean has never been afraid to speculate with the worst malice. It seems that this is most likely the revenge of Countess Koval against herself.

The lady's fight with the church in the newspapers, even though no mention of whether the attempted assassination was directed or staged by her, had in fact greatly damaged the family's reputation.

Apparently, the lady already knew who was behind the Genoese newspaper. It's no secret, and although she doesn't know what role Sean played against her in this controversy, Sean acquiesced in the publication of the article that sparked the controversy, which had succeeded in causing her displeasure.

"Viscount, although it is a matter of time before the Empire levies a tea tax, we cannot remain silent, not to mention that this is completely unruly. Pierre Dao.

Treasurer Fei Qi also said: "This is an abuse of power, and besides, we Genoa are a Estates-General region, and even if the tea tax is paid, we Genoese will collect it ourselves." Taking a step back, even if it were to be collected by the tax company, it would have to wait for a new round of tax contracts in 1834 to be signed to add the tea tax, otherwise it would be illegal! We must strongly protest. ”

Sean nodded and said: "Instead of letting the tax collector collect it, it is better for our province to collect and pay it ourselves, which will at least increase the fiscal revenue of the province." ”

Wesley is Sean's clerk, which is actually the equivalent of the assistant to the president and chief of staff, and is also responsible for external public relations and liaison.

This former down-and-out literati has been getting better and better in the past two years, I don't know if it's because Sean gave him a big stage, or because his self-confidence has also improved with the increase in income and social status. Wesley said:

"Viscount, we must wage a war of public opinion. You know, it's not just us who grows tea, but now Genoa is building tea plantations everywhere, and a large number of rich people are buying suitable mountains and hills with gold coins, but they have to rely on us, no matter how much money they have. ”

"For example?" asked Sean.

Pierre replied: "Tea seedlings, cultivation and roasting techniques, and even marketing. ”

"Tommy, what do you suggest?" Sean didn't snub Wesley because of Pierre's rush to answer.

"It is a crime and contempt for the authority of the emperor to openly impose heavy taxes on the cultivation of tea without the approval of any official decree, and any decree must be approved by His Majesty before it can be enacted, otherwise it is a crime, or even a rebellion.

This will hit those new investors hard, and we must raise a public opinion to lead these new investors to revolt. The focus is not on the resistance to taxes, we are not against paying taxes, but we are concerned about the seriousness of the decree and the legitimacy of the procedure, and no well-educated person should pay for such a desecration of the law and the normal order, which is connivance with crime and contempt for the emperor. Wesley said.

Wesley's arguments made Sean feel that he was fit to be a lawyer or a social activist.

"Yes, that's an idea, especially since we're not fighting taxes, we're about fairness and justice. Sean encouraged. His eyes were on Pierre again.

"We can set up a group, I have a name in mind, and it will be called the Genoa Tea Promotion Council," Pierre said. The main purpose of this council is to promote tea cultivation and promote tea culture, as well as to regulate the order of the tea market.

Viscount, you should be the leader of this new group, and anyone who joins this group will be given priority to tea seedlings, will be trained in cultivation techniques, and you will be the sole arbiter and mediator when they encounter vicious competition. ”

"Haha, Albert, your goal is still too small, why don't you call it Europa Tea Promotion Council. Fige, the treasurer, chimed in, and the comment was so subtle that Pierre said to his chagrin:

"Yes, it's my pattern that is too small, so it's called the Europa Tea Promotion Council. Without us, the Viscount, who would have known the beauty of tea, and who would have known of this new way to make a fortune, and the Doge should publicly thank the Viscount for his contribution to the economy of Genoa, such as the production of a tonnage medal. ”

Sean smiled: "Albert, Paul, you still forgot one thing, this group also has a role, that is, exclusivity!"

"Forgive me for being stupid, Viscount, I don't quite understand what you mean?" Pierre, who considers himself the most loyal vassal, humbly asks Sean for advice, perhaps he is just pretending not to understand, "Are we only Genoese allowed to join?"

"No, since it's called Europa, then all those in the empire who are interested in this industry can join, we can't earn all the money in one family, and we will be jealous. I think that the biggest role of this council at the moment is, of course, to be promoted, and at some point in time, its greatest role is to set standards. How to taste the quality of tea? Some of the tea leaves produced in a tea garden can be used as a birthday gift for His Majesty, while others can only be made into herbal tea. The level of the level determines whether you make money or lose money. We must make this Council the authority, the only authority, in this regard. That's what I call exclusivity!" Sean said, "and we also have to establish the idea that Rocky Mountain is the origin of tea. It is necessary to make this concept deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and women and children know it. When people think of Rocky Mountain, they know that it is rich in precious tea, and it will become synonymous with top tea. ”

Pierre suddenly realized and patted his ass: "Viscount Gaojian, I admire your foresight!"

"Well, Albert will be in charge of the establishment of the Tea Council, and Paul and Tommy should be careful to cooperate, this matter must be fast. Sean automatically ignored the commercial executive's sycophants, "While the rich men still have to ask me." ”

"Yes!" the three subordinates ordered.

Sean's counterattack didn't stop there.

For several days in a row, the Genoese newspaper appeared on the relationship between tax payment and the prosperity and stability of the country, inviting a number of scholars, lawyers, and financial experts to conduct in-depth analysis, and each article exposed the shortcomings of the tax package system, such as the abuse of power by the tax police, the extortion of confessions by torture, and the creation of one case after another of bankruptcy, such as the enrichment of the tax collectors, which seriously damaged the interests of the empire.

This quickly aroused the hatred of all the merchants. Other newspapers followed suit.

This sentiment culminated one night when the newspaper's office premises were set on fire.

Tommy Wesley, as the owner of the newspaper, appeared at the office of the newspaper "The Genoese", looked at the ruins of the newspaper office where the embers were still smoking, and he angrily shouted to the onlookers:

"They tried to stop us from talking and made us dumb and slaves. They tied our legs and feet, trying to keep us from running and crying out.

This is the most unmistakable trampling and provocation of justice, and it is a serious provocation to the most basic morality and conscience of mankind.

Today they can set fire to newspaper offices, tomorrow they may kidnap our citizens in broad daylight, and the day after tomorrow they dare to openly disregard the laws and basic order of the state as nothing.

This is blatant rebellion.

The murderers must be punished severely, and justice must be upheld and upheld with the utmost determination......"