The next day, early in the morning.

Victor finished his daily morning exercise, ate a hearty breakfast, took a warm shower, and changed into a viscount dress that Nicole had sewn herself. When everything was in order, he walked to the small living room of the Duke's Palace.

This morning, he will go to the Kite Castle as Lord of the Gambis, where he will meet the new king and present a congratulatory gift. Before that, he had to negotiate with Sylvia, Caterina, and the Duke of York about the kingdom's annuity tax.

Victor walked into the living room. The Duke of York was the first to greet him, "Victor, would you like something to eat or drink?" On the coffee table in front of him were beef pies, fruit salad, and a large bottle of fresh goat's milk.

"Thank you, I've already had breakfast...... Give me a cup of snow fungus tea. Victor handed the cloak to the maid, sat down on the empty chair beside Sylvia, and said apologetically, "Sorry for keeping you waiting." ”

Caterina was dressed up, her hair was held high, and a ruby necklace hung from her slender and fair neck, with matching earrings, she looked graceful and glamorous. She looked at Victor with gray-green eyes and smiled, "Victor, you look ...... Very spiritual. ”

"It's fascinating. Sylvia said. Her smile was narrow and charming.

Victor muttered, "Dear Madam, it's not funny...... Well, if you want to laugh, you can laugh, anyway, you know it......"

"Haha, Victor, I just got out of bed today and heard about your deeds yesterday. Well, there are two versions, and I'm afraid there are seven or eight different rumors in Blinor City right now, all about your dispute with the envoy of Dodor. Embiser said with a frown.

"That's not what I said. Sylvia pouted aggrievedly and laughed with Caterina again.

Katerina smiled lightly and said, "Victor, you have made a bad deal with the Golden Sparrow family. The Kite Castle will not miss the opportunity to advertise. It is estimated that the entire aristocratic circle will spread...... I mean...... All. She drew a circle in the air with her long, white index finger.

The maid of the House of York forced a smile and presented a cup of fragrant snow fungus tea. Victor picked up his cup, took a sip, and shook his head self-deprecatingly: "The appetizer before the aristocratic meal, the happy dessert of the tea party...... My reputation is still somewhat useful, though not very pleasing to me...... Of course, the Jinli Bird family will not be happy about this. This is somewhat comforting to me. ”

"I don't think everyone will be happy about the following topic. Victor said: "Our Royal Highness the Lord Regent, through Viscount Ternis, has tested the attitude of the Centaur Hills towards the annuity tax reform. ”

"Lady Sylvia has just spoken to us. Embiter poured a mouthful of goat's milk, picked up a napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth, "No one wants to pay more taxes, and no one can pay less." The annuity tax of the kingdom is levied according to the eleven tax of the church. The priest collected the tax, and the royal tax collector collected the tax according to the church's ledger. It's normal to earn more and pay more. The most the lords can do is to unite and resist for a few years...... The regent's annuity tax will eventually be introduced. Dord, Naville, Sassan...... Kings, emperors, and bishops everywhere can't run away from them. ”

"It can only be said that His Highness Williams has grasped the timing too well. The Duke of York dropped his fine linen napkin, patted his round belly, shook his head and sighed, "We still have 15 years and 8 months of tax holidays." There is no reason for the Centaur Hills to resist the new tax, and when the regent has cleaned up the other families, we can't find even a single ally, and in the end we can only pay the tax obediently. Moreover, the 11th tax reform started from the hills. Even if the other lords complained, it would be to blame us for cooperating with His Majesty the Pope to change the annual eleventh tax to half a year. I think His Royal Highness Williams and the new Cardinal would be happy to praise the House of York for their knowledge in front of the other families. ”

He glanced at Victor and then said, "Of course, we need the support of His Majesty the Pope, and we must support the Pope's lineage. In cooperation with the tax reform of the church, Centaur Hills first helped His Majesty Clement and Bishop Pero to stabilize their position, so that they could spare the strength to help us. ”

Caterina held her chin and sighed faintly, "Bishop Sein, who is about to put on a red robe, is the Patriarch of Tamor. It is reported that the Pope has given up both Archbishop Borui and Gambis to Patriarch Tamor. In this way, the parishes of Borui and Seuss, Dordot and Gambis were all connected, which was conducive to the implementation of the strategy of southern expansion. On the surface, Patriarch Tamor is gaining momentum, but in reality, he will be in a hurry for a long time. This means that even if we move closer to Patriarch Tamor, it will be difficult for him to balance the interests of the people and the hills. On the other hand, in the Pope's lineage, their power has become more concentrated and can help us and the kingdom of Neville to the fullest. Clement's retreat from the crown takes into account the overall situation, retreats neatly, and retreats wonderfully!"

"No one would deny Clement's intelligence. Sylvia bowed her jaw, "Although he has left the York family with no choice, I like wise allies. ”

Sylvia smiled at Victor and said, "My dear, since we don't have a choice, we might as well support the regent's new tax system. Viscount Randall, as a lord from Kite Castle, should set an example and give a great gift to the new king. ”

She said tactfully, "You caused the matter, you have to pay your own taxes, and the regent's favor is yours."

Victor pondered for a moment, knocked on the table and asked, "What about the tax collector and trade tax in Raventown?"

"Trade tax! Williams doesn't even think about it!"

The Duke of York slapped the coffee table and screamed, "We have a tax holiday of 15 years, 8 months and 17 days! The Two-Headed Lizard Chamber of Commerce can sell the goods to whomever they want!" He took a bite of the beef pie and said vaguely: "I will unite all the big lords and small lords to resist the trade tax." ”

"By the way. Victor, it's so wise that you handed over the management of the jaggery to the Two-Headed Lizard Chamber of Commerce!"

"Auguste has installed a tax collector in Raventown, which is acceptable. Sylvia nodded, and sneered again, "Trade tax, what's that?"

"Trade taxes are definitely not paid...... I'm not against Williams' new tax, nor against him installing a tax collector in Raventown...... I just want to know what will happen if all the lords resist the new tax?" Victor looked around, his gaze finally falling on Caterina's pretty face.

Caterina furrowed her slender willow eyebrows. Among the four people present, she was the only one who knew the Auguste family best, but she thought hard for a long time, but she still found nothing, so she shook her head blankly, and her confused expression looked delicate and cute.

Sylvia looked at Caterina with a smirk, turned to the side, and asked Victor, "What do you have in mind?"

Victor smiled confidently and gently spat out three words:

"Kinsol, silver sol, bronze sol. ”

"Currency?" the fat duke thought for thought, a gleam shining from his eyes.

Katerina still looks ignorant and coquettish.

"You made it clear to me!" Sylvia rolled her eyes, twisted her hand on Victor's thigh, and sneered, "I hate it when you leave half of your speech and deliberately show off your skills in front of the lady." As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Katerina, whose cheeks were slightly red.

Victor swore he had absolutely no intention of teasing Caterina, but Sylvia's just the right amount of softness made the atmosphere slightly awkward, but it also aroused his confidence and desire to perform.

"Uh...... I wanted to understand the military prowess of the Augustian family first. Victor said with a wry smile.

"Very strong. Caterina regained her dignified and elegant appearance, and said in a deep voice: "The lord of the Augustian family has a total of 40,000 soldiers, and the size of the royal capital Janissary exceeds 20,000. Every Praetorian Guard soldier is an elite, no less than our Fanged Legion. If you add up all the elite soldiers under the command of the Lord of Gambis, I am afraid that there are only a few hundred more than the Praetorian Guard. ”

"The Augustian family is at the height of their military power, but it is not enough. Victor's voice changed and said: "On the one hand, the Kite Fort must maintain the rule of the country and the tranquility of the border, and also prepare to cross the river and expand the territory. I estimate that the size of the Praetorian Guard would have to be more than doubled in size for the royal family to maintain its dominant position. Even if the Marquis of Goron followed the example of the Centaur Hills and recruited an army of outcast mercenaries, I wouldn't find it strange. ”

"They don't need to. Sylvia shook her head and said, "Loyalty is always the first condition for selecting and cultivating the elite of the family. It is hard to imagine that the family distributed precious potions, limited land, and sophisticated armor to the strong but lacking in loyalty. This will inevitably lead to the collapse of the family. There is a difference between the top and the bottom, and only by favoring one over the other can the stability of the family and even the kingdom be maintained. ”

"We recruited displaced people and formed mercenary legions out of necessity. However, mercenary legions must be equipped, trained, treated, and status differently from vassal soldiers. ”

She paused, then sighed, "For more than 300 years, the kingdom of Gambis has been receiving the people of Dordor who have been displaced by war. These people have lived for at least five generations in the northern realm of the kingdom and in the central plains of Blinor. Some of them were absorbed by the lords of the Rings, while the rest, though freedmen, in reality considered themselves the subjects of Augustus. At the King's command, the Kite Castle could call up 80,000 loyal soldiers in the north and central at any time. ”

Katerina bowed slightly, and said: "What the Ministry of Military Affairs has to do is only to urge the Ministry of the Interior to move the surplus displaced people out, make room for the survival and development of the militia families, and then use the cultivated land and terraces opened up by the water conservancy project to transform the militia into vassal soldiers." And those outcasts have become the source of mercenaries in the hills. ”

The topic has been diverted. Victor hurriedly said: "Anyway, the kingdom needs money!"

"A lot, a lot of money. The Duke of York nodded in agreement.

"What if Williams' new tax can't be implemented?"

"Mint gold coins and plunder our wealth. The Duke of York muttered, "Damn! I'd rather Williams continue to levy the material annuity tax than have him mint more gold coins." ”

"Do you think the Lord Regent will mint more Kingsol, but what does that mean for us?" Caterina asked Victor without glancing at Embither.

Is it really nice for you to treat your husband like this...... Victor mourned for Embiser in his heart, but still explained: "Gold itself has no value, and exchanging gold for supplies is simply a lucrative business. If Williams was forced by the Marquis of Gorlon, he could only do this...... No, he'd do it, sooner or later. ”

Caterina pondered for a moment and smiled, "Gold itself has no value...... It's the first time I've heard that, but if you think about it, you make a lot of sense. However, even royalty cannot break the ancient Sol Covenant. Gambis minted gold coins were quotas. ”

The Covenant of Sol is a currency minting covenant led by the 37th Pope Sol and concluded by the major knight families in the Holy City. It unifies the material, size, style, exchange ratio, and liquidity of the currency. The covenant stipulates that every 36 years, human empires, kingdoms, and principalities send representatives to the Holy City to negotiate their respective shares of the Kinsol mint. The kingdoms then minted their own equal silver soles according to their share of gold coins. The church receives one-tenth of the total issuance of the Kinsol and is responsible for the minting of the Coppersol.

The advent of the Covenant of Sol marked the end of the Silver Age and the rise of the Bronze Age. Since then, the legitimacy of the kingdom has been recognized by the Church, the vassal system has completely replaced the city-state system, and the Church's tithe tax has officially entered the historical stage.

Since the kingdoms could mint the equivalent of silver soles, the wealth of the royal family was virtually doubled. As a result, the nascent royal family also embraced the Covenant of Thor in particular.

For thousands of years, the sacredness of the Covenant of Sol has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. None of the daughters of a great nobleman, Caterina, had given much thought to the meaning behind the monetary covenant.

I am afraid that only Victor would dare to ignore authority and tradition, uncover the sacred cloak of the Covenant of Thor, and show its bloody side.

"How did the kingdom's purple gold coins come from?" he asked flatly.

"When the Auguste family pioneered the wilderness, they lacked funds, so they mixed pure gold into Kinsol, minted it into purple gold coins, and promised to exchange ......" Caterina's voice grew quieter, and she thought that the purple gold coins of Gambis were modeled after the purple gold coins of the Borui people. Nowadays, the major kingdoms also have their own purple gold coins.

Victor said: "At the beginning of the Purple Gold Coin, the Borui people issued debt certificates to help them raise funds to build the Seven Great Islands. The kingdoms followed suit, and whenever the kingdom's finances were tight, they minted a batch of purple gold coins to reap the wealth of their lords. Although the Purple Gold Coin was secured by the Crown's credit and taxes, it effectively circumvented the Sol Covenant and became the new currency. ”

He shook his head and added, "I still have a lot of questions about the nature of money. To be sure, gold has no value on its own, and when everyone agrees that gold can be exchanged for goods, it has value. ”

Caterina entered a state of confusion again, she pursed her lips, and said hesitantly: "However, after all, the kingdom did not break the Sol Covenant and privately minted the gold and silver sol. Purple gold coins can indeed be exchanged for the agreed gold coins. ”

Sylvia muttered and asked, "Duke Erickson has been privately minting gold sol for ten years, where did those gold coins go?"

"Swallowed up by the royal family and the Church. The Duke of York sighed: "Erikson is an idiot, Friedrich deliberately connived at him to privately mint Kinsor, and when the royal family of Dordor could not resist the pressure of the church, he would be blamed." Erickson died, and the money fell into the pockets of the royal family and the Church. ”

"Friedrich can do that, and so can August, as long as they lack money. Victor said.

Silvia turned her gaze to Victor and asked solemnly, "Tell me, what does the right to mint money mean to the kingdom?

"Interesting question. Victor nodded and said with a smile: "What does it mean to exchange worthless gold for valuable medicinal herbs, ores, grains, animal skins, and other goods? It means a force like a flood of beasts, and it means a power that must be in the hands of the royal family." ”

"Regardless of whether Williams can introduce the new tax or not, the Auguste family, and all the royal families, will mint gold and silver soles, but they will not break the Sol Covenant. The corners of Victor's mouth curled into a playful smile.

"Because, the Sol Covenant will surely collapse. ”