The construction of more rail networks will make the transportation of soldiers much more efficient, and the mobilization of the whole country for war will be completed more quickly. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoOptimizing the steam engine is a major technological breakthrough, I really don't know how Fran the Great did it. Elena was miserable.

The banker quietly raised his head, his old wrinkled face expressionless, and secretly looked at Elena.

Elena closed her eyes and sighed, and asked weakly, "The expansion of the army is imminent, and there is no silver in the treasury." What do you think you should do?"

Admiral Farina glanced at the Prime Minister, who immediately stepped out of the crowd and applied categorically: "In the autumn of national crisis, extraordinary measures should be taken." It is believed that production comes first, military affairs come second, and debt comes last. I implore Your Majesty to increase the amount of borrowing, increase production, and expand armaments. ”

"It's okay, it just so happens that the central bank executive is here, let's discuss it together. The royal family stepped forward and borrowed more gold with the guarantee of state taxes. So how much is the right loan?" Elena, desperate, opened her eyes to the ministers.

Humphrey's three important ministers got together and muttered a few words, then looked at Elena solemnly, straightened his waist and stretched out two thumbs: "Two million!"

Frederick immediately took the case: "Don't die, isn't the interest you have on your back this year heavy enough!"

Humphrey turned his head and shouted angrily: "The 130,000 yuan expenditure for mass production of rifles is only a drop in the bucket of thousands of expenditures! It costs money to build factories, it costs money to pay for the miners, it costs money to import materials, and it costs even more money to support the army! Two million is the amount estimated by the cabinet, and there is absolutely no corruption! Why should I make a false report?"

Frederick pointed at the smiling banker and opened his eyes: "Two million gold, equivalent to three years of tax revenue from the national treasury, you can open it, and the central bank can't take it out!"

The noise was fierce, and Elena stood by.

Braischroeder hurriedly piled up a bitter gourd face and tilted his head to settle the accounts: "Although the central bank has financial resources, the funds flow among the Bank of Paribas, the Bank of England, and the Bank of Spain, and it is impossible to come up with such a huge allocation in a hurry......"

As soon as Frederick was about to state on this basis, the old banker changed his words again: "If Your Highnesses have to borrow, I will have to fight to the death, use the central bank's gold reserves, and lend them to the cabinet to survive this year." However, in this case, the interest rate must be doubled, and the interest rate will become 13% per annum, otherwise it will not be approved at the general meeting of shareholders. ”

Frederick twisted his head and scolded: "Two million principal, rolling 13% interest every year? Why don't you grab it?"

Prime Minister Humphrey slapped the table and shouted hoarsely: "Your Royal Highness Frederick! Let me remind you, this is the Imperial Council, whether you borrow this money or not, it is Your Majesty's decision, don't mess up good things here!"

Frederick stared at Admiral Farina and warned word by word: "Admiral, the higher the debt, the heavier the interest, and when the interest to be paid every year is higher than the tax, we will never be able to pay off the debt, what will our children and grandchildren do!"

The admiral avoided Frederick's gaze and replied sadly: "Only by surviving today can we talk about the Hereafter." Frederick, the state must be maintained through sacrifice, and it takes the courage to bear infamy to make these painful decisions. ”

The admiral saw that Frederick was strictly holding his position, and gradually admired his uprightness, and slightly erased his prejudice against Frederick, so he affectionately called him by his first name.

The two factions of opinion were sharply conflicted, and Frederick showed his disadvantage by one against three, and Braischroeder smiled at the corner of his lips, and he felt that the loan was basically finalized.

This move is a huge loan of 2 million ounces of gold, and 260,000 yuan of interest will be rolled out in one year, and compound interest will continue to be calculated in the second year, and 293,800 yuan of interest will be rolled out. In the long run, the interest rolls faster than a snowball, and the HRE Empire can't even pay the interest with a mere 600,000 taxes a year, and it will never be able to pay off its debts.

At that time, the economic policies of the entire empire will be in the hands of the Bray Schroeder family, and all military industry, agriculture and animal husbandry, social security, and medical policies will all make way for the financial speculation industry. That was the spring of the real rise of the bourgeoisie.

Therefore, the bankers very much hope that the royal family will come to borrow money, because the royal family has the guarantee of national taxes, and will never be afraid of bad debts, and will never be afraid of not being able to recover the interest; if the royal family does not have to take out loans, then the bankers will try to make trouble for the royal family and do everything possible to induce the royal family to borrow.

For in the financial industry there is no business that makes money faster than usury, and in usury there is no more secure debtor than the royal family.

Frederick saw the consequences clearly and quarreled with the cabinet.

At the last moment, Humphrey raised his head and begged the empress: "Your Majesty the Emperor, no one who is alive has the right to judge the merits and demerits of this matter, because survival is the most important thing, honor is secondary, and only the people of a thousand years and generations can see clearly our courage to borrow debts! Think about it, even if future generations live in debts that cannot be replaced, it is better than being reduced to slavery in the country!"

This sentence struck Elena in the heart. She hesitantly asked the banker, "Can the interest rate be lower?"

The banker replied coldly: "I am very sorry, my honorable majesty. Large loans of more than 100,000 yuan must be discussed and approved at the general meeting of shareholders and approved by the eight major shareholders before they can be disbursed. The royal family's stake in the central bank is only 3%, not even a major shareholder. So, you don't have a say in the interest rate on this loan. ”

"Your Majesty protects the entire empire, and you dare to say that she has no right to speak?" Frederick's eyes reddened.

"Your Highness Frederick, unless you can scold the 'inviolability of private property' clause in the Constitution, it is useless for you to shout. The old banker bowed his head respectfully, and squeezed him neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Your Majesty, make a decision!" begged Prime Minister Humphrey.

"I'm against it! 13% interest rate, after a few years of rolling around, I found that the interest rate is higher than the principal, why should I borrow?"

"Ten thousand rifles are gone?" said Admiral Farina, angry.

"Why do you want to build it!" Frederick swallowed, "This money can buy a hundred lead movable type printing presses, build a military academy and countless primary schools, and restore the cultivation of farms in half the province." Why use it to make rifles?"

"Do you want us to defend our country with rifles that are not as powerful as the enemy?" Johnson said, turning his head. He had always loved Frederick, and this time he was really anxious.

Frederick knocked on the table with a "bang": "When material conditions are no longer the benchmark for victory or defeat in a war, and when spiritual decisions can determine the outcome of a war, war will turn from killing to art!

Elena's chest heaved as she listened, her eyes fixed on a panting Frederick.

The bankers also hung their hearts and nervously watched the progress of the scolding war. The profit on the loan of two million was too high, and the royal family finally made up their minds to bite the hook, and Breschroeder was not willing to let the boiled duck fly. (To be continued.) )