In the blink of an eye, Meng Fan had been in Black Rock City for two months, during which Meng Fan repaired the damaged city walls, arranged for his brother Bogula to take soldiers to maintain order in the city, and paid for food to help the refugees. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

The new lord's series of measures made the people in Blackstone City very satisfied, and although the people were happy, Meng Fan began to have a headache.

Sitting in the council hall of the lord's mansion, Meng Fan was calculating with a paper and pen in his hand, "10 servants, each with 1 gold coin per month, this month needs 10 gold coins, and 500 territory soldiers need to be paid 250 gold coins this month..."

In the council chamber, Bogula, Gruja, and Parker all sat in chairs. Putting down the pen, Meng Fan raised his head, "All the expenses for this month add up to 1,200 gold coins. Meng Fan said.

"1,200 gold coins, Claude, we don't have much left. Bogula thought for a while and said, all the assets that Meng Fan owned were the 10,000 gold coins that Marquis Levin had rewarded him when he was in Ziyang City, and after coming to Black Rock City, Meng Fan had already spent more than 5,000 gold coins, and at this consumption rate, the money in Meng Fan's hands would not last long.

"The main thing is to relieve the 5,000 refugees who escaped from Jumu City, and the cost is very large, and you need to spend 500 gold coins every month to buy food to help these refugees..."

"Isn't it true that a lord can collect taxes from the people of his realm?Claude, you can appoint a tax collector to collect taxes from those lords and merchants in Blackstone. Parker began.

"I talked to the lords of the manors and the representatives of the merchants in the city, and they all said they were willing to pay the tax, but they would not do so until the end of the year, as the lords of the past had done. Meng Fan said lightly with his fingers on the table in front of him.

"Lord Claude, didn't you say that the nobles and wealthy merchants in the territory should give you some money to help you, what do these nobles say?" asked Gruya, who was sitting below.

"Don't mention these bastards. Meng Fan couldn't help but show an angry expression, when he first entered Black Rock City, these nobles were respectful to Meng Fan, but when Meng Fan asked the nobles to help him relieve the refugees, these nobles found all kinds of reasons to shirk.

Why is the harvest in the manor this year not good, the shop he opened was looted by the invasion of the Bretan army, etc., in short, he can't come up with the money to help the lord relieve the refugees.

"After the Bretan army captured Black Rock City, they didn't loot the people in the city, so these nobles shouldn't have suffered much loss of property. Bogula said.

After the Bretan army led by Lyton invaded the Kingdom of Gilgias, they successively captured the three cities of Giant Wood City, Coldwater City and Blackstone City, and the Bretan army carried out a certain degree of burning and looting in Giant Wood City, but later Reton strictly ordered his soldiers not to harass the civilians anymore, so the people of Coldwater City and Blackstone City did not suffer much loss.

"I have inquired with some of the people of the city, and they have told me that the property of these nobles has not suffered much damage from the invasion of the army of Bretan, and that the army led by Lieton is in a hurry to rush to the southern line of the Van Xin Lake, and it is impossible to carry a large amount of plundered goods. Meng Fan nodded.

"But even if I know that these nobles have money, I can't help it if they don't take it out, and I can't use force to force them to come out with money to help me. Meng Fan sighed and said.

Bogula and Gruya, who were sitting below, didn't know how to solve the trouble of lack of money, Bogura and Gruya were both soldiers of the territorial army, and there was no problem with leading the troops to fight, but how to govern the territory, collect taxes from the people, and find ways to help the lord's mansion increase economic income was not what Bogula and Gruya were good at.

"Your Excellency. The squire Golding walked in from outside the council chamber, "There is a carriage from outside the Lord's Palace, and a man from Ziyang City has said that he wants to visit you, Lord Claude. Golding walked up to Meng Fan and reported.

"Someone from Purple Sun City is coming to visit me, who is he?" Meng Fan looked up and asked, "He said that he is the son of Viscount Bruce Nar, the tax collector of Purple Sun City. Golding replied.

Not long after, in the living room of the Lord's Mansion, Meng Fan, the lord of Black Rock City, sat on a chair, and in front of Meng Fan sat a man with brown and yellow hair, a hooked nose, high raised cheekbones, and small eyes that seemed to bring people a kind of innate coldness and arrogance.

"Tiberius, tea, please. The attendant Golding served tea to Meng Fan and the guests who had come to visit the lord.

"Lord Claude, that's what I should call you that now. Picking up the tea on the table, a smile appeared on the face of the brown-haired man.

"Tiberius, how did you come to Blackstone City?" Meng Fan said as he looked at the man sitting in front of him, "Of course, my friend who came to visit me, Lord Claude Kuru, the new Lord of Blackstone City. After taking a sip of tea, Tiberius put down his cup and replied.

"Friend, Tiberius, we are so close. Meng Fan sighed softly, Meng Fan had only met the brown-haired man in front of him once, and that was at a dinner held at the Lord's Mansion of Ziyang City two months ago.

"Of course, I still remember the conversation I had with Lord Claude that night, Lord Claude, I don't know what you think of me, at least in my opinion, Lord Claude, you are a friend worth making deeply. Tiberius had a smile on his face that made Meng Fan uncomfortable, and even if this brown-haired man smiled, it still made people feel an inexplicable contempt.

Meng Fan was about to speak, "Lord Claude, let's say a few words less about these useless polite words, I came to Black Rock City to help you, Lord Claude." Tiberius retracted his smile.

"Help me?" Meng Fan sat up straight, "Lord Claude, you have just become the Lord of Blackstone City, so you must have encountered a lot of trouble. Tiberius whispered.

"It's some trouble. Meng Fan lowered his head and turned the teacup on the table with his hand, "Lord Claude, tell me, what trouble have you encountered?" The brown-haired man in front of him stared at him.

"There are thousands of refugees in Black Rock City, I need to relieve these refugees and settle them... There are also some things about taxation..."

"Hehe, Lord Claude, to put it simply, you're short of money. Tiberius laughed.

Meng Fan knew that the brown-haired man in front of him was an extremely smart person, and he only said a few words casually, and Tiberius could guess the source of these troubles for his own headache.

"That's right, it's a lack of money. Meng Fan smiled calmly, "Tiberius, you said that you came to Black Rock City to help me, could it be that you brought me a lot of money?"

"I'd love to help you with some of your possessions, Lord Claude, but I'm afraid my stingy father won't let me bring a single gold coin to Blackstone. Tiberius laughed.

Meng Fan put down the teacup in his hand and didn't speak, Tiberius, who was sitting opposite, stared at the silent black-haired man in front of him, and after a moment, "Lord Claude, you already have a huge fortune in your hands, and you don't need to fund it at all." Tiberius spoke softly.