When the meal was finished, everyone dispersed and went about their work. Tuhuan wants to meet with the people in the camp and give a speech to everyone to calm people's hearts. Zhu Wenkui and others still have a lot of materials to deal with. Guo Kang himself didn't have anything to do for the time being, and began to observe the camp, talk to various people, and learn about the situation here.

Joanna quickly approached and asked to show him the way and show him around. Guo Kang was a little surprised, and politely refused: "I see that everyone else is busy, don't you have a job?" There's really nothing important on my side, it's just going around on my own. I think it's better not to delay your business. ”

"I didn't...... Oh no, I have. Joanna said, as if she felt that it was not good for her to be the only one who did not do her job, so she hurriedly changed her words: "However, I am only their partner, and those jobs are not in a hurry." There are a lot of things, and it's okay to let Sister Huizhen help do it. ”

"She?" Guo Kang was even more surprised: "It's strange that it's a partner, right, she can still do business?" ”

"Yes, and to be honest, better than I did on my own." Joanna admitted: "I went to negotiate with the merchants, and they took advantage of the shortage of food to raise the price. Sister Huizhen went, and there were no more of these problems. My deterrent power is indeed inferior to hers, even if I pretend to be fierce, I can't pretend to be. This kind of momentum is indeed not something that can be imitated. ”

"It's okay......" Guo Kang scratched his head: "I see that Tuohuan talks about these things, and he also talks about it every day, how to force these businessmen to make more money." ”

"I told him that it is not good to use violent means like this to force businessmen to spit out money, although the money comes really quickly, but I always feel that it is breaking the rules and the business environment. But he didn't listen, and for good reason. ”

"What did he say?" Joanna asked curiously.

"He sees this as a normal tax and a complement to the existing tax system." Guo Kang replied: "He told me that the operation of the country needs to be supported by taxes. Citizens pay taxes to the state, and the state gives them the corresponding rights to join the army and hold public office. The two should be reciprocal. The state has set a tax rate, and citizens should hand over a part of their property according to this ratio. ”

"But in reality, those who pay taxes and serve are the middle and lower classes of society. The richest part of the people, on the contrary, are the most stingy and do not like to pay taxes. Some people have a lot of money, but the property they pay is not as good as that of ordinary households. Moreover, it is useless to make rules. Because these people have the energy and financial resources to find a hole in it. When they are rich to a certain extent, they will even buy off the officials and take the initiative to influence the government itself. The rules of taxation are even more fictitious for them. ”

So, he thought there should be an extra charge for these people. Anyway, it's impossible to collect it in a normal way, so let's do something special. ”

That's true. My family runs a bank, and I have been in contact with the upper echelons of many city-states. Joanna expressed her support: "For these people, the tax system really doesn't make much sense, because it is a tool they use to accumulate wealth. ”

"My third brother used to hang out with some civilian politicians. One of their main demands was for the city-state nobility to pay for the maintenance of necessary public services, especially militarily. It would be better to learn from you and rebuild a citizen army. ”

"It may be because the situation is becoming more and more chaotic now, and even some young people from traditional aristocratic families have begun to be dissatisfied with the status quo, feeling that even if the power of the city-state is weak, something must be done in order to protect themselves at a minimum. At the very least, we have to be able to keep those small groups of rebels and bandits at bay. Otherwise, every time something happens, the city will suffer. After a long time, it has even become a well-known fat sheep, so that all kinds of chaotic and unpopular small bandits dare to blackmail and even plunder. If it goes on like this, how can it stand it? ”

"Uh...... That's a bit overdone. Guo Kang said helplessly: "I was strange just now, you are also in business, how can you support him." ”

"That means you may have spent too much time in the monastery, and you have met too few nobles and wealthy merchants, and have underestimated their strangeness." Joanna spread her hands: "Even in such a situation, many nobles and wealthy businessmen will not listen to persuasion. Even my eldest brother, who likes to stick to the old ways, complained to us that many of my colleagues in the council were too short-sighted to be intolerable. The knives were all around their necks, and they wouldn't take their eyes off the gold coins for a second, as if that was their Heavenly Father and faith. There are few ascetics in history who are so devout, and they don't know how attractive this thing is, so that people can be stubborn like this. ”

"So, I can also understand Prince Tohuan's thoughts." She seemed to be very touched, and said to Guo Kang: "Do you know how the prince did it? I think that as long as the way of asking for it is not too bizarre, it will not damage the fairness of this approach, and it can be supported by the majority of people. Of course, to be honest, it's even more outrageous than those rich businessmen, and it's really difficult......"

"He's all about fundraising." Guo Kang said: "Even if it is a person from the Zhu Kingdom and the patriarchal family, he will do what he wants. If he didn't give it, he would engage in moral kidnapping, propagating everywhere that this person didn't love Heavenly Father and Rome, and he didn't even want the face of his ancestors. Decent people of various families, who were seldom able to withstand this pressure, were often afraid that their authority in the army would be compromised, and would usually reluctantly give it to him. Every time you go to war, you have to do it once. ”

"Isn't that nice?" Joanna said suspiciously, "You are dealing with those nobles yourself." He doesn't do as much violence as you do. Why do you still talk about him? ”

"I'm targeting a small group of people, and people who have already committed serious crimes." Guo Kang explained: "As long as you don't break the rules, you don't have to worry about anything. Even if it's not too serious, it won't happen to such a thing. I myself had no choice but to do it in a hurry. ”

"But he's targeting everyone. In this way, wouldn't everyone be insecure? Guo Kang said with some skepticism: "I don't think we can give up on ourselves because it is inconvenient to collect taxes, and we have to find a way in the rules." Otherwise, if you continue to use violent means to persecute them like this, sooner or later you will scare the businessmen away. If the business environment is disrupted, how can we develop the economy here? ”

"Then you're thinking too much." Joanna laughed, "You can see that you've never done a decent business. ”

"Do you think that if he had not persecuted, the merchant would not have been subjected to violence? No, the most frequent violence, not even from the imperial court, but from peers. She shook her head.

"Whenever there is an opportunity, any qualified businessman will not hesitate to use violence against his peers, directly eliminate this competitor, obtain all his property, where will it be the turn of the government? Or do you think that the government's use of violence against businessmen is considered violence; If a businessman uses violence against a businessman, it is not considered violence? ”

Guo Kang found that he seemed to ignore this problem, and he was speechless for a while.

"In comparison, Prince Dehuan's methods are quite acceptable. If I were an ordinary businessman, I would definitely complain when I had the chance, but I wouldn't really quit. Joanna thought for a moment and said, "From a business point of view, this is nothing more than the cost of doing business is higher, but risk is originally part of doing business." ”

"We just need to factor the risk of war and donations into the cost, estimate the impact on the industry, and then make appropriate adjustments. Moreover, Constantinople is different from ordinary cities, and many of the goods that pass through here are necessities and luxury goods from other places, even if the price increases, it will not be sold. If you do it well, you probably won't lose money - you can make it back on the heads of the fools in Western Europe anyway. ”

And to be honest, his method is still a kind of order. Compared to his chaotic and tyrannical monarch, that is too much, and I have not seen that merchants dare not do business. Some kings have gone bankrupt many times, and even have a history of actively eliminating creditors, aren't everyone still following each other? His part of the risk may not be as great as the shipwreck in the Mediterranean. ”

"I have to talk about the business environment." She thought about it and said: "I think the most decisive environment is the natural conditions such as geographical location and route, wind direction, and climate. In these places with superior environments, even if there is no business environment, the merchants will do their best to operate, build ports and commercial inns, dredge up local relations, and even send troops to occupy them, creating a suitable environment for man. Constantinople and Kaffa are examples of correspondence. But on the other hand, if there is no place to make money, no matter what you do, people will not lose money. ”

"So, even if you just drive these merchants away and swallow up their property, they will have to beg for their return. Even if there is a devil's rule that a merchant can operate here for twenty years and be killed after twenty years, there are also people who want to make a fortune and enjoy the squandering and are willing to sign this contract. ”

"Is that an exaggeration?" Guo Kang was a little unconvinced: "This is also too greedy." ”

"Look, I'll just say, you haven't even had much contact with the merchants." Joanna smiled: "Even in relatively backward Western Europe, there is no shortage of people who can do business. If you don't come, someone else comes. Under the fierce competition, businessmen who are not proactive enough will be eliminated. For the rest, it is impossible not to be greedy. ”

"Old businessmen often like to comment that some people are suitable for business and some people are not. Because the process of doing business is actually the process of the god of business screening businessmen. So, don't be surprised if you find that successful businessmen share some similar qualities. ”

Some people even say that the higher the risk, the higher the profit, so the merchants are willing to go, so those powerful and brutal monarchs, as long as they have some intention of repaying the money, it is easy to attract merchants to invest. Doesn't that sound weird? ”

"It's too much of a profit margin, it's the same as a masochistic one." Guo Kang complained: "I thought that I could still attract investment like this." ”

"No way, interest rates are the life and soul of a businessman - uh, don't be a fool." Joanna hurriedly said.

"I understand......" Guo Kang groaned and asked curiously, "What about you?" Do they think you're good at business? ”

"Honestly, I can't either." Joanna also hesitated for a moment, but finally admitted directly: "It was my father who said this before, and at that time, my brothers persuaded him not to be so straightforward, saying that I was interested in business, which was also a good thing. Family is the foundation of our business; The more skilled the family members, the better. ”

"The offices of the church and the city-state were not open to women, but they were much more lenient in business. We have a very strong business atmosphere there, and some people from different families, both men and women, will do some business. As long as you have the ability to keep your wealth, no one will care so carefully. They probably thought, even if I can't do it on my own, it's okay. With more knowledge and learning, at least you can help, and it will be much more convenient to get married in the future and start the family's industry. ”

"It's a pity, looking at it now, the elders are right, I really am not this material." She said helplessly: "I probably felt this way before, but for the sake of face, I never wanted to admit it." But this time, after such a drastic incident, I can also recognize it. If you don't admit it, you can't do it. ”

"I think you're pretty good, huh? To be honest, I didn't expect that after the war, someone would take the initiative to help out and do this kind of cash-for-work work. Even the current camp has your credit. This vision and execution are already excellent. Guo Kang said truthfully.

"It's not my idea, it's given to me by my friend Odosia, and it's not my own ability at all." Joanna looked a little tired: "Even my staff, the level is very bad, in fact, most of the work here is actually done with the help of Miss Tang, Captain Jeska, and even Sister Huizhen." My own subordinates...... I asked them to send Odosia, and they were able to send people away, and they haven't found them yet. Ay...... If you have any news of her, please let me know. ”

"Oh, okay." The matter over there is not over now, Guo Kang can't tell her directly, so he can only deal with it: "Is she so important to you?" ”

"Of course." Joanna nodded: "I've tried a lot, but in all aspects, I can't do it very well." With her help, I finally had a plan that I could get my hands on, and I had a foothold in this highly competitive city. ”

"I've figured it out now, since I can't do anything, I'll let it go more, and don't insist on being so ambitious."

"Didn't your parents give you specific tasks?" Guo Kang listened to this and became curious: "To lay out in such an important place, there must be a family arrangement." ”

Joanna hesitated for a moment, slightly cramped.

"Yes, yes, but ...... I didn't plan to participate in so many. She finally admitted: "My father has always been conservative about this business. He didn't want to spread the money, nor did he want to offend the Venetians here. If it weren't for my request, I probably wouldn't have invested here. ”

"As for my mother, she doesn't show much ambition on the outside. But it may be a matter of background and experience, in short, she is actually a very assertive person with a far-sighted vision. She supported me here, even more actively than my brothers who cared about me – even though I didn't know what she wanted. ”

"As long as she doesn't think about creating a country or something, we won't care about her." Guo Kang said: "Most of the Magyar nobles don't seem to like her, otherwise she and her mother would not have been blatantly attacked." On our side, on the contrary, she is a sample of solicitors and will not be fine. If you had a vision, you should be clearer. ”

"My mother never told me anything like this. In this regard, she should have given up. Joanna thought for a moment and replied: "Although she and her father are just ordinary marriages, it may be because both parties are very rational people and know this very well, so the relationship between the two is okay." ”

"She kept saying that my father's family had a lot of potential, and she wrote to me to ask me to learn more from them and not to mix with other messy people. On weekdays, he often takes the initiative to expand the family business. I think that people's ambitions may not disappear, but will only be transferred to another place. If she can't do something, she is a little unwilling in her heart. ”

"Maybe it's because I have more contact with my mother, and I have always felt that my father is too conservative and timid. I once thought that his experience of being hunted down and persecuted by political enemies when he was young scared him and he never got out of that shadow. It is a waste in my opinion to be reluctant to do more despite having enough connections and wealth. ”

"But now that I think about it, I still lack self-knowledge and think too much." Joanna seemed to regain some of her spirits and said frankly: "People still have to recognize reality, and they can't be too greedy and arrogant." There's nothing wrong with being conservative. ”

"That's true." Guo Kang also agreed.

(End of chapter)