The King

  Chapter 348 Berkshire Shipyards

  In the following meeting, Hudson kept a gloomy face and said nothing throughout, like a wronged teenager holding back his anger.

   It was not until he got into the carriage that a mocking smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

  Deep in his heart, Hudson couldn't help sighing: Earl Pierce is such a good man!

  He was still worried. This time, he was the first bird and violated the interests of a group of veteran nobles. How should he end up next?

   At the critical moment, Earl Pierce came out in time to stab the knife and directly helped him through the difficulty.

  Now everyone is busy gloating and watching his jokes, even if the resentment in their hearts has not completely disappeared, it is estimated that there will not be much left.

  By the way, he also sold out to the king. He fell to this point, but it was caused by working for the king.

  If Hudson's previous performance was not too active, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the veteran nobles, Earl Pierce's actions would not have been so easy to succeed.

  The only regret is that the gang of emerging aristocrats are too timid, even if Hudson is the first bird, others dare not follow suit.

   Realizing this, Hudson, who originally wanted to establish himself in the kingdom as the spokesperson of the emerging nobles, instantly dismissed this idea.

  It's good to be the boss, but it's better to be the boss of this kind of unreliable group!

   Not being the boss doesn't mean breaking these relationships. On the contrary, Hudson will continue to deepen the relationship with the emerging aristocratic groups.

  Being cowardly now does not mean being cowardly in the future.

  Essentially, the political weakness of these people is caused by their own lack of strength.

  Including Hudson himself, if the military strength in his hands is not weak, no matter how high Caesar III bids, he would not dare to enter this muddy water.

  Even if the strength in your hands is not weak, in the face of the general trend, you still have to admit cowardly when you should be cowardly.

  Of course, the most important thing is that the consequences seem to be serious, but the actual harm is not great.

   The "repayment tax" seems to be a huge number, but the Alpha Kingdom has 32 provinces. Even if the newly recovered seven northern provinces are excluded, there are still 25 provinces to share.

  No matter how proud Earl Pierce was, he would never be able to take advantage of him and transfer all the tax money to the southeastern province.

  According to the traditional distribution, the tax share that the wealthy southeastern provinces need to bear is at most ten to fifteen percent.

  There are so many nobles in the province sharing the share, judging from many factors such as the area of ​​the fiefdom and the economic development, what ultimately falls on the Koslow family is nothing more than one-tenth to one-eighth of the provincial tax.

   Before the carriage had time to leave the palace, it was stopped halfway.

   "Your Earl, Your Highness the Crown Prince invites you to discuss matters!"

  The maid's crisp voice interrupted Hudson's plan.

  Perhaps Caesar III was really about to lose his hold. In recent days, the Crown Prince has been extremely active.

  Banquet this great nobleman today, and invite that great nobleman tomorrow. Even among the middle class nobles, he never forgot to win them over.

   "Lead the way ahead!"

   Hudson said lightly.

  …

  Back home, Earl Pierce suddenly suppressed his smile. Obviously, he, the winner, was not as excited as the outside world imagined.

  In order to interrupt the development of the Koslow family, the means used today are disgraceful. At least in the eyes of the nobles in the southeast province, he is incompetent as the boss.

  The war bond in the tax is easy to solve, the big deal is that the Dalton family will eat it in one bite. Think of it as a financial investment, anyway, this is a capital-guaranteed transaction.

  There are only hundreds of thousands of gold coins. It is undoubtedly worth paying such a small price in order to win people's hearts.

   The trouble is the repayment tax. With him, the boss, taking the initiative, it is certain that the share of the southeast province will not be low.

   Of the fifteen counties in the province, only Wright County is completely under the control of the Koslow family. This is the result of wanton replacement of fiefdoms.

   There are quite a few newly reclaimed lands, but unfortunately none of them are recorded in the kingdom's records. It is almost impossible to expect Hudson to cooperate with the investigation.

   Even if Wright County is a large county, the share that needs to be borne is very limited, and the remaining share has to be borne by the nobles in the province.

  The Dalton family will naturally bear the largest share, but the younger brothers will inevitably lose their money. Everyone has complaints in their hearts, which is almost inevitable.

  In the past, the Dalton family was the dominant family. When this happened, everyone could only endure it.

   Now the situation has changed slightly. Although such a trivial matter is not enough to make everyone take the risk of jumping back to support the Koslow family, some comfort is still necessary.

   Especially the neutral camp with the largest number of people needs to pay more attention to it, and it must not be won over by the Koslow family.

  However, considering the financial resources of the Koslow family, Earl Pierce instantly relieved his worries.

   Originally, the family was weak, and they were still doing a lot of infrastructure construction. Now that they have been drawn blood again, the pressure on the Koslow family can be imagined.

   It is difficult to take care of yourself, so where is the spare energy to win people's hearts?

  Even if the Koslow family suspends some construction projects and squeezes out a sum of money, it must first help the existing younger brothers instead of trying to win over the neutral faction.

   When everyone is short of financial resources, who else in the southeastern province has the spare power to help the small nobles besides the Dalton family?

  It is important to know that the "repayment tax" is not only collected for one year, but will continue for many years, and the amount of collection is still more than one year.

  The southeastern province is indeed rich, but it can't stand the continuous toss. The little nobles who have just recovered from the war will have a high probability of suffering in the future.

   It is estimated that more than one-third of the minor nobles in the province will have more or less financial problems. Either cut overhead, or go into debt.

   "Master, but the plan succeeded?"

  The old butler Gadri asked with concern.

   "The plan failed and succeeded at the same time!

   After all, Hudson is still too young. He lost himself after being touted for a few words, and actually regarded himself as the spokesperson of the military.

  The plan to cut military spending was shattered under his agitation, including me.

   But he paid dearly for it, and our backup proposal passed.

  The Koslow family has no foundation and basically can't help financially. Next, let's look at Hudson, how much benefit he made in the war.

  Send someone to keep an eye on the Koslow family. Once the finances are in trouble, Hudson is likely to take the risk of dealing with some shady spoils.

  Collect the evidence first, and then look for an opportunity to attack them after the plan of the Warcraft Legion is completed.

  Of course, it may also be a bargaining chip for negotiations. As long as the Koslow family is willing to move their headquarters out of the southeastern province, everyone can continue to be friends! "

   Earl Pierce said confidently.

   It is almost an open secret that combat troops divide up the loot that can be taken away. As the commander-in-chief of the army, it is also an unspoken rule to take the biggest piece of cake.

  However, this is limited to some ordinary trophies, or unowned trophies, and there are also some trophies that need to be returned.

  Obviously returned to the owner, this is just an ideal state. The various armies participating in the war were not so "honest", and were basically divided up in private.

  Everyone is doing this, as long as some items with special significance or the identity of the original owner that can prove their identity are not sold publicly, it is not a problem.

  This is also the reason why Hudson carts and carts pulled the spoils home after the war. It's not that there is no way to sell, but that they dare not sell.

  If the news leaks out, the owner finds out that he is suspicious, and makes a fuss regardless, his noble reputation will be over.

  The best choice is to take it home and store it first. After the turmoil is over, either find an opportunity to sell it in batches, or directly enrich your own heritage inventory.

  The rich family background of the great nobles was gradually accumulated in this way. Items that cannot see the light now do not mean that they will not see the light in the future.

  Time can dilute everything. Even an item with an owner will become an ownerless item after the baptism of time.

   Even if you make up a reason to resell the item to the original owner, it is not impossible to operate.

   "Master, according to the information we have collected, the Earl of Hudson took at least four million gold coins worth of spoils in this war.

  About one-third of it was cash, and the other third was large sums of war bonds.

  Mainly based on the bonds of the Principality of Moxi, at least more than one million, and the kingdom's war bonds are also hundreds of thousands.

   Judging from all aspects of the situation, the Earl of Hudson should have realized part of the war bonds in private, otherwise the cash in hand alone would not be able to support the current expenses of the mountain leader.

   It is said that he has a good relationship with the major chambers of commerce, and the remaining part of the spoils that cannot be realized in time is likely to be monetized overseas through the channels of these people.

  In a short period of time, the finances of the Mountain Territory should be able to support it.

  Restricted by the fact that the monster breeding base is located in the mountainous area, it is not convenient for us to use many means to consume his financial resources.

   Now we can only wait for the impact of the repayment tax to further ferment and consume the last financial resources of the Koslow family before taking further actions and continuing to put pressure on them! "

  After hearing the old butler's answer, Earl Pierce frowned.

   Obviously, Gadri is opposed to a direct showdown with the Koslow family, but advocates boiling frogs in warm water to force this competitor away by economic means.

   "Housekeeper, although Hudson is a little aggressive in territory construction, he is still very frugal in life.

  In normal times, I neither like holding banquets nor obsessed with various activities.

  The only thing that costs money is probably the magic experiment, but as a mage, there is nothing to say about being keen on magic research.

   As a matter of fact, the current Koslow family does not show the face of a nouveau riche. The standard of living of most clansmen is not much different from that of ordinary noble families.

  If you want to further consume their financial resources, I am afraid it will not be easy to do so! "

   Earl Pierce said with a headache.

   Had it not been for this information, which had been verified by many parties, Earl Pierce would not have believed that Hudson could make so much money.

   It's not terrible just to make money, the key is that not only does he not spend money indiscriminately, but he also restrains his clansmen to be thrifty together.

   Judging from the information collected by the Dalton family, the Mountain Territory does not have much cash, but the most expensive project has been completed.

  Even if the budget is still in deficit in the future, relying on the dividends brought by the Warcraft breeding base, as long as the progress of various projects in the territory is slowed down, a balance can be barely achieved.

   The problem of repayment tax, with the sale of spoils, can last for several years.

  With a few more years of buffering, the Koslow family has gained a firm foothold, and it will be difficult to get them out.

   "Master, no matter how frugal the Koslow family is, some necessary expenses are still indispensable.

  You seem to have forgotten that their relatives are all over the province. With so many relatives, there are always a few who can't hold on.

   They can ignore the nobles of the neutral faction, but they can’t ignore the relatives and friends who support them, right?

   It is too risky to directly attack the Koslow family, but it is much simpler to set up a game against these small nobles. "

   After finishing speaking, the two looked at each other and smiled.

  The little nobles' ability to resist risks is inherently low. If someone deliberately sets up a situation, it will be difficult to think of problems.

  For these small characters, the Dalton family doesn't even need to take action personally, just a hint that it is within the scope of the rules can cause them heavy losses.

  In the past, they didn't do this, because they have enough advantages, and there is no need to drop the bottom line like this.

  Plus there is also Caesar III staring at it, if you are not careful, you will be caught by the king, and you will be unable to eat and walk around.

  The critically ill king has greatly reduced his deterrent power to everyone. Some methods that he dared not use before can now be used.

  …

   "His Royal Highness, I have lost a lot of money in this transaction. You have to sell a few senior craftsmen to me as compensation!"

  Even if he knows that the repayment tax cannot be avoided if the Alpha Kingdom does not breach the contract, this does not affect Hudson's complaints.

  In any case, the extra repayment tax this time is all drawn out by working hard for the royal family.

   If there hadn’t been this turmoil, Earl Pierce would not have taken the initiative to take responsibility, and the southeastern province would not have to bear excessive obligations.

  Even if you still can't avoid the repayment tax, when it is apportioned to the Koslow family, you can still pay 20,000 to 30,000 gold coins less every year.

  One or two years is enough, the key is continuous, until the debt is paid off.

   "Your Excellency, rest assured, the royal promise will definitely be fulfilled. We will not transfer any of the experienced craftsmen and boatmen in the shipyard, and they will definitely satisfy you!"

  Crown Prince Caesar said with a smile.

  It's just the faint disdain on the brows, which still reveals his contempt for Hudson deep in his heart.

   A few craftsmen in the district had to raise it individually, and it was really hard for him to take a fancy to them because of their strong pettiness.

  With a shipyard and sailors, want to participate in ocean trade?

   This is purely a dream!

  In the view of Crown Prince Caesar, building a ship is very simple, but the most difficult thing is to create a defensive magic circle for the ship.

   Without these things, once encountering monsters at sea, the fate of shipwreck and human death will be lost in an instant.

  The magician team of the Koslow family obviously does not have the strength to create an advanced magic circle for the ship, so they will definitely ask the Magic Association for help.

   It’s okay to be ripped off, the guys from the Mage Association are still very thieves, and they won’t draw a high-level defensive magic circle at all if they don’t take out precious magic materials.

  The script is written.

  Crown Prince Caesar was ready, and after Hudson hit a wall everywhere, he turned to the royal family for help and took the opportunity to accept a younger brother.

   "Then thank you, Your Highness, for taking care of me!

   I just don’t know which shipyard the royal family is selling and how much is the price? "

   It's not that Hudson is impatient, it's actually a seller's market now. To be called a large shipyard, not only must it be able to build large merchant ships, it must also have the ability to produce warships.

  Under normal circumstances, these are not for sale. As long as someone is willing to sell, even if there is a pit behind, Hudson can only jump into it.

  Who made the shipbuilding technology of the mountain leader so much ahead of the canoe?

  It is definitely no problem to make a three-panel boat, and you can also build a five-panel boat if you work hard. As for ocean-going merchant ships and warships, they might be able to find out after another hundred years of hard work.

"Ha ha…"

   "Since your Excellency the Earl is one of your own, I won't open my mouth. The shipyard that the royal family wants to sell is in the southeast province, which is just convenient for you to relocate.

   The name, I guess you have heard of it. I was originally in charge of naval logistics, but you should know better than me what happened later.

  The price of the shipyard is 800,000 gold coins, and the 1,700 craftsmen and 300 sailors in the shipyard, together with their family members of more than 6,800 people, are directly regarded as gifts. "

  Hearing the offer from Crown Prince Caesar, Hudson wanted to say very much: Just a gift.

  It's a pity that this is impossible. If I really do this, I will have no friends.

  He hesitated for a while, but in the end he still didn't open his mouth to bargain.

  In Hudson's view, this price is already very fair, and it can even be said to be generous. The shipyard that Crown Prince Caesar was talking about was the well-known Berkshire Shipyard in the southeastern province.

   At its peak, it was once one of the three major shipyards in the Kingdom. It's just that as the kingdom's strategy shifted to the mainland, the importance of coastal defense continued to decline. After the navy orders were gone, it had to turn to the civilian market.

  However, in recent decades, the Dalton family's nautical business has advanced by leaps and bounds, gradually monopolizing most of the overseas trade in the southeastern province, and by the way, they have also built their own shipyard.

   Berkshire Shipyard, which has lost a large number of orders, is getting worse day by day. If it weren't for the power of the royal family, it would have been squeezed out by the Dalton family long ago.

   survived on sporadic orders, but the performance of Berkshire Shipyard is very touching.

  From the profit of more than 100,000 gold coins a year in the peak period, it has dropped sharply to 10,000 to 20,000 gold coins a year now, and there will be losses in bad years.

  If this situation continues, it is only a matter of time before Berkshire Shipyard goes bankrupt.

  Choose to sell to Hudson at this juncture. In addition to political transactions, there is also concern that the new king will not be able to deter the local nobles during the transition of the throne and dispose of risky assets in advance.

   "Just follow His Highness's price!

  However, the amount of funds involved in this transaction is too large. I won’t be able to spend so much money for a while. I wonder if the royal family can accept the offset in kind? "

  Since I decided to act, I had to do a full set. It was only when the front foot released a signal of lack of money, and the second foot was to buy a shipyard with a large amount of money, everyone knew that there was a problem.

  At this critical moment, Hudson doesn't want to make a mess.

  The Dalton family thinks that there is a financial problem in the Mountain Territory, so they will continue to lead them to this, so as to save them from doing things behind the scenes and ruining the deal.

   "Don't worry, Earl, the royal family is not unreasonable. We have always taken care of our own people.

  If you do have financial difficulties, you can naturally offset it in kind. But the items that are taken out must be what we need! "

  …

  (end of this chapter)