Bai Xuan smiled and said nothing. Luo Shenze snorted coldly, turned his head and looked out the window.

He couldn't help but glance at the amazing side face, and Bai Xuan turned his head and continued to ask the fat man: "Tell me, the more detailed the better."

The fat man wiped the sweat that did not exist on his forehead and began to report on the situation in Yuchen City.

The permanent population of Yuancheng City is less than 3,000, which slowly gathered after the rise of Black Curse Forest Hunting. It is conceivable how barren it was before. In the area near the chalk, there are many farms, planted by scattered farmers, and only a small amount of tax is required. It is not a problem to support this small city by self-sufficient oneself.

Most of the various materials are traded from the crescent cities. A giant river originating from the Heibi River passes from the east of the city and leads to the crescent inland. Its branches also flow into the Kingdom of Theron in the crescent territory. With the help of this waterway, materials can be transported smoothly, which is also the biggest basis for the construction of the Ember City.

Land transportation mainly relies on horse-drawn carriages, which is much less efficient, but it can also solve some transportation, because not all transaction cities are along the river. Although the road surface is dirt road, fortunately it is mainly plains and hills, with few mountain roads, which is quite convenient.

In the past, this place was a barren land on the border and was sparsely populated. With the development of the Black Forest, it has only gradually flourished in recent decades. It is said to be prosperous, but in fact it means that the population of migrants has increased significantly, becoming a must-pass place and a place for rest for various hunting groups, driving the development of other material trade and various commerce, and also increasing the permanent population.

"So, Ember City has actually become a tourist city?" Bai Xuan couldn't help but appear in his mind.

"Travel... Travel? This word is very novel, but these people are not here to travel. Hunting groups in the Black Curse Forest are all going to fight for their lives." The fat man said, "We are seeking wealth and honor in danger. Although we are not all desperate, we live a life of licking blood from the knife. If the hunt is successful and the prey is sold at a high price, they will spend a lot of money in Ember City to relax. Therefore, the highest consumption places in Ember City are taverns and night courtyards."

"Night courtyard?" Bai Xuan didn't understand for a moment.

"Uh, it's just a place to stay overnight. Unlike hotels, it will provide a lot of special services. It is a gathering place for women in the wind." The fat man said while secretly looking at Luo Shen, who was frightened by the latter's cold eyes.

"Oh, these places should be places where taxes will be collected in the future. Everything outside the city will be banned and all of them will be moved into the city." Bai Xuan pressed his forehead and tried hard to change himself to the role of a town manager.

"It should be like this, but..." The fat man hesitated for a moment.

“But what?”

"These taverns and night courtyards have backers, otherwise they would not be able to operate in such places. It would be difficult to get them to move into the city and collect heavy taxes."

"That's it..." Bai Xuan frowned. It turns out that he was as dark as a crow in the world, and this world is no exception. "These will be solved, you continue to say."

"The biggest problem is actually taxation. Some of these people come and go, and some of them simply don't go to the city and go directly to the Black Curse Forest, so they can only implement consumption tax or transaction tax. If they don't trade in the city, the income will be lost and the finances are not optimistic."

In fact, there is no optimism, and it is completely uncontrollable. The fat man did not hide it and told the truth.

This is not difficult to understand. Everything originated from the fact that Chateau had almost no actual control over the place. Administrative management was just superficial, otherwise it would not be entrusted to a business family like Dong Lei. To maintain the status quo, one can only make compromises.

But Bai Xuan was not here to compromise, he was here to do things. Out of his two lives of judgment on the situation, he urgently needed to have his own strength as soon as possible to protect himself. Whether it was the capital or this dispatch, he smelled the ominous conspiracy.

The predecessor, the prince, died the first time he entered the Black Forest. He could not sit and wait for death when he came through it. He had to change it, otherwise this fate would fall on him again.

"The best way is to let them pass through Ember City, and all other roads are blocked. You can do it without trading, and you can collect passes taxes, and prey will have to collect valuables taxes." Bai Xuan said, "If these are not done, Ember City will not be developed."

Carres and the fat man looked at each other, and they were secretly surprised. When did His Highness become a black-hearted tax official? This sounds even more excessive than some greedy noble lords, especially this passerby tax, which is unheard of. What kind of tax is this?

Even Luo Shen turned his head and showed a contemptuous look at Bai Xuan.

Little did they know that this was normal in Bai Xuan's mind. It was already a kind move to not set up toll stations at both ends of the road.

"But your Highness, if you want to achieve this, it will be too difficult." The fat man reminded him tactfully, "We are not in enough staff."

"Of course, we need strong force to protect all this, which is the top priority." Bai Xuan knocked on the table, "and to form an army."

"Your Highness, what do you want to do?" Carres said. "There are less than a hundred troops now, and they are not elite. Expansion requires the support of the royal capital."

But the King's capital is not peaceful now. His Majesty the King is seriously ill and the political situation is unstable. Carres' subtext is actually that the King's capital may be difficult to support.

"If the kingdom wants to hold Ember City in his hands, it must support it." Bai Xuan said, "I will write a letter to His Majesty, asking him to officially announce the promotion of Ember City's administrative rank, so that he can legitimately strengthen his jurisdiction."

The fat man looked at Carres and found that he was frowning, obviously like himself, worried about His Highness's statement. What if His Majesty the King disagrees, or what if the people who can control the royal family's decisions interfere with it?

These worries are not unreasonable. The current situation within the Chalky is subtle, and no one will easily break this situation. If this is the case, they will definitely bear the pressure from Rosa and Theron. It is hard to say what will happen at that time.

Keeping the situation stable is the best choice at present.

In fact, Bai Xuan also understood that he also had to fight for time to develop instead of breaking the seemingly stable status quo, but it would be difficult for him to develop without doing so, which became a paradox.

It seems that I have to take another approach.

"Has no nobles ever been stationed in the Ember City?" he asked Dong Lei.

"Your Highness is asking why no nobles were enfeoffed here, right?" Dong Lei understood Bai Xuan's meaning, "It's not because this place is far and poor, and it is a chaotic area of ​​three nostalgia. Who would like to come? Even if you take a chance at the Black Curse Forest, you must have strong strength."

"So..." Bai Xuan pondered.

"Your Highness, do you want to...?"

"Of course your highness wants the king to enfeoff the city of Embers into his private territory, so that he can do whatever he wants and implement his unscrupulous tax plans." Luo Shen held his cheek and stared at Bai Xuan, knowing his appearance very well.

"This idea is really..." The fat man smacked his lips, "Not bad."

"I think so, too." Carres said that as a samurai he rarely participates in administrative discussions, but his Highness now clearly needs to listen to their opinions - he has no other person to discuss.

"If Ember City is your territory, many things will be easier to control, and the outside world will not cause too much trouble for the time being. They all understand the situation of Ember City and will not think that becoming your territory will change wherever it will change." Carres said, "This can win us time."

Bai Xuan was silent for a moment before slowly standing up against the table.

Let's start with a lord.
Chapter completed!