Chapter 464 The Dilemma of the Royal Family 4
Northwestern Bay?
“That shouldn’t be a problem.”
The Foreign Secretary said in a relaxed tone.
“The lords of the northwest have always been very deferential to the royal government. I think they will cooperate with the royal government in implementing the blockade strategy against Giles, and they will restrain the merchants under their rule.”
The Minister of Military Affairs suggested: "We purchase more steel and ordnance from the Northwest Gulf. The products there are cheap and easy to use. This way we can save money and make up for some losses in the Northwest Gulf."
The king nodded and agreed. "Then let's do it."
The finance minister continued to suggest: "The Yunwu Mountains also produce tea and precious wood. We should support the industries there to balance the shortage of goods caused by the blockade of Giles."
One by one the suggestions were recorded by the secretary, and the kingdom's senior officials prepared a tight net for Giles.
The meeting finally returned to the unavoidable topic at the beginning - how to arrange the southern nobles at this stage?
The king sighed helplessly: "I am going to give them part of the land from the king's territory."
The subjects present were shocked.
Rupert persuaded anxiously: "Your Majesty, this is not possible. According to the number of families of those southern nobles, after the enfeoffment is completed, the land of the royal territory will not be much larger than a principality."
< br>The king explained to everyone: "This is what I think. I will only select some of the more influential families to grant territories, and they cannot be armed. Well... let's go according to the top one-third of the order of influence. "
The land in the royal territory is far more fertile than in the south. He didn't believe that those nobles would refuse.
"The middle third of the families will arrange a position in the military and administrative departments for the adult men of the family to give them something to do, but the salary should be slightly increased on the basis of the existing allowance."
"There are one third of the minor nobles left. Alas... let them fend for themselves."
...
After Catherine left the meeting hall, she walked depressedly in the corridor of the palace On the morning, she planned to go to the garden to relax.
Just as she passed a corner, a hurried figure bumped into her.
"It hurts, it hurts..."
A pretty figure squatted on the ground, covering her head.
“Really!”
Katherine helplessly helped the person in front of her.
"Eileen, you are too rash, what about your manners as a royal princess?"
She scolded her sister with some annoyance.
Ever since she took a trip to the northwest bay, this little princess has become a little carefree. She looked her sister up and down.
“Have you just come back from school?”
At this time, Irene was not wearing a palace skirt, but a simple neutral dress, platinum Her colored hair was tied into a ponytail and thrown behind her head.
She was dressed like this when she ran to school.
It was a school she built herself. The little princess did all the site selection, architectural design, and hiring of teachers herself.
What is puzzling is that all the students come from civilian families, quite a lot, and a large proportion of the children in the lower grades are abandoned orphans. It can also be said that this school has both The function of the orphanage - it is like a monastery that does not teach theology.
The cost of running such a school is naturally not low, but as a princess of the kingdom, Irene has her own fiefdom since she was born, and the harvest there can provide most of the funds. Her little sisters I also donate to the school from time to time.
"Don't worry about your manners and school for now! Sister Wang, Sister Wang, I want to see my father immediately."
At this moment, Erin was like a jumping canary, with a mixture of guilt and anxiety on her face.
Katherine put on a serious face, put her hands on her hips, frowned and asked: "What happened to make you so out of control? Tell me first, did you get into any trouble again?"
Seeing that she was misunderstood by her sister, Irene shook her head like a rattle, "No, no, alas, my dear sister, I can't explain a word or two. I have a letter here. You can read it yourself. This is my friend in the Northwest Bay. "Sent."
Catherine took a piece of paper from her sister's hand.
“My dear friend Betty…”
Catherine glanced at the opening greeting.
Betty, this is the name my sister used when she was in the Northwest Bay, and she knows this.
What followed piqued her interest.
"At a meeting last week when this letter was written, the Statistical Committee, headed by Lord Garner, compiled data that revealed that the maternal mortality rate in the North West Gulf four years ago was as high as 20 percent. There are more. This data is not necessarily accurate, because the statistical committee has not been established at that time. This is obtained by statisticians by visiting the families where the children live, but it should be close to 100%."
"This is the first contact. I was stunned by this data. It means that one in every five women who are about to become mothers will lose their lives forever. It is really terrible. The Statistical Commission recorded the sample when collecting the data set - they did this. To refer to the family background of the interviewees, the data shows that regardless of whether they are rich or poor, whether they are aristocrats or commoners, maternal mortality rates are extremely high. People with good family conditions are more likely to die than those with poor family conditions. A little bit, but overall it’s not much different.”
"If you ask a midwife, you will know that women who have just given birth often develop a fatal disease - puerperal fever. Many mothers have high fever, chills, unbearable pain in the lower abdomen, and struggle and cry. , and finally passed away tragically. This was the terrible price paid for human reproduction in the past."
"However, statistics from the Statistical Commission show that the maternal mortality rate has begun to decline year by year. Where is the dividing line between this situation? I think you can guess it quickly."
"Yes, it is the pamphlet we compiled together, which is used to promote hygiene. The booklet records the various disinfection measures proposed by Count Grainman. These measures have been proved to be effective through the microscope. Now, through the statistics of maternal mortality, it should be possible to deduce the so-called puerperal fever. It is also because of infections caused by microorganisms that can only be observed with a microscope. If you think about it, this is indeed the case. Aren't women after giving birth the same as wounded soldiers on the battlefield? In the previous battles of the Arda army, similar situations occurred. "The disinfection measures can greatly reduce the fever rate of wounded soldiers, so they should also be effective for pregnant women."
"In recent years, Count Graiman has used administrative power to promote the New Life Movement in the territory, and doctors from various places have also done so. Being forced to understand the contents of this pamphlet, I think this should be the main reason for the reduction of maternal mortality.”
“Dear Betty, I hope you can exert your influence in the aristocratic circles of the royal capital. …”
(End of this chapter)