Chapter 290: Understand the spirit of the Believers' Conference and implement the Holy Kingdom's edict
At this point, a small group of smart representatives came to understand.
The lord's land has been divided, taxes have not been paid within a year, and the mountains, forests, and rivers have been opened again, so isn't being the head of a hundred households in vain?
Someone soon asked this question.
“It’s not in vain.” Horn waved his hand vigorously, “You will receive a subsidy every year, which is equivalent to the salary of the Salvation Army during non-war times, about 3 gold pounds per year.
In addition, you can nominate a child under the age of 12 to attend the Monks School of Joan of Arc or the Salvation Army-affiliated school for free.
In the future, if you do well, you can become a rural priest or even a bishop after passing the priest examination. ”
Now even Grosien understands that being the head of hundreds of households means you can be paid to provide for your children and even have the opportunity to become a priest for free.
The fire of piety in your heart was extinguished before. It was burning again, and the representatives were too eager to make progress.
After asking a few innocuous and even flattering questions, Horn once again heard his feelings from a citizen representative. Questions of interest
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask if the standard for loan sharking is set too low?" The citizen representative who stood up looked embarrassed, "You may not know that the bad debt rate for lending is not low.
If you set the maximum annual interest rate for private loans at 20% and do not allow the interest to exceed the principal, then our gains will not be worth the risks.
In this case, no citizen will be willing. Let's lend money to those who are in trouble."
Seeing Horn still smiling, the citizen representative coughed: "Maybe we can relax it a little, to 36% or 40%, or relax the interest rate to 30%. Twice the gold? "
Regarding the issue of loan sharking, Horn has been waiting for the citizens to ask for a long time.
The "Edict of Land and Acres of the Holy Kingdom" opened up the free sale and purchase of land in order to give farmers a sense of ownership of the land.
When they truly feel that the land is relevant to them and there is surplus output, they will dare to improve soil and planting.
In ancient times, Eastern agriculture was able to crush the West for a long time. Part of the reason was that the free sale and purchase of land was established very early.
Yeoman farmers are willing and able to improve the soil and develop agriculture.
The planned economy of the feudal manor, which was sustainable in the early and middle ages and was used to catch fish from the lake, largely inhibited the development of agricultural productivity.
But this also brings disadvantages. For wealthy citizens, wealth can increase steadily and rapidly through loan sharking and land annexation. Who is interested in investing in real industries?
The problem is that the former model is a zero-sum game, which only distributes wealth without creating wealth.
The profit margin and risk resistance of the latter may not be as high as the former, but it has actually created wealth and jobs and changed daily life.
So Horn must block other exits of the capital pool, leaving only one opening, which is to develop industry.
“We have all read the Gospels. Both the Holy Lord and the Holy Father hate usury, let alone the priesthood trade.” The pious Horn said righteously, “This kind of cruel thing, It would be merciful of me not to cancel completely.”
"His Majesty the Pope, I know that you hate loan sharking, but this standard is too strict." At this time, Murat, the mayor of Sugua Town, as the second largest moneylender, finally couldn't hold himself back, "If we don't If we lend money to people in need, they may all die.
It is because we lend a helping hand at a critical moment. Who can guarantee that by lending them money, they can make a comeback?
Because? In this way, we have suffered a huge risk. For such a big risk, there should be matching income, right?”
Exhaling from his nose, Horn picked up the crutches beside the podium and supported it. Walking towards the front of the wooden platform, he said as he walked:
"I never said I wouldn't let you make money. You can definitely invest in workshops. I saw a lot of well-operated workshops. Because of the flood, On the verge of bankruptcy
Or you can also buy our Jihad Bonds, which have an annual interest rate of 10% and interest every year.
If you still have too little, you can invest in the Holy Hoe Monastery and Holy Sickle Monastery that will be established by the Senate.
The former is mainly engaged in reclamation and development of breeding, while the latter is engaged in agricultural integration, agricultural and sideline products and farm operations.
If you are willing to invest, the amount invested can even be used as a tax deduction for the next ten years.
I can even give you the status of honorary elder. Is this still harsh?
If you do business, do business, and if you do charity, do charity.
Doing business with the slogan of charity is like being a vagabond in a nun's uniform. You need both piety and money. "Seeing that Murat was speechless, Horn chuckled and tried to return to the podium with a cane.
"This makes no sense. At this interest rate, I would rather Money ruins the family. ”
Although it was just a muttering, Horn still heard it. His original return movement stalled and turned around again.
He didn’t know who said it, but he just looked at the citizens in that direction and said calmly:
“Am I unreasonable? Am I unreasonable? Sometimes I feel like I’m not too kind to you.
When I marched into Fort Joan of Arc, the skitarii who had been framed by you asked me countless times to hang you all.
It was because I felt that we should avoid past mistakes and save others. It’s not about having a headache and cutting off the head and feet.
So I only hanged a part of it, leaving you with a way to survive.”
Horn's voice didn't rise much, but an invisible suffocation felt on the backs of the citizens, making them bend down like cooked lobsters.
One by one, the citizen representatives present trembled like quails.
Even the surrounding villagers who had nothing to do with this matter changed their expressions because they could faintly smell the faint smell of blood.
The representatives finally realized that the bandaged young man in front of them was not a new priest who was easily bullied.
But he was the executioner who killed thousands of enemy troops on the battlefield, executed hundreds of nobles, personally chopped off the heads of the Duke's family, and made rivers of blood flow.
If this person is really pissed off, he will go straight to urbanization with a wave of his hand, hang all the citizens, and the rest will not dare to say anything.
Do you really think that Horn is a good student?
“Finally, as a saint, pope, and eye of God, I sternly warn you: the days of lying on gold coins and enslaving civilians to get something for nothing are gone forever!
If you continue to persist on this road, you are not far from the devil!"
Seeing the trembling citizen representatives, Horn did not continue to increase the pressure, but Looking far away, he continued to ask indifferently:
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Sitting next to the pale citizens, Grosien's cousin looked around and stood up:
"Your Majesty, I want to I want to ask, how are the chiefs and pastors of Baihu District appointed?"
Horn lowered his head, flipped through two pages in the pamphlet, then raised his head and continued: "It is in accordance with the Basic Law. To be elected, of course the opinion of the College of Cardinals is also important.
In the Jihad Special Zone, the Hundred Household District is not equipped with a Hundred Household Pastor. The person who takes office as the Chief of the Hundred Households only needs to be signed and approved by the Salvation Army. That's it.
In the pious special zone, the heads of hundreds of households are selected and appointed based on three priorities: the Skitarii, public opinion representatives, and ordinary people. The pastors of hundreds of households are served by monks from the Order of the Holy Father. "
"But we are not like knights, and we cannot defeat others, so how can we command them? "
Hearing that someone asked the key question again, Horn's anger subsided a lot: "You can report it to your superiors, and Cheka will come to investigate and confirm the situation. If it is true, the gendarmerie will take it with you. The Black Hats came to visit. "
"Your Majesty, I also have a small question..."
We talked all the way from noon to evening. Most of the questions were exhausted, and Horn's throat was about to smoke. .
Fortunately, after this day's meeting, this group of representatives with varying levels of education finally understood the spirit of the "Holy Country's Land Edict" and waited for its implementation.
After the group believer meeting, Horn started one-on-two and one-on-three consultation meetings.
After talking with representatives of each manor or town for about ten to fifteen minutes, Horn asked someone to take them to visit the ruins of the Blue Blood Orphanage before letting them leave.
After five full days, this dialogue between the new regime and the people finally came to an end.
Until this time, the flags of the Papal State and the Salvation Army were finally planted in the territory of Kush.
(End of this chapter)