Chapter 398 – Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward
Chapter 398 – Two Steps Ahead, One Step Back
“Achoo!”
Paul sneezed loudly.
This sneeze could be considered rather untimely, after all, the Earl’s Excellency was now seeing off his guests.
Paul took out his handkerchief and wiped his nose, thinking in his heart, “I wonder which sister is pining for me from afar.”
While showing an apologetic smile to the crowd, these were all rich people from the countryside, or rather squires, who had been invited to the lord’s palace today to attend the banquet.
“Lord Earl, the night breeze is quite cool these days, please also take care of your health.”
A magnificently dressed man with a rich figure hurriedly said to him.
Paul nodded, “Haha, thanks for the reminder, Mr. Baden.”
“Don’t dare, don’t dare.” Baden revealed a curt smile.
After bidding their farewells one by one, the crowd rode their horses and rode their cars, leaving the lord’s mansion in twos and threes while the moon was shining.
Paul stood in the doorway and watched the crowd leave, and when the people had gone, he turned to the four men behind him – Myron, Old Ford, Hansel, and Old Phillip – and asked, “What do you think of their attitude? ”
Feasting today on reputable burghers from around the country, Paul once again trumpeted his scheme for a customs union.
Philip, the steward of the lord’s house, shook his head and said with a wrathful face, “Lord Earl, although they are rich, they are not titled and are not even knights; it is already a great favor for you and Lord Garnard to feast them in your capacity as earl, and to stoop so low as to send a group of commoners to the door will be laughed at when word gets out.”
“Philip, I didn’t ask you about that!” Really, where is the old butler’s concern.
Old Ford, the life-experienced Chief Steward of the Council of State, twirled his beard and said, “Most people are still being wishy-washy, only that Baden is still considered to be taking a positive stance.”
Baden since the salt people riots in the incident by Paul hard to make a meal, to Paul any “instructions” are incredibly attentive.
The four of them returned to the hall where the banquet had just been held and sat down, and the servants had already cleared the table of cups and plates.
Paul said in a firm tone: “Customs Union this matter, next year there must be a clear picture. The Heller family of Portree and the Parker family of Larnaca have already reached a preliminary intention with me, and we as the initiator cannot drag our feet.”
The reason why Alda and Bairdin have opposition voices is related to the “inaction” rule of the Gleiman and Garnard families, but it is the newly incorporated Emden, where the landowners don’t even dare to let out a fart, and their former lord, the Earl of Kent, is a strong ruler, so even if the people underneath will engage in small actions, they don’t dare to say it out in the open. Even if the people underneath would do something small, they wouldn’t dare to say it out in the open. Then Earl Greiman, who defeated the Kent family, is already a Hell Demon King level character in the hearts of those lords.
According to the verbal agreement of several lords, the use of a series of technologies including papermaking, canning, printing press manufacturing, shipbuilding, and salt tanning were authorized by Alda, and the opening up of agricultural machinery such as strip seeders, reapers, and threshing machines, as well as the sale of flying shuttle looms and jenny spinning machines to the outside world was exchanged for the support of the two regions for the patent system and the customs union. Since these livelihood issues have already taken root in the private sector and have been put into production in private workshops one after another, it’s almost impossible to keep them secret from the other territories, and it’s only a matter of time before they spread beyond the jurisdiction of the Council of State. It would be better to utilize them in exchange for people’s consensus on the patent system – though it might only be a superficial consensus.
As for the profiteering porcelain, the ironmaking technology that allowed Paul to sit at the head of the Northwest Industry, the coke production technology, and the firearms manufacturing technology that countless people wanted to have a peek at, it was still in a high state of secrecy.
“Hmph! If they still don’t get the message next year, then we’ll have to see if it’s their brains that are hard or my bullets that are hard.”
Paul said hatefully.
With a twinkle in his eye, Hansel inquired, “Lord Gleeman, in our past conversations, you always divulge many ideas, so what are all the ones that you’ve made up your mind to run, why don’t you tell us all about them, especially about the countryside.” “Yes, I’m going to free the poor serfs, I’m going to abolish the disgusting packet tax system, I’m going to ban private courts and take back judicial power, and I’m going to confiscate ……”
The party drank a little wine, coupled with the fact that all present are quite open-minded people, so Paul has no fear to say what is in his heart, but said the last “to confiscate the church property,” but still stopped his mouth.
It’s really a knife to the flesh of those people, Hansel thought for a moment and said with a smile, “Lord Gleeman, in that case, why don’t we use the strategy of ‘three steps forward and two steps back’.”
Paul asked curiously, “What is ‘take three steps back and two steps forward’?”
Hansel explained, “When I was serving as His Majesty’s tax collector in Jingyao, I remember that one year the government had to raise taxes due to an emergency, after the first order came out, the people were full of grievances, and after a while a second order came, cutting the amount of taxes raised in the previous order by two thirds, which not only reduced the people’s grievances, but also made many people start to sing praises of His Majesty’s benevolence. Many people began to sing the praises of the King’s benevolence. But according to my inquiries with my friends, the government afterwards collected the taxes that were planned.”
Paul’s eyes lit up, “What do you mean?”
Hansel nodded, “Yes, why don’t we put more wind in the sails of your planned reforms, or simply issue a direct decree. It’s bound to stir up a wave of opposition, so when the time comes to make a gesture of compromise, take back those secondary targets first and leave the main ones, the resistance encountered should be less.”
Paul touched the faint lip and moustache on his mouth, “Sit on the ground and pay back on the ground?”
Old Ford said without concern, “Reforms change from one day to the next, I’m afraid that it will affect Lord Earl’s authority as a lord.”
Hansel explained, “This is called a power change, the lord’s power comes from what he finally accomplishes, even if the process is a little twisted.”
Myron offers a compromise suggestion, “It’s better to take two steps forward and one step back, and concede a smaller amount.”
“Let’s do what Myron says, otherwise it would be too humiliating.”
Paul hammered it home.
The Customs Union was the primary goal for the moment, and it would be a matter of careful deliberation as to which of the other goals to use as cover for it.
The men conferred minutely for a while longer, until at nine o’clock in the evening Hansel excused himself and left, while Myron and old Ford stayed on.
Paul stood by the window looking out at Hansel’s departing back and inquired of his next ally, “What do you think of this Hansel guy?”
McLoon summarized in his mind, “A very capable person, it’s really thanks to him that the previous land consolidation could be completed so quickly.”
Paul said, “Indeed, his suggestion just now was also good.”
He sighed, “It’s a pity that he is after all the person sent to us by the royal family. Perhaps the experience of the Northwest Gulf is nothing more than a short journey in life in his mind.”
Myron chuckled, “But because of that, he has no qualms about letting it go, and presided over the clearing of the fields that offended quite a few people.”
“Haha, fair enough.”
(End of chapter)