I Became A Black Merchant In Another World Chapter 288

"A ruler who gains the people's favor will never fall."

This was proven by a Japanese daimyo nad Oda Ujiharu.

Even after losing all his lands in a battle with another daimyo, his retainers and the people fought in his place and reclaid his lands multiple tis.

Even though he was constantly defeated in battle, his retainers would lock him up during wars, and farrs, who preferred to die rather than pay taxes to other daimyo, would burn all their wealth...

He was a man who had no ability other than winning the people's favor, but thanks to that favor, he managed to revive several tis.

The Emperor of the Toscana Empire may not be loved by the people to the sa extent as this gentleman...

‘Gaining the overwhelming support of serfs and the people is sothing worth aiming for.’

"How about gaining the people's favor, Your Majesty?"

"I already believe that through the newspapers you publish, we have gained their support, Count Rothschild. Do you think differently?"

For a politician, public support is like money.

Just like it's better to have 10 billion in your bank account rather than 1 billion, a 70% approval rating is better than a 50% approval rating.

‘Approval rating = power.’

Of course, since the Toscana Empire is a feudal state, gaining the people's favor won't necessarily help the Emperor wield absolute power easily...

But what would happen if the people fully supported the Emperor, and any lord who opposed his will was ready to be overthrown?

The nobles would have to kneel before the Emperor to preserve their positions.

If the Emperor just snapped his fingers, the serfs and rchants would deliver pikes to him imdiately.

"Even if the monthly newspaper only contains editorials about how much Your Majesty cares for the people, their patriotism will surely grow."

For modern people, it seems natural for the president to show up at disaster recovery sites to deliver relief supplies and console people...

But until the mid-20th century, if a president actually ca to deliver relief supplies, elderly people would have been moved to tears.

After all, the country’s ruler ca all the way there to comfort them.

And to maximize the effect, the president would eat 막걸리 (makgeolli) and 국밥 (gukbap) in front of farrs and commoners, showing solidarity.

Then, after hearing about the people's hardships, he would summon the district officials or mayors—people whom ordinary citizens wouldn’t dare look at—and scold them in front of the citizens.

It was a display to show the people how much the president cared for them.

‘It worked so well in those tis.’

Let alone a ti more backward than the 20th century, in the Toscana Empire, where the Emperor simply says once a month in an editorial that he thinks of them and plans to reduce taxes in famine-stricken areas...

The people would imdiately start shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

This alone, frankly, would be very well done for a dieval fantasy leader.

"However, would Your Majesty be satisfied with just a slightly stronger imperial authority than before?"

The Emperor shook his head after listening to my words.

"I desire an even stronger imperial authority."

Power has the sa properties as money.

When we graduate from university and start working, having 10 million in our account feels like enough, but once we save that much...

We want to save 50 million, and later we might even want a foreign car or an apartnt.

Once you taste power, you start craving more.

Eventually, that leads to rebellion or plotting coups.

"Then, why not lower the heavy taxes on serfs just a little? And publish it in the newspaper."

"If we lower taxes, won’t the nobles who are already struggling with financial difficulties start resenting ?"

"There is no reform without pain."

No pain, no gain.

It’s a famous saying that nothing can be gained without enduring hardship.

If the Emperor wants to strengthen his power, he must pay the price.

There is no such thing as sothing for nothing in this world.

"Right now, the tax imposed on the serfs is 60% of their harvest. Plus, they must offer more than 10% of their grain to the Church every year."

A 70% effective tax rate. Even Nordic countries, which guarantee welfare from cradle to grave, don’t impose taxes like this.

If I earn 2 million, I’d have to give 1.4 million as taxes.

This is definitely crossing the line.

Even though the serfs in the Toscana Empire have endured this kind of tax for generations, they continue to live under these conditions...

If a modern country’s president were to impose a 70% tax on the lower-inco people or the average earners, within a week, the citizens who don’t want to pay taxes would rise up.

"This system was created when the Toscana Empire was in turmoil, when wars with barbarians, bandits, and neighboring states broke out frequently, and it was unavoidable," I explained.

The commonality between Japan's Warring States period and dieval feudal systems is one thing.

Society was in absolute chaos.

Although records from the feudal era are limited, Japan's Warring States period was nothing short of chaotic.

It was a daily occurrence for a neighboring town to burn down, and its residents sold into slavery. It was common for families to lose mbers in wars.

It was so frequent for daughters or wives to be raped and killed that it wasn’t even discussed, only used as casual gossip.

So modern Japanese even say that the massacres during the Imjin War were part of their culture. Need I say more?

The fact that such systems from these chaotic tis are still in place hundreds of years later is the Toscana Empire's biggest problem.

‘The serfs are too poor to buy our goods.’

"That’s true."

"If Your Majesty declares to the serfs that you will gradually correct this unjust system, how happy would they be?"

A person earning 1 million a month might be struggling to live in a small room and only eating twice a day.

But if so wicked person imposes a 70% tax on them...

After paying the rent for the small room, they would worry about starving.

Now, imagine if a politician reduced taxes by even 10%, allowing people to eat one full al a day?

That politician would beco their savior.

"You don’t need to drastically lower the taxes at once."

Actually, even if there is room to lower the taxes, it’s not advisable to cut them in half imdiately.

As Machiavelli said, cruelty should be concentrated at once, and things people like should be given gradually.

Lowering taxes is sothing the serfs would appreciate.

We should lower them very gradually, giving them ti to feel thankful toward the Emperor.

"Announce in next month’s, or two months from now’s, newspaper that the tax on serfs will be reduced by just 10%."

I’m not so grand aristocrat fighting evil nobles for the people's welfare.

I’m just a noble who wants to live well with my wives.

So, I can’t take such dangerous actions that would estrange from the noble class.

‘A 10% reduction in taxes from the serfs is manageable.’

"Won’t the nobles rebel?"

"Of course, they will."

If a company suddenly reduces your salary by 10% without any reason, who would take it well?

They’d probably want to break the boss’s head with a chair right away.

"But, they’ll only complain. They’ll have no choice but to submit to Your Majesty’s authority."

To overthrow the Emperor, the serfs would need to be ard and form an army.

But how can the serfs, who would support the Emperor over their lord, start a rebellion?

Besides, it’s only a 10% tax reduction, not so ridiculous cut.

The nobles will have to grit their teeth and bear it.

"And when they start showing their dissatisfaction... we’ll send certified accountants from our academy to collect inco taxes from the rchants in the region, and expand the finances by making up for the missing tax revenue."

The taxes the nobles collect from the serfs, when converted into money, don’t add up to much.

They make up about 60% of the budget.

Another 20% cos from bribes collected by rchants, and the rest cos from various miscellaneous taxes.

"The bribes from the rchants are less than 5% of their inco. They’re good at disguising that as their entire earnings."

By raising that tax by 10%, or even up to 20% depending on inco brackets, the tax revenue will increase significantly.

"If we do this, we’ll win the people’s favor and also control the nobles’ finances to so extent."

Of course, the Emperor will need to handle the middle process on his own.

"Alright, then I’ll announce the tax reduction for the serfs in two months."