Chapter 427: Chapter 1: Let Ti Weed Them Out
“Last month’s total fiscal expenditure was 3358 Gold Coins?” Roman looked at the financial report in his hand. This wasn’t a monthly eting, but a routine briefing; given the rough organizational structure of Fertile City, hosting a monthly eting would be too difficult.
The old Deacon beside Roman nodded, “Indeed, Your Highness, this number is clear and precise.”
The financial situation of the two cities was very transparent, with clarity every month, and all funds had their destinations.
Of the over three thousand Gold Coins, almost half was spent on military expenses, supplies, and pensions.
The remaining one thousand-plus Gold Coins were spent on various things such as administrative salaries, hiring professional Craftsn, school education expenses, purchasing agricultural products, farr loans, special rewards, and subsidies for pregnant won.
These, being complex, involve all aspects. If listed out, it could roll out ten ters across the carpet.
Roman found this quite normal.
These days, as soon as he opened his eyes, tens of thousands of people relied on him for their daily needs; the complexity of statistical details was imnse. If not for paper, everyone would have to search for him while counting on their toes or travel by pushing on their rear.
That being said, over three thousand Gold Coins felt a bit too much.
Two months ago, the expenditure was rely two thousand-plus Gold Coins, now it had abruptly increased by 50%, which seed rather alarming.
“What about revenue?”
Seth handed Roman another stack of docunts, last month only two hundred-plus Gold Coins were accounted; mostly from Roman’s departnt store, with a small part from fines―amounting to less than one Gold Coin in total―which were collected from those who violated Origin laws.
Expenditure of three thousand, inco of two hundred, anyone seeing this would feel their scalp tingle.
However, Roman, as Lord, did not need to care whether the data looked bad or not, nor did he have to show it to outsiders; it was just for him to better understand the territory’s developnt to control everything.
Last month, he had addressed war, utilizing massive manpower and resources. Just the dical nurses alone numbered two to three hundred, organizing dical teams to provide treatnt for the wounded.
The substantial increase in expenditure was understandable, mainly focusing on consumables with hundreds of tons of food being exhausted completely.
War isn’t production; war is destruction.
Imagine everyone doing sothing unrelated to farming, then essentially everyone is eating without contributing.
Moreover, you must feed them properly to drive away those robbers.
‘Compared to consumable depletion, fiscal expenditure is rather secondary.’ Roman thought.
He possessed gold mines, steel, coal, and salt―these assets robustly supported his economic system, preventing him from becoming a debtor even though miners’ monthly wages were five copper coins for regular miners and six to seven copper coins for senior miners, with high compensation guarantees.
Yet these expenses were just a drop in the bucket compared to mining revenues.
The collapse of the Conqueror Order made Roman realize minting rights were less critical; he could mint coins privately, with everything being decided by him.
Even without tal coins, his territories could achieve self-sufficiency, carrying all fiscal expenditures.
He was no longer the naive young Noble who had just arrived at the domain; years of developnt allowed him to self-produce and self-stockpile, entering an internal circulation mode.
The inhabitants handed Roman the processed items they had built, which he sold or gifted back to them; even if he gave away nurous items, Roman still concluded with a substantial surplus each month.
Speak of a monthly expenditure of three thousand Gold Coins―even five thousand Gold Coins―as long as it develops, Roman wouldn’t blink.
“Departnt stores are too few, let’s open twenty more stores this year and hire more people.” Roman gestured to Seth.
Departnt stores were public enterprises and the only place where residents could consu.
Yet they only brought in two hundred Gold Coins monthly, which dissatisfied Roman enough to want to punch them!
I’ve given you wages so that you spend them!
Why keep saving!
Go on, spend them!
Bacon, sugar, staples, soy sauce, soap―you na it, they’ve got it! If you want wild vegetables, I can find soone to dig them from the fields! A quarter copper coin can buy a hefty amount. If purchasing is sufficient, I could have Gwivelle grow high-quality wild vegetables!
“Your Highness, those people are stingy; extracting money from them is harder than killing them.” Seth pointed it out clearly. They valued money above all else.
“Moreover, what’s sold in stores isn’t sothing that reassures them.”
Those aren’t necessities but luxuries.
So were willing to buy every month.
But, most couldn’t make such absurd purchases.
Roman’s realm was paradise, yet they were impoverished beings, poor for too long, with rigid thinking and unlikely evolution.
Roman couldn’t force them to spend. He understood this principle. Human rights were the foundational basis of territory legislation; he couldn’t trample anyone’s human rights.
“Then let ti eliminate them.” Roman shook his head slightly.
It’s okay if you can’t earn money from old farrs; it’s impossible for those old geezers not to pass savings onto the next generation.
Just open enough departnt stores for them to integrate into society, making it a customary matter for newborns, and once they grow up, they’d sooner or later pick up old copper coins to purchase new commodities…
After finishing matters in the Ministry of Finance, Roman turned and spoke with another official, who was the Textile Mill owner, with a straightforward purpose.
Textile raw materials were lacking; female workers had no work, so they could only go farming.
They didn’t mind farming, but farming had no wages.
Textile workers had a daily wage of a fifteenth of a copper coin, though ager, was still better than none.
This year’s cotton had just been planted recently; despite the breeding farm raising sheep, the scale hadn’t expanded, and the wool from slaughtered mutton wasn’t enough; past textile raw materials mainly ca from Ice Island’s wool.
The earth’s situation gradually beca chaotic; communication broke between Ice Island and the basin last year, understandable since the King of Ice Island fell in battle on the Heavenly Pegasus Plain, new ruler ascended, experiencing a test of ti.
With communication inconvenience, Roman only knew Ice Island allied with Pirate forces, unclear about Ice Island’s current situation.
“Let them farm for now,” Roman quietly weighed how much independence Ice Island maintained within Dragon Clan World, “maintain this period, and subsequently, I’ll consider giving them a wage increase based on performance.”
The textile worker’s wage was low―of course, not distributing a salary could also work―everyone in Fertile City initially was a slave, not qualified to discuss treatnt with their masters.
But rather than endless harsh exploitation, he preferred more efficient exploitation.
The priority was ensuring provision of food, clothing, housing, and equipnt for all to enhance living quality.
The Textile Mill owner left cheerfully, none disliked wage increases, satisfying the workers with this asure.
Roman continued to converse with other officials, seeing off individual after individual.
After sending everyone off, before he even had a sip of tea, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from afar; finally, a winded Ranger Knight rushed in.
“Roman, I’m back!”
“Welco back, Green.”
Roman stood to greet his knightly brother. “How did things go? Smoothly?”
“Don’t ntion it—encountered a Dawn Knight as fierce as a Monster—almost died out there.” The young knight spoke excitedly without showing any despair.
Green gestured outside, hardly opening his mouth before a crisp voice sounded, overlapping so they seed unified.
“Thrilled but safe. Lord Roman, Witch Forest sends greetings.” Twin witches stood side by side, fingers intermingled, slightly bowing, their golden hair dazzling.
“I am Philicia of the twins, always anticipating eting you.”
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