Succubus' Manor

This winter is the same as last year. In the depths of winter, a drop of water can turn into ice. Put a pot of hot water outside and it will quickly freeze into ice cubes. Firewood and charcoal can only be used sparingly. The whole family huddles together to sleep. Old people and children are crowded in the middle.

But it is difficult for families without young people at home.

It's just that there are not many such families, because most of the frail old people have died of the plague.

Now the hardest workers are the tauren who clean the streets. For their safety, Chi Yan equipped each of them with cotton clothes——Chi Yan needs someone to work, but he doesn’t want to use the other party as a slave. He needs food, clothing, housing and transportation. Guaranteed resources for the tauren.

The tauren people feel that they are living a good life now. Compared with the residents who can only eat bean dregs cakes, they can eat black bread twice a day, have hot water to drink every day, and the place where they live is not leaking from wind or rain. On the street, you can also gather with other tauren to enjoy the fire, and when you are hungry, you can buy bean dregs cakes to eat.

They work against the cold wind every day, and they are covered in sweat after trying their work.

The winter lasted for four months. After the end, every street counted the population. The number of people who died in this winter added up to more than 500. This number is not accurate. It may be more or less, but at least it is close to The real number, the error will not be too large.

Chi Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

He wouldn't be naive enough to think that no one would die all winter.

Saked was fine last year because the people he brought to Saked last year were all young people who were labor force. Young people have better physical fitness and are less likely to get sick.

It's just that there is another statistic in the city, that is, more than 200 women were pregnant this winter, and this was only noticed, and there was one who was pregnant not long ago and was not noticed.

This is also normal. In this era, civilians don’t have any recreational activities, and they can’t go out in winter. All they can do is to do things under the covers.

Chi Yan rubbed his waist and felt that he was similar.

If he had been a woman, the child would have been born long ago. Thinking of this, Chi Yan laughed out of joy and staggered from side to side.

Kleist just came in from the door, still with a chill on his body, he took off his coat for a year, took care of himself by the fireplace, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Chi Yan pursed his lips: "It's nothing, where have you been?"

Kleist: "Go to the training ground and have a look."

There is only one winter for the knights and guards. Those who are capable will be reused after the spring to form their own team. Counting desperately, one is more obedient than the other.

The guards felt that although their status was not as good as that of the knights, compared to their abilities, they might not necessarily be defeated by the knights.

The knight's thinking is even simpler. If he is a dignified knight, if he becomes a soldier in the hands of the guards, he will really lose the face of his ancestors.

So in comparison, the Cavaliers worked harder.

"It's time to start spring plowing." Wheat must be planted in early spring so that it can be harvested in autumn. Although the city does not use agriculture as its main source of income, the land still needs to be planted.

Chi Yan: "Let them use the wheat seeds I brought."

The wheat seeds are all selected in the simplest way. The small grains are eaten, and the large grains are saved. The wheat seeds in Chi Yan's hand have been selected three times. Although the effect is not obvious, it still has an effect.

At least it is better than the original local wheat seeds, which are small and shriveled.

Although Chi Yan didn't expect the city to be self-sufficient by growing food, he would still have a greater sense of security if he could grow food himself.

When all the snow melted, the temperature began to rise, and Chi Yan was able to take off his cotton clothes, the spring plowing began.

Chi Yan asked Kadi to watch, and Kadi pulled Amos again.

Kadi wanted to hollow out Amos, and Amos had to avoid being hollowed out by Kadi for his own future, so the two fought wits and courage, and were not bored all day long, and even had some inexplicable friendship.

These lands were rented out before, and because many tenants died, there was a lot of unowned land.

Chi Yan said to Kleist: "I want to take back all the rented land."

It's not good for each company to do its own thing, and it can't increase production.

After all, the conditions of each household are different, the amount of farm tools held is also different, and the seeds used are also different.

Chi Yan is not going to rent a large piece of land to someone: "I want to do it myself, I hire someone to farm the land, this can be a lifelong career, with a basic income every month, and then give bonuses according to the performance, try to find the best planting methods to increase yields.”

"If it works, it's not like the city can't be self-sufficient."

This is a novel idea.

After all, the arable land in each city is rented out, and the lords are not idle and bored. They insist on finding something for themselves to do, regardless of whether they have food.

Kleist thought for a while: "Okay, what should I prepare?"

Chi Yan: "Farm tools and money."

There is no shortage of money. After the spring, there will be a steady stream of money from Saket. Sugar and wine are profitable tools, and the price is estimated to remain high. In order to prevent the prices of these two things from falling, merchants would rather If you go to a farther place, you will not sell them all at once in the nearest city, causing the price of sugar and wine to drop.

Chi Yan likes businessmen very much now, especially when they are used by him.

The wealth of the Yuan Dynasty came from merchants. In the early years, the Yuan Dynasty had heavy commercial taxes, but the land tax was very low, which was almost equal to nothing. However, the Yuan Dynasty was not poor, on the contrary, it was very rich.

It was even the first time that pen and paper were used on a large scale. Although Jiaozi had existed for a long time, there were very few dynasties that could use Jiaozi as currency like the Yuan Dynasty.

Looking back at history from the standpoint of a modern person, Chi Yan feels that the Yuan Dynasty will fall, and it is estimated that the speed of the emperor's replacement in less than a hundred years has something to do with it, because the replacement is too fast, and a decree will be executed before it is implemented. Another decree overturned.

In addition, after the death of Kublai Khan, the pro-Han policy was overturned, which intensified ethnic conflicts, too many internal power struggles, the lower-level government collected taxes at will, and the later plague of locusts led to the rapid rise of this dynasty and its rapid demise.

But what if the Yuan Dynasty has always followed Kublai Khan's policy?

Being pro-Han, respecting Confucianism, and emphasizing business, in fact, it may not be hopeless to become the Qing Dynasty.

So once an effective strategy is decided, it cannot be easily changed.

Otherwise, it will only cause chaos and accelerate destruction.

Chi Yan was going to turn this city into a shopping mall, so he had to formulate policies related to merchants.

To give more benefits to businessmen, but also to limit businessmen's access to power.

"It seems that canceling the city entry tax and exit tax is not enough." Chi Yan touched his chin, "We have to think of greater benefits."

Chi Yan suddenly said: "Otherwise, all taxes related to merchants will be cancelled, and only transaction taxes will be charged."

Transaction tax is a tax set on the value of goods traded when buying and selling goods.

However, this tax is generally set randomly. Small businessmen without backing are more miserable, while big businessmen with backing basically do not have this tax.

But businessmen also have their own ways of avoiding taxes - they just make a private agreement to go out of the city to deal.

If you don't trade in your city, you won't be able to collect this tax.

Kleist suddenly said, "The local merchants don't charge transaction tax, what do you think?"

Chi Yan was stunned for two seconds, and he thought about it carefully.

If local merchants do not collect transaction tax, then they will not be willing to go out of the city. After all, it will take manpower and time to transport a large amount of goods out or in, and it is not that easy.

But Chi Yan: "If the tax is less than the transportation expenditure, then this method is feasible, but what if the tax is relatively large? Then the foreign merchants will pay to let the local merchants go out of the city together, and the expenditure is less than the tax."

Kleist thought about it, and felt that this was indeed a problem, and he said, "Can't local businessmen be directly prohibited from going out of the city to trade?"

Chi Yan shook his head: "It's not such a simple matter. As long as they want to exploit loopholes, they will definitely be able to exploit them. I just hope to develop a habit."

A tax-legal habit.

That's why he is willing to make a profit.

Otherwise, businessmen are very good at tax evasion and tax avoidance. Even ordinary people know how to avoid tax by selling small things, let alone them.

Chi Yan: "Hey, it's still because we don't have an army."

Chi Yan rubbed his temples: "It would be much more convenient if we had our own legal armed forces."

Whoever has the big fist, listen to whoever.

Chi Yan is benefiting the businessmen now, maybe it's because he is not yet strong enough to make everyone obey and abide by the rules he made.

"Let's form a chamber of commerce." Chi Yan suddenly stood up.

Let the merchants restrain the merchants, and let the interests of this city become the interests of all merchants in the city.

Bind the city to the merchants!

The established chamber of commerce, the goods in this city are controlled by the chamber of commerce composed of local merchants, they can adjust the price of goods, and can decide who will sell the goods or not.

Of course, Chi Yan still has the control. Chi Yan can ignore everything when there is nothing to do, and Chi Yan can adjust immediately when something is wrong.

And there must be a businessman completely under Chi Yan's control, which is easy to do.

He just needs to balance and win over, let the two forces compete in hostility.

Chi Yan ran over excitedly, hugged Kleist and kissed him: "I thought of it!"

Kleist was puzzled, but he still kissed Chi Yan back.

Let the merchants become the city's sword and the city's shield.

Chi Yan was so excited that he couldn't be more excited. He held Kleist's arms, raised his head, and said proudly: "I'm so smart!"

The problem that has been bothering him has finally found a solution.

The city cannot rely on him alone, nor can it rely on Kleist, demons and civilians.

The solid pillars of the city must be united.

He wants to tie the merchants to his ship.

Unless the waves are raging and the ship sinks and people die, no one can get off the ship.