This skinny old man is the most prestigious gentry among the Andean people who stayed and did not flee. He once served as an official in charge of commercial affairs in the local government of Vito City. He was originally quite dissatisfied with the Luzon government for not paying attention to the development of the Northern Luzon region. He had some opinions and wrote several letters to the central government of Luzon, but nothing happened. So he resigned and went home to do business wholeheartedly, becoming one of the largest grain and oil merchants in Northern Luzon. He maintained good relations with the local Tang gentry and merchants. He has a pretty good relationship and has a pretty good reputation in Vito City.
Wu Feng had exchanged views with this person twice in the past few days. The two parties also had a very enjoyable conversation and had very consistent opinions. He also asked Wu Feng if he had any plans for regional adjustment, but Wu Feng always said that I haven’t decided to play it off yet, I just said that I will give everyone a clear explanation in the end.
Nodding slightly, Wu Feng replied: "Yes, I do mean that. To be honest with you, my army already controlled the entire northwestern Luzon, including the westernmost Green Sea Swamp, ten days ago. Now, The army is stationed in Shuangduiji. Due to historical reasons, Northern Luzon has always been a mixed area of multiple ethnic groups. To the east, with Vito City as the center, the Andes make up the majority, but there are also a considerable number of Gaoyue and Tang people. As well as a small number of Indians, the huge Gaoyue people have never been included in the management of the local government, which I cannot allow."
The waiter calmly picked up the coffee and brought it to him. After taking a sip, Wu Feng continued to explain his thoughts: "The west is a vast area and the ethnic composition is more complex. The Coopers and Pulics account for about half of the local population, while the Andes, Tang, and Indians Humans also account for a considerable proportion, and there are several other smaller ethnic groups distributed near the Green Sea Swamp. Such a fertile and rich land still does not have a decent central city. This is not in line with the common development of all ethnic groups that I advocate. So I decided to build a new city in Shuangduiji to make it the center of western North Luzon. In this way, there is Vito City in the east and Shuangdui City in the west. The two sides can promote, support and compete with each other, which can greatly To promote the economic development of Northern Luzon, this plan has also been warmly welcomed by the Coopers, Puli and other local ethnic groups.”
Wu Feng's plan and design for the future of Northern Luzon immediately showed a beautiful and attractive bright future to everyone present. All of them here are celebrities and wealthy businessmen with a net worth of tens of millions, and they also represent the ethnic groups to which they belong. and the social group immediately started whispering to each other after hearing Wu Feng's outline. They were all obviously considering how feasible Wu Feng's plan was.
A middle-aged man in Chinese attire stood up and gave a national salute to Wu Feng, then looked around at the people around him, and then said: "Sir, as you just said, our Northern Luzon has long been formed due to historical reasons. , the economic development has always lagged behind that of Southern Luzon and Central Luzon. There is only one city in the huge Northern Luzon - Vito City, and the city size is also the smallest in the entire Luzon region. If the geographical scope of Northern Luzon is combined with the large eastern crossroads, The mountainous area has greatly exceeded Southern Luzon and is equivalent to the area of Central Luzon. Now that your Excellency has decided to divide Northern Luzon into two parts for governance, the west side is none of our business. I want to ask a question that everyone here is very concerned about. The question is, after the establishment of the self-government, what measures will be taken to stimulate and promote the economic development of the region? Are they the same as the measures taken by your Excellency earlier when governing the northwest counties of the empire?"
Wu Feng showed no emotion on the surface, but he was secretly happy in his heart. This Tang man is also a prestigious gentry in Vito City. He is one of the largest tobacco merchants in Northeast Luzon and owns several large-scale tobacco plantations outside the city. There is a standard tobacco processing factory in the city; one of his brothers opened the largest private school in Vito City, and many civilians from all ethnic groups in Vito City studied in his school, while his other brother ran the Vito City A large-scale transportation company and inn, the entire family has considerable influence in Vito City, and has a very good relationship with the Andean people in the area. It is also one of Wufeng's largest Austrian aids in Northern Luzon.
As soon as he said this, he supported Wu Feng's administrative region change in disguise, and also vaguely hinted at recognizing Wu Feng's absolute control over this area.
"Good question! I think this may be the issue that everyone here is most concerned about. Well, although the specific measures will be jointly formulated and formulated by the officials of the independent government, that is, some officials elected by everyone here and the officials dispatched by me. Implementation, but here I can briefly talk about the plan." Wu Feng replied confidently.
"First, with the support of the central government of the empire, the traffic situation in Northern Luzon must be fundamentally improved in a short period of time; second, the urban scale of Vito City will also be further expanded until it reaches a scale commensurate with its location So far; thirdly, necessary adjustments will also be made in local taxes and tariffs to promote further development of the local economy." Wufeng's words were vague, like scratching the surface, and it was unsatisfactory.
An impatient Indian businessman stood up in a hurry, saluted hurriedly and asked: "Sir, I would like to ask about the situation of tariffs. I wonder if your Excellency can explain it in more detail?" He is a famous salt merchant in Northern Luzon. Since Luzon does not produce salt, he imports a large amount of salt from Guide Prefecture in the northwest county every year, so he is particularly concerned about any changes in tariffs.
Wu Feng replied with a smile: "The salt and tobacco in Northwest County have been monopolized, but I do not advocate that Northern Luzon should also follow suit. In terms of tariffs, I think the tariffs should be consistent in the territory I manage. I think Northern Luzon should be the same." The trade tariff ratio between Song Dynasty and Northwest County should be reduced, and the specific situation should be coordinated by the financial department."
As soon as Wu Feng finished speaking, he immediately received warm applause from everyone present to express his welcome. You must know that the trade exchanges between Northwest and Northern Luzon are frequent, and according to the current situation, it will definitely be further strengthened. Whether it is import or export of goods, tariffs are A considerable weight. As soon as Wu Feng said this, he was naturally supported by everyone.
As soon as the Indian businessman bowed and left with satisfaction, a middle-aged man in Andean national costume stood up and saluted again and asked: "Master Li, I am a cloth merchant. Every year I import a lot of silk and cotton from all over the empire, but... The condition of the road from the northwest to Luvitto City is really bad, especially in the rainy season. It is unbearable. Every year, I lose more than 10,000 gold coins due to moldy cloth. Now that the road to the northwest has been repaired, I just heard that When your Majesty said that we should speed up the pace of road transportation construction in Northern Luzon, I wonder if this road is on the agenda?”
"Yes, the acceleration of transportation construction I just mentioned not only includes the road project from Weituo City to Qingyang in the northwest, but also the road from Weituo City to Shuangduiji and even extends to the Indian Kingdom. If conditions are ripe, I also suggest that the autonomous government The road from Vito City to Manlong City can be repaired." Wu Feng's plan is very ambitious, not only considering commercial interests, but also having important military significance.
Wu Feng's words once again won warm applause from everyone present.
"My lord, I have long heard that your lord is opposed to the slave trade. We admire your lord's mind very much. I wonder if your lord can declare the slave trade in Northern Luzon illegal after taking over the management of Northern Luzon? We are opposed to it. The Slave Trade Federation will firmly support your Lordship's decision." Another middle-aged scribe stood up and leaned over to ask a question.
Wu Feng was a little surprised that someone would ask such a question at this time, and it seemed that he knew his attitude very clearly. He took a closer look and saw that although the person asking the question was very polite, he could not hide it. He has an arrogant look, a thin face, a black beard on his chin, and is dressed in a black Andean dress.
Wu Feng had also heard about this man. He was the most famous antique jewelry dealer in Northern Luzon and a very famous jewelry and antique connoisseur in the entire Luzon. He was a staunch anti-slavery person and also invited some like-minded people to form a group. A Northern Luzon Anti-Slave Trade Alliance was formed to oppose the legalization of the slave trade. Since the slave trade was legal and protected by law throughout Luzon, the slave trade business was very prosperous, but it also aroused strong opposition from many gentry.
As soon as he finished speaking, another old man from the Tang ethnic group also stood up and bowed in support: "Yes, I have heard about Mr. Li's anti-slavery stance. We strongly request you to declare it illegal in Northern Luzon and abolish the slave trade to effectively protect it. The personal rights of slaves.”
Wu Feng, an old man from the Tang ethnic group, also knew him. He was a famous paper merchant and bookseller in Northern Luzon. He owned several paper mills and printing workshops, as well as a large calligraphy and painting workshop. He was also a staunch anti-slavery activist.
As soon as these two people spoke, several people across from them couldn't sit still. Someone immediately stood up and objected: "Today we are here to discuss the major matter of preparing for the establishment of local self-government. How can we talk about such irrelevant issues? I suggest we get back to the business. What do you mean? Isn't that right, Mr. Li?" The spokesman's face was filled with a humble smile.
"How can this be said to be a trivial matter? Shahrika, you are a villain with your hands stained with the blood of slaves. I think you want to prevent Mr. Li from implementing the policy of banning the legalization of the slave trade, right?!" The antique dealer immediately stood up and accused him. The two sides immediately started arguing with each other.
"Okay!" Wu Feng raised his voice, and the venue immediately fell silent. Although both sides were still glaring at each other, they both sat back down obediently due to Wu Feng's power.
"I didn't want to talk about this issue today, but since everyone has raised it, I will make my position clear. To be honest, I don't support the slave trade." Wufeng thought for a while and put forward his point of view straight to the point, but this time As soon as these words came out, several opponents of the slave trade immediately beamed with joy, while a few slave merchants looked ashen. However, most of the representatives frowned, knowing that almost everyone here was more or less in their homes and factories. Using slaves, Wu Feng's words may have a great impact on their business and life.
"However, I think it is not practical to abolish the slave trade at the moment. After all, the slave trade in Northern Luzon is legal now, and slaves are indispensable in everyone's lives now. Although I do not advocate it, in Northwest County, the slave trade is still As long as they pay taxes in accordance with the law, they are legal. Of course, the tax rate may be higher than other commodities." Wu Feng said carefully, taking into account the sentiment of the opposition and the interests of the slave merchants.
"I suggest that the local self-government should follow the example of the northwest, but the tax rate may not be exactly the same as the northwest. The actual situation in each place is different. However, I still want to warn everyone not to excessively infringe on the personal rights of slaves, especially arbitrary killing and wounding of slaves and other atrocities. If it damages the image of the noble people here and the circumstances are serious, the local government will also have to intervene, and we welcome people from the Anti-Slave Trade Alliance to supervise such atrocities."
With great difficulty, Wu Feng finished speaking impartially like walking on a tightrope. Ling Tianfang next to him just let go of the stone in his heart. After all, both parties have considerable influence. A slight mistake will damage the interests of one party. Even Wufeng himself felt that his words were quite good.
Wu Feng's words made both parties very satisfied. The party opposed to the slave trade also knew that it would be unrealistic to immediately declare the slave trade illegal. After all, even the slave trade in the northwest county had not been cancelled. It was commendable to have such a big progress. Well, at least Li Wufeng expressed his disapproval of the slave trade on the spot, and also clearly stated that the personal rights and interests of slaves should be protected. There is a long way to go, and Li Wufeng can slowly continue to do Li Wufeng's work.
The slave merchants are also very satisfied. The slave trade is inherently a hugely profitable business. A higher tax rate has nothing to do with the overall situation. As long as the business can continue, this cost is completely negligible. Moreover, Li Wufeng also made it clear that as long as taxes are paid in accordance with the law, the slave trade will still be affected. Conservation, and also expand your business to the Northwest County. As for infringing on the personal rights of slaves, killing and injuring slaves is also something slave traders do not want to see. This is equivalent to damaging their wealth, so just pay a little attention.