The five giants of the Overseas Dominion Military Region gathered together again.
This was the second day after Claude led the Thunder Legion to the royal capital. As promised, Prime Minister Blancart sent all the parliamentarians and representatives of the promoted officers, as well as the deacons from the royal capital office, as well as the disarmed guards. The entire group was sent to the camp where the 4th Thunder Division was stationed. Claude refused to go to the royal court to meet King Frederic I, for which Prime Minister Blancart expressed deep regret.
This gathering was attended by Speaker Bennett and President Hindman, both of whom, like General Bolognik, escaped unscathed during the more than twenty days of imprisonment. General Skerry has a scar on his face and a bandage on his left hand. Like most representatives of the promoted officers, he has suffered a lot. Because he refused some unreasonable demands, he was severely tortured two days before he was arrested. Fortunately, the Prime Minister intervened early and his injuries did not worsen.
Claude threw the folder he was holding on the conference table: "Let's take a look. This is the so-called compensation agreement given to us by His Majesty the King sent by Prime Minister Blancart."
The folder was thrown in front of President Hindman. He picked it up and opened it. After looking at it for a few times, he looked happy and read aloud: "Overseas Minsheng Bank is allowed to open branches in the Kingdom, and it needs to be submitted to the National Bank every year. A management fee of one million gold crowns. As long as a deposit of 10 million gold crowns is reserved in the National Bank, low-denomination banknotes with a total value of less than 20 million gold crowns can be issued in the Kingdom. The banknote designs need to be reviewed by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Finance. approve... ...
Allow railway companies from overseas autonomous territories to jointly operate railway transportation business in the Kingdom, and set up the Ovelas Royal Railway Operating Company, with the Kingdom providing 40% of the land and the overseas autonomous territories providing financial resources, manpower and technology to occupy 40% of the shares. Sixty shares to build and operate railway transportation lines covering the Kingdom's mainland, with a total operating period of fifty years. After the fifty-year period is reached, all shares will be repurchased with funds from the Kingdom.
This grant of the title provides a 50% discount on promotion fees and site selection fees for overseas autonomous territories. Personnel injured in this conflict are exempted from site selection fees, to express the apology of the King and the Queen to you and their Majesties. I'm not taking this seriously, and I again ask for your understanding..."
"I'm sorry, Prime Minister Blancart is a difficult negotiating opponent. We negotiated all night and only reached these three compensation agreements." Claude said.
Speaker Bennett and President Hindman were both very happy. Speaker Bennett said excitedly: "It would be great to reach these three agreements. Originally, the Kingdom only allowed us to open an overseas Minsheng Bank in Bailu City. Now, We can open branches in the capitals and towns of various local counties in the Kingdom, which means that our banknotes can also be issued to the Kingdom."
Claude took out a cigar from the cigar box on the table and lit it: "In fact, the kingdom has not suffered a loss. Didn't it require our Overseas Minsheng Bank to hand over one million gold crowns in management fees every year? This is equivalent to the national It's like the bank has opened another branch system. I remember Viscount Gooditch once mentioned that the total annual revenue and profit of all the branches opened by the National Bank in the local counties of the Kingdom is less than one million gold crowns... . ...
In addition to collecting this management fee from overseas Minsheng Bank, the Kingdom's Ministry of Finance actually intends to introduce our low-denomination banknotes to replace physical metal currencies. After all, there is not much profit in casting these low-denomination metal physical currencies, and there is also the danger of losing money. That’s why Prime Minister Blancart asked the Overseas Minsheng Bank to pay a deposit of 10 million gold crowns, issue another 20 million gold crowns of low-denomination banknotes, and use our bank to test the waters of the Kingdom. "
President Hindman asked: "But the banknotes written here are not the ones we issue in overseas autonomous territories, right? Do we need to redesign new currency patterns and anti-counterfeiting marks?"
Claude nodded: "Yes, the low-face value banknotes issued in the Kingdom need redesigned patterns and anti-counterfeiting marks. Prime Minister Blancart should have decided to use this kind of banknotes to replace the low-face value metal physical currencies issued in the Kingdom. , but this does not prevent the banknotes issued by our overseas dominions from being circulated in the Kingdom. The only difference is that the National Bank of the Kingdom does not recognize the banknotes issued by our overseas dominions, but only recognizes this newly issued banknote."
Speaker Bennett was relieved: "That's okay. It doesn't matter if the National Bank does not recognize the banknotes we issue. Our Overseas Minsheng Bank will recognize it itself. As long as we open Overseas Minsheng Bank's branches to various local counties in the Kingdom, I believe it will soon be It can surpass the National Bank and become the first bank in the Kingdom of Ovilas.”
President Hindman pointed to the second item on the document and said with a smile: "I didn't expect Wang Ting to leave this railway to us as compensation. This sincerity is sufficient. I remember that Wang Ting originally sent someone We asked our overseas autonomous territories to hand over the technology for railway construction and train production to them free of charge, saying that it was to support the kingdom's local railway construction, but we refused. The second time was to prepare to pay for the purchase of railway and train technology from us. Production technology, but they only offered a price of 300,000 gold crowns, and we drove them back again... "
General Skerry laughed: "It seems that they have also realized that railways and trains cannot be achieved just by talking about it. Just like our current railway companies in the Dominion, although they have gained a lot of money in operation, Income, but a large amount of money is still invested in technological improvements every year. Today's locomotives are already fifth-generation steam engines...
Without our participation, the Kingdom would have to invest a lot of money again in the research, development and production of steam locomotives. But now that you are operating with us, I don’t know how much money and time you have saved. Now the royal court only needs to pay land to get a railway line covering the entire kingdom, and it can also get 40% of the net income from us in the next fifty years. This is really a very cost-effective deal. protocol. "
"Prime Minister Blancart is a smart man. He knows how to cooperate and share, and he also knows how to win-win." Claude slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "We once calculated that if a railway line covering all local counties was built in the Kingdom, , at least more than 3 million gold crowns can be obtained every year. The total investment amount of this railway line covering all local counties in the kingdom is about 20 million gold crowns, not including the land acquisition required to build the railway.
Prime Minister Blancart said that in the past, the preparation for the construction of railway lines and the operation of railway companies were in the hands of aristocratic families. It's just that they couldn't agree on the amount of shares and investment, and they couldn't obtain the production technology of railways and trains from overseas autonomous territories, so the plan to build the kingdom's own railway lines only existed on paper.
Now that the attention of these aristocratic families has shifted to the hereditary family territories they obtained, Wang Ting has regained the leadership in railway construction, and only then can he reach this railway cooperation agreement with our autonomous territory. If we have enough labor, we can build several operational railways within two years and build while operating them. We can build a railway line covering all local counties in the Kingdom in about seven or eight years.
If I invest 20 million in railway construction funds, I estimate that it will take fifteen to twenty years to recover the total investment cost, and the remaining thirty years will be pure income. Therefore, I suggest that the railway construction funds of 20 million kroner be raised by Overseas Minsheng Bank through the issuance of bonds. This railway construction bond can be transferred, or you can hold it in your hands and receive dividends every year. It can also be passed on to your descendants. After the fifty-year operation period is completed, it can be sold to the kingdom to get back the principal and interest. "
"It's a good idea." Speaker Bennett praised: "Marshal Claude made a good suggestion. What I mean is to set the face value of this bond at one hundred gold crowns and let the people of our overseas autonomous territories subscribe for it. It is stipulated that one household can only subscribe for one bond, and it will be credited to the bank account of the head of the household, and the annual dividends and income will be transferred to this account. And we, the parliamentarians and nobles, should not get involved in this bond. How do I say this? , I think it’s time for the people of our Dominion to get some dividends from the war. We eat meat, and we should also let others drink some soup... "
Bonds with a face value of one hundred gold crowns and railway construction funds of 20 million gold crowns can benefit 200,000 households in the Dominion, which will go a long way in rallying the people of the Dominion. Nowadays, the economy of the overseas autonomous territories is developing rapidly, and people's lives are getting richer and richer. There are many families with savings of more than one hundred gold crowns. Storing all the gold coins in the bank can only earn meager interest, but if you buy this railway bond, maybe the one hundred gold crowns can be doubled in ten years.
Claude knew very well that Speaker Bennett's proposal was mainly to appease the people of the Dominion. After all, all the members of the Overseas Dominion Parliament this time have become honorary nobles of the kingdom. As long as they pay the promotion fee and land selection fee, they can obtain a hereditary family territory in the eastern region of Farea Continent.
If the news spreads to overseas dominions, it will make the people of the dominions feel abandoned. It may even be used by people with malicious intentions to cause farce and disturbances demanding the re-election of dominion members. Therefore, some benefits must be given to reassure the people, and it should be shown that even if they become hereditary nobles of the kingdom, they have not forgotten the interests of the people of the Dominion. Railway bonds are currently the best option. One hundred gold crowns can benefit up to 200,000 households...
Everyone present tacitly ignored the railway topic and acquiesced to Speaker Bennett's proposal. Next is the last compensation agreement. There is a 50% discount on the promotion fee and land selection fee. This is already a half discount on the granting of the title. Except for those nobles of the kingdom who have the blood of the Sterling royal family and a few nobles of the kingdom who have made great contributions to the kingdom, that is, who strongly promoted His Royal Highness Prince Frederic to the throne, they are all exempted. This is the lowest known discount.
In addition, representatives of congressmen and promoted officers who were injured for various reasons after the conflict that night were exempted from site selection fees. Even General Skerry said with a smile that he was tortured and injured, but the site selection fee of 200,000 gold crowns was reduced as a result. The beating was really worth it. Representatives of the injured parliamentarians and military officers expressed their great satisfaction with the sincerity of the apology from the King and Queen...
Speaker Bennett and President Hindman were also satisfied with the discount offered by His Majesty the King and the treatment of the injured. Just as Prime Minister Blancart revealed to Claude, the original noble ministers of the royal court were firmly opposed to the fact that the parliamentarians and promoted officers of the overseas autonomous territories enjoyed the same discounted treatment as them. As a result, Her Majesty the Queen dispatched the palace guards to arrest them. After arresting the parliamentarians and military representatives of the overseas autonomous territories, transporting away the huge sum of 30 million gold crowns, and sealing the office in the royal capital, all the noise in the royal court disappeared...
Especially after the news came that the Thunder Legion was marching towards the royal capital, the noble ministers in the royal court were in chaos. Some people began to accuse others of not discriminating against members of the overseas dominions and honorary nobles, and that they should be given the same discounted treatment. Some nobles and ministers of the royal court simply asked for leave and left the royal capital to avoid the deterioration of the situation from affecting themselves. Some honorary nobles wandering around the royal capital even contributed to spreading rumors, accusing the king of improper handling of things...
To be honest, if it weren't for Queen Christie's reckless instigation of conflicts between the palace guards and representatives of the overseas dominions, His Majesty the King would have no excuse to give discounts and benefits to the representatives of the dominions. On the contrary, this conflict gave both sides a step to step down. His Majesty the King compensated with discounts and benefits, while the parliamentarians of the overseas dominions were also very happy that they did not take advantage of them and received a half discount...
Claude could only smile bitterly in his heart, glad that he did not really go to war and use force in the royal capital. Even these injured councilors and promoted officers could forget about the conflicts they had with Queen Christi and forget about themselves. The injuries suffered from the severe beatings by the palace guards were satisfied with His Majesty the King's compensation to them, so Claude really had no reason to stand up for them and take revenge on the King and Queen... ..
Just like last night, Madam Maria visited Claude's camp overnight. Claude knew the purpose of Lady Maria's visit, she was only here to intercede for her daughter. And Mrs. Maria also knew Claude's current weight. He alone controlled the military power of the overseas autonomous territories and was a victorious marshal of the kingdom. He had the ability to influence or destroy the entire kingdom.
No one expected that the master and apprentice pair who met in the small Bailu Town would undergo such earth-shaking changes, and their identities seemed to have been reversed. Back then, Lady Maria was a noble lady whom Claude looked up to, and the adopted sister of the late King Sterling. Now Mrs. Maria is the queen's mother, and her identity has not changed much.
But Claude has grown from an ignorant boy to an invincible commander. He can even decide the future of the Kingdom of Ovelas and the survival of the Sterling royal family. The master and apprentice met again, but they didn't mention a word about Claude's purpose of leading the Thunder Legion to the capital. They just recalled the scene when they met in White Deer Town.
Mrs. Maria was very concerned about the situation of Claude's sister Anna. When she heard that she had become a mother, she couldn't help but sigh that time passed so fast. The sensible and well-behaved little girl back then was now a mother. She lamented the twists and turns of fate. Originally, she wanted to regard Anna as her direct disciple, and even wanted Anna to be her daughter-in-law, but it was a pity that her precious son ruined everything.
Lady Maria did not mention her daughter Queen Christi, nor did she plead to Claude. She just left a thick notebook before leaving and asked Claude to give it to his sister. Anna. This thick notebook contains Mrs. Maria's pharmacy experience and research reports as a senior pharmacist. It can be said to be a priceless treasure.
Claude could not tell Madam Maria that her sister had been led astray by him a long time ago, from a junior pharmacist to an arms research expert. Mrs. Maria said that her sister Anna was the most talented pharmacist she had ever seen, so she left her notebook containing her lifelong research to her. She hoped that Anna could make further progress in pharmacy in the future... ..
Since these victims of parliament and military representatives had no intention of holding Queen Christi accountable, Claude naturally ignored it and ignored it. Instead of looking at the monk's face and looking at the Buddha's face, Claude will let Queen Christie go this time just for the sake of Mrs. Maria.
President Hindman closed his eyes and considered for a while, frowned and said: "Even if His Majesty the King gave us a 50% discount and waived the site selection fees for the injured representatives, our 30 million Gold crowns are still not enough to pay everyone’s promotion fees and land selection fees. I calculated that we still have a difference of 17 million gold crowns... "
"Otherwise we just say we have no money. Just these 30 million gold crowns, do you want us or not? Let them give us a few more discounts..." Speaker Bennett still wanted to play rogue.
Claude was so angry that he laughed: "Turn over this page. Prime Minister Blancart also wrote two requests at the back, asking our Dominion Military Region to provide the kingdom with new rifles and an armored fleet to fill the gap. The difference is 16.4 million gold crowns. It should be noted that these two requests were agreed to by our Marshal Bologna... "
Marshal Bolognik, who had been silent all this time, suddenly blushed: "Yes, I agreed. Now the kingdom's military industry has produced the same new rifles as ours, and several shipbuilding workshops have joined forces to produce iron armor. The development of battleships has also made great progress. However, the price they reported to the Kingdom's Ministry of War was too outrageous. A new rifle cost forty-five gold crowns, and a bullet cost one silver thaler. An iron-clad battleship The asking price is 680,000 gold crowns.
I feel that rather than letting the kingdom’s military industries, which are controlled by established noble families, earn this arms money, it is better to let our overseas autonomous territories earn it. Therefore, I agreed to the request of His Majesty the King and Prime Minister Blancart, and our overseas autonomous territories provided 400,000 new rifles and 40 million new rounds of ammunition to the Kingdom's Ministry of War. We will then build an armored fleet of sixteen armored warships for the kingdom. This transaction can be used to offset the remaining over 10 million in promotion fees and land selection fees... . ”