Dulaketon City was a bit more to the south than Sowell City, but the snowstorm that came from the north still covered Dulaketon City in the morning, dyeing the city white.
Count Michelle put down the letter in his hand and looked out the window.
There was snow outside and icicles hanging from the branches, looking very beautiful. It also meant that Dulaketon City would have a good harvest next year.
However, Earl Michelle didn't feel happy at all. Instead, he felt a little worried.
His highness Eric was clearly dissatisfied with Longley Count secretly contacting Xu Yi and even inviting New Flyer to invest in Basaru City. He even angrily accused Longley Count of being a traitor. Not only had he betrayed his highness Eric, he had also betrayed his dead father.
Perhaps it was because of Longley Count's anger, but his highness Eric was also very dissatisfied with Michelle's suggestion of cooperating with New Flyer. His words were filled with doubt towards Michelle, even questioning him. He was just short of asking Michelle if he also wanted to be a traitor.
Count Michelle wasn't surprised by his highness Eric's reaction, but he was very disappointed that his highness Eric only knew how to express his anger in this situation.
Before he truly understood why Longley Count contacted Xu Yi, he had already decided that Longley Count was a traitor. In Michelle's eyes, this was a very stingy method.
Even if Longley Count had contacted Xu Yi and invited New Flyer to invest in Basaru City, this was different from him betraying his highness Eric. It didn't mean that Basaru City and the Longley Family would join her highness Seveni's side.
At this time, his highness Eric should have investigated the situation and made a decision after understanding Longley Count's thoughts. He shouldn't have pushed Longley Count out from the beginning.
He had already decided that Longley Count was a traitor, so even if Longley Count didn't have any thoughts of betraying his highness Eric, he would be forced to leave in this situation.
His highness Eric didn't have that many supporters in the northeast province, there was only himself, Longley Count, and Lamarte City's Count Will.
Now that he had decided that Longley Count was a traitor and he was doubting himself, could it be that he was planning on abandoning the support of the northeast province?
Although Count Will's Lamarte City was the largest city in the northeast province, just with Lamarte City, it couldn't represent the entire northeast province.
Not to mention that compared to her highness Seveni's firm supporter Samo Count in Sowell City, Count Will wasn't that strong.
Moreover, the New Flyer had already invested in Sowell City. If Samo Count and Sowell City were given a few years to develop to the same level as Banta City, the entire northeast province would have to listen to Samo Count.
Thinking of this, Michelle Count suddenly felt a strong sense of exhaustion.
His highness Eric's attitude towards him made him a bit unhappy and his highness Eric's method of dealing with this matter made him very disappointed.
He even felt that his choice back then was a bit wrong.
"Perhaps ….. it would be better to support her highness Seveni?"
As soon as this thought appeared in Count Michelle's mind, he immediately tossed it out of his mind.
As an old noble who was almost sixty years old and had experienced several changes in the kingdom's politics, he had a principle.
Which was that in the most intense competition, there were winners and losers, but the ones who weren't welcomed the most were the ones who couldn't decide.
Michelle Count gave a sigh and pinched his forehead, calming his expression. He picked up the bell on the table and shook it, calling his personal butler in.
"Go and investigate what Longley Count and Xu Yi did in the two days they were together. Even investigate what they said." Michelle Count first gave the order.
"Then send a gift to Count Longley in my name and tell him something."
The butler looked at Michelle Count.
Michelle Count paused and after thinking for a bit, he continued, "Tell him that I hope he can inherit old Longley's will and become Basaru City's City Lord."
The butler's expression was a bit strange. This was his first time receiving such a vague order from Count Michelle.
But the butler didn't have any thoughts of asking and obediently wrote down these two orders.
"That's right, has the goods for his highness Eric been prepared?" Michelle Count asked.
"It's already prepared, we can put it on the carriage and set off at any time." The butler replied.
"Carriage?" Michelle Count smiled with a bit of mockery in his smile.
"Alright, arrange for the carriage to set off as soon as possible.
His highness Eric probably can't wait any longer. "
The butler made a sound of acknowledgement and then stopped.
"Speak." Michelle Count said in a deep voice.
The butler quickly said, "Sir Count, when we were collecting these goods, there were some rebellious people who tried to resist. In the end, the city guard soldiers didn't pay attention and were too heavy handed, resulting in ….."
Seeing the butler's troubled expression, Michelle Count's face sunk, "How many died?"
The butler replied with a bitter smile, "Thirteen have died and fifty six are heavily injured. I'm afraid twenty or so of them won't be able to hold on."
"That means close to forty people will die?" Michelle Count's face was so gloomy that it looked like water was about to drip out.
"I told them to collect goods, not to kill people!"
The butler saw the anger hidden in Michelle Count's eyes and was afraid, but he still had to explain, "Sir Count, it's already the end of the year and there aren't many things left in the homes of the commoners. They were forcefully taken away, so of course they would go all out.
The city guard soldiers couldn't just not fight back, so then ….. "
The butler didn't dare to keep talking. Seeing the expression on Michelle Count's face, he suspected that if he kept talking, he would also be in trouble.
Michelle Count fell silent with a gloomy face for a while before taking a deep breath. He waved his hand and said, "Since they're already dead, then forget it.
Fine the soldiers who killed them one hundred gold coins each. If they can't pay up, then throw them all in jail. "
The butler was startled, "Sir Count, I'm afraid there will be questions ….."
Michelle Count looked at him and the butler immediately swallowed his words back into his stomach.
"Alright, go and arrange for the goods to be transported out." Michelle Count waved his hand and had the butler leave.
Seeing the tired look on Michelle Count's face, the butler didn't dare say anything else and silently left after giving a bow.
Michelle Count stood there in a daze for a while before he suddenly gave a sigh and revealed a self deprecating smile.
"So in our large Dulaketon City, it's a bit hard for us to gather three hundred thousand gold coins worth of goods?"
###
"Lord City Lord, these are the accounts that will be handed over to the kingdom's treasury, please take a look."
Banta City's City Lord Manor's financial officer Fumar respectfully took out an account book and handed it over to Seveni on the other side.
Seveni took it and looked it over before putting it down with a nod.
"I'm already clear on this account, there's no need to check it."
Seveni said with a faint smile, "Our Banta City can pay over seven hundred thousand gold coins to the kingdom's treasury this year because of everyone's hard work.
It's been hard on you, I'm here to thank you on behalf of royal father. "
The City Lord Manor's financial officers in the room quickly stood up and gave a bow to Seveni in fear.
"Your highness, this is our work, we can't accept your thanks."
That being said, everyone's faces were filled with joy. The entire room was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
Banta City's income this year was much higher than last year, so the lives of everyone in Banta City had greatly improved. After these City Lord Manor's financial officers left the City Lord Manor, they would be respected no matter where they went.
"It's because of your outstanding work that our Banta City can develop this well, so it's right to thank you." Seveni said.
"Alright, everyone sit down. Now let's discuss Banta City's development plan for next year.
Baron Fumar, tell me, after we hand it over to the kingdom's treasury and after we take care of this year's expenses, how much money does our Banta City have left? "
Baron Fumar didn't need to look at the records as he directly replied, "There's one million two hundred seventy six thousand three hundred and forty six gold coins left."
"That's close to one million two hundred and eighty thousand gold coins."
Seveni nodded, "As for how to spend this money, does anyone have any good suggestions?"
Everyone looked at each other and hesitated a bit.
"Don't be afraid, just give your opinions. I just want to ask if you have any feasible suggestions." Seveni encouraged them.
"Then ….. Lord City Lord, I'll give a suggestion first." Baron Fumar raised his hand and said.
Seveni nodded to him and gave him an encouraging smile.
Baron Fumar quickly sat up and said with a serious look, "Your highness, I propose taking out a sum of money to renovate the old district of our Banta City.
Now our Banta City is gradually developing into the most prosperous city in the south.
But the old district is still the same as before, I feel that it doesn't match the current status of our Banta City. "
"That's right. Compared to the clean, beautiful, and tidy new district outside, the old district is simply another world." Another administrative officer echoed.
Another official added, "The people of the old district all want to move to the new district.
If it wasn't for the fact that I wanted to save some money to buy a villa built by the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, I would have already moved out. "
"That's right, the old district is small and crowded, it's not convenient to do anything. If we can renovate it and make it a bit more beautiful, that's not bad."
"Un, I also think the same … …"
… …
Hearing everyone agree, Seveni thought about it before nodding, "This is a pretty good suggestion.
Then Baron Fumar, since you've made this suggestion, have you thought about how much money you'll need to spend? "
Baron Fumar seemed to have thought about it a long time ago. With a confident look, he replied, "My lord, it's obviously impossible for us to really make drastic changes to the old city. So, my proposal is only to repair the parts that are particularly old and can't be used.
So it's just building some public facilities, fixing some broken parts, and making some improvements. According to my initial estimates, it should be around fifty thousand gold coins. "
"Only fifty thousand?" Seveni was a bit surprised.
Seveni was a bit surprised, "You really are thrifty.
Alright, taking away the fifty thousand gold coins, we still have a surplus of one million and two hundred thousand gold coins. Do you have any better suggestions? "
Baron Fumar was a bit surprised, "Lord City Lord, do you want to spend all one million and two hundred thousand gold coins?"
"Of course we can't spend it all.
But there's no use in leaving all this money on hand, right?
This money comes from the taxes paid by the citizens of Banta City, so of course it should be spent on improving their lives.
Come, think of a new suggestion. "
Everyone looked at each other and couldn't think of a good idea for a while.
Seeing everyone's awkward appearances, Seveni gave a sigh. She thought that if Xu Yi was here, he would definitely have a bunch of new ideas.
This fellow was very good at earning money, but he was also very good at spending money.
But then Seveni found it a bit funny.
When all the cities in the kingdom were having headaches over their finances at the end of the year, they were worrying about how to spend money next year. This really was a kind of extravagant worry.